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.

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...

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: sweet treats

I think I can feel my cooking mojo coming back. Finally! After a few weeks off where I took it real easy, I had a super-productive day in the kitchen. Naturally, the first thing I had to make was some of my favourite raw brownies, and since the food processor was out I also made a batch of powerballs which I find just as addictive!

They are such a great snack for kids. Seriously, if Noah didn't dig them then I wouldn't have to make a new batch every week or so! I also had a hankering for some pancakes, so it was the perfect opportunity to try out this recipe for a buckwheat version from the Gaia Retreat website.

Now I know buckwheat doesn't sound like a particularly tasty ingredient (especially compared to other such delicacies as plain white flour and icing sugar) but thy were surprisingly delicious! This is how they turned out before I slathered them in maple syrup and sliced banana - they looked way too appetising after that so I didn't actually manage to get a photo before I demolished the entire plate. My bad... but you get the drift!

everything in moderation: moderation is everything!

As much as I am an advocate for living a healthy lifestyle, I am most definitely not one to impose rules or restrict myself - where's the fun in that? I like to make the healthiest choices possible the majority of the time, but there is always room to move.

Reading this article on How Green Smoothies Can Devastate Your Health kinda puts it all in perspective. Who would've thought that you can be too healthy - that you can eat too many greens and have it work against you?! It sounds like crazy talk! If anything, an article like this promotes the importance of moderation and I love that. So for the sake of protecting our health, let's not forget to go easy on ourselves. Moderation is everything - so would someone please pass me the dark chocolate?!

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: 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!

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.

let's get dehydrated

So I finally got my hands on a food dehydrator. While I've long been dreaming of a world with unlimited access to vege chips and dried fruit, I was a little intimidated to use it at first. But a fresh bunch of Kale waits for no one and I had to bite the bullet before it started to wilt its way to an untimely death in the vege crisper. I used this recipe as I had tasted it once before and practically inhaled the entire bowl.

They were surprisingly easy to make and I still can't get over how delicious they were considering the fact that they are chips made out of kale. I can't wait to see what else this bad-boy can do - stay tuned.

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.

smooth operator

You've heard the hype, right? Green smoothies (and juices) are all the rage. Here's a fantastic post on how to make them. Here are the recipes on high rotation in our household:

#1 This is Noah's current favourite. If he polishes off one of these bad-boys for breakfast then I don't have to spend the rest of the day worrying too much about his fruit and vege intake.

1 x frozen banana
1 x apple (organic fuji's are incredibly sweet and juicy at the moment)
1 x pear (optional, usually if the apple is on the small side)
1/2 lemon, peeled
2 large handfuls baby spinach leaves
1 tbsp chia seeds
1-2 cups water/coconut water (use some ice if you want it thicker)
> Blend in a high speed blender.

#2 This is one of my faves, especially handy since as we usually always have all of the ingredients in the freezer.

1 x frozen banana
1 x handful frozen blueberries
1 x handful frozen rasberries
2 large handfuls kale or spinach
1 tbsp flaxmeal
1-2 cups water/coconut water
> Blend.


#3 If you're partial to a creamier drink, then this is the one for you.

1 x frozen banana
1/2 large avocado (or 1 small)
1 lemon or lime, peeled
2 handfuls spinach/kale/silverbeet
1 apple or handful of berries (optional, if you like it sweet)
1 tbsp maca powder or bee pollen (optional)
1-2 cups water/coconut water
> Blend.

You can always add more greens or substitute the fruit with whatever you prefer. I also like to sneak in a few extra superfoods when I can as they (usually) go unnoticed - excellent! And I'm always keen to taste a new recipe so do share if you have one worth trying!

my food: the nut milk edition

Today's glass of goodness is brought to you courtesy of a bowl of activated cashew nuts, some H2O and the humble date. Is there nothing that this sweet ball of goodness can't do?

My dairy milk-loving days are over, and now it's my nut milkshake that brings all the boys to the yard.

And by boys, I mean boy. And by yard, I mean kitchen.

why is my life bohemian?

For the part year since Noah was born I have become so much more passionate about organic food and holistic health. Now I was pretty into it beforehand, so that's really saying something. There's not much else that has been as life-changing for me (birth of child and marriage to husband not included) as the realisation that each and every one of us needs to take responsibility and control of our own well-being.


Now don't worry, nothing irritates me more that a holier-than-thou preacher so you won't be getting any of that from me, but I do think it is important for everyone to realise just how much what you eat (and especially what you don't eat) affects every part of your health. I could never emphasise enough just how important it is to skip conventional produce, pay that little bit extra and go organic. How we need to eat vegetables, greens, fruits and wholegrains everyday to fuel our body and immune system. How we seem to have forgotten that food is our medicine, and we can't expect to be healthy and have the ability to fight disease if we don't give our bodies the tools they need to do it. And let me tell you right now, a six-week old apple from Coles or a Woolies frozen meal is just not going to cut it.


There. I said it. I'm jumping off my soapbox now and I don't plan to hop back on any time soon. I don't know about you, but it can be pretty hard for me to find time to cook from scratch Every. Single. Day. What works in this household is a whole lotta planning and a few ground rules: A ban on (most) processed foods. Cooking every meal myself (with the exception of Friday nights which will forever remain take-away domain). Buying organic. Green smoothies. There are other things - bigger lifestyle changes - that I have adopted on the way and are constantly evolving: More vegetarian meals. Limiting dairy (click here for some interesting links if you're curious why). Growing some of our own produce. It really never ends. There is always something new to improve on, and that is why I find it all so satisfying to learn about and so important to spread the word. Ignoring the elephant in the supermarket aisle ain't helping anyone.


Is there a name for this kind of way of thinking? Not that I know of. How do I define myself? I don't. I had a conversation with a friend recently discussing food and nutrition, wondering which would be the best diet to follow for optimal health. Vegetarian, Vegan, Raw... And you know, I think they all have their place, but there are parts of every diet that has nutritional pitfalls as well as benefits. I feel that defining my lifestyle is extremely limiting, but more importantly, it places too much pressure. Life is to be enjoyed, and food is one of the best ways to do it. All I can do is aim to make conscious decisions every day and don't stress too much when life gets in the way. There is always tomorrow, and it is never too late to make it right.

my current obsessions

my favourite things in life right now...


Young coconuts - I go through so many of these delicious things. I can easily justify it though as I dropped my daily coffee habit when I was pregnant and never looked back. Coconut water is my new Java.

I've started adding the leftover coconut meat to smoothies and even salads, and today I attempted to make ice cream (recipe to follow if it turns out!).


One teaspoon shorts - My summer staple. Actually make that my year-round staple. I wear them almost everyday, so their recent warehouse sale was the perfect opportunity to stock up.

Loving that this warm weather (finally!) means I'm still getting some serious wear out of them.


The China Study - This book is totally rocking my world. 

Once you start it, you wont be able to put it down. There's no denying the facts people, and that is that a plant-based, whole foods diet is the best thing for you. Now I'm no vegan, but I do try to be conscious about everything I feed myself and my family, and this book has really pushed me to seek more alternatives to the standard meat-based diet that we all know and love. I've limited our intake of animal-based foods for awhile now, but The China Study has served to remind me that being health-conscious is a daily responsibility. It's a constant work in progress!


Organic wine - With that being said, there is always a time and a place for wine (usually on the couch at around 7pm on a Friday!). I'm loving this organic red. 

There's no way there isn't some sort of goodness inside that bottle!