Natural New Age Mum

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Crio Bru Chocolate Christmas Cake

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Crio Bru Chocolate Christmas Cake

It’s that time of year again when we all eat Christmas cake!

But have you ever had a supercharged Christmas cake?

My Crio Bru Chocolate Christmas Cake is supercharged with superfoods! Crio Bru, cacao, dark chocolate, superfood powders and goji berries – antioxidants galore. It is gluten-free, egg-free, nut-free and you can make it dairy-free really easily too.

I have been making this recipe for years, but I gave it a big overhaul this year to make it even yummier and healthier.

It’s moist, fudgy, chocolatey and even people who don’t like fruit cake, like this fruit cake!

 

Crio Bru Chocolate Christmas Cake

Vital Stats: Egg Free,  Gluten Free, Nut Free, can be Dairy Free

 

Okay, so this is what you need:

1 1/2 cups organic sultanas

1 cup organic cranberries

1 cup organic currants

1 cup organic figs

1 cup organic dried apricots

1/2 cup goji berries

2 tablespoons organic cacao

2 tablespoons C-Berry Blast or Acai Berry Blend

2 1/2 cups strongly brewed Crio Bru

2 cups gluten-free self-raising flour (I used Orgran brand)

100g Green and Blacks organic cooking chocolate, roughly chopped

 

Wait: What is Crio Bru? Check it out here. I also did a blog post about it here.

 

Crio Bru Chocolate Christmas Cake

Okay, so this is how you do it:

Brew up your Crio Bru (I left about half the grounds in). Chop the figs and apricots (use your thermomix if you have one).

Pour the Crio Bru into to the dried fruit, mix well and leave to soak overnight.

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees celsius and line with baking paper a 20x28cm lamington tin.

Mix everything together really well. If you find the mix a little too dry, add a touch of water. It should be quite thick though.

Put into your tin and with slightly damp hands, smooth down into the corners.

Fling into the oven and cook about 60 -75 minutes. Cover half way through the cooking time to prevent the fruit from burning, if needed.

Cool down thoroughly on a wire rack. Do not attempt to sneak a juicy sultana from the top of the cake – those little suckers burn!

It will make about 25 slices and it will freeze really well. I make up a few batches and wrap them up for Christmas gifts.

The cake is quite rich and filling, so you only need a small piece.

If you would like to make it dairy-free, just omit the chocolate or use a dairy-free chocolate. It also works well with wheat SR flour too if you don’t need to watch your gluten!

Enjoy!

Do you make a Christmas cake every year? Is it a family recipe?

 

 

 

Berry Coconuty Cheesecake – so healthy!

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 Berry coconuty raw cheesecake

I have had a life-long love affair with cheesecake. My mum used to make an awesome mango cheesecake, sweet and rich! Unfortunately, all that sugar, dairy and wheat just doesn’t love me anymore.

Recently, I started hearing about all these healthy people making ‘raw’ cheesecakes. Now to be honest, when someone said ‘raw food’, I wasn’t exactly that excited. It just didn’t really appeal to me. It sounded weird – hippy food! Until I tried it – if this is what raw food tastes like, count me in!

I have made a few different ‘cheesecakes’ now, but this one I made up at Easter time, inspired by this recipe, is my favourite. It’s so darn healthy, I would serve it up to my kids for breakfast!

It’s raw, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, high protein, low carb. The best bit though……. it tastes flipping amazing!!

Try it, tell me what you think.

♥ Berry Coconuty Cheesecake ♥

So, this is what you need: 

2 cups organic almonds, soaked overnight*

2 cups dates

1/2 cup organic cacao powder, (not cocoa)

1 teaspoon organic cinnamon

3 cups organic cashews, soaked overnight*

1 1/2 cups frozen mixed berries, defrosted a little

3/4 cup sweetener of your choice – honey, maple syrup, rice malt syrup

1 cup virgin, organic coconut oil

1/2 cup organic lemon juice

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (not essence)

1/2 cup filtered water (if needed)

* Why would you soak your nuts? Good question. Not only does it make the nuts softer and easier to process, soaking makes nuts easier to digest. Read more here. If you can’t manage overnight, at least do a couple of hours of soaking. Use filtered water.

 

Berry Coconuty Cheesecake

Okay, so this is how you do it:

Drain the almonds well and place in your thermomix (or food processor) with the dates, cacao powder and cinnamon.

Blitz until it forms a crumb and is sticking together a little. Add a touch of filtered water if needed.

Place a piece of baking paper into a large, spring form pan or two glass pie dishes. (That’s what I did – one for later!)

Press the cheesecake base into the dish, smoothing it with the back of a wet spoon. Place in the fridge.

Now, fling the rest of your ingredients into the thermomix or food processor and blitz!

It should be very smooth and creamy. Keep going until it’s a nice texture! Use the water if it’s looking a bit too thick.

Pour this mix onto the base. Put some cling wrap over it and chuck into the freezer.

Leave it overnight or at least six hours.

To serve, take it out of the freezer for about ten minutes and cut into slices.

You could serve it with some fresh berries or even make a berry sauce with some more berries and honey, thickened with cornflour.

I find you only need a small serve. The nuts in this ‘cheesecake’ make it really filling.

~yum~

 

Now, if you are keen to get into this ‘raw cheesecake’ craze, you could also try this recipe from the beautiful girls at Like Chocolate for Women. Or try my mango version of this recipe.

 

I love comments. Do you have a recipe for a raw cheesecake? Do you love raw cheesecakes? Talk to me.

Changing Habits Coconut Oil

Healthiest pancakes EVER …. they’re green !!

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Healthiest Pancakes Ever They're Green!

 

Thanks to Facebook, I found out it was Pancake Day (or Shrove Tuesday) today ! Never wanting to miss an excuse for pancakes, I decided to whip up a batch of our favourite pancakes from one of the best healthy recipe blogs around, Health Food Lover.

Of course, you know I never make a recipe the way it tells me to. I am a serial tweaker. So here is my version of Michelle’s fabulous Green (Spinach) Pancakes recipe.

 

Healthiest Pancakes Ever…. They’re Green!

So, this is what you need:

3 organic eggs

1 large handful of washed baby spinach

1 and a 1/2 large bananas

1/2 cup almond meal

1/2 cup wholemeal spelt flour

1 tablespoon chia seeds

coconut oil for cooking

to serve:

vanilla yoghurt or cashew cream

blueberries

healthiest pancakes ever... they're green!

So, this is how you do it:

Whizz the heck out of the spinach and eggs in a food processor, blender or thermomix. You don’t want any identifiable green leaves or the kids might freak out !


 healthiest pancakes ever... they're green!

Chuck the banana in and whizz again. Stir in the flour, chia seeds and almond meal.

For those of you with a thermomix, I made the almond meal in the thermy, then added the spinach, banana and eggs and blitzed on speed 10 for 20 seconds, scraping the bowl. Then I added the spelt flour and chia and mixed on reverse, speed 5 for about 10 seconds or until it was combined.

healthiest pancakes ever... they're green!

Heat up the coconut oil in a pan (medium high heat) and fling in tablespoons of pancake mix. Turn when little bubbles appear.

Serve with the vanilla yoghurt on top and the blueberries. Do not tell children there is spinach in their afternoon snack….. they will never know!! There is no spinach flavour, just delicious banana!

healthiest pancakes ever... they're green!

Well, okay, my New Age Natural Girl, did twig something funny was afoot because they were GREEN, but she loved them. So did my New Age Natural Boy – none left for Dad !

Some tips:

* you can make these pancakes fully gluten free by replacing the flour with almond meal

* you don’t need to add sugar to the mix if you are serving it with fruit and yoghurt, but if you aren’t you might appreciate a tablespoon or two of rapadura sugar in it

* don’t let this mixture sit for too long before cooking as chia seeds gel up

Happy Pancake Day !!

 

 

 

Almond Meal Banana Bread

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I know, I haven’t posted a recipe in an age!

Truth be told, I wanted to write this one down somewhere safe so I don’t lose it! I seem to be making lots of banana bread these days as the family run hot and cold with bananas. I can’t bear to waste them.

I love using almond meal in cake recipes as it’s so tasty and nutritious as well as making the banana bread gluten free. This recipe also happens to be dairy free (as long as you don’t serve it with lashings of grass-fed butter!!)

This almond meal banana bread has a beautifully soft and light texture and is not overly sweet. It’s super filling, so one piece is plenty.

Almond Meal Banana Bread


Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups almond meal

3 medium bananas (super ripe with black spots for best results)

4 eggs

1/4 cup melted coconut oil (or butter)

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup walnuts (optional but yummy)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 160oC. Line a loaf tin with some non-toxic baking paper.

Mash the bananas and whisk with the eggs, vanilla extract and coconut oil.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well (save a few walnuts for the top).

Pour into your loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Let cool in the pan for 20-30minutes. Store in the fridge. Use a bread knife to cut.

*note: I like to keep the walnuts chunky but you can chop them up if you want.

To save time, I sometimes make this in the Thermomix. Just whizz the banana, egg, vanilla and oil on speed 7 for ten seconds, add other ingredients (except walnuts) and whizz on speed 5 for ten seconds or until it’s all incorporated. Add walnuts and mix in, on reverse, speed 5 for five seconds.


I have loads of other banana bread recipes if you want to try something different, but I hope you love this almond meal banana bread as much as we do!

The Best Natural Playdough Recipe

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The Best Natural Playdough Recipe

The Best Natural Playdough Recipe

by Jasmine at Crafty Little Folk

 

What activities do you remember loving when you were a young child? Making mud pies? Building sheet cubbies?  Or perhaps creating with playdough? The Best Natural Playdough Recipe

Our two daughters loved all three!!!  Unlike mudpies or cubbies, playdough was a lovely experience we could share at the kitchen table while I was busy cooking and doing jobs. 

Back then I used the basic recipe from the back of the cream of tartar pack. It was good enough, but I secretly longed for that silky playdough from the girls’ kindergarten days.

Our girls are now grown up now and I’m lucky to be an Early Childhood Educator.

I get paid to make playdough!! 

Now I’ve tried every possible version of making playdough over the last four years, but the recipe below takes the cake – everytime.

It has two extra ingredients that creates silky, smooth, long-lasting playdough, making it what I think is the best natural playdough recipe ever!

But first – why make playdough?

The Best Natural Playdough Recipe

♥ The wonderful benefits of playdough

Engages your child’s senses, imagination & creativity

Develops their fine motor skills & hand-eye coordination

Encourages free play & problem solving

Creates a soothing, calming activity

 

♥ Types of playdough

Scented with food grade essences eg. vanilla, peppermint, rose water, coconut, lemon

Coloured with natural food dyes or flavoured fruit teas

Spiced with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice 

Themed to reflect the seasons or calendar events (ie peppermint essence with red and white coloured play dough for Christmas)

The Best Natural Playdough Recipe

♥ Accessories for playdough

Small wooden rolling pins, bamboo knives & forks

Jar lids, cookie cutters, paper towel rolls

Paddlepop sticks, small candles, cupcake wrappers, paper straws

Leaves, twigs, stones, shell, edible flowers

Small dishes, tiny glass jars, trays

Pompoms, lace, large buttons, fine eco glitter

Plastic animals, toy fences, interesting containers from the recycling

 

I’m a big fan of child-led learning, so if the time is available allow your children to have input into the colours, flavours & accessories used in their dough play. 

Making playdough together is so fun & gives children the skills for other types of dough making (like homemade pizza!).

So here it is, the best natural playdough recipe for you!

The Best Natural Playdough Recipe

The Best Natural Playdough Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups plain flour

2 cups cornflour

1 cup of salt dissolved

2 cups of boiling water 

4 tablespoons of cream of tartar

4 tablespoons of vegetable oil (or oil of your choice)

4 tablespoons of glycerine (found in medicine section of the supermarket)

Optional – natural food colouring or essences

Equipment:

A large mixing bowl & a small metal bowl

Measuring cups & spoons

A metal spoon & wooden spoon

Kettle for boiling water

Apron

Method:

♥ Mix both flours & cream of tartar together in a large bowl.

♥ Dissolve the salt in boiling water. This is easiest done in a small metal bowl. Mix with a spoon. Or sometimes I heat it on the stove.

♥ Add oil, glycerine & food colouring to the salty water.

♥ Make a well in the flour mix & pour in the wet mixture.

♥ Mix with a wooden spoon until combined.

♥ Turn out onto a floured surface & knead for 30 seconds  Don’t miss this step – it’s the secret.  

The Best Natural Playdough Recipe

This recipe makes a really big batch, so feel free to halve the recipe if you need to. Store your dough in glass jars with lids.

All up it should take you less than 10 minutes to make in return for hours of fun creative play. Our daughters loved playdough for many years & so did their friends!

A jar of playdough or several small jars in different colours and scents make great DIY birthday gifts.

If you would like a printable PDF for the best natural play dough recipe you find it at my Crafty Little Folk website. 

Happy playdoughing!      

Jasmine xx

 

Jasmine at Crafty Little Folk

About Jasmine:

I’m Jasmine & I love to create fun, engaging activities to share with those busy little people in your life.

Are you an Early Childhood Educator (like me!) or a parent or grandparent looking for a range of easy, yet charming experiences to create together? Fresh, free printables are added often, so you can print & go, having more time with your little folk.

Caring for young children is a big, fun messy job. Sharing in their growth, watching their personalities develop & building meaningful relationships is such a joy & privilege.

Creating safe, stimulating environments is also a big job.  Here at Crafty Little Folk, I hope to share the experiences our children love exploring & inspire you to get messy!

I have a new membership just for Early Childhood Educators, providing support and connection as well as easy activity ideas. Check out Crafty Little Educators.

Follow Jasmine:

Crafty Little Folk Instagram  

Crafty Little Folk Facebook

Crafty Little Folk Pinterest

Crafty Little Folk Website

 

Honey, honey….. what’s the best honey?

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Honey, honey….. what’s the best honey?

We were having a chat about honey in our Natural New Age Mum Facebook group the other day (email me to join!) and some of you weren’t aware of what honey is best to buy and which are best to avoid.

So, here I am today to share some information about honey with you!

Honey is a an original ‘superfood’. It can help with gut health, colds and flu, sore throats, wound healing and more. It’s high in vitamins, minerals, enzymes and antioxidants and has natural anti-viral and anti-fungal properties.

What’s the best honey to buy?

Ideally, the best type of honey 100% raw, unfiltered, unpasteurised, local honey.

 

♥ Check that the honey you are buying is 100% honey. Unfortunately some of the honey you find in the supermarket can be mixed with plant sugars or high fructose corn syrup and even water! You are looking for 100% pure honey on the label, not just ‘pure honey’.

 

♥ Local honey can give relief to sufferers of seasonal allergies.  Because the bees are collecting nectar from the local plants that are troubling you, ingesting the honey can work in a homeopathic way and help you build up a tolerance.

Some supermarket brands supplement their honey with imported honey which does not always have the same stringent quality controls that we have. According to Choice Australia, imported honey is no longer tested for added antibiotics.

Of course there are other benefits of buying local – supporting your local beekeeper and the local economy, reducing food miles and the chance to reduce packaging by taking your own containers. We want to keep Aussie beekeepers in business and not forced out of the market with cheap overseas imports.

 

♥ Honey that is ‘raw’ means that it hasn’t been heat-treated or pasteurised. Heating honey over 35-45º celsius (the natural temperature of a hive) compromises the beautiful assortment of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and probiotics that are naturally present in honey.

 

♥ Unfiltered honey means just that – it hasn’t been filtered. The filtering process can remove bee pollen from the honey. Bee pollen is a powerhouse of nutrients and something we want to keep and consume. Filtering is a different process to ‘straining’ where the large chunks of beeswax are strained out but the pollen remains.

 

Where do you find good honey?

You should be able to find raw, local honey at your local markets. You might be lucky enough to find a beekeeper selling honey directly so you can ask lots of questions about their processes.

Most local health food store or green grocers sell it too. Some places may even allow you to buy your honey in bulk or to use your own jar to refill, which is a great eco-friendly option.

According to Simon Mulvany from Save the Bees, the brands to avoid are: Capilano, Allowrie, Barnes, Wescobee and Macro (Woolworths house brand).

If you can’t get something local and want to buy one online, Kitsa at Emporio Organico recommends this brand. 

 

What about organic?

Honey is one thing I don’t really worry too much about buying organic.

If you think about it, it’s pretty impossible to guarantee that honey is going to be organic anyway! As bees fly several kilometres from their hive, they could be collecting nectar from anywhere.

I am more concerned about making sure the beekeeper doesn’t use any toxic chemicals in their processes. An organic certification also costs a lot of money and small beekeepers may produce a mostly organic product but lack the financial resources to become certified.

 

What about baking?

If you use raw honey as a sweetener in baking, it does lose it’s goodness.

I still use raw honey in recipes occasionally when I want that honey flavour. That’s mostly because I still want to buy honey locally and support my local bee keeper and I don’t want to use imported or weird adulterated honey!

Maple syrup is a great substitute for honey in your cakes and biscuits and tolerates heating.

 

What about Manuka honey?

Manuka honey is amazing and very useful for many ailments due to it’s antibiotic properties. It is more a medicinal product rather than something you slather on your toast with gay abandon though! The price reflects this, so look at it is a healing remedy and use sparingly as needed.

The higher the MGO level or UMF level, the higher the bioactivity level. Check out Berringa Australia Super Manuka.

 

Why does it crystallise?

Over time you might find that your honey will crystallise, solidify and turn opaque. This just means that the enzymes are still active and you have a good honey!

Pop your jar in some warm water and it will liquefy again for ease of use.

 

Try my home-made Honey Cough Syrup!

I would love to know what honey you use – give your local beekeeper a shout out in the comments.

 

“Well,” said Pooh, “what I like best,” and then he had to stop and think. Because although eating honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn’t know what it was called.” ~ Winnie The Pooh

 

Resources and further reading:

Save the Bees Australia

Honey Lady

 

Tips and safety for using the slow cooker

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Tips and safety for using the slow cooker

Tips and safety for using the slow cooker

How good is the slow cooker? We use ours all the time.

It’s so handy to be able to throw something in to the slow cooker in the morning and come home to a beautiful hot meal. We often think of using slow cookers in winter but they are great to use in summer too because they don’t heat up the house.

It’s brilliant for families who eat at different times for dinner.  You can keep everything warm and just dish out portions as needed.

Slow cookers are a pretty easy way to cook but there are a few tips that can help you get the most out of your appliance. Let me know if you have any other tips to share in the comments!

 

Tips for cooking in the slow cooker:

♥ Stack the denser vegetables and meat on the bottom of the slow cooker and the lighter vegetables on top.

♥ Resist the urge to open the lid, you lose cooking time every time you peek!

♥ Browning meat first is totally optional, but it will add to the flavour. Do it if you have time and can be bothered washing another pan. Don’t forget to deglaze the pan with some liquid and add it to your slow cooker to get all that extra flavour.

♥ The general rule is four hours on high or eight hours on low for most meals. I prefer low and slow and try to cook things longer for better flavour.

♥ Slow cookers need a lot less liquid, so if you are adapting a favourite recipe, cut the liquid down by about a third. Remember that your veges will release a lot of liquid too.

♥ If you want your liquid to thicken in the slow cooker, coat meat in flour and brown in a frypan first.  If you want to thicken at the end of cooking time, just make a paste of cornflour and water and add to the slow cooker, stirring in well. Leave it on high heat for ten to fifteen minutes or until it’s the thickness you want. You can also just take the lid off and turn the heat up to high to reduce the liquid too.

♥ Don’t overfill the slow cooker! Leave room for air flow to get consistent cooking.

♥ Always add cream, coconut cream, yoghurt or milk towards the end of the cooking time. Too much cooking makes these curdle.

♥ Lean meat tends to dry out so stick to meat with some fat or tougher cuts. For example, chicken thighs work better than chicken breasts. The cheaper cuts of meat like neck chops and chuck steak work perfectly in the slow cooker.

♥ Slow cookers are perfect for cooking roasts! I pop a few large slices of onion on the bottom of the pot and then add a good splash of water. Your roast will be beautifully tender.

♥ Slow cookers are also great for making your own bone broth. You can leave it on overnight and not worry about it burning dry!

♥ Hard herbs like rosemary and thyme will take the long slow cooking of a slow-cooker but soft herbs like parsley and basil are best added just at the end of cooking time and stirred through.

♥ Make sure your food is defrosted before it goes in the slow cooker or you could risk bacteria growing.

♥ Slow cookers are very forgiving for beginner cooks and it’s pretty hard to stuff up a meal! As long as there is enough liquid, most meals will be okay well past the eight hour mark.

♥ Meat, vegetables, liquid and some seasonings are all that is needed to make a yummy meal. Experiment with different combinations.

♥ Don’t limit yourself to stews and braises, you can cook all sorts of things in your slow cooker from porridge to cakes and it makes the best sweet potatoes! We often cook bulk amounts of (pre-soaked) chickpeas and beans in the slow cooker too.

♥ Most slow cooker inserts should go in the dishwasher. If not, you can get rid of baked-on food with bicarb and vinegar.

 

Slow cooker or crockpot? Same thing! Crockpot is just a brand name for a slow cooker. 

 

Slow cooker safety:

Slow cooker safety is an issue that has come up lately and some of you are a bit worried.

Personally, I would not use a slow cooker with a non-stick surface and anything with Teflon is a definite no from me. Even if they proclaim to be safe, I am still very wary of the chemicals they use to make it non-stick! Check out my post about non-toxic cookware to find out more.

There is also some concern about lead in the ceramic glaze of slow cookers. For this reason, I would avoid really old slow cookers, stick to quality brands, ring the manufacturer and ask about your brand or invest in a slow cooker with a stainless steel or glass insert.

There are recommendations to avoid cookware made in China as they have less regulation around lead safety. I would definitely avoid cheap slow cookers!

You can buy also lead testing kits at hardware stores to check your current slow cooker to make sure it’s safe.

KitchenAid and Cuisinart have both stated that their slow cookers do not contain lead. I recommend both brands. Having worked in a kitchen store, these are top performers! You can get both on sale here.

 

Slow cooker recipes:

Check out my bumper list of 20 Wholefood Slow Cooker Recipe

 

You might also like to read:

What is the safest cookware?

 

20 Gorgeous Gifts for Mother’s Day

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20 Gorgeous Gifts for Mother's Day

20 Gorgeous Gifts for Mother’s Day

I really didn’t think I could outdo last year’s Mother’s Day gift guide. It had so many beautiful gift ideas and you all loved it. But, I think this year I have just surpassed it. Just.

What’s so wonderful is that more people are finding the value in good quality, ethical, hand-made products instead of cheap stuff that ends up in landfill.

I also love supporting Aussie small businesses that are going against the grain and following their passion to create and provide us with unique and beautiful things.

I have been able to get some discount codes on a lot of these gifts for you and really appreciate working with these generous businesses to show you their wares.

I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think!

 

♥ Waterfall Bamboo Cardigan

This stylish light-weight cardigan is so versatile. You can wear it in all different ways and it’s perfect for breastfeeding and maternity wear too. The waterfall cut is flattering for all body shapes and ideal for a minimalist wardrobe. You can even wear it back to front!

The cardy is ethically made from bamboo with a tiny bit of spandex so it’s super soft and comfortable to wear. Available in Indigo, Taupe and Black here.

Want to win one for Mother’s Day? Corryn is giving away five cardigans! Enter here.

♥ EverEscents Organic Hair Care Pack

EverEscents have some beautiful Mother’s Day gift packs for your mum! Each one has an organic shampoo, conditioner and hair treatment in a cute gift box and there are seven different varieties to suit every hair type.

Julia and her team at EverEscents has been handcrafting premium organic hair products on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland for over ten years.  They are made with the high quality ingredients including plant extracts and pure essential oils. All EverEscents products are vegan friendly, cruelty fee and carbon neutral.

Check them out online here.

♥ MG Naturals Green Beauty Kit

Kailah at MG Naturals makes safe, nourishing, all natural makeup and her Green Beauty Kit is perfect for a Mother’s Day gift. You get a foundation, mineral powder, kabuki brush, concealer and a lip glaze.

As well as being natural and toxin free, MG Naturals makeup is vegan, organic, cruelty free and titanium dioxide free.  It’s designed to be soothing, hydrating and nourishing and help your skin instead of harming.

I love this makeup – it feels beautiful on and you forget you are wearing it and it’s very affordable too.

Kailah gives you free shipping when you spend over $95 and 10% off subscriber’s first orders. Check it out online here.

♥ Ecology Skincare Pamper Pack

Crystal from Ecology Skincare has some gorgeous pamper packs for Mother’s Day this year. Use this pack like a mini day-spa experience at home!

Start by removing makeup with the Microfibre Makeup Removal Cloth, relax in a hot bath with the Replenishing Mineral Bath Salts, gentle cleanse your face with the Facial Konjac Sponge and finish off by massaging the Replenishing Day and Night Cream all over your face and body. Heaven!

Everything is packaged in a beautiful gift box and at a discounted price. Get the pamper packs from Crystal here.

♥ Camel Wood Bagel Diffuser

Simmi The Aromatherapist is my go-to person for all things aromatherapy. She has decades of experience in the industry and a beautiful connection and deep understanding of oils. Her bagel diffusers are a gorgeous gift for mums that love their essential oils.

There are a few different styles to choose from – dark wood, black, white and my favourite – this light camel wood colour. They are super stylish and are a feature piece of decor in themselves.  The diffuser uses ultrasonic waves to diffuse oils, not heat and it shuts off as soon as the water runs out, so it’s super safe. Make sure you also check out her beautifully blended pure essential oils too.

Simmi is kindly offering all of us a free sample of her Love blend of essential oils (a very exquisite experience with pure rose oil) with every bagel diffuser. Just use the code: FREELOVE here.

♥ UFO Drum

For a really unique gift for Mum, check out these UFO drums from music therapist, Allison Davies.

Not just for making beautiful music, the UFO drums also have therapeutic benefits of meditation, mindfulness, relaxation, self-expression and vibrational realignment. The UFO drum is a modern tonal tank steel drum from the same family of instruments as the Tibetan bowls and bells.

You can play it with your hands or mallets. Each petal of the drum is specially tuned so that it will always sound harmonious. So even non-musical people can play it without any learning or practice!!

They are travel-friendly and light weight and available in three different version, each tuned to different musical keys – Full Moon, Sunrise and Sunset. Each drum comes with a carry bag, mallets and a soft stand.

Alli is so kindly giving us all an exclusive 10% discount and FREE shipping in Australia. Use the code: NNAMUFO until the 13th of May here.

♥ A Once Courageous Heart

Kylie Johnson is a hugely popular Brisbane artist and poet. I have one of her poetry books and it’s just divine.

A Once Courageous Heart features poems which are both whimsical and profound in their exploration of love, loss and hope, and all that it is to be human.

The book features a beautiful fabric cover and is printed on 100% recyclable unbleached paper. Truly something for a mindful moment with a cup of tea.

Get 10% off until the 13th of May with the code: NNAM-MUM10 here.

Update: Currently out of stock at Biome Eco Stores, but you can purchase directly from Kylie here.

♥ Moisturising Body Bar from Lhami

I love these body bars from Natalie at Lhami for a gift that’s a bit different. It’s like bar of soap but it’s moisturiser! Cool, huh?

These lush body bars melt on contact with the skin and double as a massage bar and deodorant! Intensely nourishing, it has a base of shea butter, coconut butter and jojoba oil. There are two fragrances which feature 100% pure essential oils – Lime and Patchouli or May Chang. It also comes packaged without plastic in a reusable tin!

Get 10% off the body bars with the code: NNAM until the 13th of May here.

 

Booktopia

 

♥ Drop Scale

Technology that helps you cook! The new Drop Scale is taking Australia by storm.  Connecting via bluetooth to your iPhone or iPad, this ingenious little scale makes cooking easier and fun.

Follow step by step instructions and weigh your ingredients as you go. It’s almost like having your mum on hand to help you cook because it will also give you suggestion for substitutions and scale the recipe according to how much of an ingredient you have.

There are hundreds of step-by-step easy, one-bowl recipes to access via the Drop Scale App (which is free!). You actually need to watch the video to really see how cool this scale is.

Mandy is kindly giving us all a massive 25% discount and free shipping until the 13th of May with the code: NNAM here.

♥ Urban Culinary Flowers Kit

How cool is this – a kit to make edible flowers! Of course you don’t have to eat them, you can just enjoy their beauty, but it’s so fun.

The kit comes with pots, labels, seed disks and an instruction and recipe booklet to grow cornflower, lavender, nasturtium, violas and dianthus.

Get it online here.

♥ SOLIDteknics Bigga Skillet

The amazing Aussie cookware that everyone is drooling over now has a 36cm bigga skillet. This deep pan is brilliant for things like curry, spaghetti, roasts, deep dish pizza, paella – the list goes on and you can even cook a cake in it!

These pans are designed to last for many generations, are made from seamless wrought iron and are non-toxic and non-stick.

Get 10% off the whole range until the 13th of May using the code: NNAM-MUM10 here. 

♥ Bee House

If your mum is a nature lover, she is going to adore this hand-made bee house!

These bee houses are special in so many ways. They are hand-made in Brisbane using recycled pallets and weed bamboo by a local Men’s Shed.

The bee house helps native bees find a safe, secure place to hang out and raise their young. Hang it outside in a sheltered spot and wait for the bees to come.

Get a 10% discount until the 13th of May with the code: NNAM-MUM10 here.

♥ Her Gypsy Heart Perfume

Her Gypsy Heart roll-on organic perfume has a delicious floral scent with notes of rose, neroli and jasmine. It features pure essential oils and nourishing plant-based oils in a glass roller bottle. Heavenly!

Get it online here.  For FREE shipping when you spend over $50, use the code: FREESHIP

♥ Jane’s Addiction Chocolates

You honestly didn’t think I wouldn’t have chocolates somewhere on this gift guide, did you? I am so excited about these gorgeous handmade chocolates from Jane’s Addiction. They are really something very special and exquisite.

Jane (a natural, new age mum from Perth) lovingly hand-makes organic, raw, vegan chocolate and infuses them with flower essences! Her special Nourish and Nurture gift box is for mums who are always giving to others and deserve some special love.

Each chocolate has a soft, raw caramel centre infused with essences of Goddess Grasstree, Leafless orchid and Pink Everlasting flower, all topped with edible 24k gold leaf. Divine!

Jane will post all over Australia with a cold pack so your choccies arrive in perfect condition. Check them out here and shoot Jane a Facebook message to order.

 

♥ Everlasting Lotus and Quartz Necklace

This gorgeous sterling silver lotus necklace has a clear quartz crystal and an extendable chain. Clear quartz is a powerful healing stone that protects against negativity, attunes to your higher self, and relieves pain.

Just one of the many beautiful and affordable pieces at Midsummer Star.

Use the code: TAKE10 for 10% off here and check out the sale category too.

♥ Macrame Mandala

I might have a slight obsession with mandalas and macrame so when I saw this I was instantly in love! It’s hand-made by Jessica at Wild Clove Co, an Aussie mum from Adelaide.

Jessica only uses 100% natural, unbleached organic cotton. This beautiful mandala wall hanging would look great in the bedroom, lounge or workspace. Get it online here.

♥ Recipes for Life’s Seasons Cook Book

I am a huge fan of the lovely Martyna Angell. Her recipes are delicious, healthy and wholesome. She has released a brand new cookbook – Recipe for Life’s Seasons just in time for Mother’s Day.

Martyna focuses on bio–individualism and all recipes emphasise seasonal whole foods with a focus on fresh fruit and vegetables. Get it here.

♥ Meditate Aromatherapy Candle

Fiona at Lemon Canary on the Gold Coast makes the most amazing aromatherapy candles. I love these one of a kind vintage jars she sources – imagine the history! Fiona has a whole range of candles and products with just 100% pure essential oils (I recommend those instead of the fragrance oils).

The Meditate blend is one of my favourites and has a luscious blend of cedarwood, lavender, lemon, frankincense & rosemary. Available in all different sizes and in other gorgeous blends as well. Also check out the gorgeous hampers.

There is FREE shipping in May with the code: LOVEYOUMUM here.


Under $13♥ Heart Tea Infuser

This gorgeous heart-shaped infuser from Mama Body Tea is great for mums who love their tea. I only ever use loose leaf tea now because so many tea bags contain plastic. It tastes better too!

Also check out the lush Mama Body Tea loose leaf blends. Get the infuser online here.

♥ Lil’ Bit Bee Flower Seed Bombs

Perfect for the nature lover, these seed bombs are balls of organic matter with flower seeds. Throw them anywhere you would like some colourful flowers to come up!

There are 6 seed bombs in a linen drawstring bag that will bloom into a stunning mix of organic annuals. They are designed to provide bees with a healthy habitat so they can collect pollen and nectar for the hive.

Get 10% off until the 13th of May with the code: NNAM-MUM10 here.

♥ Rustic Wooden Heart Frame

How gorgeous is this heart photo frame from Mes Homewares? It’s made of wood and cut rustically for a natural look.

Get it online here.

 

Want more?

Don’t give mum toxic perfumes that will harm her health! There are so many beautiful natural perfumes to choose from.

Check out some of my favourite books for Mum this Mothers’ Day.

See past year’s Mothers’ Day gift guides here.

 

Need some wrap?

Check out my eco-friendly gift wrap ideas.

 

Where to shop:

Biome Eco Store for all things good for the planet

Emporio Organico for a beautiful range of eco and luxe gifts

Flora and Fauna for all things natural, vegan and cruelty-free

The Clean Collective for non-toxic products for the family, baby and pregnancy

Lemon Canary for beautiful gifts like candles, crystals, oils and perfumes

Etsy for all things handmade, unique and beautiful

Midsummer Star for boho style silver jewellery

Dymocks for books, books and more books

Mother’s Day deals:

Get 10% off storewide at Biome Eco Store with the code: NNAM-MUM10 here. Expires 13th May.

Get 10% off all the Mother’s Day gifts at Flora and Fauna, use the code: LOVEMUM here.  Expires 12th May.

Get 20% off Vapor Beauty with the code: LOVEMUM20 here.

Get 30% off Dear Addison jewellery with the code: DEAR30 here.

Get 30% off Pastiche jewellery with the code: MUM30 here.

Get 30% off and FREE shipping for KitchenAid stand mixers here.

 

{parts of this post are sponsored}

The NNAM Cracker Christmas Giveaway 2017

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The NNAM Cracker Christmas Giveaway 2017

It’s baaaaaack!

You all loved it so much last year, the Cracker Christmas Giveaway is back again this year.

I have teamed up with some amazingly generous people to spoil you with some epic prizes worth over $1000.

All of these beautiful prizes would also make great Christmas gifts, so do check out the links I have there for you. If you can support an Aussie small business this Christmas, I know they will just love you for it.

Okay, here are the goodies. Enjoy and good luck!

  ♥ 123 Nourish Me Calm Kids Box

Friends Alisa and Danni have mums of Australia in love with them since the release of their 123 Nourish Me products. The feedback and reviews are glowing!

Alisa and Danni have kindly donated a Calm Kids box for one of you to win. In the box is their best-selling Sleepy Head Balm, Chest Rub and Magic Bath Wash.

They are made from all natural and organic ingredients including the highest quality essential oils. There are no harsh chemical, petroleum, mineral oils or artificial fragrance.

Check out all the 123 Nourish Me products here.

♥ Amazing Oils Vanity Pack

I am a huge fan of these two products – Amazing Oils Ugly Bits Stick and Skin Facial Moisturising Treatment. I have raved about them both on the website before. The team at Amazing Oils has changed up the packaging to orange instead of blue but it’s still the same awesome products inside.

The Ugly Bits Stick is great for skin tags, blemishes and spots. The moisturiser is one of the best I have ever used and has helped even out my skin tone and wrinkles.

Many thanks to the Harold family for giving away one Amazing Oils Vanity Pack to one of you!

Check it out here.

 

♥ Solidtekniks 22cm Sauteuse Pan

The hottest pans in town! Solidtekniks are the brilliant Aussie-made and owned iron cooking pots and pans and you can win one of your own. With thanks to Mark Henry and his team, we are giving away a 22cm sauteuse pan.

This pan has a lifetime guarantee and will become an heirloom piece. They are a healthy, non-toxic and durable piece of cookware – you can’t wreck this one. Brilliant for all non-stick cooking once you have seasoned it, you can also cook cakes in this sauteuse pan.

Check out the range here. 

♥ Lhami Essential Oil Set

This essential oils set is divine and makes a very special gift. Four beautiful signature blends from Natalie at Lhami including Clarity, Relax, Refresh and Calm all in a beautiful wooden box. They are the purest quality, certified organic oils blended for the aromatic benefits.

Get it (on sale) here.

♥ Rainbow Sensory Sound Blocks

How pretty are these rainbow sensory sound blocks? Made ethically from safe materials, these blocks also have colour and sound to engage the senses.  Use as rattles from a young age and progress up to rolling, stacking, sorting and building. They all fit together in the outer case so it also becomes a jigsaw.

This block set is from the brilliant online toy store, Eco Toys and Melinda is kindly giving away one set to one of you. See it here.

 

♥ IME Perfume Collection Pack

Tonia makes such beautiful, non-toxic perfumes! You can win an IME Perfume Collection Pack which is one of everything in the range. Tonia has a background in natural therapies and is master perfumer and she has designed these perfumes so you can choose by muse, mood, colour or scent.

With only 100% pure natural, non toxic ingredients, IME perfume is the perfect gift.

Find them here.

 

♥ Life Changing Food Cook Book

Jo Whitton from Quirky Cooking and chef Fouad Kassab have teamed up to share over 100 of their best whole food recipes. Every recipe is gluten free and most recipes suit Paleo and GAPS diets. There are dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, vegan and vegetarian variations where possible and a focus on gut healing foods.

It’s a truly beautiful hard cover book with stunning photography and design. I love my copy and Jo and Foo are kindly giving away a copy to one of you.

Get it here.

 

♥ Avanti Spiretti

This spiraliser from Avanti is a three-in-one machine so you can make slices and two thicknesses of spirals with three interchangeable blades. There are suction feet and an easy to turn handle that makes it safe and a breeze to use.

With thanks to Joanne at Shop Naturally, one of you will be winning your own!

Find it (on sale) here.

 

♥ Parker Unisex Safety Razor

With thanks to Tracey at Biome Eco Store, you can win a Parker Unisex Safety Razor and pack of blades. These safety razors are the stylish way to say goodbye to disposable plastic razors for good!

Parker Safety Razor products are hand crafted and made from brass and plated in chrome for a hard-wearing finish. The blades are fully recyclable so this is the most eco-friendly way to shave. Please note, the prize is this razor and slightly different to the one pictured (which is the one I got myself for Christmas!!)

See them here.

♥ Erica Brooke Deodorant Pack

My favourite deodorant! The lovely Erica is kindly giving away three of her natural deodorants to one of you. There are two 70g deodorants and a sample pot of the new gentle bicar- free version for you to try. Packaged in amber glass jars, Erica uses all natural organic ingredients and pure essential oils to keep your pits smelling fresh all day.

Check them out here.

 

♥ Karen Murrell Lip Palette

Karen Murell is a beautiful natural make up range from New Zealand. This lip palette has five lush colours with a lip brush. The lipstick is all natural, nourishing and with long-lasting colour.  Kitsa at Emporio Organico is your one-stop shop for luxe natural skincare and make up and is kindly giving away this lip palette to one of you!

Get it here.

♥ Karmic Star Chakra Goddess Necklace

Karina hand-makes stunning crystal jewellery at Karmic Star and she is kindly giving away this Chakra Goddess Necklace to one of you! Using 100% recycled sterling silver wire, crystal beads and hemp cord, this necklace signifies the stunning colours of the chakras.

Karina infuses each piece she makes with love and positivity. Her creations are cleansed with water, smudged with incense (air), bathed in sunlight (fire), and spends time on her altar to ground (earth). They are then charged under the light of a Full Moon before being released into the world to find their new keeper. Divine!

Check out all Karina’s jewellery here.

♥ Eco Tan Duo Pack

Nina at Beautiful Because has an amazing range of natural beauty products. She is kindly giving away this Eco Tan Glow Pack to one of you. You get an organic Eco Tan Invisible Tan and Exfoliating Glove in a calico bag gift pack.

Invisible Tan is an organic moisturising self-tanner that nourishes your skin without any synthetic or toxic ingredients.  The Extreme Exfoliant glove will help you prepare your skin for tanning.  My daughter uses these products and loves them!

Check it out here.

 

♥ Fearsome Bear Bottle and Lunch Bag

Fearsome bottles and lunch bags are stocked exclusively by Julie at Flora and Fauna and she kindly giving away this set.  In wolf, leopard, black cat and dog patterns as well as this gorgeous bear.

The 500ml bottle is insulated twin wall stainless steel and the bag is made from easy to wash neoprene. What a cute way to be eco-friendly and fight the war on waste!

Check out the range here.

 

♥ Love Tea Cup and Heart Chakra Tea from SpiritualiTEA

Naturopath and Herbalist, Cheryl Brady has formulated an amazing range of SpiritualiTEA chakra herbal teas. She is kindly giving away a tin of the Heart Chakra green tea and this bone china, gold plated LOVE tea cup and saucer.

You have to go and have a look at her shop!! As well as a gorgeous tea for balancing every chakra, there are some stunning tea cups and mugs that make brilliant gifts.

See the goodies here.

 

♥ The Chocolate Yogi Chocolate Lover’s Hamper

The Chocolate Yogi are kindly giving away this Chocolate Lover’s Hamper to one of you!!  Everything is vegan, gluten free, dairy free and soy free.

Malindi has put together some awesome hampers for Christmas, starting at just $16.95. They all come with a gift box, gift card and a no-melt guarantee insulation. With donations made to Sea Shepherd and The Orangutan Project, eating this chocolate is an extra feel good experience.

Check out all the hampers here.

 

How to enter:

This giveaway has now closed.

 

The lucky winners are:

Laura Power – Fearsome Bear Bag and Bottle

Lisa Murray – Karmic Star chakra goddess necklace

Lia Thede- Erica Brooke deodorant pack

Rebecca – Karen Murrell lipstick palette

Laura Kirk – SpiritualiTEA tea and love cup

Sue Lilywhite – Amazing Oils Vanity Pack

Kellie Moore – Parker razor

Sue Hills – Life Changing Food Cookbook

Janelle Utting –  IME perfumes

Fiona Connan – Rainbow sensory sound blocks

Kylie Smith – Chocolate Yogi hamper

Rachel Durkin – Avanti spiraliser

Sharni Montgomery – Solideteknics pan

Stephanie Fleeton – Calm Kids Box

Bec Sherman – Lhami essential oils

Stacey Shailer – Eco Tan pack

 

This giveaway is a multi-draw so by entering, you may win any one of the awesome prizes shown.

♥ Leave a comment on this blog post, letting us know one of your family’s Christmas traditions (or if you don’t celebrate Christmas, one of your family’s favourite things to do together at any time of year)

♥ If you would like, let us know your top four prize preferences as well (but of course, we cannot make any guarantees!)

♥ Share this post at least once using the share buttons below.

 

Never miss a thing at Natural New Age Mum. Get the weekly newsletter here.

 

Terms and Conditions:

This giveaway finishes on Sunday the 10th of December at midnight AEST. The winners will be chosen using a random number generator from those meeting the entry conditions. There are 16 prizes to win and there will be 16 winners. Prizes are allocated to the winners randomly. Please provide a current email address when you leave your comment (not made public) so I am able to contact you when you win. Sorry, only those with an Australian residential address are able to enter. Good luck!

 

 

(this post contains some sponsored content and affiliate links)

Introducing EveryMite – an allergy friendly super spread!

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Introducing EveryMite – an allergy friendly super spread!

 

You have to love a bit of serendipity.

I only moved back to Brisbane 18 months ago and I haven’t really met a lot of new people yet. When your kids are in high school you tend to lose that connection with other mums a bit and it becomes harder to make friends.

But… I came across a mum (who happens to live right near me) in a local Facebook group and she was talking about a healthy, allergy friendly spread she was making. I instantly thought – hello, here is a kindred spirit, I need to find out more.

I ordered some EveryMite for myself to test it out and then I had to get in touch and tell her how awesome it was! Cinnamon came over for a cuppa last week and we had such a good chat about all things natural and healthy. Kindred spirits indeed.

Of course, then I had to tell all of you about her as well, because I think you are also going to love her story!

About Cinnamon…

Cinnamon and her husband were already the parents of two older boys, when along came William four years ago who was born with Down Syndrome. They had a lot of issues with his health including multiple food intolerances and digestive issues.  After going down the mainstream medicine route and treating symptoms, they were not seeing any results.

They decided to embark on the GAPS diet and a natural way of living and saw immediate improvements. Further on down the track when William went to child care, GAPS became difficult to maintain and William became more independent and wanted to eat the same as the other kids.

Having had the two boys go through the school system and knowing how tough that being ‘different’ can be, Cinnamon wanted to do what she could to help William assimilate and engage with his world. Her idea was to make William foods that looked like mainstream products but were in fact healthier versions.

This is where EveryMite was born!

About EveryMite…..

Cinnamon wanted to create a spread for William to replace Vegemite that was black in colour, salty and that had ingredients that he could eat.  Three years of trialing, testing and refining the recipe finally led to EveryMite.

It’s a unique product in that it is suitable for just about everyone and every diet including paleo, vegan and GAPS! For those with the MTHFR gene it does not contain folic acid either. Made with just four ingredients, it is organic, raw, nutrient dense and allergy friendly.

EveryMite doesn’t have any dairy, soy, nuts, gluten, eggs, grains, toxic oils, preservatives, folic acid, thickeners and weird stuff.

EveryMite does have naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, amino acids, protein, fibre, enzymes and acetic acid. The ingredients are simply organic black sesame seeds, organic coconut amino sauce, organic himalayan rock salt and organic apple cider vinegar.

Cinnamon and her family still hand-make every batch in a commercial kitchen in Brisbane and there is a lot of love added to every jar!

 

What’s it taste like?

Because it doesn’t contain yeast, it doesn’t taste like Vegemite and it’s not supposed to. It’s a savoury breakfast spread that can be used instead of Vegemite for those who want something healthier. It’s a healthy Vegemite alternative.

Did you know that Vegemite is loaded with additives? It’s always been marketed as a health product and a great way to get vitamin B in particular. Sue Dengate at Fed Up says that “yeast extracts contain free glutamates that are essentially the same as MSG”. Vegemite also contains folic acid (manufacturers Bega confirm the folate is folic acid), gluten and natural colour (150d) which contains preservative 220. Remember I have talked about 220 before?

We gave up on it quite a few years ago and my hubby in particular really misses it. So he is pretty happy that I found EveryMite.

We love the taste. It’s slightly sweet, savoury and tangy all at once. It’s delicious on celery, crackers, rice cakes and toast. It also has a long shelf life which other Vegemite alternatives on the market struggled with.

 

Want to try it?

You can get it at health food stores (ask your local to stock it!!) or online here.

 

So often we see mums paving the way with new products, innovations and ideas after seeking solutions for their own families.

Mums really are changing the world!

 

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