Farmersgirl Kitchen

Wednesday, 25 June 2014

Because I'm Happy!

I've been told that, no matter how I change my hair and whether I am wearing glasses or not, I am always recognisable as soon as I smile, and I do smile most of the time.

It's not so hard to smile and I've certainly noticed a lot of 'happiness' meme's e.g. 100 Happy Days. Dorset Cereals have asked me to come up with my five top happiness actions, the things I do that make me happy, the things that make me smile, so here goes:

1. Connecting with people - this has to be my top happiness action, whether it is with my family or close friends or my 'virtual' friends in the land of social media, I love to write, talk, listen, share and laugh with all sorts of people.

2. Cooking and Baking - not so much the everyday type of 'getting the meal on the table' cooking, more the weekend, take your time, create and have fun type of kitchen activity.

3. Travelling and Exploring - It doesn't matter if it's only a short distance, I love to visit places I haven't been to before, find out about the history and the stories and if there is food involved then it's even better! I really rediscovered my appetite for travel when I recently visited Canada.

4. Back, Neck and Shoulder Massage - I do love to go for a massage, we are both spa junkies and love being pampered.

5. My home - I've always been happy in my home, but I realised just how important it was for me this year when we discovered dry rot, had our home invaded by builders for three months and ceilings, floors and walls were demolished and rebuilt.

What is your top happiness action?

Here are a few ideas from Dorset Cereals to help you to find ways to be happy, they do tend to feature breakfast which is, of course, when you can sample the delights of a bowl of Dorset Cereal Muesli or Honey Porridge to set you up for the day:

THINK: As Ferris Bueller once said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” So focus on the good stuff. What happened yesterday, what’s good about today? And feel the benefits of a little reflection and observation. Miss this at breakfast and you won’t have time to catch up during the day.

TALK: The work/life balance can classically kill off family time, but as you wake up this is the time you are most likely to be together as a family group. Don’t leave it for ‘later’ when ‘later’ inevitably changes shape during the day.

MOVE: Dorset residents might benefit from acres of coastline and countryside all around, but planning something active shouldn’t rest on this alone. Think as you chew about whether you’re pacing up and down the office when on a call, or actually walking up an escalator. If you plan it before you leave home, you will do it, rather than fall into the fug of routine. And feel good about it.

ENJOY: Quality of life needs some…quality. From a particular coffee smell that beats all others, to ingredients in your food that you can actually savour above the functional, to little moments of pleasure that you can plan into each day. The link again is the planning, the enjoyment factor and the few minutes to work into the day that make everything a little more enjoyable.

I was provided with Dorset Cereals muesli and porridge, I was not paid to write this and all views are my own.

Labels: Dorset Cereals, happiness actions, happy, honey, muesli, Porridge

Thursday, 24 January 2013

Fruity Porridge in a Flask for Breakfast Week

A lot of people who don't eat breakfast say that they don't have time in the morning. This super tasty porridge in a flask takes only a few minutes to make before you go to bed and it's ready to eat when you get up next morning.

The original recipe for this is Slow Cooked Vanilla Spice Oatmeal from 'Pure Vanilla' by Shauna Sever, which I blogged about last November. But I've made some changes this time, leaving out the vanilla and adding a bit more cinnamon and mixed spice and an additional 1/3 cup of mixed luxury dried fruits.

Fruity Porridge in a Flask

Serves 2

1/2 cup steel-cut oats

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg

1 pinch ground mixed spice

1/3 cup dried fruit, chopped

1 3/4 cups milk

Combine all ingredients in a jug; add 1 3/4 cups milk and stir to blend. Cook in the microwave until the milk is steaming. Pour it into the vaccum flask and close the lid. Leave overnight.

In the morning, open the flask and you'll find that the porridge has cooked and the fruit plumped up. You might need to blast it for 30 seconds in the microwave to warm it up a bit more as it tends to be a bit luke warm first thing. But the texture of steel cut oats is nothing like sloppy instant oatmeal and the flavour of the the spices and fruits is infused into the oats.

I served my porridge with banana and a sprinkle of cinnamon, but you can add cream, yogurt, nuts and any other fruits you enjoy.

It's Farmhouse Breakfast Week all this week and there are loads of breakfast ideas on the Shake Up your Wake Up website.

You can follow @breakfastweek on Twitter and tweet a picture of your breakfast every day with the hash tag #BreakfastWatch. You can also post your photos to Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

As this is a 'cooked' breakfast I'm adding it to Breakfast Club, if you make a cooked or baked breakfast you can join us until 24th February.

Labels: breakfast, Breakfast Club, Breakfast Watch, Porridge, Pure Vanilla, Shake up your Wake Up, vacuum flask

Saturday, 24 November 2012

More Chocolate Porridge for Breakfast Club

I found this great blog post about food photography this morning via Twitter and the Snapseed app was recommended for iphone, so I thought I'd try it out, it has more functionality than Instagram and you can transfer your photos via Instagram, or email and most of the other popular photo hosts as well as sharing via social media.

Anyway back to the Breakfast Club which is being hosted this month at The Chocolate Log Blog by the lovely Choclette. It was no surprise that Choclette chose 'chocolate' for the Breakfast Club theme. Now I don't normally eat chocolate for breakfast, but remembered that I had a little chocolate sauce left over from a dessert, it had solidified in the bottom of a ramekin in the fridge and there really wasn't enough for more than one person.

Choclette featured Chocolate Porridge as her breakfast recipe, but took a different approach. I used the lovely Flahavan's Irish Steel Cut Oats again and made my porridge with milk but no sugar, then softened the sauce in the microwave for 20 seconds, spooned some into the porridge and swirled it around. It took me right back to my childhood when I used to love to put a spoonful of black treacle into my Farley's rice, anyone remember that?

I have to say that I probably put too much chocolate sauce in the porridge, but it was VERY good!

To take part, make a breakfast which includes chocolate in some way, shape or form and post it.

Mention Breakfast Club and use the logo.
Link to the Breakfast Club page and to Chocolate Log Blog.
You are welcome to send in old recipes, but please add the information above and republish.
Entries can be sent to other events, but please respect their rules.
If you tweet please use #blogbreakfastclub.
If you do not have a blog, send a photo and details to - choclette8 AT gmail.com
All breakfast clubs are also blog hops, so do feel free to grab the code and add to your page.
Entries to be in by midnight on 25th November please.

Join in the Blog Hop by grabbing the code below

Labels: Breakfast Club, Choclette, Chocolate Log Blog, chocolate porridge, chocolate sauce, Flahavan's Irish coarse cut oatmeal, Fuss Free Flavour, Porridge, Snapseed, Twitter

Tuesday, 20 November 2012

Who says Vanilla isn't sexy? Pure Vanilla - A review

Pure Vanilla by Shauna Sever with photographs by Leigh Beisch

It says something that a whole book can be devoted to one flavouring ingredient . Vanilla is the world’s most universally loved flavour and for good reason. No flavour is more widely recognised, used and enjoyed across the globe.

This book aims to show the versatility of vanilla and tell the story of vanilla from its start as a green pod nestled inside a tropical flower to its transformation into the fragrant beans we all recognise and love.

The comprehensive Introduction starts with a brief history of vanilla tracing the history of vanilla from 1519 up to the present day. The history is told in a very accessible way in short ‘bites’ of readable story.

In From Orchid to Extract, Shauna explains how Vanilla is produced and why it is so expensive.

There is also information about vanilla in all its forms. An exploration of the different forms of vanilla you can use in your cooking and baking.

I had no idea there were different varieties of vanilla with different subtle tastes, but all is explained in the section: Vanilla origins, Varieties and Tasting notes . The introduction concludes with ‘Vanilla FAQs’ to answer any remaining questions.

Salted Vanilla Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Makes 3 dozen cookies (I reduced the ingredients by a 1/3 to make 1 dozen)

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/14 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

8oz white chocolate, chopped

2 tbsp Vanilla Fleur de Sel (make it like vanilla sugar, but with flaky sea salt) for sprinkling

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat oven to 350F, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

In a large bowl, whisk oats, flour, baking soda, and slat to blend well.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and vanilla extract on medium high speed until blended and creamy. Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. I don't have a stand mixer so used an electric hand mixer.

Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add oat mixture, then white chocolate.

Scoop batter, 2 tbsp at a time, onto prepared baking sheets, about 8 cookies to a sheet, Sprinkle a bit of vanilla fleur de sel onto each cookie.

Bake until cookies are golden around the edges but still a bit soft in a centres, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating sheets from front to back and top to bottom half way through baking. Do not over bake. Let cookies cool on sheets for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

I'm not a huge fan of salted with sweet, so didn't bother with the Vanilla Fleur de Sel, the cookies went down well with my visitors and were the first to be chosen. They have a nice texture, slightly soft and chewy. I realise I have chosen two recipes with oats in as well as vanilla, not deliberate just what appealed to me! There are lots more recipes with different ingredients, I've given you a taster of some of the titles below.

The Recipes

There are 80 recipes in the book divided into the following chapters:

Breakfasts including Vanilla Brown Sugar and Black Pepper Bacon, Slow Cooked Vanilla Spice Oatmeal* and Buttery Baked Vanilla Bean French Toast.

Cakes and Pies Including Vanilla Cloud Cake, Twinkie Bundt Cake and Vanilla Cream Pie

Cookies and Bars including Vanilla Latte Cookies, Mini Vanilla Eclairs and Salted Vanilla Chip Oatmeal Cookies*

Candies and Confections including Vanilla Bean Marshmallows, Golden Pear-Vanilla Jam and Vanilla Lollipops

Custards and Creams including Warm Vanilla-Rum Rice Pudding, Australian Vanilla Slice and Favourite Vanilla Ice Cream

Drinks including Vanilla Mojito, Fruity Vanilla Iced Tea and Melted White Hot Chocolate

Resources

Unfortunately, as this is an American book, the speciality stores are all in the US.

Conversion Chart

I was pleased to see there was a conversion chart in the back of the book and I used it to reduce the ingredients for the Vanilla Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Who is it for?

This book is for anyone who loves vanilla. The recipes are all cakes and desserts, but the two that I tried were not over-sweet, with much of the sweetness coming from the vanilla itself. There are a number of interesting and different recipes, the drinks chapter was a bit of a revelation and there are lots of interesting new ideas to try in the Candies and Confections chapter.

Pros and Cons

If you read all the information in the introduction you will be much better informed about vanilla and how to use it to full advantage. The quantities for some of the recipes are huge, I don't usually make 3 dozen cookies at a time.

Ease of use

The recipes are varied, some very simple and others more challenging. The recipes are well laid out and I found them easy to follow.

Slow Cooked Vanilla Spice Oatmeal

Serves 4

1 cup steel-cut oats

1/2 vanilla bean , split length ways

2 tablespoons light brown sugar (optional) plus more for serving

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground cardamom

single or double cream for serving

Coat the sleeve of a 5 quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Place sleeve in slow cooker and combine all ingredients in it; add 3 1/2 cups water and stir to blend. Set slow cooker to low and cook for 8 hours. Remove vanilla bean and scrape any remaining caviar into oatmeal. Stir well and serve with brown sugar to taste and a drizzle of cream.

I don't have a slow cooker, but wanted to try this, so this is what I did:

I only used half the quantity and cooked the oatmeal with the water in the microwave for 1 minute until hot, add the other ingredients,except the cream, and pour into a wide mouthed vacuum flask Leave overnight and serve with Greek yogurt or creme fraiche.

It worked brilliantly, the oatmeal could have been a little warmer but had absorbed all the vanilla and spice flavours and had a lovely texture. I would definitely make this again.

Worth buying?

It’s a surprising book, with so many different ways to use vanilla. However, I am not sure that I would buy a book that focused on one flavour, but if you really love vanilla then I’m sure you would have a lot of fun making these recipes.

Published by Quirk Books

Available at On line bookshop from £10.71

I received a copy of Pure Vanilla to review, I was not paid to review this book and all opinions are my own.

Labels: book review, chocolate, cookies, oatmeal, oats, Porridge, Pure Vanilla, review, Vanilla, white chocolate

Friday, 16 November 2012

Chia seeds, Porridge and Orchard syrup

Yes, I know it looks like I've covered by porridge in black pepper and honey but honestly that's not what it is at all!

I told you about the Flahavan's Irish Coarse Cut Oatmeal in my Wartime Kitchen post, but because Chia Seeds and Orchard Syrup wouldn't have been available during WW2, I couldn't include them in my post.

I don’t know if you have come across Chia before but it is a tiny seed found in flowers descended from the mint family in Mexico and Central America, has stormed onto the UK market as the most super of super foods, thanks to innovative Irish producers Chia Bia who are launching a range of Chia products including Whole Chia Seed and a range of Chia Nutrient Bars.

Chia is not only high in protein, Fibre and Antioxidants but is also the highest plant source of OMEGA 3 on the planet. Known as the “Running Food”, Chia’s most common use (as a high-energy endurance food) has been recorded as far back as the ancient Aztecs. Previously it was used to treat wounds, colds and sore throats, upset stomachs, body odours, prostate problems, and constipation. Despite being used so many years ago it isn’t until recently that we have seen a renaissance of Chia due to its health benefits. Chia Bia supply both Milled and Whole Chia seed packs.

With a write up like that the question is...what does it taste like? I really enjoyed the Chiabia bar, it's an organic muesli bar with cranberries, coconut and chia seeds on a whole milk chocolate base. It was quite sweet, but not in an artificial way and the cranberry fruit flavour came through, so I would recommend those. However, I'm not so sure about the Chia Seeds, the flavour is not unpleasant but I'm not sure it adds any flavour it's more about the protein, fibre and antioxidants which are hard to measure in a review. I may try to make my own oaty energy bars and include some of the Chia Seeds in them.

Highbank Orchard Syrup is a sweet, organic syrup made from apples grown on a family farm in Kilkenny, Ireland. “Ireland’s answer to maple syrup" also described as 'vegan honey' this delicious, pouring, organic syrup, is the first of its kind. Totally organic, this unique, healthy product is made from Irish, organic apples from the Highbank Orchard Farm.The syrup really comes alive as a glaze for a Christmas ham, in porridge, or poured over warm pancakes with or without bacon.

This was a great addition to the porridge, a lovely sweet apple flavour. I am baking a ham this weekend so will see how it works as a glaze.

Chia Bia Seeds 315g pack found on line at £12.09
Chia Bia Bar RRP £4.28, on line retailer £1.78 + P&P
Highbank Orchard Syrup 66ml bottle on line at £3.70, 200ml - £8.00

I was supplied with these products for review, I did not receive money and was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Labels: Chia seeds, Flahavan's Irish coarse cut oatmeal, Highbank Orchard Syrup, Porridge, review

Saturday, 10 November 2012

Ration Book Cooking with Great British Bakeware by George Wilkinson- Saturday 10th November

Only a couple more days to go on my rations and I must say I won't be sorry when it is over, it's a bit of fun to try to cook with rations for a week but British Families had 14 years of these strictures, I can only imagine how much people must have craved something different.

I was lucky that last night I attended a Gala Dinner and was able to feast on three courses of delicious food which I didn't have to cook and which featured strawberries, blueberries, ratatouille and a lovely boef bourguignon. Back to 'old clothes and porridge' as we say here!

Menu for Saturday 10th November

Breakfast - Porridge

Lunch - Lentil Soup, slice of Wartime Loaf

Supper - Beef Stew with Dumplings, Blackberry and Apple Pie with Custard

No dumplings yet!

I didn't use a war time recipe as it's just a basic beef stew/casserole with lots of root veg added to bulk it out, I had some celery in the fridge so threw that in too in the interests if thrift.

Beef Stew with Dumplings (serves 4)

0.6 kg Stewing steak
5 Parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
4 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 large onion, peeled and sliced
1 small swede, peeled and cut into chunks
2 oxo cubes
salt and pepper to taste

Dumplings
50g suet
100g self-raising flour
5 tbsp cold water

1. Heat a little oil (lard) in an ovenproof casserole, cut the stewing steak into chunks and brown in the fat.
2. Add the sliced onion and cook for a minute, then add all the other vegetables and cook for a couple of minutes.
3. Cover the meat and vegetable mixture with hot water from the kettle and add the two stock cubes and the seasoning.
4. Bring to the boil, put the lid on and then cook at 150C for 11/2 to 2 hours, checking every now and then to make sure it doesn't dry out. You need to be sure you have enough liquid in the stew to steam cook the dumplings.

5. About 15 minutes before serving, mix the flour, suet and water together and form into 8 balls.
6. Bring the stew to a simmer on the hob and add the dumplings, put the lid on and cook for 10-15 minutes until they have fluffed up.
7. Serve with mashed potato and a green vegetable.

Blackberry and Apple Pie with custard

Blackberry and Apple pie

Made with Bramley cooking apples, delicious blackberries and cinnamon, this pie is truly irresistible. Cooking times will vary depending on how fresh your apples are. For best results, cook them until they soften first.

Great British Bakeware by George Wilkinson

To help make my pie a success, I was lucky enough to receive this Deep Pie Plate from the latest collection from British bakeware manufacturer George Wilkinson, Great British Bakeware features a superior new coating, GlideX, guaranteed not to flake or scratch.

The ultimate performing non-stick, pies will simply glide out of the plate and best of all will need a simple rinse to clean, eliminating the need for heavy duty scrubbing, especially molten fruits and jams leftover from your wonderful winter pies.

The GlideX coating is virtually indestructible and has been bonded directly onto the bakeware to ensure it performs like new with each use – perfect when nothing else will do but a piping hot bowl of comforting pie. Prices from £7.00

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry my usual recipe but 25g butter/25g margarine/25g lard
50g butter, plus extra for greasing
100g golden caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
2 large Bramley apples, cored, peeled and each cut into 16 wedges
4 Cox apples, cored, peeled and each cut into 8 wedges
150g blackberries
1 large egg, beaten
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Roll out pastry, wrap in cling film and rest it in the fridge for at least half an hour.

Put the butter and sugar into a saucepan and when the butter has melted, add the apples. Slowly cook for 15 minutes with a lid on, then add the blackberries, stir and cook for 5 more minutes with the lid off.

Remove the pastry from the fridge. Dust the work surface with flour, cut the pastry in half and, using a floured rolling pin, roll one of the pieces out until it’s just under 1cm thick. Butter your pie dish and line with the pastry, trimming off any excess round the edges carefully with a knife.

Tip the cooled apples and blackberries into a sieve, reserving all the juices, then add to the pie dish. Spoon over half the reserved juices and brush the edge of the pastry with beaten egg.

Roll out the second piece of pastry and lay it over the top of the pie. Trim the edges and crimp them together with your fingers. Brush the top of the pie with the rest of the beaten egg, sprinkle generously with sugar and the cinnamon, and make a couple of slashes in the top of the pastry.

Place the pie on a baking tray and then put it directly on the bottom of the preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.

To serve, slice the pie into portions and serve with a generous dollop of custard.

I love how making the filling in this way creates a really well filled pie. The bakeware performed really well, as you can see there is nothing left stuck to the tin. On the other hand my 'wartime' pastry was not particularly well behaved, it was very short, so broke and crumbled. The decorations were to cover up the gaping holes that the cracked pastry created!

What's left?

WW2 Rations 1940 for three people

Margarine: 255g

Cooking fat/lard: 120g lard

Sugar: 425g

Meat: 660g

Milk: 4 pints

Tea: 30g

Jam: 125g

Dried Eggs 3 packets (36 eggs every four weeks) 9 eggs for one week

Sweets: 262g (3oz) per week.

I received the Deep Pie Plate from Great British Bakeware by George Wilkinson to review, I was not obliged to give a good review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Labels: Apple and Blackberry Tart, Beef Stew, custard, dumplings, Lentil Soup, Porridge, Ration Book Cooking, The Wartime Kitchen

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