Product has been added to your cart.
Call us on
0401 417 615

Latest News & Views

Our Blog

“Turn Up The Turmeric”!

| Hydration Station

TURMERIC CHAI – (THE MAGICAL WONDER DRINK)


Turmeric chai or golden milk is a traditional Ayurvedic drink, used for centuries to improve overall health and vitality. It is usually taken at night to promote sleep and heal an array of ailments, including common colds, sore throats, indigestion, diarrhoea, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, menstrual cramps, headaches and arthritis.
It is also claimed to fight breast, liver, colon and prostate cancer, relieve depression, promote digestive health, detoxify the liver, purify blood, boost circulation, accelerate wound-healing, relieve pain, protect against cardiovascular disease and help with neurological disorders.
Most of turmerics super powers hail from its key compound, curcumin, which has strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antiseptic properties. The health benefits of turmeric are further enhanced by adding black pepper, as research shows that black pepper contains piperine, a compound that helps the body absorb curcumin more effectively.
Cinnamon, ginger and cardamom are also an important addition to the milk as they not only enhance the flavour, they also offer supplementary health benefits. The cinnamon helps to control blood sugar, reduces bad cholesterol and improves circulation. Whilst the cardamom and ginger improves digestion, aids detoxification and quells bad breath. The addition of cold pressed virgin coconut oil increases the immune-boosting and cholesterol-lowering benefits of this miracle milk.

INGREDIENTS
Unsweetened almond, soy or other non dairy milk
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/2 tsp cold pressed coconut oil
Raw honey or pure maple syrup to taste

METHOD
Pour a glass of milk into a pan and simmer gently on a low heat. Then place all of the remaining ingredients into the pan with the milk (except honey or maple syrup) and stir well.
Strain the liquid through a small, fine mesh sieve or tea strainer and sweeten with a little honey or maple syrup.
Drink this golden magic brew daily in the evenings before going to bed and sleep like a baby. Sweet dreams !! x

Ants In Your Pants!

| Homemade Cleaning Recipes & Tips

“AN ANT ON THE MOVE DOES MORE THAN A DOZING OX”!

ants

Ants are critical to our environment yet they soon become pests when they begin to invade your space and over take your home. Nobody, wants to be overrun by these little critters and more often than not are quick to reach for poisonous chemicals and pesticides to eradicate the problem rapidly.
Pest control is one aspect of daily living in which people invite some of the most appalling chemicals into their homes. Unfortunately many individuals are still unaware that these toxic formulas can be “Potentially harmful!” to there health. After all if a product is toxic in design and manufactured specifically to kill and maim, won’t it be harmful to anyone and everything else it comes into contact with ???
This is one of the main reasons that I made it my mission to obliterate our growing ant situation utilising purely safe, non-toxic, natural ingredients.

Since moving house in November, several armies of ants have repeatedly invaded our home. Now as you are all aware by now, I do not believe in the use of chemicals and pesticides and am a great believer that there is always a natural solution to combat every problem, rather than relying on hazardous toxins. So after putting up with the ever growing army of busy workers for long enough, it soon became clear that enough was enough and I had to come up with a solution to make these pesky critters decide to turn around and start marching in the other direction once and for all !!

After trialling numerous methods, recipes and formulas, I can now happily confirm that these natural, non-invasive, non-toxic solutions actually do work in eliminating these tiny predators.

Listed below are the methods I found the most effective:

Peppermint Essential Oil

This oil not only smells great but is extremely effective at deterring ants, as it disrupts their scent trail. Simply place a few drops on a cotton wool ball and wipe on skirting boards, window cills and other entry points. You can also leave a peppermint-infused cotton ball in cabinets, drawers, wardrobes and other areas as needed. Repeat every few days until the ants are just a fading memory! Peppermint oil can also be incorporated into a home made spray, see “Ant Attack” recipe below.

working-ants-ss_652974792

Tea Tree Essential Oil

Tea tree is an excellent all rounder to keep in your kitchen cabinet. I use it frequently to sanitise and disinfect my whole home and it is a favourite ingredient in my homemade cleaners.
To use simply follow the same method as the Peppermint oil.
Tea tree oil can also be incorporated into a home made spray, see recipe “Ant Attack” recipe below.

Clove Essential Oil

In addition to disrupting ants scent trails, clove oil actually kills ants on contact thanks to eugenol, a component contained within the oil. This component works as a fast acting contact insecticide, that is extremely effective on a wide variety of household pests such as cockroaches, ants, dust mites, flies, wasps, spiders, crickets, and fleas.
Eugenol has little or no residual activity, which means it’s effectiveness fades quickly, although the scent of the oil tends to linger. Products based on eugenol are considered minimum risk pesticides with very low risk of damage to the environment or user.
Clove oil is most effective when mixed with another oil. It is especially strong, so I recommend using it in small amounts.

Below is an extremely effective recipe that I have had excellent results with:

ANT ATTACK SPRAY

Ingredients:
1/4 cup filtered water
1/4 cup vodka (Used to help suspend the oil in the water. If you don’t have any available you can just use water and shake often)
15 drops peppermint essential oil
15 drops tea tree essential oil
3 drops clove essential oil

Method
Place all ingredients into a glass spray bottle with the help of a small funnel if required, to avoid spillage.
Shake bottle well to combine and then spray around skirting boards, window cills, door thresholds, and any other areas where ants have been spotted. If you’re spraying on a food surface, omit the tea tree oil and add 15 drops of peppermint oil. Repeat every few days until ants are completely gone.
If you do not have any essential oils here is a second recipe that I have found especially effective, using only simple, everyday kitchen staples:

ants_food__full-width-9-col

VINEGAR & LEMON SPRAY

Like essential oils, the smell of vinegar and lemon repels ants and also masks their scent trails.

Ingredients
1/4 cup white or apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup of filtered water

Method Place all of the ingredients into a glass spray bottle, use a small funnel if required to stop any spillage.
Shake the bottle well to combine, then spray around skirting boards, window cills, door thresholds, all entry points and just about anywhere you’ve spotted the pesky little critters. Repeat daily until ants are completely gone.
These recipes are all safe and natural, so please be patient, I can assure you they do work, they simply take a little longer than conventional chemicals.

 

“Pure Bliss”!

| Healthy Snacks

RAW COCONUT LEMON & LIME BLISS BALLS

These little balls of zesty bliss are still my favourite go to treat and picnic necessity! They are unbelievably easy to make and are perfect for quick snacks, lunch boxes or any time you crave a healthier alternative to satisfy your sweet tooth.

However, beware as these gorgeous, guilt free goodies are extremely addictive and one is never enough, be sure to make plenty !!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of raw cashew nuts
1 cup of unsweetened desiccated coconut
Zest of half a large organic lemon
Juice of half an organic lemon (Use a full lemon if you prefer a stronger lemon flavour)
Juice of half an organic lime
1/2 teaspoon concentrated natural vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt
2 tbls of pure maple syrup
extra unsweetened desiccated coconut

METHOD

Place all of the ingredients into a blender or food processor in the order listed above, and pulse at high speed until the mixture is smooth and the nuts and coconut have broken down. (Do not over process if you are using a high powered machine, or you may end up with a butter as opposed to a

mixture you can roll into balls). Using wet hands begin to shape the mixture into small balls. Finish by rolling the balls in the extra coconut. Place in the fridge for one hour to firm up before eating. Store the balls in an air tight container in the fridge. Enjoy!

“Getting Fruity”!

| Homemade Cleaning Recipes & Tips | Inside & Out

NATURAL WAXLESS DIY CITRUS PEEL CANDLES

We all love the romantic, soft warm glow of candles..However many regular scented candles include poisonus synthetic fragrances and dyes to make them smell and look attractive.

Even more disturbing they are manufactured from parrafin wax, that contains toluene and benzene (both known carcinogens) Once lit however, the seemingly harmless flickering candles begin to emit highly toxic fumes, similar to diesel fumes. These candles are considered a large source of indoor air pollution and can affect the respiratory system.
A good alternative is to buy natural beeswax candles, either unscented or fragranced with organic essential oiorange-candlels..Or even better try these adorable little waxless citrus candles for change.Yes, you really can craft a beautifuly fragrant candle out of the shell of a fresh piece of fruit and a little olive oil.They are super easy to make, cost pennies, only use natural organic ingredients found in your kitchen and are much healthier and environmentally friendly than most shop bought candles.

These rustic and homey candles are simply beautiful and the subtle burnt citrus aroma smells amazing. They are great to use for outdoor garden parties or a cozy dinner party.

So, lets get started! Grab a piece of your favourite citrus fruit and start creating your own citrus candles, you can use orange, grapefruit, lemon or lime or a mixture if you like.

YOU WILL NEED

Chosen citrus fruit
Organic Olive Oil
Saucer, bowl, glass or jar to stand your candle on
Lighter/Matches

METHOD

Place your chosen citrus fruit on a cutting board and cut it in half through the middle. The top half of the fruit will be used to make the bowl of the candle. Set aside the bottom half of the fruit for later use.
Using your thumb, gently separate the segments of fruit from the peel. Being very careful to leave the centre stem intact, lift out the fruit segments and put them in a bowl for a healthy snack, or wrap them up and put them in the fridge for later.You will be left with a beautiful and leak-proof citrus peel bowl which has it’s own natural “wick” extending upwards from the centre.

fruit-candles-feature

Fill the bowl of the citrus fruit three-quarters full with cooking oil, then
using a teaspoon, drizzle the oil over the wick until it is thoroughly soaked. Let the candle sit for 30 minutes to soak in the oil before lighting.

Voila thats it! It couldn’t get any simpler than that.

If you accidentally remove the centre white stem, grab another piece of fruit and try again! If you are planning on making a lot of these decorative and rustic homemade candles, you may want to serve a fruit salad for dinner or make a jug of freshly squeezed juice for breakfast.

Now all you need to do is light your all natural candles, sit back and enjoy the zesty aromatic fruity scents as they fill your home with their zingy fresh aromas and dazzle your friends and family with your crafty ingenuity. I often like to use the bottom half of the citrus fruit for a lid. This can be done by taking the part of the fruit that you set a side and simply hollowing out the shell using a spoon and then cut your chosen  design into the bottocandlem of the hollowed out cup with a knife. You can get as creative as you like with the lids and even use mini cookie cutters to produce stars and hearts etc.If your candle does not sit level, use a small piece of blue tac or modelling clay hidden underneath the bowl to prop it up. Balance bumpy and uneven lemons and limes on the rims of small glasses or jars.

NOTE: You can also enhance the refreshing and natural smell of the candles by adding a few drops of citrus scented essential oils. Mix and match different oils to create a scent that is unique to your preferences. I love the calming and floral scent of lavender. It smells absolutely amazing blended with a few drops of orange essential oil.

Enjoy getting fruity in the kitchen, who knows what might happen! xx

Back To My Roots – Buddha Bowl

| Recipes

“EVERY TIME YOU EAT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO NOURISH YOUR BODY”!

SWEET POTATO AND BRUSSEL SPROUT BUDDHA BOWLS

Buddha bowls, occasionally referred to as glory or hippie bowls, are hearty, nutritious filling dishes, brimming with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

Made from various greens, raw or roasted vegetables, beans and a healthy grain such as quinoa or brown rice, these delicious meals often also include nuts, seeds and dressings for added texture and flavor.

green brussel sprouts

There are numerous recipes and each one can be altered to suit your own tastes, so you can let your imagination run wild with each bowl, adding, different toppings, dressings, grains, vegetables, fruits etc.I have chosen this particular recipe as christmas is looming and this little beauty contains the epitome of christmas to me, yes, the brussel sprout…Wether you love or detest them, they truly are the prince of christmas vegetables that proudly adorn many a festive table.

Go on, give these power packed bowls a whirl, they are quick, easy and enjoyable to make, not to mention absolutely delicious.

Feel free to change the ingredients around as you choose.  If you do not have brown rice or quinoa, any grain will do the job. Also you can substitute pumpkin seeds, for any seeds of your choice that is perfectly fine, customise each bowl as you please.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup cooked quinoa (any colour) or brown rice
1 diced, medium sweet potato
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil
1 cup cooked chickpeas
3 cups kale leaves, stems removed and leaves torn into bite-sized pieces

Handful of toasted pumpkin seeds
Salt and pepper to taste

DRESSING

1/4 cup tahini
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Tamari or soy sauce

2 teaspoons pure maple syrup or raw honey
Pinch of dried chilli flakes

buddha-bowl

 

METHOD

Place the sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts in a large bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and toss until thoroughly coated. Lay the vegetables out on a large baking sheet, and add the chickpeas. Bake on medium heat, stirring halfway through cooking, until the vegetables are lightly browned and the sweet potato is tender, (approximately 15-20 minutes).

Place the kale in a large bowl and toss with the remaining oil. Add the kale to the roasted vegetables, and add salt and pepper. Return the baking tray to the oven, cooking until the kale leaves crisp up slightly, (approximately 5-7 minutes).

Whilst the vegetables are roasting, begin preparing the dressing.

Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.

Set out four bowls and divide the quinoa or brown rice between each. Top the bowls with equal amounts of vegetables and a hearty drizzle of dressing, finish with a good sprinkling of pumpkin seeds. Serve and enjoy!