Chocolate Cake and Frosting

200 grams SR flour

200 grams caster sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
40 grams best-quality cocoa powder
175 grams soft butter
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
150 ml sour cream
1/4 cup milk

Mix all ingredients well in a large bowl.  Divide mixture into two cake tins and bake at 180 degrees for approx 55 mins.

Chocolate Butter Frosting

100g butter, softened
2 cups soft icing mixture, sifted
1/3 cup cocoa, sifted
2 tbsp milk

Method: Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until pale and fluffy. Add the icing mixture and cocoa a little at a time until fully incorporated. When this is fully combined add the milk and the chocolate buttercream will become light and fluffy.

Coffee Icing 
Icing sugar, coffee dissolved in boiling water and a few tablespoons of butter. Mix well and ice cake.

Hair Remover Wax

Ancient Egyptian Depilation – Remove Hair Naturally With This Simple Depilation with Sugar Paste

Here is what you need:
1/8 cup lemon juice
1/8 cup water
1 cup sugar

Mix all the ingredients together, place them in a deep pot and let them cook over medium/high heat for 4-5 minutes. When it begins to boil, remove it from the heat and pour it into a deep bowl, preferably metal. You will want something that look similar to caramelized sugar cake.

Allow it to cool down for a few minutes, and then start with the separation part by part stretching the mixture with your fingers until it gets a structure like chewing gum. If necessary add a drop of water, but not much more than that.

How to use it:
Before you start applying, you need to clean the spots that you want the hair removed. Apply the separated parts of the paste on the place that you want the hair removed and be careful because the paste has to be applied on the opposite direction that the hair is growing.

After it is pulled off, rinse with warm water and use a skin cream. In the beginning use the mixture 2-3 times a week, and then moving onto once a month.

This mixture cannot be used more than once!

Source: Organic Health

Potato Kugel

3/4 cup olive oil
3 eggs
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
6 large potatoes
1 large onion

See video for how to make.

Healthy Snack: No Sugar, No Gluten, No Dairy

One Bowl Apple Cake

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 heaped teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup oil 
6 medium apples
2 cups SR flour

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, cinnamon and oil. Peel and slice the apples and add to mixture in bowl (coating as you go to keep apples from turning brown.) Add flour to the ingredients in the bowl. Mix well (best with a fork) until all of the flour is absorbed by the wet ingredients. Pour mixture into a greased one 9x13 or two 9″ round pans. Bake for approximately 55 minutes.

Raspberry Coconut Slice

Recipe by Dixie Elliott

2 cups plain flour
1 cup caster sugar
125g butter, chilled, cubed
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3/4 cup raspberry jam
2 cups desiccated coconut

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line a 3cm deep, 24cm x 29.5cm (base) lamington pan.
Process flour, 1/2 cup sugar and butter to resemble breadcrumbs. Add 1 egg and vanilla. Process to form a dough.
Press dough into base of prepared pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until light golden. Spread jam over warm base.
Whisk remaining eggs and remaining 1/2 cup sugar together. Stir in coconut. Spread over jam.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden. Cool completely in pan. Cut into pieces. Serve

Tuna Mushroom Pasta Bake

350g pasta

1 onion, chopped

240g grated cheese

2 (160g) tins tuna, drained

1  (295g) tins condensed cream of mushroom soup OR use leftover home-made mushroom soup

300g chopped mushrooms

300g chopped broccoli

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to the boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix pasta, onion, 1/2 of the cheese, broccoli, tuna, HALF of the soup straight from the can, and mushrooms. Transfer to a baking dish, and top with remaining cheese. Bake until cheese is bubbly.

Corn Fritters

1 cup self-raising flour
1/2 cup buttermilk or soy milk
2 eggs
420g can corn kernels, drained
310g can creamed corn
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
Olive oil
Chopped chives


Sift flour into a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. Make a well in the centre.
Whisk buttermilk and eggs in a jug. Add to flour mixture with corn kernels, creamed corn and chives. Using a large metal spoon, gently fold ingredients together until combined (don't overmix).
Heat a small amount of olive oil in pan. Add heaped tablespoonfuls of mixture, 3 at a time.
Cook for 2 minutes or until bubbles appear on surface. Turn. Cook for a further 2 minutes or until fritters are firm to the touch.

Esty's Cole Slaw Dressing

2/3 cup [166g] mayonnaise 

2 tablespoons [40ml] white vinegar

3 teaspoons caster sugar 

[Lots of] Salt and pepper

Coconut Curry Rice

1 Can Light Coconut Milk
200 ml Chicken or Vegetable Stock
1 Tbs Curry Powder
1 Carrot, Grated
1 1/2 Cups of Rice [Basmati or long grain]
1 Onion, diced finely
2 Garlic cloves, minced
Olive Oil

Use a heavy bottom saucepan or casserole dish on the stove top.
1. Saute the onion, garlic and grated carrot with a little olive oil, one the onion and garlic start to soften add the rice and curry powder and stir to combine until the curry flavour is released.
2. Turn to a medium high heat. Add the coconut milk and chicken stock. Stir to combine.
3. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a low simmer, cover with the lid and allow to cook for 10-15 minutes then turn off the heat completely.
4. Fluff up with a fork when ready to serve.
5. If you are adding extra vegetables make sure they are cut into small pieces. Add frozen vegetables when adding the liquid, add fresh vegetables when sauteing the onion, garlic and carrot. Serves 4-8

Apple Fritters [Pesach]

1 cup matza meal
3/4 cup milk
3 apples, peeled, cored and grated or chopped into small pieces
3 eggs
2 Tbsp oil for frying

Mix all ingredients together. Ladle the batter into the pan, like pancakes. Fry until golden brown on each side. Serve with cinnamon and sugar mixture [1/2 cup sugar and 1 Tbsp cinnamon]

Eggplant and Spinach Bake with Cheese

1 eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds

2 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed
1 tablespoon garlic powder, or to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 small tomatoes, chopped
1 (10 ounce) package fresh spinach leaves
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
3/4 cup tomato pasta sauce
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Brush eggplant slices with olive oil on both sides, and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle garlic powder over the top. Bake for 10 minutes.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, tomatoes and spinach. Cook and stir for a few minutes until fragrant, and the tomatoes have released their juices. In a medium bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Set aside.

Place the eggplant slices in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with the spinach mixture. Spoon the cheese mixture over the spinach, and spread into a thin layer. Pour the spaghetti sauce over the cheese layer. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over the top. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning.

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until heated through and the eggplant is easily pierced with a fork.