Alissa and Annie - NOT Julie and Julia

[anniez]

Thank you for sharing information for the youtube video - that makes it look really easy....now I just need to buy a cleaver & a fruit scoop. I had 1 young coconut that someone gave me....since I didn't know what to do with it - it just sat there....poor coconut...

You have given me hope to try it, because so many recipes use them & I always sighed when I saw anything with the words "fresh coconut" - thinking it was another thing I wouldn't be able to make.

Thank you!

I know exactly how you feel! I love coconut and was really sad that I thought I couldn't use it. I was trying to use a regular - albeit sharp - knive. The cleaver is the secret. Even if this is all I ever use it for it will have been worth the investment. (My cleaver was almost $50 so it not an investment to be taken lightly!) And you don't really need a fruit scoop, you could use a spoon, but the fruit scoop made removing the flesh a real snap!

Let me know how you fare.

Annie

[anniez]

I thought it would be scary hard before I tried it and now I use fresh coconuts all the time. Just gotta try it once and buy a good cleaver. My new and awesome knife from DS for last Xmas works wonders - all my other knives uh uh. Buy a good cleaver and you will be eating coconuts daily!!!!!!!!!!!!

Next is to try irish moss - still scared about that one!!!!!!!!

I absolutely agree that the cleaver is the secret to success!

Irish Moss - Well, I haven't mastered that, and won't be trying for awhile because Alissa doesn't use it. It is very high on my to-do list for when I finish this project.

BTW - There is some good info somewhere here about using Irish Moss. Do a search and I'm sure you will find it. Please report in detail when you do try it. I really like reading the experiences of others - both successe and failures.

Annie

[anniez]

Earlier this month I asked about onions, and no one answered, so I did my own experiment. I tasted a red onion, white onion, and brown onion. Now, I don’t have a very well-developed palate (although it is getting more discriminating!) so you need to take that into consideration here. I really didn’t notice a whole lot of difference in taste, so I have decided I will use whatever is least expensive.

Spicy Refried Beans I was a little surprised at the color of this, but I guess I shouldn’t have been. It is a light green. It is not an unappetizing color, it just surprised me because I was expecting the brown of refried beans. It is tasty, though.

BBQ Chicken Fingers I sprouted red lentils because that was what I had. The color of this was a real surprise – a really pretty pinkish-orange. It was a very appetizing color. It is still in the dehyd so I will report tomorrow.

I am gearing up to make nachos today. To that end I made the Nacho
Cheese again. I dehydrated some of it to use for the nachos, but I saved some and poured it over my “fall back to” meal of sliced tomatoes and avocado. It was delicious!

For today:

Recipe 173 Nachos Page 296 This is the kind of recipe that is hard for me just because I am the only one eating raw and these kinds of recipes make so much! I am hoping the components will keep overnight, but I’m not sure about the guac.

Have a wonderful day!

Annie

[appifanie]

Hi Annie! I try to buy Vidalias or other white/yellow onions labeled as sweet. Sometimes I buy red.

I made a modified version of the Avocado Chutney and made a recipe for hemp nacho sauce (see January challenge, day 24 for the recipe) and I put the nacho sauce on top of my modified flax crackers and then the chutney on top of that and voila! Nachos! I may have licked the plate clean. I won't say.

[anniez]

Hi Annie! I try to buy Vidalias or other white/yellow onions labeled as sweet. Sometimes I buy red.

I made a modified version of the Avocado Chutney and made a recipe for hemp nacho sauce (see January challenge, day 24 for the recipe) and I put the nacho sauce on top of my modified flax crackers and then the chutney on top of that and voila! Nachos! I may have licked the plate clean. I won't say.

I can't always get sweet onions, although that is my first choice. Otherwise I soak them in salt water for awhile to get rid of some of the bits.

Your Nachos sound awesome. Also easier!

Thanks for the input.

Annie

[anniez]

BBQ Chicken Fingers These are very, very good. The color held during the dehydrating process and they look very appetizing. They taste as good as they look. I ate them with:

Recipe 174 Honey Mustard Paste Well, they don’t come much easier than this! Or tastier, either! It was delicious with the BBQ Chicken Fingers.

Nachos Well, I thought this was really good. It didn’t really seem like nachos, though. I got the idea to switch things around. I put some Refried Beans on top of the cheese base, then the Chili Sauce. I put it in the dehydrator for several hours to warm up and then I topped the warm Nachos with the guacamole. I really, really liked it that way. Next time I do this I will top each one with some Cheddar Cheese Sauce. I think that will just put them over the top!

Today has pretty much fallen apart, so my recipe is:

Recipe 175 Sweetness Pg 358

Have a great day – or what’s left of it.

Annie

[snoops]

I know exactly how you feel! I love coconut and was really sad that I thought I couldn't use it. I was trying to use a regular - albeit sharp - knive. The cleaver is the secret. Even if this is all I ever use it for it will have been worth the investment. (My cleaver was almost $50 so it not an investment to be taken lightly!) And you don't really need a fruit scoop, you could use a spoon, but the fruit scoop made removing the flesh a real snap!

Let me know how you fare.

Annie

I know what you mean. Everytime I use my cleaver I cringe cause I feel like I am going to damage the square end but so far so good and the coconuts are worth it. If i need to buy a new cleaver so be it. LOL

[RawKnitster]

You peeps are having a lot of fun here!!!

Don't be afraid of Irish Moss. It may seem intimidating, but it isn't. After what you have mastered so far... Irish Moss will be easy. :)

[anniez]

I know what you mean. Everytime I use my cleaver I cringe cause I feel like I am going to damage the square end but so far so good and the coconuts are worth it. If i need to buy a new cleaver so be it. LOL

I think there are places where you can take knives to have them professionally sharpened. If you bought a good cleaver, it shouldn't go dull. The Chinese people have used theirs to cut up chickens, and I don't think coconut husks are tougher than chicken bones - but I could be wrong!

Annie

[anniez]

You peeps are having a lot of fun here!!!

Don't be afraid of Irish Moss. It may seem intimidating, but it isn't. After what you have mastered so far... Irish Moss will be easy. :)

Well, I'm having a blast!

Thanks for the encouragement! I appreciate it!

Annie

[anniez]

Sweetness Well, I found this very interesting. That means, I’m not sure I like it. I don’t dislike it, but I don’t just love it, like I do so many things I’ve made. Maybe there’s just too much going on for me just yet. It’s a very appetizing color, and very creamy, but the sweet and savory flavors kind of fight each other. I am going to try this again in about 6 months time, and see if I like it better. The recipe calls for 2 dessert spoons of tahini and 1 dessert spoon of onion. This is a recipe from Shazzie, who is a Brit, and even though I’ve been to London lots of times, I never paid any attention to the size of the dessert spoon, so I kind of winged it here. If anybody reading this is from Great Britain, I’d love for you to clue us in as to how much this is in teaspoons or tablespoons.

I have lots and lots of leftovers that I need to eat, so another drink for today:

Recipe 176 Chocolate Mocha Milkshake Pg 540 I've been wanting to make this, and now that I've mastered coconut, I can!

Off to the sewing room. I hope you have a great, raw day. Raw is the way to go!

Annie

[appifanie]

google!

1 Imperial dessertspoon = 2.40190084 US teaspoons

:)

eta: at google just type "1 dessert spoon to tsp" or whatever you want to calculate and it will. that works for measurements, cash, whatever!

[anniez]

google!

1 Imperial dessertspoon = 2.40190084 US teaspoons

:)

eta: at google just type "1 dessert spoon to tsp" or whatever you want to calculate and it will. that works for measurements, cash, whatever!

THANK YOU! I am the google queen and it never occurred to me to google this.

I am making a note of this on the recipe!

Annie

[anniez]

Chocolate Mocha Milkshake This was really good, but it surprised me. I was expecting a “milkshake” consistency, but it was quite thin. I know there are lots of variables at play, and maybe my banana was too small or too ripe. The recipe calls for coconut milk, but I think Alissa means the water that comes out of the coconut. I am a very slow learner: I poured it into the glass and rinsed out the blender before I tasted it! It was a little grainy – I think I should have blended it longer. But, it was very good, and will be a great “chocolate fix.” And with the coconut water and flesh, it is really nourishing.

I have some wheat sprouted, so for today:

Recipe 177 Cannoli Pg 492

Recipe 178 Spicy Monkey Bread Pg 331

Have a great day!

Annie

[anniez]

Oops! Yesterday was day 78, not 88.

Cannoli The Cannoli wrappers are the same recipe as the Toaster Tarts wrapper, so I am familiar with them and they are good! There is a slight misprint in the directions. Under “For Wrappers” on pg 494, #5 says to remove from the processor, but it means from the dehydrator. This filling is really good. I was a little afraid of the Bragg’s, but it was such a small amount, and I really do trust Alissa, so I added it. I can’t really taste the Bragg’s, but there is a depth of flavor that I think comes from it, and it also adds the salt. All said, this is a really great recipe. I made mine the 2” by 4” size that Alissa suggests, and it is perfect. I spread a thin layer of filling along the entire wrapper and rolled them up. Having the filling on the entire wrapper made it hold together when I rolled it up. I’m thinking these will go fast!
Someone in another thread was asking about a tart crust without nuts, so I dehydrated part of this in a tart shape. Seems to have worked fine. I think I will make something today to use as a filling.
Spicy Monkey Bread This had a great flavor when it was just made. It is rather sweet, so I won’t want it for sandwiches. That being said, I made it in muffin shapes, rather than a loaf. They’re still in the dehyd, but they are good! I’m glad I made muffins because they are pretty sweet. Yummy! I love having this kind of thing in the fridge for snacking.

I have discovered that I really, really like recipes made with sprouted wheat berries. I am going to be doing lots of this so I always have something on hand!

For today:

Recipe 179 Blueberry Sauce Pg 375

Recipe 180 Plum Sauce Pg 376

I am going to use these as fillings for the tarts, and then freeze some to see if it works. Hope so!

I have a very busy week-end coming up, so am looking for easy, peasy recipes. Be back tomorrow!

Annie