The BB cafe

[Kazzl]

The BB cafe is open for business!
Welcome all to a new chill and chat place for everyone on the forum.

The BB cafe is whatever you want it to be. There are comfy sofas, tables and chairs, coffee machines, a kitchen stocked with everything. There's a pool outside, a bbq area, an annexe with comfy beds for a quiet sleep, tv, dvd, books and whatever else you would like to have here.

Most of all, it's a place to meet friends and fellow travellers for a bit of company. Talk over problems, tell jokes, share your day, escape into a world of your making. Grab a coffee and pull up a chair ... 

So, with a nod to the wonderful Carole King (Hard Rock Cafe) ...

Now if you're feeling just a little bit lonely
Don't sit at home just mopin'
Come on down to where the friendship flows freely
You know the door is always open

At the BB cafe
Come to the BB cafe
They will help keep your blues at bay
At the BB cafe

Important Message from ModSupport: 
The main intention of the BB Cafe is to encourage light conversation. Please look after your fellow community members by nuturing the BB Cafe as a place to escape some of the more pressing issues in life and save those conversations for personal threads. 

[Fiatlux]

Hi sbella,

If you are looking for ready made vegan croissants, then Coles has them in certain outlets.

I have used Tofutti as a cream cheese substitute for vegan cheese cakes and it’s actually quite delicious. This should be readily available in the supermarket.

For baking I have used coconut oil and even very ripe avocado in chocolate brownies. It behaves very much like butter. 

If you feel adventurous try some online recipes. Recently I saw an sbs food show about a French pastry chef who has mastered the gluten free and vegan French pastries. But has kept her methods and recipes a secret. 

Have a lovely week everyone. It’s cool and sunny where I am today. Fiatlux 🌻

[Eagle Ray]

Hi Fiatlux,

I had never heard of Tafutti before so I just looked it up. I love cheesecake but haven’t made it since I found out about my dairy allergy. So that encourages me to make some cheesecake again.

Right now I have an orange and chia seed cake baking in the oven. It has olive oil, so dairy free, and I’ve used gluten free flour as I mostly don’t eat gluten. I’ve used fresh oranges picked from my orange tree. I also used stevia powder instead of sugar as I try to minimise sugar intake. Only a small amount of stevia is needed relative to the amount of sugar that it’s substituting in the recipe. Will see how it turns out. I do occasionally use sugar but like many recipes this one had a full cup of it which for me is too sweet and too much.

I also have plenty of lemons at the moment so I’ll have a look for a lemon cheesecake recipe. The pastries made by the French pastry chef that are gluten and dairy free sound very nice 😋

[Fiatlux]

Good evening ER,

I love orange cake. It’s going to be so good with chia seeds.

How wonderful to have an orange tree. Yum. 

I often try halving the sugar in a recipe and it often tastes better and I have tried stevia as well. I’ve also tried coconut sugar as well.

coconut flour and almond flour or almond meal as well which is gluten free is a really good substitute for baking cakes, As long as I add a bit more baking powder, it generally rises just as well as wheat flour.

Now I am contemplating baking a cake tomorrow. 

Enjoy and have a great evening. Fiatlux 🙏🏼

[Eagle Ray]

P.S. sorry, that was meant to be tofutti, not tafutti. When I read words I realise I don’t see the individual letters so much as my mind immediately makes out a word from a quick scan of what it sees. It means I often misread news headlines and get completely the wrong idea about the news event, sometimes in hilarious ways.

I’ve just taken my cake from the oven and letting it sit for a bit. The smell of the citrus tones are yum yum 🤤 Imagine if a food critic wrote that in a restaurant review. They so often write something that sounds pretentious with big, obscure words but it would be so funny if they just wrote “it was yummy” 😂

[Eagle Ray]

Hello again Fiatlux, 

Just seeing your message. Yes, I often halve the amount of sugar too and find it works perfectly well.

I have some coconut flour and almond flour too though didn’t use them in this recipe. I love the smell of coconut flour.

You have a great evening too 🙏

[sbella02]

I've never heard of Tofutti but that sounds amazing!! What a great substitute.

Avocado in desserts is surprisingly underrated, I feel. Avocado ice cream is so good in my opinion!

And coconut oil is also great, but I love anything coconut! :))

[HappySheep]

Wow. You people spend so much time on the home baking. How fabulous! I'm in awe of the wonderful treats you all make.

I'm not much of a baker/dessert maker myself, although I do love orange cake. How awesome to have your own oranges. I have a mandarin tree but I've haven't had much luck reaping the rewards of fruit. The cockatoos, however, seem to eat of it plentifully!!!!

[Fiatlux]

Good day everyone at the BB Cafe,

I definitely don’t feel like myself today. Don’t know if it was the late nights and early mornings on the weekend, but today, I could just curl up on the sofa and enjoy a nice nap. Definitely having some trouble staying upright at my desk this afternoon.

I woke feeling groggy but this usually passes after a few coffees.

I am so glad that I did spend the weekend cooking and baking so tonight if I feel like it, I’ll just need to reheat something.

Hubby is having some minor surgery to fix his elbow this afternoon and I am so glad that my son will pick him up from hospital when he’s ready to come home. I wouldn’t have the energy to drive.

He is going to be a little incapacitated and can’t drive this week so we’ll both be working from home. Let’s see how we survive the week. 

The yawning this afternoon just won’t stop. I need a nap! Fiatlux 🙏🏼

[sbella02]

Hope everything went well with the surgery, Fiatlux! 

I think I could also do with a nap. I'm constantly tired at the moment, which isn't good.

I think I'm intending to make some muffins in the coming week. I bought a packet mix about a week or so ago, and haven't gotten around to making them yet. 

What's everyone else baking or cooking this week??

[Fiatlux]

Hi cafe friends,

Today I did go out for a walk to the park and wetlands.

As it was sunny, there were families and children everywhere. Cooking barbecue, kids on bikes and hanging out on the adventure playground equipment. I sat in the sun watching the wetlands ducks and listening to music for a couple of hours. It’s the most time I have spent outside since summer ended.

Last Sunday I baked a large banana walnut bread and still have a slice left for tomorrow.

On Friday I did an experiment with walnuts, making 2 types of sweet walnut and cinnamon filled pastries. Made some with puff pastry and some with shortcrust pastry to compare which was better. I do cheat and use frozen pastry. Less stress. Both were equally delicious. I have 1 left for tomorrow. We use apricot jam for sweetness and when baked they are caramelised and yummy.

This evening for dinner I ordered food delivery from our local Chinese. I had a 50% off voucher and so glad I used it. 

Enjoy your Sunday night everyone. Fiatlux 🙏🏼🌻