Cupcakes for One?

So I Googled "Cupcakes for 1" and kept finding answers on the Yahoo boards telling people to just bake a dozen, eat one and freeze the rest.....


As my daughter isn't a big fan of chocolate, I had to find an alternative solution for the the bday party that she was going to today.....she asked her friend, what kind of cake they were going to serve at her party, of course it was a chocolate cake. So armed with her very own strawberry flavoured cupcake, my little girl set off for the party this afternoon. 


I found one very simple recipe that I altered slightly and discovered that it yielded 4 decent sized cupcakes or 6 smaller/shallower ones. I winged it with the frosting.....melting a tablespoon of butter and just randomly mixing in icing sugar until it reached the right consistency....then, I flavoured it with strawberry juice, which turned the frosting to pink. 


Quick and easy cupcakes:
• 65g butter, either soft of melted and cooled
• 1/4C castor sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2t vanilla
• 1C self rising flour


1. Mix butter, sugar and egg. 
2. Mix in the vanilla.
3. Stir in the flour.
4. Spoon into a cupcake pan, lined with cupcake liners.
5. Bake for 12-15 mins at 180C.
6. Cool and frost


Tip: This is also an easy base for morning muffins, decrease the sugar depending on the mix-ins (ie: Fruit, chocolate).

Palicinka or simple crepe recipe

My daughter started asking for palicinka/crepes ever since we went for a playdate with our kindy friends. This is a really convenient batter to make and keep in the fridge overnight. Then, its easy to make up anytime, the following day.

• 1C milk (whole or low fat)

• 1 egg

• 1/2T melted butter

• 1t sugar

• 1/4t salt

• 1/2C flour (white or white/wholemeal mix)

1. Pour milk into a bowl, mix in egg, melted butter, sugar, salt then gently stir in the flour.

2. Cover with gladwrap and rest in the fridge. Over time, if there are lumps of flour, they will get saturated with the liquid. Also, its best to let the gluten rest, but it will still work, if don't have the time to rest the batter. 

3. Heat up a non-stick pan, pour in 1/4 (or less) of batter as you tilt the pan, as you coat a thin layer in the pan. When lightly brown on the underside, flip to cook the other side.

4. Cook up and stack these puppies.

5. Serve them us as you go or bring to the table and let your guests fill their own crepes.

Tip: If they are to be consumed with sweet fillings, I recommend adding a teaspoon of vanilla to the batter. My daughter loves these with simple fillings like: icing sugar and lemon juice or cinnamon ricotta cheese with honey. I love them with jam or nutella. My husband loves them with any kind of cheese and salami/ham. 

The moderation part comes to play as they can be cooked up and left in the fridge....a quick snack whenever you want some. Also, its easier to mix up compared to other recipes that call for 3-4 eggs.

Delicious Oatmeal Nibblies...

Moderation Mama's Delicious Oatmeal Nibblies...these little yummy, nibblies are a bit like Anzac biscuits but with a kick!  With this simple recipe you can make 20 regular sized cookies or 30 bit-sized nibblies. 

• 3T Butter / 43 grams Butter

• 1T Golden Syrup or Molassas

• 1/3 cup Brown Sugar

• 1T milk

• 1/2 cup wheat flour

• 1/2 cup rolled oats

• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut

• 1/4t salt

• 1/2t baking soda

• 1t vanilla

• 1/2t fresh ginger juice or cinnamon or ground ginger

1. Combine the butter, golden syrup/molassas in a bowl set over hot water.

2. Meanwhile, in a separate medium sized bowl, mix the oats, coconut, flour, brown sugar, salt, baking soda. Stir together well.

3. Once the butter is melted and mixed well with the golden syrup/molassas, stir in the milk, then pour into the dry mixture.

4. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together, then mix in either the ginger juice or cinnamon or ground ginger. NOT all, just one of the spices....

5. Take a tablespoon or teaspoon (depending on the size of cookie you prefer) squeeze together in your hand and form into a small pattie. Place on parchment paper. Bake for 10 or until brown at 180°C.

6. They will be fragile when they come out of the oven but will harden up after 20-30 seconds....then slide off on to a wire rack and cool.

Tip: Sandwich 2 biscuits with vanilla ice cream, freeze them and enjoy also!

Pancakes for One!

Every pancake recipe I've found yields enough batter to make enough for a small village, ok maybe that's a gross overstatement, enough for a family of 4 but what do you do when only 1 person wants pancakes?!?!

I find myself making these for my daughter in the morning. Then, if there are leftovers I find them disappearing, one by one as the day progresses.....remember, moderation, moderation, moderation....

• 1C milk (full cream is best but low fat can be used)

• 1T lemon juice or white vinegar

• 1 egg

• 1T Caster Sugar

• 1 1/4C Self Rising Flour

• 1/4t Baking Soda

• 1T melted Butter

1. Measure out the milk, mix in lemon juice or vinegar, let it curdle a bit (a couple of minutes) .  Mix in the whole egg.

2. In a bowl, measure out and mix up the SR flour, sugar and baking soda.

3. Pour in the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stir lightly, then mix in the melted butter.

4. Heat up a non-stick pan. Drop in spoonfuls of the batter. Cook until bubbles appear, then flip and cook the other side. 

5. Enjoy....

Tip: Mix in or top with fruit OR have them for dinner for a change. My grandparents used to do this with sides of bacon or sausages! 

Why "Moderation"?

moderation   1. the state or an instance of being moderate; mildness; balance 2. the act of moderating 3. in moderation  within moderate or reasonable limits This isn't anything new. You see it on tv, in the magazines, the internet how moderation is the key to maintaining your weight, your bank account, your lifestyle and your sanity. My biggest gripe, when I peruse through the internet for new recipes is that they make too much food. Sometimes, I only feel like making something little for myself, my daughter or just our small family (there are 3 of us....) I find that most recipes cater to groups of 4 or more. Its not healthy for our waistlines or our pocketbooks.....I don't want to call myself frugal but find that we need to be smart about how we make our food. In this blog, I hope to share recipes that are easier to work with, use lesser amounts of ingredients and yield more realistic amounts of food.....