oven dried cherry tomatoes

from the garden. into the oven. three hours later. in a jar. with some homegrown garlic and basil.

her breakfast

we love breakfast 'round here. but sometimes it is the most challenging meal to come up with some new ideas. i thought i might share some of our morning meals, so you can share some of yours...

::scrambled organic eggs with baby spinach

::granola with yogurt and fresh fruit

::porridge with rice milk, maple syrup and sultanas

::almond, coconut and maple baked granola with yogurt and banana (from here)

other things we love are smoothies, tea (yes, she loves a little herbal tea with her mama,)baked beans on toast, quinoa porridge with cinnamon, honey and banana, toast with tahini and mashed banana and dippy eggs.  

the herb garden...

...is in full swing at the moment. we have parsley, basil, rosemary, oregano, thyme, sage, chives, sweet basil, mint, spring onions, and lettuce. so satisfying to step outside and pick what we need for dinner.

(heading home, to the river for easter. i hope easter bunny is kind to you. she has been busy in our house... more on that when we return. happy easter x)

oats for the bath

the other day i noticed rubys skin looking a little dry and flaky. so, when i put her down, i whipped up a tiny little bag. i used a flannel, cut it to the size i wanted, and attached some velcro along the top to seal the bag. inside? organic oats.

oats are a natural anti-inflammatory and help to sooth dry or irritated skin. i just let the bag run under the tap as i was filling the bath, and then let ruby play with it....

and the next day? clear, smooth baby skin.

(i have used this technique for a while now with ruby, and it works every time. i have also put the oats in a muslin bag, which works fine too.)

good morning

good morning. this should wake you up...a very green juice.

kale (a small bunch)
cucumber (one)
mint (lots of it)
parsley (small bunch, or whatever you have)
celery (a few stalks)
apple (2 or so)

juice all ingredients in a juicer. serve with lots of ice on a hot summers morning.

homemade: kitchen cleaning spray

homemade kitchen cleaning spray.

this is an all-purpose spray that i use for cleaning everything in the kitchen. both lavender and lemon oils are natural antimicrobials.

250ml white vinegar
half teaspoon natural dishwashing liquid
250ml water
half teaspoon lavender essential oil
half teaspoon lemon essential oil

combine all ingredients into a spray bottle. shake well.


(adapted from the book 1001 natural remedies, by laurel vukovic)

a healthy juice

freshly squeezed homemade juice. such a healthy, pure way to include raw vegetables into your diet. we love juicing, and i wanted to share some of our favourite combinations...



:: apple, carrot, celery and ginger
:: apple, carrot, beetroot
:: strawberry and watermelon
:: pineapple
:: pear, apple (and a whole banana added after juicing)
:: orange juice (with the flesh of a mango and banana added)


what are your favourites? i'd love to know!

in the backyard: signs of spring

:: temporary hot houses for the tomato plants (cherry, beefsteak and roma)



:: outside play (in between the rain spells)



:: clearing and preparing the veggie patch (with help and fertiliser from the chickens)



:: trying to stop whatever is munching my lovely kale (to no avail)

Bring on Spring!

almond milk

Home made almond milk. Fresh, creamy, nutty and oh so nutritious. (Rich in nutrients such as protein, fibre, vitamin E, magnesium, selenium, manganese, zinc, potassium, iron, phosphorus and calcium.)

Making your own is so easy, I had been putting off making my own because 'making' milk sounded hard. Here's how...

Soak one cup of raw (organic) almonds overnight. Allow extra water for the almonds to swell. In the morning, remove almonds from water, place in a blender with two cups of water. Blend until creamy.
Strain the mixture to separate the pulp from the milk.



Your almond milk will keep in the fridge for up to a week. Drink. Enjoy!

green smoothie

After playing around with the idea of a 'green smoothie' I think I've finally come up with one that actually tastes good and is soooo good for you.

Breakfast this morning, kale proudly picked from the garden for the very first time...

1 Banana
1 handful fresh or frozen blueberries
1 small bunch fresh kale or spinach
1 heaped teaspoon peanut butter
1 cup fresh almond milk
(Optional - 1 teaspoon bee pollen)

Blend together. Drink, and enjoy!

(Tomorrow: How to make your own Almond Milk at home!)

...

The winter loot so far.

...

I was planning to write a post today about how lovely my first Mothers Day was. It was lovely, spent with my two most favourite people in the world.

But. Oh yes, that's a big 'but'. I have just returned home from the supermarket, which is where my post on my lovely Mothers Day gets pushed to the side for the moment.

Here's what I want to talk (rant?) about today.

Fritz.

Whilst shopping today with my nine month old baby, the lady behind the deli asked me "would she like a piece of smiley?". I could have jumped the counter and slapped her. (I didn't). Smiley = Fritz. In fact, smiley is possibly worse than fritz, because this disgusting, processed emulsified pig bits are made to look half appealing to children by making it into a smiley face, hence, 'smiley'.

I did a quick search when I got home, astonished, that a stranger would offer my baby something that I cannot even class as food. Let me tell you what my search came up with.

Fritz, which is processed sandwich meat, can be made of ingredients such as soy meat extender (?) meats which MAY contain pork and beef, starch, soy protein, cereal, spices and sodium nitrate. They basically use up all the leftover crap, mush it all together and then stuff it into a synthetic casing (don't even get me started on sausages) and then market it at kids (whom we should be least feeding it to) and tell them it's good for them. Umm. No. Doesn't work on me.  Why in this day and age, when we know so much about healthy eating habits, and what we should and should not be eating, what we should try and feed our kids, are there still things like Fritz around? It comes back to something so simple, as Michael Pollan puts it "Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly Plants... Instead of food, we’re consuming “edible foodlike substances” — no longer the products of nature but of food science." It really is that simple.

I try my hardest every single day, to put wholesome, homemade nutritious food into my daughters and family's mouths. I read almost daily about nutrition and am so passionate about giving my daughter the best start in life - for me, it's not just 'food' but a way of living.



So, thank you lady at the Deli. Thank you for reminding me why I put blood sweat and tears, and time, and love, into my family's meals.

(Photos taken on Mothers Day. Eating real food.)

...

I really try to make my house as natural and eco-friendly as possible.  I don't use any chemicals to clean the house, I make my own washing powder and can generally find a green alternative for anything I want to clean round the house. Not only is it better for our health, and that of the environment, but it is cheaper and gives me peace of mind that I am doing the best by my family.(Especially now a little someone is crawling and into almost EVERYTHING!) Cleaning staples in our house include borax, baking soda (bi-carb soda), salt, vinegar and a selection of essential oils. You can pretty much clean the whole house with these ingredients, plus a few others you probably already have in the pantry.

One of my relatively found 'green cleans' is for the dishwasher. I love my dishwasher. It makes life easy. But I really hated using (what the boxes claimed to be 'natural') dishwashing powder or tablets. If you have a dishwasher, try this simple recipe, it truly is, a safer natural alternative - and works beautifully.

1 tablespoon of borax
3 tablespoons of baking soda
a few drops of lemon essential oil

I just throw it all down on the lid and let my dishwasher do the rest. Easy! Start the dishwasher and let it run its normal cycle.

You will feel peace of mind knowing that the dishes you eat off are not caked in harmful detergents!

...

Yes, I know those little toes are cute. But what I would like you to focus on is that little blue bottle up there. I have loved, loved, loved this little blue bottle for about four years now. "Dr Bronners Magic Pure-Castile Soap" is both mine and Ruby's all-in-one beauty product. It is all I use on my body (and face) and all Ruby has ever been exposed to. This baby blue one is my personal favourite. There are others such as rose, lemon and lavender. It is unscented and very mild, hence the name, Unscented Baby Mild!

I also use it (in the solid form, a bar of soap) to make our washing powder. So here it is, my recipe for...

Natural Eco Washing Powder

1 bar Dr Bronners Castile Soap - finely grated
1 cup Borax
1 cup Baking Soda
1 cup Washing Soda

I use about 3-4 tablespoons per load.

 

I hope you enjoy this lovely soap (in many different ways!)