Last Thursday I was walking Jasper home from school and did a double take (and promptly whipped out the iPhone!) when I saw this exotic looking specimen growing on the side of the road. The colours were like nothing I have ever seen before.
(below) And at the end of my street? This glorious beach, aka "heaven". Although it's winter here in Australia, we had a positively balmy weekend, prompting several people to whip out the t-shirts and thongs (the flip flop kind, not the underwear!). Meanwhile, Jasper-Tonic is checking out the surf conditions...
(below) Saturday breakfast: Mushrooms (pan fried in organic coconut oil and thyme) and Yoghurt on Sonoma toast with heirloom tomatoes, salad greens and olive oil. Sarah Wilson got me thinking about eating vegetables for breakfast and let's just say, I'm embracing it wholeheartedly!
(below) On Friday, my mum brought over her copy of Janella Purcell's Eating for the Seasons - she thought I'd appreciate it and she was right. It's awesome. Super delicious, super healthy whole food. I'm totally buying it.
(below) Audrey has a new bed. Really just an excuse for a gratuitous Audrey shot.
Mr Tonic had a meeting on Saturday afternoon, and he was renovating on Sunday, so I baked the shizz out of the weekend. I love nothing more lately than to just hang around the house. The sun is streaming in this time of year, and it's just so nice being "around". On Saturday, I made My New Roots blogger/chef Sarah Britton's Hemp Protein Granola Bars. I bought my Organic Hemp Protein Powder here, and was amazed to learn that, despite the fact that Hemp is sold as a highly nutritious dietary supplement in every western country around the world, the Australian government prohibits the sale of Low THC – Hemp foods in Australia. So while you can purchase food grade Hemp freely, companies are forced to say things like "It is important that this product is only used as animal feed or for external applications only". I mean, really. Read more about the benefits of Hemp here. These little gems (below) were Sunday's creation.
Very loosely based on this recipe, I added a few things (something I've never done before!) and they were totally awesome, healthy, delicious! Here's the scoop:
Table Tonic Banana Oat Cookies
(Makes around 24 cookies)
DRY INGREDIENTS
2.5 cups rolled (not instant) oats
1/4 cup LSA (linseed, sunflower seed, almond mix)
1/2 cup shredded (not dessicated) coconut
1/2 teaspoon salt
WET INGREDIENTS
3 small bananas
6 dates, pitted
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 egg
1/4 cup organic coconut oil
Heat your oven to 180ºC (360ºF). Line a large baking tray (or two small ones) with baking paper. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, and blend your wet ingredients in a separate bowl (I just used a stick blender). Combine wet and dry ingredients, and spoon onto baking trays. Bake for 30 minutes at 180º and (optional) a further 30 minutes at 100º. Allow to cool in the oven with the door shut and store in the freezer.
(Makes around 24 cookies)
DRY INGREDIENTS
2.5 cups rolled (not instant) oats
1/4 cup LSA (linseed, sunflower seed, almond mix)
1/2 cup shredded (not dessicated) coconut
1/2 teaspoon salt
WET INGREDIENTS
3 small bananas
6 dates, pitted
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 egg
1/4 cup organic coconut oil
Heat your oven to 180ºC (360ºF). Line a large baking tray (or two small ones) with baking paper. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, and blend your wet ingredients in a separate bowl (I just used a stick blender). Combine wet and dry ingredients, and spoon onto baking trays. Bake for 30 minutes at 180º and (optional) a further 30 minutes at 100º. Allow to cool in the oven with the door shut and store in the freezer.
