Tag Archives: food

Cupcakes!

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When life calls for cupcakes, you make cupcakes. And my friend in Vancouver, Claire, always made the best ones. She uses the cupcake recipe from Magnolia Bakery in New York and so when we visited NYC over Christmas in 2012, we made sure we stopped by (the original store).

My hubby also bought me the recipe book when we were there and ohhh wooooow! The recipes are amazing – and EASY! Ever since, Magnolia Bakery’s classic – their vanilla cupcakes – have become a bit of a thing for me. I think they’ve been baked for almost all of my kids’ birthday parties, friends’ baby showers, my friend Beth’s gender-reveal (piped with pink icing!) and work celebrations. Cupcakes cupcakes cupcakes – and they’re always a hit!

Since the recipe is available online and we’re not letting some huge secret out the bag – I thought I’d share it with you. Apparently, 10 November is Vanilla Cupcake Day, so make up for lost time and get baking!

TIPS: (from the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook).

– Always use large eggs at room temperature.
– Beat the cupcake batter for a 3 full minutes. Time it if you must. Don’t be in a hurry.
– Use vanilla EXTRACT. Not the cheap fake chemical stuff. Being vanilla cupcakes and vanilla buttercream – the genuine flavour is pretty important.

Here we go – this is all you need! Cupcakes and Buttercream Recipes.

Vanilla Vanilla in a Box Cupcakes

Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups self-rising flour
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F degrees.
  2. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth.
  5. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  6. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  7. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla.
  8. With each addition, beat until the ingredient are incorporated but do not over-beat.
  9. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended.
  10. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full.
  11. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
  12. Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Magnolia Bakery cupcakes

Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Buttercream

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 box (4 cups) confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar)
2 – 3 TBLS milk
1 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method:

Cream the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla. Gradually add sugar one cup at a time. Scrape down sides of bowl often. When the mixture starts to thicken and appears dry add 2 TBLS of milk. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy about 2-4 minutes. Add more milk as needed if you want a thinner consistency. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly.

Store the icing at room temperature. Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Magnolia Bkery Cookbook

If you live in the States you can have these beauties delivered to your door? Isn’t that nuts? Also, while we were in NY for Christmas, my film-maker hubby made a couple short videos (1min long each). I’ve included ‘FOOD’ below as the last few seconds shows me biting into a Magnolia Bakery cupcake. (Give us some grace – a LOT of the food we ate in NYC was greasy and delicious, and very un-paleo. We weren’t as clean eaters then as we are now. That NYC pizza also changed our lives.)

Another absolute must-try at Magnolia is their banana pudding (we’re noshing on that in the video too). It is unreal… but you’ll have to buy the recipe book for that one…

ENJOY!

Crazy Delicious Veggie Burgers

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So, a while back we made these homemade veggie burger patties and they are astoundingly delicious. Like, trust me. If you’re trying a meat-free-ish diet, please, please make these!

Whether you’re trying to eat less meat for personal reasons, to create healthy habits or for environmental concerns – this is a win-win.

This recipe makes about 12 patties. So throw a party and include this recipe. If that’s more than you need, pop the extras in the freezer. You’ll eat then soon enough – I promise.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 cup sunflower seeds
3 cups each grated beets, and grated carrots
1/2 cup minced onions
2 eggs
1 cup cooked brown rice (I’d imagine quinoa would work well too)
2.5 cup grated cheddar cheese (I use the really old stuff, it’s tastier)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped parsley
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove minced garlic
Dash of cayenne pepper



Method:

Toast sesame seeds in a skillet on the stove, for 3-5 mins.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly (get your hands right in there!).
If the mix seems runny, add a bit of extra flour, it can get messy…
Shape into patties, and bake for about 25 minutes at 180 degrees C (350 F), until browned on the edges.
Only turn patties if you make them extra large and thick.

TOPPINGS:

Get creative. Add sliced tomato, avocado, feta, fresh greens, crunchy slaw and maybe even some fresh purple or caramelized onion. So really, I’m describing a vegetarian burger bar. Add some homemade salsa, or some paleo mayo… Eat it on a fresh bun or between some lettuce leaves if you’re going low carb.

Aaaaand enjoy.
xxx

Source: Farmer John’s Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables.
Image credit: www.self.com

Absolutely Delicious Homemade Salsa

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One Christmas, our pastor’s wife gave us a jar of homemade salsa and it was absolutely delicious. So as soon as I had finished the jar I needed to find a recipe to make some more. So I did, and thanks to Two Peas and Their Pod Blog the deliciousness continued…

Here’s what you need: 

Ingredients:

1 can whole tomatoes with juice
1 can diced tomatoes with chilies and herbs (or something similar)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 whole jalapeño, sliced thin (more if you like it hot hot hot!!!)
1/4 teaspoon sugar (omit this if eating paleo)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup fresh coriander (or more to taste – I LOVE coriander)
1/2 whole lime, juiced (I usually add more lime, since I LOVE lime)

Directions:

In a large food processor or blender, combine whole tomatoes, tomatoes with chilies, onion, jalapeño, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and coriander. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you’d like. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.

Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour.

You can eat this with tortilla style chips, or throw it over some nachos. We recently added it to delicious Mexican tortillas – with homemade spiced mince, tomatoes, lettuce, guacamole, cheese, sour cream and coriander. Yummmmm!!! You can add it to your burger or on your homemade pizza or on some crackers with cheese. It’s also a great Christmas gift if you’re doing the homemade Christmas gift thing.

restaurant-style-salsa3

Yum. It is also paleo approved (if using no sugar). I can eat this with a spoon, it’s that good.

Enjoy!

Homemade Fruit (Ice Cream-ish) Dip

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Since the fudge post was such a hit (almost toooo much of a hit for a greeny blog like this one), obviously you’re all a little sugar crazy and so I thought I’d turn up the heat (or cool) and bring forth an even more decadent recipe… Homemade Fruit (Ice Cream-ish) Dip.

I’ve been waiting for Paleo with Me August to end (and wowzers, I had to wait a while) before throwing myself into the pit of suggary coma-ness, but I simply HAD to try this recipe (in small spoonfuls).

The idea of a fruit dip was a new one to me, but when a friend introduced me to it overseas I was SOLD. Picture the sweet, styling, trendy older sister version of crudite’s with a ranch type dip.

TRUTH BE TOLD this started out as a trial ice cream recipe I heard on the radio (which promised to be the most delicious thing you’ve ever tasted) and while it was knock-it-out-the-park delicious, it didn’t really turn into ice cream as such. It was thick, and VERY rich, so I turned it into a fruit dip – and voia al! Amaze.

Recipe:

1 x 250ml double thick cream

1 x tin full cream condensed milk

150g custard (this can be homemade or store bought)

Optional: 2 (or 3) grated crunchies

Method:

Beat the double thick cream (barely, it’s so thick already! It will thicken FAST so watch it carefully), and then add the condensed milk and the custard. If you’re wanting some decadence then go ahead and chuck in the grated crunchie bars and freeze. Pop it in the freezer so it thickens.

ice cream body

Heyyyooooo! To the stranger on Cape Talk who called in with this recipe – I owe you my utmost thanks. Let’s be friends so I can dig into your recipe books for more delicious secrets…

Picture credit: www.chelseasmessyapron.com

The Yummiest Paleo Recipes EVER

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We have only one more day to go friends, and so I’ve rounded up my favorite Paleo recipes of all time. I find myself coming back to these again and again, even when intentionally eating Paleo is far from my mind…

Most of these recipes can be found on my Paleo Board on Pinterest. Pinterest is an amazing resource for Paleo recipes and inspiration. Included in this blog post are just a handful of the gazillions of recipes that are all amazingly delicious and easily found online. So make friends with Google and enter a world of deliciousness. I’m currently also re-reading Pete Evans‘ book Family Food.

Please try to make as MUCH of this as you can at home. Homemade is BEST. Cooking, baking and almond milk making gets your creative food juices going and is so healthy for the soul.

Michael Pollan says something along the lines of, ‘take as much time to prepare your food, as you do to eat it’. I like that quote. And I think he’s right.

RECIPES:

BREAKFAST: (I usually have fruit and nuts on weekdays and save the bacon and eggy kinda brekkie for the weekend).

– My all time fave is Paleo Granola. Basically 1 cup of each of the following: almonds, cashews, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and coconut flakes. You can throw some linseed and sesame seed in if you like (maybe half a cup of each). Mix all the nuts/seeds in a large bowl (except coconut flakes) and mix in about 1/4 cup melted coconut oil. If you want, you can squeeze in the juice of an orange for a touch of sweetness. Spread it out over a baking dish (or two) and bake at a low temp (110 degrees) for about an hour, mixing once in-between. Toast the coconut flakes separately as they burn quickly! Add the coconut flakes to the rest of the granola and store in airtight container.

This is best served over cut up fruit (apples, oranges, pears, strawberries etc). Since this is oat-free and nut HEAVY, you really only need a couple tablespoons of granola over your fruit. This amount of nuts might seem expensive initially but it will last you a fair while since you don’t need that much – not nearly the amount you would usually use when eating granola (museli). Also, if you find the nuts too big, you can chop them roughly in the very beginning. 

– Classic bacon and eggs, with balsamic grilled cherry tomatoes, garlic fried mushrooms, creamy avo and sweet potato hash. YUM.

sweet pot hash

– Spinach Beef Frittata. (I sometimes make these in cupcake pans so you have portion sizes that are just right!) Make up your own combinations too.

SNACKS:

– Banana chips (homemade)
– Apple chips with cinnamon (homemade)
– Cherry tomatoes
– Cut up apple and almond butter
– Beet dip and cucumber and carrot sticks
– Boiled eggs with paleo mayo
– Yam fries and aioli (paleo mayo, garlic and lemon juice)
– Kale chips. I know it is not everyone’s cup of tea but I love them.
– Spice-free biltong
– aaaaaaaaaaaand… Lara Balls (throw 1 cup almonds, 1 cup pitted dates, 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil into a food processor and blend to smitherines. Grab handfulls and squish into balls. Keep them in the fridge and nibble as you need. You can add a tablespoon or so of organic cacao powder or ground coffee beans if you’re wanting to add extra flavour). Lara Balls were essential in both my previous Whole30’s.

sweet pot friesbeet humus

LUNCHES & DINNERS (I find these quite interchangeable):

Your alternatives to a carby base: cauliflower rice, sweet pot/ yam hash or mash, zucchini ribbons and broccoli and cauliflower florets. You can also make spaghetti squash – but I can’t find spaghetti squash in South Africa. Hmmph.

You absolutely have to make cauliflower rice and sweet potato hash/mash as your hearty meal bases (where you would have used noodles/rice/bread etc.) Omit the lime and coriander from the cauliflower rice recipe if you don’t like those flavours – but I find them super scrumptious. Also, zucchini ribbons (peeling a zucchini like you would a carrot) and broccoli florets or roasted cauliflower are very versatile as bases for a spaghetti type mince or juicy vegetable something-or-other.

cauliflower rice

Soups: (while you’re at it – make double and freeze extra portions so you have spare for the following week, or for an unpredictably busy day). 

– I cannot get enough of this Roasted Butternut Soup. I can now make it with my eyes closed.
– Curried Cauliflower Soup (I buy cauliflower like its nobody’s business).
– Sweet Potato and Bacon Soup (with Ras el Hanout – take the time to make this – it’s easy and so worth it).
– Basil and Tomato Soup (with basil from your garden, obviously).

roasted butternut soup

Salads: (Rule of thumb for salads in general: include 1 green, 1 fruit or vegetable and 1 nut. Usually I would say add 1 cheese, but not while on Whole30).

– Chicken, Avo, Mango, Cilantro, Lime, Mint, & Toasted Cashew Salad. Oh my wooord – one of my all time best.
– Bacon, Lime and Sweet Pot Salad
– Grilled Chicken Citrus Salad

mango salad

Meaty Options:

– My BEST EVERRRR: Chipotle Chicken Sweet Pot Skins. Your friends will love you forever. Leave off the cheese. It’s a touch high maintenance, but so, so worth it.

chip chicken skins

– 2nd BEST: Homemade Burgers in Lettuce Wraps. Make it up as you wish. Add whatever tickles your fancy – but keep it dairy free. The crispy lettuce crunch with the warm homemade patty with juicy tomatoes and creamy avo. Stop it. It is so good.

fish tacos

Patty: Throw together minced beef, diced onion, salt, pepper, one egg, a handful of almond flour (leftover from your almond milk), coconut aminos (optional), herbs from the garden, balsamic vinegar, and crushed garlic. Shape into patties, pop in fridge for a while to let the flavours set in and fry in EVOO/Coconut oil on stove. Make extras as snacks. 

– 3rd BEST:  Fish Tacos. I have now started ordering fish tacos in (reputable seafood) restaurants I love them so so much. I adapt this recipe. I leave out the sugar, dairy and carb component and replace it with homemade paleo mayo and crispy lettuce as the wrap. Make this with a mango salsa. A taste sensation.

paleo mayo

Fish & Chips: If you don’t feel like making tacos you can just cook the fish and serve it with yam fries. Yum.

– 4th BEST: Moroccan Meatballs. Yum. Over and Over (on cauli rice). This is another recipe I have continued to make again and again long after our Whole30’s ended.

moroccan meatballs

– 5th BEST: Warm Veggie Salad. The hub is not a huge fan of this one, but I love it. I adapt this recipe (swap the potato for sweet potato or yam). I serve it on baby spinach and mix a couple more flavours into the sauce such as red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and chilli flakes.

When you’re lost for ideas, a frittata is always a safe bet (with whatever you have left in your pantry). Also, how about a delicious roast chicken with roasted veggies? So easy. Use the chicken carcass to make homemade chicken stock (in your Wonderbag) for your soups. So versatile huh?

roast chicken

BEVERAGES: 

– Water, drink it with lemon, or not. Just drink LOTS of it.
– Coffee and Tea with Almond Milk or Coconut Milk. These milks are SO easy to make and have no hidden sugars, preservatives etc. unlike store bought. Also roast the left over coconut and almond flours. They’ll come in handy.
– Soda Water with Lemon (my evening drink of choice)
– Naturally Flavoured Water
– Smoothies (so easy to make)
– Juices in your juicer – such as my fave: Beet, Apple & Ginger
– I’m allowing Kombucha since there is no hard and fast rule if it is allowed. I love it for its probiotic and gut health benefits and so feel it’s a great addition. It’s also a good thing to drink when you feel like a glass of wine.

Beet juice

NEW RECIPES I can’t wait to try:

– Healthy Taco Salad in a mason jar with this deeeelicious salsa.
– Roasted Sweet Pot Salad
– Thai Coconut Soup (I love Thai flavours, and ginger is so good for you)
– Coconut Crusted Chicken Patties (how have we not had these before?)

salsa

Pheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwww. That’s a lot of info to take in. I did so much research on my first Whole30, I put this PDF together with a shopping list, meal plan for my 4 weeks and it really helped me when I was feeling inspiration-less. Print it out and pin it up in your kitchen for when you’re needing ideas: Whole 30 – Schedule (Week 1,2,3,4).

Now it’s your turn! Please share your winning recipes, and your total failures (so we know to, errrmmm, give them a skip). Be inspired to do your own research and create your own meals.

Good luck and enjoy!!

xxx

MUST HAVES in your Paleo Pantry

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So, because I’m the one initiating this Whole30/Paleo month, I feel like I need to be even more on top of it than usual. My type A is kicking in. Not only do I need to get my game on, but I then need to write about it as well. This is accountability at its max.

So – I’ve been shopping. Yeeeowzers, have I been shopping. I dare not tell the hubby how much money I spent on raw nuts last week (lucky for me I put it on the Canadian credit card and so it feels like a distant dream).

Paleo can seem expensive, but if you find the right shops and budget well – it doesn’t have to break the bank. If you’re doing the higher grade version and buying purely organic, 100% grass-fed, pastured kobe beef well then sure, you might crank it up a notch or two on the spending scale, but if you can’t, that’s fine. Do what you can do.

In terms of specific items – here are a few of the must haves in the pantry at.all.times. My top 5:

– Coconut Oil (organic or preferably organic virgin),
– Free Range Eggs (Elgin Free Range Chicken), and
– Nuts for my paleo granola, homemade nut butters and lara balls. I get them all from Yellow Submarine in Ottery (macadamia, almond, cashew, brazil, coconut flakes, dates, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds etc.)
– Coconut Milk/Cream. Buy cans by the dozen. You’ll be amazed at how versatile these babies are.
– Cumin. Well… I just love cumin.

IMG_8860.JPG

Fruit & Veg:

I mainly buy our fruits and veggies from our local Pick ‘n Pay – purely for my Vitality Healthy Food benefit (and cash back – see frugal, but smart), as well as Food Lovers when I need things in bulk (like making soups to freeze). When I’m feeling extra green I like to make use of an online organic food box system. I try not shop at Woolworths too much, mainly because I find their prices outrageous and I’m thrifty, and I felt a little fooled about their hormone-free – not so free – milk saga a while back. Holding a grudge? Clearly. Admittedly Woolies do sell good quality fruit and veg and if you are looking for something specific they’ll probably have it, and their fresh food lasts a good while. I also get suckered into their Eat In for under R200. Arghhh… they reel me in with their wonderfully sneaky marketing. (Urgh. did you see that? They even managed to turn me from an average supporter to a fairly pro supporter in just one paragraph. Amazing).

In general I am trying to move towards more of a food box system – mainly because its LOCAL, better tasting and organic, and c’mon – SA needs people to support the smaller entrepreneurs (farmers especially).

Here are a few options you can go with, which I’m going to be making use of this Paleo with Me August.

1) Wild Organics (mini bag R110 and medium bag is R160)
2) Think Organic (budget pack R105 and family pack R155)
3) Abalimi & Harvest of Hope (check out their website and Facebook Page)
4) Ethical Co-op (boxes range from R170 – R115).

And use herbs (from your garden for goodness sake). Please go herb shopping and plant them in the new awesome GROWbags and use them at every opportunity. Once your body has started cleaning out the rubbish, your taste buds will reawaken and these incredibly flavoursome little green leaves will become your best friends.

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I can’t do without: avocados, cherry tomatoes, yams, cauliflower, coriander, lemons, beets and dates.

Healthy Oils/Fats: 

Let’s keep this simple – the most popular and easily accessible oils to cook with are coconut oil and extra-virgin olive oil. If you stick with those you can’t go wrong. Get stocked up on some Oh Mega nut butters (except for the peanut butters – those aren’t allowed). Nuts are the BEST thing to snack on (although, let’s not go overboard).

You can also make almond milk if you simply cannot drink tea and coffee without ‘milk’ in it.

I can’t do without: coconut oil, cashew nuts, almond butter, and almonds (for lara balls).

Just a 1kg bag of cashews for the road. As you do.

Protein:

A couple tips when it comes to protein:

– Fish: please buy wild fish,
– Chicken/Poultry/Eggs: please buy free range,
– Beef: at minimum, please eat lean, fat trimmed/drained beef (remember, we are not banting), and at best, please try find grass-fed and/or organic beef (budget related).
– Processed meat (bacon, sausages, deli meats): please try avoid factory-farmed, or anything with added sugar or MSG, sulfites or carrageenan.

I can’t do without: all of the above really. They are all needed for some of my all time favourite Paleo recipes (coming soon). But don’t overdo it on the meat either. Lets glean the wisdom of our friend, Michael Pollan:

eat food not too much

michael-pollan-quote

Now that we have all the basic staples stocked, look out for the post coming with my favorite recipes. It’s going to be a goodie.

Any questions? Now is the time to ask…

Thinking Organic

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Back in Vancouver, when summer eveeeentually broke free, we would always scramble to sign up to receive a CSA box.

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. This is a prepaid subscription to a farm’s produce for the season. Most CSA’s give shareholders a weekly supply of veggies, herbs, fruits and sometimes even eggs and meat. You know it’s fresh and you often have the opportunity to visit the farm and meet the people who grew your food. How rad? The prepaid CSA arrangement also makes it a source of financial security for the farmer. You’re a team. At the end of the day your food is fresh, seasonal, local and by getting involved you are supporting your local farmers. The best bit often was trying to identify unfamiliar produce items and Google how to use them in your meals that week.

So you can imagine my delight when I heard about Think Organic. They do a similar thing, but all year round, and so I jumped online, ordered my family budget bag of fruits and veggies, and wrote to Jamie Feldman, one of the founders – asking him about they got started here in Cape Town.

Here’s the scoop: Think Organic launched as an online shop in 2013 by himself and Natalie Coyne. After Jamie’s mom was diagnosed with cancer, part of her treatment included a diet change and organic juicing (I’m not surprised) and they thought to develop an online shop whereby they could promote the produce of local organic farms to like-minded people who are conscious about what they eat.

Natalie and Jamie source the produce from local farmers (now friends) and consider compostable packaging another important avenue to rethink (as should we). The Think Organic team love chatting to their clients, answering questions, and are working hard at building the community of farmers, organic consumers and green-friends. They know where all their food comes from and consider trust to be one of their highest priorities in the way they do business. Encouraging local farming also provides jobs for previously unemployed people in the surrounding areas, which is close to Jamie and Natalie’s hearts.

You can pop into their Kenilworth store (23a Putney Road) and build your own bag of all things organic (fruit, veggies, meats, seeds, breads, coffee, dairy products, and and aaaand) or grab a pre-packed bag. The budget bag costs R105 and the family bag is R155 (which I didn’t think was particularly expensive) and contains a variety of their choosing – similar to our Vancouver CSA boxes. There are also various pick up zones for easy collection convenience. This is what my bag looked like:


And this is what my littlie thought about it:

As they say ‘It all starts with a thought, so think organic‘.

If you have any questions, check Think Organic out at www.thinkorganic.co.za or email Jamie on shop@thinkorganic.co.za.

(Pictures taken by myself as well as taken from Think Organic’s Instagram account) 

The Beauty of Seasons

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It has only taken me 26 of my 31 years to realize the awesomeness and deliciousness of seasonal fruit. Let this post be your reminder.

I’m sure most of you are like ‘duhhhh, is this not taught alongside ABC’s in primary school?’ but it’s not. And while I’m sure my mom and dad hinted at seasonal goodness, I’ll blame society who tries to persuade me I can have everything I want at every turn.

And so my folks just returned from a trip up the west coast of South Africa where homemade organic preserves and fresh off-the-orchard fruit is aplenty and small town markets are bursting with creativity, artisanal brilliance and imagination. Life in full colour.

But I almost forgot about the taste in full colour. Oh man, the pink lady apples are something to behold. Crunchy, juicy, pink (no food colouring added!), and all in all a taste sensation.

Our family eats SO much fruit and veg (we’re flexi Paleotarians – flexi in that we cheat and enjoy it) that Food Lovers Market is our best friend. And while the quality can at times be questionable (in that it can go bad fairly quickly) we eat it so fast it doesn’t really bother us. Ah, wait, except for that time my 3year old cherry tomato guzzler left all his tomatoes in his lunch box last week because they tasted suspicious. Agreed. They were totes suspicious. Gross. I don’t want to waste my time eating cherry tomatoes which aren’t sweet, juicy and plump and if they don’t burst in my mouth. So when you come across food where the flavour pops, and its deep, and rich, we all know that that’s how its supposed to be. Right?

I think it’s the same with life. Seasons. And it’s a beautiful thing really. And thank goodness for it because we need the change; we need ups and the downs, we need seasons of celebration, and seasons of difficulty. We need new things to start and we need others to end. In our personal summer seasons we can embrace the figurative warm sun on our skin (so to speak) and in the wintery seasons we need to trudge through thick mud in our wellies until spring breaks, the cherry blossoms bud, and the ground hardens beneath us.

So go out and grab yourself a juicy pink lady apple (in season). Bite into it, and think of your current season, and embrace the present – be it sweet and juicy or not. And know that winter, or autumn, or even next summer is approaching. And it will. And all will be well.

– for the benefit of your taste buds – I’ve added an inforgraphic of fruit and veggies in season. Yum. Enjoy.

Eat Out Magazine's Seasonal Guide

Healthy Homemade Marshmallows

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On Fridays, my 3 year old has music lessons at school. And often when I pick him up, he says to me ‘if we sing, we get marshmallows’, or alternatively ‘I didn’t sing today so I didn’t get a marshmallow’ – the latter makes me chuckle under my breath imagining the poor music teacher trying to get my fairly strong willed child to do something (anything!) he doesn’t want to do.

Either way, marshmallows have become quite the new treat for my toddler who barely ever gets sugar (unless its the weekend, we’re rewarding him for wearing his eye patch, we’re at a party, or gran is feeling heavy handed on the sugary goodness). As a self diagnosed sugar addict, I do want to keep these little bodies away from sugar as much as I can. Don’t all parents want to protect their children from such enticing temptations…

So, I went on the hunt for a healthier option, a homemade marshmallow recipe – which I found easily thanks to Wellness Mama. It is super easy to make, super delish and you can adapt it as you wish. You even have the option of adding probiotics (for those of whose kids don’t drink kombucha.. so… most of us then?) – what a win.

Ingredients:
  • 4 tablespoons of pasture-raised gelatin powder. (Gelatin is incredibly healthy for you!!)
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1 cup of honey (we buy local)
  • 1 tablespoon of Marshmallow Root (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla or other flavor optionals (mint extract, lemon, cocoa powder, etc). Please get pure vanilla extract. Vanilla essence is just a flavoured chemical.
  • Optional: 4 capsules of probiotics. (I use The Real Thing)
  • Equipment: A small sauce pan, plus a hand mixer & a metal bowl – or a kitchen aid mixer if you have one.
Instructions:
  1. Optional Step: Combine 1 cup of warm water with the 1 tablespoon of Marshmallow Root and let sit for 5 minutes (or as long as overnight in the fridge), Stir well and strain. Make sure that the liquid makes a while cup.
  2. Pour ½ cup of water (marshmallow mix if you used it) into the metal bowl or mixer bowl and add the gelatin. Whisk slightly to incorporate and let sit.
  3. Pour the other ½ cup of water and the 1 cup of honey into the small saucepan.
  4. Slowly bring the water and honey mixture to a boil. If you have a kitchen thermometer, you want it to reach at least 240 degrees. If not, just keep boiling, stirring constantly for 8 minutes. This will boil over really quickly if you don’t keep a close eye on it. Beware!
  5. Slowly start pouring the honey/water mixture into the bowl with the gelatin mix (which will be hardened by now).
  6. Turn on the mixer or hand mixer and keep on medium as the honey mixture is added.
  7. When add honey mix is added, turn the mixer to high and blend with the mixer for another 10-15 minutes or until it forms a stiff cream the consistency of marshmallow cream (it should form gentle peaks).
  8. Add the probiotics and any flavor ingredients for the last 2 minutes of mixing (except cocoa powder which can be added to the honey mix in the saucepan).
  9. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with coconut oil, or line with parchment paper, leaving some on the sides to be able to pull up.
  10. When marshmallows are whipped, pour into the lined/greased dish and smooth evenly.
  11. Let sit at least 4 hours (overnight is better).
  12. Flip on to a cutting board and cut with a well oiled pizza cutter or knife.
  13. Store in an airtight container.

Should you want them powdery then you can mix icing sugar with some corn starch and sprinkle it over your marshies, but I try not to since its defeats the point of them being process-sugar free.

IF, like me, out of pure excitement, you over-beat your marshmallows and it goes a bit bumpy, do not fear! Turn it into Rocky Road Marshmallow. Throw on some toasted almonds, slightly roasted unsweetened coconut flakes and raw cacao nibs. Yummers.

– Keep your eyes peeled for my upcoming blog on healthy hot chocolate options. It’s the obvious follow on to this post. Marshamallows… and hot choc.

The Wonderbag Review

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It all began back in 2008 during the regular power outages. Sarah had the idea of creating the Wonderbag to ‘ease the impact of health, socioeconomic and environmental problems facing Africa and developing countries’. Growing up in rural Africa, she was passionate about empowering women living below the poverty line.

The Wonderbag has a powerful story. We love these kinds of stories.

So, I’d been staring at the Wonderbag innocently sitting in the office for weeks – it had been flirting with me for a while – and in a moment of pure impulsiveness (these happen rather frequently), I bought it and took it home with recipes running through my head. Firstly, yoghurt. We loved making our own yoghurt in Vancouver with an electric yoghurt maker (which was on for 15hrs at a time), but now with Eskom pushing us off the grid, we’ve gotta get smart about these things.

I ripped open the box, smiled adoringly at my new purchase, and then headed into the kitchen to get going on the yoghurt. Following the recipe exactly (with my hardcore candy thermometer nogal), I placed my pot of yoghurt goodness – at exactly 110 degrees Fahrenheit – carefully into my Wonderbag. I showed hubby ever so proudly when he got home from work and we went to sleep, eager to get up in the morning and see the result.


The next morning I called the family together (no, really, I thought it a teachable moment) and I presented my first attempt at power-free cooking (you can picture the superwoman emblem beaming under my jarmies), and…  it was a watery curdled mess. No no, this was not okay.

Here’s what I learned:

– Read the instructions before use, (duuuuuuuuuuh, every superwoman should know this)
– Don’t use a pot with a long handle that sticks out the bag. A cast iron pot like this is ideal:

– The Wonderbag does not produce heat – it retains heat (this had nothing to do with my failed yoghurt attempt, but is a good reminder).

As it turns out, I’d missed a vital part of how to get started. You need to open your (previously vacuum-packed) bag completely, give it a good shake to get all the chips moving and happy, to then close it tight, allow it to regain its shape and then get cooking. Errr. Oops.

So you could call it a rough introduction to my new purchase, but one that I’m happy to report has been beautifully redeemed.

I have since made a PERFECT batch of yoghurt, and mouth-wateringly delicious curry with the most tender chicken I might have ever tasted. I most recently made chicken stock which I’m thrilled I can make in the Wonderbag since we ALWAYS forget it on the stove and I way prefer it to store bought stock. After resting in the Wonderbag overnight, my stock measured in at an impressive 140 degrees F. That’s hot!

I find myself wanting to use it for everything I cook now. ‘Let’s make a soup, or another curry, steel cut oats, or risotto? Huh huh huh?’ The recipe booklet it comes with is another WIN. You’d be surprised what you can do with this seemingly simple bag.

My conclusion: You feel like you need a goodie badge for owning this little gem. It cooks food tenderly, is Eskom-free and a very, very practical accessory (errmm, dare I say essential?) for your kitchen. But for me, knowing it began as a community initiative supporting underprivileged women in rural townships in Africa; that makes my heart sing.

You can buy your very own Wonderbag online here. Do it!