Saturday, February 14, 2009

Muffin Madness!

In my search to find more things to fill T's lunchbox, I've decided to make a massive batch of muffins. Thankfully, both were a huge hit with all three kids so this should also be a good breakfast for B who is refusing her gluten free cereal. And surely they can't be any less healthy than commercial cereal anyway.



Carrot and Cinnamon Muffins. (makes 12)
  • 3 Cups Orgran Plain Flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 Cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup of rice milk
  • 90 mls rice bran oil
  • 1 generous cup grated carrot
Blueberry Muffins. (makes 12)
  • 3 Cups Orgran Plain Flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 Cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
  • 1 cup of rice milk
  • 90 mls rice bran oil
  • 1 generous cup fresh blueberries

Bake for 20-25 minutes at 210 degrees celsius.
Allow to cool on tray for 10 minutes, then they're ready to eat or allow to cook completely and store in an airtight container.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Message Sticks.
















"A message stickis a form of communication traditionally used by Indigenous Australians. It is usually a solid piece of wood, around 20–30cm in length, etched with angular lines and dots.

Traditionally, message sticks were passed between different clans and language groups to establish information and transmit messages. They were often used to invite neighbouring groups to corroborees, set-fights and ball games."

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Message_stick


It seems my children have been sending me a rather bizarre message. When they don't eat the food I prepare for them, it is not necessarily the food itself, but the delivery of the food. I like spicy food, and until recently it hadn't been a problem. But then I realised it wasn't the taste of the food they were complaining about. To test my theory I turned uneaten chicken curry into curry chicken patties....and the little buggers ate it. So over the next few weeks, you are likely to be seeing a lot of patties, croquettes, balls, nuggets and sticks!

About a year ago, I went to a barbecue with a group of friends. Two foods stick in my mind from that barbecue - Chickpea Salad and Beef Korma. I grabbed the Chickpea Salad recipe from my friend, but never got the recipe for beef korma. Also, I only had turkey and lamb mince in the freezer, so I did it my way!

Lamb Korma Skewer Sticks:

700 grams lamb mince

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 cup finely chopped mint

1 teaspoon ground cummin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

0.5 teaspoons turmeric

Place the lot in a large bowl and squish until combined. Pop in the fridge for an hour. Use this time to soak your skewers if using bamboo ones, so they don't burn. With damp hands, form sausage shapes and skewer. Grill over medium heat on a griddle sprayed lightly with oil. Enjoy!

Ours were served with cos lettuce, cucumber and aioli.





Sunday, February 1, 2009

The Gluten and Dairy Free 1st Birthday Party!



Yesterday Baby E turned one!

As he had his Maxillary Frenulum Release operation on Thursday, we just had a quiet party for him. Just us, his Dad and a couple of my friends and their kids. As we didn't throw a party for Torin in December, I wasn't too sure on what to have on the menu. But it turned out to be quite easy.

For the grown-ups:
Antipasto - artichoke hearts, roasted capsicum and eggplant, olives, marinated asparagus spears, prosciutto (Hans make GF).
Maggie Beer Pate, dips and King Island double brie with rice crackers, carrot sticks and celery.
Home made california rolls, filled with avocado, cucumber and smoked salmon with wasabi, soy and pickled ginger on the side.

For the kids:
A fruit and veg platter - watermelon, grapes, carrot sticks, celery, rice crackers and corn chips.
Icy poles.
Chocolate crackles (made by the wonderful Donna).

The cake:
Home made by Donna. GFCF Chockie cake.