Pureharvest Breakfast with ProBlogger

I’m posting SUPER late because I'm going to this Pureharvest breakfast at 7am tomorrow / this morning! 

But I'm STILL.AWAKE... damn you 12:33am!!! 

I should probably get some beauty sleep before then. And, ummm, some BRAIN-sleep. Hahaha. Yeah that. I have a big day tomorrow :)) Can't believe ProBlogger time is HERE.

I accidentally managed to miss both lunch AND dinner last night, a few canapés aside - Wahhhhhh!! - so I’m actually starving and CAN’T WAIT for a yummy, healthy feast. 

YUMMMMM, bring on the morning. 

Amber. XO

p.s. Do you want to see some healthy Pureharvest recipes on my blog?!! Leave a message below and let me know what your healthy-eating dreams are! { Mine usually involve copious amounts of strawberries ;) } 

Brown Rice Stir-Fry | Healthy Lunch Idea #2

Helloooooo Lunch-Eaters!

My 2nd Healthy Lunch Idea is ready :)

BROWN RICE + QUINOA STIRFRIED
IN COCONUT OIL WITH KALE, PEAS,
AND ROAST PUMPKIN. YUM. 

And it's another brown rice + quinoa one { this combo is my new fave thing; I cook twice what I need if I make it for dinner so that I have a stash of pre-cooked protein-punch in the fridge for lunches! }

Last week I shared a salad, but this week it's something for the chillier days: a very quick stir-fry.

Kale is such a great thing. I buy a big bunch each week and appreciate its versatility. Eat it raw - or wash, chop and pop it in a pan with a little coconut oil for a few minutes, season { I added some Tamari which is a gluten free soy sauce alternative if you haven't heard of it before }, and eat! Or toss in some more veggies plus your rice mix, and you have a warming, wholesome lunch FEAST :)

What are your fave healthy lunch ideas? 
Amber. XO

p.s. I think I made it all a bit unnecessarily complicated last week. { Lol. Never ;) } so have decided to set this up as a LINK-UP! Add your link below. I'd love to see your food files :D

An InLinkz Link-up

The Good { Rainbow } Brew : Probiotic Water Kefir

I love our local artisan food producers! 

This area abounds with a lot of dynamic, wholesome energy. And, if you follow me on instagram you might have seen a sneak-peak of this beautiful water kefir from The Good Brew yesterday!

The Good Brew is a little probiotic micro-brewery based here in Bangalow. In fact, it’s being brewed on-site in one of fave go-to coffee places: Utopia Cafe. Yay!

Ty gave me a bottle to try { he knows I try to balance my coffee-love with other more beneficial vices! } and I couldn’t help but photograph it before I opened it :) Yes I’m a sucker for pretty things. True.

Don’t know the inside facts on kefir? 

Let's Let our Good Brew bottle do the talking:

“Our water kefir is an all natural, alive and refreshing fermented probiotic super drink that’s raw, vegan and gluten-free. It’s full of friendly bacteria and beneficial yeast, on top of that it’s loaded with valuable enzymes, pre-digested nutrients, vitamins and minerals. All kick-starting your digestion and boosting your immune system.”

Drink up!
Have you tried coconut, milk or water kefir? I'd love to hear about it. 

Amber. XO

Introducing: Rainbow Mama | Healthy Lunch Ideas!

I've decided to start a Rainbow Mama | Healthy Lunch Ideas section on da' blog :)

Starting today! Ta-daaaa.

Usually, when you 'show someone your lunch' it means a bad thing ;) Hahaha but this is going to be all about the GOOD THINGS. Now, not all my lunches are healthy - sometimes they're probably downright unhealthy - but I do try. And I bet you do too!

So here is the deal; I will post my own healthy lunch ideas at least once a week { scouts promise } and I'll link to some of your healthy lunch ideas too!

All you have to do is tag me @ambermelody and #rainbowmama #healthylunchideas on instagram if you want to join in :) 

I've also set up a Pinterest Group Board where we can gather our droolsome makes and finds. A place to get inspired by wholesome, beautiful, fresh food... and each other. Want to pin with me? Follow the board, then leave me a comment below { or on one of these links: twitter, fb, insta } with your Pinterest URL and I'll add you.

What are you waiting for?! Come get inspired to eat well :D
Amber. XO

p.s. This quinoa and brown rice salad with roast pumpkin, lettuce, tomato, mixed sprouts, kalamata olives and dukkah { say that really fast... and then *breathe* !! } was actually my lunch today :) With a simple dressing of Apple Cider vinegar and that Lemon Myrtle Macadamia oil I was cooking with last weekend - if you follow me on FB you might remember that was part of my 'first chicken-roasting adventures! - Super-yummm. 

Eat Lunch: Quinoa Bread

I bought quinoa bread for the first time today.

No grain, no gluten. Lots of protein. Okay!

I toasted it { most gluten-free breads are extra nice when they're a little crispy in my opinion! } and topped it with kale, avocado, cheese, a soft-egg. And HOT sauce!

My God. It was so damn good :) The end.
Have you tried Quinoa yet? 

p.s. This is the one. xx

Easy Gluten-Free Jam Drops Biscuit Recipe

My niece and I got our bake on yesterday afternoon :)

Buster drove us crazy trying to eat the dough from the mixing bowl, and the dawg worked his best sad-puppy-dog looks. 

Gluten-free Jam Drops. In.The.House.

They may be gluten-free, but they don't necessarily fit the 'healthy eating' category. Sugar and butter and jam - Oh My! But personally, I think every kid needs a sweet treat occasionally - even the GF kids { especially the GF kids mine would say! Hahaha }.

So, I know you want the recipe to see if they're as yummy as they look and you're in luck OF COURSE - it's at the bottom of this post. Drool on...

Gluten-Free Jamdrops | RECIPE

Ingredients:

150g butter { I might try using Coconut Oil next time, but I didn't with these }
A dash of organic vanilla essence
1/3 cup caster sugar { again, this could be substituted for a healthier version }
1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour { I used White Wings }
Fruit Jam { I like using 100% fruit jams - pure fruit. no added sugar }

Method:

1. Cream butter, vanilla and sugar { I used a food processor but you can obvs do this by hand }.
2. Add the flour and process for about a minute until smooth.
3. Use a tablespoon to portion out each biscuit, rolling each into a ball by hand.
4. Space each biscuit about 5cm apart on a lined baking tray.
4. Flatten with a spoon, adding a little dip in the centre for the jam.
5. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of jam into each one!
6. Cook at 170 degrees Celsius for 12-15 min or until just golden
7. Cool on tray for 15 min { important tip; they'll crumble if you move them too soon! }

Voila! Rustic GF Jamdrop-love.
Quick, go make some :)

Tell me what you've been baking / making / creating this week! 
Amber. XO

204/365 Red Wine Nights

I knooowwwww I've been detoxing and eating well the past few weeks...
but sometimes it's good to say YES to drinking a little red wine with friends on a Thursday night ;)

Don't you think?
Amber. XO

DETOX Day | Part 2 of my Forest Detox Adventures!

Following on from Part One of my Detox series...
It was yoga time!

Breathe.

Stretch.

Centre.

I got a little lost in the shadow-play. Oh, and I learnt that it's a little hard to do yoga AND take photos at the same time. Who knew?! ;)

We were all beautifully hot and sweaty { yes I said BEAUTIFULLY hot and sweaty, hahahaha, because we were ;) } by this stage. The sun which had tentatively heated our cold bones on arrival had kicked into full effect during the yoga session. We all peeled off a few layers and happily accepted our next drink; a sparkling probiotic Coconut Water Kefir from local Byron Bay business Peace Love & Vegetables. Not everyone loves Kefir, I admit it's a taste that you need to get used to, but it is SO good for you. Tick, another thing to add back into my life - probiotic food and drinks. Why, thank you.

One of my own pieces of jewellery; pearl and turquoise mala beads. A gift from my own precious Mama, I wear them everywhere. Just not during yoga :)

Our bodies now stretched and full of probiotic goodness; it was time to release some toxins.

The full-size infrared sauna was hot and ready for us to sweat it out four at a time. I hadn't been in an infrared one before, and I must admit that I'm not the biggest sauna-lover but this suited me a lot better than the traditional ones I've tried. Plus, it  has its own sound-system { we listened to the music of Deva Premal and Miten who previously lived and recorded on this property - how cool is that? } which added to the experience.

A quick post-sauna shower and I joined the rest of the women in the hot-tub. Glory glory! The sun may have been hot, but the air was still brisk, and the water was glorious. Oh, I do like me an outdoor spa! Some of the women even braved the river for a few moments; that was all - it was bone-chillingly cold apparently - but it would be the most perfect place to swim in Summer.

Soaked to perfection, it was time to SCRUB.

I need to remember to have someone take a few photos of me for this kind of post. Or at least take a selfie. Hahaha. In lieu of that, here is my scrub-sparkly leg :)

I got to talk to Rosa while we exfoliated; our Winter skin relishing the attention { Sahar's scrub was a handmade mix of Coconut Oil and Epsom Salts - absolutely.making.some. it was SO good, my skin absolutely L-O-V-E-D it! }. Rosa is represented by Chadwick Models in Melbourne and Vivien's Brisbane. Softly spoken with a beautiful smile we made an easy connection and I look forward to photographing her again.

A little sitting in the sunshine letting the oil soak in, one last hot shower, we dressed and regathered on the grass. 

Green smoothies. Round #2. Hooray!

... the perfect accompaniment to a spot of flower petal mandala creating :)

As she started to lay petals, Sahar explained how she often creates these beautiful impermanent artworks with her children. We eagerly followed her lead. And it felt like we were one; a community at work, manifesting harmony and love through our mindful creativity.

The sun was starting to drop behind the mountains that set the home like a jewel in its grasp. Elke and Sahar brought us our fourth drink; a cold-pressed juice called Winter Love.

Group photo time!

I did attempt to balance my camera most precariously on a rock to get into this shot, and the results were hilarious - and completely ineffective! Lol. But you can see me in here on the Organic Miracles blog { I'm the giggly one in white with the crimson scarf } if you need proof that I exist as more than a pair of exfoliated legs ;)

Cheers! 

Nine blissed-out babes toasting to a magical day. 

Empties :) Of the best kind.

Our day here was complete.

We had run out of time for the planned forest walk, but I don't think anyone minded. We were all ready to return to our families and process the day and the changes that it was going to help us make.

But before that, I wanted to take my last photos. Of Sahar.

Sahar is charismatic, approachable and... absolutely gorgeous. She is also the mother of two young children which adds another dimension to this healthy / healing journey that she is on. Something I extra-love.

She is not only creating a beautiful life for her family, but she's doing it with the intention of sharing her knowledge, her vision and her intimate spaces with other people; so that they too can extend this bountiful energy into their own lives. And THAT is something to inspire us all.

Her forest detox days will soon become a monthly event, and I urge anyone that can attend to do so. Connect here, here or here for more details. And tell her that I sent you!

My camera packed away, there was one final trip back into the kitchen, for the two last drinks we were given to take home with us. The first was an Almond Dandy { homemade almond milk, Wilsons Creek spring water, roasted dandelion root, roasted chicory root, cinnamon bark, vanilla bean powder, dates and coconut butter } and the second was a slightly sour grapefruit and chia blend. 

Instagram names exchanged, hugs shared, and it was time to say goodbye.

The perfect end to a perfect day.

By this stage, I had a mild headache { which is a common side-effect of detoxing; as the toxins start to transition from your system } and even though I had brought a bottle of water with me, and we had been drinking juice and smoothies all day, I was feeling a little dehydrated. Detoxing is an intensive process, and it's important to be well hydrated. I drank the entire Almond Dandy when I got into my car - okay, to be completely honest, I was looking for the slight coffee-esque kick that was hoping it would offer { it did! } plus it was delicious - and hit da' road. 

That night, I slept for eleven hours. ELEVEN HOURS (!!). Sweet bliss! My headache also kicked into full effect - grrrr - but I knew the cause, and it settled by the next morning... when I had a cup of coffee.

Hold up, WHAT?! 

Hahaha. Yes, I had a cup of coffee. 

I did a 24 hour detox and then woke up and drank a cup of coffee :)

But here is the thing: I already knew that I just needed to shake up a few bad habits and realign my usually-pretty-good eating patterns - see Part One of this post here - and that when I want to throw myself into something I'm pretty good at it { like last year when I did a 10-day juice cleanse #wishIhadbloggedit #photosoninstagram }. But that what I need to practise is that little things called MODERATION; how to live in the times between a detox or a food fad and your regular busy life.

Ahhh...

So, yes I'm still drinking coffee. But limiting it to one one-shot. Which in contrast to my previous four / five shots is a huge improvement { Yay Amber! }. I am drinking Dandy in the times where I want to reach for a second coffee, I am switching my usual black tea fixes for herbal tea or coconut water { allowing myself one cup of black tea at night when the boys are in bed; a sweet, simple pleasure that I don't want to lose } and setting some boundaries around when I'll have a glass of wine with dinner { weekends good / weeknights not so much } and I'm feeling a lot better for it :)

I've made a lot of other healthier snacking / meal choices too - lots more fresh fruit, leafy greens and other vegetables { a bag of fresh peas for morning tea; please, please! } and I got my mamabake on; doing a few batches of bliss balls, a gluten-free Raspberry Banana Bread and some savoury GF dinner muffins { amongst other things }. I'll be sharing these recipes so please subscribe / like / love / follow / insta / pin / bookmark my blog if you want some more healthy inspiration in the next few weeks!

But in the meantime, let's talk detoxing! Have you done one? Could you do one? Do you need to do one?

Amber. XO