my food: bread winner

Obviously I'm no stranger to the odd culture or ferment residing in the depths of my pantry, so it was only a matter of time before this happened:

Bread-making has never really been my thing. All that kneading, proving and knocking down just seemed like a bit too much effort and dedication. But my penchant for a fresh loaf slathered in cultured butter (combined with the fact that there is no decent bakery near me!) means desperate times...

My Thermomix has been the catalyst. It does it all for you which makes it too easy. So now that I'm armed with all the tools at my disposal, I have a date with my oven this weekend.

I'll report back with my results shortly. In the meantime, watch out Sonoma.

reality bites

So I poured some kombucha into a wine glass on Friday night and Rob told me that I had officially lost it. I don't know when this healthy lifestyle went from being a labour of love to an all-out obsession, but it has definitely happened. Our reality is this:

Noah thinks kefir is yoghurt (hey, close enough!), and as a "treat" he puts goji berries on it. To him, cacao nibs are chocolate chips and chia seeds are sprinkles. Our dessert tonight was "chocolate pudding" made from avocado, banana, cacao and maple syrup. Noah thought it was Christmas, so you can call me Santa.

We've made a game of swallowing fermented cod liver oil tablets without chewing them (it was the only way I figured he would take it and hey, it worked!). I don't want to think of the reaction if he ever accidentally bites into one of those - even I'm not game enough to take it straight!

With his tablet chaser of choice: kombucha.

Each morning, our green smoothie leftovers go into icy-pole moulds. These have proven particularly popular since I started adding Vital Greens powder into them.

As you can see, Harry just wishes he was eating solids already. Your time will come, my friend.

I seriously get excited when I think of all the good things these foods are giving his body - at the moment he hardly ever gets sick. Um,  #winning ! So far the one thing that I just can't win him over with is broccoli. We even call them magic trees and still no interest. Zilch. Ah well, you can't win them all!

And so much for being the crazy one in the family - I couldn't believe my eyes when Rob poured himself a glass of kombucha (instead of a beer, no less!) as he relaxed on the couch on Sunday afternoon. Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

benefits of babywearing

Wow, this post could be a loooong one. I am such a baby-wearing advocate it's not even funny, and not only for the obvious reasons. It just makes life so damn easy. As in, "strap on your baby and carry on with your day" kinda easy. It means I get dinner cooked, any errands run, and the house in a relatively livable condition - and all the while bub happily comes along for the ride. I'm not one to fuss about and I like to avoid excess baggage where possible, so this solution is really a no-brainer: baby on the front, toddler in one hand and then I'm all like, "I'm coming for you Wesfield!" *

*Not really. I'm still a bit scared to brave the mall with two kids. But you get my drift.

Noah babywearing his partner in crime "Monkey".

On that note, let me share another little gem. Sometimes you may hear mothers talk about having "one of those days" when their baby just will not sleep. For me and both of my children, this is more commonly referred to as approximately 4pm. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

OK, OK, to be honest, that was a slight exaggeration. Harry really hasn't been that bad (so far). Perhaps he senses that, being the second child, I'm just not able to sit down with him while he takes his sweet time falling asleep. Or maybe it's because this is generally how we roll once mid-afternoon nap-time hits:

Snug as a bug in the Ergobaby carrier

But that's not to say he doesn't try to fight it. Oh boy, does he try to fight it.

But I always win.

Emily = 1. Harry = 0.

my food: crazy for kombucha

It doesn't take a lot to get me excited. In fact, a new hobby is just the ticket and at the moment I'm all about brewing kombucha. 

Never heard of it? Well my friends, "Kombucha is an effervescent fermentation of sweetened tea that is used as a functional food" (thanks Wikipedia). Want more info? This will fill you in.

Up until now I used to get my fix from a bunch of zany guys at my local markets, but this stuff is just too easy to make so I took it upon myself to start brewing. I ordered my starter kit from a lovely lady on eBay and two days later I was handling a SCOBY like it was no one's business. 

All you need to do is this: brew some tea, add a bit of sugar to feed to culture and leave it for a week to do it's thang. 

That is all.

Let me put it this way: if you like iced tea, then you've hit the jackpot. If you're a fan of soft drinks, then this will be your new crack. And if you just want a healthy and ridiculously refreshing drink full of probiotics and all sorts of goodness, then drink up my friend. 

If your digestive system could talk, then it would most certainly say: Thank You.

just another manic monday

Things are still crazy around here - time is flying and there's still plenty of renovation work to be done around our house before baby #2 arrives. Nesting mode is in full swing! I'm almost finished all of the painting (we're talking inside and out!), so next on the agenda is getting Noah's new bedroom ready which is the fun part! I'm just trying to do as much as I can while I'm still mobile as I plan to spend the last few weeks of this pregnancy either with my feet up or at the beach. Like so:

So that explains my absence on the blog - there just isn't enough time in the day at the moment! But I do have to share with you my latest obsession: raw cultured butter. You already know how I feel about raw dairy so this was always going to be the next step, no? Let me tell you - it's amazing! You can read all about the (long) list of benefits at some of my favourite sites Mercola.com and Natural News.

Meanwhile, how awesome is it that daylight saving has started? More so because our day now starts at  reasonable hour than because of the longer days. Getting back to 6am wake-ups has been amazing. Summer is definitely on its way!

get real

Awhile ago when I started looking into the health benefits (and risks!) of drinking real (raw) milk compared to pasteurised milk, I came across this fantastic article in Nourished Magazine. My friend Cass from Choose Life posted the link on her Facebook page this week and I thought it was worth sharing again.

Ingredients for my cacao-hazelnut hot chocolate

It's a bit scary to read when you think of how much milk most of us consume on a daily basis - just think of all of the coffee we drink to start! It's almost impossible to avoid completely (and where's the fun in that anyway?!) but as always, being mindful of our consumption is a good start.

I must admit that I'm a bit of a milk snob these days and would rather not drink non-organic milk when I can help it - I just can't stop thinking of all the hormones and antibiotics it has! But obviously raw milk is in limited supply so I do still drink pasteurised organic milk occasionally too.

My problem is, when I'm on the go and want to grab a coffee (and by coffee, I also mean a chai or hot chocolate), I still can't decide which is the lesser or two evils between regular (non-organic) milk and soy milk? Sometimes a herbal tea just isn't going to cut it but I'm not sure which way to go. So the jury is still out for me on this one...

hello from my soapbox

I love Miranda Kerr. Not just for the obvious reasons, mind you, although I definitely see why she's kind of a big deal. It's more because of her frankness in interviews and the fact that she isn't afraid to speak her mind and say what she believes in. She's a great health advocate and I totally dig her vibe.

@mirandakerrverified/Instagram

So she received some "backlash" this week (don't they all?) for having an informed opinion on epidural anesthesia. While discussing her son's birth, she commented that she had seen videos comparing newborn babies whose mothers had had an epidural to those who hadn't. Miranda described how the babies of mothers without pain-relief often went straight for the breast. "Then they showed ones right after the epidural and that didn't happen", she said. "The baby was a little bit drugged up, and I was like, 'Well I don't want that'...  I had made a decision I wanted to do it naturally... I wanted to give him the best possible start in life I could".

What I find most frustrating about this "backlash" is not only that her comments were clearly on something she had educated herself about, but also because of the fact that her opinion isn't necessarily the mainstream way of thinking. It seems like many people were offended by her comments, perhaps taking it as a personal attack, but there's no denying the fact that when you do some research, Miranda isn't making it all up. As is often the case with many health-related issues, sometimes we need to dig a little deeper than the "truths" the mainstream media and health professionals give us, to find out what exactly we are exposing ourselves to.

While I was pregnant with Noah, I did a whole lot of reading on all aspects of pregnancy and birth (as most expectant mothers do!). This book changed my life:

It really opened my eyes to a lot of things, but what I remember most is that when I finished it I was convinced that I was going to have a natural birth. Now I'm not saying that there isn't a time and a place for an epidural - and I'm not one to judge - but I do think that we as mothers should at the very least take control and be educated about every decision we make in regards to our bodies and that of our families. No one else will.

Miranda has merit in saying what she truly believes was the best for her situation. I ended up having the natural birth that I wanted and that was the best for my situation. Who knows what will happen with my next one, as much as I hope for the same outcome. But at least I'll know what I'm getting myself and my baby into when the time comes. And I really encourage all expectant mothers to do the same.

making changes

Wow, what a week! It's been another busy one and the highlight was most definitely this:

Baby Guinevere

My gorgeous little niece who finally made her way into the world on Wednesday morning after a few false alarms. She kept us all on our toes but was definitely worth the wait. And let me tell you, it's lucky I'm already pregnant because there's nothing that will make you want a baby more than holding a newborn!

In other news, my week of hydration has been a huge success. The weather has been ridiculously warm which works well when you're downing smoothies and coconut water like they're going out of fashion. It's just so hard to keep fluid levels up when its cold!

If anything I definitely feel much more mindful about not only how much I drink but also how dehydrating certain foods can be. The obvious one being anything overly salty, but also meat and caffeinated drinks. I'm planning to focus on this a lot more now, and hopefully it will only get easier if this weather keeps up!

hydration motivation

I was browsing one of my favourite sites today and was completely inspired by this post on hydration. It was a timely reminder for me because recently I've been guilty of some major dehydration. Part of it is because I'm always rushing around and simply forget to have a drink, and part of it is due to being pregnant and the fact that I feel like I need to pee the second I drink anything - not fun!

But I've decided that I'm totally going to give this a go - a week of serious hydration. I want to focus on drinking more juices and smoothies (which is super hard for me in Winter - the last thing I feel like on an ice-cold day is an ice-cold drink), herbal teas and, of course, coconut water! Plus I'll aim to eat more hydrating foods, and less caffeine, salt and meat. Taking on a challenge like this is often exactly what I need to get out of a rut and back into trying some new things in the kitchen again. Wish me luck!

P.S. There are also a few follow-up posts on their site if you're interested in the idea. Just have a looksie here and here.

my food: going coco for cacao

So I just tried out a new recipe for cacao balls and I had to share - they're that good. I'd even go as far as to say that they're as tasty as these. Yep, you need to try them. If you have half as much love for chocolate and coconut as I do then you'll be glad you did.

You can thank me later.

my food: seasonal juicing

One of the best things about the change of the season (come on, let's try and be positive about the fact that Winter is upon us people!) is the abundance of juice-friendly fruits and vegetables that suddenly appear. Case in point:

Let's just say that I am totally in my element right now.

And I'm not the only one.

my food: weeknight dinners

So I got a little bit excited on the weekend when I bought Sarah Wilson's I Quit Sugar Cookbook. There are so many recipes that I want to try and not enough time! I haven't done her 8-week I Quit Sugar plan yet as I'm not sure I'm keen on the idea of limiting fruit (and I haven't read the e-book yet so can't decide whether or not I should until I know more details), but the cookbook is totally up my alley - how delicious do these Avocado and Coconut water popsicles look?!

Source

They're on my to-do list for later in the week once my rock-hard avos have softened up. In the meantime, I made her sweet potato soup. It passed the taste-test by Rob, who doesn't particularly like sweet potatoes, and I loved it because potatoes and lentils are just some of my favourite things.

My cooking approach tonight was a slightly different story. I'd lost my mojo by mid-afternoon so all I was up for come dinnertime was a tried-and-true staple. Since I already had some brown rice soaking I made fried rice with free-range and nitrite-free bacon (this is the only bacon I use, otherwise I just omit it), organic eggs, spring onions, peas, corn and tamari. Delish. It hit the spot.

I'm going to have another flick through the cookbook for some more dinner inspiration and I'll be sure to let you know how those popsicles turn out!

hot drink alternatives: bye bye coffee

So I'm no longer a coffee drinker. I'm still coming to terms with it. Now I'm one of those people who suggests meeting for coffee, and then gets a juice. But with the weather cooling down, I'm beginning to miss that warming cup o' joe. When I'm out, Chai is my current hot drink of choice, especially when they're this good, but at home I'm starting to get creative. Now hold onto your seats, I'm about to divulge my top three.

Hot chocolate
1 cup almond milk
1 tbsp cacao
1 tbsp sweetener of your choice - honey/stevia/maple syrup

Warm on the stovetop or in a Vitamix. Using the blender will make it nice and thick, and then you can use a date as the sweetener, if you feel that way inclined.

Toasty nut milk
1 cup nut milk of choice (I used hazelnut for this one - ah-mazing)
1 tbsp sweetener
1/2 tsp cinnamon or nutmeg

Warm it all gently on the stovetop, and keep below 42 degrees if you want to keep it raw.

Warming vanilla milk

1 cup oat or rice milk
Seeds from one vanilla pod or a tsp of pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp Cacao (optional, if you feel like something chocolatey).

I find I don't need any sweetener for this one as these milks are quite sweet. Warm on the stovetop or in a Vitamix, and then sit down and enjoy while you write me a thank-you note.

my food: getting creative with nut pulp

Wasting food is one of my biggest pet peeves. After going out of my way to make sure we always get great quality produce, I hate seeing any of it end up in the bin. Waste not, want not and all that. So since nut milk has become a staple in our household, I've had to get creative with what to do with all of the leftover pulp. As I mentioned in this post, I am loving the site almondpulp.com. I'm pret-ty keen to try out the macaroon balls and spelt bread, but I've mostly been using it as a skin exfoliant (extremely effective) or adding it to our smoothies (extremely delicious). One recipe I am loving is the raw hummus from My New Roots. Trust me when I say that it's finger-lickin' good.

Post-proccessor

Pre-consumption

my food: freshly squeezed

It seems like so many people get sick at this time of year, so in an effort to avoid a man-flu epidemic in our household I've amped up our fresh juice consumption dramatically. The flavour of the week is carrot, orange and ginger. We're talking a drink full of vitamins A, C, E, B-complex and folate plus important minerals potassium, calcium and magnesium - that's a potent mix right there. Plus, ginger is a natural decongestant and antihistamine which can only do wonders for Rob who takes sneezing to a whole new level! The best bit? It's ridiculously delicious!

toxic-free tushies

It's time to divulge a little secret: at times I have a tendency to be an extremist. In the most pragmatic way possible, of course. When I really, truly believe in something, I'm not exactly half-hearted in the way I go about it. I'm not always an all-or-nothing kind of girl, but when it comes to the health and well-being of my family, this approach is completely non-negotiable. So, that being said, when I read this article about the dangers of disposable nappies while pregnant with Noah, I knew I was going to have to find another option for his toileting needs. The standard chemical-filled Huggies just wasn't going to fly.

Now if you haven't heard of modern cloth nappies, then prepare for your mind to be blown. They are nothing like the folded terry-towelling nappies of the past. They are pretty much a cloth version of a disposable nappy - same shape and similar absorbency but they rank much higher on the cuteness scale. Take a look here if you are interested in the specifics of how they compare to disposables. Take a look here if reading isn't really your thing and you're just interested in seeing a cute baby in said nappies:

Better for the environment and less chemical exposure for super-sensitive baby skin? It's a no-brainer for me. Now I must admit, I do still use disposables from time to time and when I do, this is my brand of choice:

They are chlorine-free, breathable, biodegradable and affordable - much better than the standard bleached plastic-lined nappies that line the majority of the baby aisles, and their wipes are fantastic too. The extremist in me has absolutely no time for toxic and unnatural substances, especially in products designed for children, to be used directly on their skin. There is a time and a place to be vigilant about chemical-free living and in my opinion, this is most certainly one of them!

my food: making almond milk

"Who on earth has time to make almond milk these days?" I hear you ask. Well my friend, I am here to tell you that you do. Let me digress from this how-to segment for just a moment, if you will. The process is simple, equipment is minimal and if you are partial to a bit of organisation, you too can be a nut milk connoisseur. It may all sound like Too. Much. Effort. but it's worth it for these simple reasons: the milk tastes that much better made fresh, it is still in its raw state which means maximum health benefits, and you can flavour it whichever way tickles your fancy. Intrigued? Then please, read ahead.

First up, it's best to soak your nuts as explained in this post. You'll need one cup for this recipe.

Next, rinse the nuts and add to a high-speed blender with four cups of purified water and one or two dates, depending on your desire for sweetness. You can substitute with stevia or agave nectar instead if you prefer. Blend away.

You will then need to strain the mixture. You can buy a nut milk bag especially for this purpose, but I just used a muslin cloth (I have heaps left over from Noah's infant days).

This will make about one litre of deliciousness. And what to do with the leftover almond pulp you wonder? Why, there is an entire site dedicated to this very conundrum.

I will follow up with what I made with mine on another day. In the meantime, I do hope you too become a certified milk maid.

my (boys) fashion: wares from the warehouse

It was a lazy Friday morning and there was a warehouse sale for one of my favourite kids clothing labels practically around the corner from my house. It would've been rude not to go. And I hate being rude.

I picked up a few goodies for Noah (and my niece on the way!) and renewed my love of organic cotton clothing. It is just so much softer and the quality is so much better. Cotton is the most heavily sprayed crop in the world, and we wear it all day, every day. I hate thinking of what residual chemicals are sitting on our skin. Gaia has the most adorable ranges. I am already picturing this shirt paired with the suspenders I bought for Noah from Seed. Now all he needs is a fancy occasion to wear it all.

It was worth stocking up as the majority of boys clothes out there don't excite me very much. I often struggle to find anything I like since I have an aversion to graphic prints, slogans and Pumpkin Patch in general (although clearly no aversion to jackets/beanies/anything with ears. That will never get old).

my food: the vegetarian edition

I made a concious effort to make more meat-free dishes over the past few days. Here's a look back at the week that was, vegetarian style.

Earth Burgers

Source

I'm a big fan of Quinoa. Huge. I still don't know why I don't make it more - it's as easy to cook as rice but so much more nutritious. I think that's all about to change now that we've tasted the wonder that is the Earth Burger. I didn't think I was going to be able to sell Rob on the idea of a meat-free burger, so I accidentally forgot to mention that small detail until said burger was en route to mouth. Success! It was a hit. I served these as the recipe suggests, topped with avocado, tomato and caramelised onion - Rob's in a wholegrain bun (baby steps, people) and mine in a lettuce cup. Seriously, try it.

Rice and Vegetable Pilaf

If nothing else, Autumn helps me find me slow-cooking mojo. This meatless Monday was going to need something special to warm me up seeing as though our heater still hasn't made its way out of storage (Let that be a gentle reminder Rob). One thing that is always at the back of my mind when cooking a vegetarian dish is how to make sure it is going to Fill Us Up. The answer? Never underestimate the power of fibre. And by that, I mean lots and lots of veggies.

As it was also the day before our Fruit and Vege delivery, I just used up whatever was making a dent at the bottom of the crisper drawer - in this case it was mushrooms, capsicum and celery. Add some rice (always brown rice), some flavour in the form of home-made stock and let it do its thing for a few hours in the oven. It was delicious, if I do say so myself.

Pumpkin soup

So Rob dislikes pumpkin but loves pumpkin soup. Weird. (Do you see what I'm working with here people?!) Making a huge batch on a Sunday solves our lunch issues for (most of) the week, and I love knowing that we are all getting a midday veggie hit.

I don't get too fancy: I steam a kilo or two of butternut pumpkin until tender but not falling apart (or roast if you have the time so it caramelises in the oven - drool), fry an onion and a couple of crushed garlic cloves in organic ghee and put it all in a blender in batches. Then I transfer it all back to the saucepan and reheat with some water, a generous amount of cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Too easy.

All in all, I was rather satisfied with this week's efforts.

amber is the answer

When Noah was about three months old, the number of "Isn't she pretty?" compliments thrown our way increased about ten-fold. I knew it wasn't just because of his ridiculously long eyelashes or the fact that he was often dressed in leggings and fluffy booties. My guess is that it had something to do with the beads hanging around his neck in the form of an amber teething necklace. As a natural analgesic, Baltic amber is known for it's healing and anti-inflammatory properties, so it was a no-brainer when he needed some pain relief. It's not exactly breaking news when I say that I'm all for natural alternatives, and anything that is going to reduce the use of medicinal pain relief will always be my first port of call. There will always be sceptics but I can honestly say that I don't doubt their effectiveness in the slightest.

Nikolai, Noah and their necklaces

And hey, if it's good enough for Miranda Kerr...

Credit: Splash