What is behind it all?

So, after a busy week of beginning back with clients I suddenly realized it was Sunday and I hadn’t even thought of what to write on here!! Thoughts went to re-blogging but as I scrolled through old posts I came across one which connected to my week beautifully. The connection between our emotions and our health.

Thanks to My R.A. Diary for the pic

I have long believed, through my own journey, that emotions dictate so much of our health … for me probably most of it. Emotions can play a part in what I decide to eat. Emotions play a part in which chemicals are released within my body. Emotions can play a part in how my body functions and heals. Emotions can play a part in how I interact with others and how they interact with me. Emotions play a part in how I exercise along with the intensity levels I exercise at and how much I enjoy the physical activity. So, yes ….. emotions dictate so much of my health and yours too I’m sure.

More and more I am looking at how emotions are impacting physical health and using EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) in conjunction with my reflexology, with great results, to create change. This technique helps to dig a little deeper into the thoughts and emotions we hold around physical symptoms we may have. Thoughts and emotions which may be holding us back in some way. This conjunction of EFT and Reflexology also helps to work on issues from different aspects; physical, mental and emotional. In fact I’m so convinced of the way these two can help that it is the basis of my upcoming book!

We all have our external story about why we act the way we do or why we are the way we are but there is often an internal story too. An internal story which doesn’t always get told, not even to ourselves. Sometimes the internal story is so well hidden we are unaware it is the actual narrator of our experiences rather than what we perceive is happening. Currently I have exactly that going on. While my ankle has been sore from a fall it wasn’t until I acknowledged the shame and guilt (which will be impacting my body’s response internally) I felt about the fall with someone else happening that the pain and swelling heave shifted. Once I began to acknowledge everything I’m feeling both inside and out, rather than pushing it down, the body can make a begin to let healing happen.

So often, in my own journey and in working with others, I come across this link between the physical and the emotional. I find connections between difficult times and symptoms I have now to past difficult times I hold in my memory. I find connections between reactions to certain foods and an emotional experience in my past. I see it in others too though they are not always open to hearing that the real reason they are having a physical reaction may have an emotional root. Most of us like to look for the fault externally, something tangible which we can pin the blame on. It is the easier way but not really the most effective.

When we experience ‘trauma’ (anything which disrupts our peace and calm) we often don’t have time to process what is really happening. We just dump it all down (senses, smells, sights and sounds) and get ready to fight or to take flight. We leave the processing part for later. Trouble is we hardly ever go back to process things. Usually we push it all out of our heads, that is until a trigger associated with the traumatic event occurs and it is all back again. Sometimes we can see the connection but often we don’t as we go straight back into survival mode which doesn’t usually include rational thinking. However when we take time to look closer at the ‘background story’ and process it that is when the real healing can begin to occur.

While I don’t have any scientific proof to back this up personally, there are a lot of studies out there about the power of our emotions and the impact they have on our physical body. I’m not the only one who has been thinking about this connection which is good news to me. So my offering tonight is really some ‘food for thought’ (and a link to The Allergy Link website with their much more scientific explanation) about how emotions impact our health and well-being.

Could there be something behind what you are experiencing? Something that you could explore with the possibility of achieving even more radiant health than you already have? I hope so because if there is one other thing I believe it is that we all deserve fantastic and phenomenal health and well-being.

Hope this finds you exploring new possibilities and breaking down old patterns.

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

The Challenge

This past week I set myself a challenge. A challenge which I haven’t done all that well with. My challenge? To quit complaining for a week. Sounds simple right? That’s what I thought too …. as I set my intention at the start of the week it all seemed straight forward enough but as the days went by the severity of my challenge began to stink in.

It has amazed me that in focusing on not moaning, complaining or bitching I now realise just how much I do! Sometimes I hear myself saying things as they come spilling out of my mouth without any real thought … that is how ingrained my habit is obviously. Admittedly not all of it is external, sometimes I catch the thought before it leaves my mouth, but it has become apparent that my days are scattered full of wee moments of complaint. They are short lived and fleeting to be sure but there never the less.

In the process of noticing my own moaning I have also become sharply aware of others comments and/or tone. I find myself constantly questioning ‘Is this complaining about something/someone or just explaining about a difficult situation?’ What can seem like a statement is easily turned into a moan with the tone used or a look given. Sometimes I even find myself complaining in a joking way ….. having a laugh and making it feel less of a complaint. Is this still complaining when I make light of an uncomfortable situation? It may get a laugh but at what cost to me and the other person involved?

The Stress Experts blog explains it this way …. ‘So, complaining is what you do when you are in a negative state/mood and you talk about negative things, hoping someone will join you in the swill you’re swimming in.’ When I look at it that way I tend to let myself off the hook a little. My complaining tends to be an offload without wanting anyone to ‘come swim in the swill with me’ though sometimes (if I’m being completely honest) that is kind of nice too! My intention usually isn’t to ‘get at anyone’ or moan incessantly. Ultimately my intention is to take more responsibility in my life and moaning about things is pretty much the opposite of that. Hence the challenge! As Bryon Katie says (and I’m paraphrasing here) there are three kinds of business; yours, theirs and the universe’s. You can’t do jack about two of them so may as well just focus on your own business and make the most of that. Complaining about the other two isn’t going to get me anywhere and while it can be hard to ‘leave’ some stuff alone, I always feel better when I do.

I haven’t completely stopped myself whinging, complaining or moaning and I’m not even sure if that is possible if I’m being honest but I am definitely catching myself more. Catching myself both internally with my thoughts and externally which is allowing me space to either stop or redirect the conversation more. The good thing is that in complaining less and looking for the positives more I am actually helping to reduce my stress and find more balance which is something all of us can benefit from. So I’m going to continue with it this week; practise makes perfect they say.

Hope this finds you happy, healthy and loving the life you’re in …. warts and all

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

Drowning in Goodness … again

This a bit of a reblog/rehashed blog today. I remembered that I wrote about this six years ago as I was feeling overwhelmed on the weekend. Overwhelmed at all the awesome things I had going on. Overwhelmed with how I could fit them all in and still feel calm. I like knowing that I get certain things done each day ….. a routine if you like but not with any set time frame but lately it is a rush to get those things done and everything else that is going on.

This is a first-world, privileged problem to be sure yet that doesn’t make it feel any less real. Sometimes I have to pinch myself a bit and say ‘WTF …. you have so much.  If there is too much going on let go of something.’  However this is where my biggest fault lies …. I’m useless at letting go especially when I’m enjoying it all!! I like to think I’m getting better on the material side however that internal voice that keeps telling me that I need to do more is constant. I get ideas and then I want to make them a reality even when they push my boundaries. As a consequence I sign myself up to too may things or decide I want to get too many things done in a certain time frame …. I accept the free language course, I plan a workshop, I agree to go out, I offer to take people places, I write that blog – yay, doing that ;), I work on writing my book, bake for my Infant Massage class, I work on an upcoming EFT course all at the same time as home-schooling, taxing themselves, keeping house and trying to keep sane!

Yep … so really feeling like I am drowning in goodness at the moment.  How do you let go of all that goodness though?  How do I prioritize which is deserving of attention first?  Usually it is the loudest ones that get first dibs … themselves that is ;). So here I am sharing a thought instead driving someone somewhere or preparing for this weekend’s workshop.  Here I am taking a breath and letting go of all the demands for the next little bit to enjoy sitting down with a book while the rain comes down outside, the baking cools and the washing spins away.

I hope that if you’re reading this and feeling the same you can join me in my ‘life-ring’ of rest … before diving back into it all.

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

So easy snacker-balls

So, I’m still taking advantage of a few re-blogs especially as they are relevant to my week ahead. Each week I create something in my kitchen to nourish the mamas who attend my Infant Massage courses and this week I am going with a tried and true recipe. So quick and easy while being oh so delicious and nutritious.

From May 2019 …. The sun is still shining here and for the end of May the days are surprisingly warm …. especially in our little sun trap.  So with the temperature outside being balmy for this time of year and the temperature inside being hot, due to babies needing to be fully undressed for massage, I thought that a cooler treat would be ideal last week.

Making the most of the good weather …. walking up Hapuku River

These super easy treats came about, as many things do, through my resistance to pay for something that I was sure I could make at home.  That ‘give it a go’ mentally is definitely a kiwi trait I think, definitely a very strong trait of mine anyway. Combine that with a bit of frugal living and … well … you end up trying to create at home (making 45 of them) what would cost you $9 in the supermarket for just 10 balls.  Back then I named these little treats Snackerballs, after themselves telling me that they weren’t ‘Frooze balls’ ….. then low and behold a year or two later I see that ‘Snackaballs’ appeared on the shelves.  Obviously onto a good thing with the name back then, shame I didn’t trademark it 🙂

These are another ‘one pot wonder’ which you can whip up quickly and easily, adjusting them to your taste-buds pretty easily.  I just store them in the fridge so they can be made whenever and last for ages … if they aren’t gobbled up before that.  Over the years of making these we have tried lots of variations; adding different things like cranberries at Christmas, grated chocolate, nuts, seeds, carob and recently ground LSA (Linseed, Sunflower seeds and Almonds).  We found Healtheries LSA Superfruits , which is super yum, a while ago when making some apple crumble and I have to say that adding this did give the snackerballs a bit more firmness which I quite liked. Though it does have a bit of sugar added to it (in the blueberries for some reason) which some of you may what to avoid.  

Anyway here is the basic recipe I worked out and then the only limit is your imagination!

Snackerballs

• 1 Cup dried dates
• 1 Cup boiling water
• 2 Cups desiccated Coconut
• 3 Tablespoons black chia seeds
• 1 Tablespoon psyllium husks
• 1 Tablespoon ground LSA (optional)

-Soak the dates in the water for 10-15 mins and then mash into a smooth paste – of course if you have a blender this is easier 🙂

-Stir in the other ingredients and mix until fully blended

-Shape the mixture into small balls (makes around 45 with this recipe) and put into a container.

-Refrigerate and enjoy

Packed up and ready to go to class

Hope this finds you all enjoying tasty treats with your loved ones.

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

Quick and Easy Pasta

I had great plans for getting on here over the past few weeks with recipes to share, honest I did.  However, as life sometimes goes, nothing really panned out how it should.  The recipes either went slightly wrong or the end effect was not quite as delicious as the picture had you believe.

Enjoying the garden in lieu of jobs I should be doing!

Aside from that life took over again as we celebrated our youngest’s birthday, celebrated our youngest great nephew’s birthday, caught up with family and remembered my mum on the first anniversary of her death.  It has been a whirlwind of activities and emotions which has seen me tend to coast through each day rather than set a plan. Trying out new recipes wasn’t really high on the priority list though with an upcoming Infant Massage Course in Nov I was happy for the distract ….. and the tasting opportunities 🙂

So I thought that I would at least share something with you … a very quick and easy pasta salad dish which himself stole and copied from some restaurant many years ago.  It has transformed over the years as our eating habits have changed which is just the kind of recipes I love.  Now instead of regular pasta and feta we have plonked in GF pasta and tofu along with whatever mixture of veg, olives and tomatoes take our fancy.  It really is an easy one to do and great if you have to prepare a meal ahead of time as you can have it cold or warm and as everything is pretty much optional you can be creative and make it just how you and yours like.

Ready to serve

Stolen Pasta Delight

• Packet of Fusilli – GF or regular
• Red onion
• Capiscum
• Tofu (can replace with feta and add in last)
• Fresh tomatoes  (chopped into large cubes)
• Olives
• Olive oil (for cooking in and drizzling on afterwards if you wish)
• Zucchini (chopped)
• Mushrooms
• Anything else you want to pop in 🙂
• Fresh basil leaves
• Dried Italian Herb Mix

-Boil the pasta until it is el dente, strain and leave to cool

-Fry up the onion, mushrooms, capsicum and zucchini until they are close to being s

-Add in the  fresh tomatoes and tofu with a little bit of Dried Italian Herb mix and continue to fry off until you can see the tomato is cooked.

-Remove from the heat and blend gently with the pasta and other ingredients (olives, sun dried tomatoes, feta etc).

-Sprinkle with fresh chopped basil leaves and drizzle a bit more oil on if you wish.

-Enjoy

Hope this find you happy, healthy and enjoying each day as it comes.

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

The holiday let down

Well I’m at a bit of a loss for inspiration this week after arriving back from a warm winter break in Fiji to the strong icy winds that we have blowing here at the moment.  All I really want to do is snuggle up in bed with a good book!!  So following that thought I’ve decided to just go with the ‘lazy flow’ and share my e-books with you ….. in case you have the urge to snuggle up with a book too 🙂

Take it Easy

In this busy interconnected and wired-up world stress seems to be a natural part of daily life. Right? Wrong! Life doesn’t have to be a rush. What if you could take it easy and create a ‘stress-less’ life for yourself? With my simple tools and ideas you can discover simple ways to reduce your stress and be on your way to creating exactly that – A ‘Stress-Less’ Life. This e-book will guide you through five simple steps to help you create a life where you are enjoying your days and experiencing less stress while improving your health and well-being.

 

Magnificent Mamas (really for anyone though as it has all my pearls of wisdom in it)

Regain balance, rediscover the joy in each day and live your dream with this 12 week program. Life is busy and when children are added to the mix life can get hectic. Often it is easy to lose sight of the things that really matter and forget to give time to yourself along with remembering your dreams. Now Magnificent Mamas with take you through week by week to create the life that you want and can have. There are tips and ideas for finding balance, for self- care and for achieving your goals and dreams.

 

Creating a Vivacious You

Losing weight and feeling great doesn’t have to be complicated or cost lots of money. In a world where we are bombarded with new ‘diets’, ‘quick fix’ solutions and numerous products for improving our lives it is easy to forget that actually the basic rules for having health and well-being still apply. This book guides you through some ‘back to basics’ steps which will help you to feel healthier, feel happier and help create your ideal body.

 

 

Finding Calm and Balance

This comprehensive guide has everything you need to use Bach Flower Remedies with confidence. Find out how you can begin to gain more balance, more calm and less stress naturally through using Bach Flower Remedies. This guide covers what Bach Flower Remedies are, how to select them for yourself and others, how to use them and affirmations to support your chosen remedies along with a section on using Bach Flower Remedies with children. If you are interested in becoming healthy naturally and healing then this is a must have book for you.

 

Mother’s Little Helper

Discover easy, natural remedies and ideas for healing your children with Mother’s Little Helper by Yossarian Fay. This book is loaded with ideas to help you to continue on your journey of Becoming Healthy and ensure your children are becoming healthy too. There are recipes, kitchen cures, a section on using Bach Flower remedies with children, information on how to use EFT and reflexology with your children, making this a must have book for your collection.

 

Hope this finds you relaxed, mentally nourished and ready to enjoy the week ahead

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

Winter Wellness – Part 6 – Lymphatic system

This will be the final part of my Winter Wellness series.  I hope you have enjoyed it and found it useful,  I’d love to hear from you if there is something else you want to know about or you think I could cover otherwise next week it will be back to recipes 🙂  This final ‘Winter Wellness’ post is taken from an article I wrote a while back on the benefits of Reflexology Lymphatic Drainage Treatment, which I’m trained in, and which came to mind as I had two calls last week about reflexology treatments in this area.

Getting some exercise with themselves before the next rain shower

It does read more like an article still than a blog post; I have tried to adapt it a bit ….. though no sense in re-inventing the wheel is there? 😉  Anyway, here it is in all its glory and if you are interested in treatments then it won’t be too long before I will have my clinic in one place again, as opposed to the home visits I now offer. Exciting times ahead!

Our health depends on many things but maybe two of the most important are the body’s ability to circulate blood and lymphatic fluid.  The importance of blood you likely know however the Lymphatic system is just as important as it is this system which helps defend the body against disease by clearing waste and toxins, by helping maintain fluid balance in the tissues and by absorbing fats from the intestines to transport back to the blood.  In fact it is a vital system in our bodies as without it our cardiovascular system won’t work and our immune system would be hard-pressed to cope.

The Lymphatic system is designed for transportation and as such it needs to keep moving.  There are fluids found between the cells or which actually seep out of the cells (intercellular fluid) which slowly begin to accumulate and must be returned to the cells and the blood stream to help maintain homeostasis in the body.  This is where the lymph system comes in; it gathers those fluids, checks it, filters it and then returns them to your blood via the subclavian veins just above the heart.  Unlike the circulatory system however (in which blood flows) the lymphatic system (in which lymph fluid flows) doesn’t have a pump and needs us to move our bodies in order to have the lymph fluid moving.  This system relies on movement of our muscles, their ‘milking’ action, and the changes in the thorax through deep breathing to keep it flowing.

This means that if you lead a sedentary lifestyle your lymphatic fluid may not be flowing as it should and your lymphatic system may be hampered, causing toxins and waste to build up within our bodies. The more waste left in our system the harder our body has to work.  Our body is effectively running on a system of ‘tubes’ and ‘fluid’ so when toxins and waste clog these up we suffer!  Think of a river. When it is flowing it is clear and clean, when it is not flowing it begins to stagnate then it becomes a perfect home for bacteria and disease to build.  The Lymphatic system is no different.  At first it may be a sluggish feeling in the morning or a headache which we just can’t seem to find the cause of.  Eventually it can cause much more serious issues within the body such as swelling, arthritis, skin disorders and more.

Thankfully there are many actions we can take in our lifestyle to help the Lymphatic system work better and ensure that it is doing its job.  In using preventative measures, we can improve and promote our health and well-being while avoiding dis-ease in our bodies. As the Lymphatic system is important in this it makes sense to keep it flowing and healthy and it is important.  As a reflexologist of course the first thing I think of is to have a Reflexology Lymphatic Drainage Massage which will work on the lymphatic system while allowing you to relax and de-stress.   It is an excellent support to the Lymphatic system, especially if you have trouble with mobility and best of all it will help you feeling more relaxed and lighter at the end of a session.  It is a very unique and special thing to have.

There are some cases where having a Reflexology Lymphatic Drainage Massage is not recommended however and these include: cases of cardiac or renal impairment, first trimester of pregnancy, cases of Deep Vein Thrombosis, having high or low blood pressure or if the foot if injured in any way.  If you are not quite ready to treat yourself to a reflexology lymphatic drainage routine or you feel that it isn’t for you then there are many things you can do at home, in your everyday lives, to ensure that you are keeping a healthy lymphatic system which will help to have a good immune system too.  Try some of the following out:

Exercise– this will help to keep your lymphatic system flowing and moving as it ‘massages’ it into action.

Good Food– a healthy diet means that less toxins and waste products end up in your system. Eating over processed, sugary foods may over load the lymphatic system.

Drink plenty of water– the body needs water to keep everything working properly, including the lymphatic system.

Deep breathing– this ensures that your cells are healthy and oxygenated along with stimulating the lymphatic system.

Dry brushing– long strokes towards your heart for around 5 mins before a shower will stimulate the lymphatic flow.

Herbal teas– they are great mixture of hydration, favour and medicine (depending on what you have).

Use natural beauty products– means less toxins coming into your system via the skin which gives the lymphatic system less of a load.

Wear loose clothing– this lets the lymphatic fluid flow where as tight clothing tends to slow the whole thing down.

Hope this finds you having a great start to the week and ready for all there is to come.

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

Farewell 2018

Here we are  …… we made it! The last day of 2018 is upon us with 2019 just waiting to emerge.

Preparing for the year ahead.

Each year at this time I sit down and take time to prepare myself for the year ahead.  I change journal/diaries (my own creation) and with that I also write down some of the activities, hopes and goals I’d like to complete in the upcoming year while seeing all the great things I have achieved in the outgoing one.  These are pretty loose I have to say and not all of them are huge.  I include things like getting a massage, reading a book, writing a letter to a friend – an actual pen and paper one that is 🙂 – along with some ‘work’ things like newsletters, ‘planning’  for homeschooling and blog posts and some more inspirational goals too.

Hoping to get back here a bit more often next year 🙂

They often aren’t all completed, actually I don’t think I have ever done that, however that is not really the aim. Those that aren’t completed in one year just more on over to the next  …….. I have only just framed some cross-stitches I did for the kids after that being on my list for 2 years!  Rather my ‘108 Things to do’ serves as a reminder instead of a ‘must do’ list which kinda takes the pressure off while still realizing my hopes and dreams.

You may also think that 108 is an excess amount of things to write down and you’re probably correct if you try to write all 108 at once.  However I begin with with all the things I need to carry over (like updating my website so it is phone friendly), then the things I know I’ll be doing (like the monthly family blog) then add to it in drips and drabs along the year.  I only came to 108 things to do as I couldn’t get the tables to give me 100 nicely.  Then I read in a book how 108 is a sacred number 108 is a sacred number and felt kind of glad it worked out that way 🙂

Hope I can jump into the new year with as much enthusiasm! 

With that said I’m off to get writing in that journal/diary.  I hope this finds you remembering and releasing 2018 with a smile while welcoming 2019 for all the wonderful possibilities it holds.

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

Homemade Yoghurt

Some of you may have the impression that this is a ‘Vegan’ blog (not sure why I put that in inverted commas) however while I share a lot of vegan recipes these are relatively new for the blog, as is our journey with our son into his preferred eating style.  Rather I like to think of this blog as sharing things that are happening with us on the bus, our adventures, experiences and more often than not the food we are eating!  This week after an amazing weekend away at a Road-schooling camp I thought I would share an easy yoghurt recipe.

At camp with other fantastic road-schooling families

This comes about only because while we were away on our road-schooling camp a local farmer came down and offered our kids (all the kids on camp that is) the opportunity to come up and give milking his cow a go.  It is one of my favourite things about New Zealand, and being on the road, that locals are eager and open to share their lives and interests with us as a family.  While himself was more interested in patting the pigs and the cows rather than trying milking, herself absolutely relished the whole experience.  I even made a second trip up with her so she could milk the next morning!  She really got a rhythm going and was rewarded with a bottle of fresh, warm milk ….. along with a desire to own her own cow. 😉 Considering she is not a big milk drinker but is a huge yoghurt consumer we thought that creating a batch of yoghurt with her reward may be the best use of this delicious liquid.

Milking Saffy

This recipe is one that I found ages ago and which we used to make regularly before moving onto the bus.  It is very easy (just how I like my recipes) with not much milk or effort needed.  The best thing about this recipe is the fact that it doesn’t require much stove power and, as long as you remember to save a bit of yoghurt for a starter, it can keep going as long as you have a milk supply. Thankfully we have a very warm spot above our fridge/freezer where we can incubate this for the night which makes it possible to try on the bus – our first bus batch. We have halved the recipe for us this time however 1 litre fills up an old preserving jar nicely with yoghurt.

• 1 litre of full-fat milk (raw is best in our option)
• 2 tablespoons of live yoghurt (this is your starter)
• Large glass jar with lid

– Warm the milk in a pot until it is just about to boil then take off the heat.

– Allow the milk to cool for 20 mins and then remove the skin off the milk and discard.

– Mix the warm milk with the yoghurt starter and mix gently but throughly.

– Put the lid on and place the jar into a warm place (such as the hot water cylinder) overnight or at less 6-8 hours

– Transfer to fridge the next morning (or once it has set) to help cool and set further or enjoy warm with some wild blackberries.

– REMEMBER TO SAVE TWO TABLESPOONS FOR YOUR NEXT BATCH! 😉

Hope this finds you all enjoying new experiences and savouring the old ones too.

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

Vegan goodness

So our latest culinary challenge, sorry, adventure has been delving into the world of veganism as our youngest has decided that he is now Vegan.  He has always been a bit of a picky eater around meat and is constantly worried about animal welfare so it really didn’t come as a huge shock when he announced a month ago that he was vegetarian and then followed up a week later with ‘ I think I’ll give being a vegan a try.’

The last few pieces of our vegan shortbread.

It actually hasn’t been that bad and if anything it has been awesome not having him tempted by all the rubbishy chocolate treats that abound in every shop.  There are 2 main stumbling blocks I have hit so far though; 1) Eating out and 2) Baking.  Eating out is a bit of a mine field as it seems every thing is out on the children’s menu … have you noticed how every kid’s menu is deep fried meat of some description … and most things suitable on the adult menu are either too spicy or so expensive it makes us think twice. Thankfully we don’t eat out that much, the thought it takes is beyond my mental powers at the moment, and when we do venture out at least he is having a fairly healthy meal unlike before.

Which brings us to the second point ….. soooo many recipes rely on eggs (well the ones I currently make anyway) and even though we are pretty good at replacing the dairy it is taking me a while to get my head around using egg replacements (chia seeds and water is the main one I’m using at the moment).  I have been doing the research though to ensure that we get all the good bits into him and thanks to some great Vegan recipe books from the local library  I have found some great savoury and sweet baking ideas to keep everyone (well half of us to be honest) happy.  The one recipe that has been made the most so far is courtesy of Jennifer Katzinger’s Flying Apron Gluten Free and Vegan Baking Book.  This delicious ‘Vegan Shortbread’ (my name for it as I have returned the book and forgot the name sorry) is so easy and so delicious that I’m sure you’ll be whipping it up numerous times too.

What I’m putting below is a half recipe of what is printed in the book as I found that was more than enough.  I also cut it into more squares than the recipe in the book indicates as we found it very rich and a little square of it was enough.  If you enjoy this recipe though I would recommend checking out the whole recipe book as has so many more delicious things to make. 😉

Vegan shortbread

• 1 & 3/8 cups Rice Flour
• a grind of salt
• 1/2 Cup of coconut oil
• 3/8 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

– Preheat the oven to 190C (375F)

– Melt the coconut oil and then add the maple syrup

– Blend all the ingredients together.

– Pour and flatten the mixture into a baking paper lined baking dish

– Bake for 15 – 20 min or until the edges are slightly brown

– Remove from the oven and cut into squares while it is still warm in the tin

– Slide onto a cooling rack and break into separate pieces when it is fully cooled.

– Enjoy!

Well that is it from me on a cold and snow predicted evening. I hope this finds you all warm, healthy and enjoying life at whatever temperature you have it at. 😉

Arohanui

Y