JulieBhosaleAchive

When I was pregnant with Smushie it was one hot summer (he was born the 17th of January) and that is where the idea of creating some healthy drinks that were slightly more fun and interesting then water came from! Pure and simple as always these fun, cool and low calorie mocktails are a fabulous healthy option to drink on hot summer days...or to bring in the new year!! There is no blending, juicing, pulsing etc required just mix, match and enjoy!! The not-so-secret ingredient here is just soda water - all the fun and fizz with zero calories :) Ingredients: These are the total ingredients I used to make all three mocktails: Soda water Grape juice Orange juice Lime juice Fresh strawberries Fresh lemon Fresh lime Mint leaves Ice-cubes   1. Grape Berry & Mint Fizz Place 1/4 cup of grape juice in a glass, add 3-4 ice cubes, top up with soda water leaving room for 2-3 chopped strawberries and 4-6 mint leaves. Allow to infuse for a few minutes before consuming. 2. Fresh Mock-Mojito Pl...

Ham at Christmas time is a long standing tradition for many families. However, many traditional ham glazes are full of sugar, especially refined sugar. Made with real fruit, Christmas spices and free of re-fined sugar this recipe is a much healthier alternative for a ham glaze - and I think this also makes a wonderful hand-made Christmas gifts inside little jars with a pretty ribbon! Ingredients: 400g fresh cherries (can also use tinned ones) 1 small red chilli (or 2 if you like the heat!) 1 tsp of cinnamon 1 and 1/2 tsp of Chinese Five Spice 3/4 Apple cider vinegar 1/2 c water 1-2 Tb of honey Directions: 1. De-stalk and pit the cherries if using fresh ones. 2. Place all the ingredients into a saucepan and bring to the boil, reduce the heat and allow to simmer for approximately 15 minutes (until most of the water has evaporated and the spices are not raw). 3. Place everything into a food processor or use a stick blender and pulse to combine well (sometimes I drain a bit of the water aw...

This wonderful pure & simple recipe has come from the Marist Kitchen Cook Book ! A very easy dish which includes vegetables and protein in a child-friendly way and something different from sandwiches for lunch or a very fast dinner option for those hectic nights!!   Ingredients: 375g zucchini (about 4 large) 1 onion, diced 4 rashers of bacon, chopped 1 and 1/2 cups of tasty cheese, grated 1/2 cup of olive oil 5 eggs 1 cup of self-raising flour Salt and pepper to season   Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 170° C and grease a lamington dish (either a square or circular baking dish will work fine) 2. Grate the zucchini and place into a large bowl. 3. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well, seasoning with salt and pepper to your desire. 4. Pour into your greased tin. Personally, here I would also top with some extra grated cheese but this is optional :) 5. Bake for 30-40 minutes and allow to cool just slightly before slicing :) The Marist Kitchen is  an amazing fundraising co...

Truffles hmmmm say no more!! This latest creation of mine is just in time for Christmas and makes a great alternative to the normal high sugar, low nutrient truffles - to be honest they taste like mini mouthfuls of Snickers Bars and make for a great bliss ball snack too - without all the refined sugar!!   Super simple to make (no baking required) you children will love helping you make these....but....you will need to hide these in a secret place in the fridge to stop little (and big) fingers from stealing them!! Ingredients: 2 cups of pitted dates 1 cup of roasted/salted peanuts ½ cup of desiccated coconut 1 tablespoon of coconut oil 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa 1 tsp of vanilla essence For topping (optional) 75% (plus) dark chocolate Extra desiccated coconut Directions: 1. Place dates into a bowl and cover with hot water (to soften slightly) 2. Place all other ingredients into the food processor and prepare a plate with baking paper to place rolled truffles. 3. Drain the dates...