Day 29 - a recipe and a journal page

Here is the recipe for the Cinnamon Maple Cake that I was talking about yesterday. 

It is a modified version of a recipe that I shared on my Facebook page a couple of weeks ago. Apart from the amazing taste, I love it because it is Gluten Free, Dairy Free, low sugar and low in carbs. Now how can you go past that one?

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, low carb, low sugar Cinnamon Maple Cake 

(makes 9-12 servings)

2 1/2 cups almond meal
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped  
1/2 cup chopped merjool dates
1/4 cup coconut oil or butter , melted ( i find the coconut oil helps keep the slice moist and together more than using butter, and the taste is soooo good)
1/4 cup maple syrup - I used Greens brand as it is the lowest in sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Topping:
3 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
3 Tbsp. coconut oil or butter , melted
6 Tbsp. maple syrup
1/2 cup  chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 160deg C fan forced. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish or pan with butter and lightly dust with almond meal.

To make the cake:

Combine the almond flour, salt, baking soda, pecans and dates in a large bowl.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter , maple syrup, eggs and vanilla.  Make a well inside the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well.  Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined, the batter will be very thick.  Scrape the batter into the prepared baking dish. Using a spatula, gently push the batter into place making it as level as possible.

To make the topping:

Combine cinnamon, butter, maple syrup and pecans or almonds in a bowl.  Spread the topping over the cake batter. 

Bake for 25-35 minutes, until a toothpick  inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 1 hour on a wire rack.  Slice cake into squares and drizzle with Maple Frosting before serving.

This cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for several days.  Once you drizzle it, store it in the fridge.

Maple Drizzle:

3/4 cup coconut butter - see below on how to make coconut butter

1/4 cup maple syrup (or more to taste)

1/4-1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, almond milk, or coconut milk - i used almond milk because I have it in the fridge anyway.

pinch of salt

In a small saucepan, heat all ingredients over medium-low heat, stir until well combined.  Consistency should be thin enough to drizzle over the coffee cake.

***If you eat dairy and prefer a maple cream cheese drizzle…substitute 4 ounces softened cream cheese for the coconut butter and reduce the heavy cream to 2 Tbsp.-1/4 cup and blend in a small bowl with a hand mixer until smooth.  Again the consistency should be thin enough to drizzle**

Coconut butter

to make coconut butter place 2 1/2 cups of unsweetened shredded coconut(not desiccated) into a food processor. process for about 10-20 minutes stopping now and again to scrape the coconut down into the bowl. after a while it will turn to liquid and will set upon cooling. this quantity makes just over 3/4 cup of coconut butter. 

I'm catching up on my memory keeping in my Book of Days so this is acutally for a couple of weeks ago. It is all about the week that I had no voice. i used Dylusions sprays, paints, crafters workshop stencils, and new foam stamps from Scrap Fx

The week that I was ordered by the doctor to have complete silence started out as a real challenge and a difficult and frustrating week. As the week wore on though, I really started to connect fully with my inner voice. It's funny the different things you notice when you lose one of your major communication tools. It was almost like other things were amplified.

It gave me a good understanding why silent retreats are so popular and it is something that I wouldn't mind repeating on a smaller scale.

Namaste

Lee

Book of Days update

 Hi everyone,

Well it's been a busy week, painting and art journaling. I've been having a lot of fun with my Book of Days and would like to show you today how I did the cover of the book. For this year long project we are altering a book and in her comprehensive videos Effy shows us the steps to alter an old book or to make a Book of Days out of a composition book. So I scoured the charity shops and found my book - From here to Eternity. I thought the title was appropriate for me at this time in my life. Effy suggested to use your word for the year on your cover so thats what I did and with out further ado I will take you on the step by step with me.

 So, after preparing our book I covered my book with Jo Sonja Blue Lagoon and Harbour Blue in a slip slap motion with a flat brush. I just love these colours together.

 Next I found some scrapbook papers with some script on it, ripped it up and adhered to the book with Atelier Binder Medium.

 i used my make up sponge to rub the two colours of paint lightly over the papers and the book to blend them into the background somewhat.

 I then used Jo Sonja Warm White and a circle dot stencil from Crafters Workshop. This is the centre of the Peony 12 x 12 stencil. Inside that I doodled with my white Gelly Roll pen. Now I love these pens, they write over anything and they are so versatile. I love circles as you know, and these two are representing the endless possibilities that await me this year in balance from beginning to end.

 I also used the 6 x 6 cosmic bubbles stencil with the make up sponge and Jo Sonja Lilac to stencil randomly over the cover. I picked up some Warm White as I stencilled so there is a variation in colour in the bubbles.

I then found an image off the internet that really represented my word of 2012 which is Balance. i printed it out on photo paper, then sprayed it with Matt fixative spray so it wouldn't run, tore the edges and adhered it to the cover with Binder Medium.

I then did some stamping with StazOn in Midnight Blue and a Kaisercraft script background stamp and Kaisercraft saying, wrote my title on the cover with the Sakura Souffle pens and there you have it.  To finish the cover off I rubbed perfect pearls over it although it doesn't show up on the photo. It gives it a subtle shine and shimmer.

Now I know the words balance looks out of balance ( I'm not very good at spacing words without measuring) and when I sat back and looked at it I was disappointed but you know what, that is to me part of finding my balance in my life at the moment, meaning that I have to let go of the little things and concentrate on the important matters. My choice was - do I rub it out and start again(which wouldn't have been easy) muck up my cover that I loved and probably put it away in frustration and probably would still not have been finished, or do I embrace it how it is with all its imperfections. After all, that is what I love so much about art journaling, knowing that nothing is wrong, it is your expression and getting it on the page is more important than fretting about whether it will be perfect or not.

Book of Days has a huge following with over 1000 members online and over 500 members on a very encouraging and inspiring Facebook page. Do go and check it out if you would like to join in on the fun.

I would also like to share a fun video from you Tube that is going around Facebook at the moment. Is is only me that recognises myself here. 

What else can you add to the list of crafters sayings?

So I have pinched the saying from my Book of Days cover for today's post

"Remember that something incredibly wonderful is always possible"

Hope you are having a creative week

Namaste

Lee

Post Christmas reflections

Hi everyone,

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas Day. We had a lovely quiet at home. 
I promised to show you the photos of my Christmas cake this year if it turned out OK. Well it did apart from the fact that I think the sneaky ice cream companies have changed the make up of the ice cream to have more milk or water in it than cream. This therefore meant that it melted really quickly and it was more icy than last time. It was still thoroughly delicious and I will be making it again. Well I have to keep making it till I get it right, don't I??

So I started by making my triple chocolate brownie slice. Then when cooled I sliced it up and lined a pudding bowl with cling film, then pressed it against the sides to form a bowl inside a bowl.

 Here is my brother in law chopping the marshmallows for me with my husband looking on

And here is what was left of the brownie slice, well for a while anyway. It was quickly eaten.

In a separate bowl I mixed the slightly softened hokey pokey ice cream with chopped marshmallows, violet crumble, and frozen raspberries. Mixed it all around and then put into the bowl, covered the top with baking paper, folded over the cling film and froze.

So this is the finished cake...... Sorry it is a bit blurry but I was in a hurry to cut and get it on the table before it melted.

and here is the slice...... yum yum! It was perfect for the warm day we had.

The boys have grown up so no early morning wake-up which was good, but sad in a way. As Tracey has said in her post Christmas post, it was a realisation this year that things have changed. 

No more Christmas lists are written to Santa, no more hiding Santa presents; this year there was even no shortbread and beer out for Santa and his reindeers. 

Yes, I know my boys have been way to old for that for a while now, but I have liked holding on to that little bit of Christmas magic. 

But you know, really it is not as if something is lost forever, it is just a change in how we make that Christmas magic isn't it? 

We are evolving as a family and I do love seeing the way my kids have grown into wonderful young men. My youngest son has just received his drivers licence and I am such a proud Mum. This of course, means that no-one is dependant on me now to get them to and fro. It is a big change and a scary one at times. It is like a new phase in my life.

So that said, it has me thinking of my word for 2012. I am tossing up between two or three at the moment so I had better decide in the next couple of days. If you choose a word for the year have you thought about yours yet?

2012 is shaping up to be an exciting busy year for me so far and I am really looking forward to all the wonderful experiences that the universe has in store for me. I am in the process of making my first vision board for 2012 and have signed up for Flora Bowleys online course and Effy Wild's Book of Days. I am just hoping that I have not overcommitted myself and can keep up. I think that the Book of Days will keep me more committed to art journaling on a more regular basis.
Before I go I would like to show you some more bags

This bag is using Jo Sonja paints in Pthalo Green, Prussian Blue Hue, Yellow Green and Aqua. Stencils are Crafters Workshop 6x6 Daisy Cluster, Cosmic Bubbles, 12 x 12 Cosmic Swirl

 This bag was painted with Jo Sonja Prussian Blue Hue, Pthalo Blue, Brilliant Violet and Diox Purple, Crafters workshop stencils, 12 x12 Mums, Gathered Flowers and 6x6 Harlequin.

 Various stamps were used in each and a Bic Black Marker.

 My quote today comes from one of the stamps that I used on the bags.

Hope you are having a lovely week everyone, see you soon before my little holiday up the coast.

namaste

Lee



 

Christmas cake

 How is everyones week going? all your shopping done? all your presents wrapped? the Christmas Day menu is worked out and ready to go? Christmas Cards sent?

If  you answered no to any of the above questions you are not alone. I have done a bit off all of the above but just can't tick them off my list yet. I have just written my last Christmas card, still have a couple of presents to buy and then wrap and still can't decide what yummy recipes to use on Christmas day. It looks like we will have seafood and salads.Which leads me on to dessert.(no matter what I am talking about I always end up talking about food!! Didn't I start off with Cards and present wrapping??)

Anyway, a couple of years ago I made a frozen ice cream Christmas cake.....

 

.....full of yummy goodness including marshmallows, chocolate, ice cream, maltesers, and frozen raspberries and it was great on a hot day. 

The weather forecast is for a sunny 32 Deg C on Sunday so this might be the ideal dessert. 

For my northern hemisphere friends I hope this doesn't make you feel colder than you are right now.

Here is the recipe for you to try.

Ingredients

• 1 x 2 litre tub of vanilla ice cream left out to soften a bit for about half an hour
  
  
• 1 165g packet of Maltesers , cut each malteser in half with a very thin sharp knife. We tried smashing them but they ended up too crushed
  

•  250g pink and white marshmallows (ours are raspberry and vanilla flavoured) cut into halves or quarters depending on the size you prefer

•  2 handfuls of pistachio nuts lightly smashed but not finely crushed
  
  
• Half a 450g box of frozen raspberries, used whole and still frozen.

Method

Put the chopped marshmallows and maltesers in a big mixing bowl with the smashed pistachios and the raspberries, stir a bit till mixed.

Then scoop the ice cream on top and stir well till combined with the other ingredients. Try to be quick about it so the ice cream doesn't melt too much or it will be icy when re frozen.

Push the mixture into a round springform cake tin (I used the 20cm diameter size) so there are no gaps and smooth out the top a bit.

Cover the top with foil. I put it in a large kitchen freezer bags and then wrapped it in plastic cling wrap to stop any leakage dripping in my freezer and then froze overnight.

We served ours with a nice thick store bought choc orange sauce.

Enjoy!

I also finished some more bags. Trying out different colours and patterns, doodling and stamping.

 

For this bag I used Jo Sonja Pthalo Green, Pthalo Blue, Yellow Green, and Brilliant Green and Titanium White. Crafters workshop stencils Harlequin and Flower Shower

For this one I used Jo Sonja Prussian Blue Hue, Pthalo Blue, Diox Purple, Brilliant Violet and Titanium White. Crafters workshop stencils, Cosmic Swirl and Daisy Cluster

For this one I used Jo Sonja, Diox Purple, Brilliant Magenta, Brilliant Violet, Titanium White and Ultramarine Blue Deep. Crafters workshop stencils Cosmic Swirl, Daisy Cluster and Flower Frame.

Now how about this fabulous photo I found at Streetartutopia. How cool is it? This site is well worth a look.

Streetartutopia

The quote also comes from the same site.

“There´s tools and colours for all of us,

to lend from nature to make the world

more understandable and beautiful”

Have a lovely week everyone.

Namaste

Lee