Superfood Sunday: Cacao

Superfood Sunday is an idea that I came up with a month or two back, and has still stuck as one that I should put into action. The aim of Superfood Sunday is to educate people on various super foods and the nutritional benefits they offer. There are so many super foods available to us, but the problem is most of us don't know where to start. So every two or three weeks, I will be posting a different one and a short description or an "about section" shall we say.

My first superfood is cacao. And although cacao can be easily confused with cocoa powder, most commonly used for traditional baking, they are very different. Cacao is the raw unprocessed form of chocolate and is grown on small trees called "Theobrama cacao" and is native to Mexico, Central, and South America. After being harvested with care, the seeds from the trees undergo a natural fermentation and drying process. After the drying process is finished, raw cacao beans are the result.

Cacao has a much bitter flavour than cocoa and comes in lots of different forms: Cacao powder, cacao nibs, and cacao butter. All of which can be applied to a vegetarian/vegan/raw diet. As well as being a powerful antioxidant for the body, the benefits are endless. Some of which include

• Lower blood pressure and improved circulation
• Promoted cardiovascular health
• Neutraliser for free radicals
• Improved digestion
• Enhanced physical and mental wellbeing
• Antidepressant

I must admit, of all the super foods, cacao is probably my favourite of them all. As soon as I've had it I feel happier and healthier. Try it in my warming hot chocolate recipe made with all natural ingredients. It might surprise you!

What superfood/s would you like to see next? Comment below or tweet me with the hashtag Superfood Sunday :)

Emily X

Warming hot chocolate with 100% natural ingredients

This week has been incredibly busy, and I think I had forgotten what it was like to have a schedule so full with things to do and remember. So for days like this it's just nice to take the time to sit down in the evening with a cup of hot chocolate and watch a Christmassy film in my cosy new pyjamas and doggy slippers knowing what I'm drinking is going to nourish and warm me from the inside out. 

This hot chocolate is so easy and so much better for you than the tubs of hot chocolate powder from the supermarkets. While they are more convenient, they are usually hidden with lots of sugar and nasty things that you don't want to be putting into your body. And trust me, this one tastes a lot better!

There are lots of different ingredient combinations that you can use to make this hot chocolate, but for now I'll show you the most basic way to do it. 

Ingredients:

Serves 1

-To serve two just double the quantities

1 cup of alpro unsweetened almond milk (or any other good brand)

2 tbsp cocao powder (regular cocoa powder will work too) To find out more about cacao and its nutritional properties click here

Squeeze of agave nectar and/or a sprinkle of coconut sugar (can be found at Holland & Barretts)

Half a cinnamon stick (optional)

To Make:

1. Heat a small saucepan up on a low to medium heat and pour in the almond milk. 
2. Once that is heated through, add the cocao powder and agave or coconut sugar and mix all together until it has all dissolved. 
3. Turn off the heat and pour into your favourite mug. Sprinkle a little coconut sugar on top and add your cinnamon stick. 

Enjoy!

Emily X

Simple Fruit Cake with Apricot Jam and Pecans

To start off my Christmas series this year I thought I'd make something I'd never done before, but something that would fit in nicely and wasn't too fancy either. This cake was the first on my list to blog about as it needs to be made a month or two beforehand to soak up the alcohol and mature ready for Christmas. I decided to bake this cake because although it is a Christmas classic our family have never actually made it and eaten it at Christmas before and I have always liked to give it a try, and I can't think of a reason why I wouldn't like it. There are lots of ways to make a fruit cake but since its my first (surprisingly so) I'm going to stick to the traditional recipe. If you are fond of icing or marzipan on your Christmas cakes then you can make some and decorate the top, and finish it off with a nice Christmassy flower like holly, or add some mini ornaments. Be as creative as you like! But for mine I'll just be using some apricot jam and some pecans, yum!

To Make

Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas2 and line a 20cm/8inch round cake tin with baking parchment.

Weigh out your ingredients and cream the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl with the back of a wooden spoon. To do this I used my new favourite blue baking bowl from Lakeland. These kind of bowls are ideal for baking as they are strong and sturdy and able to hold plenty of ingredients. Great for this kind of cake. If it still rocks about a bit, place a damp tea towel underneath.

Once thats done, add the eggs one at a time and mix in. It'll look a bit odd after this step but don't worry as once the flour is in it will all come together as it is supposed to.

Grab a sieve and sift in the flour, spices, and salt. You can adjust the amount of spice according to your personal preference, but remember to keep in mind that cinnamon can be sometimes overpowering if too much is used. Then fold in until fully combined. If your mixture seems to be a bit too floury, add a teaspoon of water.

Next, add in your dried fruit, mixed peel, glace cherries, ground almonds, black treacle, and vanilla essence and stir all together. If you have some marmalade that would go in nicely too.

Take a big spoon and transfer the mixture to the cake tin spreading evenly and making a slight hollow in the centre so the cake stays flat on top.

Bake in the oven for an hour and a half and then keep coming back and checking on it until your instincts tell you its ready. It will all depend on your oven and how powerful it is. Mine is very powerful so I cooked it for about two hours before I took it out. Another way to check if its cooked through properly is to test with a skewer. Poke a hole through the middle of the cake and if it comes out clean you can take it out. Place on a wire rack and let it cool for at least half an hour before decorating.

To feed it with some brandy or sherry, poke some holes in the cake with a knife or skewer and pour a teaspoon into each one then wrap up in tin foil and repeat every week or two in the lead up to Christmas.

To Decorate

Apricot Jam & Pecans
In a small pan, load two tablespoons of your apricot jam and heat it up on a low heat. When the jam has melted, coat a pastry brush with the jam and run over your cake until it is fully covered. Then take your pecans and place them around the outside of your cake, spacing them apart evenly. You can do this just on the outside or continue all the way into the centre.

Ingredients

For the cake:
200g/7oz Unsalted butter, softened
200g/7oz Dark brown sugar
4 Free range eggs
225g/8oz Plain Flour
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Salt
800g/1 3/4lb Mixed dried fruit
100g/3 1/2oz Mixed Peel
150g/5oz Glace cherries
100g/ 3 1/2oz Ground almonds
2 tbsp Black Treacle
1 tsp Vanilla essence
Good quality brandy or sherry
Baking parchment for tin

To decorate:
2 tbsp Apricot jam
Pecans

Enjoy!
Emily X

Christmas Time: The Reason For The Season

This year has had me thinking a lot about Christmas and what it truly means to celebrate it. Without getting too deep, earlier this year, in the middle of being so ill the first week of March in so many words, I thought that was it for me. Not that I had a chance to do too much thinking, but when the ambulance men are carrying you to the ambulance on a stretcher and everything is blurry around you,  you start to imagine a different life, and the things you could do and see and be, to yourself and others. Sometimes it takes something big to happen for us to realise how lucky we are, and how much of a blessing every day is. I guess you could say that was the moment for me that changed my life, even if I hadn't realised. You might be wondering what that has to do with Christmas, but illness can give you an opportunity to look back and reflect, and think forward too.

When you are a child Christmas is such a wonderful and exciting time, but as you get older it seems to get less and less exciting and we lose the true meaning of it all and why Christmas even came to be. After coming to the conclusion over the past few months that really I didn't even think I would be here right now, and in the past eighteen years having been close to what could have been the end, I decided what better time to go back to where it all began, and the main things this time of year is all about. Jesus, family, and thankfulness. Because I have such a lot to be thankful for. If my whole life revolved around just those three things, I would be perfectly happy.

Isaiah 9:6-7
For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the government will rest on his shoulders. These will be his royal titles: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince Of Peace. 

From the start of December onwards I want to focus on these three things, and fix my eyes on what truly matters.

1. The story and the birth of my saviour and the incredible gift given to us through his life and death.
2. My family and how important it is to have them around, and not taking them for granted when there are so many people without loved ones at Christmas. 
3. Being thankful for everything I have because someone somewhere is without what I do, and because even though things aren't always perfect, I can find myself content with what I've been given. 

So in the next few weeks, alongside my Christmas series featuring classic cakes and gifts to give to your friends and family I am a woman on a mission, to go back to basics and bring back the simple things that make Christmas so special, including things I have never really had a chance to do before, and those that just got lost in the process over the years. I encourage you to join me on my journey as I blog about these things and get back to what its really all about. 

Emily X

Making the most of a winter cold + 3 natural ways to get better faster!

So the past few days I've had a terrible cold, and as much as I'm hoping it will be the last this winter, it probably won't! In the past I've usually been very miserable and have looked at being poorly as a bad thing, and although it is quite, I think everyday is precious and we should always try to make the best out of what we're given. And although we can't always control what happens to us, we can control how we deal with it. Here are some of the things that really helped me and I hope some of these ideas will help you to make the most out of the days when you're not 100%.

Be thankful

I put this one at the top of my list because I think when you have thankfulness you have happiness, and when you have happiness you have everything. It's not always easy to do but it can help you appreciate things so much more, even the little things. And I'm sure when you're happy your immune system will be much stronger too.

Cuddle up with your favourite blanket

When the cold weather rolls back around its lovely to get all cosy on the settee with your favourite blanket or jumper. I think its one of the best things about this season, and the perfect addition to the other things on my list.

Enjoy a mug of homemade soup

My mum absoloutely LOVES making homemade soups, especialy leek and potato and tomato and lentil, but on Tuesday she tried making roasted tomato and red pepper for the first time and it turned out really really nice. I don't usually like soup that much but this one was beautiful and so comforting. Making your own homemade soups and freezing them for later is so much better than bought ones as they have so much more goodness and you know whats gone into them. Some other seasonal soups you could try are butternut squash (another favourite of mine), carrot and coriander, and pumpkin.

Watch Disney movies

For me a cosy day in wouldn't be complete without a disney film to watch. For a lot of years I had missed out on watching many disney films and didn't really have the chance to enjoy and appreciate them, and in the past year I've been catching up on all those lost years! My heart always becomes full again after watching them and I don't think you're ever too old to enjoy one.

3 Natural Ways To Get Better Faster

1. Drink plenty of water- Drinking lots of water helps you stay hydrated and flushes out any bad toxins in the body.

2. Have lots of green juices- (For extra goodness to fight colds it's great to add a supplement. I love to add Organic Burst's Wheatgrass, Spirulina and Chlorella, you can get them from their website here http://www.organicburst.com/

3. Eat good food- (Tip:add turmeric to your food for an extra immunity boost. I like to have it in my omelettes and curries)

So there are my top tips for making the most of a winter cold! I hope these help and if there are any things that help you on the days when you're not so good feel free to comment below, I'd love to hear your ideas and suggestions:) Have a blessed day!

Emily X

Apple and Cinnamon Crumble

There's really nothing like the smell of apple and cinnamon baking in the oven is there? I could make this dish a million times and never get tired of it. Okay, maybe I would, but its such a simple thing to make and always a classic that everyone will love. The brilliant thing about crumbles is you can make it so many ways. Apple crumble, plum crumble, rhubarb crumble, and even cherry. The options are endless. And you can make it as healthy or unhealthy as you like!

Today I made a basic apple crumble which I'm sure will be the first of many crumbles this season. I found myself making quite a few last year and I think I'll be making even more this year. If you fancy making some too here's the recipe I used today.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the crumble:
10 1/2oz plain flour
6oz brown sugar
7oz butter
For the filling:
2 large cooking apples
1/2oz brown sugar
A pinch of ground cinnamon (I use a little more because I really like cinnamon)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees/350F/Gas4
2. Pour the flour and sugar into a large bowl and mix together. Cut the butter into cubes and using a bit of butter at a time, rub into the flour mixture. Keep rubbing until the mixture becomes like breadcrumbs. Once done, put aside.
3. Peel the apples with a knife or peeler and cut into 1cm/1/2inch pieces. Place the apples in a baking dish and sprinkle over the brown sugar and cinnamon, finishing off with the breadcrumbs.
4. Place in the oven for 20-35 minutes, depending on your oven. Mine is very powerful so I left it in for 25 minutes and until golden brown. 

To make this recipe a little healthier, you could swap regular butter for vegan butter which works just the same and just reduce the amount of sugar used.

Enjoy! :)

Peach, grape, cashew and chia seed smoothie

 

 

 I've been making this smoothie for a couple of days now and thought it was a great addition to my list of favourite smoothies. This is lovely and refreshing on a morning as it sets you up well for the day. Peaches are a great source of vitamin C which helps fight cancer and is excellent for your skin, as it can help reduce wrinkles and improve texture, as well as fighting back against damage caused by the sun. Grapes are great for hydration and counter-acting free radicals in the body and cashews are an instant mood lifter which is great for the days when you're feeling a little down. You can leave the cashews out if you want but they are a great addition.

 

Chia seeds are one of the many super foods that I try to incorporate into my diet as they are extremely good for you. Although they are very small, they have endless nutritional benefits. A couple of which are that they are high in antioxidants and are full of omega 3 fatty acids which is important for a vegetarian diet. Chia seeds are a little strange to get used to at first but once you do its easy. To prepare them you'll need to soak them in water for a few minutes until they become almost like a jelly consistency. You can get these at your local health store, I get mine from Holland and Barrett and Ocado.

 

To make, you'll need:

 

1 ripe peach

A bunch of grapes

A handful of cashews

2 tbsp. chia seeds, black or white (to soak, use 3-5tbsp water, or until they're all covered)

1 cup unsweetened almond milk (use as much as is preferred)

Optional: 1 tsp. Organic Burst baobab (baobab is an awesome super food that adds extra vitamin C to my smoothies)

 

To blend, I use my trusty Nutribullet and prefer it more thin than thick but you can do it however you like:) Enjoy!

 

 

Mixed berry muffins with yoghurt, lemon and honey

Lately I have been looking for something different yet still fairly healthy to have for/with my breakfast and the other day while staying overnight at a hotel, discovered some chocolate mini muffins that were delicious and thought how great it would be if I made some that weren't as bad for my health but were still as tasty!

They took about half an hour to an hour to make last night and I enjoyed having two this morning with my lemon and ginger tea. These muffins would be perfect to make the night before if you don't have a lot of time in the morning to make yourself some breakfast and need plenty of energy for the day.

Makes 12

Ingredients:

• 50g (1 3/4oz) butter, (I used vegan butter but you can use any butter you like)
• 250g (9oz) self raising flour
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 75g (2 1/2oz) caster sugar
• Zest of 1 lemon
• A pinch of salt (Sea or Himalayan pink salt is best)
• 250g (9oz) Alpro soya yoghurt (plain yoghurt will do nicely too)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3oz honey
• 250g (9oz) mixed berries (I used blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries but you can use any kind of berry)

1. Preheat the oven to 200C (400F/Gas6) and line a bun tray or muffin tin with 12 muffin cases. Melt the butter in a small pan, then leave to cool. Sift the flour into a large bowl, mix in the baking powder, sugar, lemon zest, and salt, then make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients.
2. Mix the yoghurt, eggs, and cooled melted butter together in a large jug, then pour into the dry ingredients along with the berries (you may have to chop some of the bigger berries in half) Mix lightly with a wooden spoon to make a lumpy batter- don't overmix, or the muffins will be heavy.
3. Spoon evenly into the muffin cases and bake for 20 minutes, or until risen and golden. Cool in a tin for 5 minutes, then serve warm or leave to cool overnight.

Enjoy!

Emily X