Choose Real Food

... and very OLD sweets.

Recently I commented on facebook that after not tasted smarties for a long, long time I was disappointed to find they did not taste as I remembered. A tiny box of smarties was a treat we were given as children - often by guilt driven parents. The box could barely take two fingers and the number of smarties inside was not many, less than 25. The shell colours were as bright and shiny as new toys and children were tempted to line them up and sort into colours and swap with others to make patterns and let the colours stain their fingers and tongues.

Smarties, referred to in the industry as 'hard tablet sweets' apparently began life, in England, as Rowntree's Chocolate Beans in ... 1882! and were renamed as Smarties in 1937, so kids have been enjoying them for over 130 years!

Back in the days when Rowntree's made Smarties they had a thin candy coating that melted in the mouth allowing the sweet chocolate centre to flow over the tongue. Sweet and creamy. It was possible to eat them one at a time and really enjoy each one and as kids we were convinced that the colours had different flavours. 

Then Nestle took over Rowntree's and, not content to leave yummy enough alone, they changed the recipe in 2009. The motivation may have been to make them healthier - if any  sugar coated chocolate thing can be healthy - but the colours faded to almost pastel and the chocolate changed texture and tasted stale.

The Smarties web site explains there are eight colours, pink, red, orange, yellow, blue, violet, green and brown AND the orange Smartie is flavoured with natural orange oil.  Hmmm, so what are the other seven colours flavoured with?  

The other little treat we had from time to time, in our house, was a two bar Kit Kat, also a creation of Rowntree's. An interesting little story is - the chocolate bar we know today was developed in 1935, after a suggestion by a worker in the York factory, to make a snack that 'a man could take to work in his pack'.

The Kit Kat is composed of a block of two or four fingers that can be snapped apart. Each finger is made with three layers of wafer and cream covered in an outer layer of chocolate.  

Kit Kat has been enjoyed all over the world since 1940 and everyone knows the 1958  advertising line, 'Have a break, have a Kit Kat'.

And as above, Nestle bought Rowntree's in 1988 (but not in the US where it is owned by Hershey). So, what did they do to Kit Kat?  Well, they added a flavour range from orange, caramel to almond flavours, and a choice of dark, milk or white chocolate coating. There are chunky versions, snack pack sizes and Kit Kat easter eggs as well as 'Pop Choc' pieces, square 'Kubes', praline-filled 'Senses' and Kit Kat pieces in yoghurt or iceceam cones.  In Japan a Bake 'N Tasty mini Kit Kats Custard Pudding Flavour was launched in 2014  - you bake that in the oven and the outside caramelizes. O M G

So, apart from ONE SINGLE EASTER EGG per year, and the occasional very small block of Cadburys chocolate or a coconut rough in a show bag, and the occasional half-penny's worth of mixed lollies at the corner shop, the above treats were just about all we had in those good old, healthy days when everyone was a size medium. That might be difficult to understand in the 21st century.

We had cake of course, and they were always homemade, using real butter and actual sugar and locally milled flour and real cream and often homemade jam or lemon curd - all good stuff and you could almost live on Aunty Mab's jam and cream filled sponge with a beaker of homemade fruit cordial or a cuppa, and a few homemade sausage rolls, dipped in sauce cooked up from Uncle Harry's tomatoes - add a stick of celery and you've got all the food groups covered.  No tortes or mud cakes back then.

My life in the outer suburbs, without TV, limited my early experience of sweets. I can actually remember the day when, at the age of 21, I took a short cut through Sydney Central Station on my way to an Art Class, and stopped at a mobile newsagent (it was a tiny cream caravan) to buy a magazine and I bought a Polly Waffle.  I'd never had one before but I liked the name and so I bought it and ate it over two days.  And no, I did not repeat this often, it wasn't until years later, after having babies, that I discovered we need a daily hit of chocolate.

Google tells me the inventor of the Polly Waffle, in the year I was born, was Abel Hoadley of Hoadley's Chocolates in Melbourne.  Polly was a waffle wafer tube, filled with marshmallow (yummy) and coated in compound chocolate (Yuk, I didn't know that).  Compound chocolate is made of cocoa, sweeteners and  cheap vegetable fats that are not cocoa butter. And back then a Polly Waffle had a sugar content of over 50% !!! Wow.

Eventually Hoadleys was acquired by Rowntree's and in 1988 - one guess - by Nestle.  Nestle managed to change the waffle wafer to a more sugary, and probably cheaper, brittle wafer in 2009 and sales dropped off.  I wonder why? It also developed a flat bottom where it had once been round.  Polly Waffle was discontinued at the end of that year.  Poor Polly.

Sadly the Polly Waffle legacy is the use of the name for something similar in looks that might be unwelcome when found floating in a swimming pool. Again, poor Polly.

Cover art work by Barry Rockwell

with kale

Kale - hailed as a superfood and a nutritional powerhouse, kale might seem to belong in the food-fad basket but that could be because ... it is a very super food.

I first heard of kale as an ingredient for juicing but I didn't take much notice as I don't juice, preferring to chew my own food and eat the fibre. But people were talking about kale being a superfood and instead of buying a bunch I decided to grow my own, read about it, learn what I could and experiment.  Here are the results so far.

Kale in the garden adds an element of luxury and freshness

What is Kale?

Kale is a leafy vegetable, with bluish/green or purple leaves, sometimes with pretty frilled edges and the centre leaves don't form a head.  Kale is from the species Brassica oleracea so it's related to arugula, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and brussels sprouts - all yummy vegetables.  There are many types of kale including Curly-leaved or Scots Kale, Plain Leaved Kale, Rape Kale and Black Kale or Cavolo nero.  Some grow into huge bushes but the those that are good to eat are much closer to the ground.

This cool climate vegetable has adapted to most climates. My garden is in the sub-tropics
and I have four varieties of kale growing.  While I'm  not sure of their names they are all good in salad and stew

Where did Kale originate?

Possibly a descendant of wild cabbage kale traveled from Asia Minor to Europe with early traders.  Curly kale was known to the ancient Romans and Greeks and similar vegetables were used in Ancient China.  In the Middle Ages kale was one of the most common green vegetables eaten in Europe, helping the poor to survive long, cold winters. During World War ll families in England were encouraged to grow kale at home to provide nutrition during food shortages. Even though it is a cool climate vegetable it is now grown and eaten around the world.

How to store Kale?

As a winter hardy vegetable Kale tastes sweeter after being exposed to frost and keeps best in a cool environment.  Store it, unwashed  in an air-tight container or plastic bag in the fridge, for up to five days. Apparently it freezes well, but I've found it is happy in a glass of water on the kitchen bench for 24 hours, and as I grow it I don't need to store it longer than that.    

How does Kale taste?

Kale needs some help in the flavour department, especially when boiled or steamed, and even raw it's best when combined with other strong flavours. Personally I like kale shredded over salmon on toast. 

The best kale tip was given to me by a friend who heard it on a TV show - cut off the stalk as that is where the bitterness lives.

You do get used to the taste and the texture is good. Cooked kale can be very filling.

What is so good about Kale?

Kale is called a nutritional powerhouse because it contains;

VITAMIN A - good for skin and eye sight, works to prevent lung cancer and mouth cancer.

VITAMIN C - strengthens the immune system and boosts metabolism better than oranges.

VITAMIN K - for antioxidants that prevent coronary artery disease and protect against some cancers, promotes normal blood clotting and bone health.

CALCIUM -  all dark leafy vegetables are rich in calcium to strengthen bones and improve their density.

IRON -  more iron than beef. Iron helps with liver function, cell growth and transporting oxygen around the body.

FIBRE -  that works to eliminate waste and clean the body of toxins, lower cholesterol levels (especially when steamed) and reduce the risk of heart disease.

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY properties - the omega 3 fatty acids in kale help to treat arthritis, joint pain, disorders of the immune system and asthma.

ANTI CANCER properties - Isothiocyanates (ITCs) made from glucosinolates in kale can lower the risk of common cancers in the bladder, breast, colon, ovary, and prostate.

Kale is also a good source of vitamin B1,  B2 and B6, vitamin E, copper, manganese, potassium, magnesium,  phosphorus, protein, folate, and niacin.

How to buy Kale.

Kale leaves should be firm to touch and attractive, with a good colour - no brown or yellow on the leaves. Do not buy kale if it is limp or warm, it should be refrigerated. 

When picking kale choose the smaller tender leaves for a milder flavour.

Where possible use organic kale. Green leafy vegetables hold onto pesticide residue more than other vegetables and we don't need to eat that.

Freshly picked kale - even under the hot sun it is firm and crisp

Any bad news about Kale?

Low functioning thyroid -  limit your intake of cruciferous vegetables if you have a low functioning thyroid, and take thyroxin tablets, as cruciferous vegetables are believed to slow down the thyroid.  But don't miss out on the nutrition found in kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and brussels sprouts, you can have up to one cup of shredded kale or half a cup of cooked kale four of five times a week and balance it by also eating iodine rich foods including eggs, kelp, seafood, Himalayan crystal salt, turkey breast, dried prunes, plain yoghurt, cheddar cheese, green beans, bananas and strawberries.  If the thyroid is healthy or has been removed you can happily eat up to 2 cups a day.

Medication - while vitamin K is good for us, it can interfere with anticoagulants like Warfarin.  Avoid kale, other green leafy vegetables and some vitamin supplements if you are on this medication. Check with your doctor about other medications.

Oxalates - kale contains oxalates which could interfere with the absorption of calcium. You can still eat kale but be sure to chew it very well and avoid eating foods rich in calcium at the same time as kale. 

If you have untreated kidney and gall bladder problems, check with the doctor before eating large amounts of kale.

It may not have a heart but kale is a bright green crunchy vitamin boost

What is the best way to eat Kale?

Raw kale with breakfast

RAW in a salad or sandwich. The smallest new leaves are milder in flavour for those new to kale. Wash and dry the leaves, bunch them up and cut into thin slices. The bitterness goes well with strong flavours so combine with foods like capsicum, tomato and pepper, sesame seeds, lime juice or lemon infused oil, strong salty cheese, olives and garlic dressing.  I like it with lemon basil and nasturtium leaves as seasoning alongside hard boiled eggs and sun dried tomato.




JUICING is another way to have kale raw, as a smoothie with yoghurt and berries, or as a base to a green juice, or with carrots and celery and other veggies and herbs. 

A kale and banana smoothie makes a good breakfast or with other fruit as an afternoon snack.

COOKED in stew, soup or pasta sauce, kale is a hearty leaf that doesn't fall apart or lose texture like silver beet or spinach, when cooked for a while.  
Chop the kale into strips or chunks and drop into the pot of soup or stew about 15 minutes before serving.  


Add kale to a stir fry but cut finely and use only the very small leaves or it will not cook enough and the bitterness can overpower other flavours.

STEAMED OR BOILED kale does not lose texture. But, it is not the most attractive looking boiled vegetable so enjoying it cooked depends on how you serve it. 

The bitterness is reduced by steaming and the fibre is more easily available for use.

Wash under cold running water, cut into thin strips and steam or boil for 5 to 20 mins, depending on the texture preferred.  If using the stem, put that in the pot first and the green leaves five mins later. When cooked, strain out all the water and toss with salt, pepper and a little olive oil, or butter and grated parmesan cheese with a squeeze of lime juice.  Kale is versatile enough to be yummy with a fried egg breakfast or with mashed potato and steak for dinner.

Kale is not the most attractive vegetable boiled

BAKED OR FRIED kale chips are good. This is the second most popular way to serve kale. Break the leaves into bite size pieces, wash and pat dry and put into a bowl. Drizzle olive oil over the leaves and sprinkle on salt and pepper.  Toss the leaves until they are coated with oil and salt.  You could also use chilli flakes, cumin or garlic salt.  Spread in single layer on a baking sheet and put into a moderate oven for about five mins or until crisp.  

Salted kale fried in coconut oil, until brown and crisp, is very tasty with fried tomatoes and chives, another of my breakfast favourites. Make sure it browns all over, if only half cooked it's like eating the dish cloth.

Tear into pieces, fry in coconut oil with salt and serve when it has browned - delicious

How to grow Kale

Kale is grown from seed and these are available in online stores and organic nurseries. It likes soil rich in organic matter and prefers cool temperatures. Do not let the soil or seeds to dry out before germinating. Seedlings can be transplanted easily.  Kale will grow in full sun if it has plenty of water.  I found that during a very dry winter my kale stopped growing but once we had rain it burst into life.

The plant size varies with the variety planted but can grow to about half a metre high and wide. Plants should be ready to harvest in two months. Take the larger, outer leaves first, though you can nibble on the younger leaves as they grow.

I don't give information sources - my research is done on line and if you want to double check the information, or do further research, your search could find better web sites or more recent investigation results and I don't want to spoil that.

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