COCONUT, RASPBERRY & HONEY POPS

All time favourite snack at the moment. Kinda weird for winter but who cares. I kinda invented these the other day hence the very approximate quantities- just go with it.

COCONUT, RASPBERRY & HONEY POPS

+  1 can of coconut milk
+  big handful of mashed frozen raspberries
+  1/4 cup of honey/maple syrup
+  teaspoon of vanilla essence
+  handful of coconut shreds (optional)

Mix all together in a bowl. Add more honey or stevia to sweeten to taste. Pour into iceblock moulds and pop in freezer to set. Yum.

DIY CLEAN CLEANING

So for a long while I have wanted to rid my house of hectic chemical cleaning products. I held out from getting rid of the Exit Mould and bleach cos I don't think I actually believed natural household products would cut it. But a few months ago I ran out of Ajax and decided to bite the bullet and oh my goodness was it worth it. I had this yuk brown grime that was accumulating on the bottom of the kitchen sink. Scrubbing it hard with the  dish brush didn't get it off, and Ajax hadn't worked either. I'd kinda resigned myself to the fact that maybe it was just a result of an old sink which wasn't getting any newer. Out of slight desperation, I sprinkled a few spoonfuls of baking soda on it, waited about 10 secs, rubbed it with the brush and watched as it magically took all traces of gross grime off!! I actually could not believe my eyes. And that's not even being sarcastic. Then I sprinkled it all over the bath with some vinegar and it worked a charm. Dirty bath ring be gone!

The height of success happened the other night when Matt spilled a whole glass of red wine on our carpet so we sprinkled baking soda and sprayed vinegar on it and left it to dry. After 48hours I vacuumed it up (with apprehension) and the stain was completely gone!

Hope I've convinced you. Non toxic cleaning isn't invasive, it won't kill your lungs, you don't need to wear gloves, it won't kill you or your children if swallowed, you're not harming the environment and it works just as good- if not way better then commercial cleaning products.

*For an all round, all purpose cleaner fill an empty spray bottle about 2/3 of the way with water, mix 4 tablespoons of vinegar and a few tablespoons of lemon. Perfect for most things.

*Baking soda can be used directly (or mixed with water to form a thick paste) on any surface for tougher stains, such as carpets, bath, kitchen sink and ovens.

*I store undiluted white vinegar in a spray bottle as well to spray straight when required.

Can't go wrong with these 3 ingredients! It's cheaper and it's cleaner. Go green x

CHOC PEANUT BUTTER CUPS

Is there really any better combination then peanut butter and chocolate? Nah. Ricotta and honey, tomato and salt and salmon and cream cheese all come pretty damn close for me but I think this one may win out.
I decided to make these last night whilst making dinner and a cheesecake. Our kitchen is spatially challenged at the best of times. By the end of it nearly every dish we owned was being utilised, many balanced precariously on any placement resembling a surface, including the toaster, the lid of the kettle and the floor. Sigh. Never the less, one must persevere and it paid off cos these puppies turned out amazing. Closest version I've made to Reece's peanut butter cups. I will be surprised if you can stop at one.

CHOC PEANUT BUTTER CUPS                                                                                                   

Makes 6 cups (double recipe for more)

Peanut base:
+  1/2 cup natural peanut butter i.e no added sugar or salt
+  1 tbsp natural maple syrup
+  2 tbsp melted coconut oil

Mix above ingredients together in a bowl and dollop a teaspoon into bottom of paper or silicon lined muffin tins. Place in freezer and make choc topping while base is freezing.

Choc top:
+  1/4 cup (or little less if u prefer your choc less rich) cacao powder
+  1 tbsp of natura maple syrup
+  3 tbsp melted coconut oil

Combine above ingredients together well in a bowl and pour a teaspoon over each peanut base. Pop in freezer to harden up and consume baby!

FAT, SICK AND NEARLY DEAD

 'Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead' is a 2010 documentary following the journey of an australian dude- Joe Cross as he sets out to regain his health through a juice fast. He fasts from food for 60 days, consuming only juice - and mainly vegetable based juice at that. He was on medication at the beginning of his fast and managed to come off it during the fast, whilst also losing a total of 45 kilos. Amazing. He also meets the loveliest man (Phil Staples) on the way who is also morbidly obese who asks for Joe's help in regaining back his health and life.

I watched this for the first time last week and was super moved and inspired! I loved watching Joe tackle his health head on and learn about the importance of holistic health and nutrition along the way. Even better was watching Joe help Phil. I'm gonna stop typing cos Im gonna ruin the whole thing. You can watch it at the Youtube link below x

   

   

NEVER GIVE UP

hello. I am currently neck deep in exam prep. Bio chemistry & Human Bio. Two very challenging subjects. In between metabolic processes, I keep finding myself jumping on Pinterest. It's so good for the soul. Sometimes you just need visual inspiration for academic motivation ha. Reading 'Never Give Up' in giant pretty letters strewn across my screen actually makes me consider not giving up - as terribly sad as that may sound. For any other tired eyes- feast your wayward wednesday evening hearts. x

all images via here 

NATURAL BEAUTY REMEDIES

Last night I watched a documentary on ABC iview called 'Face Facts: The Truth About Botox'. It was rather shocking in parts. Botox is produced from botulinim toxic. As the name suggests, it's a toxin - more specifically, a bacteria. It works by blocking a neurotransmitter release and causing muscle paralysis. This doco showcased some nasty side effects from Botox. One woman had had it injected into her lips a few years ago, had an immediate reaction and has now lost virtually her entire upper lip. Nice.

So instead, with the use of humble household items, you can nourish your skin, keep your top lip and say no to a frozen face. I can personally vouch for the use of coconut oil. And apple cider vinegar on hair. It works as a conditioner as well but be prepared to smell like vinegar. Matt noticed.

Happy winter skin

x

RAW CASHEW DREAMCAKE

today I made this.

 When I should have been doing an assignment- a raw cashew cheesecake sounded way more fun. No bake, no sugar, no dairy and no gluten = no guilt.  I take no credit for this. This little wonder is from My New Roots. Her site is wonderful and she makes delicious, healthy food and lots of clean recipes.

Raw Cashew Dreamcake:

Crust:
+  1/2 cup raw almonds (pecan or walnuts will also work)
+  1/2 cup soft Medjool dates
+  ¼ tsp. sea salt

Filling:
+  1 ½ cups raw cashews, soaked for at least 5 hours, overnight is best
+ juice of 2 lemons
+ the seeds of 1 whole vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
+  1/3 cup raw coconut oil, melted
+  1/3 cup raw honey
+  1 cup raspberries (thaw completely if using frozen)

1. Place nuts and dates in a food processor with sea salt and pulse to chop until they are to your desired fineness. Test the crust by spooning out a small amount of mixture and rolling it in your hands. If the ingredients hold together, your crust is perfect. Scoop out crust mixture in a 7” spring-form pan (if you don’t have a spring-form pan, use a pie plate lined with baking paper), and press firmly, making sure that the edges are well packed and that the base is even throughout. Rinse food processor well.

2. Warm coconut oil and honey in a small saucepan on low heat until liquid. Whisk to combine.

3. In the most powerful food processor / blender you own place all filling ingredients (except raspberries) and blend on high until very smooth (this make take a couple minutes so be patient).

4. Pour about 2/3 (just eyeball it, you can’t make a mistake!) of the mixture out onto the crust and smooth with a spatula. Add the raspberries to the remaining filling and blend on high until smooth. Pour onto the first layer of filling. Place in freezer until solid.

5. To serve, remove from freezer 30 minutes prior to eating. Run a smooth, sharp knife under hot water and cut into slices. Serve on its own, or with fresh fruit. Store leftovers in the freezer (what leftovers?).

* what I would say about this recipe, is to make sure you only soak your cashews for no more than 6 hours. I left mine soaking overnight and they were slightly on the bitter side so I had to add more sweetener. Otherwise, as Sarah suggests, you could add anything to this recipe. I reckon some cacao would be delicious for the bottom layer with the raspberry topping and it looks so impressive too! Layers just make everything look cooler. I even instagrammed it.

Have a lovely week friends x