New Year, New Start

 Hello everyone and a happy new year to you all. I hope you had a good send off to 2022, personally I just stayed home which is what we always do and that suits us.  We had a couple of drinks and watched a few episodes of Yellowstone, we had to stay up downstairs even though we were tired as the fireworks scare the dogs so we stay and make sure that they are ok and it has all settled down before going to bed. My son went out early to the cinema and then around the pubs with his friends he was telling me how insanley crowded it was, how they couldn't get in anywhere to eat etc.  I thought yes that is exactly how I remember it and give me my evening over that any day!

We have had a nice relaxing day today, got up and did my quick pilates routine, then down with the tree and decorations.  I like it up early but once new year is done we like to clear it all away, though it does look bare without it. Then I made some coffee and walnut muffins in the mini oven.  I bought myself a six muffin tray that just fits my mini oven and I tried it out earlier.  The  idea being to still bake with less electric, they came out well if a few were a little caught on the top.  The thing with the mini oven is that everything is always so close to the elements top and bottom, you don't get that in the standard oven.  It does use a lot less power however and we have used a lot this last month.

Then did a bit of tidying up in the garden and off for a walk with the dogs before making the Sunday lunch when I got back. Also making some roasted pepper humous so I am going to do that shortly.

A  few intentions for this year...

• So one that I mentioned the other day was to do a little bit of art every week, I always used to just do this without any plan but it has somehow dropped off my radar so this will get me back in the habbit. There  will be no definite day for this I just want to create something each week for me, for fun.
• I am going to try and timetable my day a little better.  Work gets done, but sometimes I find myself tagging the dog walk to the end of the day or frantically running to the shop just before my husband gets home.  I also often skip lunch as I am busy sewing and always think to myself I will have something when I am finished but then it is too close to dinner time.  This is not good so I need to give myself some space and factor in some breaks to at least eat or walk the dogs while it is still light.  
• All future sewing projects are going to be noted in my scrapbook rather than just on paper, along with the sample and any notes.
• More trying out new recipes, I did quite well with this but then got into a rut as the year went on this year.  So I will try and document those to keep me on track.

That is as many as I am adding for now, I may add more as time goes on but they do say try to do too much at once and it is asking for failure.  It is also true that it takes a while to develop a new habit so getting a few to stick before adding in more is the way to go. 

Because I felt it was going to feel bleak now that the tree is down my husband took my little bottle from the homemade gin my friend gave me and put some of the little lights inside.  It is now on the mantle piece I just need to take the label off the wire.

It is not blue in real life just a cool white.

Just in case any of you would like a better peak at my sewing space I filmed a little tour for youtube yesterday and here is the link if you want to watch.

See it here, watch the video

Have a lovely evening and I'll be back soon. 

Half Term Makes

I have started my new bag but unfortunately I can't go any further until my ribbon and other bits arrive in the post.  This is very annoying as I am itching to get it all finished, one side is complete and the bottom/sides are on one piece but I need the ribbon to complete the rest. I have had a play at making a tassel which I am going to embellish with beads and bits (I think) it may be a bit big we will have to see.  The lining is ready and I think the leftover faux leather from an upholstery project has come in really handy.  I will share a few pics here of just the cut pieces and lining I don't want to show too much before it is finished.

So the zips I am using are recycled from an old bag and have been in my sewing box a long time, the faux leather was from my mother in law ( I recovered one side of her corner suit with it), the bit of ribbon I had already but I have had to order a bit more and the lining is leftover fabric from a dress.  The only new items bought  for the project are the Santoro fabric (a fat quarter) a strap, a new bit of ribbon and some rivets.

Here is the lining with the recycled zip for the inside pocket.

This evening as I was making curry I thought I would make some little bits to go with it, I have this magazine from 2017 Vegan Food and Living (my only copy) and there is a recipe I thought I'd give a try.

Now I was quite excited about making these and they were quite messy to make too...

Sorry that is a bit blurry, masala dhal vadas, they looked interesting and I didn't have any fresh chilli but went on ahead.  I made two trays of these and to be fair nearly all of them went down well but I would say they were not that exciting and a lot of faff when you consider you can buy ready made pakora, samosa etc for quite a reasonable price.  I'm sure these were a lot cheaper as I  made so many but also messing about mashing potato, making the patties etc, I also covered mine in gram flour too.  So another recipe tried but on this occasion perhaps not worth the effort.

I know mine do not look much like the photo in the magazine but I didn't deep fry mine, I fried them a little in the pan then into the oven to keep warm.  I don't deep fry ever!

While I was cooking I was also watching this video from Handmade by Ditsy Tulip here  she has made some lovely covered buttons but more eye catching than that is her own logo she has created, it is so professional.  If you don't watch her videos go and have a look now, she has some lovely ideas and makes on her channel.   She is currently putting together a dolls house as a haberdashery  and has made some gorgeous mini bits for it, I look forward to watching it take shape.

Etsy Shop

Homemade Naked Bars

I have got into a bit of a habit of picking up these Naked bars when I go shopping...

Now I do like them  and it is great that they are all natural but at £2.50 for four they are a bit much for what they are.  I have been telling myself that as I don't eat cake or biscuits it is ok to pick these up as they are handy for work.  The truth is I know these things are easy enough to make I just need to get back into the habit of making them.

 

As I have been home awaiting a delivery I thought I would get on with that, I haven't tried to imitate that flavour as I have gone with what I have in ingredient wise for today.  I may try that flavour on another occasion.  

There are various recipes for oat bars floating around out there but they all seemed to require something I did not have on hand, so I have made my own version using up what needs eating.  This seemed like the best solution.

Here are mine, and I chose to bake them for a little while rather than just have them raw as many recipes suggest, this was mainly due to the moisture form the bananas and raspberries in mine.

Fruit and Oat Bars

140 g oats

130g nuts (ground in the blender) walnuts & almonds

200g prunes

70g raspberries

2 bananas

3tbsp cacao powder

water to blend (just enough to mix it but not too wet)

Blend the nuts in the blender then add to the oats, blend the prunes and raspberries with a little water so it makes a puree, mash the bananas. Add the cacao to the mixture and give a good stir, push it down flat into a tray and score the pieces however big you would like them. I chilled it for ten minutes then baked it on 190 for twenty minutes. 

I have tried one and they are very tasty, I didn't add any additional sugar as that is my taste so if you feel you like things a little sweeter or want them to taste more like shop bought treats then add some maple syrup I will leave the amount on that up to individual tastes.  I think they are spot on without it but then my tastes have changed over the last few years, the Naked bars may be in fact a little too sweet but I have been lazily going for the convenience of them.  I am going to separate each of these with a small piece of baking paper and freeze them that way I can get one out each day for work to keep me going late afternoon. 

As you can see from the above picture I managed to cut it into fourteen pieces, I weighed one and it was 30g maybe a touch over and that is the weight of the Naked ones so I can see that these are going to be much better value and less packaging.  My mixture may change occasionally based on what I have in or what I fancy so I will keep you up to date with any modifications.  For now though this recipe was a hit so I am going to get those in the freezer before I am tempted to just sit eating them.  

Mushroom and Spinach Risotto (Wheat free Vegan)

Today I have made a mushroom and spinach risotto, I make this a lot and looking back I don't think I have shared my recipe before.  I did share a kale and mushroom version from a magazine once but it was not as good as my version I felt. 

 

I also opted to pick two of my yellow courgettes today as according to a few gardening blog they were at the perfect size.  if they get too big they may lose their sweetness.  As I was already tied to a frying pan making the risotto I decided to chop the courgettes into chunk and roast them. I'm glad I did as they were really nice done this way.  Along with that I also did some crispy tofu in a pan then into the oven.

I always really enjoy this so I will share what I do below but it is not exact measurements as I just pop things in as I go and it works as it always comes out well.  The amount I make serves four if served with an accompaniment. 

Mushroom and Spinach Risotto

3 handfuls of white & wild rice ( that is how I do it, or just add your usual rice for however many)

1 red onion

3 handfuls of spinach

2 garlic cloves

1 punnet chestnut mushrooms

1 veg stock cube

2 tbsp. of nutritional yeast

2 teaspoons vegan cheese sauce powder

quarter cup of soya milk

tsp basil

salt and pepper

A squeeze of lemon juice (optional)

olive oil

water

This is my own recipe, that is why it is a bit random but worth a try because it does taste good.

Heat the oil in a pan and add the rice, let it cook on a low heat until it is a little transparent.

Chop the onion and add to the pan, when the onion is starting to cook add a little water just enough to cover the rice and onion.

Let that cook down a little then add the garlic, keep adding more water as it cooks off, next add the stock cube by sprinkling it in, alternatively you could add to water first.

chop and add the mushroom, season and add basil.

Add the chopped or shredded spinach.

Sprinkle in the nutritional yeast, keep adding a little water as it cooks down.

Add the soya milk and sprinkle in the  vegan cheese sauce powder keep stirring now until it starts to cook down and catch a little.  You can add a little lemon juice as a kick but it is good without too.

 Hope that makes sense, I do it all the time with no measurements so don't be too pure about it, you may add something extra to your taste. ( Oh I forgot to mention there is an extra bit of the courgette in mine today too)

Here is one of the courgettes prior to picking, and it did taste just right.

Midweek Treats

I know it's not quite midweek but it really does feel like it, I think it's the dark mornings that are doing it. I was talking to a colleague today about some recipes that were healthy, easy and could be done quickly with children.  The trouble is that a lot of what I make contains nuts as I need the protein and they are super good for you.  Well you have to avoid them with children due to the nut allergy problem and many don't like them even if they can eat them.  So I had a little look around and found this super recipe online.  If you are making it with children I would use coco instead of coffee but for yourselves go ahead and use coffee.

Chocolate Oatmeal Balls, thanks to  Nutrionist meets chef

I have to say I ate one before they went in the fridge, the good thing about these is that they give you that bit of sweetness but there is still nutrition in there in the form of dates, oats and I used cacao instead of coco as I'm vegan and coco powder often has milk. Cacao is more expensive but more nutritious.

Saying that making these is still less expensive than buying the raw bars you can get from the supermarket such as Naked. For some mad reason I still buy those when I'm feeling lazy and I really must stop,  as making your own doesn't take much time at all.

What I really need are some nice storage tins to keep the treats in and I have only just realised that!  As I have a little birthday money I think I will treat myself to some storage solutions for homemade treats.

Gluten Free Bread Success

Finally I think I have found a little packet mix that is Gf and tastes good.  I found this packet bread mix in Aldi a few weeks ago and snatched it up as you don't often see any Gf items in there and it has been sat in the back of my cupboard ever since.  Earlier today I though I would give it a try, it was quite difficult to mix as I don't have a food mixer and bread paddle just a small blender with a couple of blades.  After sitting on the worktop for about ten minutes under a tea towel I was pleased to see it had risen, in it went for 35 minutes in a 1lb loaf tin ( well actually a 2lb tin as that was all I had but I put a ramekin in one end as a stopper and shaped foil up to it!) and it came out like this...

I have just tried  a slice with some vegan spread and it is soft and tasty, my only issue now will be if they ever stock it again.  It  is called Bakels gluten free white bread mix, it was 75p and you need a sachet of dry yeast so another 15p there.  Looking at the ingredients I could probably reproduce it if I just do my own flour mix but it is just the initial outlay of buying the expensive flours to start with. 

If anyone sees it on sale anywhere else please let me know because even though it is a packet mix it is still less expensive than the Gf bread I have been buying at £2.39 for a titchy little loaf.  It makes me really cross how much they charge for all the Gf products so I make a point of not buying them now aside from bread that is.  It would be wonderful if I could permanently scratch that off the shopping list as well.

Bread is not the part of a meal it used to be but it is still handy for when I'm at work for dipping in soup or putting beans on, I do like the odd slice of marmite toast too but again this has never been the same since I had to switch to GF bread.  It will be interesting to see how it keeps, I have made Gf bread before and it didn't freeze well but the shop bought ones do (must be all the chemicals!) so hopefully I can freeze a few slices.

Schar Gluten Free Pizza Base

Being gluten free I have to admit that I miss pizza, these days also being vegan that would be a
cheese free pizza but still I do miss it.   I have tried various things to satisfy this including many gluten free bread products, it is never the same. We visited Zizis the restaurant because I read they did an amazing GF vegan pizza, it wasn't, but it was wafer thin, overpriced with practically zero topping on it.  Did I mention how I hate to be ripped off and we don't even go out that often.

So when I saw these Schar pizza bases I was excited, I love the Schar bread and although it is expensive I will pay the extra for this as I am so limited in what I can have and their bread has quinoa, linseed goodness and tastes super.  We brought the bases home today and I piled on all my lovely toppings, fried red onions, cherry tomatoes, sauce, garlic mushrooms, Italian herbs and vegan cheese. 

Now these bases were two for three pounds so again not cheap for a bit of bread but I had high hopes.

When it came out of the oven I cut it up and sat down to tuck in.  Well, dry powdery bread just like every other  gluten free product I tend to try, I was disappointed to say the least.  The loaf I buy by this make is so good I expected too much I think.  You see I had resigned myself a while ago to the fact that bread based meals are a thing of the past.  On the occasion I have some it is beans or tomatoes on the Schar toast so this moistens the bread.  I would not recommend buying this product but their loaves are good if pricey.

The best and closest I have come to enjoying something resembling a pizza is when I used a wrap as a base and just topped that with lots of veg.   The reason that may have worked better is that a wrap is so thin so you don't experience the dry floury texture of a thicker dough.

If anyone has tried anything better I would love to hear about it.  I am usually pretty good at improvising with the GF, vegan foods but sometimes on a Saturday you just want to come home and have a pizza like everyone else!

Random Bits

I had a really good few weeks of posting regularly then I had this insane amount of traffic that was clearly spam or whatever you call it, coming from certain countries I know it wasn't genuine as I researched it a bit a while ago.  The thing is you are not supposed to click on any of the links in your traffic stats as that is where you then get diverted to unsavoury sites and hacked or something. How very sad that all is, anyway it sort of puts me off posting anything.  It is still happening a bit now as I can tell with the odd names of where hits are coming from so unfortunately if there are any interesting new views with blogs I would like I will probably not know as I daren't look!

We finished work for Christmas on Friday so it is nice and relaxed around here.  I have a big pile of shirts to alter for someone, a dress to make and a shirt for me. 
Earlier I made these gf vegan mince pies from the Naturally Sassy blog they are really nice and the home made fruit mince smells lovely while cooking I have a lot left so will be making more to freeze tomorrow.

I didn't have a cutter I don't know where they have got to, so I used a wine glass as recommended by Saskia, and I have seen such pretty mince pies where the tops have been cut with a fancy cutter.  I don't do much pastry since becoming gluten free as it is so hit and miss and very difficult to handle.  These were tricky while rolling but now they are cooked they hold up well.

I read Gone Girl this last few weeks as it was recommended by a couple of friends, quite a twist in that one so worth a look if you haven't already. I have a few to read over the next few weeks a box set of non fiction by C. S Lewis and a few others which I will share later.   I have started a little journal for myself with what I read each month in it and a short review, as I often forget over time and it can come in handy when you are thinking about whether to revisit a certain author.

On the television I have recently finished watching the Swedish drama 30° in February on Sky Arts, this has been a fabulous series if you want to watch it you will have to go back and watch from series 1 to get the whole story.  I am a little sad it's finished, however I have started watching another Swedish drama called Modus and that one is good too.  A lot of people I know won't watch any TV with subtitles but they are missing so many good dramas.

Keep it Vegan (Scrummy food from this book)

This past few weeks have been a blur of getting back into that routine of work, home, cook etc. after the lovely summer break.  I always feel that the time between getting home and putting tea on the table goes through some incredible time fast forward! I have been trying extra hard to make new foods with my vegan cook books it's just a shame there isn't such a good audience for it all around here.  Oldest son is vegetarian and will try some new stuff but he also incredibly picky and often out, my husband and younger son are very much a 'what are we having with the meat?' duo,  so I have to just be my own chef.

So despite  the clock going into fast forward as soon as I walk through the  front door I have managed to make some of the recipes in my new book 'Keep it Vegan'.

  Today I made the stuffed mushrooms to have with our Sunday lunch and these did go down well.

Friday I made the red lentil and spinach lasagne, this was also appreciated by older son so maybe he is getting less fussy.  There was enough left for me to have another portion for tea yesterday.

Yes this is a photo from the book, we ate it before I thought of taking a picture again.

I have also tried the macaro-no cheese, but I added notes to that page as I felt it needed onions or garlic, there just wasn't enough flavour.

The cashew cheese was also a hit and there are so many variations on this if you look online I think I will have to keep experimenting.  I also made a walnut cheese this week (not from the book) I found the recipe here (Vegan Walnut Cheese)

This has got to be my favourite, I would say it's more of a nut butter but I made two pots and I have had it with everything, on cucumber, at the side of salad, on toast for breakfast and on leftovers to cheer them up.  If you like nut spreads then try this because it is so good.

Anyway getting back to the book, this week I am going to try the carrot cake bites, black bean chilli, the Indian spiced tacos and the mango salsa.  I went through a phase of getting cook books from the library and only making one thing from them, well I bought this book so I am making sure I work though it.  I know I probably won't like everything but at least I will have given all the recipes a go.  ( I would just like to add that this is just a book I saw and purchased, all views are my own and I am not affiliated with it.)

The days are really starting to shorten now and it is a little bit sad to be getting up in the gloom, I have decided to embrace this however and find the good in it. Yesterday I popped outside to take a photograph of the sun coming up behind the trees.

It felt very quiet, the horses were already out in the opposite field.

As I am very much a summer person I have decided I am going to focus on all the positives of the coming seasons and dark nights.  I will try to remember to post them here and if you have any ideas to contribute about what you love about Autumn and Winter please share.  Ooh I've thought of one already- Poldark,  for the time being anyway.

My sewing has been of the practical nature this past two weeks rather than creative.  I have had three blouses to shorten sleeves on for a friend along with a replacement zip, a large cushion cover and two shirts for my husband.  I am going to start a dress for myself later in the week and it will get done because I have written it down.  This is weird but I have found that if I write it down I will get to it, it's as though I'm letting myself down if I don't.

The Best Dhal

Today I tried another recipe from Naturally Sassy and I have to say it is one of the best dishes I have made in ages.  I really love spicy food so I regularly make a korma with any variation of  veg and nuts in it, I have to say though I have generally bought dhal.  I am now thinking why? I know how to cook lentils and I put them in all sorts of things so why has it taken me so long to make a dhal.

I saw this recipe this morning as soon as I went to look on the Naturally Sassy blog and decided to make it today for lunch. It is really colourful, which is always a good sign and smells amazing.  It does state it serves four but I had a second helping however there are two portions left which are now in the fridge.

If you haven't looked at the blog before do so now, this lady is amazing, she is a ballet dancer, cook with her own book not to mention she runs lunch events.  I would love to attend but I am a bit out of the way up here in the North.  It certainly gets you thinking when you see what some people achieve, but mostly I admire her positive attitude towards food.  So as I mentioned before go take a look now, if you follow the link Naturally Sassy it will take you straight to the page with recipe for the dish above.

Something that is very satisfying about cooking more things from scratch is that you don't have that moment where you are reading the ingredients on some container thinking 'now what on earth is that?' I like knowing exactly what is in my food and that it is all there for a purpose and. not just as a filler which is what many ingredients in pre-packed foods are.

I hope at least a few of you take a peek and find something scrummy to make, I'm sure I have probably mentioned the blog before.

Vegan Berry Cheese Cake

Well it looks like summer has arrived and I have made the most of it by sitting outside, and generally making sure I don't miss any because who knows? It is England it may be snowing next week.  I'm going to appear really old now but getting all the washing dry, how good is that after months of hanging things indoors.

I saw this recipe for a vegan berry cheesecake here at Pure Ella I've looked at it a couple of times and thought I'd have a go while the weather is so good (it is a cold pudding after all).
The only thing I changed was I put banana in with the strawberry mix and left out the raspberries as I wanted to save them for another day.

 Those are cranberries you can see in the base, my base mix was not very well ground up as I don't have a food processor but I am going to look out for one as I make so many things that require one now.  It didn't take away from the taste though and as a bonus it is completely healthy as everything in it is natural.

The rest of the family had real cream on it completely missing the point of it being vegan!  I had soya cream on mine.  There are six portions left in the freezer for another day, you just take it out and let it defrost in the fridge for 30 minutes. Thank you Pure Ella.

Lots of things starting to come to life in the garden which is nice so just some of the pots that will need filling. Hopefully it will be fine again next week so we can do that, here are a few plants that are currently adding a bit of colour.

I love these little flowers, the colours are so bright.

This has been coming back for years but is now quite large and faded, also as you can see the slugs keep having a go at it.

This is the same age but looking healthier.

I have had a few alterations to do today as well, there are still more to do this week for my husband, son and friend so no new makes in that area to show at the moment.

Pecan and Pear Vegan Upside Down Cake

I made this yummy pudding last Sunday and it has taken me until now to get around to sharing it.  As of last Friday I became vegan and I have taken the 30 day pledge here.  I had a couple of gluten free

cookery books from the library and I have marked all the pages of things I want to make however I am now adapting some of them to be vegan.

I was already part the way there being vegetarian and intolerant to milk but I could eat some cheese, now I have switched the cheese to a vegan alternative and cut out the eggs.  Any advice or recipes/recommendations of products greatly appreciated.

Here is the finished desert...

I know, I should have centred the plate a bit better! It really was a last minute photo though as I was just about to cut into it.

It is so nice with soya cream on and full of healthy ingredients so no guilt eating pudding at all.

The original recipe was from 'Deliciously Wheat, Gluten and Dairy Free'  so the only things I had to change for this recipe were substituting two tbsp.'s of chia seeds mixed in water instead of egg and also I used Argave nectar (only a small amount) instead of the quantity of sugar stated as I thought it would be too sweet.  Other than that I followed the recipe just scaling it down a bit.

Here the two books I got from the library...

I have not included the recipe as it isn't mine  but the book (on the left) is well worth a look, order form the library.  I have marked a couple of recipes in the Phil Vickery book as well but I preferred the other one.

I have made a few other things this week mostly made on the spot and without time to photograph.  One thing I really enjoyed was fried Kale with garlic mushrooms, spring onions, peppers and fried tofu.  I ate that for tea with older son, then cold the next day in a salad.  Oh dear stomach upset for two days!  I have not really had much tofu in the past but I really think it was that, that upset me.  All other ingredients I eat regularly so that is a shame.
There is still more to try so I will be cooking more new things but giving the tofu a miss.

I finished a couple of books 'Brain Hacks' was a really good one and I made myself a little list as I went along and also ' The Wisdom of Groundhog Day' by Paul Hannam was really good. There are lots of ideas to bring you back to the present, stop chasing future happiness and be happy now, very true.

Butternut Squash and Sugar Snap Korma, Cheap Gluten Free Curry Night

If I have a choice about what kind of food to eat when we go out it has to be curry. I have to say it has to be one of my favourite meals, so tonight I  thought I would make one. Despite the fact that my older son and fellow vegetarian had gone out and my husband and younger son wanted a beef casserole.

On days like this I generally make sure I am making enough so I can save some, I usually freeze a couple of portions and then I have a freezer meal another day for the vegetarians. 

I started off the casserole and then went out with the dogs then I started the curry when I got back.  To go with my curry today I made some sweet potato fries so I also put these in a bowl of water once chopped so they could soak for  forty five minutes.  ( This gets some starch out apparently)

So in my pan here is half a  yellow pepper, one small red onion, 100g sugar snap peas chopped, two cloves of garlic and about a third of a medium butternut squash.  So I fry these for about five minutes gently in   olive oil and add a few tbsp. water and let it simmer for about another seven to soften the squash.

I then make a space in the middle add a tiny bit more oil and one tbsp. of cumin, one tsp of turmeric and one tsp of coriander (fresh is better at the end but I didn't have any). When the spices have fried a little pour in 200ml of coconut milk and 100g of cashew nuts crushed to a powder ( or very small bits).

Now I don't own anything to grind the cashew nuts so I put them in a bag and bash them with a rolling pin (very therapeutic!)  it doesn't get every last bit but it's good enough.

As well as being good for you they thicken up the curry.

For the sweet potato fries I soaked them  first for forty five minutes, cut all the same  size so they will  cook at the same rate, blot on kitchen paper and add a small amount of oil to baking tray then space them out evenly.  Don't add salty seasoning as I read it creates steam and they go soggy, I added some herbs.

Then cook a  in hot oven for forty minutes checking and turning regularly.

Once you add the coconut milk and nuts it only takes a few more minutes, there is about three portions here but I suppose it depends on your portion sizes.

So I really enjoyed my meal, it is healthy, inexpensive per portion and ticks all the boxes for wheat free, dairy free, vegan etc.  Plus that is a meal sorted for another day, it also goes really nice in a regular baked potato,I've done that before when I have only had a small amount left to freeze.

That is a large portion there, I feel a bit full now.  Just a couple of my fries caught on the edges but these were the crispiest I have made so I would say the soaking works.  Sweet potatoes are really great, very healthy so I must eat more. They have a low glycemic index and lots of vitamin A. Although I really should add that by baking the sweet potato you increase the GI, but who wants to boil everything? They are still very nutritious as fries.

Lemon Custard Coconut Tart (Gluten Free)

Yesterday I tried out a new desert, I got the recipe from a book I got from the library called Gluten Free Vegetarian, to be honest however there wasn't much in there that was anything different.  Things like stuffed peppers and salads with different combinations so nothing new.
I did see this one recipe for a coconut lemon custard and as I've not made this before thought I would give it a try.  As  usual a few things had to be changed to make it milk free as well, also I didn't like the idea of just coconut and egg white for the crust so mine has GF flour and Bertolli in it.
As I made it below I think it still needs tweaking, I ate it and enjoyed it as did my younger son but my husband said it was too lemony and older son agreed so less lemon next time.
Here it is...

Now I was pleased that it looked like a custard tart and the pastry held.  I would cook the pastry a little less next time I think it was in about seven minutes next time just five.

Now if you can eat cream use double cream, I used single soya cream and my custard was soft and not as firm as it would be using double cream but I can't eat that. I may try another for the rest of the family made in the proper way.  I ate mine with soya cream and raspberries.

Lemon Custard Coconut Tart

I used 21cm tin

1oz dessicated coconut

2oz GF plain flour

1 egg white

3 egg yokes

2oz Bertolli (or Margarine)

zest and juice of half a lemon

100ml soya cream (double dairy cream if possible)

2tbsp of sugar

Heat oven to 180c and line and grease tin, combine coconut, flour, egg white and bertolli in a bowl, rub in and bring together in a ball.  Roll out gently and press into tin.  Cook for 5 minutes (no longer)

Beat together egg yokes, cream, sugar, lemon and zest.  (The soya cream cannot be whipped!) Pour over tart and cook for another 13-15 minutes. 

I will use a little less lemon juice next time and I may try other flavours, I will also keep a closer eye on the pastry as mine was a little over cooked.   I still enjoyed it though as I only tend to get pudding when I make it! 

Gluten Free Christmas Cake

I know this post is a bit overdue but then I was a bit overdue making this! Never mind you can eat cake any time you certainly don't need a special day. I got a recipe for a Christmas cake from this blog Frugal feeding and then had to modify it a bit to make it gluten free, less sweet and just a bit different but other than that it formed my base.
I am really pleased with it and it is a definite step up from the Baileys cake I made a couple of weeks ago, so yes you guessed it,  I used baileys again but this time the Aldi version.

Here is the cake...

It filled the tin and had a lovely smell as it baked.

It held its shape well when sliced.

So after refusing treats at peoples houses this last few weeks I am very pleased with this!

Most important it tastes great, I really appreciate now when things come out well after all the disasters I've had with the GF flour.

So here is the recipe and like I said I got the original recipe from Frugal feeding but altered it to meet my needs.  Thanks to Nick for the original recipe. (Nick put sherry and orange juice in his)

Gluten Free Christmas Cake 

500g of mixed fruit

200ml Baileys (or Aldi Irish cream)

200g Bertoli spread

100g brown sugar

1tbsp Golden Syrup

3 free range eggs

200g GF plain flour

2tsp baking powder

2tsp mixed spice

100g ground almonds

100ml soya milk ( or your own preferred)

Method

Heat oven to 150c, place mixed fruit, Baileys, Bertoli, milk, sugar and syrup in a saucepan. Heat gently and stir until spread is melted and allow ingredients to combine a little, remove from the heat. Beat the eggs in a jug, add almonds and spice to pan and stir, mix in the eggs then sift in the flour and baking powder and give it a quick stir through so all is combined but don't over do it. Pour into your lined tin (mine was a 2lb loaf) and cook for 1h 50 minutes.

Now I bought myself a GF fruit cake from Asda a couple of weeks ago, it cost me £2.50 and was a pitiful size, probably a fifth of the size of this one.  So I need to give myself a kick the next time I feel like wasting money like that!

So like I said, I know this is a bit late in the day for your Christmas celebrations but if you have been missing out on the treats and feel like giving it a go it is really easy, tasty and  good value.

Gluten Free Almond Slice with Chia Seeds

 I love almond slice and this is something I have missed since being unable to eat regular cake.  My mum always used to buy the little Mr Kipling ones and although they do not fill much of a gap I did love those little cakes.
This morning as I was up early again with the puppy (he still does not understand weekends!) I thought I would have a go at my own version of it.
I didn't want it to be too sweet as it was going to have jam on it, that would be sugar enough.  I also wanted to look at alternatives to using xantham gum, I'm not a fan of that stuff, I know it will be in the shop bought gluten free items we buy but I would rather avoid it.

Now I read that you can use chia seeds if you soak them in water first, I have these in the cupboard and they are so good for you.  If you don't have any you may need to substitute an extra egg white but I would recommend getting the chia seeds, they are expensive but you only need a small amount.
The recipe was an experiment as most of my food is but I like the end result, it is also quite guilt free due to the goodies inside.  If you were to used fresh fruit like strawberries or peaches on top instead of jam it wouldn't be naughty at all!

Now I had to taste this slice (for quality control of course) at 9.00 this morning! Oh so nice, people just do not get how exciting cake is unless they usually have to go without.

Gluten Free Almond Slice with Chia Seeds

3oz self raising Gluten Free Flour

3oz ground almonds

1oz sugar & 1tsp golden syrup

4oz  Bertolli spread (or any olive spread)

11/2 tbsp chia seeds soaked in 2 tbsp of cold water

2 tsp baking powder

1tsp vanilla essence

100ml soya milk

flaked almonds for top

strawberry jam

Cream the sugars and the spread in a bowl, then beat in the eggs (add a tiny amount of flour as you do this) set aside the flaked almonds for the top then sift in all the dry ingredients, next add the milk, chia seeds and vanilla essence then fold in gently. Do not over work it. Finally pour into a lined dish or tray, it should be runny, cook on 200 for 20 minutes. 

My dish was 20cm by 25cm the only reason I used that one is I only a have a few and I use the same ones for many dishes. If you use a smaller dish then your slice will be deeper but I think an Almond Slice is supposed to be a bit flatter.

Charity Shop Bargains and Baileys & Sultana Cake

The weekend has felt really bleak the weather has really taken a turn now and going out for a walk means adding on the layers.  There have been a couple of times the dogs have had to be pushed out of the back door to go out because they really do not like heavy rain. The puppy has a little coat but obviously he doesn't wear that just to nip out for a wee! The dogs also get really dirty at this time of year as well, more so as they are all small and close to the ground.
We have been watching a Swedish crime series on the T.V called Arne Dahl I like watching
dramas from other countries and I think you become more engrossed in them as you have to concentrate more.
Yesterday we had a quick look in a couple of the charity shops near us St Lukes and Bluebell Wood (which supports the local children's hospice) We had a go on the raffle in both and I got a fantastic little next jacket for £6 I'm so pleased with it. I always have a look if I'm passing but I don't just buy stuff for the sake of it.

I thought I could wear it at Christmas, I will wear the same dress I made for Christmas last year as it has only been worn once.

Really pretty lining too I like little details like that.

I also got a couple of books for my son who I am trying to encourage to get back into reading.  At 13 he appears to have lost interest and the selection at the library for teens is a bit poor. Its all werewolves, death and vampires.  I don't know how the two I picked up will stand up to the challenge but we will see.

They were 70p each and in good condition.

Today I was making the dinner and I decided to quickly make a gluten free cake for me.  Everyone else was having banoffee cheese cake and sometimes I just want a desert, all the GF pre made stuff is such a rip off.  

So like I said very quick...

Baileys & Sultana Cake

4oz GF flour

4oz margarine

4oz sugar 

2 eggs

2 handfuls of sultanas (didn't weigh them!)

1 tsp mixed spice 

1tsp baking powder

 A glug of Baileys (about a double measure)

Splash of soya milk

Cream sugar and margarine, beat in the eggs, sift in dry ingredients, fold in, add the sultanas, Baileys and soya and  give it another very quick stir. I have a loaf tin but it is a bit big for this mixture but never mind, in it went.  In the oven at 200 for about 20-25 minutes.

Now it slopes a bit to one side due to wrong tin size, but it is really nice. I cut it in half so half can go in the freezer, had  a slice straight way and wrapped the rest to go in the cupboard.  It will not win any beauty contests but it's cake.  

Quick and Easy Gluten Free Pizza

I have been really craving a pizza recently, I dropped my two boys off at the shops today and they said they were going to have a Gregs, I thought Oh I would love one of those, but no, I went home.
I stared in the fridge for ages you know like you do when you think something delicious is going to just appear?
Well that didn't happen but I did remember that I had a gluten free wrap in the freezer. Now these are not good as wraps because they are a bit like cardboard but I'm so glad I kept it as it became this lunch...

Also it was really quick and easy to make.

I took the frozen wrap and cover it in tomato purée and a little red onion. put the rest of the onion away for another time.

I added some frozen peppers that I had in the freezer, no need to chop.

Also I added a layer of grated cheese, then half a sliced tomato, then more cheese and finally a little drizzle of olive oil.

I had a little salad with it and I have to say it was lovely, obviously not greatly filling as it is on such a thin wrap but it has solved my pizza problem. Plus much cheaper and healthier than what you could buy and you can put whatever you want on top.  I started mine off under the grill then thought better of it and put it in the oven, not for long after the quick grilling 7 minutes maybe less I just kept an eye on it.  I also put it on a piece of foil in the oven as it is so floppy or a tray would do.

The wraps are £2.80 for 6, so with one of those at 46p, half a tomato, a few peppers, bit of onion, cheese and purée I would say it cost about 80p to make.