PERKIER Flakes Review & Dark Chocolate Crispy Buns

A couple of weeks ago I received an email from Ann of Perkier Foods asking if I would like to review their Brand NEW Flakes. Of course I said "Yes, PLEASE"!! A big fan of Perkier Porridge I couldn't wait to try these brand new cereals.

Sugar Free Strawberry & Peach "Ice Cream" GF SCD

For the first time in years we're having Summer weather in the UK and I LOVE sunshine and hot weather. Having enjoyed a fantastic couple of weeks in Canada this year coming back to the same climate was such a treat! 

July 17th Trust Your Intuition Book Release Day

“This tremendous resource will shift your paradigm about healthcare. It’s simple, eye-opening, and fun to read! When conventional medicine hasn’t entirely provided the answers you’re looking for, it may be time to think outside of the box and consider the possibility that nature may have already long-since provided remedies for many of the ailments that plague society today. So sit back and enjoy these stories from real people who struggled with real challenges, and the fascinating ways in which they overcame them.”

~Leslie Householder, bestselling author of The Jackrabbit Factor: Why You Can,  www.jackrabbitfactor.com

I am so thrilled and delighted to announce that Trust Your Intuition 25 “Natural Medicine Confessions” from Influential Women Who Use Healing Remedies For Their Families has been released today Wednesday July 17, 2013.

A Healthy Gluten Free Diet May Help Relieve Reflux Disease

I'm pretty much a private person really but I feel I must share this awesome news with you so that it may help someone else who has been suffering just like me. Have you ever wondered why I am following a gluten free diet? Well, one of the reasons why I started a long term gluten free diet is because I have been dependent on proton-pump inhibitors since the Summer of 2001 and because of their potential side effects, I have been desperate to stop taking them. I really hoped that a long term gluten free diet might just help me to stop. 

Trust Your Intuition

“I’ve always been a huge believer in the power of personal stories in setting others on the path to wellness. The 25 “Natural Medicine Confessions” shared in Trust Your Intuition are all very different, yet very similar. These women have used what they have learned to heal themselves and their family members. The results of their “mama bear” instincts coming out are simply amazing and inspiring........"

~Shirley Braden, author at www.glutenfreeeasily.com

Thank you Shirley for writing this wonderful review which is published in the chapter "What People Are Saying in Praise of Trust Your Intuition".

I am incredibly excited and feel so honoured to have been asked to be a contributor to the newly published book, Trust Your Intuition 25 “Natural Medicine Confessions” from Influential Women Who Use Healing Remedies For Their Families, to be launched next week on Wednesday July 17, 2013. There are 24 other women besides me who have contributed and shared a story of why we chose to use natural medicine for a health issue or challenge in our homes.

Butternut Squash, Beetroot and Avocado Salad GF SCD

When I was younger, salad was defined as lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber and, if we were lucky, coleslaw and potato salad. My grandma also used to include spring onions, celery and occasionally mustard and cress. How things have moved forward! This salad is so colourful and delicious and once the butternut squash has roasted, it takes no time at all to put together and since it's bursting with nutritional goodness it's ideal to eat as a main course as well as a side.

Poached Pears with a Raspberry Reduction GF SCD

Pears are notoriously difficult to store. Trying to catch them when they're perfectly ripe is probably one of the reasons why they're not as popular as they should be. They're either too hard or too ripe. But one of the ways around this problem is to cook them.

I chose conference pears for this recipe but you can use any variety, just ensure that they are ripe AND still firm. I made these to eat straight away but if you leave them in the liquid overnight the colour will be much deeper and richer. The ones below were left for 24 hours.

Poached Pears with a Raspberry Reduction GF SCD 

4 - 6 pears
400 g frozen or fresh raspberries
1½ pints filtered water
2 tblsps honey (or other liquid sweetener)
½ - 1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 split vanilla pod

Tip the raspberries into a pan. Peel the pears carefully.

Place in a pan on top of the raspberries then add just enough filtered water to cover them.

Add 1 tablespoon of honey or other liquid sweetener, bring to the boil then simmer very gently for about fifteen to thirty minutes depending on the size of the pears. Test to see if they are soft by inserting a sharp knife carefully into the pear. Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the pears from the pan. They will be pink. If you want them to be a richer colour just let the pears cool in the pan, then chill overnight. This will intensify the colour and flavour as in the picture above.

Strain the raspberries then pour the liquid into a clean pan. Add the sliced vanilla pod or the vanilla extract and another tablespoon of honey (or chosen sweetener) to the pan. Bring to the boil and reduce the liquid by at least half to thicken it. I used just over half a teaspoon of vanilla extract but taste the sauce and add a little more vanilla extract and/or sweetener if you wish.

Remove the vanilla pod if you used one then pour the sauce over the pears.

Serve with a few raspberries and vanilla cashew cream or coconut cream..