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The start of the REAL autumn-y weather has put a spring in my step. I don’t know what it is, but my whole outlook changes when the cooler weather starts setting in. I feel happier, more content and like there are endless possibilities to be explored. It’s a fun time. Plus, there’s lots of tea to be consumed! I am planning on hitting up T2 very soon to pick up a whole bunch of new brews to keep me toasty over the winter.

I’ve been crushing on so many things lately, but these 5 are the cream of the crop! Hope you enjoy 🙂 x

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♥ Chantecaille Future Skin

Being of porcelain complexion is hard. HARD I TELLS YA! Finding a foundation shade that suits my skin tone perfectly often takes many trips to the shops and frequently ends in frustration.

I was once told by a makeup artist working at a Clarins counter that fewer lighter shades are sent to Australia because we’re generally more tanned than those in Europe or Asia. Interesting! But no good for ghosties like me.

Luckily I’ve found my new favourite in the form of Chantecaille Future Skin!! They have a a bit of a range of paler shades (5!) and the Porcelain one suits me perrrrrrfectly. Sometimes I like to pop in a little Laura Mercier Illuminating Tinted Moisturiser if I need a bit more of a glow, but usually priming with rosehip oil after cleansing does the trick. Chantecaille Future Skin is $105 for 30g, so it’s a pricey peach, but worth it if you’re like me and find it tough to get a foundation match 🙂

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Kale Chips

What can I say but – AH-MAZE-ING. After hearing so much about this healthy crunchy, snacky alternative to potato chips, I decided to finally make some of my own. I’m so glad I did. There are so many benefits to eating kale (here are the top ten!) and it is soooo yummy steamed as well.

How to make kale chips:

♥ Tear kale off of stalk into small bite sized pieces and place into bowl
♥ Drizzle olive oil over the kale and massage into all the leaves so that they are all very lightly coated – you don’t want them dripping
♥ Arrange on baking tray, sprinkle with Caesar Salt
♥ Put into oven heated to 180 degrees celcius and cook for 12-15 minutes

ENJOY!!! A seriously yummy snack, and healthier than potato chips. I made a gigantic batch tonight and it’s official, I’m in love.

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Fab Iron

I’ve recently started taking these iron tablets as I’ve been feeling pretty tired. I know that my iron is low from the last time I had my blood levels checked, so hopefully this will keep me all iron-ed up along with the Floradix that I sometimes take too. Super easy to swallow and I like that it’s in vegecaps and 100% vegetarian and vegan suitable 🙂

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Noni Juice

I’d always been curious about this juice, since Miranda Kerr touts it as one of the reasons she is so healthy / ridiculously good looking, unfortunately I found the price quite expensive so never got around to trying it. Fast forward to last Thursday when I attended the Perth KORA Organics event (more on that to come soon) and we were lucky enough to receive a bottle of the purple grape flavoured noni juice!

Apparently this stuff is packed full of minerals and antioxidants and will neutralize free radicals like it aint no thang. I’ve been taking it for about a week now, so can’t really comment on the benefits yet, but it tastes pretty good so long as it’s mixed with water, and I don’t think it’s doing me any harm so I’m going to continue with it!

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♥ Be Asleep Pillow Spray

This relaxing sleep mist is different to most in that the prominent scent ISN’T lavender. Containing bergamot, cederwood atlas, lavender, roman chamomile, lemon and mandarin, it really does smell a little more citrusy but is incredibly relaxing at the same time. I’ve been spraying this all over my pillows every night and instantly feel calmer once I catch the first whiff. For extra relaxation you can spray some on your feet too!

Recommended for anyone who needs a little extra help falling asleep at night due to a stressful or busy lifestyle.

Extra: Naturlea, the company who produces the sleep spray, also hold product parties (all the prods are sublime) and for the month of April & June, if you book a party you get a FREE rosehip oil! Get in touch with Nyssa if you may be keen: nyssabowker@naturlea.com

I hope you guys have enjoyed my beauty and wellbeing crushes this week! I’d love to hear yours 🙂

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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My once loved white sugar substitute agave has been receiving quite a bit of negative press recently (mostly because of its 90% fructose level). Confused and left doubting agaves’ previously praised heath benefits, I embarked on a mission to find a healthier and less controversial sweetener alternative. The search led me to the discovery of my ‘sweet’ little new friend, coconut sugar!

What it is:

Coconut sugar is drawn from the sap of the coconut
 palm tree buds. It is similar in taste and color to brown sugar, with a slight caramel flavor.

Health Benefits:

Coconut sugar contains less than 9 percent fructose. It has a considerably lower glycemic index (35) than agave (42), honey (55), and cane sugar (68), thus helping to stabilize glucose levels. Coconut sugar can also do a lot more than just add sweetness to your morning coffee! It’s loaded with minerals, such as potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron, and B vitamins.

Ways to Incorporate into Your Diet:

Coconut sugar can be used as a substitute for white sugar in baking or dessert recipes or anything else you’d use sugar for!

Where to Find it & Cost:

Coconut sugar can be found at most health food shops. I use the Loving Earth brand, which costs around $7.50 for 300g.

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Recipe Idea:

These cookies are to die for! They are quick, easy to make and require minimal cleaning (just what I like!). They are perfect for a picnic or to accompany a cup of tea. Just try not to eat all the mixture before the cookies make it to the oven 😛

Coconut Date Cookies

Makes 6-8 cookies

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Ingredients:

♥ 1 cup pitted dates (soaked for approx 5 mins to soften then drain)
♥ 1/3 cup rolled oats
♥ 1/2 cup shredded coconut
♥ 1 tsp baking powder
♥ 1 TBS vanilla
♥ 1-3 TBS coconut sugar (depending on how sweet you want them)
♥ 1 TBS coconut oil
♥ 1/4 cup coconut milk or choice of milk (use nut milk for vegan cookies!)

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Directions:

♥ Preheat oven to 170*C (fan forced).

♥ Put all ingredients in a food processor and blend well until there are no large date pieces.

♥ Portion mixture into equal sized balls, place on greased cookie sheet, and flatten with the back of a spoon/spatula.

♥ Bake for 12-15 minutes on 170 degrees.

♥ Remove from oven and cool on cookie rack.

♥ Store cookies in the refrigerator.

YUM! Do you like the sound of these healthy cookies?! Let us know 🙂

Article by Kavisha, self confessed ‘health foodie’ who believes a little dessert is good for the soul. She is currently studying for her Master of Wellness at RMIT University and blogs at Style My Coconut.

Be well,

xoxo

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If the pomegranate was a woman she would be beautiful, mysterious, extremely healthy and a whole lotta people would ask her to repeat the spelling of her name! So when I was asked to explore the qualities of the elusive Pomegranate I was puzzled and intrigued as to what I would discover.

However after trialling the Wei Pomegranate Buffing Beads, sipping POM Wonderful juice and using pomegranate in my recipes, I feel as though I have met a new exotic, exciting woman who I plan to add to my group of fruit bowl friends (and whose name I will have to practice spelling!)

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Pomegranates are the supermodels of the fruit world, envied by all other fruits for having far too many amazing qualities. And not only beautiful are they on the outside but they are beautiful for your insides too.

The red fruit is laden with seeds encased in a vibrant red pulp and bursting with antioxidants, eating the fresh seeds or drinking pomegranate juice boasts the benefits of:

♥ helping keep wrinkles at bay
♥ lowering cholesterol and blood pressure
♥ good for diabetics
♥ keeping teeth and bones strong
♥ helpful for fertility and menopause
♥ flavoursome and colourful in smoothies and salads
♥ being a rather delicious snack!

This is why I’ve created a ritual around my new and beautiful friend, the Pomegranate.

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For so long whilst perusing the fruit and veg section of the supermarket I would notice the oddly shaped POM Wonderful bottle sitting amongst the fresh dates and containers of chocolate dipping sauce for fruit (which by being placed next to strawberries makes it feel oddly healthy I find, what about you?).

I finally decided to purchase a bottle the other day and may have formed a slight addiction to the liquid ever since. POM Wonderful is a peculiar mixture of sweet and sour but makes you want to take sip after sip. It’s made up of 100% Pomegranate Juice and has all-natural ingredients, no added sugar or artificial additives. I’ve found it to be a perfect post-beach drink to banish the cringe worthy taste of beach water and to help rehydrate my exhausted body.

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Next in my pomegranate ritual is the Wei Pomegranate Buffing Beads. To add to the beach discussion, exfoliating with the Wei pomegranate buffing beads is like taking a swim in the ocean. You finish feeling clean and refreshed. The product is made up of finely milled pomegranate peels and round delicate beads that “buff away dead skin to encourage the growth of fresh new cells and reveal the brighter, younger skin trapped underneath”.

By adding the buffing beads to my everyday cleanser I found I received the feeling of a beneficial sand exfoliating away all of my day’s unwanted nasties and excess skin cells (which is vital in this current ongoing heat!).

Last but not least the pomegranate in its’ purest form. Whilst the fruit as declared previously has so many positive qualities the only negative I found was it’s popularity, I couldn’t find them in stock anywhere! Finally the lovely Annette heard through the grapevine that the pomegranates were hiding out in Jacks Wholefoods and Groceries in Claremont Quarter so I got down there quickly and finally purchased a few (along with a coconut water and goji berries, plus mixed nuts from liquorice on my way out!).

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I cut the fruit in half, squeezed both halves into a bowl (you may have to use your muscles for this part) and proceeded to try with a teaspoon. Like the POM juice they are sweet but tart but also have the extra crunch from the seeds.

When considering how to introduce pomegranate into a home-cooked recipe a foodie friend told me she had a bruschetta with mushrooms, ricotta and topped with pomegranates at The Garden in Leederville however I decided to take the sweet route for my first pomegranate inspired meal.

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Pomegranate Breakfast Sundae

Method: In a glass I dripped honey down the sides for colour (and not because I could eat honey all day every day!) and then layered Margaret River creamy pot set vanilla yogurt (but you can use your yogurt of choice, the rich and delicious yogurt from the stall in the Subiaco Markets would work perfectly too) with pomegranate seeds, before topping the glass of goodness with the excess seeds and juice.

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This recipe is so versatile and so many other delicious treats can be added! If I was wanting a more filling breakfast I would add my favourite muesli between the layers, you could also add peach or banana between the layers, or for a special treat substitute the yogurt for a thickened cream sweetened with honey, agave syrup or a touch of cinnamon and mix through some crushed up meringue (I know what I’ll be craving for dessert tonight!).

Written by Jade and inspired by her new best friend the Pomegranate.

Be well,

xoxo

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Bonjour! I’ve recently become the happy owner of an iPhone, so you will be seeing a lot more piccies on Wellness WA which should make things much more colourful and visual. I hope you enjoy 🙂

I’ve had this smoothie the last two mornings and it’s definitely pepped me up and gotten the day off to a great start…

Magnificent Morning Smoothie!

♥ 1-2 x cup of chilled, filtered water
♥ 1 x frozen banana
♥ 1 x cup of frozen blueberries
♥ 1 x small (organic) apple
♥ 2 x cups of spinach
♥ 1 x tbsp Grants Liquid B Vitamins (love, love, love this stuff in helping to manage stress)
♥ 1 x tbsp Pepitas

Optional

♥ 2 x tsp pea protein powder

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Whiz this all up for 1-2 minutes and you’ll have a vitamin packed, cooling breakfast treat that is sure to make your toast eating housemate jealous!

I like to add the protein powder to give a more sustained energy boost, and I’m trying to gain a little weight at the moment!

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Tah dah! Final smoothie + messy bench top & gratuitous organic fruits and veggies for good measure.

What do you think of this smoothie recipe?

Let me know if you end up trying it 🙂

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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I love eating sushi! But sometimes I crave something more nutritious and wholesome than polished white rice. Let’s jazz it up! So when I saw this recipe from Janella Purcell on Good Chef, Bad Chef recently, I knew I would be making it oh-so very soon. You see, instead of rice she adds a mixture of quinoa and millet. Both wholegrains are gluten-free and are great sources of protein, especially in a vegetarian diet.

Recipe (adapted from Janella Purcell)

Ingredients

♥ 1 cup firm tofu, julienned
♥ 1/2 cup tamari
♥ 1 tsp sesame oil
♥ 1 cup quinoa
♥ 1 cup millet
♥ 1/2 avocado, sliced
♥ 4 spring onions, sliced lengthways
♥ 1 carrot, julienned
♥ 1 cucumber, julienned
♥ 1 tbls wasabi
♥ 2 tbls soy mayo
♥ 2 tbls black sesame seeds
4 toasted nori sheets (you may need more)

Dipping sauce

♥ 1/2 cup tamari, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp umeboshi vinegar

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Method

1. Cook the quinoa and millet together, using 4.5 cups of water. To do this, simply bring both grains to the boil, then let simmer until the water absorbs. This takes about 15 minutes.
2. To prepare the tofu, place it in a pan and add the tamari (tamari is just a wheat-free soy sauce, but feel free to use whatever soy sauce you have) and sesame oil. Then add enough water so the tofu is just covered. Let it simmer until the water has been absorbed by the tofu. Set aside.
3. To make the rolls, place the nori sheets on a dry surface, shiny side down. Press about 1/2 cup of the grains on the sheet.

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4. Scrape a little wasabi on top, then some mayo and sesame seeds.
5. Now top with a few slices of avocado, half a spring onion, some carrot, cucumber and then some tofu.

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6. Roll up, then cut into 3cm slices. Serve with the dipping sauce.

7. …….don’t forget to eat them!

These sushi rolls were amazingly tasty! My friend, expecting white rice sushi with chicken, still thought they were delicious! I didn’t have any spring onions, wasabi, mayonnaise or black sesame seeds. But hey! Next time I might add some grated or pickled ginger. Yum 🙂

Foodie review by Hannah from Dear Asparagus.

Be well,

xoxo