Saturday, November 13, 2010

Packed up and gone..

If you haven't already noticed, my presence has not been gracing the pages of this blog. tha's because i have moved onto greener pastures. visit my now current blog at www.confessionsofagranolagirl.wordpress.com yep, i am now using wordpress.

Thanks blogger, it's been good, but i cant make you happy and you can't make me happy.

KC

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Carob Chip Confession

i have been eating carob chips like nuts. i used to feel sick after eating like 1/4 cup, but now it's almost as if i have built some kind of immunity to them that i can just eat eat eat.

kind of like vaccines. i have so many carob chips in me already, that i wont get sick from eating more of 'em!

i love them like no other.

love,
kenya

Nature Shot of the Week #1


Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Bah-nah-nah Bread

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This is my cookbook folder.

it is bursting at it’s uh… spirals.

Every single time i use it, i vow to de-clutter things, and throw away the pieces of paper that have only 3 words written on them. But alas, it hasn’t happened just yet, and i can’t seem to see it happening anywhere in the near future no matter how many times i look in the crystal ball.

Tidiness is not for me. (yet)

Today i made some Banana Bread (see pronunciation in header).

IMG_0002  See? there is the cold hard truth. i made Banana Bread (and just to let you know what the cryptic from F--  means, go here.)

IMG_0003 Ingredients: 4 TB butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 3 very ripe bananas, 1 egg, 1/3 cup yoghurt, 2 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, pinch salt and 1 cup chopped pecans, walnuts, raisins (not chopped, but hey, you can experiment) carob or chocolate chips.

(NOTE: i am making triple, repeat triple! so don’t follow the picture quantities, unless you want to want to like, make triple or something)

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So, Cream the butter. of course, normal folks would use an electric beater, but sadly we own none of that advanced technology so i just….

IMG_0009…soften the butter a bit in a makeshift double boiler and cream it. 

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ooh… Cweamy.

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Now it’s time to add the sugar.

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Oops, looks like i added the raw sugar, not the brown! there’s only one way to fix this..

IMG_0018add the wonder syrup: Molasses!

“how are you feeling tonight, Miss Molasses?”

“I’m great, thanks for having me on the show!”

“Oh, you’re sweet!”

“well yes! i do come from the sugar cane,..”

Is that so, Miss Moll? you must be proud of your family!”

 

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Molasses + Sugar = Brown Sugar

it’s that simple!

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And now look at that delectable, creamy goodness. ahhhh

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Now, add the bananas to the sugar-butter  mixture.

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There they are!

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i tried kind of mashing them (even though it look like i am just splitting them for the fun for it, i really, ahem, wasn’t. it was a very serious matter)

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But i found that mashing with a masher actually works better. fancy that!

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Much Better.

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Now, for another magic trick…

see that milk up there? well, since i was out of yoghurt, i decided to sub it with sour/butter milk. and since i was out of both of them i decided to make them. all you have to do is add

IMG_0011Vinegar

(thanks your lucky angels, there is no interview with Mr. Vinegar in today’s show)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Add about a cap, or two to a cup of milk, let it sit for a while and do what it does. after a few minutes, it’ll thicken.IMG_0013

yum… sour milk.

So now i hafta crack the eggs

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And scramble them. of course, if you’re sensible, and own a beater you would NOT have to do this. but I --

lets move on, shall we?

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(NOTE: i am making triple, repeat triple! so don’t follow the picture quantities, unless you want to want to like, make triple or something)

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Now, Add the eggs and the Sour Milk/Buttermilk/yoghurt to the sugar and Banana mixture. the eggs are in there somewhere, i hope.

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Then add the flour

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Baking Powder

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Baking Soda

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Salt (and don’t you forget it!)

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I added about a cup of home-made carob chips (recipe to come soon). i can just tell this is going to be good.

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Just look at this batter. i could eat it raw.

i do eat it raw.

the Salmonella gods haven’t cursed me yet.

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After mixing all ingredients together for a while (not too long, just till all is moist), place the batter in some muffin tins, or loaf tins etc. etc. Then cook it for 15-35 minutes in a 350 F oven. Depending on the size of your tins, the cooking time may take longer or shorter. you’ll know.

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While you’re waiting for the breads to cook, clean up this. Enjoy!

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Then DING it’s ready! go ahead, cut yourself a thick slice, and enjoy for reals.

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And look how the lil’ muffins turned out!

Yum.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Previously Occupied

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I have been jus a little busy lately making these. And not just one, but 200 plus of these babies.

it was for an activity, to answer your q’s. we were showcasing Australia and it’s many splendors, so we served these traditional ANZAC biscuits (cookies).

ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. During WWI many wives of soldiers wanted to send some energizing, uplifting treats to their men because they had to stand 6 feet in muddy trenches.

heck, who isn’t uplifted by baked treats?

Anywho --- actually, i might just let you read it from a more reliable source.

so, as i was saying, i have been occupied.

thankyou for listening :)

Springing

 Baja Feb to May20070101_283

(something is a little too bright…ouch! my eyes!)

Spring has sprung…

…at least in my neck o’ the woods. today was so breezy, warm, inviting me to step outside and bask in the changes. i just love looking at the emerging daffodils, and tulips (my favorite) and the leaves on the rose bush are starting to bud! It’s so exciting!

Today i was reading Get Fuzzy. i love it. i love it.

just read the dialog! it’s classic!

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

More Sprouts

 

IMG_1805so continuing from the last post about sprouts…

they just keep on growing…. and growing… and you just got to keep on wetting it (we used a spray bottle filled with pure water).  you’ll notice some clumps are missing, that’s because we like to just rip off a chunk of grass and chew like cows (except we spit our the fiber)

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so i guess eventually you can juice it, but we never got that far. Nay, we ate all that we could and then it turned yellow, and it just kind of died. right in the kitchen. and now it is sitting outside our front porch being used as a kitty litter by the neighbor’s cat (at least that is what we account as the stink)

BUT……. before you stop reading for reals, here are some pictures of some sprouted spelt tortillas i made (way before the spelt became so grassy)

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I blended up the spleties in the Vita-Mix

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Kneaded them with some flour, salt and oil. Rolled them out and…

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… popped them on the griddle. yum?

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Conclusion: the store bough ones are better.

kenya

 

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Pear Muffins

this morning, for breakfast i woke up at the crack of dawn and prepared some muffins.
okay, okay, so twas a little later.

i got this recipe from cookie madness, but of course i changed it in my very own special ways. :)
so the first step is to grind the flour (i am using only the best organinc whole spelt, i can assure you)

so after grinding up the flour, you measure 2 cups and put it in you second (i'll explain later) favorite mixing bowl with




-2 tsp. salt

-some cinnamon (~2tsp)


-nearly 1 tsp of baking powder and


-1/2 tsp. baking soda


after mixing the dry stuff, you move onto the PEARS!!

Go ahead - wash 4 pears, dry them, remove the stickers (oops - looks like i forgot to do that) but just do me one favor, dont peel 'em!
i know the characteristic gritty graininess may be a lil unpleasant, but, there are so many nutrients packed into the skin! so save yourself, save the skin.






then chop them, remove the cores and stems with love


















okay, you'll want to add 4 TB of coconut oil to the pears that you are about to puree, and if you're feeling adventurous, pour in 1 tsp. almond extract.


then, uh .... puree, till smooth!

Below is what it should like like















pour the pears into a bowl, and mix in 2 eggs.



then, mix in the flour mixture (this is the fun part)
















then the batter is finished! all you have to do now is grease some muffin tins




then pour in the batter


this look like one blue muffin, maybe he knows that he is about to be cooked in a 375 F degree oven.



so there they are! they take around 20-30 minutes,

just check them every once in a while, alright?



And finally, the finished product!!


Yum! 'specially with some butter