*e*

oh haiiiii there

oh i know, i knowwww! i haven't been here for sooooo long! did you miss me? i missed you. please accept my deepest apologies for this period of silence. and let me make it up to you by showing you pictures of myself. because you know i save those for special occasions, such as these ;)

actually the occasion is a lovely new dress from texture clothing! a company i have long admired. they make clothes just the way i like them - stretchy, comfy, soft, colourful, consciously made and *feel gorgeous in*!this is the cowl tank dress and the only thing i don't love is that i don't have it in every colour! it's flattering and riduclously comfortable. i wore it on a plane recently. perfect travel wear - many texture clothing items have hidden pockets making them even more awesome for travel and more.

i'm also the proud owner of a pair of texture's gusset capris...purple of course - why not - everything if more fun in purple! i love the short length leggings for warm weather (but trust me i'll still be wearing them in winter with ugg boots) soooooo comfy and i especially love the waistband - hold wobbly bits in instead of digging for rolls to cascade over the top...essential - LOVE THEM ! also they may or may not turn my maybe maybe it isn't pajama minidress into a fun outfit passable for wearing in public...(so banjo tells me anyway. because he loves me and thinks i'm pretty. don't argue!)

 

texture clothing is kindly offering *you* (that includes you, mum) 20% off your total order this week with the code EMBERS20

if you get something lovely do tell!

thankyou texture for your beautiful buttery-soft happy clothing!

and i'll be back soon with tales of lifes latest adventures this week, promise xo

little bakers

someone asked me what i meant by 'say yes' on my new years blog post...and what i was reminding myself was to say YES! to my children - when they want to make a mess, when they want to 'help' me, when they want to show me something they've made, when they want me to stop what i'm doing and read them a story. say yes to all those little things that are so easy to say no or 'later' to...all those little things that won't be around forever.

so i say yes to breadmaking. it's pretty much yindi's favourite thing in the world to do, and we try to do it at least once or twice a week. if i get the dough mix on early in the morning, life is sweet! once it's ready i sprinkle her board with flour (sorry, fairy sprinkles) and divide the dough up into several small balls for her to go to town with. much planning, singing, cutting, rolling and shaping is involved. she'll work away happily for a long long time (see? so worth the morning dough prep!).

mr banjo is not satisfied at all by just BEING A BABY! no no, he wants to be doing whatever it is the others do, or else! so up he came to make some rolls too...

but mostly he just wanted to eat the dough. so i took pictures of him doing just that :)

in the end we all said YES to eating a yummy, warm and covered in butter bread fresh out of the oven!

i may have posted it before, but here is the bread recipe i have been using for years, from my friend chels. you can make it into a loaf, or as demonstrated above - pretty much any old shape you like!

simple bread

in a small bowl, combine 1 1/2 tsp yeast, 1 tsp brown sugar and 1/2 cup warm water. set aside.

in a food mixer put 4 cups flour, 1 tbs sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 cup warm water, 1/4 cup oil and the yeast mix. whiz it all together for a few minutes, then leave to rise for 40 minutes. if yindi is making her famous rolls, i will give her the dough at this point. if i'm making loaves of bread, i'll punch the dough into the tin and leave to rise again for another 30 mins before baking.

bake at 180C/350F for 30 mins (rolls will be ready in 15-20 mins)

eat + enjoy!

(and say yes!)

what's for dinner? soup!

i have made soup pretty much every day for the past 2 weeks, and this is why:

*it is easy

*it is inexpensive

*it requires the washing of only one pot

*it is the one meal all three littles gobble up and want seconds and thirds of

*it is the only way yindi eats vegetables

*it makes good leftovers for lunch the next day

(pretty much sums up all my essential needs for a meal)

i'm not a fancy cook, but i do make a good soup (no complaints at the dinner table is my idea of success). i never use a recipe - how is that for brilliance? i just throw things into a pot!  you want to know what i make - ok, i'll tell you. i start off every single pot with chopped onion + garlic sauteed in olive oil. got it? so these are our current faves...

 

lentil soup

after sauteeing the onion/garlic i fill the pot halfway with water, add some vegie stock and 2ish cups of red lentils (rinse them first). if this is all you do - it will turn out delicious! but i will often add diced tomatoes and chopped carrot or any other vegie too. kale is yummy and bursting from our csa basket each week. simmer, simmer...you may need to keep adding ater as the lentils cook and thicken the pot. i also add a teaspoon of curry powder along with salt + pepper to season. comes out nice and thick and delish! (see above)

 

rainbow soup

everyones favourite! after the sautee, i again fill the pot halfway (or more) with water and add some stock, or a teaspoon of vegemite (yes, vegemite). then a good mix of colourful chopped vegetables! this week we had potato, carrot, kale, spinach, beet, tomato, corn and black beans. simmer away until everything is cooked. salt and pepper. REALLY yummy and pretty!

 

broccoli soup

(onion/garlic sautee - you know that already yeah?!) 1/3 pot water + stock. 2 broccolis, chopped up nice and small - throw them in and let them go all mushy-like! blend up with stick-blender. add handful of grated cheese and some milk/cream along with s+p. yum. there are never any leftovers of this one.

 

simple, and yum. and repeated over and over and over!

and yes - i do have to give yindi her own little pot and ladle every night to serve her own soup. she's fussy like that! but i love it :)

yums

rocky road is the christmas treat i like to make each year to give away as a little gift...yum yum...its hard to part with.

if you get some this year, know that i really like you ;)

i've always made it with raspberry lollies so was stumped my first christmas living in america - what to use? THERE WERE NO RASPERRIES! i ended up buying red gummi worms and chopping them up but it didn't have quite the same flavour!

this recipe calls for turkish delight which sounds yummy and also has measurements if you are looking for how to make this. as you know, i am not a measurement kind of gal! so here's what i do...

in a bowl, throw in the following -

toasted peanuts, chopped in half raspberry lollies, chopped in half marshmallows, about 1/2 cup shredded coconut. (probably about a cup of each, but with little hands grabbing stuff and eating them as we go, i can't be sure) then melt 1 1/2 family size blocks of chocolate (we don't have a microwave so i do it in a double boiler) and pour into the bowl, mixing so everything is covered in chocolatey goodness! pour it into a dish and chill in the fridge...then cut it up into little chunks.

one for me, one for you...or something like that!

do you have an annual holiday treat?

one giant bag of apples

really, it was huge - the size of yindi at least! and going out at the markets for only $7...how could i refuse? even with a one week old baby, i had to get this bargain! luckily for me, i had some willing workers...



and thanks to mum's cranking old dehydrator from 1980something, we soon had copious amounts of fruit leather

and jars of apple rings (that are rapidly disappearing!)

perfect timing for the snack bag on the 6 hour trip we embark on today for mick's sisters wedding! 3 children (oh my, how did this happen?!) squeezed into the back of a very small car should make for some interesting times - wish us luck!

summertime. need dip.

there is something missing from my life here in the states, and that something is popping into the supermarket on my way to the park for crackers and dip. there is a dip shortage! dip discrimination! sure, there is hummos...or ranch (correct me if i'm wrong, but this is as gross to me as vegemite to you)...but where is the tzatziki? the sundried tomato and feta? the exotic thai with cashews? and where oh where is the chunky beetroot?

having never made (or even contemplated) making dip before, i dove in head first, and amazingly had brilliant results (in the opinion of my 3 lovely food critics). i feel a strong urge to share the purple-beetroot-dippy love.

here's how:

• peel and cube a large beetroot (beet, incase that wasn't obvious!), spray with some olive oil and roast in a moderate oven along with 2 peeled cloves of garlic for about 20 mins.
• once cool, throw into a blender with: 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup pine nuts/walnuts/nuts, 1tsp cumin, 2 big blobs of plain yoghurt, salt and pepper, big handful of fresh chopped herbs (coriander, basil, parsley etc).
• BLEND! yum yum!

(it matches my tablecloth so it must be good!)

mick may have had his doubts about my cooking abilities when we first married but look at me now! please report back if you try it, and share your own dip recipe goodness with me too!

lentil burgers and my broccoli baby

 
mmm, i love a good lentil burger! i made a LOT of these while i was in australia this january to chuck on the barbie alongside everyones meat (don't you love my mum's spotty pink plate?). lentils cook nice and fast - you can find some great recipes for different burgers/patties online and in books, i usually make them up as i go, something like this:

LENTIL BURGERS:
1. Wash 1 cup red lentils, cover with water and cook for about 20 mins, drain.
2. While lentils cook, fry a finley chopped onion and 3 cloves crushed garlic in some olive oil.
3. Once lentils have cooled, mix in a bowl with the onion/garlic mix, along with 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1 egg (or you can use ground flax seed mixed with water for a vegan alternative), fresh chopped herbs (parsley, oregano, chives etc), any or all of the following: 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp dried coriandor/cilantro, curry powder, salt and freshly ground pepper.
4. Shape into patties and bbq/fry!

I also experimented after trying one at a yummy organic cafe and made chickpea and potato patties too - basically cooking chickpeas (you could also use canned), making some mashed potato , then putting the 2 together in the blender. Afterwards i added a ton of fresh mint along with the breadcrumbs, egg, salt and pepper. they weren't exactly the same as the cafe, but still yummy!

i made an extra batch to wrap individually and stick in my dad's freezer...it's a nice easy dinner  for him to grab out a few burgers, re-heat and have with a salad. he misses my cooking ;) so he says, anyway.

and...this will be my last post before heading off to italy to gorge on many things not green, or vegan, or fat-free - but cheesy, sugary and very delicious!! so i'll leave you with a parting shot of my broccoli babe - i'm very lucky that both my girls consider a bowl of broccoli to be a treat from the gods - i serve it up to them steamed for lunch many times a week, and they couldn't be happier. ciao!

 

fast food

i am all for short amounts of time cooking in the kitchen. and one pot meals. so i have to share with you something very fast, easy and delish that we make ALL THE TIME since getting the recipe from my lovely friend vicky :) i like to double it to have leftovers for lunches, if i'm feeling extra goddess-housewifey i'll make dahl or some yummy vegies to go along with it.
this one loves it. so does the littler one (i take out the nuts for her)...do yourself a favour and MAKE THIS AT ONCE!!!!

QUICK BASMATI AND NUT PILAF
(serves 4)

Ingredients:
225g/8oz/1 1/4 cups basmati rice
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 large carrott, grated
15-30 ml/1-2 tbsp sunflower oil
5 ml/1 tsp cumin seeds
10 ml/2tsp ground coriander/cilantro
10ml/2tsp black mustard seeds (optional)
4 cardamon pods
450 ml/ 3/4 pint/2cups vegie stock or water
1 bay leaf
salt and ground pepper
75g/3oz/ 1/2 cup unsalted nuts (cashews are my fave)
fresh chopped parsley or coriandor/cilantro to garnish

Directions:
1. Wash the rice and (if there is time) soak for 30 minutes, then drain well in a sieve.
2. In a large shallow pan, fry the onion, garlic and carrot in the oil for a few mins.
3. Stir in the rice and spices and cook for a further 1-2 mins so that the grains are coated in oil.
4. Pour the stock or water in, add the bay leaf and season well. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer gently for about 10 mins.
5. Remove from the heat without lifting the lid - this helps the rice to firm up and cook further. Leave for 5 mins.
6. If the rice is cooked, there will be small steam holes in the centre. Remove the bay leaf and cardamon pods.
7. Stir in the nuts and check the seasoning. Scatter the mixture with the chopped parsley/coriandor/cilantro. YUM!

tomorrow...how to get a ton of raw spinach into your (and your kids!) bellies!

food goodness

good food makes me feel inspired! we eat really simply, i buy as much organic and locally grown produce as i can (i try to spend about 70% of my food budget on fresh fruit and vegies) - both my girls are really good eaters and chow down on every vegetable i plop in front of them as well as tofu, lentils, beans and other 'weird stuff'. this week, i want to share with you a few really easy things i make/give my family on a regular basis, as i LOVE to try new stuff myself and see what others are eating! if you want to join me this week and post meal/snack ideas on your blog - please link in the comments so we can all click around and get some tasty ideas :)

"what can i have to eeeeeeeeAT?" can be heard from my big little one at least once every hour. i like to have lots of things she can get herself like baby carrot sticks, snow peas, strawberries, nuts, corn chips etc. if i think about it while i'm cooking, i'll cut up some cheese or fruit and put in little containers in the fridge for her to get the next day (stuff cut up all cute is way more fun to eat!).

hummos is also a daily favourite for us all - i have made my own in the past but cannot beat trader joe's! a snack or lunch...or both (with tandoori naan is my fave)!

tune in tomorrow for my new rice obsession :)

slop night tonight

let me introduce you to our 'itsbeenoneofthosedays' specialty meal, also known as 'mynameisemilyandirefusetocookinmorethanonepot' meal, and 'oopsitstheendofthemonthandthereisnofoodinthehouse' meal.

SLOP. thats the official name. it's really quite yummy, especially with the right accessories. heres how:

cook equal amounts of rice and red lentils in double the amount of water (so 1 cups rice/1 cups lentils = 4 cups water). you can add a vegie stock cube to the pot if you want to get really experimental. takes about 45 mins for it to get nice and sloppy! i then add a spoonful of curry paste and mix it through.

accessorise with fried onion slices, a blob of yoghurt, sliced avocado, curry chutney, fresh cilantro/coriandor, fresh cracked pepper.

my favourite part is slopping it out into everyones bowls with gusto. for the third night in a row ;)