An Update, a Creamy Pine Lime Green Smoothie Recipe, and a Glass Straws Giveaway!

Hi guys! What have you all been up to? I've been too busy for blogging much lately, but I thought I'd better pop in and update you all on what's happening around here! And because I miss you :)

So let's see, what's been happening...

Well last weekend I cooked for The Organic Experience grassroots food tour, which was a blast as always. If you ever get a chance to go on this tour, I highly recommend it - you will learn HEAPS about sustainable farming, why it's important to buy local produce, healthy homegrown living, back to basics cooking, and creating a strong, vibrant community where you live. I wish I could go on every tour, they're amazing! Emma Lodge does a great job of organising them. The photo above is where I cooked lunch, at a quaint little community hall out amongst the green fields not far from home...

Sjoerd of Real Food Network was the tour guide this time, and did a great job

It was really lovely to meet Sarah (aka the Clever Cook) on the tour - her and her husband flew up from Brisbane to come along! So see? It must be worth it! ;) (Btw, check out her blog if you love healthy food with an emphasis on low carb, gluten free options - lots of yummy ideas.)

Me and Sarah (and yes, I was pretty tired by then!)

For those of you who have wondered how the Ford Territory Titanium test driving is going (I've had lots of questions): YES I love it, I'd buy one in a flash! I've been driving it for the last 6 weeks thanks to Voices of 2013 and Ford (thanks Ford, can I please keep it??) and it's just a beautiful car to drive. As you can see, it fits heaps in the back with the two back seats down. I've had all sorts of cargo in it, from cooking gear for my classes and demos, to luggage (and Thermomix of course) when we went away for a week (all six of us), the kids and their soccer balls and jackets and boots and bags, the vege box from our co-op...

Yes, tomorrow will be a sad day, as I have to give the Ford back. :( One last goodbye photo... 

Sigh.

In other news, I started a Quirky Cooking Chat Group! Have you joined yet? We have such a great community on Facebook, and I think that collectively you guys know the answers to just about everything there is to know. So, after lots of requests, I decided last night to set up a group where you can post your questions and our quirky community can help answer them... which takes some of the pressure off me, because I can't keep up lately!

There's lots of great discussions happening over there (and already nearly 4000 members in 10 days!) so check it out and request to join if you'd like to. There are a few admins looking after things and I'll pop in when I can (although when I do, they tell me to 'go write that book'!! ha ha)

I have turned off the private messages on my facebook page for now, but if you need to contact me privately you can still email through the email button on my blog. I will of course still be posting on facebook as usual, but the 'chat group' is great for getting a quick answer to your questions, and you can 'search' for topics in the group too, which will be helpful. (Note: If you've sent me a private message already, I can still read and answer them, and will try to when I can, but if possible, repost it in the group, then other readers can pitch in to help.)

So that's my news for now, other than that it's still work work work on the book, and getting ready for the photo shoot which is happening in Perth next month! Yay!! (All a bit exciting!)

And now for a little recipe and a GIVEAWAY! Because I know this is what you were waiting for... right?

The other day my daughter was feeling sorry for herself because she'd just had her braces adjusted and her mouth was too sore to eat, so I made up this smoothie for her. (Oh, and some gingerbread biscuits.) So so yum. And because I love you guys so much, I'm not only going to give you the recipe, I'm also going to give you the chance to win one of five 'Smoothie Starter Pack' from glassstraws.com.au! (Check out their Facebook page here.) 

WIN!

1 of 5 'Smoothie Starter Packs' 

Includes: 

1 bent glass straw

1 straight glass straw

1 cleaning brush

To win, all you need to do is comment on this blog post and say why you'd love some glass straws. The winner will be randomly drawn next Sunday evening (17th Nov) at 8.30pm, via Random.org, and announced here and on my Facebook page. (Winners must be Australian residents only.)

Note: If you are reading this on a mobile device, you will need to switch to web version (scroll to bottom of page) to be able to comment.

Winners: Jodie Fitch; Cassie; Deb; Rachel and Helen

Winners have been notified via email.

And here's the recipe...

Creamy Pine Lime Green Smoothie

(Serves 4)

100g activated (or raw) cashews
1 pink lady apple, quartered
1 large naval orange, peeled & halved
1 lime, peeled
200g frozen pineapple, cut in 2cm cubes
60g baby spinach leaves
300-400g Natural Raw C coconut water

Place all the ingredients into your Thermomix or a powerful blender, and blend 2 mins/speed 10.

And if you were wanting the gingerbread bikkie recipe, it's a bit of a spin off of these ones. The new version will be in my book, but these are yummy too.

So that's it from me tonight, I hope you enjoy the smoothie, have a great week.

Jo xx

Weekly Highlights & a Coconut Water Giveaway!

Don't you love my new bowl? 

My friend just brought it back from Venice for me - it's hand blown Murano glass! Gorgeous, huh. (And the gooey fudge brownies are pretty amazing too, but more on that another day.)

Okay, it's time for an update on what's been happening over on the 

Quirky Cooking Facebook Page!

Yeah, I know, I missed a week... my bad. Been hiding in my recipe testing cave.

But at least there's chocolate in there. 

And pizza. And pie. And pancakes. So no need to feel sorry for me. :)

Now if only I can focus long enough to get this blog post done... :D

Now, where was I? Oh yes, blogging...

Ok, the Weekly Highlights. 

But wait, there's a giveaway!! Want to hear about that first? Of course you do. So here it is:

I have 2 cases of 12 x 330ml cartons of Raw C Coconut Water to give away!

Want some?

I love coconut water in my smoothies and juices, or just on it's own, cold from the fridge. It's a great way to stay hydrated! Known as 'Nature's Gatorade', Raw C is popular sports drink alternative because it naturally contains electrolytes, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium and potassium. 

Raw C is 100% Pure Coconut Water - no sugar, preservatives or concentrates, and no funny stuff.

Check it out here!

[Updated, due to such a great response!!]

To WIN some Natural Raw C Coconut Water, all you have to do is comment on this post, 

mentioning Raw C coconut water in your comment. The prize winner will be drawn on Wednesday 7th August at 5pm, via Random.org, and the winner notified. 

Winner's name will be posted on this page. 

(Competition open to Australian residents only)

And the winners are...

Kym - 1st Prize: 2 cases of 12 x 330ml Raw C Coconut Water

Healthy SA - 2nd Prize: 1 case of 12 x 330ml Raw C Coconut Water
Shaarn - 3rd Prize: 1 case of 12 x 330ml Raw C Coconut Water

How about you pop by the Natural Raw C Coconut Water Facebook page and say Hi? 

They'd love to hear from you!

[Note: If you are reading this on a mobile device, you will need to swap over to the web version to be able to comment. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click 'view web version'.]

I do have another giveaway to share with you, but will let you know about that one in another day or two. Now onto the Weekly Highlights - there's lots to share!

FOOD...

Local produce... do you know what all this is?

Cooking to impress! Need to cook for a dinner party? Here's some quick and easy dishes that will knock the socks off your guests...

What's in your green smoothie today? I love coconut water in mine, plus lots of other goodies... Readers share their favourites here.

Quick snacks: What snacks do you make to take with you when you only have 20 minutes before you need to dash out the door? Here's some of mine, and lots of reader's ideas.

Bake & freeze snacks: What about snacks you can freeze for when you need them?

New Thermomix? How to stock your pantry: Readers share their tips for what to stock up on when expecting your new Thermie to arrive! (Excitement!!) :D

Vegetable spiralizers: Wondering if you should get one, what to use it for, what brand to buy? Answers here.

How to get turmeric stains out: Does your Thermomix lid, seal and butterfly look kind of odd from cooking with turmeric? Try these handy tips to remove the stain!

Quick & easy lunches: A reader who was 'falling back into bad habits' asks for ideas for quick, healthy lunches, and wow, so many great suggestions!

Grain free & dairy free lunchbox ideas: It's not always easy to think outside the box ;) but here's some tips.

Egg free breakfast ideas for little ones: Karen's 10 mth old has been diagnosed with an egg allergy, and she's stuck for new breakfast ideas. Here's lots of suggestions, including my egg-free pancake/waffle recipe.

Leftover pulp from making almond milk: Every wondered what to do with it? Here's some ideas.
And here's another one I spotted on Instagram - Superfood Nut Sprinkle.

Leftover ganache: What do you do with your leftover ganache? (Is there even such a thing??)

Matt Stone & Thermomix: Love the look of this raw cauliflower 'cous cous' salad Matt whipped up on the Morning Show - did you see it?

Friday night pizza: What's your favourite toppings?

Mandarine recipes: Are they dropping off your trees? Here's some ideas so they won't go to waste.

Naturally sweetened icings: Some ideas for icing cakes without refined icing sugar.

Pink party! What to feed a bunch of 6 yr old girls for a healthy pink party? Yummy ideas!

Diabetic friendly recipes: Thermomix friendly suggestions for diabetic recipes.

Breakfast ideas for a toddler with excema: Dairy & wheat free suggestions for an 8 month old.

What to make with egg whites? If you had 5 egg whites in the fridge, what would you make?


HEALTH & OTHER GOOD ADVICE...

What is the one small change you could make that would have the biggest impact on your health? Clare of Checks & Spots asks this question of 13 'bright sparks' who have a unique perspective on health, wellness and nutrition. (Including me!) :D

How to fatten pigs, and people: I found this article VERY interesting!!

Join a bulk food buying co-op! How? and Where?

How to boost iron levels naturally: A mum who is 30 weeks pregnant with low iron levels asks for advice - lots of great suggestions!

How to search on my page: I quite often have people puzzled about this, so if this is you, here's how... Just type into the search box the ingredient or subject you're looking for, and lots of links will come up that you can click on. Or you can go to the Recipe Index on the left of the 'Quirky Cooking' logo and click on that to get a drop down list of the labels you can search through. :)

What would you do? A reader asks for advice for how to get her family and friends to stop bringing junk food over as it's affecting her child's behaviour. Lots of discussion on this one!!!

How to get lots of housework done! Set a timer and FOCUS! Do you do this?

Do you love kitchen shops? What would you spend a $40 gift voucher on?


NEWS...

For those of you up here in FNQ (or visiting FNQ in August!), we'd love for you to join us for The Organic Experience food tour! Paddock to plate, meet the growers, tour the beautiful Atherton Tablelands, and gain a deeper appreciation for the way food connects our community, wellbeing and environment. I'll be cooking lunch with local produce on the 24th, it'll be heaps of fun and I hope to see you there! 

And that's about it for now... have a great week, and may it include homemade bread and lots of books. And chocolate. 

Jo xx

Miss C in her happy place - bread and books. :)

What could be better?

Shrek Juice & Juicing in the Thermomix

We call this drink 'Shrek Juice'. I'm sure you can see why! It's so simple it's hardly a recipe, but I thought I'd go ahead and post it as I get lots of questions about the best way to make juice in the Thermomix.

The Thermomix is great for making delicious, healthy juices. The best way to do it is to make a 'boost juice' style of juice... just whiz up your fruit and/or veges with a couple of handfuls of ice, speed 10 for a minute or two, add a little water if you need to thin it down to a drinkable consistency, and there you are - no wasted pulp, the fibre is there in a drinkable form, and the bowl is easy to clean up afterwards. All you do when you've finished juicing is whiz up some water in the bowl, rinse under the tap, and voila - it's clean! There's no messy filter to scrub out - which makes it much more likely that you'll drink fresh juice every day, right? I know when I had to rely on a juice extractor for juices, I didn't juice too often - those things are such a pain to clean.

The reason you add the ice is because it helps grind up the fibres of the fruit and veges, stops the juice from becoming foamy, and also helps retain the enzymes in the juice by keeping them cool. So don't leave out the ice.

One of my favourite things about making juice this way is that I can afford to use organic fruit and veges and not feel like I'm wasting money by throwing out the fibre, because it's all incorporated into the juice. A couple of carrots, a couple of apples, a handful of baby spinach, a stick of celery and a little ice makes juice for four people - no need to use half the fruit and veges in the fridge! It also makes it a lower GI drink, as the fibre prevents your blood sugar levels from soaring because of concentrated sugars. And the juice is more filling, so it's great when you're in a hurry in the mornings and don't have time for breakfast; or if you're trying to lose weight. So my advice is keep the fibre in your juices - don't strain it all out!

Shrek Juice - makes about 3 serves

Grind up in the Thermomix on speed 10 for 1 minute or so:
- 3 oranges, peeled (cut off skin & pith, leave whole)
- 2 handfuls baby spinach
- a handful or two of ice

That's it!

I love to add baby spinach or other greens to smoothies and juices - you can't taste them, and fresh greens are so good for you. And most of us don't get enough of them.

Sometimes I add nuts to my juices, to make a creamy fruit drink like Pecan Orange Milk, or Creamy Citrus Smoothie. They're great for a breakfast drink, as the protein helps you wake up and gives you energy.

There's so many different types of juices you can make in the Thermomix - this is just a very simple one that's a favourite at our house. So what are your favourite juice combinations?

Oh, by the way, just in case you have little princesses at your house who are totally not interested in Shrek, here's a Princess Fiona Juice too... ;)

(Okay, it's more of a smoothie...)

This one is made from a few handfuls of frozen blueberries, a handful of baby spinach, a handful of raw almonds, a few dates, a frozen avocado or banana (chopped in bits), a handful of ice, water to cover, and a little agave syrup or honey to taste if needed. I don't really measure with juices and smoothies - just keep adding til it tastes right!

Enjoy!

Creamy Citrus Smoothie

Sorry I've been out of touch for a couple of weeks - been moving house, and I was sick for a week too!  I can still barely see the floor for boxes, but we're getting there :)  Here's a quick recipe that I hope you'll enjoy...

In winter there's plenty of citrus fruit around - isn't it great when friends give you great big bags of oranges and mandarins off their trees!  Here's a delicious alternative to the usual orange juice - the nuts turn it into a calcium-rich fruit 'milk'!  Sometimes I call it 'orange milk', or 'orange smoothie', but you can really use any citrus fruits in it - mix and match: grapefruit, mandarin, lemonade fruit, and bush lemons - and I often add some kiwi fruit too.  As you can see from the photo, I leave a bit of skin on the fruit, as the bioflavinoids in the skin help you to better absorb the vitamin C - and the Thermomix does such a good job of blending it, your kids will never know it's there!  (Use organic fruit if possible, especially if you're including peel.)  See below for some more great variations and tips.

I don't measure amounts, so just make it to taste...

Place in Thermomix bowl and blend on speed 9 for 1 minute, or until smooth:

- a mixture of 3 or 4 oranges/mandarins/grapefruit/bush lemons/lemonade fruit/kiwi fruit (get most of the seeds out, and most of the peel off - just leave a little bit of peel in there)

- a spoonful or two of raw honey (to taste)

- ice cubes, to about the 1.5 litre mark

- a good handful each of raw almonds and raw cashews

- water to barely cover (add more if needed to thin it out)

Here's a few more tips and variations from my friend Barbara...

"As a little extra – if you want to ‘mellow’ the stronger citrus taste because of the lemon and or grapefruit, include a washed and quartered apple. Depending on the relative quantity of citrus, one or two apples will do. Leave the skin on and the core in – more bioflavonoids in them. If you want to make it creamier and a little thicker, drop in one or two bananas. A handful of mint if you have it and/or 2cm of washed fresh ginger – sliced roughly - makes it extra refreshing and healthful for coughs, colds etc. Finally – the most daring is a chilli added at the beginning of the blending or a good shake of cayenne pepper in each glass then a quick stir. It is very warming when slightly under the weather! "

Thanks Barbara!

Banana Raspberry Smoothie

Smoothies are perfect for an energy boost at morning tea time - my blood sugar levels always seem to be dropping at this time of day, and a good smoothie really helps. Here's one that we love to make... it's delicious!

I start off most of my smoothies by grinding up raw almonds, pepitas, linseeds and dates - that makes the sweet milk they are based on. You can really add any frozen fruit, plus water, and some additional sweetener if needed. I usually add frozen banana to make it thick and creamy - (just peel them and freeze them whole in a plastic bag, and break them off as you need them). I also like to add tahini to make it creamier, and to add a calcium boost. (Of course, if you have a powerful machine like the Thermomix, you can grind up your own sesame seeds at the start if you'd rather, instead of adding tahini.)

(Note: If you have time, soak the almonds and seeds for a few hours or overnight, then drain off the water, add all other ingredients and mix on speed 9 for 1 minute.)
1. Grind up for about 20 seconds on speed 9, or until finely ground:
- 2 handfuls of raw almonds
- 1 handful of raw pepitas
- 2 tsp linseeds (flaxseeds)

2. Add and grind for another 10-20 seconds on speed 9, until fine:
- 1 big handful of pitted dates

3. Add and mix on speed 9 for 1 minute:
- 3-4 frozen bananas, chopped in 1 inch chunks
- 2 big handfuls frozen raspberries
- 2 Tblspns tahini
- 1 Tblspn agave syrup (or pure maple syrup) (optional)
- 1 litre water (more or less depending how thick you want it)

Enjoy!