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Weekly Roundup 28 February

Happy Friday everyone! This week has gone by so quickly and yet so slowly at the same time! This weekend we are in full prep mode for the Autumn Gift Fair. It's extremely thrilling to do these big trade shows - debut new products, meet so many amazing people, see what's coming up for the next season from different sellers. It's a sensory overload at it's best! With all the hustle and bustle that the gift fair can bring - I decided to put together a weekly roundup focused on simplicity and comfort. Happy weekend everyone!

1. Cozy bedroom.
2. Steel cut oatmeal with yogurt, peaches and chia seeds.
3. A great reminder.
4. Horseshoe ring for a bit of luck.
5. Cotton string and brass necklace.
6. Time to sit back and relax.
7. Anytime is coffee time.

Coconut, almond and tahini cookies

Yesterday I decided to do some baking so I could have some treats with me at the Trade Show (eating at those things can be tricky and there's nothing like a good sugar boost!). I saw that Lauren from Needle & I had posted what appeared to be a 'healthy' cookie recipe that sounded delicious! So yesterday I headed to the supermarket in the morning and purchased a few missing ingredients. I will warn you now, these cookies are aaaaamazing! I made a couple alterations to Lauren's recipe to be just a wee bit healthier / it's what I had at home. This recipe is dairy free, gluten free, and only contains natural sugar and still takes good. If you're looking for some new items to cook or bake make sure to check out her In the Kitchen section of the blog, there are some real gems in there! Enjoy! INGREDIENTS (makes approx. 30 cookies) 150g coconut oil – at room temperature (original recipe used butter) 1/3 cup liquid honey (I used Clove Honey) 85g hulled tahini 1/4 tsp vanilla extract 1.5 cups desiccated coconut 1 cup ground almonds (I used both almond meal and LSA, again it's what I had on hand) 1.5 cups gluten-free flour (I used barley rice flour as it's what I had on hand) METHOD 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line two oven trays with baking paper. 2. Put the oil, honey, tahini and vanilla into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high speed until thick, creamy and pale. 3. Add the coconut, almonds and gluten-free flour and mix on a low speed until everything is just incorporated. The dough will be quite sticky. 4. Roll tablespoons of the dough between your hands into walnut-sized balls. 5. Place the balls onto the lined oven trays allowing about 5cm between each cookie. Flatten each one slightly with the back of a fork. 6. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes – set a timer as they will burn quickly if left any longer. They should be a lovely golden brown. 7. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. 8. Store in an airtight container. These cookies will keep well for up to a week - if they last that long...

(All photographs taken by Needle & I)

Note: My cookies didn't come out quite as thick as pictured here due to using a hand electric blender and using butter but they still taste fantastic!

Wilder and Hunt

After my market last Saturday, I couldn't think of anything more refreshing on a hot summer's day that a good smoothie! I was quite excited to realise that I was near Wilder and Hunt, a cafe I've been dying to try for months. Well, it didn't disappoint! This super cute cafe is nestled in St Heliers and is easy to spot from the road. The staff was super friendly and welcoming and the atmosphere was just as inviting. I was able to try the Forever Young smoothie (I'm a sucker for green juice), the Koka Mocha, and The Royal. Even though the Koka-Mocha was unbelievably good, after a day of markets and multiple coffees I thought it was best to steer clear of more caffein. I decided on The Royal - and did it hit the spot! The smoothie was extremely delicious and filling - positively perfect! The little shop is full of great local and healthy products that can be hard to find in other stores around the city. Not to mention they make their own goodies as well that were very hard to resist. If you're over by the bays or are looking for a little excursion, I highly recommend popping in and enjoying a delicious treat!   All photos are taken by Liora of Toodles Noodles.

Healthy Zucchini Muffins Post:

Hello lovely Toodles Noodles readers, it’s Lydia from Lydia bakes here, thank you so much for having me today! I am honoured to be guest blogging for the lovely Liora. A while back a decided to do the Paleo diet to get my health and fitness where I wanted to be. It was great but some things I found challenging, like baking.  

Homemade Muesli

This weekend I decided to raid our pantry and make muesli for the first time!  My partner has a fantastic recipe that he used to make a couple years ago - but being from California - muesli was a bit foreign to me before moving to New Zealand. Over the past few years I've learned to love and crave this filling morning treat!  So an effort to do a little Spring Clean of our pantry I decided to make my own! This recipe is low in sugar and high in fibre and will keep you full all morning long (and is particularly good with natural yogurt). Enjoy! 1 1/4 C Oats 1/4 C    Pumpkin Seeds 1/4 C    Sunflower Seeds 1/4 C    Sesame Seeds 1/4 C    Chia Seeds (I found mine at the local Farro) 1/4 C    Raisins 1/4 C    Dried Cranberries 1/3 C    chopped Dates 1/4 C    Coconut Shavings 1/4 C    Bee's Blessings Mulled Honey 1 T        Coconut Oil Dash of Salt Mix ingredients together and toast in 150C oven until brown.

Berrylicious Sorbet

Have that sweet tooth craving at night but don't want to load up on sugar and carbs? Yup, same here!

My Mr. has come up with a super delicious, easy, and healthy alternative.

Ingredients: (yields 2 servings)

1 banana 2 cups of frozen berries 2 scoops of chocolate protein powder (can be substituted for Complan or alternatives) a dash of probiotic yogurt Simply combine all items in your hand mixer (I'm sure a blender will work just as well) until berries are blended and all ingredients have a smooth consistency. For presentation and a bit of texture, sprinkle frozen black currents (full of antioxidants, Vit C, and fiber!) Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I'm in two minds about baking lately. I do miss the tranquility and satisfaction it gives me but at the same time, since starting to eat clean about a year ago, anytime I have a piece of pastry my body automatically rejects it. The solution? Find recipes that use very minimal butter, oil, sugar, and sweetness in general. This evening I had a serious urge to do some baking. The last time I baked was over the Christmas break where I made some "healthy" oatmeal chocolate chunk cookies and they were fantastic. The problem? I went to find the recipe again tonight and couldn't remember when I grabbed it from. The happy result was finding a recipe for peanut butter oatmeal cookies - win!

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The only alterations I made to Ambitious Kitchen's recipe was:

• adding 1 teaspoon of cinammon
• using a total of 2 teaspoons vanilla
• using Whittaker's 72% Dark Ghana Chocolate Sante Block for chocolate chunks

The cookies came out fantastically fluffy, not too sweet, generously sized and only took 9 minutes in the oven.  An absolute hit.