MERRY CHRISTMAS

May you have a fabulous day filled with love and happiness

 

CHRISTMAS COLD AND FRUITY "PUDDING" ICE CREAMS

With the craziness that comes at this time of year - we all need all the help we can get. Every little thing that helps me have a smooth and stress free Christmas is worth having or doing as far as Im concerned :) 

So here is my idea for an easy, prepared, Christmas dessert that can be tailored to your tastes.

WINNERS ANNOUNCED / WIN Celebration Cakes by Grace Stevens

WIN a copy of CELEBRATION CAKES by Grace Stevens with www.bettybake.co.za and Random House Struik

VOVO TELO

On the quest for great coffee takes me to various restaurants and coffee shops around Cape Town....
Here is one of the places I have been too: 

I managed to grab a late coffee this week with my friend Janine from the blog Being Brazen. It never

Betty Bake in SPAR SAVOUR Magazine

Im happy to say that Betty Bake was featured in the December Spar Savour Magazine :) yay!
I was so thrilled to be asked to answer their questions about this blog and chat all things food and gluten-free :)

pop over and have a read if you like ;)

And the Winners are....

Congratulations to ..... Beth and ClairesCuppa for each winning a copy of Luscious Vegetarian cookbook.

Please email me: thegoldfishtsudio(at)hotmail(dot)com

Yay and Congrats

SUMMER

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous lately, Summer has definitely arrived!
Along with Summer comes the end of the year here in South Africa... including Christmas and New Years. WOW where has the year gone?

The pics above I took today and placed on my Instagram account :) cause how fun is life if you can't share it with others?

I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to the end of things, like:

• The end of term is nearly here (no more school lunches and homework with the Kid) one more week left!!!

• End of ballet year (the photos I have been editing for the past 6 and a half months are finally finished) so no more lifting up and down twice a week.

Also with the ends are new beginnings, like summer holidays, getting up late, making ice cream, being out doors and summer foods = fresh salads, yummy fruit and smoothies! 

Can you tell Im happy about Summer?

Sorry for my giddyness ;)
Hope you are having a fabulous week

So what is your favourite thing about Summer?

WIN Luscious Vegetarian Cookbook by Sonia Cabano & Jade De Waal

WIN a copy of LUSCIOUS VEGETARIAN Cookbook by Sonia Cabano & Jade De Waal with www.bettybake.co.za and Random House Struik

GLUTEN-FREE CRACKERS

Gluten-Free Crackers on www.bettybake.co.za

To someone who can't eat gluten cheese and crackers can be a bore with light, airy and tasteless rice cakes from the store. Sure rice cakes have their place for convenience but eating REAL crackers is so much better tasting and crunchy too.

RIGHT NOW...

 

 Right now....

• I'm enjoying being creative but running out of time to make all the things I want to paint, crochet or create!

BLING! Birthday Party with GOLD CAKE

Bling party on www.bettybake.co.za 

CHOCOLATE PICNIC SNACK BARS

Dark Chocolate Seed Bars recipe on http://www.bettybake.co.za .
Great for picnics and school lunches. This would also make a great present - cut into bars and pile high in a jar and dressed up with a wide ribbon. (would be so pretty)... Christmas maybe?

WIN Gordons Ramsays Latest cookbook

Win a SIGNED copy of Gordon Ramsays Lastest cookbook called THE ULTIMATE COOKERY COURSE with www.bettybake.co.za and Checkers

ON HOLIDAY ... see you soon!

The husband is on leave so I am happily drinking coffee and wine tasting and ignoring regular life... as much as possible (there are still dishes but eating out means less of them :) YAY!

If you would like to see what I'm up to follow me on instagram (@bettybake) 
or twitter


See like this Caramel Mousse cake that I found at a nearby town Patisserie .... bliss!
Of course I Instagramed it!

My daughter actually ate it (it was wheat-free) but not before I photographed it and took a bite ;)

See you soon!

Lunch with Olive Pride at the SA Chefs Academy

Here are some photos of a gorgeous and very delicious lunch I had last week hosted by Olive Pride and made by the chefs at the SA Chefs Academy.
Just look at the windows with stacks of natural light- Isn't it stunning?

I am not a keen olive eater - so I approached the lunch with a little caution. RSVP'ed and Told them I am vegetarian - (which I have been doing for 5 months now :) and feeling great for doing it!) and wandered if I'd have anything I liked to eat...
Well every course was delicious - there wasn't one thing I didn't like. 

Add caption

Would you say these photos were taken with my cellphone? well there are... to see more of my cellphone pics check out my instagram account HERE


DISCLAIMER: I always find it hard to decide whether to blog about a breakfast/lunch/dinner or event... Some are nice but just not blog worthy - while sometimes some are lovely but don't fit with the theme of my blog (healthy food, gluten free etc) PLUS if I had to blog about every event my blog would be to filled with events and very few recipes!

Well this lunch was an easy YES!
It had all the factors I loved about an event.. Great lighting, Good healthy food and lovely Company (without any push that I had to blog about it = no pressure!) yay!
This post is my own thoughts, photography and opinions
 

BAKED SWEET POTATO CHOCOLATE CAKE (GLUTEN FREE)

I wanted to bake a "healthy" chocolate cake and in cases like that I usually make a Beetroot chocolate cake. But on this very day I didn't have any beetroot in my fridge and so with some tweaking and hoping and substituting this cake was born - Baked Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake.

You know what - it turned out better than my beetroot version ... and so this is the NEW chocolate cake in our house! It is softer and sweeter - even though the same amount of sugar is used. This is because the sweet potato is baked in the oven till caramelized on the edges and it is naturally sweet.   

Not to say the beetroot chocolate cake is no longer good enough, if I can't get sweet potatoes then it will be back on the menu shortly but this cake has really stolen the show.

NOTES*** 
I have made this cake many times over the years - its still a winner and used at every birthday and everything in between! Some things have been tweaked and changed ---

SUGAR: I now use half a cup of sugar instead of a whole cup. But use as much as you think your sugar tooth needs.

WATER: I have found the cake batter has got quite thick and I now add between half a cup to 1 cup of filtered water at the end of the batter if I find its a bit to thick for my liking.

SWEET POTATO: Bake a large sweet potato with its skin on in the oven at 180 degrees celcius (turn half way through baking). Bake until soft when inserted with a knife and the outside yields nicely when pushed with a thumb. Some of the outside may look dark (brown to slightly black in places) on the outsides as the sweet potato caramelizes inside its skin. Allow to cool and then peel and mash with a fork.


INGREDIENTS (BROKEN UP INTO 4 PARTS)

STEP 1:

50g dark chocolate (I used 70% cocoa dark chocolate)
a tiny pinch of salt
3 Tablespoons of cream (coconut cream or dairy cream - your choice) 

 combine the 3 ingredients and melt in a baine marie - stir until smooth and put to one side.

STEP 2:

1 generous cup /200g/250ml Jaggery or Brown Organic Sugar (READ NOTES about how much sugar I now use*)
3 Free range eggs
100ml coconut oil (melted down to measure)
100ml olive oil

Beat/mix together with a stand or hand mixer in a large bowl until thickened and the mixture has lightened a little

STEP 3:

1 cup /250ml baked and mashed sweet potato (roughly 240g when cooked) *see note above*

add to the egg/sugar mixture above and mix in then add the chocolate cream and mix in until totally incorporated.

STEP 4:

3 heaped dessert spoons of cocoa
1 teaspoon bicarb
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 and a half cups / 375ml Gluten Free flour mix

Gradually add each ingredient above one by one beating after each addition to the mixture. See if you need water - (please see NOTES above the recipe)
Place mixture into 2 buttered/coconut oiled and floured medium cake tins and place in the oven at 155 degrees celcius for roughly 40 minutes - until the cake springs back to the touch and the knife inserted into the middle of the cake come out clean.

 
ICING:
I usually make a chocolate ganache for this cake  - I melt dark chocolate with coconut milk, allow to cool then pour over the cake. or alternatively I blend dates (pips removed) with coconut oil and a pinch of salt for a caramel type of icing.

And the Winners are....

Congrats to  Robert Miller & Beth who are the winners of the Fireworks cookbook by Jan Braai :)
Please email me

Happy Monday :)

WIN: Fireworks Cookbook by Jan Braai

On http://www.bettybake.co.za  - WIN a copy of FIREWORKS by Jan Braai.

I LOVE public holidays! I mean who doesn't? They are great for spending time with family and friends and doing things you wouldn't normally do because you are usually working on a week day.
This years Heritage day also known as BRAAI DAY falls on Monday 24th September :) yay loooong weekend!!!  I can just imagine smoke and fires all over the country with the smell of sizzling meat and salads. Im personally going to try cooking miellies in the skins for perfect smokiness (as recommended in Jan's book)

ABOUT THE BOOK:
This book has great advice on how to braai from the basics of steak and VARIOUS meats to sides like potatoes, mielies and braai bread. There are sections on sauces, spice combinations and puddings too. (so not just carnivores will like it)
I found it very interesting on Jan's thoughts on various meats and it has some really nice styled pics inside.


THE GIVEAWAY:
2 x copies of FIREWORKS by Jan Braai (valued at R250 each) supplied by Pan Macmillan



THERE ARE 3 WAYS FOR YOU TO WIN - you will get an entry for each thing that you do and leave a comment for.


BE A FOLLOWER OF BETTY BAKE BLOG
Please enter your email address in the subscription on the side bar to be a Follower of Betty Bake Blog


1) Be a follower and then leave a comment telling me you what you would love to braai / eat on national braai day

2) "Like" Betty Bakes facebook page (just come back and say so here) - 1 entry

3) Tweet this phrase - WIN A COOKBOOK= FIREWORKS by Jan Braai worth R250 over at http://www.bettybake.co.za @bettybakeblog @janbraai @PanMacmillanSA #proudlySouthAfrican - (just come back and say so here) - 1 entry

*please leave a SEPARATE comment for each thing you do (facebook like, tweet, etc) in comment section below

This is SOUTH AFRICA give away ONLY

Competition closes midday Saturday 15th September 2012

V&A Waterfront - MASTER OF THE TRADE ROUTES

Its hard to imagine that just last week I boarded the SA Agulhas II (an ice breaking scientific ship) for a dinner of exquisite proportions.
Thoroughly thrilled and honoured to be a judge for the first round of the competition,  Master of the Trade Routes where 27 restaurants from the V & A Waterfront competed for place as the number 1 restaurant.

HOW IT WORKED
Being 1 of 8 judges in the first round - we each got to eat at 6 restaurants. It was great fun and interesting to try out 6 of the restaurants at the V & A Waterfront over roughly 5 weeks. And we narrowed it down to the TOP 8 Restaurants

THE TOP 8
Dash Restaurant (Queen Victoria Hotel)

Den Anker

Harbour House

Reuben's (One&Only Cape Town)
Sevruga
Signal (Cape Grace Hotel)
The Grand Beach
Willoughby & Co


The final judging took place on board the SA Agulhas II and was decided on the night. 

THE WINNER
I can happily say that I got to eat at the top 2 restaurants and that I had really hoped that my top 2 would win! AND my prediction of my top 2 restaurants came in First and Second just as I had hoped and predicted - in the exact same order!

1ST: Signal Restaurant (Cape Grace Hotel)
2ND: Dash Restaurant (Queen Victoria Hotel)


Congrats to Signal and Dash.
Thanks to the V & A Waterfront  -  It was a great competition which was exciting to be apart of.

RIGHT NOW...

Right now I'm

• Looking at tooooo many travel agent websites and wishing I was on holiday (not very productive for getting work done)
• Im wishing my cup of coffee wouldn't end... Sometimes it just tastes so good
• I want to bake but I have LOTS of work to do - darn, *sigh*
• I'm still loving pinterest far to much! and Instagram too!
• hoping the weekend will be filled with relaxing cups of coffee on the couch and maybe a movie or 2 and possibly a walk on the beach
• Trying to edit photos (but as I said I keep getting distracted!)
• Wandering how it can be the last day of August and the first day of Spring tomorrow?

What are you doing right now?
Do you have plans for the weekend?

WIN: TICKETS TO PINOTAGE ON TAP

WIN 1 double ticket to the #PinotageOnTap festival

WHEN: 13TH October 2012

WHERE: Diemersfontein Wine & Country Estate 

BAND PERFORMING: Goodluck, Albert Frost & Gerald Clark

TICKETS INCLUDE
Entry, goodie bag on arrival, lunch, choc fountain dessert, endless wine on tap , live music bands and games -Value R320 per ticket

To enter simply tweet this phrase "WIN a set of double tickets to #PinotageOnTap and drink endless wine for a day via @bettybakeblog and @Computicket"


THE GIVEAWAY:
2 x TICKETS (valued at R320 per ticket) to one person to Pinotage on Tap Festival in the Western Cape

Tweet this phrase - WIN a set of double tickets to #PinotageOnTap and drink endless wine for a day via @bettybakeblog and @Computicket

This is SOUTH AFRICA give away ONLY - and tickets are valid for Cape Town only

Competition closes 6pm 28th August 2012

THE BEST BAKED APPLES

The Best Baked Apples recipe on www.bettybake.co.za

I know saying the BEST of anything is a tall claim. You see I'm not a baked fruit kind of person. I am more of a cold desserts kind of girl - you know anything containing chocolate, cold and custardy, or mousse, or creme brulee or anything creamy.
The husband is the reason I make anything baked for pudding - like this baked plums or baked cookie dough apple pie.
But this time its all me!  
I keep making these and actually loving them... usually baked fruit is eaten by me slowly and its ok! but not anymore - this dish keeps being made over and over and I just can't stop!
I think I may take some left over baked apples and try to make a baked apple ice cream!!! (but thats if there is any over!)

INGREDIENTS
4-6 organic apples (or as many as you need - 1 per person)
1 large orange (organic so you can use the skin)
ground cinnamon
2 - 4 Tablespoons Jaggery or brown sugar
a handful of Raisins

METHOD
Wash you apples and make sure they can all fit in a baking dish that has a fitting lid.
Core the apples (take out the centers while leaving the rest of the apple whole)
Make a small slit/ incision all the way around the middle of the skin - just piercing the skin (imagine the apple is hoola hooping)
Place all the apples in the dish you are using and stuff raisins down the necks/ center of the apples until 3 quarters fill.
Wash your orange and grate orange rind on the small side of your grater over the apples - let a little go down neck/ center of each apple.
Sprinkle the Jaggery or brown sugar down the necks/center of each apple.
Cut your orange in half and squeeze the juice over all the apples.
Sprinkle cinnamon over each apple
Place the lid on the dish and bake in a moderate oven 180 degrees celcius until soft and juicy
Roughly +/- 30 - 40 min
Enjoy with a drizzle of cream or served with vanilla ice cream

Small Changes make for Healthy Eating

Sometimes healthy eating is just a change in how you look at food...

In the past when I ate takeaways and tubs of ice cream and I needed to be more healthy and "diet" I would think "öh great now I have to cut out all this yummy stuff I love!" 
I would begrudge myself and the food I ate. Instead of looking for delicious alternatives I would pout and sulk and be miserable. Years later and many mind shifts later - I see food in a totally different way. I still love a good pizza! but how I want to treat myself and my body has changed in my thinking.

SLIGHT CHANGES:
Its a slight change over weeks and months and even years:
After slowly changing bit by bit - by doing the little things like cutting down on sugar and swopping fizzy cool drinks like Coke! (which is now a swear word in our house) to fruit juice and water.

TRY IT:
Simply buy sparkling spring water and 100% real fruit juice with no additives and mix them together.
So when I felt like a coke I would reach for my "new" sparkling friend - juice and sparkling water and feel like i wasn't depriving myself.

You see its the little things!
I no longer see food as a happiness pile of stuff to eat what I want. I see food as a source of health and yumminess! I want to treat my body right. Once you cut out bad items like coke and soft drinks filled with sugar  and stop eating sweets and candy bars and you feel great - after the initial  detox (headaches and flu symptoms)
I was so ALIVE and happy and well that when I went back to eating a piece of candy it made me feel yuk! It wasn't that that sugar wasn't nice in my mouth but the after effects just weren't worth it.

EXAMPLE:
After cutting out MSG and other additives and preservatives out of our diet for some time (months and months) we went to a braai and the food was taking long. The husband and I were getting hungry and there were bowls of flavoured crisps around so we started snacking. After eating several handfuls the food was finally ready and we ate. Now I didn't have any alcohol of any kind but the next morning I woke up with hangover type symptoms - sore head and felt terrible. Just yukky and wanted to sleep! I realised after a while of waking up and trying to figure out what I ate and drank why I would feel this way and the only thing different were the MSG laden crisps (which we don't eat! only plain salted allowed in our house)!! and that when it hit me - my disgusting hang over symptoms were from them - now I will never go back to eating crisps because I could feel what they were doing to my body!

GOOD HABITS :
I find that changing things bit by bit over long periods of time that I am able to change my habits. If I try change everything at once I feel like I am punishing myself and then I would go back to my bad ways but if I picked one or two things then it was a small change and I would keep doing it. Then after a long time of doing that one little thing it would have become part of my lifestyle (like no more soft drinks) I don't even go to that aisle in the supermarket any more. Actually I rarely shop at a supermarket - but thats another story for another day. I don't even consider it in my head. If someone asks me to bring drinks to a braai (BBQ) I simply buy sparkling water and organic fruit juice. Simple as pie. Really its not even a battle for me any more.

IDEAS:
So focus on something small like:

• Stopping sugar in your tea and coffee

• Swopping soda for fruit juice and water

• Buying hormone free meat and eggs

• Not eating candy - buy nuts and dark chocolate (70% cocoa and higher)

"Eat cake if you bake it yourself and can limit the sugar and additives"

WILL YOU TRY IT?:
See if you can change that one little thing for 2 months and then consider swopping another thing and another thing. Eventually in a year or twos time you will be a healthy, whole food, happy person who doesn't even crave the bad stuff and is happier for it!
Just try it
 
We still eat really dark chocolate and nuts and i bake cake-but I use gluten -free flour and only a tiny bit of sugar. See what I did swopped out  unhealthy for healthy) 


What changes have you made in your lifestyle to be healthier?