Monday 25 April 2011

Yummy (and Healthy) Brekky bars

This is one of my well-used recipes and, having just baked another 'loaf', I thought I would share it on my blog here ...

Makes - 18 pieces
Ingredients

3/4 cup self-raising flour
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup sultanas
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
3/4 cup low-fat milk
1 egg

Method
Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 3cm-deep, 17cm x 27cm (base) slice pan. Line with baking paper, allowing a 2cm overhang at long ends.

Combine flour, coconut, sugar, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sultanas and apricot in a bowl. Whisk milk and egg together in a jug. Add to flour mixture. Mix to combine.

Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Smooth top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until firm. Stand slice in pan for 15 minutes. Turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into 18 pieces ... enjoy ! 


Today I didn't have any seeds, so used some ground up almonds and brazil nuts that I had.  I also used half the amount of sugar and used a 'dollop' (technical term) of Manuka honey.  I also added in a dollop of LSA (Linseed, Sunflower and Almond meal) and some Lecithin - just for good measure.  Also - instead of sultanas - I used 'Craisins' - which are the cranberries.  It takes pretty good to me .. just shows you can modify it with whatever you do have !


Saturday 23 April 2011

Hello !

Well, here I go with my 'Natural Health Musings' - recipes / hints / helps etc.! I hope you enjoy this blog and if I can help you with anything, please let me know!  My contact details can be found on my regular website at www.holistica.com.au 


As a bit of background, I am Naturopathic Herbalist (Dorothy Hall Graduate), Aromatherapist, Massage Therapist, Bowen Therapist, Dorn Therapist, Reflexologist and Reiki Master.  My business is called 'Holistica Natural Therapies' and I currently practice in Sydney, Australia.  My hope is that I will still be able to 'do a bit'  when we eventually get cruising on our Narrowboat in the UK (hopefully in March next year! See our blog NB the Manly Ferry for more info. on that !) 


To kick off, I would like to give you the following recipe, which is a herbal drink to help kick colds / respiratory conditions etc ... It is also really soothing to a bad throat in a hot/cold/smelly kind of way !

Ingredients: 
  • One (or two, depending how brave you are!) small cloves garlic crushed in garlic press
  • Juice of a lemon plus some of the rind shredded / grated too
  • Half tsp ground powdered ginger
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • Tablespoon of honey (preferably Manuka honey for the beneficial antibacterial effects)
  • as an optional ingredient, you could add a dash of Whisky / Brandy - to make it into more of a 'hot toddy' type drink ! 
Mix together and add to a small cupful of water, just off the boil.
Drink the whole lot down ... the solids and the liquids if at all possible - as it is bearably cool and 10 - 20 mins before bed.  

This blend will probably make you sweat a bit - the heat and the lemon, garlic, ginger, cayenne will all produce excretory action through every channel possible ... lungs, nose, skin and ?? bowel and bladder as well !!  (If you do happen to have loose bowels the morning after drinking this, it just means that your body has fought hard all night and has removed a large proportion of toxic, yukky (technical term) stuff from your system ! 

This will probably be more useful for my Aussie friends at the moment as we are just coming into winter !  Today is the Saturday of the Easter weekend - and it has barely stopped raining all day ! Winter is looming for us - but I had better start getting used to it if we are to battle a few winters in the UK soon !!

See you again soon !

Elaine x