Mother's Day

It's nearly Mother's Day and I've been having a look on etsy.com and finding all sorts of cute presents and cards that i think would be perfect for mum. Here's some of my favourites that i found, all handmade with care.
















redbirdink.etsy.com













bigfrozenmelon.etsy.com













littleoven.etsy.com


















naomilingerie.etsy.com


















storeyshop.etsy.com

And here's another idea if you want to make something yourself... we made some of these over the christmas holidays to give to our friends and families and everyone loved them! We wrapped them in clear cellophane and tied ribbons and hand made cards to them. Thanks Nigella for this delicious recipe and thanks Tilly for letting me steal it from your cookbook while you were studying (mine still aren't quite as good as yours!)


















Nigella's Biscotti

Makes about 20 (we usually double the recipe)
1 egg
100g caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon real vanilla essence
a few drops of almond essence
125g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
50g natural shelled almonds (macadamia's are extra incredible in these)
75g dark chocolate chunks (honestly, any kind of chocolate will be delish! we used white chocolate combined with macadamia's and a few cranberries)

Pre-heat the oven to 180 deg C

Whisk egg and sugar until pale and moussily thick. Beat in vanilla and almond extract, slowly fold in flour, bp and salt. When combined, fold in whole almonds and chocolate pieces, then form the dough into a loaf like log of about 25cm x 5cm, taper ends. Lay biscotti on baking paper on a tray, cook 25 mins (sometimes this varies... maybe just keep an eye on it). Take out of the oven and leave to cool for 5 mins, cut into 1cm thick slices and lay them flat, put back into oven again and cook for 10mins, turn over and cook for another 5mins.

Ta Da!!

Woolen Jersey

I've been wearing my beautiful hand knitted gold wool jersey a bit lately because it's started to feel like winter in Wanaka and as well as being the warmest thing i own it is also very pretty (everyone except my brother thinks so). Here's why you should rock a woolen jersey this winter:
1. it makes you feel cosy and snug
2. it's probably been hand made with love
3. wool is super warm and feels nice to touch (unless you're one of those people that thinks it makes you itchy)
4. everyone compliments you on your beautiful knitted garment
5. you may strike up a friendship with a fellow woolen jersey lover

Jan's home-made bread

When i was in Cape Town last year staying with the wonderful Jan we got into making our own bread, i mostly made gluten free (it's so expensive to buy and never as good as home made), and Jan made amazing 'normal' bread, by normal i mean that hers actually rose and tasted good every time, mine on the other hand was always an exciting experiment and there were times when i had to cut it horizontally for there to be an actual slice, and then sometimes it was really crumbly (i resolved this by using a gluten subtitute, turns out that gluten is what holds it together... i.e glue). Jan has just spent the summer on Great Barrier Island, my beautiful home and has been making her fantastic bread.. Dad says it's a been a big hit on the Island and that it should definately be posted to my blog, how could i say no! Plus there is nothing as good as hot bread straight out of the over with lots of butter on it. Dad read this recipe out to me over the phone the other day along with much enthusiasm and many detailed instructions, apparently this recipe makes one really big loaf or two smaller loaves and is best cooked in a wood stove...

Here it is:

7 cups flour (a mix of whatever you like, rye/spelt/wholemeal... anything as long as it's organic!)
4 teaspoons dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup mixed seeds (dad sometimes uses walnuts)
4 cups warm water

Mix dry ingredients together, use a little boiling water to dissolve the honey and then add a little less than 4 cups when you put the rest of the water in, add dissolved honey and olive oil to the dry ingredients and then add the remaining water. Mix all together. Put into a very large bread tin or two smaller tins (greased with butter or olive oil). Cover with a tea towel and find somewhere warm (warming tray in the oven works well) and let the bread sit for half an hour. Put into oven at 180C and cook for 45minutes.

I think it tastes best when it's still warm, with butter on and a cup of rooibos tea with honey. X



Thanks Jan for the great photo, we want to try your lemon meringue pie too! X

Magnificent Carrot Cake

Husband review: " Warm and delicious, an adventure of healthiness."

Quinoa, Buckwheat and Millet Porridge

My super healthy mummy has been telling me about her quinoa, buckwheat, and millet breakfast that she makes and has been raving about how nutritious and delish it is. Last week I made some for the first time and have been having it every day since (I have actually been waking up in the mornings craving it). Here is a run down on some of the nutritional benefits of these three delights... and what they are!

Millet! cereal grain rich in B vitamins, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, and zinc. Millets contain no gluten. It is one of the oldest foods know to humans (it's even mentioned in the bible) and sustains around 1/3 of the worlds population. Millet is highly nutritious and is one of the least allergic foods, it is easy to digest and has a mildly sweet, nut-like flavour.

Buckwheat! comes from a fruit seed related to rhubarb and sorrel. Diets that contain buckwheat have been linked to lowered risk of developing high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Rich in antioxidants and magnesium. The nutrients in buckwheat may contribute to blood sugar control. Whole buckwheat such as buckwheat groats also scored highest on their ability to satisfy hunger. It is gluten free.

Quinoa! a protein, calcium, and iron rich seed that has a fluffy, creamy, slightly crunchy texture and a somewhat nutty flavor when cooked. Most commonly considered a grain but quinoa is actually a relative of leafy green vegetables like spinach and Swiss chard. Can help with reducing headaches and diabetes. Quinoa is a good source of magnesium, a mineral that helps relax blood vessels. It contains an almost perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids needed for tissue development in humans. Quinoa is light, tasty, and easy to digest. It is not sticky or heavy like most other grains, and it has a delicious flavor. It is also gluten free... hurrah!

Here's how:
1/2 cup quinoa (yellow)
1/2 cup buckwheat groats
1/2 cup ground millet (sometimes called millet cereal)
a handful of sultanas or raisins (chopped dates or dried apricots could be great as well)
a few chopped almonds (i used roasted because while not so nutritious, are way yummier)
a little natural unsweetened yogurt (organic is best)
rice/soy/cows milk
honey

Pour quinoa and buckwheat into a small saucepan, cover plus a third with water (warm or cold) and bring to the boil, turn down and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix millet with a little water to make a sort of paste, add into the saucepan, simmer for another minute or so while stirring. Eat hot and top with milk, yogurt, almonds, and honey.

This recipe makes enough for me for about 4 or 5 days, it's easier just to make a big lot all at once and then just heat up a little each morning in a saucepan with a tiny bit of water.

Xx

Magnificent Carrot Cake

My lovely friend Amy and I found this carrot cake recipe on 101cookbooks.com. We'd been talking about doing some baking without using sugar and different things we could use to substitute. We loved this recipe because it is naturally sweetened by the dates and banana's.. (we also added in a tiny bit of honey). We changed around a few things according to what we could find in our cupboards.. e.g almonds instead walnuts.

This is how Heidi (101cookbooks) describes this recipe "dense, rich, rustic, walnut-studded, and carrot-flecked." I also like the icing idea... no icing sugar, just cream cheese mixed with a little maple syrup or agave nectar. "Imagine a traditional carrot cake colliding with your favorite banana bread, and you'll have an idea of where this recipe will take you." Heidi suggested playing around with different add ins... so we did! ginger, honey, lemon zest and juice, and i used rice flour and millet flour to make it gluten free.

2 cups plain/wholemeal/gluten free flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts or almonds
4 ounces unsalted butter, heated until just melted
1/2 cup dried dates, seeded and finely chopped into a paste
3 ripe bananas (1 1/4 cups), mashed well
1/2 lemon (juice and zest)
1 1/2 cups grated carrots (about 3 medium)
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 eggs, lightly whisked

6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 tablespoons agave nectar or maple syrup (or to taste)

Preheat oven to 180C. Butter a cake pan and line it with baking paper.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Stir in the walnuts and set aside.

Stir the dates into the melted butter, breaking up the dates a bit. (We used a saucepan and simmered the butter and dates for a few minutes while stirring).

In a separate bowl combine the bananas, carrots, lemon zest and juice. Stir in the date-butter mixture, breaking up any date clumps as you go. Whisk in the yogurt and the eggs. Add the flour mixture and stir until everything just comes together. Spoon into the prepared pan. Bake for about 50 - 60 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

While the cake is baking whip together the cream cheese and maple/agave nectar. Taste. If you like it sweeter adjust to how you like it. When the cake has completely cooled ice the top of the cake with a spatula.

YUM! Mine has just come out of the oven... review to come! X

Chocolate gingerbread cookies!

Today i spent the afternoon watching/being distracted by an array of cooking shows on food television which inspired me to get into the kitchen to make some treats... Brandon LOVES cookies, in fact entirely anything that is sweet. I have several options, my new cookbook that my mother in law gave me for our wedding (to ensure her angel was going to be looked after.. of course), the array of recipes i have stuffed into the front of this new cookbook, written on the back of envelopes/to-do lists/printing paper and some from my travels around Europe last year, and also some amazing food blogs i've been introduced to. In this case however i somehow ended up on the Martha Stewart website, feeling very domestic and wife like. So out come all (minus a couple) of the ingredients, I like to think of my cooking style as creative/improvisational/adventurous.. I managed to get half way through Martha's complicated instructions before i abandoned the confines of her strict online recipe and took control.. in this case it worked, but it doesn't always end in the delight that i may hope for, my husband has become an expert at comforting me when my cakes don't rise or i burn things, this is his advice "baby, don't find your worth in cupcakes, they are only cupcakes!" he sees the bigger picture, i see a disaster in a small tin.

So here it is, my healthier version of Martha Stewart's Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

1/2 cup chocolate chips/any kind of chocolate really
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon mixed spice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup honey
1 egg

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cocoa. In another bowl mix together butter (softened a little), honey, and molasses. Combine all ingredients and add baking soda dissolved in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water, mix together and add egg and then finally chocolate chips. Make into cookies shapes and put on baking on trays, cook for about 12 minutes at 180. Enjoy! X
Ps these can be made gluten free by replacing the all-purpose flour with rice flour or whatever type of gluten free flour you like, it would probably be a good idea to put in about a teaspoon of xanthan or guar gum as a gluten replacer to hold it all together too.

p.s i like how the cookie looks like the shape of Africa...

Autumn

Last week my friend Dave and I rode our bicycles down to the yacht club and took some pictures by the lake. The trees are turning the most amazing colours right now and the whole town is looking lit up with yellows, oranges, and reds. Autumn is definately the prettiest time of year in Wanaka.

Hi there, my name is Kahu and this little blog, milk&honey is my journal. It's where i share my adventures.recipes.changeofseason.everyday interests. Where I write about things that i love in life... things i discover.invent.attempt. I want to explore and inspire creativity. Brandon, my husband!! and i just got married this summer, and we want to share our new life here in Wanaka with our family and friends all over the world. I hope you enjoy! xx