Matcha stawberries

Super simple and festive, there’s not much of a recipe.

Just grab a punnet of strawberries

Block of white chocolate

Matcha powder

Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler, once melted stir in a teaspoon of matcha powder, keep stirring so there are no lumps. See the colour and maybe add another teaspoon to get the colour you want ( I added 2)

Pour the white chocolate matcha mix into a small bowl so you can dip each strawberry in. Place each strawberry on a board covered in tinfoil and pop in the fridge to harden.

Enjoy!

Gingerbread reindeers

2 cups plain flour (300g)
1 cup  Soft Brown Sugar or Organic Coconut Sugar (200g)
1 Tbsp ground ginger 
½ tsp Baking Soda
150g Butter, cubed
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp Golden Syrup or rice malt syrup

Icing
Melted Caramilk chocolate

M&M’s to decorate

Melted dark chocolate

Method

• Preheat oven to 180°C bake (160°C fan-forced). Line two baking trays with baking paper.
  
  Place the Flour, Sugar, ginger and Baking Soda in a bowl or food processor. Add Butterand rub in with fingertips or pulse in food processor until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  
  Add egg and Golden Syrup and stir or pulse to form a dough. If the dough is sticky, add a little more flour until it forms a workable dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  
  Roll out on a lightly floured surface or between two sheets of baking paper until 5mm thick. Cut out shapes using gingerbread man biscuit cutters and place on trays. Form leftover dough into a ball and re-roll and repeat cutting out until dough is used up.
  
  Place on the tray and slightly press down and widen out the head (this is going to be the Reindeers nose) Bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
  
  Icing
  Wait until cold then decorate. I used melted Caramilk chocolate for the nose and dark chocolate for the antlers, you need to get a bit artsy here, I just used a teaspoon and painted it on. You could use a piping bag if you have one. Have fun!!!

Finding balance

We all hear this and strive for balance, but what does that really mean to you?

In an ever changing world, we can feel off balance and tossed around by the goings on around us in an instant. Most of us are experiencing some kind of fatigue, cost of living pressure combined with global gloom, that our edge of balance might be feeling a little thinner.

Balance is a state of equilibrium or equipoise, or from Samkhya philosophy, known as the Sattvic state

Physically balance is an even distribution of weight or force

Psychologically, balance is steadiness of the mind, calmness and ability to be present

Emotionally, balance is the feeling of stability and clarity, accepting the ups and downs

In our lives, balance is the habit of calm behaviour, sound judgment, reason or perspective

I’m sure that you will agree with me, that the practice of yoga helps with all of this, our practice can become our ground, our centre to find our way back into balance, time and time again. Life is chaotic, the minds nature is to wander and balance doesn’t just happen by accident, it takes conscious attention and refined attunement to create a state of equanimity.

What is attunement?

Attunement was the early term adopted by practitioners of energy medicine, originally developed by Lloyd Arther Meeker and his colleagues. Meeker taught and practiced attunement as a central feature of his spiritual teachings. The practice of yoga helps us to attune to ourselves, each other and to something larger than ourselves (call it what you want, god, universe, love, light) it helps us to get out of the smallness of our minds and open to a more expansive state of awareness.

What does attunement look like with another?

Well if a baby was crying, an adult seeing the baby would recognise through attunement that the baby needs something, maybe the baby is hungry, the adult would then pick the child up to feed them. In adult relationships, relating through attunement might be knowing that “I’m fine” doesn’t actually mean that, and mindfully digs a little deeper into what’s going on beneath the surface. When we attune to another we allow or own internal state to shift to come into resonance with the internal state of another. This is what allows us to feel safe in relationship, to be felt, close and connected. To be in harmony or balance with one another. This attunement however requires boundaries, or that feeling of anothers internal state, can disrupt or own equilibrium and throw us off centre if we are not aware.

What is Sattva?

Sattva is one of the 3 Gunas or ‘modes of existence’ a philosophical and physiological concept by the Samkhya school of Hindu philosophy of which everything and everyone consists, in different proportions. The 2 other states are Rajas and Tamas. Rajas is the state of activity, motion, energy or fire and passion. Tamas is the quality of lethargy, disorder, anxiety, negativity and ignorance.

Sattva is the quality of balance, harmony, constructive, creative, positive, peaceful, being-ness.

As we go through the day we find that we naturally shift from higher Rajas in the morning hours, Tamas often kicks in about 3pm as we ebb and flow through the day. We can help cultivate more Sattva through breath work, asana, meditation, diet and what we consume through our sense organs.

Physical balance

Standing on one leg can be one of the most humbling yet functionally helpful parts of asana practice. The great news is, if you wobble and feel like a fool, this is something that you can improve even as you age! By staying active and strengthening the core and lower-body muscles that help us stay steady on our feet, we can maintain our balance and help prevent falls. Balance is the ability to distribute weight in a way that will let us hold a steady position or move independently without falling. A great way to improve your balance is to stand on one foot (do both sides) as you brush your teeth. Habit stacking is the best way to improve at anything, as it doesn’t have to be a long time, it’s the regularity that will help more.

Also by helping your feet become more pliable, flexible, strong and supportive will help too. Getting out of your foot coffins (aka shoes) and going barefoot, spreading out your toes, strengthening the small intrinsic muscles in your feet and moving your toes independently will really help provide a broad, stable supportive base. Also working up the columns of the legs and building more core and glute strength, especially over 35yrs as your body starts to break down muscle faster than it can build it. Smaller weaker muscles are more susceptible to injury and we all know how physical injury or illness throws our whole system off balance!

Balance is a moving target

What brings you into a balanced state at one point in your life, will not at another point. It may have been easier to live out of balance before you became so aware! As you attune more and more, it might mean a more refine process is require to bring you to that Sattvic state. Remember that what ever works for you, might not work for someone else. This is your journey, only you can find your centre.

Try this deep core practice to help improve your balance

Best cookies ever

So I realise my last recipe post was last lockdown! Lockdowns get me baking more than ever and this time it has been my mission to create the best chocolate chip cookies! This is about batch 7 and I’ll be honest some were better than others! I have finally figured out a few tricks. I was going to keep them to myself and create a cookie empire mwahahaha but thats not really my vibe, so instead I will share these tips so you can share the joy that delicious cookies bring. You have my permission to go ahead and put some Duck Island ice cream in between (the consistency is best) might i suggest salted caramel, but really go crazy try out a few and let me know your favourite combo.

Now I love dark chocolate so I did half dark and caramel, and half milk and white for my daughter. You could add nuts and get creative too!

Ingredients

for 12 cookies

• ½ cup caster sugar (100 g)

• ¾ cup brown sugar (165 g), packed

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ½ cup unsalted butter(115 g), melted

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 ¼ cups plain flour (155 g) (if you can find any! This stuff is like gold right now!)

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• Caramilk, milk or white chocolate chunks (110 g) I used Whittakers white or Donovans salted caramel drops

• Dark chocolate chunk (110 g), I used Whittakers dark Ghana

Method

1. Put on a happy playlist the cookies receive your good vibes!

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars, salt, and butter until a paste forms with no lumps.

3. Whisk in the egg and vanilla, beating until light ribbons fall off the whisk and remain for a short while before falling back into the mixture, the mixture will change to a nice creamy colour too.

4. Sift in the flour and baking soda, then fold the mixture with a spatula

   *Be careful not to overmix at this point, this is what causes the gluten in the flour to toughen resulting in cakier cookies.

5. Fold in the chocolate chunks then scoop the dough with an ice-cream scoop or your hands roll into balls and then chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.

   * This is key for a more intense toffee-like flavour and deeper colour, chill the dough overnight. The longer the dough rests, the more complex its flavor will be.

6. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.

7. Put cookie balls onto a baking paper-lined baking sheet, pressing evenly down to flatten out leaving at least 10 cm of space between cookies and 5 cm of space from the edges of the pan so that the cookies can spread evenly.

8. Crack some himalayan salt on top and press a few extra chocolate chunks in.

9. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges have started to barely brown.

10. Cool on the tray for that crispy outer yet gooey inner.

11. Quality control essential so sneak one while still a little warm

12. Enjoy!
    
    
    

Banana, raspberry & chocolate bread

Over herein NZ we are currently in lockdown season 2, this calls for more baking and home cooked meals right? Here’s my super simple banana, raspberry and chocolate bread, it’s sugar free apart from the chocolate!

Ingredients

• butter or coconut oil 125g, melted

• very ripe bananas 3, mashed

• desiccated coconut 1 ½ cups

• ground almonds 1 cup

• flour (e.g. plain, spelt, gluten-free flour) ½ cup

• baking soda 1 level teaspoon

• vanilla essence or extract 2 teaspoons

• salt a good pinch

• free-range eggs 3, whisked

• chia seeds 1 tablespoon

• dark chocolate drops ½ cup

• frozen raspberries ¾ cup

• banana 1 extra, to garnish (optional)

• ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180degC. Line loaf tin with baking paper.

2. In a large bowl, mix melted butter/oil, mashed banana, coconut, ground almonds, flour, baking soda, vanilla, salt and eggs, chia seeds, chocolate and cinnamon. Stir until combined.

3. Spoon 1/2 mixture into prepared loaf tin then press in 2/3 of the raspberries, cover with remaining mixture. Peel and cut remaining banana (if using) in half lengthways and arrange a banana half on top press remaining raspberries on top and sprinkle over extra chocolate drops and long strand coconut.

4. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until loaf is golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

5. Leave loaves to cool in tins for 5-10 minutes before removing and transferring to a wire rack. Very yummy slightly warmed and spread with butter! Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to three days, or in the fridge for up to five days. It also freezes well. Enjoy!

Common challenges in practice

Honestly I feel like I could set up a whole Instagram account of 'yoga hacks' with ways to approach common challenges when you get on the mat. With over 20 years of experience working with the human body, I've observed some common challenges that people face. These challenges can be frustrating and yes, we learn a lot from what frustrates us, but also a few yoga hacks can change your practice and help you to progress.

Our bodies are complex and fascinating, the body is so intelligent and the nervous system will opt to take the path of least resistance. While this might 'get the job done' in the moment it leads to creating patterns in the body that in the long term can lead to instability and injury due to poor form. So jump on your mat and learn a few little tips to empower you in your practice.

Watch the video here

Simple practices of self care - to live a happier, healthier life

Self care is a basic regulatory function that is under our voluntary will and control. Self care is much more than luxury spa day or a #selfcaresunday! I have learnt and am still learning that self care is a pracitce that is essential to form the building blocks of self esteem, value and dignity. Self care means knowing who you are and your limits. Sometimes it means saying ‘no’ in order to look after yourself even if it means letting someone else down. Now that is a big one! Healthy boundaries are the pillars of self care.

Trial and error

Often we learn most form our mistakes, our mess ups or burn outs, we vow never to go there and do that again! That is when we slam up against a boundary that has actually been infringed upon for quite some time but gone unrecognised. We don’t notice it until it hits us slap bang in the face, or knocks us flat on our backs. It dawned on me one day from juggling too much for far too long, that self care means recognizing when you are doing more than you are used to handling and trying to figure out what can be done to slow down.

Create space

When we cram our schedules full, there is no space, very little room to move, and definitely not enough time to be in joy. So we end up not enjoying our lives, even the great things as much as we could. When we consciously carve out space in our lives the joy trickles back in. These self care tips are simple, yet it’s the consistency of these practices that is the key to a healthier happier life as our decisions come from a postive space rather than from a place of lack or stress.

Simple self care for the body

Scan- Use a body scan technique to connect to each part of your body and become present to internal sensations and feelings.

Oxygenate- You have all the equipment for this one on you all the time. Stop what ever you are doing, take a slow breath in for 3 or 4 seconds and pause at the top of the breath for 3-4 seconds, then exhale for that same count, pause, then inhale again. Take a few minutes of this slow breath and notice how you feel.

Move- Find a type of body movement that you enjoy wether its running, yoga, cycling, crossfit or dance do what makes you feel good or what you enjoy because you will be more consistent in regular movement, remember consistency is the key.

Nourish- with foods that fuel you, if you're not much of a foodie find a few wholesome recipes and get them on rotation. Its often a stressed state that our poor food choices steam from, preparation help prevent us from grabbing for that sugar hit and quick processed snack.

Stretch- get the kinks out of your body and move any of that stuck stagnant feelings within. Get up from your desk and stretch out your shoulders, back and hip flexors, unwind at night with a simple yoga sequence or wake up with an invigorating practice. Try this simple yoga practice.

Inhale- You can use an uplifting blend of peppermint and orange essential oils to perk you up and and shift your energy and focus.

Touch- soothes and nourishes the body and soul, an hour massage is wonderful but if the finances or time doesn’t allow, massage some lotion into your skin. Hug a friend or reach out to someone. The very act of reaching out and offering support to someone else releases a whole host of feel good chemicals like oxytocin, decreasing the stress hormone cortisol and heart rate and blood pressure.

Simple self care for the mind

Decisions- stress is most intense when we are inbetween making a decision, once we commit to something we allow ourselves to accept things as they are and have a clearer path forward. If you usually make your decisions from your head, perhaps turning into what you heart desires. Or on the flipside if you are heart lead perhaps gathering more facts or figures may benefit you more in this process.

Attention- Pay attention to something that you would normally do on auto pilot, by bringing attention to what you are doing is the practice of meditation in action, this way anything can become an opportunity to meditate and let go of the excuses of not having enough time.

Laugh- Give yourself permission to goof off, to play, to be silly and let spontanious fun back into your life. This energy is infectious and inviting to be around. I firmly believe that laughing is the best medicine ever!

Edit- cull any negative profiles off your social media or ‘mute’ posts that trigger or bring you down, tune out to things around you that bring you down. Value yourself and what you invite around you physically, through technology and energetically.

Switch- around any internal dialogue that is negative or limiting self talk. Catch yourslef when you are beating yourself up and Stop. Remove it. Replace it with the opposite. Instead of “I suck at this” replace it with “I’m learning something new” shifting into a growth mindset rather than a closed one.

Simple self care for the soul

Pet- find a furry friend and pat that animal, just like hugging this releases all the feel good hormones and soothes your soul. We can often connect with our animal friends in a way that we may find diffcult with humans.

Celebrate- your achievements, celebrate the small gains, celebrate the simple things in life by pausing. Gratitude brings you into the present moment where life exisits.

Sit- with yourself, with your emotions, with your experiences, so that you can digest them is the most effective way to create space. Write down what you need to, get it out. Let go of what is not serving you. Practice this simple meditation technique.

Indulge- ok so #selfcaresunday does come in! Create a home spa, immerse yourself in a bath, give yourself a mani or a face mask may set the space to sit with yourself like above and get your inner and outer glow on.

Reach out- As humans we are hard wired for connection, its what brings meaning to our lives. As a society we have become more isolated and are suffering the effects of this separation more than ever. Reach out and ask for help or ask if someone else is ok. Invite connection that nourishes you.

By bringing attention consistently to simple self care practices the fog of stress will start to lift, joy will flood in back in through the spaces that you have created. Watch your self value and esteem rise as a result.

Chocolate AB+J cups

These little cups of goodness are prefect for when the sweet snack attack hits!  I am a lover of chocolate (as anyone close to me can attest) so I packed these beauties with some goodness for deeper satisfaction.  Super simple and I keep them in a container in the fridge so I can grab one on the go!

Ingredients:

Block of dark chocolate (I used the Trade Aid one)

Coconut oil (Chantal Organics)

Almond butter (I choose the smooth creamy Chantal Organics)

Chia seeds (again Chantal Organics)

Organic mixed berries

Method:

• Chai Jam- Blend 1/2 a cup of berries to make a nice smooth paste, add in about 2 T of Chia seeds and leave to swell over a few hours.
• Once the Chia jam is ready to go slowly* melt the chocolate and about a teaspoon of coconut oil over a pot of simmering water until smooth and melted.
• Pour chocolate into silicon cup moulds to cover the base.
• Spoon a blob of Almond butter carefully into the cup on top of the chocolate layer, drop a blob of chia jam on top of that.
• Pour another layer of chocolate over the lot and put in the fridge to set.
• Once set, carefully pop out each cup, put one in your mouth and enjoy!

*there is a reason to do this slowly as I found out with my first attempt! Ahhhhh yeah burnt dark chocolate not good... you can really taste the magnesium! I had to start again, so don't make my mistake.

What the squat?!

What the pose Malasana can tell you about your body

If that feeling of dread washes over you when the yoga teacher says "just bend your knees and come into a deep yogi squat" you find yourself glancing sideways, comparing how 'easy' it looks for some people yet it feels awful in your own body, then this post is for you!  Often our challenges in life present the greatest opportunities for learning, and Malasana or Garland pose can offer us much valuable insight into ourselves. Some yoga asana are more gymnastical and some are highly functional, the deep squat is highly functional, so we want to do it, yet it's a complex pose that involves many joints and muscles.  Depending on your body proportions,  joint structures, areas of tension, areas of mobility, strengths and weakness the answers will be different. The great news is, that Malasana is a great place to help identify some underlying issues in the body and become curious about these complex workings.

You're one of a kind baby, there's no one quite like you!

“Differences aren't deficits,” said population geneticist Theodosius Dobzhansky.

The truth is everyone’s squat will look a little different due to anatomical variations of the hip joint. Some of these variations are skeletal, and no amount of yoga practice or hip opening can change the shape of this bony architecture, at least not significantly, so Malasana can also become a seat for radical self acceptance!  With consistent and safe practice, your squat may change shape as your soft tissues change, so let us not be limited by our anatomy and instead let's get in and explore things a little more.  Squatting is a functional movement so if we don't use it, we will likely loos it!  Think how many times a day you squat, getting up out of a chair or off the floor, stepping out of the car, or going to the bathroom!  Yet in the western culture a deep squat isn't part of our daily life unless we make it one, I know as I age I want to be able to get down on the floor and play with my grandchildren!  Learning about your body and how to come into deep squat honouring your own architecture, will undoubtably help your movement patterns and posture. 

Whats involved?

So I said it was complex so bear with me here if anatomy isn't your jam!  The ability to perform the deep squat requires appropriate closed-kinetic chain (weight-bearing) dorsiflexion of the ankles; knee and hip flexion; combined movement of the lumbar spine (lower back) and the pelvis; axial extension (lengthening) of the spine; and slight shoulder flexion.  Malasana challenges the mechanics of the whole body to work cohesively together, no wonder it can go south (literally... who feels like they are going to fall backwards?)  it requires mobility and stability in the ankles, knees, hips, pelvis, and spine.  

Natural tendencies

Just the way you are, is perfect, however understanding how your body proportions affect a pose is a golden key for unlocking compassion and understanding in our practice. Those with long torsos and/or short legs will likely find malasana to be a little more accessible, while those with shorter torsos and/or longer legs may have to work a little smarter and longer to find a 'comfortable seat' in Malasana.   Taking the time to examine Malasana closer, we can begin to assess bilateral symmetry in the ankles, knees, hips, shoulders and spine.  Also observing our own ROM and where we may benefit from the use of props and how to use them. 

Try the pose

Use a mirror or film yourself on your phone so that you can look, assess and start to awaken your inner teacher.  Begin with your feet a little wider than hip distance and perhaps start with the feet slightly turned out. Keeping grounded through the big toes, start to bend the knees and begin to lower down, as you lower down drive your knees out wide, while keeping the big toes pressing down.  Your heels might lift a bit (we will look at that a little later) but try to keep them down as best you can.  You can bring the elbows inside the knees or inner thighs, or reach out and take hold of your mat in front. You might feel like you're going to topple over backwards, or you might end up on your bum, but we'll look at what that can mean later too!

Observe

How do you feel?  Are your heels lifting?  Look at your arches, are they collapsing? Are your ankles rolling in, or knees knocking in? Is one side more collapsed or heavy that the other?  Are your toes excessively turned out?  Are your knees tracking over your feet? How do you feel in your hips?  Then look form the side, is your spine straight, rounded or arched?  Is your tail tucked under? Where is the weight landing?

Start from the ground 

Feet and ankles

In asana we always begin from the base, take a look at your feet and ankles.  Do your heels want to lift up?  The simple answer here is usually restriction in the soft tissues of the calf, the chillies tendon and more specifically the soleus muscle (deeper lower calf muscle) because the knee is flexed (bent) in this position.  These tissues can be released with trigger point release balls, a massage therapist and also strengthened with isolated exercises.  Sometimes in an effort to get the heels down the medial (inner) arch collapses and/or the feet turn out excessively.  This can be an indicators of tightness in the upper hamstrings and piriformis muscles (deep external rotator of the hip)  and/or weakness in the gluteus medius muscle.  

Malasana also requires the ankle to dorsiflex, the functional ROM (range of motion) here is 20 degrees and for this action to occur the talus bone (caged bone in the ankle with no muscular attachments) needs to glide posteriorly (backwards) as the foot moves towards the shin.  This is a less common culprit but if there has been injury or compression in this area, you may benefit from talus mobilisation exercises to help increase ROM in the ankle.

Knees and hips

So how about the knees, are they knocking inwards?  This can indicate weak gluteus muscles, tight adductors (inner thighs) and/or tight iliotibial band (the band of fascia along the outside of the leg). If your low back arched excessively (particularly as you lowered down), you may have tight hip flexors that are compensating for a weak core. If your spine rounded forward, you may have weak erector spinae muscles, a tight thoracic (middle) spine, and/or tight hamstrings.  So what is your body trying to tell you here?  More posterior chain (back body) strengthening, just think how much of your day is seated!

Asymmetry 

Leaning toward one side, one knee dropping in or one hip higher than the other, can indicate stability issues, asymmetrical ROM in ankles, knees or hips or a protective mechanism that the body has created to avoid pain. This is common in people who've have injuries or impingement in the lower body.  This can be seen more clearly in video or photos as it is likely that if the body has been in this pattern for a while, you can't feel it.

So what do we do?

The easiest way to make this pose more accessible is to place support underneath the heels (such as a rolled up towel, your mat, a yoga wedge or blanket). If your heels are really close to the ground, try widening your feet a bit more and/or turning your toes out a little more, and see if that helps bring your heels down, but don't collapse the arches!!!. Your own unique structure and where your hip socket is positioned will affect your positioning, try taking the feet wider, how does that feel?  How does it feel with the feet more parallel?  If ROM in the knees or ankles are an issue try sitting on a block or move to a wall for light support, if you take this option keep as much weight as possible in the feet so that it stays active and you receive the benefits from the pose rather than just sitting in it!  Aim to keep your knees in line with the feet and keep pressing your big toes firmly into the ground.  As your body changes so too may your Malasana, some days my feet feel good parallel other days I need more turn out. 

Other things to try

So you've got the heels down now on the floor or support, make sure to keep your big toes pressing down while you drive the knees outwards and weight towards the outer edge of the foot.  This keeps the gluteal muscles turned on and helps

• Your ankles and feet stay in a better position, providing a solid foundation.
• Your knees pointing in the same direction as the feet, not twisting inwards.
• Your hips are externally rotating and creating a little torque in the hip sockets.

The strong foundation of the feet creates pada bandha (root lift from the soles of the feet) helping further up the chain to lift the pelvic floor and lower abdominals (mula bandha and uddiyana bandha). Use the elbows to press the knees out, while simultaneously hugging the knees in to the elbow, to lift the spine upwards  and draw the chest forward.  This action engages the upper back muscles and 'untucks' the tailbone, feel how this lifts the rib cage and diaphragm, allowing a more spacious sensation into the torso.  Soften the chin and lengthen the back of the neck.

If you hold this pose for a while, you may experience sensation in the frontal shin muscles (tibialis anterior) these muscles work against the release of the calves to help stop you from falling backwards.  Don't despair, come out when you need to and build up time in the pose slowly, as these muscles strengthen and the calves release, it will become more of a comfortable seat.

If you are still toppling backwards you can hold onto your mat, move to a wall or practice at home holding on to a strong table leg to improve the ROM in the required joints.  Don't give up, as we age this is a functional movement that we want to maintain.  As it gets easier with practice you may even find yourself stopping, dropping and squatting throughout the day! 

Almond Matcha Pancakes

Inspired by the amazing breakfasts that we had on retreat at Sherwood Queenstown, I decided to add my own Matcha twist to what proved to be a favourite, made with the honey from the happy bees at Sherwood.  DF GF

1 Cup Almond meal

1T Matcha powder

2 free range organic eggs

1 T Sherwood harvested honey

2 T Chantal organics coconut oil

Chantal Organics Apple sauce to drizzle

Pinch of salt

Coconut yogurt (optional)

Organic berries (optional)

Measure out almond meal and Matcha into a bowl, mix in eggs, honey and melted coconut oil and salt to mix. Infuse with love. Pop a bit of coconut oil in a fry pan and cook on a moderate heat.  Be warned, keep an eye on them as they colour quickly, turn carefully once bubbles appear. 

Side carefully onto your plate and drizzle with Chantal organics apple sauce, made with 100% NZ apples its a great alternative to maple syrup, add berries or coconut yogurt.  Yummo!