Cooking from Scratch

My husband set me a challenge last weekend - to see how much food I can make from scratch, and how long I can maintain a habit of doing so.

The reason for the challenge is two-fold. Firstly, with eating a largely sugar free diet, it is difficult to eat processed food, as so much has added sugar. Secondly, because I want to cut down the amount of processed food I eat, I am quite tempted by the idea of a Thermomix. However, they are quite pricey. We have agreed to save up for one, however, long that takes. In the meantime, my husband suggested that I should use the time in proving that making things from scratch is actually something I am committed to, by making things the long way round (ie, without a Thermomix).

It is something I have been feeling guilty about for a while anyway, the amount of processed food I eat, and feed my family. It makes sense from a health and a cost point of view to make what I can at home. Time is the only factor - a big factor for me with a 5, 3, and 1 year old. But the kids are getting into it and helping.

So, this week I have made crackers, hommus (which I've made in the past and is so ridiculously easy I should hang my head in shame for buying it) and icecream (our version of the Thermomix sorbet). I currently have yoghurt sitting in the thermos, hopefully stewing away. I also have flat bread in the oven, courtesy of my breadmaker. Last night for dinner I got chicken tenderloins, dipped them in egg then a mix of breadcrumbs, dried herbs and garlic. My husband thought that I had bought them ready crumbed =)

I am planning to make butter today or tomorrow - looking forward to the buttermilk too. I am feeling very pleased with my efforts. I hope I can keep it up - I need to find a quicker way of making yoghurt - the milk took far long to get to temperature. I think I had the stove too low, fearful it would overheat.

Here is to a long and satisfying journey of good food that I made myself =)

Is there anything you like to make yourself? Post a comment and share it! Inspiration is always good!

Back at the dinner table - with no sugar

It has been months since I last posted. I have been so busy that sitting down to write has been quite difficult. I have taken lots of photos of food that I have created/eaten in that time, intending to post it, but haven't got there. Let's see how we go now.

One of the biggest things that has happened in my eating lately has been going sugar free. This was a huge thing for me. I made the decision on Sunday 5th August, after my husband told me about the book "Sweet Poison" by David Gillespie. I have been struggling with my weight for some time now, and also with self control, which obviously has a big impact on weight. So I spent most of that night awake stressed and panicky about all the foods I would have to give up - every time I started to drift off I would think of something else and jerk awake again. Chocolate, shortbread, caramel slice, gingerbread lattes, icecream - it was a very long night! I woke up fairly despondent, and couldn't see how this was going to work.

I have to say, I was fairly skeptical about the impact it would have. I hoped it would help with weight loss - I wasn't sure how much. I had heard that it helped with appetite control - I wasn't sure that this would actually happen. I wanted it too, but didn't think it would. Well, I was astonished. Within two weeks I was losing weight, eating far less, not feeling at all hungry, and not desiring sugar. I used to eat heaps. Now I have a small breakfast, then I'm fine till lunch. I have a much smaller lunch than I used to, then don't feel hungry till dinner. My dinner serving is quite small and I rarely feel like dessert. When I see chocolate, cake, icecream, I don't get tempted to eat it - in large part because I am usually feeling too full.

This is not to say that I am never eating sugar again. I have a few areas of concern with David Gillespie's book. Firstly, I don't think he understands physiology, or clinical medicine for that matter, and some of the research he has taken out of context. Secondly, I don't agree with his idea that you can eat as much glucose as you want, or fat for that matter. I certainly don't agree with the way he seems to think that exercise is at best unnecessary and at worst bad for you. I think that he has developed a bit of tunnel vision, where fructose is the source of all problems and nothing else that you do matters, as long as you don't eat fructose. I also think that he is a bit too fanatical about it all - he calls himself a "recovering sugarholic". I do not take the view that never again shall a grain of sugar cross my lips. Alcohol is bad if you drink too much - a little is okay. The same goes for fructose. The odd slice of cake or piece of chocolate will not make me keel over and die. It is important to stress though that I am talking about the odd slice - not every day. Since I stopped eating sugar I have had one slice of cake (made with stevia, but sugar sprinkled on top), half a slice of mango cheesecake (shared with my grandmother), a tiny bowl of custard (at a thermomix demo), and 2 strawberries and a piece of almond finger dipped in chocolate (at a party with a chocolate fountain). That's pretty much it, apart from what is in fresh fruit (mostly berries) and the odd bits in processed food, though that is fairly limited.

I haven't baked much in that time, but I will - I've just been busy. I'll just give it away to other people. I'm sure they won't mind =)

Christmas will be the test. If I remain basically sugar free over Christmas, I can see it being a lifelong change. We'll see how we go.

Has anyone else given up sugar? Post a comment and let me know how you have found it! Don't want to or don't think you could? Tell me about that too. I'd love to hear from you.

Sushi

The girls and I made some this morning. Jessica wanted to take some to kinder for lunch. She got lots of oohs and aahs. I love sushi - but since we moved I haven't found a favourite place yet - I'm just not out at lunchtime much these days.

Ella thought it was good too - minus the nori of course!

Chocolate tarts

I had people coming for dinner last night. I made a simple creamy bolognese style pasta bake for main course. For dessert I really wanted to do something that involved melting chocolate, but didn't really have time to do much. In the end I grabbed some pastry tart shells from the supermarket, made a ganache with a combination of milk and dark chocolate and added some Kahlua.

Quick dusting of cocoa powder and some whipped cream on the side - yum! Quick and easy dessert. And there's some ganache leftover. Lucky me!

I love my breadmaker

Tomato focaccia. About 7 minutes prep time, then I just have to be organised to start it going early enough. Prep time includes slicing the tomatoes. And the smell while it cooks - mmmmmmm. This time it came out lovely and soft - it sometimes comes out a bit on the dry side. I make pizza bases in my bread maker all the time, too. Definitely worth the investment.

Choc malt slice

Made it again. Still just as good as the first time. For the sake of my arteries, had to give some away - good way to make friends!

Cookies n cream

I had some condensed milk left over from making choc malt slice, so I found a recipe for cookies 'n' cream icecream. The girls and I made it this morning. It was the first time I have made icecream. It turned out pretty well, I have to say, given that it was done without an icecream maker so it only got churned once. The recipe said to use Bailey's but I didn't have any so I made some kiddy style and some with Kahlua.

1 cup sweetened condensed milk
600mL cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
150g chocolate biscuits
2 tbs Baileys (or liqueur of your choice)

Beat 1st 3 ingredients on high for about 7 minutes until very thick.
Break up chocolate biscuits, add liqueur if using. Stir in carefully to cream mixture.
Put in freezer-proof container, freeze for at least 3 hours.

Tasted pretty good. But then, most things taste pretty good if you add liqueur :-)