Tuesday, 25 February 2014

Peanut Butter Cups

Good Afternoon friends. I hope this finds you all having a wonderful day!


Words can not express how much I am touched by the hundreds of messages I have received since posting my ‘Raw Emotions’ post on Monday. I have been sitting here trying to find right words to say so much more than ‘Thank you for your support’ but I am at a loss …. I thought perhaps I could show my appreciation through food! I hope the yumminess of this recipe show you all just how much I appreciate YOU …. and when you make them and love them, you think of me and smile! 


Peanut Butter Cups


Peanut Butter Cups


 


1 cup desiccated coconut (110g)


8 medjool dates (85g)


¼ cup raw macadamias (40g)


peanut butter (or nut butter of your choice) approximately ¼ cup


2/3 cup rapadura (or brown sugar) (90g)


½ cup coconut oil (liquid form) 90g


2 tblspns cacao (30g)


Place desiccated coconut, dates and macadamias into your food processor and blitz until thoroughly combined (1-2 minutes depending on your machine). TMX = 40 seconds / speed 8.


Place teaspoon amounts of this mixture into mini muffin tins (they do not have to be greased) and use your fingers to push the mixture in, to form a cup / tart base.


Place ½ tspn of peanut butter into each base and place in the freezer whilst you make the chocolate.


Place the rapadura, coconut oil and cacao into a small saucepan and melt over a low heat, stirring constantly until thoroughly combined. Leave on a low heat for 10 minutes – stirring occasionally – be careful not to burn it.


TMX = 10 minutes / 37c / speed 3. Scrape down sides. Then, 5 minutes / 50c / speed 4.


Remove the cups from the freezer and place even amounts of chocolate on top of each one. Return to the freezer for 1 hour before enjoying!


Makes 16.


 Notes: – You can use nut butter of your choice. Here is the link to my home-made almond and macadamia nut butter. 


- Be careful you don’t fill the cups too much with the peanut butter as you need to leave room for the layer of chocolate.


- Use a small knife to pop the cups out of the tin (they will remove easily). Store in an airtight container in the freezer. They won’t last long!
– You can swap the rapadura for sweetener of your choice.


- I had chocolate left over so I popped the extra chocolate into the mini muffin tins and popped a whole raw macadamia in them and then placed them in the freezer also. YUM!


I would love to hear from you when you make them!


Have a wonderful afternoon and I look forward to connecting more with you all soon. I know I have many messages I have still not replied to. I promise to get to them all.


Take Care of You, 


Collette x 


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Sunday, 23 February 2014

Raw emotions …. not food

Good Morning friends. I hope this finds you well. I have fought with the idea for a while now, to write a very personal blog post and even as I write this my chest tightens and I am unsure if I should just press my delete button and keep my thoughts to myself. After the recent death of Charlotte Dawson, I have to say I have been troubled and so extremely saddened and it is with this emotion I write my ‘raw’ post.


Charlotte Dawson

Charlotte Dawson – Rest in Peace x


My name is Collette. I am 35 years old. I am a proud Christian. I am happily married to Josh, we have been married for 15 years. We are blessed to have 4 healthy and happy children together. I have a successful business and 3 self-published recipes books, 2 of them are best sellers. I have almost 32,000 ‘friends’ following my page on Facebook. I live in a lovely home in Suburbia with a couple of pet birds and my vegetable garden. Both Josh and I don’t come from broken homes and we have loving parents. If you gave me a sheet with ‘boxes to tick’ for what I would like out of life, I would have to admit I am pretty blessed. On paper all looks great, if you are standing outside looking in, all looks great. I get told that often.


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Me – 2013


What you don’t know about me. I suffer depression and anxiety and too often feel alone and sad. I have cried myself to sleep more times than I care to remember. I have days where I struggle to get out of bed. I don’t get out of my PJ’s and I purposely don’t answer the front door or telephone. My 4 blessings of children are all IVF babies. Over 8 years of heartache combined, trying for them. I have been medicated for depression many times (the medication makes me too ill though), I have seen many different health professionals, I have read every positive thinking book and done every mind training exercise out there and, yes, I have even told myself to ‘snap out of it’, but honestly, when I am having a ‘bad time’ it just isn’t that easy. If only it was a matter of ‘getting over it’ and being positive (words of a person who has had nothing to do with depression), I would have done that years ago. Depression and anxiety is real, I can not imagine anyone would choose to feel this way if they could just click their fingers and feel better.


For me, it’s nothing traumatic that has caused me to be this way. I guess it’s my DNA. I was first diagnosed with Post Natal Depression after the birth of my first child and battled since then (she is now 11 years old).  I have broken many things over the years due to fits of anger and frustration (plates being thrown and toes from kicking things). I have had times when I would drink too much to ‘get me through the day’ and where I felt alcohol was becoming my solution to happiness, when all it was doing was becoming an addictive problem.
In saying all of this, I actually believe that I am blessed with my mental health issues if this is at all possible. Thankfully, somehow, I can see when I am sliding down hill and need to seek further help. From others I have spoken to, this isn’t easy or common for everyone to do. I HATE admitting to my husband when I am ‘sliding down hill’, because I want to be ‘strong, independent and care-free’ all the time….not just some of the time. But I have 4 children to think of and I want them to have a happy Mum who will be there to see them grow up.
For me the slightest things can set me off which makes it difficult for people to understand and which draws the ‘pfffft just get over it comments’. Since having my twins  (they are 3 years old) I could count on one hand the amount of times people have asked us to their place for a meal, coffee or even a glass of water! We love socializing and have people here often but never get the return invite. This affects me as I question myself as a person, which is just the most awful thing to do (be left alone with your own poisonous thoughts). Do people simply not want to be around me? Am I boring? Am I a horrible person and I don’t realize it? Is it because we have 4 children and people see that as hard work? Is it because I have so many intolerances and people are too scared to cook for me? (this would actually be funny if it were the reason as I have 3 books I can give them for ideas!) Is it that people are just so busy in their lives and we are not a priority? Is it that people see on paper our ‘perfect life’ and think we have plenty of friends?


In the last year or two I have lost touch with several friends. This hurts me more than words can express. I love my friends. They make me smile. One friend, who knew of my mental health issues and said she would be there for me as a shoulder to lean on decided to stop talking to me, deleted me as a friend on FB and refuses to reply to my messages to let me know what I did to make her no longer care for me. I honestly don’t know. I can only guess that I didn’t juggle being mum of 4, full time work and her friendship as good as she wanted. Hubby is a bit more black and white than me and says it is their loss as true friends wouldn’t do that. I just feel the pain they caused and struggle to not put myself down more because of it.
In the past year alone I have been criticized and belittled as a wife, mother, friend and human being in general, in my own home by someone that I thought cared for me. When I am having good days I can try and turn these situations of heart ache into positives and learning experiences and tests of Grace. Sadly though, I don’t have good days all the time and I don’t understand people’s nastiness, hurtfulness and judgment.  


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On top of my mental health issues, I am fighting a constant battle with my physical health. My food allergies and leaky gut go hand in hand with my depression and anxiety and I am sure they feed off each other. I now have panic attacks when I am in the car for more than 10 minutes as I worry I may need to go to the bathroom. This is causing me to become home bound and doesn’t help my cause with feeling alone in friendships.


It is difficult enough dealing with expectations and depression in everyday life with family and friends, but now in today’s society we have social media to deal with and geez it can be ugly. You know those “Keyboard Warriors”? The people that sit behind their computer and say rude, nasty and just disgusting comments and have no respect for others?   Since starting my COTC FB page I have had my share of nasty and thoughtless comments. I have been ‘told off’ on FB for cooking with sugar, feeding my kids ‘treats’, NOT feeding my kids ‘treats’, cooking with meat, shopping at a supermarket or not replying to messages quick enough….the list could go on. Most of these people could have as easily just said nothing and scrolled on past whatever they didn’t like on my page. I have had someone tell me they were deleting me for putting up a family photo where it looked like I had it ‘so easy’, having 4 children and I was showing off my perfect life.


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Me and my family


It was social media bullying which made me first know who Charlotte Dawson was after she attempted suicide back in 2012. I wonder how those people feel now? The ones who told her that her life wasn’t worthwhile, amongst other nasty comments. I wonder if they sleep of a night? 


Social media is amazing for so many reasons, please don’t get me wrong, however, social media can and does cause much heartache. Expression cannot be seen across the computer. Jokes can be taken the wrong way. Assumptions are too often made. Arguments can get out of control and relationships lost, broken and hearts hurt. This scares me in many ways with my 4 children growing up with this being the ‘normal’ way of life.


I need to ask something of you and please read this carefully. Please know I am not having a ‘pity party’ and doing this for personal attention. As I get to the end of my writing I am still unsure if I will actually even post this. I KNOW that there are many people out there worse than me. The reason I am doing this is for awareness and to perhaps make you think.
 
I KNOW that I am blessed and I know with the help I am getting (I am on Chinese Medicine for my depression and working through a health program and natural supplements for my gut and my anxiety) and with the stubborn fighting streak that is within me, that I will be ok. I also am blessed, as I have reasons to keep me going. I have my children who I love so much it often hurts. I have a loving, supportive and encouraging husband who does his best to help in anyway he can, it is difficult on him as his natural instinct is to ‘fix it’ and it’s just not that easy. He knows now that sometimes all he can do is hug me tight, as I lay inconsolable on the bathroom floor and tell me I am loved and that it will be ok. I have supportive family who are just a phone call away and I have a handful of close friends (and to be honest some of this might even come as a shock to them). I have a business that I love (99% of the time!) and I feel encouraged that because of my journey with my physical and mental health issues, that perhaps I might be able to help people. Even just one person. I pray that what I go through on a daily basis is for a reason, that someone, somewhere will not feel alone because of me speaking up.


On top of this and most importantly, I have my Faith. I don’t believe that I am meant to have a ‘perfect and pain free’ life because I am a Christian. I find solace in knowing that I have a God that loves me unconditionally. That even in my darkest moments he is there and won’t leave me.


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There has been a lot of information in the media over the past few days for those with depression or mental health issues to reach out for help. Lifeline and Beyond Blue are two great places. R U OK is another wonderful contact.


The problem is though, so many people with depression don’t reach out for help, or do and don’t get heard. They might be speaking but they may not be listened to. This is the entire purpose of my message today. Are you listening? Think about your friends, acquaintances, family members, school mums, work colleagues…. has anyone tried to reach out to you for help and you have shrugged it off as they are ‘being sensitive, over-reacting, being a drama queen, just being negative?’
What about the Mum that sits by herself at school waiting to pick the kids up in the afternoon, whilst you chat to your group of friends, have you asked her how she is doing and listened? What about your husband, have you asked him how his day was and truly listened and allowed him to get his daily stresses off his chest? What about the friend that seems perfect and has it all together, that you assume is too busy to catch up for a coffee or play date? Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. What about the friend that you have been ‘meaning’ to call but keep putting it off because you couldn’t be bothered or you don’t need something from them at the moment?
I urge you, if anyone you know has sprung to mind, pick up the phone and call them. Send them a text message to say “hi I was thinking of you”. Contact them in anyway you can. Make it your daily or weekly plan to tell someone you are thinking of him or her and have them know they are not alone. Let’s stop comparing, belittling and judging and, start listening, caring, uplifting and encouraging.


true friend


As for social media or bitching behind friend’s backs, I am sure you have heard it all before. Think before you speak. If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.


Have a great day, bless you all and go and make that call or send that message .


Take Care of You, 


Collette x 


((Any negative or rude comments on this post will be deleted so please just don’t do it in the first place))


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Pinterest: (the quotes I have used on this blog post are from here)

Thursday, 20 February 2014

Tomato Sauce

Good Morning friends! I hope this finds you well and that you have had a wonderful week. 


We love growing our own fruit, veg and herbs at home but sometimes we get so much produce we can not keep up with eating it or even giving it away! I have a freezer full of gorgeous orange chilli’s and we have more beautiful, red, plump, organic tomatoes than we know what to do with. 
Miss 9 asked the other day if I could make tomato sauce (as I refuse to buy the shop bought ones packed with refined sugars) and so I was up for the challenge… especially since I had quite a few tomatoes to play with! 3 attempts later (and 3kg of tomatoes later) I succeeded with the right consistency and flavour to keep not only hubby happy but the 4 kids too! I have tested this again in the TMX and also with using my food processor and stove top – so no matter what machine you have you are right to enjoy this at home! I hope you love it as much as my family does!


Tomato Sauce


Tomato Sauce 


1kg tomatoes – roughly diced


1 brown onion (110g) – roughly diced


2 cloves garlic


1cm x 1cm piece ginger


½ cup apple cider vinegar (100g)


¼ cup honey (90g)


1 tspn herbamare (or sea salt)


½ tspn sage


½ tspn cinnamon


½ tspn cumin


½ tson coriander


½ tspn paprika


¼ tspn mustard seeds


2 versions – 1 for TMX and 1 for Blender / Food Processor and Stove Top


TMX VERSION:
Place the prepared tomatoes, onion, garlic and ginger into the bowl and blitz for 15 seconds speed 8.


Add the remaining ingredients and cook for 40 minutes Varoma Speed 3.


Allow to cool before pouring into a glass jar.


BLENDER / FOOD PROCESSOR & STOVE TOP VERSION:


Place the prepared tomatoes, onion, garlic and ginger into the blender / food processor and blitz for 30-40 seconds or until liquid.


Pour this tomato liquid into a large saucepan add the remaining ingredients – mix well.


Bring the sauce to the boil. 
Turn heat down to a gentle simmer. Stir frequently (every 5 minutes approximately) for up to one hour until the desired consistency is achieved (mine took just under an hour).


Allow to cool before pouring into a glass jar.


Makes 3 cups of tomato sauce.


Great for a pasta sauce and a ‘dipping’ ketchup sauce. 


TIP:


* Store in a glass jar in the fridge.  (Please note, as I have only just made this sauce I do not know how long it will keep for in the fridge – at a guess I would say a month …. but I don’t think mine will last that long – my kids are excited as I don’t buy tomato sauce!)
* Sneak vegetables into this sauce (in step 1) eg 1 – 2 diced carrots and a few stalks of celery. 


Wishing you a wonderful weekend and as always I hope it is filled with love, laughter and GREAT food!


Take Care of You, 


Collette x 


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Tuesday, 18 February 2014

Lemon Squares

Good Morning friends! I hope this finds you well and having a great week so far. 


Everyone in my family loves a treat for afternoon tea or dessert and especially these “no – bake” ones …. not only are they healthy but they are quick and easy to make which means the kids get to be involved in the process of making them also! I don’t know about your kids but mine love being involved in the kitchen.


Miss 11 on the weekend asked if she could do some cooking so we decided to create a version of one of our favourite desserts that is in my recent book “Cut out the Crap with Style” …. this is what we came up with …. ingredients that we always have …. so quick to make …. and so amazingly tasty! For afternoon tea they all devoured a square with gorgeous fresh Passionfruit on top! I hope you enjoy it as much as they did!


Lemon Squares - 1


Lemon Squares


Base


2 cups coconut (200g)


12 medjool dates (120g)


2 tspns vanilla essence (5g)


1 heaped tblspn lemon zest


Top


2 cups raw cashews (290g)


¼ cup fresh lemon juice (45g)


¼ cup maple syrup (55g)


Line a 20cm square tin with baking paper and set aside.


Place all the ingredients for the base into a food processor and blitz on high for 1-2 minutes. Scrape down sides half way through. (TMX 50 seconds speed 8) 


Place the mixture into the prepared tin and using the back to a spoon (or your fingers!) push base down evenly to spread out and make a base.


Place in freezer whilst making the top.


In a clean bowl place all the ingredients for the top. Blitz on high for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Once again, scrape down sides half way through. (TMX 1 minute 10 seconds speed 8)


Remove base from freezer and place lemon mixture on top – spread evenly.


Place in freezer for 1 hour.


Allow to sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before cutting into 16  even squares.  Serve immediately.


Enjoy as is or top with fresh seasonal fruit for a delicious dessert or afternoon tea.


Note: You can soak cashews for 1 hour before hand if you wish but you don’t need to.


If the lemon mixture is sticky and hard to spread simply wet a spatula / back of a spoon to help.


Store in an airtight container in the freezer.


Lemon Squares - 2


Wishing you a wonderful rest of the week …. why not treat yourself and make this ….if you love lemon you won’t regret it!


Take Care of You,


Collette x  


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Sunday, 16 February 2014

Taco Mix

Good Morning friends! I hope this finds you well and that you had a wonderful weekend. We had a lovely and quiet one, it rained on an off so some movie afternoons, reading books and just stopping and playing with the kids and doing not much else was on the cards – it was really lovely as often our weekends can be so hectic!

My parents came for dinner Saturday night and we did homemade Pizzas – I love doing this with family and friends – setting up all the toppings and getting everyone to make their own. The wheat base I used was the recipe from the TMX EDC. The Gluten Free base I used was mine from this previous ‘Pizza blog’


pizza

Yummo homemade pizzas with a huge choice of Pizza toppings!


I get requests almost every week about how to make a ‘crap free’ Taco Mix – so I thought I would share on here my recipe we use regularly and love. 


Taco Mix


2 tblspns cumin


1 tblspn paprika


1 tblspn onion powder


1 tblspn dried oregano


Good pinch salt and pepper (or herbamare)


1 tspn chilli flakes (optional) 


I add these herbs and spices to 1 kg mince. 


Option: add grated veg, diced fresh tomato and / or 1 tblspn TMX veg stock concentrate to the mince mixture too if you wish.


Tacos COTC

I use 2 mountain bread wraps (as they are thin and 1 breaks), sour cream, cheese, tomato, baby spinach & mince.


Enjoy!


Wishing you a wonderful day and week ahead!


Take Care of You,


Collette x 


PS To ensure you don’t miss out on the recipes I post, please head to the homepage of this website and pop your email address in to ‘Subscribe’ then these blogs will go straight to your email! 



Taco Mix

Thursday, 13 February 2014

Apricot and Coconut Slice

Good Morning friends! I hope this finds you well. Happy Valentines Day! Do you celebrate this occasion? We don’t celebrate it but simply use it as an excuse to cook a little bit fancier dinner …. cooking something special for hubby tonight out of my recent book “Cut out the Crap with Style” – can’t wait!


STYLE COLLAGE

A few photos from ‘Cut out the Crap with Style’ recipe book!


Quick, easy and nutritious snacks like ‘Bliss Balls’ are ever so popular and I wanted to share with you a version I do also with dried apricots…..it’s another one that is hard to stop eating at one piece. The kids love it for s snack at school and I have a few times made them into ‘balls’ to pop on the side off a cheese platter when entertaining. I hope you love it as much as we do!


apricot and coconut slice


Apricot and Coconut Slice


300g dried apricots


140g desiccated coconut


5g chia seeds


Place all ingredients into your food processor and blitz until thoroughly combined (time will vary depending on your machine – my Breville took just under 2 minutes)


Line a square cake tin with baking paper and push the mixture evenly into the tin. Refrigerate for 1 hour before cutting into squares.


THERMOMIX OWNERS: Speed 7 for 45 seconds 


Perfect for a snack at school!


Options: as always with basic recipes like this you can get creative.


  • Add 5g flaxseeds

  • Make into balls and roll in coconut

  • For a ‘non-school snack’ I added 80g brazil nuts to the mix (you can use nuts of your choice)

READ LABELS: The apricots and coconut I buy ARE additive free. Be careful as a lot are not! Watch out for ‘orange’ dried apricots as these are generally the ones with additives. My apricots I buy additive free are brown in colour. 


Wishing you a wonderful day and weekend, whatever you are up to! I hope it is filled with love, laughter, family, friends and great food! 


Take Care of You,


Collette x 



Apricot and Coconut Slice

Tuesday, 11 February 2014

Homemade Probiotic - fermented Vegetables

Good Morning  friends, I hope this finds you well! 


There have been great discussions on my Facebook page recently about probiotics and I think I am not alone in saying it is a confusing topic. I went yesterday to Miss 9′s health professional who gave me this recipe for fermented vegetables as probiotics many months ago and asked him AGAIN if this is all we need….in his opinion….YES. He believes this is far better than anything packaged tablet on the market. Now PLEASE I know that many of you take other things and some are very passionate about their products – this is great – you have to do what is right for YOU! For some of us though, this is what sits best for us….so if you are not keen on taking a tablet probiotic and keen to make your own….here is what I do…..


probiotics


Probiotic – Fermented Vegetables


1/2 large cabbage, 1/2 large onion – you can then use other things to taste like carrot, beetroot, herbs, garlic, ginger etc.


1 tspn Himalayan salt


1 tblspn apple cider vinegar


water


Shred all vegetables. Put them all into a large glass jar (I don’t have a large one so use two small ones). Add the rest of the ingredients, cover with water and squash it all down.


Leave to ferment for 3-5 days.


Eat one tablespoon per day for an adult and 1 teaspoon a day for children. 


Store in a cool dark place (pantry) – if it’s super hot where you live you can store it in the fridge but it is best at room temp. 


** Use by date :  it doesn’t have one. 



Direct from Peter at Total Health: 


 Fermented Vegetables are my preferred way of obtaining probiotics. Studies show that they contain 100 times more beneficial microflora than commercially produced probiotics.


After 2-3 days of lacto-fermentaton, vegetables start to soften and some of their components break down. As lactic acid producing bacteria proliferate, the food becomes more acidic and easily digestible. Micronutrients such as choline are formed, the entire medium is preserved and new flavours and aromas develop.


There are MANY different tablets out there and other things like Kombucha and Kefir for probiotics. For me though this one is quick and easy and a great place to start! I hope this helps for those that want to start probiotics but don’t know where to start and it won’t confuse you too much!


Take Care of You,
Collette x 



Homemade Probiotic - fermented Vegetables

Sunday, 9 February 2014

'Bliss Balls' (Thermomix version)

Good afternoon friends! I hope this finds you well! We are all well here, it has been a huge 2 weeks for my family. The big girls went back to school and the twins (3yrs old) started Preschool for the very first time (just 2 days a week)! The loved it! When we went to pick them up they were oh so cute! Miss 3 ran to me for huge hugs and Master 3 slumped his shoulders and burst into tears because he wasn’t ready to go home yet!


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My cuties….love that the bags are almost as big as them!




Hubby and I went to Adelaide Friday -Sunday to visit my best friend who only 2 weeks before that had her very first bubba! Wow it was hot 41-45 degrees in the time we were there! Such a dry heat too. We got to have a lot of bubba cuddles and on the Sunday before we left we did a little sight seeing around the City – including going to Church in one of the most beautiful buildings. It was a wonderful weekend, we are so blessed to have great friends to look after the 4 kids back here at home so we could have that quality time with our friends. 


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Hubby with our friends at one of the beautiful Churches in Adelaide


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Having bubba cuddles …. she is so precious!


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Our flight home …. was a beautiful sight being above the clouds …. my big girls loved seeing the photos I took from the plane!


As you would know by now I am the proud owner of a Thermomix. I am enjoying getting to know my machine and learning and playing and seeing all it can do. I am thoroughly impressed with how quickly it cooks, how much I am cooking and how little time I am spending in the kitchen now! 


I am happy to be sharing with you today my converted Bliss Balls recipe for your Thermomix – if you don’t have a Thermomix you might like to follow this link for my recipe. “Date Balls – 3 recipes” 


Bliss Balls


‘Bliss Balls’


200g Pepitas OR Macadamias (you can use nuts of your choice)
200g Medjool Dates
20g drinking chocolate or cacao (this can be found in many brands additive free)


Place Pepitas OR Macadamias into the TMX and blitz for 10 seconds on speed 8 for Pepitas OR 20 seconds for Macadamias.
Add medjool dates and drinking chocolate or cacao and blitz for 1 minute on speed 9. 
Roll into balls and refrigerate for 1 hour before enjoying. 


My kids have the pepita ones for school morning tea as they are a nut free zone !


(note: get creative with these ingredients – there are so many different options you can use depending on your diet needs and taste buds, this is a basic version which we love as its so quick and easy)



Enjoy and have a wonderful week!


Take Care of You,
Collette x 



'Bliss Balls' (Thermomix version)

Thursday, 6 February 2014

Honey and Ginger Chicken (Thermomix)

Good afternoon friends! I hope this finds you well. 


I posted this family friendly Thermomix recipe on Facebook last night that I created for dinner (I was going to do chunkier chicken but Miss 9 asked for ‘shredded chicken’) and thought I would post it here on my blog incase you missed it on FB and also so you can save it and find it easier. 


I am enjoying playing with my TMX at dinner times but haven’t had much time to play during the days as my due to work commitments and Miss 3 has been unwell and not moving far from my arms …. hubby is home on the weekend and Miss 3 is feeling better now so I look forward to having a good play then …. even going to attempt some bread! Wish me luck!


I hope you love this recipe as much as we did …. I have to be honest and say I am impressed that I can get a dinner on the table under 20 minutes like this and I don’t have to be at the stove the whole time…..


Honey and Ginger Chicken


Honey and Ginger Chicken



25g ginger


2 cloves garlic


1 brown onion – peeled and quartered


100g honey


5g olive oil


good pinch salt and pepper
120g carrots  thinly sliced (approx. 2 carrots)


750g chicken breast fillets diced 3cm x 3cm
½ handful of baby spinach (didn’t weigh it)


120g zucchini thinly sliced (approx. 1 zucchini)


100g diced cauliflower


handful of raw cashews


Place ginger, garlic and onion into the bowl and chop 10 seconds / speed 6.


Add honey, oil and salt and pepper and heat 3 minutes / 100c / speed 2.


Add carrots and chicken and cook for 10 minutes / reverse / 100c / speed 1.


Add baby spinach, zucchini and cauliflower and cook for a further 3 minutes / reverse / 100c / speed 1.


Serve immediately and lastly sprinkle with raw cashews.


Have  a fabulous weekend and I would dearly love to hear from you when you cook any of my new TMX recipes!


Take Care of You,
Collette x 


lunch box stickers

New product for sale on my online store! Healthy snack labels! Perfect for school and preschool!



Honey and Ginger Chicken (Thermomix)

Tuesday, 4 February 2014

Pumpkin and Bone Broth Soup (Thermomix)

Good afternoon friends! I hope this finds you well. 


I am excited to say that yesterday my very first Thermomix arrived! It was something that I was happy to not have for so long – I had seen it many times in actions and always convinced myself I didn’t need it …. until my food processor started to play up and I also realised the benefits of making my owns flours etc …. so I bit the bullet, had a demo, hubby was convinced and bought it!


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Already I am thoroughly impressed with the speed of it, the ease of it and the vast variety of what I can do with it in such a short time. I am enjoying learning and playing and I am extremely grateful that my consultant Jane was truly so experienced and in love with hers that after she delivered it, I felt confidant to cook (and create) my first meal. A simple chicken and veg dish and cauliflower rice (I will share the recipe soon, I just need to work a little on it as the chicken shredded a bit too much) … before that I made custard, ice cream and then once the kids were in bed I made bliss balls for school!
The kids were super excited! My twins (3yrs) had never had custard before and LOVED it!


This morning I made CADA for the Kids for Breakfast and even boiled the eggs in it for the kids lunch (I KNOW I could do this on the stove top but as I say, I am enjoying playing with it). 


Miss 3 is unwell at the moment after waking up at 10pm with temps, lethargy and a cold and this morning she asked for more custard so I made that again and then decided to make some pumpkin soup for her using some of the Chicken bone broth I had in the freezer …. she is normally such a great eater but isn’t wanting anything at the moment so anything I can get into her is good. She had a mouthful or two of the custard – sprinkled with berry choc chunk from Superfoods for Kidz – and the same of the Soup ….. her twin brother and I enjoyed our normal size portions!


I know it’s a basic recipe but sometimes these are great and needed on busy nights ….and besides that, it is SUPER good for you having the bone broth in it …. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did …..


Pumpkin and Bone Broth Soup


Pumpkin and Bone Broth Soup (Thermomix recipe)


400g pumpkin – peeled and diced


110g carrots – (this was 2 carrots for me) peeled and diced


500g chicken bone broth


1 tspn vegetable stock concentrate (TMX recipe)


Place prepared pumpkin and carrot into the bowl and chop 10 seconds / speed 6. Scrape down the sides.


Add the bone broth and stock concentrate and cook for 20 minutes / 100c / speed 1.


Once that is finished blend for 45 seconds / speed 5.


Enjoy!


I always love hearing from you when you make my recipes – but would REALLY love to hear from you with these Thermomix ones so I can learn what you do and don’t like!


Take Care of You,
Collette x 




Pumpkin and Bone Broth Soup (Thermomix)

Sunday, 2 February 2014

"Zipzicles" Ice block pouches - Pack of 12

NEW! Zipzicles! Reusable Ice block pouches – perfect to make ADDITIVE FREE Ice blocks for your little ones – you will know exactly what is going in them and they will never know the difference!


ONLY $8.95 for a pack of 12 


BUYERS PLEASE NOTE: If you would like to purchase Zipzicles ONLY – you DO NOT have to pay $10 postage that is set on my website. Please email me at info@cutoutthecrap.com.au BEFORE purchasing and I can talk to you about CHEAPER postage. If you purchase these ONLY and contact me after I CAN NOT issue a refund. 


More info direct from the Company:


  • Reusable icy pole pouches, simply wash them out, refill and freeze

  • Made from BPA free, FDA approved food grade polyethylene with a nylon layer for durability

  • Holds 100ml of your choice of natural flavour, great for fresh juice   (Or even ice coffee or margaritas for adults!)

Zip lock closing feature



"Zipzicles" Ice block pouches - Pack of 12