Oh me, Oh my omelette

I've been making such grouse omelette's these past few weeks so I thought I'd share my two favourite (the two most aesthetically pleasing ones) HAHAHA

Egg-cellent #2

Helloooo and welcome to the second part of the egg-cellent series ! LOL
I don't know if you've realised but, eggs are realllly versatile, you can cook them in anything, sweet or savoury, they're easy to eat, easy to cook (even for noobs like me), and a great source of natural protein.

Egg-cellent #1

Helloooo and welcome to part one of the egg-cellent series ! Haha

I don't know if you've realised but, eggs are realllllly versatile, you can cook them in anything, sweet or savoury, they're easy to eat, easy to cook, and a great source of natural protein.

As we're nestling right into the winter months, and now that exams have quietened down and almost gotten rid of them selves, I know you guys will have A LOT of free time...so why not use it proactively and cook up some hearty meals !

Baked Avocado Egg (With beans)

Ingredients

• Half a ripe avocado

• 1 egg (you can take out the yolk if you're dieting)

• Olives (I used sliced Kalamata olives)

• Sundried tomatoes

• Low fat greek feta cheese (you can use lactose-free cheese)

• Beans (Takeaway from a Chinese restaurant)

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 220 degrees celsius (My oven's just always on this setting from baking LOL so I'm not too sure)

2. So I basically just crack the egg into the hole of the avo (where the big seed is) and let the egg white dribble over

3. Sprinkle on the other ingredients

4. Pop into the oven for around 10 mins (on an oven-proof plate) or until egg is fully baked and cooked

Voila ! 

A super simple breakfast or lunch idea (or even dinner, if you dare)

Stay tuned for more upcoming posts in the 'Egg-cellent' series.

Bon appetit !

Jenny ♥

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Eating For Exams 101

Oh it's that time of the year again...your desk looks like a bomb just exploded, you've got coloured highlighters strewn everywhere, you're finding little post it notes here and there, even in your hair, you've got books open to pages with all this brand new information you probably should've learnt months ago...it's exam time.

Ahh the lovely SWOTVAC period, that uni's have blessed us with to study. Only if we could.

You're stressed, anxious, nervous, tired, and you just can't seem to find the 'on' button for your brain, or stay awake and focused long enough to read through one page.

Well...have some chocolate mousse !
I'm being serious. 

Raw chocolate avocado mousse

This is literally a 5 min ticket purchase for a trip down the Einstein lane.

Chuck some cacao (I used Loving Earth's raw cacao powder), avocado and raw honey/stevia to sweeten, and voila !

Cacao is full of magnesium and iron, and when combined with a HEALTHY fat like coconut oil, or avocado in this case, aids with depression, anxiety and headaches, also boosting brain function and clarity. SWOTVAC saviour.

If you're still peckish for some more brain food:

Nuts

Nuts and seeds are high in the antioxidant vitamin E, aiding in less cognitive decline as you age.

Walnuts especially are packed through the roof with nutrients. It is also the only good nut source of alpha linolenic acid (ALA), which promotes blood flow, delivering oxygen to the brain, making that little guy tick and work through those lectures !

Dark chocolate

Yessiree ! The exam doctor prescribed chocolate. Aside from its other antioxidant properties, it also contains natural stimulants like caffeine, helping you to FOCUS. So reap the benefits without all the excess refined sugars and fats of normal chocolate.

Idea: Add some dark chocolate or cacao powder to your fruit smoothie ! 

Black tea

I'm not a fan of coffee, but I am definitely a tea person. I find it more natural and works better for me anyway.

Black tea not only also contains the natural stimulant, caffeine, but has also been linked to decreasing the amount of cortisol our bodies are producing. Cortisol, being that evil hormone that links to our high stress levels.

Idea: Try a cool iced lemon tea to de-stress. Take that cortisol !

Dark leafy greens

Yes, sorry. But seriously, they're not that bad. Besides, you want those HD's don't you ;)

Greens, like the almighty kale and spinach contain high amounts of B-complex vitamins, who are responsible for calming your nerves. Furthermore, these vitamins are also responsible for making serotonin, which is the chemical that boosts your mood. Thus, less stress and helloooo motivated brain to study and happy days !

Idea: Chuck together some wholegrain pasta, kale, olives, sautéed mushrooms, tomato and feta.

Idea: Sneak some spinach into your morning smoothie ! (You can't even taste it)

Avocado

Ah, good ol' avo. By now you've probably already heard of all the good things these green gems do. But they also enhance blood flow and will really get those brain cells excited.

Try avocado in some guacamole, a rich source of those stress-fighting B vitamins ! 

Idea: Loni Jane's (instagram: @lonijane) no oil, no salt baked potatoes with homemade "tomato sauce" and the almighty guac !)

Berries

Another food that helps keep that evil cortisol steady and at bay. Rich in vitamin C, these will keep the stress levels down down down *insert coles ad* 

Idea: Top off your morning oats with some fresh berries

Last but not least, EAT YOUR BREAKFAST. You put fuel in your car right, so why you no fuel your brain !? We've all seen those Nutella ads, cereal ads, milo ads, etc. One thing they have in common is that they all promote eating breakfast as students tend to perform better on a happy content breakfastful-stomach in the morning. It has also been linked to improving short term memory and attention!

Well there you have it, some food for thought. So pack away those bags of chips, chocolates, energy drinks, soft drinks, they are dragging you down, further and further away from those high distinctions...

So eat good foods, stay chill, stay focused, keep your head in the game and good luck.

Smash those exam papers !!!

Jenny ♥

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RAW VEGAN STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE

Would you believe me if I told you this CAKE was refined sugar free ? Dairy free ? Wheat free ? And actually good for you !?

Well keep reading if you want the recipe...if you're not busy drooling all over your keyboard.

I was inspired to make this raw cheesecake with my friend Tiffany, by the amazing Essena Oneill (instagram | website). She tweaked an original strawberry cheesecake recipe from www.taste.com.au, and turned it into a raw and vegan treat !

Equipment

• 22cm round springform tin 

(we just used a normal tin, but had a bit of trouble yanking it out, so would highly recommend you come prepared with one of these)

• Blender

• Baking paper

Base

• 1 cup macadamia nuts

(we used a mix of seeds and nuts like cashews, almonds, sunflower seeds)

• 1/2 cup walnuts

• 1/2 cup pitted dates

• 1/4 cup shredded coconut

• Pinch of Himalayan pink sale  (optional)

Centre

 • 3 cups raw cashews soaked for 2-4 hours and then drained

(we just used 255g of macadamias)

• 3/4 cup lemon juice

(was waaay too much ! It was so sour we ended up running honey through it. 1/4 cup should be more than enough)

• 3/4 to 1 cup coconut nectar

(couldn't find it so we used coconut cream)

• 3/4 cup coconut oil

• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

Topping

• 2 cups frozen strawberries

• 1/2 cup pitted dates

• 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

Method

- Base -

1. Lightly grease the 22cm round springform tin with coconut oil and line base and sides with baking paper

2. Place all ingredients for the base (except the dates) in a food processor, blend until you get a crumb-like texture

3. Add dates and pulse until well combined

4. Press into the base of the springform tin and pop into the freezer while you prepare the other components of the cheesecake

- Centre - 

1. In a blender, blend all the ingredients for the filling at high speed until smooth

2. Pour onto the base layer and return to the freezer until set enough to pour on topping

- Topping - 

1. Wash out the blender and blend the frozen strawberries and dates on high speed until smooth

2. Pour on top of the cheesecake layer and return to the freezer for 4 hours or overnight

- To serve - 

1. Sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes

2. Carefully remove the sides of the springform tin and transfer the cheesecake onto a serving platter (you may need to use a sharp hot knife to ease the cheesecake from the tin)

3. Gently peel away baking paper from base and sides

4. Arrange sliced strawberries on top to serve

5. Keep cheesecake frozen when not being served

Now don't be overwhelmed by all of that ^ if my friend and I can make it, so can you guys ! Believe me. We can't even make those Adriano Zumbo macarons (most difficult thing ever, I swear)

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did !

Jenny ♥

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MY BREAKFAST SMOOTHIES BRING ALL THE BOYS TO THE YARD

"Drink the rainbow"
Green: Kale, Cocobella coconut water, Chobani honey greek yoghurt, Chia Co. chia seeds
Orange: Nectarines, pitted dates, Macro LSA, lechitin, almond milk
Pink: Raspberries, pitted dates, banana, Cocobella coconut water, Macro shredded coconut

"Peachy Keen"
Peaches, raspberries, spinach, Macro LSA, Chia Co. chia seeds, lechitin,
Cocobella coconut water, Macro almond milk, Macro shredded coconut

Breakfast smoothies. They're the ultimate take away, fast (real) food breakfast for all you
 busy bee's or lazy sloths. I am obsessed with making these, not only are they fun to make, look really pretty, but they also taste yummy and makes your bodies all chipper.

For some reason, I just always seem to be in a rush in the mornings. I do not have time for a sit down breakfast (neither does mum), so we usually down a jar each of these in the car. They keep us both full and alert until lunch/morning snack time. Personally for me, these gave me a lot more energy, I used to always get sugar crashes from eating cereal or pastries in the morning which has a lot of refined sugar in it, or I'd start getting hungry about an hour later. Furthermore, not sure if it's just a coincidence, but it's also made my skin really happy as well, as I am hardly getting any breakouts.

I literally just scavenge the fridge and fruit basket for whatever I can find and vrooom it all together in my blender. A few recurring items in my smoothies are:

Kale or spinach

Fantastic cheeky way of getting your greens in as you literally can't taste it at all !
Kale: Low calorie, high in fibre, ZERO fat (how awesome), contains more iron than beef, anti-inflammatory food, great detox food (keeps your liver healthy)
Spinach: Jam packed with antioxidants that help combat many cancers, increases muscle efficiency, vitamin A, C, folate, iron, etc.

Coconut water or almond milk
I usually use Cocobella coconut milk or Macro organic almond milk as a base, and to lighten up the consistency
Coconut water: High concentration in fibre aids with digestion, ridiculously hydrating (so much better for you than those sports and energy drinks), rich in nutrients (5 electrolytes) and reduces blood pressure.
Almond milk: I personally use this cos milk gives me tummy aches but, this also helps with weight management, still offers enough calcium to provide 30% of the daily amount, contains 50% of the daily dosage of vitamin E, making your skin glooow ! 

Banana
Added to thicken up the consistency and they also...make your bodies sing !
As Kayla Itsines (such an inspiration, check out her instagram @kayla_itisnes) says: Bananas are the only fruit that contain the amino acid tryptophan and vitamin B6 which in combination help the body to produce serotonin. Serotonin is a naturally produced hormone in the body that helps to alleviate mental stress. Also a great source potassium, healthy carbohydrates and therefore energy. 
Now that is definitely something to sing about !
Chia seeds
A great source of healthy omega-3 fats (important for brain health), this little seed also contains phosphorus (tissue growth and repair) , calcium (strong teeth and bones), manganese (helps your body use other essential nutrients) and of course, protein.
LSA
A mixture of linseed, sunflower seeds and almonds, LSA acts to cleanse and detox the liver; a very important organ in the body. Also providing the goods on protein, fibre, magnesium, potassium, zinc, vitamin D, B1, B2, B5, etc....
Lechitin granules
Made from soybeans, this is another one of nature's miracle foods. These little beauties fight memory loss (secret ingredient Chloline), promotes heart health, contains no cholesterol.
Now I put this in for my mum, but if you're all about prevention, this is pretty good too !

Aaaaand yoghurt
See here for Melissa's latest post on the benefits of her Chobani yoghurt haul :)

Thank you sooo much for reading you little gems !
Hope this gives you some ideas on how to create your own super yummy, super good for you, super fun smoothie.

Jenny ♥

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