NOURISH: CREAMY CHOCOLATE, COCONUT + AVO BOWL

This is a favourite of mine for a few reasons:

~ The simplicity of it. 5 ingredients. Perhaps 1 or 2 additions. But essentially, 5 ingredients and you're good to go.

~ The 'mouth feel'. I use this term when there is an epic combination of flavour, texture and temperature for me... and a thick, creamy, cold bowl like this is spot on (it's still freaking hot in the tropics at the moment)!

~ And... I could say thirdly that it's full of amazing healthy fats and ingredients our body will love and use as fuel (which it is)... but really... food is way more about making us (and our taste buds) feeel good, over the nutritional content am I right? ;)

So let's cut straight to it then.

BEST BREKKIE IDEAS FOR EVERYONE

 

We so often hear that it's the most important meal of the day. That we ideally want to eat the biggest meal at this time (and little at the end of the day). To load up on protein and carbs and good quality fats to ensure our energy levels are high, our blood sugar balanced, and our belly's full.

What happens though if you're someone that doesn't really have an appetite at brekkie? Or work odd hours that mean the times you are eating are also a little off?

NOURISH: ANTIOXIDANT-RICH ACAI BOWLS

The acai bowl. If you haven't had one yet, you may of heard about them... But if you haven't heard about them, you are missing out on one of Mother Natures finest ingredients. Taste. Nutrition. Feel good factor. Yep this baby has it all. And today I've got a recipe just for you.

Acai is a berry from the Amazon rainforest and one of the 'superfoods' you may often hear being thrown around in health cafes, blog pages, and rad magazines. Wondering if it's all it's cracked up to be? Well wonder no further girl. 

Weekend Recipe - Coconut Buckwheat Porridge

This recipe is super easy (as I always like) and it is also courtesy of the incredible Meghan Telpner whom I have a girl crush on. This chic is amazeballs in the kitchen and seems to know everything and anything, whilst maintaining an all-round healthy approach to eating and food. Totally my kind of chic. So here is a super delish recipe that will start your day with a bang! but can just as easily be had for lunch or a hearty snack.

Ingredients (Serves 1-2)

• scant 1/4 cup toasted buckwheat, ground (or raw-activated-and-dried buckwheat)
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbs coconut milk
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 tsp vanilla
• 1 Tbs raw honey
• 1 Tbs shredded coconut
• 2 Tbs currants
• 2 Tbs chopped pecans
• drizzle of coconut syrup

Instructions

Bring the coconut milk, water, vanilla and honey to a boil in a small pot. While the liquid is heating up, grind buckwheat in a coffee grinder until fine.

Add the buckwheat to the pot, stir well and turn the heat down to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, checking every few minutes to see if the porridge needs more liquid (we added a few extra tablespoons).

Scoop into a bowl and add shredded coconut, currants, pecans and coconut syrup. Enjoy!

Something super coolio about Buckwheat that you may not know is that it is used as both a food and a healing herb. Some sweet health benefits include:

• Adjusts metabolism, fat and the lipo-soluble vitamins due to the presence of inositol.
• Helps the liver in processing hormones, medicines, and glucoses, with a protective hepatic effect.
• The concentration of magnesium offers a relaxing effect over blood vessels, improving circulation and decreasing blood pressure.

So this weekend why not try this out and sit down to enjoy a lazy brekkie with a loved one.
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This scrumptious recipe has been grabbed from here

Hot Choccie to warm them bones

Alright fellow Sydney-siders (and anyone else anywhere in the world where it has been ridiculously cold out of the blue for no good reason)... thanks to my gorgeous girlfriend Bianca, I've got a yummy scrummy hot choccie recipe to share with you all next time that chill hits!

I don't know about you but I have not been able to concentrate on my studies I've been so cold. Trakkie-daks, hoodies, fluffy socks, slippers, scarfs, non-stop pots of tea... I've done the lot! But when I saw taste-bud-tantalising pic, I instantly felt warmer. There's something about hot choocie I think. Just those words;    

      h o t   c h o c c i e

It seems to remind everyone of childhood. Memories of winters at home with the family, or on school camps, maybe the walk to school was a hot choccie time. Whatever the reasons and memories, they always seem to invoke warmth, yummy-scrummy-cuddle-time, and an all-round sense of wellbeing. Who would have thought; Chocolate?

Everyone!

Hot Cacao with Almond Mylk

2 cups of homemade almond mylk*
3 teaspoons of raw cacao powder
1 teaspoon of mesquite powder
1 teaspoon of agave
a dash of cinnamon

First up set aside 2 Tbsp of almond mylk (you'll see why). Put everything else in a pot on the stove and heat on low heat (do not boil) stirring it slowly... once it's the temperature you're happy with, pour into your favourite mug and serve with a swizzel of fresh almond mylk (to make the heart!) and a dash of cinnamon ...that makes hot cacao for two ..

Served with a coconut chia pudding, sliced bananas, coconut flakes and a few dates

 * I've got a recipe for brazil nut milk here, but you can easily substitute amlonds instead. Or use whatever you've got. Almond is nice as it's a subtle flavour, but sesame milk is divine, brazil nut is one of my fav's, or I dare you to try hazelnut milk ... hello Ferror Rocher!!

One step at a time

So not off to the best of starts after my 2 months away... and as much as I procrastinate telling myself that I can't post a blog without photos, as my mobile phone/camera is in at the shop getting repairs done (complete with all my photos of our Sunday banana-choccie-almond-crunch-chia-layered-parfait-brekkie, my tranquil trip away to Bowral last week with my step-mum's home grown vegies in the back yard, the massive green salads Brock and I had post yoga, and more)!!

NOTE: since typing this draft yesterday I've had an AHA moment and 2 of the pics I posted straight from my phone last week onto FB, have now been posted below. Blonde moment yes, but we've got some piccies!! :) And my photo-shopping program has been updated so I have a bucket load of new designs and effects to play with! Happy days :)

Mid-morning snack on the front balcony over looking the lake

Besides the lack of a good mobile phone at present (although my old cute little flip top Sony I bought in Italy years ago brings back such happy memories), things are pretty much the same as usual.

Actually no - you know what, they're not the same! They're BETTER than usual! Yep! BETTER! I'm forever telling people I'm the "same as usual - never ending study, work, etc, you know" when this past week has been so much more than just that! The past few weeks infact.

- I took 3 weeks off work to really knuckle down some college modules and I have done just that, and feel great for it! Sure it's a challenge getting my head around Biology and the deepening ins and outs of nutritional studies but when I understand it I LOVE IT and it's FASCINATING!

- I spent 5 days down in Bowral at my dad's place to really chill out, focus, drink tea (I say that like I don't otherwise drink copious amounts), eat lightly, and rest. I got a bunch of assessments done there, and since being back I've got a bunch more done.

- I'm trying new bits n pieces for my skin issues and am finding small improvements (yippee!). I'll let you know how things are going a bit later.

- Brock and I have been spending the best time ever together - even if that was one whole day driving from one mobile phone shop to the next, back home for contracts and receipts and back again. He is due to head off to Thailand on Sunday so intentionally or not, we've been glued to one another hip. I quite like that ;)

- I've also been doing a few gentle -but powerful- online workouts as well as rebounding and find I'm feeling a lot better from them both. I've always been a fitness and gym junkie but after a shoulder injury, followed by a sciatic injury (both for reason's still unknown to me), I was off the gym and have been for probably 3months now. Soooo unlike me! But you know what? I am so surprised at how my body has held up! My mind was trying to convince me that without my 4-6 gym classes a week I would surely balloon out, get fat and feel yuck! Well, my body looks very close to exactly the same as it was when I was up early every second day to work out. I know there's no way I could lift the weights I was 3 months ago now which is a bit of a bummer, but Brock mentioned to me yesterday that some of the world's top athlete's take 6 months off every year to really rest and recover, which was a huge boost to my self esteem, and a real joy to hear after beating myself up for not working out. My step-dad has also said each time I've popped over to say hello, that I'm looking better than ever! I laugh and say I'm doing absolutely nothing! It doesn't really surprise me though. My body has been feeling too tired and sore and exhausted to do much of anything that all I muster up is a 20minute walk most days, and even that brings on minor pain. But it's good to get out of the house.

So with that, I've been on my rebounder more and that has given me loads of energy, lymphatic boosts, and with minimal impact, and I'm feeling so-far-so-good coz of it! Really good infact. Yay :)

But I best get going again coz my aim is to finish one big Nutrition assessment today, and a Biology one too if I can squeeze it in! I'm off to a comedy gig tonight and very much looking forward to surprising Brock with that! I only just got given free tickets - ten minutes ago!

Quick and easy (minimal pantry ingredients) dessert or brekkie parfait

But before I jet I'll spill the beans on a super easy-use-whatever-you've-got-dessert-or-brekkie-recipe you can try this weekend.I made this at dad's down in Bowral the night before I left to use up my last few bananas, and coconut. I've tried to guess the quantities I used but adjust to taste coz I never measure anything myself.

Recipe (quite literally):

Step 1

Young coconut flesh from one coconut

1 banana

1 tsp vanilla

Coconut water as needed... blend all until smooth then pour into a small bowl and set aside

Step 2

2 bananas

1-2 tsp cacao... blend together then pour into a small bowl

Step 3

Handful of chopped dates

Handful of nuts

Pinch of salt...blend until crumbly and set aside

Pull out 3 little glass cups, bowls or jars and start layering your 3 mixtures. Eat straight away, or set in fridge or freezer. If you're like we were and too full from dinner, save these for brekkie!

I'd usually use a few other ingredients in something like this but at my dad's the pantry is not stocked for a raw vegan and so I use what I can. Something like this can be made with any fruit, and nuts, and any dried fruit. Be creative. Experiment with your favourite flavours and let me know how you go!

Have an awesome weekend!!

Christie :)

My Wellness Weekend

So if I were to be totally honest with you guys (not that I'm not usually) Id briefly mention that I've been struggling personally for the past month, and over the weekend I hit a deeper low, which led to me doing things I am not proud of. My past has seen me very easily slip into periods where I stop looking after myself. In every way, shape and form.
Was I aware of all this? Yes and no. But a few days ago, I knew I needed to do something that would gently put me back on the path of healing.

So my weekend was this - backyard nude sunbaking, big green salads, juices, running through soft sand, yoga, beautiful talks with a close friend, crying to my mum who I hadn't seen in weeks, reading, journalling, creativity in the kitchen, sungazing, getting in the ocean, studying (hey; it had to be done)... and now I'm back on my healing path even if it still feels a little akward and tricky to stand up on.

And given everything I'm so passionate about, healing can have so much more benefit if teamed up with great, simple, easily-digestible foods. So here's where I started Saturday morning. A quick, easy, delicious brekkie when you're wanting something different to your regular smoothie - a Superhero Brekkie!!

Put a tablespoon or two of chia seeds in your bowl and add coconut water, plain water, nut milk, or whatever liquid is your current fav, and stir in in and let it sit for 5 or 10 mins. Then add anything and everything you like! I've got sprouted buckwheat, pepitas, sunflower seeds, goji berries, bee pollen, activated almonds, cinnamon, cacao, coconut, and yummy scrummy banana! Keeps me going and going and going and going...

Or something a little different if you plan ahead - you can start whipping up some gRAWnola mid-week for a weekend treat! I had some in the dehydrator all last week that I'll post for you guys in a few days. Apple-cranberry-walnut grawnola! SO GOOD! Just gotta blend me up some brazil nut milk to go with it! Ooh, or maybe I'll try hemp seed milk... hmmm.... yum either way... ok now I'm hungry again.

And the rest of my weekend (aside from the nude sunbaking, study, yoga, chats with people etc)...

Sunday morning I ventured down to Curl Curl before dawn to catch the sunrise. There were quite a few surfers out as well as one guy doing some fishing, and we were all starting our day with Mother Nature, who was giving us her absolute best. Pinks and purples in the sky. A gentle breeze. Warm weather.

I ran up and down the beach a few times through the soft sand , working up a good sweat, before the sun began to rise from the horizon...

Out of this world! It was absolutley stunning. I sat there sun gazing before getting in the surf and feeling the cleansing healing properties of the salt water I love so so much.

I had felt that it was exactly what I needed (even though a big part of me felt I should have been utlising the time to study for an exam I had today) and I was right. It felt nothing short of perfect for me. I needed the reflection time. The grounding time. The salt water and sea breeze. My soul belongs at the beach, in the sand, in the surf. With the sun on my skin, I'm never more alive and it does something to me I can't describe. And as the sunshine then decided to say it's goodbye for the reminder of Sunday only a short 30minutes later, it made my getting out of bed at 530am all the more worthwhile.

Next stop - Frenchs Forest Organic Markets to grab a few things. And I was so lucky to run into Maya doing her shopping, and then Jess and Will who were also doing theirs.

Organic baby plums, nectarines, peaches, pears, grapes... (if you want a really great read on organics that my nutrition class spoke in length about last week check out Kate's blog)


Loads of fresh herbs, plants, lettuces... I grabbed some Scottish kale that I LOVE so much, some rockmelon, green apples, pears, alfalfa and bananas... as well as lemon and ginger KOMBUCHA! YUM! (will post more about this and the fermented cabbage and miso I've been into the past few days soon also)

Chatted to a few peeps I used to see there each week when I got down reguarly (things have been hectic for a while I havn't gotten down!) and we exchanged stories, smiles, laughs, and more. I love it down there :)

And with a few of my ingredients I made this last night for dinner - kale, alfalfa, carrots, celery, avocado, sultanas, olive oil and tumeric. Amazing if I do say so myself. A must try! Tumeric is a fantastic anti-inflammatory so great for any coughs and colds starting to appear, and really good for arthritis or joint inflammation. Just incase you're interested ;)

Look after yoursevles and one another. Live. Laugh. Peace and Love to you all from the bottom of my heart xx

Keen-Wah what??

Detox DAY 10 and feeling GREAT!

Just a quick check in and another delicious brekkie I had at work this morning -

Quinoa (soaked for a day and a half)
Chia seeds (soaked for 10 minutes or so)
Dried figs (3 of these, soaked overnight)
Almonds (few of these babies soaked overnight also)
Banana (fresh and sliced)
Flaxmeal (sprinkled ontop)

If you've never heard of QUINOA (pronounced KEEN-WAH) check it out here. If you;ve never eaten it before, you're sure missing out. Quinoa is actually the seed from a plant that is closely related to leafy green vegetables such as spinach and beets. A nutritional POWERHOUSE it is incredibly high in PROTEIN, as well as iron, calcium and magnesium. It's got a beautiful nutty taste and goes well with either sweet or savoury.

Flaxjacks for Brekkie

Sitting at home on a Friday night wanting to blog but cant think of what to write about! I've got a bunch of really cool things coming up that i cant wait to tell you all about in the next week, but as I want to blog right now... I've got a quick recipe that you can whip up as a fancy brekkie change, or an afternoon snack. I found this recipe online somewhere ages ago but cannot remember where...not to worry, it's DELISH! That's all that matters :)

Cardamon Flaxjacks

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp whole flax seeds
1/4 cup shredded coconut
pinch ground cardamom
3 tbsp fresh orange juice
1 tbsp agave nectar

Grind the flaxseeds then mix them with the rest of the ingredients until it's all gooey and looking amazing. Divide it into two portions, shape into balls and then flatten them or serve them in cute little moulds. Top them with fresh fruits, drizzles of agave syrup, extra coconut flakes, whatever you like!


I first made this for Brock as a surprise one weekend we were house sitting. Lazy start to the day, the Sunday paper on the table (my favourite weekend indulgence), sun on the balcony, not a better way to start the day :)

I'm up. Now what?

Breakfast for me has always been my FAVOURITE meal of the day. As a kid I'd tuck into cereal or toast with vegemite. In high school I went through a banana smoothie phase where I couldn't seem to get enough. Travelling overseas I looked forward to food regardless of what it was! And now my tastes are changing again.


When I first went RAW I was eating fruit of course. I'd have a few pieces cut up like a fruit salad. Then as my stomach got used to it I found I could eat alot more. And further on I grew accustomed to a MONO meal of fruit for breakfast, finding this easier on my digestion first thing. And with that, brekkie was more often that not 8 or 9 bananas straight up, half a red papaya, or 3-4 mangoes in Summer (Oh my God the memories...DROOL). Then I got hooked on throwing bananas in the blender and adding a bunch of yummy things to BOOST me up ready for the day!

Most recently I've been having juice - GREEN JUICE. I've spoken about the benefits of JUICING here before so I wont go into it again, but I will say that over time our tastes change as do our emotions, circumstances, schedules, and the weather.

And so here we are now in Winter down under in the Southern Hemishpere, and each morning I find myself struggling to decide what I feel like. For whatever reasons they might be, I'm finding that of late I'm not hungry for my usual favourite meal of the day!

However, I wanted to suggest a bunch of ideas that I like to have for brekkie as a RAW-ie to add some inspiration to your day, and some excitement to your next breakfast! Some of my fav's are:

Raw buckwheat or oat groat porridge with all my favourites mixed in and added ontop for an easy filling comfort-food-winter nomnom.


or a quick "run-out-the-door" version, and one for later on


A quick and easy miso soup with some seaweed. Great on the mornings I've gotta be up real early, out the door pretty quick, and it's FREEZING.


Banana bowls... ...or a variation of them


Superfood smoothies


Nut milk Smoothies - this one is with cacao and bananas


Or just plain simple tasty nut milk...


...which would be great alongside some raw bread with nut butters or tahini


Another tasty treat (if advance preparation has been thought of and done of course) is gRAWnola


so so good :) crunchy. chewy. like toasted muesli. a good jaw workout this one


And for those special occasions...

Blueberry Flax pancakes drizzled with agave


Cardamon Flaxjacks with fresh fruit



What's your favourite breakfast yumminess?