Banana and Berry Smoothies

I have recently had a bunch of bananas ripen, got about 80 bananas all ripening around the same time. I gave some away to friends but still had a heap left. I took them out of their skins and put them into a zip top bag and found some space in the freezer. Got home from surfing today, super hungry and needed a wee snack before lunch......

Difficulity * (1=kids can help, 5= go ask grandma?!)

Banana and Berry smoothie

1 frozen banana, chopped into smallish pieces (helps with the blending)

1 handful of berries (any of the following, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, mulberries)

frozen is great but fresh will do if nothing frozen

1 Tablespoon of agave syrup ( Honey ,rice syrup, or maple syrup can be used instead of agave)

3 or 4 Almonds (optional)

1 teaspoon of spirulina (optional, high in protien, good for after surfing recovery!!)

1 ½ Cups of organic soy milk (Almond milk, rice milk or organic cows milk can be used instead)

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend well

Drink and enjoy!!!

NB

Other things that can be added are …..

• Chia seeds (high in Omega-3 EFA's), add 1-2 teaspoons to blender before blending.
• Raw Cacao powder and/or nibs for a chocolate berry option,(or omit the berries and add another banana for a decadent banana chocolate blend.) I would put 2 heaped teaspoons of powder and 1 teaspoon of the nibs into the mix before blending.
• Other fruits, we are in the middle of peach and nectarine season here and I have lots of raw peaches and nectarines chopped and frozen, u could add these instead of or as well as the berries.
• I've also been adding the peach and nectarine puree to my latest smoothies too!! Yummo!
• Freezing excess mangoes and paw paw when it is in season is also a good idea and they are both great in smoothies too!

• Get creative and have a play around, you cant really go wrong with these fresh ingredients and combinations!

Seed Saving Tips

SAVING SEEDS:

Seed saving is an important part of my gardening. I usually let one plant out of every crop go to seed and then dry and save the seeds to use for the next seasons growing. Eventually I will not have to buy seedlings at all. This will save me me vast amounts of money. Share seeds with your friends, and swap them for ones that you do not have!!! Seeds are really easy to dry out and can be kept in air tight zip lock bags for at least a year.

Seeds must be dry before storing or they will go mouldy.

SUNFLOWERS:

It is easy to know when to harvest your sunflower seeds. Most of the petals will have fallen off and the head will be tilted towards the ground slightly.

Cut them from the plant and dry somewhere that is warm and dry with good ventilation, this prevents mould. I usually leave the sunflowers in their heads until they are dried. It is easier to remove them from the seed head when they dry. When they are dry simply run your thumbs over the heads and the seeds will pop right out.....i do this in a plastic bag, they tend to pop out everywhere otherwise.

Replant the seeds as you desire!!

My sunflower seeds drying 

Some already dried and bagged

WATCH THIS SPACE FOR MORE SEED DRYING TIPS

Lemongrass

                           Lemongrass:

(Cymbopogon Citratus)

My lemongrass

DESCRIPTION:

Lemongrass is a tall perennial grass that grows in dense clumps that erupt from a tough bulbous base. It can spread up to a metre wide and can grow over a metre in height. It has bright green leaves with sharp edges and looks similar to grass. It has a subtle citrus flavour and can be dried and powdered or used fresh. It is widely used in Asian cooking as is native to India and tropical Asia.

HOW TO GROW:

Lemon grass is an easy herb to grow and will flourish in fertile sandy soils that have a tropical climate and a heavy rainfall.

You can start growing lemongrass by seed but that is a fairly long process and there is a quicker way!!

If you don't want to buy one in a nursery find a friend that has a lemongrass plant and grab a piece of the stalk close to the root and pull gently, you may find that the stalk comes away complete with some roots, if so you have a head start in the process, if not do not worry you can still grow some roots. Alternately buy a stalk from the supermarket, make sure you have a good one, there should be signs of life in the stalks still for you to be successful in propagation. Whether you have bought a cutting or got one from a friend the next process is the same, trim the tops away and any dead parts. Place the trimmed grass in a clear jar with about 2-3 cm of water in the bottom. Place the jar in a window that gets a bit of sun, it is very important that the grass does not dry out. Keep the bottom portion in water at all times. After a while they will grow a root system, be patient, it may take a while! The grass may start to grow before the roots are ready. This is normal. Wait until the roots are at least a few inches long and then plant into pots or into your garden. Use an organic potting mix if planting in pots and make sure that your lemongrass gets plenty of sunshine and water. If you live in a cold climate they need to be protected from the cold.

Medicinal uses:

Lemongrass is a herb that has an abundance of uses. It has antimicrobial (kills or inhibits the growth of microorganisms eg. fungi), analgesic (pain killing), antipyretic (fever reducing), antioxident and anti-fungal properties. It is said to be helpful in reducing cholesterol levels and is an effective insect repellant and fungicide.

Lemongrass leaves and stems are very high in folic acid. (important in cell division and DNA synthesis).

It is also rich in many essential vitamins such as Vitamin B5, B6 and B1. The fresh herb also contains small amounts of Vitamin C and A.

Lemongrass is also a rich source of minerals like potassium, zinc, calcium, iron, manganes, copper and magnesium.

MAKE YOUR OWN TEA:
I usually find that my lemongrass needs cutting back regularly to keep it in control. I hated throwing the leaf part of the grass away, so I dry it out and use it as a tea.

Cut the leaf about half way down the plant and tie into small bunches. You might want to wear some gloves when cutting back as the lemongrass has very sharp edges.Hang in a warm dry spot but avoid direct sunlight. When lemongrass is dry, cut and put into air tight containers. I have found that the easiest way to cut it is just with a decent pair of scissors. It is important that the herb is fully dried before you store it.

Lemongrass tea can be prepared by steeping 1-2 teaspoons of the herb, fresh or dried in hot water.

Drink 1 -4 cups per day to relieve congestion, coughing, bladder disorders, headaches, fever, stomach aches, digestive problems, diarrhoea, gas, bowel spasms, vomiting, flu symptoms, as a mild sedative and a possible cholesterol lowering agent.

Plus it also tastes good!!!

Small bunches of Lemongrass hanging to dry in my kitchen

Dragon Fruit - How to grow

DRAGON FRUIT (PITAYA)

Hylocereus undatus

DESCRIPTION:

Dragon fruit is a tropical cactus originally from the rainforests of Central and South America and also from Mexico. It is a member of the plant family Cactaceae (same as the cactus).

It is easily recognised by its triangular cross section of stem and it's minimal spines and is grown for ornamental purposes as well as for fruiting crops.

The plant has large flowers that are white and around 30cm or more long, they have sweet fragrance when in bloom. The flowers bloom for one night only and require cross pollination during this time from moths, bats or by hand. By morning, the flowers begin to wither and die with the rising heat. When the flowers die by the mid morning the fruit begins to grow. They can have between 4 – 6 fruit cycles in a year.

The Fruit is either bright pink or yellow skinned with green spines, it is oval shaped and the flesh of the fruit is either with or red with small black seeds dotted through it.

The fruit comes in three types:

Hylocereus Undatus - (Red Pitaya) Has red skinned fruit with white flesh.

Hylocereus costaricensis - (Costa Rica Pitaya, often called H. Polurhizus) Has red skinned fruit with red flesh.

Hylocereus Megalanthus – (Yellow Pitaya) Has yellow skinned fruit with a white flesh.

HOW TO GROW:

Dragon Fruit can be grown from seeds or by a cutting from a mature plant.

By seeds:

Look online for seeds. If you can't find them go to your local farmers market and buy a Dragon Fruit. Cut the fruit in half and scoop out some of the pulp making sure you have some of the black seeds. Mash the pulp in a small amount of water to separated the seeds. Wash the pulp from the seeds. You won't need many seeds as the germination rate is high. Fill a shallow container made from equal parts of organic seed raising mixture and sand.(Dragon fruit seeds like a loose soil and generally straight seed raising mix is too dense). Moisten the soil and sprinkle the seeds on top, cover lightly with a thin layer of the soil mixture. Place container in a plastic bag or cover with glad wrap to retain moisture. Put in a warm well lit spot. Check the seeds daily, seeds start to germinate anywhere from 1 to 14 days after planting. The seedlings will first appear with 2 germination leaves, much like a bean seedling. These are the first and last leaves to develop. As the seedlings develop the angular spiny stem grows in the central growing point between the two leaves. The stem thickens and elongates and eventually the two initial leaves will fall off. After several months of growth the seedlings can be potted into into individual pots and will hopefully grow big and produce lots of fruit!

By cuttings:

Find a friend with an established plant. Carefully slice of a section of the Dragon Fruits new growth using a sharp knife. Make the cut at a 45 degree angle through the stem connecting the two sections together. It is suggested that you coat the cut end of the stem with a fungicidal powder after cutting, I have found however that this is not always necessary. After removing the cutting from the plant and coating or not coating in fungicidal powder leave the cutting in a well-ventilated, shady area for one to two weeks to 'cure' the cutting. When 'cured' plant the cutting into an organic potting mixture, it should be only be planted about one inch deep. The cutting will require shade and minimal water until the roots have developed. Once the roots are established new vines will start sprouting from the cutting.

Harvesting of the fruit is around 28-30 days after flowering.

Vegan Banana Muffins

Bananas from my garden

Ingredients:

4 bananas

1 cup of soy milk

2 cups of self raising flour

1/3 cup of melted vegetable margarine, or olive oil ( use ¼ c if using oil as it's a littler 'heavier')

1/3 cup of apple sauce (unsweetened is better ..pureed cooked peach or nectarines can be used as well in place of the apple sauce if u have an abundance of peaches or nectarines.)

¾ cup of sugar

1 Tablespoon of apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon of baking powder

½ teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

Method:

1.  Melt butter in saucepan, add apple sauce and sugar and blend with a hand blender until fluffy.

2. Mix 2 heaped teaspoons of flour and 2 Tablespoons of water together into a runny paste, add to butter sugar mixture and stir through.

3. Mash bananas in a large bowl, add butter and sugar mixture to the bananas after mashed, mix together.

4. Add the Tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to the soy milk and stir, should thicken the milk. Set aside.

5. Mix the flour, baking powder and baking soda into a bowl, get a sieve ready.

6. Alternately add the flour mixture (use sieve), and the milk to the banana mixture, to form a thick muffin batter, u can add slightly more or less flour to get that perfect batter mixture.(not too runny and less sticky than cookie batter).

7. Spray muffin tins with olive oil spray, add batter to muffin trays, filling about ¾ of the way to the top.

8. Bake at 180 dg c for about 20 – 25 mins or until browned on top.

Leave to stand for 2 minutes after removing from oven and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Variations:::

Add a heaped teaspoon of cocoa powder to the flour mixture, sieve as usual. Will add a chocolate flavour to the muffins.

Difficulty ***, ( *=kids can help ***** ask grandma?)

Peach and Nectarine Crumble

Peach and Nectarine Crumble

Difficulty, ☆☆(1=kids can help, 5=ask grandma?)
*Always use fresh, local and organic produce when possible.

Ingredients:
2 -3 nectarines
2- 3 peaches
1 cup of quick cooking oats
½ cup of brown sugar
¼ cup of coconut cream
8 to 10 almonds chopped finely (more or less to taste)
1tsp Chinese five spice or cinnamon
½ tsp baking powder
1/3 cup of olive oil or vegetable margarine melted

Method:
1. Slice the nectarines and peaches and lay into a small baking tray, I do alternate layers but you can get as creative as you like!
2. Mix the quick cooking oats, brown sugar, coconut, spices, nuts and baking powder together in a small bowl.
3. Add olive oil or melted vegetable margarine, the mixture should be fairly moist.
4. Layer the oat mixture evenly atop fruit, covering it completely.
5. Bake in oven at 180ºc for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with coconut cream and enjoy！