Chocolate Chia Pudding - Breakfast / Dessert (PICNIC)

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Hello… We’ve been spending alot of time at the beach and I try to make different things for our picnic basket. For me the deal is quick, easy & tasty. Please watch video showing just how simple, below.

This is a lovely pot to bring along to have as breakfast or dessert, top it with loads of yogurt and fresh fruit. Yum.

Benefits of Chia seeds -

• they are an excellent source of omega fatty acids, rich in anti-oxidants, they also provide fibre, calcium and iron.

Makes 2 medium or 4 small jars

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup cocoa powder

4 tablespoons of maple syrup

1/2 tsp each vanilla and ground cinnamon

1 tin coconut milk or 1 1/2 cups of milk of your choice.

1/2 cup chia seeds.

METHOD

• whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl or jug and then pour or spoon into jars.

• top with yogurt and fresh fruit, leave to set in the fridge. Can be made overnight. I usually make it in the morning before we leave the house and it is ready to eat after an hour.

Other interesting facts about chia seeds - 2tbs of Chia seeds contain :

6 x more iron than spinach - 6 x more calcium than milk - 41 percent of your daily fibre &

64 percent more potassium than a banana.

HOW TO PURCHASE THERAPEUTIC GRADE ESSENTIAL OILS

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BUYING WHOLESALE – 25% OFF EVERYTHING
For a joining fee, you can enrol for a 1 year doTERRA wholesale account and gain access to the whole range at 25% off.
Joining fees: EU €25, UK £24, US $35,NZ $40, AUS $35 + VAT / taxes and welcome pack shipping fee)
There’s no minimum spend, no monthly order requirements and no lock-in contracts of any kind.

You have the option to purchase an enrollment kit if liked, in which case the joining fee will be waived.
Here are the kit options (prices are ex VAT / taxes and shipping cost). Please get in touch if you would like my help in making your selection.

I can set up your account for you or if you would prefer to do it yourself, here’s how:

• Click on ‘Join and Save’ in the top right hand corner of my online store.

• Scroll to the bottom of the page that opens and click ‘Join doTERRA’. This brings you to the start of the application form.

• Select your language and country (where the products will be shipped to).

• Select a ‘wholesale account’.

• Continue to enter your personal information and set up a password.

• My ID number, 5677312, should appear in the enroller ID and sponsor ID boxes but if not, then type that into each so that I can be your support.

• Either add your joining fee or selected enrollment kit to your cart.

• If you want to add anything else to you order, start typing the name of the product into the space with the place-marker text “Enter additional item # or product name” and then add these to your cart too.

• Once ready, click ‘View Totals’ whereby the VAT and shipping costs will be added on to give you your total.

• Add your payment details and click ‘Process Order and Continue’.

• After the order is complete, you will be given the option to set up on the Loyalty Reward Programme (LRP) whereby you can earn points for regular orders.

• Being on this programme offers you the best value for your money in purchasing doTERRA products. If you aren’t already familiar with how it works, I will give you full information on it once we connect. This can be set up at a later stage if liked and is not a requirement.

You will receive an email from doTERRA confirming your subscription and account number and password.

I will also send you welcome information to help you get started and invite you to my private Whatsapp community group as well as being there to support you throughout your oil journey.

One more thing! Going forward after your first year, an annual fee will apply to the beginning of each new year if you still wish to purchase from doTERRA (this is a legal requirement doTERRA are required to fulfil in offering a wholesale account to customers).
(EU €15, UK £18, US $25, AUS $25, NZ $30 + VAT / taxes).
However, doTERRA will send you a free 15ml bottle of peppermint oil (which is worth around the same price anyhow).

Thank you for reading this far.

Are you interested in taking control of your own health and wellbeing or have already empowered yourself by making your purchase of doTERRA’s bottles of pure magic, in which case, CONGRATS and I look forward to supporting you!

What are Essential Oils & 3 Ways to Use Them

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Essential oils are natural aromatic compounds produced by plants. They are found in different parts of plants, including the seeds, roots, leaves, flowers, fruit and bark of the plants.

These natural compounds serve a variety of purposes and they help the plant to adapt to its ever changing environment, protecting against threats and providing beneficial properties.

There are three ways to use essential oils.

• Aromatic - through smell

• Place oils a cool mist diffuser or inhale from the palms of your hands or wear as a perfume. They can also be added to jewellery or clothing. DO NOT HEAT ESSENTIAL OILS AS THIS MAY ALTER THEIR CHEMISTRY.

• inhaling essential oils supports many body systems, aromatic use of essential oils influences mood very quickly as our sense of smell is connected to regions of the brain that control emotions and hormones.

• Topical - on skin

• this is a popular way to experience the benefits of the oils, especially when placed on different areas that need support.

• apply to specific areas on your body, use for massage and also in products such a lotions and moisturisers. I love and enjoy making my own body butters and scrubs. I have a lovely recipe for a luscious body butter on my blog.

• Internal - Ingesting

• place a drop under your tongue, in a glass of water or in a veggie cap. Please ensure the oils that you are ingesting are safe to be ingested. ONLY INGEST CERTIFIED PURE THERAPEUTIC GRADE ESSENTIAL OILS.

• The best essential oils are pure and unadulterated.

Using essential oils is easy once you understand the safety and application principles. Start by determining the uses and benefits, follow the labels and packing instructions and seek healthcare and professional advice if you have any concerns.

TOILET BOMBS

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It is really important for us that our home is a clean and safe space. Especially with children in the home. As a part of reducing the toxic load, we have eliminated alot of chemicals used in our home, especially those in cleaning products. I really enjoying making natural products. This is a recipe for natural toilet cleaning bombs. No toxic chemicals or fumes here people. They are quick and easy to make, please see video below:

You will need a silicone ice cube tray / other mould.

INGREDIENTS

250g / 1 cup bicarbonate of soda

60g / 1/4 cup citric acid

1 1/2 tbsp castille soap

3-4 drops each of dóterra lemon and lemongrass essential oil. (You can put any oil that has cleansing properties here)

METHOD

In a medium sized bowl add the citric acid and bicarbonate of soda and mix together, add the castille soap and essential oil and mix well until mixture comes together when pressed. Put into tray / mould and press down. Leave overnight to set. Place into a airtight container.

TO USE

Place 1 - 2 pods into the toilet bowl. Leave to fizz then scrub around the bowl to clean.

If you liked this natural solutions recipe please try my recipe for Natural Dishwashing Tablets below.

SOURDOUGH PIZZA DOUGH

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Sourdough baking has been something on my bucket list or something I’ve always wanted to learn and master and always thought I didn’t have the time to do. It is definately a labour of love and is so rewarding.

At the beginning of the lockdown,I purchased a sourdough stater from my friend Terri Ann Fox who runs River Run Ferments. Terri Ann is an amazing mine of information regarding sour dough and fermenting. I attended her Kombucha and Fermentation class and have been following her ever since. She has been a great help to me with all the questions I’ve had.

The starter was dehydrated and needed to be activated by mixing it with equal measures of flour and water. You can also start you own sourdough starter it takes about 7 days.

Depending on how often you are baking your bread you have to feed your sourdough. I’m always trying to improve my workflow in my kitchen and aim for zero waste. Baking bread quite often left me with quite a bit of sourdough discard.

So began the delicious journey of what make to use up our sourdough discard.

This recipe is one of our favourites, it can easily be doubled and the dough will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. I have also used any of this leftover dough to make garlic naan bread oh so yum…

This pizza base is so so so good. Yum!

This recipe makes 3 - 4 medium thin crust pizza bases.

You will need :

Ingredients

1 cup sourdough starter (unfed/discard)

2 1/2 cups flour (strong or plain).

1/2 cup warm/tepid water

1/2 tsp each of salt

1/2 tsp dried yeast

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp dried oregano

oil for the bowl

METHOD

1. Place all ingredients in the bowl of the electric mixer fitted with a dough hook and knead for about 7 mins. To make by hand mix all ingredients together and when the dough comes together knead on a floured surface for 10 - 15 mins.

2. Lightly oil your bowl and place the dough in it, cover it with a tea towel and leave somewhere warm for 2 -3 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.

3. Preheat oven to 260oC.

4. Once dough has doubled in size, remove from bowl, seperate into 3 or 4 balls, roll out and add your favourite pizza toppings.

For the pizza above we used a tomato sauce over the base, some grated and fresh mozarella, sliced courgette / zuchinni and baked it for 5 - 8 mins. Then topped it with carrot top pesto and rocket..

Enjoy with a lovely glass of red wine.

Boun Appetito.

Courgette, pesto and rocket pizza

BATH BOMBS

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We love making our own natural beauty products. It’s really fun especially when the kids get interested and involved in the process. I started making my own beauty products as part of the plan to reduce the toxic load in our home. When I discovered how many chemicals are used in most beauty products and that it only takes 26 seconds for them to enter your blood stream. (I know shocking !!!). I decided to do something about it.

Ever since I was introduced to essential oils, having experienced the pure and high quality of Dóterra, I’ve been empowered to change our lives. I’ve been on this journey learning about natural solutions and improving my family’s health by reducing and eliminating our exposure to toxins, one step at a time.

It is very important to check the quality of the essential oils you use, to make sure that there are no synthetic toxins or fillers used in them. Especially if you are putting them on your children’s and your skin !!!!!

We love having baths as part of our selfcare. When I decided to make a video to show how these gorgeous bath bombs are made, my 9 year old daughter jumped at the chance to be my assistant. The video is at the end of the recipe and you can watch her making her favourite bath bombs. Please leave a comment if you can, she will be so delighted :)

So here’s the recipe…..

INGREDIENTS

1 Cup Citric Acid ( this can be bought at your local chemist/pharmacy)

1 Cup Baking/ Bread Soda

1/2 Cup Cornflour / Cornstarch

1/2 Cup Fractionated Coconut Oil (you can use melted and cooled coconut oil)

10 drops of Citrus Essential Oil

Food Colouring, we used red

Sprinkles (Optional)

METHOD

In a large bowl add citric acid add coconut oil and mix together. Add baking soda, cornflour, colouring and mix until combined.

Get your moulds ready, we used a madeleine tins for the shell shape and a silicone muffin mould. Place sprinkles into the moulds.

Spoon in the bath bomb mix and press into the moulds. Add extra sprinkles ontop if desired and leave to harden overnight.

THESE SMELL DEVINE, AND WOULD MAKE A LOVELY GIFT TOO.

ELDERFLOWER CORDIAL

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I enjoy foraging and I love love love Elderflower. While we were out walking the other day, I spotted that the Elderflower’s were in bloom. So on our next walk, I brought along my basket to pick some to make this delicious cordial.

Makes 3 x 500ml bottles (1.5l)

You will need:

25 - 30 elderflower heads

1kg sugar

600ml water

2 unwaxed lemons - skin peeled with a peeler and lemons sliced

35g citric acid

1 large pot / saucepan

Method.

• Shake the heads of the elderflowers to remove any bugs.

• Place the sugar and water in the large pot,. Heat on the stove, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.

• Add lemon zest, lemon slices, citric acid and elderflower heads and stir.

• Add a weight or plate so everything stays immersed cover and leave overnight.

• Next morning strain using a sieve and muslin cloth. Squeeze excess out of the cloth and pour the liquid into sterilised bottles.

• Store in the fridge.

Ideas of how to use the cordial.

• dilute with water add ice and lemon slices / raspberries and or strawberries.

• add to drinks - gin, prosecco, spritzers.

• delicious over fruit

• can be added to or used to make desserts like jelly, ice-cream, pannacotta and whipped cream

• use to make salad dressing

Luscious Lavender Body Butter

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I started making my own beauty products after I discovered the amount of chemicals and toxins in products that we were using every day. This body butter is very rich and luxurious, moisturising to the skin and smells amazing.

Please see below benefits and information on the ingredients in this luscious body butter.

Shea Butter:

• is the fat the is extracted from the nut of the shea tree. It is ivory in colour when raw and white when processed or refined.

• is softens skin and can condition, tone, smooth and soothe the skin.

• is rich in powerful anti-oxidants, Vitamins: A, E & F and has a claming effect in sore skin. Helpful when dealing with acne, psoraisis and eczema.

• safe to consume if it is 100% pure.

Cocoa Butter:

• is a vegetable fat extracted from the cocoa bean.

• is rich in natural compounds that help improve blood flow to the skin, therefore slowing down the ageing process and also protecting from uv rays.

• smooths skin, scars, wrinkles and marks.

• moisturises, improving elasticity of the skin.

Coconut oil:

• hydrates the skin so

• has anti-ageing, antioxidants, Vitamins E & A

• better for use on your body and may clog pores on your face

Benefits of Lavender Essential Oil:

• calming, soothing and relaxing and great for skin.

• is anti-inflammatory and antiseptic.

• good for wrinkles.

Recipe

Makes 2 large jars or 6 small jars approx

100g organic raw Shea

100g organic Cocoa Butter

50g organic Coconut oil

20 - 30 drops Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade Doterra Lavender Essential Oil. (If you don’t like lavender, you can substitute the essential oil for one that you prefer.)

METHOD

Melt the butters in a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Allow to cool before adding the essential oil. Stir to combine.

Once completely cooled, place the bowl in the fridge to set for about 25 minutes, you will know it is ready to whip when the top is just set. If you push your finger into it, it will make an imprint and still be soft. Using an electric mixer beat until light and fluffy. The mixture will double in size. Spoon or pipe into jars.

The result a beautiful luxurious natural body butter. The mixture will set, to use simply rub between your palms the butter will melt and you can apply it to your body.

Lavender Lemonade

This is the recipe I use when I make drinks for our essential oil events. The kids love it too.

The recipe is always requested and everyone who has tried it has said that is it really refreshing. It can be easily halved or doubled. If you don’t like lavender you can you leave this out. If you don’t have a CPTG essential oil, you can infuse your sugar with dried lavender and use that instead.

Ingredients:

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

2 - 3 drops CPTG (Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade) lavender essential oil (always use a food safe essential oil, I use Doterra). This is optional.

1 cup lemon juice (approx 6 lemons)

3 cups of sparkling water / flat water

To Serve:

Ice and lemon slices

Mint leaves or lavender flowers

Method

Make a simple syrup by placing the sugar and water in a saucepan on the heat. Bring to a simmer and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Take off the heat and leave to cool. Make sure the syrup is cold before adding to the lemon juice.

Combine lemon juice and simple syrup and add water to a jug with 2 drops of  lavender essential oil. Place into a bottle and leave in the fridge until ready to serve.

Dilute with water to taste then add ice and lemon slices to serve. The syrup will keep in the fridge for a week, ours never lasts that long.

Enjoy

Mini Egg Shortbread Cookies

These shortbread cookies are super simple to make. As a busy Mum, I always go for quick easy and tasty recipes. Minimum effort and maximum flavour.

Ingredients

225g plain flour

225g diced butter

110g cornflour

110g icing sugar

2 bags mini eggs

Method

Sift dry ingredients and rub in butter until the mixture forms into a ball or comes together.

Roll out dough onto a lightly floured surface / parchment paper, cut shapes and place on baking trays. Crush Mini eggs and place in the centre of the cookies.

Preheat oven to 150oC. Refridgerate the trays for 30 minutes. Bake for 30 -40 minutes until just starting to brown at the edge. Remove from oven and leave to cool. The cookies will be soft when taken out of the oven and will crisp up as they cool.

Enjoy x

Super Simple Chocolate Truffles

These chocolate truffles are so easy to make. Only require a few ingredients and are so delicious. Quick, easy, tasty. You can also halve this recipe.

Makes 24 (depends on the size you roll them)

You will need : -

200g dark chocolate

100g cream cheese

4 tbsp maple syrup

20g each cocoa powder / dessicated coconut

Optional - CPTG Essential Oil - we love peppermint or tangerine, would be delish with wild orange essential oil as well.

Method

Melt dark chocolate either in a microwave on 30 second intervals or in a bowl over a pot of simmering water.

Whisk the cream cheese and maple syrup together in a bowl. Add melted chocolate and essential oil if using. Place in the fridge to set for 1 hour or until the chocolate is hard enough to roll.

Using a teaspoon, scoop out the mixture roll into balls and dust in cocoa powder or roll in dessicated coconut. Enjoy.

These will keep in a fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days if they last that long.

Granola

Make this granola every other week. Its so simple to make and so tasty. You can put whatever you like into it. I like it to be crunchy, if you don’t take it out of the oven earlier.

Start with

3 cups of oats

1/2 cup of oil of your choice, melted coconut oil, sunflower oil, olive oil

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup dessicated coconut

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1 cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup untoasted nuts of your choice or a mix - pecans, hazelnuts , almonds

3/4 cup dried fruit

Preheat the oven to 180oC. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Mix all ingredients except the dried fruit and tip into the baking sheet. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes toss and bake for a further 10 minutes checking occassionaly to ensure the nuts and edges aren’t burning.

Remove from the oven, leave to cool then stir in dried fruit.

You can also add flax/linseeds, flaked almonds, goji berries, chia seeds, shaved coconut.

Festive Gift Wrapping using recycled materials

Gift Wrapping - Reduce, Reuse & Recycle

I was thinking, what can we do to make a difference this year. Every Christmas morning there is so much waste after all the presents are unwrapped. While I always try to keep as much of the wrapping to reuse. So we made a conscious decision to try something different.

Most of the gifts given were home made, ranging from homemade foodie gifts like granola to homemade body butters, bath salts and beeswax candles.

Use alternative things to wrap gifts like

newspaper, recycled twine/jute string, cotton or woollen napkins or tea towels, scarves, scarp fabric, old wrapping paper. . To decorate - store cupboard spices like cinnamon sticks and easy to make - dried orange slices.