Chocolate energy squares (gluten and refined sugar free)

Gluten free chocolate squares
There is a fantastic meme doing the rounds on social media at the moment, you might have seen it. Two women are having coffee together and one says “I feel like March flew by so fast” to which her friend replies “It’s May”. *insert comical shocked face here* Judging from many of the conversations I have had in the last week it seems as though a lot of us are feeling that way right now. And look out, because tomorrow it will be June! Other than wondering where the year has gone I have also been looking out for healthier recipes to make at home. We are very fortunate not to have any food allergies in our family but lately I have been inspired to try new ingredients and find healthier alternatives to use at home everyday. This recipe was the result of some playing around I did a few weeks ago.

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Low carb chilli beef and vegetable stir fry

 Low carb beef and vegetable stir fry

It is time for another “dinner in a flash” recipe  – we love those right? And this one will also, I think, be met with nods of approval from the banting crowd. This beef and veggie stir fry is a very simple but delicious meal that works well for supper or lunch. (Or both if you have leftovers.) I say simple because I usually prepare my stir fries with a homemade sauce, or at the very least a splash of soy sauce but in this recipe I have simply used a couple of aromatics to give the dish its tasty flavour with the added bonus of making it sugar free.

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Sugar free chocolate granola (with video)

Sugar free chocolate granola with fresh fruit

If you were a fly on the wall in our home early in the morning there are a number of different scenarios you might witness, depending on which day you were there. The fact is that when you have small children you never quite know how the morning is going to play out! Yesterday morning for example everyone was up and out of bed ten minutes earlier than normal, ate their breakfast quickly and got dressed promptly and cheerfully which meant we were ready to leave the house quite a bit earlier than usual. On another morning you might witness an altercation over a cereal bowl and/or breakfast cup, a world record attempt for the longest time taken to finish a piece of toast or some intense outfit negotiations… all resulting in delays, heavy sighs and a late departure for school. But one thing you will almost certainly see at some point in the morning rush is yours truly munching on a bowl of this fabulous stuff.

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Chocolate banana bread (paleo)

Gluten free and sugar free banana bread.

Every now and then I come across an absolute gem of a recipe online and this one is one of my current favourites so be warned, I am going to be getting gushy today. I have been telling everyone about this chocolate banana bread! It is the creation of Rachel from Bakerita.com and she has kindly allowed me to share it with y’all.

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Sugar free chocolate mousse (with video)

 Sugar free chocolate mousse without avos.
My regular readers will know that I love a fully loaded treat, but lately I have been on the look out for recipes that are both delicious but free from things like sugar and gluten. I notice such a difference in my energy levels when I avoid these (no more mid afternoon slumps), not to mention feeling more clear headed. So I was intrigued when my son’s teacher told me about this amazing sugar free chocolate mousse – of course I had to try it!

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Two scrumptious side dishes: carrot salad and roasted cauliflower

I am keeping it simple this week with two good all-year-round side dish recipes that I hope you will love as much as I do. And by simple I mean easy – these dishes may not require much effort but they are not at all lacking in the flavour department!

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Sugar free banana cake (with video)

It is March and in my house that equals birthdays and lots of baking! I made this cake earlier in the month for my daughter’s school birthday and wanted to avoid added sugar but still make something delicious that the children would love. This cake has a soft, light texture and a delicate banana flavour. Rather than cover the cake with icing I drizzled it with delicious melted carob. This is a great alternative to chocolate!

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A trio of summer spreads – hummus, tzatziki, tuna pâté

Greetings and Happy New Year everyone! I have had a lovely break, albeit a busy one packed with get togethers with family and friends, bits of admin that we did not get to during the year and plenty of feasting. We even managed to end off with a few days away in beautiful Franschhoek – just my little family, which was a perfect way to end off a busy holiday. It almost made up for the administrative portion of the holiday – because nothing screams “holiday fun” more than having to queue for five hours to renew your car licence and another eight hours for passports! Hey ho.

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