Why we do what we do ...Taking stock ...

Of why I make my own stock

1. It's easy - I mean - it cooks itself! I don't need to do anything!

(I can even cook it in the crockpot when I am out! How easy is that!)

2. It makes me feel good to do this for my family

(there is nothing like the thought of stock simmering away to make me happy!)

3. It tastes better

(To me - commercial stocks just taste of salt. UGH)

4. I know what is IN it!

(To give a comparison ... I found an ingredient list from a commercial product. MY stock does not have chicken powder, flavour enhancer (and in some it is MSG), anti caking agent, colours ....flavours ... (talk about vague!) Just what are we putting in our bodies?

PLUS - my stock has the goodness of the marrow from the marrow bones when I make beef stock. (and let's not get into the debate on the healing powers of good REAL chicken soup!)

5. I make my stock with NO salt. I don't want my children's and my family's tastebuds trained to become addicted to the commercial levels of salt that we are used to. Commercial stock is about SALT. NOT flavour! My stock is about flavour. And is a perfect base to use so I can flavour the MEAL I am making at the time to my tastes ... not rely on what a commercial product thinks EVERY meal should taste like.

To give a comparison. A popular heavily advertised brand of liquid stock here in Australia has 507mg of salt per 100g. The Australian recommendation is intake is to eat NO product with greater than 120mg of salt per serve.

My stock ... has pretty much none.

Even their salt reduced version has 400mg of salt per 100g. Totally outside the recommendations.

I make my stock in bulk. I freeze it in lots and it is always there.

I make stock because I love too. Because it is NO trouble. And it is better for us. Why would I change?

Lunch... and lamb...

This was my lunch.

Jealous?

I think lamb is my favourite meat ever. Lamb cutlets specifically.

They are expensive - but if I hunt I can get them on clearance. Then I freeze them and cook them when I am home alone. My own special decadent treat!

The salad was lovely! Coleslaw veges (shredding carrot, cabbage and purple cabbage) with capsicum, cherry tomatoes, a GOOD dollop of natural yogurt and really generously sprinkled with pine nuts, and sunflower seeds.

So good for you ... so decadent. Who says lunches are boring???

Things I LOVE! Nude food movers!

I hate buying food when I am out. Which means packing snacks.

But I hate waste. Which means no cling wrap, ziplock baggies etc.

What I NORMALLY do is take a whole heaps of different containers. They are all mixed and matched and they bump around in my bag. And the lids come off. And they leak.

But today I discovered THESE!

These are the Nude Food Movers Snack tubes. Especially designed so you can pack your food with no packaging.

They are air tight. They are leak proof. (I tried!) and they screw together so you only have one thing to carry around when you are taking snacks for different people with you.

They are the perfect size for fruit salad, nuts, cereal, yogurt ... (and did I tell you they don't leak??)

When screwed together they are the same size as a water bottle, so they even fit in the water bottle compartment of a lunch cooler bag.

I LOVE THEM!

There is a whole new range of products! I can't wait to try more!

But I wanted to show you these - cause I think they are a really practical solution for us!

The website isn't online fully yet - but it is www.nudefoodmovers.com.au

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oh! and here are the pancakes!~

Use it up! Don't throw it out!

Is it just my house? Or do other people's kids eat half a banana ALL the time?

Somehow this morning we had THREE halves of bananas left over from breakfast. (don't worry - they were cut up bananas - not the half that someone had chewed on and eaten.)

I didn't feel like freezing them for banana bread and I needed something extra for lunches ... so 5 minutes cooking (if that) and we had wholewheat banana pancakes!

YUM!

No recipe required. And they are SO sweet and lovely!

Basically I used a good hand of whole wheat self raising flour, a little egg replacer, some milk, and squashed up banana. And a little yoghurt cause that helps it rise.

I was one popular mummy this morning!

10min to cook ....

I felt like someone off one of those tv cooking shows tonight. I had 10 min till dinner (we had just gotten home from a weekend away) ... and pretty much no food in the house.

And we did NOT want to eat out. Our budget could not afford it - and the thought of putting that GUNK into our bodies was even less appealing.

A quick search found some lamb that was really thin so would not need much defrosting in the freezer ... so this is what we did.

Let's call it honey and ginger lamb. With noodles. Cause that's what it is! (well - plus onion, carrot, capsicum, frozen beans. And tumeric. I add tumeric to anything I can. )

It tasted GOOD. It took less than 10 min. It was bright and colourful. And it was CHEAP.

Plus Miss E LOVES noodles (and capsicum) - so it was a winner there too.

Sometimes when you are in hurry it pays to take things SLOW

Tonights dinner.

Slow cooked lamb shanks.

You know those days when the evening is going to be a rush? And you just won't have time for ANYTHING?

Instead of thinking FAST food - think SLOW cooking.

You do your prep earlier in the day ... then let the flavours melt and meld over the hours while you get what you need done. By dinner time all you need to do is eat and serve.

Tonight was one night like that. Paul had to give a nutrition talk this evening, so dinner would be rushed.

Around 3 I started prep, and by 5.30 dinner was hot, ready and oh so flavourful!

If I am home I much prefer to slow cook food in the oven than the crockpot. You just cannot compare the flavours.

So without further ado - Slow cooked Lamb Shanks. Honestly the best tasting meal I have had in QUITE a long time!

I used a cast iron roasting dish. Put it on the oven and heat with some good quality olive oil.

Begin to lightly brown lamb shanks.

Throw in garlic (YUM) and onion.
Two tablespoons of tomato paste

And a really generous splash of red wine (I actually used port and it worked WELL)

Let the heat boil off the alcohol.

Throw in a tin of tomotoes, two cups chicken stock (we keep home made chicken stock in the freezer), and a good handful of chopped fresh rosemary.

Put in a moderate oven. Two hours. Turn if you remember

I served this with "rustic" mashed potatoes (what I call my mash when I don't peel the spuds first. I hate throwing away those nutrients and everyone here loves them) and peas. And poured that delicious sauce over top.

This was SO full of flavour. It was incredible! A must try!