While we were in Dunsborough, some friends took me to Samudra Cafe for breakfast.

I’ve heard of it before, as it seems that *everyone* who comes to visit Dunsborough, manages to pop in for a coffee and look around.

It’s a very pretty place. The interior, furniture, decor, outdoor setting, garden and vegetable garden had been designed beautifully and in-keeping with the whole cool, organic, hippy vibe :)

The whole Samudra centre is actually a yoga school, wellness centre, retreat, clothing store and they hold little community events for like-minded people. They have a fancy vegetarian and raw food menu, boasting produce from organic, biodynamic and fair trade sources. I must admit, I was really excited to try it out.

There was a large group of us and we had just come from an early morning run by the beach. We were a bit sweaty… and unfortunately we had to sit outside in the cold. The waitress was kind enough to bring us a wooly blanket to keep us warm.

My friends ordered some Banana Pancakes (Activated buckwheat pancakes with fruit compote, coconut cream and hazelnut chocolate syrup). They were amazing and tasted very different to any pancake and topping I’ve ever had!

The others ordered Green Smoothies (pear, apple, lemon, banana, kale).

I ordered an Organic Coffee with Organic S0y Milk – and it was divine. It was a really well made coffee, I was impressed.

A little later I got a bit hungry, so I ordered the Yallingup Fruit Toast (Organic sourdoaugh fruit toast with house jam and cashew butter) while my friend ordered the Tofu Scramble Wrap (Tofu and butternut scramble, with mushrooms and avocado, mountain corn bread, side salad with a camu-camu and passionfruit dressing). It all sounded delicious!

Unfortunately, the 2 food orders took  over 45 minutes to arrive and we were getting sooo cold sitting outside, so we had to cancel our order and leave. It was a long weekend, and it felt like the whole city of Perth was down in Dunsborough for the weekend… the cafe was crazily busy. I was pretty disappointed and hungry.

Nonetheless, the coffee was awesome, so I do plan to come back for lunch the next time I’m down here!

Samudra Kombi Cafe
226 Naturaliste Terrace
Dunsborough, WA

Hi there! I’m back!

We went away for the weekend and we stayed in Dunsborough with 7 other families. It was so much fun, very relaxing and just lovely to get away from our routine for a bit.

One morning, a friend of mine took us running on some off-road tracks – and I enjoyed it soooo much!

Until now, I’ve only ever run on roads, paths, grass and beaches, which are all very open and spacious. I can see for miles ahead and all around me.

But these bush tracks were mostly surrounded and enclosed by trees. And it was like a 1 metre wide tunnel, winding through a thick bush. Like a 3D maze. The trees and shrubs soaked up all the noises around me. The sounds of the world were all hushed and quiet. My footsteps on the ground were muffled. It was quite magical.

Sometimes the tracks would open up towards the beach… and I found myself running along a top of a hill, looking down onto the ocean.

Other times the trees were so high, that I felt like I was running through a forest.

Most of the track was compacted flat, but there were still a lot of uneven ground and rocks everywhere. Very often the track just turned into a rocky mess (pictured here)… and I had to soften my steps and kind of “dance” across the rocky ground… without twisting my ankle and hurting my knees, of course.

I found it so interesting. With all the inclines, declines, uneven ground, loose rocks, the always changing scenery, the gorgeous sounds of the bush – it was really challenging and such awesome fun.

I’m so inspired by the experience, that I might even try mountain biking now :)

All up – I ran slowly (with a bit of walking and no stops) for about 4kms.

This is the first time I’m sharing my Dinner Meal Plans on my blog.

I’ve had so many people ask me what kind of meals I cook for my family… so here is this week plan!

Enjoy xx

I have not been cycling for a few weeks now. It’s driving me a bit crazy, but with my mummy duties and my work piling up, lots of family and social activities on the weekend, my children’s sporting commitments… it’s been tricky for me to find 3-4 hours for myself. I’m not complaining though, because…

I’ve dived head first into running!

It’s just so easy to put my kids on bikes and go to the park.

I run while they ride. They think it’s a game. Or a race.

Sometimes they like to run WITH me. Which is a bit humiliating for me, because both my 10 and 8 year old can run faster than me.

My 4 year old also likes to scoot alongside me, shouting “RUN FASTER MUUUM!!!”. On the downhill paths, he purposely scoots faster and ahead of me, lifting up one leg like a ballerina and gives me the cheekiest smiles. It’s so cute. Like I have my own cheerleader who keeps up with me. Who happens to be 4 year old.

Right now I can go the distance of 2km, running only, with no stops. Not very much, but hey, it was better than when I started at 200m!

I like to keep my older kids updated on how far and long I can run before I “crash and burn”… and each time it’s a little bit further and longer. On one hand I do this to show off (I have to tell somebody ok!) and on the other hand, I want them to understand that if they want to see results, all they have to do is practice a little bit, day by day.

I think they get it. They are very sweet and kind towards me and give me lots of encouragement.

I also tell them that one day we’ll ALL run a marathon together, and they like that idea a lot.

But not as much as I do :)

A few months ago I thought I would try to kick off my chocolate habit (can’t believe I’m declaring this on the internet…) by switching to cacao protein balls.

After a bit of research, I swear that every health-freak on the internet (and their dog) has their own version of these homemade chocolate protein balls.

So after weeks of experimenting, I’ve come up with my perfect recipe. I now make this batch once or twice a week, and most times I leave out the protein powder. It also turns out that my kids love eating them as well.

I leave them in an air tight container in the fridge and I snack on them whenever I have a sugar craving :)

Here are some notes:

* It is low sugar (only 1 tablespoon of honey between 30 balls)
* I DON’T like dates. Lots of recipes online use dates (to stick the ingredients together). In fact I don’t like any fruit (sultanas/cranberries/goji berries) in my chocolate balls.
* I actually use organic carob powder (because someone gave me a box) but you can use raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder.
* I love coconut and coconut oil, so this uses a lot of it. (You can buy organic coconut oil in Coles for $10 a jar)
* Just omit the protein powder, if you don’t like having protein powder.
* This recipe was originally based on a Thermomix recipe. But I don’t have a Thermomix so I use a food processor.
* I use natural peanut butter – no added sugar or salt or anything! (I also bought this from Coles for $4 a jar)

Karen’s Chocolate Nut Protein Ball Recipe

½ cup of roasted unsalted almonds
¼ cup of roasted, unsalted cashews
2 tablespoons of sunflower seeds (or pepitas)
¼ cup of desiccated coconut
2 tablespoons of protein powder
¼ cup of carob / cacao powder

4 heaped tablespoons of peanut butter
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoons of honey

1 cup of desiccated coconut for coating the balls

1) Throw everything into your food processor and blend! I blend the dry ingredients first for a minutes or so, because I just have a very basic food processor and I want to make sure that everything is crushed up nicely. Then add the wet sticky stuff after.

The consistency should be sticky and clumped together. If it’s still crumbly and falls apart, just add more peanut butter.

2) Roll into little balls.

This recipe makes about 30 balls.

3) Roll the balls around and coat them in coconut.

(Why are there only 27 balls pictured? I ate 3 while making this batch haha!)

4) Stick them in the fridge and best eaten cold!

Enjoy!!

I actually published this recipe on my blog about 8 years ago!

And I’m still using the recipe as it is – however my techniques have changed a bit, such as, I melt the butter instead of creaming it with a hand mixer.

This loaf is a delicious to serve with afternoon tea. It is best eaten WARM. So make sure you reheat it, if it gets cold.

My children like to eat it with a smear of butter on top and a drizzle of honey.

Or if you’re feeling a bit indulgent, heat up the date loaf until its piping hot and serve it with vanilla ice cream – insane yumminess!

(No Added Sugar) Date and Walnut Loaf Recipe

225g dried dates
pinch of bicarb soda
150ml of water
75g butter
1 medium sized egg
225g SR flour
75g walnuts, chopped
¼ cup of other random chopped nuts or seeds
handful of roughly chopped nuts and sunflower seeds

1. Heat oven to 180ºC. Grease and line the base of a loaf tin.

2. Chop the dates put into a small saucepan, with water and bicarb soda. Simmer and stir for 2 minutes, then let it cool.

3. Melt butter and let it cool for a bit. Stir in the egg.

4. Add in cooled date mixture. Stir in sifted flour, walnuts and ¼ of other nuts or seeds. (In the photo above, I used pepitas.)

5. Pour mixture evenly in the tin. Sprinkle top with extra nuts and seeds. Bake for 45 – 50 minutes until skewer comes out clean.

Enjoy!

I have been kindly sponsored by Kraft and Nuffnang, to whip up my favourite homemade family meal – road testing the new Kraft Livefree Cheese, launched earlier this month.

(And I’m announcing a new competition where you can win a trip to Thailand courtesy of Kraft. Scroll down for details.)

This new cheese is all-Australian made, using natural ingredients, and has only 5.5% fat. According to Kraft, it is Australia’s lowest fat TASTY cheese (when compared to Australia’s leading light tasty cheese brands).

This was good timing for me… because I was hosting a big family dinner party that week and I promised everyone that I would make MY FAMOUSLY DELICIOUS LASAGNE.

Well, it’s famous in our house… and since I am the only person who cooks lasagne around here, you can be sure that everyone thinks it’s the best lasagne recipe evaaaaah.

When you eat it on its own, the cheese has a nice mild flavour and it’s still zingy like tasty cheese.

It’s not crumbly, it holds together well, and most importantly, it’s extra low fat… especially when you consider how much of this block I am going to use in my lasagne! *sheepish laugh*

I gathered all my ingredients for my meat sauce.

I’m making a HUGE lasagne, one big enough to feed 10 people. My dish is 37cm long and 25cm wide and 7cm deep. Huge. So I had to increase my portions accordingly.

Lasagne Meat Sauce Recipe

3 brown onions, finely diced
5 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
1 kg of premium lean beef mince
2 medium carrots, finely diced
½ a large zucchini, grated
875g of tomato paste (I would have used 2x 500g, but I bought the wrong bottle!)
1 cube of beef stock
4 tablespoons of olive oil
2 bay leaves

Heat oil. Fry up onions and garlic, until golden. Cook meat, stir well until browned. Stir in tomato paste, stock cube, bay leaves. Bring to boil. Stir in zucchini. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes, semi covered. Occasionally stir.

Bechamel Sauce (or cheese sauce)
100g butter, chopped
½ cup plain flour
1L low fat milk, warmed
125g coarsely grated Kraft Livefree Cheese
Tiny pinch of ground nutmeg

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour. Keep stirring for 2 minutes.

Remove from heat. Gradually add in milk, bit by bit, constantly stirring until the mixture is smooth.

Return to heat, keep stirring until sauce thickens. Add in cheese and nutmeg, keep stirring until mixture is smooth. Add in more milk if the sauce is too thick and gooey. Keep the consistency like thickened cream.

Behold, my very large lasagne dish.

I lightly greased the dish, and placed a lasagne sheet down for the base. I prefer using fresh lasagne sheets, as I find they are easier to cut to size, and they cook faster.

For 1st layer: Spoon on the meat sauce (using 1/3 of the meat sauce), some blanched spinach, 1/4 of the cheese sauce, and lasagne sheets.

2nd layer: Another 1/3 of meat sauce, spinach, cheese sauce and lasagne sheets.

3rd layer: Rest of the meat sauce, spinach, (no cheese!) and lasagne sheets.

Top layer: Pour all the remaining cheese sauce on top. And cover with a bit more grated cheese and a sprinkle of parmesan.

Pop into 200C oven for 20 minutes until the top is golden brown.

If you need to, blast it under the grill to get the cheese on top to bubble and crisp.

Whoa, it was the largest lasagne I’ve ever made. It was EPIC!

Cut up and serve hot!

It smelt sooooo good.

And it tasted AMAZING!

It was so soft, creamy, rich, salty and cheesey.

And the cheese sauce did not taste like it was made from extra light cheese. It tasted great and everyone was very, very happy about it :)

Yay I felt like such a kitchen hero.

*OMG WIN a Trip to Thailand!*

Kraft is hosting an Instagram competition. To enter, simply upload a photo on your Instagram of how you ‘live free’ and use the hashtag #KraftLivefree.

By “living free” I interpret this as – How do you like to break the rules? How do you like to get away from the hassles of life? What do you like to do that makes you feel alive and free? Sounds like fun and damn I wish I could enter!

You can enter as many times as you like :)

The winner will be the entry deemed MOST CREATIVE by the judges and this is what they will win:

A trip for 2 to Thaliand
- Return flights to Phuket from an Australian capital city),
- 7 nights accommodation in Khao Lak at The Best Western Premier, a stylish 4.5-star new hotel in this picturesque beach region north of Phuket, Thailand
- Return Airport transfer
- Daily breakfasts + high speed internet included
- Valid for stays from 15 April 2013 to 31 October 2013

Winners will be notified directly through Instagram by Nuffnang (so keep a look out in your Instagram comments!)

Only open to Australian residents, aged 16 years and over.

Competition starts 16th April 2013 and will continue until 11.59 pm AEST on 15 May 2013

Please read all the terms and conditions here.

Good luck!

(And if you like, you can follow me on Instagram @karenlycheng)

I have definitely been bitten by a fitness bug :)

I cycle once a week and I go to the gym twice a week (for an hour). I’ve been in this routine for about a year now.

And this month I’ve started to RUN – for the first time in a looooong time. I’m trying to schedule in 3 to 4 short runs in a week.

I am also climbing stairs! Lots of them! It’s fun. And a bit painful.

But I love it. And I love how I feel after a good workout!

This is me, completely pooped after an embarrassingly short run around the block.

I’m sitting on my kitchen floor, sweating like crazy, my legs are jelly and my shoulders are aching.

Ok yes I’m glowing with endorphins.

But I’m dying for a shower (because I smell so baaad) and I wish someone would cook me an omelette, make me a cop of coffee and massage my shoulders :P

Anyway, I found it such a delight that I have been asked to test out a brand new deodorant by Dove.

I mean, HOW DO THEY KNOW THAT I SMELL SO BAD?!

Dove has recently launched a new deodorant, called Dove Pure.

It has no parabens, no colourants, no ethyl alcohol and ZERO fragrance.

No smell whatsoever? That’s a new concept for me.

It strives to be a simple, yet effective deodorant containing only the essential ingredients, leaving out the unnecessary stuff that might cause irritation and itchiness.

It also claims to have long lasting sweat protection (so you feel dry all day) and it has a touch of moisturiser in it, to keep your skin healthy.

It sounds great so far, but I’ll be testing it out for a week – throughout my cycling, running and stair climbing, as well as general walking around and just being stinky old me.

I’ll let you know how I go!

Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

(This post is sponsored by Nuffnang)

I made these pretty lemon and coconut cupcakes over the Easter weekend.

I used my Basic Sweet Muffin Recipe and just added some lemon zest and yummy lemon icing, topped with coconut.

Lemon and Coconut Cupcakes
300g self-raising flour
170g caster sugar
3 eggs
125g unsalted butter, melted
125ml milk
zest of two medium sized lemons

Lemon Icing
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup of icing sugar
20g of butter, melted
1 cup of shredded  coconut

1) Preheat oven to 180C. Line muffin tray with paper cases.

2) Sift flour into a large bowl, then add the sugar, eggs, butter and milk. Add zest and mix until just combined. (Do not over mix or the cupcakes will be tough.)

3) Divide mixture into paper cases. Spooned 1 heaped tablespoon of mixture into each cupcake case and I made around 24 small cupcakes.

4) Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack.

5) Whisk butter, lemon juice and icing sugar in a bowl until fluffy.  Spread on cupcakes and then sprinkle with coconut.

I kept some cupcakes in an air tight container in the fridge. I warmed them up 3 days later in the microwave and they *still* tasted divine!!

Enjoy xxx

I’ve been cycling regularly for a few years now and it’s my main form of cardio and aerobic exercise.

However, I suspected that my muscles were getting a little lazy and programed to just work in one way…. so I’ve thrown something a little different into my mix: RUNNING.

On my first running attempt, I walked out of my house and ran down the footpath headed towards my local park. It was only 200m, I was running at a good pace, and it took me less than 2 minutes (I think) to get to the park, but I was sooooo exhausted! My brains were about to explode, my legs were jelly, my ankles felt swollen, and I was literally about to collapse! I was stopped by the side of the road, bent over, holding my knees, red-faced, huffing and puffing… and LAUGHING!

I thought to myself – OMG this is soooo hard! I cycled 70kms a few days ago! I’m supposed to be quite fit?! How can I not be able to run?! This is absurd!

So everyday now, when my husband comes home from work in the evening, I steal 30 minutes away for a quick run. Er, it’s actually more like a “walk around the park”, with a bit of running here and there.

But you know what? I love pushing myself. And then discovering (very quickly the next day!) that I can run for longer distances and for longer amounts of time. And it doesn’t hurt so much anymore.

It’s been 5 days, and I can now run the 200m without any pain in my legs or any exhaustion whatsoever. In fact, I don’t think my heart rate goes up very much now.

Baby steps towards my first 5km run!

Speaking of steps… my girlfriend and I met up to give Jacob’s Ladder a go :)

Jacob’s Ladder is set of steps at Kings Park – famous in Perth to runners, trainers and general fit people.

There are 242 steps, literally on the side of the 45m cliff. They were first built in the early 1900s as wooden steps, and they were replaced by concrete steps in the 1960s.

On the weekends, it’s a really popular spot for people wanting a kick ass workout.

The view at the top of Jacob’s Ladder (Cliff Street) is pretty amazing too. You can stand at the top and look out over the Swan River and Perth city.

Kings Park is one of my favourite places to exercise – mainly because of the sweeping views, the lovely parks, the smooth road (with few cars) and the hills (for cycling).

I decided to cycle into Kings Park.

Cycle then climb some steps! Hey I was up for a challenge!

I wore my cycling shorts, with a running top and running shoes. I felt really dorky on my bike. I felt completely mismatched.

Not to mention, I was wearing my cycling pants (which are heavily padded!), while climbing the stairs, so I was feeling really, really dorky! Like a waddling duck with a big puffy bum!

My girlfriend and I were both Jacob’s Ladder virgins. We’ve never done it before. We were a bit scared. But we gave it a good go.

First round: We walked down and up Jacob’s Ladder really slowly.

Second round: Ran all the way down and up. I got stuck behind some people who were walking it… which was a good thing, because I was getting a bit sore.

Third time: I ran down and up again. This time faster, and I dodged the walking people. I was really sore, my legs were burning and I was out of breath at the end.

However, after I walked around a bit, I felt fine. I cycled around the Kings Park hills a few times, before heading home.

All up, I cycled 40kms and did 3 rounds of the ladder. Yay!

Next time no more puffy bum pants! Look out for my bum of steel!

I love clear chicken broth with noodles. It’s pretty much chicken stock with noodles and a melody of fresh vegetables (eaten like pho).

It’s very simple to make, and as long as you take out all the chicken fat, don’t use too much salt and pile on lots of vegetables, it can be nice and healthy too.

I make this very often for my family and they love it.

I also modify it so I can eat it PALEO style – swap the rice noodles for sliced zucchini and cabbage.

Clear Chicken Broth (Chinese style)
2 or 3 small chicken frames (they are $1 for 3 frames at my butcher)
5 cloves of garlic
3cm piece ginger
1 red onion, quartered
6L of water

1. Rinse chicken frames with cold water and trim away the fat.
2. Place chicken and all ingredients in a stockpot and bring to the boil.
3. Reduce heat to a very gentle simmer and cook for 2 hours.
4. Skim the surface with a ladle to get rid of oil and impurities.
5. Strain through fine sieve or muslin.
(Makes about 3.5 litres)

Try adding extra fragrant ingredients:
2 tablespoons of lime juice
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
1 tablespoon of fish sauce
1 cup of Thai basil (haha not so Chinese!)
A sprinkle of fried shallots
And a dish of cut chillies for me!

Put it together in separate bowls:
- rice noodles
- chicken breast, shredded
- fish balls (my kids love fish balls)
- bean sprouts
- finely sliced green beans, lettuce, capsicums, zucchini, cabbage, spinach
- then pour steaming hot broth over the top and serve

(In the photo above, these were my bowls before I poured in the hot soup. I usually let them sit for a good 10 minutes before I serve my kids, because I don’t want them to burns themselves.)

This morning I woke up at 4am to participate in the RAC Freeway Bike Hike for Asthma :)

It was a huge cycling event where the South-bound freeway was closed off and 10,000 cyclists rode distances of 10km, 30kms and 70kms.

I rode the 70kms distance, starting at Mandurah and riding all the way into the city. It was my first time doing this event and I was super keen to do this ride – particularly because I’ve always wanted to ride on the FREEWAY!

As I said, I woke up at 4am… then I had a hot shower (because I’m precious ok?). I gathered my things and made my way to a Southern train station to catch the 5:45am train to Mandurah.

Unfortunately there were a few hold ups. The trains were running a bit late because of the sheer number of cyclists.

We stood on the crowded platform for 1 hour. It was soooo cold (14°C I think). Everyone else seemed so big, buff and stoic in their skin tight, short-sleeve lycra tops and little cycle shorts. But my teeth were chattering and my hands were shaking. I had to walk around to stop my body from shaking.

Eventually the train arrived. Everyone seemed to know HOW to fit hundreds of cyclists into a 4 car train carriage. I just went with the flow.

Everyone lifted their bikes to a vertical position, and wheeled them in slowly, while shuffling along clumsily, as if they were negotiating a baby pet giraffe.

We all sat there, crammed together, shoulder-to-fricking-shoulder, holding our vertical bikes between our legs. We were so close and tightly packed, that I wondered what would happen if the bikes fell like dominoes.

My handlebars were bumping into my head. My bike saddle was pushing into my chest. And my water bottle was dripping onto my shoe. It was a really strange moment.

However I thought that the bikes made a beautiful pattern, like a woven wheel herringbone.

We arrived at our destination.

Word got around that the start time was going to be a little later than planned, because of the train delays. So I zipped off for a quick toilet stop. Unfortunately, about 50 people had the same idea.

I joined the queue to the women’s toilets… and I noticed – for the first time EVER – that the queue for the MEN’S TOILETS was longer than the queue for the women’s toilets.

The ride went off smoothly. And I had an AMAZING RIDE. It was just bloody brilliant :)

Flat, flat, FLAT, super smooth roads for 70kms straight!! The weather ended up to be perfect (29°C), and there was a light breeze coming up behind us, pushing us along. It was one of the nicest rides I’ve had, to date.

I didn’t ride in a group this time. I wanted to cruise along at my own speed, as I hadn’t really trained up for doing 70kms in one go, and I wasn’t sure how fast or hard I wanted to push myself. Besides, I enjoy riding by myself. And I did join some strangers and chatted to a few people during the ride, so it was a lovely balance.

At one point I rode 15-20kms cruising at 28-32kms/hour… which is the longest I’ve ridden at that speed. So I was pretty happy.

I cycled 60kms straight without stopping once (have never done that before). I stopped for 2 minutes to get a water bottle refilled and to adjust my bike computer. And finished the last 10kms with ease.

As I approached the finish line, I felt so pleased!

I rested up, ate some food, enjoyed the sunshine, then instead of riding home, I caught the train again haha.

I wanted to do it all over again next week :)  Unfortunately, the government only makes the freeway available ONCE a year.

So, I’ll definitely be doing it next year, maybe with a group.

The event raised an estimated $150,000 for the Asthma Foundation WA – very cool!

I made these Chocolate Coated Bananas with my (almost) 4 year old the other day.

They are quick, simple to make, and ready to eat in 15 minutes!

The recipe is self-explanatory :)

We peeled 5 medium sized bananas.

We stuck some little wooden sticks into the bottom of the bananas.

(We should have used wooden popsicle sticks, but we didn’t have any!)

Bananas went into the freezer for 5 minutes.

I melted 400g of milk chocolate in the microwave.

Then we dunked the cold bananas into the melted chocolate.

Sprinkled the ends with coloured sprinkles (or you can use nuts).

Place on a tray lined with baking paper.

Back in the fridge for 5 minutes and they’re ready to eat!

Here are a weekend few snaps from my garden.

My figs are looking a bit small this year, but they taste incredible!

They are so sweet and luscious, that every time I tear one open to take a bite, I stare into the tangled red flesh… and marvel that they were created from water, sunlight and a bit of cow poo.

Last year, all my figs were eaten by rats. But this year, the rats seemed to have kept away. Probably because they are feasting on my grapefruits, and my neighbour’s mangoes!

And remember how I almost killed my baby bok choy seedlings? How dried up, withered and dead they looked?!

Well I’ve managed to nurse them back to health. Look at them now!

They look so so happy! They look like they’re singing!

Ah, it puts a big smile on my face.

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

xx

On the weekend it was my sister-in-law’s birthday and we were invited to a High-Tea Picnic In Kings Park.

I was asked to bring some fruit tarts. So I considered buying a tray of 24 ready-made fruit tarts from a patisserie, but I promptly discovered that they were so expensive! Plus, there were going to be a lot of kids at the party and I couldn’t bear the thought of a kid taking a bite out of ONE fruit tart and then throwing it on the ground because he didn’t like the taste of it (that would be MY kid!).

So I set about making my own fruit tarts and making them “sugar free”.

I bought 4 packets of “Savoury Tart Cases” from the supermarket.

They were $3 for 6 cases, which was excellent value. Plus they had no sugar in them. I think you are supposed to fill them up with savoury ingredients, like bacon, egg, mushrooms. Next time I might try making my own cases. Just flour and butter, right?

Then I bought a tub of natural thickened cream.

I whipped it up to make it even thicker. Put a dollop of cream in each case.

I cut up fruits and arranged them nicely on the tarts.

Actually, I only arranged one tart, as an example. I got my big boys to do the rest. They were great at it.

I also planned to melt a bit of strawberry jam in a pan to brush over the tops of the tarts. This would give them a nice pretty glaze to make them look extra special. But I decided to keep them sugar free.

I placed all the tarts in a cupcake carry-case and kept them in the fridge, so that the cream wouldn’t soften/melt. Then I popped the carry-case in a cold bag (to keep them extra cool!), while we travelled to the picnic. I also brought along my vintage, tiered cupcake holder.

My kids helped me arrange the tarts on the plates, and they were so pleased that the tarts “looked so good, fresh and tasty!”

In fact the whole High Tea Party spread looked fantastic.

The weather was just gorgeous that day. We sat on picnic rugs on the grass, under the shade of trees, it was warm and just perfect. We ate and drank and talked for hours, while all the kids ran off to play in the playground.

We had such a lovely time!

I’ve been following a paleo eating plan for a few months now.

Basically I’ve dropped wheat, rice and diary from my 95% of my diet, and eating more meat and vegetables. That’s about it, really.

So I wanted to share with you my latest LOVE.

Sliced raw zucchini and cabbage.

I cook a normal evening meal for my family – spaghetti bolognese, stews, casseroles, curries, fish, chicken wings, stir fries, tuna pasta, satays, whatever, and I just substitute the wheat, pasta, rice, potato portion with zucchini and cabbage.

It’s sooOOOoooOOo yummy, especially with curries, stews and chicken soup.

You gotta try it before you judge me!

Because, before you think Karen’s a crazy, health freak, I just want to show you the top-shelf contents of my freezer.

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This is my other love :)

The other 5% of my diet.

One of my children had a classroom survey, where they were asked – “What’s your LEAST favourite food?”

My son said to me, “What should I write? I like all foods! Oh I’ll just write brussels sprouts.”

I laughed. “But you’ve never tried brussels sprouts. How can you say you don’t like it?”

“Oh that’s just what everyone else says.”

My other boy’s ears perked up and he joined the conversation, “Yeah, I’ve read they are slimy and really disgusting!”

“Apparently they are the grossest things in the WORLD mum!” says my first boy.

I said, “You know what? I’ve never eaten brussels sprouts either. Let’s go to the shops and buy some. I’ll cook them up and you guys can decide for yourself.”

They were SO EXCITED.

Sheesh. Are we, like, the kookiest family ever or what?

According to many popular children’s story books, brussels sprouts are THE MOST HORRIBLE, AWFUL, AND DISGUSTING THINGS EVER!!!

But we all thought they looked kinda cute.

Like baby lettuce.

My boys also thought they looked like glowing green, “power-up” blobs in a computer game, where you have to collect them and shoot them at the bad guys haha.

I boiled them for 4 minutes.

Drained them and let them roll around in a tiny bit of butter (because let’s face it, everything tastes better with butter!)

The verdict… the outer leaves were lovely and had a nice crunch to them, like bok choy or some other leafy green Asian vegetable.

But the inside stalk was pretty bitter. Even I winced.

I think I’d have to cut them up first, and cook them harder to get rid of the bitterness. But if I cook them harder and longer, I’ll destroy the vitamins and nutients, which defeats the whole point of eating a vegetable really.

So no, I don’t think I’ll be cooking these up anytime soon.

I’m just going to stick with our “mini trees”!

(Broccoli.)

**Edit! Way hey – I received about 10 messages from readers… suggesting brussels sprouts recipes, tips on ways to make them taste better and how to get rid of the bitterness.This website about  “Understanding the Brussels Sprouts gave a nice explanation and some nice recipes. So I might give them another go! Thanks guys! xxx

I have been using this recipe for over 10 years, and it’s a damn good one.

Ok maybe you can call it a banana loaf, or cake. It’s really quick and easy to make, healthy for the family, and perfect for low sugar diets.

I make this banana bread twice a month, and I ALWAYS vary the recipe! Why? Because I always have different “new” stuff in my pantry. One week it will be sunflower seeds, then shredded coconut, then dried cranberries etc.

Most times I use self raising wholemeal flour, with a sprinkle of almond meal. And most times I throw in 2 tablespoons of pepitas or sunflower seeds, or 2 tablespoons of shredded coconut, or 2 tablespoons of sultanas, or I mash 6 dates into the mixture. Whatever I do, I just can’t seem to destroy the recipe. It all holds together fine :)

(I’m actually on a paleo based diet, so I don’t eat this bread anymore. My husband and kids loooove it though and they can finish it in one sitting!)

My Banana Bread Recipe (with sugar free option)

75g butter
2 tablespoons of brown sugar (or try none!)
2 medium eggs
4 medium sized banana (or 450g weighed with skin)
100g walnuts (or peacans), chopped
1 ½ cups (225g) self raising white (or wholemeal) flour
¼ teaspoon of bicarb soda
pinch of salt

1. Heat oven to 180ºC. Lightly grease a 11cm x 22cm loaf pan. Line the base and 2 long sides with baking paper. Leave some paper overhanging.

2. Melt the butter, mix in sugar (if you’re using it).

3. Add eggs and combine well.

4. Mash the bananas and add it to the mixture.

5. Add the chopped walnuts. Add 2 tablespoons of any other ingredients (Seeds, or sultanas, or coconut, or dates). Give it all a good stir!

6. Sift in flour, bicarb soda and pinch of salt. Stir until just combined.

7. Pour into the loaf tin. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and an inserted skewer comes out clean. Leave to stand for a few minutes then cool on wire rack.

Enjoy! xxx

Last week, I was invited to dine at Il Cielo Ristorante & Caffe, a modern Italian restaurant in the leafy southern suburbs of Bullcreek.

After first opening their doors in the middle of last year, they have now launched their new menu and prices for 2013 – and my husband and I had the pleasure of ordering a 3 course dinner, courtesy of the owners.

My husband is always a reluctant participant in my food blogging assignments. He always complains that by the time I finish taking photos of the dish, his food is cold haha!

Well I promised to take faster photos, so I dragged him along and he was a good sport :)

Il Cielo (pronounced il chee-ello) is situated amongst a group of shops in Parry Place, Bullcreek.

It’s a sizeable restaurant that sits upstairs, above the other shops and cafes, hence the meaning of its name “The Sky”.

It was certainly not what I expected at for an inner suburban restaurant. It was large and spacious, it had carpeted floors, cushioned chairs, nice curtains to dampen all the restaurant noises… and it had a “fine dining” feel to it.

However we got the impression that it wasn’t trying to be too stuffy and upmarket because there was a sign outside announcing a “3 Course Set Lunch Menu for only $10”!

Bruschetta Funghi – Mushroom Parmesan Bruschetta – $13

For his entrée, my husband ordered the Bruschetta Funghi and it was delicious.  The earthy flavours of the mushrooms mixed with the parmesan, herbs and paprika was just lovely.

It was presented very well and the portion size was pretty large.

I would have been happy to eat *just this* for my lunch!

Cozze Piccanti – Chilli Mussels with 2 pieces of garlic bread – $28

Then came my entrée – a bowl of Chilli Mussels – and my eyes nearly popped out of my head. This is my entrée?? It was HUGE.

And because my husband is allergic to shellfish… I had to eat it all by myself.

I was a bit embarrassed by the size of it.

However, it was fantastic.

The sauce was so flavoursome and tasty… and it had just the right saltiness.

And to add to that, the bread was very yummy. It was like a big, crunchy, buttery, garlic crouton (that was slightly soft in the centre) and simply amazing to dip into that salty, tomato, chilli, mussel sauce. YUM.

Unfortunately I had to leave 1/3 of the mussels and sauce behind. I felt really bad. I don’t like to waste food.

If it was my house, I would have savoured every last drop of that sauce and licked the bowl clean.

Bucatini All’Antonini, Hollowed center pasta, calamari and salami with creamy tomato sauce (Signature dish) – $23

A little later, my mains arrived. It was the Bucatini All’Antonini, their signature dish, a mix of calamari and salami.

It was a good sized portion, but after my epic chilli mussels, I felt a bit faint.

In terms of taste, this dish was creamy, fresh and full of flavour.

Calamari? Salami? In one dish? Oh my, it was the best combo ever.

My only minor note was that… usually when cooked, calamari is shaped as a thin circle. But in this dish, the calamari was roughly chopped, so it curled up and looked just like the pasta. It still tasted nice, but there were moments when I wasn’t sure if I had pasta or calamari on my fork.

However, I appreciated that this was their signature dish and that this recipe is based on traditional cuisine derived from Rome, with Napoli heritage.

So yeah, um it’s definitely got more Italian cred than I do.

Filetto Di Manzo, Porterhouse Steak served with French Green Beans, Blistered Tomato, Creamy Mash Potatoes and Red wine Jus – $38

My husband ordered the Porterhouse Steak. And he really enjoyed it.

He loved the flavours, presentation and everything about it. He even applauded how the tomatoes were cooked haha.

Personally, I like my meat cooked “rare”. Soft and squishy, still mooing thanks. But my husband likes his steaks “medium” … so unfortunately I can’t give a fair opinion of the meat, because I just don’t enjoy medium-done steaks :P

(I should have made him change his order to a fish dish, hmph. And at least it was still hot after I photographed it!)

Home-made Tiramisu, Cappuccino Ice cream, strawberry – $12

Lastly, I chose the Homemade Tiramisu and it was goooood. It was so soft, moist, light and fresh. The sponge was perfectly soaked in coffee and it was just wonderful to eat.

And you know what? My husband doesn’t eat sugar, so I ate ALL OF IT!

Yes, even after I ate the bruschetta, mussels and pasta.

I have a magical spot in my tummy reserved just for dessert. Doesn’t everyone?

My husband and I had a lovely time. The atmosphere was great, the portions were good, prices were fine, and the food was tasty.

The next time we come here, I think we would just order 1 entrée to share, 2 mains and 1 dessert (for me to eat all by myself).

I would definitely take my parents and family here for a nice homey Italian meal.

Il Cielo Ristorante & Caffe
Shop 9, 110 Parry Avenue,
Bull Creek, WA.
T: (08) 9332 7779
www.ilcielo.com.au

Cottesloe Beach is – hands down – one of my favourite places in Perth.

Whenever overseas friends and family come to visit Western Australia, we ALWAYS take them to the iconic beach. To drink coffee. To eat ice cream. To devour fish and chips. To walk along the beach. To swim. To play in the play ground. And most of all, to watch the spectacular sunset over the Indian Ocean.

Last week I was invited to a special event at a brand new eatery called The Beach Club at The Cottesloe Beach Hotel, which yes, overlooks Cottesloe Beach.

The event was a Menu Tasting, specially organised for local food bloggers (and me), where we also met the Executive Director of the Cottesloe Beach Hotel, Gary Gosatti, and food consultant Russell Blaikie, of Must Winebar and Bistro fame.

I felt a little out of my depth surrounded by hardcore food bloggers. Here I was… a fashion-crazy, cycling fanatic, in the depths of kid-wrangling, paleo eating and a fitness program.

And here they all are – absolutely lovely people – chatting passionately about the *best* places to buy pandan cake. I’m thinking – “OMG I haven’t eaten pandan cake in years. Sugar! Food colouring! Wheat! It’s so bad for you!!”

Haha I realised that THAT kind of attitude was totally unacceptable in these circumstances. So I decided to shut the hell up, lighten up, abandon all, and just ENJOY THE MEAL.

Oh before I get into the food.

I have to share my other loves. Fashion and gorgeous graphic design. Check this out. My canary yellow, peplum dress matched the food menu AND the bar stool that I was sitting on. Howzat!

Feta whip, dukkah, Aussie olives, and bread by Jean-Pierre Sancho – $14

The first dish to arrive was the crusty bread. This made me laugh because I’m trying to eat less wheat. Nonetheless, I tore off a crust and got stuck into it, like a real foodie.

The feta whip was lovely, smooth and creamy, with a good feta bite to it. Then when mixed with the crumbly dukkah… it was delicious. I would have eaten more, but I discovered…

…the olives. Oh god, I love eating good olives.

I knew that I had eaten too many, when I found myself fingering the jar like a monkey, trying to get the blasted ones that were stuck to the bottom of the jar.

Fried squid with Turkish pepper & tzatziki – $16

Oh hello there. I thought you were shoe string fries. But no. These were the softest, juiciest and most tender squid rings that I have ever eaten. Damn they were good.

My 9 year old son and I share a love for fried squid. We have been restaurant hopping in search of the best squid rings… and these might be it. I will definitely have to take him here to see what he thinks.

Spicy lamb meat balls with tomato sauce & yoghurt – $9 for a plate of 5

These lamb meat balls were quite different. Usually lamb meat balls are chewy, meaty and with a strong lamby flavour.

But this meat ball was really soft, fluffy, and it kind of crumbled when I bit into it. It was so light and flavoursome, that it filled my palate with mild spices, while the sweetness from the tomato sauce and the tang from the yoghurt made my mouth explode with happiness.

Pancetta, gorgonzola, spinach and and bechamel pizza – $24

Next up were the wood fired pizzas. Hmm. I’m a bit indifferent to pizzas nowadays. I make pizzas at home, once a week. So when I go out to eat… I prefer not to order a pizza. If I do… it had better promise to taste fricking amazing and be made by magical elves to make it worth my pain.

As I reluctantly munched my way through this slice – hallelujah – it was awesome!

Pancetta and blue cheese pizza? YUM. Can’t really go wrong there.

I sunk into my seat with pleasure, revelling in the magic of four simple ingredients. So simple. So good.

Prawns, chilli, Borello bocconcini, and basil pizza – $25

I love eating prawns. And chili. So this pizza totally hit my happy spot.

Speaking of prawns.

Grilled Carnarvon tiger prawns, pineapple, chilli & lime salsa, bean sprout salad – $34

This dish was the big winner for me.

It looked like a mess, and it was a bit hard to see the prawns… but the aromas, oh my! The smell of the nuts and the lime and the hot prawns and chili… ahhh it was sooooo goooood.

I was bouncing around on my seat as I ate this. The prawns were so fresh! Bean sprouts! Mint! It was all so yummy!

Lastly, we tried the Arkady Margaret River lamb and Mount Barker chicken cooked over charcoal served with giant tabouli salad & tzatziki – $27

I was pretty full at this point. I think I ate too many prawns. I should have paced myself properly. Such a newbie error.

The meats were gorgeously, soft and juicy. They were slow roasted on the woodfired rotisseries, and you can choose to order either the lamb, chicken or have them mixed up, served with giant pearl couscous.

The flavours of the tabouli went well with the meat. But I’m not a big fan of pearl couscous. I’m more of a salad or salsa kinda girl.

Photo courtesy of The Cottesloe Beach Hotel

We were given a tour of The Beach Club, and I adored what I saw.

There was a fresh mix of different dining spaces – modern lounge chairs and low coffee tables (I saw a few families with kids in that area), normal table seating for a sit-down dining experience, bar stools and high tables for a more pub-style gathering, really nice corners to sit and chill out with friends… and you can even sit outside in the open air, under beach umbrellas (out of the wind!).

It was fantastic to see a place like this emerge in the beachside Cottesloe area. It was stylish, sophisticated, breezy, relaxed and definitely more “grown up” than its former life as an old beer garden.

The food was superb too, offering patrons a well considered menu for modern Australian dining.

It is definitely a place where I would take my family for a meal, meet a girlfriend for coffee, take a big group of friends for dinner, or just sit around with friends sharing nibbles and a beer.

And if you’re a visitor of Perth, make sure you check out Cottesloe Beach, go for a walk, have an ice cream, watch the sunset, then visit The Cott Beach Hotel for a meal to end your day. It’s just opposite the main beach car park.

And lastly, just so everyone doesn’t forget that I like to mix up fashion with my food… this is what I wore to the The Beach Club.

I was probably a bit over dressed when I arrived (6pm) because there were lots of women wearing sun dresses and beachy tops and shorts. But I didn’t feel awkwardly over dressed at all.

By evening (8pm), there was a big after-work corporate crowd, lots of women in evening party dresses, and still lots of people in casual summer clothes and sandals! I love the laid-back beachy fashion mix!

The Beach Club
Cottesloe Beach Hotel
104 Marine Parade
Cottesloe, Western Australia

www.cottesloebeachhotel.com.au

A big thanks to The Beach Club for the invitation and dining experience.

(All photos of the food are my own. Taken with a Nikon D90 and 35mm f1.4 lens.)