EASY + DELICIOUS AVOCADO PIZZA

For all those having a pizza-craving-messy-bun-all-I-want-to-do-is-nothing day:

Let's turn your day into something special by including pizza (and in the meantime, crosssing a few items off your to-do list).  

The next time you're looking for an easy, delicious and healthy meal, go no further than to try this recipe: it's good.  It's yummy.   And for goodness sake - it's PIZZA. (A not-quite-round/modified/simplified/lazy version but pizza nonetheless)

It's this simple: take two slices bread, slap on tomato sauce, herbs, garlic, carrot, mashed sweet potato, spinach, avocado (the best & most delicious element in my opinion), sliced tomato and a pinch of salt and pepper and put it in the oven until it looks crispy and delicious enough to eat.  Perhaps you'd like to include cheese, unless you're plant-based like I am currently :)  

While the pizza is in the oven, pull your hair into a neat bun, slip on a favourite outfit then much on this delicious pizza and turn your day into something special. 

 Hope your week has been running along fabulously.   My week has thus far been far from easy and enjoyable: motivating myself to get work done has been difficult - an incredible amount of self-motivation and utter determination is required to study full time online and run a business.  But at the same time, I love what I do - it's simply a matter of pushing through the thick and the thin just with just as much determination and force as when I'm doing what I love.

Time to switch productivity up a notch and make that pizza I suppose. ;)

What is your go-to easy lunch or dinner?

xxx 

5 STEPS TO A GREAT SMOOTHIE

Continuing my series on 'Fresh Breakfasts' and vegan recipes, today I'll share with you 5 steps to an amazingly delicious and nutritious smoothie plus a favourite smoothie recipe. 

1. Pack in the nutrients.  Packed with iron (kale and spinach), calcium (kale), potassium (bananas), omega-3 (chia seeds), anti-oxidants (berries) and more, this delicious smoothie keeps me energised and refreshed. 

2.  Add natural sweeteners: berries, bananas and raw maple syrup are my favourites.  In most smoothies, natural sweeteners 'cancel out' the taste of spinach and kale!

3. Commonly found is spinach, iron is best absorbed with vitamin C (found oranges, apples, berries, and more).  Pile in greens! Where there is spinach add a little citrus to enhance absorption of the iron.  

4.  Add water or almond milk to loosen the consistency of your smoothie - no yogurt or milk needed.  

5.  Chew your smoothie and top it with nuts, berries, bananas, apple slices or chia seeds to make it more 'chewable'.  For optimal digestion and absorption of nutrients, our food needs to be mixed with the saliva in our mouth and crushed with our teeth. 

And now, the smoothie recipe! 

b l e n d : 

2 cups loosely packed kale and/or spinach

2 ripe bananas

1/2 cup berries - frozen or fresh
squeeze of lemon (1-2tsp of lemon juice)
 water - add according to the consistency you want

... feel free to add apples, oranges, or whatever other fruit suit your fancy! 

t o p :

1 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp nuts (I love the soft crunch of walnuts)
berries of your choice - I used blueberries
1/2 of a sliced banana
optional: raw maple syrup

As my dad says, the bright green colour from the spinach and kale makes this smoothie look a little 'too green' but trust me it's gooood.  As in the photos above, I didn't add as much berries as in the original recipe above, hence it looking greener than usual.  Don't be surprised if your smoothie is slightly more red - especially if you add raspberries or strawberries.  Drizzling with maple syrup and adding toppings of my choice, I eat smoothies in a bowl with a spoon because I haven't yet found a cup big enough to fit them (suggestions anyone?!).

Enjoy!

What is your favourite breakfast?

xx

THE BEST SPAGETTI TABOULI

In Genesis 1:29, God gave Adam and Eve "every seed-bearing plant all over the earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit" to be their food.  Our bodies were designed for plant-based foods - that's one of the reasons I've decided to try veganism, a diet without animal products.  I'm excited to announce that for at least one week I will be vegan and will document and share my journey with you!

 I made a big bowl of tabouli on Sunday night and popped it in the refrigerator for the week to come. On Monday I topped my refrigerated tabouli on steaming spaghetti noodles.  Quite possibly the most refreshing and delicious spaghetti I have ever had, Tabolui-topped-spaghetti is a tantalising and fresh spring or summer lunch!   

I followed a delicious recipe from here: 

THE BEST TABOUlI 

2 cups fine bulgar

2 cups boiling water

1 bunch green onion

1 medium onion

1 bunch parsley, stems removed, chopped finely

1 bunch fresh mint leaves, chopped finely

2 large tomatoes, chopped. 

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar (I used freshly squeezed lemon juice instead!)

salt and paper

dash of cayenne pepper (optional) 

Place bulgur in a large mixing bowl. Cover with boiling water and let stand 5 to 10 minutes, then fluff grains with a wooden spoon.

1. Add onions, parsley, mint, and tomatoes to the bulgar and mix.

Add the rest of the ingredients one at a time, mixing well.  Refrigerate and toss before serving. 

NUTRITION: Parsley is an excellent source of iron; the Vitamin C in lemon juice heightens the absorption of iron.  Olive oil is great for your skin and an excellent source of Vitamin E, A, and essential fatty acids (Omega 3 and 6).

What is your favourite meal? xx

morning muesli

Hellooo new series! 'Fresh breakfasts', in which I (hopefully!) inspire you to create and eat delicious and very nutritious breakfasts. 

This delicious breakfast leaves me energised and refreshed, ready to face a busy week!  

Add:

1/2 cup plain/greek yogurt

1/4 cup almond or dairy milk

1/3 cup oats

1 chopped nectarine

1 sliced banana 

(alternatively use fruits and/or berries of your choice)

Drizzle 1 teaspoon of honey on top and coat with 1 tablespoon of chia seeds (chia seeds are a complete protein, which are essential for healthy hair, nails and skin - they’re amazing source of calcium, zinc and Omega 3!).  To accompany, sip a steaming cup of hot water with lemon juice - a refreshing and tangy start to your day. 

Enjoy! x

NUTRITIOUS & DELICIOUS SMOOTHIE

(...and if you have some, add 1 tablespoon of chia seeds)

Packed with nutrients -- potassium, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Omega 3 and more -- this smoothie is an energising snack or delicious start to your day (I had it for breakfast this morning!). 

makes around 3 cups

3/4 cup fresh or frozen berries 

half a banana 

3/4 cup of chopped spinach, chard, or silver beet

1/2 cup plain or Greek yogurt

3/4 cup chopped nectarines, peaches or plums 

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon chia seeds 

optional: 

heaped teaspoon oat bran

heaped teaspoon wheat germ

teaspoon of cinnamon or nutmeg

blend together, pour and enjoy! 

do you have a favourite snack?

xx

SIMPLE, DELICIOUS PANCAKES

These pancakes are scrumptious.  Whip them up in less then 30 minutes and treat yourself!  I love waking up in the morning to the smell of pancakes, so this morning I decided to whip up this rendition of simple but incredibly delicious pancakes.  

Makes 12.

 PART 1 

1 1/2 cups milk

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups self-raising flour

1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/3 cup caster sugar

25g butter, melted

Pour milk, egg and vanilla into a bowl and whisk.

Using a sifter, mix bicarbonate of soda and flour into a seperate bowl.  Mix in the sugar.  

Make a well in the centre and add milk, egg and vanilla mixture.

Stir until just combined.

PART 2

Heat a frying pan on medium heat.  For a healthier alternative to butter, dash around 1 teaspoon of coconut oil on to the pan.  Plop your pancakes onto the pan using a 1/4 cup measurement and wait to flip until bubbles begin to appear on the surface of the pancakes. 

PART 3

Topping suggestions:

lemon/lime juice & sugar 

maple syrup

honey

bananas 

berry juice 

Greek yogurt 

What do you love to eat breakfast?

xx Acacia

THE BE PROJECT, V.3

Healthy living is an easy blend of simple living and healthy choices.  I’ve mentioned simple living; I see ‘healthy choices’ as choosing nuts, kale, avocado and milk over chocolate, chips, pizza, and Sprite.  In other words: choosing nutrition — a need  — over ‘junk’ — a want and keeping a balance between the two; sure, indulge in pizza and coke on weekends but let’s not splurge on our favourite junk foods on a daily basis.

A healthy lifestyle is an active one. Choosing to shut off your computer, jump up from your chair, open the front door and step outside can be difficult; beginning a task is often the hardest part.  Go crazy and just do it -- go on a walk, do fifty jumping jacks, run around with kids, take breaks in between sitting down.

While healthy thing living may be ideal, it is essential to put living, exercising, and eating into perspective.  Maintain balance and perspective when you eat; savour life and the food you eat -- be it sweet and sugary (think cinnamon rolls!) or plain and nutritious (think spinach).    

Be intentional.  Know what you're eating and what it is good for (eggs and nuts are a source of protein, spinach a source of iron, and so on). Buy good food, make good food, and most likely you'll eat good food.  It is equally important to be intentional in what you listen to, read, wear and how you act.  Classical music (as well as music in general) stimulates the mind.  Reading literature that encourages you to think critically benefits your mental health!  Even clothing has psychological effects. Clearly, how you act toward, judge and love others is crucial to living a healthy life. 

Get to the root of the issue.

  What is stopping you from eating healthy?  What is it that makes you want junk food?  Stress? Shopping habits?  Worries? Obligations?  Get rid of them! 

Maintain reasonable goals

...for instance, why not try cooking something different and healthy, eating fried egg for breakfast, and working out for 7 minutes?

 Get a friend to shop for you or try online shopping

Give your simple, healthy shopping list to a friend so that you can resist the temptation of a dark chocolate Cadbury bar sitting at the end of the aisle. Online shopping is a great alternative to shopping in person -- and it's a better way to resist picking up items of food you really don't need. 

Buy or borrow a good cookbook. 

Look for a cookbook without a million foreign ingredients you don’t have or haven’t heard of.  Libraries have cookbooks, too!  Or start an email or Facebook chain where you tag friends and share your favourite recipes.  Ask a parent or relative for a few of their healthy favourites.  

Go natural... and cheap.

 Companies earn billions of dollars each year when people like you and I buy their beauty products.  Do we really need the latest (and apparently greatest) cleanser or face moisturiser?  I replaced cleanser for Dove soap and moisturiser for Virgin Coconut Oil.  Dove soap cleared up some of the small bumps (milia) on my forehead.  Coconut oil de-frizzed my hair and my legs felt so soft.  Also, drinking more water (8 or so cups a day) made my skin noticeably clearer. 

greek yogurt + bananas topped with some (unhealthy?) chocolate.  it's all about balance. 

Do you have any healthy routines or habits?  I'd love to hear from you!
xx Acacia


You can view previous BE project posts here

eat sleep create, v 11

Here's to doing something different for my eatsleepcreate project -- making something sweet and tasty rather than creating something crafty!   It's not always easy to make and eat something that is both deliciously sweet and healthy but this simple little snack of mine does the trick.  Bon appetite!

y o u ' l l  n e e d 

5 minutes to prepare 

3/4 cup of yogurt 

half a banana

a bar of chocolate

honey or syrup of your choice

MIX 

plain yogurt with honey in a small cup or jug.

ADD

 raisins, almonds, walnuts, sprinkles, (whatever pleases your fancy) to the mixture.

TOP

Slice the bananas and layer on top.  

Grate chocolate and sprinkle.

Drizzle with maple syrup (or syrup of your choice) 

enjoy. 

I'd love to know -- what is your favourite snack? 

CINNAMON ROLLS

cinnamon rolls to be accompanied by tea and a dash of snow.

I'm trying to enjoy spring (ahem, WINTER) by snuggling up on the couch, sipping tea and indulging in good books, making cupcakes and eating cinnamon rolls, going on walks in the snow and having dexterous snowball fights.  It's supposed to be spring, but goodness gracious it isn't, so we must take advantage of this cold, crisp weather and bake a few wintry delights -- to see my rendition of cinnamon rolls, view my post here.

Is winter still lingering  or is spring in full bloom in your corner of the world? 

Happy April! 

A SURPRISE

I thought I'd always dislike any type of chocolate.  Snickers and Reese's Pieces were fine but dark or milk chocolate were clearly out of the picture.  And Nutella?  Oh, goodness - I didn't even go there.  Until...

Nutella was shoved around the table during breakfast time.  I was offered some but of course I said no.  Then someone said why? I responded with a chuckle saying, Well, because chocolate isn't my thing.  They told me I should try it anyway because was better than chocolate.  I sighed and resented.  Okay, but just a little I said.  They swerved the Nutella jar down to my end of the table and I scooped some of it out of the jar with my index finger and licked it.  And after that long and luxurious lick, I was surprised.

It was good; (really good).

And that, my friends, is how I came to love and cherish the wonderful spread called Nutella.  

Are you a fan of Nutella?