In-store tasting and Chocolate Workshop in Wollongong!

IN-STORE TASTING SATURDAY 25 JULY

I will be in-store at All Good Things Organic Market in Wollongong on Saturday 25 July from 10am- 12pm with samples of my organic wholefoods including:

·      activated nuts
·      date coconut balls
·      raw dark chocolate
·      chicken liver päté
·      sauerkraut
·      dairy-free panna cottas
·      bone broth
·      power bars
·      kombucha 
·      beet kvass

If you are in the area please feel free to come in store to have a chat and ask any questions as well as sample my nourishing wholefood delights. 

CHOCOLATE WORKSHOP SUNDAY 26 JULY 

On Sunday 26 July, I will be running a Chocolate Workshop at All Good Things Organic Market in Wollongong.

In this workshop we will be covering how to make:

(a) hot chocolate pudding
(b) chocolate hazelnut slice
(c) raw chocolate mousse
(d) chocolate panna cotta
(e) chocolate hazelnut spread (the real “nutella”)
(f) chocolate ice-cream
(g) chocolate block/slab
(g) Mexican hot chocolate with chilli, orange and coconut milk

The above just about covers the entire range of my favourite ways to consume chocolate!! Plus a few more recipes will be handed out in addition to making and sampling the above! 

We will be using unprocessed fermented raw cacao powder. We will not be using any refined sweeteners – only natural/unprocessed sweeteners or whole fruit. All recipes are grain-free but 3 contain dairy.

Cost is $140 per person and includes:

·   Detailed information workshop booklet with theory, step by step guides and recipes
·   Nutritional theory discussion on raw cacao powder, raw cacao butter, carob, chocolate and sweeteners
·   Practical demonstrations
·   Hands-on experience
·   Chocolate tasting and lots of it!!!!

This workshop is ideal for:

·   Those who are grain-free or gluten-free
·   Chocolate lovers who want to learn how to make their own nutrient-dense healthy chocolate sweets and desserts using only unprocessed nutritious ingredients
·   People who want to transition off processed chocolate and want a healthy substitute for themselves or their family members
·   People who want to try new things and eat lots of chocolate! YES PLEASE!!!

When: 10am – 1.30pm  Sunday 26 July 2015
Where: All Good Things Organic Market at Shop 3/91 Burelli Street, Wollongong
Spaces limited to 20. 

RSVP:  To secure your spot you will need to:

1. Email Jennifer Skylas on jen@allgoodthingsorganic.com.au to confirm that there are spaces available. Spots can only be reserved for 24 hours; and

2. Transfer $140 (referencing your FIRST AND SURNAME and ‘CHOC’) into this bank account:

Account name: star anise organic wholefoods (aust) pty ltd
BSB: 062 000
Account no: 15110110

PLACES WILL BOOK UP QUICKLY!

Cancellation policy: once funds are deposited into my bank account they are non-refundable but can be transferred to another cooking class/workshop upon 48 hours notice.

THE BIG CHILL.....MY 8 FAVOURITE WAYS OF KEEPING WARM OVER WINTER

I'm not a fan of the cold. My Mediterranean ethnicity coupled with my upbringing on the balmy Gold Coast has conditioned me for warmth and heat. But over the years I've learnt to shoulder the cold with the following coping strategies that make the colder months a little more bearable:

1. Hot water bottles. Yep, that good old-fashioned heating method that grandma used. I fill with boiling water and pop into my and my kids' bed a hour or so before sleep time. There are soft covers you can now buy that makes for a cuddly bedfellow!

2. Heat packs. The ONLY time I use a microwave oven and the ONLY reason why I still own one is to heat up my heat pack. I place a glass of water in the microwave when heating my heat pack for safety reasons in case the heat pack overheats and catches fire. I lay the hot heat pack lengthways down my spine from the base of neck and lie over it in bed before falling asleep. It's a great way to instantly feel warm and a lovely chest opener to counter the effects of all of the forward motions we do all day. Especially great for breastfeeding mums! Seed Clothing sells cute little heat packs for little people (pictured).

3. Thermals. I buy woollen thermal tops and bottoms from Target each winter. Can be used as outerwear, underwear, PJs etc.

4. Flannelette sheets: these make a massive difference to keeping warm in bed. The new range of plain-print brushed-cotton sheets are a far cry from the  hideously-printed versions I grew up with.  Chemical-free flannelette sheets that are very affordably priced and can be purchased from Ecodownunder.

5. Hot baths and showers before bed. I can't sleep for life or death if I'm even slightly cold not matter how tired I am. If you don't have  a water filter attached to your bath to remove chlorine (or if your bath - like mine  can't accommodate a water filter) then consider purchasing a bath ball dechlorinator to remove chlorine which can be purchased from  iherb for $35. Simply stick ball in bath, fill bath, allow to stand for 5 mins, remove ball then stick in kids (or yourself!). Replace ball annually. I also add 1/2-1 cup of Epsom salts to the bath for mineral (esp magnesium) aborption and a few drops of lavender essential oil for a calming effect

6. Put on an extra layer of clothing before turning on heating but if you must turn on heating do NOT use an unflued gas heater. i.e. the portable ones with a gas hose that you plug into a gas bayonet to heat your house. A few months back I read a research paper issued by NSW Health (dated 3/3/11) on the dangers of unflued gas heaters. The upshot is that:

(A) Gas heaters produce heat through burning gas fuel. When gas fuel is burnt, air pollutants are produced and released directly into the room.

(B) The air pollutants released are carbon monoxide (which deprives body of O2, impairs thinking and reflexes) and nitrogen dioxide (which can cause irritation of the respiratory tract and shortness of breath). Children, unborn babies and elderly are more effected.

As my integrative GP Dr Min Yeo wrote to me, if you have an unflued gas heater  "get rid of it IMMEDIATELY! They are horrendously toxic and poisonous! You will have chronic carbon monoxide poisoning amongst other toxins. They are banned in Victoria with good reason."

Flued (fireplace) gas heaters, electric heaters or central heating (while they do have a dehydrating/ drying effect on the body) do NOT have this problem of toxicity.

7. Hot drinks. Dust off the old fashioned thermos container, fill with home-made stock, hot water or herbal tea and sip away all day. Click here to read about my favourite hot drinks.

8. Move. High-intensity interval and strength training gets the heart rate going, the blood pumping and heats the body. Not to mention the feel-good endorphins that are produced that buoy the spirits at this naturally dreary time of year. Releasing (via foam rollers and small balls that trigger pressure points) and stretching (eg yoga) are equally  important in this weather as muscles tighten and everything contracts. If you're looking to train at a gym a few that I have been to and can highly recommend are Centennial Health Clubat EQ Moore Park where I currently train ($25 per week for unlimited classes- say I referred you!), Primal Fitness at Double Bay (specialising in one on one PT sessions) and Origin of Energy at Bondi Junction (specialising in group classes). If you are self-motivated you could d0 your own sprints at a park or beach or up some hills (anything that provides resistance is preferable) and even better is to get a group of friends to join. If you've got kids in tow and can't make it to a gym or class you might like to read one of my earlier posts here about suggestions for movement while mothering.

The Farm and The City!

The Farm Wholefoods is a new concept wholefoods store that has recently opened in Macleay Street, Potts Point. The focus of the huge barn-style store with soaring ceilings is the sale of bulk (as opposed to packaged) goods as well as a wholefoods cafe.

Bulk goods on sale include:

·   grains

·   legumes

·   nuts and seeds

·   dried fruit

·   flours

·   teas

·   oils and vinegars (eg olive oil, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, tamari)

·   sweet treats (eg bliss balls)

·   superfood powders (eg Lucuma)

·   sweeteners (eg coconut sugar, honey)

The in-store café cleverly showcases wholefoods from the bulk pantry with delicious dishes that feed and educate customers while they shop, showing them various ways they can incorporate different ingredients into their cooking. In addition to tea, coffee and cold pressed juices, is my hot chicken stock (500ml frozen containers of my stock are also sold). There is also kombucha on tap and their infamous dairy-free cocowhip. Perch yourself on the bench while sipping your cup of broth and licking your cocowhip and watch the world go by.

I recently interviewed owner Josh Thompson about his mission and reasons for opening The Farm Wholefoods. This guy loves food. Talking about it, buying it, cooking it, eating it. But most importantly, he loves wholesome food that will nourish and sustain us. Me too! He quotes Masanobu Fukuoka who said, ‘The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.’

Josh believes in celebrating our growers, producers and suppliers. “We want to reduce food miles and provide a more direct link from our farmers’ paddocks to your family’s pantry. We want to create a weekly food shopping experience that takes you out of the city, walks you onto the farm, sits you down and makes you a cold pressed juice or hot broth, and then opens up its pantry for you to have a forage through. We want to revolutionise the way you eat and we will do that by changing the way you buy your food.”

This guy is on a mission to reduce packaging waste. “We know the average person throws away 200kgs of packaging waste every year, so we are buying in bulk to reduce excessive packaging.”

Josh Thompson grew up spending his school holidays on his family’s farm in Mollymook. When he met his partner Lisa, they would head to the farm together, escaping the city for long weekends. They felt increasingly aware of how detached their city lifestyle was to nature and the land. The birth of their daughter Indiana only increased their eagerness for a change. Both Lisa and Josh quit their jobs, and The Farm Wholefoods was born.

THEIR CONTACT DETAILS ARE:

hello@thefarmholefoods.com

3/81 MacleAy st, potts point, NSW
 Phone number is 1300 464 869

THEIR OPENING HOURS ARE 7am – 7pm daily

CHECK OUT THEIR AWESOME SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS:

Facebook / Instagram

THEIR WEBSITE http://thefarmwholefoods.com/ is coming soon...