Vegetarian Sausage Rolls

In the early 1990's, I took a few vegetarian cooking classes through Sanitarium and was delighted to find this vegetarian version of a favourite food. I have made this recipe a number of times over the years, because it is an easy choice when vegetarian friends are visiting and the rolls taste just like the real thing bought from a bakery.

Being a Thermomix fan, of course I converted Sanitarium’s Country Cottage Rolls recipe from their 1994 recipe brochure, and with a few minor modifications, the recipe is available on their webpage below.

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• ½ cup pecans
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 slice bread broken into bite-size pieces and dried in the oven on the lowest setting – should supply about ½ cup dry breadcrumbs
• 1 cup quick cooking or rolled oats
• 3 sheets reduced-fat canola puff pastry
• 1 tablespoon milk for glazing
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)

Method

1 Process bread pieces, oats and pecans on speed 6 for 10 seconds. Set aside in a bowl.

2 Process eggs, onion, soy sauce and cottage cheese on speed 6 for 10 seconds. Add to bowl with dry ingredients and mix.

3 Cut each pastry sheet in half and spoon mixture along one edge. Brush other edge with soymilk. Roll to enclose filling with pastry and repeat with remaining pastry sheets. 

4 Cut each log into 6 even lengths. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in a hot oven, 200°C, for 40 minutes or until crisp and golden.

Sanitarium's Country Cottage Rolls recipe:-

http://www.sanitarium.com.au/recipes/country-cottage-rolls

These rolls go very nicely with a Thermomix version of Heinz's tomato sauce which can be found here:-
http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=10013.0

Kefir

For the past six months I have been playing with kefir. I read an article about making ginger ale in a Grass Roots magazine (GR211) and decided this could be fun. The article suggested that the ale could be made with kefir powder or grains. Since it appeared that grains were only available online, I decided to search for the powder.

When I visited my local health food store, I was offered a kefir milk culture. I hesitated as I have always considered myself lactose intolerant, but then curiosity got the better of me. So I walked away with the culture along with a packet of kefir powder sachets.

The kefir milk culture is amazing as it provides an easy way to make yoghurt. If a friend offers a kefir culture, I recommend accepting it. Put the culture into a glass bottle and pour in a litre of milk.  Loosely cap the bottle and after 24 hours store the bottle in the fridge, still loosely capped. Start a new batch by placing ½ cup of the remaining kefir into a clean bottle and repeat the steps.

I let the first batch sit on the counter for a few days. By this time, the mix had separated into curds and whey. It was an early lesson on what not to do with kefir, and now the mix is always placed in the fridge around the 24 hour mark. However, it is helpful that I know how to make a serious amount of whey if needed for a recipe.

The mix continues fermenting while sitting in the fridge so it is important to loosely cap the bottle. I have two jars with lids that easily pop up if the pressure mounts which is helpful as the lid is often loose when I take the kefir bottle out of the fridge. Just about every article or blog I read about kefir mentions the possibility of closed jars exploding so I avoid any activity that could lead to this.

When to start the next batch depends on how quickly the current batch is consumed. Since it can take me up to three weeks to get through all of the kefir, I wait until I have just over ½ cup remaining in the bottle which allows enough to start the next batch along with a small amount to use on my meals over the next 24 hours. 

Over time, my technique has evolved. I strain out any whey from the kefir starter through muslin before adding the milk, and now ensure that I use fresh milk. I believe that both of these steps guard against the resulting mix separating into curds and whey.

Google has been a helpful resource as I test out different methods for making the kefir. Some people recommend using raw milk while others succeed with any type of milk including long life and nut milks. It appears that just about anything can work which is good for those adventurous souls who like to try out new ideas.

I have a small bunch of what could be kefir grains that I look out for when starting the next batch. Fortunately their weight holds them at the bottom of the bottle so I just ensure that I scoop them up when I collect the kefir starter. It surprises me that my bunch of grains (if they are that) hasn’t grown in size. In fact, their size has diminished. I put this down to it being such a long time between making new batches.

I am somewhat chuffed that I have kept the culture alive for so many months. I have played with cultures in the past including sourdough bread and Amish Friendship Cake, and soon caved because it took so much time. I seem to have done a complete turnaround as I am enjoying the process along with my experiments making ginger ale which I’ll talk about next time.

Letter to Grass Roots' Feedback section

The Grass Roots magazine has included a letter about making these plastic bags in the Feedback section of their latest issue. You can check it out here.   

Beetroot and Chocolate Mini Muffins

Beetroot is so versatile. I first grew to love boiled beetroot in a salad. No vinegar was needed. I even pilched it from the container in the fridge.

Once my Thermomix arrived, I found new ways to enjoy this vegetable: as a pudding with chocolate both cooked and raw, as hummus, and even served to me as coleslaw.

My latest version is beetroot and chocolate mini muffins achieved with minor tweaks to my simplified mini muffins recipe by using orange juice instead of water, and 1.5 cups of beetroot, chocolate and orange zest (processed on speed 6 for 5 seconds) instead of .75 cup sultanas. Too easy!

I just can’t get enough of the beetroot and chocolate combination. If I have over calculated the beetroot and chocolate quantities, it’s not a problem. The resulting mix makes a tasty dessert in its own right.

Carob Fudge

I have just made my last batch of Raw Shortbread. While I have enjoyed eating these sweet balls, I am not sure that I’ll buy any more lucuma powder after paying more than $20 for 250 grams in 2009. So it’s just as well that I have some carob powder languishing in my pantry which has combined with the leftover almond meal to make balls tasting just like fudge.

Since making the raw shortbread was such a breeze, I used a similar approach for the carob fudge. Half a cup of almond meal along with two heaped tablespoons each of carob powder and honey were blended in the Thermomix on speed 6 for 30 seconds. As the time reached the 30 second mark there was a distinct change in the sound of the blades processing the mix which indicated that the mixture was close to being ready. To test the mix I tried forming a ball from a small handful which worked perfectly.   

In the past I have ground up any nuts required for sweet treat recipes. While I am still happy to do this, I was able to buy some ground almond meal at my local Flannery’s and have enjoyed making both the raw shortbread and almond fudge with fewer steps.

I have always had a sweet tooth which is sometimes satisfied by purchased health bars. In the past week reaching into the fridge for a raw shortbread ball a few times during the day has hit the mark. Each ball has a rich enough taste for me to only want one at each sitting. I’m hoping this new habit will stick around.

Raw and Beyond

I remain interested in raw food even though I probably only eat half of my food raw. There are some foods that are so much easier to digest in their cooked form, including potatoes and some of the crunchier vegetables like broccoli and cabbage.

Hence my interest when I found the book Raw & Beyond which has been written by Victoria Boutenko, Elaina Love and Chad Sarno. They initially discuss their experiences with raw food which led them to adopt a high raw approach to their meals by including some cooked foods.

I can understand how they have arrived at this position. In my brief foray into playing with raw gourmet recipes, I found some of resulting creations were a little too strong or sweet for my taste buds.  While I enjoyed a subsequent dalliance with the 80/10/10 diet, feeling great after multiple high fruit meals, I found it difficult to continue with the diet although I still enjoy a moderate fruit intake.

So it has been fascinating to touch base with where these raw foodists are at now. Of particular interest has been the extensive range of recipes which support their high raw approach.

Early in the recipes section, I noticed instructions for making Merlot Pickled Onions which I prepared and have been enjoying over the last couple of days. Out of curiousity, I googled the recipe name and found it on this web site with the note that the recipe has been reprinted by permission of the publisher. This is appreciated as it provides a simple approach to a task that can sometimes feel a little complex.

I am looking forward to checking through the rest of the recipes in this book in my search for little gems. Finding this book has sparked my interest in playing with alternative approaches to raw foods. It will be interesting to see where this leads.

Going Organic

I have been growing tomatoes and greens hydroponically on my patios for the past six years. Tomatoes grow well on my north-facing patios because they receive enough sun during winter and I'm more than happy to take a break over summer.

Last year I bought some cherry tomato and grape tomato seedlings and grew them in tubs connected to two Smart-Valve MK2 hydroponics systems. The seedlings were planted in perlite and fed from 25 litre tanks replenished with rainwater. After lackluster yields over the two previous years and an extended rainy season last year, I didn't think it was worth planting tomatoes until May and June which was later than I had started previously. It also took a while for good seedlings to become available after the Brisbane floods.

In previous years I had added hydroponics nutrient to the tanks but last year grew my tomatoes organically. Some organic fish emulsion and seaweed spray were purchased. When these were used up I tried worm tea from my worm farm along with the liquid from vegetable and fruit scraps blended with water. Both varieties of tomatoes grew to a larger size than normal and were a welcome addition to my lunch time salads.

I will do the same again this year in feeding my vegetables with a combination of worm tea and blended scraps liquid. My worms are the happy recipients of the residue and seem to get through the blended scraps quicker than roughly chopped scraps. I try to avoid letting any of the solids from the worm tea into the Smart-Valve systems as this might  block the flow although this was easily fixed the one time it happened by detaching and shaking the piping to remove the obstruction.

I now feel like I am practicing true recycling with the blended residue going into the worm farm and the resulting worm tea then feeding the vegetables that I grow, and scraps from what I grow going back into the worm farm. Best of all, I am finally growing my veggies organically which feels great.

Postscript: In addition to feeding my vegetables with worm tea and blended scraps liquid, I have ended up also applying organic fish emulsion and seaweed spray as the plants were not growing as well as last year. Ah well, sometimes my experiments work and other times not...

Facials on the Run

Smiling has always been my thing. I’ll break into a smile with the least provocation. Now I see the results on my face.

I know smile lines are a good thing. They and other facial lines reflect our inner state as our emotions register on our faces. My smile lines can stay as long as they like although I won’t stop looking for a facial eraser.

Would you believe that my best defense is using the humble egg? Whenever I crack an egg into a fry pan or bowl, I scoop the remaining egg white from the shells and spread it over my face. Later after I wash off the egg white, my face feels lovely and smooth.

  

There is an even better result if I keep my face still. I can almost feel it tightening my skin as the egg white dries which validates the egg’s “natural facial” label.

I have heard that it takes 21 days to form a habit. Fortunately I am long past that time as applying the remaining egg white to my face is now an automatic response after cracking an egg. My skin has never felt so good!

Ultimate Plastic Bag Instructions

After receiving several hints about preparing some instructions about how I make my plastic handbags, I have done just that here. I hope these instructions might be helpful...

Rhubarb!

I had a new dilemma to solve when some rhubarb arrived in my Food Connect box as I haven’t had any contact with rhubarb apart from possibly eating some in a restaurant dessert.

But first I wanted to know what I could call it – a fruit or a vegetable - and it appears that I’m not alone in my confusion. Wikipedia tells me that rhubarb is normally considered to be a vegetable, except in the United States which counts it as a fruit for regulation and duties purposes.

Next I wondered if it could be eaten raw and an online search brought up the perfect solution. I varied the recipe by mixing 275g rhubarb, 100g honey and 50g sultanas at speed 5 for a few seconds in the Thermomix.

The tart flavour came through in my taste test just after making it. However the taste mellowed as I sampled the mix and after two days it was delicious. I’ll certainly repeat this performance next time some rhubarb arrives in my home.

Fruity Capers

Some time ago I took a TAFE course in fruit wine making and adopted the pastime as a belated science project.

Making fruit wine was an interesting process. Peeled and chopped fruit with a combination of fruit juice and water plus other ingredients were placed into a clean bucket covered with a towel. I bought new buckets just to be safe.

Adding the yeast after 24 hours stirred up a lukewarm response in the mix. However, I was rewarded the following day when adding the sugar provided a wonderful explosion of bubbles as the yeast and sugar collided.

The remaining steps were easy. I stirred the mix in the bucket a few times over the next two days and then strained the liquid into a 5 litre flagon with a special stopper allowing the wine to bubble. Extra sugar and other recommendations kept the mix humming along until it was ready to be bottled.

One of my favourite activities each week was decanting the liquid and flushing out the flagon before returning the wine. The TAFE teacher had suggested tasting the mix just to make sure it was progressing normally. After checking the progress of a few wine batches, I would feel a little mellow.

My first attempts featured plums as they were in season and sold at a reduced price when overripe. My fruit man entered into my project with great gusto, calling out as I passed his shop if he had some suitable fruit. Soon I had to decline these offers as my stash of bubbling potions was growing.

It was fun for a while. My favourite blend was mandarin and orange juice. It had a lovely subtle bite to it that suited my palate. However, friends were cautious about trying my wine. While the first batch worked well, some subsequent batches were a bit dubious so I could understand their reticence.

I realised that I couldn't continue with my science project as I enjoyed tasting it too much. Also, midges had taken up residence in my home, no doubt thinking they were in heaven. So I allowed the remaining batches to finish before storing the equipment.

While I am no longer a novice vintner, I am pleased that I understand the wine making process. The teacher discussed how the bubbles in champagne come from a second amount of yeast being added to the bottle before the cork is applied. Now I know why champagne has a greater effect on me than wine.

As a science project, it fitted the bill perfectly and I filled the role by logging the ingredients and steps that I took. As a pastime, it was like any other project that I've taken on over the years. Teddy bears or stuffed leopards reside in my home and those of family and friends. While not as prolific, crocheted rugs and pillows are also out there. The number of ultimate plastic bags is growing. It’s just as well I pulled the plug on making fruit wine.

Fairy Floss?

No, not really. But it was pretty enough for me to think of that delicious sweet treat that I missed this year by not going to the Ekka. I understand it was definitely there at the I Love Fairy Floss stand, or so Google tells me.

Well, my little treat might be a different colour but it has the right consistency and even better lacks the sugar. Just 200 grams of cabbage and 110 grams of peeled apple were blended with 200g water in the Thermomix. After a hearty lunch today, it was just the right meal to finish the day, and so I got to eat my sweet treat!

PS And for anyone wondering...  This soup provided 100 calories, which was fortunate considering the meal that preceded it.

Cool and Empty Thoughts

I need a happy thought, one that will send me back to sleep when I wake up in the early hours of the morning.

I have been on a mission for a number of years to work out the magic ingredients for a good night’s sleep. I thought that protein free dinners might have been the answer which I have subsequently proven wrong. I now believe that once we restrict coffee and alcohol to before 6pm then it is a matter of temperature control and de-stressing.

I once used to sleep much warmer than I needed to and sometimes woke up in a light sweat. Now I’m reading online that it is best to sleep in a slightly cool room. This surprises me and yet my experiences over the past few months are proving its validity.

Towards the end of May when I would have been sleeping snugly under a doona, I only needed a sheet and sometimes one or two blankets. Now in July, I only need a light doona and bedcover which is again in contrast with past practice.

When I settle in for the night I ensure that my bedding is appropriate for the weather. I wait for a few minutes to see whether I become too hot or cold and adjust accordingly.

So having cottoned on to the need for temperature control, I’m left with how to de-stress before retiring for the night.

If I go to bed with an active mind, then I experience vivid or unpleasant dreams. Watching comedies or something funny on TV before I prepare for bed generally leads to an easy entry to sleep. A smile on my face works wonders.

Having a happy thought to lull me back into slumber seems like a good idea but I find that if I attach to any thoughts after I wake then I’ll be awake for some time. In the past, I would get up and make myself a cup of tea, after which I was able to go back to sleep. I now believe that this helped mainly because my body cooled down while I was out of my bed.

I have been reading a book by Tenzin Palmo called “Reflections on a Mountain Lake”. Tenzin Palmo is a Western Buddhist nun who lived and meditated in a cave for twelve years. Her book was formed from a series of talks that she gave in the late 1990s and includes a discussion about the value of meditation and how it can help clear the mind.

 

Clearing the mind is exactly what I need to do when I wake during the night. I have always found meditating difficult.  However if I wake during the night I can generally clear the mind and go back to sleep. The only time that I might have some trouble is if I haven’t dealt with any stress I have been feeling, but I’m finding that most times I can ignore any thoughts that might arise and return to sleep.

So now I do three things to enhance my sleeping pattern. The first is to watch something funny to lighten my mind, the second is to ensure that my bedding is just right and the third is to empty my mind if I wake during the night. My new regime is working well for me. I’m sleeping comfortably with a calm and happy mind. This is cool!

Highlights

Charming thatches of gray have featured just above my ears for decades. I have even joked with my hairdresser about my free highlights. However, since turning 50 these points of interest seem to be spreading their joy.

My family and I have agreed that I am taking after my grandmother in many ways. Considering that her hair turned gray during her 50's, it is no surprise that gray strands are now mingling with my brunette locks.

My grandmother finally accepted the gray tinge after many years of dyeing her hair. I have often noticed women with their natural hair colour emerging along their part. Since two-toned hair is not my idea of a fashion statement, for the past month I have been trying a more natural method. 

Google has once again helped me in this endeavour. Many web pages praise the combination of rosemary and sage tea as an effective and natural hair colour option. 

It's an easy process. I put a heaped teaspoon each of the rosemary and sage herbs into a cup and fill with boiling water. After the mix has cooled I pour the strained liquid into a spray bottle. 

Each morning for three weeks I sprayed the mix onto my hair and then after 10 minutes washed my hair normally. Now I just use the spray once or twice a week for maintenance.

Web pages suggest that the spray will only last for a week and should be kept in the fridge. However I am finding that it can last longer out of the fridge in these cooler months.

I am pleased with the results. If I finger through my hair I still see strands of gray, but after preparing my hair for the day the gray is barely there.

A herbal tea mix doesn’t provide the immediate fix that a salon can but I like the idea of using herbs in this way.  My thatched highlights might not be so visible now but how I’m handling this is more sustainable and satisfying.

Chia Seed Gel

Sprouted seeds or legumes are often recommended as a healthy item on our plates. Soaking removes the enzyme inhibitors that would otherwise nullify some of the enzymes produced in our bodies. 

An alternative to sprouting is to make chia seed gel. Chia seeds are touted as a superfood which can be cooked, sprouted or made up into a gel. I like making the gel because it's easy to prepare and can last in my fridge for a week or more.

I mix a heaped tablespoon of chia seeds with 3/4 cup water in a container. The mix needs to be stirred for a few minutes to ensure the seeds don't clump together. Then the lid goes on and into the fridge.

The raw food movement recommends eating "live" food because the enzymes in the food are more readily available. Including chia seed gel in our meals is an easy way to get this benefit.

New plastic bag

Here's my latest creation with reversed colour schemes on front and back, and on the sides. It is fun playing with different colours. This bag brings lots of admiring looks, including my own!

 

Earlier bags can be found here and here, and instructions are here. 

Simplified Mini Muffins

I’ve made muffins, pikelets, waffles and bread, and the enduring habit seems to be making mini muffins.  My mother has always been a fan and has even started making her own. 

My favourite version of this recipe is Sultana Mini Muffins, but in the past sultanas have easily been replaced by coconut, carrot, banana, pumpkin, or any other item that takes your fancy and feels like it would work within a mini muffin recipe! I suspect the variations are limited only by one’s imagination…

I use rye flour because I seem to have developed intolerance to wheat flour but have not yet been diagnosed as celiac. If self-raising flour is your preference, then don’t include the cream of tartar and baking soda.

Sultana Mini Muffins

Preparation time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 15 mins

Makes 24 mini muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup rye flour

1 1/3 tsp cream of tartar with 2/3 tsp baking soda

1 tsp mixed spice

3 tbsp sugar

--- The above ingredients can be stored together in a container in the fridge for days or weeks before you need them. If you prefer to sift the flour, cream of tartar and baking soda then do this before adding the mixed spice and sugar.

¾ cup sultanas - or other filling of choice: desiccated coconut, grated carrot, banana or cooked pumpkin etc…

1 egg

3 tbsp olive oil

5/8 cup water

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease mini muffin tray(s) – one large tray for 24 mini muffins or two smaller trays for 12 mini muffins each. 

Sift flour, cream of tartar and baking soda into a bowl. Mix in all other ingredients until combined. 

Spoon mixture into the muffin pans

Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through. In a non-fan forced oven turn the muffin tray s around in the oven after 7 or 8 minutes. Cool in pan(s) for 5 minutes and then turn out onto a plate or wire rack.

This recipe works well for mini muffins and would most likely work for a 12 muffin tray as well.

Vroom Vroom

My Dad found my first car for me. The seven year old Torana was perfect. I drove this 3 litre, 6 cylinder car around for a further seven years thinking that this was how all cars drove, until water dripped when it rained and my heel started going through the floor.
 

My next car was a shock to me. A 1.6 litre Gemini had less power than the Torana and the subsequent 2 litre Nissan Pintara felt the same. Both cars over-revved when I put my foot down where the Torana had surged forward. No wonder Toranas were popular with race drivers. Dick Johnson was one of the first to put himself in the driver’s seat. 

I fixed the problem with my fourth car by acquiring a Commodore which was fitting as it had superseded the Torana. The car drove like a dream for the next five years after which I traded it in on another Commodore. This time around I kept the car for 10 years and for the last four years ran on dual LPG and petrol.
 

I was happy to take on lpg and not just because the Government rebate started before I placed my order. LPG seemed like an ideal way to help the environment by using less petrol. An added benefit for me was having two tanks that allowed me to drive further before refueling. I also noticed a drop in my fuel bills which added another tick.

However after 10 years and high mechanical quotes I went back to the drawing board. I had heard good things about the Mitsubishi Lancer both from my brother and a friend. The closest Mitsubishi dealer being within walking distance of my home along with a great special offer helped to seal the deal.
 

However I still wondered how I would feel once I owned it as 2 litre cars had previously unimpressed me. Naturally I had taken the Lancer for a test drive, but there is so much to think about while getting used to a new vehicle that the test drive becomes a bit of a blur. It was only after I was regularly driving the Gemini and then the Pintara that I worked out I was not happy.

I breathed a huge sigh of relief after picking up my new car and driving it around for a few days. Clearly 2 litre cars have changed over the past two decades. The Lancer has not over-revved despite my lead foot operating sometimes, particularly when driving up a hill or wanting to accelerate on a highway. My petrol bills being consistently less than the combined lpg and petrol bills for my previous car was also good news.

While I must sound like a rev-head, I am saved by my gender as the Urban Dictionary says this is an Australian term for a young male person who owns and is obsessed by an excessively powerful motor vehicle. But I did enjoy driving a powerful car. However in these days of soaring petrol prices and calls to reduce our ecological footprint I feel virtuous driving a smaller engine car and my bank balance appreciates it as well.

Christmas Creations

Christmas Day was a lot of fun, particularly when my next two plastic bag creations were happily whisked away by my delighted mother and sister.

As is generally the way, these creations have surpassed the initial prototype. Handles bought at Spotlight with a spiffy way of attaching them has given each bag a classy look. 

Two big pink bags meant to be filled with clothes and placed outside for collection were instead made up into four squares to adorn the sides of an otherwise white bag. The black printing on the pink bags resulted in interesting squiggles throughout the sea of pink. At the request of my Mum some plastic ends were left partially exposed, just to prove authenticity of course!

Having dipped my fingers into colour, it became the imperative. Family members passed through coloured bags while buying small items over a few days from the local greengrocer resulted in some pretty purple and green bags which were quickly made up into sparkling squares. I even stooped to trolling through the plastic bag recycling bin in Woolworths which scored a handy stash. 

While I have a preference for used plastic bags, this went out the door while finishing off my sister’s bag. She prefers colourful objects, no doubt stemming from her artistic talent, and black edging was the best way to go. However, used black plastic bags are hard to come by so some purchased garbage bags were used. I felt a little easier about this when I noticed their “earth friendly bags” tag. 

When making up the bags, I joined the 14 squares together in pairs, and then joined two pairs together to make the front and back leaving the remaining pairs for the sides and bottoms. In each case the edges were placed side by side and then a tapestry needle used to loop some plarn (plastic yarn) along the edges.

Then I joined each of the front and back sections to the bottom pair by placing the edges together and securing them by running the tapestry needle up and down through the squares just inside the edge to give a nice finish. The side pairs were also attached to the base by placing the edges together, which ensures that the bag will stand up easily, and looping the thread through the edges. After the sides edges were looped against the front and back edges, the almost completed bag could stand up. 

Then I had the dilemma of how to attach the handles. I ended up extending small flaps of 8 rows of 8 treble groups centered on the front and back panels. Each of the resulting flaps were then wound around the handle’s base and secured by crocheting through the top and bottom edge of the flap from inside the bag, which produced a professional finish. 

I’ m afraid that my initial prototype is about to be superseded, as much as I’ve enjoyed showing it off.  Having seen what I can achieve, I have ideas of what I would like to make for myself  and am currently mulling about which colours I’d like in my next creation (or two) with pastels leading the pack.  Of course, what I can actually make depends on the colour of the bags that come my way. 

I have a yen for a white and pastel coloured bag, and a black bag with colours different to the one I made for my sister. As much as I like the professional look that the Spotlight handles give, I’d still like to perfect a good-looking crocheted handle. And of course, each of my creations has to be different, perhaps not in the basic design but definitely in the colours. I think I’ll be busy for some time to come…

Postscript: A subsequent bag is here and instructions are here.

Sore knee

 

I hope you enjoyed your Christmas as much as I enjoyed mine... until I slipped and hurt my knee earlier today. Fortunately I have only hurt my knee which is sporting a few blue/purple bruises and is therefore not broken. I have also just noticed a blood spot in my eye similar to the one I got when I fell off a horse when I was much younger. I am able to walk almost normally around my home and outside, just needing to support my knee during significant movements. 

I slipped on a wet patch of concrete and in the split second of going down wondered what this would mean for me. Since being diagnosed with marginal osteoporosis four years ago, every fall becomes an issue. I have now fallen twice since the diagnosis and both times have survived without a break.

My doctor felt that my breaking a bone in my ankle back in 1990 meant that I had a predisposition to osteoporosis. To me at the time, I was under severe stress in my then current job .But being a very loyal creature as under the Chinese horoscope my year of birth means that I am a Dog, I needed the opportunity that a broken foot gave me to step back from my work situation so that I could clearly look at what was best for me, which turned out to be leaving the job I was in. 

I am not so sure what the message is from this current fall. I have been fortunate that there is no significant break and have already resumed normal life, minus long walks and tip-toeing over wet ground. I have piles of things to read after becoming preoccupied with work-related end of year tasks, contributing to a campaign to save the park that I live opposite and making two presents that I am sure to blog about in the next day or two. Perhaps the message is for me to chill out right now and catch up with life in general. After all, it still feels a lot like Christmas...

Merry Christmas

 

Merry Christmas to all.

Mushroom Chicken Cacciatore a la Thermomix

I enjoyed the Mushroom and Chicken Cacciatore meal so much that I have just made a modified version in the Thermomix. The original recipe can still be found at the Courier Mail Q-Weekend website by clicking on QW Inside and then clicking on Food, and right now it is on page 8.  

The condiments below don’t include salt as the Thermomix stock concentrate already has salt in it. I’ve worked out that I can store my stock concentrate in a pyrex container in the freezer as I can easily scoop some out on a spoon. I have previously found that frozen jam can be scooped out in the same way if it is made with equal quantities of fruit and sugar. It looks like stock concentrate made with a significant amount of salt has the same properties.  

It tasted lovely even though the tomatoes lost their form and became part of the stock. Next time I’ll reduce the number of tomatoes and increase the amount of zucchini or capsicum. The rest of the stew ended up in the freezer with the meals being much more stock than chicken and mushroom. But that’s fine. I’ll enjoy eating it and won’t mind using a spoon to lap up the last few mouthfuls.  

I have just read the Thermomix forum and found a recipe for Chicken Cacciatore along with some great suggestions on how to reduce the resulting liquid.  Next time I'll try cooking the meal on Varoma temperature and steaming vegetables in the Varoma basket.I'll choose the vegetables carefully as 15 minutes cooking time seemed perfect with this meal and some vegetables require a longer steaming time. Probably vegetables that can be eaten raw like pumpkin, carrots, broccoli or cauliflower would be best.   

Ingredients:

1 clove garlic

1 onion peeled and quartered

Olive oil 30g

300g chicken thighs diced

120g mushrooms diced

3 roma tomatoes  chopped

1 zucchini diced

200ml water with 1 tsp Thermomix stock concentrate

Condiments to suit :  pepper, herbs eg oregano, rosemary or dried Italian herbs
Optional: Diced vegetables for steaming eg  pumpkin, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower

Preparation:

Chop garlic and onion in Thermomix bowl for 5 seconds on speed 7

Add oil and sauté for 3 minutes at 100 deg C on speed 1

Add remaining ingredients and position the Varoma basket on top if vegetables are being steamed. Cook for 15 minutes at 100 deg C or Varoma temperature (if veggies are being steamed) on Reverse speed soft.