Make: Pinboard

I had this IKEA frame with a broken glass, and decided that it was about time I made that pinboard I thought I'd turn it into.



With some fabric, some yellow ribbon and a cheap duna from the same place as the frame, I got a result I'm pretty happy with. I used one of those staple guns to fix it all to the frame. Really a no brainer.



I was so proud to show it off to the boys, but I shouldn't have bothered. Big Man reckoned I could have spent my energy on something other than faffing about.

Men just don't get these things.

Missing This

I can't believe how much I'm missing this. Baking. Our oven is emitting a burnt (and not in a good way) smell of plastic and toxic fumes. Not so good mixed with foodsmells.

Big Man opened up the back today, and it was all burned around the cables, so I think it's good that I abandoned any form of baking untill we get the problem fixed.

... and that will be tomorrow. Cause I need my home baked bread.

Monday Afternoon Baking

Lunch box rolls. Various seeds. Very popular. Recipie here (in Norwegian).

Crisp Bread

I made this crisp bread the other day based on the recipie of one of my favourite food bloggers, Trine. It's very crunchy and delicious, and I added a few more grains to it.

Multigrain Crisp Bread

4 dl rough flour
4 dl rolled oats
1 dl linseeds
1 dl buckwheat seeds
1 dl sunflower seeds
1 dl millet seeds
1-2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon honey
6,5 to 7 dl tepid water

Mix all the dry ingredients together. Mix out the honey in a bit of hot water and add to the rest of the water. Add all but 0,5 decilitres of the water to the mix. You want a sticky dough. It sucks up a little of the water as you work with it.

Divide the dough in two on large baking sheets lined with greese proof paper. Spread out the dough in a thin layer (about 0,5 centimetres) very evenly as you don't want some of it to be raw, and the rest burned.

Bake on 160 degrees celcius on the hot air function with one tray on top, the other on the bottom. Bake first for ten minutes, and then cut the crisp bread to desired size with a pizza roller. Put them back in,  and after 30 minutes switch the trays around so that the one from the bottom is now on top. Total cooking time is then one hour and ten minutes.

Let cool, break apart and store in an airtight container.

Monday Meals

Tigger

I dropped off a tiger at kindie today. So proud.

Quick Lunch

A great lunch. Bulgur dressed with salt pepper lemonjuice and olive oil. Add some pistachios, dried cranberries and mushrooms, and yum! Making something similar today. Soon I reckon.

Sky High

You probably guessed that I made a mobile. I had so much fun, and I already had all the stuff ready. When it comes to hobby-stuff I'm a bit of a hoarder, because you never know when that creative urge comes.



The mobile with the clips I actually got when Big Brother was a baby, and never did anything with it. Yay for hoarding!



... and Little Brother loved it.



More pics on flickr for easy copying inspiration.

Crafty Project

I'm channelling some of that creative energy inbetween breastfeeding and dinner making into something solid. And I have decided on something simple for satisfying quick results.

I'm almost done, but you have to wait till tomorrow to see the final result. Can you guess what it is?

Vegan Feast

I accidentally made a vegan meal today.

Big Brother got picked up by his Farmor (Fathers mother)and Farfar (Fathers father) after kindie today, and Big Man used the oppertunity to spend a few more hours at work. He called home, hungry, and instead of getting a take-away (which we do too often) we decided just to eat musli rolls to save money (and probably calories too).



But when I wrote my quinoa post, he complained that he hadn't tasted the curly seeds, so I started making some salad. In the process of going through my cupboards I found some chickpeas, and some tahini in the fridge, and suddenly I was making hummus while the grains were cooking. I also realised that the meal was completely vegan.


Easy Hummus

250 grams of cooked chickpeas (I had a little carton)
1 tablespoon tahini
Juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 to 3 tablespoons water
Pepper

Blend it all together, add water to get the right consistensy. I don't add salt because it's already added in the carton.

Big man liked the salad. Not the hummus. But then he's still in husband training school.

Sunday Chook

 

One of the Aussie traditions that I have inherited is the Sunday roast chook. I have great memories from Auntie Jans in Sydney roasting two chooks and getting to eat the bacon protecting the breast while she litterally pulled the golden juicy chickens apart and served them with soft rolls.

I usually love mine with roast veg and gravy. Normally I make stuffing, but today I wasn't fussed with it. 

I seasoned it with a bit of smoked salt and pepper and stuffed a garlic, a few sprigs of parsley and half a lemon inside the carcass. This time I browned it on the pan before roasting it for a couple of hours at 175 degrees.

Once I get the chook in the oven I start preparing the veg. Easy. This time I had parsnip, sweet potato, carrots, potato and fennel. All in even bits, and then tossed in a bit of oil, salt and pepper.

The good thing about browning the chook off in the pan before putting it in the oven (apart from the crispy skin) is a pan ready for making the gravy. A couple of spoons of flour and some stock, and then just add the panjuices later.

While the chicken rests, bang on the grill and brown off the veg. Pull the chicken into bits and serve with loads of the yummy gravy.

Moose Breakfast

Why is it that baby always wakes up when Mamma makes herself breakfast?

Moose 'kakemann' (cakeman), vanilla yoghurt and blueberries scoffed between boobs. Firstmentioned made with the bigger boy yesterday.

Best Evening Meal

Whole grain bread with loads of pumpkin seeds topped with avocado, tomatoes, lemon juice, olive oil and loads of salt and pepper.

In Norway most families eat at around four to five in the arvo. I always get a bit peckish at night, and it's all about finding those healthy, but also satisfying, evening meals.

For me a bit of avocado goes a long way, and I find a bit of acidity from lemon or tomatoes (or in this case both) really does the trick.

Lobster Lunch

 

It being lobster season and everything my Dad presented me with this red beaut on Sunday. And man, oh, man was it a beautiful lunch with my lobster loving girlfriend.

Oh, the luxuries of being home with kids.

Home Grown Treats

What do you do when your Mum drops off a bucket of beets on your doorstep? You make treats for the annual BBQ at your friends house of course.

With the help of garden herbs, some olive oil and a little basamic vinegar these red bombs were transformed to a baked beet salad.

Baked Beet Salad

3 to 4 big beets
3 spring onions
Handfull of pumpkin seeds
Fresh herbs
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Dijon mustard
Sea salt
Pepper

Set your oven to 225 degrees celcius. Peel and cut beets. It helps to rub a bit of olive oil in your hands before you begin. I find they stain a little less that way. Put in a bowl and drizzle balsamic, oil and chopped herbs over them. I used oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Lay out on a baking tray and bake in hot oven for 15 minutes.

While the beets cool make a vinaigrette of 2 tablespoons of balsamic, one teaspoon mustard, salt, pepper and olive oil. Toss luke warm beets in dressing and add chopped spring onions and toasted seeds. Save some for garnish.

Lay beets on serving dish and sprinkle with greens and seeds.

The cucumbers are from Dad-in-laws garden, and perfect for making tzatziki.

Tzatziki

You need 1 to 2 cucumbers. Grated.

Some herbs. In this case mini-basil and parsley
300 grams of greek yoghurt
Zest and juice of half a lemon
2 cloves garlic
1 tbs sugar
Sea salt and pepper

Grate cucumber, salt and strain. Leave while you mix the rest of the ingredients in the yoghurt. Squeeze the water out of the cucmber and add to the yoghurt. Easy peasy. And yummy.

Cup Cakes Galore

Frosted with cream cheeze icing. Decorated with fresh berries.

Made some for my friends little boys baptism today. Chocolate cupcake recipie from one of my favourites of recent: My Baking Addiction. And orange cupcakes made before from here.

Everyone went crazy for them. Especially the kids.

They had about three each.

I mixed them on a little stand. Looked very cute.

Getting Crafty

Doilies and old fabric from Salvation Army. Perfect for making stuff with.

Some fabric and a doilies I picked up at the local Salvos and some old school knitting patterns. Not the biggest knitter, but I comletely fell for the oh so perfect skiing beauties.

I might just knit myself a fancy ponytail hat. Or not.

But the doily and the fabric will at some point be turned into an apron for little man. We love baking together, and he keeps commenting mine.

Picked up some other patterns too. Mostly because of the retro feel.

Perfect families in perfect knitting. But that kid looks like he's on speed.

Monkey Boy

Carnival for Little Man in kindie today, and I must admit I'm pretty proud of the recycled fleece blanket and doilymonkey costume I made for him. And he loves it!

Food for Thought

... or maybe foccacia for thought? (Hang in there, surprise recipe at the end)

I managed to lose and find my mojo last week. But the one thing I never lost was my cooking mojo. It has been full on since my cooking escapades in Oslo a couple of weeks back.

I'm enjoying everything from every-day meals to pancake-breakfasts and Sunday roasts. And I've always let Little Man join in on the fun. He loves stirring batters and dipping bread in egg for french toast. He tastes all the vegetables. And when he plays, he's making food. Usually pretend making  pancakes or tomato soup. His favourites.

This weekend was no different.

Saturday I had promised Big Man a three course Valentines dinner. We started off with scallops with sabayon-sauce. I quickly seared the scallops and made the sabayon on a reduction of white wine, shallots and tarragon. For those not in the cheffy 'know' sabayon is made of egg yolks whisked over simmering water.

The main course was a whole beef tenderloin, fried off, then baked in oven till delightfully pink (the trick is to let it rest for at least ten minutes after you take it out of the oven). I made hasselback potatoes and fresh steamed asparagus. It was all served with a red wine sauce. Yummy!

For dessert we had 'Iskremgarden' chocolate ice cream. From local cows made directly on the farm, just a few kilometres form where we live. It is sooo delicious and creamy.

Too busy cooking, I forgot to take pics of the food.

Yesterday we had the In-Laws over for a sunday roast. I made a 2.5 kilo organic chook (Aussie for chicken) with a walnut and cranberry stuffing. Roast fennel, beets, onions, sweet potatoes, normal potatos and carrots. And yummy roast garlic gravy.

And for dessert 'Fastelavens boller'. Traditionally buns with whipped cream, but I made a vanilla custard.

Little Man and I had our fingers stuck in the dough and cream all morning. And boy it turned out good. Dad-In-Law proclamed that it was the best bun he'd ever eaten, and that he was not kidding. They then proceeded to roll, stuffed silly, down the stairs and home to their couch.

Today I was so 'good' that I cooked stock on the chicken bones from yesterday, and Little Man and I made sweet potato soup and that foccaccia above.

And If you're missing recipies, this is the one you're getting. It's adapted in a healthier direction, but originally from Jamie Oliver.

Healthy Foccaccia

500 grams white flour
500 grams whole wheat flour (the rough kind)
50 grams yeast
500 milliltres tepid water
A good pinch of salt
One tablespoon honey

Rosemary (or any other herb of your liking)
Sea salt
Good oil

Mix the honey and yeast in the fingerwarm water and add to the dry ingredients to make a smooth dough. I do this in my Kitchen Aid. It's baking magic, and has made it really easy for me to just 'whip up' bread and buns.

Let the dough proof for about 40 minutes. More if you are patient.

I use a sheet of baking paper in a tray that is a little smaller than the trays in my oven and add a bit of good oil in the bottom. I'm into the rape seed oil lately. The Nordic Olive Oil.

Empty the dough in the tray, and squish (yes!) it in place. Fun fun for little and big hands. Add more oil on top and squish again. Doughy yummy cellulite. Add good flakey salt (I use Maldon) and fresh herbs. I used some rosemary I had on my windowsill. I could easily use some dried. Or thyme. Or basil. Oooh, and tomatoes. And olives. All up to you.

I didn't bother to proove it some more and chucked it in a 220 degrees celcius oven for apporoximate 20 minutes. Just leave it untill it's golden and brown.

Phew. That was a long one. Other recipies posted on request.

Passion Pancakes

My go-to breakfast popular with the whole family.

These are American-style pancakes made with kesam: a low-fat fresh cheeze with loads of protein. Can be exchanged with cottage cheeze if you can't get kesam.

Protein Pancakes

300 grams of kesam
4 organic eggs
3 tablespoons (tbs) of sugar
1 teaspoon (ts) of vanilla sugar
1 ts baking powder
1 ts bicarbonate of soda
300 grams flour

Wisk the kesam, sugar and eggs. Add vanilla, baking powder and bicarb. Mix, then add flour a little at a time. Sometimes it takes a bit more flour, sometimes less. You'll soon get the feel for it. The batter is thicker than crepe-style pancakes.

Spoon on to a non stick pan at a medium heat. When they start to bubble on the surface it is time to flip them.

Maple syrup is a must. In this pic I've stacked the pankakes by three with butter inbetween. Drizzle with generous amounts of maple syrup and spoon out tangy passion fruit. Yummy.

But they taste just as fantastic with bacon.