BERRY FEAST

Wow what an amazing 3 days we have had. It all started at Warnambool Vic where we started our journey along the Great Ocean Road.  There is one little twist to this 3 day journey along this well known stretch of road and that is Mr Lucas Lifestyle rode it on a push bike. That’s right you are reading this correctly, he hopped on his push bike in Warnambool and under his own steam peddled for 67Km and ended up in Port Campbell. Day 2 was a much harder and longer day for Mr Lucas Lifestyle with a 98Km uphill ride ending in Apollo Bay. Day 3 was a little shorter and not quite as hard as day 2 with only 90Km and not as much uphill with the day ending in Torquey. Matt will post a full count on this ride in the next few days (after he recovers).

Berries!!! Berries remind me so much of the Christmas holidays, the hot sun and refreshing cold berries for an afternoon snack or desert. So when opportunity came knocking at the door to go and pick some fresh strawberries and blackberries we all jumped at it. Berry picking took place at the end of day 1 of Matt’s ride. We took a quick little 15min drive inland to a town called Timboon, and headed out to the berry farm. We were greeted by the owners of the farm, an elderly couple in their 70’s. They had owned the farm for around 20 years and were very knowledgeable. At $8.50 a Kg we just couldn’t help ourselves and picked over a Kg of fresh berries, we where even permitted to have a little sample while we were picking. The biggest berry of the day went to Tiana who picked a 96g strawberry, and it was sweet and tasty. So with fresh berries and a look around the area we headed on home to our van where we had this divine fresh fruit salad and custard for desert.

Fresh strawberries

Fresh blackberries

Fresh Mango

Halve the strawberries and place them in a bowl, then spread the blackberries over the top. Cut the checks of the mango and scoop it from the skin, dice and add it to the berry mix. Mix gently and serve with custard. It’s so refreshing and yummy!

STEWED APPLES

Stewed apples are so versatile. You can have them for breakfast, as a snack during the day (in lunchboxes), and even for desert.  I love to have mine with custard, and at any time of the day or night.  Stewing apples are a good way to use the apples that are left at the end of the week before you put fresh ones in the fruit bowl from you shopping.

 

4 Apples

½ cup sultanas

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp mixed spice

1 – 2 MC of water

 

  1. Cut the apple into approximately 1cm cubes and place them into the TM bowl.
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook 90 degrees / 20 min / speed 1.
  3. The amount of water that is added is dependent on how much juice you would like to have at the end and how juicy your apples are.  It really is to your own preferences.

 

CUSTARD

This has to be one of the easiest recipes to cook and it is also one of my family’s favourites.  We whip it up after dinner for desert, as an afternoon snack, and even sometimes I whip it up for breakfast with stewed apple.

20g – 50g Honey

500g Coconut milk

2 Eggs

20g – 30g Cornflour GF

 

  1. Place all the ingredients into the TM bowl and mix 30 sec / speed 6.
  2. Cook  90 degrees / 7 min / speed 4.
  3. The amount of honey that you put in depends on the sweetness that you desire, and the amount of cornflour that you use depends on the thickness that you require.

 

Original recipe is from ‘Everyday cooking for every family’ Thermomix page 155

EASTER FUN

Carrot Balls

I dont have a recipe of my own but just finished making carrot balls but changed them slightly to suite a friends nut allergy.  In placement of the nuts I used Pine Nuts and for the nut butter I used tahini.  They turned out realy well.

Hope you all have a great Easter

http://urbanposer.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/raw-carrot-cake-balls-giveaway-upgrade.html

RHUBARB

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.

APPLE CRUMBLE

We headed over to a friend’s place last night for dinner to celebrate her completion of one unit out of seven in her degree. Really it was just an excuse to have a get together, and the fact that she has rejected us for the past 3 weeks for dinner might have something to do with it as well.  Dee at the moment is on a strict paleo diet to rid her body of any toxins so the recipe that is attached will not have any added sugar. I do have to say that the pastry that I used is quite sweet and I will be working on a homemade pastry in the near future.

Mains were delicious purple cabbage coleslaw, green tossed salad and T Bone stake. Such a colourful dinner full of goodness.  Love having such great friends that you can sit around and talk and laugh with.

 

 

 

 

APPLE CRUMBLE

 

1 sheet pastry (I used THE PASTRY PANTRT pastry sheets)

1 tin apples 770g

1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp All spice

Punnet fresh blueberries

 

Crumble mix

 

1 cup walnuts

1/2 cup almond meal

1/2 cup rice flour

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/8 cup coconut sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

 

Defrost pastry and place in pie dish. Cook till golden brown. While the pastry is cooking prepare the filling. Place the apple, berries, cinnamon and all spice in a bowl and mix together. Set aside and start to prepare the crumble. Add all the crumble ingredients to a food processes and process till combined. When the pastry is golden add the apple mix and then the crumble on top and continue to bake till crumble is lushes golden and crunchy.

Serve with a little coconut cream

The food was awesome.  Thanks Dee and Shane for a fun night

CREAMY RICE AND DRIED FRUIT

I had such a delicious breakfast this morning.

Creamy Rice & Dried Fruit

 

Pre cooked brown rice from the fridge

Coconut milk

Dried cranberries

Dried blueberries

A little sprinkle of coconut sugar

 

Place the rice, coconut milk, and dried fruit into a bowl and heat it up in the microwave. Once at desired temperature sprinkle with coconut sugar and eat

MANGO MADNESS

MANGO MADNESS

Well it’s mango madness time of the year here in the tropics and I sure am loving all these fresh mangoes. Most years we freeze a whole heap of mango cheeks and use them throughout the year, but this year we won’t have the freezer space so we are in overdrive drying as many as we can.

 

 

 

 

 

We can’t dry all the mangos, we do have to eat them fresh as well. Fresh mango and cherry salad with coconut cream seems to be on the cards for me most days for afternoon tea.

The girls are hooking into the mango smoothies, and Matt is eating them chilled straight off the cheek.

MANGO SMOOTHIE

1 Mango peeled and cut

Rice, almond, coconut Milk

then blend and chill.   Delish

What is your favourite way to eat mangoes?

Do you have a great DF, GF mango recipe?