I am the Kat that Walks By Itself

I came back from the doctor's appointment after eleven, turned on the heater, and the temperature inside according to its thermostat, was 10C. Which is COLD for an Aussie. And though I pottered around and had lunch after that, I was still hankering for a warm and filling drink, something which wasn't cocoa or tea or soup or coffee. So I made a warmshake (which is a hot/warm milkshake).

Bananaloaf Warmshake

(no actual banana-loaves were harmed in this experiment)

Ingredients:

• 100ml quick-oats
• 300ml milk
• 1-2 bananas (depending on size of bananas - I used 2 small ones)
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 whole cloves (because I didn't have any ground cloves; if you have ground cloves, add a pinch)
• sweetener to taste (optional -- depends on how ripe your bananas are)

Instructions:

1. Put the oats and the milk in a microwave-safe container and cook in microwave for 3-4 minutes, or until it just starts to boil over (that is, it hasn't boiled over yet, but it is nearly there). This isn't my carelessness, this is the test I use for cooking porridge, and since this is a super-milky porridge, I figured that would do.
2. Put the banana and the milk mixture and the spices into a tall milkshake-sized container and puree with a stick blender (or put into a conventional blender and puree with that)
3. Taste-test, and add sweetener if desired.
4. Drink and enjoy!

I call it a "bananaloaf" warmshake because the oats make it loaf-like, more filling, and probably better for you.

Stumbled across this on Pinterest, have already experimented with it, too.

Sugarless, Flourless, Three-ingredient Mug Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe banana
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons of cocoa (NOT drink mix, just plain cocoa)

Instructions: Puree/blend/mix ingredients together in microwave-proof container, until it forms a thick batter. Scrape down the sides and even out the top of the batter. Microwave on high for 1 minute.

What you get is a moist chocolate pudding, really, rather than a cake. But yummy. Very nice with ice-cream, too (if one wishes to indulge).

The taste may vary a bit, depending on the ripeness and size of the banana.

Variant #1: as well as the cocoa, add a tablespoon of cinnamon. Also yummy.

I also want to try one using solely "Christmas spices" - cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves. But I haven't figured out the amounts yet.

Yesterday, yesterday, the ice cream was so near to say...I made it yesterdaaaaaay!

( Igor, I said 'slotted spoon' not 'kill the moon'! )

Deep in the Woods of... Icecreamlandia... a loud grinding is heard...
( Igor, at what kind of house sale does one come back with gingerbread? )

Top of 17C today, thought I'd make a nice warm drink.

Take one beer stein, fill 3/4 up with milk.
Heat up in microwave until the milk is pleasantly warm.
Add one banana and one sachet of instant chai powder.
Puree with a stick blender.
Add a pinch of freeze-dried vanilla bean powder and two teaspoons of sweetener.
Puree some more.

Drink.

Mmmm, warm milky goodness.

In the mad scientist's lair, the sound of ice-cream making can be heard.
( Igor! You left the peaches out too long! )

( Nonsense, Igor, there's no such thing as too sour! )

I've finally got around to posting my Christmas Pudding Ice Cream recipe on my website: http://www.katspace.org/gusto/recipes/Christmas_Pudding_Ice_Cream/

I've made it on previous Christmases, and my family seemed to like it. There are two kinds of "Christmas Pudding Ice Cream" that I've come across: one is where one takes vanilla ice cream and mixes in pieces of Christmas Pudding (and/or dried fruit) and re-freezes it. That's the most common kind. The other kind is where one makes the ice-cream oneself, with an ice-cream maker. My recipe is the latter kind. It was based on a recipe I found on the net (which has since vanished) but I tweaked it quite a bit.

My secret ingredient? Oats. Pureed and soaked and pureed again, one gets a thick and creamy "goop" which gives the ice cream a pudding/cake undertone. The yoghurt lightens that up again. And of course the dried fruit and brandy and honey and spices give it the delicous flavours.

Home Made Strawberry Sauce

Ingredients:
* 1 punnet of Strawberries (bordering on the overripe)
* 1 T pure maple syrup
* 2 T sweetener of your choice (I used "Just Like Sugar" because of its citrus undertone)
* 1/2 t Guar Gum

Method:
1. Chop up the strawberries, cutting out the bad bits.
2. Puree the strawberries (I used my stick blender)
3. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth and slightly thickened.

To serve:
Pour over chocolate and vanilla ice cream.

It was delicious.

A very hot day is a good day to make ice cream.
( No, Igor, I do not want a whip, pass me the electric egg beater )

Last Thursday I made stewed apples for ice-cream purposes (and to use them up); which was just in time to feed to my house-guests as they arrived that evening.
Today I had a second insight regarding gelatine...
( But I read it in a book, Professor Snape! )