JulieBhosaleAchive

Last Saturday we celebrated our little man’s 2 nd Birthday with a Lion Party. Children’s parties are often a nightmare to organise and contain lots of processed, sugar-laden food. I am a busy working mum so I did not want to spend too much time preparing party nibbles. Well... no that’s not true I would LOVE to spend hours but we are working hard at the moment to have a lot of work out of the way for when baby number two arrives so the only time I had was late Friday night!! I had pre-planned the food, decorations, cake and tableware though which made this possible :) I kept the menu as pure and simple as possible keeping in mind food that was appropriate for children and food that would (with any luck) get eaten!! It is always about finding a balance between optimal nutrition and what is practical, fits a budget and is still enjoyable to eat. I am sure this food is not 'perfect' by other's standards in the health industry but it was what worked for us while still having a

The week on the 31st of October is Halloween. I am a very strong advocate understanding the traditions and meaning behind our celebrations - as this is often lost in today's world. Halloween is a time of the year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints, martyrs and all those faithfully departed. The traditional focus of Halloween revolves around the theme of using humor and ridicule to confront the power of death. Typical festive Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, attending costume parties, decorating, carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted house attractions, playing pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror films. A lot of the 'tradition' of Halloween I feel is now lost or not understood - with a large focus being on the 'trick or treating' part - especially with the emphasis on collecting large amounts of lollies from other families in the neighborhood. My son has only just t

Keeping it Pure and Simple as always - this is one of my all time favourite salads which I am sharing with you this week for those pumpkin fanatics looking for Halloween inspiration. The part that takes a wee bit of preparation is the roasting of the pumpkin - I would personally recommend roasting up a whole pumpkin/butter nut pumpkin so you make a big salad to last a couple of days or an evening meal and lunch the next day. For those with toddlers and babies starting of solids you can easily mash the pumpkin up (toddlers) or puree up for babies experimenting with new textures. In fact pumpkin is one of the best foods to start your baby on :) This recipe also uses spinach which is one of nature's superfoods and important to have in your diet regularly. Check out my blog on the benefits of spinach and other ways include it in your day  here . Ingredients: 1 whole pumpkin or butternut pumpkin, peeled and sliced into cubes Olive oil (to coat the pumpkin) Pinch of salt 1 large bag (or

This is a really simple smoothie which has a great source of protein, fat and of course good green stuff (spinach!). Ingredients: 1/2 Cup of milk (can use coconut milk/almond milk) 1/2 Cup of plain unsweetened yogurt or Greek yogurt 1/2 Banana 1 Tablespoon of L.S.A (ground linseed/sunflower seeds/almonds) – this can be optional 2 Large handfuls of fresh spinach (or frozen about ½ packet) 2 Ice-cubes (optional) Directions: Simply put it all into a blender and give a whiz until smooth! Note: You can just use 1 cup of yogurt or 1 cup of milk if you do not have both instead of half and half.   xxx The New Mum's Nutritionist

Pregnancy Journal Week 7 (4.6.14) This week has pushed my family and I in unexpected ways. I have really struggled with morning sickness – which unlike the name suggests has really been morning, afternoon and evening sickness. This morning I had to go and teach for four hours. I was already feeling apprehensive about this as the most I have managed the last two mornings has been a shower and to lie on the bathroom floor. I tried to make an omelette in order to fill me up but the smell made me want to hurl so that was a no go, toast it was again. I still cannot stomach the thought of coffee, so my one fix of the day has truly gone out the window. The fatigue is just incredible I wish I could describe it better as 'tired' does not even remotely sum it up. After teaching for four hours I had to come home and sleep I was so exhausted - like bone aching exhaustion. I slept for two hours and then tried to work again from home. It has been like this all week. I have to listen to by bo

I got the creative urge this afternoon to experiment in the kitchen. So I got together a few ingredients with the idea of coming up with a new  snack that provided a good source of protein and essential fatty acids....Master 2 was happy playing with his new toy truck we sourced from a toy hire place so I grabbed the few precious minutes I would have spare and as you can see the end result is pretty good!! The best part of this recipe is that it requires no baking, just pop everything into a food processor and you are done! Perfect for a nutritious snack, or even a dessert - this recipe only uses a small amount of apricots for a bit of sweetness! Ingredients: 100g Dried apricots 70g Walnut pieces (1 packet) 70g Sliced Almonds 1 Cup Coconut thread (or shredded coconut) 2 Tb Dark coco powder 4 Tb Coconut Oil Desiccated Coconut (for rolling balls in) Directions: 1. Place all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until well combined. 2. Roll into balls in your hands and then place on