Curried Chicken With Rice

Indian food is one of my favourite cuisines. It is just amazingly flavourful and the spices are delicious. I'm not very good at handling chilli so I prefer my Indian mild so I use Korma paste in this dish.

It's a really simple and quick recipe - just under 30 minutes. I love the sweetness of the sultanas and crunch in the apples. It's yummy!

Curried Chicken With Rice
Makes 4

Ingredients:

• 500g chicken breast
• 3 tablespoons Korma pasta
• 500g cooked Basmati rice
• 1 granny smith apple
• 1 onion
• 1/2 cup sultanas
• 8 cherry tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Method:

1. Dice onion, cut apple into 2cm pieces and tomatoes in half
2. Chop chicken and coat with Korma pasta
3. In a frying pan - cook onions with olive oil until slightly brown
4. Add in chicken and cook for 5 minutes or until golden
5. Stir in rice until coated in paste
6. Add apple, tomatoes and sultanas

Notes:

• Optional - serve with natural yoghurt
• Using uncooked rice - start cooking the rice first and then start your prep

Chia Seed Pudding

I find chia really fun to eat because it's so crunchy. Other than being a fun food, they are a great source of fibre, omega-3 and protein, give you stronger teeth and bones, regulate your appetite, fight belly fat (yay!) and the list goes on. Hooray!

Chia Seed Pudding
Makes 1

Ingredients:

1. 1/4 cup chia seeds
2. 2/3 cup almond milk (coconut or soy milk)
3. 1 tablespoon honey
4. 1/2 cup mixed berries

Method:

1. In a bowl - add chia seeds, almond milk and honey and stir well
2. Refrigerate for 10 minutes
3. Top with berries

Notes:

• You want a tapioca-like texture - if you refrigerate the pudding for too long it will set completely

Crochet Bunnies

I am almost done with our baby's nursery but I couldn't resist going on Etsy. I love Etsy because there are just so many unique hand-made items from all over the world.

I found these adorable crochet bunnies that come in a cute little carrot purse and it's just so precious.

We already have so many toys ready for our little pea but I don't think I can resist these.

 

 

 

 

Honey & Avocado Hair Treatment Mask

I spend a lot of time taking care of my skin; I cleanse, (sometimes) spritzer, apply sunscreen, moisturiser and eye serum and after a shower I try to always apply body lotion. However I do tend to forget about my hair and my hair has been through a lot, those poor poor strands.

I found this great two ingredient hair mask that I love and even more so because it's all natural - no added chemicals eek! I've been very conscious about what I'm putting on my skin since becoming preggies so all of my skincare is natural, organic and certified organic.

Honey & Avocado Hair Treatment Mask

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of honey. Honey is a natural humectant which is a natural substance that attracts and helps retain moisture
• 1 medium-sized avocado. Avocados are rich in unsaturated oils, nutrient-dense, and provides a ton of moisture.

Directions:

• Take a medium-sized avocado and mash until smooth. 
• Add in 2 tablespoons of honey and mix well. 
• Apply to dry or slightly damp hair and leave on for 15-20 minutes. 
• Rinse well and follow with shampoo and conditioner if desired. 

Additional Tips:

• This is also a great scalp treatment so feel free to massage it directly onto your scalp. But if you have an oily scalp, you can apply the treatment a few inches down from the scalp. 
• While the mask is doing its magic, use a shower cap (or saran wrap) to keep your hair out of the way.

Another great tip from my hairdresser - leave treatment in all day and overnight if you aren't going anywhere. Wash your hair the next morning and it will be silky smooth. 

Source and credit to: Pretty Gossip

Mixed Berry Smoothie

I am a big believer in never skipping breakfast. I will always eat breakfast, even if I wake up at 11AM - which then I call brunch. And I also love brunch! Especially when I go out for it and have it made for me.

Whenever we are in a rush; a lot of the times I will make this quick and easy smoothie for Alex and I. We've had a lot of prenatal appointments at 8AM and unlike myself, Alex isn't normally awake at that time. If I'm not in too much of a rush, I'll also make some French Raisin Toast.

I love smoothies. My mum and I made them frequently at one point because they're so easy and you can add in whatever you want!

Very Berry Smoothie
Makes 2

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups frozen berries
2. 1 banana
3. 2 cups skim milk (soy, coconut or almond milk)
4. 175g berry yoghurt 

Method:

1. Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth
2. Divide between two glasses

Notes:

• Add more or less yoghurt to achieve desired consistency
• Sprinkle chia seeds for a boost of antioxidants
• Add organic orange juice for extra sweetness
• Adding protein powder will keep you full for longer

Pregnancy Pampering

As my pregnancy journey is soon coming to an end and it won't be long until I begin a whole new exciting chapter of my life; being a mummy - I wanted to write about a few little pleasures I'll be taking to the hospital with me to make my stay a little bit more glam.

Being a first time mum(-to-be) I have learnt from movies that having a baby is not exactly the most glamourous time in your life. Here a few extra things I've packed...

Clearly Great Skin Pack from Endota Spa - it was one of the many gorgeous gifts my girlfriend Trang gave me at my baby shower

Heathcote & Ivory Sweat Pea & Honeysuckle shower gel - after giving birth I'd like to be able to hop into the shower and lather myself up with something delicious

Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Cream - my boyfriend purchased this one for me (after I guilt tripped him into doing it. Score!) 

Ladakh Crystal Origami Pants - wide elasticised pants that are lightweight and thin because little bub will be a Spring time baby!

I also packed a a lightweight sundress as my going home outfit but I will leave that as a surprise and reveal it in a post-labour post! 

Hopefully if you are due soon I have inspired you to pack a few more extra little luxe items to make your stay more pleasant.

No Bake Coconut Ball Dog Treats

How could I not post this recipe considering how dog crazy I am? I found this simple recipe on Pretty Fluffy. Pretty Fluffy's founder and editor is Serena Faber Nelson. On her blog you will find chic, stylish DIY projects for the home and pet and up-to-date content and products. It's a must for pet lovers and owners. I've already bookmarked it myself!

No Bake Coconut Ball Dog Treats
Makes approximately 20 treats

Ingredients:

1. 1/3 cup coconut oil
2. 2-3 tablespoons of peanut butter
3. 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
4. 1/3 cup finely shredded coconut

Method:

1. Add Coconut Oil, Peanut Butter and Rolled Oats to food processor and mix until well combined
2. Scoop out bite sized pieces with a spoon and roll into little balls
3. Toss each ball gently in the finely shredded coconut until well coated
4. Place on a flat tray lined with baking paper, refrigerate for 30 minutes and serve

Serena's tips:

If the mixture is too dry or wet add extra oats or coconut oil to correct

And yes... you can have some yourself. Just don't eat it all and leave none for your furry friend!

Weekend in Daylesford

Over the weekend Alex and I drove to Daylesford in central Victoria to house sit for his brother and wife. I am not the type of person who likes being in the car or driving for more than twenty minutes. Having said that, it was great to get out of Melbourne - we are yet to have our first vacation interstate and overseas!

We visited The Mineral Springs whilst we were there and took a little walk, tasted some of the spring waters. There are about four different springs that are spread out a few kms. We only two tried two of them - you could actually tell one was bubblier than the other. There's something special about drinking the water straight from the tap and not through a bottle. The only downside was that the smell of the waters were a little bit funky.

After that we headed to the Chocolate Mill considering we both had a 'day off' we decided to treat ourselves and bought a little box of treats. They were delicious!

On our last day we went out for coffee and cake at Larder and also bought some little hand-made baby goodies!

There are taps at all the different springs for you to fill up your bottle

One of the Mineral Springs

The Chocolate Mill

A selection of the delicious chocolates

Hand-made booties, beanie and toy giraffe