Mothers are divided into two types....the Perfect Mother and the Aspiring To Be Perfect Mother....and my friend Liza falls firmly into the first category.
When our children were young, Liza was always the one with the handbag holding a carefully wrapped damp facecloth for sticky hands and mouths, a change of clothing for every child, bruise cream, band-aids, sunscreen and a healthy snack.
When we holidayed together, it was Liza who took charge of the shopping list, and made sure that every meal we served was nutritionally balanced.
And NO-ONE knows how to make chain store bargains look like designer wear better than the talented Mrs Liza Cohen.
Liza was very much on my mind as I experimented for my upcoming 'Forever Summer' workshop and baked up a batch of Fruited Date &Pecan Muffins.
Packed full of healthy fruit and nuts, they make the ideal energy-giving snack when heading for the beach or setting out on a picnic plus, because they are pareve, they can be conveniently eaten at any time.
PERFECT-MOTHER-APPROVED FRUITY DATE & PECAN MUFFINS
2 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 - 4 large, peeled and grated carrots
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated
3/4 cup ground coconut
1/2 cup chopped dried dates
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup canola oil
3 extra large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1: Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, sugar, cinnamon and salt together.
2: Combine the carrot, apple, coconut, dates and nuts in another bowl and stir in the oil, eggs and vanilla.
3: Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir till just combined then spoon into greased muffin tins and bake in a preheated oven at 180 C for 20 minutes.
COOK'S NOTES: I regularly see students' eyes glaze over at the mention of the word 'sieve' but I must warn you that if you don't sieve this mixture - which takes seconds - you won't distribute the bicarbonate of soda evenly and nothing tastes worse than a mouthful of baking soda!is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.
When our children were young, Liza was always the one with the handbag holding a carefully wrapped damp facecloth for sticky hands and mouths, a change of clothing for every child, bruise cream, band-aids, sunscreen and a healthy snack.
When we holidayed together, it was Liza who took charge of the shopping list, and made sure that every meal we served was nutritionally balanced.
And NO-ONE knows how to make chain store bargains look like designer wear better than the talented Mrs Liza Cohen.
Liza was very much on my mind as I experimented for my upcoming 'Forever Summer' workshop and baked up a batch of Fruited Date &Pecan Muffins.
Packed full of healthy fruit and nuts, they make the ideal energy-giving snack when heading for the beach or setting out on a picnic plus, because they are pareve, they can be conveniently eaten at any time.
PERFECT-MOTHER-APPROVED FRUITY DATE & PECAN MUFFINS
2 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 - 4 large, peeled and grated carrots
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated
3/4 cup ground coconut
1/2 cup chopped dried dates
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup canola oil
3 extra large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1: Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, sugar, cinnamon and salt together.
2: Combine the carrot, apple, coconut, dates and nuts in another bowl and stir in the oil, eggs and vanilla.
3: Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir till just combined then spoon into greased muffin tins and bake in a preheated oven at 180 C for 20 minutes.
COOK'S NOTES: I regularly see students' eyes glaze over at the mention of the word 'sieve' but I must warn you that if you don't sieve this mixture - which takes seconds - you won't distribute the bicarbonate of soda evenly and nothing tastes worse than a mouthful of baking soda!is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.