Banana, Peanut Butter and Honey Rye Cakes

I'm not sure how my family discovered this flavour combination, but all three of us LOVE it. We can't get enough. On toast, in wraps, with pancakes, I could go on! Having recently cut out processed sugar from my diet, I still feel the need to tame my sweet tooth every now and then.

Generally this batter will make either 16 muffins, 12 muffin and a mini loaf, or you could always put all of the batter in a large loaf tin.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup organic rice bran oil
• 3/4 cup raw honey
• 2 organic free range eggs, lightly whisked
• 1 cup of overripe bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cup organic raw peanut butter (the good stuff)

• 2 cups organic rye flour
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 180c.

Using a medium bowl, mix the first five ingredients together using a spoon.
In a larger bowl, combine the last four ingredients.
Now combine your wet ingredients into your dry ingredients, mix until both are JUST incorporated.

Spoon into patty pans or a greased loaf tin. Bake for 15-20 minutes. I check the cakes at around the 15 minutes mark with a skewer, if they're not done, I'll check every 2 mins after that. If you're using a large loaf tin, I'd say the cooking time will be closer to 40 minutes.
Because these use honey instead of sugar, they tend to burn easily.


The good thing about these muffins, is you can serve them for breakfast the next morning... guilt free!



Enjoy!

MamaKoo

Pinapple, Banana and Coconut Iceblocks

As the weather gets hotter, I've recently been experimenting with healthy processed sugar free ice block flavours for Grub. So far shes only liked strawberry frozen yoghurt... not very exciting, but super easy to make. I just freeze Jahla strawberry yoghurt in reusable ice block moulds (I've come to realise that sometimes plastic is a good thing).

So in the exciting build up to summer, I came up with this combination.

Ingredients

• 1 pineapple skinned, cored and chopped
• 2 bananas, peeled
• 1 can of coconut milk
• 3 tbs of raw honey

Place all ingredients in blender and blend till smooth.

Spoon mixture into ice block moulds. Mixture should be enough for approx. eight moulds.

Freeze for at least 5 hours or overnight. To make the removal of ice blocks easier, run moulds under warm water till you can pull them out.


 Sadly, Grub doesn't like the tang of the pineapple but on the flip side, that means more for me! I'll have to make her some banana only ice blocks considering she loooves one ingredient banana ice cream. Trial and error!

Enjoy!

MamaKoo

Raw Chocolate Mousse

Recently, I've been trying to cut out all refined sugar from my diet, this afternoon I almost cracked. Instead I decided to whip up some Raw Chocolate Mousse to ease my cravings for something sweet. The results were more than satisfying AND I can happy give Grub some without feeling guilty. Plus its super easy to make.

Ingredients

• 1 ripe banana
• 1 ripe avocado
• 2 tbs of raw honey
• 1 tbs of cacao powder

Place all ingredients in blender and blend till smooth and creamy.

You most likely will need to add a splash of water to keep the mixture moving about.


Hey presto! You're done!

 Enjoy!


MamaKoo

Cheesy Wholemeal Crackers

I decided to make these because I really couldn't be bothered getting out of my PJs and "quicky" do a supermarket trip with a toddler... plus I wanted to demolish the brie I had waiting in the fridge for me. Not only are these more nutritious and delicious than store bought cheesy crackers, they're fun way to encourage kids to get in the kitchen. You can also make a big batch of them as they freeze well for later.

Ok, before the recipe there are a few tips I've discovered in making these.

• Make sure you roll out the dough really thin, the thinner the crisper.
• These babies go from under done to char grilled in a nano second, so watch them!
• Get creative with cookie cutters, what kids doesn't like animal crackers

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 tsp sea salt + more for garnish
2 tbs olive oil
2/3 cup water
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated & at room temp

Firstly combine the flours and the sea salt in a large bowl and give them a bit of a mix, just to combine them. Add all the other ingredients to the bowl. Then, either by hand, or using the dough hook on your mixer, knead the dough for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth & well mixed.

Divide the dough in half and set one half aside placing a tea towel over it. Using parchment paper lay down one piece on a clean counter, place the dough half on top and then use another piece of parchment paper on top of the dough. Roll the dough out on the between the sheets, rolling as thin as you can. Pay close attention to getting the middle thin too! I find using this technique, you can get the dough super thin without too much trouble.

Cut the crackers in whatever shape you like and place them on a baking tray with some sort of non stick sheet whether it be parchment of a cookie sheet. Prick each cracker with a fork and for optional flavour, sprinkle the entire tray with sea salt..  If you do sprinkle the crackers with sea salt, gently press the salt into the crackers with your hands.

Bake each tray of crackers at 180c for 15-20 minutes.  Set your timer for 10 minutes and then for every 3-5 minutes after that. Remember, these babies burn!

When lightly browned and crunchy, remove the crackers from the oven. Cool slightly on the tray before using a metal spatula to remove them.

Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Store crackers longer by freezing them.

Remember if you're making these with kids let them get their hands dirty. Kids LOVE to help and feel like they're contributing. When they're older they could be making meals for you!

Enjoy!

MamaKoo



Do you make crackers at home? I'd love for you to share recipes :)

In the garden

This year my summer crop has taken a while to kick off. Partly because of the unpredictable weather we've been having due to La Nina and partly because some of my seeds didn't like the egg carton seed trays (I had to transfer them to either bigger pots or toilet rolls) and simply because I haven't had the time to get out there and give the garden a good workout.

I've managed to install drip irrigation (yes, plastic.. I know) onto one of my vegetable beds. Although it took a few trips to the hardware store and a diploma in irrigation installation, it helps IMMENSELY with saving time and saving water.

Drippers with a zucchini just starting to take off.

My herbs haven't looked back and its just an absolute delight walking out the back and picking fresh herbs for dinner. I can't wait till I can do that with my vegetables too!

Parsley going to seed.

Plenty of coriander!

Thyme and oregano.

Last year I bought some lemongrass as an experiment. It was a small sad looking punnet and its now grown into quite a large sedge of grass. I've got no clue whether its doing well or not, still, come end of summer I'll be harvesting and re-potting.

Lemongrass.

In the my irrigated patch I have oxheart and roma tomatoes, long cayanne peppers, eggplant, capsicum, zucchini and kale, along with a few bits and pieces here and there to assist with companion planting.

Oxheart tomato plant and calendula.

Sadly, my apricot and orange tree produced poorly, I've only managed to pick five delicious apricots. Although we'll have tons of mandarins this year!

Mandies!

 So that's whats happening in my garden.. what about yours?



MamaKoo

Biodegradable Seed Starter

Its spring! And that means its time to get my vegetable seeds ready. I've been saving extra large egg cartons from Rosie's Free Range Eggs for the past few months so I can use them as seedling trays.

Because the cartons are biodegradable when its time to plant I plan on cutting them into individual pots and plant them as is.

Yay for kale!

When the weather becomes warmer and a bit more predictable I'm going to use You Grow Girl's method of using toilet paper rolls to plant seeds that require a bit more depth in the soil. There are loads of newspaper seed starters online too, but I think I'd become a bit impatient at folding all those little boxes!

For your information; I'm using organic veggie and herb seeds from Green Harvest which is an organic garden supplier based in Queensland. I'm yet to find anything similar with such variety closer to South Australia. They provide such a variety of heirloom plants, permaculture resources, organic gardening resources, natural pest control.. the list really does go on.

What veggies are you growing this season?


MamaKoo

Homemade Playdough

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, all my efforts have been redirected towards Grub who been dealing with a bit of a tummy upset, fever, teething etc etc. She has been wanting my full devotion at all waking hours and its my pleasure to give it to her but by the time shes in bed all I want to do is...

absolutely nothing!!!

I have fond memories of playing with the homemade playdough my Mum used to make for me as a kid (mostly eating it than anything else). So much so, I couldn't wait to make some for Grub and start playing with her. I scouted the internet for a playdough recipe I could make out of natural ingredients and which incorporated the use of natural dyes. Quickly I discovered this one and the many other tutorials of awesome play things that minieco have posted. I highly recommend you check it out.

Playdough recipe

½ cup of flour
½ cup of dyed water
¼ cup of salt
½ tbsp cream of tartare
½ tbsp cooking oil

Place all ingredients in a heavy bottom pan and mix well.

Heat mixture on a medium to low flame while stirring continuously.

The mixture will thicken quite quickly. Keep stirring!

Keep stirring!

 

 When the mixture becomes similar to this consistency, take your pan off the heat.

Scrape out all contents onto a floured surface.

Knead until you get an smooth dough and taa-dah!...

... PLAYDOUGH!!!

Have fun with this easy recipe!


MamaKoo

P.S. I didn't think that the colour I chose to photograph would look so... err... well. I was editing my photos while Mike was eating, he asked me to stop because it was making him feel ill. Oh well!

I had to share the below photos of Grub's first play with playdough, absolutely hilarious!

The branded child

I feel as part of a Western culture, its somewhat predetermined that our children will grow up being taught to be greedy. They are bombarded with TV programs that have its marketing arms extended into the world of childrens clothes, food and toys. They're subliminally instructed to crave the latest and the greatest, to want more and need more and the more that they have, the cooler they are. Dora the Explorer yoghurt, Hannah Montana t-shirts, Thomas the Tank Engine pyjamas (Do you know how hard it is to find non cartoon branded pyjamas?)

From what little television Grub watches, I agree some shows are educational. But its one thing to watch a half hour show once a week, compared to obsessing over Dora the Explorer merchandise because the girl at Kindy has a so and so. Its this type of mentality that is detrimental to a childs ability to accept who they are and what true happiness is, without the aid of materialistic things.

The combination of marketing creeping its way into our childrens lives and rise of Tween consumers, its more important than ever to provide a home environment where our children can grow up without feeling like more is better. These are my 'rules' I've set up for myself to combat the onslaught of the marketing world and to help Grub appreciate and respect her toys:


No plastic toys - The majority of branded toys are plastic. Not only are a lot of plastic toys poorly made, they are made with toxic substances that over time can cause various health problems including, reproductive defects, an increased risk of breast cancer and organ failure. Wooden toys last longer, are aesthetically pleasing, are hardly ever branded and lack flashing lights and sound allowing the imagination to express itself. Eco Toys sell amazing wooden toys for all ages and types of play.

Don't allow toys to get out of control - Every toy has a home on a shelf or in a cupboard. I like to display Grub's toys so she can easily access them when she wants to play and so they can easily be put back when shes finished. I try to get her to focus on one toy at a time, when she moves on to another toy, I put away the previous. If shes abusing or rough handling a toy, I take it away until she can play with it respectfully. 

Limited media exposure - Grub seriously only watches about 30 minutes of TV a week... Maximum! Some weeks the TV isn't even switched on. On the odd occasion that she does watch it, I switch it off when ads are playing. 

No kid focused branded foods - Since starting baby led weaning, I've only bought one branded kids food. Cheese stringers, it was an over priced, saltier, plastic laden version of mozzarella. 

Stay away from branded clothes - Majority of Grub's clothes are either hand me downs, from op shops or gifts. I've rarely had to buy new clothes, but when I do, I look for non branded clothes, that are easy to move in and made from natural fibers. 


Homemade or handcrafted toys -  Simple ideas like creating a hanging toy out of a Christmas bauble and a stick. Making a rattle out of pasta and a bottle. A cubby house out of two chairs and a sheet. For older kids, fun can be had by making toys together or doing activities like those in Action Pack. 

As parents we should be teaching out kids that self esteem comes from the inside out, not the outside in!


MamaKoo

Photo Discovery Box

This is a super easy playtime idea for babies who have progressed to grasping objects and young toddlers who have become inquisitive and love looking at familiar people. Its also a fantastic way to teach them the names of people who are in and around their lives.

 

I sifted through my photo box and picked out a few photos, including ones of Grub's Grandparents, Uncles, Aunties and of our family pets. She especially loves the animal photos because she can make the corresponding noise.

Kindly, my Aunty gave me an old wicker sewing box which was the perfect size for the photos and for Grub to maneuver. I placed the photos inside and presented her with the box.

At first she didn't realise you could open the box, until I showed her by opening it a little and then closing it again. She said her usual 'OooOooh!' with the excitement of something new. She spent sometime opening and closing the lid, to perfect the movement, then we looked at all the photos of everyone while I named who they were. The photo discovery box held her attention for a good 30 minutes, which in baby language is a LONG time.

In essence, I'm making my own flash cards out of real pictures. Young minds learn best when looking at a realistic representation of an object, not a flashy cartoon version. At the moment they're her favourite toy to play with but I can easily swap photos in the discovery box and her photo frames to keep her attention and build on her knowledge of familiar faces and names. Not only this but I can expand to pictures of animals, fruits, vegetables, flowers, anything that I would like Grub to become familiar with.

 

I think over time I'll create more discovery boxes for Grub with different themes and textures. She loves it so much.

 MamaKoo

Natural household dyes

A friend of mine studying art at Uni told me about the dye making class she was enrolled in and how it made her feel like a mad scientist or a wizard experimenting with different types of plants, brewing colourful concoctions. She inspired me to make my own dyes at home using different organic materials, plus it sounded like so much fun! Plus I think it would be a great way to get older kids involved in collecting and learning about different plant names and what they look and feel like.

At first I didn't know where to begin, or even how to extract colour from plants, but I came across this VERY useful site which lists various plants that you can use to dye fabrics. But considering I don't want to dye fabrics just yet, I only used the plant information and not the recommendations for dye baths and fixatives. I also wanted to use things that I already had in or around my house as to not over complicate things.

These are the recipes and results I had using my household items.

Purple Iris - Blue

I went for a walk yesterday and I remember admiring someones Purple Iris but I didn't remember where. After scouting the neighbourhood a few times, I was about to give up when I realised it was my next door neighbours Purple Irises... I need more sleep. Anyway, I knocked on the door, told her I wanted to make dye out of her flowers and asked if I could take a few heads. My neighbour looked at me as though I was extremely odd but then told me I could take as many as I liked.

The darker the purple the better.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan place 3 roughly chopped Irises and 1 cup of water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until water has reduced by half.

The picture doesn't show, but the water is actually a blue colour

 Using a strainer, strain liquid into a container and allow to cool before use.


Powdered turmeric - bright yellow
In a heavy bottomed saucepan place 2 tablespoons of turmeric and 1 cup of water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until water has reduced by half. Using a strainer, strain liquid into a container and allow to cool before use.

Raspberries & red currants - pink
In a heavy bottomed saucepan place a handful of raspberries, a handful of red currants and 1 cup of water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until water has reduced by half. Using a strainer, strain liquid into a container and allow to cool before use.

Blackberries & blueberries - purple
In a heavy bottomed saucepan place a handful of blackberries, a handful of blueberries and 1 cup of water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until water has reduced by half. Using a strainer, strain liquid into a container and allow to cool before use.

Red onion skin - an earthy musk
In a heavy bottomed saucepan place the skin of 3 onions and 2 cups of water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until water has reduced to half a cup. Using a strainer, strain liquid into a container and allow to cool before use.

Black tea - brown
In a heavy bottomed saucepan place 3 teaspoons of tea leaf and 1 cup of water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until water has reduced by half. Using a strainer, strain liquid into a container and allow to cool before use.

Spinach - green
In a heavy bottomed saucepan place 5 roughly chopped spinach leaves and 2 cups of water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until water has reduced to half a cup. Using a strainer, strain liquid into a container and allow to cool before use.

 

End result of Purple Iris is on the far left

The end result should be an array of beautiful colours in different shades. You can easily play around with different measurements and simmering times to get different results but personally I'm quite pleased with my colours, although I think the green could be a bit brighter. I might try using nettle next time.

Purple Iris, top right

 
Although you can't use the inedible dyes in foods, you could most certainly use the edible ones as alternatives to store bought, preservative filled food colourings. Especially the berry based dyes for desserts or icing! I plan to use these for Grub's finger paints and playdough once I get some time to make them.

If you plan to use these, remember... they're dyes! They stain! Use an apron when making them.

Have a great weekend!


MamaKoo

(Excuse the shocking lighting of the last few photos, I ran out of daylight!)