Our Sunday morning smelled of freshly baked scones and this lovely cake. A cup of tea, a long chat with your loved ones and the day is bound to be a nice one. A very nice one.

I only had 6 small plums to use for this treat,  you need way more. Next time it’s gonna be apples. Lots of them!

1/2 cup (120ml)  palm oil

1/2 cup (120ml) rice milk

1/4 cup (60ml) light agave nectar

1 cup (120gr) plain flour

1 cup (120gr) white spelt flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

stoned plums

ground cinnamon

ground ginger

Heat oven to 375°, gas mark 5. Lightly oil and line a small baking  tin with baking paper. Whisk oil, milk and nectar in a bowl. Combine flours, baking powder and salt in another bowl. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients.  Arrange the plums, skin side down in the baking tray, dust with cinnamon, ground ginger then pour the batter over. Bake until cake is golden brown and a knife comes out clean, 20 to 30 minutes. Enjoy!

The original recipe.

My favourite morning has to have a turned on oven. Breakfast with fresh, still warm bread that filles the house up with comforting smell has such a positive effect. Simple 10 minutes recipe guaranties quick process and a quick delicious (and healthy) result.

You’ll need:

• 500 g light Italian or plain flour, plus extra for dusting (mines are made with 250 g wholemeal spelt, some spelt germ & 250 g rye flour)
• 1 heaped tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 heaped tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 100 g chilled unsalted butter, cubed (I used non dairy spread)
• 1 cup of mixed seeds (pine kernels, sunflower, pumpkin, linseed)
• 275 ml buttermilk or milk (I often use natural soya yoghurt)
• 1 teaspoon black molasses

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/gas 7.

2. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar and salt into a large bowl. Using your fingertips, rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

3. Add buttermilk or milk + molasses to the flour mixture and with a knife mix briefly to combine into a moist dough. Depending upon the absorbency of the flour, you may need to add a little milk if the dough seems too stiff but it should not be too wet. Place on a lightly floured work surface and knead ever so slightly to bring together, then press or roll out to a thickness of 3cm.

4. Using a 6cm round cutter, cut out approximately 12 scones and place on a floured baking tray. Or, like in my picture, simply form round buns, cut a cross on each top.
Bake in the oven for 10–12 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve while hot.

Enjoy!

Adapted from Rachel Allen, Bake (Collins)

Mano megiamiausias rytas turi tureti ijungta orkaite. Pusryciai su zviezia, dar silta ir visus namus iskvepinusia duonute turi toki teigiama efekta… O paprastas 10 minuciu receptas garantuoja greita procesa ir greita (sveika) rezultata.

Jum reikes:

• 500 g miltu (mano gamintos is 250 g rupiu speltos, siek tiek speltos gemalu ir 250 g rupiu ruginiu miltu)
• 1 a.s. su kaupu sodos
• 2 a.s. su kaupu  cream of tartar
• 1 a.s. druskos
• 100 g salto, nesudyto  sviesto, supjaustyto kubeliais (as naudoju augalines kilmes|)
• 1 puodukas seklu (kokiu turima)
• 275 ml kefyro, pasuku ar pieno (as daznai naudoju naturalu sojos jogurta)
• 1 a.s. juodosios molases

1. Orkaite ikaitiname iki 220C.

2. Miltus sumaisykite su soda, cream of tartar bei druska. Pirstu galiukais istrinti sviesta miltuose, kol susidaro i dziuveselius panasi mase.

3. I miltu/sviesto mase supilam kefyro ar pieno bei molases misini. Peiliu viska ismaisom iki lipnios teslos. Priklausomai nuo miltu, jum gali tekti panaudoti papildomai kefyro ar pieno jei tesla per kieta, bet ji neturetu gautis per skysta. Tesla kociokite ant miltais pabarstyto pavirsiaus mazdaug 3cm sluoksniu.

4. Iskociota tesla isspauskite apvaliomis formelemis arba kaip mano nuotraukose, paprasciausiai rankomis suformuokit bandeles, o kiekvienos pavirsiuje ipjaukite po kryziu.
Kepama apie 10-12 min. arba kol graziai paruduoja. Patiekiamos siltos.

Skanaus!

Adaptuota pagal  Rachel Allen, Bake (Collins)

I had a lovely reason to bake something in a Norwegian style and this simple quiche, that I found via Lithuanian blog, heard lots of praising words from quite a few people before it ended up in happy tummies. Nothing new, how convenient and how popular this filling dish can be in warm sommer days. Can be eaten warm, cold, on its own or with a colourful salad on the side – it’s delicious and if you like experimenting, you can make endless variations of pastry and egg tart…

Dough:

5/8 cup (150 g) butter
7/8 cup (200 g) flour
2 tb water

Filling:

6 slices bacon
9 oz. (250 g) nøkkelost, grated
4 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tb chives
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper

Cut butter into flour with pastry blender until the size of small peas. Add water and mix to a soft dough. Work the dough as little as possible to prevent unnecessary shrinkage. Press into a 9 1/2-inch (24 cm) quiche pan. Fry bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towel and break into pieces. Grate cheese and sprinkle on the bottom of the pie crust. Whisk eggs, chives, and pepper together. Carefully pour the egg mixture over the cheese. Sprinkle with bacon on top. Bake until firm, on the lowest rack in the oven at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

I love food. And carbohydrates are my friends. They shouldn’t be, but I don’t do well without some bread or some lovely baked goodies in my life. So today, thanks to this post, I bought Lavash and surprised my family with a little treat. These crisps are so simple, so delicious, so not too bad for you! Takes only minutes to prepare and can be a great appetizer (or a nibble) served with hummus or a selection of dips. Hello Lavash – we like you!

Ingredients

whole wheat Lavash wrap

a couple of tbsp of olive oil or melted butter

black pepper and some herbs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put lavash on a baking sheet, brush each piece with some olive oil,  generously season with pepper (feel free to improvise, we used caraway seeds and Herbes de Provence) . Toast in oven until crisp and golden, about 5-10 minutes. Let cool completely on sheet before breaking into pieces to serve.

For a sweet version use Agave nectar and sprinkle with ground cinnamon.

I’m craving them all over again!

I know you’re here. Because I’m in bed earlier, far more often than in the cold dark months. I get so tired. From dreaming so much, making new plans, smiling more and laughing. Staying outdoors a bit longer and even doing some hmhm, exercise, as I know the warmth is coming and I won’t need all the extra ‘layers’ that somehow happened over the winter.

We celebrate you spring, we celebrate Easter

traditional Easter eggs, coloured with red cabbage (for a blue, in our case – very pale, colour) and red+yellow onion skins (for a rich brown/burgundy colour)

our stove after egg colouring session…

and our own bunny in his special spring ‘coat’ that I somehow managed to make

Big hugs to you spring, thanks for happy days!

Happy holidays to you all too!

Even though it’s quite a few years that separate me and the real Shrove Tuesday celebration, in  my memory the festivity is still alive with people in great costumes, burning More, dances around the fires and generous amounts of pancakes consumed throughout the day. The latter is not missed here, and as nobody invites us to kick the winter out of the yard, at least we make it a feast for the frying pan and our tummies

Sweet breakfast.

Nors jau daug metu skiria mane ir tikra uzgavieniu sventima, bet prisiminimuose svente vistik vis dar tebegyva persirengeliais, deganciom Morem, sokiais aplink lauzus ir blynu persivalgymu. Va pastarojo dalyko cia netruksta, o kadangi niekas nekviecia spirti ziemos is kiemo, tai bent jau pasidarom svente sau ir keptuvei

Saldus pusryciai.

Ingredients:

120g plain flour

2 eggs

350ml rice milk (or any other milk)

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons agave syrup

For the filling:

sliced bananas

desiccated coconut

ground cinammon

lemon juice

To make this simple pancake batter, sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add the egg and beat well. Then add the milk gradually, syrup and beat to make a smooth runny batter.

Heat a little oil in a large frying pan until hot and then pour enough batter to thinly coat the base of the pan. Cook for a couple of minutes each side.

Serve filled with sliced banana, desiccated coconut, cinnamon and a splash of lemon juice.

Simple recipe, yet delicious result. Indeed.

Teslai:

120g kvietiniu miltu

2 kiausiniai

350ml pieno (mes sekmingai naudojam ryziu)

ziupsnelis druskos

2 saukstai syrupo ar cukraus (tinka kas patinka, mes mylim datuliu, klevo, agavo syrupus)

Idarui

griezineliais pjaustyti bananai

kokoso drozles

cinamonas

cirtinos sultys

Paprastai blynu teslai pasigaminti, susiberiame miltus ir druska i dubeni. Pridedame kiausinius, gerai iplakame. Palaipsniui pilame piena, syrupa ir maisom iki vientisos skystos teslos.

Ikaitinam truputeli aliejaus keptuveje, pilam samti teslos, paskirstom tolygiai kad pasidengtu visas keptuves pavirsius.  Kepam kiekviena puse po pora minuciu.

Patiekiam pripildytus pjaustytu bananu, kokoso drozlem, cinamonu ir slaku cirtinos sulciu.

Paprastas receptas, bet resultatas l. skanus. Net labai.

I’ve been proven, that sugar from a long-term friend can become ‘not a friend any more’ , but you don’t really have to be some sort of strong person and totally ignore food that has been sweetened somehow. I love sweetness. The subtle one. When those delicious things that go down your mouth do not sweeten your body up, but bring lovely color into your everyday. There are desserts, that prepared alone in your mind make your saliva rund down the lip for a long time… But I’m in such period in my life, I can’t have any sugar… So what’s left? Alternatives. That’s what. And there are a few. And not so bad ones.

For example: tested many times, praised by others and so loved by my family – a dough recipe, that with a bit of correction and the house fills up with vanilla smell again. For your table and your tummies – sugarless muffins or cake with berries.

100g butter or vegetable spread

284ml soured cream or natural yoghurt (I use plain soya one)

2 large org. eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

zest of 1 lemon

280g plain flour (I use whole spelt or wholemeal, can be 50×50)

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp salt

200g caster sugar (I only used 2 brushed off spoons of agave syrup, sometimes honey or black molasses)

4 tsp. poppy seeds

140g fresh or frozen berries (summer berries, winter ones or cranberries)

Leave on the rack to cool before you ‘demolish’ the final thing. You also could spoon over some maple or agave syrup and eat while they are still warm. Whatever way you choose – enjoy!

Kad cukrus is ilgamecio draugo gali patapti nedraugu – isitikinau, bet zmogus neprivalai but kokia ten be galo stipria asmenybe ir visiskai ignoruoti maista, kuris kazkuo pasaldintas. As salduma megstu. Subtilu. Kuomet burnon keliaujantys skanestai neapsaldina kuno, bet paspalvina kasdienybe. Eh. Yra desertiniu patiekalu kuriuos vien mintyse pasigaminus seiles per lupa ilgai varva… Bet dabar toks laikmetis, man cukraus negalima… Tad kas lieka? Alternatyvos. Va kas. O ju yra. Ir visai neblogu.

Stai pvz mano seniai patikrintas, kitu isgirtas ir seimos pamiltas teslos receptukas, kuri kiek pakoregavus namuose pakvipo vanile. Jusu stalui ir skrandziui – becukriai keksiukai arba pyragas su vaisiais

Teslon desim:

100g nesudyto sviesto augalinio pakaitalo

284ml grietines arba naturalaus jogurto (tinka ir sojos)

2 didesni kiausiniai

1arb.s. vaniles ekstrakto

1-os citrinos tarkuota zievele

280g miltu (labai gerai naudojasi ir speltos ir rupesni kvietiniai, galima per puse)

2arb.s. kepimo milteliu

1arb.s. sodos

1/2 arb.s. druskos

200g cukraus (as naudoju agave sirupa, medu, juodaji molases… dedu vos 2 nubrauktus saukstus pasirinktinai)

4 arb.s. aguonu

140g svieziu ar saldytu uogu (spanguoles, braskes, avietes, serbentai… )

Orkaite isildoma iki 190C. Istirpdytas sviestas paliekamas atvesti, tuomet imaisom greitine ar jogurta, kiausinius, citrinos zievele ir vaniles ekstrakta. Kitame dubenyje sumaisom visus sausuosius produktus. Supilame skystaja mase, lengvai ismaisome. Suberiam uogas ir vel pamaisom. Jei kepami keksiukai, i spec forma susideliojama keksiuku popierinius krepselius, dosniai juos pripildome tesla ir kepame apie 20-25min. kol graziai paruduoja. Visada patikrinu mediniu dantu krapstuku ar gaminys iskepes. Isimtus is orkaites paliekam atvesti, o toliau tai jau kas kaip.Galima apslakstyti klevu ar agavo syrupu ir valgyt dar siltus…

Kepant pyrago varijanta, zema forma istepu sviestu, pripildau tesla ir lygiai taip pat, kepu 20-25 min.

These were with frozen summer berries: raspberries, blackberries, blackcurrants

Cia puikuojasi keksiukai su saldytom vasarinem uogom: avietem, gervuogem, serbentais

and this beauty – with fresh cranberries

o cia – grazuolis su spanguolem

The berries work wonders, you don’t miss sweetness (unless, of course, you love deserts to be obviously sweet) in these and the moist and soft texture doesn’t leave your taste buds doubting whether it’s some sort of bread, or realla a reminder of a cake you’re munching.  It’s good and in moderation – much better than the sweeter version. I think.

Uogos pagrindines darbininkes, nepasigesit saldumo (nebent jus megstat akivaizdziai saldzius desertus) situose ir dregna, svelni tekstura jusu skonio receptoriu neuzklausines ar duona kazkokia valgot ar tikra pyrago uzuomina. Tikrai geras, o saikingai vartojant – daug geresnis nei saldzioji versija. Taip galvoju.

Why do all good things come to an end? To make space for the new ones

Wishing you all an uplifting year: live, love, create and enjoy it all!

A little something from me – to you – as a thank you for your support, visits and endless inspirations!

script, camera and directing – by me

editing and making it to the public – by my dearest (Karsten Schmidt)

music – by Fletcher Henderson ‘Shake your feet’  from archive.org

And a big thanks to my swiss honey cookies!

Next up is a give away – Zoog will be looking for a dinosaur friendly home to move to… 

I’m trying to find out if it’s really not so hard to live without some of the very common ingredients that are often dominating in our daily food. Stroke out wheat, dairy, yeast, sugar and pretend that not much has changed. I’m doing well with the pretend part. So far it’s my old friend sugar that I find the hardest thing to get away from… but while the process is slow, my confidence is growing. And so is the will. Yey!

I guess the success lies in a good preparation. I imagine one would first have an alternative route planned and everything ready for a (well quite a big) change, but taking things slowly works not too bad too.

First off is wheat. While the ordinary one is ‘bad’ on my list, stoneground spelt is still under the green light and that is not so much of a change as I do like to substitute wholewheat for spelt any way. Only the goal is to try to go completely gluten free and see if that transforms my body into any better place…

So, tried and approved, 3 versions of no wheat, no yeast, no dairy quick and so easy delicious soda bread

SPELT

Ingredients

500g stoneground spelt flour

100g porridge oats

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp salt

25g butter , cut in pieces (I used 1 spoon of carotino red palm oil

500ml buttermilk (I used 250ml of natural soya yogurt and 270ml of unsweetened soya milk + 1spoon of apple cider)

150g of mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower,linseed, pine kernels)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C and dust a baking sheet with flour. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then rub in the butter. If you’re using oil – pour it in the buttermilk (or milk/yogurt       mixture) and mix it in quickly with a table knife, then bring the dough together very lightly with your fingertips (handle it very, very gently). Now shape it into a flat, round loaf measuring 20cm/8in in diameter.

2. Put the loaf on the baking sheet and score a deep cross in the top. (Traditionally, this lets the fairies out, but it also helps the bread to cook through.) Bake for 30-35 minutes until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. If it isn’t ready after this time, turn it upside down on the baking sheet and bake for a few minutes more.

3. Transfer to a wire rack, cover with a clean tea towel (this keeps the crust nice and soft) and leave to cool. To serve, break into quarters, then break or cut each quarter in half to make 8 wedges or slices – or simply slice across. Eat very fresh.

GLUTEN FREE recipe above only instead of spelt I used Doves farm white gluten free flour

was maybe my least favourite, but having said that still,  quite a nice one

MIXED 50×50 SPELT & GLUTEN FREE has been voted as the best so far. Original recipe from here

Ingredients

280g of stone ground spelt flour

280g of gluten free white flour

1 rounded tsp of bicarbonate of soda

1 rounded tsp of salt

half a rounded tsp of cream of tartar

1 large egg

400ml of buttermilk and milk mix (mine was 250ml natural soya yougurt and 200 unsweetened soya milk and 1 teaspoon of apple cider)

2 tsp of xanthan gum

150g of mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower,linseed, pine kernels)

Method:

Preheat your oven to 230c (200c fan)

1. Put the flour into a large bowl and mix well. Sift in the soda, cream of tartar, xantha gum, seeds  and salt. Mix very well.

2. Pour your buttermilk and milk into a measuring jug. Crack the egg into the mixture and beat well.

3. Make a well in the centre of the flour. Pour in the milk and egg mixture and quickly draw in the flour to make a soft dough. Don’t linger over the dough, speed is of the essence.

4. Remove to a well floured baking sheet and form the dough into a flat ball about 2” high. Cut a cross on the top. Put in the centre of your preheated oven for twenty minutes. Then turn the temperature down to 200c (180c fan) for a further 25-30 minutes. If it sounds hollow when you knock the base it is ready.

There are some more wheat free variations here and here, here.

Now stop drooling and get baking!