I chose this recipe today to celebrate as today was the last Zoladex injection I need before my lap next month! Avoiding dairy and sugar has been difficult (and I've slipped quite a bit on sugar..) so finding this recipe has been a god send. This is definitely one for your sweet tooth, saved for those occassions when you absolutely need something sweet but don't want to slip off the bandwagon. Obviously it isn't real ice-cream, but it's close enough! It does take some pre-planning and you may not get to the ice-cream stage - while preparing my first attempt I couldn't wait for it to freeze and ended up with ice-cold mashed banana! :)
Serves 1
Ingredients:
1 Banana
Fruit Syrup (optional)
Method:
1. Break the banana up into chunks
2. Freeze then part-thaw the banana
3. Blend the banana until it's smooth and creamy
4. Serve with fruit syrup
Very budget friendly, very tastebud friendly!
Showing posts with label baking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baking. Show all posts
24
September
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0
22
August
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Endo Recipe Book Review
I recently purchased Recipes & Diet Advice for Endometriosis by Carolyn Levett* for two purposes: firstly to explain what foods to cut out and why, secondly for the recipe ideas it contains. On both fronts I've been very happy with the purchase.
The first few chapters deal with what foods to avoid and the science behind them. I found this bit particularly fascinating, especially learning exactly why each food exacerbated endometriosis in particular. Although I knew some of the things on the list weren't exactly 'healthy', I didn't realise they could have such negative effects on the body. For example I knew soy wasn't good from a salt-content perspective, but I was surprised to find that every aspect of mass-produced soy is bad for you as the process removes all the good nutrients and aluminium from the containers is slowly absorbed into the end product.
The chapters are broken down simply and the science-y bits are really easy to follow (if not understand!).
The beginning of the book also deals with foods that will help you in your recovery - liver friendly ingredients to help with detoxing, along with lists of specific fruit and veg that contain vitamins directly useful to healing from endometriosis. I've found this section extremely useful when trying to flavour new recipes I'm testing - consulting the spice rack for its medicinal uses instead of just the flavours I can create.
Another aspect that I've found helpful is that throughout the book there are sections explaining alternative ingredients you can use in place of the banned ones. For example stevia, cacao or carob can replace sugar depending on the recipe you're using. There's also a lengthy section explaining the different benefits of alternative gluten free flours. These alternatives can be a bit pricey though so I'd definitely pick recipes that use the same kind of flour so that you only need to buy one.
The majority of the book is dedicated to recipes; from drinks and starters all the way through to desserts and baking, not to mention party food options. This is where the true value of the book is found, as a lot of sources will tell you what you can't eat but very few will help you work out what you can. All of the recipes are extremely basic and conform to a completely vegan diet, so that absolutely anyone can use them. This leaves plenty of room for you to add your favourite white meat or fish to the dishes.
Whenever I'm planning our meals for the week I've taken to having this book nearby. I'm very fussy when it comes to food, but even if I don't like the exact recipe it's excellent for getting base ideas to build on.
If I had one complaint it would be that the book has typos scattered throughout and you can tell it wasn't professionally written. The author is an endo-sufferer and wants to share what she's discovered and found to help. It's not a big problem, these things just jump out at me!
Overall this book is absolutely invaluable and if you're an endo sufferer it should definitely be on your bookshelf! Or even if you just want a healthier diet that isn't full of the additives and hidden nasties that regular products are now becoming overloaded with.
*This is an Amazon Associate link.
The first few chapters deal with what foods to avoid and the science behind them. I found this bit particularly fascinating, especially learning exactly why each food exacerbated endometriosis in particular. Although I knew some of the things on the list weren't exactly 'healthy', I didn't realise they could have such negative effects on the body. For example I knew soy wasn't good from a salt-content perspective, but I was surprised to find that every aspect of mass-produced soy is bad for you as the process removes all the good nutrients and aluminium from the containers is slowly absorbed into the end product.
The chapters are broken down simply and the science-y bits are really easy to follow (if not understand!).
The beginning of the book also deals with foods that will help you in your recovery - liver friendly ingredients to help with detoxing, along with lists of specific fruit and veg that contain vitamins directly useful to healing from endometriosis. I've found this section extremely useful when trying to flavour new recipes I'm testing - consulting the spice rack for its medicinal uses instead of just the flavours I can create.
Another aspect that I've found helpful is that throughout the book there are sections explaining alternative ingredients you can use in place of the banned ones. For example stevia, cacao or carob can replace sugar depending on the recipe you're using. There's also a lengthy section explaining the different benefits of alternative gluten free flours. These alternatives can be a bit pricey though so I'd definitely pick recipes that use the same kind of flour so that you only need to buy one.
The majority of the book is dedicated to recipes; from drinks and starters all the way through to desserts and baking, not to mention party food options. This is where the true value of the book is found, as a lot of sources will tell you what you can't eat but very few will help you work out what you can. All of the recipes are extremely basic and conform to a completely vegan diet, so that absolutely anyone can use them. This leaves plenty of room for you to add your favourite white meat or fish to the dishes.
Whenever I'm planning our meals for the week I've taken to having this book nearby. I'm very fussy when it comes to food, but even if I don't like the exact recipe it's excellent for getting base ideas to build on.
If I had one complaint it would be that the book has typos scattered throughout and you can tell it wasn't professionally written. The author is an endo-sufferer and wants to share what she's discovered and found to help. It's not a big problem, these things just jump out at me!
Overall this book is absolutely invaluable and if you're an endo sufferer it should definitely be on your bookshelf! Or even if you just want a healthier diet that isn't full of the additives and hidden nasties that regular products are now becoming overloaded with.
*This is an Amazon Associate link.
Posted by
Ami Marshall
10
August
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The Endo Diet
Having done a lot of research into Endometriosis and alternative treatments that help the condition, I've come across a number of things that are said to help. The method that crops up most often is the 'Endo Diet' - a diet that cuts out all foods known to aggravate the condition. The list is pretty extensive!
There are countless testimonials saying their pain has all but disappeared and some even claim their endometriosis has gone entirely. So it's time to test out their claims and try it for myself. :)
My first step was to buy Recipes & Diet Advice For Endometriosis by Carolyn Levett*. There are lots of books out there that explain the diet and the science behind it, but this book comes with 260 recipes that are Endo-friendly, all the way from starters & soups to baking and party foods. Once you see the list of things you can't eat, you'll understand why this is a God-send!
Once that arrived I spent the morning reading through the science-y stuff and working out what foods I'll be saying goodbye to and which new friends I'll be greeting. Without going into great detail, here is the list of foods to avoid:
- Wheat/Gluten
- Red Meat
- Dairy
- Sugar
- Caffeine
- Eggs
- Alcohol
- Yeast
- Soy
- Additives & Preservatives
As you can see, it's pretty much everything you'll find in a normal diet. You may be thinking there's nothing left to eat, but you'd be surprised at how much I can still eat - I was!
For example chicken, pork, turkey and fish are all fine (as long as you're careful about the source), along with all gluten free products like breads, pasta, rice etc. Fruit and veg are fine too, natural sugars are okay. Plus herbs and spices are really good to include, so it doesn't have to be a bland diet.
Next stop was Asda to stock up on a few healthy items. I won't be jumping feet first into this diet, it'd be too extreme for my body and pretty heavy on my bank balance! The plan is to slowly use up what we have in the cupboards and replace them with the healthy alternatives over time.
We bought:
- Organic chicken stock cubes
- A fruit syrup alternative to sugar
- Almond milk
- Gluten free cous-cous
- Organic Virgin Olive Oil
- Organic tinned tomatoes (high in antioxidants)
- Turkey Mince
It came out as a pretty expensive shop! My favourite find was definitely the fruit syrup, which I used in my porridge this morning. It was quite a subtle but sweet taste and can be used in all kinds of things - tea, coffee, porridge, spread on toast, in baking and cooking etc.
We've now come up with a meal plan for the week, some of the meals being the new healthy version and some still being from our normal diet. Tom is going to be doing this diet with me (with some red meat added in for his man-needs!) so we'll be easing into it gently.
This blog is getting pretty long now so I'll leave it here! Over the next week or two I'll be throwing in some recipes that we've tried out (including the turkey chilli one from last night) along with a more in-depth explanation about why each of the foods are being cut out.
If you find this topic interesting or know someone who might benefit from the information please share my blog. :) It was quite scary at first getting a diagnosis with no known cure, but having looked around and talked to people with the illness it's really reassuring knowing there are things you can do to help. I'd love to be able to pass on that experience to others!
*This is an Amazon Associate link.
*This is an Amazon Associate link.
Posted by
Ami Marshall
25
March
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Eco-Friendly Easter Ideas
Hi guys!
With Easter just a week away I thought I'd give you some quick ideas on how to keep things green and save money. :) The activities especially are either very cheap or free!
Easter Eggs:
1. Buy easter eggs with as little packaging as possible.
2. Try to buy fairtrade/organic wherever you can.
3. Make a list of everyone you're buying for and get them all at once to save on transport costs.
4. Buy the eggs on your regular food shop to save an extra trip to the shop.
5. Keep the plastic packaging from the inside as moulds so you can make your own next year!
Activities:
1. Why not try using natural dyes to create your own coloured eggs?
2. Organise an Easter Egg Hunt for kids or even adults!
3. Bake your own Easter Biscuits.
4. Make an origami rabbit!
Some friends are coming to stay at the weekend and their little boy is 3, so I'll definitely be trying some of these ideas myself. :) I'll make sure to take pictures and post the results!
With Easter just a week away I thought I'd give you some quick ideas on how to keep things green and save money. :) The activities especially are either very cheap or free!
Easter Eggs:
1. Buy easter eggs with as little packaging as possible.
2. Try to buy fairtrade/organic wherever you can.
3. Make a list of everyone you're buying for and get them all at once to save on transport costs.
4. Buy the eggs on your regular food shop to save an extra trip to the shop.
5. Keep the plastic packaging from the inside as moulds so you can make your own next year!
Activities:
1. Why not try using natural dyes to create your own coloured eggs?
2. Organise an Easter Egg Hunt for kids or even adults!
3. Bake your own Easter Biscuits.
4. Make an origami rabbit!
Some friends are coming to stay at the weekend and their little boy is 3, so I'll definitely be trying some of these ideas myself. :) I'll make sure to take pictures and post the results!
Posted by
Ami Marshall
4
April
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How-To: Make Cheese Scones!
Since visiting Marks & Spencer on Mother's Day I have had a craving for cheese scones. They had them on sale in the cafe, I don't just get random cravings when I'm there! I wondered how to make them a few times, but didn't really bother to look into it as I was having too much fun with making muffins.
At work we've been raising money for The Stroke Association throughout March (raised £85 in total - woo!). They sent us a fundraising pack but until now I haven't opened it - useful I know. Inside they had all the usual advice on planning events, information about the charity etc. but they also had some recipes in there to sell at the Tea Party they recommended throwing. Imagine my delight when I saw that one of the recipes was cheese scones!
Lately I've had a bad stomach, the only symptom being really bad pain in my stomach at all times. It's annoying, but I've been trying to get on with life as best I could. This afternoon at work it got a bit much and since I had no more appointments I headed home for some R&R. And that brings us to todays post, so you can guess what I've done with the extra time!
Here's the recipe so you can make your own:
Ingredients:
225g self raising flour (I used ordinary flour and 3tsp baking powder)
55g unsalted butter
100g grated mature cheddar cheese
150ml milk
1/4tsp mustard powder (I skipped this step)
Pinch of salt and pepper
Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 200C (220C for non-fan ovens) and cover a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
2. Sift the flour into a bowl with the salt, pepper, mustard powder and butter. Then use your hands to mix it all together.
3. Add the milk and 75g of the cheese and continue mixing it all with your hands until it becomes a soft dough.
You might have to add a little more flour or milk, depending on whether it's too sticky or not sticky enough. Eventually you will end up with a nice, soft dough that looks like this.
4. Put the dough onto a floured surface and knead it before patting it out into a 2cm thick circle.
5. Use a 5cm cutter (I used a glass) to cut the scone shapes and place them on the baking tray.
6. Knead and re-shape the remaining dough until it's all used up.
7. Brush the tops of the scones with milk and sprinkle the remaining 25g of cheese over the top of them.
8. Pop in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until they've risen and gone golden. Once done, take them out and leave to cool.
And voila! Now you have cheese scones and a room full of friends! (Trust me, once the smell starts spreading through the house people will love you!)
Are you going to have a go? Let me know what you think. :)
At work we've been raising money for The Stroke Association throughout March (raised £85 in total - woo!). They sent us a fundraising pack but until now I haven't opened it - useful I know. Inside they had all the usual advice on planning events, information about the charity etc. but they also had some recipes in there to sell at the Tea Party they recommended throwing. Imagine my delight when I saw that one of the recipes was cheese scones!
Lately I've had a bad stomach, the only symptom being really bad pain in my stomach at all times. It's annoying, but I've been trying to get on with life as best I could. This afternoon at work it got a bit much and since I had no more appointments I headed home for some R&R. And that brings us to todays post, so you can guess what I've done with the extra time!
Here's the recipe so you can make your own:
Ingredients:
225g self raising flour (I used ordinary flour and 3tsp baking powder)
55g unsalted butter
100g grated mature cheddar cheese
150ml milk
1/4tsp mustard powder (I skipped this step)
Pinch of salt and pepper
Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 200C (220C for non-fan ovens) and cover a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
2. Sift the flour into a bowl with the salt, pepper, mustard powder and butter. Then use your hands to mix it all together.
3. Add the milk and 75g of the cheese and continue mixing it all with your hands until it becomes a soft dough.
You might have to add a little more flour or milk, depending on whether it's too sticky or not sticky enough. Eventually you will end up with a nice, soft dough that looks like this.
4. Put the dough onto a floured surface and knead it before patting it out into a 2cm thick circle.
5. Use a 5cm cutter (I used a glass) to cut the scone shapes and place them on the baking tray.
6. Knead and re-shape the remaining dough until it's all used up.
7. Brush the tops of the scones with milk and sprinkle the remaining 25g of cheese over the top of them.
8. Pop in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until they've risen and gone golden. Once done, take them out and leave to cool.
And voila! Now you have cheese scones and a room full of friends! (Trust me, once the smell starts spreading through the house people will love you!)
Are you going to have a go? Let me know what you think. :)
Posted by
Ami Marshall
2
April
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Post Twenty-One: Icing Flowers and Egg Shells
Good Afternoon lovely readers!
I apologise for my absence over the weekend, but as my wonderful partner Tom pointed out I have to have some down time, and I spent that time pretty well! The strawberry & vanilla muffins turned out brilliantly - getting compliments from everyone who has tried one (or two, or three..) so I'm pretty pleased with that result. Plus I learned a new skill, courtesy of my friend Rachel who is pretty amazing at cake making! I give you...
...an icing flower! The method is pretty simple and one day I'll get around to doing a How-To Guide but for now you'll just have to admire our efforts and be jealous. ;)
As for the egg shells, I've found a lovely picture of an old egg carton and egg shells turned into a mini garden, with an article on how to make your own. The article can be found here.
I'm loving the idea of a mini garden right now and I'm wishing I hadn't thrown the eggs in the bin after making muffins at the weekend! Luckily I still have the carton left, so I'm sure I'll find another use for that somewhere along the line.
How was your weekend? Did you get out in the garden with the lovely weather, or cook up some delicious treats?
I apologise for my absence over the weekend, but as my wonderful partner Tom pointed out I have to have some down time, and I spent that time pretty well! The strawberry & vanilla muffins turned out brilliantly - getting compliments from everyone who has tried one (or two, or three..) so I'm pretty pleased with that result. Plus I learned a new skill, courtesy of my friend Rachel who is pretty amazing at cake making! I give you...
...an icing flower! The method is pretty simple and one day I'll get around to doing a How-To Guide but for now you'll just have to admire our efforts and be jealous. ;)
As for the egg shells, I've found a lovely picture of an old egg carton and egg shells turned into a mini garden, with an article on how to make your own. The article can be found here.
I'm loving the idea of a mini garden right now and I'm wishing I hadn't thrown the eggs in the bin after making muffins at the weekend! Luckily I still have the carton left, so I'm sure I'll find another use for that somewhere along the line.
How was your weekend? Did you get out in the garden with the lovely weather, or cook up some delicious treats?
Posted by
Ami Marshall
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