Love List ~ Feb 18

February 27, 2018 · 2 Comments

Love List ~ Feb 18

A new year is upon us and I have been busting to tell you all about some amazing new products that have been released! So many more innovative people making awesome things that are good for us and the planet.

♥ Hello Sunshine Natural Sunscreen

The amazing Alisa and Danni from 123 Nourish Me have released a cracking natural sunscreen and people are going crazy for it!! It’s got an SPF rating of 30 and also comes in a small wind-up stick which is perfect for the handbag, nappy bag or for the kids to take to school.

There are no nasty toxins here! Hello Sunshine is made with organic, quality ingredients that will not harm our families or our oceans and reefs.

It has a very subtle vanilla scent, goes on smoothly and sinks in without leaving a greasy white residue. I tested it out on my family and everyone is a fan, particularly the fair skinned ones!

Keep an eye on my Facebook and Instagram, where I will share a video of using it on the skin.

Get it here. PS get 10% off with the code: HELLOTEN

♥ Cheeki Leakproof Stainless Steel Lunchbox

This is what mums everywhere have been waiting for and wanting. A stainless steel lunchbox that is affordable and leak proof!!

This new one from Cheeki is double layered and has a silicone seal under the lid (which doesn’t touch your food) – genius. There are three variations: double stacked, regular and large so you can find a size that suits you.

Get them here.

♥ Fur Baby Pet Support Essence

Alisha from Naughty Naturopath Mum has just released her brand new blend and it’s all about supporting our furry friends.

If you are a long time reader, you will know we have a dastardly dachshund called Wilbur. Dachshunds tend towards being anxious, having loud barks and being notoriously difficult to train. We have had a lot of trouble over the years with continual barking – in his mind, he is protecting the family against perceived threats. That means he’s a great guard dog but even falling leaves can make him go crazy!

I have been testing the Fur Baby Pet Support essences for just over a week now and we are pleasantly surprised! We have been popping them in his water bowl daily and he was calmer over all. On several occasions when he got himself into a barking loop, we administered directly into his mouth (that was fun!!!!) Within five minutes he had settled right down and stopped barking. Woohoo! I am calling that a win.

If you want to try them out, they can also be used for settling traumatised and rescue pets, nerves and fear, travel, vet visits, loneliness, separation and any antisocial behaviours! Find them here.

♥ Eco by Sonya Face Compost Mask

Another gorgeous product from Eco Tan founder, Sonya Driver. This is a lush organic seven minute face mask made with superfoods and antioxidants.

It’s designed to cleanse, soothe, brighten and draw out impurities. I know my skin needs a little TLC right now, so this is just the ticket.

Get it here.

♥ WayCap Stainless Steel Coffee Pods

Australians use and throw away over a billion single-use coffee capsules every year!! Far be it for me to come between anyone and their coffee but man, that’s a lot of waste.

Well the solution is here – WayCap make reusable, stainless steel capsules for your coffee machine. They come with 4 interchangeable steel filters, for extra fine to coarse grinds, and are compatible with certain Nespresso machines.

Get them here.

♥ Cedar and Stone Oils

I am a sucker for essential oils and I am always keen to try out new brands and blends. All of these smell amazing but Namaste is my favourite. Maybe I am really just a hippy at heart because I tend to adore anything that has patchouli in it!! 😉

Cedar and Stone are a small Aussie owned business in Kingscliff in Northern NSW. They have such a funky vibe going on!!

Get them here.

♥ Wolf Stainless Steel Drink Bottle

I know many of you resonate with wolf energy and love wolves! This is a perfect way to keep that energy close to you. The same print is also available in a lunch bag and tote bag. Isn’t he magnificent?

Get them here.

Cheese and Spinach Rice Cakes

January 29, 2018 · 4 Comments

You know when you find something yummy and cook it so many times that everybody ends up hating it?

Yeah, that.

These rice cakes were on high rotation in my kitchen about five years ago until there was a protest! But they have made a reappearance and everyone is enjoying them again. I just have to pace myself now and not make them too often!

They are delicious hot or cold and make a very budget-friendly dinner with some salad or are great for lunch boxes too.

Whip them up when you have some leftover rice so it doesn’t go to waste. You can also throw in any leftover cooked vegetables or meat.

Cheese and Spinach Rice Cakes

Vital Stats: gluten free, nut free, vegetarian

This is what you need:

4 cups cooked brown rice

2 green shallots, finely chopped

2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

1 cup finely shredded baby spinach

100g tasty cheese, grated

50g parmesan cheese, grated

2 eggs

1/2 cup cream

1 small garlic clove, crushed

Herbamare (or salt) and pepper to taste

This is how you do it:

Preheat your oven to 180ºC and line a 12 cup muffin tray with some non-toxic muffin papers.

Whisk together the eggs and cream in a large bowl.

Add all the other ingredients and mix well.

Scoop into the muffin papers and press down slightly.

Sprinkle with more cheese if you like.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until firm and golden brown.

TIPS:

I have used the If You Care baking paper and cups for years now – nothing ever sticks and they are compostable and non-toxic.

Add whatever you like to the basic egg, rice and cream mixture. Some things that are also tasty in these rice cakes are: feta, sun-dried tomatoes, bacon, zucchini, char-grilled capsicum, chives, mushrooms and salami.

I always soak rice before I cook it, just to make it easier to digest and kinder on our tummies.

Use pure cream that doesn’t have any artificial fillers or thickeners.

My Chicken and Spinach Fritters are also brilliant cold in lunch boxes.

If you make my Cheese and Spinach Rice Cakes, let me know what the family thinks and upload a photo to my socials.

Strawberry Coconut Slice (gluten free, dairy free)

September 11, 2017 · 16 Comments

Strawberry Coconut Slice (gluten free, dairy free)

How good is strawberry season??? So cheap and so yum.

Strawberries are however one of the most heavily sprayed crops. If you can’t get organic, make sure you give them a good wash to get as much pesticide off as you can.

This slice is super soft and moist with a tang of fresh strawberries and a coconuty texture. It’s not overly sweet either, which we prefer, but feel free to add more coconut sugar if you like.

When strawberry season is over, use any fruit in its place. I think sliced fresh apricots or nectarines would be divine but also thinly sliced apple and pear would be good too – add some cinnamon!

I hope you like it as much as we do.

Strawberry Coconut Slice

Vital stats: gluten free, grain free, dairy free, vegetarian

This is what you need:

1 cup (around 150g) strawberries

2 cups almond meal

1 tablespoon coconut flour

1 cup desiccated coconut

1/2 cup coconut sugar

2 eggs

1 cup melted coconut oil

1 teaspoon bicarb soda

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

This is how you do it:

Preheat oven to 180° celsius. Line a slice tray (31cm x 20cm) with non-toxic baking paper.

Wash strawberries well, take off the tops and slice into three pieces, vertically (depending on how big they are).

Whisk the eggs, coconut oil, vanilla and sugar together well.

Add to the rest of the ingredients, except the strawberries and mix well.

Spread into the slice tray and smooth out the top. At this point it looks a little toffee like – don’t worry!

Now you can decoratively arrange the strawberries on top, pressing them in gently as you go.

Pop into the oven and bake for around 20-25 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

Cool well on a baking rack. Slice gently with a serrated knife.

Let me know if you make it and what the family thought. I love to see your photos too – shoot me an email or upload to my Facebook page.

Chewy Honey Biscuits

July 31, 2017 · 10 Comments

What can I say about these biscuits (or cookies as the Americans like to call them)? Well, they are chewy and they taste like honey and they are very, very addictive!

It’s actually a great base recipe so add in whatever you like in place of the sultanas. The almond meal means they are really filling, so you really only need one with your cuppa to feel satisfied.

Do you like a chewy biscuit or a crisp biscuit best? Me, I will eat them any which way and however they come!

Chewy Honey Biscuits

Vital Stats: gluten free, grain free, dairy free, egg free, vegetarian

This is what you need:

3 cups organic or pesticide free almond meal

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 tablespoon organic cinnamon

1/4 cup macadamia oil

1/2 cup organic sultanas

3/4 cup organic raw honey

This is how you do it:

Mix everything together and then roll into small balls about the size of a walnut.

Place on a non toxic baking paper lined tray, pressing them down a little.

Cook for 15 – 20 minutes at 180 degrees celsius.

Leave room for spreading! Cool on a wire rack.

They firm up a little after cooking but are meant to be chewy.

These freeze beautifully, so make up a double batch and pop some in the freezer for those times when you need a healthy sweet treat!

**Just be careful to watch the biscuits as nuts and honey are prone to burn quickly**

Do you like my reusable snack pack pictured in the photo??? Check them out here >>

Gluten-Free, Nut-Free Muesli Bars

January 21, 2014 · 50 Comments

This is such an easy and tasty recipe that is perfect for lunch boxes.

I guess they aren’t really ‘muesli’ bars as they don’t contain oats! But you can certainly use oats instead of quinoa if you like.

Quinoa (pronounced KeenWah) is incredibly nutritious – it’s very high in protein. Combined with all the seeds and eggs, these bars will have you fuelled up and ready to go!

HOT TIP: You can use any combination of dried fruits,nuts and seeds – as long as the mixture you add to the eggs equals 5 cups.

Gluten-Free, Nut-Free Muesli Bars

Vital Stats: gluten free, grain free, dairy free, nut free, refined sugar free

Okay, so this is what you need:

1/2 cup organic quinoa, dry

1 cup dried apple

1 cup organic sultanas

1/2 cup dried organic figs

1/2 cup organic sunflower seeds

1/2 cup organic pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

1/2 cup organic shredded coconut

1/4 cup organic chia seeds

1/4 cup organic sesame seeds

3 organic, free range eggs

2 tablespoons organic maple syrup or honey (optional)

2 teaspoons organic ceylon cinnamon

2 teaspoons organic vanilla extract

Hot tip: choose organic dried fruit where you can, as it doesn’t contain preservatives.

Okay, so this is how you do it:

Preheat the oven to 160° celsius. Line a slice tray with a non-toxic baking paper.

Rinse the quinoa really well (I soak for a bit and then rinse). This is really important as quinoa has a bitter saponins that coat it and need to be removed.

Cook the quinoa in a saucepan with 1 cup of filtered water. It will take about ten minutes. You will know it’s cooked because it becomes translucent.

HOT TIP: Make extra quinoa and store it in the fridge or freezer. It’s fantastic added to a salad or used instead of rice.

Cool the quinoa right down (you don’t want scrambled eggs)!

Chop the apple and figs. You can use the food processor or thermomix to do this.

Mix all the ingredients together well. I like to get my hands in and give it a good massage!

Press it firmly down into the slice tin and bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked.

I cover the slice halfway through the cooking time with some baking paper so it doesn’t burn on top.

Cool on a wire rack before slicing with a bread knife into bars.

These freeze really well, so make a double batch and you will always have some on hand!

Makes about 12 large bars.

Want more?

Check out my 10 Healthy Muesli Bar recipes.

30 Super Healthy Lunch Box Snacks

January 18, 2014 · 67 Comments

30 Super Healthy Lunch Box Snacks

If I could encourage parents to do one thing, it would be to take a little time to make some real food snacks for their children’s lunch boxes. Less packet food and more whole food makes a huge difference to kid’s health.

I hope you find some inspiration with these 30 super healthy lunch box snacks!

I would love you to add to the list, so please leave me comments and links!

Okay, let’s go…..

1. Fruit Kebabs.

Because everything is more fun when you put it on a stick! Use paddle pop sticks for littlies to avoid accidents with pointy skewers! If your kids are really fussy, some fun shapes might be needed.

2. Popcorn.

It’s a wholegrain and surprisingly healthy! Just don’t buy the microwave packets – buy an organic popcorn and pop it in some coconut oil or use a popcorn machine. Jazz it up a bit with Herbamare, organic spice mixes or try my Salted Caramel Popcorn.

3. Trail Mix.

Have fun with the kids making up your own combos of dried fruit, seeds, coconut and nuts (if allowed). Make them into Quirky Cooking’s Trail Mix Clusters. Just make sure the dried fruit you are eating is safe.

4. Apple Snax.

Soooo cool! Use a little lemon juice to stop the apple from browning, sandwich together for ease of transport and use seed butters or homemade nutella if your school is no-nuts! Inspired by Justina Blakeney.

5. Custard.

Homemade custard with a healthy sugar and organic ingredients is so much better for your kids than the supermarket variety! Try this dairy-free Strawberry Coconut Custard recipe from Iwa at Additive Free Bites. Yum!

6. Bliss Balls.

A powerhouse of nutrition in a single bite (or two)! Check out my Amazeballs! 10 Amazing Bliss Balls post for recipe inpsiration. The Apricot Muesli Balls are pretty good too!

7. Cheese Puffs.

A totally brilliant recipe from Vegie Smugglers for the kids who like savoury stuff. Add in a heap of vegetables and some Vital Veggie Power and the kids are eating super healthy!

8. Crackers.

Be wary of store-bought crackers. They are a minefield of canola oil, additives (including msg) and refined salt. We love the easy seed crackers recipe – easy to make and nut free!

HOT TIP: If your school has a nut-free policy, try substituting seeds for nuts in recipes. Sunflower seeds make great ‘butter’ and flour!

9. Muffins.

Who doesn’t love a muffin? Make sure they are homemade though, to avoid all the nasties! I have 10 Healthy Muffin recipes for you on the blog to get you started.

10. Yoghurt.

Again, homemade is best – make a big batch, add some fresh fruit puree and pop it into reusable containers or squeeze pouches. If you are dairy-free, it’s easy to make your own coconut yoghurt at home!

11. Apple Slinkies.

One of the best inventions ever! Why fruit is more appealing in a slinky shape, I have no clue. But, hey, whatever works. Lisa from Happy Tummies says she keeps the core in and skin on and they don’t go brown.

12. Banana Bread.

So incredibly tasty, healthy and popular with kids. I have heaps of banana bread recipes for some inspiration.

13. Vege Sticks and Dip.

Kids like a dip! Choose the veges your kids will eat or cut them into shapes if you need too. Baby qukes, snowpeas and cherry tomatoes are all sweet and tasty. Add a healthy, homemade dip and away you go. You could try my Easy Green Dip or the Wholefood Mama’s Carrot Hommus. For easy transport, pop the dip in the bottom of a small jar and fill with veges!

14. Scrolls.

So, a scroll is basically a scone dough, rolled out into a rectangle shape, sprinkled with toppings, rolled up, sliced and baked in a hot oven. Adapt the flours and ingredients to suit your needs! Make them savoury with veges, tomato paste and cheese or sweet with homemade nutella or fruits. Try these Pumpkin Cheesymite Scrolls from Lisa at Happy Tummies.

15. Muesli Bars.

Making your own muesli bars at home is so economical and tasty! Try my Blueberry Breakfast Slice, Easy Muesli Bars, Date and Oat Bars or my Gluten Free, Nut Free Muesli Bars.

16. Kale Chips.

They are all the rage and they are incredibly nutritious. Find out how to make them at my Kale Chips… what’s the go? post. My Sweet Potato Chips are also pretty good cold if the kids won’t come at anything green.

17. Pikelets.

Yum. Try these Blueberry Buckwheat Pikelets from the always delicious Veggie Mama. They are gluten-free! Or if you know how to market it right, the green pancakes are also fantastic!

18. Smoothies.

Great for kids who struggle to eat lunch. Pop a smoothie in a small jar or thermos and your kids get a whole lot of nutrients in a drink! Make a green smoothie or try my Choc Banana Protein Smoothie.

19. Apricot Coconut Slice.

A tasty little morsel for kids – the real food version of thehealth food aisle packet snack! It’s a quick, no bake snack you can make in a hurry. Apricot coconut slice is a winner in our house!

HOT TIP! Save yourself a heap of time and energy by making double or triple batches of healthy snacks and freezing them. Pop them in the lunch boxes straight from the freezer.

20. Cake.

Let them eat cake. Seriously. But don’t buy it, make it with whole foods.

21. Roasted Chickpeas.

Just soak a packet of organic chickpeas overnight. Rinse well, add some coconut oil or macadamia oil and your choice of seasoning. Roast in a moderate oven for about an hour or until really crispy. Very yummy!

22. Biscuits.

There is such a thing as a healthy biscuit! Try my Coconut Biccies or the 2 Ingredient Biscuits for inspiration.

23. Granola.

Granola is simply muesli that you whack in the oven with a little honey or maple syrup until it’s nice and crunchy. You can make it with all sorts of yummy things and it makes a great little snack.

24. Boiled Eggs.

A perfect snack for little hands! If you want, you can make them into fancy shapes with bento tools or just a wooden spoon!

25. Jazzed Up Dates.

Get medjool (fresh) dates or dried dates, spread with nut or seed butter or homemade nutella and then roll in coconut. Wedge a few almonds into a date and it will look like a cute turtle!

26. Raw Popcorn/Cauliflower Bites.

A super healthy snack – cheesey, dehydrated, raw cauliflower pieces from Sarah at The Raw Food Mum. Get the recipe here.

27. Apple Thins.

A brilliant recipe from Jane at Marinya Cottage Kitchen. Part cracker, part biscuit, all yum. They are free from grain, gluten, egg, dairy, nuts and refined sugar! Win.

28. Mini Fritters.

I’ve seen many vege-hating kids happily hoover up a vege fritter! Make them according to your tastes – they are easy to make gluten and dairy free. I love the fun face presentation of these ones at Taste. Just press on your veges to make cute faces before you flip them. If you have a thermomix, Taryn shows you how simple and quick they are to make with her Very Veggie Fritters recipe.

29. Homemade Banana Chips.

These taste like lollies! Sooo good! Just pop a little fruit juice or coconut oil onto banana slices and bake in a low oven or dehydrator until dried out. Store in an air-tight container.

30. Packet Snacks

Sometimes you just need a packet snack when time is short or the kids want a treat. There are some great crap-free superfood bars on the market now – have a read of the ingredients first though!

I also love these Bone Broth Strips! Savoury, chewy deliciousness with just real, nutrient-dense ingredients.

Want more? Check out:

20 Nut Free Lunchbox Snacks

Healthy Lunchbox Tips

15 Healthy Lunchbox Meals (and none of them are sandwiches)

The Best Lunchboxes for Kids

30 Super Healthy Lunch Box Snacks

Stickybeaks Lunch Bag Giveaway!

January 17, 2014 · 46 Comments

The lovely girls at Stickybeaks are joining in the back to school fun this week and giving away some of their fabulous lunch bags!!

So, who are Stickybeaks?

Stickybeaks are an Aussie owned business, started by four mums who were looking for an eco-friendly alternative to all those paper bags used to order tuckshop lunches.

So, what’s the problem with paper bags?

Well, they are a single use item and many trees are cut down and resources used to make them and transport them. Although they are recyclable, there are many that don’t get recycled and they end up adding to landfill. They are also prone to getting wet and tearing and don’t have a safe, hygienic option for money.

Instead of a single use paper bag, Stickybeaks bags can be used over and over again for tuckshop orders. They are really durable and strong and made of the same material as green bags.

How does it work?

Being school mums, these ladies have thought of everything. The lunch order is written on a slip of paper and inserted into the plastic window. Money is kept hygienically separate in a zippered section.

I love that you can print out free lunch order slips and name tags on the website. They have also thought of the tuckshop staff and they stand up on their own for easy packing and handling. Great idea.

You can get the lunch bags with different coloured edging, so each child in the family can have their own bag (although sometimes it’s easier to get all the one colour to avoid fights… you know what I am talking about, right mums?).

The wallet style folds up quite small but still holds more than a paper bag.

The insulated all-rounder is a good option if you need to keep the food hot or cold.

My kids both used them and liked them. They are easy to clean, just needing a wipe out and I love that they are black so they don’t look scruffy after a bit of use!

I also really love the absolutely brilliant fundraising option they have. What a great idea for getting much needed funds for the school, avoiding junk food fundraisers and being eco-friendly all at the same time. The Stickybeak’s mums will give you a discounted price, a flat rate for postage and lots of help to run an easy, successful fundraiser. If you are ordering just for yourself, the postage is free!

They are in 600 schools across Australia already. Impressive.

Giveaway:

**this giveaway has now close – the winners are Anna and Cassy – congratulations!!**

So, the lovely ladies at Stickybeaks are giving away 2 prize packs for you guys to try out. Each pack contains a lunch wallet and an insulated all rounder.

How to enter:

◊ Make sure you are a blog subscriber (add your email over on the right)

◊ Like the Stickybeaks Facebook Page. Go here.

◊ Comment on this blog post letting us know why you would like to win a Stickybeak’s prize pack.

[box] Terms and conditions: This giveaway will close at midnite (AEST) on Friday the 24th of January. Winners will be chosen using random.org from those fulfilling the entry requirements. Winners will be emailed and announced on this blog post. Sorry, Australian residents only.[/box]

Good luck everyone!!

Make Contact:

Website: www.stickybeaks.com

Facebook: Stickybeaks

Phone: 0401 082-960

Email: enquiries@stickybeaks.com.au

Healthy Lunchbox Ideas

April 16, 2012 · 52 Comments

Does the whole school lunch thing drive you mad? It’s a complicated business – we have to make sure it’s healthy, doesn’t go soggy and won’t give anyone salmonella! Then throw into the mix a fussy kid or two and a school policy on nuts and it’s the mums who are going nuts!!

My kids are a 14 and 11 and usually take a sandwich, two pieces of fruit and something else. They take filtered water to drink. The Natural New Age Dad also takes a packed lunch every day, so there is always lots of lunch making going on at our place!

♥ Let’s talk about sandwiches first. I try to make sure that the sandwiches contain protein and salad on a good quality grainy bread or wrap. I often make our own bread – we like Cyndi O’Meara’s bible bread and Tania’s GF Chia and Almond Bread. Sorj or Mountain Bread are the best brand of wraps I have found that contain no artificial stuff.

As far as protein goes, we gave up deli meats long ago. They just contain too many chemicals and are heavily processed. Find out some more here. Occasionally, I will buy some organic ham, as this one doesn’t contain sodium nitrates.

What I do instead is cook up large joints of roast beef, pork, lamb, chicken or corned beef, usually in the slow cooker, every week or two. Woolworths stock an organic corned beef now that is free of chemicals. It’s really tasty and not very expensive. After cooling in the fridge, the meat is sliced up or shredded in the thermomix. Then I freeze, label and date it in portions to suit two days worth of lunches. It’s easy to just pull out a portion the night before to let it thaw in the fridge.

To add a bit of variety, I also use boiled eggs with my homemade mayonnaise or tinned salmon or tuna (in springwater only) with mayonnaise. Sometimes the kids just feel like having my homemade nut butter – in which case the veges are ‘on the side’ in a little snack pack. We sometimes use organic butter but never, ever use margarine. Organic avocado is our choice of spread on sandwiches. It adds lots of other nutrients as well!

Sometimes they like to mix it up and take something else, besides a sandwich. Here are our other favourite healthy things that don’t involve bread.

♥ Fruit is an easy one. We try to eat mostly organic fruit. If we can’t, we give it a good wash off before eating! Fruit salad in a container with yoghurt on top is nice for a change.

♥ Something else – is not always so easy! My normal routine is to bake a couple of large batches of healthy muffins, cakes and slices, loaded with fruits, nuts and seeds. They are all portioned up and frozen. They thaw out by lunch time in the lunchbox. Here are some ideas:

Six Healthy Biscuits for Lunchboxes

green pancakes

What about choc-hazel bliss balls, carrot, pineapple and zucchini muffins or healthy cake?

If haven’t baked treats, then the kids (and the big kid) take things like:

Home-made airpopped organic popcorn (use Herbamare to keep the salt content down)

Vege sticks and cherry tomatoes with homemade dip

Cheese and crackers

Dried fruit and nuts (make sure your dried fruit is safe)

Sometimes a packet snack sneaks it way in there for a treat. You can find some good packet snacks.

There are loads of ideas around the web too. You could try Vegie Smuggler’s amazing Cheese Puffs, Mamacino’s Really Easy Banana Bread or Feeding Fussy Kid’s Iron Booster Balls.

I always think it’s a good idea to get the kids involved in the lunch making too. The more input they have and ownership they take for their lunches, mean it’s more likely to get eaten. What doesn’t get eaten for lunch, gets eaten for afternoon tea at our place! Quality, organic food is not cheap and I hate waste.

I would love to hear what your lunch box ideas are. Leave me a comment and let me know!