Travel & Restaurants

The Hertford Country Hotel

September 20, 2017

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Last weekend we packed the kids in the car and took a drive to The Hertford Country Hotel for Sunday lunch. This place is set in and amongst 23 hectares of the most beautiful gardens and trees and makes for such a lovely day out! Shane and I are often stuck for nice places to take the kids where they can just round around outside and we can be guaranteed a tasty meal, so Hertford landed up being such a treat.

Our in-laws came along so there were four of us taking turns exploring the endless gardens with Nina but luckily for us, we were surrounded by nature’s brilliant splendor so we really didn’t mind. There was also a sparkly pool near the restaurant, which by the end of lunch Neens was splashing around in…that’s the great thing about being a toddler, if there’s a pool and you want to swim then you get in your undies and you swim, it’s a different story altogether if you’re an adult, but hey!

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My Recipes

Aquafaba Chocolate mousse recipe

September 15, 2017

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What if I said, hey guys I have a really easy recipe for you that will make delicious Vegan, sugar-free Chocolate Mousse using only three ingredients, just grab yourself a tin of chickpeas, a slab of raw chocolate and maple syrup and Bob’s your Uncle… who is probably as confused as I was when I first read this recipe! Ummm chickpeas what now?! It was at this point that I looked at Nicole, my Vegan baking partner in crime and thought, chickpea chocolate mousse sounds like a terrible idea, how the hell do I get out of this kitchen without her noticing?!

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COOL STUFF

Totem Teepee

September 14, 2017

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When I was a kid my brother and I used to build tents out of anything we could get our hands on, cushions blankets, couches. We had a little red and yellow tent that my folks got us, I think to stop us from building stuff out of the furniture, but it always looked funny to me and it didn’t have a lot of space in it, which was never a good thing when two parties were always trying to cram all their favourite toys in for the sleepover!

Thank goodness these days there are nicer options for kids tents and teepees, there are places out there that make the coolest looking little ‘hideaways’ that kids love as well as parents because they fit so nicely (visually) into any house or garden. So I’m super excited to introduce you to an awesome local label called Totem Teepee who make some of the coolest teepees around. What I like about them is they use materials and patterns that are a bit unexpected and I can tell you from first-hand experience that the quality and attention to detail is great from things like the leather strap that holds the poles together to the complimentary piping that goes around the frame.

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Travel & Restaurants

Baba G

September 12, 2017

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New restaurant alert! I’m always so happy to put these posts up because I love new restaurants popping up especially when they’re in my neighbourhood! Everyone say hello to Baba G (short for Babaganoush). This awesomely designed little slice of chicken heaven lives in the Post Office Centre opposite Thupps and it serves some of the best damn free-range rotisserie chicken around, not to mention their Druze-style flatbreads which are made in house daily with unbleached, stone -ground flour.

Listen, this bread was so good I was considering ordering ten of them so I could fashion a duvet that I could sleep under as well as eat my way through during the night! They come with this amazingly fragrant Thyme, Sesame and Lemon Salt Zaatar, which was the perfect accompaniment.

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My Recipes

Almond Berry Chia Pudding

September 6, 2017

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Chia seeds, what are they? Why do people eat them? I mean before I started tinkering around in the kitchen with Nicole I had never had chia seeds before. This super food has loads of benefits that deliver a massive amount of nutrients with very few calories and they are really versatile!

The first time I tried a chia pudding I wasn’t too sure about the texture, it kind of made me feel a bit wobbly on the inside, but now that I’ve had a few I’m starting to really like them, especially when they topped with lots of delicious fruit. These puddings, which are actually breakfasts do require a bit of prep time, your chia seeds need to soak for at least 4 hours or preferably over night, but they are so worth it.

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My Recipes, RECIPES

Healthy Homemade Snickers Bars

September 1, 2017

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I’m guessing that there aren’t a lot of people out there that don’t like a good old fashioned Snickers Bar, it’s like a match made in sweet heaven – caramel, chocolate, and nuts all in one glorious bite!

Now, what if I said that Nicole and I stumbled across a recipe for a healthy Vegan, sugar-free Snickers Bar that tastes even better than the real thing, I kid you not. I’m a huge fan of chocolate and all things sweet, so again I was a little skeptical but super interested to see how these bars would turn out and if they held a candle to the real thing. PS: They came holding blow torches!

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