The Naked Vegan - a title that makes you take a second look and a cookbook recently delivered to me by the good people of Murdoch Books.

Maz Valcorza is a no-nensense and funny lady who had me at "I ate Spam from a can", as I too laughingly remember eating spam from a can when I was younger - it was my mum's staple ingredient in her light Summer ham salad.

This cookbook is filled with raw vegan recipes, free of refined sugars and nasty fillers.  It uses food grown from the ground, free from animal products and has not been heated to over 40-46 degrees.

I must state right here that I am in no way a vegan.  In fact I'm far from it.  Yes, I enjoy a green juice and a raw dairy-free cheesecake along with the next person, however give me a juice organic, grass fed steak smothered in a buttery bernaise sauce and I'm a very happy gal.  I never say never though.

ou're gonna love this soup!

Correction.  If you love  corn, you're gonna love  this soup.  I promise.

It's fresh and creamy.  It pops in your mouth yet still wonderfully soothing.  It's a soup that makes you exhale in utter contentment.

“She turned to the sunlight and shook her yellow head, and whispered to her neighbor:   "Winter is dead.” 

- A. A. Milne, When We Were Very Young

A Spring inspired dish to celebrate this beautiful season....

Buckwheat: Did you know that it's not actually a cereal grain, but is in fact a fruit seed?  It's the perfect alternative to those of you who are sensitive to wheat (or other grains containing gluten), and it can also be used as an alternative to rice or as porridge.

It's high level of rutin helps treat high blood pressure, it helps lower blood sugars more slowly than rice or wheat products, and it's brilliant for your digestion by cleaning and strengthening the intestines.

I've been reading quite a bit of information about this little seed lately, which seems to be gaining in popularity, and so with my head full of knowledge and a big bag of the stuff sitting patiently on my counter, I dove right in.  It's such an easy ingredient to work with and I find the taste almost nutty like.  It's a lot lighter on your tongue than a traditional risotto is, and in turn, a lot lighter in your stomach.

Abundance.  What a wonderful word.  It describes the contents of my fridge most days, which always put a huge smile on my face.  It also describes my love and enjoyment of all things French....and my shoe collection....

Abundance also describes this little bowl of goodness.  

There is nothing flash or fancy about this recipe and it is simplicity at its very best.  Depending on the season (and what is currently in your fridge) it can be changed, swapped and updated as you little heart so pleases.    Just holding this bowl in your hands, abundant in so many amazing foods, instantly makes you feel equally wonderful and wholesome.  You're body will think so also!

Well, the holiday is well and truly over..sob..sob.

As much as I love the freedom of travelling (especially in France), a small part of me always loves coming home to my own bed, my own shower and my everyday eating routine.  Are you the same?

So this little lady has decided to go back to basics.  I'm back off fructose, gluten and basically anything processed to try and be good to this poor little tummy of mine.  Giving my body a chance to get back to neutral.  I'm giving it a big love-filled hug by filling it full of highly nutritious plant food, protein and good fats.  It's thanking me for it.

So in ode to "getting back on track", my oven was switched on and this little treasure came popping out.

Do you want to know what realisation is the most amazing that I've had since cutting out fructose from my diet?  I feel like I'm actually in full control of my life!  It seems a little strange to write that, as I would normally consider myself to be an independent and confident person.

It's just that I'm not consumed by constant thoughts of chocolates, lollies and cakes.

It's amazing how freeing that feeling is, and it's only just hit me.

I was around 13 years old having dinner with my sister-in-law and my 2 nephews.  The boys were refusing to eat their pumpkin.  I was on their side as I too wasn't a fan of the orange veg back then.

My sister-in-law, in all her loving wisdom, decided to tell the boys how much Auntie Leigh LOVED her pumpkin and watch how she can eat all of it.

I think  know I gave her the death stare.

It didn't work.