Rice Krispie Treats

• 3 tablespoons   butter or margarine
• 40  regular marshmallows
• 6 cups Rice Krispies

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

2. Add rice krispies cereal. Stir until well coated.

3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Cut into 2-inch squares. Best if served the same day.

I sadly couldn’t take a picture – but they were awesome good 🙂

Green Smoothie

I have been reading all over the blog world about green smoothies… The idea seemed a tad peculiar, I mean who puts spinach in a smoothie? But I tend to be open minded, so I gave it a go. Here’s what I did:

175ml yogurt, I used strawberry
1 cold banana, it was very ripe
100ml frozen applesauce, just plain cooked apples really
4 spinach leaves, chopped

Blend together, and serve cold. I used my stick blender so the spinach wasn’t super fine, but it really tasted awesome. You can’t taste the spinach at all!

I am going to try have one per day, and this is a fab way to get kids to eat/drink greens.

Frozen Meals

 

I feel lost…

Its been over 2 weeks since I have cooked a meal… We have been so blessed by people bringing us food, that neither of us have had to do anything more than defrosting and heating, or making a salad. Its been great… but I am dying to get back to cooking and baking…

BIG announcement

We just wanted to share our joy with you, on the birth of our son, Elijah David. He was born at 14:48 on 10 December 2010. Weight: 3.68kg and 49 cm.

“I (we) prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me (us) what I (we) asked of him.” 1 Samuel:27

Apologies

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I must apologise for the lack of posts, but I am currently so busy prepping for baby – only 5 weeks to go, that food and food blogging is taking a backseat… My poor husband is lucky if he gets a decent cooked meal (volunteers welcome…).

Please check my other blog for more on baby etc, should you be interested!

Mrs V’s South African Fudge

My very good friend, and grade 6 teacher back in the day, Mrs V makes the best fudge ever… here are her instructions…

Fruit Compote

I never buy “fancy” things like fruit compote, so when I needed it for this recipe, I had to improvise.

I used 3/4 of a can of fruit (peaches this time) and just used my stick blender to mash it all fine, to resemble compote. Easer than pie!!

Vlaflip

I know I have been awfully quiet on this blog, but to be honest I have been so busy with baby things and getting the house sorted out that the meals I’ve made have been incredibly boring lately.

I have however been watching a lot of The F Word – with Gordon Ramsay, and this has inspired me to try not only his dishes but some others that I have in my recipe collection.

Vlaflips are a light Dutch summer dessert, that I absolutely love, as its easy to make for a lot of people, and really not expensive. Its also great because its not a heavy dessert, so it finishes off a meal just right.

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Ingredients
Fruit compote (any you like)
Custard (I make mine from custard powder, but Ultramel works just as well)
Plain yogurt (double cream or greek is yummy, but I use Bulgarian)

In a glass (wine glass or pretty cooldrink glass) place about 4 tbsp fruit compote. Carefully place a good layer of custard on top, and then follow with the yogurt. The idea is to have 3 layers. You can sprinkle fruit or vermicelli on top, just for garnish.

Oatmeal Cinnamon Pancake Mix

I love convenience food almost as much as I love slow, from scratch meals. I love having premixes in my house, for those days when cooking seems a chore or when I have so little time. the problem is the store bough premixes have all sorts of weird preservatives and things in, which I’d prefer not to feed myself or my family. That’s why I love finding treasures like this awesome flapjack premix. Give it a try, I promise its filling, low GI and downright yumminess!

Adapted from Keeper of the Home

4 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup packed brown sugar (or other dry sweetener)
1 cup instant dry nonfat milk
3 Tablespoons baking powder
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
5 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Mix these ingredients together in a large bowl. Use your hands or a whisk to make sure the brown sugar is mixed in well. Store the mix at room temperature in an airtight container or freezer bag, I store mine in a 2 litre ice cream container.

Yield: 10 cups of pancake mix.

Oatmeal Cinnamon Pancakes

2 eggs
1/3 cup applesauce
2 cups of Oatmeal Cinnamon Pancake Mix (recipe above)
1 cup water
Optional: one mashed banana or fruit of your choice

Beat eggs in a large bowl. Gradually beat in applesauce. Alternately add mix and water to mixture. Blend well. Preheat and oil griddle. Pour 1/3 cup batter per pancake. Cook until bubbles form around edges, flip and cook until done.

Yield: about 10 pancakes

Water Kefir

As part of my experiment/journey into “real/whole” food, I decided to try water kefir. Kombucha was just too weird for me, and so I thought kefir it is. Apparently its like a soda drink if you make it right, although it contains a small amount of alcohol. From most of my research this amount obviously increases the longer you allow the water to ferment, but after 24 to 48 hours its still safe enough for pregnant women and children. From my instructions which I received with the grains, 24 hours is enough to make a sweet but slightly tangy drink and 48 hours makes it more acidic, so for now I’m sticking with 24 hours, mostly for the sake of my pregnancy.

Benefits

Kefir has many reputed health benefits. It has antibiotic and antifungal properties. In addition to beneficial bacteria and yeast, kefir contains many vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes. Particularly calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, B2 and B12, vitamin K, vitamin A and vitamin D. Tryptophan, one of the essential amino acids abundant in kefir, is well known for its relaxing effect on the nervous system. Because kefir also has an abundance of calcium and magnesium, also important minerals for a healthy nervous system, kefir in the diet can have a particularly calming effect on the nerves.
Passionate Homemaking

Utensils and ingredients

A large glass jar (I use a 1 litre Consol jar)
1 tbsp water kefir grains (contact me if you want to know where to get them)
a few pieces of preservative free dried fruit (I used Health Connection seedless raisins)
1 cup of filtered or mineral water (basically chemical free)
1 tbsp organic unrefined sugar (I used muscavado for lack of rapadura etc)
1/4 tsp blackstrap molasses (yes, its vile – but high in minerals and so increases the mineral content)
a pinch of baking soda

Mix everything together in the jar – do NOT measure the kefir with a metal spoon – they do not like metal – so never let metal touch them. Place in a place away from direct sunlight, a cupboard works. Cover loosely with lid, if metal lid, line with plastic wrap first, I just use a cloth to cover it. Leave to stand for 24 to 48 hours. Then strain the grains (use a nylon strainer/sieve, not metal) and pour the “water” into a jug/jar and add a cup of fruit juice or fresh fruit and leave to stand another 24 to 48 hours. Serve cool.

I will let you know how mine tastes once it done 🙂

For more ideas/recipes or information on water kefir – download this PDF (water kefir). Also Google has alot of info on it.