peckish......

This morning whilst the twins were asleep I was working away answering emails and posting off book orders & I felt like munching away on something other than fruit.....I remembered I had raw almonds and decided to take 10 minutes timeout and make myself some "Savoury Nuts" .......they turned out amazing.....and the only problem was trying not to eat them all straight away!

Hope you enjoy them also......

SPICY NUTS

2 cups raw almonds

1 tblspn cinnamon

1 tblspn rapadura (or brown sugar)

1 tblspn cardamom

1 tspn nutmeg

1/2 tspn cayenne pepper

1/4 tspn sea salt

1 egg white

Preheat oven to 180c.

Whisk egg white until mixture is quite frothy (but not too firm)

Add all the ingredients (besides egg white) into a bowl and mix well. 

Add the egg white and mix gently but thoroughly.

Line a baking tray with non stick paper and spread the almonds out on a single layer.

Cook for 8 minutes and remove tray. Working quickly (and carefully) seperate the almonds from each other. 

Bake for another 3-4minutes (or until golden and smelling delcious)

Allow to cool before eating!

*** be careful not to burn them

*** dont eat them all at once! (although its far better than sitting down to chips or cakes!)

*** if you like more heat, double the cayenne

*** a perfect snack whilst working away at the office or for guys with a beer and footy :-)

I am thrilled to have received in the mail today (and had the pleasure of chatting with lately) an inspirational lady "Tanya Winfield" .....Tanya is the creater of "Additive Free Pantry" and today I got my "Additive Free Shopping Guide" in the mail.......I LOVE being inspired by other peoples ideas and successes and even more so when it is directly in line with what I am passionate about......HEALTHY FOOD!

I tore myself away from the computer to have a cuppa (ok....YES and some "spicy nuts"!!) to have a read.....I am so impressed by the detail with over 800 products listed, Im certain it has just found a home permanantly in my handbag....1 so I can show it off.....and 2 it is there for quick reference when I am out shopping.....

www.additivefreepantry.com

I am pleased to see most ingredients that I use already in there and also interested in a few other ingredients I wasn't aware of......between Cut out the Crap, Cut out the Crap for Kids and Additive Free Shopping Guide....HEALTHY HEALTHY HEALTHY......and the positive is that because we make it TASTY the kids dont know what "crap and additives" they are missing out on.....

Hope you are having a wonderful day!

Take Care of You,

Coll x

www.cutoutthecrap.com.au 

CUT OUT THE CRAP FOR KIDS ARRIVES!

Thursday 24th May - CUT OUT THE CRAP FOR KIDS arrives in Australia!

Monday 28th May - I receive confirmation that the books have the "all clear" from customs and the transport company collect the books and take them back to the warehouse!

Tuesday 29th May - My transport company "split" my order - 1200 ready for my distributor in Melbourne to get out into book stores and 800 for me!

Wednesday 30th May - My distributor in Melbourne gets the books! (me....pacing the house thinking its unfair that from Sydney THEY get them before ME! Ok Ok....I need to work on my patience!)

Thursday 31st May - 7am we hear a truck pull up and go running......nope, it was a cement truck.....7.10 we hear another "truck" go past....nope it was a car.....then a bus....then more cars....and YES I run and JUMP EVERYTIME I hear any sort of transportation go past......I was in for a LONG day! Finally at 10.32am I hear a truck....go running and YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ITS THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think I may have slightly scared the delivery man with me sprinting to greet him with a HUGE childish grin on my face....perhaps there was jumping and clapping involved but hey, I can't exactly recall.....my mind went blank and all I could think of was "PLEASE BE OK" (I'm unsure if I was talking about my heart or if I was talking about my books!)

Then that moment arrives...you are faced with a box of books that you CAN open....you SHOULD open....but for that breif moment panic sets in.....now I KNOW I have seen a proof copy and said go ahead with the rest, however, what if they stuffed up something since then! SO...I open the box and ***squeal*** there they are smiling back at me, a heap of beautiful, bright, colourful CUT OUT THE CRAP FOR KIDS staring back at me! I have a proud Mumma moment!

I hug my hubby, he tells me how proud he is of me (which truly means more than I could ever express in words) and I take a moment to sit on the closest thing I can find (which happens to be a skateboard!) 

and I look.....I read.....I breathe...I smile....I thank God.....I perhaps have a little tear or 2 from pure releif....I think "I did it"......I reflect on all the ideas, the cooking, the creating, the testing, the successes, the failures, the paperwork, the pressure, the sleepless nights, the editing, the decisions......and after all of this I stop and feel overwhelmed with emotional that because of MY allergies I can bring JOY to other peoples homes......that is priceless.....that is worth EVERYTHING!

After that high......the "work" begins....I wrap a mass of books, I get all the orders off to the post office, jump on Facebook a few times, answer a stack of emails, have a revolving door for beautiful and supportive friends that come to buy a copy and celebrate with me and then the rest of the books go off to my storage "warehouse" where they sit pateintly and wait for the day they go to their new home where I know they will be treasured and loved! 

Its so exciting only 24 hours later to get emails and messages on FB from people who have received their copy already and LOVE it!

I hope and pray that you love CUT OUT THE CRAP FOR KIDS as much as CUT OUT THE CRAP and even half as much as I LOVE them! I hope my recipes bring MANY happy memories to your home and that they become long term family favourites.

Take Care Of You,

Coll x

Pizza anyone....????

Saturday night was a "monumental" night for me....and thinking about it so was Sunday night! Imagine for the first time in 5+ years being able to eat the meal you have missed the most.....but this time around it's not going to poison you and make you sick and this time around it's actually good for you!!

Saturday night we had friends over for dinner for homemade Pizza and it was my challenge to create one that I could eat and as you have probably guessed from my "monumental" comment.....IT WORKED.....as for Sunday night......I can't recall the last time that I have had leftover Pizza for dinner! Naughty to have the leftovers the next night in a slight way I know, but it was OH SO GOOD I simply had to stretch the moment out as much as I could!

You see, for me, Pizza was not just a no no because its main 2 ingredients are Gluten and Dairy, I am also allergic to the "common" toppings of Pizza like tomato, mushrooms, pork & preservatives which rules out ham, bacon, salami and cabanossi.... then add being allergic to corn and soy and that rules out any "pre made" pizza bases! But as I say, this story ends well.....

A photo taken of my son a few months ago when we were out with friends....clearly the kind of Pizza I would years ago "enjoy".....I'm so glad I can't now.....and NO, neither did he! :-)

I simply had to come up with not so common pizza topping and with the encouragement of friends this is what I came up with....not one, but TWO, CUT OUT THE CRAP PIZZAS!!!!!!

I prepared a mixture of ingredients, you could vary it up slightly depending on your allergies....

* 1 x Satay Dipping Sauce from CUT OUT THE CRAP PAGE 38
* Chicken breast fillets, boiled, cooled slightly then shredded
* Roasted Sweet Potato
* Broccoli, snow peas, avocado, fresh oregano and coriander and raw cashews
* Baby Spinach
* Red Capsicum
* mixed Italian herbs (jar/packet)
* Olive Oil

BASES - I tried 2 different bases to see if there was a difference....

BASE 1 - 1 cup of Quinoa Flour, 1 egg, 1 tblspn sunflower oil, 3 tblspns water - mix and knead well
BASE 2 - 1/2 cup Quinoa Flour, 1/2 cup Potato Flour, 1 egg, 1 tblspn sunflower oil, 3 tblspns water - mix and knead well

* on both of these bases you may need to add a touch more water or flour depending on the texture

PIZZA ONE.....

1 x Base 1 (quinoa base) covered with satay dipping sauce then topped with chicken, sweet potato, red capsicum, snow peas, fresh oregano, mixed Italian herbs and a drizzle of olive oil

 

PIZZA TWO.....

1 x Base 2 (quinoa and potato) covered with satay dipping sauce then topped with chicken, broccoli, avocado, cashews, baby spinach and a drizzle of olive oil.

Once cooked I put some fresh coriander on top.

As our BBQ has a lid, we turn our BBQ into a "pizza oven" to cook them but they could be cooked in the oven also.

My opinion ..... I LOVED both toppings and couldn't really decide which one was my favourite, they were both SO tasty and fresh and the satay dipping sauce made it feel so gourmet! Next time I plan on making some chunky sweet chilli sauce or a guacamole to see what that is like also.....

As for the bases.....they both cooked beautifully and held together beautifully also.....the all quinoa base was softer, where the one with half potato had quite a crunch to it which was nice but it was slightly powdery.....next time I may try 3/4 cup quinoa flour and 1/4 cup potato flour to see how that goes....but really, you could make either of these bases and you wouldn't be disappointed......

Tired after a long day at work and I don't normally wear my "Cut out the Crap" tops around the house! Ah.....homemade Pizza that I CAN eat!!!!!!!!!

My friend who doesn't have allergies at all and is use to eating "real" pizza, enjoyed my PIZZA ONE better than the one he made himself with wheat flour, cheese, salami and all the traditional toppings.....as he is our Pastor I trust he would not lie to me!!!!!!

These are something we are going to do often now as they were truly delicious and healthy! The kids LOVE making their own pizzas and it's always something fun and relaxed to do with friends.......

there was one other element that made the whole experience complete and that was the fact that I really felt like I was eating pizza! For the first time in 5+ years.....it was AMAZING!

YUM!!!!!!!!!!!

Let me know when make them, would love to hear other creative topping ideas and as always I love seeing photos....feel free to post them on Facebook or if you can't you can email them to me at info@cutoutthecrap.com.au

Tonight for dinner I have used the leftover ingredients from the pizza along with leftover chicken from drumsticks and a little grated sweet potato to make a Frittata......thrown all together, no wasting food and yep, you guessed it, healthy, tasty and crap free!

 

Take Care of You,

Coll x

"Super Food"

I have had some interesting chats recently on Facebook with CUT OUT THE CRAP FRIENDS about Chia seeds and alternatives to sugar and over the past few weeks I have heard the words "Super Foods" over and over again....so, me being me, I decided to do some research and find out WHAT EXACTLY ARE SUPER FOODS? Are they something I already know of? do I already use them?am I allergic to them? (let's hope not!) are they something I could use more often?
So I went to my reliable source (Google!) to see what I could find....WOW! I found lists ontop of lists ontop of lists about Super Foods! The first list I found was this list of top 10: Cashews, Brazil Nuts, Chia Seeds, Cacao, Agave, Coconut, Goji Berries, Maca, Sesame Seeds, Quinoa. I was pleasantly surprised. The only thing I can't have due to my allergies are Goji Berries & the only thing I have never heard of is Maca....more on that later.... I use Cashews, Agave, Coconut, Sesame Seeds and Quinoa regularly. Brazil nuts, Chia seeds and Cacao I use but not as often as I could. As I say, this is one list of many I found & all lists were different which was interesting, the nuts changed from list to list but Chia seeds & Cacao were on all of them. What I took out of everything I read was that Super Foods are clearly those little "diamonds" of food/ingredients that sparkle that little bit brighter then others and are full of oh so wonderful goodness for you like iron, Omega 3, antioxidants, they can help with weight loss, skin brightness & mental health...and this is just the super short list, I could go on forever with listing the benefits!
I also realized that the term Super Food is used quite loosy at times, which I guess happens with many things in life & then becomes questionable as to wether this is just a "fad" or "trendy".... There was one sight that listed almost 1,000 things as a Super Food!!!!.... And then there was one that wanted to find the negative in all the common ones - I would like to know what that creator the website ate when they found negatives in things so good, I wouldn't like to see their shopping trolley!!!! For me, I am one to look into products etc myself and do my own research and make up my own opinion and therefore choice.....anyway, I am side tracking again! I guess what I am trying to say is do what is right for your family, read what you can, research what you can and do what your "gut" feels is right...... for me, I loved the sound of this top 10 that I found and I believe that they are SUPER FOODS..... and as for that ingredient I have never heard of.....MACA....WOWZA! It's a root from Peru that can be bought in many forms, tablets, powder and flour....Jam packed full of vitamins and minerals and it assists with weight loss, fertility, depression and anxiety, low libido and energy levels.... I am off to get me some of that!!!!!! ha ha he he!!!!!!!

So, the other night I was laying in bed and thinking of the top 6 on the first list I found when I had this thought....imagine creating something that had them ALL in the one recipe and of course that was it, my mind was racing for hours, thank goodness I have my phone constantly next to my bed that has the trusty "notes" section for the me put down those 2am ideas that you simply don't want to forget! The next day I scooted to my local organic health food store and stocked up on goodies that I didn't already have and this morning I created! I have to say, sometimes I even amaze myself! Ha ha ha ha! I have tested them on 3 people today and they were a huge hit.....so here they are.....

SUPER BALLS

1 cup brazil nuts

1 cup cashew nuts

4 tblspns agave nectar

1/3 cup chia seeds

3 tblspns cacao powder

1 cup desiccated coconut

Place the brazil and cashew nuts in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Allow to sit over night.

Drain the nuts well.

Place the nuts in a food processor and blitz well.

Add the agave, chia seeds & cacao combine well.

Place the coconut into a separate bowl. Using your hands make balls out of the nut mixture (walnut/golfball size) and roll balls into the coconut mixture one at a time.

Place on a plate and refrigerate for 1 hour.

These are so very delicious and so amazingly good for you. Just remember though they are NOT sweet and will have a slight bitter taste because of the cacao. If you wanted to sweeten them up you could add a tablespoon or 2 of rapadura. I loved them just as they were.

SUPER FOOD LOG

2/3 cup sesame seeds - toasted

1/2 cup chia seeds

1 tblspn rapadura

1 tblspn cocao

1/4 cup agave

  8 dates (I used dried dates)

Place a 30cm piece of foil down on the bench and on top of that a piece of baking paper.

Place the sesame seeds and chia seeds into a food processor and blitz well.

Add the remaining ingredients and blitz again until well combined.

Place mixture onto the baking paper and using your hands form into the shape of a log.

Roll up the foil/baking paper nice and tight and fold over or twist the end.

Refrigerate for 1 hour. Cut into 1cm pieces and devour!
These are quite sweet because of the agave, rapadura and dates. Next time I try them I might leave the rapadura out & see how they go...although in saying that, my hubby doesn't have a sweet tooth and loved it as is. He said it reminded him of quince paste and could imagine eating it with crackers and cheese.....for me it will either be eaten just as is, or perhaps with a rice cracker and a slice of Nashi Pear?

I hope you love both of these recipes as much as I do.....one thing is for certain.....your body will love you for eating them!!!!!

Take Care Of You,
Coll x

Some ideas...

When I am not rushed I really do find cooking enjoyable...almost as much as I love eating! I still recall how devastated I was when I found out I was allergic to so many things I loved eating. Although I was sick so often I still ate anything and everything, clearly I had no idea what I was doing to my body, filling it with the things it hated, and I obviously didn't listen to my body either which is crazy, knowing how much it was screaming at me, how could I not hear it, or was I simply ignorning it??.....WOW I have changed since then! My body and I have a nice relationship now!!!! I'm kind to her and she is kind to me!!!!

I have said it before and I have no issue with saying it again daily and even hourly if needed, I feel so blessed now to have my allergies, as helping others in the same, or similar situation warms my heart so much and makes me feel overwhelmed with happiness. I never EVER thought when I wrote CUT OUT THE CRAP that I would be helping so many people in this way....I have been getting some beautiful and touching emails lately from people (who I like to call my new friends) who have bought my book, I wanted to share some with you.....

I just want to let you know that what you have done is absolutely brilliant. I applaud you. I accidently stumbled onto your page after seeing it on someones fb page as a "like". I went to have a quick look and an hour later, here I am. Dying to buy your cookbook. I have read some of your blog and I think you are so kind to have shared your love for natural cooking with the world. I can only imagine the process in making a cookbook. Well done. As a Personal Trainier I am always trying to get people to stay on track with their nutrition. They always seem to think that healthy food is boring. Well from just reading what I have today I have my ammo to hopefully encourage them to think again! Anyway enough bogging you down with my speil. All the best with what you do and I can't wait until Cut the Crap for Children book is available.

I was diagnosed with food allergies 13 years ago & with ulcerative colitis 2 years ago. Because of this, my food choices are limited. But since I've been introduced to your book... I can't explain how happy it's made me. To have found a recipe book that I can find not only one or two recipes in it that I can cook & eat, but almost all of them. Your recipes are not only easy & straightforward to make, they are so incredibly tasty. Thank you so much for all of your hard work in putting this book together. I can't wait for the second one to come out!

I also wanted to share with you a few recipes I have cooked this week from CUT OUT THE CRAP and a few changes I have made to them, spur of the moment......yummo yummo yummo.....

Cooking Walnut Pesto Chicken for dinner PAGE 204

Chicken is stuffed with freshly made Pesto and ready to cook......

I had some left over Pesto so I added it to some diced pumpkin and roasted it......

End result #1 - a gorgeous meal! Walnut Pesto Chicken (page 204) and a salad of English Spinach, Pumpkin roasted with Pesto, Avocado and toasted pinenuts.

End result #2 - Miss 9 and Miss 7 eating a healthy dinner that they love! (and I know its good for them!)

Macaroons a la "lets just see what happens if we throw these ingredients together"

Preheat oven to 150oC

2 egg whites - beat until stiff peaks form
 gradually add 1/2 cup icing sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, whilst you continue to beat it
Add zest of 1 lime
Add 1 cup desiccated coconut
Add 1/2 cup finely chopped dates
Mix gently but thoroughly.
Place even shaped amounts onto a baking tray lined with baking paper.
Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes (until just golden)
TURN OFF OVEN AND LEAVE MACAROONS IN THERE....until cool....or until you can't wait any longer to try one (or two....or three!)

Enjoy with a cuppa.....I sure did!

I love cooking, I love creating recipes, I love sharing my passion for healthy food and that doesn't come direct from a packet, I love helping those with allergies eat "normal" food, I love it when I am in the mood to create a recipe and it "just works", I love the support I am given, I love being inspired to keep on creating, I love that I KNOW, even with my masses of allergies, I CAN still LOVE eating!

Take Care of You,
Coll x

Had to share this with you....Master 17months hinting to me not so subtly that he wants some milk!