Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

Rah from Plant Based Munchies kindly nominated me for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award!

The rules for Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award are:

1. Visit and thank the blogger who nominated you.
2. Acknowledge that blogger on your blog and a link back.
3. Answer 10 questions given.
4. Nominate up to 12 bloggers for Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award, provide a link to their blogs in your post, and notify them on their blogs.
5. Copy and paste the award somewhere on your blog.

The 10 Questions:

1. What is your favorite color? — One? really... um Purple I guess, but blue and pink and aquamarine or turquoise are up there too!
2. Your favorite animal? — Dolphin, although bunny rabbits are so close, I can't wait till we aren't renting any more and can actually have some pets!
3. Your favorite non-alcoholic drinks? — Tea! I love my teas, hot teas, iced teas, herbal teas, any teas except black caffeinated ones that upset my tummy.
4. Facebook or Twitter? — Real life. In case you can't tell I'm not good with social media. I try- I have it for the blog but despite my age making me Gen Y I'm pretty sure I'm not. I did an assignment on myspace when I was doing my undergrad (analysing the way people represent themselves in their photographs, making a fake account etc) and it really put me off participating in them. 
5. Your favorite pattern? — I like geometric patterns and tessellations, like the ones in the mosaic floors of churches (Basilica di San Marco in Venice for example)source 
   
   or the palace floors
   
     source
6. Do you prefer getting or giving presents? — Giving. I never used to understand this, when I was a child I was convinced people who said they liked giving were insane but now it makes complete sense. Plus, getting gifts makes me feel self conscious and uncomfortable because I don't think I deserve them.
7. Your favorite number? — 8... I grew up in number 8 house, I think that's why.
8. Your favorite day of the week? — Saturday. I try not to work on Saturdays, most fun outings are planned on Saturdays, I get to spend more time with my husband on Saturdays, there's more time to cook yummy food on Saturdays. All good things.
9. Your favorite flower? — Singapore Orchid.
   source 
   Or Sunflowers, my friends father used to grow them, they're so big and happy and give you sunflower seeds! source 
   
10. What is your passion? — Art, photography, veganism, nutrition, teaching, research.

The Nominees Are:

1. Sandy, Vegans Eat Yummy Food Too!
2. Kari, Bite Sized Thoughts
3. Joannah, Gourmet Green Giraffe
4. Em, This Rawsome Vegan Life
5. Carrie, Carrie on Vegan
6. Gabbie, The veggie nook
7. Janet, The Taste Space
8. Theresa, The Tropical Vegan
9. Julie & Katrin, The Raw food sisters
10. Melissa, My Whole Food Life
11. BlessedMama
12. Caralyn, Gluten free happy tummy

Hope you enjoyed this- if you're ever curious or have any random questions please feel free to ask!

All the best,

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Raspberry 'Yoghurt' or Frozen 'Yoghurt'

This delicious (and addictive) nut based fruity 'yoghurt' is thick, sweet and creamy while being wonderfully healthy. It's a synch to make and is a perfect dessert- or makes a lovely addition to cereal, as a flavoured cream accompaniment to desserts or frozen for a non dairy frozen yoghurt!

This raw vegan 'yoghurt' is the texture of traditional thick yoghurt but can be thinned out to your liking- and as a bonus it has no added sugar or iffy additives/flavours to worry about. I know you'll love this one too- just try it and see!

Raspberry 'Yoghurt' or Frozen 'Yoghurt'

Makes 1 large or 2 small serves
1 cup raspberries (frozen or fresh)
1/2 cup raw cashew nuts
1/2 cup water
Stevia as desired (personally I think it's delicious without but it depends if you're used to eating sugar)

• Soak cashews overnight
• Thaw raspberries
• Blend well- this will take longer than you think if you don't have a high-speed blender
• When smooth pour into a nice glass/bowl
• Leave to set in the fridge for at least an hour (less and it will still taste divine but not be as firm) OR freeze
• Enjoy! as is or frozen
• Keeps well in the fridge for 3 days (well, that's how long it lasted me)

I hope you enjoy this yoghurt substitute, it's really hit the spot for me without being too rich and sweet like some of the vegan yoghurts on the market at the moment (not that I don't love coyo, it just gets so strong!)

Submitted to Healthy Vegan Fridays

and Raw Food Thursdays

Random fact for the day: Aussies pronounce it YO-gurt. I grew up in the UK to me it's YOG-hurt. How do you say it?

Love and Smiles,

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Sweetcorn, Pea & Tofu Soup

This soup was inspired by a dish at my local vegetarian restaurant. The place that is far to close to always resist and has ruined many a good intention. I call it junk food vegetables, you know, salt+ oil + fake meats etc. Theirs is obviously loaded with salt and sugar so I knew I could make a healthy version. This is the perfect soup for when you're feeling a little under the weather in the cooler months. Over here the weather's cooled down significantly but for those of you on the other side of the world- enjoy the sunshine!

The sweetcorn is a wonderfully sweet, flavourful base for the bites of smoked tofu and pea that come your way in each mouthful. Now, I like to chew my soups so this is just perfect for me but if you're into smooth soups just blend the whole thing! (but be warned it will turn a light green). 

Corn, Pea and Tofu Soup

Makes 2 serves
2 ears of sweetcorn (or 2 cups frozen kernels)
1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
Veggie stock to cover (approx. 4 cups)
150g smoked tofu
1 tbsp besan flour/corn flour (optional to thicken)

• Remove corn from ear
• Cover with stock and simmer until tender
• Chop smoked tofu into small cubes
• Blend well (corn takes a while, don't be fooled!)
• Rain in flour to avoid clumping (or make a slurry with some water) and stir well to thicken
• Add peas and smoked tofu
• Simmer in a pot until peas are cooked and tofu warmed through
• Enjoy!
• Keeps well in the fridge for 3 days

I hope you're enjoying your veggies- in whatever form!

Submitted to Healthy Vegan Fridays

And if you want to check on my progress (slow and complicated that it is) feel free to head over to my progress journal.

Love and Smiles,

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Goji Lemon Nut 'Cheesecake'

This is a wholesome version of a classic. If you're looking for something smooth and refined then this isn't for you. It's something I whipped up for its nutritional value rather than appearance (I'm try and make another for its aesthetic value) but this is still wonderfully satisfying!

Obviously I don't mind seeing my chia seeds but if they bother you simply grind them before use. Similarly the combination of goji berries and chia make this beautiful orange, if you're not a fan you can always add some natural food colouring or beetroot powder to the mix for a brighter version.

Having said all that this sweet, tart, creamy, 'cheesecake' or perhaps I should say nutcake? has a dense firm base with lighter creamy topping that I enjoyed every single bite of (yes I did eat the entire thing over a weekend- it was good!) 

I know this one might be a little out there for some but it's super simple to make and ridiculously good for you. It's gluten free, sugar free, high protein, high raw and unbaked- how can you not be happy with that? Go on, poke a toe out of your foodie comfort zone!

Goji Lemon Nut 'Cheesecake'

Makes 1 small cake (4.5 inches/12cm diamiter) or 4-6 small serves
Base
1/2 cup almonds
1/4 cup hemp pulp (from making hemp milk) OR ground hemp seeds
1/2 cup buckwheat groats (soaked)
Stevia to taste (1/2 tsp)

Filling
1/4 cup raw cashew nuts
1/4 cup goji berries
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 tbsp chia seeds (if you don't want them to be visible grind before use)
Stevia to taste (1 tsp)

Base

• Soak buckwheat groats overnight
• Process almonds to small chunks
• Combine all ingredients and process until the mixture clumps together
• Press into a small lined cake tin
• Freeze for 30 minutes to firm

Filling

• Soak cashew nuts and goji berries in lemon juice and water overnight
• Blend mixture well
• Add pine nuts and chia seeds
• Blend to a smooth texture (the chia seeds will stay whole)
• Add to 4.5 inch/12 cm tin base and freeze for a minimum of 2 hrs to firm
• Enjoy frozen or thawed to suit your desired texture
• Keeps well in the fridge for a week and indefinitely in the freezer (just remember to slice it before you freeze!) 

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did- it tastes divine and is amazingly good for you!

Submitted to Healthy Vegan Friday!

Love and Smiles,

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Feedback Survey Results

Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to do my little survey! It was great to get some feedback to push me in the right direction- I'm really glad I took the time to do it. The results are in!

Firstly I think I need to confirm my mission:
I'm not trying to teach anyone to cook. I'm not pretending I'm a chef or nutritionist. I'm also not trying to make money- I have ads on the blog sometimes to try to fund improvements on the blog (moving to .com, plates from the op shop, backgrounds for photos etc). I'm just a home cook and this is what I eat. Basically this is my online collection of recipes that went well and I don't want to forget. I use my blog as a online cookbook- so when I forget what I put in something I can just search for it and get cooking. I want to help others make healthy food choices and I share my recipes because I think they're yummy but my primary concern has always been keeping a record of the recipes.

This is a hobby, it's for fun! It's not going to be perfect- even if I may want it to be. My real life is quite busy enough (completing my masters thesis, running research projects, teaching, producing artwork for exhibitions, keeping the house going and putting energy into my marriage and friendships) so the time I can dedicate to the blog is limited- as it should be, life comes first in my opinion. 

I have to say I was surprised (but also sort of pleased) to hear that you guys don't like product reviews and giveaways! I was under the impression that everyone liked free stuff but apparently not. I have to admit I much prefer just sharing what I make so that's what I'm going to stick to.

Posting frequency is something I'd love to have the time to change. I'll keep it in mind and try to post more but I'm not making any promises- life is hectic at the mo. I do, however promise that Vegan MoFo (month of food) in October will see you bombarded with daily posts! I've been working on them for a while now and I really hope you will enjoy them :)

Comments- I've been using IntenseDebate for comments because of the stupid amounts of spam that was getting through. I'm sorry some of you are having probs with it- I didn't realise. What specifically happens? If I can fix it I will. I know some comments with links were being caught in the filter but I've been checking it more regularly so that shouldn't be happening any more.

Short term changes:

• Adding email subscription option in the right sidebar
• No more product reviews
• No more giveaways
• Add mission statement to about me page

Long term changes:
(These will need the holidays to complete so don't hold your breath)

• Remaking traditional recipes- I'm going to need your help for this one, what sort of recipes do you want to see made vegan and healthy? All suggestions welcome!
• Adding nutritional information to my recipes- I plan on using cronometer to give you all the nutritional info you could want but this is a huge project, entering all the ingredients for each of the hundreds of recipes but eventually I'll get there!
• Moving the blog over to wordpress.org- for those of you who would like a change in design, what do you think I should change? There are so many to pick from!
• eCookbook- I'll try to put together a small ebook with a mixture of brand new and older blog recipes in an easier format for your cooking convenience.

What do you think? Are you happy with these changes? Have I forgotten any?

Thanks again for your feedback- It is very much appreciated,
Love & Smiles,

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'Creamy' Basil and Sunflower Sauce

I love nut based sauces and dressings. They're rich and 'creamy' without being too heavy or spoiling the other flavours of the dish- just scrumptious. And this one is no exception! It's packed with basil and has that little hum of balsamic to balance it out nicely. It's just yum. 

Use it as a salad dressing, smother your veggies in it, use it on pasta- whatever takes your fancy- this sauce is scrumptious! I made it to go with my tomato salad (which was so insanely good I forgot to take a photo of because a nibble turned into a feast) 

'Creamy' Basil and Sunflower Sauce

Makes approximately 6 serves
I bunch/3 cups basil
6 tbsp unsweetened sunflower seed butter (the grey one not the brown sweet one!)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1.5 cups water (approx)

• Wash basil
• Combine all ingredients (but only half the water)
• Blend until smooth
• Drizzle in additional water until you reach your desired consistency (it will take more than you think)
• Enjoy!
• Keep well in the fridge for a week

If you think you're not a veggie person I swear dressings and sauces like this are the secret. You'll forget all about it being good for you and just enjoy the fresh, creamy deliciousness.

Submitted to Healthy Vegan Fridays

Love and Smiles,

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Culinary Translations

I grew up in the U.K, live in Australia and have many readers from the U.S.A so I thought it might be handy to go through some names as we don't always speak the same language!

(If you have any to add please let me know and I'll pop them in!)

Paw Paw (yellow, larger) = Papaya (orange, smaller)
but people and shops don't seem to distinguish

source

Rock Melon = Cantaloupe

source

Sultanas = Golden Raisins

source

Coriander = Cilantro

source

Capsicum = Bell pepper = Pepper = Sweet pepper

source

Zucchini = Courgette

source

Eggplant = Aubergine

source

Spring Onions = Shallots = Green Onions = Scallion = Eschallot

source

Shallots = Small onions = Pickling Onions

source

Sweet Potato = Kumura = Yam

source

Corn = Sweetcorn

source

Beetroot = Beets

source

Baked Potato = Jacket Potato

source

Mangetout = Snow Peas

source

Silverbeet = Swiss Chard

source

Swede = Rutabaga

source

Broad bean = Fava bean

source

Chickpea = Grabanzo bean

source

Porridge = Cooked oatmeal

source

Scone = Biscuit

source

Cookie = Biscuit

source

Bi Carb = Baking Soda

source

Plain flour = All purpose flour

source

Molasses = Treacle

source

Cornflour = Cornstarch

source 

Wholemeal flour = Whole wheat

source

Desiccated Coconut = Shredded Coconut

source

Jam = Jelly

source

Icing = Frosting

source

Tomato Sauce = Ketchup

source

Tomato paste = Tomato puree

source

Peanut oil = Groundnut oil

source

Cling film = Cling Wrap = Glad wrap = Saran wrap

source

Baking Paper = Grease proof Paper = Parchment Paper

source

Grill = Broiler
(the bit in between the oven and stove top)

source
BBQ = Grill

source

Can you think of any others?? Do you disagree with any? I know there are parts of Australia that call things different names (like spring onion/shallot/eschallot) so there can be confusion everywhere!

I just wanted to say a massive THANK YOU to everyone who's taken the time to give me some feedback on the blog by completing the survey. It really means a lot to me- you've helping me make the blog better for us all.

I'm going to leave it open for a bit longer (maybe another week or so?) then when I've analysed the data I'm planning on sharing my insights and letting you guys know what sort of changes I'll be making around here. This should give you the chance to let me know what you think again (or if I'm about to make a big mistake!).

Hope you're all having a wonderful day!

Love and Smiles,

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