All Your Children

I finally bought a waffle maker! It is a single rotating waffle maker which doesn't take too much space on my small kitchen counter top. This is a made in China brand with a weird name(Rohe) but I'm very happy with it. It is not very expensive and comes with an indicator light which tells you when the waffle maker is ready to use and done. The non stick grids make it easy to remove freshly cooked waffles and clean too.

Prior to the delivery, I looked up some waffles recipes and came across this. The name caught my attention, and this is the only recipe that I have tried. There was no turning back to others. This recipe yields only 3 waffles which is just right for me. Crisp, light and fluffy which is the texture everyone likes.

You can have waffles in many ways and I like it sweet and simple. Pure maple syrup with fruits, or plain with butter and syrup. These waffles do not taste nice on its own. The batter is really basic and easy to mix. It uses buttermilk and I always use real buttermilk, never substitutes.
It is fun to make waffles at home and even my children are making them for breakfast and tea. I bet they will not be ordering waffles at cafes anymore! These are like cafe standard or even better!

Waffles
serves 3

Ingredients

105g all purpose flour
30g cornflour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup corn oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla extract


Method

• Mix and stir all the dry ingredients together.
• Mix and lightly blend wet ingredients with a whisk
• Pour wet ingredients into dry. Whisk until smooth and lump free.
• Rest mixture for 30 minutes.
• Pour waffle mixture into pre heated waffle maker.

Children need the peace that comes from knowing they have a loving Heavenly Father who sent His son, Jesus Christ, to bring light and hope into the world.

All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children.
Isaiah 54:13

Let There Be Light

When my children were much younger, they loved bananas. Bananas are always top on my grocery list besides cereal, milk, eggs and bread which they will eat at anytime of the day.
I have often baked banana muffins, banana bread, banana cakes, and today for the first time, banana pancakes.

These pancakes are absolutely gorgeous.  The batter which has mashed bananas and banana slices makes light and fluffy, sweet and buttery delectable pancakes. Drizzle a little maple syrup over the pancakes just before serving, and all is pure bliss in your mouth as the bananas, walnuts, syrup and pancake complement one another perfectly. You can go without the maple syrup if  you like.

The maple bacon is like a sweet/salty icing on a short stack. It is really good, smokey sweet and salty. It is a guilty pleasure that one will want to eat again and again.

To make the pancakes, you need to mash half banana and slice the other half into thin slices.

To make pancakes for 2( makes 7-8  3inch wide pancakes) Stir in 70g self raising flour with 1/2 tsp baking power and 1 tbsp light soft brown sugar and a pinch of salt.   Make a well in the center and add in the mashed banana, 1 large beaten egg, 15g melted butter, 60g milk.

Whisk to a smooth batter without any flour lumps.

Heat a little butter in a frying pan, Once sizzling, ladle a small dollops of the batter onto the pan. Put 2-3 slices of banana onto the surface of pancake and cook over a medium heat. When you see bubbles appear, flip the pancakes and cook till puffed up and golden.

Arrange 4 bacon slices in 1 layer on a baking tray. Bake for 15 - 20 mins in a 200C oven until bacon begins to brown. Remove the pan from oven, and brush bacon slices with 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. Bake for another 3-5 minutes, and transfer bacon onto a plate lined with paper towels.

This post is linked to Little Thumbs Up 'Banana' hosted by Faaez from Bitter Sweet Spicy. Organised by Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen from My Little Favourite DIY.

I am doing a study of The Bible Timeline. It is a fascinating study which would take me on a journey through the entire Bible. The study goes deep into each period of salvation history and the many amazing stories woven throughout all of Scripture.



And God said, "let there be light," and there was light. Genesis 1:3

God called the light Day

Poaching eggs is so fuss free and neat. If you have mastered the know how, you would be like me, have poached eggs for every breakfast.

For this breakfast idea, blanched asparagus for a few seconds in boiling water, remove and soak in cold water to cool. Add sweet cherry tomatoes, sliced avocados and store bought smoked salmon slices. Place poached egg, and black pepper to serve. Healthy gourmet looking breakfast done in 10 minutes.

Jamie Oliver has put up a Perfect Poached Eggs video and I like his lively presentation, clear and easy instructions. In the video, he shows three ways of poaching eggs. My poached egg is done using the first method.

Healthy breakfast goes with a healthy shake. This has two avocados flesh, a spoonful of Milo powder, a spoonful of gula melaka crumbs and a cup of low fat milk.

And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. Genesis 1:5

The Parable of the Lost Son

 Ricotta Hotcakes with Honeycomb Butter is one of the best seller at Bill's cafe in Sydney. Many raved about this must have brekkie and have even replicated it at home with great success.

These hotcakes are so light and fluffy and they are not made with your usual pancake mix. There are ricotta in the mixture which makes the pancakes taste creamy and light. Ricotta is an Italian whey cheese and are often used for desserts and also for savory dishes like calzone, pizza and lasagne. Its texture is similar to cottage cheese, though lighter. The eggs are separated and beaten egg whites are added last into the mixture to create light and airy hotcakes.

The Honeycomb Butter is so delicious with the hotcakes and you don't need maple syrup.. I kept the leftover in the freezer and it should be great on French Toast or just plain toast. You can use fresh honeycomb, or simply add Nestle Crunchie bar and honey with the butter in the food processor.


Ricotta Hotcakes
Bill's Sydney Food

Ingredients

225g ricotta
170ml milk
4 eggs, separated
140g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
50g butter

To serve banana or strawberries
icing sugar for dusting

Honeycomb Butter
250g unsalted butter, softened
2 crunchie bar
2 tbsp honey


Method

• Make the honeycomb butter first. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Shape into a log on clingfilm,roll,seal and chill in a refrigerator for two hours.

• Place ricotta,milk and egg yolks in a mixing bowl and mix to combine. 
• Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.

• Add to the ricotta mixture and mix until just combined.

• Place egg whites in a clean dry bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. 

• Fold egg whites through batter in two batches, with a large spoon(whisk)

• Lightly grease a large non-stick frying pan with a small portion of the butter and drop two tablespoons of batter(a ladle) per hotcake into the pan (don' cook more than three per batch).

• Cook over low to medium heat for two minutes, or until hotcakes have golden undersides. Turn hotcakes and cook on the other side until golden and cooked through.
• Transfer to a plate and quickly assemble other ingredients.
• To serve, stack 3 hotcakes on a plate and top with strawberries and a slice of honeycomb butter. Dust with icing sugar.

Linking this post to Cook Like A Star 'Bill Granger' organised by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids,
Yen of Eat Your Heart Out and Mich of Piece of Cake.

Totally Transformed! 20 November - 22 November 2013
Day One
The Parable of the Lost Son (Luke 15:11-31)

The parable of the Lost Son is also commonly known as the Parable of the Prodigal Son, this is in fact the parable of the prodigal father...extravagant in his love towards both his sons. It is beautiful illustration of the extravagant love God has for us.
The children learnt of the son's selfishness/sinfulness by asking for his inheritance. They learnt of his waywardness after he got his inheritance and later his awakening when he spent all his money and has to tend pigs in a farm. He is full of repentance. He realized how hurt his father was and how much his father loved him. It was only then that transformation took place. He embraced his father's love and his relationship with his father was restored. Like the son, we are severed in our relationship with God because of our sin and like the son with his father, we all need to be restored in our relationship with God and embrace His love.

We have a Father in heaven who is like the father in this parable: Compassionate, loving, forgiving and merciful. 

For this son of mine was dead is alive again, he was lost and is found. So they began to celebrate. Luke 15:24

The Earth is the LORD'S

Here is another hearty and healthy breakfast for you. This is for those who must have carbohydrates to start their day. These Oat Crusted Potato Cakes are made of mashed potatoes mixed with rolled oat and flour. The potato cakes are lightly salted and dusted with oat before pan frying in light olive oil.


Oat Crusted Potato Cakes
makes 6 potato cakes
Ingredients
500g potatoes
40g rolled oats
40g wholemeal flour(plain flour)
salt and pepper to taste
Light olive oil for shallow frying


Method

• Cook the potatoes in boiling water until tender. Drain, return to the pan and mash, allow to cool slightly.

• Stir in 30g oats and flour and season well.
• Press into 6 round potato cakes and coat in the remaining oats.

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the potato cakes, about 2 minutes each side.
• Serve topped with grilled bacon and eggs.

Note: The oats add creaminess to the mash, making the potato cakes soft and creamy. This is best served hot from the pan. You can also turn these potato cakes into salmon cakes. Just add in a can of pink salmon flakes, chopped onions and snipped dills.

Linking this post to Little Thumbs Up 'Oats' hosted by Vivian of Vivian Pang Kitchen, hosted by
Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen of My little favourite DIY.

The earth is the LORD'S, and all its fullness. Psalm 24:1

From The Rising Of The Sun

Good morning! Start your day bright and right with this hearty baked porridge from Bill Granger. Bill Granger is an Australian self taught cook and food writer. He owns Bills, a popular restaurant chains in Sydney, Japan and London. His restaurants are famous for breakfast dishes, notably his scrambled eggs and ricotta hotcakes.
I like to read Bill Granger's cookbooks and watch him on TV.  He looks like a nice family man doting on his three daughters. Bill Granger cooks in a very relax, laid back manner which is very pleasing to watch on screen. His style is wonderfully simple and straightforward.
This breakfast is a perfect start to his easy healthy cooking. This recipe is adapted from his book, Bill's Basics.



Baked Porridge
Bill's Basics

Preheat oven to 150C, scatter 135g oats, 75g roughly chopped hazelnuts, 75g roughly chopped sultanas or figs(I replaced with  frozen blueberries),  I tablespoon of soft brown sugar, a pinch of salt and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon.

Pour in the milk,cream and vanilla extract(all combined in a jug), baked for 45 minutes

Sprinkle with the remaining sugar and put back in the oven for another 15 minutes to let the top crisp up.

Serve with cream, milk, yogurt or stewed fruits

Leftover can be kept in the fridge and re-heated the next day

Oat Porridge is one of my favourite breakfast food or anytime food. Years ago, when I was a busy mom with 3 young children, I used to cook for them oat porridge instead of rice. I usually made sweet porridge, adding honey and milk. I also prefer to use quick cooking rolled oats instead of instant ones. As for myself, I like oat porridge with condensed milk, something which I grew up with.



Linking this post to Little Thumbs Up 'Oats' hosted by Vivian Pang of Vivian Pang Kitchen, organised by Zoe and Doreen.

And this is also linked to Cook Like A Star 'Bill Granger' hosted by Zoe, Yen, and Mich

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised.
Psalm 113:3