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!