Weekly Highlights & a Video!

Hey everyone, how’s your week been? Just hanging in there, waiting for Friday? Or was it HAPPY?

Here’s a few things that made me happythis week…

Watching my daughter enjoy the neighbourhood tree swing on a misty Monday morning {Video here}…

This pretty, layered, chocolate coconut chia pudding… Recipe here.

 A big box of Natural Raw C Coconut Water arriving on my doorstep – thanks Raw C! [gifted]

(My fave – no sweeteners or nasties added like lots of others! 

Check it out – it’s on special this week for 25% off!)

 Oh, and this chia pudding too… leave out the cacao, add vanilla and cinnamon, and top with fresh pineapple, passionfruit, goji berries and macadamias, with a dash of pure maple syrup. Such a lovely breakfast.

And cooking, recipe testing, and sharing my experiments with some cute taste testers!

My kids keep me humble… “Mum, what IS this???”

Thanks Miss C. 

All good fun. So here’s the big news on my Facebook page – this week we hit 40,000 likes, and I promised to post a video as a big THANK YOU!! So here it is, my Green Chocolate Smoothie video… keeping it real, forgetting ingredients and embarrassing my kids as usual. Woo hoo!

I hope you enjoyed that, because tomorrow I’ll be posting the Gooey Flourless Fudge Brownies video too.

Here’s a few more highlights from my Facebook page lately ~ enjoy!

 

FOOD

Quinoa Salad: I love how much this meal makes! And so yum.

Introducing the ‘Other Half’ to Healthy Eating: How does your other half react? Funny story here!

Cooking on a Budget: Tips for cutting costs on your grocery bill.

Lamb Shanks: Delicious ideas for cooking lamb shanks.

Healthy Muesli Bars: Recipes that aren’t full of sugar here.

Yoghurt Help! A reader asked here for help with her yoghurt, and then later in the week I found this blog post by Nourished Kitchen on ‘Why Your Yoghurt Isn’t Working Out’.

Dinner Party: What would you make for an allergy friendly dinner party? Question asked by a friend when I was going to their place for dinner.

Leftover Ganache? What’s that??

Paleo/Primal Breakfast Ideas for Kids: Bit of a spirited discussion here, with lots of ideas!

Snack Ideas for Pregnant Mums: Busy mums that are expecting a new arrival need good, nourishing snacks! Ideas here.

Foolproof Mayonnaise! The lovely ThermoSisters share their mayo recipe.

Travelling Meals: What to make in your Thermomix while travelling, and what pantry staples to take with you.

Healthy Party Food: Amazing party food ideas from Hot Pink Chilli!!

Chocolate Mud Cakes: Really yummy recipes.

HEALTH

Have any of you, like me, found that the Thermomix revolutionised the way you eat? Carla wrote to ask this question. She says, “I’m keen to hear if anyone has purchased a Thermomix with the intention to make (nearly) everything from scratch, but found it was not revolutionary. The reason I ask is that I’m becoming quite obsessed with them, and I’m determined that it would change our busy family’s culinary existence. However, I’m wondering if I’m over-estimating the impact it would have.”

I know for me it has made my ‘back to basics, from scratch, allergy friendly’ cooking so much easier. I thought I already cooked that way, but now I cook MUCH more ‘from scratch’ than before. I love having the power of choosing what is in my food. Here’s some things I use my Thermomix for:

– grinding grains and making wheat free and gluten free breads;
– making dairy free milks and creams and custards;
– whizzing up juices and fresh fruit ice-creams and sorbets;
– baking cakes and desserts with wholesome ingredients and natural sweeteners;
– making nut butters, sauces and spreads without additives;
– and for quick, healthy meals.

Now, a lot of you would say ‘but you can do most of those things without a Thermomix’. Sure, if you want to be in the kitchen all day. I’m a busy mum, homeschooling four kids and running my own business and a blog and writing a book. I really don’t have time to be in the kitchen ALL day, which is what I was doing before I had a Thermomix. It’s funny, back then I had a girl come in to help with the kids and housework, I didn’t have a blog or book or homeschooling to deal with, and I STILL couldn’t keep up! I know it’s partly that my kids have gotten older and take less time in a lot of ways, but it’s also that I don’t have to hand grind my grains, hand knead my bread, hand stir every custard and milk and soup and meal on the stovetop, hand chop all the ingredients, and I’m eating better so have more energy.

What about you? Has the Thermomix helped you to make nearly everything from scratch? Has it revolutionised the way you cook and eat?

Check out how Quirky Cooking readers answered Carla’s question here.

(If you want to know more of my story and why I cook the way I do, see my ‘About Me’ page on my blog.)

 

Eczema: This has to be one of the most commented on posts ever on my page – how to get rid of eczema on a 17 week old baby. Very interesting comments.

Natural constipation remedies here.

Top 10 reasons coconut oil is so good for you!

Anxiety & Gut Healing: An issue close to my heart. Really big discussion here.

A random photo of me and Ruth, a friend’s pet python

 

BITS & PIECES

I blogged about what my crazy mind looks like at midnight

I found out that Ford is giving me a brand new Ford Territory Titanium to test drive for 6 weeks (plus $400 worth of fuel) so I can let you all know what I think

We had a laugh over my son’s question about how ‘drinking milk’ was discovered

The Thermomix Recipe Community has a facelift

I redecorated part of my dining room with some pretty pieces from Fixed Abode in Yungaburra, FNQ

I decide to run for Prime Minister, handing out free Coconut Caramel Custard to sway the voters…  (Ok, that was just a joke, but you never know – it COULD work!!)

And I was the recipient of a random act of kindness that blew my mind! So lovely. 

Oh, and Miss C proves she is related to me…

Have a great weekend guys, and I’ll be back soon with a new video and recipe for Gooey Flourless Fudge Brownies – yippeee!