Porridge Bars

  ~ transform leftover oatmeal into yummy breakfast bars ~

Porridge Bars

2 cups Left Over Oatmeal
2 Eggs
1/2 cup Melted Butter
1/4 - 1/2 cup Honey
1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 cup Coconut Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 - 1.2 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
1 Tbsp plain Gelatin powder (optional but mitigates the desiccating effect of coconut flour)
1/2 cup Peanut Butter
  
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Generously grease 9x13 baking pan
Whisk eggs a little, then whisk in honey, melted butter (be sure it's not too hot or it'll cook the eggs!), vanilla, and vinegar. Stir in the oatmeal.
In a separate bowl sift or stir together the dry ingredients.
Sprinkle a little of the dry mix onto the oatmeal mixture and stir in; repeat until all it is all mixed in. Add the peanut butter and stir in.
Pour into the greased baking pan.
Bake in the 350 degree F oven for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out dry and mostly clean.
Cool in the pan, and there you have it!

  
I adapted this recipe from Sheri Graham at http://sherigraham.com. 
  
If this will last that long without getting eaten, it makes a good instant-breakfast or breakfast-on-the-go for my grandchildren.
  
  I make big pots of all dandied up oatmeal for my grandchildren and family already, so I use the lesser amounts of honey and salt above as there's some already in the porridge, put if the oatmeal was plain I'd use the greater amounts. Also, when making I use 3 cups fluid per 1 cup oats, 50% more fluid than usually called for, so you could possibly a little fluid of your choice if you feel it is needed; I would use milk or yogurt to increase the protein content. 
 
Only have one cup of oatmeal left over? Halve the recipe and bake in a 9" round cake pan. 
 
Evidently, oatmeal bars can also be made into a breakfast brownie with the full amount of honey and the addition of cocoa and optional chopped dark chocolate. I will be trying this out, maybe with carob instead for the children. (I wonder about simply using carob as the flour, ie to replace the coconut flour, would have to at least double the quantity but wouldn't need to add the extra honey.)

This recipe is gluten-free for those who tolerate oats, but be sure to make it only from oatmeal you know is safe for you!  I imagine that any porridge would work to make these bars, whether from oats or from other grains or a grain-free porridge.

Vegetable Cake

Овощной пирог «Полосатик»

Vegetable Cake

Courgette and Carrot Torte

solianka.net
  
http://solianka.net/ovoshhnoy-pirog-polosatik-koronnoe-blyudo-elviryi-shherbakovoy/
  
Translation from babylon.com 
http://translation.babylon.com/russian/to-english/
  

Courgette and Carrot Torte.
  

This recipe and the photos are from  solianka.net.

It looks so fantastic, I've just got to give it a try!

 The original recipe is in Russian, which I do not speak, read, or understand. I was struggling to make the best sense I could of the translation babylon.com gave me of the original Russian recipe (see the original translation here - click on "See all comments" at the bottom), but now I have fantastic instructions given by an anonymous commenter. Thank you so much, whoever you are!

Go to the original post to follow the beautiful photo tutorial.

  

• Ingredients
  

  
  1 courgette (aka yellow summer squash, yellow zucchini)
  1 zucchini
  3 carrots
  4 eggs
  2-3 cloves of garlic
  160 g of butter (5.6 oz, or 11 Tbsp ie one 1/4 lb stick plus 3 Tbsp)
  160 g of cheese (5.6 oz, or 1/3 lb)
  300 ml of milk (10.14 oz, or 1 1/4 cups)
  salt
  for shortcrust pastry:
  300 g of flour (10.5 oz, or 2 cups)
  7 tablespoons cold water
  1 teaspoon salt 

   

  Cooking 
  
  Thank you, Anonymous Commenter, for the cooking instructions!  
  
  1. Preheat oven to 180ºC (365ºF). Line a 26cm round baking dish with parchment paper.
    
  2. DOUGH: sift flour, and 1 tsp. salt over butter and chop it all with a knife until combined.
    
  3. Rub with hands to create uniform crumbs and add water slowly until you have the right consistency, and knead dough well.
    
  4. Use dough to cover bottom and sides of the baking dish. Place in fridge to cool.
    
  5. Use a veggie peeler to thinly slice squash, zucchini and carrots; then arrange them in the dough in a circular pattern, working your way to the center, alternating the 3 vegetables.
  
  "Such a beautiful vegetable cake already begins to emerge at this stage."
    
  6. FILLING: whisk eggs and milk; then add garlic and cheese, salt to taste and mix well.
    
  7. Pour filling over vegetables and spread grated cheese over the top and pat the surface so as to fill in any gaps between the vegetables.
    
  8. Bake in a preheated 180ºC (365ºF) oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
    
  Depending on your oven, you may have to choose the closest temperature increment; beware that this will affect baking time.
    
  "When done, do not cut immediately, but give it approximately 10 minutes to "relax", and then you can put it on the table!"
    
  "Such a beautiful and bright meal is obtained. And, in principle, is not difficult. The longest part is the strips. Your family and guests, I think, will appreciate your diligence. Vegetable cake, Эльвирочка", so good there's no translation, " - simply заглядение", so good there's no translation. "And don't you want a piece.? One remarkable dish."

Victoria Sponge Cake, Grain Free & SCD

I wanted, nay, needed, to have a nice economical Victoria Sponge Cake, and so developed this recipe.

2 Layer Victoria Sponge Cake

Gluten-Free Grain-Free SCD

         
6 Eggs, lightly whisked
1/2 cup Yogurt (If subbing Sugar for Honey, increase Yogurt to 1 cup.)

1/2 cup Safflower Oil

1/2 cup Honey

1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

2 tsp Vanilla

1 cup Coconut Flour, sifted

1 cup Almond Flour (blanched, or white)

2 Tbsp plain unsweetened Gelatin

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Ginger


   
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Grease 2 round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment
Do the measuring and mixing - dry ingredients sifted into one bowl, wet ingredients whisked in another, then mix them together - and plop it into the pans
Pop in 350 F oven and bake 15 minutes
Reduce oven heat to 325 degrees F and bake up to another 15 minutes until done
If the cake isn't finished after this additional 15 minutes, reduce heat again down to 300 degrees F and continue to bake until done
Cake is finished when toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean
When cake is done, remove from oven and cool on a rack for 15 minutes
Turn cake out of pans and allow to finish cooling on rack
   
The recipe can be halved to make a single layer cake.
    
Peach Jam Cake Filling
    
3/4 cup Peach Jam (SCD  legal)

Honey if needed, to adjust sweetness to taste

2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Ginger  

Topping

2 Tbsp Almond Flour

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Ginger

   

    
This time I cut the layers in half to make 4 layer cake, and for a "filling" used 3/4 cup of peach jam (1/4 cup between each layer, honey sweetened freezer jam I made last year with peaches from our tree). The jam was a little tart so I added just enough honey to make it slightly sweet and added 2 tsp Cinnamon and 1 tsp Ginger. I also changed the spice in the cake to the same 2 tsp Cinnamon and 1 tsp Ginger. I was out of yogurt so replaced it with the last of some kefir and a litte milk to make up the amount needed; peach juice or puree would have been good if I'd had it. I also replaced the honey with sugar - see below. With milk and sugar my cake is no longer SCD legal. You can make whatever changes you like so long as the conform to any dietary restrictions you need to adhere to.

I don't always use Sugar instead of Honey, but when I do... Honey has gotten so expensive and our budget so dour that I cannot use half a cup or more of the liquid gold in a single recipe, especially if the bulk of what I'm making is destined to be consumed by Normies who can and do eat anything with impunity. So I do admit to using Sugar instead of Honey these days. I don't always use Sugar instead of Honey, but when I do I use the best sugar I can afford and not highly refined white stuff. I replace the honey with an equal amount of Sugar (1/2 cup), mix the Sugar in with the dry ingredients, AND increase the Yogurt by the amount of honey being replaced (1 cup) (in any recipe using Coconut Flour, another liquid must be increased to make up for exchanging liquid honey for dry sugar).

Any liquid or puree can be used instead of yogurt.
Likewise, any oil you like may be used including melted butter or coconut oil.
Any vinegar or citrus juice can replace the apple cider vinegar.

Recipe Proportions for

Single Layer Victoria Sponge Cake

        
3 Eggs, lightly whisked
1/4 cup Yogurt

1/4 cup Safflower Oil

1/4 cup Honey

1 1/2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1 tsp Vanilla

  

1/2 cup Coconut Flour, sifted

1/2 cup Almond Flour (blanched, or white)

1 Tbsp plain unsweetened Gelatin

1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Ginger

LEMON VICTORIA SPONGE

Make as above, but for two pan recipe replace Apple Cider Vinegar with 1/4 cup Lemon Juice and Oil with equal amount of Melted Butter, and to the flours add 1 Tbsp Lemon Zest. Make Lemon Curd Filling.
 4 eggs
1 Tbsp Lemon Zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup butter in thin slices
Blend lemon zest & lemon juice, or mince zest as fine as possible.
Beat eggs. Add honey and lemon juice & zest, beat.
Heat on medium low, using heat diffuser, stirring, until thickened & coats back of wooden spoon.
Stir in butter.
Meanwhile boil water & sterilize 2 small jars & lids.
Pour into hot jars & cover.

Flavoured Water - Strawberry Basil Lime

Sliced Fresh Ripe Strawberries, Fresh Basil Leaves, Sliced Fresh Lime, Ice if de?sired, Filtered Water (or fizzy water)

Finally I have a device that can take photos...but it's very hard to take pictures with as the camera is rear facing - great if you wish to take "selfless", less so if anything else is your subject. Especially with a tricky neck that no longer does angles, least of all tricky ones, so that all photos must be taken blindly. I had to rest it on the table to get the pitcher in the photo at all, not very happy with this one, just hoping it shows how pretty and delicious the water looks.

This flavoured water is based on a stronger version I had when Hubby and I went out for his birthday, in which strawberries and basil are muddled in a glass, then a little lime is squeezed in, and fizzy water, perhaps a little honey (or sugar), and even a tip of vodka or gin (which I haven't tried) are added to make a lovely tonic. I'm going to try making that too!

We regularly make Mint, Cucumber and Lemon or Lime (or both) flavoured water also pretty, delicious, and refreshing.

Rich Berry "Ice Cream"

Instant "Ice Cream" made in a VitaMix or blender, no ice cream maker required.

Quick, easy, rich, creamy, decadent, delicious, and nutritious too.

 

  

3/4 cup Raw Cashews (or other high-fat nuts)

3 oz plain Yogurt (made with half & half or cream is best, or greek or dripped yogurt would be good too . . . 3 oz = 3/8 cup, or 6 Tbsp, or 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp)

3 Tbsp Honey or Maple Syrup

1 oz Coconut Water (or other liquid, more as needed to make it blend . . .  1 oz = 2 Tbsp)

3 Frozen Bananas

3/4 cup Frozen Berries (raspberries are good!)

optional 1/2 oz Dark Chocolate

6 cubes Ice

 

Place the Cashews (only!) in the blender and blend until smooth

Add the remaining ingredients in the order given

To be SCD legal, use Honey and homemade SCD yogurt, and do NOT add any chocolate.

Start blender on lowest speed and work up to highest speed (don't take long or you'll melt it too much!)

If needed to make it blend, add more Coconut Water 1 Tbsp at a time

Blend just until smooth. It should be the consistency of good soft-serve ice cream

Serve immediately (or prepare shortly before serving and pop into the freezer for a few minutes)

 
 

This recipe makes 4 small servings or 2 large servings - it is very rich so a little goes a long way!

  
If you can have it, it's really worth adding the dark chocolate!

  
It really whips up easily in my VitaMix, and a !/3 size batch in my Magic Bullet comes out decently; other people make similar "ice cream" in regular blenders, but I do not know whether every blender will give a satisfactory smooth and creamy result.
 
Today is HOT, which is something we are not accustomed to as hot weather is most unusual here in our ultra-temperate little micro-climate. The grandchildren are at their father's for the weekend, and we three adults needed something to eat but did not want to cook and didn't feel like having much, so I made a batch of this "ice cream" for our dinner and it hit the spot! It's starting to cool off a little now so we're off to have an evening stroll. Perhaps we'll have a light supper later, but this was refreshing and filling enough for us for now. Usually, though, we'd have this "ice cream" for dessert.

Coconut Flour White Chocolate & Pignoli Cookies

Z-Man and his Mommy went way down south for the day to attend a PWS study Z-Man is participating in, leaving the Big Two home with us GrandParents. At lunchtime there wasn't much to make so we all walked to the corner store where the Big Two became sweetly enthusiastic about a cute little 1 cup bag of reasonably priced White Chocolate Chips. As there happened to be Pignoli languishing in the freezer, leftover from some special occasion, it suddenly (after lunch and a visit to the library) became mandatory to figure out a recipe for and bake

    

Coconut Flour

White Chocolate & Pignoli Cookies

   

dry ingredients

1 cup Coconut Flour

1/2 cup Sugar

2 Tbsp Gelatin

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Ginger

   

wet ingredients

1 cup Butter, melted

2 Eggs, lightly whisked

2 Tbsp Vanilla

   

stir in

1 cup White Chocolate Chips*

1/2 cup raw Pignoli (pine nuts) or Macadamia Nut pieces

(mild) BUFFALO WING HOT SAUCE

(mild) BUFFALO WING HOT SAUCE

For use on chicken wings or whatever you like

    

4 Tbsp Butter (1/2 stick)

2 Tbsp Honey 

3 ounces Louisiana Hot Sauce (I use Crystal, it is SCD legal) 

2 Tbsp Vinegar (White for classic taste; usually I use Apple Cider Vinegar) 

1/8 tsp salt 

1 tsp Lecithin* (certifiied GMO free)

    

In a small saucepan melt the butter over low heat

Whisk in the remaining ingredients

Your hot sauce is ready ~

Toss your wings in the sauce and serve with celery and blue cheese dressing/dip, or use the sauce in a recipe, and

Enjoy!

    

Alter proportions according to taste

Best used warm or room temperature as the butter will congeal

    

*Lecithin is optional, it is added as an emulsifier and to promote adhesion.

Domestic Buffalo are generally de-winged

Chocolate Jelly (& carob jelly)

Go ahead and try this different slightly gelatin dessert! It's incredibly easy and is inexpensive to make. Don't be put off if all you're accustomed to is fruit jellos; you'll be surprised how really delicious this is. Adopted for making with cocoa from RusCuisine.Com's recipe for Russian Chocolate Jelly.

    

Chocolate Jelly

2 cups Milk

2 Tbsp Heavy Cream

3 Tbsp Cocoa

6 Tbsp Sugar

1 Tbsp Vanilla

2 Tbsp Gelatin

1 cup Water

Yummy Gummies

Yummy Gummies

Easy peasy delicious and nutritious real food "candy"

    

1/2 cup Frozen Fruit Juice Concentrate (defrosted)

3 Tbsp plain unsweetened Gelatin

Z-Man and the Sheila-Roo

Zander, The Z-Man, is my 8 year old grandson, my little Nugget.

Help unite Zander with Service Dog Sheila
Donate at Zander needs a Service Dog
Share, Pin, and Send it everywhere!
http://www.gofundme.com/adogforZander

  

SWEET LITTLE ZANDER NEEDS A SERVICE DOG! A good doggie match has been found and now funds must be raised - every dollar helps. His dog will help him in many ways, but most importantly she will help keep him safe. Please help unite Zander with Service Dog Sheila!

   

Zander has Prader Willi Syndrome, which causes him to constantly feel starving hungry. This uncontrollable and incurable hunger is referred to as Hyperphagia; in PWS this means "Compulsive eating and obsession with food. The urge to eat is physiological* and overwhelming; it is difficult to control and requires constant vigilance.". And because if it Z-Man will do anything, however dangerous, to find food. Given the chance he literally could eat himself to death (due to gastric rupture or necrosis, or even from choking), he could be seriously injured or killed in one of his escape attempts to look for food, or he would at the least become life threateningly obese.

*based in physical and chemical functions, activities, and phenomena of the body

   

There is much more to Prader Willi Syndrome than hyperphagia, and there a number of ways in which a service dog will aid Zander, but the critical thing, THE reason Z-Man NEEDS one, is that a specifically trained service dog will help KEEP HIM SAFE. A service dog trainer has recently identified Sheila, a 4 yr old black lab, as a suitable match and already begun training her to meet Z-Man's particular needs.

We are appealing to everyone to help unite Zander with his service dog Sheila by donating if they are willing and able (even one dollar - every dollar counts!) and by promoting his cause. An added, and ultimately more important, benefit of sharing Z-Man's cause is that doing so will also help spread Prader Willi Awareness. Those interested in supporting the PWS cause directly can donate to the Federation for Prader-Willi Research help fund important research or to the Prader-Willi Sydrome Association USA or the International Prader-Willi Syndrome Organisation to help support families and individuals with PWS.

   

See videos about Prader Willi Syndrome on my last entry, PRADER WILLI SYNDROME AWARENESS MONTH.

PRADER WILLI SYNDROME AWARENESS MONTH

Welcome to May, Prader Willi Awareness month. Man I am hungry; I've been foraging through the kitchen looking for something to sate my appetite (not much luck though; we're low on groceries and there's not much for a non-grain-eater to ingest, grrr). When I eat, this will go away until I need food again. But it never goes away for Z-Man or others with Prader Willi Syndrome, no matter what or how much they eat. How would I deal with a hunger that was worse than this, and that was constant, unremitting, insatiable? How would you? And what if this hunger came with a host of other insults and difficulties?

Gathering Food and Bargain Shopping in and near Ventura

Hate California, it's cold and it's damp

 

I'm just starting this page, will add more as I get to it - starting off with places to obtain fresh produce from its producers with

San Buena Ventura Market Days: