after gym muffins

After an hours work out at the gym I am quite hungry, and if I have to call into the supermarket its absolute disaster, buy totally inappropriate sweet things.  To overcome this I have made a batch of muffins from a recipe I got on Live Lighter.

Pear and banan muffins

olive or canola oil spray - lightly spray muffin trays

2 cups wholemeal self raising flour

2 cups self raising flour

1 cup brown sugar

sift flour into bowl, add husks, add sugar

2 eggs

150 ml low fat natural yoghurt

1/2 cup orange juice

mix together in small bowl

stir into dry mix.

1 large banana chopped

1 pear chopped

add to mixture, 1/2 cup milk depending on moisture in fruit

Do not over mix

Spoon into 24 muffin tin

Bake near the top of 170 deg oven for 18 to 20 mins

turn onto wire rack to cool

I added some ginger powder and chopped walnuts, sprinkled cinnamon on top

also after I started I realised I didn't have the yoghurt or orange juice so added more milk

I freeze these when they are cold and put out one a day before going to the gym, don't want to ruin all my good work at the gym.  I think next time I will half the recipe and just make 12 or make 18 smaller muffins as these ones are a bit on the large side for me.
Now for something for afternoon snacks when I cut out all carbohydrates and fruit, any ideas?

Kalamunda markets for Mothers day

 Yesterday was Kalamunda markets, as it is Mothers Day next Sunday, I made some more feminine
pieces.  When I can work out how to do a website I will start to sell this type of work online.

I did sell some of them, just as well they don't take up much room and I can put them away for the Christmas markets.  I like making them also.  People here in Perth seem to be very careful with their spending, it was quite slow for everyone.

Anzac

Half starved and battle weary, Dad, we remember what you did to make a better world for us.  This looks like Crete, fierce battles across this island and hazardous deployment from a heavily bombed harbour, you got through by the skin of your teeth.  Four years of your life you gave to your country you served it well.  We are proud of you. We do not forget.

African Peanut Stew

I want to share with you a recipe I tried from a magazine called Clean Eating.  I know I have told you I am a challenged cook but this turned out really yum, and of course I didn't follow the recipe to the full.

African Peanut Stew

2 cups brown Basmati rice (1 cup brown rice pre cooked and frozen, I put in a strainer and rested it on top of pot, the steam reheated)

1 tbsp sunflower oil or safflower, peanut or grape seed oil

2 onions ( I used 1 smallish)

6 cloves garlic (1 large clove chopped small)

3 Jalapeño chillie seeded and finely chopped (1 small green one out of the garden)

2 tbsp curry powder (2 tsp's)

1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger

4 cups low salt vegetable broth ( 2 tsps chicken stock per 2 cups boiling water)

2 cups tomatoes in juice (tinned)

1/3rd cup all natural unsalted peanut butter (got this from the health food shop $11 jar but worth it)

780g sweet potatoes cut into cubes (2 big kumara)

4 cups shredded silver beet (out of garden, super fresh)

sea salt to taste

fresh coriander to serve

cook rice as per directions on packet (I cook up 2 cups in 5 cups water for 30 mins, cool, freeze)

In large pot heat oil on medium heat add sliced onions and saute until tender 5 - 7 mins

add garlic, chilli, curry powder and ginger stir 1 min

stir in broth, tomatoes and peanut butter.  add potatoes and silver beet and increase heat to med/high

bring to  boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. (I put my rice in strainer on top pot here) Cook until tender 10 to 15 mins, season with salt.

Picture above is the one I cooked, I had a bit too much liquid so squashed the sweet potato randomly and that made it thicker.  bowl on right is John's with rice and mine on left with some coriander.

John liked it too and had enough to freeze for another two meals, so 4 dishes for less than $10 using the best quality peanut butter.

I also made 

Peanut Buttter Chocolate Chip backpack kisses

also from same magazine

half cup rolled oats

quarter cup vegan unsweetend protein powder as natural as possible (I used Musashi brand I got for John which is very low sugar 5g per 100 g)

2 tbsp hulled hemp seed (now this is a curly one as it is banned in Australia the same health food shop had it and yes it was expensive $24.20 for 250g but should get lots of recipes from that and it is a complete source of amino acids, does that justify the price, mmmh!!

2 tbsp flaxseed (linseed common name) cracked ( use coffee grinder)

1/4 cup unsweetened dried cranberries (health food shop)

1/4 cup vegan semi sweet natural chocolate chips ( I couldn't find this so used Lindt 70% dark chocolate and chopped it roughly)

pinch seasalt

1 cup natural peanut butter unsweetend, unsalted (same I used in stew recipe above)

2 tbsp pure honey

mix all in bowl using hands to mix thoroughly,

make into small balls, try for 24, about a teaspoon.  Mine where about 2 cm wide

I rolled mine in some drinking chocolate powder to stop sticking to gather.

Store in airtight container.

Yummy great for afternoon to stop cravings, probably should only have one, but, I might have two

Clean eating is

eat 5 to 6 times a day , 3 meals and 2 or 3 snacks, include lean protein, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and a complex carbohydrate with each meal.

drink at least 2 litres water a day

read labels , clean foods contain just one or two ingredients. 

avoid processed and refined foods, such as white flour, sugar, bread and pasta

avoid anything high in saturated and trans fat, anything fried or anything high in sugar

consume humanely raised and local meats ( I prefer grass fed not grain fed)

consume healthy fats (essential fatty acids, or EFAs every day

learn about portion sizes and eat within them ( meat should fit in the palm of your hand)

reduce carbon foot print, Eat produce that is seasonal and local

slow down and savour your food

pack a cooler for work or outings so you always have clean eats on the go

website cleaneating.com.au

Really to me this is basically what we grew up with, we rarely saw obesity, makes sense to me

Getting ready for Kalamunda Markets on Saturday

 I have been given a stall at Kalamunda Markets this Saturday, No 151.1, down the bottom is where I will be, with some lovely trees giving me shade.  Have created some more graffiti art to add to my stall. If you are coming please stop and say hello

Jacky

Cooking drama's

 I thought I would fill you in on my attempt at cooking a special meal for easter.  Well,  as I am good at multi tasking as you know. Didn't read the instructions before hand, who does that!!!!  Note to self "don't even think about attempting cooking while John is outside laying a retaining wall or any other project, he needs to be sitting in front of the TV not needing any input from me!!!!!

Took him out a glass of cold water, after I had put the walnuts onto hotplate to brown, big mistake, after debating on how the retaining wall should go, smelt something burning, thought, must be the apple cider and honey the roast is cooking in, few seconds later, on entering the kitchen smell is getting stronger, on no, burnt walnuts.  Just chuck out the worst burnt ones.  After finally getting everything cooked, the meat that was supposed to be resting for 15 mins got a longer rest, like 30 mins.  I have decided these meal recipes are meant for people with large ovens, to fit 3 items in (of course if I had read the directions i would have realised I should of cooked the walnut pie about 5 hours earlier, hell who has time to stand around cooking that long, not me, not  when you are running around to Bunnings etc to get materials for said retaining wall.  Oh well, the meat was delicious if a  tad on luke warm side, the braised potatoes (what was I thinking, braised, that means baking in water, I don't even like stews) half way through woke up to myself and tipped the water out and just let them bake, they where ok, prefer proper baked spuds. the zucchini dish was great, yay, one success, but then it wasn't cooked in the oven.  The walnut pie, the crust had burnt, matched the walnuts, was able to scrape some of the burnt bits off, plenty of ice cream and thick cream kind of drowned the burnt taste.  I think I should just stick to what I know.

Retaining wall finished.  Now John has decided that the ones we put in last year are back to front, wants to lift them all and turn around to match these ones.   When we got the first ones there was no indication on how to lay them, thought the rough edge should be on the back, seeing these ones, I think they look better here.  A winter job maybe.

Visited Raymon, he is looking good and is quite happy, set my mind at rest, I was worried.  He is getting used to the fact that he will never be able to eat solid food or enjoy the taste of food.

enjoy the rest of your easter break

Jacky

Running a market, leading up to......

Running Miss Johnsons Vintage and Handmade market involves months of planning, advertising

finding stall holders keen to follow the look we are trying to achieve.  Emails and more emails, meetings and more meetings.  And then there is making our own personal stock to sell.  Hours and hours of sewing to make new and hopefully exciting products for the customers.  Phillipa spent hours sewing the bunting that went right around our perimeter, while I took over the organising and communication with stall holders.

We where down at the park at 5 am in the dark, relying on car lights (which flattened Johns car battery) so we could get our tents up and decorated, direct stall holders as they arrive to their sites.  Lending assistance when required putting up tents.  there are all sorts of drama's in setting up, mine was John not feeling well and then a flat battery in his car which had to be off the park by 9 am.  Sounds of minor disputes between couples as they get their tents up, we all have them at some time or other.  

 We where so proud of all our stall holders efforts in decorating their tents, we provided ideas and then they ran with it.  The overall look of the market was exactly how we hoped it would be.  Doing our first one outdoors had different challenges.  When we ran the market in a hall, we would start Thursday night decorating the hall usually until around 2 am, then back at before 9 am Friday to set up our stalls before all the stall holders arrived to set up for 6 pm opening.  Outdoors it was much more rushed, I had managed to change my clothes in the Ladies toilet before the customers start arriving but poor Phil was still setting up her stall and was late changing quickly behind her counter, phew....

 I tried to go around taking photo's for further advertising before the rush began.  We received amazing support, a big crowd in the morning people converged ready to spend and find the bargains of which there where plenty.

 Phil in white selling a beautiful long bench to a happy customer after they missed out on my little antique stool with revolving seat, all nice and chipped white paint.

 It was a beautiful day, although it did get rather warm in the afternoon, we where lucky as other years it has been 38 degrees and today it is supposed to rain (that I will believe when I see it)

 One of our first time stall holders Vanda in amongst her lovely products made from recycled timber

 Lisa was another first timer, she bought her beautiful vintage caravan and spread out her wares outside it looked amazing.  That beautiful ruffled skirt front on her tables took many hours of sewing and over $150 in materials, looked very pretty.  All the photo's where taken before the rest of the park was set up by the Guildford Heritage Festival that we joined, our market was only one small part of the park.

 Some snippets from my stall

Checking around at the end of the day, all the stallholders where happy with the results and want to come again, a positive sign, it was certainly a success for us.
4 pm closing time, its time to pull it all down, pack it in our vehicles, take it home, unload and put things away, some of that waits until the next day.  An exhausting day and was glad to see my bed that night.  We will do it again next year.  This is a once a year event.  You may ask why we do it, many stallholders comments will give you an idea, we do it because we love what we do, do we make a lot of money, hah, don't thinks so.....