Apple & Carrot Juice + 16 Juice and Smoothie Recipes

A long long time ago a young 26 year old wished for a juicer for her birthday. Her desire for such a kitchen appliance came from the thought that store bought apple juice had too much added sugar. Her wish was granted and she was gifted a juicer.

The first juice she made was apple juice. She soon realised that apple juice needed no added sugar as it was super super sweet and needed to be diluted with water.

After that the juicer lived on a shelf, forgotten, and eventually covered in dust. 

Fast forward to present day and with a new slow juicer sitting on her counter 24/7 juicing has become away to drink more then water. See I don't like squash nor do I drink much soda so to add something besides water I am experimenting with freshly squeezed juice and smoothies.

That's right the girl in the story is me! As if you didn't know..... Anyhow here are couple of juice recipes I have made recently. I have also included several juices and smoothies from other bloggers that I just have to try out soon!

Apple & Carrot Juice: 

4 large carrots
2 apple
1 lime
1 small piece of ginger about an inch
1/4 cucumber

- Chop the vegetables and fruit into chunks that fit your juicers chute before juicing them. Then pour into your favorite class with a few ice cubes!

Pineapple Fizz 

1 small pineapple
sparkling water

- Cut the pineapple length wise and juice. Pour into your favorite glass with a few ice cubes and top up with sparkling water.

I love carrot juice and I was very pleased with the Apple & Carrot Juice the lime and ginger counter acts the sweetness of the carrots and apples with a sharp twist. Pineapple Fizz is the simplest juice ever! Pineapple juice plus sparkling water and done. I found it refreshing and light. Definitely recommend it as a mocktail for the upcoming spring and summer seasons!

I am always looking for excuses to use my juicer and here are some great recipes from fellow bloggers!

The Petite Cook - Vegan Apple Pie Smoothie & Carrot Berry Smoothie & Wonderland Smoothie (pictured below)

From Plate to Pen - Simple Banana Smoothie with Ginger

Made with Pink - Ultimate Healthy Green Mojito Smoothie

Fab Food - 5-a-Day Fruit Smoothie 

Foodie Quine - Strawberry, Blackcurrant & Coconut Water Smoothie, (pictured below) Sparkling Mojito Cocktail Juice, Purple Power Juice - Blackberries, Plums, Beetroot, Apples & Fig, Caipirinha Mocktail Juice

Baking Queen 74 - Blackcurrent and Blueberry Smoothie 

Tin and Thyme - Cucumber and Celery Smoothie (pictured below) & Berry and Rose Kefir Smoothie

Kavey Eats - 3 Ingredient Smoothie | Banana, Matcha & Prune & Golden Banana, Turmeric & Maple Syrup Smoothie (pictured below) 

*images are owned by the respective bloggers listed and linked above 

Homemade Roasted Peanut Butter & book review

The Ginger & White cookbook was published earlier this year it shares the recipes from a beloved coffee shop(s) in London.

It stresses the importance of good coffee not the milky nothing coffees in chain cafés. In fact it’s the first thing the authors and owners (Tonia George, Emma Scott, & Nicholas Scott) show you how to do before they even get to the amazing recipes in this book.

I am always looking for a good cup of coffee. It’s not just about the coffee though they cover everything you’d expect from a café. Breakfast & Brunch, Lunch, Sarnies, Baking, and Pantry bits & bobs.

Normally I would head straight to the baking section of any cookbook and I’m not going to lie it’s where I first looked. They have delicious looking scones, cakes (a few gluten-free), and loaf cakes, but it was the Sarnie section that I was drawn too!

With recipes for Goats’ curd & baby spinach on white stick with red onion marmalade, Pulled ham hock on potato soudough with roasted mustardy shallots, and Salt beef on sourdough with cucumber pickles & mustard mayo where else would you want to go to lunch? Heck these sandwiches would be good any time of the day!

Still to me the best sandwich in the world is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It’s the American child in me. So, when I saw they had a recipe for homemade Roasted Peanut Butter I knew I was in love.

I whizzed it up and enjoyed my childhood favorite with an adult twist. My friends’ grandmother makes all sorts of jams and she gave me a homemade apple plum jam that I used to make this sandwich!

Roasted Peanut Butter
from The Ginger & White Cookbook

500g unsalted peanuts, with skin

1 tsp sea salt

175ml groundnut oil

1 tbsp clear honey

1 tbsp demerara sugar

Preheat the oven to 180C/160Cfan/gas4. Take two glass jars straight out of the dishwasher and place them in the oven to dry while you roast your peanuts so they will be sterilized when you’re done making the peanut butter.

Place the peanuts in a large roasting tin and roast until golden, 35-45 minutes. Move them around about half way to insure even browning. The skin will peel off to revel a nice tan color underneath. Once they are a nice bronze color (plus the smell fills the kitchen) they are ready.

Place the peanuts, still in their skins, to a food processor or blender with the rest of the ingredients and blend until combined and a consistency you are happy with.

If it feels too thick add a little bit more oil, you want it to be paste like. You can add more honey or sugar to taste. Transfer it to your sterilized jars, seal tightly, and label with the date! Or spread some on toast right away and enjoy!!

notes: The Ginger & White cookbook was provided for my review. All opinions are my own for further information please my contact/policy page. This post was written for day 11 of Blog Every Day in May blogging challenge the topic was British Sandwich Week. #BEDM 

Homemade Double Deckers!!

“To get something you never had, you have to do something you’ve never done.” ~ unknown 

I had never had a homemade Double Decker before.  Nor have I had homemade nougat before…

… until now. 

All because I did something I’ve never done before! 

I made nougat.

I used to think it wasn’t possible to make things at home taste as good as bought goods. I’ve learnt through experimenting that I can recreate things in the kitchen, which taste just as good or better then store bought!

When food and treats are made at home, you can control what goes into them. So many things today have additives that aren’t needed!

Homemade treats always make a great gift as well.

For all these reasons and more I will always prefer homemade food and treats to anything you can buy pre-packaged!

I’ve worked with Good to Know Recipes in the past and when they recently contacted me about creating a homemade treat for them to share on their site, I said yes!

I’m all about sharing with everyone my love of making homemade goodness!!

Nougat is pretty simple to make, but it will need attention. Generally when making homemade candy and sweets you should keep children away, the hot sugar can give serious burns. I burnt myself when I made fudge for the first time. It was not pretty!

I’m going to share first how I made them, and then I’m going to add in how I will do it differently next time. I learned a few things with my first attempt! So, here is how I made Homemade Double Deckers -

What you’ll need:

1x2lb loaf tin

1x1lb loaf tin

greaseproof paper

wooden spoon

sugar thermometer

stand or hand mixture

Chocolate Base:

450g milk chocolate, broken up

150g rice pops (rice krispies)

Line a 2lb & 1lb loaf tin (see my notes on how I would change things) with greaseproof paper. Melt the chocolate using you’re preferred method, let it cool slightly before mixing with the rice pops. Once completely coated fill each tin about half way with the chocolate coated cereal. Set in the fridge.

for the nougat:

560g granulated sugar

75ml (5 tbsp) of water

500g glucose syrup

2 egg whites, at room temperature

1 tsp of honey

½ tsp of vanilla

In a large saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the water and glucose syrup, over a medium-high heat. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon except when you need to brush down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in warm water to keep it sticking to the sides.

Once dissolved put the sugar thermometer into the saucepan and put the heat on high until the mixture boils. Then bring it back down a little to medium/high, do not stir it or cover it!

When it reaches 120C/248F place the egg whites in a very clean and dry bowl of a stand mixer and whisk the egg whites until firm peaks form.

When the sugar mixture reaches 150C/302F immediately remove the pan from the heat, wear oven gloves and be careful. With the stand mixer on a medium speed pour the sugar syrup into the egg whites in a steady stream; don’t allow it to pour down the side of the bowl or on the whisk.Once it’s completely incorporated beat for another 3 minutes or until thick and glossy. Take out the loaf tins from the fridge while it's beating.

Working quickly, stir in the honey and vanilla with a wooden spoon. Then pour on top of the cold set chocolate cereal base. You shouldn’t have to smooth it, but if you do use the back of a spoon dipped in hot water. It will melt the chocolate base a little, but once it’s in the tin just stick it back in the fridge for a little while. I waited over night to finish them, but I would give them at least a half hour or more to reset the chocolate base.

To finish:

350g milk chocolate

Melt the chocolate using you’re preferred method then once the nougat and chocolate base are cool spread over the top of each ‘loaf’. Once it’s set use a sharp knife to cut into bars. You could dip the knife into hot water to try to make it easier, but it will just melt the chocolate. Then enjoy!

Here is what I would do differently next time:

First I would have used 3 1lb loaf tins instead of the 2lb loaf tin at all. Or even another size cake tin. The loaf tin just makes it easy to cut into bars. (see picture below)

-You can split the chocolate base in half, but the amount of nougat would be difficult to split. So, you could make 2 loaf tins of double deckers and use the left over nougat for nougat and spread that in a lined and greased tin. Or use rice paper if you have some to lay on the bottom and top of your nougat. 

The second thing I might do differently is to make the nougat first. When I poured it on top of the chocolate cereal base it started to melt the chocolate and I had to set it again in the fridge. Which is fine as it did set, but it might have been easier to make the nougat and then before completely set, stuck the chocolate base on top. However it might not have stuck together that way? I won’t know unless I try it!

Third I might have cut the bars first before covering with chocolate. That way all the sides would be covered with chocolate as well and may have helped keep the nougat from drooping over the sides. If you decide to do this realize you may need a bit more chocolate. The nougat does have a mind of it’s own and if sat too long will start to move.

Warning: The nougat is super chewy and yummy! So, just take care when cutting it and biting it! I just don’t want to feel responsible for anyone losing teeth or a finger!! 

notes: I made this for Good to Know Recipes Homemade Campaign. The nougat recipe was adapted from The Vintage Sweets book by Angel Adoree. Homemade treats are wonderful, but not always cheaper. I bought 2 bars of Sainsbury's Fairtrade Smooth Milk Chocolate 400g each at 2.50 a bar. 

The Sweeter Side of Life {The Vintage Sweets Book review}

I have always enjoyed the sweeter side of life. However I haven’t always realized how easy it was to make sweets (candy) at home.

Angel Adoree has recently published her 3^rd book The Vintage Sweet Book; it has everything you never needed to make your favorite childhood sweets at home.

The book is broken down into 3 sections.

Sweet Beginnings has the basics you need to make sweets and some of the easier things to make. Such as Sugared mice, Fruit jellies, and Jazzies.

Softball, frimball & hardball sweets will take a bit more work, but definitely worth the effort. With sweets like Marshmallows, Liquorices, and Wine gums.

Soft-crack & hard-crack sweets these types of sweets require you to get the sugar very hot, so do take care, but once you have mastered it you can make sweets like Rhubarb & custards, Cola Cubes, and Sherbet dip lollipops.

In between all the sweet recipes there are fun cocktails and craft projects that include how to make tags and gift boxes for the sweets!

I may not have grown up with the same sweets, but I have tried and fallen in love with most of them since I've arrived here!

I can’t wait to try making some of these for presents. I am starting with the Rum & raisin fudge for a Christmas fete. I will be making it tonight or tomorrow morning and will be sure to share with you how it turns out.

Then who knows what I’ll try next… the possibilities are endless. Plus once you get the basics down, you can create your own flavors of sweets!

This book is perfect for anyone who adores sweets, a vintage style, or making things at home! It comes in two sizes; the smaller version would be a great stocking stuffer! 

20.2 x 15.6 x 2cm

notes: The Vintage Sweets Book by Angel Adoree is available now and was given to me to review because I asked if I could have the privilege. I have Angel Adoree’s other books and love them! See my reviews for them here and here. 

Homemade Strawberry Jam with Janet

One of the things I look forward to every June is going to Spencer Farm and pick strawberries. 

The kids love berry picking! Every year I have high hopes that we pick enough to make jam. 

But year after year the delicious berries are eaten up before I can I hide some away! 

Until this year! We picked 28lbs of strawberries! So, my oldest mini baker helped me make our very first batch of jam. It turned out beautifully!!

You can find the recipe I used at H Family Happenings, where I guest post, last Friday, my strawberry picking experience for her Flaunt my Friend Friday! 

It is very satisfying to eat the jam we made from the berries we picked. Next year maybe I can even grow my own....hmmmmmm....;0) ~ Janet 

almost empty jar

Update: June 2014

Homemade Strawberry Jam

I was lucky again this year to get enough strawberries to make the jam again! The jam, like the strawberries won't last that long, it's that good! ~ Janet 

made just for me {a valentines post}

I have mixed feelings about Valentine’s Day. Similar to the ones I have about Christmas. See, I love the idea of a day that celebrates love. However I feel some people really miss the point! It’s not about having a boy/girl friend or husband/wife it’s about having people in your life that you love and showing that to them!

In saying that I would love someone to show me how much they love me by making me one of these cakes, torte, or tart (pop tart)! 

Chocolate-Raspberry Bavarian Torte from Heather Baird @Sprinkle Bakes

photo from Sprinkle Bakes used with permission
from Heather Ba

I have been eyeing this torte since Heather’s posted it last August! It’s one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. If someone took the time and effort to make me this I would definitely know that they loved me!!

Chocolate Cherry Pop Tarts from Stella Parks @Brave Tart

photo from Brave Tart with permission from
photographer Stephen "Rosco" Weber

I've been in love with Stella’s blog ever since stumbling upon her Soft Batch Cookies. Being an American ExPat I sometimes have a longing for snacks from my childhood. Unfortunately if I do get my hands on something they are never as good as I remember. Maybe it’s my mature taste buds? Who knows? I do know that if I had these homemade pop tarts made for me I would be that person’s best friend for life!

Trifle Sponge Cake from The Caked Crusader @The Cake Crusader

photo from The Caked Crusader used with permission
from The Caked Crusader herself!

I don’t remember ever having trifle growing up. I do remember one of the Thanksgiving episodes of Friends when Rachel makes a trifle and layers sweet with savory. However to me trifles are a very British thing. A very British thing that I have been more then happy to accept with open arm! Or should I say open mouth? (insert awkward pause) Anyhow, when I saw this post I thought to myself “The Caked Crusader is some sort of evil genius.” Then I was like well, maybe not evil, but definitely a genius. It doesn't take a genius to get to my heart; but someone who makes this Trifle Sponge Cake might have a chance. 

Heaven and Hell Cake (Stephen Pyle’s) from Melissa Gray All Cakes Considered

picture of my book

A cake that promises you heaven and hell must be like the best cake ever! Alternating layers of Angel Food Cake and Devil’s Food cake with peanut butter mousse between each layer. This cake is aptly named! Whoever makes this cake must have a little angel and a little devil on each shoulder!

Cherry Vanilla Tuxedo Cake from Kristan @Confessions of a Cookbook Queen:

I’m not so sure about “cookbook” queen but Kristan is definitely a Queen of delicious, indulgent, and adorable sweet treats! Out of all the amazing desserts Kirstan has posted over the years, this is the one cake I can’t get out of my mind! Such a simple yet elegant cake! I would easily fall in love with someone who gave me this cake!! 

notes: Here's hoping my husband reads my blog! :0) Or any of my friends, local friends that is. I'm sure my sister would make one of these for me, but it would never get through customs, if of course it actually made it through the mail/post! Will probably resort to making them myself one day! All photos are used with permission from stated blog! Happy Valentine's Day!!

Homemade Laundry Soap by Janet!!

I found the recipe for this homemade laundry soap here!

I found everything at WalMart. Here is what I used:

1 (4lbs, 12oz) box of Borax

2 (2lbs) boxes of Arm & Hammmer
Baking Soda. There is a larger 4lb box, it just wasn't available when I looked.

1 (3lbs, 7oz) box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda

3 bars Fels Naptha or Pink Zote laundry bars

3 (1lb, 3 oz) containers of OxyClean. You want around 3lbs of some oxy cleaner for stains and such, but it's optional. I used even more because we're hard on clothes. Also, I would have gotten the store brand to save $, but they were out.

1 (13.2 oz) container Downy Unstoppables for fragrance.

I put a trash bag in my roasting pan, grated the Fels Naptha on our cheese grater, and combined all ingredients using a wooden spoon. Then, I poured it into a 1 gallon glass container. I used a scoop from the OxyClean container for my laundry soap. I used 1 Tbsp per load.

My total cost was $31. But without the OxyClean and Downy, it would be around $12. This batch, for me, should last around 6 months.

I have a HE washer and it worked great! Better even than the Target brand liquid I was buying, and it smells great!
 ~ Janet

grated Fels Naptha

Addition of the Downy Unstoppables

Finished and Ready to Use!!

Please note this is not for consumption!! I know my blog is usually full of baked goods, but this is right up my alley as I'm always looking for ways to save money with homemade stuff!! I haven't done my research but I plan to look for all ingredients or suitable subsitutes here in the UK and will update you!! Thank you Janet for sharing!! x Lisa