Botched Brownies

Had a bit of a disaster night Friday, we had BIL and SIL over for some dinner and wine to watch the Eurovision Semis.  My first vegan dinner, so I decided to go the safe option and did a couscous and chickpea tagine and for dessert my much anticipated vegan brownies. 

All I can say is both were a bit of a disaster, first I forgot I had run out of Cumin and Coriander...sent the husband off to the shops.  In the meanwhile got started on my brownies, the batter looked pretty delicious and tasted fine too:

A few things went wrong, firstly I had my oven on too high, but this I will be honest with you is the crappiest oven I have ever had to bake with.  Then I decided I was too smart to follow the recipe, swapped the maple syrup with brown sugar and then left out the 1/4 cup of sucrat...I dont even know what that is!!!!  I also left the brownies in the oven too long.

Anyway, the result was crumbly, dry brownies.  I was so disappointed, while my guests ate it and even asked for seconds, I decided that playing around with recipes will result in...exactly this!!!! There was a positive though...Sweet William Chocolate chips are just delicious for baking...not so much eating plain. 

Soooooooo, Im not giving up....I am doing up a second batch, I will be converting Barefoot Contessa's Chocolate Brownies!!! I've got a whole tub of Nuttlex to substitute the butter and "No Egg" for the eggs...should turn out jjjuuuusssssttttttt fine....I think!!!!!!

Breakfast Superfoods!!!!

Breakfast will have to be my favourite meal of the day, I look forward to it crave it and cannot understand people who skip it.  I used to traditionally be an eggs on toast with a side of baked beans girl.  I loved it, high in protien and would keep you full for hours, Oh and not forgetting a beautiful, freshly brewed coffee...aahhhhh. 

However...I think I might have stumbled on a Breakfast Superfood, well I like to call it that anyway.  I have tested it on a few people and I have always, always been asked for the recipe.  It is my Blueberry Muesli.  I can assure you it is delicious, high in antioxidants, high in fibre and no artifical sugars, this is as healthy as you can get.

So here it is, try it and tell me what you think, also adjust your quantities as you please, there is no going wrong with this one:

Ingredients:


2 Cups rolled oats (not the quick oats)
1 Cup unsweetened, natual Apple Juice
Frozen Blueberries (I find frozen is much better than the "fresh")
1 granny smith apple (shreded)
Pepitas and Sunflower Mix
flaked Almonds
Soy Milk or Soy Yogurt
 
Method:
 
Put all of the above ingredients into a bowl (except the Soy Milk/yogurt), and refridgerate over night.
 
Serve with the milk/ yogurt and to sweeten, which I definately like to do, Maple Syrup.  A bit of warning with Maple Syrup, you have to find the actual Maple Syrup, which is a bit on the expensive side and not the Maple "flavoured" syrups.  These are full of sugar and artifical sweeteners.
 
You can do variations, swap with other fruit, berries, nuts, add sultanas etc
 

Munching on Chickpeas

To be perfectly honest I was never a really big meat eater, even when I was very young I remember mum trying to hide bits of meat in my food, I always managed to find it.  I hated fish and I can probably count the number of times I ate fish in my entire life.  Chicken I could tolerate and I absolutely loved eggs, I would eat so many of them that everyone thought I would have very high Cholestrol, needless to say, I am perfectly fine.

I grew up in South India and like every other developing, crowded nation there was no escaping the fact that caring for animals was unusual.  I grew up watching stray dogs being hit by cars, chickens hung by their feet on the handle bars of bicycles and Oxen carrying loads so heavy that the only way they would helplessly move on is by being beaten mercilessly.

The change was for me, inevitable and I became vegetarian very very young.  Migrating to Melbourne in 2002 was like moving to another world, I got comfortable, still being vegetarian I  moved in with my now husband who was an omnivore.  Soon after so was I.  I ate meat 3 times a day and loved it, what the eyes dont see the heart doesn't feel I guess. 

I then started doing my research in to Western methods of farming...and oh was I horrified.  I was never aware of the terms, Factory Farming or knew what Cage Eggs meant.  Now I did.  I eventually went back to being vegetarian and as hard as it was to go back, I stuck to my guns.  The more research I did and the more people I associated with I realised the cruelty out there.  Guilt enveloped me, and knowing challenged me.  If Markus, born and raised in a meat and 3 veg family, was giving it a go, why could I not take the next step?

I am now on my way to becoming a vegan, slowly but steadily I know I will get there.

Cruelty Free Food is what I call it :)

My very first Blog!!!!!

Well I've been writing for a while using the Notes section on my Facebook Page and decided that it was finally time to get myself my very own blog.  So here it is, still tweaking my background and colours...oh how I love technology!!!!

Alittle about myself. I am a recent resident of Western Australia after moving from beautiful Melbourne with my husband and pets.  Perth is a beautiful city but I am still very homesick for Melbourne, the coffee, the weather, the endless resturants...ahhhhhhh.

I like nothing better than a hot cup of coffee in the morning or a sitting at a table with good friends eating scrumptious food and drinking good wine...which I have to say is boundless in WA.  I am a bake-a-holic and after several failed attempts at cakes and biscuits I think I have picked up a few skills that I am very proud of.  In saying that I am useless at pastry...I buy them...no frustrations.

I am a vegetarian on my journey to becoming a vegan.  This blog will contain alot of my trials and tribulations in my journey to convert to veganism.  The blog will contain successful and failed recipes, my weight loss trials, and my animals.

So if you have read so far and you have liked what you have read...then...FOLLOW ME!!!!