movement is the key ...

Being active makes me feel alive and more energetic to chase my two little people...

My parents were always relatively active, so I learnt at a young age that sport and exercise were the keys to good health and happiness... and it wasn't bad for your social life either. 

I always danced regularly and played a sport, whether it was tennis, basketball, swimming, golf ... every season I was enjoying the outdoors in a team environment or doing laps of the pool on my own.   Our Saturdays as children were always spent at my brother and Dad's soccer games or cricket matches, and as a family, we enjoyed every minute of it .. I never much enjoyed my 5am swim starts, but what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger!

Daniel Irvine, my cousin, is a chiropractor and was a professional football player, was brought up in a home with seven children, and all of them were active too.  The boys always played league, and the girls did Physical Culture and from what I remember, we were all strong swimmers.

Anyway, Dan shared this link, which I really enjoyed, and I thought you would too.

Take the time to have a look, it's not even ten minutes of your life...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUaInS6HIGo

We can all manage to be active for 30 minutes or more a day, whether it be at your local gym or walking, a quick run on the treadmill, chasing the kids in the park, a friendly game of football, a dance off in your loungeroom, laps in your local pool .. it doens't have to cost you money to be healthy ...

I love a roadside fruit stall ...

Driving through the beautiful rolling hills of the hinterland this morning, I thought to myself .. I am so lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the world.

The roads from Montville, through Flaxton to Mapleton have the most amazing Jacaranda's blossoming with the most vibrant of vibrant purple flowers... just so pretty, that I smiled the whole way!

Stall after stall of Avocado's, farm fresh free range eggs, tomatoes, pineapples and more, with honesty boxes to collect your coins ... this is the kind of place I love to call home.

I stopped at my local roadside Mango Man to stock up for the weekend, and decided to get a full tray for $25. ...My boys will be in heaven!

I have just peeled and sliced half of the box's contents to freeze for smoothies and frappes, and the rest we will eat cold for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

Happy Weekend everyone .... the weather here is amazing!

On my mind:
http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/

lazy Sunday fried rice ...

With not much left in the fridge, this is tonight's early dinner...

FAST FRIED RICE

OMELETTE
2 eggs .. beat with a fork and add a tablespoon of water

cook lightly in a hot pan in your choice of oil, then set aside in a bowl

RICE
onion
zucchini
carrot
leftover cold boiled/steamed rice (I use basmati or brown)
1/2 cup veg or chicken stock
S & P

Very finely chop all of the veg and cook over low heat with a splash of oil, then add the water/stock and put a lid on to soften for a few minutes... add the rice and mix through.. salt and pepper to taste... add the chopped up omelette and a handful of frozen or fresh peas

That's it, fifteen minutes for prep and cooking time, max!!!

I always cook too much rice for this reason, it's so easy to reheat for the next couple of days or to make fried rice .. and if I don't use it, my Jacky boy dog loves it with his dinner too!

Happy Days ... vegetables, protein and carbs to fill up little bellies, my kind of comfort food.

smoothilicious ...

Everyone loves a smoothie during the warmer months!

The boys and I enjoy a smoothie every day, whether it be for breakfast, afternoon tea or most commonly for us, it's dessert

They are healthy, filling, refreshing and most importantly ... delicious!

I always have frozen mango cheeks, raspberries and blueberries in the freezer.  We eat them as cool snack and obviously in our smoothies.

HEALTHY SMOOTHIES

Frozen Fruit ... a handful of any frozen fruit make it cold and thick
Yoghurt ... a couple of dollops of any natural yoghurt (we use Meredith's Sheeps Milk)
Milk ... I use Bon Soy or Pure Harvest Organic Oat Milk
A squeeze of smoething sweet - Pure Maple Syrup, Agave Syup or even Honey
LSA ... Ground Linseed, Sunflower Seed & Almond mix adds protein

Obviously you can drop the yoghurt to make them dairy free, or you use cow's milk if you love dairy!

when life gets a little bit crazy ...

North Stradbroke Island ... Spring School Break

It is so good to be back!! 

I have missed my little tummy rumble blog posts ... I didn't realise how much until today when I was sitting on my deck, at my freshly painted red table, with my lap top and my little Eli riding his bike close by.  I opened up my facebook page and then clicked on a link to my blog... and here I am again.

Sadly, it has been, out of sight ... out of mind.

I also only just noticed comments that I completely missed from as far back as June, and feel a little bit rude having not replied.  So, my sincerest apologies my friends! 

Why is it, that when life gets busy we so easily give up the things that make US happy?!

Whether it be exercise, reading, cooking, blogging ... I am going to make any effort to do at least two of these things every day ... even if it means missing one of my meaningless television programs in the evening when the boys are sleeping.

It is a challenge I am setting for myself!  Anybody care to join me?

the humble onion ... a natural earache remedy

In our house, we thankfully haven't had too many earache experiences, however, when we have we've used onion juice in the ear to clear the inflammation and act as a natural antibiotic...  it does hurt momentarily, but it clears it up so very fast!

We had a restless night a couple of months back with my little 2 year old,  Eli.  Just before dinner  he said "Mummy I not very happy, my ear hurts", with his gorgeous little red feverish cheeks ... he really wasn't happy at all.

I warmed a quarter of an onion (red,white or brown are fine) and squeezed a tiny amount of juice into a syringe and squeezed it into his ear.. It took about half an hour of cuddles, and Bindi the Jungle Girl,to settle him down ... it does hurt a little bit when you do it (quite a bit really, but it settles down fast), but it is so very worth it!

After about half an hour of restless cuddles and sadness, he settled down  I knew he was going to be fine when he asked for some manuka honey and he ate some pear and blueberries and a big glass of oat milk followed by water.

He didn't settle properly until midnight, and had a fever all night.  He slept quite soundly until 6am and woke this morning with nothing more than a runny nose. 

A trip to our wonderfully amazing chiropractor to help with the healing process, who confirmed his ear is still red and in need of more onion juice over the next couple of days .. and hopefully the end of the ear infection.

For the next few days, he requested some onion juice in his ear, as even he is aware of the wonderful benefits!

And, no need for a doctor, panadol or antibiotics .. everybody is happy!

tortilla .... a little bit of spanish love

I was a lucky girl growing up, one of my very best friends is Spanish and I spent a lot of time eating, sleeping and hanging out in the Lopez abode .... Not only a beautiful family to share time with, but a great introduction to my still all-time favourite cuisine.

Tortilla is one of our staple favourites in Rumble de casa.  There is almost always one in the fridge.. it's a delicious snack, the perfect Sunday night dinner, and Noah loves it instead of a sandwich in his school lunch .

INGREDIENTS
1/2 an onion (whatever you have in the crisper)
6 - 8 small potatoes (I use organice sebago or dutch cream - thinly sliced or in small cubes)
olive oil
6 organic eggs
S & P

METHOD
Sweat out onions in a generous amount of olive oil.   I cheat and lightly steam my potatoes before panfrying them in the olive oil with the onions, adding some salt & pepper..  Whisk the eggs in a bowl and when the potatoes have softened, toss this mixture through the eggs in the bowl and place back in the well oiled pan with a sprinkle of fresh parsley if you like.
Cook over a low heat with the lid on, and when the egg looks cooked, use a plate to turn the omelette out onto and then slide back in to brown the top... slice in pizza triangles and eat as you wish!

spiced apple crumb muffins

I wandered into the kitchen to make myself a nice chai latte, and left having made these for an after school snack ...

They are so deliciously yummy, and rather healthy, with all natural ingredients.  I found a similar recipe in a macrobiotic cookbook and have slightly altered it over the years.  I do all of my baking with spelt flour as it has higher nutritional value and is much easier to digest.

They are a bit messy to eat, but so worth it...

CRUMBLE TOPPING
4 tablespoons white spelt flour
4 tablespoons whole spelt flour
4 tablespoons whole rolled oats
4 tablespoons unrefined dark brown sugar
2 teasoons ground cinnamon
pinch sea salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon soy milk

MUFFINS
1 tablespoon cornflour
2 small organic apples peeled and finely diced
110ml vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing muffin tin
150ml real maple syrup
150ml soy milk
100g white spelt flour
125g whole spelt flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
60g chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 180, grease a 12 cup muffin tray with vegetable oil.

For the crumb topping, combine all the dry ingredients in a small bowl and then add the oil and soy milk and rub together with your hands and set aside.

For the muffins, in a small bowl add the diced apples and toss with the cornflour.

In another bowl whisk together the oil, syrup and milk then sift in dry ingredients and then fold in the apples and walnuts.

Evenly distribute the batter in the muffin and top with crumble mixture.

Bake for around 25 minutes.

Devour with a nice warm drink and re-energise..

slow cooked beef and gremolata ...

I have been eating more red meat than usual and I don't like how it makes me feel, so I am going to go back to eating a lot less ... after tonight!

I had some beef in the freezer, not sure if it was my butcher's usual mixed cut, gravy beef or another cheap cut, but I put it on this afternoon and let it cook nice and slowly for a few hours.

SLOW COOKED BEEF
1 kg cheap cut of beef - diced
2 onions
3 carrots
2 zucchini
1 celery stick
1 punnet cherry tomatoes or 4 chopped and blended tomatoes or a can of chopped tomatoes
a handful of mushrooms (if you have any that need to be used)
3 cups stock or water
bay leaves
S & P

Cook off the vegetables until softened, then put in beef and lightly brown, add the tomatoes, the the stock, the bay leaves and the salt and pepper.

Put on the lid and cook slowly, checking often, and adding water as you need to.

You can also add red wine and any other of your favourite herbs or vegetables.  Potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, white beans, whatever you like.

Cook slowly until meat is tender and season to taste.

I love slow cooked meat dishes served with a zesty gremolata to give it a kick!

GREMOLATA

Parsley chopped finely
Lemon zest
Olive oil
Lemon juice

Mix everything together and the serve with your beef, and maybe some rice or your warm bread on the side.... and a nice glass of red, of course!!


Bon Appetit ... a late dinner for me tonight!

happy snacks ...



I do a little happy dance, in my mind, when I see my boys go for the fruit bowl or ask for carrot sticks when they feel like a snack ... it's the little things that make this mum smile!

After staying with a friend with very different ideas on what we feed ourselves, and our little people, my boys ate a lot more empty food (my word for food with no nutritional values and usually full of preservatives) than usual.  Even they thought that nutella on white toast wasn't a great idea... well, not for a complete meal anyway!  I cringe at the thought of it passing their lips, although I admit that I thought it tasted good as an afternoon snack at my best friend's place after school, before I truly understood about food and nutrition.

Although the first couple of days of returning home, the boys were still craving the sugar they became accustomed to, they have only asked for fruit, nuts and raw vegetables for the last few days. It's good knowing that their little bodies are craving the good stuff to clear out all of the sweet and junky food they ate. 

This morning for breakfast we all enjoyed a big bowl of warm porridge with oat milk and maple syrup, and today for lunch, Noah enjoyed three raw carrots, a big crisp green apple and some almonds.  Eli isn't feeling well, so barely has an appetite, but enjoyed his porridge this morning and has nibbled on nuts and raspberries for the rest of the day, and enjoyed a big warm cup of oat milk with manuka honey, and this afternoon asked for some 'yummy pumpkin" and eggs.


ROASTED PUMPKIN

Pumpkin
Olive Oil
S & P (to season if you like)

Cut the pumpkin of your choice into small squares and put in a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and toss around so that all pieces are covered, then place in a hot oven (around 190) and bake until golden brown.


We like them quite well done, once they are ready let them sit and crisp up or enjoy them soft and deliciously sweet.

I love the skin myself, so I generally leave the skin of a few larger pieces and leave them in the oven a bit longer. 

This is great to keep in the fridge as it's a great snack, excellent to add to salads or pastas or as a side for dinner.

Beat the Winter Blues ...

In case you haven't noticed, it's that time of year where the many dreaded lurgies rear their ugly heads, and the cycles of colds and bugs make their way around our schools, work environments and neighbourhoods ...

Although I don't enjoy feeling miserable or seeing my boys unwell, I also get a feeling of delight when we are sick knowing that our bodies are having an obviously much needed clean out ... getting rid of all of the gunk and toxins we no longer need in our bodies to slow us down!

I have, very proudly, a drug-free household.  We fight off our colds with a good diet, warm lemon & honey, olive leaf extract, extra sunshine, beach (when it's warm enough, of course) and extra rest.

On the first sign of a cold, we try to eliminate all sugars from our diet, including fruit, unless it's oranges and strawberries the boys are craving at the time, which is usually the case.  Our bodies know what we need!  Sugar, even in it's natural form, really depletes our immune systems, so to keep our immune systems strong, we want to eat foods that really help.

Here are some foods that, if eaten regularly in our diets, will help to keep our immune systems strong and fight off colds:

OATS...
Porridge on a Winter's morning is delicious... it's warming and nourishing and tastes great with maple syrup or honey.  The highly processed easy or quick oats don't have the same nutritional value, so try and opt for an organic wholegrain variety.  I know if we have a bowl of porridge for breakfast, we'll be satisfied for hours and with their slow-release energy, the boys moods are always calm and relaxed (most of the time).  The oats are high in antioxidant properties and they boost immunity and speed healing.

GARLIC...
I put garlic in almost every meal we eat ... it's so good for us!!
Garlic fights bacteria and infection, and in one study, it was found that people who consume garlic were two-thirds less likely to catch a cold than non-garlic lovers... raw is best, but no thanks, not in this house.  Cooked is better than not!

CHICKEN SOUP...
It's not an old wives tale... chicken soup is one of the best things for us to help fight off a cold.  Not only does it stop the movement of inflammatory white-cells into our bronchial tubes which causes our cold-symptoms, but it's basically a form of cough syrup, as it has the amino acid cysteine which chemically resembles the bronchitis drug acetylicysteine, so the broth helps to keep your mucus thin... So, don't go and give the drugstore your hard earned money for cough syrups and lozenges, that may cure the symptoms but not the illness ... cook up a big pot of chicken soup! (I will post my favourite chicken soup recipe soon).

SEAFOOD & FISH...
Fish high in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon and mackerel help to reduce inflammation and fight against respiratory infections, as does the selenium in shellfish which helps to develop proteins in our white blood cells which clears out flu viruses.... seafood vatapa .... yum!! (Another recipe for me to post!) Or a simple pan fried crispy skin salmon fillet with stir fried vegetables in soy and garlic.

TEA...
Black Tea and Green Tea can both increase our immunity, and any herbal variety just makes us feel all warm and cosy on the inside.. curl up with a nice cuppa and a book in a spot of sunshine pouring in the window and feel the winter blues fading away ....

YOGHURT...
We all know that yoghurt is good for our tummies.. the live active cultures are healthy bacteria that keep our tummies and intestinal tract free of germs that cause disease ... the natural variety is best, sweetened with fresh or frozen fruit or agave syrup... it's not good to have too much if you already have a cold, but eat it daily in your diets to help keep the bugs away!  We love Meredith' Sheep's Milk Yoghurt.

ONION
It may sound strange and not very nice, but onion is amazing to help our immune systems and also a natural anti-inflammatory. When we're sick, I put a cut onion in the bedrooms when the kids go to sleep and rub their feet with onion ... it doesn't smell that bad, just air out their rooms the following day.  A little drop of onion juice in the ear is the best way to fix an ear ache, it's not very comfortable, but the fastest form of relief for ear aches... give it a try!


So, next time you are feeling a lurgy coming on, don't reach for a quick-fix drug to make the symptoms go away ... just let your body fight it off naturally with the help of some good nutritious foods.  Sure, you may feel tired and miserable for a few days, but you'll be sure to fight it off properly if you let your body do it's amazing work all on it's own!

Chicken Sausage Rolls .... cold day comfort food

It's a bit chilly outside ... the fire is on  and I am craving some warm comfort food ...

These sausage rolls are absolutely delicious and they are a great snack or you can serve them with a salad or vegetables to create a lovely and fast meal.

Tonight I will serve mine with cauliflower gratin and brussel sprouts in lemon and pepper, and the boys personalised larger rolls will be served with chunky sweet potato chips.

INGREDIENTS
700g organic free range chicken mince
(my butcher always has it in his freezer)
1/2 red onion
2 finely grated carrots
1 finely grated zucchini
1C chopped coriander
1C chopped parsley
1C breadcrumbs (I simply food process 3 slices of organic multigrain)
1 organic free-range egg
S & P to taste (it doesn't really need this at all, depending on your taste)
4 sheets Organic Puff Pastry
1 organic egg beaten to brush pastry

I use Careme pastry as it's just like homemade, they have no artificial ingredients and are both made with real butter ...  delicious!  Sure, it's quite expensive in comparison to the brands that you find in the supermarket, but this recipe is going to make at least 48 mini sausage rolls so will still be cheaper than buying the same amount from the bakery.

METHOD

If you have a food processor, simply mix the chicken, crumbs and one egg until well combined, then put in the rest of the ingredients and whizz quickly, or you can just stir everything together with a fork.

Each sheet should be cut in half and place some chicken mixture along the whole sheet in the centre, fold the pasttry in to the centre and brush some egg mixture to join the pastry.. roll over and cute each roll into six mini sausage rolls.  Brush with egg mixture, and if you like, sprinkle soms sesame seeds and place on some grease proof paper on an oven tray. Put a small incision in the top of each one to stop the pastry from splitting when cooking.

Cook in an oven preheated to 200, for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.

I usually freeze a few of the rolls, before I have cut them, and simply cook them fresh from frozen or once they are thawed.

Wow, looks like a long recipe, but they are really healthy and simple, and taste delicious.  Great for a party, good to take to a BBQ, picnic at the park or just to enjoy at home.

Free-range chooks, children and guinea pigs ... no longer

Whether it be your chickens, your children or my guinea pigs, free-range has it's pros and cons!

I have only ever housed free-range chickens and I truly believe the happier the chicken, the yummier the egg!  We have had many chickens over the last ten years of living in the Hinterland, but sadly, we have also lost every single one of them.  Now, I only buy free-range eggs...

We also had a very friendly goanna in Maleny, and he loved our free-range eggs as much as we did!  We thought we had some lazy hens until we saw him scurrying down the tree trunk, slyly looking around before he crept into the chicken pen and munched up all of our eggs.

Since moving from our lovely 22 acres, to a one acre property in a semi-rural area, we have quite a few neighbours close by.  Our last three chickens, Sunshine, Jet & Henriette all disappeared into our neighbours yard through a hole in the fence and met their fate with Kai, the beautiful dog next door.  Sad, but true!  I didn't have the heart to break the news to my very sensitive first born, Noah, so I told a little white lie and said that they were much happier now in the natural bushland reserve at the end of our street! 

I like to think that my children are free-range ... I like them to make as many decisions for themselves as possible.  Within reason of course!  I would never allow them to be in a dangerous situation or to make a very obvious incorrect decision that would result in pain and suffering, but I like them to think for themselves and learn from their simple mistakes.  It surprises me how many people may consider this 'bad parenting'.  My children are my life and I love them more than anything in the beautiful world we live in.  I like to sit back and watch them play and work things out for themselves, they are amazing, and usually do!

The parents that I am very different to, are the ones who like to control their children, not allowing them to get dirty and play with bugs, but are more than happy for their own to sit in front of the television of game console for as many hours a day as they like, feed them processed foods full of unnatural additives.

We are all different, but I'd like to think that we can all take a little bit and learn from one another.

Sadly, we had one of our guinea pigs disappear last week.  Yes, our guinea pigs are sometimes free-range as my 2 year old is constantly opening the door to their very roomy home (because it truly doesn't bother me too much as they always come back), but sadly this time one didn't.  It was Forcefield, brother to G-Force and Speckles ... and today when Noah, Eli and I were cleaning out their space, topping up their food and water and putting G-Force and Speckles away for the evening, I had a thought come to mind - Forcefield was taken by the very plump kookaburra whom resides on our swing every day!  Oh, so sad, poor little Forcefield!  He would never have run away!!

So, free-range omelette for supper, free-range children snug in bed, fire on and guinea pigs in their freshly cleaned home ... I am going to enjoy a warm milk with honey and have an early night... sweet dreams!

Meatballs or Albondigas if you like...

It may not be the prettiest dish, but they are fast to prepare and so good to eat!

I love them served with a handful of fresh baby spinach or you can have veggies, rice or pasta.

It's also a great way of hiding vegetables, if your kids are fussy!  There are hidden vegetables in both the meatballs and the sauce.

This recipe makes about 24 small meat balls, which fit in my large deep frypan perfectly.  For a larger batch just increase the ingredients.

MEATBALLS
400g premium beef mince

1/2 red onion very finely diced

2 small finely grated carrots

1 small zucchini finely grated
1 slice of bread crumbed or a handful of bread crumbs
1 egg
salt & pepper

SAUCE
Olive oil
1/2 red onion
1 garlic clove mashed
2 samll finely grated carrots
1 samll finely diced grated
1 bottle tomato passata
1/2C water or stock
2 bay leaves
salt & pepper to taste

METHOD
Mix all the meatball ingredients in a bowl with your clean hands, and put in fridge while you make the sauce.

Lightly heat a small amount of olive oil in your non-stick pan
Cook onion, carrot, garlic and zucchini for a few minutes, add tomato passata and 1/2 cup of water
A dash of salt & pepper & two bay leaves
Cook for a few minutes until well heated and starting to bubble.

Turn the heat down and let it simmer while you roll your little meatballs and place them in the sauce.
Cook over low heat until they are cooked through.  Turn of heat and put on lid to keep warm.

These meatballs are very tender.  If you prefer firm meatballs, feel free to brown them before you add them to your sauce.

You could also spice up the sauce with chilli, or add parsely or marjoram ... whatever takes your fancy or entices you on the day.

Bon apetit!  I am off to enjoy a late lunch while babe is having a siesta....

Olives ... peace and happiness

Olives are a symbol or peace and happiness in the Mediterranean.... and I know that they certainly make me happy when I'm popping them in my mouth.  I love them!


You either love them or hate them... but it's safe to say, if you give me an olive, simply marinated, stuffed, baked, smoked, in a pasta or tagine dish, or any other way, I will enjoy it!

Olives are delicious and they also have many health benefits.  We all know that olive oil is good for us, but for some reason olives seem to get overlooked as having health benefits, when really they are a very potent fruit, high in fat.. but good healthy monounsaturated fat!  They are also an excellent source of fibre.

They are very rich in Iron, Copper and Vitamin E which helps to lower the risk of damage and inflamation to our cells.  They also help to reduce the risk of heart disease, colon cancer, the severity of osteo and rheumatoid arthritis and last but not least, hot flushes in women going through menapause.

So, next time you are enjoying a nice little mezze plate with olives and a glass of vino, sit back and think about the positive effects they are going to have on your body... and enjoy every little ball of happiness!

Chocolate & Coconut Slice ...

This recipe is my version of an old weetbix slice that I loved as a child.  I have altered the recipe to suit my choice of ingredients and it's just as delicious!

I use a combination of wholemeal and white spelt flours, but any flour can be used, whatever you have in the pantry. 

I also use Organic 70% dark chocolate, which is sweetened with Rapadura Sugar, but any dark chocolate will do...

Coconut Sugar, which I have found in the granulated form is excellent... I absolutely love it!!  It looks and tastes like dark Rapadura sugar but just gives that extra something and still has health benefits that refined sugars don't have... if refined is all you use, that will work too, white, raw or brown.

You could add any nuts, raisins, sultana's dates to this ..  with my recipes, almost anything goes...


110g butter
60g good quality dark chocolate
1T maple syrup
1C wholemeal flour (or 3 weetbix for crunch)
1C plain flour
1T baking powder
100g coconut (whatever you have in the pantry, I use organc shredded)
80g Coconut sugar (or any sugar of your choice)

METHOD
Melt butter, chocolate and maple syrup over a low heat
Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl
Add the choc/butter
Mix well
Put into a greased tray
Bake at 180 for around 15 to 20 mintues

When cooled, I drizzle melted white chocolate over the top and slice into small squares

This slice is so yummy and everyone loves it, children and adults ... it's so simple and always a hit!

Toad in the Hole ...



An oldy but a goody!!

I still have absolutely no idea where it got the name 'Toad in the Hole', but I loved it as a little girl and I still love it now... It's a nice fast breakfast or a very lazy supper.

A little bit of protein, served with a nice cup of tea or a glass of milk for the kids and some yummy, new season strawberries ... this is what we had for breaky today.

Slice of bread

1 egg (of the happy fee range variety of course)

nob of butter

olive oil

METHOD

cut a hole in the bread

place in a hot pan of melted butter & olive oil

Turn when browned

Cook egg to your liking, we love ours all runny in the centre

Top with hole

YUM!!!

Obviously if you are not a butter lover, or want to keep it healthy, just brush the bread with olive oil instead.





Potato Gnocchi

I love making this with the help of my boys ... they love to help in the kitchen.

We all have a ball of our own to roll out and cut into pieces so our gnocchi is always very 'rustic' but it tastes delicious...

If you've never made pasta before, once you do it the first time, you realise just how simple it is... as long as you don't mind getting a little bit messy.

I usually make this with white spelt flour, but it can be made with plain white flour too...

4 potatoes (sebago are perfect)
salt & pepper
2C plain white flour
1/2C finely grated parmesan cheese
flour to dust

METHOD
Boil or steam potatoes with skin on
Drain really well of any excess water, remove skin and mash until smooth (I use a ricer)
Dust your table or bench with flour well
Place the mashed potato on the bench and form a well in the centre
Add a lightly beaten egg to the centre
Add half of the parmesan and half of the flour
Start mixing lightly with a fork
Add the rest of the parmesan & flour and continue to work together with the fork
Then knead with your hands until smooth, adding flour if you need to
(don't overwork it, as the more flour you add, the heavier the gnocchi will be)
Seperate into 4 or 5 balls and roll into long sausages about 2cm wide, on a dusted surface.
Cut into small pieces, about 1cm long.
Cook in a pot of boiling salted water until they reach the surface, drain and eat immediately.

If you aren't going to eat immediately you can drop the pieces into iced water to keep their shape and cool them down, and you can then place them on a flat tray in the fridge or freezer.

We eat our gnocchi with a simple pesto cream sauce, zucchini, chilli & tomato sauce or bolognese topped with freshly grated parmesan ... any simple sauce is yummy!

The Sweetest Things in Life ...

Sweet, Sweet Sugar!!

It comes in many forms, but most of the sugar in our society's diet is completely refined, has absolutely no nutritional benefits, is hard on our bodies, and creates havoc with our digestion and depletes our immune systems.

Over the years, I have discovered many unrefined sugars, and sure, initially they taste a little bit different, but it's delicious...

Refined sugars are addictive ... the more you eat, the more you want!!

I always have unrefined sugars in my pantry and sugar bowl. We like Rapadura (Brazil), Muscovado (Mauritius), Muscobado (Philipinnes) and of course we love Organic Maple Syrup and Agave Syrup.

We use these in all of our baking, porridge, smoothies, coffee and tea for friends, and anywhere a sweetener is needed. 

And sure, it is slightly more expensive as it is grown overseas under fair trade progams, so not only is it better for us, but it is also better for our natural environment, the earth we all love so much.

The unrefined dry sugars I've mentioned still have nutritional vitamins and minerals, as the cane sugar is simply squeezed, dried and ground, and the juice isn't separated and then reunited in unnatural proportions the way it is to create white, raw, brown, demerara and other sugars.

They don't create the same imbalance inour body that refined sugars create when eaten, helping to keep our moods balanced.

You can replace any recipe with equal portions and you can purchase them online or at your local natural food stores.

So, if you need a little bit of sweetness in your life today ... try using one of these sugars and your cravings will go away!

Ciao,

Sweet Ness

Lentil Daal

This is one of my favourite recipes to cook.

It takes no time to prepare, and my boys love it too... you can just feel it nourishing your body with all of it's goodness...

olive oil
1 red onion
1 carrot
2 crushed garlic cloves
2cm sliced ginger
chilli (to taste)
salt pepper
2C red lentils
4C water with chicken stock
1-2 tomatoes frozen or fresh spinach leaves

METHOD
Heat oil over low heat and sweat onions, carrot, garlic, ginger and chilli
Add salt & pepper
Cook until fagrant
Add lentils and stir to coat with spices
Add stock
Add tomato
Cook over low heat, adding extra liquid when necessary
When lentils are soft, add spinach

We love to eat these with steamed basmati rice, topped with yoghurt and fresh coriander if you have some in the crisper, or add a touch more liquid and enjoy as a nice hearty soup.... feel the wholesome goodness nourishing your body!