Good Afternoon friends! I hope this find you all well and that you have had a lovely week.

All is really well here. Last Sunday my eldest daughter competed in the Nationals Physie Competition and was thrilled to achieve her goal of top 18 – 2nd year in a row! I have had a good week, reasonably low key (well as much as possible with 4 kids and a business!) … I am hoping to get sorted for Christmas and the twins Birthday (23rd Dec!) next week … can’t really believe Christmas is less than a month away! Are you sorted?

Here is a scrumptious recipe I have been meaning to blog for quite a few weeks now … it is a regular dish in our home and I have a few friends who love it and make it regularly too …as for  the kids, well they LOVE  it cause really, what kids don’t like to eat using their hands! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! 

Chicken Lettuce Cups

1 tspn oil

1 kg chicken mince

½ cauliflower (approx. 400g) – grated

2 brown onions (approx. 160g) – finely diced

2 stalks celery – finely diced

2 zucchini (300g) – grated

2 carrots (approx. 290g) – grated

1 large red capsicum (approx. 270g) – finely diced

4 tblspns nutritional yeast

2 tblspns dried coriander

2 tblspns cumin

2 tspns dried sage

½ tspn herbamare

Lettuce leaves, Sour Cream and Sweet Chilli Relish to serve.

In a large wok place the chicken mince and cook on medium – high or until ¾ cooked.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Cook (stirring continuously) until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Serve as is – or serve in lettuce leaves with a dollop of sour cream and sweet chilli relish on top.

Serves 6-8 

Freezes well. 

Wishing you and your family a wonderful weekend .. full of love, laughter and great food! 

Take Care of You, 

Collette x 

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Chicken Lettuce Cups

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

I just made some jam using gorgeous Nectarines I picked up cheap the other day and realised I haven’t shared my recipe with you … so here it is! Super easy, limited ingredients, delicious and of course the best bit is that you know what’s in it! Hope you love it as much as we do! 

Nectarine Jam 

700-800gms Nectarines – seeds removed

4 tblspns chia seeds (45g)

2 tblspns maple syrup (35g)

1 tspn vanilla

Place all the ingredients for the jam into a food processor and blitz on medium –high until pureed to your liking.

(TMX Speed 5 – 20 seconds)

Place jam in sterilized jars with lids and refrigerate for 2-3 hours to cool and set.

Enjoy!

Notes:

• You can use fruit of choice depending what is in season


• You can swap the Maple Syrup for sweetener of choice AND you can increase the amount or leave it out all together, depending on your taste buds


• Store in the fridge (mine has lasted 3-4 weeks well – but normally gets eaten before that) 

Why not make some for a perfect gift to give to teachers, family and friends for Christmas with a ribbon around it!? It’s what I will be doing! 

Wishing you a great rest of the week, 

Take Care of You, 

Collette x 

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Nectarine Jam

Our annual holiday …

Good Afternoon friends! I hope this finds you well!

Every year we count down the weeks until our annual family 2 week relaxing holiday … we have been back over a month now and I have been meaning to do my little update on it and share some photos but I am only just getting to it now as the days have been pretty busy with the orders for my new ‘Lunchbox Solutions Mini Cookbook’ … here I am though … better late than never hey!? I hope you enjoy …

Love watching my family play on the beach … every day!

 

Holidays … the time to occasionally look the other way … Master ‘almost’ 4 enjoying a rare ice-cream! Clearly loving it!

My youngest … Miss ‘almost 4′ … looking gorgeous!

Teaching my Mother-in-Law to take selfless

I normally brave the water ONCE in the 2 weeks holiday … and would be lucky to go up to my knees the other days … just not a fan of everything about the ocean … I braved it this day and had a go of the boogy board … I got over my fear (well almost) and loved every moment!

Hubby and Miss 10 can never get enough of the water …. love watching them have a blast!

How easy it is to stop, sit and relax on holidays … very grateful for the sunshine and lazy days spending quality time with the family …. must remember to do this every day … stop, relax, breathe and be grateful x

Wishing you a lovely week … talk again soon …

Take Care of You,
Collette x

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Our annual holiday …

Good Afternoon friends! HAPPY FRIDAY! I hope this finds you all well and that you had a lovely week!

I have had a lovely week. I have managed to have some nice quality time playing with the kids, enjoying the sunshine, having a few (not many but better than none!) lazy moments and I even had quite a few hours in kitchen doing some creating … it really is my happy place!

MANY months ago I bought some Great Lakes Gelatin as I heard quite a few times that it was really good for you but I have to be honest and tell you that I was a little freaked out by using it as I was worried it was going to have a strange taste! I finally worked up the courage and I am glad I did … these little ‘jellies’ are so easy to make and really yummy – 3 of my 4 kids LOVED them … Miss ‘almost 4′ wasn’t fussed and said she didn’t like them wobbling! ha ha!

I have only tried them with the ingredients below but I look forward to having a play with other flavours and I will update here as I do …. I hope to hear from you when you make them …enjoy

‘jellies’

½ cup boiling water

4 tblspns gelatin

2 tblspns honey

1 cup coconut water

1 cup orange juice

In a glass jug place the boiling water, gelatin and honey and stir well until it is all combined.

Add the coconut water and orange juice and mix well.

 Pour mixture into moulds and ‘set’ in the fridge for at least 2 hours before enjoying. 

Note:

• I use ‘Great Lakes Gelatin’


• If you don’t have shaped moulds you could use ice cube trays or pour the mixture into a lined large container and once it is set, cut into squares


• These ‘jelies’ aren’t overly sweet so you can increase the honey to taste


• Have fun experimenting with your favourite juice flavours


• Store in an airtight container in the fridge

 

Wishing you a beautiful weekend friends … I don’t know about the area you live in but here on the Central Coast I have heard it is meant to reach 41 degrees on Sunday … mind you, as I am typing this it is 40 degrees! Stay cool … drink LOADS of water and please remember your pets and eldery neighbours! 

Talk again soon,

Take Care of You, 
Collette x 

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'Jellies'

Bread Bag - Sparrow

4MyEarth Bread Bag is designed especially for carrying and storing your bread. Whether you make your own or buy it from your local baker there is now an option to reduce your use of single use or plastic bags with a strong, long lasting food grade safe bag that will keep your bread lovely and fresh.

4MyEarth Bread Bags are for those who care about our environment and care about their bread!

Size 34 cm W x 40 cm L – size is a rough guide and may vary slightly either side of this measurement.

• 100% Cotton/Canvas fabric


• PVC free


• non-toxic


• heavy metal free


• phthalate free


• BPA free


• coating decomposes without harm to environment- unlike PUL or Nylon which is not biodegradable

•  Zipper for easy open and close.


•  Bags can be put in freezer.


•  Lightweight, yet extremely strong.


•  Stores flat for easy and simple storage.


•  Hand,  machine or dishwasher safe.

Ethically made in India

SPARROW

1 X $17.95

Bread Bag - Sparrow

Festive 100's and 1000's

Festive 100’s & 1000’s  - red, green and white

Gluten Free

Sugar, maize starch, maltodextrin, natural colours 141chlorophyll, 160a carotene, 162 beetroot, 163, spirulina

150g jar

$5.50 each

Festive 100's and 1000's

Gratitude and my NEW "Lunch Box Solutions" Mini Cookbook!!!!!!!!

Good Afternoon friends! I wanted to take a moment to send this message out to you, full of Love, Gratitude and Thanks!

A little over 2 weeks ago we came home from our annual holiday all nice and relaxed and 3 days later my NEW “Cut out the Crap Lunch Box Solutions” Mini Cookbook turned up! It has been an exciting time of chaos ever since as I spend many hours a day getting these books out to their new homes. 

The messages that I am receiving from people already getting their books, reading them, cooking from them and loving them is overwhelming! I genuinely can not thank you enough for your kind words and support. My aim is to reply to each and every one of you but I am chasing my tail with messages and at the moment my priority is getting the orders out … so until I reply to you … please take this as a MASSIVE THANK YOU from my heart to yours.

You all keep me excited and inspired to be in the kitchen and create yummy food to share! I hope you love cooking and eating my creations as much as I love sharing them. 

Take Care of You, 

Collette x 

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Gratitude and my NEW "Lunch Box Solutions" Mini Cookbook!!!!!!!!

Lamb Shank Soup

Good Evening friends! I hope this finds you well! 

A few weeks ago now I promised this recipe … since then I have been on holidays .. then had the release of my NEW book (Cut out the Crap Lunchbox Solutions) and time has just flown past way too fast …. so sorry it is a little late but I promise you it will be worth the wait! 

Slow Cooked Lamb Shank Soup

3-4 lamb shanks

1 tblspn oil

2 onions – roughly diced

2 stalks celery – roughly diced

3 large carrots – roughly diced

3 cloves garlic – crushed

2 bay leaves

2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary

3 tblspns apple cider vinegar

good pinch of salt

water

2 zucchinis – roughly diced

1 red capsicum – roughly diced

15 green beans – cut into 2cm pieces

6 leaves of silverbeet – roughly shredded

In a large soup pan place the lamb shanks and oil. Turn the shanks a few times until starting to brown (on a high heat). Remove shanks from the pan and put aside on a plate.

In the same soup pan place the onions, celery, carrot and garlic and cook over a medium heat, stirring the whole time, until onions are cooked and transparent. Do not burn!

Place the bay leaves, rosemary, apple cider vinegar and salt into the pan. Return the lamb shanks to the pan also.

Place enough water into the pan until the lamb shanks are well covered.

Cook, with the lid off, over a medium heat for 5 hours (after half way I often add another litre of water).

Remove the shanks from the pan and allow to cool slightly on a plate. Once the lamb is cool enough to handle, remove all the meat from the shanks.

Return the lamb meat to the pan along with the prepared zucchini, capsicum, beans and silverbeet.

Turn heat to high and cook for 5 minutes.

Serve immediately. 

This soup serves enough for the 6 of us to have a generous serve and leftovers for 2 meals! I hope you love it as much as we do … I would love to hear from you! 

Talk again soon, 

Take Care of You,

Collette x 

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Lamb Shank Soup