The Sweet Life

These bacon and egg cups are the perfect snack. They are super easy to whip together and don't take much cooking time. They can be stored in the fridge to have when you have limited time for breakfast or when you need a quick snack. They can be served either hot or cold. This is another recipe that is flexible - anything can be added to it. You can add as many vegetables or other ingredients as you like. This recipe makes about 5 large muffin tin sized cups.  Ingredients 6 free range eggs 1 cup of green peas (frozen or fresh) 3 sliced of bacon (diced) Salt and pepper to season  Method 1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius. Spray/grease a muffin tin (i used a 6 hole large tin but you can use smaller tins). 2. In a bowl add the eggs and whisk with a fork.  3. Chop and add the bacon to the eggs. 4. Add the peas and any other vegetables to the mixture. 5. Season with sat and pepper and mix together.  6. Place in the oven and bake for

I love love love this soup! It is one of my absolute favourites. I usually make a big batch of soup at the start of each week and freeze it down for lunches during the week! This soup is the perfect way to squeeze in lots of protein and vegetables during your lunch hour.  Depending on time i usually roast my own whole chicken or you can just buy a whole cooked roast chicken from the supermarket. I shred all the meat off the chicken, removing any bones or skin, so that only the meat is used in the soup. You can then use the chicken caracas if you are making your own chicken stock or just use stock cubes like i have.  You can pick and choose the vegetables that you add into this soup.  Ingredients  1 whole roasted chicken (shredded)  3 cloves of garlic (diced) 1 small leak or onion (roughly chopped) 3 carrots (chopped into small bite sized pieces)  2 medium sweet potatoes  (chopped into small bite sized pieces)  2 potatoes  (chopped into small bite sized

This week was muffin mania in my kitchen as i made a batch of these tasty muffins and the spinach and feta muffins to snack on during the train journey up to Scotland. They are the perfect snack and also a great healthy option for a sweet treat. This month my friend and I are doing No Sugar November, so these muffins were the perfect treat for us over the weekend and stopped us from craving those unhealthy sugary treats. The first batch of these muffins i made i used a different recipe and tried using almond flour (instead of almond meal or spelt flour) and found the muffins very dry. So i ended up just altering the spinach and feta muffin recipe to make a sweet muffin recipe and they come out lovely and moist. Ingredients Dry  2 cups of white spelt flour 1/2 teaspoon of salt 1 teaspoon of baking soda 1 cup of blueberries Wet 3 eggs (lightly beaten) 1/2 cup of olive oil (or melted coconut oil) 1/2 cup of plain natural greek yogurt The rind and juice of 2 lemons 1

These spinach and feta muffins are super tasty and perfect for a snack, especially a snack on the go. My friends and I went up to Edinburgh to watch the All blacks play Scotland over the weekend and wanted some healthy snacks for the train ride up and these were perfect.  In this recipe you use 1 cup of sweet potato puree - to make this i peeled, chopped and roasted 3 small/medium sweet potatoes in the oven for 45minutes. Then i used a stick blender to make a smooth puree. This makes enough for 1 cup.  Ingredients  DRY 2 cups of white spelt flour 1 teaspoon of salt 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper 1 teaspoon of baking soda 1 cup of spinach roughly chopped (or you could use kale) 2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley WET 3 eggs (lightly beaten)  1/2 cup of plain natural greek yogurt  1/2 cup of olive oil (or melted coconut oil)  1 cup of sweet potato puree 100g of feta Method  1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees celsius before you start t

These croquettes are an ideal snack or delicious side to go with lunch or dinner. Anything can be added to the recipe as this is just a base recipe. You can add extra herbs, spices, or vegetables to jam pack the croquettes with extra flavour and goodness. I have used potatoes as a base in this recipe but you could also use sweet potato or pumpkin/squash. Ingredients 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped) 1/2 cup of peas (frozen or fresh) 2 large potatoes (peeled, boiled and mashed) 1 cup of cooked quinoa 1 organic vegetable stock cube 1/4 cup of fresh coriander leaves (chopped) Coconut oil or olive oil (for frying) Salt and pepper Method 1. Peel, dice and put the potatoes on to boil. 2. Rinse 1/2 cup of raw quinoa (1/2 cup of raw quinoa makes just over 1 cup of cooked quinoa) in a sieve. Boil 2 /1/2 cups of water and add stock cube (when cooking quinoa i always have 1 part quinoa 5 parts water/stock). Once the water is boiled add quinoa, stir, cover and simmer for 20 minu

This is for all you peanut butter lovers out there (and actually any kind of nut butter lover)! This chocolate nut butter fudge is scrumptious. You can use any nut butter that you wish (peanut, almond, etc). I used the most delicious peanut butter ever...Pic's Really Good Peanut Butter that is made in my hometown, Nelson, NZ. This was  kindly shipped over to me especially on my birthday from the lovely Mrs Higgins!! Pic's Peanut Butter is made with 100% peanuts and nothing else. Heres the link if you would like to check it out:   http://picspeanutbutter.com/pics-products/ I used crunchy peanut butter because thats what i had in the cupboard and i like the crunchy texture but it is up to you what you use, smooth or crunchy both work well. This fudge is another super easy recipe as there is no cooking required, only freezing. The recipe is done in two steps for the two layers and needs 20minutes freezing time in between each layer. Ingredients BOTTOM LAYER 1/2 cup

These salmon parcels are scrumptious and perfect for dinner. You can add anything you like to them! I always change up the recipe depending on what i have in the fridge! I usually use asparagus in the parcels as well because it goes so well with fish but i didn't have any in the fridge this week! Ingredients 1 salmon fillet (1 for each person you are feeding) Half a lemon 1 small lob of organic butter (or you could use coconut oil) A few sprigs of lemon thyme Salt and pepper Veges to serve (i used roast sweet potato and butternut squash and steamed broccoli and carrots) Method Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. I prep the veges first. If you are roasting veges you will need to prep and cook those for at least 30minutes before you start cooking the salmon. 1. Place the salmon fillet in a square of tin foil. 2. Squeeze the lemon juice over the fillet. 3. Add a small lob of butter to the top of the fillet (you could use coconut oil). 4. Top the butter with a

Its Autumn and the weathers getting much colder than a Kiwi girl living in London for her first Winter is use to! What better than to make a big batch of tasty pumpkin soup for lunches! And thats just what i did! Once again another easy recipe that you can add or change ingredients to. I always make a big batch and then freeze down portions so that i can throw them in the microwave from frozen or take them out and defrost them the night before for my lunches. Another good tip so that you are freezing down small portions are to use large silicon muffin tin trays, fill each muffin hole with pumpkin soup and put the whole tray in the freezer. Once the soup is frozen pop them out of the holes and into freezer bags. Keep in the freezer and take out each portion when needed. Ingredients 1 whole butternut squash or pumpkin (peeled and chopped) 1 onion (diced) 2 cloves of garlic (chopped) 3 small sweet potatoes (peeled and chopped) 3 organic stock cubes 1 1/2 litres of boiled

This recipe is not as quick and easy as most of the other recipes i have recently added but it is super tasty! Its done in 4 layers and needs to be left in the freezer to set for a couple of hours before the last layer is added, then refrozen! So this is definitely a rainy sunday afternoon recipe, or whenever you have a bit of free time. But it is defiantly worth it! Especially if you are a chocolate lover. This recipe also has a few extra ingredients that haven't been in my other recipes - like cacao nibs, which are cacao beans roughly broken into smaller pieces. The packet says and i quote "This is chocolate indulgence in its purest state". It is also uses Tahini, which is a paste made from ground, hulled sesame seeds. Both of these can be found in health stores or online. You could get away with not using cacao nibs in this recipe, so if you can't find them don't stress - they can also be  rather expensive. Liv and Lauren were here once again to try out

I am a huge pizza fan, however we all know pizza is not that good for you! But, who said pizza has to be a naughty treat...this recipe is a tasty and healthy alternative for pizza. I have made this recipe many times and it always works well, but there are a few tips that should be followed. * Make sure you drain the cauliflower really well once cooked - get as much liquid out as possible (i always use a sieve and push hard on the cauliflower with a spoon). * Spread the pizza base out thin so it takes less time to cook and will become crisper. * The longer you bake the base for the crisper it becomes. * The base is not always really crispy and can often be quite soft, but still tastes delicious- this depends on the above tips and how long you end up cooking it for. You can use anything for the topping! I use different toppings every time i make this pizza because it all depends on what i have in the fridge at the time. So please feel free to use any toppings you prefer. Ing

I made these as a gift for a Lauren's birthday and she loved them! I made enough so i could taste test a few and also loved them. They are a perfect small treat for when you have a sweet craving. Yet another SUPER easy recipe with very little ingredients. What would i do without my food processor!!! Ingredients 2 cups of organic desiccated coconut (plus an extra plate covered in desiccated coconut for rolling the balls) 3 tablespoons of honey 1 teaspoon of natural vanilla extract A pinch of salt Method 1. Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blend at high speed for around 5-10 minutes until the coconut has broken down and the mixture is sticking together (it looks more like an almond meal consistency). 2. Using slightly damp hands get about a heaped teaspoon of the mixture and squeeze in your hand (this brings out the oil and helps the mixture stick better together). Squeeze from hand to hand until you have formed a ball. 3. Place in the plate of

I was a bit sceptical at first, i didn't think that you could make a delicious sponge cake with these ingredients. I tried it anyway and added some yogurt and berry filling for flavour and it was soooo good! I had Lauren and Liv over for dinner and we enjoyed it so much we all had 2 huge pieces each, and why not when its guilt -free! This is another recipe that is super simple and easy but tastes amazing! Perfect for a dinner party, dessert, birthday cakes, or just for when you feel like cake! Ingredients THE CAKE 6 eggs 1/2 cup of coconut sugar (which can be found in most health stores or online)  1 and a 1/2 cups of almond meal A pinch of salt THE FILLING/TOPPING 2 cups of thick natural greek yogurt 2 cups of berries (i used raspberries, strawberries and blueberries)  2 squares of organic dark chocolate (i use 90%)  Method 1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees. 2. Grease and line 2 round 20cm cake tins. 3. Break the eggs into a large bowl one at a time.

Tonight i was craving something sweet! I haven't had much time in the last few days to make any clean treats so i was looking for something quick and simple...well, i found it! Quickly and easy banana ice cream! I was lucky enough to have frozen a few bananas that were starting to brown last week and they came in super handy tonight! This recipe is super versatile, tonight i had walnuts in the cupboard so i used those but you could use anything! Any kind of nuts, cacao nibs, dried fruits, anything you think that goes well with bananas. This recipe serves two (one big portion) - so double it if you are wanting more :)! Ingredients 3 frozen ripe bananas 2 teaspoons of raw honey 1 tsp of cinnamon 1/4 cup of roughly chopped walnuts (or any flavourings you like) Method 1. Freeze bananas overnight (peel and wrap in glad wrap). 2. Put frozen bananas, raw honey and cinnamon into the food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. 3. Chop the walnuts and car

Bunless Burgers! This post is dedicated to the one and only Burger Queen LC! If anyone in London wants to know a place to go to have an amazing burger, hit up Lauren! She looooooves a good burger :)! So this ones for you! Plus she also fed me wine and we shared clean treats after the stressful night i had whilst making these burgers...#nannydramas!  I wanted to add a bit of spice to these burgers which is why I've added a few extras (only mild spicy). However if you are not a spice fan you can just use any herbs or flavourings you like. I tired both frying the patties and baking them in the oven (healthier alternative). Both were basically the same. I think baking it tends to make the patties slightly drier but i still enjoyed it! This recipe makes 4 large burger patties and enough salad and chips for 3-4 people.   Ingredients PATTIES 500g of lean beef mince 1 Egg 2 Tablespoons of Paleo tomato sauce (see blog post) 2 Tablespoons of sweet chilli Sauce 

This recipe is dedicated to the BFF, Tess. I don't know how many Saturday's we spent down at the Nelson Market searching for 'The Nut Man' and his delicious honey roasted cashews and almonds. I promise you these cashews taste just as good! They are added into the salad for this recipe but i often just make them by themselves and have them stored for snacks. They taste so good! This is my absolute favourite salad. It's my go to dish that i always make when i need to take a plate to a BBQ or a potluck dinner and it always goes down a treat. I often have this salad for lunch or a pre/post work out snack because pumpkin is full of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. You could also have it as a side salad with dinner.   It seems like a random mix of ingredients and i have no idea how i came up with this recipe, i think because i love each one of these ingredients equally i thought they must all taste great together and you know what.... they do! I

This salad is super filling and full of goodness. I've called it an Autumn salad because its full of orange vegetables that remind me of Autumn. You could use any vegetables for this salad and also any meats. You can literally add anything - spices, nuts, raisins, anything you think works well together. This recipe makes enough for 4 servings. Perfect for dinner and then left overs for lunch the next day. Ingredients 2 cloves of garlic 450-500g of lean diced beef 1 cup of organic wholewheat couscous 1 organic (Kallo) vegetable stock cube 1 1/2 cups of boiling water 1 sweet potato 1 orange capsicum 1/3 of a pumpkin/squash 1 large carrot A big handful of baby spinach Coconut oil (for cooking) Any seasonings for the veges (i use onion and garlic granules and mixed herbs) Method 1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. 2. Cut and dice the sweet potato, capsicum, pumpkin, and carrot. Put all vegetables in an oven tray and top with a teaspoon of coconut oi

I am dedicating this utterly mouth watering recipe to Mary who whilst on our recent travels around Europe found herself in the early hours of the morning after a night out in Split (Croatia) trying to buy 8 bounty bar ice creams in the corner shop on the way home. Luckily Liv and I turned around just in time to talk her out of it and explain by the time she ate 3 of them all the rest would have melted... after stealthily taking a handful off the counter and putting them back in the freezer without Mez knowing, she was left with 4 bounty ice creams (but thought she still had 8). She took these back to the boat and din't share them with a soul and let me tell you she enjoyed every last bite of those bounties. Not to mention the many bounty ice creams and gelato (or gelati apparently if you are from Australia) we taste tested in every country we went to in Europe. So now every time i see a bounty bar i think of you (sorry Mez, i had to share:)!) x.  I think i died and wen