Dealing with 'failure'

So, I cancelled the Food Swap Day. I just didn't get enough people signing on to make it a success. Initially I was upset...and confused. Then I got an email from Jessie (remember Jessie from the green cleaning post?). Jessie often makes me see things in a different light. And this was no exception. She proposed that maybe my invitees didn't feel confident enough that the items they could offer for swap would be worthy of swapping. I hadn't thought of this. I love cooking, and as is often the case with something you love, I put a lot of time and energy into learning and practising cooking...and I enjoy doing this. Of course I have failures, that can happen to anyone. But most of the time I just love making something and sharing it with someone else. I forget that other people don't feel this way. I'm pretty bad a sport, pretty much all sport. I once scored an own goal in netball (I don't even know what you call that? That's how bad I am at sport). I could practise and maybe I would improve, but it's not my passion...and because I'm no good I wouldn't consider joining even a social sporting team. I feel I would just embarrass myself. When I started seeing things in this light, I understood a little better. Sure, some of the invitees were busy, some may have had better offers, some may just have wanted a quiet weekend. But those of you who didn't feel that they could be proud of something they'd made - I get you. I hope, one day, that I can give this whole thing another go and that maybe you will come along. The same thing can be said for many other things in life. Don't avoid participation because you don't think you're good enough yet...you get good by participating. Jump in and learn something. That's what SkillCycle is all about! 

Making your own muesli (granola)

One of the best ways of saving money and having control over what you eat is by making your own cereal. After searching the aisles of supermarkets and natural food stores alike, I struggled to find a breakfast cereal that was just what I wanted. They all had either too much fat or too much sugar. None that was "just right"...hehehe. So I decided to make my own.

I'm a toasted muesli girl (or 'granola', for American readers) so that's what I chose, but you can make a wide range of cereals very cheaply. The easiest would be natural muesli (untoasted muesli). Just get your hands on some good quality rolled oats and mix it with any dried fruit, nuts, seeds and spices. You can add anything you like. There's plenty of recipes online but just go with what your taste buds tell you. 

The natural bulk foods store I shop at has a really good range of puffed, flaked and rolled grains. You can make a lighter option if you don't like muesli by just blending these with some fruit and nuts or seeds. There's some pretty protein packed grain options available (like quinoa flakes).

My favourite is a toasted muesli though. I don't really have a recipe, I just use what I have on hand. My most recent blend was rolled oats, coconut, almonds, apricots, cinnamon and honey. It's like a big bowl of sunshine in the morning. The basic guide is below, but really, it's hard to go wrong here. Start experimenting!

My muesli blend

all measurements are guestimates

6 cups rolled oats

2 cups shredded coconut

1 cup raw almonds, roughly chopped

1/2 ts cinnamon

1/3 cup brown sugar 

1 tb rice bran oil (any oil would do, olive is apparently nice)

1/2 cup water

2 tb honey

1 ts vanilla extract

1 cup dried apricots, diced

Mix the first four ingredients in a bowl. I like chunky bits (the ad companies call them 'clusters') in my muesli so I do a little trick where I put a cup of these dry ingredients in the food processor and pulverise them then mix in with the rest. 

Heat the next five ingredients until the sugar has dissolved. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Spread out on a lined tray (probably two trays) and bake on a low heat 'til lightly browned. If you like a muesli without clumps, stir the muesli as it cools. If you like clusters, don't stir. I add my fruit after the muesli has cooled. If you like your fruit super chewy, you can bake it in with the muesli. Store in an air tight container when completely cool. Lasts for about a month.

Food swap day planning

I've decided on the day for the food swap (March 25, three weeks away) and I've started making plans. The invites are sent (virtually) and I've begun the difficult task of making a list of what to make... So many options! This is the perfect opportunity to try out some new recipes. I often get overwhelmed with too many cookies or too much bread when I bake (good problem to have), a food swap allows you to have a little bit of everything. I can't wait to try what the other swappers bring too. It's a little bit like the best country fete/fair but everything is free!

So far, my list looks something like this:
pesto - my summer basil needs a trim
mini pies - there's some tasty apricots down at the green grocer
biscuits - too many options, but maybe these from 101 Cookbooks
jams - I have some rhubarb and vanilla bean jam I made earlier
salted caramel sauce - this looks amazing!


I better not get carried away though... What would you bring to a food swap?