in the kitchen june

Still catching up on my food posts!

Spicy Apple Quiona from the Holistic Endoempowered Program.

Squirrel shopping at my bulk health food shop. Being particularly vigilant about pesticide free salads and food I can not peel the skin off. Unfortunately I haven't been able to source my amazing and abundant organic fruit and vegetable box from Canberra anymore - due to the business closing for personal reasons.

Kale, Avocado and Kiwi Fruit Salad from the Endoempowered Holistic Program. This combo is so different and delicious. Chicken Patties with Herbs and Shallots and Baked Sweet Potato and can't remember what type Potatoes.

Apple Slaw with Walnuts, Tahini Dressing & Orange for a catch up with friends.

Spanish Mussels. Working my way through the recipe book, Eat Endo Happy from the Endoempowered program. Oh night time shadow you strike again!

Gluten Free Sweetcorn Fritters. I used lentil flour instead of coconut flour. From The Healthy Chef.

More squirrel shopping from my bulk health food shop. I use to go fortnightly or weekly when we had a Waldorf playgroup in town but these days I go few times a week. Diversifying my organic wheat flour with Buckwheat flour. A little cinnamon sprinkled on my Dandelion Tea; farewell coffee and good riddance high cortisol levels.

Chocolate Beetroot Brownie a gluten free brownie using Almond Meal. From Home Grown Kitchen.

We're in the depth of Winter here and I usually cook a lot of casseroles, tagines and soups but my health issue has lightened my usual menu plan with a lot of clean eating plant based foods.

Are you eating comfort foods this season or eating lighter foods due to health issues? Or are you in Summer, frolicking at the beach in warmer weather and indulging in refreshing salads and juicy fruits? If so, lucky you!


Zena xx

what's with wheat

Knitting
The little one found the bear pattern in his brothers' craft book and insisted I make it for him. So off we went to the craft shop to buy the yarn (nothing in my stash) and over a few days he watched in absolute awe and "helped" craft its construction. What a beautiful life lesson to teach our young children the beauty of slow hand making in this very fast paced consumer world.

Incidentally the pattern is incorrect. The bear knitted up quite large and out of proportion. On my third attempt I halved the number of knitted rows and the bear came out just right:)

More knitting and some reading

Grandma's Favorite Heart Shaped Dishcloth for a dear friend.

A quilt for Christmas By Sandra Dallas was a quick read with wonderful characters. Centered around Eliza and her life tending to the farm with her two children whilst her husband is away fighting in battle during the civil war era. She took in a widow and a baby who fled violent relatives and later helped save the life of a slave by keeping her hidden on her property. It depicts the strength and compassion of women during incredibly difficult times.

Watching


This documentary gets a 10 out of 10 from me. Just some of my favourite speakers on real food and transparency in the food industry are in this film: Sally Fallon, Joel Salatin, Cydni O'Meara and Vandana Shiva.

The film covers the history of wheat, the hybridisation of wheat, pesticides and chemicals in wheat and advertising of wheat products over real food throughout the decades. It depicts how wheat in its new form and mass consumption of it has had detrimental effects at epidemic proportions in the western world. Am I against wheat? No not all. If we all ate slow fermented biodynamic sourdough bread for breakfast and buns for lunch we wouldn't have chronic gut and bowl issues that plagues many of us today. The bread at the supermarket is cheap and nasty and full of chemicals. I can't believe I use to buy it for my children. This film is a public health service.

Listening

 

Source

Getting to know Alisa Vitti, the founder behind the blog, Flo Living on this podcast.

Alisa believes that women live in a time where our work schedule, exercise recommendations and nutritional advice are all centered around male hormone patterns. By optimizing our female hormones Alisa has proven through her Flo Living Protocol that we can improve or fix PMS, cramps, unexplained infertility, low libido, PCOS, endometriosis, fibroids, and eczema.

You can find practical and helpful information on women's hormones through her blog at Flo Living. A dear friend is currently enrolled in the protocol and gives it the big thumbs up.

Y'all know I'm all about the hormones these days!

How are my crafty comrades? How are your hormones? We are a special breed us women and we need to look after our precious hormones...and keep crafting!

Joining in with Keep Calm Craft On and Yarn Along.

in the kitchen May 2016

Some highlights in the kitchen from May. Better late than never!
 
Zucchini Noodles with Creamy Avocado Pesto (without the pine nuts) from here. I've been meaning to buy a Spiralizer but for now I just make do with using the box grater technique.


Carrot and Beetroot Mint Salad from the Endometriosis Holistic Program and my winter staple, Cauliflower Soup with Coconut Milk. A vegan version of the one from Super Natural Every Day.


Carrot Patties with Coriander Pesto (Brazil nuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, garlic, lemon and avocado oil) This is one of my favourite dishes from the Endometriosis Holistic Program and I have made it several times already. I also keep the pesto as a fridge staple.

Blueberry Oat and Yoghurt Muffins for the school lunch box. I made 3 dozens in one week! No one around here seems to understand what a daily serving is when it comes to baked goods. Recipe from Donna Hay.

Chicken Soup. I hear a few sniffles and bam! I'm in the kitchen madly cooking homemade chicken soup (when I don't have chronic fatigue) with free range chicken and organic vegetables. It's disappointing I've not had access to organic chicken for a long while now. For my hormonal health I'm refraining from this immune boosting winter remedy until I can find organic chicken.

Citrus juice with Olive Leaf Extract. One of my secret weapons for sniffly little peeps.

Traditional Goulash - a regular winter dish.

Spicy Red Kidney Beans. I'm rarely eating meat these days so when the boys are eating left over goulash mum is feasting on delicious vegetarian mexican food.

Shephards Mince and Vegetable Pie (all organic!) for the boys and Tofu Scrambled Eggs with Spinach and Tomatoes for me with fresh ingredients from my monthly farmers market.

Squirrel shopping at my local bulk health food shop. Raw local honey and organic vegetable cube stock are pantry staples that we go through pretty quickly. The Sprouted Sourdough Bread is one I have bought occasionally over the years when I have felt a bit ergh. You'll find it in the refridgerator section. My current tip is to slice it with a wet serrated knife and place in a container with baking paper between each slice and freeze. I'm not suppose to eat wheat on my Endo diet, so on the days I need something more I toast this. You simply can't fault biodynamic sprouted sourdough bread.

Tofu Green Curry. Lucky finds at the back of the "fridge abyss" -  a block of organic tofu and the good curry from the supermarket for a quick midweek meal.

So cooking friends what have you been making in your kitchen?