Refresh!

I'm back! I know I know, it's been MONTHS! Where have I been? BUUUUUUUSY!!!! We bought a house, our baby turned in to a busy toddler, I got pregnant again (due somewhere between Aug. 12 and Sept. 16) and I have focused more on my businesses. Now that I feel like I have this life juggling act under control, I thought I would attempt blogging again. I have missed writing. It's a great outlet.

For my first post back, I thought I would start simple. With a recipe. A delicious refreshing summer time drink that I was OH SO ADDICTED to when we were in India. It's 4 simple ingredients and you can make bigger condensed batches so you just add water and ta-da!

Lemon Mint Juice

What you need:
-lemons
-fresh mint leaves
-sugar
-water.

Juice about 6 lemons and store in a mason jar or something similar. Take about 60 or 70 mint leaves (more if you really love mint) and dry roast them for about a minute. In a blender, or food processor, put 8 tablespoons of sugar and 2 cups of cold water and all the dry roasted mint leaves. Then blend for a minute or so. Pour your sweet mint juice through a strainer into a mason jar or something similar.

Then all you do it put about 1 part lemon juice to 2 parts mint juice to 3 or 4 parts cold water (with ice too if you like) in a tall glass and give a little stir! This recipe is very easy to adjust to your preference. You may like more lemon, or more mint, or less sugar...so play around.

PS: Growing your own mint is SO super easy! Fresh herbs and spices are just the best! I grow 2 different kinds. Just a regular green mint and a pineapple mint. Both ideal for this refreshing beverage. Go to your local farmers market or even the greenhouse at places like Superstore, and they'll have some mint plants!

It's Tea Time with Banana Chocolate Cupcakes.

This is a European recipe, so I converted the grams and ounces to cups and mls. I have European measuring utensils appropriate for this recipe, so if you have American measuring utensils then half a cup for me is 118mls whereas half a cup for you is 125mls. This recipe is written in my measurements with yours in the brackets.  

CUPCAKES
   118 mls (half cup) butter
   177 mls (3/4 cup) sugar
   2 eggs
   2 large mashed ripe bananas
   1 tsp baking soda
   2 tbsp boiling milk
   1 tsp baking powder
   236 mls (1 cup) flour

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in mashed banana. Add baking soda that has been dissolved in the boiled milk. Mix in sifted flour and baking powder. Don't over beat batter!
Bake at 325 F for 18-25 minutes. Until they are light golden on top and a toothpick comes out clean.

    

CHOCOLATE FROSTING
   148 mls (2/3 cup) unsalted softened butter
   207 mls (3/4 + 1/8 cup [or 5/8 cup]) confectioners sugar
   29 mls (1/8 cup) cocoa powder
   1 tbsp lukewarm milk
   1 tsp vanilla

Cream butter and sift in the confectioners sugar and cocoa powder. Add the milk and vanilla. If it needs more milk, add up to 1 more teaspoon of lukewarm milk. Mix until well incorporated. If it looks curdled, add more confectioners sugar.

Homemade Brownies & Vanilla Ice Cream = Love.

Brownies and vanilla ice cream, put together to make the ultimate desert! BROWNIE CHUNK ICE CREAM!!! I make these brownies all the time, and I make vanilla ice cream occasionally and the other day I made both and put them together.

We'll start with making the brownies! They're easy and seriously some of the BEST brownies I've ever had! For reeeaaalz people! I will even give you a great icing recipe for them just in case you wanna make just brownies (which is written at the bottom of this post, so scroll down.)

BROWNIES

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), then grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.

You'll need:
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Now melt your butter in a medium to large size pot. Once it's melted remove the pot from the element. Now stir in the sugar, vanilla and eggs.

Then mix in the cocoa, flour, salt and baking powder.

Pour batter in to the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Do not over bake. If you're just making the brownies and would like icing on them, the recipe is at the end of the post, so scroll down!

ICE CREAM

Now it's time to make ice cream! This is a simple vanilla ice cream recipe. You can use an electric machine or a basic hand churning one. I'm gonna give instructions for the electric one since that's what I'm using.

You'll need:
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/8 cups white sugar
3 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

Pour the milk and sugar in a mixing bowl and mix with an electric mixer on low speed until the sugar dissolves. Then mix in heavy cream and vanilla.

Turn on the machine and pour the mixture into the freezer bowl and let mix until thickened, which will take about 20 to 25 minutes, depending on your machine.

While that's churning, cut up your brownie in to little chunks.

When the ice cream thickens, add the brownies.

You might have to stir in the rest!

DELICIOUS!

You can serve it up and eat it right away, or if you prefer it to be firmer, put it in an airtight container and in to the freezer until you can't wait any longer!!!! Mmmmmmmmm!

ICING
If you're just making brownies, here's how you make the icing.

You'll need:
3 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners sugar

Put the butter, cocoa, honey, vanilla, and confectioners sugar in a bowl and mix it till it's well blended. Spread on top of the brownies while they're still warm. Oooooooiiiiiiieeeeee!!!

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Coconut Crepes.

Coconut crepes are something I fell in love with in Goa.  I ate them on the beach like everyday! These are pretty inexpensive fruits and if you use the mature coconuts it's a great source of protein!  With a little google searching, I discovered that coconuts are very beneficial for you!  They:
   Help you lose weight, or maintain your already good weight
   Reduce the risk of heart disease
   Lower your cholesterol
   Improve conditions in those with diabetes and chronic fatigue
   Improve Crohn’s, IBS, and other digestive disorders
   Prevent other disease and routine illness with its powerful antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal agents
   Increase metabolism and promotes healthy thyroid function
   Boost your daily energy
   Rejuvenate your skin and prevent wrinkles

Now that the weekend is here, it's the perfect time to whip up some coconut crepes!  My crepe recipe is my Mum's which is a bit of this and a bit of that, lol.  It's a great recipe for gluten free crepes too, just use rice flour!
In a large bowl mix:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups milk
3 eggs
1 tablespoon oil
some salt
some sugar, if you want
some cinnamon, if you want
and add mushed bananas or other fruits you love, if you want!
Once it's all mixed, just pour some into the middle of a hot frying pan and tilt the frying pan in circular motions to spread out the mixture to make it big and round and thin.  They take little time on each side, but fry them until they're done just the way you like it!  When each crepe is done I stack them on a plate inside a warm oven until there's no more mixture left.

While you're frying these up, break open your coconut and take out the meat.  And then grate it all in to bits.

And then it's time to eat!  Put some coconut into the middle of the crepe with syrup or honey.

 Roll it up and top with more coconut and syrup or honey.  ENJOY!!!

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I Heart Whole Wheat Bread.

On Christmas I received bread pans! Three in fact. Perfect! Since being back in Toronto I have been sort of obsessed over baking bread. There's many reasons why you should bake your own bread.
1. It's cheap
2. It's easy
3. It's healthy or healthier
4. Fresh baked bread tastes incredible
5. The smell! To have your whole place smell like a bakery is just THE BEST!!!

I was under the impression that making your own bread was rather difficult and time consuming, when in fact, it's the opposite. I know that it takes anywhere between 1 hour to like 5 days to make a loaf of bread, but there's very little work involved. Most of the time is spent unattended. I also discovered how a food processor is the best for making the dough in. Seriously, food processors are incredible. Over the past few weeks I have made white breads, whole wheat breads and cinnamon raisin breads. My fave...the whole wheat. It's plain, I know, but oh so useful. Fresh out of the oven you could lather it in butter and jam, or even just butter. Or garlic and butter and eat with pasta! Have it for breakfast lunch or with supper. Mmmmmmm. Anyway, you get what I'm saying. It's also the one I have mastered. So from here, I will branch out making different kinds involving seeds and flax and oats and who knows what else...maybe poppy seeds?! And as I master other types, I will post the recipes as well.

Okay so what you're gonna need is:

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 tablespoons (or a bit more) honey
2 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
1 to 1 1/3 cups warm milk

Now place flour, salt and yeast in the food processor. Mix for about 10 seconds. Then while the food processor is still mixing, put down the shoot the butter, honey and milk. Then mix for another 30 to 40 seconds. The dough should be barely sticky. If it's too dry, add milk about a tablespoon at a time and then mix for another 10 seconds...or add flour if it's too dry (very unlikely). Now take it out and knead it for a few minutes. Grease a large bowl with oil or butter. Shape the dough in to a ball and then place in the greased bowl.

Cover the bowl with a damp towel and place the bowl in a warmish place...maybe need a radiator or heat vent. Let the dough rise for 6-12 hours.


Then deflate the ball of dough and reform back into a ball and let sit on a lightly floured counter top for 15-20 minutes.

From there, pat down the dough into a rectangle shape.

Place in a oiled or buttered bread pan and pat down with the back of your hand.

Then cover with a damp towel and let sit for at least 2 hours.


Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Brush the top of the loaf lightly with water. Bake for about 40-45 minutes. It's done when if you tap the bottom of the pan it sounds hollow. Remove from heat and cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes or more before you eat the best bread ever.

This is a very forgiving recipe, so if you want to let it rise longer at either rising point, go ahead, or if you don't have time to let it rise so long, don't worry. Just remember, the longer it rises, the more flavourful and fluffy it will be. If you want to let it slow rise for up to 5 days, just put it in the fridge.
Good luck!


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Egg Nog Ice Cream

It's the end of egg nog season and the last of the egg nog is on the shelves most likely at a reduced price because the expiration date is coming up VERY soon. Well, if you love egg nog like I do, preserve it just a little bit longer! Make ice cream!! I don't know if you own an ice cream maker, but I feel like a kitchen isn't complete without one, lol.

Here's my recipe:
3 cups egg nog (the good creamy fatty rich stuff, none of this low fat shit)
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp real vanilla extract
3/4 cups granulated sugar

In a medium bowl combine the milk and sugar and mix on low with an electric mixer. Stir in heavy cream and vanilla.

Turn the machine on and pour the mixture into the freezer bowl and let mix until thickened...about 25 minutes, but this can vary depending on your machine.



If when done mixing you would prefer it firmer, then transfer the ice cream to an air tight freezer friendly container and freeze for a couple hours.

Top with cinnamon and ENJOY!!!!

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Baking With Warm Spices Makes You Feel Toasty.

Last night I decided to bake a carrot cake as the rain started coming down outside making the autumn evening feel a little cooler. I love baking with warm smelling spices on cool days. Keeps you feeling toasty and comforted. I came across this recipe on Cat Can Cook and decided to try it. I doubled the recipe thinking I would make 2 cakes, but I really didn't need to double it...it made LOTS! Oh well, I am eating for two right? Ha ha ha!! I will have to freeze one which I am sure I will be thankful for later. Boy...I am starting to think I need a small deep freeze. We are running out of room in our fridge freezer.

You will need:
4 Eggs
1 Cup White Sugar (because I use organic cane sugar, I omitted about 1/4 cup)
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup Vegetable Oil
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
3 Cups Grated Raw Carrots
1/2 Cup Raisins
1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Nuts (optional – and omit if serving to small kids)
I also added about 1/3 cup sunflower seeds


Beat eggs well in a large bowl, and add sugars in gradually, beating until light. Beat in oil. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir into egg mixture. Stir in carrots, raisins and nuts and seeds (if using). Pour into a greased and floured 13X9 pan, and bake in a 350 degrees oven for 35-40 minutes. Enjoy!




And then I topped my cake with a simple cinnamon butter cream icing.
D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!!!
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