The good the bad and the ugly...

I found this guide to be very thorough... If you are considering buying a cup and are wondering which one? http://menstrualcups.wordpress.com/2008/06/11/my-comparisons-and-ratings/

Moon Cup USA/ Keeper

There is some animosity in the MC world regarding the Moon Cup USA, made by Keeper. It's too close in name to the Mooncup UK and they are both silicone and apparently people have been ordering on eBay what they think is a UK and its a USA. The big differences are that the Moon Cup by Keeper (silicone Keeper- is the nickname I will mostly refer to it as to avoid confusion) is smooth and not vegan friendly. Being smooth makes it easier to clean but harder to remove. The MCUK is matt, vegan and the stem is better. To be honest I was confused... I thought I had the UK and gave the USA to my sister, but it was the opposite way around. Some very observant people may have noticed the “switch-a-roo” recently. However if you and a few friends want a Keeper or a Moon Cup USA pop on over to http://www.keeper.com they have a “3 for the price of 2” deal going, there does not seem to be an expiration date... This deal is not available on their Moon Cup website. I got a little confused till I read the URL, I thought it might have been a hoax.

It's better than a tampon, it worked for me as a “first time” cup and was my prefered cup for night time. A little difficult to remove due to the wide rim. It’s not a cup I would recommend for teenagers, you might hate cups forever if this was your first. For sexually active women over 25 or who have had babies, the ridge might not be such a problem.  It never fails to pop open, its always the one fold and the one position. But it holds less liquid, and the rigid rim means it is less “cramp friendly” than its competitors. What I mean by that is for my experience, (and other bloggers have found this too) on a crazy heavy day I will always have some “crampidge” when I was a tampon user, sometimes I would find if I used a pad on a non- ridiculous day the cramps would go, and on a ridiculous day, the tampons would make the cramps worse.

Removal and reinsertion can be difficult while you are learning, so its beneficial to have a cup that allows you to go optimally over 8 hours, as the learning curve can be frustrating, oh but completely worth it so keep trying. Once it is in there is not much difference in the feel of a large cup to a small cup. So why put yourself through that more than you need to?

What I did not realise in the first few months is that removal is a technique too. Breaking the seal and walking it out works but folding it back into a C fold makes it come out “more agreeably, but yes it is a little messier”. This takes practise.

JuJu

I totally recommend it to ladies who have a heavier flow and a fairly tight schedule though it has a slightly higher learning curve than other models. Some of my friends have a smaller cup that they change 2x/day in the shower. I obviously have a heavier flow, so that did not work for me with the Silicone Keeper, but it works very effectively with the JuJu. While other silicone cups open for me perfectly every time, the JuJu seems to change, one time its the 7 fold with this position and the next time it wants a C fold in that position (on the 3^rd go)... since writing the above, I have found the c fold in the squat position to be the most effective on a regular basis.

Getting a (larger) JuJu out when you are a rookie; did a kid at school ever sting you with a rubber-band wasp? Yep... I rest my case. You definitely do not walk this baby out and it is most suited to heavy days which I have found that I am more “open”. Being a smooth silicone, with less defined ridges, its harder to grip when removing than the Moon Cup USA is and it did ruin my manicure. Yes it is still my favourite, after reading what I have written you can be forgiven for wondering why? Maybe it's the pretty purple bag it came in. But mostly its because I can leave it in for longer on a heavy day, going to work and not having to worry about leakage... There is also the feel of quality about the JuJu that is better than the silicone Keeper and MeLuna. The JuJu is seamless and appears to be made of very good quality silicone, and does not stain as much as the silicone keeper.

Ruby

Ok I have a new favourite cup and it is the Ruby. She arrived today, I was working on my assignments and Honey came in with a pink parcel. To be honest I thought at 3pm that I had missed out again today, but it came with the regular post. I swear its not the pink envelope or the pink ribbon on the bag, or the fact that its named after my favourite gem...

Ruby is comfortable to insert even on a dry run day... I could not resist and I am glad I tried. The Ruby cup is also a dream to remove... the ridges are not quite as pronounced as the MeLuna ones but they give pretty good grip- much better than what I am used to with the JuJu and silicone keeper. The stem is nicer and has better grip, and the quality of the silicone appears to be right up there with the JuJu.

The best of all my cups and combined (quality silicone, good grippers, easy to insert and remove, feels comfy)... with the social justice. We have a winner. I can totally recommend this cup for a first time user or an MC addict. What's more, over half the women in the world who own a Ruby cup used a Ruby Cup for the first time and its the only one they have. The Ruby cup is an Outstanding cup in my grading system, and I would absolutely recommend it for a first time user.

I am not going to lie, its expensive, however not the most expensive cup I own. Two Ruby cups on special in a sister deal was 80 AUD by the time I paid for postage and pay-pal fees... On the flip side, I no longer waste $90+ every year on sanitary products either- so even though I went with quality, I'm still winning. In the end you need to decide what is best for you, your pocket, and your body.

JUDIE

Toiletries in your pantry

Honey read out to me a few nights ago about a lady in the US who lives on food stamps... apparently they do not cover toiletries (which is about as sensible as the Australian govt adding GST to some of the hygiene products it does) and it is causing her all sorts of problems such as sending kids to school clean. I cannot stop thinking about her. So I thought I would test some alternative soaps from the kitchen.

I love a milk bath but not everyone has access to a bath or the time for one. When my baby nephew was at our place a few weeks ago, I bathed him in milky water every night. It kept his skin soft and if he swallowed any bath water it was not a big drama.

How could I take the milk-bath experience to the shower? I have a huge plastic movie cup that I filled half way with water and popped a teaspoon of milk powder into...VJ's bath had UHT milk added (about a cup full)... so either is fine.

I grabbed a washer and used it to put the milky solution over me and washed it off in the shower. Not quite as relaxing as a milk-bath but at least I didn't have Professor Snape hair afterward (as I always seem to get from having a bath).

Oat bath

There are 2 ways to do this... I used oat flour (which was rolled oats blended into a powder... yes left over from the sourdough recipe) added to warm water. You can also use oats put into a cloth bag and dunk like a tea bag into the bath water.

My skin felt “squeeky” in the water as opposed to “silky” in a milk-bath. However it was relaxing and I emerged feeling very clean (I had cleaned 2 bathrooms on a hot day and was covered in sweat beforehand).

I have not yet tried taking this to a shower but I assume I will try the flour in a large cup of water thing again.

JUDIE

Pastry

   3 weeks ago, I had a craving for apple pie, I searched the internet for a GF recipe for pastry and found one to try. It was disappointing. The pastry did not stay together and was rather holey on the top. It tasted ok but it was not the smooth texture I love in a pie.

The local foodworks sells a brand of apple pie that Honey and I both like... actually I loved it until I experimented and realised I liked the apple filling better from the pie I made (Which was made from raw apples not steamed) and I also realised that there is palm oil in it.

I decided to look for alternatives, while talking to my awesome cook friend Ebony... we realised that every GF thing she makes me is just her regular recipe with white wings GF flour substituted with the wheat flour. She has a secret family recipe that she shared with me. Maybe you are aware of a great recipe for pastry too but are unsure how to convert it... I backed off the water slightly so that the dough was not too sticky and added 1 tsp of xantham gum. It may be helpful to know that the recipe called for eggs which is also another good substitute for gluten in the GF flour... giving the dough elasticity.

The result... very yummy apple pie.

 This is where I found the apple filling recipe, I do not recommend the pastry however. The second time I made this my computer was playing up and I remembered the basic ingredients but had to guess at the ratios. It worked just fine.

But how does the EDC recipes for pastry compare to my BFFs Aunty Thel's biscuit pastry? Well tonight I found out. Its not easy to miss out on pies when you know what you are missing. Honey is fantastic about not “rubbing it in” that his digestive system is more cooperative than mine... but today he was hungry and while he was eating... I remembered how much I loved an O'Grady's pie back in the day.

So the mince I had taken out of the freezer yesterday with the intention of making bolognese was re-purposed and I made a GF pie with TM shortcrust pastry on the bottom, TM savoury mince in the middle, TM puff pastry on top and TM mushy peas on the side.

The idea was to take the recipe, use White Wings GF flour, xantham gum and back off the liquid just a bit. Well I forgot the Xanthum Gum in the shortcrust pastry. It was nice raw; held together in a ball quite well but very uncooperative for the rolling pin. I ended up pressing it into the pie plate and putting the mince on top. I will try this again another time with the gum.

I just chucked a bit here and there from the fridge... 400g mince, 1 onion (Chopped it first on speed 7 and cooked on varoma speed slow with a dash of oil) 1 medium red capsicum (wizzed speed 7 with cooked onions, cooked a further minute) a few chopped mushrooms, an MC of red wine, MC of water, stock pdr, vegemite and a very heaped tbs for corn flour. Cooked on Varoma temp for 15 minutes. While I rolled out the pastry.

Looking back I perhaps should have rolled the pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper. It would have saved the fold marks from appearing in the top. This one was much easier to roll but picking it up in one go was a challenge. Perhaps there is a trick to it. There was just enough left over to try making a vol au vent or 2. They turned out more like a savoury biscuit, but were nice enough but certainly not like ordinary puff pastry, more akin to a shortcrust.

The pie was very filling and very nice (we usually like a ¼ slice of quiche but a 1/5 slice is probably more do-able for the pie- unless you are fanging... really hungry). It held together better than I expected (esp considering that I was tired of waiting and did not give it standing time before cutting). I can also confirm that the pie was very lovely re-heated and cold the day after. I now dream of making small pies, popping them in the freezer and having them for lunches. I think next time, I would use cubed beef rather than minced beef for a more gourmet “feel” to the pie. For an evening meal pie, I would probably do a mashed potato lid next as there is rather a lot of butter in the pastry.

I had cooked the pie in the oven at 200c for 20 mins and backed it off to 180 for another 20 mins (as per puff pastry directions). While that was going, I cleaned my TM bowl and popped half a bag of baby peas into Thermie cooked it with a tsp of sugar, dash of salt and an MC or 2 (100-200mL) of water at varoma temp speed slow for 10 mins (MC firmly in place). I then checked it had enough water, popped it onto speed 4 and cooked it for another 5 minutes... the most delicious pie peas ever.

The next recipe I tried and used 40g of iced water

Puff Pastry

• 120g unsalted butter
• 80g lard (I used more butter)
• 250g cake flour (GF) and I tsp xanthum gum
• pinch sea salt
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 50g to 100g icy water

Make your pastry by chopping butter into into cubes. Place into the fridge on a plate or shallow bowl.

Place flour into TM bowl and press turbo button 2x to seive.

Place remaining pastry ingredients except water into Thermomix bowl and blend for 5 sec/speed 6. You should have a breadcrumb look.

Add water starting with 50g and add more if needed... and knead for 10-20 seconds until dough forms a rough mass. You should still be able to see small chunks of butter. Remove dough and roll out into a rectangle on floured surface.

Fold each end of the pastry over on top of itself in thirds.

Roll again and repeat this process 3-4 times.

There are a few more puff pastry recipes around I would love to try but they require a silicone mat (which are $40 to $60). So that will be not for a while.

Its funny I thought if I packed my TM away I would “never” use it (and was quite annoyed at Honey when he wanted it to be in its home more)...but since I have to pack it away each night... I'm using it more than ever. The more I use it; the more I love it. We lent our Kogan to a friend... maybe I can get him to write a blog or 2... I cannot say I would be lending my Thermomix any time soon though, I'm just not that generous.

Judie

Shopping Shopping....

Saving money is what all thermo-machines claim you can do if you buy it. In fact, my TM queen BFF saves as much money in a fortnight on groceries as it cost me to have the TM on a payment plan and have it paid off in under 1 year. In her case, she was saving heaps of money on school lunches which were also healthier and saving money buying things in bulk and making from scratch.

Until recently I missed the bulk part... I was going to the veggie department seeing tomatoes for $5/kg saying to myself “forget that” and walking a few metres to grab it in a can for about $1.50. The key here is to shop smart... I got that from Jamie Oliver...

Also canned tomatoes are not all that good for you, we have recently switched to bottled, and today I plan on making our own passata.

To make the pureed tomatoes you don't need the perfect ones... go to the local fruit and veggie store I absolutely love Capricorn Fruit Supplies the staff are friendly and helpful, they reward loyalty and you can get “cooking” and “juicing” fruits and veggies for cheaper. It is there that you can save money by pureeing and cooking the fresh tomatoes in your machine. I can't wait till our tomatoes start growing... I have plans for you.

I didn't get my tomatoes in bulk today but I ended up spending about the same amount of money for tomatoes as I spend on passata. The TM kind was thicker and I used up some red capsicum that was left over. It made one jars worth with a smidge left over that I will pop on my “risoni” with some cheese for lunch. It was very yummy. I used 1 kg tomatoes (Topped and tailed so our chooks have some food), 1 onion, 1 garlic clove, Italian herbs... pulverise speed 10 1 minute, cook varoma, speed soft 30 mins.

Juicing oranges were cheap so I'm also testing out the OJ.

 https://www.recipecommunity.com.au/recipes/orange-juice/31713

Ok its done, and its quite yummy. Honey and I do not generally drink soft-drink. When we go to friends places or have people over, we feel obligated to buy some... and then finish it when they are gone you know the cycle. I would feel totally comfortable serving this to my friends who come to visit. Now for the icing on the cake...

I have been experimenting with alternative spray and wipes. One I tried was with baking soda and a tiny bit of detergent, it worked but I will tweek it a little, but my main beef is that I was re-using a container that was broken so I squeezed the trigger and there was mess everywhere. Waste not want not... it sits by the sink and I use it to clean the dishes... and wait patiently for another spray bottle to re-purpose.

My vinegar and water combination needs tweeking too. I have read that citrus vinegar is better http://snapguide.com/guides/make-orange-peel-vinegar-cleaner/ and thought of “cheating” with some essential oil... but I am never in the right place with the right cash. Its funny the way life works because now I did not even have to take the scraps to the bin, I popped them in a glass jar filled it with vinegar and get to test yet another handy recipe.

For all our readers who want a thermo-machine but are still mulling over the details... I found this today and it might help.

http://cheatingwithbellini.wordpress.com/2013/03/03/thermocooker-comparison-chart/

Judie

Spaghetti Bolognese Ragu

Dairy free, Egg free, Gluten free Bolognase and Lasagne/Moussaka

I have not made Spaghetti sauce exactly the way the EDC book suggested I make it in the entire time I have owned a TM until yesterday. I learnt to make salsa (as my friend Gladdys calls it) when I lived in Sydney and I have never used a jar of dolmio since. Gladdys is an exceptional cook and she would make this with gnocchi (from scratch) to go with it. I am not been able to enjoy instant gnocchi now either... fortunately the TM also makes fantastic fresh gnocchi and it is easy... it was one of the first things I made with my sister's TM waaay before purchasing my own.

It used to take a lot of chopping to make the salsa but for the longest time I have chopped everything in the TM and transferred all ingredients to the slow cooker to finish off... it certainly saved my wrists, elbows and feet from RSI. Before TM; it was not uncommon to find a hair in the salsa which was completely embarrassing but it was a lot of stirring to get it right. My family forgave me because it was yummy.

The first time I tried cooking the salsa in the TM; I changed the recipe around, I just did not see how it would work “dumping it all in together”. It certainly was not cooked for long enough in my opinion; and when it came out of the TM, the sauce was very fine and I liked mine chunky.

It took two things to make me try it exactly the way it is in the recipe... hearing my family member tell me how easy and nice it was (but I didn't really trust her... her old method of making SB was browning mince and tossing in a can of heinz spaghetti) and much more-so reading a blog and recipe by Iron Chef Shelly here. Hey if it was good enough for an Iron chef it was good enough for me I decided.

MyCook instructions

1. Heat oil in jar. 120c, 1 minute, sauté. Set timer again for 5 mins, 120c, sauté Add onion, garlic, carrot, oregano and basil into jar in that order. In the last few minutes add celery

2. Add minced beef and pork, bay leaf, salt and nutmeg and cook for 8 mins, 120c, sp 1

3. Add remaining ingredients and cook 15 mins, 120c, sp 1, MB on, take it off for last 5 minutes to allow sauce to reduce

Serve on a bed of cooked pasta. For Carb/egg free use zoodles or Carrot spaghetti.
 

Other Thermo-machine instructions 
 
1. Place celery, carrot, onion, garlic, oregano and basil into mixing jug and chop 5 sec/speed 7.

2. Add oil, minced beef and pork (to rice basket add salt and pepper and drizzle over wine), bay leaf, and nutmeg and cook for 10 min/steam temp/ measuring cup on

3. Add remaining ingredients and cook 20 min/100 C/Speed 1

Serve on a bed of cooked pasta. For Carb/egg free use zoodles or Carrot spaghetti.

Pasta Dough

300g Gluten Free flour (100 of which can be milled brown rice)
1 tbs EVOO (olive oil)
3 eggs (have a spare)

Add all ingredients to jar.

Press the knead button (looks like a rolling pin on MyCook, wheat symbol on TM)... If you do not have a knead button mix sp 6 for 10 seconds, then sp 1, 1-2 mins

Knead till it looks like playdough. If it is not coming together properly add half an egg shell of water to the mix.

Roll flat and put through pasta roller or scroll it up into a sausage shape and cut into similar size circles with a knife. Un-roll... looks a little wonky but is delish.

I still prefer chunky salsa, but I love that I can add heaps of veggies and Honey does not notice. I have to admit however I love the finer salsa for making lasagne. There is also one other slight tweak I did... I used entirely Beef mince, changed the oregano to Italian herbs and left out the nutmeg... I just couldn't make myself do it. I also make it with all wine and no water now, never use tinned tomatoes always passata.
 
 

So this morning I rolled out some pasta and assembled the lasagne, it made 3 layers (I usually get two)... or if I am completely lazy I just dump the salsa in then some small pasta like spirals (par-cooked) and top with TM cheese sauce. The benefit of this is you can use a round bowl (and my MIL potted me a special one to use- but for this time; I had not made enough sauce for it and my rolling pin would not cope with making a pasta layer that wide).

I used the scraps to make spaghetti and kind of risoni (You cannot buy GF risoni- I usually just swap it for rice in recipes) and popped them in the fridge for tomorrow.

My first attempt at fresh lasagne was using a lentil bolognese recipe here I of course just popped it all in the TM to cook.As I had also made cabonara that day for dinner, the vego lasagne was popped into the fridge for lunches. I ate some cold for breakfast the next day and the most incredible thing of all was that the cold pasta was not rubbery, so Honey and I had some for lunch and he commented that he preferred the beef one but the lentil lasagne was not too bad. Breakfast this morning was the last slice, reheated and it was nice that way too. Therefore I have a new favourite pasta... yea!

Our beef Lasagne was very yummy, we finished off the whole thing in one go. For df lasagne use coconut milk and oil to make bechamel sauce, add nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavour when sauce is finished cooking. For egg free use finely sliced potatoes or eggplant instead of pasta for a delicious moussaka. 

JUDIE