Monthly Archives: January 2012

RHUBARB

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As we travel around this wonderful country of ours we are trying to catch up with as many family and friends as we can. We are now in Western Australia enjoying the cooler weather without it being to cold even though the nights are quite chilly for us NT folk.  While staying overnight in Albany with on old family friend who lives on 4 acres, we acquired a fair bit of organic rhubarb and an organic zucchini.  What to make with them was the first thought that went through my head. Well the rhubarb had to be stewed first and then I can use it in muffins, cakes or even on my morning breakfast.

 

STEWING RHUBARB

I’m not sure how many cups of rhubarb I had in my slow cooker but it must of been around 6 to 8 cups, I also added 3 cups of water and 1 cup of coconut sugar. Turned the cooker onto high and left it be for a couple of hours until the rhubarb had softened and mixed together. This recipe is not a sweet one it is still a little tart. Just the way we like it. If you like it sweeter add more sugar.

Now what to cook that is rhubarb flavored? I think I will try a muffin recipe. As for the zucchini I think we will use some of it for dinner and the rest can make me a zucchini bread to have for lunches.

AYERS ROCK AND THE OLGAS

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As I mentioned in my previous post, it’s been a big couple of days in the red center for us. Not only was it the first time for all four of us girls to see Ayers Rock it also took the children about 20km (after we spotted it) before they piped up with great excitement “is that the rock?”. Leading a healthy life isn’t just about what we eat it is also about exercise, and this is the post where I will start documenting some of our physical activity. We try to exercise most days by walking or riding.

So back to our couple of big days in the red center. On our arrival to Ayers Rock which was at around 2pm we ate that delicious Banana and Ginger Cake that I had made the day before. This was our energy for what was to come. We rode our bikes around Ayers Rock (10.6km). The whole experience has been mind blowing, oh did I mention that it is one very BIG rock.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a good nights sleep we rose early to watch the sunrise on the rock and to go for an early morning hike around the Olgas(7.4km). Once again the views were breathtaking and the weather was just right for hiking in.

BANANA GINGER CAKE

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Well it’s been a big couple of days for us in the red center (Alice Springs & Ayers Rock). We’ve traveled from Cairns through to Alice Springs where we spent nearly a full day and stayed overnight. While in Alice Springs I made this most wonderful banana and ginger cake for our stay out at Ayers Rock. When I make this cake again I will be adding some grated fresh ginger to the recipe, I don’t think it was quite gingery enough for my likings. When you have made it let me know your thoughts on adding more ginger!  Sorry I didn’t get a chance to take any photos but my locusts (children) ate it all while I wasn’t looking

 

BANANA GINGER CAKE

 

4 bananas mashed

1/4 cup coconut oil, liquified

4 room temp eggs

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp ginger powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 cup coconut flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

 

Before you mix the ingredients get your cake tin ready and grease it with coconut oil.

 

Add all the ingredients into a bowl and mix. Place the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake. In my air oven it took about 50min at 175degrees.

 

CHRISTMAS, NEW YEAR

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Wow what a busy yet wonderful Christmas and New Year we have just had. I love Christmas, it’s the time of the year where you can eat and drink as much as you can and no one cares. For me the festive season is all about family and great friends. My GFDF plum pudding went down a treat with the whole family, even those that are not GFDF. They wouldn’t have known if I haven’t told them. Plum pudding was about the only thing that I prepared for Christmas but my father in law did up the most wonderful hot ham with a cranberry glaze (sorry no photos, we were too keen on eating it).  Christmas and New Years was spent in Cairns, but the week in between we went on a little road trip (little compared to the big road trip that we have embarked on).    Leaving Cairns we trekked up to Port Douglas and then onto Cape Tribulation . What a lovely part of Australia! Such beautiful rain forest and being still in the tropics it is currently the wet season so it rained all night. While up the Cape we did find a guy that sold organic vanilla beans. If only this was smell o vision I would indulge your senses but the smell of the vanilla was just amazing. Unfortunately I didn’t get to see the vanilla vines as someone else came along. Take a look at this address www.daintreefnqedt.com.au

 

 

Before leaving Cairns we headed of to the markets to grab ourselves some fresh fruit and veg at Rusty’s , we bought so much that it filled our engel so it looks like its fresh fruit and veg for the Lucas family for the next few days.