SMOOTHIE

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What a busy time it’s been for me lately. Getting settled for a little while, and starting the kids with their home schooling. This home schooling thing has been a little bit of a challenge (not for the kids, just for me getting my head around the back to basics).  Now that we are getting into the swing of things I can start to test out and post up some more recipes.

I think I’ve kept you waiting long enough now for a new post so I should get on with it.

 

WOW what a great find on the Internet, I never thought of using dates and chia seeds in a smoothie but it dose turn out quite delicious. Dates add the sweetness that is nice in a smoothie, and also adds a little bit of thickness. Chia seeds adds thickness to the smoothie and acts a little like putting in a dollop of ice cream for body and thickness but without the dairy. Chia seeds are also full of omega-3, antioxidants, fibre, calcium and protein. So why wouldn’t you add them to your next smoothie.

I did change this recipe around a bit to suit our tastes.

 

Smoothie

 

Add to blender

 

1/2 – 1 cup frozen berries or 2 bananas

8 pitted dates, soaked to soften them

1 tbsp Chia Seeds (you can grind them in a coffee grinder if you wish)

3 to 4 cups rice, almond, coconut milk

 

Blend

I put my milk and dates in a jug to soak at breakfast time. This way when I’m ready for a smoothie the smoothie is almost ready for me.

RHUBARB

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As we travel around this wonderful country of ours we are trying to catch up with as many family and friends as we can. We are now in Western Australia enjoying the cooler weather without it being to cold even though the nights are quite chilly for us NT folk.  While staying overnight in Albany with on old family friend who lives on 4 acres, we acquired a fair bit of organic rhubarb and an organic zucchini.  What to make with them was the first thought that went through my head. Well the rhubarb had to be stewed first and then I can use it in muffins, cakes or even on my morning breakfast.

 

STEWING RHUBARB

I’m not sure how many cups of rhubarb I had in my slow cooker but it must of been around 6 to 8 cups, I also added 3 cups of water and 1 cup of coconut sugar. Turned the cooker onto high and left it be for a couple of hours until the rhubarb had softened and mixed together. This recipe is not a sweet one it is still a little tart. Just the way we like it. If you like it sweeter add more sugar.

Now what to cook that is rhubarb flavored? I think I will try a muffin recipe. As for the zucchini I think we will use some of it for dinner and the rest can make me a zucchini bread to have for lunches.

AYERS ROCK AND THE OLGAS

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As I mentioned in my previous post, it’s been a big couple of days in the red center for us. Not only was it the first time for all four of us girls to see Ayers Rock it also took the children about 20km (after we spotted it) before they piped up with great excitement “is that the rock?”. Leading a healthy life isn’t just about what we eat it is also about exercise, and this is the post where I will start documenting some of our physical activity. We try to exercise most days by walking or riding.

So back to our couple of big days in the red center. On our arrival to Ayers Rock which was at around 2pm we ate that delicious Banana and Ginger Cake that I had made the day before. This was our energy for what was to come. We rode our bikes around Ayers Rock (10.6km). The whole experience has been mind blowing, oh did I mention that it is one very BIG rock.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a good nights sleep we rose early to watch the sunrise on the rock and to go for an early morning hike around the Olgas(7.4km). Once again the views were breathtaking and the weather was just right for hiking in.

BANANA GINGER CAKE

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Well it’s been a big couple of days for us in the red center (Alice Springs & Ayers Rock). We’ve traveled from Cairns through to Alice Springs where we spent nearly a full day and stayed overnight. While in Alice Springs I made this most wonderful banana and ginger cake for our stay out at Ayers Rock. When I make this cake again I will be adding some grated fresh ginger to the recipe, I don’t think it was quite gingery enough for my likings. When you have made it let me know your thoughts on adding more ginger!  Sorry I didn’t get a chance to take any photos but my locusts (children) ate it all while I wasn’t looking

 

BANANA GINGER CAKE

 

4 bananas mashed

1/4 cup coconut oil, liquified

4 room temp eggs

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp ginger powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 cup coconut flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

 

Before you mix the ingredients get your cake tin ready and grease it with coconut oil.

 

Add all the ingredients into a bowl and mix. Place the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake. In my air oven it took about 50min at 175degrees.

 

CHRISTMAS, NEW YEAR

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Wow what a busy yet wonderful Christmas and New Year we have just had. I love Christmas, it’s the time of the year where you can eat and drink as much as you can and no one cares. For me the festive season is all about family and great friends. My GFDF plum pudding went down a treat with the whole family, even those that are not GFDF. They wouldn’t have known if I haven’t told them. Plum pudding was about the only thing that I prepared for Christmas but my father in law did up the most wonderful hot ham with a cranberry glaze (sorry no photos, we were too keen on eating it).  Christmas and New Years was spent in Cairns, but the week in between we went on a little road trip (little compared to the big road trip that we have embarked on).    Leaving Cairns we trekked up to Port Douglas and then onto Cape Tribulation . What a lovely part of Australia! Such beautiful rain forest and being still in the tropics it is currently the wet season so it rained all night. While up the Cape we did find a guy that sold organic vanilla beans. If only this was smell o vision I would indulge your senses but the smell of the vanilla was just amazing. Unfortunately I didn’t get to see the vanilla vines as someone else came along. Take a look at this address www.daintreefnqedt.com.au

 

 

Before leaving Cairns we headed of to the markets to grab ourselves some fresh fruit and veg at Rusty’s , we bought so much that it filled our engel so it looks like its fresh fruit and veg for the Lucas family for the next few days.

HITTING THE ROAD

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Lucas Lifestyle is about to hit the road for a while. We have sold our business and ready for a change in our lives, and what better way for a change than taking our children on a trip around this great country of ours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About 2 months ago we found the perfect caravan for the trip, something easy to tow, yet big enough for the five of us.

My kitchen will be considerably smaller than I am use to but I have all the necessary cooking equipment so it should be all right (I will bluff my way through).

Fridge space!!! We will be going from having a fridge and a separate drinks fridge to this…….

And an Engel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m going to have to go shopping often and get creative with space I think.

PLUM PUDDING

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Im so proud of this, I used my great grandmothers recipe and changed it a little so that it was gluten free. I hope you all enjoy making and eating this fantastic plum pudding.

PLUM PUD

 

1/2 cup sultanas

1/2 cup currants

1/2 cup dates chopped

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup dried blueberries

1/4 cup prunes chopped

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1/2 cup Almond flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp mixed spice

1/2 tsp bi carb soda

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

Pinch salt

3 eggs

Brown spirit of your choice (I like scotch or bourbon)

Crushed nuts of your choice (a little twist)

Ginger (a little twist)

 

Cooking twine

Cloth

 

Mix all the fruit into a bowl and add some of your spirits (about 2-4 tbs) and let soak for a couple of days.

After a couple of days you are now ready to combine the other ingredients together and form your pudding.  First thing you need to do is in a big pot boil some water (this is what you will be cooking your pudding in).

In 1 bowl mix together the almond flour, bi carb soda, salt and spices. Now you need to add the soaked fruit to the dry ingredients and mix well so that all the fruit is coated in the flour mix. Set this aside. In your food processor mix your oil, sugar and eggs.  Make a well in the flour and fruit mix and add the egg mixture. If it is a little dry add some more of your spirits (this adds great flavor to your pudding).

We now have to get our cloth ready so that we can place our pudding mix into it. First you need to fold the cloth into triangles then into triangles and into triangles again. Dunk your cloth into the boiling water about 2/3 of the way in with pointy end going in first. Take it out and open it up on your bench and sprinkle almond flour over the wet area (this stops the pudding from sticking to the cloth).  Place your pudding mix in the middle of your cloth, gather your edges and tie up firmly.

To cook your pudding place it into the pot of boiling water making sure it is fully covered with water and boil for around 4 hours. Once done you can eat it or hang it up to dry and re boil for an hour or two when Christmas day is here.

Eat with coconut cream and dairy free custard.

 

The taste test is always the best part of cooking

APPLE CRUMBLE

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We headed over to a friend’s place last night for dinner to celebrate her completion of one unit out of seven in her degree. Really it was just an excuse to have a get together, and the fact that she has rejected us for the past 3 weeks for dinner might have something to do with it as well.  Dee at the moment is on a strict paleo diet to rid her body of any toxins so the recipe that is attached will not have any added sugar. I do have to say that the pastry that I used is quite sweet and I will be working on a homemade pastry in the near future.

Mains were delicious purple cabbage coleslaw, green tossed salad and T Bone stake. Such a colourful dinner full of goodness.  Love having such great friends that you can sit around and talk and laugh with.

 

 

 

 

APPLE CRUMBLE

 

1 sheet pastry (I used THE PASTRY PANTRT pastry sheets)

1 tin apples 770g

1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp All spice

Punnet fresh blueberries

 

Crumble mix

 

1 cup walnuts

1/2 cup almond meal

1/2 cup rice flour

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/8 cup coconut sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

 

Defrost pastry and place in pie dish. Cook till golden brown. While the pastry is cooking prepare the filling. Place the apple, berries, cinnamon and all spice in a bowl and mix together. Set aside and start to prepare the crumble. Add all the crumble ingredients to a food processes and process till combined. When the pastry is golden add the apple mix and then the crumble on top and continue to bake till crumble is lushes golden and crunchy.

Serve with a little coconut cream

The food was awesome.  Thanks Dee and Shane for a fun night

CREAMY RICE AND DRIED FRUIT

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I had such a delicious breakfast this morning.

Creamy Rice & Dried Fruit

 

Pre cooked brown rice from the fridge

Coconut milk

Dried cranberries

Dried blueberries

A little sprinkle of coconut sugar

 

Place the rice, coconut milk, and dried fruit into a bowl and heat it up in the microwave. Once at desired temperature sprinkle with coconut sugar and eat

MANGO MADNESS

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MANGO MADNESS

Well it’s mango madness time of the year here in the tropics and I sure am loving all these fresh mangoes. Most years we freeze a whole heap of mango cheeks and use them throughout the year, but this year we won’t have the freezer space so we are in overdrive drying as many as we can.

 

 

 

 

 

We can’t dry all the mangos, we do have to eat them fresh as well. Fresh mango and cherry salad with coconut cream seems to be on the cards for me most days for afternoon tea.

The girls are hooking into the mango smoothies, and Matt is eating them chilled straight off the cheek.

MANGO SMOOTHIE

1 Mango peeled and cut

Rice, almond, coconut Milk

then blend and chill.   Delish

What is your favourite way to eat mangoes?

Do you have a great DF, GF mango recipe?