Chocolate Biscuit Cake

 

Ingredients:

• 100g Butter
• 400g Milk chocolate OR
• 400g White Chocolate
• 1 can of condensed milk
• 250g McVitie chocolate rich biscuits

Method:

1. Melt your butter and preferred type of chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of near boiling water. Turn on the hob and melt it slowly because if it melts too quickly it will curdle and you will have to start again!
2. While the two ingredients are melting break up the biscuits either by hand OR with a rolling pin in a bag, put the broken biscuits in a bowl and leave to the side.
3. Open the can of condensed milk.
4. Remove the melted chocolate and butter from the hob when there are no lumps left in the mixture and the ingredients are a shiny, rich, brown/cream colour.
5. Gradually add the condensed milk to the chocolate mixture.
   The ingredients will look as if you have done something wrong as they will combine and then separate. DON’T WORRY, this is normal. KEEP adding the condensed milk until there is none remaining in the can. Eventually the mixture will get thicker and smoother than before
6. Gradually add the biscuits to the mixture, as much or as little as you want.
7. Line a squared baking tray with tinfoil. Add the chocolate biscuit mixture.
8. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
9. Cut up into squares of 16 or 20 and Enjoy!

Easter Gumdrop Cake

Gumdrop Cake

3 c. sifted flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. shortening
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1 c. sweetened applesauce
2 c. golden seedless raisins or sun maid baking raisins
1 lb. lg. gumdrops (assorted, but no black) cut into pieces with scissors

Sift flour, soda, salt and cinnamon together 3 times. Cream shortening with sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and beat thoroughly. Add 1 cup dry ingredients and blend, add applesauce, raisins and remaining dry ingredients; mix thoroughly. Mix in gumdrops and turn into tube pan lined with greased paper. Bake in slow oven (300 degrees) for 2 - 2 1/2 hours. Makes 1 (9 inch) cake.

Let's take processed foods down a notch and bake from scratch

Various Names For Sugar Commonly Found in Processed Foods: This is scary .. really

* Amaske (brown rice)
* Barley malt (grain)
* Beet sugar (root)
* Brown rice syrup (grain)
* Brown sugar
* Cane juice
* Confectioners’ sugar
* Corn sweetener (grain)
* Corn syrup (grain)
* Date sugar (fruit)
* Dextrose
* Fructooliosaccharides (fruit)
* Fructose (fruit)
* Fruit juice concentrate (fruit)
* Galactose
* Glucose
* Granulated sugar
* High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) — If you were to avoid only one sugar, HFCS would be the one! According to physicians Mehmet Oz and Michael Roisen, high-fructose corn syrup is the worst sweetener added to our food supply.
* Honey (natural)
* Juice concentrate
* Lactose
* Licorice Root
* Maltodextrin (corn syrup solids)
* Malted barley (grain)
* Maltose
* Maple sugar (natural sweetener)
* Molasses (natural sweetener)
* Powdered sugar
* Rice Syrup & Yinni Syrup
* Raisin juice (fruit)
* Raisin syrup (fruit)
* Raw sugar
* Sorghum syrup
* Stevia—Stevia is really a healthy sweetener. It’s an herbal sweetener that’s two to three hundred times sweeter than sugar and no calories. It’s presently sold in the U.S. as a dietary supplement, although it has been used as a sweetener for hundreds of years in Latin America, Japan, and Asia and now in Europe.
* Sucanat
* Sucrose
* Sugar cane
* Turbinado sugar
* White sugar

French Toast Unfrenched

French Toast Unfrenched

1/2 cup finely chopped and toasted pecans
1 cup honey nut cornflakes
1/4 cup shredded coconut
2 tsp cinnamon, divided
2 Tbsp brown sugar
3 eggs
2/3 cup whole milk
1 tbsp buttermilk powder
1 1/2 tbsp sour cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
6 Tbsp butter, divided
6 slices bread, Italliano or very thick sliced and cut into circle with coffee can if you like
Pure maple syrup for serving
Powdered confectioner's sugar
Diced fruit for serving (peaches, bananas, apples,mango, berries etc.) *Kiwi must remain fresh.

Whirl pecans in chopper or bullet or what have you and spread in a cast iron fry pan, put in oven and roast or toast for a few minutes (usually 3-4) Whir your cornflakes and pulse until cornflakes are broken minimally. Pour mixture into a shallow dish and add coconut and 1 tsp cinnamon. Mix until combined.

In a small bowl, combine eggs, milk, buttermilk powder, sour cream vanilla and 1 tsp cinnamon. Whisk until well combined. Pour egg mixture into another shallow dish and set aside.

On a breakfast skillet set to 350 or med high melt half your butter. You can add more if you need or reserve for the tops after they are cooked. Dip 1 piece of bread in the egg mixture and then into the cornflake mixture, pressing the cornflakes so they will adhere. Repeat with all 6 slices of bread. Once the butter is melted in the pan, add the bread. Cook on both sides for about 2 minutes, or until the crust is browned. You absolutely do not want the bread to be mushy, it will be puffed slightly and will have a nice golden coating over it all if you did it right. Don't rush this or it just won't work. Turn the pan down to low and leave your toast on there to keep warm.
Prepare whatever fruit you would like to use. You can use it fresh or you can stir fry it in a fry pan for a few minutes your choice, when softened to your liking remove fruit and thicken juices with 1 tsp ONLY of cornstarch until juice is clear and thick. If it is not enough you can add a jar of Heinz fruit salad baby food to this. YUMMERS. Toss your fruit back in and there you have your side. We like to serve this with maple bacon and a couple of bangers I like to use a flour sifter and powder sugar to sprinkle the dish lightly even the meats.
Serve with syrup and diced fruit on top. Enjoy!
*Photo above sent in to us from a reader of ours.
Let us know what you do and send us a photo! Love to hear from you for reals xo

Yummy Chicken Salad with Nasturtiums

seeds from Eden Brothers

Yummy Chicken Salad with Flowers
Partially adapted from the Brass Sisters, their recipe is delish too

For the Salad
4 cups cooked chicken cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 ripe mangos, peeled and sliced into wedges
1 tin mandarin oragnge slices, drained
¾ cup salted toasted cashews, 1/4 cup reserved for topping
6 oz. (4 cups) mixed greens
12 fresh cut Nasturtiums

For the Vinaigrette
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons chili sauce
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ cup honey plus 2 tablespoons
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon finely ground pink pepper
3 tablespoons peeled ginger, finely minced
2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
Directions

1. To make the salad: Combine chicken, mangos, oranges, and ½ cup of cashews in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Whisk together olive oil, rice wine vinegar, honey, chili sauce, salt, pink pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic and ginger root in a small bowl. Add vinaigrette to chicken a little at a time, tossing with two serving spoons. You may have a small amount of vinaigrette left which can be served on the side.

3. Refrigerate salad until ready to serve. Place salad on a bed of crisp arugula or other greens, and sprinkle remaining ¼ cup cashews on top of chicken salad when ready to serve. Store leftover salad in refrigerator in covered container.

Tips: • Do not use over-ripe mangos because they will be too soft. I love using yellow and orange Nasturtiums on this salad. *Nasturtium plants were discovered in the jungles of Peru and Mexico in the 16th century. I can't say enough about them--they are easy to grow, edible, cheerful and they are great companion plants as well! Nasturtiums help deter aphids, whiteflies, squash bugs, cucumber beetles and other pests. Plant them with tomatoes, radishes, cabbage, cucumbers, and under fruit trees. They come in vibrant colors, or muted tones-variegated leaves or plain

Nasturtium Butter Should you wish to serve fresh rolls
Ingredients:

1 pound butter, softened

1 quart nasturtium blossoms

juice of 1 lemon

Pink pepper to taste

In a food processor or blender add the butter, nasturtiums and lemon juice and process until completely mixed. Use on seafood or vegetables. You can also add minced garlic to this if you wish for a variation.

Catching up Spicy Lo Mein Salad Cos I missed ya!

Spicy (Oh how I am gonna miss you) Lo Mein Salad

2 cups cooked and cooled lo mein noodles
1 bag baby spinach (10 oz)
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup chopped sweet red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh green onion
1/4 cup chopped pickled ginger slices (put aside 2 tbsp brine)
1 6oz tin mandarin oranges drained reserving juice
2 grated carrots

Dressing:
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp omega 3 cooking oil
2 tbsp brine from ginger
mandarin juice reserved
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp orange juice concentrate
3 tbsp rice vinegar
4 chopped chili peppers
1/2 tsp fresh orange peel grated tiny
1/8 cup finely chopped pickled ginger

Salad: Cook and chill noodles. Toss together all ingredients. Set aside in cool fridge in a lovely earthenware bowl. I happen to like my pouring mixer bowl for this.
BUY NOW

Dressing: Shake all ingredients together in dressing bottle. Shake madly to your fave music. Dance, shake and shake. When all shook and you are tired heat up on stove for approx 5 minutes until thickens slightly. Pour into a gorgeous bottle and cool.
At serving time, toss your masterpiece and sit back and glow! ohhh yeah! Don't you just love when I am sharing my bestiest recipes ever. xox
1 tbsp cornstarch