Tonight we had the Chicken Cacciatore Casserole which I had made and frozen on Sunday. The kids ate it, reluctantly. I think next time I will leave out the potatoes and the lentils. E really doesn't cope well with potatoes, and none of them liked the lentils!
We made EDC style mixed berry sorbet for dessert - yummo! W wanted home made milo sprinkled on his. He ate 2 bowls! E wasn't a fan of the texture of the berry seeds, I think this is why strawberry's, watermelon and mango are probably better sorbet options for her!
With plenty of leftover sorbet, I froze some into icy pole containers. I also put some in ice trays and am going to try mixing it with the natural yoghurt for something a bit different.
Our awesome Thermomix demonstrator dropped off our cleaning brush and some more little cookbooks including the Lunch box and after school treats ideas book, so will give me some more ideas!
Am really enjoying my Thermie - I just wish I had more time to cook and bake!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday 29th November
Tonight for dinner we had Quirky Jo's Sweet n Sour beef, which I had made the night before. It was delicious, and certainly a hit with the kids. Will be adding this to our favourites list!
For dessert we had banana ice cream - delicious! There are a few different recipes around, but I kind of just made it up as I went - 2 trays frozen milk cubes, 1 frozen banana and some raw sugar (made into icing sugar in thermie first). Kids loved it, we loved it, so quick and easy! Will start freezing bananas that are on their way out, so we can have this more often!
For dessert we had banana ice cream - delicious! There are a few different recipes around, but I kind of just made it up as I went - 2 trays frozen milk cubes, 1 frozen banana and some raw sugar (made into icing sugar in thermie first). Kids loved it, we loved it, so quick and easy! Will start freezing bananas that are on their way out, so we can have this more often!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Sunday 27th November
What a busy day!
Started off with chocolate and zucchini muffins (minus the choc chip because we had run out). These are so delicious - you wouldn't even know they had zucchini in them! Kids loved them!
Made enough for the freezer for E's lunch box treaty.
Then I made Chicken Cacciatore Casserole (of course substituting the mushroom with zucchini). I made this just up till the point you add the yoghurt, and it has gone in the freezer for a week night dinner. I used potatoes out of our garden. Can't wait till I can add home grown zucchini and carrot too! It was my first time using the varoma (steamer). Hoping it tastes great when we eat it later in the week! Not sure the kids will love this one though, lentils aren't really their thing!
Next I made Swiss Beef, up until the point you add the rice. This will be another week night dinner. Just add rice and cook for 20 minutes. In reading the reviews of this, I probably should have added some extra vegetables at the start of this meal. Maybe next time!
For tonight's dinner, I made the Cyndi O'Meara Vegetarian Sausage Rolls. These were so good! I wouldn't have believed they were vegetarian if I hadn't made them myself. Much nicer than sausage mince ones! These were a hit all round, and was very happy to find another vegetarian meal to add to the family meal list!
Started off with chocolate and zucchini muffins (minus the choc chip because we had run out). These are so delicious - you wouldn't even know they had zucchini in them! Kids loved them!
Made enough for the freezer for E's lunch box treaty.
Then I made Chicken Cacciatore Casserole (of course substituting the mushroom with zucchini). I made this just up till the point you add the yoghurt, and it has gone in the freezer for a week night dinner. I used potatoes out of our garden. Can't wait till I can add home grown zucchini and carrot too! It was my first time using the varoma (steamer). Hoping it tastes great when we eat it later in the week! Not sure the kids will love this one though, lentils aren't really their thing!
Next I made Swiss Beef, up until the point you add the rice. This will be another week night dinner. Just add rice and cook for 20 minutes. In reading the reviews of this, I probably should have added some extra vegetables at the start of this meal. Maybe next time!
For tonight's dinner, I made the Cyndi O'Meara Vegetarian Sausage Rolls. These were so good! I wouldn't have believed they were vegetarian if I hadn't made them myself. Much nicer than sausage mince ones! These were a hit all round, and was very happy to find another vegetarian meal to add to the family meal list!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Saturday 26th November
Not much time for thermie today.
I did make the EDC yoghurt though, it took a lot longer than 30 minutes to cool down to 37 degrees! But after 8 hours in the easiyo thermos it looks perfect!
I did make the EDC yoghurt though, it took a lot longer than 30 minutes to cool down to 37 degrees! But after 8 hours in the easiyo thermos it looks perfect!
Friday, November 25, 2011
Friday 25th November
Having come home to 3 sick children, 1 refusing to eat dinner, I made some watermelon sorbet. What a great way to use up the watermelon that only 1 child will eat! Gobbled down quickly! I also found a tip about the sorbet, so after putting the leftovers in the freezer for a couple of hours, I got it out and re-pulverised it, then put it back in the freezer. Apparently this keeps it sorbet-like for next time.
The boys missed celebrating their little buddies birthday as he was sick on the day, so I whipped up a Donna Hay chocolate cake in the thermie - 2.5 blocks of chocolate, it was always going to be rich. Realised that I didn't have a round tin, so I had to make it in a loaf tin, which mucked up the cooking time a little.
Made a quick chocolate butter icing in thermie, and dusted the cake with icing sugar.
It was divine!!! So rich and moist, like a mud cake. Best of all the birthday boy loved it too!
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Thursday 24th November 2011
Another work day :(
Tonight we ate the Apricot Chicken Risotto (EDC) that I had made earlier in the week and froze.
It was great! A few minor adjustments for next time (chop chicken finer, cook for slightly longer), but otherwise very tasty.
Brewing away a hot chocolate right now. This time am doing 65g chocolate, speed 8 for 5 seconds, then add 450g milk and cook at 60 degrees, for 4 minutes 30 on speed 4. Hopefully it will be as good as the other night. Might even have a piece of delicious fudge to go with it!
Tonight we ate the Apricot Chicken Risotto (EDC) that I had made earlier in the week and froze.
It was great! A few minor adjustments for next time (chop chicken finer, cook for slightly longer), but otherwise very tasty.
Brewing away a hot chocolate right now. This time am doing 65g chocolate, speed 8 for 5 seconds, then add 450g milk and cook at 60 degrees, for 4 minutes 30 on speed 4. Hopefully it will be as good as the other night. Might even have a piece of delicious fudge to go with it!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Tuesday 23rd November
Work day :(
Already had dinner in the freezer, so I whipped up vanilla custard (EDC style). The consistency was right, but the colour was like porridge, so the kids wouldn't really eat it. E was keen, however couldn't cope with the idea of 'hot' custard. Even with homemade milo sprinkles! Perhaps some more tweaking to get it tasting slightly better.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Monday 21st November
Firstly - homemade 'milo' - some days the only way the children will eat breakfast is with milo sprinkled on top. This is such a healthy alternative! I won't feel bad about sprinkling this all over their cereal every day. E was eating it by the spoon today! Even R thought it was pretty good!
Next we made cheesymite scrolls. We made half vegemite & cheese, and half sweet chilli sauce & cheese. These were okay - I need to work a bit on my dough making skills!
Next we made cheesymite scrolls. We made half vegemite & cheese, and half sweet chilli sauce & cheese. These were okay - I need to work a bit on my dough making skills!
Helping mummy!
For dinner we had Pasta e Fagioli (pasta with beans) from EDC book. Part of my goal in owning a thermomix was to introduce some vegetarian meals into our diet. We eat A LOT of meat, mostly 6-7 nights a week, and I would like to reduce that. Of course the boys weren't that fussed on the pasta to start with, but a bit of encouragement (and a game they play with R that involves toy trucks driving across the dinner table) and they ate a decent serve. E, as with any new food we introduce, needed some coaxing, and feeding, but eventually polished a whole bowl without complaints. From start to finish, this meal took 30 minutes (and whilst it was cooking 2 x 10 minutes, it didn't need stirring or supervising!). Pretty impressed.
Am not looking forward to working the next 4 days - my thermomix time will be so limited!
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Day 2!
Very excited thinking about all the things to make today!
Started the day with porridge, but that recipe needs some tweaking. I think I need to blitz the oats first.
Then Nigella Lawson Choc Banana muffins from thermomix forum. These were sensational. Best muffins I have ever been able to make. I only had choc melts, so blitzed then first for a few seconds (took 2 attempts, the first made chocolate sprinkles, not choc chips!)
Apricot chicken Risotto style (EDC) was next, this meal has been frozen for a mid week dinner. Tasted good before it was frozen, will have to see how it defrosts.
Bolognaise (EDC) next, which I used to make lasagne, again for freezing.
I had a whole heap of parsley left over from the vegetable stock, so I pureed this and placed it in some ice trays.
For dinner we had the creamy fettucine with salami (EDC). So easy, so tasty. E ate it, the boys not so keen, but pasta has always been a hard sell to them. Otherwise it was fantastic. One pot dinner, done in 20 minutes with minimal fuss and effort. Love it.
Once kids went to bed, I used the earlier choc sprinkles to make hot chocolate. 5 minutes, 500g milk, 60g chocolate. Best hot chocolate ever!
Impressions so far is that this is going to be awesome! I am not convinced of the self cleaning function yet, perhaps I need a little more time to work it out. I have still had to give it a scrub between meals. More practice time tomorrow!!
Started the day with porridge, but that recipe needs some tweaking. I think I need to blitz the oats first.
Then Nigella Lawson Choc Banana muffins from thermomix forum. These were sensational. Best muffins I have ever been able to make. I only had choc melts, so blitzed then first for a few seconds (took 2 attempts, the first made chocolate sprinkles, not choc chips!)
Apricot chicken Risotto style (EDC) was next, this meal has been frozen for a mid week dinner. Tasted good before it was frozen, will have to see how it defrosts.
Bolognaise (EDC) next, which I used to make lasagne, again for freezing.
I had a whole heap of parsley left over from the vegetable stock, so I pureed this and placed it in some ice trays.
For dinner we had the creamy fettucine with salami (EDC). So easy, so tasty. E ate it, the boys not so keen, but pasta has always been a hard sell to them. Otherwise it was fantastic. One pot dinner, done in 20 minutes with minimal fuss and effort. Love it.
Once kids went to bed, I used the earlier choc sprinkles to make hot chocolate. 5 minutes, 500g milk, 60g chocolate. Best hot chocolate ever!
Impressions so far is that this is going to be awesome! I am not convinced of the self cleaning function yet, perhaps I need a little more time to work it out. I have still had to give it a scrub between meals. More practice time tomorrow!!
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Day 1!
Am so super excited to have received my thermomix today!
We were not expecting it till later next week, so with what we already had in the cupboard we have made:
- Chocolate Custard (EDC style) - children were intruiged by the chocolate, but didn't really get into it
- Strawberry Sorbet, with slightly less sugar than recommended - a hit all round, even Mum & Dad were impressed
- Vegetable Stock (EDC style), used 120g of rock salt instead of 150g - reviews I have read said 150g was too salty. Even 120g is still fairly strong!
Lots of things to try tomorrow - so glad it came on a weekend, plenty of time to try it out!
We were not expecting it till later next week, so with what we already had in the cupboard we have made:
- Chocolate Custard (EDC style) - children were intruiged by the chocolate, but didn't really get into it
- Strawberry Sorbet, with slightly less sugar than recommended - a hit all round, even Mum & Dad were impressed
- Vegetable Stock (EDC style), used 120g of rock salt instead of 150g - reviews I have read said 150g was too salty. Even 120g is still fairly strong!
Lots of things to try tomorrow - so glad it came on a weekend, plenty of time to try it out!
 |
| Thermie in action! |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)