Posts belonging to Category 'Food'

Store Review: Loose Produce Wholefoods, Como.

I love wholefoods and the opportunity to buy in bulk! I’d long known my Northie friends were being well serviced by Angry Almond in Nedlands but I yearned for something a little closer to home… it’s hard living South of the River in Perth y’know!

The discovery of Loose Produce in Como therefore was like a birthday, Christmas, Easter & any other gift-receiving holiday that exists, all thrown at me in one glorious “HURRAH!”

The great thing about Loose Produce is the attention to detail that goes into presenting their many, many wares.

Nutritional information, origin & a detailed list of ingredients are presented on the majority of their products, so if you’re like me and read more backs of packets than books – you’ll be right at home.

Those with a naughty sweet tooth will be thrilled with over 50 choices of bulk lollies, while the slightly healthier sweet lovers among us will be happy with the wide range of dried fruits including blueberries & goji berries. Our baking friends will marvel at the loose cake mixtures, sprinkles and bread mixes available for sale!

Gluten-free products are well-signed as are organic options, with an “I’m organic!” sticker to help you navigate your way to chemical free wonderland.

A really novel setup they have going is the “Jar Exchange Program” whereby people with jars they no longer need can bring them down to the store and those who would like to use them to fill with produce can do so!

There’s a dedicated Asian section, pasta, herbs & spices, organic fruit & veg, organic meat and so much more… you’ll just have to go down there to check it all out!

The only thing I would change is quite nit-picky; as I’m a vegetarian I’d prefer that the cold meat (which is spread out across two fridges) be contained to one fridge so the other products that are sharing space with them have less chance of being contaminated by the meat. Aside from that, I love the whole place!

Loose Produce is a pantry organisers dream, little jars to pick up and fill with all manner of tasty delights.

When you take your presumably many choices to the counter, you’re met with Larabars, vegan cookies and more snacks than you can poke an organic stick at. Just try saying no.

LP also run a variety of workshops which you can browse on their website and often have reflexology and kinesiology experts visiting the store.

Loose Produce

2 Hobbs Avenue, Como
Western Australia 6152

Ph: 08 9474 9100
Fax
: 08 9474 9100

Email: keryn@looseproduce.com

Be well,

xoxo

A basic Green Smoothie recipe!

I don’t think I’ve posted this recipe before, and I’ve had a truck load of people wanting to dip their toes into the wonderful world of these murky looking smoothies!

Green smoothies are one of a few things that make me feel on top of the world, full of energy & song. I cannot recommend them highly enough! Don’t be fooled by their sour looking appearance, they are actually pretty sweet and taste just like a regular berry / fruit smoothie (minus the milk!).

So, without further interference from me, here is a super basic recipe for a green smoothie from which all other recipes of mine stem from!

♥ 1/2 x cup of apple juice
♥ 1 x cup of water
♥ 1-2 x cups of washed, fresh baby spinach (you don’t generally want to use regular spinach as the taste is bitter / stronger)
♥ 1 x decent sized banana or 2 x small bananas
♥ 1/2-1 x cup of frozen fruit (your choice: blueberries, mango, raspberries… they’re all good!)

Get all that whizzing around in your blender and soon you’ll be be a convert, I 99.9% guarantee it.

If you would like some extra tips for experts, check out this Vogue Forum Green Smoothies thread for inspiration galore!

Let me know if you decide to try a green smoothie, otherwise you can come round to my joint and I’ll whip you one up PERSONALLY! Probably not actually, but I have converted a fair few skeptics this way!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

Pre-Weekend Procrastination!

♥ hehe ♥

Roll up, roll up (they were pretty tasty snacks yes? albeit terrible for young teeth!) welcome to my array of interesting beauty & health related links that I have dutifully collected over the past week so that I can share them with you, my loving reader, just in time for the countdown to the weekend!

Beauty Q&A with Annette of Wellness WA – that would be me 😉

OPI’s revolutionary iPhone application! – ever wondered what a particular shade would look like on your nails, but found those plastic nail doo-dads in the beauty section too difficult? ME TOO. With this iPhone application, while it doesn’t use a picture of your actual hand, you can adjust the skin tone and nail of the image & test out every single OPI colour to determine whether or not it’s what you’re looking for, before forking out for it!!! How great is that?! A: Prettydamngreat.

Iz you a salon playa? – musings on the pros & cons of being non-monogamous with your salon.

Healthy Tipping Point– okay, I love this blog. An American 25 year old documents her marathon bike riding adventures & vegetarian cooking. Very inspiring stuff.

Be Genki May Ritual – Be Genki is a wonderful product company / website / blog / inspiration station & this ‘May Ritual’ has some great advice, make sure you check this one.

Warm Sunny Salad – our friend Heather puts together a visually magnificent salad to nourish you & your tastebuds.

Additive Free Kids Parties! – psychotic children no more, calm them down without compromising on taste with this handy cookbook by two local mums.

Blush Day Spa Facebook Page – these guys have been known to give away free treatments and incredible specials on Facebook at random times during the week!! Last week they were offering free massages to the first few commenters!

White Bean Bruschetta – can’t wait to make this yummy variation on a definite favourite.

How much to spend on keeping up appearances? – an interesting look at how much & why we spend on looking good for our careers.

It’s a wrap! Have wonderful Friday’s everyone 🙂

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

Tasty, healthy snack: Hot Popcorn!


Image from www.popcornboxes.net

Winter is the perfect time to get poppin. Picture this: snuggled up by the heater with a loved one, pet or solo (we don’t judge!), your favourite movie playing & the scent of popcorn wafting around your house like it’s your own private cinema. I’ve sold myself on it and I don’t even have a popcorn maker yet!

I was reminded of this old-fashioned, simple treat by a friend a few nights ago on a particularly frosty night. We made a huge bowl of FRESH fat-free popcorn, none of this microwave packet super oily, super salty business! Granted, we did add a smidgen of butter & a sprinkle of salt to taste, but it was a fairly pure experience. Sweet tooth’s could even use a light dusting of icing sugar, but you didn’t hear it from me! 😉

The great thing about popcorn is that it really satisfies the desire for something crunchy, usually I would be very likely to reach for a packet of chips or biscuits, this is a much healthier alternative!

Here’s what you’re gonna need:

♥ Popcorn Maker

Crazy Popper or other popcorn maker! This one is the cheapest I could find at $49.95 RRP

♥ Popping Corn

This brand can be found at supermarkets, and is about $1.50 for 100 grams. Bargain.

♥ The desire for a healthy, tasty treat.

♥ A couple of minutes.

VOILA. So much better for you than chippies or chocolate!

My popcorn lovin’ girlfriend lamented to me that she wished someone would bottle the scent and sell it: lucky for her, the fragrance company Demeter has got it covered!

Popcorn Fragrance!!!

Get popping the next time a chilly night rolls around, and let me know if you do!

Be well,

Popcorn converted Annette.

xoxo

Mini Manna Wholefoods Trip.

Gourmet Pie

Once again, the lure of Manna Wholefoods was too great to resist, so I met up with a friend for a lovely Sunday afternoon of delicious food and drink.

It’s excruciatingly difficult to pick anything to eat there, as a vegetarian I’m used to choosing between 1-3 options at any given restaurant, whereas here there are almost TOO MANY choices!

I settled on a Spinach & Potato Pie from the Perth brand Gourmet Cookies & Pies, it was delish. I’ve long been a fan of this brand for healthy pies & also their heat-and-eat lasagne is TO DIE FOR. Also they are 100% vegetarian and pretty healthy, I highly advise you to check them out!

To go with this I fabricated a concoction of blueberry, banana & almond milk (wild, I know) & the staff were happy to make it up for me. Twas very tasty and I will have again!

After leisurely eating, we went back in and I purchased a Coconut Juice w/Blood Orange (like last time!) & some fair trade, organic, decaff green tea…in unbleached tea bags – bit of a mouthful!

All this yummy food combined with some sunshine = a pretty excellent way to wind down the weekend. My friend also brought me home-made pumpkin soup & biscuits. Could I even ask for more?!

After all this, I’m brimming with energy and feel fantastic so I had to jump on the computer and let you all know how good I feel after nourishing my body with such great food!

Okay, I’m done now!!! 🙂

Manna Wholefoods & Cafe

274 South Tce
South Fremantle
WA 6162

Ph (08) 9335 7995

Manna Wholefoods and Cafe on Urbanspoon

Be well,

Annette

xoxo