♥ All photos © Glennys Marsdon

I have to admit the thought of exploring the Stirling Farmers Market on a steamy thunderstorm induced morning, didn’t have me bouncing out of bed, still I’m quite partial to wandering around markets, and I’d heard a few good things about this one on the local grapevine.

Situated in the shadows of the Council building, it was a pleasure to drive straight into a car space, without having to tail a vegetable laden customer snaking their way back to their car. With parking for 350 cars the first signs were good for the growing market.

♥ Free range ‘Eggs by Ellah‘

Strolling around the stalls my gait resembled the limited trajectory of a chess pawn as I bounced from one shaded area to another. Thankfully the vibrant colours of the produce took my mind off the heat and the stall owners were quick to chat about their produce. I even overheard one arranging to personally deliver an order later in the day.

♥ Marchetti and Sons Roleystone, Fruit

The trays of apricots were gone by 9am, and the tomatoes selling quicker than they could be bagged. It was a delight to buy fruit that wasn’t already teetering around its use by date. Even more delightful was having the stall owner’s son carry larger orders to your car. You don’t find that at your local megastore.

Trays of ripe avocados

Moroccan spices

Tomatoes

Raw juices

Other stalls were equally enticing – artisan breads catering to a range of dietary needs, natural honey, local garlic, Moroccan spices, a multitude of mushrooms, flowers and an array of freshly squeezed juices, some thick enough to stand on their own, sans bottle.

Mushrooms

Organic bread from Abhi’s Bakery

Two years in the planning, the markets first opened on December 18th. Organised by the Karrinyup Rotary Club, all produce must be locally produced. The aim is to extend the range and possibly offer one stall free of charge to local clubs holding membership drives or community awareness programs.

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With my car boot full of produce I ended my morning sitting under a shady tree nibbling on a moist apple coconut slice, while watching crepes being cooked and hoping the markets get the community support they need to continue beyond the trial period of February 26th. I’m definitely going back next weekend if only for another piece of the apple slice, but first… does anyone know what I can do with a tray of avocados, two bags of tomatoes and six huge, crisp pink lady apples?

Stirling Farmers Market is located on Cedric Street, Stirling, Sundays 7.30 – 11.30 am until February 26th! It needs as much support as it can get to continue operating, so please check it out if you’re nearby (or even if you’re not!)

Review by Glennys, writer & farmers market advocate!

♥ YUM!

At age 19, I can honestly say I’ve started to find balance in what I eat. I never weigh myself or count calories, but focus on eating fresh, wholesome food. I love going to Farmers Markets and buying produce that’s in season, and creating simple and delicious recipes. Lately, I love recipes which taste indulgent but are really super healthy and packed full of nutrients. These Superfood Raw Fudge Balls are a perfect example.

Why not take these bite sized delights to your next party to share, or wrap up & give as a gift

Recipe:

Ingredients-

♥ 1 cup dates (medjool work best)
♥ 1 cup walnuts
♥ 1/2 cup shredded or desiccated coconut, plus extra
♥ 1/4 cup raw cacao
♥ handful of goji berries (use dried cranberries for a cheaper alternative)
♥ handful of chia seeds

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Method-

1. Blend all ingredients together
2. Form into balls. If they fall apart, simply add more blended dates to the mixture
3. Roll in shredded/desiccated coconut

Ta-daaa!

This recipe can be altered according to taste or what you already have. Feel free to swap the walnuts for almonds or the dates for prunes. I decided to wrap about 10 of these for my ballet teacher the other day. Here’s how to wrap them up…

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Simply take 1 sheet of baking paper and 1 sheet of cellophane, as well as a longish piece of string

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Place about 10 fudge balls in the centre

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Wrap the baking paper around the fudge balls first, then the cellophane. Tie the string around to secure.

Gift complete! How easy was that? Does this look like something you’d like to make/scoff down?

Recipe by Hannah, a full-time nutrition student and blogger at Dear Asparagus!

Be well,

xoxo

♥

♥ Joshi’s Holistic Detox

I picked this up randomly when a lovely little bookstore near me was having a 50% off closing down sale. Never one to say no to the possibility of a bargain, I dashed in and came across Dr Joshi’s book which I’d been intrigued by previously but never bought.

While I don’t need to be slimmer, healthier I can always go for. Basically Dr Joshi draws on Ayurvedic wisdom, as well as the principles of alkaline eating to help you feel your best. You will go without a few much loved things for 21 days, incorporating plenty of fresh fruit and veggies (some are out though), gluten-free products, herbal teas, supplements and other good-for-you treats. It’s a really well designed program and leads you through everything with LOADS of information and reviews/testimonials from many of his well known clients, including Gwyneth Paltrow.

The only thing that is personally detrimental is that the majority of recipes call for chicken stock (even the veggie ones), so as a vegetarian it would be hard to follow the supplied detox menu. That said there ARE options, and I’m sure you could use veggie stock, but there’s a lotta chicken in this book – organic, free-range naturally! Which reminds me of THIS wonderful Youtube…

Despite the chicken qualms, I’d totally recommend this book if you’re game for a detox, but want to know all the little details behind how/what/where/why, in an accessible and interesting format. I really enjoyed it, go Joshi! Available on Amazon for about $21 USD.

Have you ever tried a detox or wanted to? If so let us know your experience / reason for wanting to try!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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Even though Christmas has just passed, I have an idea for a thoughtful gift that you can make at home. My recent trip to New York inspired the idea when I ate it for breakfast nearly every morning. I took inspiration from a few recipes on the internet and found the best combination of ingredients.

You can make this a healthier version by cutting back on the amount of sugar you decide to use, I’ve already modified the recipe since making it by taking out the caster sugar. Perfect for mornings when you want to eat a healthy breakfast that is also easy to prepare!

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Ingredients

♥ Vegetable cooking spray
♥ 4 cups old fashioned oats (organic if possible)
♥ 1 cup sliced almonds
♥ 1 cup dried cranberries
♥ 1/2 cup golden brown sugar, packed
♥ 1/4 teaspoon salt
♥ 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
♥ 1/3 cup vegetable oil
♥ 1/4 cup honey (manuka if possible)
♥ 4 teaspoons vanilla extract

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Cooking Instructions

1. Position oven rack to the middle and preheat to 300 degrees.
2. Lightly spray large baking sheet with non stick spray.
3. Mix oats, almonds, salt, ground cinnamon in a large bowl.
4. Combine oil, honey and brown sugar in a small saucepan; bring to simmer over medium heat.
5. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
6. Pour hot liquid over oat mixture; stir well.
Ingredients
7. Using hands, toss mixture until thoroughly mixed.
8. Spread granola on prepared baking sheet.
9. Bake until golden brown, stirring occasionally, for about 15 mins (the last 5 mins you want to add the cranberries to cook them in the mixture without burning them)
10. Transfer sheet to rack, cool granola completely.

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After making the granola mixture I use a recycled jar and pour the clusters in, decorating it with brown string and a cute tag from Kikki K! Voila, perfect gift for a gorgeous friend.

What do you think of this recipe? Would you like to receive it from a friend?

Review by Kelly-Anne, graphic designer and cute cook.

Be well,

xoxo

I used to think that having a large meal for breakfast would give me the most energy for an enthusiastic and energetic day, but for the last 2 years or so my breakfast has pretty much always been a smoothie. I feel lighter, more focused and full of calm vitality rather than bogged down looking for that caffeine kick which I used to.

If my body isn’t working hard to digest a big, dense meal, then that energy can be put towards living an amazing life. The amount of vitamins and minerals, good quality omega 3 fats, easily absorbable sprouted proteins and just enough low glycemic index carbs in this smoothie keeps me full, yet light and energetic for hours.

I’m not saying I don’t like a delicious meal. I love to eat! But after playing with different ways to start the day, this definitely works best for me. Imagine trying to get all of this goodness in solid food form as you get ready for work in the morning! It would be like having a huge bowl of greens, a hand full of olives, a whole bunch of sprouted seeds and nuts, mushrooms, herbs etc. If you down this smoothie all that goodness is straight into your system.

♥ Stu’s Smoothie

The recipe!

♥ However big you want your smoothie, put that much water in the blender.
♥ A serving of Sunwarrior protein which I get at Prana Healthfoods

Or

♥ A serving of Garden of Life Raw Protein
♥ 1 teaspoon of Spirulina and 1 teaspoon of Chlorella, both which I get at Prana or Organic on Charles.
♥ About 1 teaspoon of Himalayan Crystal Salt, which I get at Prana.
♥ 1 teaspoon of maca root
♥ 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper if you like a little kick.
** ♥ ½ teaspoon of ashwagandha
** ♥ ½ teaspoon of triphala
** ♥ 1 teaspoon of reishi mushrooms, all of which I often get directly from India or from https://herbsupplies.com.au/ or http://www.indiaabundance.com

** With these herbs, do your research or see an ayurvedic practitioner and/or naturopath to find out if these herbs are suited to you. Every body is different. As for the rest of the herbs they’re suited to most people.

Blend all of this up and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil or coconut oil and 1 tablespoon of either agave nectar or honey for sweetness and if you want extra thickness and carbs add a banana.

Next step; enjoy!

Stu’s smoothie will give you enough energy for THIS!

Stuart is a yoga teacher and holistic life coach based in Perth, Western Australia. He is known for his unique, heart-felt self expression and inspirational style of teaching. Stuart’s classes incorporate Vinyasa Flow Asana and Akhanda Yoga with most of the emphasis being on transformation and healing.

He teaches with raw yet compassionate honesty which helps his students and clients bring the qualities practiced on the mat into daily life. 

The combination of the ancient wisdom of yoga coupled with Western approaches to wellness, such as life coaching and fitness training has allowed Stuart to form a highly effective and unique approach to wellness and to life itself.

Pics by http://nkphotographyblog.com/

What do you think of this super smoothie?

Be well,

xoxo

♥

just whipped up this beautifully yummy, fresh and light summer quinoa salad – it’s full of nutrients and is also quite filling! It’s also super quick and easy!

Ingredients

1 x cup dry quinoa
1 x cup diced cucumber
1 x diced medium sized tomato
1/2 x diced apple
1 x tbsp pepitas
1 x tbsp sultanas
sprinkling of sesame seeds
sprinkling of dried cranberries

Cook the quinoa as per the instructions on the pack (I like to use a rice cooker as it’s very simple and I can do other things while it’s doing -its- thing). Add in the pepitas & sultanas at the very beginning so they plump up.

Once cooked, leave to cool and mix in all the other ingredients. Serve, eat and enjoy.

The best thing about this quinoa salad is that you can make it with whatever’s on hand at the time that you need to use up and the quinoa provides a perfect healthy base. It is also packed with nutrients to give you sustained energy and plenty of vitamins and minerals.

Some other ideas to add in are:

♥ Sweet potato
♥ Cashews/almonds
♥ Pieces of orange
♥ Celery
♥ Absolutely anything you want!

Hope you like it, please share your recipes below, bon appetit

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

♥ Photo by wheresthebeef?

When I knew I was going to Melbourne I started researching raw restaurants, vegan restaurants and vegetarian places.

I was surprised to find that since I left there two years ago the raw food revolution hasn’t taken over, it’s barely crept in, or maybe I was looking in all the wrong places.

In saying that I must tell you right now before I explode – Yong Green Food surpassed all my expectations – it was fabulous!

My daughter and I arrived at about 8:30 on a Friday night and as we approached the restaurant we saw a huge group of people out the front, “Surely they’re not waiting to go in” I said to Candice. I haven’t had to line up for a very long time to get in somewhere and I wasn’t too thrilled about the prospect of lining up for food.
But they were.

So, the deal is no reservations, you turn up, go into the restaurant write your name and number down in the book by the drink cabinet and wait to be called.
The issue was there were five names before ours and we were starving!

Sadly by this stage we’d read the menu which looked absolutely fabulous so now we couldn’t go anywhere else.

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25 minutes later and it was our turn. The only issue then was how to decide what to eat. We wanted everything on the menu, followed by another serving of each.

♥ Nacho’s with chia chips

Lentil Hot Pot

Grilled Kingfish

We knew that we would be coming back at least one more time before I returned to Perth so we decided on the Raw Nachos – chia chips with cashew sour cream, guacamole and chili as an entree to share. Candice had the Lentil Hot Pot for main while I chose the Grilled King Fish.

The nachos were amazing, the chia chips were light, crisp and divine. Candice did say that she preferred my sour cream (there’s a girl who knows which side her bread’s buttered), but agreed that it was the best guacamole she’s ever tasted.

The Lentil Hot Pot was perfect, it was a bit of a chilly night in Melbourne (surprise, surprise) and the warmth of the dish was a perfect fit.

The Grilled King Fish was lovely too, and if I hadn’t tasted the Lentil Hot Pot first I would have been in heaven, ah the joys of coveting thy neighbours food.

Surprisingly neither of us had room for dessert so we left it at that.

The service was wonderful, our waitress was full of smiles, tips and advice. And we were planning our next meal before we even walked out the door.

The next time you’re in Melbourne you must drop into Yong Green Food and then go down the road to Neo Tokyo where you can pick up your new vegan handbag.

Service: 5 stars
Food: 5 stars
Price: 5 stars

Win win win!

Note: We went back there Saturday night and then again Tuesday night (only because we were in Ocean Grove Sun and Mon) and the food was even better!

Girl crush alert! Ruby Rose was at the table next to us on Saturday night. How gorgeous is she!

In the comment box below I’d love to know anywhere in Perth that serves Raw Vegan food, or just good old-fashioned vegetarian.

Yong’s Green Food
Address: 421 Brunswick Street Fitzroy
Phone: (03) 9417 3338

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Poynter Farmers’ Market, ahh to have a Saturday off, visiting this place was definitely on my list of things to do. It may be small but it’s loaded with fresh local produce, rainbow beetroots, carrots, silverbeet, sweet mangoes, berries and amazing bananas – all the seasonal foods you’d hope for!

The aroma of fresh breads, pastries, cakes, chutneys, herbs and flowers decorate the entrance and I wanted to take it all home… but I could only fit what I could into my backpack, so I made sure it was an array of mixed colours, letting the leaf tops burst out my back pack to ride in the wind on my cycle back home.

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Before my cooking begins, a pot of herbal tea to hydrate the soul;

♥ ½ – 1 diced purple carrot
♥ zest of one large lemon,
♥ a good chunk of finely diced ginger

My market haul

Steep in your favourite teapot for 5 – 10 minutes and sip away whilst getting stuck into a Rainbow Beetroot and Purple Carrot Salad;

♥ 2 large purple carrots
♥ 1 large rainbow beetroot
♥ bunch of coriander
♥ 1 large green apple
♥ 1 lemon
♥ ½ red onion

You could dice all ingredients by hand or better still combine all ingredients into a processor or Thermomix (I don’t have one of these luxury items yet, but my mum’s is amazing) season with a wee bit of salt (or crushed celery seeds) and drizzle with some cold pressed extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy on its own, with quinoa or a fresh salmon fillet.

Bon appetit!

Poynter Farmers’ Market is a fortnightly market located at:

Poynter Primary School
Poynter Drive, Duncraig

9am-12noon – check their website for the next market weekend!

Have you tried purple carrots or rainbow beetroot before?

Review by Adele Plumridge, Natural Medicine Naturopath & food coach; offers personalised consultations, detox programs plus food & health workshops.

Be well,

xoxo

♥

Being on my version of the Earth Diet Challenge: 365 days sugar free, preservative free, MSG free, artificial anything free, I’ve been looking at different ways of preparing food.

About two years ago I was at my diet was 100% raw and I felt absolutely amazing. I had recently been diagnosed with Graves Disease and the medication wasn’t working fast enough and so my specialist recommended removing my thyroid. Things go a little out of control without a thyroid as I soon discovered. I was tired, foggy and if that wasn’t enough I gained 10 kilos in 8 weeks! I ‘discovered’ the raw food diet on a google search and I seriously never felt better.

However as with most things, as I started feeling better the motivation to stay 100% raw diminished, as did my feeling great. Funny that.

I eat fairly well these days, and as I said earlier I committed to the Earth Diet Challenge 56 days ago now and was looking for new ways to prepare my food when along came a 2 for 1 offer to attend a raw food class so how could I say no to that?

I arrived to Michelle’s class and joined the other 10 ladies that were there, her classes are held at the back of her home in a gorgeous room with plenty of natural light.

Michelle started off by telling us about her story, her past health problems and where she gets her passion for raw foods. The best thing was she was totally upfront with all of us and admitted that she wasn’t perfect, not only was she not perfect but she had eaten a Krispy Kreme doughnut recently! Talk about making people feel at ease.

The other great thing about Michelle is there was no “all or nothing” approach. I’ve found that a lot of people who say they’re interested in your health have a belief that their way is the only way and they can be quite painful to deal with.

♥

She went through a dazzling array of equipment that she uses, but was quick to point out that we could start with just the basics of a blender and food processor, knife and cutting board.

♥ Michelle making a green smoothie, check out that glowing skin!

We then progressed to the food, and oh my goodness what a great way to convert people while educating them.

We started off with two different green smoothies, followed by Buckwheat Crispies, Cacao Crispies, Almond Museli, cinnamon gRAWnola and Walnut and Goji Crumble. And just in case there was a chance that we might be able to walk out the door rather than be rolled she then gave us Almond and Chia Porridge followed by my favourite, The Big Brekky! Tomatoes, Mushrooms and Guacamole on Sprouted Toast.

♥ Ingredients for the Buckwheat Crispies

♥ Some various raw food products

♥ The yummy looking tomatoes and mushrooms!

All this was made in front of us showing us just how easy it is to add more raw into your diet and how simple it can actually be to put it all together with no experience at all.

The price ($135) included all the above plus handouts with information on where you can get your nutrients on a high raw diet as well as equipment, methods, kitchen cupboard staples as well as resources to find all the above.

Best of all she gave us the recipes to all the food we sampled as well as a few more smoothie ideas.

Where: Hamilton Hill
What: Raw Food Classes
How much: Generally around $135 for 3 hours learning to prepare (and be filled up on!) fabulous raw foods
Website: www.foodinthenude.com.au
Email: michelle@foodinthenude.com.au

Reviewed by Chizelle S Salter, writer, extreme self-love expert and hostess of Chizelle TV.

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There are moments in our life when we feel truly inspired; following a challenging yoga session, after finishing reality TV shows like the X-Factor or The Renovators (as we start shifting our furniture whilst belting out Adele songs), when we receive genuine, full-face-smile inducing compliments or for some, simply after we finish a very strong coffee resulting in creativity and inspiration literally buzzing through our veins. Eating at Samudra; an organic, sustainable and vegetarian café nestled in the heart of Dunsborough, is now listed as one of my inspiring moments.

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The moment my Tony Bianco boots crunched the gravel path and I breathed in the fresh sea-breeze all thoughts of university essays and the Samantha Wills necklace I’d just lusted after in a shop window peacefully retreated from my brain. I was ready to convert to a Birkinstock wearing, yoga practicing, hippie vegetarian. Accompanied by my lamb-loving fiancé, we weaved through the mass of large, natural wood tables and settled at a table perched on the grass, soaking up some indecisive September sun.

The inspiration began to emerge as my eyes flittered across the pages of the menu in excitement, lamb-lover not quite as enticed, pointing to the safest option Superhero Avo Sandwich- Yallingup Woodfired Sourdough topped w/ cashew cheese, tomato, avocado & alfalfa sprouts. I added to the order the Kombi Breakdown, gluten free - A flavour explosion of cumin, coriander, cardamon, clove and one of our favourite superfoods – tumeric, served w/ quinoa and the Feel-good falafels- raw- gluten free- Delicious Egyptian-style falafel balls made with carrots, sunflower seeds & aromatic spices, cumin & caraway seed, served w/ handcrafted sunflower seed aioli and couldn’t resist the Super Green Smoothie- Pear, apple, lemon, orange & kale.

Inside Samudra ♥

Gazing around the Samudra landscape, from the organic eco garden where the chefs source the majority of their produce to the timber decked café area, I realized I could keep my boots on as you did not need to have dreadlocks or favor hemp t-shirts to eat here (my apologies for the stereotyping, although a woman who obviously forgot to wear shoes or brush her hair resulting in long dreadlocks was purchasing an organic chocolate macaroon when I was paying at the end…. just saying!). There was a unique display of customers; from the tourists flaunting jeans with sport shoes (true tourist attire) looking slightly anxious reading the menu, to the couple sitting behind us loudly debating spirituality and money. Whether they came to The Kombi café for it’s genuine passion to inspire and nurture their guests by providing sustainable, organic, biodynamic meals or if they were there just because the line at the local Dome was hideously long, the air thick with relaxation and serenity was beginning to work it’s magic on their minds and stomachs!

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As our order was placed on the table my inspiration levels heightened yet again. The smell, the colours and the delicate plating was enough to demand any carnivores attention (bringing their thoughts back from daydreams about sausage rolls and meat pies from the local bakery). The simple but favourite combination of tomato, avocado and ‘cheese’ (a cashew cheese alternative) was not a let down and the toasted sourdough provided the perfect foundation for these tasty flavors.

The falafel are one of the best I’ve tried, the dense balls just oozing good-for-you-ness, full of spices and nuts and resting on top of a sunflower seed aioli. The dhal with vegetables was served with quinoa was creamy with a noticeable heat hit and very very moreish. I would be a happy woman if I could eat a bowl of their Dhal each week night whilst catching up on Kids Masterchef, perhaps with a sneaky red wine which I’m not sure would be Samudra approved. My smoothie was a vibrant green colour and it was difficult to refrain from drinking as my fiancé tried to capture the perfect picture of it, however in the end I gave in and gulped down the thick and delicious concotion. Just like the rest of Samudra’s delights it tasted like wellness and health, delectable.

Empty plates!

If you are ever in Dunsborough and have worked up an appetite perusing the streets (in the process realizing you desperately needed several new scented candles, new bathers and of course you needed another decorative elephant statue) I would definitely recommend relaxing and filling your stomach at Samudra. You know they have your health and wellbeing at heart, their recipes are constructed with passion and knowledge with ingredients sourced from the garden, available also for your exploring pleasure. As my boots crunched the gravel during my (reluctant) exit from Samudra, my body and mind healthy and light, I felt inspired to recreate my meals with similar ingredients and love. When we know how beneficial the ingredients that go into your meals are for our mind, body and spirit it’s easy to devour everything on your plate (and still purchase a goji berry bliss ball for the road). So how would I describe my experience at Samudra overall? Well it was absolutely dhal-icious

♥

Address:

226 Naturaliste Terrace
Dunsborough WA 6281

Web: http://www.samudra.com.au

Article by Jade Jurewicz, inspiration by Samudra.