This week in my kitchen…Beets( week 2) and Kombucha…

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Thank you for once again joining me in my kitchen…I am still making pickles as now my son is back he loves some pickles with his sundowner…Those Jalapenos are very nice but do bring a tear to one’s eye and leave the tongue tingling they are hot, hot, hot…

Beetroot is my new favourite at the moment and it is plentiful here so I am looking at all things beetroot…I love my beetroot and orange but I also love this …

Raspberry Protein Drink…it just has that earthy background not too pronounced ..just there but if you love beets like me then you will love this…I use Greek Yoghurt as the protein instead of using protein powders…All natural which comes out of this kitchen…

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of coconut water
1/3 cup of greek yoghurt
1/2 cup of frozen raspberries
1/2 medium beetroot(raw) peeled and diced.
1 tbsp honey ( optional)
1 tbsp chia seeds ( optional)

Raspberry Protein Shake

Let’s, Blitz!

Measure all the ingredients into your blender and blitz away… The colour was amazing a beautiful colour and it tasted very nice not too sweet and I did add honey.

Those of you who follow me know that I make my own Tahini for hummus…add some beetroot and not only is it a glorious colour but it adds another dimension to the taste…It makes a change …especially if you have visitors…

How to make your very own Tahini paste/butter..it is so quick and easy and the cost of a packet of sesame seeds is virtually pennies against the cost of a store-bought jar of tahini paste and no nasties….Looking at the date on that jar that was my very first Tahini….4 years ago…The initial reason was that it was so very expensive here and contained preservatives so now if I need Tahini I just whip up as much as I need…so easy…

Tahini Paste

Let’s Cook!

Into the kitchen, a quick toasting of the Sesame Seeds, then into the mini blender, 3 tbsp Olive oil, and a quick whizz, scrape down the sides, another tbsp Olive oil and another scrape, a bit more oil and a quick whizz and viola your Tahini Paste is now made and ready to use. How easy is that?

Beetroot Hummus.

beetroot hummus

To the Hummus recipe add 250 gm cooked beetroot and reduce tahini paste to 2 tbsp. You may want to add more seasoning as beets have quite a strong flavour but it makes a lovely change from a traditional hummus and looks so pretty.

Beetroot soup…

Red Beetroot with leaves and one cut beet

250 g (1/2 lb) beetroot, grated coarsely
250 g (1/2 lb) tomatoes, halved (or tinned tomatoes)
1 clove garlic, chopped roughly
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
250 ml (8 fl oz) stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Let’s Cook!

Place the halved tomatoes in an ovenproof dish. Throw over the garlic and drizzle over half the olive oil. Roast them for 25-30 minutes at 190°C/375°F/Gas mark 5 until soft and pulpy. Rub through a sieve to remove the skin and pips.

Heat the remaining oil in a pan and sweat the onion for a few minutes until soft. Add the beetroot and the stock and bring to the boil. Season lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Simmer gently for 7-10 minutes until the beetroot is tender.

Stir in the tomato purée, transfer the soup to a blender and process until completely smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Reheat the soup until thoroughly hot but not boiling.

Divide between warm bowls and crumble over a little feta into each bowl. Serve with crusty bread or swirl with some natural yoghurt.

Once your tomatoes are roasted and prepared it is a quick soup to make it went down a big here and I didn’t get chance to take a photo next methinks as it was such a lovely soup…

Just a little warning if you are eating more beets like me it does have an effect on your bodily functions in that it can turn your wee pink or number two’s red but don’t worry it is the beets…

My kombucha scoby is rehydrating nicely…I am looking forward to having a lovely drink of Kombucha in a few weeks time…

Komucha Scoby

It is not the pleasantest looking thing it looks like a beige or white rubbery pancake…But it has definitely grown… got fatter so seems to be rehydrating nicely…

There are a few foods and beverages which require a similar mother culture i.e Ginger Beer, Jun…A drink similar to Kombucha, Keffir, Sourdough and Vinegar which to produce requires a mother of vinegar.

A symbolic culture of bacteria ( Scoby)

Is thought to have originated in the Far East probably China …The 1st recorded use was in China 221bc during the Tsin Dynasty it is known as the tea of immortality.

Scientists are also working on producing a workable bio-textile ( Vegan Leather) from Kombucha Scobies.

I am always experimenting on something in my kitchen which is a source of amusement to some in my family and their friends…However, they have been willing guinea pigs at times…Like these…

Teriyaki Chicken Drumsticks…

Teriaki drumsticks chicken

Quick and easy just mix some soy sauce, honey and lots of garlic…Make cuts in the chicken drumsticks and brush with the sauce…sometimes I marinade in the fridge or I just keep brushing during cooking depends on the time …A quick easy and tasty drums which Aston and his friends demolished in a heartbeat…But with a jacket potato and some salad make a nice summers meal.

I hope you have enjoyed this week in my kitchen if you have any recipe requests please let me know and I will be happy to find them and try them…x

About Carol Taylor:

Enjoying life in The Land Of Smiles I am having so much fun researching, finding new, authentic recipes both Thai and International to share with you. New recipes gleaned from those who I have met on my travels or are just passing through and stopped for a while. I hope you enjoy them.

I love shopping at the local markets, finding fresh, natural ingredients, new strange fruits and vegetable ones I have never seen or cooked with. I am generally the only European person and attract much attention and I love to try what I am offered and when I smile and say Aroy or Saab as it is here in the north I am met with much smiling.

Some of my recipes may not be in line with traditional ingredients and methods of cooking but are recipes I know and have become to love and maybe if you dare to try you will too. You will always get more than just a recipe from me as I love to research and find out what other properties the ingredients I use contain to improve our health and wellbeing.

The environment is also something I am passionate about and there will be more on this on my blog this year

Exciting for me hence the title of my blog, Retired No One Told Me! I am having a wonderful ride and don’t want to get off, so if you wish to follow me on my adventures, then welcome! I hope you enjoy the ride also and if it encourages you to take a step into the unknown or untried, you know you want to…….Then, I will be happy!

More and more of my blogging friends have joined me on MeWe…A social media site which is fairly new and which promises much without the restrictions some other social media sites are choosing to impose on many of us…Join me if you will on mewe.com/i/caroltaylor3

Carol is a contributor to the Phuket Island Writers Anthology: https://www.amazon.com/Phuket-Island-Writers-Anthology-Stories-ebook/dp/B00RU5IYNS

Connect to Carol

Blog: https://carolcooks2.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRealCarolT
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carol.taylor.1422

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/caroltaylor56/pins/

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all have had a creative week and enjoy the weekend xx

Travel and Traditions…The Land of Smiles.

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Retired No One Told Me! (6)

When you travel to Thailand be ready to be truly amazed the minute you step off the plane.

One of the first places we visited on our travel and explorations around Phuket was Big Buddha one of the most famous landmarks on the island of Phuket.

Big Buddha

Big Buddha, I have lost count of how many times we have travelled up the mountain to Big Buddha and it is always a place we take our visitors… While work is still ongoing there is always something different and new to see… My favourite sight though will always be that huge Big Buddha sat atop the Nakkerd hills sparkling in the sunlight, made of white jade he just shimmers as the sunlight catches that beautiful white jade… An awesome sight… Remember to keep covered up no bare arms and legs. Then on the way down you can stop at one of the restaurants and enjoy some lovely Thai food and of course the spectacular views around the bay.

If you travel to Phuket then you must go and visit Big Buddha.

There are many beautiful beaches in Thailand, my favourites are the ones which are not so crowded…The lesser visited beaches which are so beautiful… How to pick a favourite? Click this link and you will see why I can’t make that choice they all have their own charm. All you need is a beach towel and a camera and don’t forget the sunscreen.

beach and chairs nice pic

You have of course got the very touristy beaches like Patong, in Phuket but if you visit some of the others you can see or do some silk printing, have your portrait painted or just relax at a reggae bar and watch the waves or if you are feeling particularly sporty there is paddle boarding for which you need a fair amount of balance and it is not as easy as it looks… But you can’t travel to Thailand and not do at least one of these.

Sea gipsy villages are so very beautiful…They have a life of their own..self contained and self-sufficient, some have a school and one even has its own floating football pitch. Very fresh seafood, some amazing Thai food can be tasted it is all authentic flavours no holds barred when it comes to chillies … Just browse the little stalls set up in front of homes selling anything from dried fish, honeyed nuts, local goods made of silk or bags made by the hill tribes from the North and of course the normal bits and bobs to take home as mementoes of your travels.

houses on stilts Koh Panyee

I just love Krabi...Taking a long-boat to visit all the little islands is a marvellous day out just be ready to get wet and having to wade out to sea a little to get onto the boat but so much better than the speedboats for me anyway…You see far more and the boatmen know the schedules of the big boats so you can see the islands and miss the crowds.

A Thai massage on the beach or some lovely wraps and wall hangings which the beach vendors will be trying to sell to you…Lovely handmade wooden goods … purses and key rings …all sorts for sale and remember Thais love to barter…

If you are hungry the food is fresh from the boats and cooked to order…

You can get the most wonderful Thai massage on the beach while laying and looking out to sea and letting your thoughts just wander and take you where they may …

I will tell you a funny story when we went to one of the small islands massages were not permitted on some of the beaches but you could see the police boat coming as obviously boat was the only form of access so if the boat appeared everyone upped sticks and we sat and sipped our drinks as if nothing was going on and when they went on their merry way massage continued it was quite funny really and made me wonder whether the police really knew anyway…

My masseur happened to be male as all the ladies were busy … My lucky day…apparently, I had that look on my face( according) to hubby…I think it is called a blissful look …That masseuse had the best hands…The rest I will leave to your very fertile imaginations..ladies…” smirk”

Temples or wats there are SO many here they range from the very old to the very new. From highly ornate to ones which need some TLC and to the quirky temples like this one which is made entirely out of Heineken and Chang bottles.Recycling at its best 🙂

Called Wat Pa Maha Kaew or the Temple of a Million Bottles it is a Buddhist temple in the Khun Han district of Sisaket province, Thailand. Made from over 1.5 million bottles it took two years to build the main temple.

Can you just imagine a temple built completely from bottles and beer bottles?

Wat Bang Riang

This one is Wat Bang Riang a little drive from Phuket but well worth the trip …

I can’t go without mentioning briefly the food of which there is so much to love…Those Thai flavours are so amazing…

My Favourite Khao Soi a yellow curry with crispy noodles which packs a fiery punch as well.

You can’t visit Thailand and not visit a market…They are many and varied from the huge markets which sell everything to the little local market with 10-15 stalls which sell the essentials and the fresh fruit and vegetables are so very fresh..just picked that morning… Not forgetting, of course, the floating markets.

That’s all for this post I do hope you have enjoyed it. I am looking forward to your comments and if you also hit the share buttons I would love that ….Thanks, Carol xxx

About Carol Taylor:

The environment is also something I am passionate about and there will be more on this on my blog this year

Carol is a contributor to the Phuket Island Writers Anthology: https://www.amazon.com/Phuket-Island-Writers-Anthology-Stories-ebook/dp/B00RU5IYNS

Connect to Carol

Blog: https://carolcooks2.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRealCarolT
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carol.taylor.1422

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/caroltaylor56/pins/

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all have a creative week ahead xx

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – The Food and Cookery Column with Carol Taylor – Cooking terms, Weight Conversions and foods names

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After a little hiatus, I am back…Starting with the things that have confused me and a couple of recipes …I do hope you enjoy…Thank you, Sally, for letting me loose once again …Hugs xxx

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

With our global obsession with food and recipes, it can sometimes get a little confusing with measurements and the differing names for the foods we are familiar with. This week Carol Taylor clarifies a few things for us.

Cooking terms, weight conversions and foods names

I am back after a break where I have been concentrating not only on being a nanny, my son has been away working. I have also been working on my novel and my cookbook.

Writing a novel is so much easier for me than writing a cookbook…Yes I cook and I am not a bad cook…My blog I find easy to write…Not so a Cookbook.

I like the personal touch but is it too much? I don’t like pages and pages of recipes. I also find that of all the cookbooks I possess, I have only ever made a handful of the recipes from the…

View original post 1,749 more words

Whimsical Wednesday… with Carol…

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Welcome to Whimsical Wednesday’s when anything is on the menu…A cloudy day today temp 31 degrees feels like 36 degrees… only a slight chance of rain today…A good day for a walk…Yesterday I took two walks early morning and one to market in the afternoon…I fancied ginger tea…it was certainly heavy on the ginger but just as I like it…Freshly made…

Today is National Kittens Day…

kitten up a tree

Image by Kessa from Pixabay

Kittens who doesn’t love tiny, adorable kittens? …their big heads, giant eyes, tiny pink paws and noses, and the adorable mews they make…. Irresistible…Americans seem to like cats and kittens best: According to the American Humane Society, 95.6 million cats were owned, while 83.3 million households owned a dog. There is certainly nothing wrong with dogs, but a tiny kitten is just so irresistible! Look at that adorable face is it saying look at me or help I can’t get down?

On this day in 1940…The Battle of Britain began when Nazi forces attacked shipping convoys in the English Channel…My dad was 12 years old at that time…My mother was 10 years old and like many, that was when childhood as they knew changed and many brave men and women gave their lives.

battle of Britain monument

Time for some music…

music notes

1964 saw the Beatles release third 3rd studio album ( It’s a ) ” Hard Days Night” followed by the Rolling Stones who on 10th July 1964 scored their first US #1 single ” Satisfaction”

I loved Top of the Pops it was a weekly treat with Pans People who still dance by the way…My father took great delight in ridiculing all the bands and singers and telling me that they wouldn’t be around in years to come like his favourite singers…Well, he soon had to eat his words and I remember back in early 2000 when they released a compilation of their hits called 40 Licks…My father was very happy to receive a copy of that in his Christmas stocking…

For you dad …I hope you are listening up there…xxx Love you forever xxx

Kombucha…I love a drink of Kombucha the last time being a few years ago as my friend who lives in Phuket made her own…A fermented, slightly alcoholic, lightly effervescent black or green tea drink,,, Juices or spices can be added and often are to commercially brewed Kombucha drinks which can be high in sugar so I steer clear and decided to make my own…I am rehydrating my scoby which is going really well it is swelling and looking good for a very unattractive culture which can also be known as tea mushroom or tea fungus…More to come as she grows…

Latest Wimbledon News…

Young Corri Gauff reached the fourth round…For a15 years old that is a fabulous achievement.

Roger Federer is hoping to get his 100th match win at Wimbledon today when he plays Japans Kei Nishikori.

Rafael Nadal is playing Sam Querry will he win his match? Will all three of these guys win their matches to march on and maybe one of them will be Wimbledon Champion this year…

My favourite Novak Djokovic is also playing a Belgian player called David Goffin who he has beaten in 6 previous meetings although it all boils down to who plays the best Tennis on the day…My fingers are crossed for Novak…

Yesterday saw the awesome pair Murray and Williams win their game but I reckon they will be a hard pair to beat…

Time for a story…The Beach Bum…

The phone call in the middle of the night shattered our hearts our lives. Our beloved father was gone, the victim of a hit and run accident, never to return.

Lives were torn apart, my brother, my twin, my soul mate always so fragile retreated further into the recess of his mind.

Being the strong one I was thrust slap bang into the middle of corporate life. Now chair lady of the board at just 19 years old.

Such hostility I had never met in my life, I worked hard and become a daughter my father would have been proud of. My life, however, was not my own any more. My enemies always there, always ready for me to make one slip, one mistake, they were like vultures, circling.

man alone beach

My brother always the sickly one spent more and more of his time at this tiny, little known retreat in the heart of Thailand. Gradually he became better, more able to cope but always yearning for the simple life. There was not a corporate bone in his body although his mind, sharp unlike any I had ever known, he was also so like our mother gentle and fragile who left this world and us when we were only 5 yrs old.

10 years later.

A balmy, slightly hazy day, waves gently lapping on the white sand. Lovers walking hand in hand without seemingly a care in this world. Local fishermen casting their lines from the shore, long tail boats in the background. The only sounds are the waves and the soft murmur of indistinct words as they catch the gentle breeze. To an onlooker an idyllic life, the reality often so different.

Like life, appearances so deceptive.

Myself, beautiful I am told, the perfect woman with the perfect life…Ha Ha. Today was the day; everyone thought I was staying at a 5-star resort with every imaginable luxury to cosset madam.

Hammock palm trees beach

The reality is that once a year for a month I take my hammock, rucksack and board a plane to my beloved Thailand.

My suitcase goes to that 5-star resort; the staff given strict instructions that I am not to be disturbed. My meals are bought to my room, the empty dishes left outside my door. Inside the TV monitors are trained on a boardroom and its members.

My brother, my soul mate, my friend and confidant who walks the beach, sleeps under the stars, changes places with me.

For a month he watches and listens!

By Carol Ann Taylor.

Recipe Corner…

This is by far the best recipe I have eaten so far for ribs. I nearly didn’t eat them as I am not a fan of chewing on a rib, however, the meat on these was so moist and soft it just fell off the bone. We cooked it as one whole piece rather than cut the ribs into portions.

Pork-ribs-asian-flavours

Ingredients:

A 2-kilo piece of Pork Rib.

For the marinade:

160 ml Hoisin sauce
4 tbsp BLACK Soy sauce
2 tbsp fresh orange juice and the grated zest.
4 tbsp raw brown sugar
10cm piece of fresh ginger julienned
4 cloves of garlic crushed
2 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
2 sticks of cinnamon
4-star anise

Let’s Cook!

Mix all of the above ingredients together.
Then paint over the rack of ribs and put in the fridge for at least an hour to marinate and absorb all those lovely flavours.
Pre-heat oven to 190 degrees.
Cover the dish with foil and cook the ribs for 2 ½ to 3 hrs, basting the meat occasionally.
When nice and tender remove from the oven and portion up and those lovely leftover juices from the pan we drizzled over the ribs and served them with a mixed salad, potato salad, and beetroot.

As always a finger bowl and serviettes are required as ribs make for quite a messy and enjoyable experience but very enjoyable and we would definitely make them again.
Enjoy!

That’s it for this week …Enjoy Wimbledon all you tennis fans …Thank you for reading my whimsical ramblings I do hope you enjoyed and it bought back some memories xxx

About Carol Taylor:

The environment is also something I am passionate about and there will be more on this on my blog this year

Carol is a contributor to the Phuket Island Writers Anthology: https://www.amazon.com/Phuket-Island-Writers-Anthology-Stories-ebook/dp/B00RU5IYNS

Connect to Carol

Blog: https://carolcooks2.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRealCarolT
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carol.taylor.1422

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/caroltaylor56/pins/

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all have a creative week ahead xx

Eat Smart! Eat Healthily!… Recipes, Wacky Diet Corner and some Commonsense…

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Ahhhh…First drink of the day…Oolong green tea…It is quiet and peaceful…Aston has been packed off to school, time to check my e-mail and stuff…and then I write…

I write these posts as a way of focusing my mind on my diet although I have been helped by my smartwatch it focuses me by keeping a track of my steps, heart rate and sleep patterns for me I like it apart from my laptop it is the first personal piece of technology that I own and a good buy…

What helps focus your mind...Do you find it easy sticking to healthy eating? If not …Why not? What drives you is it your health and your families health.?.. Is it because you want to wear the latest clothes and look good?. Is it to attract that special someone? Is it so you can play ball without wheezing with your kids?

I have used those reasons over the years plus some…Have I tried quick fixes…Yes, I have…Have I failed miserably after starting off so well… Oh…Indeed I have…I have brought books ( South Beach Diet), subscribed to Weighwatchers, Slimming World,…None of those bad…Like my wacky diet corner and I would never do those..But all restricted or didn’t allow certain foods in some way or another…I don’t follow rules very well either…Well, I don’t…

Low fat…Well, I was reading a study just the other day and like all studies, they need to be long term…Low fat and telling us meat was really bad for us…All debunked…It didn’t work and the latest news is …Forget all that…Low fat generally means higher sugar…

The latest news is...don’t eat low fat, cut out or down the processed foods…Eat organic where possible or wash your food thoroughly…Grow your own…Shop local…Don’t cut out food groups unless you are medically advised…EAT MODERATELY…

I know many of you are probably sick of hearing that word…What would you rather I use? within reason, reasonably, temperately, conservatively, sparingly, economically, somewhat, slightly???

Or just say…Forget…Eat your heart out…..

heart-care-1040248_640

Our heart…One of our major organs…If it didn’t keep to the beat we would have a problem…It needs to be kept as healthy as we can keep it…How we do that? Read Sally’s post on Healthy Eating for a Healthy Heart…

It is a good, commonsense post and for me. a good read…Don’t tell anyone but as I have got older I have found commonsense…He has always been one step in front or behind of me and now we are synchronised and in harmony…But I still have a piece of chocolate or a doughnt..sometimes…A little of what you fancy does you good …Remember that…

Wacky Diet Corner…The Tongue Patch Diet…

It’s like a horror movie …Some people are eating clay…A tsp a day in water…I think they all need to read Sally’s post on cravings…

A new series on a sensation that has been blamed for our consumption or over-consumption of certain foods since we were old enough to make excuses! How often do we tell ourselves or others that ‘we crave’ chocolate, crisps, cheese, soda, fried food or even something non-food related… such as dirt or coal? AND CLAY!

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2019/07/03/smorgasbord-health-column-what-causes-your-cravings-part-two-need-chocolate-by-sally-cronin/

I think that it is good that we can attribute certain factors which cause our cravings and much of that is down to restrictive diets and it certainly makes me feel better that it is not just my lack of will power but a valid reason…

Recipe Corner...The cauliflower…

Cauliflower with leaves

Image by 1195798 from Pixabay

One of my favourite vegetables I love the white cauliflower and also the vivid green romesco cauliflower it is lovely just lightly steamed as a vegetable, roasted with some Indian spices or au gratin with a cheese sauce…I can now add cauliflower rice to that list and a cauliflower pizza base…Today I also saw a recipe using the cauliflower as a burger bun I haven’t tried and tested that yet…But I will…Below I have given the cauliflower rice recipe which is well tried and tested…

And all you need is a Cauliflower and an Onion.

A little Coconut oil to cook or other oil of your choice.

Sea Salt and a squeeze Lemon Juice.

Either grate or blitz in a food processor ( but not too fine) you want some texture.

Heat pan and keep pan HOT as you don’t want Cauliflower to steam and go soggy.

Use Tablespoon Coconut Oil and put in the desired amount of Cauliflower and onion mix.

Cook quickly and then season and add lemon juice.

All in all, it only takes a few minutes to cook….. a bit longer if more than one portion but keep pan hot.

cauliflower-rice-pork-thai basil-recipe

If you wish to vary the taste you can add 1 tsp of Cumin seeds to the oil before adding Cauliflower if you are eating Indian Food.

If you require colour if eating Mexican……. then add 1/2 tsp turmeric to oil and tsp tomato puree.

This is very versatile and just use your imagination and add any herbs and spices that you like.

To store...I make a batch and keep in the fridge for during the week but keep in a glass jar or zip lock bag…I think plastic containers may make it sweat too much…..Enjoy…. and if you are cutting the carbs it is an ideal and yummy substitute for rice and I love rice…… eat it all the time but happily substitute this as I am also a cauliflower lover.

Cauliflower Pizza Base…

Ingredients:

1 medium head cauliflower.
1 egg, large.
1 tsp Italian seasoning (dried oregano or basil)
1/8 tsp salt.
1/4 tsp ground black pepper.
1/2 cup Parmesan or Mozzarella cheese, grated/shredded.
Cooking spray, I make my own spray I don’t do bought oil in spray cans…I have a little stainless steel one for oil.

Let’s Cook!

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F/190 C and line a baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.

Rinse cauliflower, remove the outer leaves, separate into florets and chop into smaller pieces. Process in a food processor in 2 batches, until “rice” texture forms.

Transfer cauliflower rice on a prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 mins this just removes some of the moisture.

Remove cooked cauliflower rice from the oven, transfer to a bowl lined with a double/triple layered cheesecloth or linen towel, and let cool for 5 minutes.

Then squeeze the liquid out of the ball as hard as you can. Be patient and do this a few times until barely any liquid comes out.

Increase oven temperature to 4 degrees F/200 C. Then in a medium mixing bowl whisk the egg with dried herbs, salt and pepper for 10 seconds. Add cheese and squeezed cauliflower mix very well with a spatula until combined.

Line the same baking sheet with new parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Transfer cauliflower dough to the middle and flatten with your hands until thin pizza crust forms.

Bake for 20 minutes, carefully flip with a spatula and bake for a few more minutes. Top with your favourite toppings and bake again until cheese on top turns golden brown.

Slice and enjoy!

Let the kids help you can never second guess a child and what they will like. Encourage them to help prepare their food…They are more likely to eat what they help prepare.

THE VERSATILE CAULIFLOWER… I love it! x

I hope that you have enjoyed reading this and that it proves helpful to you in your healthy eating journey xx

About Carol Taylor:

The environment is also something I am passionate about and there will be more on this on my blog this year

Carol is a contributor to the Phuket Island Writers Anthology: https://www.amazon.com/Phuket-Island-Writers-Anthology-Stories-ebook/dp/B00RU5IYNS

Connect to Carol

Blog: https://carolcooks2.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRealCarolT
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carol.taylor.1422

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/caroltaylor56/pins/

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all have a creative week ahead xx

Plastic, Waste and recycling…Latest News…Seaweed and banana skins…

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Monday...The start of a new week and I have a lot planned…It is nice and sunny today so I was out bright and early to the market which was bustling as usual…I stocked up on my fruit and then it was home and back to work…

An update on last weeks post on Wet wipes …From the lovely Norah who sent me two links ..To say I am at loss for printable words is an understatement if you read the posts it just highlights how big companies get away with what they do when the law backs them…I understand totally Norah’s frustration…I also understand that in the bigger picture it isn’t just the wet wipes we flush, It is the cotton buds, the makeup which contains microplastics, it is the cooking oil and so much more but they also all contribute to the fatbergs and to the killing of sea life …My take on this they all need to be called to task and we need to be more mindful…It is not going to take just one persons effort it is going to take an all-out effort from us all…

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-28/consumer-watchdog-loses-flushable-wipes-case/11261688

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-01/do-not-put-flushable-wipes-down-the-loo-analysis/11268350

Understandably the Water Companies are disappointed with the ruling as they have to deal with the result of wet wipes being flushed not the manufacturers…

The Water companies Slogan...The industry slogan is that only the “three Ps” — pee, poo, and (toilet) paper — should be flushed down the toilet.

What can we do? Stop buying them …Make your own..details in last weeks post…

Do you think that children should be taught how to grow food as part of their schooling?… I do as in this day of apartment blocks and flats or even living in a shared house many places don’t have a garden or even a balcony or small yard to grow anything and I do think that to ensure kids get an all-round education that they should be taught to grow food… In this ever-changing and in some places violent world our kids may need to be ready and prepared.

Boy with watering can

It certainly cannot do any harm to be included in a school curriculum. Ask your school what their plans are..See if you can help…

Image by Phichit Wongsunthi from Pixabay

Nothing is thought to grow on desolate dry, barren land…Sundrop farms have changed all that…Using seawater and solar energy they are now successfully providing Coles with tomatoes…It has been a few years in the making but finally, they are providing tomatoes to Coles and have other farms at the planning stage…

When I am doing my research I am always amazed at the talent and ingenuity of people especially young people they have this thirst and energy to find solutions to the countries plastic problems…They are thinking outside of the box and some of there ideas are awesome like this young man from Indonesia who knowing his country have one of the worlds biggest plastic problems…He did something about his idea…

Global Warming …The warnings continue…

Deforestation is a major cause of Climate change and far more needs to be done and quicker we need to plant more trees…We need to be looking at ways we can support planting more trees…Like the search provider, I use Ecosia…Who plant a tree for every search I do…

Intensive Farming…Cattle release methane gas, however, fertilizers produce nitrous oxide emissions…We need to be looking at natural ways to fertilise or get rid of pests in our gardens..U-tube is a good place to start…This fertiliser uses banana peels…

Many inventions and ideas are the results of many years work, disappointments and may never come to fruition while others after all that work are good to go but also many ideas come about by accident or by a sudden brain wave…Take matches…John Walker a pharmacist by trade was experimenting and trying to find a combustible paste for guns by mixing chemicals together..One day he scraped his mixing stick on his hearth which erupted into a flame and the first match was born…The year was 1896.

There are many other examples like the first x-ray and penicillin both came about by accident rather than design… So what I am saying is brainstorm with some friends or family, your kids or grandkids…Experiment see what you come up with that is how great and profitable ideas are born…

That’s all for today…We need to think about recycling, reusing and the plastic we use as well as the food we waste…It is too important not to…Buy local think about your carbon footprint and importantly your foods carbon footprint we all have a role to play…

Thank you so much for reading this post and if it made you think THEN please share and or comment on how you deal with plastic and recycling what do you think is the way forward xxx

About Carol Taylor:

The environment is also something I am passionate about and there will be more on this on my blog this year

Carol is a contributor to the Phuket Island Writers Anthology: https://www.amazon.com/Phuket-Island-Writers-Anthology-Stories-ebook/dp/B00RU5IYNS

Connect to Carol

Blog: https://carolcooks2.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRealCarolT
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carol.taylor.1422

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/caroltaylor56/pins/

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all have a great week xx

CarolCooks2…Weekly Roundup…Recipes, Food Safety and more…

6 Replies

Where is the time going? My regular readers know the drill…A comfy chair, a drink, settle down time for a good read…Lots of goodies for you this week…A good mix and something for everyone…Well unless you are a rocket scientist…haha.

To any new readers…Welcome and if I haven’t personally thanked you for the follow it is because either your blog shows as private or your profile doesn’t link to your blog…I do however appreciate the follow…Thank you 🙂

Monday’s post was wet wipes being as much as 84% plastic and the fact that packaging does not inform us of that and they most certainly are not flushable as the manufacturers try to get us to believe…Not really any surprises there as we all know how sneaky most manufacturers are…Don’t we?

wet wipe being stretched

https://carolcooks2.com/2019/07/01/waste-and-recycling-the-wet-wipe-84-plastic-fact/

Healthy Eating was next on the agenda and my weight loss is going well…I also looked at a photographers view of kids diets around the world …The main thing I took away was the amount of bread in one kid’s diet…and one of the wackiest diets was the one I featured last week…Not dangerous like many diets just weird and well if it works for you that’s all well and good…To find out what it is please click the link and all will be revealed…

Blue sunglasses-2956314_640

https://carolcooks2.com/2019/07/02/eat-smart-eat-healthily-recipes-wacky-diets-kids-diet-around-the-world/

Whimsical Wednesdays are where anything goes…Wherever my mind or a whim takes me…But hopefully, you will find it an informative and fun read…

For all, you Wimbledon fans is your favourite still in the running? Or have they been knocked out? I am enjoying it as always there are some shocks and surprises but I love to people watch as well and some of the outfits are quite nice…

https://carolcooks2.com/2019/07/03/whimsical-wednesday-with-carol-3/

Essan or Issan in Northern Thailand is my home and last week I gave you a peek into village life…I do hope you enjoy it …Also some authentic recipes …

Melientha Soup

https://carolcooks2.com/2019/07/04/thailand-travel-and-traditions-village-life-northern-thailand-essan/

It was then my weekly in my kitchen post …my favourite beet recipes and Buttermilk bread…A nice bread not really suitable for sandwiches but toasted or just buttered it is lovely and also with the addition of fruit makes a delicious fruit loaf…

https://carolcooks2.com/2019/07/05/this-week-in-my-kitchen-beets-buttermilk-bread/

Lastly over to Sally’s and a very important look at food Safety and practices…How to keep yourself safe …

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2019/07/04/smorgasbord-health-column-foodsafety-escherichia-coli-0157h7-e-coli-strong-toxin-in-raw-meat-and-uncooked-food-by-sally-cronin/

About Carol Taylor:

The environment is also something I am passionate about and there will be more on this on my blog this year

Carol is a contributor to the Phuket Island Writers Anthology: https://www.amazon.com/Phuket-Island-Writers-Anthology-Stories-ebook/dp/B00RU5IYNS

Connect to Carol

Blog: https://carolcooks2.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRealCarolT
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carol.taylor.1422

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/caroltaylor56/pins/

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you are all having a great weekend and your week ahead is a joyous one xx

Retired? No one told me!

Tonight I Dream. Tomorrow I Do!

This week in my kitchen…Beets( week 2) and Kombucha…

Travel and Traditions…The Land of Smiles.

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – The Food and Cookery Column with Carol Taylor – Cooking terms, Weight Conversions and foods names

Whimsical Wednesday… with Carol…

Eat Smart! Eat Healthily!… Recipes, Wacky Diet Corner and some Commonsense…

Plastic, Waste and recycling…Latest News…Seaweed and banana skins…

CarolCooks2…Weekly Roundup…Recipes, Food Safety and more…

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