Cooking For My Growing Belly...

... just got a little more interesting! Thank you Amazon for your suggesting feature - I fell hook, like and sinker! 

Treats Are Allowed

Much as I am obsessed with healthy, home-made, nutritious, clean, fresh food, that does not mean that we never have treats. Because off course we do. And those times feel pretty amazing as this is not something we indulge in every day. So this morning, as we had baked these gorgeous cinnamon buns last night, Nahla and Mummy kicked back with a very yummy breakfast of warm cinnamon buns and hot chocolates - made from these cool sticks that you just stir out in hot milk and voila; hot chocolate. Needless to say it was the perfect start to a rainy morning. 

Eating healthy 80% of the time means that you can afford to throw caution to the wind the other 20%, and just enjoy and indulge. After all; life is not the same without a little chocolate in it! Or cinnamon buns, for that matter!

, I think, means that you can afford to splurge and enjoy when 

Coconut Yoghurt A La Moi

I have an obsession with all things coconut. Really, I do. I love drinking it (coconut water, so refreshing AND good for your skin), I love washing myself with it (I have this amazing body wash from Korres, smells like a beach in Thailand!), softening my skin with it (Body Shop coconut body-butter, anyone?!) and last, but not least; I LOVE eating it! Coconut yoghurts are a firm favorite in this household, as both Nahla and myself are obsessed with them.

But unfortunately the shop-bought variety is crammed full of sugar. Crazy, I know, as coconut in itself is so yummy and sweet. But that's manufactured crappy food for you. Enter my own version! YUM. And so freakin' easy you will never buy another coconut yoghurt in your life. Or, at the very least; not too often.

Here goes:

Organic natural yoghurt (Dairy or soy)
Coconut milk
Desiccated coconut.

Blend. But in the freezer for like 30 minute to get it extra cold and a little thicker and yummier.

Eat. 

Toddler Breakfast In 1-2-3

Spelt bread with mackerel-in-tomato-sauce mix. Choc-a-block with good-for-their-growing-brain essential fatty acids...

... some apple wedges as a little treat on the side...

... a little dash of organic plain yoghurt (because fruity ones tend to have a lot of sugar added), with some cocoa sugar, oat-flakes and homemade musli (+ a few sneaky drops of flaxseed oil)...

... equals one yummy easy-to-prepare and very healthy toddler breakfast! Nahla loves the pick'n'mix thing, where she can have one bite of this, and one scoop of this, so this is a win/win for both Mummy and Baby! LOVE!

Way Too Crumbly Banana Bread...

... still tasted yum according to both Nahla and Mummy. Banana bread is made on an almost weekly basis here in this house, as: 1. It is the perfect way to use up bananas that have started going black, and: 2. Nahla LOVES it. But last night I decided to do some experimenting, and used half and half spelt flour and almond flour - which I have never attempted baking with before. And it turned out SUPER TASTY. But as both spelt and almond flour soak up more liquid than ordinary flour, I just have to remember to add more bananas and a little drop of water into the next batch. You live and learn!

Homemade Musli-Bars...

... are a great start to a rainy morning. And SO quick and easy to make, you can do them on a weekday, and not have to wait till the weekend. YUM! Now; all I need is my morning Nespresso, and I am ready for some work!

Get Your Greens...

... from a green monster. This one is a favorite in our house:

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups fresh spinach, thick stems removed
• 1/2 cup frozen chopped pineapple
• 1/2 large apple (I like honeycrisp)
• 1/2 large banana
• 3/4 cup fresh orange juice (we do half OJ/half grapefruit juice)

Throw in a blender, whizz, our, enjoy! YUM!

Pop-Eye Juice...

... aka ice cubes, orange juice and baby spinach in the blender, is our favorite way to start the day! Green is great!

Hello Sunday!

We start as we mean to go on!

 Raspberry Smoothie a la Mummy and Nahla: 

• A handful frozen organic raspberries 
• 1/2 banana 
•  A dash of organic greek yoghurt 
• A splash of organic apple juice 
• 3 tablespoons of flaxseed oil 

 Throw in blender, whizz, pour, ENJOY!

Feel-Good Tip Of The Day

Orange juice (organic) + ice cubes + a big chunk of freshly washed spinach leaves. Throw in the blender. Whizz. Enjoy. YUM.

Monster Smoothies...

... go down a treat in our house on a daily basis. Even BF, who tends to be suspicious of all things above-averagely healthy. But these are seriously so yum, I think he forgets his fear. And so easy peasy to throw together, you will want to make them everyday. Which, you know, you should.

1. Frozen banana chunks (always keep some in the freezer, total lifesaver)
2. A dash of organic greek yoghurt (or soy yoghurt, whatever you have handy)
3. A splash of orange juice
4. Baby spinach. Yep, that's right, spinach. And trust me, it just works.

Whizz thoroughly, admire the crazy green color and ENJOY!

We LOVE To Start Our Day...

... with banana-coconut smoothies in our house. And what Daddy and Nahla doesn't know, is that this clever Mummy stuffs the smoothie choc-a-bloc with yummy hempseed oil, linseed-oil, crushed hemp seeds and other little healthy odds and ends I can possibly cram in. And in this case, what they don't know is just really good for them!

Scenes From Our (Healthy) Kitchen

Yum! Is there anything better than starting the new year as you mean to go on?! And this is a little bit like we plan to go forward: yummy fresh raspberries, just crushed with a little sugar into the sweetest jam. Gorgeous herbal teas. Lots of good-for-you-fat-filled nuts. YUM!

Healthy Green Smoothie

Healthy Green Lemonade Smoothie


You need:

■1/2 cucumber, sliced (organic)
■1/2 avocado (organic)
■2 handfuls baby spinach (organic)
■3-4 limes, peeled (adjust to desired amount)
■1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
■liquid stevia to taste (I often skip this or use agave syrup instead)
■6-8 ice cubes

In blender, add cucumber, avocado, spinach, lime [all three, but peeled], cinnamon, stevia, ice and blend on high until smooth.

If it’s too thick, add about 1/2 cup of cold water.

Pour into chilled glass, drink and feel how good you feel after treating your body so well!

Go-To Dinner Favorite

I am sure most busy mums have one of these, a go-to dinner that you always have the ingredients for in the house and that you can throw together with your eyes closed and half your brain switched off. Yup. Me too. Mine is oven baked salmon and vegetables. Quick. Easy. Healthy. Uncomplicated. What is not to LOVE? Seriously; so easy. Frozen fillet of salmon, olive oil, pepper and lemon juice. Oven. Done. And the best part is that the same goes for the veggies. And here I just use whatever I have handy. Which today was carrots, sweet potatoes, red onion, garlic and leek. Same goes: Olive oil, pepper and lemon juice. Oh, and just because I had it handy; a splash of balsamic vinegar. And as I had some broccoli lurking around, sure I just steamed some of that too. YUM.

Luckily; Nahla loves this dish as much as Mummy does - which is just as well as we tend to have this at least a couple of times a week! I think my domestic goddess medal badge might still be a way off, but sure we don't mind. I could think of worse things than salmon and veggies to be serving up this frequently!

Both Nahla And Mummy...

... HEART uor morning porridge now that the mornings have started getting really cold. And when we really want to boost our anti-oxidant intake, sure we just sprinkle on a few blueberries! YUM!

This Week's Cooking Projects

I am slightly obsessed with yummy food blogs. And especially ones that can teach me new tricks with healthy foods. And so when I came across these yummy recipes on two of my favorite blogs, I just had to put them on this week's to-do in the kitchen list!

First out is the awesome Table Tonic's yummy power balls. I just KNOW I will become addicted to these!




Table Tonic Sunday Night Power Balls(makes around 20 balls)


1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/2 cup walnuts
250g pitted medjool dates (the fresh, wrinkly ones)

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup shredded coconut
2 tablespoons chia seeds
Pinch of sea salt


1. Place all ingredients (except chia seeds and dates) in a food processor and blend on high until finely ground. 2. Add the dates one at a time through the feed tube of the food processor while it is running. What you should end up with is a mix that appears rather like cake crumbs, but that when pressed, will easily stick together (if the mixture does not hold together well, add more dates). 3. In a large bowl, combine the mix with the chia seeds. Roll into small golf balls - or you may prefer to press the mixture into a tray lined with baking paper (place in the fridge to set, then tip out and slice into squares/bars and freeze). 4. Store in an airtight container (ie tupperware or glass jar) in the freezer and eat them straight from the freezer - they'll be lovely and firm, but not rock hard as the good oils in the nuts and seeds won't freeze!

YUM! Perfect as a post-work pick-me-up!




Then, and I am SO excited about this one; My New Roots' Raw Brownie. That's right. Brownie. Raw. healthy. So so awesome!

The Raw Brownie


Organic medjool dates - A cornerstone ingredient in many raw desserts are dates, often of the Medjool persuasion, because they are incredibly sweet, tender, exceptionally large, and versatile. Medjool dates can replace sugar or honey, they taste like caramel, and unlike agave nectar, which is also popular in raw desserts, these have a deeper, more complex flavour.


Cacao – raw cacao is one of the best sources of magnesium found in nature, in addition to containing high amounts calcium, zinc, iron, copper, sulfur, and potassium. Cacao contains many chemicals that enhance physical and mental well-being, including alkaloids, proteins, magnesium, beta-carotene, leucine, linoleic acid, lipase, lysine, and some neurotransmitters such as dopamine and anandamide. Holy cow – superfood!

Walnuts – Walnuts are the most delicious, vegetarian way of getting Omega-3 essential fatty acids. Why are they essential? Because your body can’t make them, they must come from the food we eat. Omega-3s reduce cholesterol, lower the risk of heart attack and stroke, boost the immune system, control viral infections, improve brain function, and relieve symptoms of inflammatory condition such as arthritis. No biggie.

Almonds – High in essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium, almonds also are a very good source of healthy, monounsaturated fats and vitamin E. Almonds also containt two important trace minerals, manganese and copper - essential cofactors of a key oxidative enzyme called superoxide dismutase. Superoxide dismutase disarms free radicals!

Because there are so few ingredients in this recipe, I would highly, highly recommend purchasing top-quality and organic if possible. The flavour of each element plays a strong role in the final outcome, so they all need to be the best you can find.

Ingredients:

2 cups whole walnuts
2 ½ cups Medjool dates, pitted
1 cup raw cacao
1 cup raw unsalted almonds, roughly chopped
¼ tsp. sea salt

Directions:
1. Place walnuts in food processor and blend on high until the nuts are finely ground.
2. Add the cacao and salt. Pulse to combine.
3. Add the dates one at a time through the feed tube of the food processor while it is running. What you should end up with is a mix that appears rather like cake crumbs, but that when pressed, will easily stick together (if the mixture does not hold together well, add more dates).
4. In a large bowl (or the pan you plan on putting the brownies in), combine the walnut-cacao mix with the chopped almonds. Press into a lined cake pan or mold. Place in freezer of fridge until ready to serve (it is also easier to cut these when they are cold). Store in an airtight container.

Seriously, I am so excited about making both of these yummy treats! Especially to introduce them to my little munchkin, I just love it when I get her to love love love healthy treats! Get erady, cook!

Breakfast...

... in our house is YUM!

New Breakfast Addiction

Quick, simple AND healthy; that is the way we like our breakfasts in our family! Trust Martha to have come up with this little gem!

Oatmeal Smoothie
1 cup ice
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup plain lowfat yogurt
1 banana
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup coconut water (or other liquid, such as juice)

Directions
1.Place ice and raspberries in the bottom of blender, and all other ingredients on top. Whir until completely smooth. Serve.

YUM!

Quick Breakfasts...

... are essential on busy mornings! (PS: Organic fruit always looks less pretty than their non-organic siblings - but sure we all know it's what's on the inside that counts!