A Happy Little Jogger (and other musings)

Yesterday it felt like the bottom had fallen out of my world.... do you ever get those days when you feel like giving up on everyone and everything? I feel lucky that I have my little girl... who makes me feel so alive and is a ray of sunshine on days like these... which come once in a blue moon! And invariably as a reaction to something... or because I haven't done enough! "Why am I not making leaps and bounds with my music?" "Er, because you're not doing enough!"

Anyway!

By the end of the day, it all cleared... I actually had a lovely day on the outside - playing with my daughter, reading with her, horsing around. I had a five-minute power nap and when I awoke, she was by my side, with a plate of raw chocolate almond cookies... she had walked past her daddy who was busy tapping away on the computer, taken a chair to the freezer, got the cookies, transferred them to her special dolls' set tea tray and lovingly brought them to me in bed. And then it was all ok... I WILL continue to write and perform my music, I will NOT delete my Facebook account and I WILL take up jogging... tomorrow - which is now today!

So my first point for today's post is... when the world seems to be crumbling, even momentarily, around your feet, what can you do?

First up, be with someone you love. Maya was there, she was amazing... she thought I was just a bit tired but she was so unconditional with her sweetness, it brought me right back to where I wanted to be.

Second up, get some light into your life - no matter from which lamp it may shine! Later on yesterday, we had a spiritual gathering in our home. I like to say prayers daily (food for the soul!) and I serve on a Local Spiritual Assembly, which is part of the administrative order for the Baha'i faith. Last night's meeting was amazing. We opened, as usual with prayers and then consulted for nearly two hours, no-one speaking over one another, everyone happy, humourous and respectful... then closed with another prayer. This further kindled my own light... I felt a warm, loving spirit in our home last night.

Third up - get cuddling! Maya woke up just after the meeting and I lay with her for lots of cuddles (head-sniffing, optional). I love being near her little body. I feel so empowered being her mother as she gives so much back! If you don't have children, you can cuddle your pet, your partner, other people's children (if they don't object), yourself or if there is no-one around, some kind of childhood teddy!

Fourth up! Make something delicious at night! For me, last night, it was a most amazing raw chocolate that tastes better than a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup!

So, here's a quick recipe... it is an adapted one from a really, really wonderful book called Sweet Gratitude.

Mix in a bowl

1 jar nut butter of your choice (I chose hazelnut)

1 tbsp cacao powder

1 tbsp lucuma

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp honey (mine was Mexican and gorgeous - you could use any sweetener of your choice)

5 tbsp melted cacao butter

pinch sea salt

Put the delicious praline mixture in the freezer for half an hour or until you can scoop it with a spoon.

Meanwhile...

In a blender pour:

150g melted cacao butter

3 tbsp melted coconut oil

pinch sea salt

3 tbsp honey

2 heaped tbsp cacao powder

5 tbsp shelled hemp seeds

2 heaped tbsp lucuma

Blend well

Leave at room temp until slightly thicker, then pour half of the mixture onto a tray

Set until almost hard in the freezer

Then spread the nut butter mixture over as a second layer.

Set for five mins

Then pour another layer of chocolate over the top.

Set in the freezer until hard.

Break into big chunks.

This was and is so incredible (nibbling some right now)... and what's more it made loads of chocolate! I also had to use up three extra mould trays (hearts, triangles and animals!) - each one has a little bit of the praline mixture and then covered in chocolate.

Hello!

So, make that too..

Then get jogging!!!

This morning, I was determined! I took my angel girl to her nursery (sang rhymes with them all for 20 minutes!) then came home... and went out in the wind and rain and jogged!

And this, my friend, is another reason why I feel pretty fabulous right now! And I am already looking forward to jogging tomorrow (day two of exercise for me!)

So, let's re-cap!

1. Be loved, give love

2. Have faith, say prayers, light a candle, meditate, spare a thought - SOMETHING to feed your soul.

3. Get close to someone - cuddle and cuddle them!

4. Make chocolate. No really, do! It is so therapeutic, it tastes amazing, and you can send some to friends!

5. Get moving! Jogging, hooping, dancing, walking... anything! Just do it - like I did this morning. I have been putting it off for months, and all it took was for me to step outside of my home and start moving my legs.

Much love xxxx

Pudding of the Chocolate, Lucuma, Purple Corn, Baobab Variety

Ok, so it has been many months since I blogged last... for anyone who has been counting the days, welcome back!

I am having a real trip down memory lane at the moment, listening to The Smashing Pumpkin's finest album, Gish, from the past, whilst eating a superfood pudding of the future... something I just whipped up in my humble kitchen!

This is far and away one of the tastiest 'Angel Delight'-esque puddings I have ever tasted and whilst it varies from time-to-time, it features the basic ingredients of:

1/2 an avocado

1 banana

half a cup of a nut milk - in this instance, freshly-made almond milk (whizz up a cup of soaked almonds to three cups water, pinch of sea salt and some agave to slightly sweeten - you can use honey, dates etc!)

Then it gets interesting!

In my blender, I already have the aforementioned avocado and banana, and the sloosh of almond milk...

then I add in:

1 tbsp lucuma fruit powder (delicious sweet and mealy powder... get it from (Detox Your World) - I have tried other powders from other places - this is the best one in my opinion)

1 tbsp baobab fruit powder (awesome taste - get some from Raw Living)

1 tbsp purple corn flour (Detox Your World)

1 HEAPED tbsp choc powder (you can use raw - I used my Waitrose pure choc powder)

three squeezes of agave nectar (or honey or three dates) (Detox Your World)

then BLEND!

And serve in the prettiest bowl.

I tell you, this is incredible!

And eating it whilst rocking out in my chair to The Smashing Pumpkins.... yeah!!!

If you make this, do post and let me know what you think!!!

Meanwhile, I am waiting for my almond fudge brownies to become ready for coating in raw chocolate... but more on that one tomorrow!

Ooh, Look at These Eggs!

Hello! It didn't occur to me that many people were reading my blog until a few of you said that you enjoyed reading it and when would I be posting again! Thanks for that! You spurred me on to writing this post. Anyway, I digress!

Today, there was a loud rat-a-tat-tat at the front door and who should be there but Postman Pat himself* with a special delivery for me and Maya!

Imagine our delight when we opened up the parcel and discovered a very sweet box of eggs... chocolate eggs! RAW chocolate eggs! (no, not raw eggs, raw CHOCOLATE eggs!) These eggs are the real deal - solid chocolate, sugar and dairy-free and so unbelievably sweet (tasting and otherwise) that they would make a very lovely Easter present indeed. In our family, we celebrate the Baha'i New Year which is fast approaching... 21st March is Naw Ruz (New Day) and this is also as many of you know the time when spring literally springs into action! So don't just limit these eggs for easter presents... that's right! You can send them to me for Naw Ruz!

You can order your own box of delicious eggs from www.rawrchoc.com, in a variety of flavours, ranging from After Dinner Mint, Orange Zest and a darker Purity. And you can have these in any combination so if you fancy four of the same or one of one and three of another, you can!

Happy Days everyone!

xxx

* It wasn't really Postman Pat - just our regular Postie!

Great Healthy Tomato Sauce to go with Kids' Favourite - Pasta!

Pasta is one of my two-year old daughter's favourite dinner dishes. She likes the wholemeal or spelt pasta variety as well as hemp pasta - you have to cook pasta of course so if you are looking to get a balance of raw and cooked into your family's diet, try this really delicious pasta sauce! I made it tonight when my poor, tired Tom came into the lounge and said 'I just don't know how to make the sauce tonight'! (He is usually a whizz at all things culinary in the kitchen!)

So, here's my quick and easy tomato sauce - and it really does taste divine!

In your blender put,

* 2 big fresh tomatoes

* three sundried tomatoes

* an inch of cucumber (or two)

* a pinch of seasoning (I used Herbamare) or a stick of celery

* ten cashew nuts

* 1/4 of a cup of apple juice

* Juice of 1/4 of a lemon

Whizz all of the above ingredients until nice and creamy and then pour over the pasta and in our case tonight, broccoli. As I write this, my daughter is tucking into hers - and is loving it!

This sauce, in my humble opinion, is so tasty, I would have it as a dip for crudites or breads or anything that requires a very yummy but very healthy tomato sauce!! Hope you enjoy it too xxx

The Video Series is Here!

After great anticipation, the Fresh and Live Mamas Easy-Make Kitchen series is here (well, on You Tube!)

The delights so far include:

Cashew Cream

Chocolate Almond Milk Smoothie

How to Make Almond Milk (need to watch that one first!)

And my latest offering, Banana Split!

I am mainly going for fresh, live, raw, superfoods ingredients but I want to let everyone know now... what I have posted so far is delicious food you can eat, but still in moderation, in my humble opinion! These shakes and creams are not the mainstay of my diet (well, only on some days!) My main diet at the moment consists of green smoothies, large salads, some sprouted and cooked grains, vegetables, nuts, seeds... some raw treats and most recently, dried mulberries - YUM!

And this is what I love about the Kitchen Series. It's for people who want to start making changes but don't want to be completely bombarded with too much info, too many new words and concepts. It's for people who want to be reminded that they can still have a choccie milkshake - one that tastes great but has no dairy in it! And the aim is for the series to go from strength-to-strength - finding out new tastes, ideas and ways of preparing foods for us and our families that bring about great health for all.

All mums (and anyone who wants to start making changes for their health) can tap into this series, watch it, play about with the recipes and then hopefully start to investigate what makes them (or you!) feel great!!

So what's coming up on the Fresh and Live Mamas Kitchen Series?

Chocolate Buttons, Breads, Shakes, Smoothies, Salads, Fudges and maybe, just maybe, a few celebrity appearances! Keep watching and do spread the word (and try out some of the recipes!)

Much love xxx

Coming to your Home Soon!

I have been  a bit quiet on the blogging front - but things should pick up again this week with the imminent arrival of the Fresh and Live Mama's Easy Make Kitchen Series! I am so excited about this! Every week I am going to share a video of a recipe that you can make (aiming it at the mamas but really these are for everyone)

I know a lot of my friends and family have struggled in the past to find easy yet innovative ways to feed them and their kids healthy, nutritious foods and as I love to experiment in the kitchen, I think it's time to start sharing, not just in books and on blogs and on my facebook updates but also via my video camera!

So look out for the new series and look forward to learning about...

nut milks and very yummy choccie milkshakes

choccie buttons

amazing energy-giving salads

smoothies, drink, fudges, biscuits and crackers

It is so satisfying to be in your own kitchen and make tasty creations! And I will be asking some other Fresh and Live Mamas the world over to share what they are making in their kitchens too!!!

xxx

Afternoon Tea

Still on the theme of Fresh and Live mama, I weighed myself this morning, 'just to see'! I have lost four pounds since Saturday - and I feel really, really good! My skin has already taken a turn for the better and a dry patch of skin that was developing on my left eye has now gone. (thought it was important for you to know that!)

It's all great news for me as even though I don't want to fall into the trap of a daily weigh-in, (weigh-ins can sometimes affect the tone for the whole day and as we all know, weight can fluctuate!) I can see results! And I can see them physically too, which shows that when you commit to eating really lovely fresh foods, you won't have to wait long to feel elated! Which then, of course, spurs you on to continue with your efforts!

I was thinking earlier on of what some people say when I eat like this (as in cutting out dairy, sugar, white carbs etc) and mainly eating raw, unprocessed foods. One person retorted that I shouldn't deprive myself of things otherwise I will stay in diet mentality.

I simply disagree. I find it interesting that anyone would think they are being deprived if they cut out low-nutrient and high processed foods from their diet. Sure, I am not having them, but doesn't deprivation mean that you are not getting things that you need? In that case, I would say that I have often (mainly in the far-away past) deprived myself of fresh high-nutrients, and low calorie foods. My body is certainly not deprived right at this very moment!.

Today, I have had a morning smoothie (we were out of most things green so we had a rather sweet and juicy orange, apple ginger and lemon smoothie with avocado, spirulina , hemp protein powder and mesquite), two raw flax omega bars (whilst we were on the go), more of the morning smoothie for a late lunch and I have have just had 'afternoon tea' which was simply delicious! Just strawberries and blueberries drizzled with the orange cashew cream I made yesterday. OH MY!!!

So, I feel good. I knew that I would!

I urge you (yes, urge!) to make this for your afternoon tea (or anytime snack) so you can see how amazing it tastes!!

x