This is my first post of the year, and hopefully there will be many more to come, bringing a little sweetness to a new year filled with trepidation, and bad news. So please my friends join me this year for tea and cakes, and other delicious recipes, that I hope will become firm favourites for you, as they are for me.
This good old fashioned Banana Bread is basic…… and by that I mean it is easy to make, without any frills, but delicious nonetheless. It is a great moist loaf and almost definitely “flop-proof”. It’s the kind your Grandma made, and then your Mother, who taught you, and was passed down through the family, generation to generation. These are my favourite recipes, the ones which are handwritten, with scribbled notes explaining the method, with maybe a doodle or two, and the pages covered with splashes and stains from frequent use. These are the true tell tale signs that the recipe has been tried and tested many times in the past.
When you are in need of a quick hearty meal, this white bean soup made with pantry staples can be made in 15 minutes, just grab a few cans from the shelf and you are good to go. If you love beans, there is nothing healthier and more nourishing than a big bowl of soup to get you through these hard times.
Because I love all things spicy and hot, these carrots are a regular feature in my fridge. They are one of the easiest pickles to make, and can be eaten within 10 days, so there is no long pickling, or fermentation process needed for them. Get into the kitchen and make them, as there is nothing better than a fridge full of pickles.
With the majority of the world being confined to their homes, to their own towns, and to their countries, it has brought on the revival of bygone practices in the kitchen for many of us. Fermenting, pickling, making jam, and particularly bread baking being just a few. This is exactly what I have been doing during our 9 week confinement in South Africa. I appreciate it is not something that everyone will be able to do at the moment, but hopefully when life returns to normal, these old traditions will start resurfacing, and become the norm. So let’s support our local suppliers and home industries, we can all make that change for a better future.
I’m popping in to share a little love and giving you a free mini eBook of just a few of my favourite Cakes and Cupcakes. Download and save to your computer or print out for easy reference. I hope you enjoy these recipes and please comment if you like this little snippet of my blog .
Have a wonderful week my friends.
If Brussel Sprouts are on your list of “I Do Not Eat ” foods, then think again because these tender gourmet baby cabbages are great cooked, and taste even better eaten raw. With the Raw Food Revolution getting bigger and bolder each year, we all need to sit up and take note of the generation of 20 and 30 somethings, who are living healthier, eating better, and quite honestly setting the tone for how we all should be viewing our eating habits. Brussel Sprouts are high in fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, making them a nutritious addition to your diet.
Fay and Phable.com
Relaxing bedtime rituals are proven to calm your mind and body and prepare you for a good night’s sleep. Whether it be a warm bath, meditation, or soft background music, we all have something that we love to do before our much needed rest. For me, it’s something warm to drink, and making sure that what I wear is as comfortable as possible. This delicious Rooibos Chai is easy to make, vegan, and soothes my soul after a warm bath and getting comfortable in my all time favourite loungewear by Fay and Phable .
My mother in law was a simple cook, using only basic ingredients and recipes that were easy to make. Every now and then I go through her single tiny recipe book, written in her neat meticulous writing, with minimum instructions. She used to call these cheese puffs, and the ingredients were put together in a flash, and ready to eat hot with butter within 30 minutes. It is not always multiple ingredients that make a recipe great, sometimes it is good to go back to basics for a good old fashioned winner.
Wishing everyone a fabulous festive season. May you and your families be blessed with happiness, love, fun, and lots of delicious food to eat. If you are looking for a few Christmas recipes to make over the holidays, here is a roundup of a few of my favourite traditional recipes I have made many times over the years.