Homemade Marshmallow (Gluten&Grain Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free, Legume&Soy Free)

Homemade Marshmallow's take me back to my childhood. Every year my Mum would made loads of yummy delights for the school Fete. I loved helping and cleaning up the beaters and bowls!

Toasted Marshmallow's were always a favourite. Sadly people have become 'busy' and many of the simple homemade treats have been overlooked for ready made chemical laden copies that are nothing like the original. Thankfully the word is out that chemicals and processed ready made foods are in no way healthy and really not an option especially when the real food is so simple to make. I know white sugar is processed but its still a real food and for most people a little is ok.

If you don't do well on sugar there is a link below to Maple Syrup Marshmallows and a photo of some that I made. They were pretty yummy too!

MARSHMALLOW

500 grams white sugar
40 grams gelatine
 1 1/3 cups of filtered water

Place above ingredients into a big pot on medium heat stir gently until the sugar is dissolved. Turn heat to where the syrup is gently boiling and time for 10 mins then take off heat immediately. Do not stir!

Line a Lamington tin with baking paper.

Have your Mixmaster all ready to go and as soon as the syrup
has finished its 10 mins pour it straight into the bowl and turn onto a low to medium speed. Add a teaspoon of organic vanilla.

Keep an eye on it and turn it up to a speed where its not spattering every where. Beat till thick and white and creamy. Pour into Lamington tin and let sit for a few hours to set.

Once its set cut into squares using a hot knife and then roll in the toasted  coconut or icing sugar. Rinse the knife under hot running water in between cuts.

TOASTED COCONUT MARSHMALLOWS
To make Toasted Coconut Marshmallows dry roast about 2 cups of desiccated coconut in a pan stirring continually with a wooden spoon till lightly toasted. Roll the Marshmallows in the coconut to coat evenly.
You can also use the coconut left after making Coconut milk in your Thermomix. Link here


MARSHMALLOW ICING & FONDANT

To cover a cake or cupcake in marshmallow you can use the marshmallow as soon as its ready and spread it directly onto the cake or you can let it set then cut it into bigger pieces and place in a microwave safe bowl into the microwave for a few seconds to melt.

Here's a couple of cakes I have used Marshmallow to cover.

You can also add more sifted icing sugar and a little vegetable glycerine or an egg white to make into fondant. I just keep adding icing sugar until its the right consistency then add a little at a time of either glycerine or egg white just to give it a little more give. It's not quite like the pre-made fondant but you are still able to do a few basic decorations with it like the blue flowers below.

The white cake was for my parent's 50th Wedding Anniversary. I piped the pattern over the top with melted marshmallow.

MAPLE SYRUP MARSHMALLOW        Lexie's Kitchen Maple Marshmallows

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Driveway Art

I LOVE Gerni's!

When I was growing up on the farm one of the jobs I loved to do was to hose out after the milking! If you are not a Country kid like me this may sound a little gross but I loved using the high pressure hose and hosing out all the cow poo. It was more to do with the negative ions from the water flow and making something lovely and clean after all that mess than it was to do with the cow poo but it was a necessary activity and one I enjoyed.

I found it relaxing and an escape into my own little world, the noise blocking out all other external happenings. These days since I no longer have the privilege of a Dairy Farm to play about, a Gerni has become my new found friend!

There is something to be said about the effect of Negative Ions. You would think Positive Ions were the ones with a Positive effect but in truth the Negative ions are proven to increase serotonin levels which makes you feel happier, relieves stress and increases energy levels throughout the day.

Negative ions are abundant when there is falling water. Being near any flowing or falling water will have a positive effect. What flowing water does is split positive or neutral ions and create negative ions. Think about how being at the beach with the waves crashing in makes you feel good or being near a waterfall in the mountains or taking a shower. Next time you are there you will know why that is.

There are other great benefits too. Negative ions help eliminate dust, spores, pollens and other allergens floating in the air. Household appliances like computers, TV's, microwave ovens and refrigerators, emit positive ions. While outdoors, whenever warm, dry wind blows or when there is pollution, there’s an abundance of positive ions. Maybe a Water fountain is a good idea for us all!

Back to the Driveway Art!

A couple of years ago I did a Welcome Home artwork on my parents driveway after they had been on a trip to America to visit with my sister and her family. My intention was to finish the cleaning process with the Gerni a couple of days after they came home but they loved it so much they wanted to keep it. Of course I was more than happy to let it stay!

Then I did another when some dear friends were returning after a couple of years away. And once their tenants moved out I moved in with my Gerni! They had a great big long driveway so plenty of room to play! I think the neighbours thought I was a little mad but I had fun!

I'm always keen to play with Art. It can take whatever shape or form that you can imagine. I have even done a little dust artwork on my husbands work ute!

The first Artwork on Mum & Dad's driveway faded over time creating a new clean or should I say dirty slate so that I could once again get busy creating. Mother's Day and my Dad's birthday are only a couple of weeks apart and since both my parents haven't been able to do much garden work with health issues I organized a family working bee. It was a great afternoon with all the family working hard in the garden. Amazing what some cardboard boxes, mulch and pruning can do! I also had some fun before everyone else arrived creating a new driveway artwork. I did offer to just clean it but Mum wanted it pretty! Thanks Mum!

With a little imagination anything is possible!

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