Monday 30 September 2013

Chocolate Nutbutter Cups

Have you downloaded The Whole Pantry app for your smart phone yet? You haven't??   
Where have you been hiding? I was following Belle's progress with this app closely and I was SO EXCITED when it was finally released. I downloaded it immediately, parked myself on the couch and read every recipe word for word. And then. I never made anything from it. Don't get me wrong, all of the recipes are amazing. I don't know if I just built up the excitement too much much beforehand that...  Who knows.
Anyway people. I finally took the plunge yesterday, and made me some chocolate nutbutter cups.

What was the wait for?? These are amazing! I may have even eaten 3 straight after their 30 minutes in the freezer. Ahem. You're not judging. And if you are, well... make these. And report back! :)
 
sprinkling with a little natural sea salt and ready to be consuuuumed!


how gooey and delicious does my almond butter look!? <3

Chocolate nutbutter cups (adapted from The Whole Pantry App) :

☀ 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
☀ 1/2 cup raw cacao powder
☀ 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
☀ 2 1/2 tablespoons rice malt syrup
☀ 1/4 cup nutbutter  (I used almond butter)
 
Method:
  • In a bowl, whisk the cacao and salt through the melted coconut oil and rice malt syrup so no clumps are present.
  • Pour 1Tbsp of chocolate mixture into your chocolate moulds and place in the freezer for 5 minutes or until firm.
  • Remove from freezer and spoon 1/2tsp nutbutter into the centre of each chocolate. If your nutbutter is room temperature, put in freezer for 5 minutes to firm.
  • Top each chocolate with 1Tblsp of chocolate mixture and leave in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.

Extras:
>> I topped mine with sea salt. As these cups are raw, serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge 
>> Good coconut oil makes a difference in the overall flavour here!
>> I found my rice malt syrup liked to sink to the bottom when my cups were firming in the freezer, best to give it a good stir around before you spoon into cases


What do you think of The Whole Pantry App? Will you be giving these babies a go?

Happy Monday all!

Sunday 29 September 2013

Fresh flowers, for longer

I am quite the fan of fresh flowers. Nothing brightens up my home more. I always try to have at least 1 (2) vases going. Some might say it's expensive... have you checked out Aldi's el' cheapo?
And a secret from me to you, if you missed them at your weekend farmers market, Woolworths reduces whatever they didn't sell on the weekend on a Monday morning. 

gorgeous farmers market blooms

Treat your blooms right and they'll last you for a couple of weeks:
- snip your stems at a steep angle
- remove the leaves close to the bottom of the stem, these go horrible and moldy if they're sitting in the water
- make sure your vase is cleaned in hot soapy water with no residue left
- I add about a 1/4 tsp hydrogen peroxide, a couple of tbsp white vinegar and a couple tbsp sugar to my water
- change your water every couple of days, adding your mix from above
- taking a little more off the stem will help preserve your flowers as well



el' cheapo Aldi $4 flowers
 
spring blooms

 Enjoy your gorgeous Sunday!

Friday 27 September 2013

What's in your laundry powder?

Lately I've been on a mission to reduce cost in household products, reduce my carbon footprint and just generally try and live in a way that's better for the environment and me.
Laundry powder. The stuff at the supermarket is not only expensive but it's not the best for you or the environment - it can contain sulfates, phenols and fragrances (which are made of a mix of harmful chemicals), just to name a few. A lot of the commercial brands also contain things like "petroleum distillates" which are linked to cancer.
Luckily, making your own is super cheap and super easy. I looked at heaps of methods online and in books etc, this is the one that I found worked best for me. It has 2 ingredients. Don't be fooled by the recipes that have a lot more ingredients - it pays to look into it.

For example:

Washing Soda - removes stains and grease, used to soften your water so hard water agents don't interfere with detergents effectiveness, high cleaning power
Borax* - used to soften water - not as effectively as washing soda
Baking/Bi-Carb Soda* - softens water half as well as washing soda, doesn't clean fabric as well, is a odor neutralizer and fabric softener
So essentially, these 3 all work the same.
Soap - removes dirt and oil - you may wish to use soap flakes or laundry soap that you can purchase at your supermarket. I chose to use MooGoo soap as it is all natural. (be aware of using soap made for skin - manufacturers add extra oils so it is not super drying. I have had great luck with MooGoo, Dr.Bronners bar soap would also work well)
*when borax and washing soda are combined, they form a small amount of hydrogen peroxide. I always have hydrogen peroxide around my home as it has many uses, so I can save myself purchasing another ingredient and use what I have on hand

To make laundry powder, all you need is:

☀ 4 cups washing soda** see bottom of post
☀ 2 bars of 130g natural soap
☀ essential oils (optional)
☀ food processor (optional)

 Method:
  • Cut your soap up into smaller chunks and process in a food processor OR grate your soap into a big bowl. Be prepared for an arm workout!
  • Process your washing soda and soap together. I have myself a trusty Magimix food processor which did the trick. Powder will fly all around the place when it's mixing - I'd also suggest using a towel on top of the food processor (I learnt the hard way the first time) and give it a minute to settle before you open.


And your done! I store it in my red laundry powder tub and have a tbsp there for measuring.

Extras:
>> You only need 2 tablespoons per load of washing. When I'm doing sheets towel etc I use less (this is also A LOT less than commercial brands)
>> I keep essential oils in the laundry and add about 5 drops per load. Lemon is great for de-greasing, I love putting lavender with my bed sheets. Experiment!
>> If you don't have or don't wish to use your food processor, you will need to grate your soap well before mixing. I would suggest mixing in smaller portions to ensure it is combined well.
>> I found grating my soap and then mixing it with the washing soda in my food processor worked best for me.
>> Vinegar is the cheapest, best fabric softener you'll find. It's not harmful to you and the vinegar smell definitely doesn't linger. I add about 1/2 cup to a load of washing.
>> Hydrogen peroxide is a great and natural way to brighten whites. I add 1/4 to 1/2 cup per load.
>> If you're lucky enough to live near an Aldi - White vinegar is $1.09 for a 2Ltr bottle and baking soda is around about $1.50 for 500g.

 
**washing soda. You don't need to buy this stuff. You probably already have the ingredient you need to make it in your pantry - baking soda.
  • Preheat oven to 220*C
  • Pour 2-3 cups of baking soda onto a large tray.
  • Cook in over for around about 2 hours. (I found 2.5 hours worked best for me)
You can tell when it's cooked by rubbing it between your fingers. Comparing it to some baking soda will help also.
Baking soda - light and fluffy, powdery feel, slightly shiny
Washing soda - grainy, flat and dull


Are you concerned by what's in your supermakert washing powder - do you think you'll try making your own?

Thursday 26 September 2013

Welcome!

Hello!
Welcome to my blog.
I've created my little space of the interweeb over ére as a place for me to post ramblings, information, recipes, hurdles, setbacks, inspiration, aspirations and tidbits as I travel along on my wellness journey! This is also a place where I can keep myself accountable as I embark on going back to studying (via distance)
I endeavor to live as naturally and as wholesome as possible by being aware and accountable for what I'm putting into my body, on my body and surrounding myself with in my home. I want to know where my food came from, how it was grown and treated (ethically/pesticides),  and also what is in the products I'm using in my home.
One day at a time! :)

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you visit again soon! xx

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