Nayu's Recipes #4 Buckwheat Porridge Part 2

Buckwheat rules!! Picture source

As promised the other day in Nayu's Recipes Buckwheat Porridge Part 1 which explains why I am a new fan and how to prepare it, today I've got pictures of the soaked method. 

Tasty milk! Picture source.

When I measured out the buckwheat, I put 1.5x the amount of milk, as I wanted to some extra. I added a smidge of cinnamon, 

I use ground cinnamon, which comes from the cinnamon sticks. Picture source.

and my  beloved soft brown sugar! 

I love this pretty dish! Sadly not mine. Picture source.

I mixed the ingredients all together, and put it in the fridge overnight. 

In the morning I got out the tub,

Naturally it's a cute tub!

lifted the lid, 

Ooo, I spot cinnamon!

then tipped it into my bowl! I loved how the cinnamon and sugar infused both the buckwheat and the milk. I can be fussy with spices but the cinnamon wasn't overpowering. I did have it cold as I fancied it that way, but it'll be easy enough to heat in the microwave. 

Oh so tasty!

And there you have it, my version of soaked buckwheat! I'll let you know of any variations ^o^ Let me know if you try it, and if you've got any yummy cereal suggestions!

It so is! Making buckwheat porridge is baking related ^o^

Nayu's Craft Time #82 Busy with baking and sewing!

Sliced apples prep from yesterday

I'd honestly meant to post yesterday, but baking an apple cheesecake wore me out more than expected, so I skipped blogwork. I hope to do a post on that Sunday for you! It is super tasty, even with a recipe amendment which I hoped would work ^o^ 

We all have one of these, which is relevant to sewing for me

Today I've been busy sewing - still got to finish a present by Sunday night. I'm on target and should finish it tomorrow if I don't finish it tonight. Once it's been given on Tuesday I can show you what it is! It's fun to sew, and I'm looking forward to hearing the recipient's reaction: sadly because of a long day in hospital on Monday (for annual heart check, normally absolutely fine just annoying as I have to travel (which is tiring), and the hospital decided to move location so where I did know where everything was I now haven't got a clue. Sigh. Good old UCLH...) Er, yes, I can't give my present in person as I'll be home recuperating from Monday, and probably wired up to a heart monitor. Shame I can't note when I do craft and ask if it makes my heart beat slower (I have a naturally rapid heartrate which freaks everyone out!) 

Anyway, all I'm doing at the moment is sewing, so that's what I'll go and do next! Pulling out all the stops, which is fun but I do miss not doing crochet. Still, it's worth it! 

Using a lot of these at the moment! Picture source

Nayu's Recipes #4 Buckwheat Porridge Part 1

Breakfast time! Picture source.

I have been busy working on secret projects, and taking it easy as my body is throwing a strop over the weather. Today I'm going to talk about breakfast! 

I'm very much a routine kind of girl. Breakfast throughout the year, minus on family occasions when pudding is hanging about (in which case yes I'll have cheesecake for breakfast - mega yum! Or, something which my family find gross, I have cake with milk. Not milk in a glass, but milk in the bowl, with the cake. Delicious!), I mostly have cereal.

One of my favourite cereals

I like malted wheat thingies, the flat ones as well as the filled ones (current flavour is blueberry). 

Another yummy way to start the day

Note: this isn't a sponsered post in any shape or form. If I need a sugar boost, then Crunchy Nut was my choice, although I've learnt since buying it that if I add break up biscuits/cake into the plainer cereals, it tastes awesome. 

During winter, sometimes I like something warm rather than cold. I can heat up the milk before adding my malted wheats. I could eat porridge, but I ate it so much 1-2 years ago that I still can't really face it. Which is why how I came across Buckwheat Porridge. 

This is what buckwheat looks like (I think this is once it's cooked/soaked). Kind of like a slightly crunchy couscous. Picture source.

I've been looking into buckwheat for a while. I wanted to use it for cooking, but had got the whole buckwheat, rather than buckwheat flour. Buckwheat is highly nutrious and is actually gluten free, since it's a fruit/seed, not actual wheat! I can eat gluten, but the fact that it's gluten free means at some point I'll be able to make treats for a gluten-free eating friend. 

I used buckwheat in a savoury dish, finding it really tasty. After a bit more browsing online I came across making buckwheat porridge, so that's why I tried today. I put in the microwave with 1:2 quantity of buckwheat to milk. I put it on medium heat for 3 minutes, as my microwave is high powered. And a mini volanco happened...

Sort of like this, but not as much dripping, and in the microwave rather than in a pan. Picture source.

As soon as I cleared up the mess, because the buckwheat wasn't cooked I popped it on the hob to boil. It took quite a while to cook, and it didn't absorb all that much of the milk so in future I may use less, but that didn't bother me, I liked having extra sauce. I simply added a teaspoon of soft brown sugar and voila, buckwheat porridge!

This actually looks similar to mine! Picture source.

I forgot to take a photo - at that time of day I wasn't thinking about today's blog post. However, since that type of porridge took so long to make I'm going to try the overnight method. This involves soaking the buckwheat for at least a few hours in the fridge. I'll do it in water as apparently the soaked buckwheat can have a bit of a slimy texture. I'll then add milk and blitz in the microwave so it's hot (or simply heat the milk to be on the safe side). Plus the yummy spoon of soft brown sugar. I could use Xylitol, which is a healthier sweetner, but soft brown sugar is just so tasty, you know? 

The reason this post is in parts is because I'll actually take photos of it tomorrow! So you can see what it looks like soaked in water, rinsed, then made up into buckwheat porridge. Please come back for part 2! 

I'd love know what you have for breakfast! Picture source.

I'm here!

Had the last few days resting since I wasn't feeling well. Today I spent too long on book blog work, as I had emails to catch up on, and a fun review for season 6 of Winx Club! Hope to post properly tomorrow!

Nayu's Craft Time #81 Mystery, ducks, cats and cakes!

Quack!

Hi all! The ducks will be happy with today's rainfall - I like it when I can stay cosy inside, curled up with craft, a book, or in the case of today both! Yesterday I worked on putting buttons on some fingerless gloves - I think they look pretty. I worked on my novel, and had some fun too.

1 of 2 pairs I've made up so far

Today's mystery part of the post is exactly that: this morning I worked on a mystery secret projects while listening to audiobooks, snug under a blanket out of the rain. Bliss! 

I listened to the audiobook version of this awesome kidnapping read from a wonderful author who I know so I'm rather biased but don't care!

The cat chaos was almost entirely because of the rain: my cat  Belle has many mad 5 minutes moment (which last longer than 5 minutes). If the weather is windy, wet, or stormy, then she goes even crazier than normal. Today involved whizzing around the house faster than the speed of light (almost), crying for us even when we were right there in the kitchen with her, and generally looking loopy. She did calm down, spent the entire morning on a chair near the kitchen, then on my spot on my bed while I gamed and did chores. She is on my lap, enjoying the heated blanket as I type this post. Pets! 

This is almost exactly the position she is in now.

As for the baking - it is winter (kind of). Autumn/Winter = the same for me. Winter = steam sponge pudding season, so I made one! 

Mine - it always gets eaten from the bowl ^o^

Steam sponge pudding is basically a victoria sponge mix cooked in the microwave, which takes far less time than in the oven and is still gorgeous. It's common to put jam or golden syrup at the bottom so it gets nice and gooey. Me, I like mine plain so I made it plain! 

It's time for some anime watching for me now. I'd love to know what Winter means to you, and what puddings you enjoy ^o^ 

This is what a neatly presented steam sponge pudding looks like. Picture source.

Nayu's Project Progress #10 Fingerless gloves with buttons

My pretty button box has more than buttons in it!

Today I'm visiting a friend and having valuable catch up time while crafting. I'll be taking something simple so I can focus on the chatting part. I'm not leaving you without a post though - here's the fingerless gloves with button decoration which I mentioned in yesterday's button post. 

I'd wanted to sew them up yesterday before scheduling this post so I can give you pictures of the buttons sewn on, which I expect will be a bit different, but a 1am wake up pushed that idea out of the way. Still, just means you can have another post with them in, in individual shots! ^o^

I hope you like them! I think they are nicer than just plain ones.

Nayu's Craft Time #80 Here be buttons!

I'm sure you can get what's inside this cute tin!

Apologies in advance if any part of this post and tomorrow's doesn't make sense - it's just gone 9am, I've been up since 1am, so I'm lacking sleep ^o^ One of those things which doesn't deter me from posting! As promised the other day it's time to show you my button stash. I keep them in a pretty tin from friends. Here's what it looks like inside. 

Not just buttons live here!

I thought I'd talk you through it as not everything is a button. First up the non-button items.

My favourite inanimate cat, Hello Kitty!

Here's a cute handkerchief which my family gave me, and I like to keep it in there for sentimental reasons. I have other Hello Kitty handkerchiefs in other places - they are my security blankets ^o^

Ribbon, oh ribbon, what are you for?

These are random ribbons from clothes (the ones which always get in the way so are best cut off). I keep them here because it seemed logical at the time. 

Next up on to the glorious buttons! I have brightly coloured plain patterned buttons (above)

Round ones and hearts form some of my collection

I have some heart shaped funky kind of vintage & flowery buttons 

The plain ones are simply the other side of the button.

...and round shaped vintage/flowery buttons. 

Like the heart ones, plain is the side which doesn't show once sewn on items.

And I've got some other bright spotty buttons! 

Also ditto the plain ones are pretty on the other side. I couldn't be bothered to turn them all over just so you get a perfect picture. This is a realistic photo!

I intended buttons to be used primarily for baby booties (in progress), but for now I'm going to try using them for fingerless glove decoration, which is tomorrow's post ^o^  I love buttons! They are so colourful, pretty, and it takes me back to when I was little and would tip out my mother's buttons from the jam jar and just look at all the different types. They were all shiny in my eyes, even though in reality only a few were metal. 

I'd love a lod of buttons like these (the ones with a ridge are what I call typical button shape). Picture source.

Do you like buttons? Did you play with them when you were little? Where do you keep your buttons now?

Nayu's Craft Time #79 Friendship, Crochet, and Cake!

I ate a different cake yesterday, but my adapted Nutella cake is yummy! Find the recipe here.

Yesterday I met up with two friends who I hadn't seen for months for a catch up. Yummy cake was had, news exchanged and...

Tada!

...I was able to give one of my secret projects to its rightful owner! The blanket colours were much loved, a relief as my friend isn't a girly girl so I was a bit worried about there being so much pink. It will keep her warm on the distinctly autumnal days that are the norm now. It's not one I'll be making a replica of, but I thought you'd like to see it since I'm forever on about some secret project without showing what it is. I guess that's why it's called secret! 

 A more in focus picture of the folded blanket

I'm hoping that tomorrow I'll be able to talk about buttons, which are related to my current project of fingerless gloves. Today I'm working on those gloves while watching Once Upon A Time. Yesterday's trip out so soon after my reaction to the evil but necessary flu jab took more out of me than expected, hence no post yesterday, and why I'm doing minimal blog work today. To finish I'll leave you with a quote which I recently found and I strongly suspect will mean something different to each and every person who reads it. 

Nayu's Project Progress #9 Gloves Galore!

Not the best pic, colours are more vibrant than they look

Those who follow me on Twitter @Nayuleska will know I've been hit with evil reaction from the flu jab which I had on Saturday. I'd presumed since the previous years I'd had no reaction I'd be fine this year. I really should know better! Possibly didn't help I had my once every 5-6 week dose of ketamine a few hours after, but lesson learned. Ketamine usually just makes me really tired now, but ideally I have it on it's own so I can see if I react any differently. This time the flu jab made me feel absolutely lousy, but after a few days in bed I'm on the mend, slowly. 

As soon as I was up for it I was having fun with yarn - how do you like these new fingerless gloves? They aren't finished just yet, going to add a little something extra to make them more gorgeous. Hope to put them up for sale soon! 

Nayu's Craft Time #78 A non-crochet day

Me today, including cat! Picture source

I'd every intention of working some more on my in progress fingerless gloves, but with the day starting out below 10C, perhaps I shouldn't be surprised that I don't feel up to it. My body hates cold weather and reacts by making me feel rubbish and mega low in energy. Since I need energy to do stuff, it kind of limits what I'm able to do on those days. Today I'm up for reading, and this small amount of writing, but definitely not anything involving yarn. These days happen, and while my artistic side gets a tad grouchy, I know that rest is best, so that's what I'm doing!

Nayu's Craft Time #77 Busy with business cards!

Blank business card template

 Yesterday I was tired after seeing friends so didn't blog, today been busy sorting new business cards, which is very fun but highly time consuming. Proper post tomorrow!

Nayu's Recipe #3 Nutella cake

Had no idea there was a whole day for Nutella! Cool!! Picture source.

Hands up if you like the fabulous Nutella! *puts both hands up, and feet for effect* If you do this is a recipe for you! If not, I guess you can omit the chocolately goodness and just have a plain cake. 

My cakes cooling - there are 4 because I did double the recipe and put them in two smaller cake tins (recipe says to use 1 tin)

This isn't my recipe, even though I tweaked it, used soft brown sugar instead of caster, put an entire layer of nutella on 3/4 of the mixture before putting the last 1/4 on top instead of 4 table spoons (which is no way near enough if you love the stuff). I didn't put nuts on top either as they weren't in my store cupboard. Oh & the first batch didn't have cinnamon in, the 2nd & 3rd batch (pictured) did but not quite a whole teaspoonful as I'm not a lover of cinnamon.  Full recipe link is here! 

It's a bung in the bowl all-in-1 cake! My favourite type ^o^ (all ingredients are here, flour/sugar/butter/eggs/etc)

Here are some shots of the 2nd and 3rd batch I made (the first having been put as a double decker with frosting between and on it). Do try it out, it's delicious! 

Here's my much larger than 4 tablespoons of nutella. I did zap it in the  microwave for 20 seconds so it would spread out easier.

Tomorrow I'll show you the iced versions, and hopefully some truffles too! This is all because I'm visiting friends on Tuesday at where I used to work. I am doing crochet and knitting, just not as much at the moment because baking takes so much energy out of me. I'm crashing tonight with anime! Have yet to have a warm slice fresh from the oven, since these are for friends, but I hope the next batch will be just for me! Have a good day! 

1st batch cake in double decker mode - so delicious!!!

September 2015 Monthly Catch Up

This post is simultaneously being posted on Nayu's Reading Corner Picture source

Somehow August's Catch up on all my NCD posts didn't happen, but September#s is now ready! Here's what's been going on in my craft world - and baking ^o^

Nayu's Craft Time #65 I'm back! And how to buy me cake...

Please! Or yarn to keep on knitting ^o^

Nayu's Craft Time #70 Small milestone achieved! + Update

Find out how you helped me reach an important milestone!

Nayu's Craft Time #71 Baking and stuff

A brief post on what I've been baking - including bran flake marshmallow crispies!

 Nayu's Craft Time #72 This week's plans

Which include truffle making!

Nayu's Craft Time #73 The 3 Cs: Carrots, Crochet & Chocolate!

I work on a set of cream fingerless gloves bordered with this soft pink

Nayu's Recipes #1 Carrot, Orange and Tomato Smoothie

I share a smoothie recipe with you!

Nayu's Craft Time #74 Mini holiday

which involved more roll baking (white rather thn these super tasty sun-dried tomato and chilli rolls)

Nayu's Craft Time #75 Relaxation is bliss!

This post involves me squee-ing over having Elsa appear in the US fantasy drama Once Upon A Time season 4

Nayu's Recipes #2 Blueberry Green Smoothie

Can you guess what green veg I've snuck in with these blueberries?

As you can see September was a pretty quiet month craft wise, at least for those things that I can show you. I'm trying to find a new routine for both blogging and craft, to get a fair balance of each. Finally building work is complete which means I can easily have a few hours of crochet without being needed for rounds of tea and checking progress. I plan to make October quite different from September! 

This quote says it all!