Sunday 31 July 2011

weekend round up.... bits and beebz.

Soooo this last week has been completely exhausting, physically and mentally. not much time to post as I have had a major upheaval, and moved all my worldly possessions from my spacious flat... back to my small room at my parents. Its amazing how much stuff I have accumulated.
 Spent most of this weekend reshuffling, organizing and cleaning and finally my bedroom is habitable and ready for me and Beebz to take up residence! ere's a sneek peek of ma new place...
Beebz has definatly made herself at home already...
Me and my family have been on many a long country walk since being back ohhhh and bobbins got a new toy...
This dog loves and gets just as excitable about a muffin as me. I think this one is gluten free too...
 But this turns out not to be my favourite kind, Bobbin's muffin has a pretty annoying squeak.. that never ever stops. After looking at these piccys its clear she is due for a hair cut very soon.
 For dinner tonight I had a delicious home cooked, roast Mediterranean lasagna! since be coming gluten free pasta seems something of a luxury and I really enjoyed this simple Italian supper.
The roast veg ratatouille was very flavoursome, featuring butternut squash, bell peppers, courgette and tomatoes... but my favourite part was the crispy cheesy top. mmmm hmmmm. Will have to get the recipe and post it on here.

Anyway, not the most exciting post but, Ill be back to baking AYYYY S.A.P.

Beebz is fast asleep, snoring/ having doggy dreams (probably about that muffin) and Im Off to bed early. Exciting day ahead tomorrow....

Hope you had a lovely weekend!

Friday 29 July 2011

Gluten free Blueberry, Coconut and Banana Muffins.

Yesterday I was in London with my Dad for some work meeting, We packed a homemade sandwich and sat and ate our lunch by the Thames with a  gorgeous view of passing boats, St. Pauls, Southbank and Big Ben. After we decided to have a wander around the city. Its brilliant to take in all the sights and actually appreciate our capital, normally i'd be rushing around from tube station to A and then to B, but it was great to see all the landmarks and be a bit of a tourist :) We meandered through to Covent Garden and walked past a bakery 'Muffinski' outside was a blackboard advertising Gluten Free muffins!
 My heart skipped a beat, I popped my head in, the smell was just amazing. there were 3 GF flavours on offer. i opted for the raspberry and white chocolate. it was yummy! highlight was the crispy top but it was very much lacking in white choc... This morning i still had muffs on my mind so I baked some for my family for a mid morning treat...
Delicously moist and gluten friendly, these muffins are made with
Bananas and have a lovely  hint of coconut because of the flour. The flavours perfectly complement each other in these sweet muffins with a tangy hit from the bloobs.
There pretty healthy too ;)
 Ingrediants
 ¼ cup sifted Coconut Flour
2 tablespoons Coconut Oil or butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons soya milk
2 mashed bananas
1 tsp ground flaxseeds
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
⅛ teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup fresh blueberries

 Directions
  • In a large bowl mash bananas and whisk in egg,  oil/ butter,  milk, honey, salt and vanilla. 
  • Combine coconut flour with baking powder and whisk into batter until there are no lumps. 
  • Fold in blueberries. 
  • Pour batter into lined muffin tray. Bake at 180 Degree C  for 18 - 20 minutes. Makes 6 muffins.

Wednesday 27 July 2011

W.I.A.W: The Graduate.

This is kinda a what I ate Monday really, as i have been so busy moving I haven't done any baking and eats have been very snacky and and sporadic! Packing up and moving is definatly one of the most stressful things Can't wait to get settled in and for everything to be be sorted... but in the mean time here is my W.I.A.W(monday)



I have consumed hella diet cola and berries and made this tasty and very pink beetroot, strawberry banana et soya smoothie concoction. Served up with a peanut buttaaa pittaaaa on the side. Defiantly going to be whizzin' up more smoothies in the future this was delish but I'm going to add protein powder to beef up my next batch.
  On Monday it was my graduation from university! My parents came down for the ceremony and we celebrated. here I am feeling a bit uncomfortable in all my gown and glory...
 Collected my diploma... Its official I am a bachelor in the art of fashion.
Getting giddy and feeling like I was at Hogwarts...
toastin' with some bubbles and my dad.
 For lunch I sat on outside with a Marks and spencers gluten free Egg Mayonnaise sandwich and diet coke.
Some people want presents and flowers when they graduate... but I demanded Frozen yoghurt as my treat.
blueberry frozen yoghurt topped with fresh strawberries and cinnemon apple sauce.

The ceremony was 3 hours long filled with lengthy speeches and bizarre fanfare it most defiantly dragged on.. I mean... Im only interested in hearing my own name called out, sod the rest of ya. It was a really fun day and nice to reflect upon 4 years of hard work, but its was also tinged with a little sadness...finally saying goodbye to my student life.

After all the pomp and ceremony I returned home, tired and weery but had just enough energy to rustle up some supper...  me and Mr Bake and Beebz had alot of fun making this homemade GF pizza.
have you been to a graduation ceremony, did you enjoy it?
oh and whats your favourite smoothie flavvahs?

Monday 25 July 2011

Fluff Stuff

 I have fluff in my possession...
On a shopping trip to Brighton, on Saturday I wondered into, the American candy store, Cyber candy, and discovered they now stock fluff! They must have heard my pleads. This stuff is all i ever dreamed of and more. As soon as I leapt onto train home, found my seat, relatively safe out of the judging public eye, I scooped my paw in and gobbled up a couple of handfuls.Then i suddendly remembered i had also bought some gluten free chocolate animal crackers... so they got a good dunkin' oh it was the BEST TRAIN COMMUTE EVAAAAAH. Its so sweet, even for my sweet tooth, my mouth kinda ached afterwards, It is after all a massive marshmallow poured into a glass jar...but its worth it.
On Sunday I baked some GF chocolate cupcakes for me and some friends i was meeting at the beach. I topped them with mallow fluff and sprinkles. That fluff had a mind of its own and kept dripping every where, messy but worth the rediculously stick fingers. I think this could be a new enduring love affair....
next stop fluffer nutter sam michs here i come...

have you ever had marshmallow in a jar? whats your stance on teh fluff? like, love or hate?
Right back to packing up my appartment... Big move tomorrow...

Friday 22 July 2011

Gluten Free Seedy Loaf

 So yesterday, I got miss sold a brick. an expensive brick. I bought a loaf of gluten free bread from a health food store on the premise (from a overly pushy cashier) it was seedy, soft and fluffy. Rushed home sliced up my special loaf and.... spat it out. ewwww it was like eating dusty, sandy clay topped with seeds. outraged i'd spend £3.50 on dust, and still itching for a good egg salad sammmmich, I took the dough into my own hands a whipped up my own bread...
I had had this warm, fresh out of the oven, and can honestly say its the best bread ive had since becoming GF. actually has  abread texture and is fluffy it is amazing toasted too. oh it just ticks all the boxes. But maybe I'm biased as anything tastes better than the crumbly brick I had earlier, so the bar hasn't been set very high... any way... Bake this.
Ingrediants
  • 300g brown GF bread flour mix flour
  • 20g coconut flour
  • 1 tbsp xantham gum
  • 30g sesame seeds
  • 15g poppy seeds
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp fast-action dried yeast
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 400ml hand-hot water
Directions
  1. Mix the flours with the xantham gum, seeds, and salt in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients.
  2. mix with wooden spoon until it forms a sticky dough, then knead for around 1 minute.
  3. Transfer to the loaf tin. smooth the top for a nice presentable finish, (unlike me)
  4. Cover loosely with oiled cling film and leave in a warm place until the dough reaches the top of the tin – approx 30 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200 C. Remove the cling film and bake in the oven until risen, golden,  around 40 minutes.
  6. Tip out of tin on to a wire rack.

 after our supper, me and Beebz headed out for a evening stroll, which turned into a 2 hour walk along the seafront. Just kept on walking. It was a beautiful serene evening.

 On Monday we will be leaving Hastings, the sea, the beach and our flat, as I have taken a new job in the countryside. Its a new chapter in our lives and the first time in 3 years me and Harry wont be living together. But I'm determined to make it work and hopefully it will be like a new adventure.

Once we got back in, I decided that I should really begin the process of packing... the big move is only 4 days away!  but first... some toast, PB and a cuppa.
 Let the procrastination begin.

Wednesday 20 July 2011

W.I.A.W : Dark chocolate dreamin'

 
GOOD MORNING POSTMAN! GOOD MORNING PARCEL OF YUM.
today a very important package arrived from the states. containing a his and her jar selection of PB&co Dark chocolate dreams for me and a jar of salsa verde for spicey mr bake n beebz. You cant get these in the UK anywhere and every time I read another foodie blog and they have PB&co butter, I let out a jealous sigh and throw a tantrum. 
 Now i am a owner of said jar Im soooo happy.  I have waited patiently .... and now my time has come. popped open the jar within 30 seconds of waving off and slammin' the door behind the postie, and dunked my fingers in for a scooop. HEAVEN. Recieving mail makes me want to do food package swaps with other bloggers!

 
Breakfast was buckwheat oats inspired by healthy hipster's post last week.
I mixed a tbsp of coconut flour in whilst cooking which made them soooo creamy. 
topped with a dollop of dark chocolate dreams, raspberries and honey.
Fell like this nut butter is going to be gone by the end of the day... gotta learn to ration, its too precious.
 i'll have to keep using this lipbalm for now.
Grilled Potabello mushoom the size of my face with pesto, spinach and mozzarella.
I've eaten copious amount of these today.

After lunch Me and Harry headed tot he gym for a workout. I ended up doing a intense strength training work out with him. Mr Bake and Beebz is a tough drill Sargent ;) and boy does my butt feel sore now.
 DINNER
Need refuelling after boot camp so we are having:

Mexican veggie filled rice cooked by harry with chicken and salsa verde!

 Hopefully we're going out to see the final Harry Potter tonight! cannot wait!...after a power nap ;)

have you seen it?
Oh and if anyone is interested in doing a foodie blogger parcel swap contact me!

P.P.S thanks jenn for hosting another W.I.A.W!!!



Monday 18 July 2011

FLUFFERNUTTER CRISPY TREAT SQUARES. (Gluten Free)

Marshmellows + Peanut butter + more peanuts + a drizzle of chocolate + crunch = Bliss. oh and its gluten free bliss too.
I have an obsession with marshmallow fluff. I'm curious and fascinated with the concept of a jar filled with soft, dreamy and magical marshmallow contents. Being British born and bred, Ive never had it, but i know I need to. the desire, Its boarding on dangerous now and i find myself looking at, and justifying $50 dollar shipping costs, just so i get me some fluff.
So these crispy treats are my attempt and silencing the fluff craving/want until i work out how i can affordabley get my hands on a jar or 25.and as soon as that package arrives im making one of those fluffernutter sandwiches I have lusted over for too long. America just knows good food, right?!
MARSHMELLOW AND PEANUT BUTTER RICE CRISPY SQUARES.

Ingredients
15 large marshmallows
1 tbsp honey or golden syrup
1/3 cup natural peanut butter
4 cups Gluten Free rice crispies cereal (I used Natures Path variety)
1/4 cup roughly chopped peanuts
250g milk chocolate
  1. In a sauce pan on a low heat combine 10 marshmallow, golden syrup and peanut butter.
  2. stir continuously until all ingredients are melted and fully combined
  3. chop peanuts and remaining marshmallows
  4. in a large bowl add rice crispies, marshmallows, stir, then add the peanut fluff mixture from pan in bowl bowl quickly, stir and ensure all the crispies are coated.
  5. line a tin with cling film and push in mixture firmly, 
  6. melt chocolate on low setting in a micro wave and drizzle over the top.
  7. place in fridge until set, then divide into squares with sharp knife.
  8. MUNCH ON DOWN.