Back-to-School Lunchbox Ideas & a Giveaway!

Pesto Pasta Salad - great for lunches, both home and school!

Well, it's that time of year again. Summer holidays are over and now it's the mad rush to get the kids organised for the new school year. It seems like everyone is desperately searching for lunch box ideas that are more then just a vegemite sandwich and an apple. The good news is, there are some AWESOME lunch box ideas out there, and we've been chatting about them on my Facebook page, so I thought I'd share some here for you as well, in case you missed them.

I obviously don't need to worry about lunch boxes too much myself (we homeschool) - our lunches will be the usual soups, leftovers, salads and pasta salads, smoothies, bunless burgers, chocolate banana ice cream, and whatever else I happen to be testing in the kitchen for the day! But I DO remember the stress of getting the kids out the door and to the bus on time with a decent lunch - one that wouldn't come home all smelly and soggy in the bottom of their bag because they didn't like it.

So here you are, not only have I rounded up some great ideas for you, I've also got you some goodies you can WIN to help inspire you with the lunchbox packing craziness!

Bunless burgers - one of our favourite lunches!

A beef mince patty with Dijon mustard and sauteed mushrooms in a cos lettuce 'wrap'. 

(Turkey mince patties with BBQ sauce is delish too.) Make them the night before and chill in the fridge, then pop it into a small snack bag in the morning and keep it cool with a 'Little Mashie' reusable squeezie pouch, filled with a smoothie and frozen! Delicious lunch. :)

Here are some "Lunchbox Filler Ideas" that a lovely reader, Nel, shared with us on Facebook. Nel is a busy mum of five who has lots of great tips for organising the home, storage, clean eating, reducing carbon footprints, gardening, and everyday activities with kids. She has started sharing her tips on her own Facebook page: 'Cuddles, Cookies & Chaos' - pop by and have a look!

Copy this list into a Word document, add in your own favourite lunchbox ideas, and stick it on your fridge. Voila! Plenty of inspiration for your weekly lunchbox menu.

Lunchbox Filler Ideas 

Note: Nel uses ingredients that are organic and/or preservative/gluten/lactose free, and finds most of her recipes online. Use this list as a guide, print out your own favourite recipes to suit your family's preferences. See the tips at the end of the list for more details.

Mondays: veggie box
Tuesdays: fruit box
Wednesdays: veggie box
Thursdays: fruit box
Fridays: treat box

Veggie Boxes
*carrot sticks
*cherry tomatoes
*cucumber slices
*crackers
*hommus
*hard boiled egg
*baked treat
*corn cob
*salad
*chicken drumsticks
*meatballs
*cheese
*sandwich
*leftovers

Fruit Boxes
*berries
*apple
*banana
*yoghurt
*fruit slice
*baked treat
*sandwich
*salad wrap / salad
*grapes
*pears
*mandarin
*orange
*leftovers

Treat Boxes
*bliss balls
*rice sticks
*salt and vinegar veggie crisps
*raw chocolate
*veggies
*fruit
*yoghurt
*juice
*homemade pizza
*homemade sausage rolls with sauce
*leftovers
*baked treat
*mini quiche
*homemade chicken nuggets

Baked Treats
*pikelets
*muffins - sweet and savoury
*anzac biscuits
*chocolate cake
*slices
*zucchini slice
*carrot cake
*banana bread

Lunchbox tips from Nel (and a few from me): 

- Rice sticks and salt & vinegar veggie crisps can be bought in individual packets in the gluten free section at Woolies. They are gluten/dairy/preservative free with no GMO's. 

- An example of a veggie box would be - leftover pasta bake in a thermos, rice crackers with hummus, a piece of carrot cake, half a dozen of each...cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, cheese cubes and a bottle of water. 

- Nel's Fruit Slice: Whiz up dates, cranberries and sultanas with some shredded coconut until its all sticky, stir through some melted coconut oil and quinoa flakes to hold it together, press it into a lined slice tin and keep it in the fridge)

- Healthy chicken nugget recipes can be found here; or try Nel's version - free range chicken breast coated in egg then coconut flour with mixed dried herbs, pan fried then baked, served cold in strips with aioli.

- Try my homemade chicken & vege sausage rolls recipe with spelt rough puff pastry; or Nel's easy chicken & vege sausage rolls: Mince up chicken and add a can of drained organic lentils, some grated carrot and finely chopped onion, roll it up in preservative free puff pastry as you would normal sausage rolls, brush with egg and bake. (You can buy gluten free puff pastry if needed.) 

- For warm baked food, heat everything before school, wrap it in foil and put it into thermos mugs.

- If you're looking for a thermos bowl/mug, you can get "Ez Heat Stayfit" from Woolies. They have a screw top lid with a flap on top that holds a folding reusable spoon, approx. $10. If you put hot liquids in there, do them up really tight - the teachers are always happy to open them for kids. 

- Make your kid's lunchboxes look exciting with cool stuff like hard boiled egg moulds and sandwich cutters.

- Make your own wraps! They're heaps cheaper than bought ones, taste a zillion times better, and are quick to make. Try my spelt tortillas, or for a gluten free wrap make these buckwheat and almond crepes without the vanilla, or try these amazing paleo wraps!

Make your own wraps - cheap, quick, healthy and much yummier than bought ones!

(Recipes above)

Sites to See:

Here's some great blogs and sites to help you with healthy lunchbox ideas...

- The Lunchbox Doctor: for healthy lunchbox menus, recipes, and nutrition tips 

- Meal Planning Your Way: 7 Sandwich Free Lunchbox Ideas

- Well Nourished: daily lunchbox photos on the Facebook page, and lots of great recipes on the website

- Natural New Age Mum: 30 super healthy lunchbox ideas here and best ever healthy lunchbox tips here

- Cut Out the Crap: recipes and tips for cooking without all the nasty stuff, including a recipe book for kid's food

- Brenda Janschek Health & Lifestyle: tips for reducing lunchbox stress, plus delicious recipes

- The Organised Housewife: how to pack a healthy lunchbox

Back-to-School Giveaway...

In my last blog post I shared the inspiring story of Talisha, the amazing young mum who not only is recovering from a serious bowel disease through natural remedies and diet, but has also developed a great product to help mums feed their little ones healthy food! As Talisha says, "With Little Mashies, I can give my child (and myself, when I am sick) healthy, nutrient rich, additive free food wherever we go."

Little Mashies are so easy to use! One way is to fill them with a smoothie and freeze, then pop into kid's lunchboxes where it doubles as an ice pack, and a lunchtime treat! Or fill with custard or chocolate mousse, or banana ice cream, and freeze for a healthy lunchtime treat. Yum!

Here's some recipes that would be perfect for filling up your Little Mashies:

- Green chocolate smoothie (if your school is nut free, replace the nuts with sunflower seeds and pepitas)
- Green smoothies (lots of ideas here)
- Chia pudding (make on coconut water for nut free; add some pureed fruit and coconut yoghurt)
- Coconut Vanilla Sorbet (or any other sorbet, but this one is awesome!)
- Banana custard (two custard recipes here, one with eggs but no nuts if you use plain rice milk (add banana), and one with nuts but no eggs)
- Fruit ice creams (lots of ideas here)
- Chocolate mousse (dairy free - this recipe is made on eggs; if you can't have eggs but can have nuts at school, make my raw vegan chocolate mousse)

Or this Raw Strawberry Pudding...

100g raw dates, pitted
350g fresh strawberries, hulled, or frozen
180g avocado
100g Raw C coconut water
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract, concentrate

Place all ingredients into mixing bowl and blend 1 min/speed 9.
Scrape down sides of bowl and lid and blend again 10 sec/speed 6.
Scoop pudding into Little Mashies Reusable Pouches and chill, or freeze.

So here's what you can WIN!
[Prize draw now finished - congrats to Emily and Gabrielle!]

Talisha found that coconut water was one thing that really helped her in her illness, and it is something she loves to use in smoothies to put into her Little Mashies. My favourite coconut water is Natural Raw C - it's got nothing added, no concentrates or preservatives or sweeteners - and it's in handy packs with resealable lids. I have a carton of the 330g packs to give away.

These are perfect for school lunches, either on their own, or added to one of the recipes above and frozen in a Little Mashies pouch. Follow Natural Raw C on their Facebook Page for new recipes every day, using coconut water.

For lots more ideas for filling your reusable pouches, follow Talisha on her Little Mashies Facebook Page.

For those of you with older kids, here's anpther great prize - an allergy friendly cookbook for kids, by Collette White of Cut Out the Crap! This book is packed full of gluten free, dairy free, preservative free recipes that will suit all ages, but especially appeal to kids. Perfect for cooking up some yummy lunchbox treats. Check out Collette's Facebook Page for lots of great ideas and tips.

Last but definitely not least, Biome Eco Stores have kindly donated two amazing lunchboxes!

A PlanetBox lunchbox...

(worth $85.00)

And a Goodbyn Hero lunchbox!

(worth $21.95)

How to Win:

If you'd like to go into the draw to win one of these 'back-to-school' packs, all you need to do is comment on this blog post, saying what you would do with these products if you won!

Prizes will be drawn on Friday 31st at 8pm via Random.org, and winners notified by email and announced here and on Facebook. Open to Australian residents only.

Note: If you're trying to comment on a mobile device, please click on the title of the blog post then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click 'View web version', then scroll down to the bottom of the page again and click on 'Post a comment', then type in the comment box.

1st prize: 1 starter pack of Little Mashies Reusable Food Pouches worth $23.95                  
                  (includes 5 reusable squeezie pouches, a funnel, and a recipe card)
                1 carton of Raw C Coconut Water (12 x 300ml) worth $39.95
                1 'Cut Out the Crap for Kids' cookbook worth $29.95
                1 PlanetBox lunchbox worth $85

2nd prize: 1 twin pack of Little Mashies Reusable Food Pouches (worth $9.95)
                  (includes 2 reusable squeezie pouches)
                 1 'Cut Out the Crap for Kids' cookbook worth $29.95
                 1 Goodbyn Hero lunchbox worth $21.95
 
All the best with the first week back at school, everyone, and may your lunchbox packing be stress-free and and enjoyable!

Jo xx
          

{Guest Post} Recovering from Crohn's Disease

Talisha and her daughter, Ariella

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure to 'meet' (online and over the phone) this gorgeous young woman who is absolutely vibrant with energy and cheerfulness. You would never guess that only one and a half years ago, she was so sick with Crohn's disease that her doctors said her only option was to have her large intestines removed and a colostomy bag installed.

Talisha has been on a very difficult journey with her health and has come out the other side strong and smiling. Her journey and her beautiful little girl have together inspired her to develop a great product, "Little Mashies." I was so impressed by her story that I asked if she would share it here for all of you. 

You can read more about Talisha and her "Little Mashies" Reusable Squeezie Pouches on her Facebook page and website.

Talisha's Story...

"I’m a single mum with a severe bowel disease. If I have to get my intestines removed and have a poo bag how am I ever going to meet a man?"

This was my first thought when my gastro specialist said that surgery was my best and only option to heal my digestive problems. This is what led me to try natural remedies alongside my medication, and it's what kept me focused through what has been the hardest time of my life. I know it might sound silly, or egotistical, but honestly, at the time it was my biggest fear.

I had been diagnosed with Crohns Colitis and after having my daughter Ariella, my health became drastically worse. Juggling being a single parent without family close by, and being so sick was extremely difficult. But I soldiered on because I didn’t have any other option. I had severe intestinal bleeding, constant cramps, high fevers and felt so ill that it was like having food poisoning or Bali belly, 24/7. I focused on my daughter, and during those first few months of being sick we played lots of games in bed. She was the sun in my sky (and still is!).

Ariella was 5 months old when I was first admitted to hospital. I was disgustingly skinny, my skin looked grey, and my hair had started to fall out. I was in really bad shape. I spent ten days in hospital, then went home for a few days, but was admitted to emergency again. My body was just not coping. I had been so sick for months, and even though I was taking the medications they recommended, nothing was working. For another ten days I lay in the hospital bed, and every one of those ten days the surgeon would come and talk to me, and tell me my only option was to have my large intestine removed. He'd ask me if I was ready, and every day I would say no. In their minds, surgery was my only option, and the longer I stayed in hospital, the more I began to believe them. But I just couldn't bear the thought of having a 'bag' for the rest of my life. I wanted to try and heal myself naturally. 

Eventually I was discharged, but told to stay close by, to call an ambulance if I needed to, and to come back when I was ready for the surgery. I went home, and my father, sister, and amazing friends from my mother's group gathered around to support me and to help look after Ariella. The mother's group ladies made a roster for cooking food, walks with Ariella, and play dates. Their support was amazing!

I began studying and researching natural ways to heal myself. One day one of the mums in the mothers group turned up on my doorstep to bring me a meal. When she saw the state I was in, she said, "I can't leave you like this. I'm an acupuncturist. I will treat you every day until you're well. You work on healing yourself with food, I'll help with acupuncture." She begged me just to hold on until Christmas before deciding about the surgery. I had no money because I was unable to work, and Ariella’s father didn’t help out, so she treated me for free. Each day she would console me, praise me for my efforts to get through another day, and encourage me to keep trying my natural methods whilst continuing treatment from the doctors. Whenever I felt like giving in, I thought about being single forever and that spurred me on to keep trying.

I tried many things in my efforts to heal myself naturally. It was a long, slow, process, and it took a lot of time before I really saw significant changes in my health. Some of the things I tried were:

-       Stopping eating (just drinking fresh coconut water)

-       Cutting out dairy and wheat

-       The SCD diet

-       Drinking elemental shakes with added Udo’s oil (Absorb Plus brand) 

-       Eating only soft foods like soup, purees, smoothies, and baby food

-       Bone broths (amazing!) - chicken slow cooked in the broth with pumpkin, then blended, was my favourite

-       Foods naturally high in good bacteria (yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, etc)

-       Anti inflammatory foods (fresh coconuts and coconut water, coconut oil in peppermint tea, turmeric, salmon)

-       Flaxseeds, and flaxseeds soaked in water overnight

-       Hormone therapy (I had tests done by my GP which showed I was deficient in testosterone, progesterone, and DHEA)

-       Vitamins and Minerals (Omega 3, 6 & 9, Vitamin D, Multi-Vitamin, Iron infusions, Vitamin B injections, Vitamin C)

-       Chinese herbs to remove the “heat” from my system

-       Sleep

-       Relaxation techniques

-       Fecal Transplants (4 times per week for 6 weeks)

-       Nano Vita Water drops

-       Immunity II tablets

-       Alkaline water

At the start of implementing these natural therapies, changes were extremely slow. Microscopic changes. Many times I lay in bed all day with a raging fever, and would be too exhausted to eat or drink. So if I had a fever for only 12 out of 24 hours then that was a positive step. If I slept for longer than 2 hours at a time without waking in pain, that was also a victory. 

My bleeding and bowel habits were constantly terrible right to the very end of my healing journey. I say end, but in reality my healing journey will be forever. It will never end because my intestines are my weak spot and whenever I get stressed that’s where I feel it! 

The thing I learnt whilst battling my illness is that everyone is different. Some things that worked for others didn’t work for me. And some things that worked for me may not work for you. It's all a matter of working out what your body needs, listening to your body, and not giving up.

I view my disease as though it is on a spectrum. I believe it started as Irritable Bowel Syndrome then it got worse and took on the form of Ulcerative Colitis. When I still continued to ignore my body crying for help, my intestinal ulcers became deeper, and biopsies showed Crohns disease. I am not a doctor, and I have always seen the best specialists and taken all the medication prescribed for Inflammatory Bowel Disease. But I truly do believe that the body is designed to be able to heal most problems and that there are many different nationalities that have healed themselves for thousands of years with herbs, foods, and natural remedies. I do believe that my problems started by eating the wrong foods from childhood, which is why I'm so careful with what I feed my daughter.

I started "Little Mashies" while I was in and out of hospital, because I was living off baby food, soups, broths and shakes. At the same time I was weaning my own baby onto solid foods. I researched the nutritional content of what was in the packaged baby foods and yogurt squeezies, and I was unhappy to feed it to Ariella or myself. So I cooked my own purees and stored them in zip lock bags.

One day I had a light bulb moment, and began designing my own 'squeezie' bags! With "Little Mashies," I can give my child (and myself, when I am sick) healthy, nutrient rich, additive free food wherever we go.

It was such a huge long journey to get my idea to reality. I had no money and was stuck in bed most days. But I was as dedicated to achieving this as I was to fixing my health. I tested, tested and retested until I was happy with the quality of my product.  It took over a year. None of it has been easy, in fact I honestly feel like I have been fighting for survival ever since I became pregnant with Ariella. But I now have my own business (which is growing every day), I would say my health is the best it has been in years, and my daughter is thriving!

I just want to say that looking after our children’s health is so important, and it is something I am really passionate about because of my own journey. To those of you who use Little Mashies Reusable Squeezie Pouches, I am so happy to be able to provide a way for your kids to be able to get the healthy, additive free food that they need.

I feel blessed to be able to share my story with you and hopefully help you on your journey to healing. Please feel free to contact me through my Facebook page or website - I'm happy to answer your questions and share what I've learnt.

Don't give up!
Talisha xx

Note from Jo: This post was not sponsored in any way, I just wanted to share this story of an amazing young woman with you all, in the hopes it would help and encourage those of you who are going through a difficult time with your own health. I have offered to do a giveaway of some of Talisha's "Little Mashies" in the near future, and will let you all know about that soon.

Jo xx

Quirky Cooking Birthday Giveaway & an Update!

Guess what? Quirky Cooking is 5 years old today! Woo hoo!!!

Five years ago on Boxing Day I started this blog as a place to record my recipes, menu plans and tips for those who needed some help with healthy, allergy friendly cooking.

Well, I never would've imagined that so many people would be joining me on this journey, and that five years later I would be working on publishing a cookbook. Thank you, thank you, thank you all for your support! At the end of this post there's a Birthday Giveaway, so keep reading to see how to enter.

(If you'd like to see a video interview where I explain my food journey, why and how I started my blog, why I use a Thermomix, etc, click here.)

The last few weeks (and months) have been a bit of a whirlwind, with lots of recipe testing and the photo shoot for my book in Perth, so I've been a bit absent from my blog. Thank you for being so patient. I had no idea how much work a cookbook entailed - phew! I still have another photo shoot here at home in early January, and bits and pieces of writing to finish off, but nearly there. For those of you who are wondering, the book will be available in Autumn. Not long now, so stay tuned!

Here's a glimpse of behind the scenes at the photo shoot... Thanks to the super organised team at Thermomix Australia, it all went really well. I absolutely loved working with these guys, they're amazing.

It was exciting watching the photos come together with the help of the photographer (Craig of F22 Photography), the stylist (Tarsh), and the art director (Becky of Chil3). There were quite a few of us working in the kitchen/studio each day, so the food never went to waste. Whatever we didn't eat was divided up and taken home by everyone at the end of each day. 

Quirky takeaway - pizza night! :D

I also managed to squeeze in a few catch ups with friends in Perth, including the wholefood guru extraordinaire, Jude Blereau! What fun :) (This lady is a legend!)

We arrived home from Perth a week before Christmas and I think I slept for almost two days, and I'm still catching up, so we had a very simple Christmas and just enjoyed a relaxing time with family and friends.

My friend bought me this very apt sign... ha ha!

And I managed to get a little bit of Christmas cooking done - thankfully mum did most of it!

So a fun time was had by all, and now it's Boxing Day and everyone's relaxing... except me, because I started a blog on Boxing Day five years ago, so now every Boxing Day is spent blogging. Ha ha! Good thing I love it... ;)

Every year I do a Birthday Giveaway to say thank you to you all, and this year we have some lovely prizes from Skin Juice and Blendstyle! Hope you like them.

To win a prize, all you need to do is comment on this blog post saying why you'd love to win. Winners will be picked randomly on Thursday 2nd January at 7pm, via Random.org, and will be contacted via email. Winners names will also be announced on this blog post. Competition open to Australian residents only.

[Note: If commenting on a mobile device, you will need to scroll to bottom of page, click View Web Version, then scroll down again to see comment option.]

Skin Juice Packs:

I believe it's really important to not only to be aware of what foods you are putting into your body, but also what you're feeding your skin. Anything you put onto your skin goes into your bloodstream, so why would you want to use products full of chemicals and nasties? Skin Juice is a natural range of skin products I've recently discovered and am loving, so I really wanted to share!

Skin Juice is an innovative new kind of skin care which breaks the 'rules', using cleansing oils instead of soapy formulas, and night oils in place of nights creams. The oils are natural, undiluted vegetable, fruit, seed and nut oils that lubricate, moisturise and protect without clogging up the skin pores. The oils feel amazing on your skin, smell beautiful, and are free of synthetic fragrances, parabens and dyes. They are environmentally sustainable and against animal testing. For more information, check out the Skin Juice website, Facebook page, and Instagram page.

Blendstyle Apron:

Blendstyle's gorgeous designer aprons come in many different styles - choose from luxurious embroidered aprons, vintage/retro inspired aprons, or quirky, whimsical, fun aprons. Check out the Blendstyle website and Facebook page.

Nutra Organics Health Bundle:

I love using Nutra Organics powders to add some extra nutrition to smoothies, juices, bliss balls and more. They are an Australian company that uses only wholefoods and natural sweeteners in their products - no synthetic or artificial ingredients, not fillers, no nasties. Check out their website, Facebook page and Instagram for recipes and tips for adding phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, etc, to foods and drinks for an extra boost. Great for kids that are fussy eaters!

[Prize draw now finished]

1st Prize: 

1 Skin Juice Essential Juice Box, valued at $190 (contains 6 beautiful, juicy, full size products) 

+ 1 Spud Sponge valued at $12.90 

+ 1 Blendstyle Apron of your choice, valued at up to $37.95

2nd Prize: 

1 Mini Squeezes Travel Pack valued at $75 (contains 5 travel size refillable skin juice products) 

+ 1 Spud Sponge valued at $12.90

3rd Prize: 

1 Skin Juice Pack valued at $69.50 (this pack plus this pack) 

+ 1 Spud Sponge valued at $12.90

4th Prize: 

1 Nutra Organics Health Bundle valued at $119.00
(1 x Acai Berry Blend 200g, 1 x Super Greens & Reds 250g, 1 x Organic Maca 300g)

+ some samples of each of the energy bars

Thank you to Skin Juice, Blendstyle and Nutra Organics for the generous gifts, 

and thank you to all of my lovely readers for your support over the last few years!

Have a wonderful week!

Cheers, Jo xx

Time Out

Time out...

This has been a crazy week. Cookbook deadlines are zooming by, so I've been stuck at the computer with hardly a break. (Except to homeschool, do housework, cook, go to a wedding, answer lots of phone calls and messages, and deal with all the other interruptions that are part of everyday life around here!)

Then at about 11pm the other night I realised someone had decided to steal my Facebook identity, so I was madly trying to sort that out and didn't get much sleep. (And it's still ongoing... so please don't accept a 'friend request' on FB from 'Quirky Cooking' because it's not me, despite the fact that they're using my photo and covershot and have also set up a Quirky Cooking 'Health & Beauty' page. This is my page, by the way ---> Quirky Cooking... not the other one.)

Stress. I was tingling with it that night and the next morning. And quite a few times in the past week. You know that feeling? I hate it. Sometimes the feeling of "so much to do and I don't know where to start and I don't know what to do" totally overwhelms me. I don't want to talk to anyone, I want to hide in my bed, disconnect the phone, and pretend I'm not home when someone knocks on the door. But you can't really do that when you have a home business, a family to look after, and you're behind schedule with the book you're writing.

I find it helps to focus on a job that needs doing, and start working on that in slow and steady steps, bit by bit, til it's done. (It feels so good to tick something off your to-do list, no matter how small, doesn't it!)

And I also find it helps to give myself the reward of some 'time out' to look forward to, as the jobs are ticked off my list.

Time Out...

As my mum says, it's imporant to 'take some time out to let your soul catch up with your body.' I'm not talking about big chunks of time spent alone in blissful quietness - I mean just making the most of little moments, little snippets of time, and letting that quiet moment completely soak in and relax you. 

One of my favourite writers said this,

"It is in quietness that we are fed. Sometimes it is not possible to get long uninterrupted quiet, but even if it be only ten minutes, “hem it with quietness.” Enclose it in quietness; do not spend the time in thinking how little time you have. Be quiet. If you are interrupted, as soon as the interruption ceases, sink back into quietness again without fuss or worry of spirit. Those who know this secret and practise it, are lifted up."       (Amy Carmichael)

It can be as simple as...

- Getting up early to have some peace and quiet to read and think and write before the kids wake up.

- Going for a short walk and bringing home some flowers you picked. (Or weeds, if you're anything like me.)

- Baking a cake.

- Playing relaxing, happy music while you work. 

- And maybe dancing around the kitchen a little bit. And singing.

- Sitting outside in the sunshine with a cup of tea for 10 minutes.

- Kicking off your shoes and sitting on the grass to eat your lunch.

- A chat and a laugh with a friend. 

- Stopping to notice the beauty that is all around you, and taking photos of what you see.

- Hugging someone you love.

And for me, a big one is...

Driving.

If I'm feeling really overwhelmed and my brain is tired of thinking, and all those little 'time outs' just aren't enough, I find it really helps to go for a drive.

I've been feeling really frustrated the past couple of weeks, because I have this absolutely beautiful car sitting in my driveway, and no time to drive it. And I have only two weeks til they take it back! Noooooooo...

(For those of you who don't know, Ford sent me a Territory Titanium to test drive for six weeks (yeeehaaaa!!) as part of their "Choose Your Own Adventure" Challenge. I was picked because Kidspot awarded me a place in the top 25 "Food & Wellbeing" Bloggers for Voices of 2013 this year. And yes, I'm truly loving this car. And I don't want to give it back.)

Anyway, today I had so much to do, and a wedding to go to, and the 'overwhelmed' feeling was building up again. So when my husband said, "Let's drive home from the wedding the long way - around the lake," my answer was, "I'm driving!!"

I know, I know, I had lots to do. I probably should've said, "No we'd better get straight home as I need to keep working." But after the stress of the past week, hugging the cat just wasn't going to cut it. I needed some time out to drive 'my' car, to sit back in air conditioned comfort and relax and watch the scenery go by.  I could honestly sit in those soft, leather seats all day, meandering through the countryside enjoying the view, music on, air conditioner blowing in my face, thoughts drifting, stopping to take photos whenever I want to... I dream of doing that when I'm stuck in front of my computer for hours.

So that's what we did. We went for a drive on a winding dirt road, and stopped to watch the sun set over the lake. And revelled in the comfort of driving such a lovely car. And it really helped. Now I'm feeling much happier and more relaxed, because I've had some time out, away from the computer and housework, driving this lovely car and enjoying the scenery. Bliss.

So tell me, what do you do to help yourself relax, refocus and de-stress? I'd really love to know. Please leave a comment - your ideas may help someone else!

Have a great Sunday, guys, and don't forget to...

♥ ♥ ♥

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 happy this 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.

(based on this recipe)

 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. :D

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.)

Fussy eating & sensory issues: A reader sent a message to say, "I have a child with sensory issues and probably mildly aspergers. Very very fussy eater and plain white food lover. I have tried everything with him to broaden his taste buds but he just slathers everything he does eat in tomato sauce. He is almost 10 and it is becoming a big issue." Read the discussion here.

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 :D

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... :D (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...

Ha ha!! 

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