I wanted to tell you about this fabulous book I recently received. As a food blogger I am often sent cookbooks for review. I love cookery books and I love getting them. I was recently sent this book entitled Eat with Intention, Recipes and Meditations for a Life That Lights You Up, by Cassandra Bodzak, creator of Eat with Intention TV.
Meditation and wellness teacher Cassandra Bodzak struggled for years with unhealthy dieting, stomach pains, and food allergies. It was only when she began to listen to her body and eat with intention that she transformed her life. In this book, she shares her wisdom to help you discover:
*how to uncover the foods that are hurting you
*how to nourish your body from a place of self-love
*how to incorporate a daily gratitude or meditation practice into your life
*how to prepare nearly 75 plant-based recipes, each accompanied by a mantra and meditation for eating with purpose and fueling your body
Eat with
Intention is the book I've been waiting for. I love how Ms Bodzak pairs
her healthy recipes with meditations, affirmations and exercises that
truly help you to feel connected to the food you put into your body, and
help to break the habitual struggle with food choices and dieting. It is so much
more than just pretty, healthy recipes. The paired meditations are a
great way to connect with yourself through the foods you eat. I just love this concept.
This is a wonderful book, both beautiful, thoughtful and containing great recipes that are delicious, nourishing and actually feasible. Pair that with beautiful photography and you have a really winning combination.
Complete with nearly 100 recipes, meditations for each recipe, self-care
tips, and easy guidelines for people who want to end the cycle of
destructive eating, Eat with Intentionshows you the way to
cleanse your body with love and to put potent, nutrient-rich food into
your diet as an act of self-care. "Get thin fast" schemes never come
from a place of love and are actually destructive to the relationship we
have with our body because they stem from a desperation to change it.
Reading this book is really has helping me to rethink how and what I eat! It is not only filled with
recipes that make my mouth water, but so much more than that. I can't tell you how many times I've bought a book that was lacking content, and nothing but delicious photos interspersed with recipes that are either too complicated and tiresome to execute or that use ingredients that are way off the scale in ingredients and time concerns. This book is FILLED with quick meditations and healthy recipes that I think I will actually make. It bridges the gap between the mind and body connection as it presents emotional and physical health as equals.
recipes that make my mouth water, but so much more than that. I can't tell you how many times I've bought a book that was lacking content, and nothing but delicious photos interspersed with recipes that are either too complicated and tiresome to execute or that use ingredients that are way off the scale in ingredients and time concerns. This book is FILLED with quick meditations and healthy recipes that I think I will actually make. It bridges the gap between the mind and body connection as it presents emotional and physical health as equals.
Eating with intention is your solution to long-term health and wellness,
a vastly different and effective approach from fad cleanses that
frequently lead to a rollercoaster of weights and a never-ending cycle
of diets. Each recipe has been carefully crafted with healthy
ingredients designed to fuel you and provide you with energy and a depth
of flavor that even the finest chefs can appreciate. From smoothies and
soups to entrees and snacks, Eat with Intention is the answer for every person who is ready to make a lifetime change to their minds and bodies.
I am finding the
author's fresh take on food and well being very refreshing. It's more than a cook book,
it's an experience. With the recipes, meditations, and affirmations, I
feel like I'm truly receiving a holistic approach to my self care. I am really looking forward to getting stuck into it in the New Year and putting some of this stuff into practice.
- Hardcover: 192 pages
- Publisher: Race Point Publishing (15 Nov. 2016)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1631062360
- ISBN-13: 978-1631062360
Note - Although I was sent a copy of the book free of charge for review, I was not required to write a positive review. Any and all opinions are my own entirely. If you are wanting to make a change to what you are eating and the way you are eating it, this is the book for you.
If you are looking for a simple dessert this weekend look no further. This Triple Chocolate Cookie Tart is not only delicious, but very simple and quick to make. I would actually call it fabulous and a ten out of ten on the win/win/win scale!!!
I did kind of a dry run for Christmas dinner the other week. Its never a good idea to try out new recipes ON the special day so I usually try them out ahead of time.
I never mind really because, if its good, I get to actually enjoy a special meal twice and we all know how much I love my food!
Turkey is the meat of choice in most homes for Christmas Dinner. I know that it is also the choice of meat for the holidays in Canada. In America, probably not, since they just had turkey for Thanksgiving, but if they are anything like me, they never quite get tired of eating turkey.
Well, just so long as it is cooked well that is. Ain't nobody going to like a poorly cooked dry turkey!!!
This year I decided to try cooking a Turkey Crown in the slow cooker and I have to say that I was totally pleased with the results.
It was so easy to do, and resulted in a perfectly cooked and deliciously moist turkey! I adapted the idea from a recipe I discovered on Skinny Taste.
So not only is this delicious, but it is also relatively low in fat as well. If you really were craving a brown looking turkey, you could finish it off in the oven for about 15 minutes, but I did not bother.
I basically was just wanting to see how the recipe worked and how it tasted.
I was so pleased with the results that I am doing it again on Christmas Day, which works perfectly for me as this year Christmas is on a Sunday and we will be spending an hour in church in the morning, so I won't be home to tend any turkeys.
Not only was this simple to do and the meat tender and delicious, but the gravy was some of the best gravy I have ever eaten. I give this recipe a resounding ten out of ten!
*Crock Pot Turkey Breast*
Makes 10 servings
If you are looking for the perfect gift for the foodie baker on your Christmas list look no further! I have the perfect book that I think they will just love! Aimee's Perfect Bakes features over 50 original and creative
baking recipes from Aimee Twigger's kitchen, as featured on her popular
blog, Twigg Studios. Each treat has easy-to-follow instructions and is
paired with stunning photographs shot by Aimee herself. She also gives
crafty tips for beautifully wrapping and presenting her delicious bakes
to make perfect, edible gifts for any occasion. The photos which accompany each recipe are truly gorgeous!
From a Raspberry ripple cake and Chicken pie cones, to Beetroot cheddar
fougasse and a stunning 'Rainbow' cake with edible flowers, Aimee's Perfect Bakes
will show you how to make beautiful sweet and savoury gifts without
breaking the bank. A collection of second-hand cookware and kitchenalia,
Aimee makes astounding creations that are homespun and handcrafted with
love.
The Cake chapter is filled with no less than thirteen lovely recipes . . . each one beautifully photographed . . .
The Feather Light Lilac Cake looks to die for . . . and that is only for starters . . .
Sweet Bakes . . . a chapter filled with beautiful buns and rolls . . .
I can't wait to get stuck into these Cinnamon Danish Pastry Swirls and her Hot Cross Buns look to die for.
Savoury Bakes . . . with everything from Quails Egg Stuffed Pork Pies to . . .
These gorgeous Chicken Pie Cones . . . and savoury Spicy Tomato Macarons! Now those I could really go for!
The final chapter, Little Gifts, includes lots of taste tempting treats to gift your loved ones and friends with . . . spiced nuts, tortilla chips, crackers . . .
How good do these Sweet Potato Cheddar Crackers look? I know . . . AMAZING!
Even if you aren't looking for a gift for a baking foodie friend, this is a book you would love to gift yourself with, and then gift all your friends with treats you have baked from it! (That's what I'm going to do!)
Baking for family and friends doesn't have to break the bank and Aimee Twigger's second book, Aimee's Perfect Bakes proves that is so perfectly! Well written and beautifully photographed, this is a winner/winner to my way of thinking. I love it!
Aimee''s Perfect Bakes, by Aimee Twigger.
- Hardcover: 192 pages
- Publisher: Murdoch Books (3 Nov. 2016)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1743367422
- ISBN-13: 978-1743367421
Aimee Twigger is a 28-young crafter and blogger. She lives in Torquay, Devon, with her partner, Howard, and her Dalmatian puppy, Archie. Aimee started her food blog, Twigg Studios, in 2011 to share recipes and her passion for baking and food photography. Aimee's previous book Love, Aimee x was featured in Marie Claire, the Guardian, Telegraph Weekend, Fabulous Sun on Sunday and the Independent I paper, amongst others.
I was sent this book free of charge for review. I was not required to write a positive review in return. I quite simply like it. Any and all opinions are my own. Many thankns to Murdoch Books for sending it to me.
I confess I have only ever really had Cassoulet once. It was when we were visiting my son in Canada and it was delicious. He's a good cook, and he's not afraid to try new things. He's always been that way. Normally Cassoulet contains duck and takes hours to prepare. This delicious casserole uses chicken thighs and tinned beans and uses only a fraction of the time of this traditional French stew.
Hooray for the holidays and all of the festivities. Things are getting a bit cooler outside, and our fingers and toes are getting a bit frosty. What better way to warm them up than with a nice mug of hot chocolate to drink!
There is nothing like homemade mincemeat during the holidays. I always make a big batch in the holidays and I use it for all sorts of things. It comes in really handy for mince pies, cakes, pastries, breads etc. The nicest thing is to be able to use your own homemade mincemeat for these things. That way you can control the kinds of fruit you use. I also like to add some flaked almonds to mine.
When I talk about a meat pudding here I am not talking about a sweet pudding, but a very delicious steamed savoury pudding, stogged full of meat and gravy. Some might think it a bit stodgy . . . but then again dishes which were popular during those years were designed to fill em up with less meat and more stodge.
Todd was longing for a meat pudding and so I did a search online to see if I could find a good one. I found a fabulous one on BBC GoodFood. It was called Beef, Ale and Parsnip Pudding and it looked fabulous!
Since it was my first time making a meat pudding, I followed the recipe exactly this first time. It was very easy to do. I think just about anyone could do it. The only change I made was to substitute half of the beef suet for grated cold butter.
It was fabulously delicious! I quite liked it myself, and Todd was in Meat Pudding heaven! The gravy was rich and wonderful. The pastry was nice and crisp, and the meat so tender. Unlike the BBC recipe, I also cooked the filling the day before and chilled it overnight. I didn't feel right about adding a hot filling to the pastry. It worked beautifully.
*Beef, Ale & Parsnip Pudding*
Serves 4
Serves 4
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
140g of shredded suet (2/3 cup, loosely measured, not packed)
150ml cold water (10 TBS)
The next day, about 2 1/2 hours before you wish to eat, remove your filling from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature. Make the pastry as follows. Sift the flour into a bowl. Add the mustard powder and salt, Give it a good stir. Drop in the fat. Stir to coat with the flour mixture. Using a fork, stir in the water, tossing and mixing to make a soft dough. Butter a 1 1/2 litre pudding basin.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface
to make a large circle which is large enough to line the basin with a
bit of an overhang. Cut one quarter of it away and set aside.
Carefully lay the pastry in the basin, overlapping and joining the cut
edges, wetting them if need be and pinching a bit to join.
Fill with
the filling and a small portion of the reserved liquid. (about 7 TBS)
Fold the overhang over the filling and brush with water.
Roll the
quarter of the pastry you cut away into a circle large enough to cover
the top, Place this "lid" on top, pressing firmly around the edges to
seal tightly.
Sit a small trivet or a large cookie cutter in the bottom of a deep saucepan which is large enough to easily hold the pudding basin. Half fill the pan with water and bring to the boil. Lower in the pudding. Cover the pan tightly and simmer for 2 hours, topping up the pan with boiling water as necessary.
At the end of that time, reheat the cooking liquid, bubbling it down until you have reduced it to a delicious gravy. Carefully lift the pudding out of the basin. Run a knife around the rim and then turn it out onto a plate.
Serve cut into wedges along with some of the gravy and some cooked greens if you wish.
Bon Appetit!
Children have early morning sports and club activities to dash off to, early morning buses to catch . . . mom and dad are trying to get everything sorted, showered and fed before they have to dash off to work . . . and the list goes on and on. It soon becomes far much easier to pick up a donut at the coffee shop on the way in, or feed the hungry babes with a pop tart or other equally as chemical and additive filled portable "breakfast" goodie. Not good . . . they might taste good . . . but they are just not good for you.
Wholesome and hearty muffins, baked with natural ingredients are a delicious and healthier alternative to a fast food breakfast sandwich or other "quick" choice. Taste tempting muffins such as these fabulous ones shown here today . . .
Muffins made with whole grains . . . fruit, not a lot of fat, not a lot of sweetening . . . filling and tasty nonetheless . . . and reasonably sized, not gargantuan. A muffin is supposed to be a muffin . . . not a cake baked in a muffin tin.
Breakfast on the go. Portable goodness. Very easy to bake ahead and freeze, and then just take out as and when you are wanting something quick, and wholesome . . . and filling. This will put some lead in your pencil and help to get you and your family through the morning without finding yourself hungry again half an hour down the road, and so starving by elevensies that you grab something very bad for you like a candy bar or a bag of crisps . . .
The low fat buttermilk makes them moist . . . sweetened naturally with some maple syrup and muscovado sugar . . . whole bran cereal and unbleached plain flour . . . naturally sweet sultanas, high in fibre and low in fat. These are my breakfast winners! (Sans the butter, of course!! What can I say . . . I felt like indulging myself this morning . . . I can sometimes be quite naughty.)
*Everyday Maple, Bran and Sultana Muffins*
Makes 12 medium muffins
Printable Recipe
I like my Bran Muffins chock full of raisins, but feel free to subsitute other dried fruits such as blueberries, cranberries or chopped apricots or dates.
Moist and delicious muffins! Not too sweet. I bake these and then store them in the freezer. Then I take them out, one or two at a time and just reheat them for a few seconds in the microwave.
375ml of low fat buttermilk (1 1/2 cups)
2 large free range eggs
4 TBS unsalted butter, melted
60ml of sunflower oil (1/4 cup)
60ml of pure maple syrup (1/4 cup)
50g of all bran cereal (about 1 1/2 cups)
225g of raisins (1 1/2 cups)
100g of plain flour (1 cup)
30g of wheat or oat bran (1/2 cup)
50g of soft light brown muscovado sugar (1/4 cup packed)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
50g of toasted chopped walnuts, or pecans (1/2 cup) (optional)
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Butter a standard sized 12 cup metal muffin tin(2 1/2 inch diameter cups) really well, including the top of the pan. Set aside.
Combine the buttermilk, butter, eggs, oil, maple syrup, bran cereal and raisins in a large bowl. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes to soften the bran and plump the raisins.
Bon Appetit!
I've always been a great fan of chocolate and nuts together. When I was a child we always got a big box of Black Magic Chocolates given to us every Christmas time. Next to the caramel ones, the chocolate covered nuts were a real favourite with everyone . . . with each of us vying to try to get our dibs in first. Usually though my mom got there before any of us. My dad got the cherries, my mom the nuts . . . and we children were left to squabble over the caramels. Nobody wanted the coffee flavoured ones. Rank does have it's privileges . . .
Do you know what today was? (Thursday as I write this.) Torture Todd with pasta day! Yes . . . every once in a while, I have a day in my kitchen, where I play Torture the Toddster with Pasta. He hates pasta. I love pasta. Now and again I just have to have my fix. He doth protest somewhat . . . but meh . . . you can't have things your own way all of the time can you?
These Quick Drop Danish are fabulously delicious breakfast buns that I have made over and over through the years. I think that the recipe originally came from Bisquick, but I have adapted it to use my own homemade baking mix and it works beautifully that way. (Recipe for both the buns and the mix below)
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