Tropical Smoothie Thickshake

 

There are many benefits of Healthy Smoothies

Smoothies have become popular for many health-conscious people looking to improve their nutrition. Besides being delicious, easy to whip up, there are benefits of incorporating healthy smoothies into your diet:

1. Nutrient-Rich

Smoothies are a great way to pack a variety of nutrients in one convenient drink. You can blend fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and other superfoods to create a nutrient-rich beverage that provides vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fibre.

2. Easy to Digest

Blending fruits and vegetables into a smoothie breaks down the fibre, making it easier for your body to digest and absorb the nutrients. This can help improve digestion and reduce bloating or discomfort.

Healthy smoothies can be a great option for those looking to manage their weight. 

3. Convenient and Portable

Smoothies are quick and easy to make, making them a convenient option. individuals. You can blend your favourite ingredients and take your smoothie on the go!

4. Hydration

Many smoothie recipes include liquid ingredients like water, coconut water, coconut milk,  almond, soy or oat milk, which can help keep you hydrated throughout the day.

Here's my go-to smoothie recipe.

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Tropical Smoothie Thickshake

In a blender or magic bullet place:

1 cup of pure orange juice

1 frozen banana chopped into chunks

3/4 cup coconut milk

2 x canned pineapple rings

1 Tablespoon chia seeds

1 cup frozen mango chunks

Blend

Serve in tall glasses.

It's deliciously thick and creamy.

The secret ingredient is the frozen banana.

When bananas in the fruit bowl get to a ripe stage, I freeze them whole in the skin.

Then as required, remove from the freezer.

Leave a few minutes to soften, remove the skin then use in the smoothie of your choice.

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Dairy-Free Loaded Scones

 Some people, like my youngest daughter, just cannot tolerate dairy in the diet.

This has been quite the journey as we have had to adjust recipes to meet the requirements.

I'm starting a new page dedicated to recipes for those who also find that they want to become dairy-free. 

This recipe is for:

 Dairy-Free Loaded Scones

Preheat the oven to 200 Celsius (392 F) 

Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Ingredients:

80 grams (2.82 ounces) of coconut butter

2 cups self-raising flour

1 cup of diced streaky bacon

1 small red onion - finely diced

3 spring onions - finely diced 

1 and a half cups sweetcorn kernels

1 heaped cup of dairy-free grated cheese

1 tablespoon chopped chives

1 cup oat milk

With clean dry hands, crumble coconut butter into the self-raising flour.

Mix into this, the bacon, onion, spring onions, 

chives, cheese and sweetcorn.

Then add the oat milk to form a soft moist dough.

Form into scones using clean wet hands and place on the prepared tray.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

   

Yield: 10 servings

Serve warm buttered generously with a dairy-free butter.

They are very tasty option for breakfast, morning tea, lunch or afternoon tea.

Also instead of bread, as a side for a hearty soup.

Printable recipe HERE.

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Upcycled Frame Jewellery Display

   Displaying vintage brooches and necklaces in an old picture or mirror frame is a fun and creative way to showcase these beautiful timeless accessories while adding a unique touch to your bedroom or dressing room decor.

Start by sourcing an old frame in a size and style you like. 

Look for frames with intricate designs or interesting textures to add character to your display.

I found a lovely vintage French-style mirror via a second-hand seller on Facebook.

The top detail had been broken, but it was a simple fix to sand the sharp edge and round it off.

I didn't want the mirror for this project, so I removed the back of the frame and took the mirror out.

Tracing the shape onto cardboard for a new backing.

As my bedroom has a silver colour palette, I thoroughly cleaned the detail on the mirror frame and spray-painted it.

I choose a shiny mirror silver paint.

Once dry, I cut a piece of wadding to fit the shape.

Then I covered the wadding with a beautiful grey velvet fabric.

 Hot glue was used to attach the fabric to the cardboard with the wadding in between.

Next, it was a matter of reassembling the wadded fabric into the frame. I used PVA glue to attach to the frame.

Leaving it overnight to dry.

I added a hanging attachment.

Now for the fun part.

Let's add the jewellery.

You can poke the point bar of the brooch into the fabric wadding, or you can pin the brooches on using pearl head sewing pins.

Consider grouping brooches by colour, size, or theme to create a visually appealing arrangement.

Some of my brooches and necklaces are family heirlooms.

Some were sourced from thrift stores.

One brooch was a gift to me when I was 8 years old from an elderly lady my Mama was a caregiver for.

And yes, in case you are wondering, they do get worn!

What I love about the Upcycled Frame Jewellery Display, is at a glance, I can choose the brooch or necklace of the day to compliment my outfit.

You might also like to learn how to make the

Upcycled Antique Frame Mood Board.

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 Visit my 'Saatchi Art & Photography' store 

Original art store HERE

#upcycling #vintagejewellery #oldjewels #upcycledframes #diyideas

Delicious Spicy Pea Soup

We are making a delicious creamy and spicy pea soup today.

It is a speedy meal to prepare.

Perfect for those busy weekdays when you can't be bothered making a time-consuming meal.

My lovely friend Rosemary brought this to share at a recent Mid-Winter Christmas Dinner party.

I immediately wanted the recipe.

And to be honest, I am not a huge fan of peas.

But this is one way I can enjoy them and their amazing nutrients.

This pea hater is now a pea lover!

Spicy Pea Soup

1 kg bag of frozen peas 1 onion 1 heaped Tablespoon Garlic Butter 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock I x 400gm can coconut milk 2 tablespoons of curry paste ( Pataks or Massaman)

Salt to taste Chop onion, and soften in butter until clear.

Add the curry paste and stir until fragrant. Add stock and peas.

Simmer 15-20 mins.

Cool for 10 minutes. Blitz with a stick blender.

Taste and adjust salt.

Add the coconut milk

(if too thick add a little more water).  

Reheat and serve with crusty bread.

Yield: 10 servings

 

Printable recipe HERE.

Green Peas: The Unsung Health Heroes

Green peas, often overlooked in favour of more popular vegetables, pack a powerful nutritional punch that can benefit your health in numerous ways.

Rich in Vitamins and Minerals

Green peas are a great source of vitamin K, essential for blood clotting and bone health. They also contain vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that boosts your immune system, and vitamin A, important for eye health.

High in Fibre

Green peas are a good source of dietary fibre, which can aid in digestion, help regulate blood sugar levels, and promote a feeling of fullness to aid in weight management.

Protein Powerhouse

Surprisingly, green peas are also a good source of plant-based protein, making them an excellent choice for vegetarians and vegans looking to meet their protein needs.

Antioxidant Properties

Green peas contain various antioxidants, such as flavonoids and carotenoids, which help to reduce inflammation.

Easy to Incorporate into Your Diet

Whether you enjoy them fresh, frozen, or canned, green peas are a versatile vegetable that can be added to soups, salads, stir-fries, and more to boost the nutritional content of your meals.

Next time you're planning your meals, remember the humble green pea and all the health benefits it has to offer!

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DIY Teddy Bear Clay Craft

 

This super cute airdry clay teddy bear is not too difficult to create for a special ornament to gift, or you can use these 'how to' instructions to make it out of modeling fondant for a cake topper.

But today we are making it using the air dry clay.

On a tabletop or a craft cutting board roll a ball of clay that is about 5cm (2 inches) in size to an oval shape. 

For the legs and arms, make four  3cm (1 1/2 inch) small sausages.

Squash the ends (this is where they attach to the body).

Attach by blending underneath with a flat edge tool and at the back of the bear's body, then create a fur effect using a pointed tool.

Do the same to make two arms.

Attach the legs to the body blending the flat part into the base of the body clay.

Attach the arms in the same way.

Use a pointed tool to rough up the clay to resemble fur.

You can manipulate the bear to sit flat and into the sitting shape you want.

To make the head roll a 2.5cm (1 inch) ball, a smaller one for the nose area, and two smaller ones for the ears.

Squash the balls, and cut out two ear shapes.

(see photograph above)

Position nose plate, and ears on the head, and attach blending clay to meld.

         

Attach the head to the body using a toothpick pushing into the centre of the body to support it.

Blend the clay around the neck area.

And use the pointed tool to create fur to blend the join.

(Take particular attention when melding the neck to the body, as when mine dried the clay shrunk (for lack of melding) and left a gap between the body and head, but reattachment using PVA glue fixed it fine).

The photo above is what your bear should look like.

Make little dots for the eyes and nose. I had black clay for this, but you can use natural and paint them later when it's dry.

Attach using a pointed tool.

Leave to dry.

(It takes about five days).

Once the teddy is completely dry, you can paint it any colour you want.

Touch up the nose and eyes with black paint if necessary.

When the paint is dry, seal the entire bear with a clear sealer.

I used a clearcoat spray sealer on the naturally coloured clay.

I hope all the photographs in this tutorial help you create your own sweet teddy bear.  :)

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#airdyclaycraft #fondantcaketopper #teddybearcraft