Make & Do

My oldest baby (who is now grown up enough to read Harry Potter books and ask me to put Katy Perry songs on her iPod) went to her first sleepover tonight. To distract myself, I made cherry cheesecake with chocolate on top. Aka griefcake. A cake to distract me from my baby growing up.

I drink a LOT of diet cola. Really. A LOT. But I've decided not to buy from Coca Cola anymore after reading about their anti-recycling lobbying in the Northern Territory. I reckon I spend over $1,400 a year on Coke. So switching to a DIY cola is not only better for the environment, it's better for my budget. I've been making the SodaStream version at home and can't tell the difference between that and the brand name colas, so I thought why not make my own syrup?

Coconut muffins By using coconut flour, vegetable oil, and palm sugar, these muffins have lower carbs and lower GI than the usual white flour, sugar, and butter-based recipes. But they still taste great!

Kedgeree (aka kitchri and lots of other similar names) is a kind of fried rice dish that is great for using up leftovers. Plenty of protein, and no salt.

These yummy pancakes are light and fluffy, gluten free, and lower GI than regular white flour pancakes. They do contain eggs and ricotta. The purpose of the egg is to bind the flour and create a doughy texture, a job normally done by gluten. Inspired by Kristi from barenest, I wanted pancakes that had a little more calcium in them, so I added ricotta.

Coconut BreadAlthough some people use coconut flour in gluten free cooking, I made this bread as a lower GI, lower carb, higher fibre alternative to regular white bread. It's also higher in protein.

Coconut flour contains no gluten to give the usual doughy texture, is more absorbent than wheat flour, and cooks faster, so I was very pleased that my experiment turned out so well! The texture is a little like a sourdough - more dense than regular white bread, but lighter than rye bread.

Coconut breads that are gluten free usually use xantham or guar gum, or lots of eggs, to hold the crumb together. As I wanted something egg-free, this suits us nicely. I used Nui organic fair trade coconut flour, and Sustainably Sweet organic coconut palm sugar.

Vegie BurgersThese vegie burgers are a great way to get kids to eat a little more vegetables as well as protein. This recipe will make approximately 8-10 small patties.

Chocolicious MuffinsThese muffins are a great way to get some Fair Trade treats on a budget, as there's only 50g of chocolate and 3 tablespoons of cocoa for a batch of 12 medium sized muffins.

Raspberry Chia MuffinsThese raspberry muffins can be made with frozen or tinned raspberries, so you can enjoy them all year round and on a budget! Plus using fruit juice and canola oil means no need to add sugar or butter, a healthier choice.

Suprisingly Good CupcakesThese chocolate cupcakes with surprise centre are best eaten warm, but will keep for a few days in an airtight container. A great way to celebrate Fair Trade chocolate, and lovely for an afternoon tea party or high tea. Makes 20 if you overfill the patty pans, or 24 if you don't overfill them.