Strawberry Mango Bliss

 

Good Morning, 

Today I still had half of my mango and strawberry ices. So I made a bit of granola to go in it...thus the spoon. I'm going to need a straw too. Do you eat your mint? I do. It's growing like crazy, why not eat it?

Mango smoothie recipe

Peel & Chop 2 mangos.

Freeze 2 mangos.

I let them mine soften just a tad because my freezer is crazy cold...

Blitz in the blender or food processor until smooth.

 Serves 2  greedy mango lovers

Strawberry ice cream recipe

Loving Body Benefits of

  Mango, Strawberry and Mint

Mango  Boost your immune system,  some B6,  Eye and Skin Care and beat the heat back with it's natural cooling effects. 

Strawberry Wrinkle preventative? who knew, antioxidant and more, so much more.

Mint If breath freshener isn't enough benefit...??  This little gift helps your digestion, gives boost of iron and making almost any smoothie taste way more palatable. After Thyme it's my favorite herb.

Recipe Zaar/Food dot com: Granola

Tasty Granola The first time we made this we sort of burnt it, but besides that it tastes awesome esspecially when you add the chocolate chips and nuts... Mmmmm!!! It tastes great as cereal with milk added when it's cooled off.

The original recipe can be found here Original Granola Recipe


Ingredients
3 cups Old Fashioned Oats
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
chocolate chips and peanuts ( as much as you like )

To Make It:
Pour oatmeal into a glass microwaveable dish and cook for two minutes; stirring once. Combine all other ingredients into a bowl. Add in oatmeal.Stir until well blended.

To finish, use either the microwave or oven. Both methods are listed below --

Microwave method: Pour mixture into a glass dish and microwave on high for 4 minutes or until golden brown.Stir every minute.Cool on wax paper.
Enjoy!

OR
Oven method: Pour mixture into a large cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. I'd start watching it after 10. It can burn fast! Stir every 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of raisins. Cool on wax paper.
Enjoy!

Cracker Worthy Snacks: Egg Salad or Peanut Butter and Jelly

The Quick and Easy Snacks 

 Crackers

Egg Salad, I like mine a bit sweet so I put in fresh relish, when I can. I always start with four eggs, chopped, then gauge the mayonnaise(1/4 c.) and relish 2 Tbsp. at a time)

Seasoning: rule of thumb not too many dominant flavors at once...so cardamom or coriander...

• Ground coriander (optional)
• Ground cardamom (optional)
• salt (fairy dusting, pinches)
• pepper (fairy dusting, pinches)
• minced sweet pickles/ or sweet relish in a jar, from the grocery
• 1/4 c. mayonnaise or 1 part yogurt and 1 part low fat sour cream.

After the eggs are chopped place them in a bowl and season with a fairy dusting pinch of s/p. Stir in mayonnaise adding more as needed and relish. Pinch a bit of coriander/ cardamom to season. Gently mix/fold, so you don't break up too much of the chopped eggs whites. Taste. Keep in mind if you want it cold, once it's cold the flavors of the seasonings are muted a bit. Taste before serving and see if it needs more seasoning and serve with crackers or on toast, a top leafy greens, in celery or fennel heart. Go crazy with it!

Whole Wheat the beginning of a beautiful Friendship

Sometime we are in a hurry to go out to an appointment or famished when we come in. Just something quick to knock the edge off while dinner is cooking.  My dd doesn't even like Peanut butter nor whole wheat...A young man heard her exclaim her distaste for whole wheat anything, on the way to school one morning and agreed with her. I gave him a motherly look, but they both just laughed!
I never give up and I usually have to sneak it in cake, cookies, tortilla or biscuits, but I finally hit on a winner with crackers! Just try them I say. Put whatever you want on them. Serve with apple sauce and chocolate coconut milk!
Maybe I can get them to like beets next time. Wish me luck!

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Easy Snacks: Caramel/Toffee Popcorn

In Baltimore on Eastern Ave. we live near a thrift store...on the same block. Too convenient, because almost on a daily basis I was in there...some days just to look around. It was like a museum. This of course was before the new management took over and well they raised prices...nothing like NY prices though, but still. I recall being in there on one of my excursions and I found this popcorn pot for popping popcorn...It claimed ease and perfect popcorn...almost aluminium type of pot. I took it home and the first time I burned myself on the pot I gave it up and went back to my old faithful heavy metal pot for popping popcorn. However I kept the popcorn recipes that came with the pot. There were so many easy to make recipes...Cheddar, Cheyenne pepper, Bar-b q, herbs and Caramel, you get the idea. I learned that aside from my favorite salty popcorn I could easily add a bit of flair to my go to snack in a snap.

I made toffee and caramel recently for Christmas to fill butter cookies and I still had quite a bit left so I thought I'd just use the technique to Rechel's Toffee popcorn and walla Toffee/Caramel Popcorn M's way!

Toffee Popcorn

Adapted from "Rachel Allen Home Cooking"

This version of Toffee is very liquid and hot...be careful. I used the toffee and Caramel from Mich Turner's book because it's thicker and I like the salty flavor of the Caramel better. We tried them and everyone liked the caramel best. See what you and your family or friends like best.

Equipment

a really large heavy pot with a tight top (clear if you can)

 Large fork
tea or kitchen towel
measuring cups 1/3- 1 c.

Toffee Popcorn (I use 1 c. popcorn kernels and about 3 Tbsp. or more of oil)

1/3 c. (75 g.) popcorn

2 Tbsp. sunflower oil

1/4 c.(25 g.) butter

For toffee

40 g. brown sugar

1 pinch of salt

To make

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, sprinkle in a kernel or two of popcorn and then coat it evenly in oil. cover the pot listen for the pop. Pour in the rest of the kernels. Cook until the popping "slows" down.  As soon as the popping quiets down, take it off the heat and uncover. Place in a warmed oven in aluminum pan or keep in pot.

Meanwhile, in another saucepan, melt the butter, add the brown sugar and golden syrup and stir over a high heat for 1-2min.

Tip: half of the popcorn out of the saucepan and toss with 25g. butter and a pinch of salt.

Pour the toffee over the remaining popcorn, replace the lid on the pan and shake to mix the toffee sauce. Pour out into bowls, cool a little and serve.

Salted Caramel-- I love this caramel...honestly the salt can be decreased to half...but it's so good either way! I melted this on low in the microwave because i kept it in the refrigerator. Then I poured spoonfuls of it over every ones bowl...

Makes 1# 2oz.

14 oz sweetened condensed milk

¾ c. (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter

⅓ c. plus 2 tsp. golden superfine sugar

4 Tblsp. golden syrup or dark corn syrup

1 to 2 tsp. sea salt to taste

Place all the ingredients in a pan. Heat over a medium heat until the butter melts and continue until the caramel comes to a boil. Cook for 8 to 10 min. until it has thickened and darkened. Transfer to a clean bowl and let cool. Storage keep in  the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Toffee-
Obviously I left out the Brandy for mine...not a fan of Alcohol anyways. Candy Tip: The same rules apply when working with sugar...let the phone ring...stay on top of it ...and watch it...when it looks beige consider stopping the heat and remove from the burner. It will continue to cook and get even darker...

Makes 10 ½ oz.

½ c. golden superfine sugar

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter

⅔ c. heavy cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 Tblsp. brandy

Preheat a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat and add the sugar with the butter dotted on top. Let heat, melt and caramelize without stirring. Add the cream and stir until it thickens and caramelizes. Let it cool. Stir in the vanilla and brandy;) Storage keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

*cooks note... use a wooden spoon to get the toffee all over the warmed pop corn, if the shaking method doesn't satisfy.