Two wings lift a person up from earthy concerns: simplicity and purity. Simplicity should be in intention, purity in feelings. Simplicity reaches out after God, purity catches hold and tastes. ~ Thomas A’Kempis

Saturday 18 September 2010

'Fabulous & Easy Naan Bread'

A few weeks back I was making a beef curry and decided to google a recipe for Naan bread. I found this one, and its amazing. Lovely, soft and chewy..perfect for soaking up juices from curries..I hope you'll try it.
You'll need:
2 t dried yeast
2 t sugar
1 cup warm water

-
1egg
3 T warm milk
1/4 cup white sugar
2 lge cloves garlic crushed
4 1/2 C bread flour
2 t sea salt
1/4 C melted butter

METHOD

1. Dissolve the 1st measure of sugar in the warm water. Sprinkle the yeast over. Cover with cling film,wrap in a small towel and set aside in a warm place for 15 minutes - to froth.

2. Put the dough hook on your mixer. Into the mixing bowl add all the remaining ingredients, egg, milk, flour etc


 Pour over the frothed yeast mixture. Turn the machine on to medium to allow the mix to combine. Once its combned, crank it up higher to knead the dough, let it knead for a few minutes.

 Turn the dough out, It shouldn't be sticky or dry, but all well combined.

3. Oil a medium size crockery bowl and place the dough in.Turn it over, so the topside is oily. Cover with cling film and a tea towel. leave in a warm place to rise for 1 - 1- 1/2 hrs.


4. Punch dough down. Divide into about 8 pieces. Roll each piece out on a board, till slightly larger than your hand. I don't add any extra flour.

5. Heat the grill pan, AND TURN THE OVEN ONTO 180 c. When the grill pan is heated to medium - drizzle some olive oil over. Brush one side of the rolled out Naan dough with melted butter and place this side down in the grill pan. Leave for a minute , press down with a spatula. Brush the other side with butter. Flip it over, and press down. leave for a minute until it rises some.

 Then remove to the oven, and leave in for about 5 minutes.


Should rise a bit more and be cooked through. Place onto a paper towel lined plate, and cover with a t-towel.

6. Continue to cook all the renaining Naan's in the same way.

7.  I used a couple of Naan's to make Pizza's..

~ Naan Pizza's ~


You'll need:
Tomato paste
oregano
sugar/ salt/ black pepper
toppings: salami, cheese - mozzarella/parmesan
mushrooms, peppers, olives, tomato & onion

1.Preheat oven to 180 C.
2. Spread some tomato paste on the Naan bases (about 2 T ) on each. Sprinkle oregano, some sugar and parmesan over each.
Place whatever toppings on that you want.

3. Bake for 10 minutes at 180 C, then turn the grill on, to brown the tops a little...
4. Enjoy :0)

Tuesday 14 September 2010

"The Yummiest Banana Cupcakes *



Hi,
Just sharing my recipe for the yummiest, easiest banana cupcakes in the world. I hope you'll try them :0)

* BANANA CUPCAKES *

125g butter or margerine
2 eggs
1 C sugar
1 t Baking Powder
1 t Baking Soda
2 T hot milk (microwave it)
2 ripe bananas - mashed
1 3/4 Cups of plain cake flour
1 - 2 t vanilla essence

1. Beat the soft butter or margerine with the sugar and vanilla, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat in well. Add the mashed banana. Dissolve the soda in  the hot milk and add to the mixture. Sift dry ingredients (although I never do, I just throw it all in), and mix on a low speed till just combined. Spoon into paper cups placed inside the muffin tray, and bake at 180 C for 15 - 18 minutes (until risen and golden).

2. I ice them with Betty Crockers vanilla icing..mmmm...and then sprinkle over some thread coconut. - Enjoy - Makes 1 Dozen
I'm taking these ones to share with some friends who've just moved house. I think they'll enjoy them :0)


---ooooOOOoooo ---


Brooke Fraser - Something In The Water (Official Video)
- Brooke Fraser's one of my favourite New Zealand msuic artists, she's also a Christian and has many beautifull christian songs too..Enjoy - go check her out on you tube...




Thursday 2 September 2010



"LEISURE"
By Wm. Henry Davies.

What is this life if, full of care,
we have no time to stand and stare.


No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.


No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.


No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.


A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.


(Wm. Henry Davies (1871-1940) is to be considered as the poet of the tramps. Born at Newport, Wales in the UK, Davies came to America from Great Britain and lived the life of a vagabond. One day, as the result of jumping a train, he lost one of legs. Davies returned to England where he continued to live the life of a tramp and a pedlar. He wrote poetry (presumably he did right along) and, eventually, he determined to print his own book and did so with the little money he earned panhandling. A copy of this first work, A Soul's Destroyer, came into the hands of George Bernard Shaw; which, in turn, led to the popularization of the poet.

Strangers and Pilgrims

  Hello dear friends and quiet followers, I hope your week is going well? It's Winter here in my corner of the world, so I am tucked up ...