Kitchen Ranch

Ikarian Diet

Rich, to whom I am married, sent me a link to the following NY Times article, The Island Where People Forget to Die. The article is a fascinating account of life on the Greek island Ikaria in which a large portion of its population lives well into their 100s. Just a few miles away from Ikaria on another Greek island, the life spans are similar to that of average western world life span. 

Read the article, it is fascinating.  If that brief is not enough to pull you in, look at this darling man that is 97 years old:

Don't you want to know more about him?

Further, my awesome cousin alerted me to a few recipes that are traditional on the island Ikaria such as bean stew or pumpkin or winter squash pie. 

Here is to a long and joyful life.

Photo credits: New York Times

 

Springbrook Mountain

The night before we left to explore Springbrook Mountain, a tree fell onto our house; no one was hurt. The sound of the tree popping and cracking was confusing and eerie. Those sounds, followed by an enormous crash-I have never heard anything quite like it.

We headed for Springbrook Mountain with hopes to tour the observatory. Sadly, the weather was cloudy, blustery, and cold. Our tour was cancelled but the grounds on which we stayed were lovely. We strolled about (or ran in the children's case) and played games beside a heater. When we returned, the wreckage from the tree had been cleaned up.

 

The manor grounds offered a hedge maze that was so awesome-it really could rival the maze from The Shining (remember?)

Thanks for the break Springbrook Mountain!

Home School Update...

Since I last posted about our home school days, two months have flown by.  In the last two months we have continued with our daily routine and I believe that things are unfolding rather well. 

Thanks to the local library, we have a steady flow of books to support research topics. The web is an outstanding resource; I am inspired by humanity and what it aims to document, research, and share.

I enjoy listening to Robert as he sounds out words and learns to read. Reading is beginning to click with him and he is now sounding words out in the grocery store, on signs, and on packaging.

Do you remember learning to read? I do. Learning to read was so exciting for me as a first grader. I asked my teacher if I could remain at school at the end of each day and practice reading with her. Her name was Mrs. Locke and she agreed.   

Do you like my high tech flashcards?

This month, the science requirement for Pixel requires a "meet the solar system" study. As it turns out, Pixel is fascinated by the solar system. I asked her to write a one page paper on the Rover Spirit and she produced what I requested along with a spreadsheet of facts about the planets, a Power Point Presentation about the planets and their moons, and a painted portrait of Mars.

What a gal!  

That is Mars there in the upper left of the photo.  About a two hours drive from us, I located an observatory that allows nightly viewings of the sky.

Guess where we are off to...

Lunch

Quesadillas with sides and snacks; a real go-to these days for lunch. Homemade tortilla recipe.  RIP my oven...I am awaiting a replacement. 

Have a great weekend. 

When he does...

I am married to a person that does not...in the kitchen...but when he does...(gasp at the perfect chocolate chip pancakes! Gasp!)

Momo

Momo, from Nepal, are steamed and dumpling-like.  Momo are delicious. Stuff and spice them with what you like: Diced and cooked veggies, beans, cooked meat-feel free to be creative.

I stuffed the momo with lentils and carrots. I topped the momo with magic sauce and served them beside sauteed cabbage and garlic, blanched broccoli, and brown rice.

The meal was so utterly satisfying.

Momo Dough

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cups water, divided

Mix and allow dough to rest for 30 minutes. Break off small golf ball sized pieces and roll out. Stuff with your filling of choice and seal the edges with a dab of water.

Note: Typically momo are formed and sealed in a lovely upward wave manner (looking almost like a dumpling cupcake). I did not feel confident to experiment with that so I sealed and shaped my momo as a simple crescent. Next time (maybe).

Be sure to oil the steamer so your momo do not stick! Steam for 10-12 minutes. 

Friday Photo.

Friday Photo with Soulemama

Currant Scones, Pickled Turnips & Beets, and Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

Here are a few tried recipes as of late. Recipes I certainly approve of! I will start with these scones above which are super. Really SUPER. Recipe found on Martha Stewart.

I love them. I ate them every night for 3 nights in a row. Pickled turnips and beets via David Lebovitz.

Strawberry and Rhubarb Crumble thanks to Smitten Kitchen. It is all about the freshest strawberries and rhubarb!

Home Made Ding Dongs

A Ding Dong is a chocolate cake with a creamy frosting center and chocolate surround (as shown above). When I was a kid, I always wanted ding dongs from the corner store. Ding dongs were a rare treat for me; to think that some kids ate them everyday in their packed lunch-Ga!

Knowing now what I know about what goes into the individually packaged ding dongs- never ever would I eat.  

But why not make my own minus all the hydrogenated crap, preservatives, and packaging?  The recipe is three parts and then assembly: The cupcake, the center cream, and the ganache.

As you can see (in the bottum picture), some of the ding dongs have cream filling oozing out- I think I felt a bit akward in the assembly and should I make these again they might be prettier. I skimped on the chocolate sauce surround as well for fear of the cakes getting soggy-next time I would not skimp. Never-the-less they tasted GREAT.

The Cup Cake (modified Donna Hay recipe)

• 125g salted butter, softened (125 g is about 1 stick of butter)
• 1 cup plain flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1.5 tsp double-acting baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Handfuls of dark chocolate chips

1. Mix plain flour, cocoa powder & baking powder.

2. In another bowl, whisk together butter, sugar & vanilla extract for about 10-12 mins.  Add in eggs one at a time.

3. Add in milk and flour mixture alternately in 3 additions.

4. Add chocolate chips. 

5. Bake in a muffin tin at 320 F or 160C for 20 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Hole out your cupcakes once they cool. Add the seven minute frosting and recap. 

Seven Minute Frosting (for the center)

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup boiling water
• 3 unbeaten egg whites

1. Mix sugar, vanilla, and egg whites. 
2. Add boiling water.  
3. Beat on high til mixture forms peaks (like thick whipped cream). A stand mixer would have been nice for this- Robert assisted immensely in this process. It took about 15 minutes with a handheld mixer. 

Turn the ding dong over and then add chocolate sauce or use your favorite ganache recipe. 

Happy Friday.

It is Friday here in Australia. We are enjoying warmer weather and warmer ocean water temps. I am ready to break from home school and work to put my feet in the sand, drink cold beer, and dip in the ocean. My foot feels slightly bruised but I am a-ok. Phew.

Have a perfect weekend.