Blog

What an exciting time it has been, buying our first home together. As regular readers know that was a big journey in itself and then the move was BIG especially after nine years in one rental house. I love our new home and can’t wait to start courses and individual sessions in my new kitchen. It is a fabulous space which I look forward to sharing with you all either in person or online.

Cooking tip 102 making your own chocolate is one of those things you will wish you had always been doing. Making your own chocolate is much better than buying it. Three reasons why: it’s cheaper, you can regulate what you put in it and it is always available in the fridge or freezer, you don’t have to make a trip to the shop when you feel like a piece of chocolate.

What sort of sleep do you get? Do you sleep right through the night without waking up, or do you have broken sleep, or do you suffer from insomnia? If you struggle with sleep (like I do) you may be happy to know that what we eat in the evening meal can have an impact on our sleep. There has been extensive research done on food for sleep. So this week I share with you some of the things I have been finding out.

Do you know if you are you getting enough zinc in your diet? Our bodies are dependent on the mineral zinc for body growth and development and zinc is especially important for the nervous and reproductive systems and of course the immune system. The body does not store a pool of zinc so it is essential that we have a daily intake of zinc. As many are worried about borders opening up in Australia and the possibility of catching any viruses going around it is important to stay diligent with ensuring you are absorbing enough zinc each day.

Another week, another blog. This one is a goodie and one to keep for just in case you ever feel unwell. Every fourth blog will be dedicated to a subscriber’s request and actually I have a blog schedule happening that I am really enjoying right now.

Do you add oil to your pasta cooking water? Have you been told it prevents your pasta sticking together/ I stopped adding oil to my pasta water more than a decade ago because my pasta never stuck together whether I had oil in the water or not and I just thought it was a waste of oil.

The mighty mushroom is a definite must add food to any diet and especially into a vegan diet as mushrooms really are packed with a whole lot of goodness. Mushrooms contain a rich source of essential amino acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids that help reduce serum cholesterol. Mushrooms also boast a whole load of antioxidants which can protect the body from cardiovascular disease, they are low in sodium and contain the B vitamins, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin and folate which are all necessary in energy production, supporting metabolism and lowering LDL cholesterol. In addition mushrooms are a great source of fibre and tocopherols (vitamin E), which helps with skin, heart and eye health and lowers the risk of cancer. Lectins found in mushrooms are also known to have anti tumor activities.

Who grew up with iodized salt on their table? Did you know what iodized meant or were you just used to reading the word every time you saw it in its white and orange plastic tub. It seemed to be the standard salt everyone had in their homes growing up in the 70’s and 80’s. It was branded as the important thing to have to stay healthy and then it seemed to disappear. It is still sold in supermarkets and is occasionally spotted on someone’s dinning room table or on top of the cooker range.

I am so happy to be back with a recipe for you this week. Last week I sent out a newsletter asking for contributions for weekly recipes and lo and behold, within an hour of the newsletter going out I received a considerable donation via paypal from my very generous parents. I had forgotten they read my weekly blog. So this recipe and the next five will be brought to you via their generosity. I feel so grateful as sharing a recipe each week brings me loads of joy. Thank you Mum and Dad.

I hope all is well in your world. What a tough time it is worldwide. Thanks to those people who wrote to me last week to let me know how you are. It was lovely to read how people are nourishing themselves during this time and for me to make recipe suggestions to those who are struggling. Feel free to write anytime.