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 life: it's been awhile

I know, I know, I've been MIA for ages - but life got busy all of a sudden! This is what I've been up to and into since I've been gone... 

home renovations: We're in the middle of some more home reno's which are taking up quite a bit of my time, but it's worth it. I've been waiting so long to finally get our house finished! Plus these days I'm also dealing with major sleep deprivation due to a certain toddler who now thinks that 5am is a reasonable time to start the day. Lets just say that I cannot wait for daylight saving to start!

Day one of renovations

making kefir: This stuff is ridiculously good for you - think of it as Yakult on steroids. It has heaps of good bacteria (which we could all use a good dose of - one serve has way more than your standard probiotic) and is a great internal cleanser. Its super easy to make too - mix the grains with your beverage of choice (I use raw milk but am also keen to try it with coconut milk) and leave it at room temp for about three days. My new favourite breakfast is this mixed with almond milk and homemade muesli, topped with fruit and raw honey. It's surprisingly tasty (once you add a bit of sweetener)!

Homemade Kefir

online shopping: My new iPad has helped me rediscover online shopping - I have a feeling that things are about to get cray-cray! Perhaps I should start my Christmas shopping early this year?!

smoothies and juices: Finally! My love of cold drinks has been reignited with all of this warmer weather. Our Vitamix is getting a workout again and I'm already feeling better because of it. I've still been getting bouts of morning sickness even though I'm over 22 weeks pregnant now, so hopefully these will help me stay on the healthy bandwagon for the next few months.

Apple, carrot and strawberry gelato

blog hopping: A new season means I'm in the mood to be inspired by some super-stylish peeps. Here are a few of the blogs that I'm kinda addicted to at the moment:

http://www.sincerelyjules.com/

http://www.manrepeller.com/

http://allthingstyles.blogspot.com.au/

The Man Repeller

And that's it from me today. I promised myself an early night after today's 4.45am wake-up! 

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: back in the game

Ok, ok. I know how slack I've been with the blog posts. It kind of became an issue when we (and by we, I mean Rob) lost the charger for my laptop. Add to that the fact that he has been working long hours (and so his laptop hasn't been readily available) which means posting has been pretty much impossible. BUT I finally gave in to the fact that it wasn't just going to turn up out of the blue and bought a new one - so now I'm back with a vengence! (And by vengence, I mean posting at least a few times a week. Hey, its been a while. Baby steps...)

So what have I been up to? Well let me tell you that I am most definitely back in the game when it comes to food prep. Don't believe me? Why, here's proof:

Chicken curry (with homemade curry paste)

Homemade hummus

Pasta with broccolini, parmesan and breadcrumbs

Raw zucchini salad

Go me! This is a vast improvement compared to my efforts a few weeks ago. Though I must admit that I'm starting to tire of all of the winter produce and am dreaming of a new season. Not long now!

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!

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.

food for thought

So earlier in the week, the article How Green Smoothies Can Devastate Your Health (which I touched on here), went viral. Now, Green Smoothies Blog has responded with this post. It's a really interesting read and, if anything, shows us just how little we know (or how much we can often get wrong) about nutrition and disease. What I take away from these kinds of articles is that we just can't escape the hard-hitting facts.

Today's (not so) green smoothie: banana, blueberries,  spinach, lemon and chia seeds.

Since I read The China Study (the best book in the world!) I've become so interested in the scientific side of health and nutrition. I recommend this book to anyone who is remotely interested in taking control of their own health, and especially anyone affected by disease. It's a game-changer. And really, these days, who doesn't know someone who is?! My copy is getting loved over and over again, and that in itself makes me happy. I love spreading the word.

And seeing articles like these remind me that there is no "right" answer or "perfect" way to live. But doing whatever you do consciously makes a hell of a lot of difference.

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: 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!

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.

a peek into my week: 01.05.12

What I'm doing: Making almond milk. Organisation is key here, to make sure there is plenty of time to soak the nuts before we run out completely and Noah makes his sad face. Technical reason: soaking releases the toxic enzyme inhibitors that work to stop the sprouting process until conditions are ideal, plus it makes the nutrients more digestible. Translation: less toxins for your body to get rid of and more bang for your buck nutrient-wise.

A post outlining this entire milk-making process is in our future. Stay tuned.

What I'm reading:

It's a big one but I am (slowly) making my way through it. Whoever said that having children leaves little time for leisurely activities was most certainly not kidding. I'll report back with my findings sometime in 2015.

What I'm drinking: Yep the green drinks are still going strong, but I'm finding my enthusiasm wavering with this cold weather. I can't imagine there is a (pleasant-tasting) warmer alternative so I suppose I will have to soldier on and start to follow up with a herbal tea chaser.

What I'm eating: My current kitchen inspiration (obsession) has manifested from this amazing cookbook. I suggest you do yourself a favour and  have a look-see.

Tonight's dinner was Yoghurt flatbreads with barley and mushoom ragout. It. Was. Amazing.

What I'm wearing: I'm still not sure that I should be telling you this. In my possession I now have my very own beanie-with-ears. I'm pretty sure the electrician at our place today thought I was a little bit loopy while I was wearing it, but I promise you that I have no intention of ever leaving the house in this getup*. Thank you Sportsgirl for making my dreams come true.

*Promise may or may not be kept.

What I'm watching: The cutest little friendship blossoming. Noah is utterly obsessed with throwing things (thanks for that one Rob). Scout is utterly obsessed with catching things. It's a match made in heaven.

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.