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of weeks ago about some major supermarket and the enormous amount of waste created each week when they dumped all that out of date processed, over packaged, sterile food.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