Thursday, 27 June 2013
Addisons Disease
I was diagnosed with Addisons disease in June 2011, I had never heard of this disease before then, apparently I am one of the one in one hundred thousand people to have this disease, so it is quite rare. Is there someone else out there who has this disease, I would like to find out how you manage this, what effect it has on your daily life. I found out the hard way that I had Addisons disease, I had an Addisons crisis, after three days in I.C.U in hospital I was given my diagnoses. This was after three years of consulting doctors to give me a reason as to why I was so unwell, losing weight, losing muscle, depressed and not connecting with family and friends. I should add I don't have a functioning thyroid, I take medication for this as well as Hydrocortisone and Florinef. How has this affected your life, how do you manage daily, do you have a food plan, an excercise plan, are you able to work. Today while out shopping with my son I had to ask him to take me home, I just felt unwell, once at home I doubled up on my medication and slept for a couple of hours and now feel ok. Hope to hear from someone out there.
Butterfly garden- block two
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Block one- Butterfly garden |
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Block two |
Sunday, 23 June 2013
Block one Butterfly Garden
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Saturday, 22 June 2013
The view from my window this morning
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Wednesday, 19 June 2013
No more baking for me
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Tuesday, 18 June 2013
Discovered
While packing my old Elna sewing machine away this morning I discovered my walking foot, I had looked everywhere for this, except in the tool caddy with this machine. I use my old machine for repairs, like hemming my dads jeans, pyjamas etc., the last time the Elna and the walking foot were used, it was to sew a binding onto a quilt. That would be several years ago, and that would be why it was in this caddy and not with my new sewing machine. The son who does everything and I drove to my dads to deliver the jeans I had hemmed, when we arrived my dad had lunch almost ready, soup and homemade sausage rolls, he has become a very good cook since mum passed away and he has to look after him self. After lunch I made a double batch of scones and rang my sister and her husband to come over to dads for afternoon tea. My brother-in-law had asked me to make devonshire tea for him, scones, jam and cream. It was nice to see them again, I have seen more of my sister in the last few weeks since she has been off work than I had in the past year.
Monday, 17 June 2013
High Tea with the girls
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Saturday, 15 June 2013
Gluten free Cupcake mix tested
From the gluten free packets I purchased on Friday I decided to bake the "Macro" Gluten free Cupcake mix and I have to tell you they are good. After these were baked and cooled I iced them in pink and left them overnight to set. This morning I sliced the tops off and added whipped cream. Looking good and tasting very yummy. I have just packed these into containers along with the little crostini and a dozen macarons to take to my daughters for our girls afternoon tea. The gluten free food is my contribution to the afternoon for my sister and niece. Looking forward to an afternoon of food, drink and lots of chatter.
Wednesday, 12 June 2013
Testing Gluten Free
My two daughters are hosting afternoon tea for all the female members of the family on Sunday. One of my sisters and her daughter are Coeliacs, to be sure they are able to eat the same as the rest of us I have volunteered to bake some things that are gluten free. Not having much experience with this I asked the son who does everything to come shopping with me this morning. He has tried a few of the gluten free products before and I was hoping he would be able to lead me in the right direction. This is what I have found at the supermarket, I have to say I am dissapointed that there is not more to choose from, it must be so difficult to find something you can eat if you are Gluten intolerant. Orgran Pastry mix, Macro cupcake mix and some little Crostini, which will be perfect with some gourmet toppings. These along with some tiny egg quiches should be enough. In the meantime I am hemming a pair of jeans for my dad, yes, my dad who is eighty six and only started to wear jeans about ten years ago.
Wet and miserable today
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Tuesday, 11 June 2013
Falafels for dinner
Years ago when my daughters were teenagers I decided to make falafels, we enjoyed the falafels from the takeaway so they asked me to make them. I was not sure how to make these so I purchased a packet mix, something I would just have to add a couple of ingredients to and cook. This was an enormous failure, they were dry and the smell was awful, the smell seemed to permiate through the whole house, needless to say these were binned and my daughters said never again, in fact it turned them off eating falafels altogether. This became one of the family jokes, the time mum tried to make falafels, you know the one where everyone laughs at you. While I was out shopping I occasionally bought them for lunch, and so, I decided to try again, this time from scratch. With the chickpeas soaking overnight I sourced a recipe, good, I had everything I needed, I have to say that they are amazing. These are moist, this is one word my daughter will not be impressed I have used, but they are and full of flavour, the biggest difference I noticed, no smell through the house. I made a couple of pita breads, some garlic yoghurt and a side salad and it was so good.
Falafels:
1 brown onion
2 cloves of garlic
2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. cumin
2 x 400 gm cans chickpeas or dried chickpeas soaked overnight
1 cup flat leaf parsley
1/3 cup flour or enough just to bind them together
1 tbls olive oil
pinch salt and pepper
Place onion, garlic, coriander, cumin, chickpeas, parsley, flour, salt and pepper in a food processor and blend until almost smooth. Using floured hands shape into patties. Place on a plate, cover and refridgerate for 30 minutes.
Heat oil in pan over medium heat and cook until golden brown.
Serve with yoghurt, pita, tabouli or side salad. Enjoy
Falafels:
1 brown onion
2 cloves of garlic
2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. cumin
2 x 400 gm cans chickpeas or dried chickpeas soaked overnight
1 cup flat leaf parsley
1/3 cup flour or enough just to bind them together
1 tbls olive oil
pinch salt and pepper
Place onion, garlic, coriander, cumin, chickpeas, parsley, flour, salt and pepper in a food processor and blend until almost smooth. Using floured hands shape into patties. Place on a plate, cover and refridgerate for 30 minutes.
Heat oil in pan over medium heat and cook until golden brown.
Serve with yoghurt, pita, tabouli or side salad. Enjoy
This weeks cookies - Apricot and pecan
This week I have chosen Apricot and Pecan cookies from my new book "1 Dough 100 cookies" by Linda
Doeser. This book would be a great little book to buy anyone for a gift. I have baked several cookies from this book and they have all been yummy. The recipes are easy to read and follow, the price of just $10 is also great.
These cookies are delicious, and while you can taste the apricot you also get a tang from the grated orange peel.
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Apricot and pecan cookies:
225gm / 8oz butter, softened
140g / 50z caster sugar
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 tsp, vanilla extract
280g / 10oz plain flour
grated rind of 1 orange
55g / 2oz ready to eat dried apricot, chopped
100g / 3 1/2oz pecan nuts, finely chopped
pinch salt
Put butter and caster sugar into a bowl and mix well with wooden spoon, (or electric beaters), then beat in the egg yolk
and vanilla extract. Sift together the flour and salt into the mixture, add the orange rind and apricots and stir thoroughly until combined. Shape into a log. Spread the pecans in a shallow dish and roll the log in the nuts until well coated, then wrap in clingfilm and chill in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190 C/ 375F. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
Unwrap the dough and cut into 5mm / 1/4inch slices with a sharp serrated knife. Put the slices on the trays spaced well apart.
Bake for 10 - 12 minutes. Leave to cool on the trays for 5-10 minutes, then using a palette knife transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Enjoy
Doeser. This book would be a great little book to buy anyone for a gift. I have baked several cookies from this book and they have all been yummy. The recipes are easy to read and follow, the price of just $10 is also great.
These cookies are delicious, and while you can taste the apricot you also get a tang from the grated orange peel.
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Apricot and pecan cookies:
225gm / 8oz butter, softened
140g / 50z caster sugar
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 tsp, vanilla extract
280g / 10oz plain flour
grated rind of 1 orange
55g / 2oz ready to eat dried apricot, chopped
100g / 3 1/2oz pecan nuts, finely chopped
pinch salt
Put butter and caster sugar into a bowl and mix well with wooden spoon, (or electric beaters), then beat in the egg yolk
and vanilla extract. Sift together the flour and salt into the mixture, add the orange rind and apricots and stir thoroughly until combined. Shape into a log. Spread the pecans in a shallow dish and roll the log in the nuts until well coated, then wrap in clingfilm and chill in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190 C/ 375F. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
Unwrap the dough and cut into 5mm / 1/4inch slices with a sharp serrated knife. Put the slices on the trays spaced well apart.
Bake for 10 - 12 minutes. Leave to cool on the trays for 5-10 minutes, then using a palette knife transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Enjoy
Baking with my daughter
My youngest daughter rang this morning and asked if I would like to join her in her kitchen to do some baking. Of course I said yes, it is not often I spend time with her but this week she is on night shift so she will be home during the day. Both daughters are hosting an afternoon tea for the females of our family next Sunday and she wanted to test some ideas she has planned. I decided to bake some more cookies from my new book and she made some mini zuchini quiches and some small blueberry custard tarts.
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I think her little quiches won our cook off today, these are so good I'm sure everyone will love them. After we had finished she showed me her new purchases, a new cup and saucer and a little sugar basin. With the kettle boiled, tea pot filled we then sat down to test what we had baked. A lovely afternoon with my daughter and yummy treats to eat.
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I think her little quiches won our cook off today, these are so good I'm sure everyone will love them. After we had finished she showed me her new purchases, a new cup and saucer and a little sugar basin. With the kettle boiled, tea pot filled we then sat down to test what we had baked. A lovely afternoon with my daughter and yummy treats to eat.
A busy long weekend
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Donuts for morning tea |
Friday, 7 June 2013
Juice for breakfast
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Thursday, 6 June 2013
Connors stars and planets
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"Outer space" by Camelot fabrics |
Tuesday, 4 June 2013
Sausage rolls for lunch
My youngest daughter had an MRI scan this morning, she has been having a few problems with her hand and as she is a high rise window cleaner, needed to find what the cause of the pain could be. I know, I don't know how she does this job either, hanging off the side of a building cleaning windows is not something I could do, but she loves her job. After this was over she called in to see me, I was just making us a cup of tea when the son who does everything arrived. It was almost lunch time so I took some soup from the freezer, the rest of the sausage meat I had left over from the meatloaf I made on Sunday, along with some pastry, I made some sausage rolls to go with the soup and the pumpkin scones my son brought with him. We had a delicious lunch while the three of us had a good chat.
Easy sausage rolls:
250g sausage meat
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, grated
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1 slice of day old bread
1/4 cup of milk
puff pastry sheets
salt and pepper
Preheat oven 200c
Soak the bread in the milk, then squeeze most of the milk from the bread and add the bread to the meat along with the other ingredients. Combine all the ingredients well. Cut the pastry sheets in half and add a line of the meat mixture along the long side of the pastry sheet and roll, use a little milk or a beaten egg to seal the end. Slice the lenghs into four or if you want them smaller six pieces. Brush with milk or egg. Place onto baking trays and cook for 5 minutes, then turn the oven down to 180c and continue to cook for a further 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Enjoy
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Home made sausage rolls |
Easy sausage rolls:
250g sausage meat
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, grated
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1 slice of day old bread
1/4 cup of milk
puff pastry sheets
salt and pepper
Preheat oven 200c
Soak the bread in the milk, then squeeze most of the milk from the bread and add the bread to the meat along with the other ingredients. Combine all the ingredients well. Cut the pastry sheets in half and add a line of the meat mixture along the long side of the pastry sheet and roll, use a little milk or a beaten egg to seal the end. Slice the lenghs into four or if you want them smaller six pieces. Brush with milk or egg. Place onto baking trays and cook for 5 minutes, then turn the oven down to 180c and continue to cook for a further 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Enjoy
Sunday, 2 June 2013
Block three "Ophelia"
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Beatrice |
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Ophelia |
Saturday, 1 June 2013
This week, peanut butter cookies
With most of the family coming over for dinner tonight I thought I would bake another batch of cookies from my new book "1 Dough, 100 cookies" by Linda Doesser. Here in Australia cookies have always been known as biscuits, our British heritage is responsible for this, that is until recently. This latest generation call these sweet treats cookies, probably because of the American influence in our country now. Whatever name we call them, they are just the same, a wonderful little mouthful of sweet, either crunchy or gooey delights. Looking through the book I decided on peanut butter cookies, I know the kids will love these, I have never baked a peanut butter cookie before, in fact I have never tasted a peanut butter cookie before. These are another one of the influences America has had in this country recently, don't get me wrong, we have always had peanut butter but we haven't used it to the extent that Americans have. I'm am delighted to say they are wonderful and I will be baking these again.
Peanut Butter Cookies:
Makes about 25
225g/80z butter, softened
140g/50z caster sugar
1 egg yolk lightly beaten
2tsp vanilla extract
100g / 3 1/2oz crunchy peanut butter
180/10oz plain flour
pinch salt
Preheat oven to 190c /375f. Line two baking trays with baking parchment.
Put the butter and sugar into a bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon, (or electric beaters), then add beaten egg yolk, vanilla extract and peanut butter, mix till combined. Sift together the flour and pinch of salt into the mix and stir till combined.
Scoop out tablespoons of the mixture and shape into balls with your hands, then put them onto the prepared trays, flattern each one a little.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool on the trays for 5-10 minutes, then using a palette knife carefully transfer to wire racks to finish cooling. These are easy to make and yummy to eat, the only problem I have is when to stop eating them. If you want to bake the sultana cookies, use the same recipe omitting the peanut butter and replacing it with 50g sultanas.
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Sultana and peanut cookies |
Peanut Butter Cookies:
Makes about 25
225g/80z butter, softened
140g/50z caster sugar
1 egg yolk lightly beaten
2tsp vanilla extract
100g / 3 1/2oz crunchy peanut butter
180/10oz plain flour
pinch salt
Preheat oven to 190c /375f. Line two baking trays with baking parchment.
Put the butter and sugar into a bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon, (or electric beaters), then add beaten egg yolk, vanilla extract and peanut butter, mix till combined. Sift together the flour and pinch of salt into the mix and stir till combined.
Scoop out tablespoons of the mixture and shape into balls with your hands, then put them onto the prepared trays, flattern each one a little.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool on the trays for 5-10 minutes, then using a palette knife carefully transfer to wire racks to finish cooling. These are easy to make and yummy to eat, the only problem I have is when to stop eating them. If you want to bake the sultana cookies, use the same recipe omitting the peanut butter and replacing it with 50g sultanas.
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