Summer love….is like no other love….

Summer is going a little crazy in my part of the world…flooding…fires…heavy rain and strong, crazy winds.

Thankfully today Sydney busted out a beautiful 28 °C day.

Welcome back Summer my friend!

There are still some parts of Australia cleaning up after our recent floods so if you have spare some $$ please send some money Red Cross Australia’s way and donate to the Qld floods via http://www.redcross.org.au/

All my love & thoughts are with those affected.

This week I did a fantastic vegan cheese making workshop (recipe next post which for those of us that can’t tolerate dairy or are vegan, you will all adore) and last week I did a great Raw Food Class at the Raw Food Kitchen.

Amanda took us through some simple juices, made almond milk (super easy and tasted awesome) as well as a fantastic zucchini pasta (recipe next week) and a beautiful cheesecake. Find her class details here, they are reasonably priced and great fun.  http://therawfoodkitchen.com.au/

I reproduced the cheesecake, recipe below, for my mother-in-laws birthday. I regret not recording all the complimentary noises everyone made when they took their first bite! It looks fab and really is super easy. I didn’t even have the best blender in the world and still did a great job. I made a few changes due to my mother-in-laws allergy to macadamias.

Following that is a super delicious smoothie, I have to admit it doesn’t sound like a great mix but trust me it is. And lastly a recipe to make your own Almond Milk. Enjoy and let me know how you go!

Berry Cheesecake

Base:

• 2 cups of macadamia nuts (I used a mix of almonds, flax meal, walnuts. you could use hemp seeds etc. options are endless!)
• 1 cup pecan nuts
• 1 cup medjool dates (I only used half a cup I thought that was sweet enough)
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut

Mix together in a high speed food processor. Press into a 9″ springform pan and put in the fridge while you make the filling.

Filling:

• 2½ cups raw cashews, soaked for 1hr
• ¾ cup lemon juice
• ²⁄³ cup raw dark agave syrup (I used maple syrup and used approx ¹⁄³ cup)
• ²⁄³ cup raw cold pressed organic coconut oil
• pinch of himalayan sea salt
• 1t vanilla extract
• 1 vanilla bean pod
• ¼ cup filtered water

Blend all ingredients til smooth and creamy, taste test. Mmmm its seriously delicious already, then adjust to taste. I added more lemon juice to make it more traditional cheese-cakey. Pour onto prepared base and smooth out.

Berry sauce:

• ½ bag frozen strawberries
• ½ bag frozen raspberries
• 2T dark raw agave syrup (again I used maple syrup and only 1T)
• 2T lemon juice
• pinch cinnamon

Blend all ingredients til saucy!

Amanda put some of the berry mix on top of the cheesecake and made a beautiful swirly pattern which you could do. I however wanted some more fruit so decorated the cheesecake with blueberries, strawberries and mint as per the pic above. I served the berry sauce on the side.

If you want to do the swirl then pour the prepared sauce into a cup and with a teaspoon put a drop of mix on the cake, then with a toothpick draw circles through the drop and create a spiral effect.

Put into freezer for 2-3 hours until firm. You could serve it frozen or put back in the fridge for 30 mins before you are ready to eat. I dare you to try to eat only one slice. It is rich so don’t cut yourself a slab. All in moderation :0)

MBK Smoothie

• 3/4 cup mango
• 1 medium frozen banana
• 2-3 whole kale leaves (or spinach if you can’t get kale)
• 1/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1-2 oranges (skin off)
• squeeze of fresh lime

Combine all ingredients in a blender and serve!

You could also throw in some cucumbers, fresh mint and ice to make it even more delicious.

Nut Milk

• 1 cup soaked nuts (I.e almonds, hazelnuts, etc soaked overnight)
• 3 cups of filtered water
• Dates (add to taste- I generally add 2 but you might like more if you like it sweeter)
• 1 tspn Vanilla essence OR contents of a Vanilla Bean (I love both)
• Cinnamon to taste

Throw soaked and drained almonds, as well as all ingredients into the blender. Strain ideally in a nut milk bag. If you don’t have a bag you can use cheesecloth or a fine strainer. Make sure you squeeze out the extra moisture. Refrigerate in an airtight jar or bottle. I usually find I’ll go through this in 2-3 days. Super easy. (You could also add some cocao for chocolate milk)

Save the almond pulp for almond meal. Check out this site for instructions on how to dry out http://myeverydayadventure.com/?p=511

I bought a nut milk bag today for $12 at Earth to Table on Bronte Rd, Bondi after my delicious lunch. If you haven’t been there yet check it out https://www.facebook.com/pages/Earth-to-Table/261044320668510.

Organic Raw Vegan cafe, great food and delish desserts.

I have done it before many times with cheesecloth and a strainer so I’m looking forward to using my new bag on the weekend!

Sites I’m loving….

This week I found some great sites for wholefoods for bubbas that I thought you guys might like. Cant wait to have a little person to try some of these great recipes out on! Remember you don’t need to use that horrid Farex or baby cereals with a 1000 ingredients you don’t recognize. Be creative, make your own baby cereal. I know I will be :0)

Love this idea to the right for your little ones snack time.

Check out these sites for some great ideas. http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/babyfirstfoods.htm & http://weelicious.com/first-foods/

Also have a look at http://www.thisrawsomeveganlife.com/ for great recipes and for cool eco products try http://www.everythingeco.net.au/#!eco-bags/cr0g

The fruit and vege bags are an awesome idea.

 

Til next week, have a great week my LoveBombers!

Pete x

Thankful…..

Thank you all for the beautiful support of my first post on “LoveBomb”

Its been a great week to receive such love-filled comments and emails. Don’t forget to ‘follow’ my page so you will receive updates straight to your inbox each week.

This week I am going to share a few recipes with you that I made across the last week. Its been a busy and hot week in Sydney…lots of swimming, walking, yoga, Bondi juices with my niece, catching some well needed vitamin D, and lots of cooking and researching.

This week I had some amazing Kinesiology with Kimberley Pipe https://www.facebook.com/k.p.kinesiology I don’t entirely understand the process but I understand what I went in with and how amazing I felt when I came out. Jump on her FB page and go have a session with her. You wont regret it, she is awesome!

This week my partner & I also started the “Happier at Home-21 Day Relationship Challenge” 

It’s all about taking simple and small steps to better your relationship and make it more loving, we have so enjoyed it and it definitely works! You can still sign up online http://www.happiness-project.com/21-day-relationship-challenge/

For example today’s truth is about changing yourself… “My Sixth Splendid Truth holds: The only person I can change is myself. It’s so tempting to focus on the changes that other people should make—but we don’t get to hand out assignments. So generally, I make resolutions only for myself”

I love it, and one I will definitely be taking on board.

Quinoa Spring Sushi & Quick Pickled Ginger

I’ve made this a few times now…I always make loads in the hope of having some for lunch the next day. Sadly it never makes it to tomorrow as it is just too delicious!  I’ve used the recipe from one of my favorite blogs My New Roots. Find it at http://mynewroots.org/site/2012/03/quinoa-spring-sushi-diy-quick-pickled-ginger-2/ with my alterations and suggestions below. Enjoy. These are so summery and light, as well as being super healthy too!

• DEF make the pickled ginger, it is just divine and you will never want that sickly pink ginger  in a packet again. To save time I make this in the morning and refrigerate. It also enhances  the flavor to sit longer. You can also make the quinoa ahead of time as well.
• I use Tamari instead of Soy sauce to make it gluten-free
• I added sliced avocado, spring onions, sweet and sour braised cabbage (recipe below) cucumber, carrots and a little tartare sauce (I didn’t have any mayo and it was a great  substitute. Masterfoods brand is surprisingly vegan)
• DEF add the roasted sesame seeds…such a great additional flavor as well as being packed   with essential minerals such as calcium and zinc
• I grate my carrot, much easier than spending hours trying to julienne even carrots!
• Use a bamboo sushi mat if you can. I got one from the supermarket for $1.30.
• Add some protein too, marinated tofu, mushies whatever you have on hand
• Great for the kids lunchbox (minus the avo as it goes brown and is super unappealing)

Braised sweet and sour Cabbage

This recipe doesn’t sound good, braised reminds me of my childhood and foul discolored meat, and sweet and sour sauce came from a can. This is the opposite of that and is fantastic. Technically not fermented it is however high in antioxidants, a great source of fibre, vitamin C and with the apple cider vinegar its great for your digestion.

We’ve been eating this with most meals across the last week. I based my recipe on the Conscious Kitchen blog http://theconsciouskitchen.typepad.com/blog/ with a few changes- like dramatically reducing the sugar!

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium sweet or red onion, thinly sliced (I didn’t use this as I find onion can upset my tummy sometimes)
• 1 head red cabbage
• 1 apple, peeled and grated
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons water
• maple syrup to taste (the recipe said 1/3 cup but that horrified me, I think I prob used a few teaspoons)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cumin
• 1 bay leaf ( I didn’t use this as I didn’t have any left)
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

1. Cut the cabbage in half lengthwise and cut out the core. Cut each half in half again lengthwise, then slice into 1/2 inch pieces.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions to the pan and sprinkle with a bit of sea salt.
3. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions begin to soften and start to caramelize.
4. Add the cabbage and cook for about 15 minutes until it starts to become tender. Add the apple, vinegar, water, sugar or syrup, cumin, and bay leaf. Mix well and lower the heat to a medium-low temperature. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until the juices are syrupy and the cabbage is shiny and tender, but not overcooked.
5. Remove from the heat and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve immediately or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to a week.

Roasted Pumpkin & Sunflower seeds

When I was having my Kinesiology session it came up that I was low in B3, Kimberley suggested munching on Sunflower seeds and this simple recipe

• Mix a cup of each sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds with coconut oil to coat
• Sprinkle on some sea salt  (you could flavor these with whatever spices you have but we had them as is)
• Roast in the oven, I put it in at 150°C for about 20 minutes.
• Cool if you can wait, and eat. Holy moly they were great!

Next week: I’ll be putting together some more delish smoothies, great weaning tips and some great ideas for getting some vegies into the kiddies mealtimes without any drama-rama.

See you next week LoveBombers! Until then have an awesome week.

Pete x

Happy New Moon and Welcome to my very 1st post on “LoveBomb”

2013 so far…12 days in and I’ve kept up with my NY resolutions! Simple ones:

1: To move my body with yoga, running, cardio, walking etc, whatever feels right on the day.

2: To start this blog (yay to me!)

3: To be kinder to myself, to make sure I look after me first. We, as women tend to put so many others in our lives before us. Our partners, children, family, friends, even the dog. So I’ve vowed to read those books, go for that massage, laze by the pool and even go for a few days of not speaking to a soul to come back to myself, if that pleases me I’ve done it.For those of you with children I know just how precious your ‘me’ time is!

I love this site for some great encouragement. http://www.marcandangel.com/2013/01/11/10-ways-to-make-life-good-again/#more-561

I’ve had the luxury of having time to myself as my gorgeous fiance is off at Vipassana meditating. He will finish today, so after 10 days I will get to pick him up from the airport and I simply can’t wait. I have so much love, time and patience to give him because I have had this special time to myself.

Last year I got engaged to Marty, my partner of 6 years. We spend our lives between Los Angeles (He is an actor) and Bondi, Sydney. We have been through so many ups and downs and roundabouts but have come sailing through still so much in love with each other and loving hanging out together. This year we hope to be lucky enough to start our own family.

We’ve recently become vegan for ethical and health reasons. After years of being a slightly dodgy vegetarians we took the plunge to remove all animal products from our diets. We look better, we feel better and we have more energy, and my skin looks and feels like never before. Ive also switched to all natural and organic products. I’ll share some scary chemical facts about that in a few posts. Most importantly at nearly 38 I feel better and more comfortable in my own skin than ever in my life. We all want that, right!

I have worked in my 37 years in two arenas, with flowers: as a florist and with families: as a nanny when living overseas, and now my passion lies in combining a love of food, my nutritional studies and family nutrition.

I’m a traditional girl at heart, I didn’t have a picture perfect family but I believe so greatly in the family unit and eating meals together (Studies show the great benefits of regular mealtimes as a family) I loved cooking with my Nan when I was younger, who only knew how to cook for seemingly a herd of people just in case someone in the family dropped by. I seem to have inherited that talent and no-one in my vicinity ever leaves our home hungry!

So in getting this blog together my plan is to share with you all recipes, and anything related to food & nutrition, family health and great websites that I think is of interest to us all.

I am learning this blogging business so please bare with me. It may well change shape a few times as I find my way…Id love your input, questions or requests of particular foods. I do a lot of googling and combine different recipes, I try to cut out uneccessary sugars and make meals gluten-free. I generally don’t measure when I’m cooking, much to my sisters annoyance but I will try to keep to the program for you all!

Ive just started with a simple recipe first up, a great breaky smoothie. SO important to get the goodness in at the start of the day and get your metabolism started. (We generally start the day with fresh lemon in warm water and then have our smoothie about 45-60mins after, usually after our workout) Enjoy and don’t be scared to use what you have in the fridge/freezer that is handy. Try to use the recipes as a guide

I look forward to sharing this beautiful life and journey with you my new LoveBomb friends!

I hope to make our lives all a little easier, a whole lot healthier and super delicious, with a side of gratitude for good measure!!

Thanks so much for your support

Peta x

Berry Smoothie (raw, vegan, gluten free, soy free)
Serves 1

• 1/3 cup strawberries
• 1/3 cup blueberries
• 1 frozen banana
• 1/2 small avocado
• 1 tbsp chia seeds (these need to soak for about 10 mins so put the milk in your blender and then add the chia seeds to sit while you get everything else ready)
• 1 tbsp flax meal
• 1 handful spinach
• 1 1/3 cup almond milk (or coconut water if you have access to fresh coconuts. Throw in the meat as well, yum)

Blend all ingredients to your desired consistency, and serve.

If you need a little more to your breakfast add some things like cacao (tastes just like a choc milkshake then) a good quality nut butter, hemp seeds, maca (great for women and balancing hormones) a date for sweetness… The choices are endless. Get creative. Always source your fruit and veges locally and seasonally for the greatest nutritional benefit

My gorgeous niece Zali loving her berry smoothie