Father Christmas Cookies….

Vanilla & Butter Cookies (Father Christmas Cookies)

Christmas to me has become all about the so many things I can do with my children (and should be doing more of)…because I am often rushing around and not taking as much time as I could do at other times. 

I have a singular point of view when it comes to my kids as well – I want them to grow up knowing things….how to do things, make things, create the life, food, home and work they would most like to do.

How to follow their dreams and listen to their hearts as they walk through a better world we have worked so hard to create on their behalf. Because, well, I have long felt as if I was misinformed (or uninformed) and certainly ill prepared with life as I have come to know it.

With this in mind (nothing small around here!!! LOL), I wanted to bake some treats together with them this week for our Solstice and Christmas celebrations (I know, it’s a big cookie to bite off!).

We decided on some sort of butter cookie….well, it had butter in it (lol) and flour, almonds and then the greatest flavour of the season – homemade vanilla extract. I make mine in a large bottle of bourbon – using 8 or 10 vanilla bean pods as well as some scraped out vanilla beans.

These sit for several weeks and then months until you can’t walk by the bottle without smelling wafts of vanilla perfuming the air (available in the market stall on occasion)….lovely!

So, these are butter and vanilla cookies, right? 

Back to the story or recipe….which is really a tale of how to create something magical from ingredients that seem rather ordinary on their own.

To make these cookies we used:

500 g flour (whole wheat/strong white ½ and ½)

250 g raw cane sugar

380 g butter (soft)

125 g ground almonds

 2 – 3 tablespoons  Bourbon vanilla

¼ teaspoon sea salt

dark chocolate (melted in double boiler)

imagination!

Blend the butter and then slowly add the sugar, almonds, flour, salt and finally vanilla – keep mixing until soft and crumbly. Add extra vanilla if this seems too dry. You should be able to squeeze the mixture together into a soft dough.

Onto a floured board or baking paper, knead some of the dough  and then roll it flat…let the children take over with cookie cutters, shapes and fingers to make the cookies into whatever shape they need to create.

At this time of the year we all like stars, ginger bread men, hearts and trees. Once you have enough shapes to cover a large baking sheet – place them onto parchment paper and into an oven set at 180C or so for 10 to 12 minutes.

Watch them closely because they will brown quickly. 

Once done and out of the oven, cool slightly then remove with a palette knife onto a cooking rack. When completely cool, dip in the melted chocolate and decorate with some coloured bits from the organic shop….

They taste as good as they look! We like to make different sized star shapes and stick them together using dark chocolate in the centre….we refer to these as Father Christmas cookies here, because these are the ones we leave out for him on Christmas Eve.

Happy Holidays!

April

Father Christmas Cookies

West Cork - the centre of the Food Universe

A few of my favourite things….

I remember not so very long ago when I spent nearly a decade sugar, wheat, dairy, wheat, meat and fish free. My how times have changed since I started the fasting, raising my own food and healing my gut properly.

Now, everything we can raise, make, cook, create, grow and catch ourselves is on the menu and since I love this time of the year so much there are so many goodies to choose from….LOL

This year I wanted to share a few of my favourite things with you, of course, it just goes to show, they all happen to be food! But, good foods are often simple things that become decadent once a little bit of this and a little dash of that, is added.

It’s kind of like magic – kitchen alchemy. Especially this time of year, there are so many wonderful tastes, food memories and seasonal offerings to be had. Perhaps we are quite spoilt living here in West Cork too, because this is kind of like the centre of the food Universe!

So now, where was I? Oh yes, my 3 treats of the season so far this year would have to be – Fig & Port Chutney, Brandy & Vanilla Butter and my Gourmet Seaweed Sea Salt blend (each of these are available at my Rebel Foods market stall in very limited quantities). 

Funny how two of those include a little bit of alcohol, but never mind it’s a seasonal thing!

For the Fig & Port Chutney, I slow cooked (food should be handled very gently) figs, apples, red onions, spices and demerara sugar, then added port at the last hour of cooking. This ensures that richness of flavour – can’t wait to try it on our Christmas goose (and turkey, duck, sandwiches, Gubbeen cheese….LOL).

Next my favourite seasonal delight has to be Brandy and Vanilla Butter. This is really a little bit (ok, a lot) my own take on an ancient Victorian recipe. Of course, I am using my own organic vanilla infused Jim Beam that has been aging, just waiting for this season….

Brandy butter is something special, often reserved for Christmas day pudding, it can be heated and poured over the warm pud like a sauce or better yet, a steaming hot pudding and cold brandy butter melting over top can’t be compared to anything else. 

We also love it with a cheese selection and with smoked salmon or other smoked fish. Come to think of it, smoked cheese sandwiches with brandy butter has a nice sound too….hmmm.

Lastly, I have changed my Seaweed & Sea Salt recipe for the holiday season – adding sesame seeds to this unique medley of gorgeous sea salts from around the world. I love salt, it’s healing properties and ability to turn ordinary food into an art form.

My Gourmet Seaweed Sea Salt blend has West Cork sea salt along with French, Himalayan and other Atlantic sea salts. When combined with the seaweeds and infused with thyme – the flavour is exquisite. 

So much to look forward to this holiday season – it’s all in the food! 

April

Magic of Christmas….comes in a jar! 

Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls - Winter Treat

Cinnamon Rolls with a twist….Sourdough 

A couple of weeks ago I was off my fast and really wanted something nice – sweet and winterish - to have with my morning dandelion coffee. The only thing I could come up with on the day was some sort of a Cinnamon bun or roll. 

It had to be sweet, gooey, spicy, soft and sticky…..are you with me so far? You know the type of rolls that are melted inside yet the bread dough is nice and soft. Oh, and the fragrance, it had to smell sweet, like cinnamon and a little bit like baked bread.

Fasting does that to you! Your tastebuds are clean and alive - only a very specific taste would do (or in this case a food memory). 

Off, I went to find my recipes, however when I looked through each of my books I could only find mention of cinnamon buns made with fast acting yeast or a packet of this or that kind of yeast. 

And this is absolutely out of the question for me. 

It has to be wild fermented sourdough in this house. I work with so many wild fermentation projects – my Rebel Juices fermented drinks, my Apple Cider Vinegar, my sourdough starter, my yogurt and my various fermented vegetables and I won’t risk contamination or compromise on the taste.

So, taking what I thought might be a rough idea of a basic recipe – it can’t be that difficult, right? I put some flour into a bowl (yes, for those who know me, I just throw things together and hope for the best!) some sourdough starter, a little soft butter, an egg, some yogurt and milk, then sugar and water.

I left this to rise for a few hours, like you would a sponge for any other sourdough bread. Once it was risen enough – it did look a little different from a regular sponge starter – I took it out and kneaded it with more flour, into a soft dough. 

Next, I rolled it out flat onto a floured surface and then buttered it (the entire large piece of dough) with my Cinnamon Honey Butter. So far, so good. It smelled like cinnamon and was starting to take shape.

Then, leaving the edges free of the cinnamon butter, I rolled the dough up as tightly as I could all the while pinching any loose ends together. Once I had a cinnamon log, I gently cut sections off for the rolls.

These were placed into an oiled pan and arranged tightly in a circle – just for effect! I happen to like swirls…..LOL

And that was it – the pan of cinnamon dough was let rise again for another hour or so, then popped into a hot oven….it was lovely! Sweet, warm and spicy – just what winter should be all about.

April

Cinnamon Rolls - made with sourdough

Memories of Sticky Date & Fig Pudding….

Yule or Christmas Pudding

There are so many recipes out there for Christmas puddings – I won’t even try reinventing the wheel however, I will say….I have made sugar free versions of absolutely everything and these are just as good as something with sugar.

Especially when it comes to puddings such as this. There are a lot of sweet ingredients that go into such a dessert but that is just the point isn’t it? A Christmas feast is not the time or place to be counting the calories!

My favourite Christmas pudding last year was one I made with pecans….or was it the one I made with sticky dates and toffee! Can’t remember, they were all so good and when served later, long after the heaviness of the meal has been digested, a pudding is quite a nice way to end any festive day.

But, the single most important thing to say about any Yule or Christmas pudding – is this – you have to be making it now! LOL

Now is the perfect time to set aside an afternoon and assemble your pudding. Get each of your ingredients ready (soaking the dried fruit is often a good idea too) and then follow your favourite recipe to your hearts delight.

Making the pudding is easy. I always find steaming it for 6 to 8 hours the more difficult part because I am always watching little ones around the stove and making sure the pot doesn’t run out of water. 

But, eventually the pudding is steamed enough to cool down and store or freeze until Christmas. I do believe that some of those made with rum or whiskey as well as all that sugar and fruit, will continue to age and develop in texture and flavour no matter where they are! LOL

This week – start getting ready for your special day. Choose a pudding recipe, make a ritual of gathering the ingredients, spend an afternoon making it and then store it in a special place to age. 

One of the most wonderful traditions of this time of year is the opening of all these little packages when the time comes. An aromatic Christmas pudding in one of them is a lovely gift indeed.

April

Sticky date & fig pudding ready to freeze

Nothing to Waste….

I was reading something a couple of weeks ago about some major supermarket and the enormous amount of waste created each week when they dumped all that out of date processed, over packaged, sterile food.  

It’s a shame it was created in the first place – that is perhaps the biggest waste – of raw materials. But, alas it exists and then it goes to landfill one way or the other. Because lets face it, lots of times this food might be bought and taken home only to end up in the rubbish bin there.

Which leads me to another issue – what is it with needing a rubbish bin? We haven’t had one in years and don’t need one. Because we go out of our way to not create waste. Everything is used, nothing is thrown out and certainly everything is eaten.

So, this week we are fasting. Actually, today is day 8 of our before Christmas detox and of course I have been steadily clearing out the supplies of food in case anything might be ready to go off, but I also enjoy cooking ahead at this time of year.

Yesterday I made a huge pot of Nightshade free pasta sauce with pumpkins, courgettes, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, seaweed, beetroot, spices and so forth. Then from that sauce I made large trays of lasagna, long grain brown rice cooked in the vegetable juice, and extra sauce for other meals. 

Next, some over ripe bananas and left over coconut balls went into a lovely winter spice banana bread. All of this went into the freezer for when we are done our fasting. These meals also used up any cheese left over in the fridge so it too wasn’t wasted. 

I do remember those days when anything that wasn’t eaten quickly enough or was forgotten in the fridge went out into the bin. It was never a warm and fuzzy feeling.

Now, with the animals to be fed along with ourselves – there is a use for everything. Our goats love the pumpkin seeds and vegetable peelings, the turkeys enjoy left over nettles and herbs from tea, the ducks and chickens fight over any bread and the dogs eat everything else.

Seeing how this all works gives me hope that perhaps inside our guts it’s all working just as well – It’s kind of like a little ecosystem!

April

Honey Cinnamon Oat Crunch & Toasted Muesli now available at Rebel Foods Stall

Sourdough Bread, Bean Burgers & Fermentation…..Cookery Class 10th November with April Danann

Want to learn some new recipes, cooking from scratch and a few simple meals that will uplift you? If you have been feeling low, heavy, have some health issues or are just sick and tired of feeling sick and tired...then it's time to come out and learn how to cook - like a rebel! 

Perhaps some high vibration foods are all your body needs to restore its' usual vitality and even if this is the first step on a new road - eating well is all about understanding how and what to cook. This upcoming class will be about bread (mainly), fermentation, bean burgers and sustainable eating….. 

For you seasoned foodies out there, are junk and ready made meals creeping into your menu? Maybe a little tune-up and gentle reminder about what to feed your body is what you need...

However most importantly, eating well and renewed health starts with reducing the amount of processed food in your diet. Making more of our meals from basic ingredients is easier then you might think - all it takes is a little push in the right direction.

 As a food rebel you can learn how to feed yourself and your family - make some items you may have thought too difficult and get to know your food on an entirely new, energetic level. There is no time like right now, and no better place to practice being a rebel!

Come out and join an Intuitive Rebel Cook in Leap, West Cork

10th November (Breaking Bread) 11am to 3pm 

Only €35 for class, organic food, recipes & notes!

Contact April on mobile 087 236 1616 or email: info@aprildanann.com to book your place...See you there!

Fermented Foods….Nature’s Gift of Life

Not feeling well? Dodgy tummy? Down with the flu? Sniffles coming on? Feeling moody, hormonal, unbalanced, unnatural, ungrounded, lack of energy, aches and pains….or just plain not with it? Weeelllll…..

Any of these (and perhaps all of these!) just may have a little to do with a complete and utter lack of (enough) living organisms within (your gut) and without (your skin) to see you through proper digestive processes, immune function, detox pathways and all else that needs to go on in our bodies.

So without further ado – here is some more of what I have been up to for these past few months but this time, with an added dimension. I wasn’t satisfied to just have the usual fermented foods….I wanted something with a twist LOL.

A few weeks ago I placed some veggies into one of my trusty demi-johns (it has a wide mouth – perfect to work with vegetables and fruits) along with some of my goat’s whey and water to see what I would get.

To be honest it was a pure experiment in taste. For years I have not really been all that ‘gone’ on some of the fermented foods, (I really love some things, but dislike the taste of others) so I really just wanted something that tasted, well, nice enough to eat.

The vegetables I used were beetroot, carrot, courgette, red onion, garlic and dulse seaweed….these were all grated and then placed in the glass jar along with ¾ cup of goat’s yogurt whey, a little sea salt and water.

That’s it.

I left them covered (sealed with the cap for the demi-john) for more then 2 weeks or so – but I tasted them every couple of days to see how they were progressing. And with each taste, they changed a little bit more – until the day arrived when I was happy with the taste.

Then I scooped them out and placed them into jars for the fridge. Right now the vegetable mix tastes sort of fresh, a tiny bit salty, a little sour/tangy/vinegary and lovely! I hope to have a couple of tablespoons on my plate each day with my meals.

My digestion feels better already! LOL

April

Fermented vegetables - ready for the fridge

Chocolate Fudge Brownies.....With Homemade Semi-Sweet Chocolate

These are an easy recipe to make - I like anything that is versatile - especially when you want to use other flours such as spelt. If using all whole grain spelt, remember to adjust the liquid content (use less) but this is also nice to mix and match. Use some spelt to give them more of a dense nutty texture familiar in a brownie...

I also make my own semi-sweet chocolate....for inclusion in a recipe it's often better then the factory made variety - besides you can control the ingredients completely with no preservatives etc. And, there is that continued satisfaction of making your own whenever possible. 

Chocolate Fudge Brownies

Cake

1 ¾ cups flour (I use 1/3 spelt)

¼ cup cocoa powder

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

2/3 cup chopped nuts (almonds, cashews)

125g butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

½ cup sour cream or yogurt

Semi Sweet Chocolate

6 tablespoons cocoa powder

6 tablespoons powdered sugar 

1 ½ to 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening (start with less)

Topping

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

¾ cup powdered sugar 

1 cup cream cheese

Preheat oven to 170C. Butter and flour a square baking tin or a shallow brownie pan. You can also line the sides with parchment paper to ensure ease of removal.

In a mixing bowl, sift together dry ingredients (except sugar) add ½ chopped or coarsely ground nuts. In the meantime, in a saucepan, over hot water, make the semi sweet chocolate in a heat-proof bowl.  Add all ingredients starting with the vegetable shortening first. Stir constantly to remove any lumps making sure all the sugar is blended in.

Allow chocolate to cool a little then add in sugar (from the cake section), lightly beaten eggs and sour cream or yogurt – beating until mixture is well combined – it will be thick and smooth. 

Add chocolate mixture to dry flour ingredients – using a wooden spoon stir gently until combined but do not over stir. Spoon evenly over the bottom of buttered baking tin – bake in oven 32-37 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in tin.

For the topping, place all ingredients into a bowl, using a fork, mash until well combined. It will soften and become spreadable after a few minutes. Using a knife, spread thickly and evenly over top of cooled cake then sprinkle topping with remaining chopped nuts. Cut into squares and serve….Lovely! 

April

A very chocolaty treat! 

April's Energy Balls....Healthy Coconut Treats

These days it really is all about energy - we seem to be running on empty, even when we are full or feeling drained, although we do so much to stop the leaks. Of course a huge amount of our energy (all of it?) must come from our food, and when we are eating things made from machines - well, let's just say that warm and fuzzy feeling is missing.

If you would like to try a dairy free, sugar free, wheat free - yummy treat, try these little energy balls. I have a more involved recipe listed below, but really, it you have a food processor, just use a handful of almonds, a few dates and figs and make a paste. Then roll into balls and sprinkle on some coconut.

It couldn't be easier to treat yourself....and lets face it - you deserve the best (say it often and believe it).

April’s Energy Balls

2-3 cups of chopped dates, figs or apricots and other dried fruit
¾ cup of crushed almonds, cashew or walnuts
2-3 tablespoons of sugar free strawberry jam
Maple Syrup (about 1-2 tablespoons)
Dessicated Coconut (1 cup)
½ to ¾ cup Tahini or Almond Butter

This recipe can be made differently each time you make it according to the ingredients that you have on hand. Also, the measurements can not be exact as sometimes the dates, figs and apricots may be a little drier and will therefore need more of the ‘wet’ ingredients to hold them together.

I chop all dates, figs and apricots by hand as fine as possible and combine in a large bowl (if you have a food processor, use this). Next I put in the nuts, jam and maple syrup. Mix all of these together loosely by mixing lightly, then add the tahini or almond butter slowly- seeing how much you will need to make the dry ingredients stick together.

Tahini works best for this recipe because it is not sweet and does not make Coconut balls overly sweet, and also because it is less thick then the almond butter. However, I have made it with both and it has worked out well. Even try a combination to give a nice nutty taste too.

Once all those ingredients are mixed in, see if you can squeeze a small teaspoon full into a ball- if this is done easily then do not add any thing else. If it is too wet, add more dates and if too dry add more jam and/or tahini.

Now that you can make little balls with this, roll them onto a plate covered with the coconut until each one is coated entirely. Then place onto a separate pan or serving dish.

These look very nice, are a balanced, healthy snack and are quite tasty with a cup of dandelion coffee. I serve them with seasonal fruit such as fresh strawberries or orange sections on a platter for nibbles at the end of a meal or at any party. Enjoy!

Or drop by my market stall in Bantry or Skibbereen to have a treat....can't wait to see you,

April

A bowl of Energy Balls.....yumm! 

A Seasonal Favourite.....Cinnamon Swirl Cake

I was delighted to have my recipe for this cake featured in last weeks Southern Star newspaper in Nora Strong's column... it was also lovely to meet Nora and show her a little about our life here and all we are trying to do. 

So, for those of you who are not living locally here in West Cork here is another one of our favourite recipes for winter (and nearly anytime of the year! LOL) - we love Cinnamon Cake around here. It's a great warmer, tastes lovely and has anti-inflammatory properties that are supposed to be great for balancing blood sugar.

And, this recipe is so easy.....especially once you make it a couple of times and memorize it. Then, you can adapt it to nearly anything such as carrot cake (omit the cinnamon and brown sugar) add in 1/2 cup grated carrot and some spices such as cloves and allspice....Hmmm...that sounds nice too!

Nothing like a little piece of cake on a rainy afternoon along with a cup of dandelion coffee.....and to make it extra special, I make my own Bourbon vanilla extract which adds a lovely element to any baking. As well as my own eggs, our goat's milk and fresh yogurt. With all of this goodness, this cake can't be beat. 

Make your own at home and drop by my market stall for a slice.....

April Danann's Cinnamon Swirl Cake

Cake
3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder (or a little more)
pinch salt
1 cup milk plus 3 tablespoons if needed
2 – 3 tablespoons yogurt
3 eggs
½ cup melted butter
1 tsp homemade vanilla extract if you have it

Swirl
1 cup butter (soft, not melted)
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons flour

Topping
½ cup powdered sugar
1 - 2 teaspoons goat's milk

To make the cake sift the dry ingredients together in a deep mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs together with milk, vanilla and yogurt. Add the wet ingredients to the dry flour mixture, mix well. Add the extra 3 tablespoons milk if batter too thick.

In the meantime, melt the butter over low heat – cool a little, then slowly add to the cake batter folding over until well blended. Scrape into a square, greased or lined baking tin (deep is better) until evenly spread over the bottom.

To make the cinnamon swirl place all ingredients into a bowl or small pot and mix well until it is thick and creamy looking. Spoon this carefully over top of the cake batter starting from each corner, working your way in – then using a knife, pull the cinnamon mixture throughout the batter.

Bake at 180C for about 30 to 35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean at the centre of the cake. Let cool in tin. Before serving, mix together powdered sugar and milk into a thin icing and spoon overtop.

Cut into squares….enjoy with a herbal coffee!

April

Cinnamon Swirl Cake - available in my market stall Bantry & Skibbereen 

April Danann's Mung Bean Burger Recipe

As promised.....here is my recipe for Mung Bean burgers....I posted this sometime last year, but have updated it and here it is again. These are the absolute best bean burgers ever (yes, I know it's my own recipe! LOL) and is something I have made for my family for years....now available at my market stall in Skibbereen on Saturday's. 

Oh, and these are best served with homemade mayo or honey mustard for dipping....

Mung Bean Burgers

1-2 cups of dried mung beans (or more if you want more burgers!)

3 cloves garlic

2 cups or more of chopped vegetables (onions, broccoli, scallions, leeks, etc.)

1 cup of cooked or raw chopped  fresh herbs or spinach

½ cup of grated carrot

Spices and Sea Salt

Olive oil

Sunflower oil for frying or baking

o Soak the mung beans for 48 hours (or until sprouted) in lots of water. Drain, rinse the beans and discard the soaking liquid. Put all the mung beans, raw or cooked herbs or spinach, spices (coriander, cumin, black pepper) and raw garlic in a blender or food processor with a little olive oil. Blend or process until you have a smooth and light batter. Transfer the batter into a deep bowl.

o Stir in chopped vegetables - scallions, onions, leeks, grated carrot, chopped cooked spinach, herbs to taste and cilantro if desired. Use the vegetables you have on hand- sometimes I use grated pumpkin or squash, and cooked green lentils.

o Using a frying pan, cook as you would a pancake- spoon some of the mixture onto the pan and flatten with the spatula, fry until crispy on each side then place onto newspaper to soak up oil – sprinkle with salt.

o   Or the mixture can be placed into an oiled pan and placed in the oven for about 30-40 minutes. I spread artichoke pate over the top when I bake it, to give it an added taste.

o   These burgers change as the vegetables you have on hand change and also you can vary the amount of vegetables you add in- we like it chunky with lots of onions and the spinach makes it moist. These are great served with a rice stir-fry and onion rings made with spelt/gram flour batter on a Saturday night in with the movies!

These can be frozen and will keep for a couple of days in the fridge....they taste great re-heated under the grill for a few minutes to crisp them up. We also make cheese bean burgers with lovely local smoked cheese.....(sigh).

Enjoy (and come visit me at my market stall)

April

An Intuitive Bread Baking Lesson....

Ok….I’m back!! LOL

It’s been a long summer and I have done quite a bit of cooking, baking and creating in the kitchen….and I’ve learned quite a bit – being busy means needing to find shortcuts but also something else, that is perhaps far more important.

I don’t really ‘like’ to follow recipes! But let me clarify that a bit better here….I love looking at the ingredients list and deciding if I can make something or other. I enjoy the final product and of course the process in between.

But, being a ‘spiritual’ foodie and interested in this inner connection we should have with our foods – certainly the ones we grow and create ourselves – I am far more interested in putting things together until they ‘feel’ right.

Perhaps the best way to explain this is with my breads….I have long been known to be able to whip up a quick batch of bread and have it come out tasting absolutely fabulous. To be honest….it often amazes me! LOL

Because I really don’t ‘think’ about any recipe…..I just put things together (in this case, flour, water, baking soda or sourdough) and see what happens. It really is quite an intuitive process – but this also means each and every dish may turn our differently.

So….for today’s lesson! LOL An Intuitive Bread Baking Class

Get a bowl – deep and preferably stoneware, a wooden spoon and some water. Take your sourdough starter culture out of the fridge and let it sit for an hour at room temperature.

Next get some flours out of the cupboards and see what you have – I like to mix them a bit especially for sourdough because it is nice if it rises and is soft on the inside – ie. It’s not a brick!

Today I used strong white bread flour, malted grain flour (whole grains) and of course rye for feeding my sourdough starter. I like the malted flour because it contains several dark flours and is made with fermented grains – so the goodness is already present before we even begin.

Into the bowl I pour flour – until the bowl is about ½ to ¾ full. Often about an equal portion of each of the strong white flour and the malted but sometimes a little more white to make a softer bread. Don't measure anything - just fill the bowl to a little more then 1/2 full.

Next, I spoon out my sourdough starter, enough to make at least ½ cup and upwards to 1 full cup if I am trying to keep these sourdough starters freshened. Then I always replenish my starters with 2 -3 tablespoons of rye flour and ½ the amount of water before anything else.

Once the starters are dealt with I can move onto mixing the bread. Which is simple – I pour in enough water to make a doughy substance that is not wet and not dry. Each time this might take a little more or less water. And yes, I use cold water (or whey if I am making cheese that day). 

Then I let nature take it’s course and the  sourdough sponge is placed somewhere warm to rise for the next 18 to 24 hours or so. Again, the length of rising time all depends on the heat in the house, the time I have, the type of bread I want, how active the culture is that day and so on.  

Then I knead it down, add more flour and work with the dough until it is soft and silky. Usually about 10 to 15 minutes or so. Then, back into the bowl for another rise (usually 4 to 6 hours) until it is ready to be kneaded again and shaped for the bread tins.

I bake my breads at 250C for 15 minutes, then turn down the oven to 200C for 20 minutes or so. This seems to work out best (sourdough doesn't rise for me in a fan oven). But each oven is different - so you have to play around with this. 

Is this a recipe? Perhaps or perhaps not…..to be honest when I look at the complicated list of details for making sourdough bread that are on the internet and in the recipe books – my eyes glaze over.

It’s just not that complicated. And neither is life!

April

Sourdough dough after 2 rises....ready to be shaped into loaves

Making A Fermented Probiotic Drink....Kvass

Kvass is something I have been coming across for quite a while now….in the world of fermentation that is. I have made it a few times….with varying results – but realized the one thing I was omitting just this past week….

First of all, kvass is a Russian drink made from either bread, grains, honey and whey which are used as a starter and mixed with several fruits. These ingredients will ferment over a few days and become a wonderful healthy drink.

In the past I have made this using fruit such as apples and berries, honey and water – but not the whey. So, this past week I wanted to try my hand at some of this elixir with whey strained from my own goat's yogurt.

The result?

It was better then delicious……the only way I can even begin to describe it is that I could actually feel it working inside of my gut, not to mention the taste! I could sense the life contained within and I knew I was taking in something very special.

This kvass took me far more deeply into myself during these past few days then I have ever been – it’s as if each probiotic boost with the life it brings, opens up new doorways, guides me and leads me further into myself.

But, I digress.....

To make kvass, it couldn’t be simpler! Chop up some apples, slice any thick fruits such as strawberries or raspberries (even frozen), add a couple slices of ginger, top up with water and ½ to 1 cup of whey (I strained whey from my yogurt making) to a large pitcher or jug.

Make sure the fruit is below the surface of the liquid – so weight it down with a tiny bowl or something to keep it from going moldy at the top etc. Then cover the top tightly with a cap of some sort.

Leave this concoction for about 2 days in the kitchen and then taste it….it will be ever so slightly bubbly like a fizzy drink. And sweet with the taste of your fruit as the goodness and sweetness is pulled into the water.

You can start drinking this at any time once you have to taste you want, then pop it into the fridge. Add more fruit to keep it going or compost the fruit and start again once your jug is empty. This is better then any fizzy soda and there is nothing like it as far as natural probiotics go!!

April