Chasing the Moon

Rushed, a tad frazzled, I lurch into childcare after a full day in the office and the first little high pitched words greeting me from down on the tiny chair she's perched on are usually, 'We chase the moon Mumma?' Waving goodbye to daylight savings has shrouded our walks home in darkness which tends to make me a tad panicked as I feel it's later than it is. Instantly I'm plucked back into the present as we scan the velvet navy sky between the naked branches for a speck of moon. Before we leave, one little girl at the table announces 'You can't! The moon is at my house!', I don't argue, just say 'Is it?', and try to ignore the confused and sad little look on my girl's face as I whisper conspiratorially, 'Don't worry, it's at our house too'. She gives a little smile and nods knowingly.

It's a simple stroll really. We seek the big black pussycat who often smooths his fur against our legs as we amble by his house and come to a stop so my girl can let the cat sniff her wrist, just as we've taught her to do with approaching puppy dogs. The cat often has an air of amusement, chooses not to sniff but may lick. When this happens she squeals with delight and explains to me in vivid detail, as if I wasn't standing right by her side, how the pussy cat kissed her, and how she came straight up to her wrist and just kissed her and then he rubbed up to her legs and swished her tail - this explanation often peppered with three extra words per sentence which I'm unable to translate from excited toddler talk.

The red leaves fall around us. If it's been a miserable day there are puddles to stop and jump in, an aim, fire approach as she squats down much like a champion long jumper and aims directly for the middle of the puddle. Each gate hinge gets rattled on the way home, each bark or door click elicits a 'What's dat noise?' and as we round the corner, the inevitable race for the gate so she can sit on the step and contemplate the life passing by our front door. Rarely in a rush for dinner, she's keen to make the most of play time and extend it before entry into the house and the most arduous dinner-bath-story-milk-bed routine which, I suspect, she secretly loves.

Oh to see the world again through her eyes. Everything in its simplest form. Each minute arriving is as fascinating as the last. Best of all, the same walk home each evening continues to be a walk full of wonder.

It's FYBF with Grace today bang on the stroke of midnight!

Cat Image Credit

This is What Life is About

Oh what a feeling! Great Ocean Road Half - you've made my week!

Captain Courageous

There's many stories of sadness, hope and inspiration in the world. Some families are awash with bad fate cards they've been dealt, others are stunned that in their beautiful life suddenly they've had to stop and deal with a stroke of bad luck.

I don't usually lend my space over to stories that aren't focused on fitness, nutrition and wellness but let's call this a link to happiness and well being and helping someone out for an incredibly compelling reason. Towards the end you'll see how a little help added to Jessica and Angus can also offer you some, in my opinion, always much needed, family meal inspiration.

I'd never heard of Diamond Black-Fan Anemia (DBA) before but this is Jessica Bond and her heart-dropping gorgeous boy, Angus, and she describes the day she first heard about it too...

Here's the story of Angus and his life so far...

There we were, excited to be expecting our third child while we were living in Singapore. A happy marriage to my very best friend, cherubic babies, the overseas experience we’d always wanted – incredible! I mean, does this kind of life really happen to real people like us? It was absolutely nothing short of a dream come true. We had made gorgeous friends for life after just a couple of years, and life could honestly not have been better for Jeff and me.


To ice the most delicious cake-of-life ever, in 2008 when we were about to trade the tropics for the great unknown of Canada with Jeff’s work, our dear littlest man Angus was born. We couldn't have been luckier – three beautiful kids and the chance to see a bit of the world.

Five weeks after his arrival, that ideal, shiny world turned upside down. I’d taken Angus in for a regular newborn check-up, but the doctor’s chat changed course quickly and he said ‘I really don’t like the colour of him, he is very pale. I would like to order an urgent blood test. We need to get him checked out.’  I sat down, I started to tremble, my heartbeat accelerated, and I rang Jeff. Weeks of testing ruled out childhood cancers, but for what seemed the longest time, all we knew was that Angus was off-the-charts anemic close to organ failure and hooked up to bags of blood to keep him alive at less than six weeks old.

Eventually, the medical team in Singapore suspected a diagnosis… it defied belief – an extraordinarily rare bone marrow failure disease called Diamond Black-Fan Anemia (DBA). It meant that our teensy baby couldn’t, and probably wouldn’t ever, make his own red blood cells. We cried for days, weeks. There was no cure. He would need full blood transfusions every month to survive.

This is him – he’s four now, and has endured more than 50 blood transfusions. The first dozen or so were honestly like nightmares; I couldn’t believe this was now life for such a tiny little baby, our baby, our little wee man. And the complications, the stents, daily intravenous medication to remove iron overload, the liver toxicology reports and so much more…

We did go to Canada, to make the most of being near DBA experts in New York. But we didn’t stay all that long – research was still a very long way from finding a way to treat little Angus, let alone cure him. And only 800 people were officially diagnosed world-wide.

We moved back to Adelaide with some kind of obsessive instinct to do something. But with so few people affected in the world, DBA was not top of the pops for research dollars anywhere. So Jeff and I decided we would search for answers and find a way to give Angus a real future.

When we first set up the Captain Courageous Foundation, named in honour of our very own superhero, we had no idea what kind of momentum we would be starting. That was only a few years ago, and now the Foundation is contributing funds to research projects into Bone Marrow Failure diseases in four states across Australia. Knowing so that few were affected world wide we decided that our research needed to potentially cure something bigger – it wasn’t just about saving Angus. The researchers were excited about studying these rare diseases because unlocking the cause could not only lead to a possible cure for our sweet little boy but also lead to break throughs to more common blood diseases such as leukeamia.

What has stunned me most on this road of hope is the most astounding things people have done to drive the work of the Captain Courageous Foundation. People are amazing, and it’s when you’re in situations like ours that you realize just how incredible friends can be.

Two of my dearest Singapore girlfriends teamed up two years ago and announced they were going to compile a cookbook to sell for the Foundation. How lovely, I thought, they’re good friends and legends to help out with six young kids between them. I had no idea what they really had in mind. Now it’s finished, their book is divine, and I’m not only blown away but also incredibly grateful to Kirsty and Helen for their inspiring effort.

After Dinner Mints for Breakfast is a family cookbook full of old-fashioned cookery secrets and other favourites that the girls collected from their own families, friends and acquaintances who were more than good in the kitchen! 160 recipes grace the 200 whimsical pages, designed by some very clever people out of the goodness of their hearts. The chapters group recipes into themes around times you would cook for family and friends – like coffee mornings at home, dinner parties (for people with no time to cook), kids’ parties, picnics at the races (or athletics carnivals) and the ubiquitous play date.

Helen and Kirsty know a thing about preparing a quick but beautiful family meal, and I think After Dinner Mints for Breakfast is a super-special anecdote for the erstwhile-inspired family cook. Buy one, know that all the proceeds will benefit the work of the Captain Courageous Foundation, and never worry about what to cook for dinner again.

What a beautiful gift it would make, or even a simple treat to alleviate the boredom of same same family dinners.

Check out Captain Courageous site where you can buy a copy here for $50 + postage + handling.

May your tummy and heart never be more full.

Pip

Life is Crammed

In my uni days I used to roll out of bed, squash toast into my face as I zoomed out the door. Jump on my bike, cycle to uni, fit in a swim before a lecture, pop to the library before meeting up with mates for lunch then visit a tutorial, before jetting off to my tutoring job. Rush off to see my boyfriend after uni then home for dinner with Mum. Usually clubbing on Thursdays at the tail end of the day, as of course things never kicked off until 11pm!

Fast forward two decades and I'm out of bed to get to the gym first thing in the morning, zipping back to have a shower before little miss wakes. Sitting, cross-legged, in my towel after the shower playing farms with her as porridge is being cooked in the kitchen. Squeezing in a family breakfast at the table, a new tradition, then a quick kitchen clean-up. Stereo goes on as we all dance around the lounge room like lunatics to her favourite 'I'm a little teapot' rock and roll version. Trick her to agree to a nappy change then PJ's to childcare rumble-tumble gear. Followed by a quick cuddle and puppet play on her bedroom floor before I rush out the door to work. Same nearly ever week day.

Fact. Life is busy.
Fact. I need/want to cram a lot in to the day.
Myth. Stress is always bad.
Myth. Days with nothing on are fun and relaxing.

There are some things that haven't changed with age or circumstance. I've come to the realisation that no matter what age I am, what circumstance life finds me in, there is always a spare hour in the day to pack in something social, fun or fast.

A day without social media, yoga all day and no plans is my idea of insanity.

Lucky there's so many different types of people in the world, or else I think it would blow up with the frenzy of activity.

Cramming to me just means a heck of a lot more fun.

Race Post. Living in the Moment.

Standing at that line. In the darkness of dawn, light drizzle, waterproofs packed in the van, sun just barely kissing the sands lining the Great Ocean Road. Little me. Crowded by a host of lyrcra-clad bodies. Lorna Jane, Adidas, Nike all screaming my name at once. Crowd pulsating with nervous energy. I was separated from my friends, in a world of my own, surprizingly calm, awaiting my fate of hill runs and 23kms of rolling challenge. I decided, while I was waiting for the starting gun, it was time for my first track of the day...Chasing the Sun. Strangely appropriate with powerful beats as I stood stock still.

'We've only just begun
Hypnotized by drums
Until forever comes
You'll find us chasing the sun'

Anticipation washed over me as I savoured the dance tracks I save just for running. The ones that breathe life and energy into me. Thank god I'd stayed up the night before moving my favourites into my playlist. The first 14km's were the part of the half marathon I'd been dreading. Never run a hill run in my life, only flats, thanks to my love for running originating from my move to Melbourne. I'd run the Tan quite a few times, but hardly a match for the destination of tourists marveling at the views from the cliffs, the mist floating above the ranges and the breathtaking scenery thanks to the mountains that dropped down into the crashing waves.

All too soon the throng appeared to move forward and I realised this was it. This was the reason I'd said no to alcohol the previous week (minus one night's exception - thanks Chin Chin) and ran up to 30km in training, weeks on end, in the lead up. Please, if nothing else, I wished in my head, let me enjoy this, for the exceptional track it is. And so I set off. Slow slow slow, thanks to the bottle neck crowds snaking up the very first hill out of Kennett River. Lucky I'm not aiming for a speedy fast time, I thought to myself, unable to overtake, none of us able to tap into the adrenalin of starting, surging through our body.

Luckily I believe that crowd forced me to keep to a reserved 6:30mins/km as I realized I'd been holding myself back until I got to the downhills and then I let loose. The numbers dispersed as a whole crowd left me for dead and I breathed in my surroundings. Slight hitch as my phone, my music source, fell out of my belt holder onto the road and abruptly cut off my energy flow. I quickly rescued it, feeling like I was in Pamplona running with the bulls, plugged it back in, and click, the girl was back in action.

Luckily Avicii kicked in.

'Oh. Sometimes
I get a good feeling, yeah
I get a feeling that I never, never, never had before, no no
I get a good feeling, yeah'

I found myself chasing multiple Run for River tops and countless other bodies, lost in the mindset I needed to get in to conquer my first 14kms worth of hills. I knew the drink stations off by heart. Never try any firsts on race day said Alissa Camplin and many an athlete I follow. I had my coffee shot safely tucked away in my belt, not when I'm suffering, but at the 13km drink station, just in case. I've never taken the gel shots before. Used to listening to my body and drinking, eating and carb loading when I feel like it I rarely take any extra boost for extra fuel. Knowing I had NO IDEA what I was getting myself into, I had my 'break glass in case of emergency' potion loaded in my belt. Hitting the 3.1 I drank the energy drink, 8.5, I needed two cups of energy drink, 13.1 I decided I was feeling strong and could last one more station before cracking the potion.

I had in my mind three major hills.

Then I knew it was clear sailing...

Just as I was nearing the second hill I heard ooohs, and ahhhs. There was a koala perched in the fork of one of the gum trees at eye level, fascinated by the ruckus taking place alongside his home in the treetops. What other run allows you to view wildlife, cliffs and seaside while clocking off some major km's? Endomondo was working a treat, reporting on every km I chipped away at and allowing my hubby to teleport sweet words through my ears 'Go Pip Go!', 'You're nearly half way through!', 'last hill complete! don't forget to enjoy the views' a robotic voice, sounding strangely familiar, spoke to me interrupting my dance tunes.

I smiled as I ran, content in the fact it felt like friends, husband and the supporters were watching me, even if the locals that started appearing at the track, 10kms out from Apollo Bay, weren't yelling for me, I felt like they were.

Once I'd conquered the hills around the 15km mark I felt it. I felt the ache, the pain and the jolt of hip against joint, knee cap against bone as I realized the thrill of the hills was over. Suddenly reality struck and I knew I the finish would be a mental challenge just as equally as it was physical. I pumped the tunes louder and made sure I had a front row seat of the ocean.

Surprized at all the bodies passing me - all creatures great and small - I persevered. Running my own race, I didn't feel it was safe to chase someone in front just to gain a time, nor to lag behind with some decidedly fit looking people just because that was the pace they were keeping. I was sitting at a comfy 6mins/km. I ran my own race. A few walkers, one with '42km finisher, Gold Coat Airport', who, I thought in my head, if you can finish a 42km, you can surely finish this running, but I reminded myself to leave my judgement behind, everyone has their own way of finishing. If there was one thing I was focused on NEVER EVER doing in this race, it was walking. It still surprizes me that a few of those walkers who I kept overtaking managed to finish just ahead of me. Sssssh! competitive Pip! this is an incredible experience! stop with the comparison. My bad habits were creeping back over me.

Heading towards the 17.5 drink station I slowed down fishing for my caffeine energy shot. Damn it, I thought, it must've slipped out during the phone drop as it had disappeared from my belt. No great loss. I was undecided whether to take it anyway and this just made the decision for me. So as I flew through the water station taking my regular two energy cups as I did, I knew there was a rough 6km's left. I thought hang in there, hold up knees, hips you can do it. There was a little kid sitting on a chair, with a 6km sign on his lap, I thought to myself, there's more than 6km's left little munster, but thanks anyway for suggesting the end is near.

Tunes still pumping I was running in my barefoots, thanking hell my Merrells weren't letting me down. They made me feel gazelle-like even though I'm the height of a meerkat. I never stopped peering through the hedges for a glimpse of sea and losing myself in the floating clouds every few minutes. I appreciated the crisp fresh air every single km. I loved the fact there were no crowds, no cars, very few supporters along the way. Just the road and the runners right up to the township. Heavenly. No fuss. Just runners.

I hit the 'Welcome to Apollo Bay' sign, then a few meters on, the Information sign '3kms' ahead and I knew this would be tough. Body aching, feet yelling at me, hips complaining I realized the challenge was all focused on making it through these last gruelling 3kms. I enjoyed the exhaustion. relished the thought of completing the distance, the longest distance I'd attempted. A couple posed, breaking their run, with a victory sign in front of an Aussie Post box just before entering the Apollo Bay township. I figured they must either be tourists or work for Aussie Post.

Heading over the 21km mark I was amused as there were timing pads but it wasn't the end. It felt like a false finish and I started to slow down, logic kept telling me it wasn't 23km's so keep running! I spotted everyone else running despite the timing clock so kept running. Amateur. Completely confused! So kept running - running running running until the goddamn finish arch that felt like another 10km away.

FINALLY I made it through. Round of applause, crowds all getting excited, rousing, jumping, screaming. Until I realised the bloody fit Kenyans were just behind me and set to take me over just under the Finish banner - probably as they completed their marathon distance!

Look out for a sweaty, bedraggled, victorious meerkat just behind the photos of the whippet fast Kenyans as they crossed the Finish Line. I'm wearing the purple Lorna Jane.

Amen to that sister. Thank you for the strength to run and the energy to spot the koalas.

For this I'm grateful.

Pip

linking up with Jess.

Ta.

Thank goodness my mate who ran this run too stopped to savour

the perfect conditions. Thanks for the pic Jo xx

Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

Fear : An unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain or harm.

Excitement: A feeling of great enthusiasm and eagerness

[Oxford Dictionary]

My ever-thoughtful and balanced hubby states the difference between feeling fear or excitement leading up to a particular challenge is our outlook. He says that all I need to do when I feel afraid of something I'm about to do is recognise the feeling as excitement and turn that adrenalin upside down, on its head, and voila - it's a positive thang!

I'm yet to be convinced. Or maybe I'm starting to see his point...

Rewind a few years back. I wrote a note to Mum, telling her how much I loved her, left it in my backpack, as I embarked on a mission I feared and dreaded for the entire evening before. I'd signed up to this black water caving adventure in Waitomo, New Zealand. My genetic make up is formed from rational, risk averse, well-planned cells. I don't have one throw-caution-to-the-wind gene in my body. Nor do I ever, I repeat ever, say well not sure if I can do this but I'll give it a whirl. The night before my caving adventure I'd sculled a bottle of red, indulged in four different types of cheeses, as who cares about weight when you feel like it's your last evening on earth? I honestly doubted if I'd return in one piece. Dramatic but true. My rational partner-in-crime assured me it's a tourist route Pip! there's no risk about it, teenagers take the tour for godsake. Maybe true, but there's some gutsy teens out there - and some highly skilled ones I might add.

The misty morning swam around our wooden hut on the hill as we packed our gear and drove down the windy road to our destiny. Obviously I survived as I'm writing this story, but I'm just setting the scene. There were sirens ringing across the valley. Unlikely to be fire engines in this cold climate, I pondered in my head, must be paramedics rescuing some caving victims. I was right. Upon arrival our boisterous, cocky guides leading us into our caving escapade, informed us some well-experienced female caver had unhooked herself from the ledge and slipped about 8 meters. Fractured pelvis, missing teeth and a host of other gruesome injuries - that siren was for her.

The Black Abyss was thrilling, chaotic, amusing, scary, challenging and wee-inducing all at the same time. How lucky was I to be enjoying it with an entire team of fit soccer players from England? Great, my first thoughts were, how typical I landed a spot on an all-male adventure with not one other scaredy cat among us. Still at least the scenery was pretty, despite the dark cave light. The journey was one including a 35 meter abseil into the darkness, then a flying fox into pitch black emptiness, then dropping 4 meters backwards into a large tyre floating on the water (noting I was the only clever cat that managed to drop straight through the tyre's hole), yip, not one little iota of pride remained in my body after that experience. Followed by a squeeze of a cave hike (my giant stature ensured I was the only tour member who didn't have to bend) through the darkened underground tunnels glowing with glow worms and rushing with fast water. It was topped off by a challenging waterfall hike, where I would have been better off being born as a daddy-long-legs. My short jack-russel-esque physique did me no favours in the waterfall climb. I think it was the sheer stickyness of my wetsuit that meant I clung to rock accidentally when I hugged it for dear life.

The end result was that this was one of my favourite trips I've ever experienced with hubby and it lends me to believe that at times maybe fear is just the same as excitement. Though then again. Maybe not. Maybe I was just crapping myself every single second leading up to the end of the tour and by the end of it, it was the sheer relief of surviving that turned the experience into a positive one. Who knows.

This little leap down memory lane has been inspired by that ever-familiar lurk of fear I have eating away the bottom lining of my stomach. This time next Saturday, I'll be flipping over on my bed, unable to sleep with nervous energy pulsating round my brain. The feeling that eats me every time I know I've potentially bitten off more than I can chew. This little control freak is not in the habit of chewing these tough, hard-to-swallow morsels in life and so every two years when life gets that little bit normal I know I'm going to shake it up a bit. Nothing too death-defying. Just challenging. A 24 km hilly half marathon along some of the most spectacular scenery in Victoria, the Great Ocean Road Half Marathon. My fighting spirit is bolstered by the fact I know a guy who ran a marathon without too much training (he survived, just). All I need to do is survive it right?

Walking is not in my vocabulary when it comes to sponsored events, however if all hell breaks loose, at least it's not like a long distance open water swim, where you can't simply stop swimming and walk (along the bottom of the ocean). I know I can walk if disaster strikes, or collapse, and no doubt there'll be first aid on hand. It's more the fear of failure that grasps me by the neck and threatens to choke me. The annoyance I have around the fact that I've possibly not dedicated myself to the hours of training a run like this requires.

Still it reminds me a bit of camping. Sometimes you have to sleep on a thermorest to truly appreciate the mattress you sleep on nightly. Well this time I'm going to run the mother of all hills and distances to appreciate the humble flat 10km I regularly push my body through. My muscles enjoy the motion, find it a bit of a slug, but no doubt I'll positively embrace this flat run I do, once I get grit in my teeth, searing calves and beetroot face as I taste the excitement of my first hill event. There, I admitted it.

Linking up with Jess today - the linky that reminds me to express my fears, wins and ponder life each week.

Healthy Inspirational Recipes

Thanks to all the inspirational BST readers who contributed ideas to the Feel Healthy Eat Healthy post. The winning entry, as chosen by my favourite Personal Trainer (a mum of four), Kate Bass from Link Fitness PT, was Jane's recipe,

WINNER!!!

(Copied here from Jane's post with her permission)

Quinoa, Sweet Potato and Chocolate Cake 

2/3 cup of Kamut Flour
2/3 cup of Spelt Flour - really any flour is ok, go nuts on what you want, especially if you want to make the recipe gluten free,
1 1/2 cup pre-cooked quinoa
1 cup of sweet potato puree (In this instance it was sweet potato, pumpkin and carrot!) 1/2 cup of Rice Malt Syrup  1/4 cup of coconut oil (melted)
1/2 cup of non-dairy milk (I used almond milk, but you could use rice or coconut milk)
3 TB of cacao powder (today I used 2 TBs of cacao and 1TB of Carob powder for a different take on)
1 1/2 ts. of baking powder1 ts. of baking soda
1/2 ts. of sea salt1 ts. of ground cinnamon
1/2 ts of vanilla powder

Note - If I could make the cake just for me, I would add some Chia Seeds or Brazil nut powder, but as I am sending it to school it has to be seed and nut free.  This is hard for someone who adds Chia seeds to everything!

Mix all of the above ingredients together for 1-2 minutes to create a smooth and creamy cake batter. Then pour into a 9x9 circle pan that has been greased with coconut oil.
Bake in a 175 degree oven for  about 50-55 minutes, until you can stick a knife in  the middle of the cake and no gooey-ness comes out. It should be pretty crispy and brown on top, like a brownie (mmmm) .

Let cool for 10-15 minutes and then transfer from pan to a plate. On the original recipe there is a wicked Avocado icing, which I haven't  made, but by all means go for it! Who cant resist a layer of yummy chocolate avo icing!  I'll be making it next time.
Cut the cake in slices and store (for me that means the freezer so i can grab them out for our lunches)

BREKKY IDEAS

Healthy Porridge

Image Credit + specific porridge recipe idea

1/3 cup of plain oats with a 1/2 tsp of Linseed, soy and almond meal mixed in;
Cooked in the microwave with water
Add in a couple of generous dollops of plain, unsweetened, non-fat Fage (Greek yoghurt)
1 handful of raw walnuts crushed in your palm so they're still chunky
Handful of blueberries (or any other berries in season).
Creamy, delicious, filling, full of anti-oxidant goodness, and feeds your brain as well as your body. It's the perfect breakfast in my books!

Banana Bruscetta (Lyndaal)

Greek yoghurt with raspberries, blueberries, strawberries LSA and Chia seeds or if it has been super freezing cold I have banana bruschetta - two toasts with cottage cheese, cinnamon and one banana spread across the top.

DINNER IDEAS

Steak + Brussels Sprouts (Kate)

Grass-fed steak
Brussels sprouts fried in bacon + sweet potato chips

Salmon + Veggies (Grace) 

Smoked salmon, on a bed of raw baby spinach,
Mung beans
Sprig of shallots (finely sliced)
Squeeze of lemon for flavour.

Stir Fry (Jenny)

Either tofu or beef/chicken
Caramelized red onions
Garlic
Sliced mushrooms
Strips of roasted red capsicum
Wilted spinach or bok choy

Kebabs  (Kim)

Lebanese bread rolled up and toasted
Lettuce
Tomato
Onion
Low fat grated cheese
Pineapple pieces,
Taboulhi
Olives
Lean chicken
Grated carrot

Black-eyed Beans + Vegetable Soup (MichVee)
Full recipe here

290g (1 1/2 cups) dried black-eyed beans
1L (4 cups) cold water
1L (4 cups) vegetable stock
1 x 400g can diced tomatoes in juice
2 tbs tomato paste
1/4 tsp ground allspice
2 carrots, peeled, diced
2 celery sticks with leaves, diced
1 large brown onion, halved, finely chopped
1/4 cup loosely packed chopped fresh continental parsley leaves & stems
1 large garlic clove, crushed
Pinch of sugar
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 tbs chopped fresh continental parsley, extra, to garnish


Spiral Veggie Pasta (Sara)

I replace pasta with zucchini spirals (cut through veggie twister) and mix with tomato veggie sauce.



Pear and Roast Beef Rolls (Elise) 
Idea refer to here

Roast beef rolls
Pear
Camembert cheese

DESSERT IDEAS


Raw Macadamia Lime 'Cheesecake' (Kate) 

Note - just a snippet - full recipe located here

Base:
- raw macadamia nuts (either unsoaked, or soaked and dehydrated)
- organic shredded or flaked coconut (additive free)
- fresh dates (eg. Medjool), pitted
- a pinch of fine Himalayan salt

Filling:
Blitz vanilla beans and lime zest on speed 10 for 10 seconds.
- vanilla beans, snipped into 4 pieces (can use 1 bean in a pinch)
- zest from 2 limes (just peel off with a sharp potato peeler)

Add cashews and grind on speed 10 for 8 seconds.
- 150g raw cashews*

Remaining ingredients:
- flesh of 1 lime
-  fresh avocados (or frozen, cut in 1-2cm cubes)
- pure maple syrup
- coconut oil
- a pinch of fine Himalayan salt

Date Balls  (Becci)
Full recipe located here

1 cup pitted medjool dates

1 cup activated nuts (I like almonds and walnuts)
1/3 cup raw organic cacao powder
1/3 cup coconut oil
½ cup shredded coconut
1 tablespoon chia seeds

Divine Orange Cake (Sha)
Full recipe here

Orange
Eggs
Almond meal
Baking powder
Stevia
Rice syrup

SMOOTHIE IDEAS

Veggie/Fruit Mix more on her blog (Lisa)

Kale
Carrots
Beetroot
Ginger
Apple
Banana
Lemon

A Jar of Pumpkin & Pecan Pie (Bianca)

Frozen banana
Cup of cold roast pumpkin
Handful of pecans
1 teaspooon of cinnamon
1 cup of water and ice

Just like to mention a huge thanks for all those keen to share their favourite healthy go-to meal or treat with recipe idea.

I'm already feeling like I'm about to discover my NEW signature dish! (one can hope).

If I've missed your favourite nutritional meal on here I'd love to hear about it.