Repeat a couple of times to help you return to now.
Breathing techniques are so important when we are living through stressful times. We tend to hunch our shoulders and take little shallow breaths.
The combination of a short inhale and an long exhale has a slowing down effects on the parasympathetic nervous system, slowing down our stress response.
Repeat this process throughout the day.
We are all living with the white noise of COVID. It creates a sense of Anxiety we may not even be aware of. It is there, as we push it to the background in order to get on with, as best we can, our daily lives. Taking little micro moments while waiting for the screen to change, while waiting for the lift to come, for a call to answer, at the lights can help to resettle you. Once you notice these little micro moments peppered throughout your day, taking those few seconds to drop your shoulders ad exhale long and deeply will start to make a big difference in your ability to manage the stressful moments in your day.
Made these Lentil Balls with Coconut Curry sauce last night and it was delicious! Thumbs up from the family so it’s on the keep list. Took about an hour all up, so would not be on my weekday list of meals to make, will leave for the weekend when I like to faff a bit more in the kitchen. I used thai green curry paste as that is what I had, and also used green beans and broccoli as no silverbeet as the chooks got loose yesterday and ate it all and left me with the stalks! It was also the first time using nutritional yeast, which I purchased yesterday from Moana Health Shop. They sell it in bulk and were happy to put in my glass jar.
I also discovered from this recipe a delicious way to cook up dried brown/green lentils, they were divine and I will be cooking them up this way from now on. They were much tastier than canned lentils. So next time I cook up some lentils I will cook them up bulk and freeze.
Part of my simple living routine is making a weekly menu each Friday night or very early Saturday morning before I do the weekly shop. I have found over the years that it saves me time during the week as I don’t have to think about what I am having for dinner, I just grab the recipe in the morning, whoever is home first will start the prep and the rest of us will chip in to bring it all together.
I find this also saves money as I don’t have to pop into the shop for one item which invariably will turn into about 5 or 6 items and snack foods. I also have less wasted food. I tend to look for recipes that will have leftovers to freeze. I only make up the menu for dinners as lunches are generally leftovers/sandwich/salad jars and brekky is homemade museli/toast/brekky oat cups. weekends maybe a cooked brekky.
This weeks challenge was to use up some items lurking in the pantry like the dried brown lentils. We are not vegetarian, we tend to use meat as a flavouring, for example, 500 gm chuck steak, has made up a big pot of beef, bacon, carrot and chickpea stew that will have crunchy herb dumplings on the top for dinner tonight, with leftover stew going into the freezer for another meal another night. We do, however appreciate great vegetarian meals and lentils happen to be my favourite legume.
I have tried to reduce the amount of canned lentils/beans so I don’t have to recycle the cans and I have moved back to buying lentils and beans in bulk, cooking up a big batch and freezing in reused glass jars (or whatever Tupperware container I have). Ensure you leave head room in the jars. I do still keep a couple of cans in stock as they are so very handy for whipping up lentil peanut butter patties for burger night.
I have an abundance of parsley in the garden at the moment, flat and curley leaf. They have self seeded over the years and pop up now in the most unusual places. Whilst the guinea pig will eat a few stalks, I do take some into work and pop some in the compost, I tend to leave it go as they do make a nice green border plant.
Parsley is incredibly good for you, packed full of “…Vitamin C and Vitamin A. It is especially high in Vitamin K, which is strongly tied to heart health and healthy bones…” (Herbs with Rosalie she has a whole list of other herbs and recipes. Note: Parsley is high in Vit K, like a lot of leafy greens, careful if you are on blood thinners as it can have a counter affect on the drug (this info from my mum as advised by her GP). My daughter read an article that if you rub parsley on your skin it keeps the mozzies away. Not sure how successful this was as the mozzies just love her regardless of what decoy she uses. She is great to stand next to in summer as the mozzies will leave you alone!
So here are 3 ways to use up some Parsley
1 : PARSLEY AND WALNUT PESTO. This is on my try list while I wait for my basil to grow. Pesto’s can be successfully frozen so if you make up a big batch, pop into little jars and freeze for later. Here’s a link to Treading My Own Path for a Parsley and Walnut pesto; she also has a carrot top version; a coriander one (uugh, coriander, just do not like it ) & the usual basil. Note, you can get savoury yeast from the bulk food shop at Moana Natural Health & Organics, am sure you can get it from most.
2: TABBOULEH with Couscous Parsley and Mint. One of our favourites.
Couscous is so easy to make. Place 1 cup couscous into heatproof bowl, add a good drizzle of oil, 1/2 tsp of savoury yeast/stock powder, zest of 1/2 lemon. Stir. Then add 1 cup boiling water, stir. Cover with a plate and leave for a couple of minutes. Done. fluff up with a fork. To this add handful of chopped cherry tomatoes, a good handful of chopped mint, couple handfuls of chopped parsley, 1 or 2 sliced spring onions, add a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste and another good drizzle of oil. Give it a good stir and taste and adjust accordingly. Any leftovers keep for a few days in the fridge and are great for lunches with some added protein (either eggs/meat/fish/lentils/beans). You can swap out the couscous with quinoa, cooked barley, cracked wheat.
3 : CRUNCHY PARSLEY DUMPLINGS to put on top of Casseroles and bake 20 mins prior to serving, HOT oven 220C – 1 cup SR flour, 40g butter, 95ml milk,1/4 cup chopped parsley, 30g grated parmesan. Rub butter into flour, Stir in parsley and 20g of cheese, Add milk, stir in with knife, use a cutting motion.until it starts to come together. It is sticky.In the bowl, using a fork make into 9 mounds (there are 3 of us, and 3 dumplings just looks more on your plate than 2 larger ones!) they will double in size once baked, drop each on the top of the casserole, leaving a bit of space in between, top with remaining cheese and pop in the oven while you set up ready to eat. yum Of course there is a bit of chopped parsley in most meals, and sprinkled on the top to serve.
SLO Food : make your own Protein Porridge, Healthy Brekky in under 5 mins. Inspired by Jamie Oliver’s recipe in Everyday Superfoods cookbook which I rediscovered languishing in my bookshelf. Loads of recipes to try out and this was just one. Also made his Rye Soda Bread which was very yummy as toast with scrambled eggs as another protein rich brekky/brunch .
Making your own brekky mix saves you money rather than buying from the shops. You can make it your own by changing up the nuts/seeds, fresh fruit you add and the milk you use. It is a versatile mix and you can add it to your smoothies and to pancakes, or sprinkle on your cereals to boost your protein and all those lovely nutrients from nuts.
These are the ingredients I used from my pantry. It makes up a lovely big batch that I keep in a large Maconna jar ready to grab, pop in a bowl and it’s ready to eat in about 3 minutes.
400g oats – or use other porridge grain ingredients like rolled rye, rolled rice 100g LSA mix (Linseeds, Sunflower Seed, Almond) 150g nuts of choice – I used walnuts, couple brazil nuts, cashews and a few more almonds 50g chia seeds. you can use quinoa 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 tsp cinnamon 3 Tbsp Milo you can also use Ovaltine, malted powder
Basically you blend the above, I did mine in the Nutribullet because that’s what I have. Do in a couple of batches but don’t overblitz it.
Pop it in your jar and it will keep for at least a couple of weeks.
TO SERVE I use 1/3 cup of the mix 1/2 cup milk of choice give it a little mix – microwave for 2 mins Mix and add a couple of dollops of yogurt of choice and some fresh berries or banana/mango or whatever fresh fruit takes your fancy. You can also add some more chopped nuts on top for a bit of crunch.
We have used this in smoothies, added to pancakes and my daughter added some to her “normal” porridge.
I am able to get most of my ingredients from a local Health that has loads of cereals, grains, nuts, dried fruit in bulk bins. So I take my own bags, fill up and decant into containers when I get home. so Zero Waste/plastic free. I am yet to make my own vanilla essence , although it is easy I am unable to source good vanilla beans. It is certainly on my to do list.
Milo we still buy, it is just delicious in a big glass of milk, and I figure it’s a good/bad – it has added vitamins and minerals, is yummy in banana smoothies, and is also really good over a generous scoop of icecream with fresh berries. Yum! It comes in a steel container which is reuseable for storing other things, is great as a planter for succulents – or it goes into the recycle bin. We probably go through a large tin every 6-9 months.
Red lentils only need a rinse and can then be added directly to soups/stews/Bolognese sauce. We now use red lentils instead of mince, a gradual swap over last couple of years. I like to cook up a batch of dried lentils/beans/grains and freeze in can sizes, ready to add to meals.
How to cook green/brown lentils 1 cup dry lentils = approx 2 -3 cups cooked lentils
1 cup lentils 2 cups veg stock
Rinse lentils and remove any bits. Drain. Add lentils and stock to large saucepan. Bring to boil, then simmer lid on for 20 mins Lid off, check, if tender, take off the heat. If not, further 5-10 Mins. You don’t want them mushy and they will keep cooking after you take them off the heat, so don’t over cook them. Drain and leave to cool.
Once cool, pop into jars, leaving space at top of jar, and freeze.
I use 2 cups of cooked lentils for Mushroom Lentil Loaf – more delicious than meatloaf, still has spicy sauce on the outside. I will post the recipe once I find it.
I also use cooked lentils in in rice salads, soups, salad jars for lunches, lentil sweet potato filo snails, lentil rolls, patties. So cheap, and I can get plastic free lentils from my local Health and bulk food store.
Happy Friday. This picture made me smile this morning and made me think about the small moments of joy each day that sometimes get missed.
Look for the small moments that make you smile today.
Note them down either in a little notebook, in your mobile, journal or wherever you can look back on your week and reflect just how many small moments there are.
The sound of morning bird song, if you are an early riser! How many different types of trees on your morning commute can you see; a phrase you hear; a song on the radio, a picture or article you see online. The small moments are there, however sometimes when life feels really busy, we forget that within all the busyness of life, there are moments of joy.
Dried Apple slices made this morning to use up some older apples rather than they go to waste. A simple way to preserve apples. Simple plastic free snacks.
No need to core, just slice apples thinly, remove seeds, pop slices on a tray and place in oven on lowest temp for couple hours. (about 70°C my oven just has a stay warm setting so it went on that). About halfway through I cracked open the oven door to let the moisture out.
While they are drying you can get on with other things, like gardening!
Set a timer so you don’t forget them or you’ll have apple chips! Cool on cake slice before placing in jar. I left the skin on mine and they have gone wavy rather than sit flat, but still taste delicious. Only problem is not eating them all at once.
Learning to say No to things that do not align to your Why.Â
Over the last couple of years as I have started to work out my Why, I have changed my automatic response to requests from Yes, to No. Then I say something like “can I get back to you on that date”, and make sure I do. This gives me time to think about if I say yes to that request, what am I saying no to Which would be time for myself, time with my family, or most importantly time spent unwinding in my garden.Â
Work out what is important to you, what fills you up and lets your mind unbend from the busyness of daily life, what gets you back to Simple? For me this has meant also thinking about other activities that take up my time, like mindless watching of TV, mindless scrolling on social media, and being more mindful of my time. I have cut these down a lot over the last 6 months by limiting my time, and being online with a purpose. To either update my blog, post photos of my garden or relative to this page and actually taking the time to read articles in my feed, not just the headline and scroll on by.
This is not to say I do not still have moments where I catch myself scrolling, I now have an awareness that is not how I wish to spend my time. I moved the facebook and instagram apps off the front page on my phone, this highlighted how many times I actually reached for my phone while waiting , instead of just chilling for a few minutes. I have also unfollowed many pages that do not align with my Why, one was an upcycled material sewing group, that while I loved looking at the work they do, reality is I don’t sew or make things with material, it is just not my thing. I have however stated following pages for preserving, simple living, gardening as these build on my knowledge and skill base.
The other will be a Zero Waste Group that seems to have lost it’s way and seems to be all about how to consume as many new products rather than sourcing second hand, or just doing without, the market has been quick to hop on the green/zero waste/plastic free bandwagon and co-opt the language to sell us things we do not need, it is what they do. So for me, that does not align with my why, which is about reducing the amount of things coming though my front door, consciously consuming and thinking about each item I purchase, where does it go at end of life and if the answer is in landfill or recycle bin, then I have some serious consideration before purchasing, but that is a whole other post.
It is OK to say no to things that do not align with the way you want to live your life, it will open up doors and create space for the things that add value to your life.
Whenever I cook rice I ensure I make enough for making Rice Pudding and also have enough for salad jars for lunches or for Fried Rice. It is a good use of your time to cook more than you need, rice is fine in the fridge for about 4 – 5 days. you just need to treat it like a protein, so either it’s HOT or it’s COLD when storing, and reheating cooked rice.
This pudding is also delicious for a quick brekky, grab a couple of spoonfuls and heat in the microwave, it is also just as delicious cold and I will take some to work as a morning snack. I am eating some now on this cold Sunday, as I remembered someone had asked me last time to post the recipe. comfort food at it’s best!
This is the recipe we continue to use from the “cooking for your baby” book which we have now been using for nearly 21 years. It does vary depending on what we have in the pantry, but the quantities are the same,
Simple to make, 5 minutes prep, place all ingredients in a 4 cup capacity greased casserole dish, mix and bake 170C for approximately 30 minutes.
Ingredients
2 cups of cooked
brown rice
2 cups of milk
1/2 cup of milk
powder (optional)
1/4 cup rhapadura
sugar or honey
1 dessertspoon of
melted butter/oil
2 eggs. well beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup
sultanas/dried fruit of choice
I also add in 1/2
tsp cinnamon
Pop into the oven while you are doing something else. I have also made it in the microwave when I was in a hurry for this deliciousness. enjoy
Made a word cloud the other day for my facebook page Simple Living in Onkaparinga (SLO) . It’s a page similar to this blog I guess, nothing to sell or promote, not linked to anyone or anything, it’s not a business, it is just an outlet for my thoughts, ideas and sharing of knowledge. The wordcloud was quite an enjoyable activity to learn something new ( I am a little slow on the uptake of most tech) and create something that represented things that are important to me, the things I like to write about and do. A nice slow afternoon.
If you haven’t discovered word clouds yet, here’s link to play around. I’ll also be exploring this for using with my Girl Guides to create a strengths board as part of a self esteem activity. You could also use it for creating birthday cards , endless ideas really… https://worditout.com/word-cloud/create
A long time ago I read an article about seeking joy and it being a conscious choice to slow down and notice the little things in life that bring moments or spaces of joy, like the morning song of birds, a new seedling, the colour of the sunset, it also includes noticing your internal chatter and making choices as to how you respond to yourself as much as it is about how you respond to someone or something.
Anzac/Oat Biscuits. These are so good we make them regularly as one of our homemade biscuits. Over last couple of years as we have moved back to simple living, if we don’t make biscuits, We don’t eat biscuits.
The original recipe was from a book which I still have and use called “cooking for your baby” , so have been making these for nearly 22 years. I adapt each time I make it depending on what’s in the pantry, approx 5-10 mins prep, 20 mins cook. Makes approx 20 biscuits. Ingredients: 1 cup rolled oats/barley 1 cup wholemeal plain flour 1/2 cup raw sugar 3/4 cup dessicated coconut 1 Tbs honey/treacle/golden syrup 125g butter 1/2 tsp bicarb soda 1 Tbs boiling water.
I add 1 tsp of cinnamon.
Mix oats, flour, sugar & coconut. Gently melt honey & butter, about 40 secs in microwave, mix soda with boiling water and add to melted butter, then add to dry ingredients. Mix well. Place Tbspns of mix onto tray, press gently with fork, allow room for some spread. Bake 150°C for 20 mins. Cool on rack as way too hot to eat straight from oven, no matter how delicious they smell!
I store mine in a reused large Maconna coffee jar. Mind you, they don’t last long as they are delicious.
Homemade Shea Butter and Olive Oil Body and Face cream.
Body Lotion
After looking at lots of recipes on Pinterest and other social media sites for a few months now and doing some research I spent a few minutes today as a bit of stress relief after updating my resume and job application, to make my own Shea Butter & Olive oil body and face cream.
Simple to make and I know what’s in it. I have added essential oils but they are not necessary.
Like all things you put on your skin, do a little test first to see how you react. I am not a skin specialist or a scientist so do your own research into the ingredients, particularly essential oils, their use has been controversial for as many years as I can remember, and will probably continue to do so, not all essential oils are good for putting on skin particularly if you are pregnant or have other conditions. None are to be used directly on your skin without being diluted by a carrier oil. So please spend some time and do your homework.
I learnt some of what I know from a Naturopath way back in the late 90’s, and continue to use her book about internal and external skin health as my guide in getting back to basics and returning to making my own skincare and household products. I continue to have a healthy respect for using essential oils as I am aware of the potential problems.
Purchase essential oils from a reputable place, there is a big difference between essential oils and fragrant oils, buy preferably from someone that has been doing so for many years, there are many new groups selling essential oils, buyer beware I say and I would also not purchase online. Just because essential oils are natural doesn’t mean they are always good for you, understand what essential oils are and what they are not.
OK, so that’s out the way…
Here’s the how to:
Shea Butter…1/2 cup . I buy mine from Suntralis at Lonsdale. Oil of choice…2 tbsp. I used olive oil I get from Moana Health store.
Method:
Place Shea Butter and oil in heatproof glass or metal container and put over a saucepan of water ( that does not touch the bottom of your container) that is gently simmering. Stir gently, turn off heat once butter is melted.
Place in fridge to cool down, took about 20 mins to thicken a bit, you don’t want it solid, just changing from clear to white, and a bit firmer.
Remove from fridge, add in essential oils if using and whip the mixture. I used an electric hand beater, you could use a fork or a whisk. I’m just a bit impatient!
Whisk for a few seconds, all recipes say don’t overwhip but I’m not sure how you are supposed to know if you have! scoop into a jar and store at room temp. I put mine in a re purposed salsa jar, they are just so handy those little jars. I also store my homemade hand scrubs and homemade face powder in them.
I used the following essential oils because I have used them for years and I know my skin does not react to them.
You don’t need essential oils I just like to use them Lavender : 8 drops is said to be good for sensitive skin, calming, healing and balancing Rosemary : 3 drops is said to be good for sluggish circulation, supposedly anti-ageing, helping to heal blemishes.
Pickled Beetroot recipe below, and Preserved peaches
The peaches and zucchinis all did their thing so well this year we had to spend some time preserving so we have some for later. I also made Zucchini bread and butter pickles and more bottled more peaches (from our garden) and apricots (which we bought by the box from a local orchard). Now we have a well stocked pantry. Very satisfying to know I can make my own and reduce my dependence on the supermarket for some of the things we eat.
Apricots – still learning how to pack tighter so they don’t float after processing – it’s an art that’s for sure. Not bad for first go.
I also preserved some apricots and as corn was so cheap, cut the kernels off and froze. you can Fowler those as well but I will need to read up on the how to for those.
Learning new skills is good for your brain so am jumping into using the Fowler Vacola Bench top plastic electric preserver. I have joined a Facebook Group Fowler Vacola Users which is fantastic for staying motivated and learning. loads of recipes to try as well as having the most up to date how to use your preserving kit. the other members are more than happy to assist and generally someone will respond within minutes. A great sense of community and I love seeing what the more experienced members are doing. Did you know you can make puddings and then Fowler them for storage in the cupboard! Choc self sauce puddings here we come!
Freezing corn – as simple as cutting of the kernels and popping into a jar
PICKLED BEETROOT The beetroot I made in February, for the first time using the recipe from one of my friends, you don’t need to process in the Fowler, and it is really simple, boil beetroot, slice and cover in your pickling vinegar. Have cracked our first jar, delicious, clearly I will need to make more.
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups white
vinegar
1/2 tsp peppercorns
1 bay leaf
(optional)
2 whole cloves
1/2 tsp mustard seed
1/4 tsp
salt(optional)
1/2 stick cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
Trim beetroot but
don’t cut into the bulb or it will bleed
Boil beetroot until
just tender
Put in cold water,
peel off skin, top and tail and slice, dice or wedge, or you can grate
Put all ingredients
in pan, bring to boil 5 mins, strain liquid and cool slightly
Sterilise jars
Fill jars with cut beetroot, then fill with the vinegar mix
I used a bit less sugar and add extra vinegar to top up the jars if needed (warm it first)
On the list for learning is bottling pineapple to replace the canned pineapple we buy, , Worcestershire sauce well, just because I found a recipe ,and I have discovered you can also make puddings in the fowler jars, process them and then they store in the cupboard. The things you learn.
So as I need more jars, I went out and retrieved all my fowler jars from the garden shed that I have been using in the garden for covering seedlings in winter. New jars are expensive! 4 pudding jars! 10 normal and 3 NZ Agee ones that I will need to source screw lids for.
Really need more hours in my weekend for pursuing this simple life.
Peanut Butter Cinnamon biscuits for this week’s snacks from facebook page 4 Ingredients and adapted to what I had in the cupboard that I can get plastic free from Moana Health and bulk store, egg from my chooks, (Pickles or Sunny). Ingredients. 312g peanut butter 155g rhapadura sugar * my brown sugar replacement, tastes the same 2 tbspn sesame seeds 1tbsp (10g) cinnamon 1 egg, beaten
Preheat oven 180°C Mix all ingredients together. Roll a tbspn of the mix into a ball, pop on the tray, flatten with fork. Bake 10-12 mins.
Apricot cashew date balls. Protein balls for the week. Recipe from Pinterest and adapted. Making your own snacks saves you money, you know what’s in them and it assists in reducing your waste. the first 4 ingredients I can get waste free as I take my containers to the bulk food store to refill. The weetbix I could replace with oatflakes that I can get in bulk, however my daughter loves her weetbix and I also use weetbix in the chocolate snowballs, another snack.
1 cup raw cashews 5 dates 1 cup apricots 2 tbsp malt extract, could use honey, I just have the malt to use up 4 weetbix crushed, or use whatever similar cereal you have
Whiz in the processor, or whiz up each item in the nurtri bullet, you may need to add a little bit of oil to bring together depends on the moisture level of your apricots.
Roll teaspoons into balls, easier with moist fingers, roll in coconut. Enjoy.
These are treats for us so we limit to 1 a day. I store them in the fridge in a jar.
Face wipes, image from The Art of Natural Cleaning (reproduced with permission)
My daughter has requested I make these wipes again. You can use them as Baby wipes or we have been using them as face wipes , they leave your skin nice and soft. I used to use commercial baby wipes as a makeup remover, however the wipes went into landfill and they were full of ingredients I didn’t recognise, so they became one of the first items I stopped buying when I started moving back to simple. I wish I had known about these wipes all those years ago when my daughter was a baby.
This recipe is from Rebecca Sullivan’s book The Art of Natural Cleaning, a great book full of simple recipes. These wipes are so easy to make and include ingredients I recognise. The wipes can go into the council green waste or my home compost bin.
Note : I have been given permission from Rebecca to take a photo from her book and post on here as she did not have an existing link. If you are not familiar with Rebecca’s work, check her out at Granny Skills on facebook or grab her book for loads of other simple back to basics cleaning recipes without chemicals.
Apologies for the quality as I only have my mobile phone camera.
Autumn appears to have arrived with some cooler weather, however no rain at this stage, so still have the sprinklers out and giving the citrus trees a good regular soaking so the developing fruit doesn’t split when the Autumn rains arrive. The change in the season also means a change in the type of food we eat.
Potato and Corn Chowder is one of our favourites which is accompanied by Silverbeet and Feta Damper (see Recipe page). Delicious, and leftovers are great in a thermos for lunch. The soup doesn’t freeze well, so store in the fridge and use within 4-5 days.
The damper freezes well, if you manage to have any left…
Serves 4 -6 as a main.
40g butter, or use oil
1 med onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 bacon rashers, diced
1/4 cup plain flour
2 med (400g) potato, chopped
2 cups ( 500ml) stock
1 litre milk
2 cups corn kernels
1/2 cup cream (optional)
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
Salt & pepper
1. Saute onion, garlic & bacon in the butter/oil until onion soft.
2. Add the flour, cook, stirring 1 min. Slowly stir in 1/2 the milk, add potatoes, stock and simmer, covered for about 20 mins, or until potato is soft.
3 At this stage I like to give the soup a bit of a whiz to make it a bit smoother, leaving some potato chunks. Use a spud masher if you don’t have a stick blender.
4 Add the corn, remaining milk and cream if using, cook stirring until hot…don’t walk away at this point as it may catch on the bottom.
5 Stir in chives and season with salt and pepper.
6 Serve with extra chopped chives, a dollop of sour cream and a some grated parmesan. Simple Deliciousness.
Making your own snacks, reduces waste wrapping and is so much cheaper.
These are apple and oat breakfast muffins. I also made banana and peanut butter ones. These are easy to make, mix it all up in the bowl, then use a 1/4 cup measure to put it in your muffin tins. These are great for brekky on the run. They are based on recipe from www.shelikesfood.com who has some other great ideas. These muffins also freeze well.
4 cups rolled oats 2 tsp cinnamon 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 2 1/3 cups milk of your choice, so normal, nut, soy, skinny or fat 1/4 cup brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla 1 cup diced apple, granny smith sized apple 1/4 cup seeds of your choice, sunflower, pumpkin
Preheat oven to 180C, spray your 12 hole muffin tins with oil Mix all ingredients together, it is a very runny mix, don’t panic at this stage! Use your 1/4 measuring cup , mix and scoop, pop in the muffin tin. Repeat until all mix gone. Bake for approx 20-30 mins, until cooked through They are moist, but as they cool they do firm up.
I freeze mine in existing plastic containers that I still have with a sheet of sandwich paper on the top to minimise air, I have also frozen in glass jars, you just need to leave expansion room.
As my plastic containers wear out, I am replacing with alternatives from the local charity shop, so tins, big glass jars. I am a child of the Tupperware era, so have quite a few rattling around in my cupboards. They are being transitioned out of the kitchen and used for non food items. Very handy in the garden shed, the tool shed. I don’t see any point in just ditching them, as they are useful. Reuse, repurpose and only buy new if I have no alternative.
chooktherapy 
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