Food

Energy balls 

I love snacking. Who doesn't? But because I am leaning towards wanting to eat more healthy and living a healthier lifestyle, I decided to put together a healthy snack similar to the "Dark chocolate protein balls" recipe from the Knorisheats website alongside an array of other healthy food recipes (check it out). I came up with my version of the recipe, a little more fruitier and minus the chocolate but just as tasty!

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons of Mayver's dark chocolate super spread
• 1/2 cup of natural peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon of honey
• 1 handful of chopped dates 
• 1 cup of apricot toasted muesli or plain old fashioned oats
• 1 tablespoon of chia seeds
• 2 tablespoons of pepitas
• 1/2 cup Dried cranberries
• 2 tablespoons of mixed dried fruit and nuts
• Coconut sugar

Method

• Combine the dark chocolate spread, peanut butter, honey and chopped dates with a food processor until smooth and combined
• Transfer the mixture into a large bowl and stir in the museli or rolled oats, chia seeds, pepitas, dried cranberries, mixed dried fruit and nuts until evenly combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 mins
• Once the mixture is cool (and easier to work with), use a spoon to shape it into your desired size of energy balls and then roll them into some coconut sugar (as little or as much as you like)
• Place them in an air tight container and back in the fridge to set

Happy healthy snacking!

Satisfied

Nestled in the heart of Penrith out in the western suburbs, lies a café that most certainly fit in postcodes belonging to Surry Hills, Newtown or Sydney city.

Henri Marc makes of a quirky industrial type of ambience that serves great food. Their all day menu is ever changing but they do have regulars such like the French toast drenched in vanilla bean something and the breakfast treat with chorizo and egg spread. The roast pork had caught my eye instantly but I thought 10:00 am was a tad too early for that delight. I must visit this place again to try out others on the menu.

Although the café itself is a little tricky to find, it definitely won’t disappoint. Oh and the coffee, what can I say?  You cannot go wrong with Reuben Hills coffee. 

Photos | Henri Marc

Apple and cinnamon muffins

Inspired by the too-easy blueberry muffin recipe from Donna hay (bless her), I have tweaked it with adding apples instead.

Once you perfect the muffin base listed in the recipe below, you can add any toppings as you wish. It really is that easy, easy enough for my almost 2 year old to lend me a helping hand!

Ingredients

Muffin base

o 2 ½ cups of self-raising flour (if you don’t have self-raising flour you can use flour and add a teaspoon of baking powder per cup of flour)

o 1 teaspoon of baking powder

o 1 cup of caster sugar (if you don’t have this lying around, use white granulated sugar)

o ½ cup of vegetable oil

o 1 egg

o ½ cup of milk

o 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

o Granulated white sugar for sprinkling

Apple topping

o 1 ½ cup of diced apples

o 2 tablespoons of flour

o 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

o 1 tablespoon of caster or granulated sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).

2. Place the flour, baking powder and sugar in a bowl and make a well in the middle.

3. Place the oil, egg, milk and vanilla in a separate bowl and whisk to combine.

4. Pour the liquid ingredients into the well of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

5. For apple topping; place apples in a bowl, add the flour, cinnamon and sugar and mix (add extra sugar is desired)

6. Add the coated apples and mix to combine.

7. Spoon the mixture into a 12-hole muffin tin lined with paper patty cases.

8. Sprinkle the tops with sugar and bake for 30–35 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.

9. Remove from tin and cool on a wire rack.

10. Enjoy!

Photos | Taken from my iPhone 5

Snack

I've been sick lately with congestion and a head cold. Most people lose their appetite when their sick, and I'm definitely one of those people. It didn't stop me from whipping up a snack with good old trusty avocado on toast.

Photo | Avocado on toasted brown bread topped with salt & pepper and a squeeze of lemon with Green tea

Italian

Had a great catch up session with my gorgeous friend Jaclyn. We tried breakfast at this amazing Italian place called Mercato e Cucina in Gladesville. She had truffled scrambled eggs & sautéed mixed mushrooms on Mercato e Cucina’s freshly baked sourdough and I had the above! Their pistachio cannoli's were so scrumptious, I could of easily had two or three more of them but unfortunately I'm watching my waistline so I ended up having just the one.

Photos | Fried eggs with tomato sugo, spinach, bacon and basil oil | Pistachio cannoli with green tea