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August 17, 2006
Paper Scraps Vol 2 : Some great SAO Biscuit Toppings
* Fresh Goat's Cheese with a dollop of spicy tomato chutney.
* Basil Pesto with a slice of salami.
* Sliced bocconcini with semi-dried tomatoes and fresh basil
* Prosciutto topped with sliced marinated artichokes.
* olive tapenade with chargrilled eggplant and capsicum.
* smoked salmon and avocado with sliced red onion and salted capers.
Posted by Gel at 7:28 PM | | Comments (0)
August 7, 2006
Maple Syrup & Chocolate Chip Cupcakes .. a taste of HEAVEN!
Pictures First!!
Now that you have seen the pictures, you can surely imagine what these little babies must taste like .... HEAVEN .. that's right!! I discovered these miracles of baking by accident in one of Donna Hay's books. Any recipe with the words "Maple", "Pecan", "Buttercup", "Treacle", "Golden", "Fluffy", "Swirls" etc .. makes my baking antenna beep with anticipation and excitement. I HAD to make the little Maple Syrup Cupcakes, but I also HAD to add my little twist. So, I added chocolate chips. Think ... Pancakes with chocolate .... yummylicious right??
Well, the result was mindblowing, these cupcakes were so perfect and so delectable that I have ended making a batch of 24 thrice in 2 weeks and they never see the next morning. I also expereimented with the toppings. I made maple-chocolate buttercream and iced the cakes the first time. The second time around I made simple maple cream and drizzled it over the cake [I made a loaf with the leftover batter]. Both were great. I am itching to try out more variations and see how they compliment these cupcakes. Recipe coming up soon ........!!!
Posted by Gel at 5:48 PM | | Comments (1)
Yumminess in Pictures!!
I have been bitten by the shutterbug recently and have been trying to achieve interesting results with food photography. It is a learning process for me and here are some of my experiments [the food was yummy too and we enjoyed eating it as much as photographing it :)]
Kewra Badam Barfi
Coconut Walnut Slice
Tangy Lemon Slice
Singapore Style Prawn Nonya
Posted by Gel at 5:38 PM | | Comments (0)
August 6, 2006
Paper Scraps Vol 1 : Raw Energy
The idea of Paper Scraps came me to today as I sat rifling through countless newspaper and magazine articles related to food and health that I have cut and saved with the hope of getting around to eventually reading and implementing them in my life. But I also don't want the information to get lost, so recording them in my blog seemed like a great idea. They would be there for quick reference if I needed them and also for others to share.
RAW ENERGY
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1. Instead of a cooked breakfast or processed cereal, enjoy a bowl of fresh fruit salad or a fresh fruit smoothie. Adding active yoghurt boosts your protein intake
2. Eat two salads a day and make one into a huge, power salad. These can be made with sprouted seeds, capsicum, herbs, carrots, beetroots and apples.
3. Ease up on coffee and cut out soft drinks and processed juices. Increase water and natural juice intake.
4. Eat plenty of non-starchy fresh vegetables.
5. Get good quality protein from chicken, lean meat, soy products and fish.
6. Use cold-presses extra virgin olive oil, flaxseed oil and walnut oil on your salads.
7. Sprinkle unroasted and unsalted raw nuts and seeds on your food whenever you can.
RAW ENERGY MEAL SUGGESTIONS
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1. A fruit salad with crushed nuts on top with a scoop of yoghurt.
2. A berry smoothie made with a few scoops of whey protein powder.
3. Gazpacho Soup.
4. Grilled salmon with raw vegetable salad made from avocado, carrots, capsicum, celery, nuts and mushroom.
5. Chicken Curry on a bed of brown rice with raw julienned vegetables.
6. Carrot Sticks and Salsa.
Posted by Gel at 9:24 PM | | Comments (0)
August 5, 2006
48 Ways To Help You Live Longer.
Cheesy title ... I know, I know; but a little list of pointers to jog your memory and sweep away the cobwebs of your mind, never hurt anyone!
1. Quit Smoking
2. Slap On Sunblock
3. Do A Detox
4. Boost Your Bones
5. Check Your Cholesterol
6. Sleep On It
7. Be Social
8. Buy A Pet
9. Feast On Fish
10. Eat More Fibre
11. Snack Well
12. Be A Fat Detective
13. Boost Your Immune System
14. Soak In A Bath
15. Buy Less Takeaway
16. Eat Smaller Portions
17. Move More
18. Work With Weights
19. Check Your Breasts
20. Eat More Fruits And Veggies
21. Devise a Healthy Routine
22. Eat Oats
23. Go Low GI
24. Eat Garlic
25. Say Cheers With red Wine
26. Floss Your Teeth
27. Check Your Blood Pressure
28. Stay Alert
29. Enrol In A Course
30. Smile More
31. Do Yoga
32. Do Something For Others
33. Work On Your Self-Esteem
34. Cook Differently
35. Check Your Stools
36. Stress Out
37. Snack On A Banana
38. Have Sex
39. Make A Splash
40. Dance The Night Away
41. Chew On It
42. Take COQ10
43. Go For A Walk
44. Have An Apple A Day
45. Be Positive
46. Find Joy In Soy
47. Sip On Tea
48. Go Nuts
Hmmmmm .... Interesting list that one. I of corse just read the explanations for each and didn't type them here, figuring that whoever reads this might adapt each piece of advise as they wish. Some of the above are just waiting to be made fun of .. it is so tempting, I just can't resist. Take No 6 for example "Sleep On What?" you may ask, well nothing I say ... it just means try to get as much sleep as you can. I could never do No 8, I mean I could buy a pet; then what? I would defintely not keep it at home as I am scared of animals .... No 12 suggests you to be a Fat Detective, thats kind of rude if you ask me. How on earth are we going to transform ourselves into one such creature .. ha ha ha ha!! Ah well, the jokes are just getting bad, so I will stop right now. But before I go I just want to say that out of all the things on that list I wish I could really really do No 37. This 2006 drought of bananas in Australia is just not helping and I really miss my favourite fruit!
Posted by Gel at 10:03 PM | | Comments (0)
August 1, 2006
Orange & Polenta Biscuits - A Keeper!!
Everyone has that one cookie/biscuit recipe that they pull out of their aprons when called upon to make it for fetes, school fairs, parties or simply to send to their children who are away at college. Even my mum has one!! And boy, do I love it. It is a beautifully baked, chubby little crumbly butter cookie ..... but that is an entirely different story.
Today I want to blog about my recipe. Yes, I found one of my very own biscuit recipe!! Little did I know that the first time I ever braved making biscuits, I would end up christening them "My Special Biscuits". I adapted a simple recipe for Orange & Polenta biscuits from the Australian Womens Weekly's 'Cakes, Biscuits & Slices'. The biscuits were simply gorgeous. With just 5 ingredients and simple instructions, the 47 biscuits were ready in under half an hour. And then it took just another half an hour to gobble down most of them. They were incredibly crunchy and light. The orange peel and polenta added a wonderful texture and delightfully delicate aroma, they tasted very summery.
I am going to be baking a lot more of these.
Posted by Gel at 8:18 PM | | Comments (0)
