Onigiri- Japanese rice balls.

I'm so excited about this healthful, flavourful number, all the kids have been literally jumping up and down for more!!! Not too, often i come across a recipe like this i don't have to 'tweak' a little for one reason or another. This one will go on the family favorites list! Even little Miss Lexy enjoyed getting covered in rice!




I stole this recipe from Yumi Stynes, I saw it a while back on Chanel Ten's 'Circle' here is the link:
http://ten.com.au/the-circle-onigiri-japanese-rice-balls.htm

i virtually followed the recipe, i did substitute a couple of things.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup black jasmine rice
1/3 cup black quinoa
1/3 cup red quinoa
1/3 cup white quinoa
1/3 cup brown rice
apple cider vinegar
1 cup short grain white rice (i used arborio- high starch- and all i had)
Nori sheets
Fresh ground salt

Method:

1. Soak all quinoa, black jasmine, brown rice, and a splash of apple cider vinegar overnight. (i actually soaked around 18 hours and got the most gorgeous little sprouts happening, which gave the end product a beautiful look!!)
2. half an hour before cooking throw in the white rice. soak.
3. rinse several times (and then fill the pot's water level to about 1cm above the rices).
4. cook on high, once is boiling like mad, turn it down, and simmer 10 mins.
5. take off heat and let it sit for 10 mins.
6. mould into whatever shape you like (you can purchase the moulds though) but i think we will mould a different shape every time! Fun!
7. salt to taste, cut nori to size and wrap.
8. serve! (tastes good with a bit of soy sauce too)
9. Optional extras / fillings:1/3 cup adzuki or mung beans added to the soak, tinned tuna, umeboshi plums, Japanese daikon pickles.

These are such a great all rounder, i made mine in the morning, as i sent some to school for lunches, they are a great snack, and great side dish/accompaniment to a meal. And they taste and look SO good :) the photos don't do them justice!

Truffles! (home made nutella gone wrong!)

You could hazard a guess here and say I completely wrecked my attempt at home made Nutella!! I wanted to be able to activate the hazelnuts, then process like a nut butter and add a small amount of rapadura and enough carob or cocoa (i used carob here- its sweeter, less bitter)  to make it a little sweeter and chocolaty!! I'm thinking ill attempt it again when i have my dehydrator, as i think the nuts need to be dried out again a little more thoroughly. (my oven is fairly old, and i don't trust it to stay under/around 50 degrees to preserve the enzymes etc etc). Might also get some hazelnut oil to help bind it all together.

Anyhow, i had also soaking from yesterday, some pepitas, sunflower seeds, so i decided to make some truffles!

Ingredients:

• 500g activated hazelnuts
• 200ml-ish water
• 1/2 cup activated pepitas
• 3/4 cup activated sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup rapadura
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup carob powder
• 1/2 ish cup of coconut concentrate (get a good portion of the oil in there)
• 1/4 cup linseeds
• 1/4 cup chia seeds

Method:

1. Process nuts, water and coconut concentrate, just keep adding the coconut until it starts to come together 
2. process pepitas and sunflower seeds, (i only did this separately as my food processor bowl was too small)
3. throw all the ingredients in a bowl,
4. mix well and roll into balls, (if preferred roll in coconut, seeds etc as in above image)
5. enjoy!

Like i said, i think it would be improved by dehydrating the activated nuts etc, and i don't think it is sweet or smooth enough for the hubby. But i know the kids will like it :) Cant wait till they get home from school!!

Store a few in the fridge, and the rest in the freezer! This batch made around 50! (remember i cook for 7!) you could easily adjust these to your own tastes, you could sweeten it further, throw in a bit of vanilla, experiment with the texture, etc etc! Too much goodness in here to list! :) Ill be enjoying one after my run :)

busy busy busy!!

I received my newest order of grains, spices, nuts and seeds today!! yay!

I have been busy! i have soaking for tomorrow:

• hazelnuts
• pepitas
• sunflower seeds (some for baking, some for sprouts)
• chia seeds for sprouting (and I'm going to try grow the plant also)
• black and yellow mustard seeds for sprouting (hubby doesn't like alfalfa, so offering a bit more variety lol)
• and a batch of whole wheat flour for tomorrows bread comparison, i want to compare the following for flavour:
•  small amount of sourdough starter, longer soaking time (12-16hrs)
• more sourdough starter, shorter soak (say 6-8 hours)

So there will be a planting and cooking frenzy tomorrow no doubt!! oh fun!

The perfect oats. Nutritionally, and otherwise.

OK, after many many bad batches of porridge (soaking in acid mediums etc etc) i have decided to exploit the temperature factor we have going for us in QLD, and the time factor by soaking my groats 12-18 hours) this should well and truly make up for the lack of low pH, needed for optimal phytase action. So reduce phytic acid, keep flavour!!

 

• grab some oats groats, soak overnight with a generous handful of rye (grind and add to soak water)
• Rinse off soak liquid and rye flour in the morning.
• Blend (i only blend so i can give it to the younger generations, i prefer the grainy texture) and cook with a fair bit of water
• Serve with whatever the heck you like! This morning we had some organic dried figs, and all spice(the kids had a splash of milk and a dob of honey too), but i find the fig is enough sweetness for me :)

 Best enjoyed with a table full of family :)

The KISS principle :)

Sorry i know this doesn't have much to do with food, but.... i just had to add this!

I think i have found the keys to happiness!!! I'm so freaking happy all the time!! i have to share! :)

Keep things simple!!!

Eat a variety of real foods

Learn stuff, Get creative

Get outside, Get active

Communicate

Love passionately

Stress less!

 Happiness will follow :)

Notice there is no money reference? Money doesn't really mean that much to me and certainly does not equal happiness. In fact i measure my wealth in an entirely different way. I guess it's a perspective thing? For i am rich with love, family delights, friends, memories, plans for the future, and all of life's treasures that one cannot purchase!!

Life really can be simple. Its a choice.

So tell me what makes you happy?

Frustration Stations!!!

Does anyone else get frustrated with the latest "don't eat this, its bad for you" crap? or the new fad supposed to help you lose weight? or perhaps the newest "super foods"......I DO!!!!

Ive just read an article on grains, and why they are so bad!!! coming from a personal trainer, trying to teach people how to lose weight. Now I'm a personal trainer, and i have only ever guided people in their diets, and i never told anyone to completely remove an entire food group from their diets. I never gave 'professional recommendations', or 'prescribed' anything (as she does later in her article)! I'm afraid it is not in my scope of practice!!! I'm so mad! anyhow, the three things she cites (referring to someone else's article, that is now inaccessible) are that 'grains are so bad because of ': 1) Leptin resistance, 2) effects of phytates, and 3)'quite a bit more'.

Interesting. Now I'm no professional, but what i have read, leptin resistance (and obesity) has a whole load more to do with fructose over consumption. Not only that, but these handy little hormones, are said to regulate appetite. They do so by acting as a satiety signal after a high calorific meal. Now please educate me here, but is this where the grain thing comes in? because it is energy dense? so is sugar. and fat. and alcohol. and protein. I think this girl is a twit! Phytates, are easily reduced, and not all bad. and as for the 'quite a bit more' who knows?

Granted there are many people out there who have troubles with grain based foods. I cant touch white bread, it makes for the most incredible stomach pain and two days of bloating, without fail. Not only that it looks disgusting to me!! I would argue that it is not the grain that is bad for you, its the preparation. Does anyone else see the irony in having your white bread with added nutrients?? You are paying for someone to strip your grain of all nutritional quality, then paying another to make it for you. Of course adding in some laboratory manufactured additives to make it 'better for you'. Hmmmm

Don't give me this crap that cows milk will kill you, only eat raw food, grains are bad for you, eat goji berries standing on your head and you will lose 10 kg shit!!. It annoys me when even the people that are trying to help you- are just adding to the myths, and hype, and misinformation out there.

i guess common sense isn't so common any more!! Rant over!

veggie patch #3

I really have created a monster here! The more i learn, the more i want to learn! the more i do, the more i want to do!! Hubby and i have been working on a new veggie patch, we had a tree taken out a few weeks back, and it has opened up a lot more usable space in the yard!! though the roots left behind have been a bit of a challenge! So i guess we are only early days, I'm working on improving the soil, as one end is very hydrophobic, and nutrient replacement and generally needs a lot of work! and the other end is where the tree came out, so I'm working here on boosting nutrient content, and root removal. (excellent exercise ill add!!)

The beginning

Setting the stage and soil improvement. 

Ill give hubby the credit for the awesome border to the patch, but the digging....that's all me!! lol

I'm also learning how to extract the seeds from the foods we love, and be able to germinate those seeds. some just need to dry out, others you need to sprout in water, and others need to go mouldy!! amazing!did you know that the tomato seeds, need mould to remove the gel type stuff that encases the seed, in order for them to be able to germinate! wow, i love that stuff! As you can tell, i have been a bit of a cheater (or time saver lol) and bought seedlings, and/ or seeds. Well no more of that!!. We have been getting a lot of seeds just from the foods we eat. The ones we can't, we will buy, but only the once!!



I'm so excited! It is another step, to our goal of self sufficiency! :) Growing food is awesome! I also love to share that amazing time with my family! :) Happy times :)

Do 'cheesecake' and 'healthy' go in the same sentence?? They do in my kitchen!! :)

OK, so i fair stole the idea from Sarah Wilson :) she cooks like me.....dollops, splodges, handfuls, bit of this, chunk of that.....etc etc

Anyhow, i made a delightful raspberry cheese cake with less than 2TBSP of sugar...

The base, i used, amaranth ground finely, poppy seeds, pepitas, shredded coconut and butter and 1 tablespoon-ish of brown sugar. (next time ill use more nuts, but this is what i had)... wazz in the food processor and baked for 10 mins, in a spring form pan.

The filling i mixed 1 whole egg, 2 egg yolks (left overs from something else) with 2 packets of cream cheese, a teaspoon of vanilla and 1 tbsp of raspberry jam (the no added sugar stuff). I then added a handful of frozen raspberries and stirred it all through, whacked it in the base and baked for about 20 ish mins in a moderate oven.....

yummy!!

Getting excited about my gardening :)

Well hello! Happy Saturday people!!

Ive made some progress on my garden today, transplanted a bunch of seedlings, and the hubby has set up a little cultivating station for me :) so i have set up my next round of seeds. Yippee :)
 Here it is :)

Tomorrow, we tackle the new garden bed, cant wait untill its full of food :) its going to be great to have a bonza garden again. :)

Sprouted Barley Porridge

1. Take a measure of whole barley, and soak in plain water 12-18 hours.
2. Rinse
3. *optional: use a blender to break them up a bit.
4. Cook with a splash of milk, and water. (i use milk to improve its eye appeal, and give a little creaminess- barley goes quite grey looking when cooked in plain water)
5. Serve it however you like it but my suggestions are
• butter and honey
• butter and brown sugar
• with grilled fresh peaches
• milk
• nuts/ dried fruits

Too easy.....and cheap! (i estimate it at $3 per batch, including the butter and honey, and I make double lot, so one batch will do two breakfasts) that is 21c/serve (14 serves) Not bad!!

The kids love this one!!

Today's thoughts.....

OK, so now Ive got this bread thing going well, and have adapted almost all recipes to fresh flour, i am onto new endeavours. (spent two days compiling all my research on phytic acid to add to the blog, then removed it LOL, wasn't happy with it, but i am happy with my techniques for reducing it and don't fancy having to justify them)....anyhoo...

I want to start posting my recipes. and also start blogging about my garden :)

I'm currently drying out a load of seeds from some divine fruits and veggies. i have started an avocado, and have capsicum, chili and sunflower seeds happening, and some other packet stuff for a bit of a boost to my supply. and even though some of the fruit trees and the like may not fruit for 7 years, it is so damn exciting. One step closer to our dream! (the property with an abundance of beautiful, luscious fresh fruits and vegetables). I love the idea of growing my own fruit trees from the seed.  :) oh and living in Queensland, opens up a whole load of possibilities!!!! (I'm ex Victorian- too cold for my favorite fruits!!) *squeals* So excited!!  I plan on digging up a new patch for some more veggies on Sunday :) Yay!!

I'm also experimenting with sprouts, i have always sprouted, though not religiously. once in a while. Now, it has become part of my daily routine, and have become an expanded part of my living kitchen. (or my 'kitchen pets' as the hubby would say) ......Ive found a supplier where i can get a load of different things, so my salads this summer are going to be a whole lot more interesting :)

:) Happy thursday peeps!

Cakes, Cakes, Cakes

OK so i am busting to add my cakes to the blog!!.....i love making special occasion cakes!! they are so fun, deliciously naughty, and an awesome creative outlet. I'm trying to teach the kids that it is OK to indulge, once in a while, i mean we live in the real world after all! I'm hardly going to send them off to birthday parties with a chicken and avocado on rye am I? so lets bring on the food colorings, the fat, the sugar, the white flours.... THE WORKS!!! 

Father's Day 2011

The motor cross track!
My first shocking attempt at fondant!! Ergh, damn good thing the colors were marbled to cover up the mistakes a little!! It was a mocha cake....a little dry too.....not that he noticed lol.

The Twins turn 7, Sept. 2011!!

Anthea's 7th Birthday cake:

Penguin mania- this was the cake she took to school for her class :)

I cheated here and used the left over gum paste from the water part of the motor cross track cake. Was a little afraid to try fondant again.

Gabriella's 7th Birthday cake:

Rapunzel, again, for her and her classmates (they are in separate classes). Lots of fun using my new frill tools. which i broke. lol

this year we just had a small family birthday party and these were Gaby and Anthea's cakes. I was under strict instructions, one was to be pink with blue, and vice versa. lol

and finally, our Anniversary Cake. October 2011

I didn't get as much time as i would have liked on this cake. but it was fabulous! and i can now say after 2 epic failures at fondant....i have mastered it. I threw out all the advice, tips and recipes i found, and did it by 'feel'. Turned out wonderfully. I actually used fresh milled wheat in this cake too. it was so moist and yummy.....just saying :)

Stay tuned for my son Baxter's 2nd birthday cake!! It is going to be a book. Open, with one 'page' featuring the letter 'A' and an aeroplane.The other page, featuring the letter 'B' and a bird (he has a pet bird). So a holistic little snapshot  of my boy at 2 years old (and him learning his letters/ colors etc) and also features his favorite things, books, planes, and birds. I'm working on how i can make this a little more 3D.....i think this one will be my best yet. Cant wait!

sometimes you win, sometimes you lose

This has been quite a humbling experience! I'm not used to failing at things!! completely changing the way i bake has brought many many epic FAILS!!! I'm a 'go by feel' kind of a cook, and am pretty damn good i think. Yet the unpredictability of working with 'real' flour and live cultures gives variability between batches that i am not used to, and even when i write things down step by step, its sometimes hard to repeat. But i shall press on, making my rookie mistakes, and eating some less than perfect loaves of bread etc....at least i know a dodgy home bake, is still a zillion times better than store bought.

As you can probably tell, i was a little disappointed in yesterdays bake-off! and i wanted to learn how to post photo's to my blog today, hoping to have something spectacular to show! BUT..... we ate the rye crackers, i overcooked the honey wheat bread and the soaked spelt biscuits were not great. will go back to trail #2 recipe i think. Anyhow the surprise of the show was the rye bread, i was expecting a big fat sour brick. instead, i got this! Not the greatest of pictures, and i forgot to glaze it, but oh well it was good!!

Low to NO sugar.

Without getting into all the mumbo jumbo and rationale behind cutting sugar, let me just say i have been inspired by some reading i have been doing (and the experiences of friends) of late i have been removing some more sugars from our diets. I think it is unreasonable and too regimented for us casual Sims' to put a ban on sugar! but i can remove all the extras. i have been keeping our sugar (especially fructose) down to 4-6 serves (teaspoons) a day (this includes two serves of fruit) and for me coffee is the biggest culprit, if i didn't have coffee, i would only have 2ish serves of the nasty stuff a day. I just cant do coffee without sugar, and i cant get out of bed in the morning, unless that familiar smell is wafting through the air!! eheh

This has been ridiculously easy actually, i think because i am already in control of so much of the families food intake. Low to no sugar is definitely something i can live by, and have not had any cravings per se, and no complaints from the kids either. Nope, i tell a lie, i got a complaint when i said no more tomato sauce. But they are excited about making their own sauces soon.......just waiting for the 'mah-toes' to grow is painstaking when you are little ;) I think they appreciate their sweet 'party food' too when they have the chance-at parties- funnily enough!!

I'm enjoying not being a slave to the beast that is sugar cravings, and I'm a lot less bloated among other things, and i am enjoying more flavorful food!!!

Tomorrow's bake list!

I have milled a heap of flour for a bake off tomorrow! In no particular order, these flours are destined to become:

• Honey whole wheat bread- my husbands favorite.
• Spelt biscuits.....a sweet treat for the kids.
• Rye...a dense sourdough for me :)
• Rye crackers
• Barley porridge- sound odd?? that's OK, it kind of does to me too.....call it a rookie mistake, but i mixed the labels on the oats and barley when i was just starting out....and hey presto....barley porridge!  the kids keep requesting it! so who am i to refuse? I love barley porridge too!

I have also fed my sourdough starter, and my kefir, set up a new batch of sprouts- mung beans and alfalfa, started another batch of yoghurt and made a batch of gum paste for my son's upcoming second birthday! busy busy busy- just the way i like it :)

ever so slowly......but highly addictive :)

So I've been making my own bread, pasta, and yoghurt etc for years, and it seems only natural to progress to the grain mill and more of my own cultures- oh the possibilities!!
I have worked my way through all the family favorites recipes, and adapted them to suit fresh flours (and the overnight soaking for maximum nutritional benefits) with amazing success, and found some new favorites :). There has been no complaints. In fact, the kids are becoming a lot more adventurous, loving having different and interesting things in their lunchboxes!! they are actually eating a lot less food too, they are satisfied much quicker on the 'good stuff' i guess :) i don't think they are too keen on my sourdough though!! hehehe......I'm still working on it (and them)

Speaking of which, I have made my own sourdough starter, yep I'm growing wild yeast!! It is so fantastic, honestly, and it is easy. Bung (technical term) an equal measure of (i used rye) flour and water into a glass jar. Repeat this process morning and night for a week (you can remove some of the starter if your jar gets full- i don't- i just use a BIG jar, and hate waste). Now i only feed my starter once a day. I am yet to see how it goes when kept in the fridge, but i like having it 'good to go' as i bake every 1-3 days anyway. :) I'm sure the purists will have you believe it is a whole lot more complicated than that!! I love that i can achieve a more authentic loaf, and never have to buy commercial yeast again! its what nature intended :) I'm working on my "perfect sourdough", and by perfect, i mean just the way i like it :)

Speaking of cultures, i do culture my own yoghurt and have tried a few types. i have found a good one I'm using at the moment that i can keep a small amount from and make the next lot of yoghurt from....now that is getting your money's worth!! I also have Kefir (pronounced: kah-feer)! this stuff is so incredible, we make smoothies out of it and i make 'cheese' out of it.....its gorgeous and not unlike feta. I also use it as a buttermilk replacement and have also made sour cream out of it...though i need to time it just right or it will go way too sour!! The kids have become accustomed to the sourish taste, they were a little hesitant at first. Love it!

This leads me to my next lot of interests........of course gardening (I'm always adding to that), and would like to try growing my own mushrooms. other areas of interest are:

• Cheese making-everything from your block of tasty to your specialty and soft cheese...nom nom
• Home brew, I'd love to make the hubby specialty beers, that will blow his mind! :)
• other fermenting eg. sauerkraut.
• Jams, sauces and preserves.

One day hubby and i would love to own our own farm, and have our own orchard, a bigger veggie garden, raw milk, and grow our own meat! (sorry no vegetarians here!!) anyway  for the mean time I'll be busy with all of the above! :)

Money matters.....

I was spending upwards of $600 AUD on food a fortnight. Supermarket mainly, bit of stuff from the butcher and the local fruit and vegie shack. There has got to be a better way! right? I'm on a mission to improve my family's nutrition, and spend less. tough ask??

I have started my quest with the purchase of a KitchenAid mixer and a grain mill ( from www.skippygrainmills.com ). and the money i have saved in groceries since then has bought and or upgraded a load of new kitchen goodies.

I have found a company where i can get grains, seeds, spices, oils straight to my door and freight is very reasonable. i have big  local butcher where the bulk of the meat and fish is sourced and we go to our local markets on a Sunday for our fresh produce. Ive managed to get the grocery list down to; milk, cheese, cleaning, and personal hygiene. Our new MONTHLY total (including freight and delivery) is $600 AUD

I'm sure as time goes on (and less botched loaves of bread) this total will become smaller again! :)

A Quick Intro.......

Hello all, I'm so excited about this blog!! :) you can probably tell I'm a blogging virgin LOL....anyhoo just wanted to let you know where I'm at- food wise.

 I'm BORED!!! bored of big chain supermarkets, BORED with being force fed marketing and advertising (no matter how clever), and BORED of not being able to source what i want locally, BORED of the masses and their naive views on food and BORED of tasteless crappy food....I want to show you how you can eat real tasty food, that's really really good for you and really cheap.

I'm no expert, I'm just a home mum and cook on a fabulously exciting and super fun journey!! :) Your comments and suggestions are welcome, but go easy on me I'm only a beginner, and a bit of a sook. LOL