Cinnamon Sugar Mix ...Using Organic Coconut Sugar !

I have been making cinnamon sugar for many many years !

But today I made it using organic cinnamon and organic coconut sugar...

I made it up in a jar ..I used 1 cup of organic sugar and 1/4 cup organic cinnamon and just shook it really well to mix it up ...And I made a label as you can see from photo above...So many uses ..it will be great sprinkled over pancakes,toast, apple crumble,stewed apple, muesli,sprinkled over yoghurt or kefir... even add some to smoothies if a little more sweetness is needed..We love making banana kefir cinnamon smoothies they are so delicious.. in a blender I throw a few peeled bananas, milk kefir and some water and a teaspoon of cinnamon and blend up ..very delicious... 

My Pumpkin salad recipe !

Pumpkin Salad!

This is pretty much the same as my potato salad but using pumpkin instead and I sprinkle the top with pumpkin seeds..I also make it using sweet potatoes too...

Here is a link to my potato salad recipe

I steam the cut up pumpkin, ...So while pumpkin is steaming away, I cut up a brown onion  finely diced then add to my large glass bowl that I put the juice of 1 lemon, a splash of extra virgin olive oil and one or two teaspoons of honey and a sprinkle of celtic salt and some dried mint then I add the cooked pumpkin and toss really well so all the dressing gets absorbed into the hot pumpkin..optional sprinkle with pumpkin seeds  and serve ..its so delicious ...Great for my paleo eating plan ...

Sardine Canapes (Paleo recipe)

Sardine Canapes !

I've been eating the paleo diet for 3 weeks now ..The cave man diet..the food that our ancestors would have eaten...well as close to that as possible ...meat, fish,eggs,fruit, vegetables,nut and seeds...water...Any way I'll talk more about it when I have time and the energy ..This is one of my paleo recipes I created...it's quick,easy and rather tasty...Great to serve family and friends over the summer season or just great for a quick snack or lunch...One tin of sardines, finely diced onion and a good squeeze of lemon juice mash well together in a bowl and put onto slices of cucumber ..Also great for any one following a low carb diet too. This could also be good if you need to take a plate to a function over the summer ...Sorry the photo is a little blurry ..camera has been playing up ...maybe time for a new one...things don't last long these days do they....

My Yummy Potato Salad Recipe !

                     This is my yummy potato salad recipe !

I love potato salad, I make it quite regularly during the warmer spring, summer season.
Here is my recipe I don't like ones with mayonnaise...I use fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and little honey and some celtic salt...I steam the cut up potatoes, I usually make a big batch to last a couple of days makes a quick easy lunch ...So while potatoes are steaming away, I cut up an onion any type red spanish can add a lovely colour but this time I just used a brown onion finely diced . I put the dressing that I make as described above in the salad bowl. Then I add the onions then add the cooked potatoes toss really well so all the dressing gets absorbed into the hot potatoes..I also add a sprinkling of dried mint for extra flavour  and some fresh mint from my garden adds extra colour and flavour and serve ..its so delicious ...Hope you give it a try ..if so let me know how yummy it was...
NOTE: You can also add apple cider vinegar in place of lemon juice..I always try to have lemon juice available ..when lemons are in season I will juice them and freeze them in ice cube trays then pop them into a zip lock bag in the freezer...note to myself I have a big basket full of lemons that I need to juice..to make some more lemon juice ice cubes, they are so handy ...for making salad dressings or popping into a glass of water on a hot summers day..very refreshing ..to make cheese cakes, anything that requires lemon juice...

Make your own delicious, healthy, nutritious chicken Stock..

Make your own chicken stock its almost free, we often buy free range cooked chickens and I remove as much of the chicken as I can from all the bones then throw into a big pot of rain water, I often add an onion chopped into quarters some celery sticks and leaves, parsley stalks, some pepper corns and bring it to a boil and simmer for a few hours ...strain and you have delicious, nutritious, healthy stock. You can add any other things you like eg fresh herbs and other vegetables you have on hand ...I 've heard of people saving all vegetable peelings to also add for extra flavour...I've never ever bought stock from a shop, why would I when this is so easy to make ..I usually freeze some in plastic containers and also in ice cube trays ..great to add extra flavour to dishes ...I also add some Celtic salt at the end to also give it lots of extra flavour and minerals.. I use Celtic salt to flavour all our foods, I never buy stock cubes or powders...

Pink Icing-Made With Out Any Nasty Colours !

Today I was making vanilla slices and wanted pink icing ..this is a great way to make it using no nasty toxic colouring ...

It realy couldn't be easier...All I needed was a beetroot ,perfect for pink colouring ..I just cut a slice of fresh beeetroot , peeled the skin off chopped it up small added a little water then used the coloured water mixed with icing sugar , how simple is that ..I also make my own icing sugar..just buy putting sugar into my blender and blending until you have icing sugar maybe 30 seconds if that ..if you want castor sugar a few seconds only ...

You can also make lots of other food colours in a similar way by experimenting with lots of different fruits and vegetables..some you may need to grate to get the colours out better..but if any one has ever handled beetroot you will know that every things gets pink very quickly ..I have also used beetroot juice to dye fabric ...If you only have tinned beetroot just use a few drops to achieve the colour you want from pale pink to darker pink..If you make pink icing regularly you can freeze a few ice cubes with the juice or coloured water and when need just grate of as much as you need each time...or only fill the ice cube trays part way full  then you can use one each time you need to make pink icing store them in a zip lock bag or another container to free up your ice cube tray for others things...like stock cubes, ice cubes, lemon juice cubes..the list goes on ..

Non Rice Fried Rice - Low Carbohydrate !

Non rice fried rice - Low Carbohydrate !
This is so delicious and easy to make but instead of using rice with is very high in carbohydrates I use
cauliflower. Does that sound interesting , even if you don't like cauliflower I'm sure you will love this recipe. I wash and cut up some cauliflower and throw it in to my food processor for a minute until finely ground up. like photo below.
Recipe ingredients:
1/2 -1 cauliflower.
1 medium brown onion.
1 zucchini.
2 eggs.
1 cup of cooked diced free range chicken. (you could use any other cooked cold meat. or no meat to make it vegetarian. I put a splash of olive oil in pan then I beat up two eggs and make scrambled egg. Remove from pan add another splash of oil and add finely diced onion saute for a few minutes then add finely diced zucchini and cook until nearly cooked, then add cauliflower mix well for a few minutes then add chicken and scrambled eggs and mix well add a little salt to taste and serve. It's so yummy we eat it as a main meal in a big bowl for lunch or dinner or even breakfast.

Quinoa Pancakes For Lunch (Gluten Free)

Today I made these for lunch !
I've made quinoa flour many times but I've never used it to make pancakes before, so today I decided I would give it a try and they turned out lovely. My recipe is water I use rain water add 1 free range egg and mix well then add enough flour for a pancake batter not to thick. Then in my large pan on the heat I put a little splash of  olive oil then pour pancake batter when it looks dry on top gently flip to cook other side. I filled mine with cut up cold free range chicken, shredded lettuce, tomato and red onion a sprinkle of Himalayan salt and rolled it up  cut it in half and thoroughly enjoyed it for my lunch today . I made two for Jack that I squeezed lemon juice over and sprinkled with coconut sugar and rolled up that's his favourite pancake filling . A nice gluten free lunch alternative, quinoa is quite expensive compared to most other flours but very nice for a change and I had run out my usual buckwheat flour that I usually use and I'm in the process of using up every thing in my pantry...

Salad Nicoise For Dinner !

Salad Nicoise was our dinner last night.
It's so simple, delicious and healthy !
Steamed baby potatoes.
Steamed green beans.
Boiled free range eggs.
Tomatoes wedges.
Cucumber slices.
Mixed Salad greens
I used lettuce,english spinach & snow pea sprouts.
Black kalamata olives.
A tin of tuna in spring water.
Dressing I used apple cider vinegar,extra virgin olive oil a lightly crushed garlic clove and a teaspoon of honey into a glass jar with lid and shook really well.
Cool all the cooked vegetables slightly so they don't wilt all the greens and gently toss together and serve. I had mine without the tuna as I'm going to try vegetarian eating to see if it helps my current health concerns. I really enjoyed it...I know it's winter and it's more of a summer dish, but it wasn't that cool here last night and eating healthy is good any time of the year I believe.
Bon Appetite !

Rice Paper Rolls !

Rice Paper Rolls !
They are so easy to make, they are great for a light lunch or dinner or are great to make if entertaining family or friends. You can fill them with lots of different fillings but these ones are filled with fried cabbage, onion, carrot, mince with a splash of tamari (wheat free soy sauce) and fresh basil leaves.You will need to buy some rice paper wrappers from your super market or Asian food store. You need to soak each rice paper wrapper in cold water for about 30 seconds until soft, lift out and fill with filling and roll up. You can serve with tamari or chili sauce for dipping. They are great to serve to gluten free family & friends. They are great if you need to take a plate to a family gathering, they are also great for the failsafe eating plan.

Make Your Own Rice Crumbs & Save A Small Fortune !

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Make Your Own Rice Crumbs !
And save a small fortune !
Years ago when I was eating wheat/gluten free I brought rice crumbs a few times, they were so expensive so I looked for an alternative which was polenta. I used to use polenta (cornmeal) as a replacement at a fraction of the price.Great for gluten free people out there.But now I'm eating the failsafe way, corn is not suitable. So I've decided to make my own rice crumbs again, its so much cheaper to make your own from rice cakes, just put a packet of rice cakes in the food processor or blender(I recommend you take them out of the packet first)lol...  for a few seconds and there you have it, how simple is that. I usually try to buy at least 6 packets of plain rice cakes when they are on special. Now I'm eating the failsafe way I plan to make some chicken nuggets by coating the free range chicken pieces in rice crumbs with some garlic powder & salt.

Moroccan Salad ! Made With Chickpeas !

Moroccan Salad ! Made With Chickpeas !
This recipe is really simple and really tasty !
I hope you all give it a try, great for a side dish or as a light lunch or dinner by it self.
Here is the recipe ! And my version in brackets !
1/2 red onion, finely diced ( I used a spring onion)
1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed.
(I used a cup of dried chickpeas that I soaked over night and then cooked)
2 tomatoes, diced
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 handful of herbs such as mint or parsley, chopped ( I used both)
pinch of paprika ( I used 1 teaspoon).
pinch of ground cumin ( I used 1 teaspoon).
salt and pepper to taste.( I used celtic salt only).
Simply mix together all the ingredients in a non-metallic bowl and set aside for 10 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse, then serve. This recipe comes from a low GI diet cook book. Thank you very much Lesley for sharing the recipe, it was so nice I felt it needed to be shared with others !

Mint Sauce !

Mint Sauce !
I have always made my own mint sauce.
Here is my recipe !
1 cup mint (firmly packed).
1&1/2 cups boiling water.
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar.
2 tablespoons honey.
Finely chop up mint put into a heatpoof bowl then pour boiling water over stir well add vinegar and honey stir well . when cool bottle and keep in the fridge, great on roast lamb and can use it as a salad dressing or drizzle over roast or steamed vegetables (lovely on peas).This amount makes about 550 mls, half or quarter the recipe to make less, keeps ages in the fridge.

Buckwheat Pancakes !

Buckwheat Pancakes !
I made buckwheat pancakes for my lunch today !These are great to make if you have a problem with wheat or gluten.I filled mine with,tomato,avocado
snow pea sprouts,spring onion, left over roast pork and I grated some fresh apple and a sprinkle of celtic salt it was delicious.I don't have these very often but when I do I always thoroughly enjoy them ! I hope you give them a try !they are quick easy and delicious !

Here is my recipe
1 cup buckwheat flour.
1 1/3 cups of water.(I use rain water)
1 egg. (free range of course)
Mix well so there is no lumps. Then put a little bit of oil (I use extra virgin olive oil) In a fry pan medium heat then pour a thin layer of the mix wait a few minutes turn over a cook other side. This mixture makes 3-4 large pancakes . Then fill with what ever you like either savory or sweet . I used to make these for my sons many years ago as my middle son had a problem with wheat and dairy products . I used to make them for when they got home from school some times I would slice a banana in half lengthwise half for each pancake add a drizzle of honey and a squeeze of lemon juice and roll up! I hope you try them as they are delicious, stewed apple is nice with them also with a sprinkle of cinnamon ! You could also make small ones and use them like pikelets. Happy Cooking !

Lemon Cordial !

Lemon Cordial !
My son Jack loves my lemon cordial he is often asking "mum when are you going to make lemon cordial " Well I just made a batch, when I make most recipes I always either double or triple the amount .I figure since I'll be making a mess in the kitchen any way and I only want to clean up once so it saves lots of time in the long run !Thank goodness I only made the one batch I didn't have enough lemons to make more as I just made a batch of ginger beer and used them. I had a slight mishap with my recipe It called for tartaric acid and I thought I've got that, I used cream of tartar thinking it was the same thing then about 30 minutes later I thought that wasn't the right thing to use ! I know it is similar but I don't know what I was thinking well obviously I wasn't thinking was I, brain definitely wasn't switched on .Oh well then I added some citric acid Kev thought it was great he thinks every thing I  make is great, I could feed Kev anything and I mean anything as long as it comes from the pantry or the fridge or garden he is a willing participate to eat any thing I wish every one had a partner like him, He reminds me so much of my grandfather who my dad would always say he would eat sh*t on a stick if it was disguised right ! Well that's my darling Kev ! The cordial tasted just the same as usual so no great harm done !After all that here is the recipe I have been using for nearly 20 years it was passed on from a friend, it was her mothers tried and tested recipe she has since passed on but her recipe lives on .2 lemons 1 &1/2 lbs sugar (I always use raw sugar ) 1/2 oz tartaric acid (I used citric acid) 1pint of boiling water . Pour boiling water over lemon juice and zest of lemons and sugar stir then let stand for 12 hours covered,strain then add tartaric acid or citric acid and strain again leave for 8 hours then bottle ! keep in the fridge and dilute with water or soda water ! You can also add half a teaspoon of epsom salts to get a little extra magnesium in your diet and keep you from ever getting constipated if you like I personally like the taste with the lemon cordial !

Tomato Relish!

Tomato Relish !
This is a fabulous relish, when tomatoes are in abundance
make a batch or two last ages if kept in the fridge and also it makes great gifts for Christmas !
This recipe came from my friend Margaret, I think it was her mothers recipe !
Ingredients
6 pounds tomatoes.
2 pounds of onions.
2 pounds sugar.
2 tablespoon salt.
4 tablespoons plain flour(to make gluten free use corn flour).
2 tablespoons mustard powder.
3 tablespoons curry powder.
Blanch tomatoes and remove skins then roughly chop, dice onions. (the original recipe you sprinkle with salt and leave3-4 hours or preferably over night pour off liquid) I don't bother with this step and it tastes just the same .add the vinegar and sugar ,simmer until tender approx one and a half hours. mix flour,curry and mustard with a little of the vinegar then add to relish after it has cooled a little, if too hot may go lumpy. then cook gently for another half an hour put in sterilized jars seal Turn the jars upside down for 2 minutes, when you turn them right way up, the little vacuum button should automatically pop 'in' giving a vacuum seal when cool. It tastes great with cold meat, cheese , Kev my darling partner has it with just about any thing ,use in place of tomato sauce .

Ginger Pears !

Ginger Pears !
These are delicious and simple to make .
Pears are in season now and are a good price so a great time to make, and on a cold winters night they make a lovely dessert. The bosc are the best pears to cook with , but I have made this recipe with others as well and they have all tasted great.
I like mine served with coconut cream!
Kev likes them with a scoop of ice cream, what
am I saying, half a tub of ice cream I mean !
In my sauce pan I put about a cup of water and a teaspoon of powdered ginger then I peel the pears then put in sauce pan bring to the boil and simmer until tender about 10 minutes. I used to add honey,
I don't any more and they are sweet enough .
You can remove the pears and reduce the liquid to make sweeter syrup !

Quinoa Salad !

Quinoa Salad !
Here is our favorite Quinoa salad .
It's very delicious, very easy and very nutritious.
First you need to cook the quinoa .
1 cup of quinoa to two cups of water with lid on bring to the boil , boil for a minute then turn off, leave for 20 minutes with lid on (I have soild hotplates if you don't then simmer for about 10 minutes turn off keep lid on and leave for 20 minutes ).Then I chop up 1 Spanish /red onion 2 medium tomatoes,then I add a cup of frozen peas, 1 teaspoon dried mint (dried has a more intense flavor then fresh ). Then I make a dressing in a jar 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil juice of 1medium lemon and 1 teaspoon honey, I shake it really well until milky in colour . Mix the cooked quinoa with all the other ingredients pour over the dressing add salt ( I use celtic salt ) and mix well . I sometimes add a little fresh chopped parsley and a few chopped spring onions also add finely grated lemon zest from the lemon adds a lovely flavour! Serve it with chicken, fish,beef,pork or lamb. We will quite often just have a bowl of it for a meal . I will add 1/2  avocado to my bowl for lunch or dinner !
Note: You can add what ever you like eg cucumber, celery, corn, capsicum ! the list could go on . Experiment ! Enjoy

Creamy Broccoli Soup or Creamy Cauliflower Soup !

Creamy Broccoli Soup !
Yesterday I made broccoli soup because I had 3 heads of broccoli in the fridge !
Here is my recipe
I used 2 heads of broccoli
2 medium brown onions
2 large potatoes
1/2 can coconut cream (Ayam 270ml can) use half.
Fry onion in about 1 tablespoon olive oil  for about 10 minutes then add peeled chopped potatoes and chopped up broccoli , put in water just under the vegetables bring to boil then simmer until tender .
When cooked I add half a can of coconut cream then puree I add celtic salt to taste . delicious !
I make a cauliflower soup the same except replace cauliflower instead of broccoli . I usually put a couple of zucchini in both recipes ,but they were too expensive . Note: I use the Ajam brand of coconut cream because its pure coconut . haven't found another brand that is 100% coconut . For a long time I didn't eat dairy products so tried different things when I tried the coconut cream /milk . It was a real winner in taste and texture and health ! happy eating or should I say slurping ! its a terrible habit I know but at home I like slurping my soup ! If I was out for dinner I would try to behave myself !

Coconut Mounds

Coconut Mounds !
Here is my recipe for coconut mounds. I use an egg
cup to create the shape.
Ingredients
2 eggs.
450 grams desicated coconut.
300grams raw sugar.
Mix all 3 ingredients together , put mixture into egg cups turn out onto either greased /glad bake lined oven tray .Cook in pre heated oven 160 degrees fan forcd oven for 15-20 minutes or until just lightly golden brown . Store in air tight container when cold . makes about 30 mounds. Note: Some times the mixture can get a little stuck in egg cups. I tried oiling them one time, that didn't help ,just sort of shake them out gently . You could always line the the egg cup with cling wrap and if they get stuck give the plastic a little pull to get it out .If you love coconut you will love these I find it hard to stop at 1, 2,3 you know how it goes !