It's no secret that the French have a flair for taking the simplest of fresh produce and turning it into a rich dish full of comfort and flavour.
I think this is what I love most about French food.
Well, maybe after butter.
Take Paris Mash for example. The simplest of vegetables whipped up (literally) and turned within minutes into this luscious, rich and silky smooth dish. How could anyone not love French cooking?!
Read MoreToday I'm talking about my tummy. My poor, sore and bloated little tummy. It's one of the joys I've been recently discovering that comes hand in hand with having a dicky thyroid (can your hear my sarcasm?). This is a real struggle as I've always had a stomach that could take anything I threw at it.
Out of desperation I've been voraciously researching ways of improving my health without having to resort to pharmaceuticals, and one of my favourite discoveries (giving me a glimmer of hope) has been finding Lee Holmes' website Supercharged Food , and in particular, her Heal Your Gut program.
As you've guessed it...I signed up.
Read MoreYesterday I ate chocolate. LOTS of chocolate. I was a maniac and couldn't get enough of it in my gob, and when it was all gone....I wanted more.
I'm a sugar addict. It's no secret.
And then my body heated up, I scratched my skin off and my brain wouldn't quiet down. The piece de resistance.....my thyroid swelled to the point I thought it was about to burst out of my skin.
I didn't even enjoy the chocolate!
Read MoreIn Winter, root vegetables are indispensable for those of us that love to cook. As the weather cools and the days get shorter, our thoughts turn to long, slow cooking. Cooking that warms our kitchens and fills our homes with comforting aromas.
These are the days when I cook with a cup of tea in hand and my book not too far away.
My weekly organic veggie box from Ceres is filled to the brim with these delicious vegetables for a reason, they're in season. This is their time to shine, and these little fritters, I think (and so do my family) make them sing from the roof tops.
Read MorePoire belle Hélène, created by Auguste Escoffier (the man behind the delicious Peach Melba) and named after the operetta La belle Helene which premiered in Paris in 1864.
A gorgeous sounding name and a super simple dessert, which can be prepared in advanced and then whipped together in an instant. Or if you’re like me, plonk all elements in front of your guests and have them serve themselves. Voila!
Read MoreThese purple balls of joy may have the highest sugar content of all vegetables, but they're also packed full of some amazing things, including immune boosting Vitamin C, Fiber, Potassium (for healthy nerve and muscle function) and Manganese (good for your bones, liver kidneys and pancreas).
Beetroot helps to lower blood pressure, boost stamina and fight inflammation (due to their unique source of betaine).
When buying beetroot, you want them to be firm with a smooth, undamaged surface and they'll last in the fridge, stored in an unsealed plastic bag, for a couple of weeks.
To get the most nutrients out of your beetroots, rinse and brush them clean, but do not remove the skin or root until after cooking.
Read MoreSay hello to Avril!
Avril lives in New England, USA where she works as an elderly care provider, where she's the mother of two little girls and where she cooks and bakes like crazy for her blog Baking and Creating with Avril .
Avril's blog is filled to the brim with wonderful family friendly recipes made with love, igniting her dream of one day potentially opening up her very own bakery. How exciting Avril. Although the thought of bakers hours leaves me in a cold sweat!
Baking and Creating with Avril also happens to be my Secret Recipe Club blog for the month of August.
Read MoreIt's no secret that I love my food, and that I especially love to eat.
Put me in France surrounded by all that food and I swoon.
However, some days I like something quick and light. Only some days!
This is where Folks and Sparrows was perfect. A home-made quiche or a freshly whipped up baguette is what you'll find here. You'll also find gorgeous smiles, a relaxed vibe and an environment you'll want to take lots and lots photos of.
Read MoreBecause it's raining in Melbourne, because I'm not feeling well, and because I'm being a little "sooki la la", I thought I'd whip us up a bunch of my favourite cookies.
Yep, you've seen them before here , but having made these ones with almond meal instead of almond flour, the texture and flavour changed immensely - I thought I'd share with you.
Not only darker to look at, these cookies came out a lot crumblier in texture with a stronger almond flavour.
Read MoreAre oats, even if labeled "gluten free", gluten free?
I'm a very happy girl when my face is planted in a big bowl of steaming porridge on a cold winter's morning, or munching on a hot, just out of the oven, ANZAC biscuit. However, having removed gluten from my diet for health reasons, I've begun to question the eating of oats.
The amount of contradicting advice I've read on the subject has made me bury my head in the sand, whilst still eating my porridge and biscuits in blissful ignorance.
Read MoreSome ladies buy shoes while on holidays.
Me, I buy vintage crockery (well, I do buy shoes too!).
My obsession makes it a little hard to move my suitcase by the end of each holiday, and in fact, my wheels gave out on this last trip. There is also always that fear hanging over my head that my suitcase will be filled with shards of china when I next open it.
Luckily, these little gems made it all the way home as I love the way this delicious chicken and red lentil soup pops inside the bowl.
Read MoreI love a goodie bag. Seriously, who doesn't?
These gorgeous little bowls just happened to be in my goodie bag that I received at the Noel en Juillet Wokshop recently. Technically they're not made for food, but when something new comes into my house, the rules are quite simple:
1. You must be able to hold food.
2. You need to be pretty for photographs.
Voila!
Read MoreI’m in my favourite Brunswick coffee shop this morning having coffee. Propped up at the counter, I can smell the beans and I'm in the perfect position to ogle the array of petite cakes and patisseries on display.
Not so long ago I would not have been able to walk out of this place without picking one delicate little delight to indulge in.
That was the old me. The me before this recipe came into my life.
Read MoreHello everyone...
I'm Leigh and I'm an introvert!
I'm not talking about being shy or a loner. What I am talking about is the need to recharge my batteries by turning inwards - having time on my own to relax, think and dream. No talking. No phones. No plans. Just me. My social threshold is far lower than those bubbly extroverts out in the world, and even though I enjoy socialising, and I'm definitely not shy, I'm usually one of the first to say au revoir.
Today, I put my introverted self on hold.
Today I sapped up inspiration, knowledge and just utter loveliness in abundance by being surround by wonderfully talented and like-minded women.
Read MoreSay hello to Mellissa!
A 30 something fitness enthusiast, wine lover, marketing manager by day and food blogger by night. In fact, she's the face (and fingers) behind the blog A Fit and Spicy Life, which happens to be my Secret Recipe Club blog for the month of July.
I just love Mellissa's tag line...."a lot of cooking, a little wine and workouts to keep it all inline". What a gorgeous way to live!
Read MoreRemember (this post) when Monique at the wonderful blog Nourish Everyday changed my life?
I forgive you if you paid absolutely no attention.
Monique basically yanked open my eyes to the most super simple breakfast idea. A no brainer, which I might add, I have been continuing on with ever since first setting eyes on her post . I'm always trying out new combinations (some brilliant and some that scored an F-), so when a bunch of fresh and organic brussels sprouts and radishes appeared in my veggie box this week.....another combination sprang to mind.....
Read MoreCustard takes me to my happy place. A place that is filled with fluffy white flowers and is quiet as a mouse, except for the hypnotic buzzing of the bumble bees. It’s sunny, but not too hot in my happy place and sometimes, just sometimes, there is a pristine white claw foot bath filled with silky smooth custard.
Have I shared too much? Surely I’m not alone?
This recipe is not the one I grew up with. It’s gluten and refined sugar free and it doesn’t set as thick as my mums, but it is definitely just as luxurious. I adore it.
Read MoreChampvallon.
A rustic yet still fairly elegant dish which dates back to the reign of Louis XIV, supposedly invented by one of his mistresses. Where the name itself comes from, there seems to be no clear answer. Perhaps from the tiny little French village Champvallon located in the region of Bourgogne, or perhaps named after the archbishop of Paris during Louis XIV's reign, Francoi de Harley de Champvallon?
Whatever the answer, this is a lovely little dish to have bubbling away in your oven while the rain falls outside and while you sip a well deserved glass of red.
Read MoreMe without breakfast is a sight you never want to see. So when we boarded the early morning train from Paris to Figeac, before any of the shops or boulangeries were open, we made sure we were prepared.
Breakfast in luggage. Tick.
It wasn't a conventional breakfast, but it was the perfect breakfast. Salade de lentilles a l'oeuf poche. Lentil salad with poached egg.
Read MoreThe Marais. The area of Paris we love the most. The area we stay every time we visit, and the area where we’ve slowly gotten to know some of the locals. We like to think they love us and miss us when we’re gone…yes, we also like to dream a lot.
Rachel’s is a funny place.
I’m not quite sure if I know (or even if it knows) where it fits into the whole Parisian culinary scheme of things, but what I did love were the smiles we received when we entered.
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