Spiced Orange Almond Biscuits

We are still primarily eating no sugar and enjoying the changes it has made to feelings of satiety after each healthy meal we consume as well as being free from the cravings of sugar so often felt in the past.  I enjoy the way I eat so much now that I rarely desire to eat cakes or biscuits, or sweets of any type.  The children of course continue to request lollies as we near birthdays and ice creams as the weather warms, but their consumption of sweets is greatly reduced.   I do slip, just now I ate a Cadbury Rose which my neighbour delivered to us as a thankyou gift for collecting their mail while they travelled. 

However we largely don't eat store-bought treats in our home.  When we do want something different the following biscuit recipe is one I've devised which still has the children coming back for more....and more....and more.  It's delicious and I hope you enjoy this.

With the sugar out of the equation I find that the flavours of the spices and orange zest, and almonds as well, are much more pronounced.  It's interesting how our palate changes along with the foods we consume.  

Spiced Orange Almond Biscuits

Cream 200g butter with ½ cup glucose being careful not to beat too long with the glucose as it goes hard.
Add 1 egg and the zest of one orange.
Beat in ½-¾ cup spelt flour.
Add 1-2 tsps ginger and cinnamon and 1 tsp cocoa.
Continue beating in almond meal to make a stiff dough - perhaps up to a cup, or more.

Roll into little balls, push a small crater with your finger, and place onto trays to bake in a moderate oven for 10-15 minutes. (edited by Ess ;))

Eee is Five

My little Eee has turned five.

I can hardly believe it.  Usually this age signals an entry into school life. I am very glad to say that we are enjoying our home school life so much we will be continuing that for little Eee as well.  Of course she is already learning but I guess I will 'up that a notch' as her early literacy skills develop and need enhancement.  She is currently at that lovely stage of absorbing so much information and eagerly desiring to learn new things.  "Would you like to go and play? or would you like to do your Maths?", "Maths!" is her reply.  I'll lap it up while it lasts. :)

The cake required for the birthday was quite a simple trampoline. I was very grateful for this as I was unwell for most of August.  Getting my head around a more complex cake was not what I needed as I recovered from persistence congestion and coughing.

I have always included my girls in cake decorating for their birthdays rather than keeping the cake a surprise for them.  For this also I am grateful as it means that they set to work in decorating for themselves while I simply supervise.  They are also learning valuable skills as well as setting their creative minds and fingers to work.

And with the addition of a few sweet little dollies the trampoline comes alive.

Happy Birthday little Eee!

From your cute little nose

to your tippy-toes

God's wonderful work surely shows.

Happy Birthday Tutu you.

You made me and formed me with Your hands. Psalm 119:73

(printed on the card received from Granny)

Snow!

This is the view my eyes beheld as I opened my lounge room curtains on Saturday morning.

Beautiful isn't it!  A dusting of snow on the Brindabellas.

On the day previously it had even snowed in parts of Canberra, 

however we didn't see it.  It was raining for us here.

So after the morning's duties were complete,

(i.e. food shopping at the markets)

we enjoyed a quick lunch and headed to the hills.

We didn't have to drive too far before we arrived at snow along the closed Corin Road.

We stopped at the gate and proceeded to walk and throw snowballs, build snowmen, make snow angels etc.

It was just so much fun!

I do so very much miss the beaches we enjoyed closeby in Adelaide.  However the snow seems to hold a similar amount of fun for everyone!  Just wish it happened more often.

Ice Decoration

A smile is a powerful weapon; you can even break ice with it.  

~Author Unknown

On nights which will dip below freezing as it did this morning (down to -5degC), 

we love to set up a bowl of water, 

with a doily tied to a string lying within, 

in the hope that it will not thaw too early in the morning,

so we can hang it up on our balcony, 

we watch it hang, 

we watch it spin, 

we watch it sway in the wind.

We wonder how long the ice will hang, 

predict the time it will fall, 

then watch and wait as we enjoy morning tea....

then lunch...

today it fell after we predicted, 

no-one noticed it fall

as we were all enjoying a quiet time after lunch.

I'm amazed how much a simple little decoration

has engaged my girls

it has truly captured their attention.

We wonder about the physics of it all - 

the direction of the wind, 

the forces holding the ice up, 

holding it to the doily, 

we explore the three states of water - 

gas, liquid and solid,

the forces turning the ice, 

changing its direction, 

changing the way it swings from side to side, 

to round and round.

Yet the best part of the whole experience of making this ice decoration I am told is:

watching it fall!

(which is, of course, very difficult to photograph) 

Making Radish Leaf Pesto

Stumbling upon a post by Amanda Soule,

then some radishes, seemingly out of season, at my market, 

I decided to whip up some fresh pesto - 

Radish Leaf Pesto in the vein of Chocolate and Zucchini.

My baby girl loved helping by picking and placing the leaves and almonds

It tastes delicious and as well as enjoying the pesto as a hot little snack on top of radish slices,

I love my pesto on my new wholemeal spelt bread.

Five Minute No Knead Bread

The best things in life are nearest:  Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you.  Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life.  ~Robert Louis Stevenson

This is most definitely my new favourite bread.

I've used Rhonda's recipe from Down to Earth which is as follows.

It is the old New York Time recipe.

On the day before you'd like to eat your bread

Mix dry ingredients together:

3 cups spelt flour (I mix wholemeal and white)

¼ teaspoon dry yeast

1 teaspoons salt

Mix in 1½ cups water with your hands

The dough will feel sticky and stringy after only a minute.

This is enough.

Allow to rest and rise covered with plastic wrap in a warm place.

(I've been placing mine in the oven after I've turned it off, as our evenings are cool).

The next day place a dutch oven in your oven and

 preheat your oven as high as it will go ~ 250°F.

(I use my Corningware dutch oven with lid).

Place dough onto a floured bench.

Pull it together in a gentle knead for only a minute or so.

Fold the dough under at the bottom to make a smooth top.

Cut into the top with a knife to allow a better rise.

Place in the dutch oven in the preheated oven.

Bake for 30 minutes, before turning the oven down to 200°F and removing the lid for the final 15 minutes.

Rest for a few minutes on a tray before slicing and enjoying.

I'm still amazed at how crusty the crust it, how delicious the loaf tastes and how easy it is to bake.

It begs the question: why has it taken me so long to bake my own bread.

Are you baking your own bread?  What's your favourite method/recipe?


For a larger loaf, use 5 cups of flour, 2½ cups water, 1½ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon dried yeast.
Bake for a few minutes extra.

On my road to sourdough spelt bread.