James, Sam, Bonnie & Charlotte.... Lifes is a beach.......

Our journey away from sugar....handy shopping guide for low / no sugar alternatives

Definitely worth a read. Take with you shopping to help find best alternatives to your favourites. Makes the transition less strictive.

http://davidgillespie.org/the-2014-australian-sugar-free-shoppers-guide-3/

Our journey away from sugar.........22.9.14

Some light reading to inspire

http://www.giveupsugar.com/sugar

I signed you up to the email notification J

Here is the recent book I listened to, was quite detailed but a quick listen, worth putting on you iphone to listen to. See the review here.

http://www.audible.com/pd/Bios-Memoirs/Year-of-No-Sugar-Audiobook/B00KO0BNNO

I like this guy he is a worl expert on the subject. David Gillespie he is also anti seed oils his next enemy in the cross hairs.

http://www.howmuchsugar.com/

http://davidgillespie.org/

and the contrarian view.

http://www.goodfood.com.au/good-food/food-news/dietician-takes-on-david-gillespie-20130705-2pgdd.html

Im just about to start this book.

http://www.audible.com/pd/Health-Fitness/Fat-Chance-Audiobook/B00ANR44WK

Our journey away from sugar.....day 5

Ok day five blues have set in. Major headaches and an intense itchy rash all over my stomach,neck mad arms. Scratching like MAD! I have googled like a crazy person this morning for some supporting evidence that this is a normal part of this process and I found this - http://www.livestrong.com/article/553069-the-symptom-of-a-rash-during-a-detox-diet/

I feel ok now that something good is happening.......even if it is driving me CRAZY!

Our journey away from sugar.....

Wednesday - big shop day. After clearing out my pantry on Sunday I thought it about time to fill it up again with some staples to set us on our journey.

I visited our local healthfood warehouse and stocked up on

Coconut cream

Coconut milk

Coconut flour

Stevia granules

Cocoa powder

Apple cider vinegar

Macadamia oil

Organic butter

Almond meal

Chia seeds

Shredded and flake coconut

LSA

Rice malt syrup

Multitude of Veges herbs seeds and nuts

Tonight I am making a basil and baby spinach pesto.....I will get family involved in the process so should be fun. I will also do a bit of cooking over the next few day.....so far so good. Day 3 and no chocolate or any sweets.

Our journey away from sugar

This will be a pantry staple for after school snacks. It practically got inhaled after school today

Ingredients

1/4 cup organic oil of your choice (we prefer coconut oil).
3/4 cups popcorn kernels.
1 cup almonds (halved).
1 cup rice malt syrup.

Directions

1. First things first, make the popcorn! You can do this in a popcorn machine or make your own. To make your own: heat the oil in a heavy based saucepan with a well fitting lid until hot. Add popcorn kernels and place the lid on. Once you hear the kernels begin to pop, give the saucepan a shake to help stop them sticking to the base. As soon as the popcorn stops popping, or the popping becomes quiet, remove from the stove and pour into a large bowl, and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, place almonds on a tray and roast for about 10-15 minutes at 180°C. Remove from oven and set aside.

3. Heat syrup in a heavy based until it starts bubbling. Allow it to bubble away for about a minute. Add the popcorn and stir until it’s well coated. Add the nuts and stir until they’re coated.

4. Remove the mixture from the stove, and pour onto a non-stick oven tray, or any glass or ceramic tray you have lying around.

5. Wet your hands with some cold water, press the mixture down, so that it becomes compact and flat. Leave to set at room temperature for about one hour.

6. After it has hardened, cut it into squares, or break it up into odd shapes and sizes for a more rustic feel.

Note

We prefer to use Pureharvest Organice Rice Syrup.

Labels: Snacks

Our journey away from sugar.....

Another success...... Pink lamingtons. A real hit with the whole

Sugar Free Kids Pink Lamingtons Grain Free Australia Day. 150x150 Pink Lamington recipe (Sugar and Gluten Free)

Prep Time : 30 minutes. Cook Time : 25 minutesYield : 24 Allergens : Gluten Free, Grain Free, Paleo, Sugar Free, Wheat Free

Ingredients

For the Sponge Cake
Eggs - 3
Butter - 100g softened butter
Rice Syrup - 2 Tablespoons
Natvia - 2 Tablespoons
Vanilla Extract - 1.5 teaspoons
Almond Meal - 3/4 cup
Arrowroot Flour - 1/2 cup
Baking Powder - 1 teaspoon
For the Strawberry Jelly
Fruit Tea - 2 tea bags of a Red coloured tea like Hibiscus, Rose Hip, Strawberry, Pomegranate, Raspberry etc
Strawberries - About 1 punnet - Frozen berries work really well
Natvia - 1 teaspoon
Rice Syrup - 1 teaspoon
Gelatin - 1 Tablespoon
Water - 1 cup boiling water
To decorate
Desiccated Coconut - about 1 cup to roll the lamingtons in, shredded coconut looks great too

Instructions

Preheat oven to 160C and line a small slice tray (or square cake tray) with baking paper, greasing the pan first helps the paper stick and therefore a neat looking sponge cake
Add wet sponge ingredients (eggs, softened butter, rice syrup, natvia and vanilla) to your food processor or blender and mix on a medium / high speed until everything is very well combined
Add the Almond meal, Arrowroot and baking powder and gently combine on a slower speed until the mixture is even
Pour / spatula the cake batter into your prepared tray and bake for 20 - 25 minutes until the sponge is golden brown and just firm to touch (no runny bits in the centre)
Remove from oven and allow to cool out of the slice tray
While your yummy sponge cake is baking and / or cooling you can make your homemade healthy strawberry jelly
Boil the kettle and brew 2 of your fruit tea bags in 1 cup of water
Place the vibrant red tea in a small saucepan with your strawberries (preferably frozen)
Let the strawberries cook down on a low heat then give them a really good mash with a potato masher to release all the colour and flavour
Strain the strawberry pulp out and return the fruit tea / strawberry juice to the stove on a low heat
Add the Natvia and Rice syrup and stir until dissolved the remove from heat
Now sprinkle the gelatin into the liquid, whisking as you go, stir until all of the gelatin is dissolved
Transfer the Jelly mixture into small bowl to cool then place in the fridge for a short while to start to firm up (if it is refrigerated too long it will start to turn solid, you need a thick liquid to dip the sponge into, easy to turn liquid again by gently heating up a little)
While the Jelly starts to thicken in the fridge, take a sharp knife and slice the cooled sponge into even pieces, I cut 24 slices
Place the sponge slices in the freezer to firm up for the "dipping stage"
Once the Jelly is nice and thick but still liquid remove it from fridge and get your production line ready 1) jelly to dip 2) coconut to roll 3) a tray to place the finished lamingtons on
Remove the slice from the freezer and begin the process, give them a really good soak in the jelly before gently rolling in coconut
Once all covered put your lamingtons in the fridge to set
Any extra jelly can be set in a jelly mould to enjoy
The Lamingtons last for a few days air tight in the fridge, Happy Sugar Free Australia Day!
Enjoy xoxSha

button print gry20 Pink Lamington recipe (Sugar and Gluten Free)

Labels: Sugarless lunch box snacks

Our journey away from sugar

Ok I have started searching the multitude of sugar free recipes for things I can make as snacks and lunchbox treats. The aim is to ween us off biscuits and chocolate to curb our sweet tooths.

I made the most delicious granola on Monday.....yum yum....and so far it has been used on yoghurt, porriage and snack. I have even started putting in a little zip top bag and added to my daughters lunch box - she loves it. It is sooooo easy to make.

Coco-nut granola

3 cups coconut flakes (I also used shredded)

2 cups nuts (almonds pecans walnut - choice is yours) - roughly chopped

2 tablespoons chia seeds

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

80 gm coconut oil or butter (I use butter)

3 tablespoons rice malt syrup

Combined ingredients, spread evening on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 15-20 mins at 120 degrees C until dark (darker crunchier). Remove from oven cool then eat

Labels: Sugarless lunch box snacks.......

Our journey away from sugar.......

It begins here - a journey away from sugar in our lives. I don't think it will be easy but we are ready to make a healthy change. So jump onboard and enjoy the ride......

If your like me you spend your life wondering if we are doing the best for our kids and giving them the right start in life. I constantly agonise about it....why can't I get her to eat better......is she doing enough exercise......is she doing enough homework.......

When she was a baby I believe I started out on the right track - home made foods, no processed biscuits etc but somewhere along the way she has developed a sweet tooth. Now eight out out of control it is time to make changes for the sake of her future health and to set her on her way down the right path.

Life sometimes gets in the way of doing the right thing - work, long hrs, busy days....and sometimes it can seem to be easier taking short cut and sometimes saying yes to things during stressful times.....quick and easy snacks, lunch box bites and packages food options......they make short term life easier but are they really making our lives easier in the long run?

What I hope to achieve over the next few weeks is to change the way my whole family things but in particular my daughter. Children don't always have the capacity to make the right choices and what I want to do is spend time cooking with her, talking about good food, and introducing yummy alternatives to her. She is an EXTREMELY fussy eater so I know this will not be easy and she will not always like the choices I introduce to her, but I owe it to her to TRY!

So I have spent a lazy Sunday reading and planning. I went though my pantry working out what I can keep and what I need to reduce. If you are like me you can't afford to just toss things out so the plan initially is to decide my pantry into two halves......1. good foods and 2. Not good foods. The plan is to slowly reduce the size of the "not good"side and increase the "good side". I can't afford to throw food out and can't stand the thought of waste so I will work our way through the not good side but only use in moderation until it is gone and will not replace when shopping.

Speaking of shopping......I don't know about you but I am a sucker for bargains and discounts which are generally on the bad stuff so to reduce temptation I have decided to do the bulk of my staple shopping online going forward, then I will not be tempted by the naughty treats (in theory lol). The rest of my fresh food shopping will take place at our local green grocers which offers fresh, locally grown fruit and vegetables.

Blogging from my ipad

Sure am baby!

Its now 2014

Cut to 2014

Test- Its ben a while!

Cut to Sunday 7th September 2014

Avoca Beach - November 2008

Well finally I have got around to posting some photos of our new home in Avoca Beach. It has only taken me 12 months, but better late then never. With a nearly 3 year old, working full time and a business we don't get much time to do things like updating Blogs.

Looking at front of house

Pool area

lounge

We have had a busy - but very quick - year. The business is doing well and James is now working full time on it. No more corporate world for James.......bring on business success so that i can join the fun also.

Main bedroom

Charlottes Room

Spare Room

We haven't done anything major to the house in the last 12 months. We have thrown a bit of paint around and put in plantation shutter but that is about it. We do have plans for both the yard and house but haven't had the time or money to do it yet. The house and gardens don't really need any major changes - just a few Raeisims that we want to add, but they can wait.

downstairs family room

Kitchen & Dinning Room

View down the back

Talkingstones head office

View of back of house

Deck off kitchen

Top level of back yard

August - September 2008

We have reached another mile stone this month.......which is worth recording in the blog. My baby is finally out of nappies - boo hoo

It was quite funny really - we have been trying to seriously since we moved into Avoca Beach (Aug 07). We have had at least 12 months of tantrums - not interested in the toilet what so ever, however very interested in watching toilet training videos - just not interested into putting it into practice. She was more then happy to wear pull ups.....which she was very pleased that she could do herself. What she would do is put a new pull up on, do her wee then change to a new set of pull ups - all by herself. Each time we suggested the toilet she would say "me not like the toilet, me like nappies".

I tried treats if she could do it......stars if she could use the toilet but no luck - then all of a sudden.....

On Monday 1st Sept I said to her 'let try the toilet' and she agreed, she actually did something and I made such a fuss of her (smarties, cuddles everything) that she hasn't gone back.

She has even started to use the toilet at school. The teachers have paired her with a little friend and everytime that friend goes to the toilet she takes Charlotte with her. We only had problems the second day of training - 6 outfit changes - then since then she has been great.

I now have to fight with her to put a nappy on to go to bed......not sure she can get through the night yet without an accident - so that is the only time she is wearing one now. So proud of her.

In August we brought CJ a cubby house as part of the overall Xmas experience - every girl should have a cubby - it is just so cute and like a mini version of our place - same colour and everything. She can spend hrs in there making cups of coffee and ice creams for everyone. We have brought her a little kitchen / laundry for xmas so it can be added to the house.

We also went to a Hi 5 concert - she really loved it - was up dancing and singing. I took Mum with us also and we had a lot of fun (except that we had a fire evacuation half way through which made the whole thing very interesting).

Charlotte's 2nd Birthday

2nd Birthday

My little girl is now two.....hard to believe how quick the last few years have gone. She is very independant now, doesn't like help and also talks very well. In fact a few people have commented on how well developed her speach is for her age. Actually sometimes I wish she would stop talking....gives me a headache - ha ha ha.

Crazy Hair

HI 5 Bag for School

What could this be?

Check out the Bling

Witches dress up

We had a lovely simple birthday party for Charlotte this year with family and close friends - she was very excited about a cake and candles. She helped me make the cake (Hi 5) the night before. Charlotte put on the sprinkles and icing herself.

Look at all the presents

Happy Birthday to me....

She got clothes, table and chairs, a pop up tent and toys. Her birthday actually fell on the Friday and her party wasn't until Saturday. On the Friday I took her down to the coffee shop and we had a friand with a candle in it. The following week was her first time at the new pre-school (Hillside - Avoca Beach) so I took a cake down and they all sang Happy Birthday to her and she got to blow out candles again. In fact Xmas and her Birthday celebrates seem to go on for weeks with visitor coming all over the holiday period.