Park Snacks and Dips

Hello Faithful readers

I Absolutely LOVE that i can take these sorts of snacks to the park for the kids, snacks full of life, snacks full of wholesome goodness that will bring life to their bodies!

Here are the dip recipes as i promised

Hummus

Ingredients:

425g chickpeas

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup tahini

1/2 of a large garlic clove minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt depending on taste

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2-3 tablespoons water

dash of ground paprika for serving

Method

In a food processor, combine the tahini and lemon juice. Process for 1 minute, then scrape down the sides and process for a further 30 seconds. Then add the garlic and process for 30 seconds, then add olive oil, salt, cumin, chick peas and water and process till nice and smooth, put into desired container or plate and sprinkle with paprika.

Then ENJOY!!!

Sundried tomatoe and Macadamia Dip

Ingredients:

1 clove of garlic

50g semi sundried tomatoes

50g kalamata olives, pitted

50g macadamias

20g olive oil

20g balsamic vinager

a pinch of salt if needed depending on how salty the olives are

Method:

Place all ingredients in a food processor, process until desired consistency is reached.

This is a VERY Yummy dip and one that will be on my always list

ENJOY!

Hope you are enjoying these recipes, and i hope you are feeling your body respond in kind as you feed it what it was meant to be fed.

God Bless Y'all

Paleo Chocolate Recipe

Hello Faithful readers

I loved making this chocolate, it was so easy, SO YUMMY and so PRETTY!

So many flavour opportunities here, i made the basic recipe into a maple pecan and my body thanked me! :-)

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons Organic coconut oil

3 Tablespoons Almond Butter

4 Tablespoons Cacao powder

1 Tsp Vanilla extract

1-2 Tablespoons Unprocessed Honey 

(This depends on your taste and how sweet you would like it)

Then add whatever you would like to change it up, e.g. a pecan and a tsp of maple syrup...

So super easy just put all the ingredients together and mix them up in a heat resistant bowl on top or a pot with some water in it that is boiling (a double boiler) :-)

Then once they are all melted and mixed together you can add your creative mix ups and pop it into whatever form you would like it to dry in, e.g flat sheet to crack into shards, little paper patty pans like i did, etc etc

Then pop into freezer and enjoy within 30 minutes, leave in freezer and EAT away

NOM NOM NOM

Enjoy

God Bles Y'all

Paleo Caramel date slice (By popular demand)

Hello faithful readers

This is going up because this was quite a fav at Jesses party and the recipe was asked for quite a bit :-)

Paleo Caramel Date Slice. 

makes: 16 squares    prep time: 10 minutes    bake time: 25 minutes

stuff you need…

2 cups almond meal
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup chopped walnuts
125g ghee metled (you can also use coconut oil)
½ cup coconut sugar
1 egg

now what…

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius and line a 20cm x 20cm slice tine.
In a saucepan melt the ghee and sugar together, allow this to cool slightly.
Add the egg, dates, walnuts and almond meal, mix until well combined.
Press the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Allow the slice to cool in the tin and cut into squares.
Enjoy! You can store left overs (if there are any) in an airtight container. 

Blueberry and coconut coffee cake breakfast bars

Hello Faithful readers

Here is the recipe for the

Blueberry and coconut coffee cake breakfast bars

Ingredients
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup almond milk
1/2 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup liquid egg whites
2 tbsp coconut butter, softened
1 cup frozen blueberries, thawed with juice

Glaze
2Tbsp coconut butter softened
2 tbsp maple syrup

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9x9 baking dish with non-stick spray.
2. In a bowl, stir together coconut flour and salt.
3. In a medium size bowl, stir together almond milk, maple syrup, liquid egg whites and coconut butter, mix well.
4. Add liquids to dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
Pour into greased pan and spread out evenly. Place blueberries onto, evenly spread out along with any juice that there may be.
5. Place in oven and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until bars are set in the middle.
6. Meanwhile, combine coconut butter and maple syrup until thin, liquid and smooth consistency is formed. May need a tablespoon of almond milk to thin consistency.
7. Drizzle coconut glaze over bars, cut into 9 and serve.

Cant really say i loved this at all, it was way too sweet and i may have botched it up but i won't be making it again.

I love putting my successes and failures on here because for those who are new to this raw dessert world i want you to know that if you fail just keep pressing on because there are some SUPER YUMMY Successes out there!

God Bless Y'all

I LOVE MAKING NUT BUTTER!!!!!

Hello Faithful readers

So i made some almond butter, hazelnut butter (Which is SUPER YUM, who needs nutella now!) and Cashew butter.

These are all really simple and I'm sure they will totally BREAK your food processor unless you have a thermomix! I do not own a thermomix but i did go to my mother in laws to use hers to make these and i am so glad i did cause i know my processor would have totally broken :-)

Recipe is basically crush the nuts to powder then add some unprocessed honey then mix till it turns into butter, not very precise sorry but just depends on how much you want to make...

But if you like a recipe 

Almond butter

2 C Almonds

1 T  Raw Honey (optional)

1/2 t Sea Salt (optional)

Whazz Almonds first till powder then add honey and go go go till butter forms :-)

Hazelnut Butter

• 2 cups raw hazelnuts (240g)
• 1 1/2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup cacao powder
• 1/4 cup unprocessed honey
• 1/4 tsp plus 1/8 tsp salt
• optional: 2 tsp coconut oil
• 1/2 cup almond milk 

Roast hazelnuts for 6-8 minutes at 400 F. Rub them together in a paper towel to get the skins off. (It’s ok if a few stubborn skins won’t come off.) In a Vita-mix or food processor, blend the nuts until they’ve turned to butter, then add all other ingredients and blend a long time until it’s smooth like Nutella! (I think I blended off-and-on for a full two minutes. It’s extra-creamy in a Vita-mix, but a Cuisinart food processor works as well.) 

I Used a Thermomix its so yum! :-)

Cashew Butter

300g raw cashews 

1 tablespoon (20g) coconut oil

 1/2 teaspoon salt

 5g unprocessed honey 

Spread cashews out on a tray lined with baking paper and roast cashews in the oven at 180°C for 10 mins. Keep an eye on them as they brown very quickly. Chop in the Thermomix for 4 sec on speed 6. Add oil, salt and honey. Mix on speed 6 for 4 – 4 ½ minutes stopping to scrap down sides ever 30 seconds. 

I found the longer I did it for, the softer and more spreadable consistency it became.  

Store in a jar. 

ENJOY Guys these are SUPER YUMMY!!

God Bless Y'all

This was the first recipe i made the night before the party and it really looked like it was gonna taste AWESOME, but alas i did not like it at all, WAY too sweet and not yummy :-(

Paleo Salted Caramel Choc Macadamia Fudge 

stuff you need… 

10 fresh pitted dates
1 cup boiling water
2 heaped tbs raw cacao
pinch rock salt
4 tbs coconut oil
1/2 cup lightly toasted macadamias

now what…

Pop the dates in a bowl.
Pour over the boiling water and push them down with a spoon so that they are covered best you can. Leave to sit for 5 mins. You could take a quick shower. Or paint your toenails. Or just watch them soak. Whatever floats your boat.
Now add the dates and water to your food processor and blend to combine.
Add the coconut oil and raw cacao and blend until smooth.
Pour into a small baking paper lined container.
Sprinkle the macadamias on top and push them down a bit.
Sprinkle with a bit of rock salt and pop in to the freezer to set for 30 minutes before slicing. 

Thanks to the Merry Maker Sisters

So Guys this was not really to our taste at all, and it was not set at all after 30minutes :-( And even when i took it out of the freezer after being in there all night it was still softish and as soon as i tried to pick a piece up it just lost shape and smooshed up :-(

So that was reinvented into some yummy protein balls, so glad i could salvage it!

So all i did was pop the fudge back in the food processor, mixed in almond meal, desicated coconut, chia seeds, pure peppermint oil, and a handful of mixed nuts and whazzed away until i got the rolling consistency i was after, rolled the balls and popped them onto a bed of coconut in a round container and swirled the container around and WHAM they were coated ready and soooo YUMMY and the best part it SOOOOO Good for you! :-)

Hope if you try it it comes out really nice if not then you now have a backup plan!

God Bless Y'all

Didn't i just pop you out?!?!

Hello Faithful readers

So it was our precious Little Jesse Bears 1st Birthday today what a little Champ!

So anyway i am not sure how much i have shared with you all about my new journey into whole food nutrition, so ill share a little now.

All my life i have eaten sugar and curry and rice and pasta and just generally a lot of processed foods, so after my second baby i got diagnosed with post natal depression and well food became even more of a friend!

I just really loved to eat because when i was eating i felt good, i ate lots and lots of food and even more of sugar, particularly cake! I would love eating it but after i was done i always felt sadder, defeated, lonely, very angry at myself, fat and just really really tired!

Then a friend invited me to a talk on whole food nutrition and there i got introduced to juice plus, ever since that day something really switched in my mind and i was introduced to a new concept, a new release from my food and sugar addiction and invited to join in and share in a community that just will not let you fail and a journey that is so SUPER beneficial to both me and most definitely beneficial for my family!

If you want to know any more just toss me an e mail ill be sure to share as much as you would like to hear 

peppermintpie727@hotmail.com

:-)

Anyway so this all connects into Jesses Birthday!

So since i am on this brilliant new journey free from sugar i created a board on pinterest and pinned all these AWESOME desserts made from ingredients that will feed life to my body and those trying it and i was so excited to share my new journey with all at the party!

So the night before the party i spent hours preparing nut butters and salted caramel fudge and was up till about 11pm preparing, then in the morning i continued to bake away and baked a blueberry coconut coffee cake and then time came to taste the creations i had made already and so i did and OH BOY, i think its safe to say it was  a DISASTER :-(

I was floored, i was so sad that i was not going to showcase my new journey, and i sad on the couch and was so confused, so flustered and so sad, and then i said Greg what do i do???

He said "Des you are exactly like those people in the finals of master chef, you are right at the crucial point and then you decide to make something you have never made before!" And i thought yeah that is crazy why didn't i just make the raw desserts that i knew were super awesome instead of trying completely new stuff right on birthday party day!! Ha ha ha chalk that one up to LESSON LEARNT :-)

So anyway i promised to share the recipes i tried so i will do that and i will also share the truth about how they tasted, whether it was just because how i made them we will never know because i am not going to be making those again!

I will start a new post for each recipe because otherwise this will be WAY too long

God Bless Y'all!

Paleo Pizza Base

Hello faithful readers

So i attempted a cauliflower pizza base a few nights ago for dinner and i thought it was really YUM, unfortunately i did not squeeze enough water out of the base and so it was a bit soggy but still good flavour :-)

Here is the recipe, let me know if you got a crispy result and how

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4 pieces (it's a 12" pizza. Good for 2 to share)

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Grated Cauliflower ($4.00/head, 2 cups turned out to be about 1/2 a large head)
• 1 large egg lightly beaten
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp oregano
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese for the crust 
•  + 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella OR 1/3 cup cottage cheese to be easier on the tummy (shoutout to my fellow lactards!) 
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce 
• Whatever clean toppings you want (we used mushrooms, red bell pepper, onion and arugula)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Grate your cauliflower- you can do this with a regular grater, a food processor, or with the Grate setting on the blender. Once you have 2 cups of grated cauliflower dump it onto a paper towel and wrap it up in 2 layers of paper towels and squeeeezzzeee all the water out- this is SO important if you want crispy pizza crust, otherwise the crust is soggy. Once you have squeezed out as much water as possible, combine the dried out grated cauliflower with the egg, garlic and oregano and mix it together. Flatten it out onto a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Put the crust into the oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes pull it out, slather (gross word but I can't think of a better way to say it) the tomato sauce onto it, top with the cottage or mozzarella cheese and your toppings of choice. Cook for an 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

God Bless y'all

Raw chocolate balls

Hello Faithful readers

These are SUPER Yummy as you can see Jordan would like to have them all to himself! :-)

Ingredients 

1 cup walnuts

1 cup pitted dates

1/2 cup raw cacao powder

1 tsp macca powder (optional)

1 tsp raw honey or agave

A dash of vanilla

A dash of mint extract or 2 drops of therapeutic grade peppermint essential oil

Place all ingredients into a food processor and process until it forms a ball or stops turning properly

Roll into balls and place in the fridge.

YUMMY in my tummy and hopefully in yours, heres to energy a better mood and a healthier life

God Bless y'all

Scrummy Paleo Puddy

Hello faithful readers

This was THE SUPER YUMMIEST pudding EVER, even my hubby who is not Paleo full on said it was YUM and he wanted more more more

Chocolate Paleo Pudding with Coconut Whipped cream

2 ripe avocados

2 ripe bananas

4 medjool dates, pits removed

1/2 cup cacao powder

1.5 teaspoons coconut milk

1 tablespoon maple syrup/ raw honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of sea salt

Instructions

Place all ingredients into a bowl of a food processor (i added a few sprigs of fresh mint leaves as well remember to pick the leaves off and only use them), process all ingredients till they are smooth and well incorporated.

Transfer pudding to bowls of choice then refrigerate for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Top pudding with coconut whipped cream to serve makes about 3-4 servings

Coconut whipped cream

1 can coconut milk (full fat)

1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Instructions

Place the can of coconut milk in the fridge over night

Open can without shaking or turning upside down. Carefully spoon out the top layer on thick coconut cream that has gathered at the top and add to mixing bowl (you can reserve the white liquid that is left in the can for a smoothie perhaps)

Add the maple syrup and the vanilla extract to the coconut cream 

Whip the ingredients with a hand or stand mixer till it has come to thick whipped peaks, start on low and move to a higher speed for about 5 minutes depending on the strength of your mixer.

the whipped mixture can be refrigerated in an air tight container for 2-3 days.

Courtesy of http://www.multiplydelicious.com

Enjoy and God Bless y'all

Paleo Blueberry Cheesecake

Hello Faithful readers

So i was really intrigued when i saw this paleo cheesecake, i was so interested to see what a cheesecake that has absolutely no cheese in it would taste like...

 And it was full of blueberries and that i LOVED!! 

I would almost be tempted to put the blueberries in whole next time and not blitz them at all, i think you might taste them more that way and i would LOVE to taste them more.

I personally really enjoyed this cheesecake although Greg on the other hand thought it was too coconutty (Greg is still not totally converted to giving up sugary stuff so that could play a part)

 but i LOVED it.

Anyhoo here is the recipe all thanks to 

themerrymakersisters.com

stuff you need…

for the base:

1 1/2 cups walnuts
1/3 cup raw cacao powder
3/4 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut
100 grams pitted dates (soaked in boiling water for at least 10 minutes + drained)
1 tbs. melted coconut oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract

for the filling:

2 cups raw cashews (soaked in water for at least one hour + drained)
400 mls coconut milk
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1 tbs. vanilla extract
3 tbs. Natvia
2 cups fresh or frozen (thawed) blueberries

now what…

 Line the base of a 24 cm spring form cake tin with baking paper.
Start with the base. In a food processor (we use our Vitamix), place the walnuts, raw cacao powder and desiccated coconut.
Whiz these ingredients until a fine meal forms.
Transfer the meal into a large mixing bowl, leave this for now.
Drain the soaked dates and place them into the food processor, along with the coconut oil and vanilla extract.
Whiz these ingredients until a smooth paste forms.
Transfer the paste into the mixing bowl with the meal and mix together (you may need to get your hands dirty for this job!).
Once it’s all combined, press the base into the cake tin, making sure you press it out evenly, covering the entire base.
Place this into the freezer.
Now for the filling (you will need to rinse the food processor).
Drain the cashews and place them into the food processor.
Whiz these until a crumbly, buttery paste forms.
Now add the coconut milk, vanilla extract, Natvia, melted coconut oil and blueberries.
Whiz on high speed until completely smooth.
Take out the base from the freezer and pour the filling on top of the base (shake the tin carefully to even out the top).
Place the cake into the freezer for two hours or until set.
Take the cake out of the freezer and let sit for 30 minutes.
Rub the outside of the cake tin with a hot cloth and release the spring form slowly (you may need to run a knife around the edge).
Cut into slices with a hot knife! We enjoyed ours with pureed blueberries!

Store the remainder of your delish paleo blueberry cheesecake covered in the fridge for a week. It can also be stored in the freezer and thawed out when it’s time for cake (when isn’t it time for cake?!).

Give it a go people you won't regret it and your body will thank you!

God Bless y'all

Chocolate fix

Hello Faithful readers

So this was my first chocolate Paleo bar i made and  it was SO YUM! One piece and i was Chocolate fixed for the day. Its all gone i definitely need to make more ASAP.

Jordan loved making them and tasting them and the best part is that i didn't have to stress if he did cause it is all good for him!

Ingredients
1/2 Cup melted coconut oil
4-5 heaped table spoons Cacao powder (less or more depending on your taste)
2 tablespoons honey or agave syrup
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup almond meal or coarsely chopped almonds
1/2 cup chopped cashews

Combine all dry ingredients well
In a separate bowl combine all wet ingredients well
Mix wet with dry and stir to combine well.

Put into a baking tray lines with baking paper, pat down well to make a compact and hard slice.

Freeze for a few hours and then chop into squares, keep in an airtight container in the freezer or fridge.

I kept mine in the freezer cause it tasted awesome just from the freezer and it would keep for AGES!

Try it and enjoy the benefits on your health

God Bless y'all