CHRISTMAS SIDES AND SALADS

This Christmas I am in London and will be celebrating my first (not white) UK Christmas but also Christmas Eve dinner as my partner is of Polish heritage. I am on ‘salad and sides’ cooking duties and whipped up these incredibly delicious vegetable salads to go with the meat. We had 5 people at dinner and had lots of left overs for lunch the next day. Would serve up to 8 people happily. Here are my 3 recipes;  Continue reading “CHRISTMAS SIDES AND SALADS”

OH MY GINGERBREAD MEN

My favourite unhealthy biscuit on the market is a a two way tie between the Gingernut biscuit and the Monte Carlo – both Aussie Aarnott’s classics. But we all know that these highly processed biscuits are packed with preservatives and refined sugars that aren’t good for our waistlines when consumed out of moderation. So how can be have our biscuit and eat it too? By removing the nasty stuff and baking my healthy alternative ginger bread biscuits yourself. You can add a thumb print of homemade strawberry jam (recipe from the I Quit Sugar blog) for a cheeky festive touch and Monte Carlo effect. I shall call these my ‘Gingerbread men from Monte Carlo’ biscuits. Don’t forget to put a couple out for Santa with a glass of almond mylk too. He will love them! Not to mention how insanely incredible and festive your house will smell. Continue reading “OH MY GINGERBREAD MEN”

BIG FAT TRUTH

IF YOU WANT TO LOSE FAT – YOU HAVE GOT TO EAT FAT

Now for some this does sound crazy I understand … but honestly I could not offer a better tip that just that. Although as usual there is the fine print with such a statement. You have to eat the RIGHT types of fat which are essential to our diet and important for good health. These are the GOOD FATS. But what are the different types of fats and which ones are good or better than others?? Continue reading “BIG FAT TRUTH”

SPEAR A HANGOVER

If there is one thing that I truly hate… it is being hungover. I used to be the type of girl who could chug vodka from a bottle (yes i have a dark side buried deep below the surface from my younger years – don’t we all?) and I would NEVER get hungover or be sick the next day. Probably because I regrettably vomited it all out that night, but anyway… and then things changed as I got older and BOOM. Now any more than just two wines with dinner and I can’t help but wake up feeling seedy. Continue reading “SPEAR A HANGOVER”

5 HIDDEN VEGGIE MAC ‘N’ CHEESE

Growing up Mac n Cheese was a staple in our household. Mum used to make the most insane mac that we all devoured! I have made mum’s classic dish a few times over the last couple of years but wanted to make a ‘healthy’ completely guilt free version for the gluten intolerant and of course add as many vegetables as I possibly can into the mix without making it look like a stir fry. SUCCESS!!!  Continue reading “5 HIDDEN VEGGIE MAC ‘N’ CHEESE”

RASPBERRY CASHEW CHOC SMOOTHIE

I recently got my hot little hands on a box of the NEW Loving Earth chocolate range and COULD NOT wait to dig into the raspberry cashew flavour! Boy was it incredible. Just what I was expecting and more. I decided to whip is a super cheeky afternoon delight using my new products teamed with my all time favourite bare blends. Try this smoothie – it is mouth watering!! Add ice if you like it extra thick and enjoy it with a spoon! Like me! The berries powder is super high in antioxidants and the healthy essential fats and protein from the cashews and powder help decrease the rate of sugar absorption into your blood stream.

raspberry choc

RASPBERRY CASHEW CHOC SMOOTHIE

Serves 1 – GF DF R V P SF – 5 minutes

1 frozen banana

1/2 cup frozen raspberries

small handful unsalted cashews

2 squares NEW raspberry cashew Loving Earth Chocolate >> SHOP HERE

1 cup almond milk

1 tsp Bare Berries powder >> SHOP HERE

1 scoop Dark Cacao WPI powder >> SHOP HERE

ice (optional)

 

METHOD:

Place all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

Top with some extra chocolate shavings and cashews and enjoy

K

Here is why this smoothie is so jam packed with nutritious goodness;

RASPBERRIES/BERRY POWDER; high in antioxidants they are great for all things beauty. Your skin, your hair and that radiant glow are all thanks to antioxidants found in berries. Raspberries are low in fructose (fruit sugars) and can be the perfect ingredient in your next smoothie. They also offer a bounty of health benefits, from helping control weight to possibly helping prevent cancer* (Live Strong.)

GREEK YOGHURT; is a great calcium source which is vital for healthy and strong bones. It also provides the body with added protein and prebiotics for healthy gut bacteria. For people who have intolerances to foods sometimes the problem starts when your gut bacteria is out of whack. So before you cull the dairy and yoghurt why not scull it instead and see if your tummy is happier.

PROTEIN POWDER; double nutritious if you use cacao protein powder too. Protein in smoothies makes them a wholesome healthy light meal or snack on the go. The protein aids in muscle recovery and will keep you fuller for longer

CASHEWS; packed with healthy unsaturated fats cashews can help lower cholesterol levels and improve heart health. They are actually lower in fat than many other nuts which a lot of people do not know. Cashews are also great for reducing diabetes and blood sugar levels, so next time you are having some fruit or sugar – grab some cashews.

CACAO; super high in antioxidants this is the number 1 reason health professionals and foodies eat chocolate. Hint Hint; The darker the better because it contains the most cacao. Cacao is natures energy source and a high antioxidant known for its ability to cross your blood-brain barrier to help protect your nervous system.

 

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THE HAIRY TRUTH

So for those who know me well, know that I somewhat skimped out on the ‘growing hair’ part of the pregnancy whilst I was being created. AND you would also know that I twizzle my hair very rapidly when it is either washed and straight (who doesn’t love playing with fresh silky hair?) or in the evenings when I am exhausted (like pretty much every night). It wasn’t until I returned home after being away for a year that my mum was in total shock about my hair, or should I say lack of, and took me straight to the health food store to get something STAT!!! Continue reading “THE HAIRY TRUTH”

LEMON MERINGUE PIE – IQS

When you are living a sugar free lifestyle there are certain things that you just come to terms with giving up because there is no ‘healthy’ alternative way of making it. One of these things is Meringues. Continue reading “LEMON MERINGUE PIE – IQS”