Whammo Jammo

A wee while ago I saw a pin for a simple raspberry jam... Obviously it planted a bit of a seed as sometime later I found myself looking for simple berry jam recipes online.

There are a number of chia and berry combinations out there and all slightly different ways of throwing it together.  I've never used chia seeds before and I still cant believe how rediculously easy and fast making  these jams are!  So I've experimented with a few recipes and here's what our family have been enjoying lately.

Blueberry Vanilla Chia Jam

- 1 punnet blueberries
- 1 tbls warm water
- 1 tbls chia seeds
- 1 tbls honey
- 1.2 tsp vanilla paste

Raspberry Chia Jam

- 1 cup of defrosted/fresh raspberries
- 1 tbls warm water
- 1 tbls chia seeds
- 2 tbls honey

For both: Chuck it all in a blender and whizz till you're happy with the consistency. The more you whizz the thicker and more jelly-like it will become as it sets. Eat straight away (on some yummy fresh bread!) or let it set in the fridge for a little while. Keep refrigerated and it should last well for a couple of weeks, unless you eat it up quicker!

A few extra notes: We keep ours in washed and cleaned jars in the fridge. We just have a stick blender and it does the job fine.
Chia seeds are what give the 'jam' it's jelling/setting properties as it goes sticky/thicky when in liquid. They are rich in Omega-3, fiber, antioxidants and minerals, so are really good for you too!

I'd love to hear if you try these! We have a few fans around here!

Have a great week!
L xx

Recipe: Rubarb & Date Crumble

One of my favourite recipes - definitely one of the best Crumbles EVER.  The Crumble with Macadamia Nuts is awesome.

For the rhubarb:
- 600g rhubarb, cut into 2cm pieces
- 3 large apples, peeled, cored and cut into 2cm pieces
- 1/2 cup apple juice
- 1 cup pitted dates, halved
- 1/2 sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Place all the ingredients in a large saucepan, mix together and place on medium-high heat.  Simmer for about 15 minutes until the fruit just starts to break down.  Pour into your favourite ovenproof dish.  The fruit should be 3-4cm deep in the base.


For the crumble:
- 3/4 rolled oats
- 1/2 cup soft brown sugar
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1 cup roasted unsalted macadamias, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 100g unsalted butter, cut into 1cm cubes

Place all the ingredients except the cream in a large mixing bowl.  Rub together by hand until the mixture begins to come together, but is still quite coarse.  There should be no visible chunks of butter.  Spoon the crumble evenly over the rhubarb mix then refrigerate until required.

Preheat the oven to 200'C then bake the crumble for 20 minutes or until the topping is golden and crisp.

Dish out the crumble into bowls and serve with whipped cream or ice-cream (as we do!).
Recipe by Al Brown from Cuisine magazine July 2010


Sharing is Caring ... Enjoy :)
xx

Linking up with:

Soup

Today I finally got round to making our first winter soup.  Each winter this becomes a staple but it has taken a while to get onto it this year!  It's a deliciously thick Kings Soup mix and bacon hock broth filled with lentils, barley, split peas, grated carrots, potatoes and onions, and chunks of bacon.  I always end up with a massive pot full that lasts for ages and fills the freezer.  Yummo.........

I need soup for my soul too.  Life is always harder when you and everyone around you are sick and tired... but knowing that still doesn't make it easier to deal with.  Tiny little things snowball and suddenly everything seems hopeless... have had a few such moments in the last few days.  But we'll get there - in the meantime I'm watching my children, enjoying them wholeheartedly and continuing to work on the soup.

Wednesday's Highlight:
- Watching my two big girls dancing and singing whilst watching their reflections in the window.  Hilarious : )

Today's Highlight:
- Another fun "homekindy" session that comprised little cutouts of fish "walking" on the table... because "fish don't swim mummy, they walk..."

Sleep tight
x