Sunflower and Almond Milk

Last weekend I made this milk to use it in a smoothie recipe and it turned out amazing; so creamy that I just had to share it with you.

I made it using my thermomix plus the great thing is that it is dairy free!

What you will need:

• 50g almonds
• 50g sunflower seeds
• 1 litre water
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• pinch of salt
• sweetener of your choice (I used none but you could use 20g of honey as an example)

1. First grind up the almonds and sunflower seeds on speed 9 for 15-20 seconds.
2. Add all other ingredients and cook for 4 minutes on speed 4, 60 degrees.
3. Process on speed 8 for 30 seconds.
4. Strain through a nut milk bag.

I used this sunflower and almond milk for a smoothie for which I will be sharing the recipe with you next time. The great thing about the smoothie recipe was that it gives you choices and therefore you can easily add whatever you have at the time.

For this coming week at work I have been planning a Middle Eastern morning tea to raise more funds for the Heart Foundation. For example I will be making carrot falafels with a yoghurt and tahini dipping sauce. We will also he having healthier versions of gozleme, baklava, date and nut pastries and lots of other good food. I love doing my Heart Foundation morning teas because they give me another chance to try out different recipes and show others that it is possible to make easy and healthy food at home and everyone at work gets to explore different tastes of the world.

Later on this afternoon my hubby and I am heading out for our long weekend run which will be around the 2.5-3 hours. I am already looking forward to it which might sound crazy to some. However I love my training sessions because I get to find out how much stronger my body has become and through each session I can a chance to become better at what I do.

Have a great Sunday afternoon!

Tomato Cucumber Smoothie

Today I came up with something new. I had a tomato cucumber salad left over from lunch and didn't really feel like eating a salad but made a smoothie out of it instead! It was so yummy and tasted in a way like a tomato soup.

What you will need to make this smoothie

• 1/2 cucumber
• 1-2 tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon flaxseed oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• a few tablespoons of sunflower seeds
• a bit of steak spice (I have got a grinder that I use)

Put the above all in your blender or if you have a thermomix (speed 9 for about a minute) and voila you have a healthy veggie based smoothie to help you achieve the five cups of veggies required a day for good health.

Aloe "Green" Smoothie

Yesterday I made the decision for the next 14 days to consume one green smoothie a day to make a massive impact on my health. I have previously done this and you just feel amazing! There is simply no words to describe how much energy I had, which even my hubby noticed and pointed out. When he was already tired, I was still full of energy and going. If you want to find out more about Green Smoothies and all the health benefits and what they can do for your health I strongly recommend you read "Green for Life" by Victoria Boutenko. The important thing to remember with green smoothies is to rotate your greens and include a variety so that you will gain the best health benefit from consuming them. A lot of people think that green smoothies must taste horrible because most of them have a green colour; however because you also include sweet delicious fruit I loved the taste!

For today I tried something a little unusual: an Aloe Vera Green Smoothie because I found a video by Anthony Anderson where he made a similar smoothie however I changed some of the ingredients in order to make it suitable to what I currently have at home.

What you need

• 1-2 aloe vera leave (filleted so carefully take the skin off so that you only include the flesh in the smoothie). I used some from the plant I have in my garden
• 1 small handfull of sunflower seeds
• 1 handful of raspberries
• 1 handful of mangos
• about a glass of filtered water (slowly add this until you get the consistency that you like)

I blended all of the above in my thermomix on speed 10 for about a minute. If you don't have a thermomix blend it in the blender until smooth.

I also did some research online to find out what some people believe the health benefits are of consuming aloe vera. Apparently it is so rich in vitamins, minerals and enzymes that it can help with cancer, cholesterol, inflammation, kidney stones, stabilising the sugar levels, candida, aids recovery and is great for the skin and hair. Pretty much a superfood! So if you have a aloe vera plant or know of someone that has one try out this recipe! I loved it very much and will be making it again for sure.

To find out more about aloe vera and its health benefits please head to this Natural News Website.