Tick of Yum

I've heard of Chai - who hasn't - but I have never tried it.  Mainly because of the milky component, not being a fan of milk......  So why am I chugging down Chai by the gallon now?

For Xmas day I made a Sangria style punch that I really hoed into!  Surprising because I just don't drink much alcohol, actually don't like it much - but that punch I LOVED.  Now I can't go swigging alchohol all day every day (although some days it would be useful) so I was lo...

I saw this recently on a website and thought to myself.... "self, you need to try this"

After all, I love mint and ginger beer - it's bound to be a hit... and it was!!

The recipe is EASY peasy.

• 4 long sprigs of mint from your garden (or a commercial bunch) - leaves only
• 10g of fresh ginger - cut in 4
• 200g of sugar
• 250g of water
• juice of a lemon (optional)

I must admit.... Juicing is one of those things that I hadn't done a lot of in the thermomix until lately.  Actually... I learnt more about juicing at a cooking class this week (the first one I have attended!)

I was under the miss-understanding that you stuck the fruit/vegetable in the thermomix and voila! but who can drink pulp?!?

Nope!  I have just had the most beautiful juice!  Drink the thick stuff if you like.... but gee, add some sugar ...

from the "My Way" cookbook

Oh! My! Goodness!!!  SO yum!

Now, let me be clear... I don't drink.  Well.... not much.  Maybe a glass of VERY sweet wine once or twice a year - but that is it.  I've always said that I enjoy a glass of lemonade just as much as a glass of alcohol.. so why pay the extra!

But I have now changed my mind!!

I never minded Kaluha - but didn't like it enough to actually buy it :-)

When you have made some fudge.... but the time you have firmed it into a tin - put into the fridge, cleaned your hands - the chocolate that was left in the thermomix - those little bits you couldn't get out - are cold and solid.

Don't worry, a little milk - heat to 80oC - speed 4.  Then on closed lid position, hit turbo once or twice and you have two things.

1 - a wonderful hot chocolate!

2 - a clean bowl 

Who would have thought it could be this easy!!!  I was paying $3-$4 for rice milk a litre..... now it would cost me approx 20c.  

A friend, very rightly, recently said that we have been fooled into thinking that we have to buy items from the shops because they dress it up into fancy bottles / containers / advertising and we don't realise that we could do it ourselves so easily!

The recipe is from the Vegetarian cookbook

Hints:

I've just tried something (from an american cookbook) that is absolutely delish!!!!  Technically you don't need the thermomix to mix this up, but worth putting it here anyway.

In a bowl, mix together

• 100g of Choc Hazelnut spread (from Everyday Cooking cookbook)
• 50 g of skim / full cream milk powder
• little vanilla sugar/paste

you are supposed to roll them into tablespoon sized balls, but mine were too runny (used too muc...

Thought I would give this a go... I had a punnet of strawberries, added 1 and a half kiwi fruits which brought it up to 3 times the amount that the recipe requested.  I did cook it a  little longer to compensate.

O.M.G!!  Yummo!

the strawberries and kiwi's cost me about $3 - the sugar another buck.  That means I made nearly a litre of fantastic, real fruit, delicious cordial for $4!  Last year I bought specialty cordial for $17 for ...

SO easy.

little milk, little sugar, switch it on and let it go!

Because it keeps the temperature at 80oC and no higher... NO SKIN!

HINT: cut back the sugar and add real chocolate to the milk - Delish!

LESSON: either grate the chocolate or REMEMBER to put on the Measuring Cup... LOL... may have a little milk sprayed along your kitchen otherwise