Today marks my one month Fitfam journey, and what did I tell you guys at the beginning of January? IT WORKS!!!!! Hand on heart, I have cheated a total of 10 times in the past one month, and yes I did fall off the wagon with Maltina and Plantain chips, which I have had 3 times, and then King Prawn Fried rice from my favourite takeaway which I didn’t cook, and KFC hot wings with McDonald’s chips. No coke for a month though. I have swapped the need for fizzy drinks with sparkling mineral water, and it works like a charm. I noted down all the times I cheated, just to get an average, and it has amounted to roughly 2.5 times a week, which is totally unacceptable. I want to go down to once a week, and even further down to once in two weeks. Healthy eating is not a diet, but a lifestyle. So, what have I been eating. Nigerian food, Nigerian food, Nigerian food, albeit some modified to be healthier. I am glad that the blog is gaining a reputation for healthy Nigerian food. I started the year saying I was looking for someone to contribute healthy meals, not realising that I had it within me, to develop myself. I tell people, cooking is not my greatest gift, not even close. My intuition is my greatest gift, and the knowledge of my faith has helped me hone it well. Re-reading The Secret has also helped and now I feel more alive and in tune with Creation than ever before.
How much weight have I lost, I don't know. You must be thinking what!!!! Sorry, but I don't do scales. I threw one out 2 years ago and haven't looked back. I use my tape rule instead, even at that I start obsessing, so I let my clothes and people provide the feedback. Despite being in baggy sweatpants and a hoodie on Wednesday after my run, Funmi said, geez Dunni, you have lost a lot of weight. My face is much slimmer, my arms are getting their definition back. I wore a short sleeveless dress to work yesterday, and I stopped to look at my reflection. Whoa!!!! Did I forget to mention that it was a UK size 6 dress? One month ago, I couldn't put it on because it was too tight and very unforgiving. I am too shy to take a picture, you know those types with a crop top and leggings, to show off your figure, maybe when summer comes, with even more progress, I will be bold enough.
Stress, fatigue and laziness are my 3 indicators for eating out. Despite having a whole plethora of food in the freezer, a combination of any of those 3, and I am reaching out for my wallet. I was exhausted yesterday from a huge food shop, ahead of saturday, and the allure of McDonald's was so strong. I swear I could smell the chips. I had a KFC meal on Tuesday, so I said nope, devil get behind me, I can't have both in one week, so I drove home. Half starved, I opened the fridge and boy was I glad to see a pack of Moin Moin. The plan was to serve with a teeny portion of garri and eat some salad afterwards. Just before I closed the fridge I realised that Tom had ingredients for a salad, even burger buns too. The burger gods sure wanted me to eat a burger last night, but the good kind. The excitement of making a moin moin burger staved off the hunger pangs and in 10 short minutes, I was done. Gosh, it was so good. This post is about baked buns, so I am not going to hijack it. I will put up a separate post for my Monster Moin Moin burger later. If you want to see what it looks like and a quick tutorial showing how it is made,check out @dooneyskitchen on Instagram. Don't forget to hit the Follow button, or Like the page Dooney's Kitchen on Facebook.
So, where was I? Ah, baked buns. After making Fitfam Puff Puff muffins (recipe HERE), on Tuesday, the next challenge was to try it with buns. I had totally forgotten about buns until someone dropped a comment asking for a recipe for buns. I haven't made buns since my early twenties. I am not that much of a fan, because it is too dense. In a Puff Puff vs Buns war, I am proudly Team Puff Puff. I have a general idea how it is made from memory, but I still asked Funmi for a recipe. What she told me, you have to read closely. She said add a little oil to the dough. Huh??? Oil. Yup she said. Not butter, not margarine, but oil. Her mum is a big time caterer and supplies all types of large organisations in Lagos, with a whole factory for snacks, so if Funmi tells you something about Nigerian snacks, you better take it as gospel. Oh wow, thanks a lot for that. So, while I sat on the sofa, feeling a natural high from my Moin Moin monster burger, I decided to try out Funmi's recipe. Now, I wanted to make it fitfam, but ran out of Oatmeal, so I combined with the dreaded white flour, but I didn't use sugar though (honey instead), and I used a healthy oil - coconut oil. I also fortified with a trail mix of dried fruit, raisins and nuts. It doesn't get better than that.
The aroma wafting from the oven, while these are baking, geez. Yums much. The honey, coconut milk, dried fruit and nuts. Wowzer. Buns 2.0. Let's Cook
- 1 cup of Self raising flour - or you can use half % half i.e. half oatmeal, wheat meal, almond flour etc
- 2 - 3 tbs Honey - you can use sugar
- 2 - 3 tbs cold milk
- 1 - 2 tbs coconut oil - or your choice of oil
- Warm water
- a dash of vanilla extract
- Trail mix - dried fruit, sultanas, raisins, nuts or you can use chocolate chips, fresh fruit, desiccated coconut
- Measure the flour into a bowl and add the honey
- Add the milk
- Add the oil
- Add water gradually and combine. What you should be aiming for is a firm batter, that moves almost cleanly from the bowl.
- Add the trail mix or your choice of toppings and stir
- See how firm, and elastic the dough is. Also notice how it came together as a ball, and almost cleanly off the bowl
- This was where things got tricky. I didn't want to bake in Muffin containers again. I tried to use a mini savarin tin, but that was a disaster, the dough was too firm. Totally frustrated, I looked at the bowl and realised the batter reminded me of cookie dough ice cream. It does, doesn't it, the contrast of the raisins against the creamy dough does look like chocolate chunks in cookie dough ice cream, so I brought out my ice cream scoop, and as if it was ice cream, I scooped out the dough unto baking paper
- These baked in the oven at 220 for 25 minutes. 20 minutes in, I brought them out and gave the buns a milk wash, these helped to give it a golden brown colour
At the time of the night I made this, what better way to savour them than to serve with a glass of milk warmed with honey. My friend Ade has always told me about the befits of adding turmeric to warmed milk at bed time. Turmeric is the spice that gives your curry powder a yellow colour. I am not a fan of turmeric, because of its aroma, but I thought what the heck, let me try it out. Just a pinch or two, and wow, it really does what they say it does. It settled my tummy, calmed me down and made me feel sleepy.
Try out this recipe this weekend, for your kids, for yourself, for a girls night out. it is so simple, and I bet you, it will make you feel good. Have a lovely weekend folks
Toyin says
February 6, 2015 at 2:09 pmWow size 6…..but how come it’s leading to weight loss if it’s only to keep fit..n ..u’re beautiful n ur meals look so heavenly…..ur hubby is blessed o
Shayo says
February 6, 2015 at 2:12 pmDunni, you are so beautiful….and you look young too,but you mentioned ‘in ur early 20s’..you don’t look older than 22 to me o! which one is early 20s again….lol
Mo says
February 6, 2015 at 3:39 pmDefinitely trying this out tomorrow. Thanks Dunni!
Nens says
February 6, 2015 at 3:42 pmInspired! Wanted to bake something this weekend but hadn’t decided what. Just did! Btwn you and Jamie Oliver I’m thinking baked coconut buns. Thanks, will let you know how it goes, bless!
Weight wise! Woman eat some chicken wings please, you look great! but I can understand the need for us (women) to ‘tone’ up so good luck on your journey xxx
chika says
February 7, 2015 at 9:25 amHi dooney, am a fan of yours n infact a stalker of ur work lately, am a new wife n my cooking ws alright bt since I followed u on iG am on fire in kitchen that my good cook hubby can’t compete or get enough… thank u for making me see our nigerian food as nt boring bt exciting…Pls I need the recipe for spaghetti bolognese but cnt find it on ur website pls do help me out cuz I need to impress again. Thank u… by the way u at beautiful.
dooneyrooney says
February 7, 2015 at 9:39 amHi chika, there is a recipe for bolognese on the blog. You can simply Google Dooney’s Bolognese. I hope that helps
Berry Dakara says
February 8, 2015 at 11:19 amWoot woot to fitting into your dress!! I wish I could say the same. My exercising doesn’t seem to be doing too much – but then again, my eating’s been a roller coaster.
Berry Dakara Blog
Prisca says
February 8, 2015 at 8:05 pmI made this not too long ago, it’s delicious with an added bonus of not having to fry it. Thanks Dunni
buksmile. says
February 10, 2015 at 12:45 pmGosh girl you have got me fired up for Nigerian food. Discovered your blog last week and made pounded yam with my blender and my Nigerian visitor was impressed.
So thank you.
I am a puff puff lover but my hubby is a buns lover so will try this recipe and me you know.
I am so excited about cooking Nigerian food now, was never really a fan as I found it boring and fattening so thanks again for taking me back to my roots.
And you look very pweety, well done on your weight loss.
Kelly says
February 10, 2015 at 5:37 pmThis is great, Can I use just oatmeal flour?
dooneyrooney says
February 10, 2015 at 6:13 pmYes you can
Kelly says
February 11, 2015 at 3:51 pmThank you so much Dunni mi. 🙂
latigurl says
February 11, 2015 at 1:39 amHi Dooney,
I tried the recipe but modified it a little.
I used half regular flour and half oatmeal flour (I blended regular Quaker oats). I used sugar and coconut milk instead of honey and just milk.
It came out pretty well, I think i put too much sugar though. Also I baked it briefly at 220F before increasing it to about 350F.
dooneyrooney says
February 11, 2015 at 1:49 amPleased that you tried it. You will nail it the next time
latigurl says
February 11, 2015 at 8:29 pmoh…and I added chocolate chips to half of the dough….since I’m not on the #fitfam wagon