40 weeks of pregnancy.

Every Tuesday for nine-isn months I had my photo taken.

See when I stopped fitting into my black clothes...
Or when we hung an artwork...
Or when we were on holidays...
Or when I really popped...
Or when I was way to tired to smile...
Or do my hair...
Or what I wore to my baby showers...
Or when I had a baby!

Watch my belly grow!

                                       

road trip snacks.

We do a lot of road tripping... and I always pack our own snacks. I generally pack enough food to eat for eight hours straight so I asked on Instagram if anyone was interested in any of my ideas for car snacks...
and some people were.

So here we are..

Sorry in advance to people who like to follow a recipe (I'm one of them) but all of these ideas are a bit vague. Play around with the quantities or find recipes online. Hope this is a helpful starting point.

Sorry also to those who don't like to make food and want to buy it. I think it's much better to make it yourself – cause it's cheaper, often healthier and customisable, but luckily for you at the end I have added some ideas of healthy snacks that you can buy.

P O P C O R N

When you think of popcorn you probably think of the movies or those microwavable bags. Unfortunately neither of these types of popcorn are all that good for you, but popcorn, made a little differently, is actual an awesome healthy snack, easy to prepare and very yummy (especially if you make a range of favours)!

Pop some organic (because most corn is GMO) corn kernels in a saucepan (or you could do it in a glass microwavable container with a lid) in a little coconut oil til all the kernels are popped then... go crazy with the flavours!

To make, combine the ingredients with coconut oil (or butter or another oil) over heat and then mix through the popcorn (or alternatively, just sprinkle them over while it's warm – that's what I usually do!)

I love:

• sweet and salty (rapadura sugar and Himalayan salt)
• spicy (cumin, cinnamon, paprika, cayenne, salt)
• chocolate (cacao, maple)
• cheesy (nutritional yeast, cumin, garlic, onion)
• nutty (nut butter)

Be adventurous and experiment with your favourite combinations. Share with me some winning combos!

Warning: they're pretty addictive!!

N U T S

Nuts are amazing in their health benefits (especially if they've been activated [soaked and dehydrated] to help with digestion) but did you know they can also be flavoured and made even more delicious.

All you need to do is combine nuts and marinade in a bowl, then pop them in the oven (at about 170C) until they're golden (about 15 mins but keep an eye on them cause you don't want them to burn!).

Try:

• Tamari almonds (just tamari and almonds)
• Rosemary Walnuts (rosemary, salt, olive oil and walnuts)
• Honey Walnuts (honey, cinnamon, sesame seeds, coconut oil and walnuts)
• Paprika and Rosemary Almonds (paprika, rosemary, honey, salt, olive oil and almonds)
• Cinnamon Cashews (cinnamon, coconut sugar, coconut oil and cashews)
• Nacho Nuts (nutritional yeast, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, olive oil and cashews)

One again, so many flavours to try. Experiment with your own combinations or ask Mr Google. And yet again, they are super addictive and delicious! Or just eat them on their own; they're yummy!

A P P L E  C H I P S  ( O R  P E A R S  O R  S W E E T  P O T A T O )

I've written before about apples as I buy them in bulk and I'm always on the look out for recipes to use them. One of our favourites is super easy apple chips. You just need a mandolin (or a knife) and a dehydrator (or an oven). Slice 'em thin and dry 'em out and eat away.

As above, you can also flavour them in lots of ways. I've only tried this recipe: Cinnamon Baked Pear Chips (with pears and apples) and it was yum but I'm sure there are many combos that are gooooood!

For a more savoury option, try slicing sweet potato super thin and baking them for a yummy healthy snack.

T R A I L  M I X

Trail mix is filling, easy and transportable and if you find it in your handbag a couple of months later, you'll probably still be ok to eat it. The good thing is that you can just chuck in whatever you have on hand:

• almonds
• walnuts
• dried figs
• goji berries
• puffed rice
• coconut
• cashews
• pepitas
• sunflower seeds
• sultanas
• cacao nibs

F R U I T  A N D  V E G

Want no prep? Then grab an apple, banana, mandarin or pear (or whatever else is in season) and eat that. Full of goodness and deliciousness.

Or cut up some carrot sticks, celery, capsicum or cucumber and munch away (cutting optional). You can easily take some dips with you too...

W A T E R

Don't forget your water bottle (or two). The plastic from the number of one-use water bottles consumed in Australia makes me sad as well as the negative health effects from the water (yes, they actually sometimes add baddies to bottled water) and the bottle (no, they're not BPA free).

But actually, when I'm road tripping, I often crave sugar to keep me energised. If you stop for a drink, my guess is you'll be more likely to purchase a bottle of soft drink than water anyway. Resist the temptation, save some money and serve your body, by drinking water.

We also always bring our keep cups filled with a cup of tea... as well as a thermos filled with hot water and some tea bags. Sometimes we stop for a coffee and the staff happily rinse our cups with boiling water, add our new drink and off we go.

I F  Y O U   J U S T  W A N T  T O  B U Y  I T

• Tamari Almonds: Woolworths sells in their Macro range (look in the healthfood aisle)
• Popcorn: there are heaps of different types of popcorn you can buy in the supermarkets. Just be sure to check out the ingredients and buy the one with the least number of ingredients (i.e. corn and salt).
• Dried Fruit: you can buy dried fruit in many places but most of it has added preservatives. Check the labels and try and find ones that don't (steer clear of dried apricots, they pretty much always do).
• Sweet Potato Chips: you can find a range of veggie chips in the healthfood aisle or Red Rock Deli and Kettle do sweet potato chips which I believe just have sweet potato, oil and salt.
• Trail Mix: Aldi does Seeds and Sultanas, and I'm sure there are a million other ones out there too. Just check that the ingredients are just what you want to be eating... 

Hope this is gives some good ideas of some delicious snacks for the road and makes you less hangry on your trip and saves you money for the actual holiday! Snack on.

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teething tools.

It's no secret that I'm into natural medicine and believe that we have been given so many tools to help deal with our symptoms. Yes, I believe there is a place for conventional medicine but I think we use it too freely and often unnecessarily. I started writing this post when our little girl only had 3 teeth (she now has 7) and we have treated her teething naturally and plan to continue doing so. Here's how:

amber teething necklace

Our little girl has worn hers since she was 8 weeks old and her teeth have come in with no dramas.. ok, this last one was a drama... but 6 out of 7 is pretty amazing! She's almost had no excess saliva which is a win! It's worn around her neck (or you can get bracelets or anklets) and the natural properties of amber work by being grounding and anti-inflammatory (it's not to be chewed!). To be honest, I don't know if it works or if she's just a "good teether" but it's not doing her any harm so I'm not taking it off!

something to chew on

Chewing on something hard is soothing and the pressure against her gums is relieving. She has a wooden ring that she likes to bite down on and I often wear necklaces, designed for her to chew on (for her teeth and just cause she likes eating things!). She also likes buttons on my cardigans and my fingers ;)
Something cold is also helpful: celery, rusks (check out my homemade recipe here) and I keep a rubber ring in the freezer for her to chew on! I've also heard good things about a cold or frozen face washer but am yet to try... because I'm not that well prepared with a washer in the freezer.

brauer teething gel

My number one go-to is this gel! It always settles her down. I think she likes the pressure of me rubbing the gel on, but I choose this over Bonjela, not only because of the ingredient list but because it is an anti-inflammatory where Bonjela just numbs the gum. I prefer to get to the root cause rather than just mask the symptoms.

essential oils
I have a blend of essential oils designed specifically for teething. I rub it on her jawline and let it work its magic. Essential oils are pretty amazing!

breastmilk
Did you know that breastmilk is a natural anaesthetic? It's pretty amazing! When she's teething, I let her feed as often as she wants (ok, I let her do that when she's not teething too!) and she receives comfort and pain relief. Except when her last tooth came in, she refused all milk and food during the day, but I trust her and that she knows what her body needs.



How do you deal with teething? We have another 13 to get so any other tips would be amazing!

easy and yummy 3 ingredient fritters that are almost everything free

Pretty much every week I make a batch of hummus. It's a good snack, easy to make, and tastes great. But I seriously hate waste and when I found out that you can use the liquid from a tin of chickpeas (or the water you've soaked them in) I was so happy! Only problem is, I started saving it and then didn't use it in time... I don't know how long that stuff can sit in the fridge.

Most recipes that use aquafaba (the more appealing name for chickpea juice...) are to make meringue or mousse, and it needs to be eaten that day. I, 1. don't have time for that, and 2. believe it or not, I can't (ok, shouldn't) get through that much meringue in a day!

So when I came across this way of making fritters, I was excited! I was using the aquafaba, making something easy that would last (and could be frozen), and is something my daughter can actually eat (as she reacts to many things, egg whites included, meaning normal fritters aren't possible).

   

So here is the easiest and best fritter recipe I've made:

<<< T H R E E  I N G R E D I E N T  F R I T T E R S >>>

gluten free :: dairy free :: egg free :: fructose free :: nut free :: soy free :: vegan :: vegetarian 

I N G R E D I E N T S :

• 3 cups of grated veg – so far I've tried sweet potato, and a mixture of sweet potato and carrot
• 1 cup of flour – I make ours gluten free, I've used besan flour, and a mixture of buckwheat and rice flours
• liquid from a 400g can of chickpeas

M E T H O D :

1. Mix all of the ingredients together until well combined. 
2. Roll mixture into approximately 16 balls.
3. Heat coconut oil in frypan.
4. Place 3-4 fritters (or however many fit) into your frypan and flatten with the back of a flipper.
5. Cook for a few minutes then flip and flatten again.
6. When golden, remove and repeat until all fritters are cooked.
7. Serve warm or cold, for the whole family. Eat them by themselves or with eggs and avocado, with a salad, or part of a nourish bowl. Yum!

<<< >>> <<< >>> <<< >>> <<< >>> <<< >>> <<< >>> <<< >>> <<< >>>

These are intended to minimise waste, so don't chuck out the chickpeas!!

If you need some ideas of what to do with chickpeas, here are a couple:

• Hummus... there is also a huge variety of recipes for other types of hummus or dips. I made this eggplant hummus the other day, and it was yummy!
• Moroccan style dishes such as slow-cooked lamb or couscous, or try this amazing cauliflower couscous recipe.
• Vegetarian curry, such as Jamie's Vegetable Jalfrezi which is a winner in our house.

Yum! 

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light and fluffy banana muffins.

Eating gluten free seems restrictive to many, but there are actually so many different ways to cook and flours to use. I love experimenting with different flours and getting goodness from so many different real ingredients. I also love incorporating fruit and veg into my baking for natural sweetness and extra nutrients. My current favourite banana bread/muffin recipe uses besan flour, also known as chickpea/garbanzo bean flour. I'm guessing not many people often cook with besan flour, but these muffins are light, fluffy and delicious and can be made as bread, big muffins, or small cupcakes. 

So grab a bunch of those cheap, old looking bananas (you'll have to steer clear of supermarkets to find them!) and let's get baking!

B A N A N A  M U F F I N S
Gluten free. Dairy free. Nut free (if no nuts added). Refined Sugar free.
Makes one loaf, 6 muffins or 12 cupcakes.

• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 3T honey (or use a bit less depending on how sweet you like it or how ripe your bananas are)
• 2t vanilla
• 2 free range (or organic) eggs
• 2T coconut oil, melted and cooled
• 1t apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 C besan flour
• 1t baking soda
• 1/2t cinnamon
• 1/4t salt

Preheat oven to 175*C. Line chosen baking tray with something non-stick – I personally like to use silicone cupcake cases or a silicone baking mat or non-stick paper (as above).

Whisk together dry ingredients.

Mix together wet ingredients until well combined and creamy.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
Fold in optional add-ins such as choc chips, walnuts, blueberries, coconut.

Pour batter into pan. Bake cupcakes for 25 minutes, muffins for 30 minutes and loaf for 40 minutes or until skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Leave to cool (if you can resist). Try stopping at just one!

Original recipe from Pulse Pledge.

two ingredient rusks.

Teething is a pain... literally. So something to chew on is great.

Keep an eye out for my post on how we are getting through teething... naturally.

One tip is to eat rusks. They're hard and so they're good to bite down on but they're also a gentle introduction to food.

Looking at the ingredient lists of the store-bought rusks, I wouldn't feel comfortable giving any of them to my baby. Don't be fooled by the 'organic' label – always read the ingredient list to ensure you are happy with what things are made from.
Thankfully I have a excellent researching friend (thanks Jacquie!) who found this easy and nutritious rusk recipe.

It can be made with any flour and any fruit or vegetable. Yes, just two ingredients! Easy, diverse and delicious (we have tried them!).

In the recipe, the author made them with sweet potato and spelt flour but I am choosing not to introduce gluten into my daughter's diet, so I used brown rice flour. Next time I will probably choose a different flour for variety (maybe buckwheat, besan or coconut).

TWO INGREDIENT RUSKS

What you need:

• 1 cup of cooked vegetable or fruit puree.
• approximately 2 cups of flour.

I halved the recipe, and I'm sure you could easily double it.

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 140C
2. Place the puree into a mixing bowl and gradually mix in the flour, 1/2C at a time, until you get a stiff dough you can knead.
3. Turn onto a floured board and knead until smooth.
4. Roll out until 1cm high.
5. Cut into fingers (don't cut your fingers).
6. Arrange on baking tray and bake in the oven until quite hard on the outside but have some give on the inside (about 45-60 minutes).

Readers on the other blog have had success with sweet potato, apple, and strawberry and ginger.

Original recipe can be found here: thanks to The Natural Mum.

recipe of the week: chicken pie.

Now you'll either think I'm a genius after reading this or completely weird. I'm going to say genius because I've made it twice and it's so yum. Best part, its super cheap and nourishing! Thanks Mum!

B O N E  B R O T H  C H I C K E N  P I E

I'll hopefully get around to writing a post on how I make bone broth... but there are many recipes online you can find if you don't already make it.

After I've made the bone broth and put it in jars, I sort through the bones and veggies and chuck the bones and veggies in the bin and separate the meat. There is a surprising amount of meat from just a couple of carcasses.

Here is the meat from our last batch:

I defrosted some extra chicken because I thought we might need it, but once I'd put it all together, I didn't need it so made a quick curry the next night. Win!

I cooked onion (or you could use leek or shallots), garlic, carrot and celery in some olive oil (you can add whatever veggies you like), then added the chicken, made a white sauce from a couple of tablespoons of rice flour (you could use any flour), almond milk (again, any milk), mustard and broth (or a bit of water or wine), then added in some mushrooms (and other veggies) and salt and pepper and let it cook for a bit.

Meanwhile I made some mash. I have lots of potatoes at the moment so I made potato mash, but you could use sweet potato or pumpkin or carrot or cauliflower or a mixture of any of the above (or anything else you please). I added to it a bit of turmeric, ghee, rosemary salt and broth. It was really yum!

Then I got the delicious pie mixture and put it into ramekins, popped the mash on top and put it in the oven until golden.

If you wanted, you could make this early in the day and then put it in the oven to heat through when you're ready for dinner. And do the same for the rest of the week as you eat the leftovers – that's what I've been doing! I'm sure the mixture would freeze well too.

There you go, chicken and mushroom pie – super cheap and super nutritious!