~ HONEY ~ ..

How would you make Honey out of nothing (super food for thought) ??

~ * LOW-fat VANILLA Yoghurt AND Honey MUFFINS !!! * ~

These muffins can be whipped up in just five minutes. Serve small ones for morning or afternoon tea, or make larger muffins, for Sunday brunch.

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Total cooking time: 25 minutes
Makes: 6 large or 12 small muffins

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon maadamia nut oil
2 eggs ( * preferably free range or barn laid)
1/3 cup (115 g/4 oz) honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup (125 g/4 oz) low-fat vanilla yoghurt
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup (50 g/1-3/4 oz) rolled oats
1/2 cup (60 g/2 oz) sultanas
1 cup (150 g/5 oz) wholemeal self-raising (S.R.) flour
1/2 cup (60 g/2 oz) self-raising flour

Method:

1 Preheat the oven to moderate 180 degrees C. (350 deg.F/Gas 4) and grease a 6-hole, 1 cup (250 ml/8 fl oz) capacity muffin tin or a 12-hole, 1/2 cup (125 ml/4 fl oz) capacity muffin tin.

2 Combine the oil, eggs, honey, cinnamon, yoghurt, lemon rind and juice and oats in a bowl and mix together well. Add the sultanas and sifted flours and stir until just combined!

3 Spoon into the muffin tin and bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool in the tin for 2 minutes, then turn out and serve warm.

NUTRITION PER small MUFFIN
Protein 4 g; Fat 3 g;
Carbohydrate 26 g; Dietary Fibre 2 g; 600 kj (145 cal)

Rosemary Stanton.

~ 'EXTRA kick' (Cardamom spice) MUFFINS !! ~

Muffins are a great anywhere, anytime snack. These ones are sweetened naturally with honey and orange juice, and a little of cardamom gives an 'extra kick!'

Prep. time: 10 minutes. Total cooking time: 20 minutes.
Makes: 12.

Ingredients:

1 large carrot, finely grated
1/4 cup (90 g/3 oz) honey
2 tablespoons macadamia nut oil
1 cup (250 ml/8 fl oz) fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind
2 eggs (*preferably free range or barn laid)
2 cups (250 g/8 oz) self-raising (S.R.) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

Method:

1 Preheat the oven to hot 220 deg.C. (425 deg.F/Gas 7) and oil a 12-hole, 1/2 cup (125 ml/4 fl oz) capacity muffin tin. Mix together the carrot, honey, oil, orange juice and rind and eggs in a bowl.

2 Sift together the flour, baking powder and cardamom into the bowl and stir quickly until just combined. Do NOT overmix-it should look lumpy.

3 Spoon into the muffin tin and bake for 15-20 minutes, then turn out and serve warm.

NUTRITION PER SERVE
Protein 3.5 g; Fat 4.5 g;
Carbohydrate 25 g; Dietary Fibre 1.5 g; 645 kj (155 cal)

Rosemary Stanton.

* SIMPLE Cherry Smoothie !!

Serves: 2-4.
Prep. time: 10 minutes.

1-1/2 cups low-fat (Zymil? - * your choice) milk
1 cup frozen-pitted cherries
170g carton vanilla yoghurt
2 tablespoons honey

1. PUT milk, cherries, yoghurt and honey into a blender or food processor and process until smooth.

2. POUR into glasses and SERVE.

~ HONEY Yoghurt Ice Cream ~

Ingredients:

1 cup natural yoghurt
2 tspn. lemon juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup honey
2 egg whites

THOROUGHLY blend the yoghurt, fruit juices and honey. FREEZE until the mixture becomes mushy and then beat again until smooth. FOLD in the stiffly beaten egg whites and refreeze!

Note: THIS is a healthy alternative to traditional ice cream and can be made with low-fat yoghurt. FOLD fresh berries through with egg whites for added flavour. * CHOPPED nuts or even choc chips can also be added.

Louise Marr, Kinglake

** FRUITY Pumpkin CAKE !! **

1 cup mashed cold pumpkin
125g sultanas
125g raisins
125g mixed dried peel
125g finely chopped dried apricots
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup unsweetened orange or apple juice
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
4 egg whites
250g wholemeal S.R. flour
1 teaspoon mixed spice

COMBINE fruit, orange juice (*2 teaspoons brandy for special occasions) and honey in a saucepan. BRING to the boil. REMOVE from heat. ADD bicarb. of soda. COOL. GREASE a 20cm. round tin very lightly or line with foil (baking paper?).

HEAT oven to 325deg.F. (165 deg.C.). BEAT egg whites lightly. ADD cold pumpkin and fruit mixture and beat until smooth. STIR in flour and spice and beat until smooth. BAKE for 1-1/2 hours.

N.B. FOR a more moist cake, soak fruit in orange juice overnight!

(J. Stafford)

** "SWEETER than HONEY" ! ! **

The more than 1.5 million kinds of insects display a diversity that points to the wisdom of an infinite Creator. The common honey bee organizes a little city inside its hive. It builds 10,000 cells for honey, 12,000 for the larvae, and a special chamber for the queen mother.

WHEN temperatures inside the hive become so warm that the honey is in danger of being lost through the softened wax, squads of sentinels automatically take their places at the hive's entrance. Their fast-beating wings create a cooling system that rivals the electric fan.

French scientist Rene Antoine Ferchault de Reaumur examined a wasp's nest in 1719 and noted that it seemed to be made of a type of crude pasteboard. After further investigation, he discovered that most of the material was obtained from tree fibers. As a result of this study, the first successful production of paper from wood pulp was achieved. Yet God had instilled this ability in the wasp at the dawn of history.

There are millions of similar wonders in our world, more than enough to convince anyone with an open mind and a searching heart that a great, all-wise Creator brought them into being. He deserves our heartfelt worship. - HGB

"There can't be a God," the learned fool scoffed
As he studied the bees at their business aloft,
And followed the planets, unchained, yet in place,
And pondered the spider suspending its lace. - Gustafson

THE NATURAL WORLD BEARS THE SIGNATURE OF A SUPERNATURAL CREATOR.

O LORD, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. - Psalm 104:24

* SUBSTITUTES .. for AROUND the HOME ! *

* One (1) tablespoon of WHITE Vinegar can SUCCESSFULLY be substituted for one (1) Egg in the making of Cake (give it a try?).

* INSTEAD of using 'Potting Mix' - Dip the end of the plant cutting into Honey! The Honey kills any Bacteria and feeds the "cutting" at the same time.

Cheers.k.

* BUTTERMILK 'Fruit' Sherbert !

Serves: 4

2 cups frozen unsweetened Blueberries
1/2 cup non-fat BUTTERMILK (* look for the substitute non-fat BUTTERMILK recipe (made with drops of Lemon juice) on this blog, if ACTUAL Buttermilk is unavailable)
2 or 3 drops of Honey (optional)

In a food-processor, combine the frozen berries with 1/4 cup of the Buttermilk. Process until the berries are coarsely chopped. COVER and process, adding the remaining 1/4 cup Buttermilk a little at a time through the cover-opening. UNCOVER and redistribute the berries. COVER and process again until mixture is smooth and has the texture of frozen custard or soft-serve ice cream. * DON'T overprocess! IF desired, sweeten to taste with a few drops of Honey. SERVE immediately !!!

* 'SALSA' Fruit SALAD !

Serves: 8

2 Cups chopped Watermelon
1 Orange, peeled and diced
1 Pint (2 cups) Strawberries, stemmed and sliced
2 Tablespoons Lemon juice
1 Tablespoon Honey

IN a medium bowl, combine the Watermelon, Orange, and Strawberries. DRIZZLE with the Lemon juice and Honey and toss well. COVER and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.