no-electrical-appliances quick & easy vegan chocolate cake

Moist & delicious!
©copyright2014owpp

This is a recipe I found by a vegan/vegetarian blogger (I have searched long for her link to put in here with no success as I follow a lot of bloggers)
Her recipe included ingredients which I do not use as… sugar/rice syrup for me, oil/olive or sesame for me, coconut milk/soy or spelt for me, so I just translated it into my “language”.
I love easy recipes which do not include electrical appliances & ingredients all houses have so I do not need to go out running to find them & this one fitted my criteria.
I was taking time off the blog but this is the exception… I find it important to share a quick-cheap-&-easy recipe that could help others.

Chocolate oozing out…
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Ingredients
———–

1. 3 1/2 cups wholewheat flour
2. 1 1/2 cup pure cocoa (you can use carob powder instead but it’s not as strong a flavor or coffee if you want to change it to a coffee flavored cake)
3. 2 cups rice syrup (sugar for some)
4. 2 tsp. baking powder
5. 400 ml = 13.53 fl. ounces soy milk (spelt or coconut for some)
6. 1 cup oil (olive,sesame any of your choice)
7. 1/4 cup of rum
8. 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar (optional)
9. 2 tbsp. shredded coconut to sprinkle on top (optional)
10. A few pieces of unsweetened chocolate to put in the muffins (optional)

Ready for oven
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Method
——

1. Put the dry ingredients in a bowl, mix then add the liquid ingredients (I did not have apple cider vinegar so I did not use it)
2. You can be creative & make muffins out of it as I did, with pieces of chocolate tucked in the middle if you want it fancy, a flat or high cake with or without shredded coconut on top or anything else that tickles your imagination 🙂
It’s as simple as that!
3. Put in a preheated oven on 170 degrees Celsius = 338 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 mn (muffins)
& about 30 mn for the cake as it has more dough.

I’m including below photos of the cakes & of the unsweetened 100% natural chocolate if you want to make your own research to purchase it.

With coconut on top
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Enjoy it preferably accompanied by your loved ones around a log fire 😉
Now, it’s my imagination running…

Where’s my cup of tea?
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See the melted chocolate?
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Unsweetened chocolate
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Last of Easy-Party-recipe series (Part 4) Quick-cheap-Simple & easy treats & ideas

Who isn’t familiar with the good old bowl of pop corn but as easy as it may seem, I have burnt quite a few batches until I got it right and the first thing to think about is the pot that’ll make it happen.
It has to be air-tight so the corn can pop. Mine is so old, the handle has gone there’s even a small hole there instead but I cannot throw it because it has become my pop-corn-pot!
You need to cover generously the bottom layer with oil (I use olive & as usual nobody notices) and pour generously a bottom layer of organic corn grains (the video I posted in my blog has terrified me of anything GMO) but not too much or it’ll overflow!
I put it on maximum temperature, wait till I hear it popping furiously until it gets less then bring it down to a 5-6 which is a Medium flame (for gas) then wait some more for the noise to quieten down until it’s just a few pops and turn it off completely, shake the pot to hear if all grains have popped & it doesn’t rattle then, take off the lid so the steam doesn’t get a chance to soak the pop corn, pour in a steel bowl and add salt immediately or it won’t stick when cold.
You can choose to make a caramelized flavor but that’s more work so I hardly do it, but paprika powder or pili-pili is a good choice too.

Here’s another idea…

Boiled Spirelli salad with chunks of tuna, boiled organic green beans and pickled cucumber for those who like that seasoned with olive oil salt and black pepper.
We added an avocado-tomato-cucumber-pickled cucumber and grated carrots salad but I didn’t think it was relevant for the blog it was just something extra for the party.
All the other plates on the table have been posted previously in the natural-recipe category so, this is the last of my Easy-Party-recipe series. I hope you enjoyed it!

Thanks for all the feedback, likes and comments, it’s genuinely appreciated 🙂

Multi-user-quick & easy 100% natural dough for 18th Birthday special Ganache cake!

Birthday cake 100% natural
©copyright2013owpp

…or more sophisticated?
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In an old post I gave you a multi-user-quick & easy 100% natural dough where I wrote…

On this beautiful Sunday morning I would like to give you a very easy apple cake recipe with a dough that could be used for anything your imagination fancies, from sugarless jam layers, to chocolate ( carob powder for the cocoa sensitive ) or plain lemon, vanilla, rum, coffee, orange, almonds, from real or essence flavors, raisins, or raisins and dried fruits as Mango with pineapple and cranberry if you like, which will make it into a English fruit cake! Just use your creative side and innovate! Have fun while exploring, it’s the best way to have good results!

For the Gluten sensitive, there are countries where you can find specific flowers for that purpose, inquire at your local nature shop.
Enjoy and let me know!

But today I used the same dough for a special birthday cake which gives you another idea of how it could be used for anything under the sun!

Having said that, there is a twist to it and that’s the amazing Ganache recipe I got from a Super blogger http://truecolorblog.com/2013/03/ who posted a short summary of her own journey into healthy nutrition with exquisite improvisation in the culinary domain which she’ll post the recipes in the future. I took the ingredients and worked out the quantities which happened to be very popular on the birthday cake and I must say, it’s the best natural Ganache in my fifteen years of experimenting it, so enjoy and let me know what you think of it, I always appreciate feedback!

18th Birthday cake batter

————————

©copyright2013owpp

Ingredients

———-

1. 2 1/2 cup white Spelt flour ( Same rule as before, same cup throughout. Any flower you wish if your habits and availabilities are different. It could be wholemeal or for the gluten intolerant you could experiment with Gluten free flour too. )

2. 1 pinch of salt ( Best from a nature shop but not indispensable )

3. 2 tsp ( Dessert spoon ) Baking powder

4. 1 pinch Baking soda

5. 1/2 cup oil ( As I mentioned before, I use extra virgin olive oil and the taste goes away in the baking or cooking but, anything is good )

Pyramid top
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6. 1 cup of rice syrup ( Honey, Golden syrup or any natural sweetener or even sugar for those who use that )

7. 1 cup of Soda water or sparkling water if you want.

8. Cocoa or carob powder for the cocoa sensitive, according to strength of taste for one batch and the other could be lemon, coconut or vanilla flavor

Method

———-

Put all the dried ingredients in your bowl, mix by hand for a second, then add the liquids and turn on your electric mixer for about 4-7 mn (if the dough is not thoroughly mixed the fruits will fall at the bottom in the oven) , the ingredients are likely to stick at the bottom of the bowl too, after, so, before pouring into the tin, mix by hand once or twice.

I’m giving you all these minor details as they tend to be annoying to have to discover on the spot

Take a baking tin ( I happened to have a 5 cm =2 inches deep, 23 cm = 9.05 inches wide and 32 cm = 12.59 long, and fitted perfectly ) but anything will do, don’t be afraid to experiment, even if it’s not perfect at the first try, what a sense of victory when it comes out just right!

Color, palate & poetry…
©copyright2013owpp

Put a baking paper sheet in it, pour your batter in, slide in the oven on 150 degrees Celsius = 302 degrees Fahrenheit, for one hour to one and a quarter. I nevertheless enjoy ” checking ” on it and poke it once with a match or barbecue stainless steal stick to see. If it’s still raw it’ll stick to it. For the muffins it will take only 20-30 mn with a preheated oven.
It is neater to cut if it’s frozen beforehand but then it is not as fresh, whatever…they’ll bless you for it!

Ganache
——-

Ingredients
———–

1. 3 ripe Avocados
2. 1 1/2 to 2 cups pure cocoa or carob powder
3. 400 to 600 gr= 12.86 to 21.16 oz Honey, rice syrup or any kind of natural sweetener

Method
——

1. Mix it with electric mixer until creamy and smooth.
2. But add slowly the malt or honey, taste it and add if necessary.
3. Take the two different colored cakes and alter one to another for contrast and spreading in between a layer of Ganache to make it stick together, make the pieces of cake smaller to shape a pyramid then decorate the cake.
4. As a finish touch you could put grated coconut on top and add pieces of chocolate as decoration and even real roses as I’d happened to have at home!

Let me know your opinion about the white and wholemeal version if you’ve tried them both, I am curious and just enjoy the moment of this special occasion whatever it might be 🙂

Dried fruit cake or muffins/multi-user-dough/Quick & easy/100% Natural & wholemeal if desired

©copyright2013owpp

Hi everyone!

I am this time, using my old computer as this file is still in it. Until I get used to my Window8 I hope you’ll bear with me. I feel as if I’m stagnating but in fact, I am learning everyday new functions.
It is a challenge. One side of me wants to get back to the easy Window7 habits yet, another doesn’t feel like giving in so easily. So, it’ll take time but I will be glad to post again on a regular basis as soon as I’m comfortable with it.
Meanwhile, I am posting my Multi-user dough recipe which I had posted previously under the apple cake/quick & easy/100% Natural saying then, the dough could literally change into any cake one fancies. So, I am showing you how it could be used as a dried fruit cake or muffin.

©copyright2013owpp

In my last post I wrote…

On this beautiful Sunday morning I would like to give you a very easy apple cake recipe with a dough that could be used for anything your imagination fancies, from sugarless jam layers, to chocolate ( carob powder for the cocoa sensitive ) or plain lemon, vanilla, rum, coffee, orange, almonds, from real or essence flavors, raisins, or raisins and dried fruits as Mango with pineapple and cranberry if you like, which will make it into a English fruit cake! Just use your creative side and innovate! Have fun while exploring, it’s the best way to have good results!

For the Gluten sensitive, there are countries where you can find specific flowers for that purpose, inquire at your local nature shop.
Enjoy and let me know!

Sugarless dried fruit cake

——————————-

©copyright2013owpp

Dough
———

Ingredients

—————

1. 2 1/2 cup 80% white Spelt flour ( Same rule as before, same cup throughout. Any flower you wish if your habits and availabilities are different. It could be wholemeal too. )

2. 1 pinch of salt ( Best from a nature shop but not indispensable )

3. 2 tsp ( Dessert spoon ) Baking powder

4. 1 pinch Baking soda

5. 1/2 cup oil ( As I mentioned before, I use extra virgin olive oil and the taste goes away in the baking or cooking but, anything is good )

6. 1 cup of rice syrup ( Honey, Golden syrup or any natural sweetener )

7. 1 cup of Soda water or sparkling water if you want.

8. 62 gr Dried pineapple cubes, 62 gr Dried mango or papaya, 62 gr Dried raisins = 2.18 oz each ( you can buy them sugarless in a nature shop).

Method

———-

Put all the dried ingredients in your bowl, mix by hand for a second, then add the liquids and turn on your electric mixer for about 4-7 mn (if the dough is not thoroughly mixed the fruits will fall at the bottom in the oven) , the ingredients are likely to stick at the bottom of the bowl too, after, so, before pouring into the tin, mix by hand once or twice.

I’m giving you all these minor details as they tend to be annoying to have to discover on the spot 🙂

©copyright2013owpp

Take a baking tin ( I happened to have a 5 cm =2 inches deep, 23 cm = 9.05 inches wide and 32 cm = 12.59 long, and fitted perfectly for the recipe multiplied by 4 as I wanted 3 big loaves ) but anything will do in a loaf shape, don’t be afraid to experiment, even if it’s not perfect at the first try, what a sense of victory when it comes out just right!

Put a baking paper sheet in it, pour your batter in, slide in the oven on 150 degrees Celsius = 302 degrees Fahrenheit, for one hour to one and a quarter. I nevertheless enjoy ” checking ” on it and poke it once with a match or barbecue stainless steal stick to see. If it’s still raw it’ll stick to it. For the muffins it will take only 20-30 mn with a preheated oven. This recipe will give you one small ” loaf ” double the recipe for more.
Serve it warm or cold, it is neater to cut if it’s frozen beforehand but then it is not as fresh, whatever…they’ll bless you for it!

Let me know your opinion about the white and wholemeal version if you’ve tried them both, I am curious 🙂

(Edit)
Leave a comment

Back and posting! Natural cosmetics, is it possible?

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Hi everyone!

Do you remember the time I opened another category under ” Natural recipes ” and promised to post anything from cakes to cosmetics or natural household products recipes?
Well, here it is…
As I mentioned in another post, in the past I had immersed myself for a year and a half in the possibility of living a ” cleaner ” life on a daily basis not only with the foods I was eating which was already a habit but with the products I was using day in day out for the household as much as for the family’s hygiene as soaps, shampoos, creams…
I found on the internet a lot of material which I adapted to my needs, some recipes were amazing, so I suggest you all do your own research too but others I tried were not practical or were too time consuming to produce so, I had to find my own solutions, something faster and more effective which brings me back to the blush problem.

I tried many which were too powdery, sticky, bland… A lot had beetroot powder in, I did my own as I was not yet familiar with Ebay but it was not fine enough so, eventually I got down to ordering on Ebay a packet which was really cheap considering how long it lasts and applied it directly on my moisturizer (of natural unrefined Shea butter with vitamin E I add to it which is very good for the skin as a healing agent) I had applied on my face even though someone had told me it could stay as a permanent color which would not be that tragic, it could save time 😉

Just kidding it never stayed that long and gave a beautiful color if put in small amount obviously.

Much later I got to know about a 98%-100% natural blush which seemed a better option, maybe because we tend to use more the bought stuff which looks professional and appealing to the eye and started using the two, according to my mood.
I’m am sure each country or state must have their own natural cosmetic brand but it could also be bought on the internet.
Mine is called UNE and I found out England and the U.S have their own brand too.

I hope this information was of some value to my readers and would love to hear from your brand if you have one and how you purchased it.

100% Natural easy white or wholemeal Spelt flour doughnut recipe!

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This is a very easy recipe for doughnuts which my kids love in the cozy winter weekends.
It is totally natural. The photos are with white Spelt flour but I did it in wholemeal
and they confessed preferring it, which is not an easy thing for them to do 🙂

The recipe is the same one as the chocolate roll I previously posted, so I put it back in
this one.

Enjoy and let me know if you tried it out!

©copyright2013owpp

This recipe is not one of my easiest ( I had to let the dough rise ) but it’s nourishing, it’s a good
unsweetened chocolate roll for recess at school or at work. All in all, I’d say it’s
a recipe worth doing every once in a while.
I use the bread machine on dough program, to mix it and let it rise. It’s quicker, but you can do it
the ” longer “Way the only difference with the machine is, that it requires dried yeast.

Enjoy the experience!

©copyright2013owpp

Ingredients
———–

1. 325 ml = 10.9 u.s oz Water
2. 3 Eggs, it can be left out for the egg sensitive
3. 800 gm = 1.764 lb Spelt flour ( or any other )
4. 4 tbsp olive or sesame oil ( any other is good too )
5. 4 tbsp rice malt ( honey or any other natural sweetener, or 3 tbsp sugar )
6. 2 tsp salt
7. 2 1/4 tsp dried yeast ( or fresh but then you have to prepare it with a few grain of sugar and luke warm water )

©copyright2013owpp

Method
——

1.Take the risen dough roll it out.

2.Use a cup to cut out the doughnut shape.
3.Use a bottle top to make a whole in the middle
if you desire that shape.
I do some with and some without.
4.Fry it in a little pan with about 6/7 cm = 2.3 or 2.7 inches,
olive oil or any other kind on a small fire.
Do not leave the oil too long on high ( the first one still goes )
even with a small fire as
it will brown too quickly and leave it raw inside.
5.Pour rice syrup on top, honey, unsweetened jam which you can put in by making
a small hole in the fried doughnut without a hole, or any other sweetener on the
doughnut and enjoy it.

Wholemeal & white…
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For the ones who use sugar you can sprinkle icing sugar on top it makes it look very
decorative.
For the calorie counters, there is a possibility to put it in the oven and
bake. It is not the same taste but it is still delicious!

But mainly use your imagination and do what you fancy doing 🙂

Chocolate, raisins ( or carob ) sugar free yeast dough roll recipe

©copyright2013owpp

This recipe is not one of my easiest ( I had to let the dough rise ) but it’s nourishing, it’s a good
unsweetened chocolate roll for recess at school or at work. All in all, I’d say it’s
a recipe worth doing every once in a while.
I use the bread machine on dough program, to mix it and let it rise. It’s quicker, but you can do it
the ” longer “Way 🙂 the only difference with the machine is, that it requires dried yeast.

Enjoy the experience!

The making of…
©copyright2013owpp

Ingredients
———–

1. 325 ml = 10.9 u.s oz Water
2. 3 Eggs
3. 800 gm = 1.764 lb Spelt flour ( or any other )
4. 4 tbsp olive or sesame oil
5. 4 tbsp rice malt ( honey or any other natural sweetener, or 3 tbsp sugar )
6. 2 tsp salt
7. 2 1/4 tsp dried yeast ( or fresh but then you have to prepare it with a few grain of sugar and luke warm water )

©copyright2013owpp

Ingredients ( to sprinkle on rolled out dough )
———————————————–

1. Carob powder ( or chocolate )
2. Raisins
3. oil
4. Rice malt
5. Cinnamon
6. Poppy seeds
7. Optional: Sesame seeds

©copyright2013owpp

Method
——

Let it mix and rise, then roll out, cut the dough in four on baking paper, set aside three and roll out the fourth.
Sprinkle carob powder, oil, raisins, rice malt, roll, put on baking paper on baking oven tray.
Take rice malt, dilute it with a bit of water and spread on roll, decorate with poppy seeds, sesame seeds or anything you fancy!

©copyright2013owpp

You can improvise any filling you want ( eg. sliced apples ) I did part of it with, cinnamon, poppy seeds, rice malt and oil.
Then the last roll I put cocoa, rice malt, oil and raisins.

Put in oven at 150 Degrees Celsius = 302 Degrees Fahrenheit, check after twenty minutes ( I always prefer to be safe than sorry 🙂 )
This time after 30 minutes I cut the roll in two to make sure it wasn’t raw inside.

Enjoy doing it and let me know your results!

©copyright2013owpp

©copyright2013owpp