Tag: holistic

Nutty Dark Chocolate Fudge

Published on by soreiya4 Comments

I love fudge.  It has been a favourite of mine since I was a child, and to this day I still find it difficult to not indulge every chance that I get.  While I’ve heard that it is relatively easy to make, I have never bothered as the store bought versions are always delicious and I don’t have to clean up after.  Recently though, I came across a recipe for hazelnut fudge on Pinterest that piqued my interest as it used coconut milk and maple syrup instead of the usual (and in my opinion heaven sent) condensed milk.  It was super simple to make and the results were quite good.  I decided to adapt the recipe for the holidays and came up with this nutty dark chocolate fudge recipe.  If you are looking for a quick and easy sweet treat this fudge works perfectly.  While it does contain a fair amount of sugar from the chocolate and maple syrup, it is also rich and dense so you don’t need too much to satisfy your sweet tooth.  I chose to use antioxidant rich dark chocolate (70%), almonds and hazelnuts in this recipe but feel free to swap in your favourite nuts and chocolate to make a version that best suits you.  Depending on the chocolate you use, please be mindful of the amount of maple syrup that you add into the fudge – the sweeter the chocolate the less maple syrup required.

Ingredients:

2 cups dark chocolate (min 70%) chunks or chips

1/2 cup canned coconut milk

1/4 cup toasted almond hazelnut butter

5 tsp of maple syrup (if using milk chocolate use 3 – 4 tsp)

pinch of sea salt or pink Himalayan salt

1 cup of toasted and chopped hazelnuts and almonds

Here’s what you do:

  • To toast the hazelnuts and almonds place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake at 350 (F) for approximately 5 – 8 minutes, shake the pan half way through.  Let cool then rough chop in a blender
  • Line a loaf pan with parchment paper
  • In a large pot mix everything but the nuts together and melt over low heat, stirring frequently
  • When the mixture has completely melted and combined gently fold in 3/4 cup of the nuts
  • Pour the fudge into the prepared pan and let cool for approximately 30 minutes , then sprinkle the remainder of the nuts on top
  • Refrigerate the fudge until set (about 2 hours)
  • It’s best to remove the fudge from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cutting into pieces

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!  XXS

 

Inspiring Interior

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When I was completing my certification in Interior Design, I never thought about using concrete in my design choices.  Over the past year though, I have been enamoured with all of the design portfolios that I have seen that predominately feature concrete as part of the overall design.  When I first saw today’s Inspiring Interior, it immediately captured a piece of my design loving heart.

Located in Victoria Australia, the designers received a commendation from the Victorian Architecture Awards (2016) for this carefully crafted piece of architecture.  The timber, brass and gold details add a level of warmth and sophistication while the white marble contrasts beautifully with the concrete to produce a stunning yet laid back family home. Light filled and spacious, the lines between indoors and outdoors are blurred creating a calming yet charming space. The entire home is gorgeous, but I am obsessed with the kitchen in particular.  The combination of the statement marble backsplash and concrete island with the black cabinetry and appliances is sheer perfection.  The modern gold hood and lights help to elevate this space to a level of creativity I rarely see.  It is the perfect place to inspire and encourage creative and delicious new recipes.

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All pictures are from http://www.auhaus-arch.com

What do you think of this week’s Inspiring Interior?  Do you like the combination of all of the different materials?

I hope that you have a beautiful day!  XXS

The Self Care Shower Ritual That You May Be Missing

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Detox is a commonly used word amongst people in the wellness community, and over the past few years it has become a commonly used buzz word in popular culture as well.  It means many things to many people, but essentially it is used to communicate a method to rid toxins – most commonly from the body.  While your body has detox organs that help to eliminate toxins from your body naturally, there are certain things that one can do to help further stimulate this process within the body.

This year I decided to incorporate a new detox ritual into my self care routine, namely dry brushing.  This self care routine has become popular over the past few years, and while I had attempted once or twice prior to this year, 2016 is the year that I committed.  For those of you that don’t know, dry brushing is the process of brushing your skin with a natural bristle brush.  Some of the benefits of dry brushing include:

  • It sweeps away dry skin cells
  • Improves digestion
  • Stimulates the lymph nodes
  • Improves the appearance of cellulite
  • Boosts circulation

It is best to dry brush before you take your shower and many prefer to do it in the morning as they feel energized after.  How to maximize your dry brushing experience:

  • Use a soft but firm natural bristle brush
  • Start dry brushing at your feet and brush upwards to your heart
  • While dry brushing your stomach, brush in a counter clockwise circular motion
  • Use a circular motion when dry brushing your chest – that is where lymph drainage occurs
  • Take your time, spend 3 – 5 minutes dry brushing
  • Enjoy the process, it is a great time to breathe and take some time for yourself while doing something great for your body.

I am so happy that I have added dry brushing into my self care routine.  My skin looks and feels great since I have started.  It forces me to slow down and take a minute for myself while I am brushing.  It is extremely therapeutic and I find myself looking forward to my new self care ritual on a daily basis.

Are there any new self care rituals that you have included in your routine this year?  Let me know in the comments below.

I hope that you have a fabulous day!  XXS

 

My Battle With This Horrible Tasting Superfood

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In my quest to clean up my diet I have tried a myriad of so called superfoods.  One superfood that caught my attention a few years ago was algae – more specifically spirulina and chlorella. As high source of protein and nutrient dense, this blue green algae is filled with many vitamins and minerals including magnesium, calcium and B vitamins. The benefits of spirulina and chlorella include regulating blood pressure, lowering cholesterol, boost energy and detoxification from heavy metals.

Given the amount of research supporting the beneficial health claims of both spirulina and chlorella I was interested in adding it into my diet.  Most people who supplement with these algae tend to add it to their smoothies but I am not a big smoothie drinker as I generally prefer to chew my food. Adding aqua greens into my non existent smoothie routine was not going to work for me.  I decided that the best way to take the spirulina and chlorella was to mix it with water and just gulp it down.  I generally don’t have to much difficulty introducing new things into my diet and I assumed that spirulina and chlorella wouldn’t be an issue.

I was wrong.

Nothing I have ever eaten in my entire life could have prepared me for the disgusting, pungent, nauseating taste of this algae.  It smelt funny, tasted worse and left me with an distinctly queasy feeling that I hope to never experience again.  I was traumatized. But I am also stubborn and giving up on my goal of including spirulina and chlorella in my diet was not something that I was willing to do just yet.  So for the next few days I would faithfully mix a spoonful of the powdered greens with water and choke it down telling myself that it wasn’t that bad, that the agony that I felt was all in my head. I was lying to myself and I was not very convincing.

Spirulina and chlorella soon became my superfood nemesis and I was willing to avoid it all cost.  I would think of excuses as to why it was not a good idea to drink it that day, I would “forget” to drink  it on the days that I couldn’t think of an excuse and I would hide the container in the back of my fridge so that it would be “out of sight, out of mind”.  I should have just thrown in the proverbial towel, thrown away the pricey container of spirulina and chlorella and moved on, but I read a lot of articles and do a lot of research on health and well being, and I was frequently reading about the benefits of these powerful algae.  A small part of me was just not willing to completely give up.

I finally came across an article that solved my dilemma. It discussed how wonderful blue green algae was for the body, and offered a simple suggestion for those wanting to create an easy and energizing beverage using spirulina and chlorella – instead of mixing the greens with plain water, use coconut water instead.  The sweetness of the coconut water neutralizes the strong seaweedy taste of the chlorella and spirulina and the addition of the coconut water offers extra hydration and electrolytes.  Genius!  I hadn’t thought to mix it with anything else as I generally stick to water or tea as my choice of beverage. I immediately ran to the grocery store to purchase a carton of pure coconut water and the next morning before heading to the gym I tested out my “new” concoction – while the taste wasn’t amazing, it is tolerable and even somewhat refreshing.  Now I’m hooked.  Spirulina and chlorella mixed with coconut water is the perfect pre-workout beverage, it’s protein rich, hydrating, energizing, healthy and filling.

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For those of you interested in boosting your superfood intake with spirulina and chlorella:

  • only purchase algae that is clean, safe and pure – environmental pollution can contaminate algae
  • purchase organic to ensure that it is free of fertilizers and toxins
  • purchase from a reputable maufacturer
  • some people are allergic to spirulina and chlorella, seek medical attention at the first sign of an allergic reaction
  • spirulina and chlorella can interfere with certain medications including blood thinners.  Check with your doctor to ensure it won’t interfere with any medications you are on and if you are pregnant or breastfeeding

Spirulina and chlorella can be great and healthy additions to many diets but the key is to find a way to take it in a way that works best for you and be consistent.  By mixing it with coconut water you have an easy, energizing and healthy drink to help you power through your day.

Are there any super foods that you have struggled with?

I hope that you have a great day!  XXS