rustic homemade spiced almonds

so i was feeling a bit domestic the other evening and wanted to make a little treat to give as a gift. so i decided that i would used some of my abundance of almonds in the cupboard and put them to good use!

kates roasted spiced amonds

ingredients

-almonds

-butter

-salt

-coconut sugar

-spices ( your choice: i used garam masala, turmeric, cinnamon, coriander powder, cumin powder, ginger powder)

humbled by a love cake

today i had quite a monotonous day of life drawing. we had a class with a male life model and it was very interesting but also quite tiring doing 1-minute poses and you know how it is,  needless to say, frustrating. it was one of those days where a little bit of love doesn't go astray. so when i saw my Theodore this afternoon is was so lovely as he presented me with this dear sweet LOVE cake! well perhaps more of a love loaf! i am going to try it tomorrow for breakfast with my homemade pepita spread,  but i feel overwhelmingly excited! it is one of the most beautiful jestures i honesty, have ever received. i am completely humbled by it and its so sweet as Theo put the letters 't + k' made out of his the sunflower seeds that he nurtured and grew in his garden last summer. eek i am so proud and bursting with love and happiness! may you all be filled with such a love and positive energy in this day.

xx

heart food

this is one of my favourite dishes at the moment. i have cooked it about three times in the last few weeks and its not only divinely healthy but it has a wonderful taste also! it is my legume-grain spice soup...the wondrous thing about  legumes and grains is that in combination they create amino acids in the body which then can provide us with complementary proteins. things like legumes with grains, nuts and seeds provide us with the right amino acids. the combinations don't necessarily have to be eaten together at the same time, but at least within a day. this dish is really good on a hearty winter day, or just simple good home cooking that feels good to eat. it sounds weird but it is astounding concept how some foods literally taste GOOD to eat, not just because they taste good! (there is a difference, funnily enough!)

legume-grain spice soup

ingredients

-2 carrots grated

-2 onions diced

-teaspoon of grated ginger

-4 cloves of garlic diced

-quite a good dollop of olive oil

-1generous tablespoon of a good curry paste 

(maybe rogan josh or korma paste) ..I use a 

fresh one from the health food shop

-1 teaspoon of corriander powder

-1 teaspoon of tumeric powder

-1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder

-1 teaspoon of garam masala powder

-1 teaspoon of cumin power and also of the seeds

-2 stock cubes of mushroom stock, alternatively a vegetarian one

-1 tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar 

-4-6 cups of water

-1 cup of brown rice

-1 cup of mixed lentils - i used brown and french lentils

-1/3 cup of quinoa (optional)

-1 can of coconut cream

-kale

-seasoning as required

(note: with many of the ingredients you can change such as the legumes and grains. you could use split peas, millet, chickpeas etc.)

soak all the grains and legumes (quinoa, lentils, brown rice) for an hour minimum

grate the ginger, carrot and also prepare all the ingredients at once as its quite a quick process once your on the stove!

sautee the onion, garlic, ginger, oil and spices for a minute or two till soft.

then add stock with boiling water

add all the grains and legumes 

add carrot and rest of ingredients

cook the soup for around 1 hour. it depends on how ingredients are softening. i like to cook mine for quite a while. you can even blend the soup but i like it chunky. you can add more or less water depending on the consistency you want.

add coconut cream and any additional seasoning

op-shopping treasures

phoar today was just such a blessed and wonderful day! i had to deliver my artworks to launceston (hmm not sure if i mentioned i was an artist!) and went op shopping up there with a dear friend. and when we mean op shopping we REALLY mean it! it is quite a serious sport i must admit..!

i found so many treasures today it was incredible but i was very careful in selecting as i can often be a bit too excited and buy everything! i found sweet vintage dresses, old-fashioned leather shoes with laces and one pair with tiny heels, a scarf (which i am in the progress of collecting to make a quilt) and also a few different bits and pieces for the home.

so i haven't seen my Theodore for a little while and wanted to find some treasures for him as he is so busy at the moment studying. i find small little gestures like these, show the love and character of an individual. i find it so important to express my love to people in these ways, to show that i care and am thinking of them. so i dropped off this sweet little care package to Theo's place this evening while he was out and hopefully he enjoys the treats, which i hope will partly be for our future home together hehe!

skyes birthday choc-peanut butter VEGAN RAW cake!

yesterday we had a little soiree in our backyard for skye's (my house-mate) birthday. she is a very dear friend so i wanted to cook dinner and make a cake so that it would be as stress free for her as possible. she has allot happening in her life right now and although there is only so much i can do to help, just being there and showing my love i think has been helpful. so a few of my lovely friends also helped in the garden hanging fairy lights, candles and we had a little vintage projector too that was projecting an images saying happy 24th birthday skye. it was a cute idea and there were lots of little flags hanging from one side of the garden to the other. it was quite special. here is the recipe for the chocolate peanut butter VEGAN RAW cheesecake that i made. i thought it was pretty yum!

skyes  birthday raw vegan choc-peanut butter cake

ingredients

base

-1 cup of dates (soaked in hot water)

-1/2 cup of ground almonds

peanut butter layer

-1/2 cup of peanut butter

-1/2 cup of coconut milk

-1 tablespoon of coconut sugar

chocolate cream layer

-1 banana

-1 can of coconut cream

-1 cup of cashews (soaked for 2 hours)

-1 drop of vanilla essence

-2 tablespoons of maple syrup

-sprinkle of cinnamon

-pinch of salt

-zest of one lemon

-1/4 cup of cacao powder

-2 tablespoons of coconut sugar (or as required)

chocolate peanut butter ganache

-1/2 can of coconut milk

-1/4 cup of peanut butter

-2 tablespoons of cacao powder

-2 tablespoons of coconut sugar

firstly, blend the almonds and dates together. then spread into a dish for the cake shape. this can be anything but i have used a simple white flowery bowl-plate. leave in the fridge for a few hours to harden

then in a pan, cook the coconut milk, peanut butter and sugar until it creates a luscious consistency. once slightly cooled down, put a thin layer over the top of the date-almond base.

moving onto the decadent chocolate layer, put all ingredients into the the blender and try and get extremely smooth. the banana definitely makes it so creamy!

put the cream layer into the cake tin over the peanut butter layer

then lastly you prepare the chocolate peanut butter ganache for the top of the cake. you create this by putting into a small sauce pan all ingredients. you should get a consistency similar to the photo, where its beautiful and thick like chocolate.

put the ganache on top of the cream layer. make sure you try and cool the ganache down before hand. you can sprinkle desiccated coconut around the edge to create a pretty design. or decorate however desired.

i decorated this cake with little balls made out of heating and mixing peanut butter, sugar and coconut cream. i then put almonds on top. it was quite effective too.

 enjoy!

an enchanting gift

today i was quite astonished as i opened my cottage door in little battery point, to find a cluster of fresh lemons, a lovely camelia and stalk of fragrant leaves. i had to look around to see if the mysterious gift barer was around but alas he was not.

however, i figured out pretty quick it was my Theodore!

i was quite enchanted and overwhelmed with this small yet generous and thoughtful gift. i sure enough put the flowers in a vase and the lemons in my wire fruit basket. i intend to do something heavenly with the lemons and particularly the lemon rind, so stay tuned!

homemade pepita butter.. heaven!

so my beautiful friend Phylie gave me a belated birthday present yesterday. ofcourse it was one of my favourite kinds...food! she had made me HOMEMADE PEPITA BUTTER. oh my, i nearly died it was so amazing. she said it would be perfect of toast with honey and a pot of tea. so this morning when i woke up i thought, hmm that is exactly what i feel like today!

homemade pepita butter

ingredients

just pepitas

method

blitz pepitas slowly in food processor. this can be quite labourous and can take up to half an hour. note that no water or salt is needed. however add extra ingredients such as cinnamon and salt if you wish!

vegan mini carrot cake delights with coconut cream frosting!

so, its my lovely mothers birthday tomorrow and have decided to make some decadent treats for a birthday 'surprise' breaky. dear Theodore and i are going down to my parents place early in the morning to them both and my brother too. i couldn't believe my eyes today how lovely Theo was today, going to the shop and buying a beautiful bunch of flowers for mum and also a really tasteful vase too. i couldn't believe he had picked them! (although i must note he does have a particularly wonderful eye)

...so he has some lovely gifts for her and i though well, i better do something nice also. so what better than some vegan mini carrot cakes which will not only energise us for the day, but we don't have to feel guilty about eating them!

EASY vegan mini carrot cakes with coconut cream frosting

ingredients

cake

3 medium carrots

1 cup of walnuts (blended)

1/2 cup of desiccated coconut

1/4 cup of coconut oil (melted)

2 tablespoons of mixed peel (i use Theo's homemade one)

1 tablespoon of orange rind, grated

1 teaspoon of maple syrup

1 cup of dates and figs (you choose, or both)

1 tablespoon of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of allspice

1 teaspoon of nutmeg

topping

1 cup of coconut cream

2 tablespoons of maple syrup

1 teaspoon of coconut sugar

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

method

-grate carrots, not including tops

-blend the walnuts in grinder but you can have some chunky for texture

-melt coconut oil in pan

-soak dates and figs in boiling water for ten minutes and when soft cut finely into a paste-like consistancy

-place all the cake ingredients in a bowl and mix together

-put cake mix into little cupcake holders

-to make the topping mix all ingredients together and put in fridge overnight

yiayia's homemade apple cake

i feel that food not only nourishes the body but nourishes the mind and soul. what we put into our body definitely plays a huge role on our daily lives and emotions. however, in saying that, there is almost always an exception for cake! this is my beloved Theodore's grandmothers recipe from Greece. she gave it to me when i visited athens last year and i promised her i would make it for Theo and on special occasions. now, i find myself making it on any occasion as 'my version' is healthy and wonderfully delicious! i substitute many of her ingredients to make it gluten free.

yiayia's apple cake

ingredients

topping

- 4 apples (peeled, cored and sliced thinly)

-125g unsalted butter or margarine

-1 cup of coconut sugar

-1 tablespoon of cinnamon

cake mixture

-4 eggs

-1 cup coconut sugar

-1 cup almond meal (i always blend my almonds fresh)

-1 grated rind from lemon and lime

-drop of vanilla essence

-1 heaped teaspoon of home-made preserved orange rind (optional)

firstly grease a 28cm cake pan 

put the oven on 180 degrees

method

cut the apples up and put them in the pan

make a syrup topping with the butter, 1 cup of sugar and cinnamon in a pan. when its combined put the syrup over the bottom of the pan.

to make the cake mixture firstly beat the egg whites till still with a pinch of salt. add yolks slowly. gradually add 1 cup of sugar plus citrus rind and vanilla. add flour gradually.

pour mixture over the apple in the pan and bake from 40 minutes.

tah-dah!