POTATO BAKE MIX

Judy herewith some info re potato bake mix - it is a ready made mix to which milk is added.

Hope this will give you some idea of what it is.  

If no ready mixes is available, the following recipe is an alternative to the mix:

1 packet of French onion soup mix / Mushroom soup mix / Chicken soup mix
1 500ml jar of thickened cream
1 cup of grated cheese
2 tablespoons of milk

Below websites re potato bake mixes:

http://www.schwartz.co.uk/productdetail.cfm?ID=10486

Cheese & Chive Potato Bake Available in Description A classic potato bake dish with Cheddar cheese and delicate chives in a creamy sauce.  Select fresh baking potatoes for the best results. Ingredients Pack contents 35g Thickener (Modified Maize Starch), Wheat Flour, Skimmed Milk Powder, Yeast Extract, Salt, Onion Powder, Yeast Extract, Cheddar Cheese Powder (5%), Cream Powder (4%), Cheese Blend (Cheese Powder, Whey Powder, Yeast Extract, Maltodextrin, Flavourings, Lactic Acid, Lactose), Maltodextrin, Chives (2%), Whey Powder, Colour (Beta-carotene). Allergen Advice:        Contains: Milk, Wheat SUITABLE FOR VEGETARIANS Usage Cheese & Chive Potato Bake 1 packet Schwartz Mix for Cheese & Chive Potato Bake 600ml (1 pint) milk 900g (2lb) potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced 100g (4oz) Cheddar cheese, grated 1.  Pre-heat the oven to 180C, 350F, Gas Mark 4. 2.  Blend the packet contents with the milk and bring to the boil, stirring continuously. 3.  Simmer for 1-2 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. 4.  Layer the potatoes in an ovenproof dish and pour over the sauce.  Top with grated cheese and bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until the potatoes are cooked through. ROYCO http://www.mealinspiration.co.za/products/product.asp?group=1&category=4 Add a Mediterranean touch to your potato dish with this bake. Modified Starch, Creamer [Corn Syrup, Vegetable Fat, Casein (Milk), Stabiliser, Emulsifier, Colourants, Free-Flowing Agents], Flavourants (Soya, Gluten), Cream (Milk), Salt, Monosodium Glutamate, Stabiliser, Garlic, Thickener, Maltodextrin, Vegetable Oil, Cheese (Milk), Spice, Parsley, Flavour Enhancer, Colourants.   TYPICAL  VALUES PER 100g (DRY PRODUCT) PER 10g SERVING ENERGY 1609 Kj 161 Kj PROTEIN 2.4 g 0.2 g CARBOHYDRATE 57 g 5.7 g TOTAL FIBRE 0.5 g 0.05 g SODIUM 4876 mg 488 mg FAT 18 g 1.8 g TRANS FATTY ACIDS 0 g 0 g SATURATED FATS 0 g 0 g    Servings per pack:4

Values per 100g/100ml Energy: 351.0 KCal Protein: 19.5 g Carbohydrates: 49.9 g of which sugars: 14.0 g Fat: 8.1 g of which saturates: 5.1 g Fibre: 5.3 g Sodium: 3.5 g

AFTER THE RAINS; POTATO BAKE BUNS AND CINAMON FOR HIGH CHOLESTEROL

The monkeys and their babies came to visit us at our home at the feeding tables.  The little turtle now comes every day and loves pawpaw and bananas. 

The photos below was taken in the game reserve - isn't it beautiful after the rains? Look at the beautiful little baby impalas - this is especially for my daughter in the UK, she loves the baby Impalas.

My blog heading is quite a mixture of different topics but just had to share all of this with you.

After the problems experienced with my cholesterol tablets found this very interesting facts re cinnamon for high cholesterol levels.  It was found that the following mixture drinked as a tea can actually decrease cholesterol levels within a short time after taken : 

- 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 3 tablespoons of honey mixed with hot water.

On further investigation found that there is actually now natural products on the market made from cinnamon extract.  

I have decided to test these as the cholesterol tablets with statin does not agree with me.  Will inform you of results when I next have my cholesterol levels tested.

Back to baking and sorry again a bread recipe - we all love bread as a starter before a "braai"(barbeque) or other meals.  I was given this recipe the other day and it is delicious (not actually for my diet with the cholesterol problems, but defnitely for all others to enjoy.

500g white bread dough (made with yeast)

1 packet Potota bake mix (in South Africa we have Royco and Knorr, in UK I saw that Schwartz makes a Pototo bake mix, not sure of USA product)

250 ml cream (or for lower fat purposes Low fat Milk)

250 ml grated cheese (cheddar or any other cheese to liking)

After first rise of dough form into small balls and place next to each other in a baking dish or pan which is quite deep - height of a bread pan.

Leave in pan to double in size.

Mix pototo bake mix with cream. 

Pour mix over dough balls.

Cover with grated cheese and bake in an oven at 180 degrees celcius (356 degrees fahrenheit) for about 20 - 25 minutes until nice and brown.

Enjoy!!

BACK IN ACTION

Hi, I just wanted to let you know that I have not disappeared.  With the festive season and holidays ahead I have been very busy at work and finalising some audits as previously mentioned for my ex-boss.  Also have experienced some health problems as I was diagnosed with high cholesterol levels and the medication has caused some other side effects which drained all my extra energy.  

My husband and I are currently again in Marloth Park at our holiday home and although I have some accounting work to finish I will hopefully have some time in this week coming to blog again.

Must say I have missed the blogging.

We will be at our holiday home till the 17th December, then a week of work and then I will be flying to England to visit my daughter "Mrs Linen Cupboard" - I am really looking forward to the visit. Weatherwise it is going to be a big change as they are experiencing extreme cold weather and at our holiday home again we have very high temperatures ranging from 34 to 42 degrees celcius. 

Luckilly we have had very good rains in the past few weeks and everything is back to the beautiful green of summer time.  All the Impala buck babies have arrived, beautiful small bouncy babies, will take some photos and post on the blog - incredible how they can keep the babies from being born when in drought times.  Usually the babies arrive during October/November annually, now most of them only arrived during December and still a few pregnant Impalas around. 

Have a lovely evening and a blessed week.

RATATOUILLE BIRTHDAY CAKE FINAL

What a terrible week - my laptop did not want to start on Monday and had to send it in for repairs -only received it back on Friday afternoon.  Suddenly you can nothing - can you believe how computers have taken over our lifes?

At last I am able to blog again - will only be a short blog today as I unfortunately will have to work full out this weekend as I have not been able to process any work during the week without a computer.  

Re the birthday cake - I made all the little decorations for the birthday cake beforehand and on Friday afternoon we went to my daughter and son-in-law's game farm for the weekend for the birthday party for my granddaughter.  I had instructions from my little angel to please decorate the cake at the farm as she wanted to help me.  On arriving at the farm she immediately wanted

 to start on the cake, but after a while trying to convince her that Saturday will be better she came up with a plan............."I have a plan, the cake Saturday but then I want my birthday present tonight".  Naturally granny decided it was a good plan.

Saturday morning we went for a walk and then seriously started with the decorating of the cake.

I had to bake two cakes, one for the party for the family on Sunday and one for the party at the nursery school.  The best option was to make a dummy cake for the top layer with the main decorations on it.  The decorations for the bottom layers was easier to make and thus in double quantity.  When the cake had to be cut on Sunday the top layer was removed and again used on the cake for Monday.

The start of Ratatouille - my husband and other children at this stage was joking that it looks like a dragon or ET - much to the disgust of my granddaughter. 

Ratatouille was made from pastillage.  I found making the body seperate from the head easier.  I formed the body, inserted a wooden skewer for support and long enough to be inserted into the head for attachment to the body.  The arms was then attached and I used a plastic straw to keep the one arm away from the body as to be able to insert the wooden spoon on finalisation.

Somehow I could not upload more photos now - will try later on again - will then show more photos of the other decorations in making.

The wooden spoon, rolling pin, miniature cupcakes, gingerbread men etc were all made from pastillage or gum paste.

Herewith the finished cake - which was done with the help of little Alicia:

I will try again later and will add photos of the birthday party and the smaller decorations.

Have a lovely blessed weekend.