Apple Crumble- A healthier version for dessert or breakfast.

Today I am getting frugal. I have been meaning to have a grand savings plan for such a long time, but things like a 1974 Volkswagon Type 3 Square back, a new DSLR, overseas holidays and a fancy new fridge come along and demand my cash. Not to mention all the necessary social functions. I am looking at ways to get real. I think it's time to get financially responsible- only in order that I can buy a house. For no other reason. There is a little old church down by the beach that has been newly converted into a house. It's my dream home. It also happens to be the church that my fiancés grandparents were married in. It would be so easy, if only I had saved a deposit instead of having so much fun.

 I have been rummaging through my cupboards, remembering what it was like when I was a student. I always had the ability to make something out of nothing and I've been thinking of cheap alternatives that are just as much fun as extravagant outings. You may have read my previous post on how to live a budget conscious vegan lifestyle. I do follow those general rules and they allow me to have a very comfortable and fulfilled time whilst living my little life.

And so here I am, on this Friday night. We would normally be out, running around the markets and seeing bands. Instead, I am watching movies on the couch in the warmth of my lovely home which is just as lovely. I have made a firm effort to not buy anything this week and in doing so have made do with what is already here in my cupboards.

For dinner, I made Szechwan eggplant with an eggplant, rice and some random sauces and vinegars.
For dessert, I made this simple and tasty little number. I didn't take measurements so you will have to bear with me. I can give you approximations but really, you can throw it  all in. It's highly unlikely that it won't work out.

Time: 30 minutes.
Makes 1. 

Ingredients:

• One apple, peeled, cored and chopped.
• Half a cup of porridge mixture or muesli. I used the one that I featured previously. 
• A tablespoon of coconut oil, melted.
• A tablespoon of agave, maple syrup or another sweetener of your choice.

Method:

Heat the oven to about 180C/ 350F. Place the apple pieces into a small, oven proof bowl. 

In a separate bowl, add the muesli, coconut oil and half of the sweetener. Mix them together well. It will be a little sticky, but not overly. It won't clump together a whole bunch, but just enough. 

Place the rest of the sweetener on top of the apples. Now, top the apples with the oat mixture and then place aluminium over the bowl.

Place in the oven for about 30 minutes. 

This would also make a great breakfast. The apples could even be swapped with pears or bananas. 

I'm planning on having this for breakfast in the morning. I loved it. I hope this post makes sense. As always, just have a play, but it should be pretty straightforward.

I hope you are having a great weekend. :) x

Fulfilment and DIY Cinnamon Porridge.

How do you define success? I have been thinking about this a lot lately. I am working in a job that I feel completely blessed to have, but it's not where my heart lies. I find my passion lies in helping people to help themselves and although my job is wonderful, it just doesn't feel quite right. I miss seeing those "lightbulb moments" in people.

Many people don't have the luxury to think about their jobs this way. For many, a job is simply a means to an end. Why live your life doing something you don't enjoy? I've always found that when I want something in life, I figure out what I need to make that happen, and although it doesn't always happen straight away, it does happen eventually. I couldn't possibly comprehend spending the next 35 years working in a job that does nothing for me emotionally. Every day is a blessing and I want to put myself in a position where I can learn and give in way that makes my heart fill full instead of being stressed and dreading rolling out of bed. Moral of the story? Life is short. Do what you love.

The hard part is figuring out what it is I love the most.

 Before you go quitting your job, apply for those jobs you are interested in (and I stress, prior to quitting your current one) or take up studies as you work. It's a hard slog, but if you love it, it's worth it in the end.

I find myself pondering what "success" means. I mean, as long as there is food in my belly, clothes on my back, a roof over my head and the love of my friends and family, isn't that all I need? Money has never really meant much to me. I don't have a desire to have tonnes of it, so if I'm not chasing the dollar, what in turn can make me successful? Is it even a word that should be in our modern day vocabulary? I think perhaps "content" is a word better used in a day to day context.

What is it that makes us crave fulfilment?

And now something to create fulfilment in your belly. Porridge.

Do you remember that advert in the late 80's and through the 90's with the little scottish kid giving porridge a cute little mouthful? He was always telling people "That's not how you make porridge" until he finally got to a spoonful of microwaved, pre-paked oats. It was cute.

I was sent a packet of porridge from lovely Caroline over at Tea and Sympatico. As we are getting into the cooler months here in Australia, I was inspired by the nutty, simple deliciousness of it.
I grabbed some oats and make a mix to keep in my cupboard so I can grab it at anytime and have a healthy and delicious meal.

I've never been a big one for breakfast, but I am really making an effort. I've been making my own yogurt lately thanks to the help of a wonderful reader, Nina. More on that to come once I have perfected the coconut yogurt. So far, I have made soy and I currently have almond brewing at the moment. Autumn is looking wonderful.

Time: 10 minutes.
Makes: About 10 serves.

Ingredients:

• 4 Cups of oats. I used biodynamic oats. They have not been heat treated and so, when heated, they don't get as gluggy as porridge often does. Please feel free to use whatever you can find or afford. 
• 1 Tablespoon of ground cinnamon.
• 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg.
• 1 teaspoon of ground cloves.  
• 1 Cup of almonds or other nuts.
• 1 Cup of dried fruit (I used muscatels, but apple, raisins, apricot, dates or even goji berries would work. Use whatever fruit and nut or seed combination you like).
• Half a Cup of coconut.
• Half a teaspoon of sea salt. 

Method:

Chop the almonds. Place them in a frypan over low heat. Stir for a few minutes until they are lightly browned and you can smell that beautiful smell in the air.

Pop them in a bowl with the other ingredients and mix together. Store in an airtight container in the cupboard. 

When making your individual serves, take half a cup of the mixture and place in a bowl. Top with about three quarters of a cup to one cup of water and place in the microwave for three minutes. You may want to add more or less water depending on how you like your porridge. You may also choose to use a nut milk instead of water, but hey oats and water create a milky result so I never worry about that. 

You can also do this on the stovetop. Mix together in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until cooked. 

Below, I served my porridge with some apple, soy yogurt and maple syrup. It was so warm and filling. I can't wait for breakfast tomorrow.

I hope you are having a truly inspiring day! 

Cheat Pancakes with Maple Glazed Walnuts, for both the poor and time poor.

First thing: If you are working towards a tight budget, maybe you don't have walnuts or maple syrup in your cupboard so that is indeed optional. I do buy my walnuts from a wholesaler so I usually buy a kilo for about $10 and this lasts me months, which is why I happen to have them handy.

On with the preemptive story: 

Today is the last day of my weekend. I have been super slack with my diet and exercise regime of late. I seem to do that though. I go through phases where I am strict and dedicated and then I get a little lazy or perhaps excited, and eat out more often and not put so much effort in to my food or exercising. Admittedly, allergies are getting the better of me and sometimes I just want to eat a sandwich with nothing but tomato sauce on it because I just can't be bothered making anything that takes longer than five seconds and those sandwiches are damn tasty. I am very aware that I am an "all or nothing" kind of person and instead of trying to find a daily balance, I think the way I rock it is a balance in and of itself. We can't always be perfect. That would be ridiculously boring. 

I always struggle with eating breakfast. This is a meal I avoided for a good 15 years or so. I think I was about 11 when I stopped eating this meal and I only just started again in my mid 20's. I know that's probably a little shocking for some, but the last thing that's on my mind when I wake up is food. I would usually rather sleep that extra 20 minutes. 

Another problem I have with breakfast is that so much of the breakfast food we have in Australia is sweet. I don't enjoy sweet food first thing in the morning every day. Once in a while yes, but everyday is a bit much. It's the equivalent of chowing down a bag of lollies. When I was really little I would have a sandwich or toast for breakfast. I never really liked cereals and I stopped drinking milk altogether when in my early teens. I still hardly drink any nut milks and I've had to start writing the date on any that I open because some of them are in the fridge for a lot longer then they should be. 

So... Toast for breakfast. There is an option. And then it's a sandwich or wrap for lunch, a sandwich mid afternoon and two bits of bread with dinner. I used to eat like that in my uni days. Until I realised that's a hell of a lot of bread. I try to stay away from eating so much bread now. I'm not anti-carb by any means. I just started to realise that I should employ more food groups into my life. As you can tell by this blog, I have quite the variety these days. 

But back to the point at hand. What can I have for breakfast that is quick, not too sweet and is delicious? These pancakes are sweet, mainly because of the fruit and maple syrup. They are quick and delicious though. Hit me up with your ideas of what you have for breakfast. I'd love to hear them and get a little more enthused for this first meal of the day. 

Time: 7 Minutes.

Makes: 2 pancakes.

Ingredients:

• Half a cup of plain flour. 
• Three quarters of a cup of water.
• What ever you want to put on your pancake. I used sliced banana & 1 Tablespoon of currants because I have them in the fridge slash cupboard. 
• One Tablespoon of walnuts.
• Two Tablespoons of maple syrup.
• Two teaspoons of oil, for frying. 

Method:

Place the flour in a bowl. Add the water and stir briskly with a fork to get rid of any lumpy bits.

Heat the pan over a medium to high heat. Add the oil. The pan will be ready when you add just a drop of the mix into it and it starts to cook straight away. Remove that drop and place half of the mixture in the fry pan. Fry until the top starts to cook or little bubbles appear. Turn over and fry until brown. Remove the pancake and repeat with the remaining mixture.  

Take that pancake out and place the walnuts in the fry pan. Pour about 1 Tablespoon of maple syrup over the top and let them fry away for about 30 seconds. 

Place your fruit over the pancakes. Add the walnuts and then pour a little maple syrup over the top. 

Eat and think about what you are going to do to make this day amazing. 

How's that for multi-tasking? 

All Natural (I mean, for real) Apple and Nutmeg Muesli Bars

I am on a trip at the moment of being as frugal as I can so I can get my arse back to the UK in time for June. I also want to buy a house some time in the next year. As someone who has been a student for longer than I care to remember (I have a few pieces of paper which will tell you I am apparently smart) I have not had any savings plan to speak of. I am doing exceptionally well to date. I have been riding my bike instead of taking the bus. I have been buying all my fruit and veggies once a week at the markets and making a myriad of delicious things to preserve the food and keep me and my lover going for a couple of weeks. I spent about $25 and made sun dried tomatoes, pasta sauce, marinated roast zucchini, apple chips, marinated roast capsicum, and these muesli bars. And I still have heaps of delicious fresh foods left.

Here is the recipe for these delicious and healthy muesli bars. They are fat free and sugar free. All of these ingredients I had already in my pantry. You can substitute the fruit, seeds and spices for whatever you have in yours.

Makes: 12

Time: 30 Minutes.

 

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups of rolled oats.
• 1/4 dessicated coconut.
• 1 Cup of dried apple.
• 3/4 cup of pitted prunes.
• Half a teaspoon of nutmeg.
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds.
• 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds.
• Half a cup of water.

Method:

Place all of the ingredients into a blender and blend on high until all of the ingredients clump together.
Form into muesli bar shapes with your hands.
Place on a baking tray and bake at 180C or 360F for 20 minutes.
Allow to  cool.

Store in an airtight container.
Should keep for a week.

Choc Chia (Pet) Pudding or Raw CoCoPops.

It seems my health kicks last from Monday to Thursday an then all bets are off on the weekend. I think it's a mixture of not being prepared for the weekend and having many social engagements. It's fun. I have no complaints. I must admit I had some pretty tasty vegan pizza from Godzilla's on Brighton Road yesterday. It. Was. Good.
Anyway, on with the 'It's Monday and I'm prepared for greatness' show.
Last night I got out my trusty little jar that I have been using to make chia pudding. Chia, in case you've been living under a rock, is a relatively recent superfood that was supposedly used by the Aztecs and provides a lot of protein. Personally, I think every natural and non processed food is a superfood. Fill your body on the good stuff. And seriously, chia? The seed that grew in our Chia Pet's? That's so 80's.
PS This tastes very similar to CoCoPops. Eat this for a super tasty breakfast or dessert.


Makes: 4 serves. 
Time: ten minutes plus overnight.


Ingredients:

• 1/4 Cup of chia seeds.
• One and a half cups of nut milk (I like homemade almond or rice).
• One tablespoon of natural sweetener, such as agave or stevia.
• One tablespoon of cacao powder.

Method:

Place these all in a jar and give them a good stir.
Place the jar in the fridge and in the morning it will be ready to eat.
Should keep for about 3 days.

Stewed Cinnamon Pears -or breakfast in bed on a lazy Saturday.

Let's get one thing straight. I am not a breakfast person. I think I stopped eating breakfast somewhere around the tender age of ten. I have started in recent years to bring this supposedly important meal back into my day but honestly, first thing in the morning is a little too early to be chowing down on the sweetness that is cereal or the bloat that is toast. I usually like to eat fruit or a muesli bar. Something that you can grab and run with. Even then, I'm glad I work nights so I can have breakfast as the last meal of my day.

This morning I awoke at 5am. This is mainly due to the siren of an alarm clock belonging to the lover with whom I share my bed. Good on ya, Gordy. I'm not being mean. The boy works hard.

I had been laying in bed for about an hour wondering if it's too early to play drums, when the desperate need for a cup of tea took over. I have a long day ahead and there is no chance for an afternoon nap today. Must get stuck into the tea early.

Then my belly began to rumble. I remembered I bought a packet of all natural cereal about a month ago. That in itself is crazy. Best of all, I remembered the stewed cinnamon pears that I had previously made in the fridge. Best.

Ingredients:

• As many chopped pears as you can fit in your slow cooker. I used about 8-10 medium pears.
• 2 cups of water.
• One cinnamon or cassia stick.
• 3 cloves.
• Half a teaspoon of ground nutmeg.
• Half a cup of coarsely chopped almonds.
• Half a cup of walnuts.
• Half a cup of chopped dates.
• 2 Tablespoons of maple syrup.
• A small pinch of good salt.

Method:

Place all the ingredients in your trusty slow cooker. Cook on high for between 4-8 hours. In other words, check them at the four hour mark and if they don't look as sexy or smooshy as you'd like, cook them for another four.

Keep them in a jar or air tight container in the fridge. They should keep for a couple of weeks.

In the photo, I've served them on top of the cereal and placed some chopped brazil nuts on top. Brazil nuts help regulate blood sugar. I like nuts.

One note on slow cookers. I plug mine into a timer so as not to overcook it if I'm not home to turn it off. I do this for my dehydrator as well. Works a treat.

Also, a note to fill everyone in on my little cook book adventure and the proposed you tube cooking show. It seems someone spilled some sort of liquid on my beloved computer. It's costing between $600- $1000 to fix and I'm not sure that when I get it back my work will still be on it. I'm trying to remain positive. I don't really know how I'm remaining positive but I just remind myself that this is a first world problem and it's not life and death, even if I am minus a grand. Maybe I'll just hit my drums a little harder today.  I also have wine brewing and I realised that I used actual fruit juice instead of fruit juice concentrate and it's probably going  to taste like crap. My attention to detail is lacking at the moment. Focus, Brain. With the bad comes the good. I just gotta remember to see the little miracles in the everyday.

Long live the optimist. xx

Raw Food, Vegan Breakfast Scramble.

I'm on a little health kick at the moment. I don't know how it happened. I went from a macrobiotic/ raw food vegan to one that craves cupcakes, sandwiches and beer. You can't say that I'm not in tune with the cravings of my body. That's for sure.

After a Wednesday night spent drinking a vast amount of vodka & soda and somehow dancing on stage from the beginning until the very end of the Flaming Lips concert dressed as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, my body informed me very politely that it didn't enjoy this hedonism anymore. It was craving fresh, nutrient dense food. Food that adores my digestive system as opposed to destroying it. Thus, here I sit on yet another health kick. I'm feeling good.

Health kicks are a funny thing. They imply a duty to our health that make it seem as if, at other times, we have been wayward, little rebels with nil to no will power. This isn't the case. I just enjoy living. Sometimes I enjoy a sugar high. Other times that feeling makes me feel like I’m spinning around fast, looking at the sky. Puke city. It's all about balance.

This brings me to this breakfast scramble. I am staying away from processed foods and at this current time, trying not to eat too much high GI food. Normally, I would have either a fruit salad or a soup for breakfast. I've never been a cereal person. I wanted something savoury, but not fried. I wanted something that was fresh, but not salad. Ah ha! Thank you, raw food revolution.

Makes: 4 serves:
Time: 10 minutes.
Keeps: Approx. 4 days in the fridge.
Ingredients:

• Half a cup of cashews. (Use 1.5 cups of seeds if you have a nut allergy.)
• Half a cup of sunflower seeds.
• Half a cup of walnuts.
• One clove of garlic, chopped.
• Half an avocado.
• One sprig of spring onion, chopped.
• One third of a cup of capsicum, chopped.
• Two tablespoons of parsley.
• Half a teaspoon of turmeric.
• Quarter of a cup of water.
• One third of a teaspoon of rock salt.
• A few shakes of pepper.

Method:

Throw all of the ingredients into a high powered blender and blend for a few minutes until the mixture comes together. Stop occasionally to scrape the sides down.
You may need to add more water, although you don't want the mixture too smooth. It should be kind of chunky.
If you don't have a high powered blender, one trick I use is to grind the nuts and seeds in a coffee grinder beforehand to make a fine powder. This really helps get that creamy consistency and a coffee grinder only costs $40, as opposed to two weeks wages.

Serve on a bed of lettuce and alfalfa, or with crackers.

It always surprises me how tasty and flavoursome raw food can be.

Tomato and Avocado Bruschetta Of Champions. Vegan MoFo... xx

What could be better than the taste of bruschetta? Ha! See what I did there? If you have not had bruschetta before it is something you should really put on your to-do list. Its simple, easy and most of all freaking delicious. Having this for breakfast makes me feel quite indulgent, when really, it's actually quite healthy.

Time: 5 minutes.
Serves 2.


Ingredients:

• 2 Large Tomatoes, diced.
• 1 Avocado, diced.
• A small handful of basil leaves, chopped, sliced and diced.
• 4 Pieces of Sexy Bread (preferably continental as seen in the picture, but you can use any).
• One clove of garlic, cut in half.
• Olive oil, to drizzle.
• A few shakes of salt and pepper, to taste.

Method:

Get your grill cranking. Rub the clove of garlic all over that there bread and pop the bread under the grill. 

Keep an eye on it so you know when it is ready to turn. You want it slightly brown- not burned. 

Whilst this is happening, put your tomato, avocado, basil, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix.

Take the toast and place two slices on one plate and two slices on another plate.

Top with the avocado and tomato mixture. 

Drizzle a small amount of olive oil onto each slice. 

Eat and enjoy. 

Full Of Goodness Vegan Muesli Bars.

I often have these sitting around for those times when I am starving and want to eat something I probably shouldn't. You can play around with the types of nuts, seeds and dried fruit to change the flavour from time to time. These beautiful little bars make a perfect breakfast, brunch or between meal snack and we can all rest assured that they are doing good things for our insides. They're quick and easy to make and did I mention delicious? They freaking are.

When I say fat and sugar free, I am referring to processed fat and refined sugar.

Time: 10 mins prep time and 20 mins cooking time.

Makes: 11.

Ingredients:

• One ripe banana. (Very expensive here in Australia at the moment. Mine cost me $3.)
• 1 cup of dates that have been soaked in water for about 20 minutes or until soft. Remove from water.
• 1 cup of nuts. (I used half walnuts and half almonds).
• 1/2 cup of dried fruits. (I used 1/4 goji and 1/4 cranberries).
• 1/4 cup of seeds. (I used Pepita's. You could even use shredded coconut).
• 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg.
• 2 Tablespoons of rice syrup or your sweetener of choice.
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence.
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
• 2 cups of oats.
• 1/4 cup of water.

Method:

In your trusty food processor, add the banana, dates, nuts, fruit, seeds, nutmeg, sweetener, vanilla essence, and salt. Blend for about three minutes. You don't want it to become smooth but you do want it to clump together and you don't want any massive chunky bits.

Once this is done, take out the blade in your food processor, and in an effort to save dishes, add the oats and the water. Mix together with a spoon or your hands until the mixture is sticking together.

Then, get out an oven pan and line with a baking sheet. Set your oven at 180C or 350F.

Take the mixture and form muesli bar shaped rectangles. Mine were about 10cm by 3cm. Line them up on the baking sheet and place in the oven for 20 minutes.

When they are ready, take them out of the oven and leave to cool on a cake rack.

A delicious 'anytime' snack. xx

Stewed Apples with cinnamon

Last Sunday I went and bought a box of crunchy, organic apples from the farmers market. They are so delicious. I'm detoxing this week and I like to be a little imaginative with my detoxes. I've made a big pot of veggie soup and I'll be eating that along with a mix of fresh and cooked fruit and veggies. No processed foods, salt, sugar, wheat, processed fats or caffeine.

This one is easy, delicious, sweet, warm and lush. It feels decadent even though it's super healthy. Obviously, cooking it takes out some of the nutrients but it certainly hits the spot.

Serves: two.
Time: fifteen minutes.

Ingredients:
Two apples, cored and chopped.
Half a cup of water.
Quarter of a cup of dried raisins.
One tablespoon of cinnamon powder.

Method:
Put all the ingredients into a small saucepan. Heat until the water boils and then simmer until the apples get all soft and smooshy.
Enjoy! Xx

Vegan Raw Energy Bars

These are not only quick and easy to make but also a quick and easy snack for when you're on the go or need a little treat or pick me up. Plus, you've body will love you for it!

I take these to work for snacks or sometimes even have them for breakfast.

Time: 10 minutes.

Makes 12.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of pitted dates that have been soaked in water.
• One cup of raw nuts.
• One cup of dried apricots.
• One quarter of a cup of dried cranberries.
• One quarter a cup of dried pineapple.
• One tablespoon of black sesame seeds.
• One tablespoon of chia seeds.
• Half a cup of shredded coconut.

Method:

Put all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until it's quite chopped up.

Eventually, you should be able to easily form it into small bars.

Turn off the blender and take out a ball just a little bigger than a golf ball.

Shape into a bar size and place into a container big enough to store all 12.

Keep in the fridge or freezer. They store really well in the freezer. Enjoy xx

Big Time Breakfast Smoothie

There are just some days when I can't bring myself to eat anything as soon as I wake up. I'd prefer something of the liquid variety. Now, I'm not a big cereal fan, or a big milk fan but for some reason if I mix the two together with some fruit and other tasty things, I feel like I've done something quite special for my body. This smoothy is a general go-to of mine but really, you can add anything. I often substitute the peanut butter for mixed berries and that is to die for!

Time: Really not a whole lot. Maybe five minutes. It's a lot quicker than making juice, that's for sure. Although I do love juice!

Serves: 1.

What you need:

• One cup of your favourite milk. I used oat today as I had it left over from yesterdays pancakes.
• One ripe banana, chopped or torn into pieces.
• Four dried apricots.
• One tablespoon of oats.
• One teaspoon of carob powder.
• A pinch of black sesame seeds.
• A pich of chia seeds.
• A tablespoon of all natural peanut butter.

Mix in your favourite blender and enjoy. It can come out a bit thick. If so, add some water or more milk and blend a little more.

There are some really great combinations out there. Here is one from Tea and Sympatico. I love her photo.

Enjoy xx

Fluffy Vegan Blueberry Pancakes a la 'Pulp Fiction'

"Zed's dead, baby. Zed's dead".

I had a bit of a pancake disaster. It took three goes to make this super fluffy, amazing pancake batter. The first one saw me put too much baking powder in and when I added the wet ingredients, the whole kitsch-en near darn exploded. The end result was worth it.

The first time I saw Pulp Fiction, I was slightly disturbed by seeing Bruce Willis naked. I was in high school and my eyes were not ready for such a sight. However since that fateful event, I have always idolised Blueberry Pancakes.

Of course, you don't have to add blueberries. You can add whatever you like. It's your breakfast. For savoury pancakes, omit the sugar. You could maybe even add, oh, I dunno. Mushrooms maybe? Opps... there I go again.

Recipe feeds 2-4, depending on how hungry you are.

Time: About 20 minutes from start to finish.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of plain flour.
• Half a tablespoon of baking powder.
• A very small pinch of salt
• Two tablespoons of raw sugar or rice syrup.
• One cup of your favourite vegan milk (I used oat milk today).
• One teaspoon apple cider vinegar.
• One tablespoon Sunflower oil.
• Half a cup of fresh or frozen blueberries.
• Oil for frying.

Grab your favourite frying pan and put it on the stove on medium heat. Add the oil for frying.
In a bowl, mix through all the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, add all the wet ingredients, not including the blueberries. Adding the vinegar gives a slight buttermilk taste. Delish.
Slowly add the wet to the dry, stirring the whole time so as to avoid any lumps. Once this is all mixed, add the blueberries and stir, watching the beautiful swirls of colour come out in the mix.

Let's get cooking! You'll know when the oil is ready to cook in by adding a very small amount of the mixture. If it looks/sounds like its cooking we're ready to rock and roll. Add some decent sized amounts to the pan. My pancakes turned out to be about the size of my palm. They do rise, don't forget.

You'll see little bubbles start to rise in the pancakes after a few minutes. This is the perfect time to flip the pancakes. Not before. Never before or you'll end up with a bit of a mess.

Once the other side is cooked, it's ready to go. Keep repeating this step until you have no more mixture left.

Top with your favourite topping or eat as is. They're so yummy and look super sexy. I'm going to take some to work tonight.

Happy Tuesday! xx

Balsamic Glazed Mushrooms

A cafe in town makes something a little like this. It is honesty to die for. I love mushrooms. They're one of my favourite foods.

We had a guy come into work last night with mushroom poisoning. Silly kid. He was continuously scratching himself and very out of it. He couldn't tell which way was up and had to be escorted everywhere including the toilet. The moral of the story? Well, I guess don't ingest mushrooms of the 'magic' variety.
These balsamic mushrooms, however, may make you have a bit of a mouth-gasm but there won't be any hallucinations. I swear.
I used button mushrooms, but field and Swiss mushrooms would go great here too.

Serves 2-4, depending on how hungry you are.
Time: 10 minutes.

You will need:

•Four to five cups of mushrooms, sliced thick. I chopped each one into about three pieces.
•Three tablespoons of oil.
• One teaspoon of crushed garlic.
• A quarter of a cup of balamic vinegar.
• One quarter of a cup of semi-dried tomatoes.
• About ten fresh basil leaves.

Method:
Heat a fry pan over medium heat.
Add the oil and wait until it's heated through. Add the garlic and mushrooms and stir for about two minutes. Add the tomatoes and basil. Add the balamic vinegar splash by splash until the whole amount is in with the mushrooms. Keep stirring until the mushrooms are cooked. This should take about five minutes. They should get a bit juicy an a lovely sauce should also be formed. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with focaccia, toast or an English muffin.

Banana, Apple and Cinnamon Vegan

I currently have these baking and they smell so good!

This recipe makes about 12, depending on the size of your tin.
Time: About half an hour.

I've used:

• 2 cups of wholemeal spelt flour (you can just use a plain flour if you don't have spelt.)
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder.
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
• 1 grated apple.
• 2 mashed bananas
• 1/3 cup of rice syrup or karo's light corn syrup.
• 3/4 cup of apple juice.

Method:

Heat the oven to 180*C and grease a muffin tin. I happen to have a cupcake maker which makes it all a little easier. Just plug it in and go.
In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, mix the banana, apple, rice syrup and then add it to the flour mix. Mix together and then slowly add the apple juice, mixing the whole time. Mix, mix, mix.

Then spoon into the muffin tins and put in the oven for about half an hour or until they are golden brown, and you can poke a skewer in one and have it come out clean.

Yum and good for you. Wanna go for a picnic?