I have entered this New Year with a great sense of optimism and a rather long list of things I wish to accomplish. Here’s hoping the list runs out before my optimism diminishes. Santa was kind to me this year and my kitchen is brimming with new goodies.
First up is the grain flaker, a partner for my grain mill. I have been coveting this flaker for a while, so was delighted to unwrap it on Christmas Day. I have been test flaking everything I can get my hands on. Whilst oat flakes are a given, it also makes lovely pumpkin and sunflower seed flakes. Linseed flakes, however, look like mini squashed cockroaches so I am slightly less keen on them. Grains are little powerhouses of nutrients and minerals, however these start to degrade soon after the germ is cracked. Flaking grain at home reduces oxidisation of the nutrients and preserves the flavour of the grain. I am looking forward to making porridge and muesli from my own flaked grains.
Kombucha is a probiotic drink brewed from sweetened black or green tea. The alien blob in the liquid feeds on the tea and converts it to a refreshing drink. I find it helps tremendously with my digestion so try to drink it every day. I’ve been wanting to set up a continuous brewing system for a while now as I have been struggling to keep up with the demand using smaller jars. Thanks to The Princess I now have this great drink dispenser which will allow me to brew larger quantities.
I love this Jamie Oliver spice block from my sister-in-law. What does it say about me, however, that I immediately thought ‘fantastic food prop’? We tend towards self catering holidays these days, and the spices are a handy size for packing in my cooking ‘kit’.
Also from my sister-in-law is this handy bread board, with an inbuilt serving bowl for dips or olive oil. This will come in very handy over the summer season.
A good Christmas for me always includes a new cookbook or two. This year I received the new River Cottage Light & Easy and Jamie’s Comfort Food. Despite a long break over the festive season I have only managed to flick through both. Light & Easy looks to contain some great recipes for the summer. There is no dairy or wheat flour used in the book, instead Hugh explores other options for introducing creaminess into dishes, and uses other flours for baking. I am looking forward to reading this one in more depth. Jamie’s book is likely to be pressed into action later in the year when the temperature begins to drop.
Finally in my kitchen are these sweet little glasses from IKEA. They have been in stock for a while but I have never been able to justify the purchase. However I wandered into IKEA the other day (which is always a bad idea) and the glasses had been reduced to $1 each. Of course I had to buy a few. I have visions of lovely summer desserts, although ultimately they will probably be used for water.
That is about it for my kitchen this month. Short and sweet. Hopefully by next month I will be back to baking and pickling, weather permitting. Don’t forget to drop by Celia’s at Fig Jam & Lime Cordial to see what is happening in other kitchens around the world.
So many goodies in your kitchen! And happy new year, by the way…. will be interested to know your thoughts on the Jamie cookbook. Those Ikea glasses are so sweet. xo
Happy New Year to you too Liz. I just need to eek out some time to look at the books properly. Will let you know. I am thinking I might need to go back to IKEA and get more glasses. Although that could be dangerous on many fronts 🙂
I saw your grain flaker on Instagram, lovely to read more about it here. Have fun with it! We have a little grain mill too, we grind 100% of our own flour 🙂 Spelt flour tastes so much better fresh, I hated it the first time I tried Spelt, but that was pre-ground.
Happy New Year!
Enjoy your new books; books of any kind are the best gift!
Sarah x
I am loving the grain mill Sarah. I agree with you completely that the flour tastes so much better when it is freshly ground. The same is true for the flaked grains.
Oh those Ikea glasses really are very sweet indeed! I love that book of Jamie’s and I love Hugh, but I haven’t picked that one up yet. Your flaker looks fantastic, and I’ve heard good things about kombucha, but for some reason I always thought it was seaweed based! We have a bread board just like yours, only with a stainless steel bowl, and it’s in constant use! Have a great 2015 Tania, your posts are always filled with optimism, so I’m sure it will last the year! 🙂
They are cute aren’t they 🙂 I love the look of Hugh’s book. I have made the granola so far and it is fantastic. You probably thought kombucha was seaweed based due to the ‘kombu’ part. Let me know if you want a scoby. I can freak out the postie and try to send you one 😉 Thanks for the kind words Celia 🙂
Oh! how I covet those IKEA glasses! They could be the excuse for an unscheduled shopping excursion this week, after I declutter some cabinets. Your grain flaker is the first I’ve seen, quite an ingenious device. Thanks for the peek into your kitchen.
They are lovely glasses aren’t they 🙂 The grain flaker is so simple but the flakes are fantastic. I am hooked. I just need to find a good source for organic grain now so I can roll all my oats. Thanks for stopping by.
Ooh, love the glasses! I’ll be interested to hear what you think of Jamie’s book – I had my eye on it, but was unsure what more can be said about comfort food.
I love comfort food Amanda so I’m always happy to find more recipes. If only I lived in a cooler climate that meant I could indulge for more than half the year 🙂 I will let you know when I get a chance to have a proper look.
Happy New Year. Such lovely things in your kitchen. I’ve never seen a grain flaker before but sounds like you are definitely making the most of it. I love the Jamie book too. What is the alien blob in the kamboucha?
Thanks for dropping by Vicki. The alien blob is called a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast). It is this blob that converts the tea into a probiotic drink by feeding on the sugar and the compounds in the tea. You don’t drink the blob 🙂
Happy New Year Tania, love that grain flaking machine, how big is it? Such a great idea/ I don’t think we’d be foodies if we didn’t get at least one cookbook for Chrissy! I also got Jamie’s cookbook but I’m intrigued in the River Cottage cookbook – please let me know if its worth purchasing. Look forward to some great inspiration from you, see you next month x
The grain flaking machine is actually quite small. No bigger than a large box of cereal really, although it has bits that stick out. I am yet to find a good home for it. I absolutely think the River Cottage Book is worth it. It has some great recipes. I have only made the buckwheat granola (with my own flakes 😉 ) but it was fabulous. Looking forward to trying more recipes.
I saw your grain flaker on Facebook and thought it very cool. I’m interested in hearing how your continuous brew goes. I’m liking water kefir at the moment.
I gave my water kefir grains away Jo because I was struggling to maintain two cultures and I was finding kombucha less demanding. I am hoping for great things from the continuous brew system, so will keep you updated.
oh yes such cute little glasses. good thing i hate going to Ikea so no problems with being tempted. the cookbooks look good too. hugh is such a clever thing isn’t he?
The problem with Ikea is that it is full of useful stuff, so even though I don’t really like the place I still find myself there from time to time 🙂 The cookbook is great. I am loving it.