Moving...again!

This will be our seventh move in six years and although I am reeling a bit, I thought it might be good to share a system we are using that is helping everybody stay sane (at least where the packing is concerned!).

Mat, my husband, has named it the Jenga shelf system. 2"x28" wood pieces support sheets of plywood and the boxes slide into the temporary shelves. The shelving packs compactly and assembles quickly as boxes are unloaded from the moving truck. In the new house, this whole system is reused until gradually we have everything unpacked. While at our house here in Manchester, some boxes were never unpacked, so the shelves served as storage support.

All the boxes are numbered and coordinate with a master spreadsheet that is categorised. For instance, 2-K1 is Move number 2, kitchen box 1. Move number 1 was from Newcastle to Manchester just nine months ago.

Above is a screen shot of one page of the master spreadsheet.  This is such a help when you really need something, but don't want to unpack all the kitchen boxes to find it! This is also a great system for loft or garage storage when you want to keep things packed for a while.

I won't be doing much blogging for the next several weeks as our move is early next month and homeschooling and life must continue regardless of packing and unpacking. Stay tuned for pictures from our new location! You wouldn't waste a prayer on us if we come to mind in the next few weeks.

Roasted Garlic Dressing

This recipe is another adapted from the Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home cookbook.

Take one whole bulb garlic, wrap in tin foil, put in a 350 degree oven for 1 hr. Let cool.
Unwrap and squeeze out the softened cloves.

Place the following ingredients in a food processor:
roasted garlic cloves
1 C. olive oil
1/3 C. balsamic vinegar
1/3 C. water
1 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1 T. Dijon mustard

Process until smooth!

Use as salad dressing, a condiment for baked potatoes, or as a marinade for meat.

Birthday Time Again!

I love making birthday cakes in this house, because they are safe for everyone to devour.

I also struggle to find a good cake recipe that will turn out not completely hard and flat!

Valerie wanted a Frozen party. (If you have not seen the movie, then you will not understand the novel idea of having a snowman made out of popcorn and marshmallows, and a truly frozen cake!)

 I had wanted to do a proper ice cream cake for Val, but after I made the cake, I realised that my cake pans were inches wider than the recipe, even though I doubled it (!)-- hence a flat cake. So Val was quite happy to have a crescent moon shaped cake which meant 4 layers, and more sorbet. The reason it was sorbet was partly because I could not get to the right store that sells soy ice cream, and partly because Val loves rainbows, and inside the cake it looked a bit rainbow-ish. We had a layer of cake, then a layer of raspberry jam, then a layer of mango sorbet, then the next layer of cake, and so on. Followed by white coconut butter cream frosting (which tastes really yummy with coconut oil and dairy free margarine), and detail blue icing from a tube, and spray silver for a great shimmer. 

For anyone who wants an easy gluten free treat for children, here is the link to popcorn balls

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/mallow-popcorn-balls-56900.aspx

And here is the link to the cake recipe:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/eggless_sponge_cake_70634

And the frosting: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/buttercream-coconut-cake-icing/

Isn't he cute?

Fluffy Vegan Pancakes

Saturday mornings would not be complete without pancakes (American style).

Here is my recipe for pancakes that everyone loves:

Whisk together the night before (if you are feeling organised!):

     1 1/2 C. fine cornmeal (aka maize flour)

     1 1/2 C. gluten free flour

     1 1/2 T. baking powder

     1/2-1 t. xanthan gum

      3 T. brown sugar 

     1 t. cinnamon (optional)

Mix in separate bowl:

     1/2 C. sunflower or canola/rapeseed oil

     2 chia eggs or flax eggs  

     2 1/2-3 C. soy milk or coconut milk

Stir all together until smooth.  If batter is still thick keep adding more milk until it is pourable.

Pour onto greased medium hot pan or griddle. 

Flip time! 

     Serve with maple syrup or berries or good old fashioned brown sugar and lemon juice!