friend or foe

Just captured this somewhat blurry pic of our dog 'BJ' having a play with the sheep.  

Maybe its the sheep having a play with him.  He was up and down, they were nose to nose, chasing each other up and down the fence.  

Can't quite tell if its Betsy the sheep or Elsie.

Have a lovely Sunday :)

almond milk

I've had some almonds stored for a while that are not the best eating.  Sometime ago I came across an article about 'almond milk' so decided I would make some.   Its very easy.

Step 1:  Soak one cup of raw almonds in water overnight.  Leave extra water to allow for swelling.

Step 2:  Remove almonds from water.  For a less gritty texture, remove skins.  Toast for a richer flavour.

Step 3:  Place almonds in a blender with two cups of water.   Blend until creamy.

Step 4"  You can add flavouring such as cinnamon, honey or saffron, then blend again.

Step 5:  Strain mixture through cheesecloth or a fine strainer to separate pulp.  Drink.  For a creamier version, leave covered in the fridge overnight.  It will keep for up to a week.

Step 7:  Dry-roast remaining pulp and store in a jar to use as almond flour.  Alternatively, place discarded almond skins and pulp in cheesecloth to use as a body scrub.

In my exuberance and total lack of thought, I decided to two cups of almonds and then decided to peel them - bad idea!!!  Next time I WON'T PEEL, it two ages and my thumbs were sore for days!

I didn't get around to using the pulp.  I kept it in the fridge for a while, trying to find out if it could somehow be incorporated into a soap recipe.  In the end it got thrown out.  Next time!

It has a very distinctive flavour - it tastes like almonds??? - ah, that's it.  DH took one sip and screwed up his face, in front of the kids, so do you think they would drink - NO WAY!  Gee, thanks darl.

From the article :

*Almonds are rich in nutrients such as protein, fibre, vitamin E, magnesium, selenium, manganese, zinc, potassium, iron, phosphorus, trytophan and calcium.  Almond milk also contains flavonoids, which help to lower levels of 'bad' cholesterol and protect the heart.

*US researchers found the powerful antioxidants in almonds help inhibit the growth of free radicals and support a strong immune system.  The UK Institute of Food Research found finely ground almonds contain potential prebiotic properties that could help boost digestive health by increasing the levels of certain beneficial bacteria in the stomach.

*Almond milk has no cholesterol and is often recommended to lower blood-sugar levels and to treat constipation.

I will make again, in a smaller amount because I ended up the only one to drink it.

Have a lovely day :)

herb cheese scroll

Sometime during the day on Sundays DD1 and her boyfriend come for a visit.  No time, no warning, we just know that on a Sunday that will rock up at some point.  I suppose they think we will just always be here, so there's no need for warning.  They are right.  

To an 'outsider', our lives must seem very dull, always home, always 'doing something' around the block.  But you know what???  I LOVE IT and I wouldn't have it any other way.  I love my life.  I love always cooking, gardening, sewing, knitting, bottling and discovering knew things.

I decided to make a herb cheese scroll for morning/afternoon tea, whichever the case.  'Boyfriend' comes from a very different family to ours and loves the home cooking.  That makes me happy!!

 

HERB CHEESE SCROLL

3 cups self-raising flour

pinch baking powder

45gm butter

2/3 cup milk

1/3 cup water

Filling:

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1 tblspn chopped fresh tarragon

1 tblspn chopped oregano

1 tblspn chopped rosemary leaves

15gm butter, softened

1 egg yolk, beaten

2 tspns water

Preheat oven to hot - 2--C.  In a large bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder; rub in the butter.  Combine milk and water; thoroughly stir into dry ingredients to make a soft dough.

On lightly floured surface, gently knead dough until smooth.  Roll out to a 38 x 28cm rectangle.

To make filling, combine the cheeses and herbs in a bowl.  Spread soft butter thinly over rectangle to the edges; evenly sprinkle with the cheese mixture.

Roll up from one short end; cut crosswise into 10 equal slices.  Arrange, cut side down, in greased and paper lined 20cm round cake tin.

Combine egg yolk and water; brush over slices.  Bake 25-30 minutes or until the scroll is firm and browned.  Serve warm.

That certainly hit the spot on a wintry Sunday afternoon!!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend :) 

finally some rain & some pain

If any of you have ever had a back injury you will know the extent that it can affect your lives. 

WARNING:  HOUSEWORK IS DANGEROUS!!

That's right, all I was doing was making the bed.  I stood up and had a terrible pain across my lumbar/sacral area and it put me flat for nearly three weeks.  Couldn't stand for very long, no sitting at all, laying flat - that was it.

I have never been in so much pain, I have had various minor back injuries over the years (the result of eighteen years nursing), but never anything like this.  The most frustrating part was I wasn't even doing anything that should've caused such agony and of course inconvenience.  Luckily DS1 was home for the first week due to exams, so he was fantastic.  He did everything from cooking every night to running after his little brother, how lucky I am!

It is still not right - no netball for me for a few weeks - sad :( - I do love my netball.  I need to just take it easy and remember that I AM OVER 40!!

On a brighter note, the rain is finally here.  And how it has rained!!  Problem is our gutters overflow with huge downpours and the pipes struggle with the flow.  Half of it doesn't get in the tank.  The tanks will be overflowing soon as we have a massive roof space and can collect an enormous amount of water very quickly.

We so need this rain!

Have a lovely day :)