as of late

I’ve been so busy lately. Understandably it is that time of year when things get a little crazy, but coupled with a move and some thrilling news that we will be expecting our first little bub in early May 2013, things seem to be rolling along quicker than I’d like!

Yes! We are expecting a little girl – currently 19 weeks along – and am so in love with her already. We’ve been enjoying her movements and kicks for a couple of weeks now and the feeling is just so beautiful (I know I say this now, when she’s only 250g).

She’s our little miracle. It took two years of trying, surgery, drugs and being told we’d never conceive naturally to get to this point – but here we are, a natural conception. I will do a couple of follow on posts about our story, how I healed my PCOS naturally and how ‘giving up’ can sometimes be the best thing.

So, what I have been up to lately:

Moving house.

 

Making a chicken coop – I’ve been an assistant to Joel the builder as he constructed his designed from scratch coop. Hopefully we get the chickens this weekend!

 

Growing a baby – she’s just gorgeous!

Setting up the house for Christmas – the tree has be up since the 2^nd week in November, normally it’s earlier but we were moving.

Making Christmas wrapping decorations.

Starting Christmas presents – home-grown and dehydrated lemon myrtle spice.

Amongst the above, it has been sweltering heat and I have been loving the abundance of mangos. This cooling smoothie has been just perfect snack/breakfast in this 2^nd trimester where all I crave is fruit.

Ingredients

(serves 1)

150g natural yoghurt

1 mango, flesh of

A handful of ice

Combine all ingredients in a blender and whiz until thick and smooth. Pour into a glass and top with homemade muesli if desired.

Enjoy.



smooth matcha shake

This is such a wonderful 'shake' that I have been enjoying at the moment. The summer days have really set in (with gusto), and as I am in the midst of packing and moving, a refreshing afternoon drink has been a bit of a lifesaver for me.

Yep, we're moving house and really looking forward to it. Currently we are living in a one bedroom loft style barn conversion and moving 200m down the road to beautiful stone cottage.The barn doesn't have any inside doors and extremely open plan living. It has been decided that with a change in circumstances, this may no longer be very practical, thus the change!

this little guy is looking forward to the new place

I'm really looking forward to the bright new kitchen, especially having a pantry! At the moment all our flours, nuts, cereals and grains are stored in a long narrow cupboard. It's a bit difficult to find anything as I have to reach back and feel around for the ingredients that I'm after. It takes quite a few goes before I actually find what I am looking for. So a pantry is very very exciting for me.

Enough of that, on to the recipe. This is just a delight. Refreshing, smooth, easy and best of all anti-oxidantly healthy.

Ingredients

(serves one)

1/4 c organic natural milk/alternative

1/4 c water

1 tsp matcha powder

1 tsp sugar (extra to taste)

a handful of ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a martini shaker/protein shaker/blender and shake/blend until smooth.

Pour into a glass and enjoy!

carrot cake muffins

Hooray, the days are reaching summer proportions. It felt like the coldest winter ever, but we seem to be on the other side of it now and I'm looking forward to spending time at the beach.

Anyway, to celebrate the dramatic weather change, I decided to do some baking. I know, crazy.. why would you turn the oven on in 30C+ weather? Because I wanted some carrot cake, that's why.

I whipped these up, left them to cool then took a plate to my parents place to share. Because what better way to celebrate (and test) than to share. 

Mum said that the muffin was delicious. She even closed her eyes as she ate saying 'you better make sure you put in your blog that your mum loved these'. Done!

Dad said there's a real 'wang' to the icing before the coconut kicks in and that he loved the cake.

I told Joel what Dad said, and he started saying it. Great, now the word wang was being thrown around in reference to my muffins. Nice. Still, it didn't spoil the beauty of them!

Ingredients

(makes 12)

Cake

3 carrots, grated

1 c plain wholemeal flour

1 tsp bi-carb soda

1/4 c raisins

1/4 c walnuts, slightly crushed

1 tsp mixed spice

2 eggs, lightly whisked

1/4 c water

2 tblsp sugar

1/4 c coconut oil

'Icing'

2 tblsp creamed coconut, warmed

2 tsp water

1/2 lime, grated rind and juice

1 tsp agave syrup

Heat oven to 160C and line a muffin tray.

Combine all ingredients for the cake in a large bowl and mix until well combined.

Spoon a tablespoon size amount into each muffin hole in the tray.

Place in oven for 20-30 minutes until cake springs back to the touch.

Remove and cool entirely.

Assembly

Combine all ingredients for the icing in a small bowl until well combined.

Using a butter knife, spread the mixture over the cooled muffins.

Enjoy!

red lentil burgers

Is life just busier? I feel the days are going faster than ever and any spare time that I have gets filled up pretty quickly. I don't mind though, I love fitting as much into life as possible that's just living, right?!

After a busy weekend and a full day at work I came home, chopped the fire wood, started the fire, then got started on these beauties.

Luckily there were heaps more burgers than I anticipated which means I can stock the freezer for a quick lunch option on work days. Sometimes with all the rushing, it's good to have a healthy back-up meal that you can defrost for a quick satisfying lunch or dinner and this is surely one.

Ingredients

(makes 20)

1 1/2 c split red lentils, soaked for 6-8 hours

1 c walnuts

2 carrots, grated

1 brown onion, grated

1 c besan flour

1 tsp bi-carb soda

1 tblsp savoury yeast flakes

2 eggs, lightly whisked

olive oil, for greasing

salt and pepper, to taste

Heat oven to 180 C and line a large baking tray with parchment paper then lightly grease with oil.

Bring lentils to boil in a heavy based saucepan.

Cook for 15-20 minutes until soft, then drain and set aside to cool.

Add walnuts to a food processor/blender and pulse until crumbled.

Mix walnuts, carrots and onion in a medium sized bowl.

Next add in the lentils and remainder of ingredients, mixing until well combined.

Using wet hands, scoop small handful sizes of the mixture then roll into a ball.

Place on tray and push down lightly to flatten out.

Repeat until all the mixture has been used.

Place tray in oven for 25 minutes, then flip the burgers and bake for a further 15 minutes.

Serve!

raw kale chips

Productive weekends are the best, and that is exactly what this last one was for us.

We spent the weekend spring cleaning, tidying and sorting. I'm on top of the housework after vacuuming and dusting, washing and hanging, folding and ironing - it feels great. On top of all that we were able to spend heaps of time outside as the weather was stunningly perfect. Lots of walks, sun soaking and getting on top of some much needed garden work. The spring/summer garden is finally planted, and I'm really looking forward to impending crops - impatient much!?

I love that feeling of fulfilment and satisfaction from a wholesome weekend. And what's more, we have been fuelling our bodies with these delicious raw kale chips.

Ingredients

1 bunch of kale, wash and roughly torn

1 tsp paprika

1 tblsp olive oil

pinch or two of salt

Toss all ingredients in a medium bowl.

Arrange on dehydrator trays and turn on to 40 C.

Dehydrate for 12 hours or overnight.

Store in an airtight container for as long as they last. 

spiced apple and pear roll-ups

I know, I know, I’ve been a little silent on here. But for good reason as we have been at the snow for the past week.

It was amazing; fresh powder, super drop offs and jumps, absolutely worth the aches and pains. On top of that, it was just so nice to have a holiday with Joel again, even if it wasn’t restful, it is just so nice to be active and creating new memories together.

 

Our time on the slopes was exceptional, however our car started playing up pretty early on in the week and we ended up losing all our radiator fluid in 20mins intervals. We took it to a mechanic who said that the job would take him 8-12 hours to pull the engine apart and find the root of the issue*. As we didn’t have time for this, we decided to keep chugging along with a massive drum of coolant and water in the back of the car for top-ups. Our major stress was always going to be the drive home.

We left the snow at 4pm and made it home by midnight – not a bad effort for a 6.5 hour drive, stopping every 10-20 mins.

*Not to mention the car had been in the shop for 2 months right before we left for the snow. Our timing belt went and we had to replace the engine.

I haven’t had time to really document a new recipe amidst the car issues, washing, unpacking, shopping and work. So I’ve decided to post this snack which I made before we left for the snow.

We had a heap of pears and apples to use up in the refrigerator and what better way to use them all up than making roll-ups. A healthy, easy-pack energy hit for the hill.

Ingredients

(makes 24)

5 large apples (mixed red & green)

5 large pears

1 tsp cinnamon

Roughly chop the apples and pears and place them in a heavy based saucepan with an inch of water.

Simmer until soft, remove from heat and cool.

Add cinnamon, and softened fruit to a blender and whiz until smooth.

Scoop out and spread evenly (1/2 cm thick) on dehydrator trays – approx. 4 trays.

If you don’t have heaps of Teleflex sheets (like me), line the trays with baking paper.

Dehydrate on 40 degrees for 15-20 hours.

While still warm, slice each sheet into 6 portions and roll tightly.

Store in an airtight container for a week or 2.

I was totally having too much fun to take many pictures, so there's a few iPhone shots.

Early morning drive down to the snow, 4am start.

First day up, just stunning.

Joel always looks confused when taking photos.

We had a blizzard day; the most dangerous drive ever. I was just like bumper cars, we luckily came away unscathed.

Yeah, snow!

walnut, chia and rhubarb cookies

I’ve been utilising the dehydrator a bit more lately, can you tell?

This time is a fruity healthy cookie cracker. Gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, vegan, no added sugar, low-gi, mostly raw.. they are the perfect on-the-go snack.

Joel says they are more like fruit crackers than cookies. But I think he had greasy, buttery cookies on his mind when I produced these for him to try.

His verdict: they are really tasty, but you spend the next couple of minutes picking chia seeds out of your teeth.

I know this would bother him, because, Joel is a minimal effort kind of guy when it comes to food. He won’t eat muesli because it takes too long to chew. Yep, he is a different sort.

These ‘cookies’ (and I use the term loosely) are an impromptu idea I had to use up a bunch of rhubarb that was sitting in the refrigerator.

What?! Use up rhubarb! Like it is some kind of space waster.

It is not like that at all. Honest.

I love rhubarb, but because we are leaving in a couple of days for the snow (for a week) and I couldn’t justify baking it into something that would not keep – or that doesn’t travel well.

Alas! Dehydration.

Ingredients

(makes 20+)

1/4 c chia seeds

1 1/2 c water

1 bunch rhubard, chopped into inch long lengths

1 tblsp water

1 c walnuts, soaked for 12 hours and drained

2 bananas, mashed

1 tsp cinnamon, ground

1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix chia seeds and water and set aside for 20 mins so the seeds can activate.

Next, place rhubarb and water in a small pot and heat until the fruit is soft.

Remove from heat and cool.

Empty walnuts into a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.

Next add the bananas, cinnamon, vanilla and rhubarb to the walnut mixture and process until well combined.

Then, gently fold through the chia seeds.

Line dehydrating trays with parchment or teleflex sheets.

Place a cookie cutter on the tray and spoon in 2 tblsp sized portions - or whatever will fit.

Gently remove the cookie cutter and repeat until the mixture is all used up.

Dehydrate on 40 C for 20 hours.

activated vanilla walnuts

I love productive days.

My hours at work have gone back to normal, which means I was finally able to get on top of the house work. I'm not one to feel comfortable if there are lingering jobs waiting to be done.

But, now, I am at ease.

Tidying, sorting, washing, cleaning, ironing etc - all done! I've got the incense burning, fresh bunch of lilies from the garden and the fire on full blaze.

Not only all that, but I was able to catch a movie with my best friend (whom I love dearly).

So, after a busy day, it's time for a well deserved snack.

I've had these walnuts on to dehydrate for 24 hours, so now is as good a time as any to dig in.

Walnuts are super high in Vitamin E which has been found to significantly protect against heart problems. Also high in calcium, manganese, omega 3, copper, potassium and magnesium; walnuts provide so much of the good anti-oxidants that our bodies thrive on.

To properly engage these nutrients, I have activated these walnuts by first soaking them in water for 12 hours. This enables the nut to come alive again - literally. The enzymes in the nut start to break down as if it were about to grow. In doing this, your body is absorbing pure live nutrients rather than trying to break down the tough nut first. What better way to nourish your body than with living foods.

Even though they have been dehydrated, they are still activated as they have not been dried out too much to become dormant again.

Ingredients

(makes 3 cups)

3 c raw walnuts, soaked for 12 hours

2 tblsp malt extract

2 tsp vanilla extract

Thoroughly combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

Lay out on dehydrator trays and place on 40 C setting (level II for me).

Dehydrate for 24 hours.

Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

lemon myrtle and poppy seed cracker: raw

Last winter we would be out on the property every weekend, chopping, collecting and stacking firewood for the week ahead. We have been lazy this winter and used my father’s contact for bulk fire wood.

Sadly, this contact has now fizzled out and our wood pile has slowly dwindled to nothing.

So, we loaded into our run-around car and up the hill we went. Joel chainsaw’ed and I followed him around loading the car full of logs. Then when we got back to the house, we unloaded and Joel chopped it all while I stacked. We make a good team!

I love my lumberjack man.

It’s been forever since I’ve posted a dehydrated recipe. It still runs regularly with fruits, crackers or dog treats.

So I thought I would share my latest cracker recipe with you. It’s delightfully fresh with the hints of lemon and pepper, perfectly wonderful on their own or alongside a tasty dip.

I had the crackers run over night so they would be ready by the next day. After our wood collecting efforts we munched a few down, nourishing our bodies with the super healthy benefits of the chia and cashews.

Ingredients

(makes 3 trays worth or 40 crackers)

1/2 c black chia seeds

1 1/2 c water

1 1/2 c raw cashews, soaked for 12 hours

1 tblsp poppy seeds

1 tsp lemon myrtle

1 lemon, juiced

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Combine chia seeds and water and set aside for 30mins to activate seeds.

Place drained cashews in a food processor and whiz until smooth.

Stir poppy seeds, lemon myrtle, juice, salt and pepper into the cashew mixture.

Next, slowly fold through the chia seeds until well combined.

Spread mixture onto dehydrator trays.

Tip: I don't have many teleflex sheets, so I find it useful to line the trays with baking paper.

Dehydrate on whatever setting you would use for fruit (level 2 for me), for 5 hours.

Then score the crackers to whatever size you would like.

Dehydrate for a further 10 hours.