Tangy Lemon “Cheesecake” (Raw, vegan and paleo friendly)

This is one of our all time favourite desserts and the one that we rustle up for most occasions in one form or another, and it really is pretty easy to make.  It can be adapted for a dinner party to be in mini form in a cupcake pan, or cut into squares for easy to grab freezer treats, or in slices with berries for a fab dessert.  That’s what we’re doing for July 4th.  It uses a nut, seed and date crust and then cashews as the base for the creamy cheesecake layer.  When they are soaked and blended they make a wonderful creamy cheese replacement!

Crust:

2 cups almonds
1/2 cup ground flax seed (or more almonds)
Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
1/2 tsp vanilla powder (or 1 tsp extract)
A good pinch of pink salt
10 dates (or more as needed)

For the Filling:

2-3 cups cashews, soaked 2+ hours
1 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup raw honey or maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla powder (or 1 tsp extract)
Zest of 2 lemons
Juice of 5 good sized lemons

Directions: 

Place all the crust ingredients bar the dates, into a good food processor and pulse them until the nuts are breadcrumb sized.  Add in the dates and continue to pulse until the mixture will hold its shape when you press it between your fingers.

Line the base of an 8-10″ springform pan with baking parchment and press the crust firmly down into the base.  Place the crust in the freezer.  Depending on what size pan you use you’ll just end up with a thicker or thinner crust and ‘cheese’ layer.  I prefer a thicker crusted, taller cheesecake so I like a smaller pan!

Next place the soaked cashews in the food processor with the coconut oil and blend until they are completely smooth and creamy.  (Note: Don’t leave the cashews in the fridge to soak or they will turn the coconut oil solid when you blend them together!)

Then add in the honey, vanilla, and about half of the lemon zest and rind and blend those together.  I recommend adding the remainder of the lemon to taste, I like things really citrusy and tart but add until it tastes the way you like!

Then pour the creamy lemon mixture over the crust and smooth it out.  To get it completely smooth gently shake the pan from side to side and then give it a good tap on a work surface.  It should finish up completely smooth.  Now it’s ready to go back in the freezer to set.  I recommend leaving it for at least 4 hours but the best is overnight. Then just pop it out of the freezer 15 minutes before you want to eat it so it can soften slightly.

If you want to make it and eat it right away, the filling is delicious dolloped into a bowl and simply topped with the ‘base’ crumbled over the top along with berries.  Delicious.

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The Whole Doughnut

The Whole Doughnut – 20 Guilt Free Doughnut Recipes is due for release July 2015! 

For book release updates and offers sign up here and we’ll keep you posted so you’ll be the first to have it when it’s available for purchase!

The ebook (which will be available as a traditional ebook for Kindle and iPad, as well as in the form of a PDF download) features step by step instructions for making every doughnut and frosting as well as tips on kitchen equipment, filling and taking care of your pans, ingredient substitutions and extra flavour combos to play with.  All the featured recipes are made without gluten, dairy and refined sugar.  Most of the recipes cater to a paleo lifestyle but I’ve added a few extra for those on a tree nut free diet, which are based on gluten free oat, and chickpea flour.  For those with a less sweet tooth there is also a savory breakfast doughnut featuring my absolute favourite, a decadent faux-llandaise sauce.

A few of the flavours you’ll find are Ginger Pistachio (below), Maple Bacon, Almond Butter and Blueberry, and Chocolate Chip Cookies and Cream.

Important BLOG UPDATE!

 

Hello to all our wonderful blog followers and friends!

We are moving over to a new email system to let you know more efficiently about new content and recipes on the blog! With that, we’ll also be sending out short and fun bimonthly ‘Kitchen Roundups‘  that will let you know about new recipes that have been posted, what’s happening in our kitchen, and little thoughts and helpful tips from our world. We’re excited about sending them to you!  If you’d like to still be notified of new blog posts or get the Kitchen Roundups, just sign up here or below! 

This weekend we’ll also be sending out a PDF download card with recipes for delectable Ooey Gooey Paleo S’mores, Cocoa dusted marshmallows, and graham style crackers to set you up for all those summer barbecues and bonfires! So if you want the recipe card just sign up before the weekend is out and it will appear in your inbox!

To get blog posts and Kitchen Roundups straight to your email, just click here! 

And as always, if you have any questions, comments or feedback, shoot us an email anytime at kezianeusch@gmail.com!

Thanks!

Kezia and Jared

Spelt Pizza Crust with a Slow Cooked Beef and Tomato Sauce

Crust Ingredients:
3 cups wholegrain spelt flour (plus extra for dusting your kneading surface)
1 1/4 cups warm but not hot water
2 tsp dry active yeast
1 tsp pressed garlic
1 tsp oregano
Salt and Pepper
2 tbsp olive oil (plus extra for brushing dough)
1 tbsp honey

For the sauce:
1 small can of tomato puree
1/2 tsp oregano
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 red onion, shredded
1 Zucchini, finely shredded
2-3 carrots, finely shredded
1/2-1 cup good stock
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 pound organic grass fed ground beef

Start by making the dough, mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl until they just come together in a rough ball.  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it for about 10 minutes, until the texture changes and it becomes elastic.  You can add more flour as you need to it doesn’t stick to your surface.

Before and after the rise

Drizzle some olive oil on the ball of dough then turn it over so it’s coated and won’t stick as it rises.  Then cover the bowl with a wet clean dish cloth and let it sit in a warm place until it’s doubled in size (about 1-2 hours).  This is when I started my slow cooked sauce, but the recipe is below the pizza.

(Note: You can now roll out the dough and go but I like to do a second rise).  Punch down the dough and split it in two, then knead each one until you get that smooth elastic texture again.  Oil each one and set them in separate bowls or on an oiled board. (Each one will make one pizza) Leave them be again for another hour or until you’re ready to go.  (They can be refrigerated for hours at this point.  If you make the dough at night for the next night just pop it in the fridge, press it down in the morning, make a ball again and put it back and it will be perfect for dinner!)

Dough ready for the second rise, and the slow cooked sauce.

Covered with a damp dish cloth for a second rise.

For the sauce: 

This really is so simple.  Splash a tbsp of oil in a pan on a medium heat and cook the onion, throw in the meat and braise it (till its browned.)  Add in the garlic and shredded veggies and continue to cook, stirring regularly.  In a separate bowl whisk all the remaining ingredients until combined then add to the skillet.  Stir until it’s combined then cover and simmer on a low heat for an hour to an hour and a half, checking in periodically to stir.  If it’s too liquidy at the end, cook uncovered for 10 minutes and it it becomes too thick, add a little more stock.  It’s amazing how much flavour develops over an hour! Split the sauce in two for the two pizzas.

 Assembly! Preheat the oven to 400F and roll out the pizza dough on a well floured surface or directly on a baking sheet.  Add on the sauce, and any cheese you want and pop it in the oven for 10 minutes or until the crust is crisp and the cheese is bubbling. Bon appetite.

The first trimester aka The Bread Days

Toast.
My husband has started referring to me affectionately as ‘The Toast Monster’.  These first few months of pregnancy have seen me gracing the kitchen one, two, maybe three times a night to devour endless rounds of spelt toast as the only route out of morning sickness.  Aside from retiring to bed at 8pm (on a good day) and one early morning when I drove around town ready to gag, searching for an open store and then ended up stuffing my face with frozen bread in a parking lot, it’s been a pretty simple first trimester.

The ‘inedible’ foods.
People ask me all the time what I’m craving. I’m pretty sure they’re hoping to catch me red handed with a greasy burger as I ditch my love of clean food.  Sorry guys. Rather than crazy cravings I’ve just had weeks where the range of foods that sound edible is very very short.  (In my most lowest moment, chocolate coconut ice cream was the only food in the entire house that made it on the edible list.)  Right from the start artichokes were off and have stayed off. My veg box yielded 10 green and purple beauties one week and I handed them over before they even touched my kitchen counter.  No way.

Hello dairy.
The ‘inedible’ list has varied day to day but the only other constant has been protein powder, a challenging item to lose.  Over the years I’ve learned that my body has a high protein need so while I eat a high protein diet, I still supplement with a hemp or brown rice protein to boost my intake.  Well, no longer baby.  To go with that, I usually trust lots of dark greens for my calcium and avoid dairy but with days when I couldn’t stomach dark greens and with my extra need for protein I’ve added dairy back into my diet.  After giving it up five years ago I always wondered if anything would bring me back and I was convinced not.  However, I’ve been eating a lot of organic cottage cheese (still check the ingredient list – they can be scarily long even in organic versions) and grass fed yogurt and skyre by the bucket!  Happily my body is doing well with it, I don’t get bloated and I get the cleanest versions I can find so I feel good eating it.  I don’t think dairy will become a life long staple again but I want to make sure my diet is everything it needs to be while I’m growing a second human.  Of course I’m also cutting out all the usual no go’s.  Understandably, different people take different stances but I’m sticking to it all.  Knowing myself, I can get caught up in worrying so I chose not to give myself any grounds for worry and eliminated all the suggested no nos.  All my yolks are solid, there’s no batter bowl licking going on, no aiolis or hollandaises, no smoked salmon, no caffeinated coffee, no soft cheeses, no stevia, limited fish, ‘well done’ has taken the place of ‘rare’ for meat, and a non food item but I’m staying clear of the heavy weights in the gym too.  Pretty much all of those are tough for me!

Body image.
Exercise is always a part of my life and I’ve kept it that way so far, I want to stay active and I love working out!  5-6 days a week I put in a cardio session and a lifting session. It’s hard now not to push and challenge myself but I have to remind myself, oh so worth it. To make any weight gain easier to handle, I’m being really careful with my diet.  I want to know that anything I gain, is truly for the baby – that way I can love the pounds and remind myself it’s all not about me.  If I know there are days of carelessness where I gave in and had half a tub of ice cream instead of taking a moment to blend bananas and make a clean version, I find it harder to love the pounds.  So I’m being watchful.  Listening to my body is always a huge core value of mine so I’m doing my best to really listen intently in these months, to slow down when I need to, to eat what I need to and when that’s something that isn’t my normal, to be ok with that if it’s really what my body needs.  So no mindless eating, just intentional listening to my body, knowing the extra needs and then loving what I eat, and the body that appears with it.

Losing control of my body.
Handing over your body to the growth of another human is definitely a strange process. From the start I’ve been amazed at how, despite my conscious brain knowing nothing about how to be pregnant (or even that I was), my subconscious and body snapped into action and are doing the most perfect job of turning this frame into a baby growing zone.  I’m in awe of our bodies and what they are capable of.  Despite really looking forward to getting pregnant, it hasn’t all been awe.  I like to be in control and for years I’ve given attention to treating my body well and having it look the way I want it.  I’m not ripped but I can see my abs, I can run for miles and I always have energy, and if I ever stop thinking and put on a few pounds I don’t stress I just go back to eating cleaner and get rid of them.  Well let’s wave goodbye to having control over this body.  Not that I’m giving up but I’m handing it over to another far more noble process. Is it hard? A little yes, and on some days, a lot. When you eat half a loaf of bread to stave of nausea before it’s even breakfast and don’t have the same energy to workout, you gain a lovely layer of squishiness all over – not something I usually let happen.  As I write this I have no bump to speak of – the first person who told me I had a bump actually caught me after nights of bread eating and right after I had downed a liter of sparkling water in Target in a parched moment.  There was genuinely no bump but a full, bloated belly.  I didn’t glow back at them, no I faked a smile and went home and had a ‘moment’.   I feel like I should be filled only with joy at the process of growing our precious child but I’ve had to work through my thoughts on a number of occasions.  I remind myself, it’s all worth it. So hugely beyond worth it! No matter how squishy I become or how much my eating changes, no matter how many loaves of bread I down before breakfast, or how many stretch marks I earn… I wouldn’t trade this for the world.

 

Cherry Chocolate Chip Blondies

•1/4 cup coconut oil
•1/2 cup coconut sugar
•1 large egg
•1 tsp vanilla
•1.5 cups almond meal
•2 T arrowroot starch
•2 T coconut flour
•Pinch salt
•1/4 Tsp baking soda
•1/2 cup soy free chocolate chunks (or a good bar chopped up)
•1/2 cup nuts (walnuts/pecans would be best, I only had cashews)
•1/2 cup fresh cherries (pit and cut in half)

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a 7×7 pan with parchment paper.

Cream the oil and sugar together until combined the add the room temperature egg and vanilla and beat together. Pit the cherries ~ it’s not the easiest thing, mine ended up in thirds and quarters but it doesn’t needs be neat! Add all the dry ingredients apart from the chocolate, cherries and nuts and stir then finally add those three and stir once more to distribute them. Place in the lined pan and press down with a wet spatula (then it won’t stick!).

Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out almost clean. Allow to cool in the pan before chopping up and munching!

Eat-the-whole-jar Salted Caramel Sauce

With one of us American and one English, we joke about what accent our kids will have. English. I’m convinced. I will coach them. Waa-ter. Boot. Rubbish. That said, there are a few words that I prefer in ‘American’ than English. Carmel is one of them. It rolls of the tongue in the smooth way that it should, fully beating Caramel in the language battle. Whichever way you say it and whatever accent our kids end up with, this recipe’s a winner. My sweet cousin Hannah asked for it, which gave rise to a large batch appearing… to ‘recipe rest’ obviously.

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Roses + Chocolate

Paleo Chocolate Brownie Hearts with Cacao Nibs and Rose Petals

1 cup soft dates
2 tbsp raw honey
3 tablespoons coconut oil
2 eggs
1 cup almond meal
1/2 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch salt

For topping:

3 oz good quality extra dark chocolate (like this one from Nohmad Snack Company!)
2 tbsp cacao nibs
2 tbsp dried edible rose petals
Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a food processor blend the soft (soak them in a little hot water then drain, if needed) pitted dates until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Then add in the soft coconut oil and blend again. One at a time add in the eggs, blending them in. Then add in all the dry ingredients and pulse until combined. Transfer the batter into a lined 5×7 pan and place in the oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until it is juuust springy to the touch then allow to cool in the pan. When the brownie is completely cool, turn it out into a chopping board so that the under side is now on top. This will give you clean, flat tops to the hearts. Now take a heart cutter and careful cut out hearts. My cutter gave me 6. Melt the chocolate by breaking it into pieces in a small bowl and placing it over a pan of simmering water. (Double boiler style). Stir as it’s melting and then dip the hearts top down into the melted chocolate and smooth it over with a knife. Let it drip down the sides if it does. Then lick the knife ;) Before the chocolate sets sprinkle the cacao nibs and rose petals over the top then leave to set. Enjoy with someone you love!

10 tips for An Indulgent and Regret Free Holiday Season

It’s that time of year again.

Whether it’s under the tree, on the tree, at your desk, at a party, at the next party, in the office, in your kitchen or at the gym… with the holidays approaching you can’t walk the length of a candy cane without stumbling on a form of glistening sugar filled ‘treat’.

Is navigating food during the Christmas season a stress point for you? What do you do with the temptation of food at this supposedly most wonderful time of the year?  Or maybe for you it’s still the most wonderful time while it lasts but then the payment for a fun December is a guilt ridden, oversized January.

Christmas for me used to be the day I most wished for a bottomless stomach and an infinite calorie limit. Who’s with me?! All the indulgence, none of the pain. Then in the absence of my wish being granted I would act like it had been; donning a big hoodie towards the afternoon, grabbing an extra mince pie and finishing up the day overly full of both food and regret.

“Is this really how it has to be?”

That was my regular December 26th question. Can we enjoy this day, get excited about happy food, indulge, celebrate and then not feel bad? Can we enjoy December fully and still feel amazing in January?

I can now tell you from experience: Yes, absolutely!!  (I have a whole blog post on Indulging with Freedom which you can read here but I’m going to give a more practical 10 steps!)  This year I’m not dreading Christmas food, or a slump afterwards.  I won’t be hitting the gym harder in the New Year, or quitting food and prescribing myself a January of green juice and water.  At the same time I won’t be restrictive and boring over Christmas either. Believe me, I’ve been that person at the table, and it’s no fun for anyone. (Thank you tolerant family!) No, this year I’m going to go home, eat delicious fun food, drink some wine, enjoy some scotch, savour more chocolate than usual, brew extra coffee and enjoy every moment. I won’t need a hoodie to hide a bloated Christmas tummy, but I won’t be lacking in happy family, foodie moments. Yes, it’s been a journey to get to this point but it’s fully possible and below I’m giving you a few of my top tips for truly enjoying the season, and the days beyond as well!

1) You are powerful! You’ve got this! This journey begins in your mind.  You are not a victim of the holidays and this is possible! Feeling over-fed and overweight are not inevitable by-products of Christmas. You get to choose and do whatever ‘doing well’ is to you.

2) Don’t buy into the lie that you’re depriving yourself! That’s not the goal! This one’s important. Remember you’re doing this for you!! So when you make choices that lead there, it’s not deprivation, it’s you giving yourself what you actually want! (Sometimes ‘want’ in the moment, isn’t actually ‘want’ long term and a ‘no’ in the moment is always part of a bigger ‘yes’ to something else.  When you say ‘no’, remember what you are inherently saying ‘yes’ to – Saying ‘yes’ is easier than ‘no’!!)

3) Arm yourself! For the things you want to avoid, find substitutes that are still happy and have them on hand all the time!  For me this looks like clean treats, and good quality dark chocolate.  It’s easy to say no to a junk-filled treat in the work kitchen or at a party if I know I can go home to some organic raw chocolate, or I can grab some homemade granola from my bag instead.

4) Join in the fun! Don’t zone out from family fun, make a dish that’s healthy and add it to the table, something you will enjoy but everyone can join in on!  If you’re joining others for a meal, suggest you bring a dish to add then bring a seasonal side or dessert that’s delicious and clean for everyone to enjoy with you!

5) Choose where you want to indulge then do it with freedom and joy.  Know what you’re aiming for.  You need to indulge, just make it a conscious choice! Think about January and how you want to feel post holidays… then work out what a real true indulgence is and what’s just not worth the moment of fun.  Portion off what you’ve decided to eat and put it on a plate and enjoy every single mouthful!

6) Eat lots of protein. For me, this is the thing that helps stop the sugar cravings, which makes it easier to truly choose my treats without succumbing to a craving moment. Green juice is another thing that helps people get over the cravings too.

7) Practice saying no. So many times we feel guilty saying no and it becomes an excuse to say yes.  99% of the time, it’s fine to say no without judging other people’s choices.  Practice that little word 😊 it’s worth it! Sometimes making a good choice makes the people around us feel guilty, but you still get to make the choice you want, and don’t make a song and dance about it, just don’t judge anyone else’s choices, and say a simple no thanks.

8) Find your reason. Take a moment and workout out how you want to feel in January and why it’s not worth totally ‘giving up’ on being healthy! What’s your reason? Then write it down!! Put it in your pocket, in your purse or on your phone! It’s way easier to be motivated if you have a great reason and you keep it close!

9) Eat often! Don’t starve yourself and ‘save’ the calories. It never really works.  It’s tempting to plan for that office party in the evening by skipping lunch or an afternoon snack so you can eat more at the party and still not over do it.  But really, who succeeds when they walk into the dessert laden room on an empty stomach with low blood sugar? Exactly.  Instead, eat small meals often, and eat before the party! Keep yourself steady and your blood sugar stable so that you’re not driven by your body and you retain the power to choose what you want to eat and where you want to say no!

10) Celebrate yourself and have grace for yourself!! If you’re even trying you’re doing well! Don’t give up on the day because you made one choice you regret. I used to be that person – it was all or nothing, perfect self control or giving in completely.  Instead, learn to forgive yourself and pick up and move on.  A good choice is always a good choice, no matter what happened before it.  Celebrate the good choices you’re making and remind yourself… you are amazing!!

CHRISTMAS LIST GIVEAWAY!!

**Christmas giveaway information at the bottom of the post!!**

With happy tummies full of paleo pie Jared and I are finishing up our first ‘Christmas’ of the year here in Texas with his family. At the same time we’re gearing up for round two at home in Redding and shopping for a third round with my family in London! I’m sure we’ve just come round the corner from 3 digit heat and daily bowls of banana ice cream and now the sun is on its way behind the mountains before I even think about dinner and it’s Christmas shopping time!  I love this time of year!

As you can imagine, a large proportion of the items on my wish list for Santa (ok make that 100% of them!) are kitchen and food related, so I thought I’d help you get ready for gift giving season and as I delve into dreamland to create my own wish list, I’m sharing some of it with you to inspire your dreaming and your buying.  This is a round up of some of my favourite kitchen items, staples, much loved foods, treats and some of the things I’m dreaming of for myself… Happy Holidays!

1) Miniature skillets! A Lodge Cast Iron mini skillet to be precise.  We’re starting with a staple and a classic.  My baby skillet from Lodge lives stove top and is used every day.  They are perfect for heating up single servings, making individual fritattas and for warming milk for my husband’s late night study fueling mochas! For an extra stylish colorful version try the Le Creuset range.

2) A leather mason jar sleeve from The Mason Bar Company.  Being a huge fan of all things green, reusable and waste free means all my drinks go in mason jars.  For the winter with hot drinks that requires a hand protecting sleeve and the most stylish and wonderful ones in existence come from the Mason Bar Company.  The Whisky Cuff for the 24oz wide mouth jar is my fave.  Sleek and beautiful, and still masculine enough for my husband to happily take it to his morning meetings!

3) The Paleo Patisserie: An Artisan Approach to Grain Free Baking For the last few months I’ve even left wide eyed every time the uber talented Jenni Hulet (aka @theurbanposer) taunts us with pictures of her journey to this masterpiece of a dessert cookbook. Whether or not you eat grains or follow a paleo lifestyle I highly recommend My Paleo Patisserie.  Classically trained and paleo converted pastry chef Jenni Hulet will wow you over and over again with her beyond stunning dessert creations and help you create healthy but uncompromising versions of everything you would find in the best French bakery.

4) Nohmad Snack Company Chocolate. When we hear the claims of chocolate being healthy, these bars from Nohmad Snack Company are the kind they are talking about. Raw cacao, all organic, sweetened with maple sugar and absolutely divine.  I probably eat chocolate 360 days of the year so having a great clean, well sweetened (or unsweetened) option is important to me!

5) A stylish Ceramic Egg Crate from Anthropologie. In baking I often need eggs at room temperature. No one wants the cardboard egg box sitting on the counter but equally I don’t want them rolling around… Cue, cute Anthropology designed ceramic egg crate and suddenly we all want our eggs adorning our counter tops. A sleek addition to any kitchen that will have your eggs ready at room temperature for all your baking endeavors.  (One day I also hope to use this when I hop into the house after rounding up the eggs from our future layer hens… Please dearest husband?!)

6) A non stick baking sheet from Silpat. Again on the green train, this is a hassle free alternative to parchment paper. More than the green reasoning though, I’ve had too many times when the oven is preheated, my cookies are ready to go… and the parchment paper drawer is empty. This will save you in that moment over and over again

7) The Yellow Table: A Celebration of Everyday Gatherings A beautiful and classy portrait of seasonally inspired dining. If you follow our daily eating you’ll know that this year I’ve fallen in love with my weekly produce box and the seasonal eating that it’s inspired in our home. In her recently released book, New Yorker Anna Watson Carl brings you the best of both every day, and dinner party style seasonal eating / gives you an exquisite and elegant taste of seasonal eating that will have you itching to jump out of your front door in search of the nearest Farmer’s Market!

8) The Ultimate Farmer’s Market Tote from Proper Assembly. After being seasonally inspired and running to your local market, you’re going to want a way to carry your handfuls of farmers market bounty home and a white plastic bag is not the way forward folks.  I’d like to introduce you to a tote that I think was designed perfectly for effortless style and practically at the market.  This water resistant bag (real food often comes with dirt, we like that but it might need wiping down after!) folds up into its own attached pouch to fit neatly in your purse while your peruse then unfolds to the perfect size to fill with goodies. If you needed an added bonus, for every tote purchased, a bag is given to help start a business given in a developing country. These guys at Proper Assembly are the real deal.

9) Pure Flake Sea Salt from Jacobsen Salt. It’s not often that the salt alone makes you want to return to a restaurant. But when we tasted this salt at a friendly breakfast cafe in Portland, Oregon, it did exactly that. Locally sourced, unrefined and packed full of flavour I didn’t know could be found in salt, this little jar will transform your kitchen creations so that even a piece of toast has your guests asking for more.

10) Ultimate Epic Gift Set. *Stocking Stuffer Pick* My wonderfully healthy gym rat boss introduced me to Epic bars and I was instantly hooked! Finally, an amazing substantial protein boost from grass fed meat protein with a clean ingredient list and no sugar.  One of the keys in healthy eating for me is to always be prepared with food in my car and bag so I don’t make choices I don’t want to make! These are the perfect protein filled post workout, on the go, travel or just at-home snack pack.  This gift set is gorgeous or for the stocking stuffer option go for the individual Hunter Gatherer Mixes (which are also conveniently seasonally coloured!).

11) A citrus zester. My least favourite job in the kitchen growing up was zesting lemons, limes and oranges on a grater. It wasn’t until last month that I discovered citrus zesters. Game changer. It’s now one of my favorite tasks and made so easy, quick and very effective with this nifty little kitchen must have.

12) Waxed Canvas lunch bags. For kids and adults alike, this is the ultimate in stylish lunch bag options. As a kid I did not have a cool lunch box.  (I’ve recovered, don’t worry). But now I’m still left scrambling for brown bags for our lunches. For kids and adults alike, this waxed canvas twist on the bowl paper is the ultimate match of style and practicality.

13) Organic Cococnut Green Tea Kombucha starter kit from Oregon Kombucha. Kombucha is another things we’ve fallen in love with this year.  Reputed for having numerous health benefits and full of gut loving bacteria it’s also a great alternative to sugar filled sodas. It can be a pricey habit if you drink it regularly but it’s extremely simple and fun to make it yourself. Jared got me one of these earlier in the year and with just some coconut green tea, organic sugar and patience it made the most amazing kombucha! Having your own scoby also gives you the freedom to try any flavor you like, pause and store the scoby when you don’t want to make more, and give the ‘baby’ scobies to friends each time you make a batch so they can enjoy the making process too.

14) Organic Acai Berry Powder. Bring the trendy restaurant trend home and start your mornings (or finish your nights or anywhere in between!) with a stylish and super healthy acai bowl. This powder is perfect for blending into fruits for a thick and nutrition filled bowl. Top with berries, nuts, granola or whatever you fancy for a loaded and life-giving meal.

15) An Organic Juice Cleanse. Let’s be real, however cleanly we eat over Christmas it feels refreshing to have a January reboot! Help someone you love to take the stress out of their New Year detox by having the organic cold pressed juices delivered right to their doorstep.  I love my juicer but I discovered the luxury of a freshly made and delivered juice cleanse earlier in the year with juice blends from Project Juice and I fell in love. Treat someone special to the ultimate in clean eating love!

16)  Alive and Radiant Kale Chips. These are my go-to road trip snack. A healthy and extremely happy munching option, these bags of superfood goodness will win over even the greatest of kaleophobes. I usually go for the savoury ones but for the holidays, do yourself a favour and try the Sea Salt Caramel version, you’ll melt.

17) Cuisinart 9 Cup Food Processor. Hands down the most used appliance in my kitchen and worth it’s weight in gold to me. From fresh pesto and clean salad dressings to homemade nut butters and raw desserts this baby is invaluable for healthy food prepping. Our kitchen runs on it!

18) Nut milk bag *Budget Pick*  Along with the peeler at #20 on the list this nut milk bag is my favourite sub $10 pick for any healthy kitchen! You can go simple with just the bag, or indulge your friends with the souped-up Weck Jar version from Williams Sonoma. Making your own healthy nut milk is so easy and satisfying with the added bonus that you can customize them to create your favourite combos containing only the ingredients of your choice. Perfect for the picky foodie! (Our favourite is 50:50 cashew:coconut, sweetened with a squidgy medjool date and flavoured with vanilla, salt and cinnamon).

19) A vegetable spiralizer. This has been the trending kitchen item of the year and I had to include it because it’s one of my favorite tools in the kitchen with so many great uses. This nifty gadget will turn zucchinis into noodles, sweet potatoes into shoe string fries and so many other things. It’s guaranteed to make any health food lover your friend for life.  If you’re looking for the stocking stuffer option, go for the julienne peeler from Oxo which is a genius little tool that I’m gradually adding to all my friends’ and family’s kitchens!

20) Locally Roasted Organic Scout Coffee.  By no means least at number twenty, is one of the constants in our kitchen.  A bag of organic, fairly traded and locally roasted coffee beans! My go-to at home is the Costa Rica from our friends at Scout Coffee but a bag of your favourite good organic beans is always a winner on the gift front! Some of our other favorites this year have been Portland based Water Avenue, local Mount Shasta Northbound and London’s wonderful Monmouth Coffee.

and…..

I’m so hugely excited about this!! Giving gifts is one of our absolute favorite things here in the Neusch house and this is as close as we can get for all of you wonderful people :) We are giving away to one lucky person pretty much everything on the Christmas Wish List, thanks to all the kind companies below who have put products under our virtual tree for us to pass on to you!!

• A gorgeous leather mason jar sleeve from The Mason Bar Company
• A sampler pack of divine raw chocolate from the Nohmad Snack Company
• A non stick baking mat from Silpat
• Organic Kombucha Starter Kit from Oregon Kombucha
• Organic Acai Berry Powder, Maple Cashews and Sweet Cacao nibs from Nativas Naturals
• Organic Cold Pressed Juices from our Project Juice friends in San Francisco
• Assorted Kandy Kale Chips from Alive and Radiant
• A Cuisinart 9 Cup Food Processor (My kitchen runs on this!!)
• A nut milk bag
• Locally Roasted Organic Scout Coffee

I’ll be posting a picture on Instagram each day from December 1-5th and you can tag 3 friends each day who you think would enjoy the Wish List goodies (or maybe people who you’d like to see shop the list for you!!). Each day you post you’ll be entered into a draw to win all of the goodies listed above!! You need a US mailing address to receive the goodies – either you or someone you’d like to gift it all to! (For bonus entries you can (a) regram any giveaway picture (one per day) to your (unlocked) account using the hashtag #twfdchristmas and tag us @thewholefooddiary and/or (b) follow all producers and become eligible for a bonus entry by tagging another three people!

And, if you’re close by, just hop over to our house for a ‘Happy Christmas’ doughnut, raw macaroon or piece of whatever’s in the oven!

Happy Christmas from Jared and Kezia!