Health. Primal Nutrition. Exercise. Motherhood. Sustainability & Creating various things.




My Creative Space...Buttons


Milk, Vomit, Food or Mud. With two little girls in my care I can almost guarantee that one of these substances will be on my shirt by the end of today. Therefore, my daily uniform now consists of easy-to-wash T-shirts and jeans. 

 To spruce this basic T-Shirt up I sewed some pretty buttons into a cluster, and was rather pleased with the result. Maybe some applique next time?.....

For more 'Creative Space's' check out http://ourcreativespaces.blogspot.com/

'Sigh No More'


I can't get this tune out of my head today. Love the lyrics too.

Paleo Heaven


In the past week two of my friends have recommended I check out the new Hobsonville Point Farmers Market. So, I set off this morning to see it for myself and what a treat it turned out to be! 

It was the farmers market that I see in my dreams, a bustling crowd in an old corrugated Iron Barn lined with stalls offering beautiful cuts of organic New Zealand meat, fresh fruit and vegetables, Frenz eggs (which, according to Paul Chek are the highest quality eggs on the planet), Chicken Liver Pate, Macadamia nuts, smoked garlic bulbs and my new discovery....Pork Scratchings!!  

Now that my pantry is chocka with delicious real food I have the feeling it's going to be a great week!

A Day in the Life of My Stomach



When I first discovered Primal Nutrition I was immediately sold on the theory. There was the science, the history and many a testimonial to verify that the way we ate 10,000 years ago is still how we are designed to eat today.

But there was one little problem. The practical aspect. Living in a society that typically eats cereal for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and pasta for dinner, how on earth was I going to adapt eating like a Cavewoman to our modern era??

My first obstacle literally came bright and early in the morning, with breakfast. The initial breakfast option that sprung to mind was the classic bacon and eggs, but since my Monday mornings.....or my Tuesday mornings for that matter don't allow time for cooking breakfast, I settled for smoothies, less work than a cooked breakfast yet no more work than jam on toast. After some experimentation with recipes I have settled on Coconut Berry Smoothies as my staple weekday breakfast.

Now, since I didn't require a morning snack (I was too full from my smoothie) the next meal in line to be Primal-ised was lunch. This wasn't a difficult task since I'd previously have something along the lines of a salad sandwich. This meant, all I needed to do was eliminate the bread and increase the size of the salad, while including both a source of protein, such as leftover meat from dinner or salmon, and a source of fat, such as avocado or olive oil. If the weather is cooler, I now often prefer to steam some vegetables and put the protein and fat sources on top.

Then along came afternoon snack time, a time previously spent lurking around the kitchen looking for anything that vaguely resembled sugar! These days I still feel the need for a snack in the afternoon (possibly since I'm Crossfitting and Breastfeeding which makes my absolutely ravenous!), but it now looks like one of the following:
Dinner, the easiest meal to Primal-ise by far since most meals I previously made are already Primal or in need of only a few minor tweaks. Therefore, dinner at our house usually looks something like......
  • Roasts done in the slow cooker 
  • Sausages with Steamed Veges or Salad 
  • Casseroles made in the slow cooker
  • Chicken Caccitore 
  • Mince and Vegetables (oh so plain but it's 2-year-old Jacinda's absolute Favourite!)
  • Satay Beef
  • Pork Belly Roasts
There you have it. Nothing gourmet, no portion control, just real food the way nature intended for us to eat. 

Coconut Berry Smoothie




Having experimented with a few smoothie combinations, I have settled with this concoction as my staple weekday breakfast.


Why? Because it keeps me nice and full until lunchtime, is quick and easy to prepare and tastes delicious!


Coconut Berry Smoothie - Serves 2


  • 1x400ml can of Coconut Milk 
  • 2 Tablespoons of Coconut Oil 
  • 2 Cups of Frozen Mixed Berries 
  • 4 Tablespoons of Unflavored Whey Protein 

Chicken Caccitore


Any Primal meal that requires one dish, and minimal preparation is a winner in my books

Ingredients:
500g Chicken Thighs, raw and cubed
2-3 kumaras peeled and cubed
1 diced onion
1 clove of garlic, crushed
440g can of tinned tomatoes
1 1/2 cups of sliced mushrooms
1 tsp vegetable bouillon
1 tsp oregano
1 handful of chopped parsley
 Salt and Pepper

Method:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees 
  2. Place Chicken in an oven proof dish and top with remaining ingredients 
  3. Bake covered for 1 hour