Necessities you need during Winter in New York:
So with beanies, gloves and camera's in hand, Prospect Park (like a little miniature Central Park located in the middle of Park Slope, Brooklyn) was our "studio" for the day.
Read MoreCafe Regular du Nord. Mere moments away from our Brooklyn home.
It's cosy. It's buzzing. It has croissants. It makes a mean latte.
It's our local.
Read MoreNew York.
It's been 4 long years since I last set eyes on this magnificent skyline.
This may be a whirlwind trip (planned just a short time ago over a glass of red one evening - yes, I guess I am that easy) , but with the right travel buddy and being mindfully in the moment every waking second, it's a holiday that feels like it's lasting forever!
The very best kind of holiday.
Read MoreIt's no secret that I'm a fan of the cookbook Love Bake Nourish by Amber Rose, so when she released her new book Nourish, in collaboration with 2 of her talented friends, I was first in line.
Nourish is not your typical cookbook as it's split into 3 sections. The first section (I'm being honest) is my favourite as it's filled with gorgeous fresh recipes by Amber. The other 2 sections cover health and nourishment for the mind, body and soul. This book gives tips, tricks, solutions and answers for getting your health back into shape, stilling your mind and just simply maintaining a positive and happy outlook. It's simply stunning.
Read MoreChristmas + the countryside = one very happy girl!
It really is pretty simple. A house surrounded by bushland (no neighbours please!), Bing Crosby, twinkling Christmas lights and a big bowl of fresh prawns. That's all it takes to make me forget about the working year that's been, allowing my shoulders to drop and the biggest smile to appear permanently on my face.
This is my perfect Christmas, all wrapped up with a big red bow.
Read More3 simple words that when said apart, make me smile, but when said together, make me swoon .... Fruit. Mince. Tart.
In my old life, these 3 simple little single syllable words would conjure up so many good memories, making me feel comforted, happy and oh so "Christmassy".
Now, having run away from gluten and sugar, these words when said together do (if I'm being honest) bring up a little feeling of deprivation, but more so bring up feelings of sugar highs and slumps, sleepiness and foggy brain. Not to mention a swollen thyroid! I’m not one to say “never”, but with the knowledge I now have of how sugar affects my body, I just can’t imaging EVER consuming these little tarts that I once held in such high esteem, again.
Read MorePlump, boozy dried fruit, glace cherries and nuts. All the things I loved in the Christmas cakes of my past. The denser and the darker the better. Cake that would (and could) last for months (if I didn't eat it sooner). And cake that stayed moist without the need for refrigeration.
My body and taste buds may no longer be able to tolerate these sweet fruit cakes of my youth, but I still have a need (and a desperate want) for a boozy, spicy and dense sliver of cake to sit proudly and lovingly alongside my cup of tea on Christmas day.
Read More
It's no secret that I'm a fan of the cookbook Love Bake Nourish by Amber Rose, so when she released her new book Nourish, in collaboration with 2 of her talented friends, I was first in line.
Nourish is not your typical cookbook as it's split into 3 sections. The first section (I'm being honest) is my favourite as it's filled with gorgeous fresh recipes by Amber. The other 2 sections cover health and nourishment for the mind, body and soul. This book gives tips, tricks, solutions and answers for getting your health back into shape, stilling your mind and just simply maintaining a positive and happy outlook. It's simply stunning.
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Christmas + the countryside = one very happy girl!
It really is pretty simple. A house surrounded by bushland (no neighbours please!), Bing Crosby, twinkling Christmas lights and a big bowl of fresh prawns. That's all it takes to make me forget about the working year that's been, allowing my shoulders to drop and the biggest smile to appear permanently on my face.
This is my perfect Christmas, all wrapped up with a big red bow.
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3 simple words that when said apart, make me smile, but when said together, make me swoon .... Fruit. Mince. Tart.
In my old life, these 3 simple little single syllable words would conjure up so many good memories, making me feel comforted, happy and oh so "Christmassy".
Now, having run away from gluten and sugar, these words when said together do (if I'm being honest) bring up a little feeling of deprivation, but more so bring up feelings of sugar highs and slumps, sleepiness and foggy brain. Not to mention a swollen thyroid! I’m not one to say “never”, but with the knowledge I now have of how sugar affects my body, I just can’t imaging EVER consuming these little tarts that I once held in such high esteem, again.
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Plump, boozy dried fruit, glace cherries and nuts. All the things I loved in the Christmas cakes of my past. The denser and the darker the better. Cake that would (and could) last for months (if I didn't eat it sooner). And cake that stayed moist without the need for refrigeration.
My body and taste buds may no longer be able to tolerate these sweet fruit cakes of my youth, but I still have a need (and a desperate want) for a boozy, spicy and dense sliver of cake to sit proudly and lovingly alongside my cup of tea on Christmas day.
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Do you ever get a food fetish where all you think, dream and eat is a particular food?
I get it ALL the time, and at the moment my fetish is avocado.
I’m eating it like a machine.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner - there’s no stopping me, and my favourite way of eating it is in this most delightfully, fluffy, light and zingy way….
Read MoreI try not to push my sugar beliefs onto those around me. However, sometimes I find it hard to keep my big mouth shut, but I do like to believe that I rant and rave out of love.
I usually just get an eye roll in return.
So being the wonderful friend that I am, I did bring along a sweet treat loaded with the white stuff to my Annual Christmas Feast last week (see here). Just four simple ingredients went into this bite sized Christmas treat, which was quickly snapped up by the kids and adults alike.
Packaged up, this would also make a wonderful Christmas gift for those sugar loving friends of yours out there!
Read MoreWe all have our own little Christmas traditions.
For me, there are just three simple things that mark the beginning...
1. When my tree gets its annual fluff and adornment in November (no comments please).
2. The smell of the first mango and cherries of the season.
3. My annual Christmas feast.
Little did I know that 16 years ago within the walls of my Prahran apartment, six friends, copious amounts of bubbles and Madonna impersonations into the wee hours of the morning would mark the beginning of something special.
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Say hello to Nicole.
Nicole is a freelance writer hailing all the way from St Louis Missouri, where she raises 5 teenagers (yes you heard me…5 teenagers), all whilst sharing her love of home cooked, feel good family food on her blog Daily Dish Recipes.
Daily Dish Recipes was born in 2005 with the goal to provide her readers with easy, made from scratch, recipes they could cook at home. God, I love this goal Nicole, as I’m a huge fan of people getting back into the kitchen, ditching the junk food and cooking from scratch.
So in honour of Nicole’s style of cooking and in honour of my grumbling tummy and in honour of my need for tote-able picnic food (now that Summer has hit Melbourne), my Secret Recipe Club recipe for this month is……
Read MoreSo what type of snacker are you?
Not too long ago, I was "the bored snacker". You know the one, the person mindlessly snacking in front of the TV, not tasting the food being put into my mouth, and it had nothing whatsoever to do with being hungry.
Over the last few years, I've managed to rid myself from snacking. It took time, but my body eventually adjusted, and then poof, gone - foggy 3pm brain, and gone - constant need to think about food. Wow...food freedom is utterly addictive!
So why ask this question now?
Read MoreThe cat is well and truly out of the bag.
In just over a months time, I'll be packing my bags, pocketing my passport and flying off to a little town called New York City.
A snowy Winter wonderland awaits me in the Big Apple where I plan to ice-skate, walk aimlessly for hours discovering the best food places this town has to offer and perhaps indulge in a little New York Cheesecake....or two.
In ode to this up coming adventure and inspired by my utter love of all things French, I present to you a combination of some of my favourite ingredients and flavours in life - my petite "no-cheese" cheesecake.
Read MoreFar far away in a little town called Paris lives a pretty, yet unassuming restaurant called Yard.
This little Parisian gem is not interested in being amongst the hustle and bustle, but can be discovered hiding down a little back cobbled lane, away from prying tourist eyes. An hours walk from our apartment brings us inside this oasis where you'll find me...hungrily and impatiently waiting for the seasonal (albeit limited) menu to be placed in front of me.
And each year I walk away having indulged in and subsequently voted for "the dish of the trip"
Read MoreThis is seriously one gorgeous cookbook.
No bullshit.
When the lovely people of Murdoch Books sent me the cookbook Love, Aimee x by Aimee Twigger, I was hooked from the first turn of the page. Oh who am I kidding, the cover alone had me reaching for my rolling pin and apron. From the photos and home-crafted recipes, to the beautiful styling (and even the font used throughout), this book is feminine, pretty and utterly indulgent.
Aimee Twigger is the incredibly talented lady behind the blog Twigg Studios and her first cookbook is not only filled with beautiful recipes it's filled with wonderful crafty tips for beautifully wrapping and presenting her creations to be given as edible gifts for any occasion. Perfectly timed for Christmas!
Read MoreBreakfast.
Who the hell would ever knowingly miss eating it? It's my favourite meal of the day and a meal I would NEVER miss.
My usual breakfast of choice is savoury, based around eggs, avocado (which I can't get enough of lately) and veggies. It's usually packed full of protein, fat and greens that keep me going right through until those first stirrings of hunger around midday.
Some days, not often, but occasionally, I crave something different. A little crunchier. A little sweeter. Like this chocolate granola that I keep stashed in my freezer for such times.
Don't be fooled. This breakfast cereal still packs a protein and fat punch and will keep you going through to your next meal....no need for mindless snacking between meals with a bowl of this baby in your tummy....
Read MoreNo other vegetable signifies the arrival of Spring like asparagus.
In season in Australia from September to March, this little gem of a vegetable is loaded with nutrients from fiber, folate and vitamins A, C, E and K.
It's also packed with antioxidants, ranking it amongst some of the top vegetables for its ability to neutralize cell-damaging free radicals, potentially helping to slow the aging process.
Not bad, huh?
Read MoreI’ve been contemplating the tough questions in life lately……
1. How will my body react when I re-introduce it to milk?
2. When is it respectable to put up your Christmas tree?
3. When did we start wearing caps into restaurants?
4. Can I eat sweet potato dip for my breakfast?
Read MoreCookies.
A word my bro despises (preferring ‘biscuits’).
A word that conjures up sugar and gluten laden treats.
A word that brings back memories of New York (interested in why, see here).
However, these cookies are different. They’re part of my religion as they’re mixed, rolled and baked so often in my house. Containing only the smallest amount of sweetener, they’re refined sugar, fructose, gluten AND dairy free. They’re crunchy and delicate, and they’re addictive. Trust me.
Yesterday, I tweaked them with macadamias.
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