Happy Adore Home day!

The August/September 2011 issue of online decor mag Adore Home is live. Happy reading (and happy Monday)! Oh, and also happy August!

Did you spot a handful of Table Tonic faves throughout? Juju Hats, Mexican Suzanis, Ikat cushions and Moroccan Leather Pouffes are still the hottest way to inject colour and texture into your home! And they're all just a click away at tabletonic.com.au.

"Excitotoxins - The deadly chemicals we eat and drink"

Chapter Six in Elaine Hollingsworth's book Take Control of Your Health and Escape the Sickness Industry (buy it here) covers "Excitotoxins - Deadly chemicals your government is happy for you to eat and drink". Here is an overview from Elaine...

Artificial sweeteners in "diet" drinks and food turn to Formaldehyde in your body and cause 92 life-threatening diseases.

"Beware of Excitotoxins! They kill - sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, and ingested long-term, they will shorten even the strongest person's life. Excitotoxins are chemicals that stimulate the neurons in the brain to excessive firing, which then totally fatigues them, leading to serious diseases. The major, widely-used, excitotoxins are: MSG, HVP (Hydrolyzed vegetable protein), Aspartame and all other artificial sweeteners.

MSG: Most adults already know about the dangers of this additive, and the "Chinese restaurant syndrome", but few are aware that most manufactured food contains it, in disguised form. For example, the US government permits manufacturers to omit this unpopular additive from their labels unless the product contains 100% MSG! The Australian Government permits all the excitotoxins to be disguised as "natural flavourings", and many other euphemisms which sound benign, but are deadly for susceptible persons. All English-speaking countries are the same and for the same reason: Governments value multinational profits above the health of the people who elect them. THey protect manufacturers at our expense. So watch out!

HVP: (Hydrolyzed vegetable protein). Our warm and wonderful food processors have known for decades that this neurotoxin is incredibly dangerous, yet have added it to baby food for many years.

According to prestigious American neurosurgeon, Russell Blaylock, this nervous system poison causes developmental brain defects that produce behavioural problems and learning difficulties in children, and can contribute to violent behaviour later in life. Governments have been warned about this for years, yet continue their cozy relationship with the poisoners. HVP is made from junk vegetables which are boiled in acid, then neutralised with caustic soda. The end product is a brown sludge that is high in three excitotoxins -- cystolic acid, glutamate and aspartate. Thanks to the FDA, the TGA and other so-called food watch-dogs, it is in most processed foods, and is rarely on labels. EAT IT AT YOUR RISK!

ASPARTAME: The chemical aspartame (marketed as NutraSweet™ and Equal™, among other names) is in most diet foods, and is known as an "excitotoxin", a substance added to foods that literally stimulates neurons to death, causing brain damage of varying degrees. The best way to understand NutraSweet™ is to think of it as a minute nerve gas that eradicates brain and nerve function.

Depending upon susceptibility, these toxins can cause, contribute to, or aggravate 92 different diseases! Airline pilots in the US have been instructed never to eat or drink anything containing NutraSweet, as it can cause seizures, with catastrophic results. Ironically, artificial sweeteners are not even a help for dieters: it has been amply documented that aspartame turns to formaldehyde in the body and stores in fat cells, particularly on the hips and thighs, and is extremely hard to dislodge. Not a pretty picture.

In fact I feel so strongly about the need for every person to know about this information that I am making the whole chapter from my book available for you to read in full, save and print for the benefit of everyone you know". Click here to download (PDF file).

Read more about Excitotoxins in Take Control of Your Health and Escape the Sickness Industry. I owe it to you to share what I've learned from this unbelievably eye opening book (an absolute must-read). You owe it to yourself to be healthy. The book costs just $30. Postage anywhere in Australia is $9 (worldwide shipping available). You can buy it here.

9 bookmark-worthy sites I (only) discovered this week

nobody knows marc
 
nobody knows marc
the moons child
vonrosenlund
food 52
another day up
house of mcnairy
ali loves curtis
the world is your oyster
tiny buddha

Gimme! of the day: Meadowlark studded ring

I forget where I first stumbled upon Meadowlark, but let's just say I bookmarked it straight away and "mentally purchased" a fistful of favorites shortly after. Haven't heard of them? New Zealand-based Meadowlark is "a collection of covetable and precious jewellery in silver & gold. Sometimes playful, sometimes dark, Meadowlark creations are always beautiful with an edge". The Meadowlark journey began in 2006 when Claire Hammon and Greg Fromont (husband and wife) combined an excess of useful skills and "creative verve" to launch the jewellery line they’d always dreamt of. Fine, yet edgy jewellery is my absolute weakness. A real passion. So a 9ct yellow gold band of Pyramid studs? Yah. That was always going to end up on my (dry and winter-y) finger!

(above) shown on Table Tonic Cherry Chevron Ikat cushion (45cm)

(above) shown on Table Tonic Turquoise Ikat cushion (45cm)

Click to buy Meadowlark's Studded Ring (also available in sterling silver), and click to visit Meadowlark's online store. Oh, and you can also buy Meadowlark on Superette, which is one of my all time fave fashion-y online stores. Happy weekend Tonic-ettes!

Stylish Homes: Minnie Mortimer

Fashion designer/socialite and upper east side-er Minnie Mortimer shares this gorgeous Malibu home with her husband (Academy Award-winning screenwriter Stephen Gaghan) and their daughter Tuesday. This chic abode is a stunning example of what books (oh, and plants/flowers) do for an interior - they make it look loved and lived in and enjoyed. Let's take the tour - It's a goodie!

All images Vogue.com

PS Found via super cool blog House of McNairy.

"Oils and Fats: The facts behind industry misinformation"

Chapter Six in Elaine Hollingsworth's book Take Control of Your Health and Escape the Sickness Industry (buy it here) covers "Oils and Fats - The facts behind all that industry misinformation". Here is an overview from Elaine...

"Don't be seduced by the glossy ads; eating polyunsaturated oils is like injecting liquid plastic into your veins. For the sake of your health, stay away from margarine. During the many chemical processes used to manufacture this product, hexane and carbon tetrachloride are used as solvents, and traces remain. To achieve a butter-like consistency, hydrogen gas is bubbled over a nickel catalyst, saturating the fat and rendering it more artery-clogging than butter. Amazingly, many doctors still recommend this stuff for prevention of heart attacks!

These chemical insults create an odoriferous black goop which must be bleached and deodorized with even more chemicals. Then artificial flavours, dyes and preservatives are added. The result is a plastic, chemical, non-food which your body does not know how to deal with or detoxify.

What you will read regarding oils in my book is not what the food chemists want you to know about, or what the expensive ads postulate. This information flies in the face of the "conventional wisdom", which may be conventional, but certainly isn't wise: all of the oils which are now promoted as healthful, are not. In fact, they are dangerous. In order to maintain your health, shun these hyped, manufactured, oxidized, chemicalized products"

Read more about oils and fats in Take Control of Your Health and Escape the Sickness Industry. I owe it to you to share what I've learned from this unbelievably eye opening book (an absolute must-read). You owe it to yourself to be healthy. The book costs just $30. Postage anywhere in Australia is $9 (worldwide shipping available). You can buy it here.

Modern Wisdom

the world is your oyster

A day in the life: 28.07.11

The success story: Would you believe me if I told you Orson and Blake was 20 years old? Sheesh. I can almost remember the day they opened that gorgeous little Woollahra store - there was nothing like it at the time, and to this day, I thoroughly enjoy a browse whenever I'm in the area. Natalie Walton has done a great interview with Orson and Blake founder, David Heiman over at Daily Imprint. Well worth a read.

The DIY: How beautiful is this "tree of magic wonders" Heidi Middleton made for her daughters! As seen on the Sass & Bide blog, which is lovely by the way.

The footwear: It's a known fact that the effectiveness of a new exercise regime is greatly enhanced by shiny new footwear. I bring you Exhibit A: My Nike LunarEclipse+ running shoes! The guy in the shop told me that basically, the more you pay for sports shoes, the more cushioning you get. Which is possibly why, for $239 (yikes!), I feel like I am walking on a trampoline - they truly are astonishingly comfy! PS I bought them at The Athletes Foot.

The deal: Buy $100 worth of Dermalogica, get a voucher for $30! Click the image to enlarge and grab the details. Because - and you can take my word for it - their products are fan-tastic.

The sale: Alannah Hill at 50% off? Yes please!

The magazines: Architectural Digest August 2011 is in the house! Click to see what's inside this issue.

(below) Australian Country Style's August 2011 issue is also on sale now.

The online magazine: RUE issue six is live!

The camera: For those of you who have asked which camera I use, it's this one (below) - a Nikon D40. I'm fairly sure they don't sell this model anymore, but anything similar will be just as awesome. And my best tip? Learn how to use it - read the manual or do a quick photography course. PS I also use my iPhone a lot for photos, but if you want to know my real secret to getting gorgeous blog images, it's Photoshop. I almost always sharpen, bump up the contrast and saturate the colour a little before I upload anything. 

Happy Thursday, my Tonic-ettes!

Food glorious (and organic!) food

Since I finished reading Take Control of Your Health by Elaine Hollingsworth (after seeing it so highly recommended on Miranda Kerr's Kora blog), my life will never be the same again (click to buy the book). And I am so SO grateful for it. Slowly but surely, I have begun making a number of lifestyle changes - Aluminium free deodorant (we are meant to sweat, people!), a glass water bottle, sodium lauryl sulphate-free shampoo/soap/cleanser... The list goes on. But the one thing I'm enjoying the most is cooking healthily (nothing processed) with organic produce. Yes, it's more expensive, but the taste of organic makes me realize how far gone supermarket produce is. Bland, thick-skinned, pesticide-laden nothing-ness. Do me a favour - In the next few days, if you are able to, go buy one organic apple, sit somewhere quiet, and eat it. You'll be amazed. But back to food, here are a few beautiful things I've made over the past week - Delicious, healthy, good for the planet, easy on the eye and truly satisfying. Mr Tonic even claims he's been "fuller for longer" lately.

(above) Roast pumpkin (I roast my veggies in organic Ghee), wild rice, roast spanish onion, chickpeas, shaved fennel, fried pumpkin seeds, tamari almonds. Loosely based on this 101 Cookbooks Roast Pumpkin Salad recipe. This was my first foray into wild rice, and my goodness. It's so good.

Super-awesome stir fry: Pan fry firm tofu in a little ghee and sprinkle with salt. After 3 or 4 minutes, add cashew nuts and toss around for another 2 or 3 minutes until lightly toasted. Throw in sliced brussel sprouts, cauliflower and a little lemon zest, and cook on high heat for a couple of minutes. Drizzle with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.

Super-awesome cauliflower & potato soup: Fry onions and garlic in organic ghee until soft, add chopped potatoes and cover with chicken stock (I like this Campell's Real Stock paste). Season with salt and pepper, and when potatoes are soft, add cauliflower and cook for a further 5 minutes. Puree and serve with a drizzle of olive oil and chopped chives. We had ours with Sonoma bread and butter. Soup is proving to be a great way to get veggies into the kids!

(above) On Sunday morning, I made "Baked Oatmeal with Pears". It's super filling and a rare treat to have something baked for breakfast! I swear it's from 101 Cookbooks, but I can't for the life of me find the link. But here's the recipe from the email I sent myself to print out (and lucky I did!):

Baked Oatmeal with Pears  (Serves 4-6)

2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds), toasted
1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
pinch of fine sea salt
1 egg
2 cups almond milk
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 ripe pears, diced
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted, plus more for greasing pan
Preheat the oven to 190˚C (375˚F). Grease the bottom of a 10×8-inch baking dish with the coconut oil, set aside. Place the rolled oats, nuts, baking powder, spices, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. In a separate bowl beat the egg. Add to it the almond milk, maple syrup and vanilla, stir well to combine. Spread the chopped pears into an even layer in the baking dish. Pour the oat mixture to cover the pears, then slowly pour the wet ingredients over the oats so everything is evenly soaked. Drizzle the melted coconut oil over the top and bake for 30-35 minutes. When it’s done the oatmeal should be set and lightly browned on top and your kitchen smells like cinnamon. Let cool slightly before serving.

Note: I left out the walnuts (I'd run out), pepitas (I forgot) and hazelnuts (didn't have any) and substituted almonds. I also left out the clove (didn't have any) and ginger (wasn't too sure about it) and it was still really delicious. I also used organic oat milk instead of almond milk (which is over $8 a litre!!).

(above) Super-awesome salad: Fennel, continental parsley, borlotti beans, chickpeas, cashews, hummus, caramelized onions, olive oil, apple cider vinegar. 

Soon, I'll show you a few of my favourite ingredients for yummy-ing up healthy food. I just have so much to share, it's not funny. But it's good. I just need a few more hours in the day! I hope you are inspired to try some of these dishes and consider switching to organic produce, if only for the taste. Happy cooking (and eating!). PS I wanted to switch to a glass water bottle for my desk (plastic = chemicals) and wasn't sure where to get one, so I popped into Thomus Dux (fancy, but gorgeous green grocer) and grabbed a 1 litre bottle of Antipodes water ($4.99), which I will reuse. Ta-daa!

Gimme! of the day: This kitchen!

People often ask me why I haven't shown any pictures of our kitchen or bathrooms on this blog. Let's just say there's a good reason - they are the ultimate "before" shots!! For now though, looking at pictures like this will do nicely *insert sigh*.

Canadian House and Home

Bonus Kiehl's product for (all) Table Tonic readers!

Happy Monday, Tonic-ettes! I come bearing definitely excellent news: The lovely people at (cult skincare brand) Kiehl's are giving all of you Table Tonic readers a free, full size Pear Essence Oil (valued at $48) when you spend $80 or more at kiehls.com.au. I know.

And if you think that's a bit smashing for a Monday morning, wait until you smell it, because it is abso-lutely beautiful (and also very relaxing!). I even wear mine to bed. True story. Sometimes I mix Pear up with Vanilla for a smoothie-on-your-wrist type deal (trust me). And bonus points for being small enough to carry in your handbag! See:

(above) My Jerome Dreyfuss "Carlos" bag from Shopbop

The other 9 scents are equally as dreamy - check it:

MUSK: "This is Kiehl’s first essence oil and still today, most beloved by customers who often refer to it as the Original Love Oil". AMBER: "Kiehl’s customers have always been drawn to Amber for its warm, sweet and long-lasting scent". CORIANDER: "Coriander was first used at the original Kiehl’s Pharmacy as medicinal oil for its soothing and healing properties. This aromatic stimulant and spice has been cultivated for over 3,000 years and used by the Egyptians as an aphrodisiac". GARDENIA: "Gardenia was first offered at the original Kiehl’s Pharmacy in the early 60s and was an instant classic for its exotically sweet, creamy and floral scent". CHINESE FLOWERS: "Chinese Flowers is a blend of multiple fragrance oils - a blend of violet and rose (such a precious ingredient in previous centuries that it was used as legal tender) as well as more exotic flowers of Lotus and Ylang Ylang". VANILLA: "Many Kiehl’s customers have shared their layering suggestions over the years, but an overwhelming majority mix Vanilla with Musk". CUCUMBER: "Avid Kiehl’s users enjoy the uniquely refreshing scent of Cucumber essence – especially since it’s known for its calming properties". GRAPEFRUIT: "A customer favorite for decades, Grapefruit delights with its fresh and citrusy scent".  POUR HOMME: "Includes oils of Cistus, Patchouli, Fir Needle and Vetiver. To this day, Pour Homme is instantly recognizable and remains a favorite among Kiehl’s customers for its complex concentration of woodsiness".

If you're wondering how to spend your hard earned 80 clams, these are a few of my favourite Kiehl's pproducts - yes, I've used them all: 
Gently Exfoliating Body Scrub
Creme de Corps (no surprises there) 
Ultimate Strength Hand Salve
Double Strength Deep Wrinkle Filler
Olive Fruit Oil Deeply Repairative Hair Pak 
Musk Eau de Toilette Spray (below)

Keep up to date with Kiehl's offers and freebies (sometimes these are exclusive to Facebook!) by becoming a fan of the Kiehl's Australia Facebook page. 

PS Did I mention Kiehl's Creme de Corps comes in a 1 litre pump bottle ($98)? Oh my giddy aunt, yes it does. So good. PPS In 1647 Peter Stuyvesant, the governor of the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam brought back a pear tree from his native Holland and planted it on his farm. For 220 years, the tree thrived at the location that would form the intersection of Thirteenth Street and Third Avenue in the East Village – today fondly known by New Yorkers as “Pear Tree Corner” and outside the original Kiehl's Pharmacy. Out in front of the apothecary, Governor Stuyvesant’s historic pear tree shaded patrons and employees alike until 1867. Declared by Harper’s Monthly as “the oldest living thing in New York City” in 1862, the venerable pear tree bore fruit nearly until its demise, when it was struck in a most fateful wagon accident. On the 12th of November in 2003, Kiehl's re-planted a pear tree at the same location in honor of the community, officially marking “Pear Tree Corner” once more and received a declaration from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, designating November 12th “Kiehl's Day.” - How cool is that story!

 So. Here's the drill:
1. Spend $80 or more at kiehls.com.au.

2. Enter coupon code tabletonic at checkout (don't forget!)

3. Receive a free (full size) Kiehl's Pear Essence Oil valued at $48.

Click to shop kiehls.com.au (don't forget coupon code tabletonic!) Offer ends Sunday 31st July 2011.