Mixed Berries Orange Tea Cake

Once in a while you experiment and discover recipes that are worth keeping. This is one of them. Finding the balance between coconut flour and almond meal seems tricky at times but this cake just...takes the cake. It's very cake like and light to eat. Again, I serve it to friends who would not have guessed it's an no added refined sugar and certainly gluten free, and paleo cake. Hubby is also loving the citrus flavours. We love the citrus seller at our local farmers market. Oh, and for the first time, I used rice malt syrup just so that Asher gets to eat this too.

I really enjoy being at home and having the time to think about experimenting with different ingredients. Someone commented that I always seem to have a lot on my plate. I view it differently. I do like living life to the fullest- BUT I am also aware that there are some times that I need a little chill time as well. This is a lesson I have to learn.

It's what I think makes me who I am. A mum. An experimenter. A wife. And a whole lot of roles in between. However, I have to remind myself...

It's ok to have a cup of coffee and eat a slice of cake too!

Mixed Berries Orange Tea Cake 
1 cup of almond meal
1/2  cup of desiccated coconut
1/4 cup of coconut flour
juice of 1 whole orange
zest of 1 orange
4 eggs
1 tsp of vanilla paste
1 tablespoon of rice malt syrup or honey
3/4 cup of frozen berries
1 tsp of baking powder
pinch salt

flaked almonds to sprinkle

Preheat Oven to 180C. Line an 9inch cake tin with baking paper. Using a cake mixer, I whisked eggs, orange juice, zest, vanilla and rice malt syrup. Then I added all the dry ingredients. I fold in the berries last. Pour into the prepared tin, sprinkle flaked almonds and bake for 50 minutes.

Blessed and Lucky Peanut Butter: A Crispy Salted Dark Choc Peanut Butter Cookies

Warning: This is not exactly the "cleanest" or "paleo" post.

My confession of the day is that we still have peanut butter from time to time. Yes, we ALWAYS have almond butter but there are some mornings when we just want a treat, mix into a salad dressing or even in cooking.

Blessed and Lucky sent me 3 generous jars of their peanut butter for reviews. I have to say their flavours did make me sit up. Cinnamon Spice, Maple Syrup and Sweet Honey. YUM!

Tasting them, I realised how much my taste buds have changed. The sweet honey and maple syrup was way to sweet for me. I can taste the granules of sugar. However, I really like the subtle maple syrup taste in nut butter. It's also quite smooth and I can see it will be a hit in the mornings or in between waffles. My favourite I would say would be the Cinnamon Spice. It's less sweet and I think it's pretty unique to add cinnamon to peanut butter. It works though. Certainly not a everyday spread- not even every other day, but it's a nice treat from time to time.

I decided to make a big batch of cookies for hubby. This turned out crispy on the outside, and a little chewy with the right crunch through it. Like most cookies, they are a treat food. This is particular a treat because the nut butter has sugar added to it already! So less is more when adding any sort of sweetener to the batter. The pinch of salt also balanced out the sweetness.

So when Asher is asleep at 10pm, I have a warm cup of almond milk with chia tea leaves and savour one cookie... and think about how sweet life is at times.

Salted Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Spice Peanut Butter Cookies (adapted from Slim Palate)
1 cup of Blessed and Lucky Cinnamon Spice Peanut Butter
2 tablespoons of coconut sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla paste
1 tsp baking soda
50 grams of dark chocolate chopped (I used 85%lindt)
pinch of sea salt.

Preheat Oven 180C. Line cookie trays with baking paper. In a mixer, whisk peanut butter, sugar and eggs till well mixed. Then add in vanilla, baking soda. Fold in dark chocolate. Place teaspoon on baking tray.  Sprinkle sea salt on each cookie. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Cool.

Note: I received these jars as a gift from Blessed and Lucky but views are entirely of my own!

Pecan Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

It's almost like I have rediscovered pecans. Once upon a time, I'm mad about walnuts. Then I went on to pine nuts and even cashews. Now, I like to put pecans in all my baking and granola.

From time to time, I do love a good cookie. Hubby likes them in his snack box as they are portable and easy to munch on. Making a good healthy cookie without processed ingredients like white flour can be tricky- especially since I like my cookie a little crispy.

I think you know about my search for the perfect chocolate chip cookie. Check this and this and this healthy version out... Since we hardly eat flour products, I find it difficult to make cookies at home.

Not anymore. I have the "Make ahead Paleo" cookbook by Tammy and have been experimenting with glee. Her version is the "Kitchen Sink Cookies" but I made a few changes as we generally don't take as much maple syrup on honey. That could have contributed to why my cookie isn't as crispy as well.

 One thing that I learned in this cookbook is the use of arrowroot starch and flour! It really does make the finished product more "normal" cake/cookie tasting. My only complain is that clean cookies usually do not keep well. I re toasted mine the next day and it tasted just as good- if not better as it became crispier!

ps- did you see the photo of my new measuring spoons? They are soooo cool that I'm keeping them aside for props! LOL

Pecan Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies (I made 28 cookies)
1 cup almond flour
3 tablespoon of coconut flour
1/4 cup arrowroot starch
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of sea salt

2 eggs
2 tsp of vanilla paste
2 tablespoon of maple syrup
splash of almond milk (around 2 tablespoon)
2 tablespoon of coconut oil

1/4 cup of pecans
1/4 cup of cranberries
1/4 cup of chocolate chips

Put baking paper on baking tray. Preheat Oven at 180C. Whisk dry ingredients together. In a jug, mix eggs and other wet ingredients together. Fold wet to dry. Then fold in pecans, cranberries and choc chops. Spoon teaspoons onto baking tray. Flatten it. Bake for 15 minutes till golden.

Toast leftovers the next day.

Pecan Banana Bread

One of my favourite things to do is to bake. I simply love the warm comforting smell and taste coming out of the oven and diffusing to the whole house. There is something about baking that helps me to process the day, and even makes me feel a little better if I'm feeling sad, tired or down.

I wrote about my ambivalence about returning to work or staying at home.  I think at the end of the day, it's about what fits for your family and you. I count my blessings that I have a choice. My mum for instance, did not have a choice and had to return to work when I was 3 months young. Again, I'm one of those blessed kids that was surrounded by many loving family members- including my maternal grandmother whom I'm very very close to.

It's a little strange that I am in this position. I remembered that when I was younger, I thought that I will definitely stay at home. I love my mum and she is a strong independent woman who is a fantastic had working role model. But I also recall times when I wished she is at home. Perhaps that is why, I thought that when I am a mum, that decision will come easily to me.

There is nothing wrong with enjoying paid employment. I work in the area of psychology and am very pleased that I am able to reach out to others. It is what God has directed me to do and I have accepted this gift with both hands. But what happens when God bless you with another gift- a gift of life where you can stay at home and nurture a life at the same time?

I'm a big believer of being attune to your child and respond to his needs. As he grows bigger, I believe I will put him in day care anyway for social interaction with adults and children. Having little immediate family around, I do think it is important to expose him to other activities and children besides the games and classes we attend together. It's finding the balance as we go along I think that could be challenging.

My answer is this- I'm going to pray and wait and see.  If a door opens and it is an opportunity that I know God has directed me to, I will go towards it.  However, if the door closes then, I know where I'm being lead to. I think returning to full time work will not be in the equation.

The hard bit for me, is to stay in the moment. To simply enjoy time with Asher and being a housewife. A role I am so proud to be.

This pecan banana bread is from a recipe that I adapted from a friend. Besides baking being therapeutic, it also makes my hubby happy. I wrote before that he wakes early in the morning to go to work, so that he can be home to be with our son in the evening (and for me to head to the gym). Pecan banana bread is a nutritious quick morning breakfast where he could toast eat and go.

And that makes me happy.

Pecan Banana Bread (12 serves)
4 bananas mashed
1/4 cup nut butter of your choice
2 tablespoons of honey
1/4 cup of coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp of vanilla paste
3 eggs
1/4 cup of pecan nuts crushed

handful of crushed pecan nuts

Preheat Oven 180C. Line baking loaf with baking paper.

Whisk honey,  banana, nut butter, vanilla and eggs together. In a separate bowl, place flour, nuts baking powder and soda. Pour wet to dry and fold. Spoon into baking tin. Sprinkle pecan pieces on top. Bake for 35-40 minutes till brown.

Almond Coconut Crusted Chicken

The recent happenings at home means I cared for Asher by myself for a few weeks in Singapore. It was a truly humbling experience, as I reflected on the mums who are single parents or who have partners flying in and out. Perhaps I missed hubby but more so, I missed that extra pair of hands to look after Asher.

Back in Singapore, I'm regularly faced with questions such as why am I not working? I guess the easy answer to that is Asher needs me and I have no other help in Perth. I'm sure that when the time comes for me to put him in day care, it wouldn't be a tear free (on my part) one. However, right now, I get to cherish time at home and I'm planning to do just that.

Staying in the moment or mindfulness is actually harder than it seems. As a mum and wife, my mind is constantly running a million miles an hour. This trip overseas, caring for my grandma made me realised how important is it to just cherish the minute that we are in. When Granny was in ICU, all i could think about was to be thankful that she is well looked after and be grateful for every extra trip I can make to the hospital to see her. Same thing when she returned home. I'm grateful for every cuddle she gave Asher as she slowly regained her strength.

Yet being mindful is so important to our well being. It makes me a better mum. I tell myself to be in the moment with Asher. He doesn't know that my mind tends to run away, but his delighted smile that I'm with him will always stay in my mind. It makes me a better wife. How many times I have to put down my social media equipment and just listened attentively to what hubby has to say? In food and fitness wise, it made me sit up and listen to my own body. Did I push myself too much? Or do I need to work on my strength further? I certainly hope it has made me a better person overall.


I try not to stress over meals. Or household chores. I try to use whatever equipment I have to help me to do my best to cook. It is no secret that I adore using my oven to cook. I love being able to set it and leave it. After settling bub into his night time slumber, hubby and I enter the kitchen and dinner is freshly cooked.

I was looking at jazzing up plain chicken breast without the use of breadcrumbs. Who doesn't like crispy chicken? This is a coconutty version of it. I happened to have moist coconut flakes but I think desiccated coconut would work just as well. The moist coconut flakes did add a little sweetness to it though.


Almond Coconut Crusted Chicken 
2 x chicken breast cut up in finger fillet size
1 cup of almond meal
1 cup of coconut flakes
1 tsp of paprika
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp of cinnamon
salt and pepper

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 200C. Line trays with baking paper.
Mix almond meal, coconut, spices and seasoning together on one plate. Egg beaten in another. Dip chicken into egg then almond meal. Place on trays. Oven baked it for 30 minutes or so. Serve with a salad.

Gluten Free Healthy Christmas Cakes

Counting down to our first Christmas with Asher. I LOVE Christmas. Celebrating the birth of Christ, presents and sparkling lights- what not to love? So far, we bought him a little outfit, did up our tree and bought a Christmas ornament with his name and year on it.

Oops- except I nearly left him off my Christmas list for presents from us. Ha! Talk about mummy brain. Lucky Asher probably wouldn't remember much for his first Christmas. At least there is still time to get something by the time I remembered.

I'm a little stingy as a mum. Truth be told, I really think that babies do not need that many toys before they turn 6 months. We have a play gym, a few gifted rattles and a swing (also 2nd hand)..and oh perhaps 2 toys which keeps him entertained when doing his tummy time. Often, I find that hubby and I are his entertainers as he prefers looking at us making funny faces and talking to him.

After 6 months though, I think children do need some form of stimulation but oh mind! The range is mind blowing. What a find balance between not going over the top versus trying to select the right toy for him. Finally, we decided that he can have 2 outfits and a small pram toy as his gifts. We did decided on n activity table but that will only arrive a few weeks later.

Every year, I try to make edible gifts for some friends and family. I think muesli one year and roasted nuts last year. This year, I decided to do a mixture- grabbing every precious hour that I can get in between Asher's play time. This is one of them.

This is actually my favourite. Christmas cake. Yes, it is a fruit cake during other times of the year but it is a Christmas cake in my books in december. I soaked mixed fruits in DOM a week before and got on with it. Teresa Cutter is my inspiration as usual as I mix and match my own version of this little gift. I reduced the fruit amount (to reduce sugar content), and added baking powder to create a lightness. Hers is certainly more dense than mine but I'm a fan of hers all the same.

Gluten Free Healthy Christmas Cake (Makes 30 mini cakes)
800 grams mixed fruit (I used a mixture of raisins, cherries, cranberries and sultanas)
1.5 cups of DOM alcohol 

6 eggs
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 orange juiced and zest
2 tsp of vanilla paste
3-4 tsp of cinnamon (Because I love cinnamon at this time of the year)
2 tsp mixed spice


4 cups of almond meal
1/2 cup of mixed nuts
2 tsp of baking powder

50 grams lindt dark chocolate melted

Preheat Oven to 180C. Line muffin trays with liners. Marinate mixed fruits at least 3 days, but a week will be better before making the cake.

Mix fruits, eggs, oil, juice, vanilla paste, cinnamon, mixed spice together. Fold in almond meal and baking powder. Spoon into muffin tins. Bake for 35-40 minutes till brown.

Cool little cakes. Melt chocolate and use a fork to drizzle chocolate over these little cakes.

ps- do not waste chocolate. I like to roll strawberries or cherries onto the sides of the jar i use to melt chocolate in! ;)

Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Avocado Chocolate Loaf

The year 2013 certainly is going fast. I cannot believe we are in November already and heading to December real fast. Are we even ready for Christmas?

On another note, I'm very pleased to say I have lost 19kgs so far since the birth of Asher. 11 kg came off a week after birth (water, baby, placenta..etc) but the rest of it was through clean diet and exercise. I still have some way to go before reaching my pre-pregnancy weight but that's ok. I have given myself permission to be ok with that.

That was difficult for me. To give myself time and love my body for what it has done. Being health conscious and fit prior to pregnancy, it was hard to adjust to the fact that I needed time to recover. It's not just about the weight and size issue, but just how weak I felt post birth. Returning to exercise was hard. Getting my strength back was hard. I could not even carry Asher for more than 10 minutes standing. As I slowly started my walks, light intensity exercises and then finally more intense ones, not only am I slowly regaining my strength, but I'm staying in the moment and taking in the process.

So I rewarded myself with a new pair of trainers and started looking for healthy yummy recipes to bake. This is one of them. Who would have thought avocado could turn almond meal into something so yummy? This is good for breakfast, or as a snack. High in antioxidants, cacao almond and avocado turned this into almond bread. The avocado provided a creamy texture to it.

Avocado Chocolate Loaf (adapted from Living Healthy with Chocolate)
1.5 Avocado mashed
3 tablespoon of coconut oil
1 tsp of vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoon of almond milk
2 eggs
1. 5 tablespoon of raw honey
2 cups of almond meal
1tsp baking soda
1/4 cup of cacao powder
50 grams of dark 85% chocolate chopped


Line loaf tin with baking paper. Preheat oven 180C.
Whisk avocado, coconut oil, vanilla, almond milk, honey and eggs together.  Pour wet to dry ingredients and fold. Pour in loaf tin and bake for 45 minutes

Peanut Butter and Jelly Slice

When I'm standing in front of a counter of a cafe, trying to decide if I want a cake, slice, tart or cookie, my choices are often down to either a slice or a tart. For some odd reason, they seem to look more appealing. I glance at the pastry, and the filling and conclude that anything with different texture will make my money more worth it than a cake with a single flavour.

There is also something about a slice that makes it ok to have a small piece. Nothing says that about a cake. You just have to have a large slice right? Well, that's the deceiving factor of a slice- we usually have more than just a small bite.

I came across this peanut butter and jelly slice and know I just have to make it. Not many people can resist that combination- myself included. I did not grow up with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches though- being in an Asian household, sandwiches are more often made out of Kaya (coconut jam) or pork floss (dehydrated pork) with butter- kinda like a fairy bread except it's more savoury than sweet.  In fact, at one point, I was puzzled by why jam is called "jelly"- before I realised they meant the same thing in the context of a peanut butter and jam sandwich.

I was invited to a housewarming party and packed these little babies in a box with a  ribbon as part of our gift to the new home owner. It was sticky, warm and sweet- just what we need on a cold winter night.

Peanut Butter and Jam Slice (Source from Taste.com)
100 grams butter melted
1/3 brown sugar
1 cup of plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup of strawberry jam
a tin of condensed milk (I used 97% fat free)
1/3 cup peanut butter with no sugar and salt
3/4 cup toasted peanuts

Preheat Oven to 180C and line a slice pan.

Make base- mix butter, brown sugar, plain flour and baking powder together. Press mixture into tin and bake for around 15 minutes till brown. Cool

Topping- mix condense milk, peanut butter and toasted peanuts together.

Spread strawberry jam/jelly on to the base. Then top it with the condense milk/peanut butter mixture. Return to oven and bake for further 30 mins. Slice, lick fingers and serve.

Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies

Pregnancy made me slowed down. It's not a bad thing, it's just something I am not used to. I love my routine. I am the sort of person who fill my days and nights with activities- baking, cooking, meeting with friends, cleaning, catching up on whatsapp/skype, gym (and lots of gym!), researching for recipes, watching selected few of my favourite TV series, flipping through food or living magazines..... Yes, I'm the sort of person who believes in making use of every second.

So the hormones hit, and I have not spent as much time in the loo, the couch or my bed that I have EVER known for that matter. I  regretfully admit that I was one of those people who said... "Sleep is over rated". Now? Sleep is my best friend. Oh how I love sleep. 

They say that once our little miracle arrives, sleep will never exist. ever again. So perhaps it is not a bad thing that I'm sleeping like nothing these days. 

I cancelled commitments, reduced my gym time, increased my screen time and just rested. Then the whinging begins... why am I feeling this way, I was so active before, how come other women can do it but I can't? Why is it that work has started to feel tedious rather than enjoyable? And my weight! Argh, I'm feeling unattractive and clumsy. 

My poor husband. 

On the other hand, I cannot, simply cannot describe the joy I feel each time I feel the stronger kick/nudge, boxing stance that our little one has begin to move. Baby A (yes we think we have a name but it's not 100% sure yet so baby A shall be for the time being), seems to be a gymnast of some sort or perhaps just a healthy active little boy. Already he appears to responds to his daddy's "high 5s", and dislikes me bending forward... does that mean his little personality is developing? Or maybe just instincts. 

To thank my dearest husband for the ever patience, I got up from my couch one Sunday and actually baked a batch of cookies for him. The first sentence he said when he got home was "you moved!" It's a recipe that I spotted when we were at New York- at a bakery/dessert shop that we loved... It's called Spot Dessert Bar. This recipe features his favourite coconut and chocolate. I love the texture that the coconut provided and the crisp cookie bite that it gave.

Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies (makes around 80 cookies)

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1.5 cup desiccated coconut (toasted)

1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

1.5 cups of dark choc chips

Preheat Oven 180C. Line 4 baking trays with baking paper. 

Beat butter, sugars and salt together till fluffy. Then add eggs. 

Sift flour and baking powder in another bowl. Gradually flow the butter egg mixture to flour mixture till combined. Spoon tablespoon on baking tray, bake for 20-25 minutes till brown. 

Pumpkin Bread

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Although thanksgiving is not celebrated here in Australia (as a public holiday), I personally think that it is a beautiful festival. A festival filled with good food, good time with families gathering together and simply, just being thankful.

What a concept. Being thankful.

As days get filled, and people get busier, it's not very often that we wait for a second and be thankful. After all, life is pretty fragile? In 3 days, I was made aware of a birth, a pregnancy and a death. It's times like that that make you realised how precious life truly is.

Then there are other things to be thankful of. Like having the a job, family to love, lovely weather, having the opportunity to travel, food to cook and enjoy, friends to spend time with and build memories.

Or perhaps negative experiences that deserved to be thankful of as well- like a family member's close brush with cancer, any kind of operation (yourself or someone close), close shave from a car accident or bad financial decision.

Good or bad, these experiences shape who we are and what we do. Our thoughts influenced our behaviour and feelings, and I truly believe that how we perceive each situation lead us to different path ways.

Like food. Eating clean can be challenging with friends sometimes. Preparing a lunch for friends earlier, I made us a pumpkin loaf to compliment some seafood skewers and a chicken salad. This bread was a big hit. It tasted even better toasted the next day with just a sliver (or more) of butter.

Pumpkin Bread (adapted from Teresa Cutter's Paleo Pumpkin Bread)
3.5 cups of grated pumpkin
4 eggs
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of mixed spice
1/4 cup of coconut oil melted
 3 cups of almond meal
2 tsp of gluten free baking powder
3/4 tablespoon of honey
pumpkin seeds

Preheat Oven 160C. Line loaf tin with baking paper.

Mix grated pumpkin, almond meal, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together. In a jar, mix eggs, coconut oil and honey together. Fold through dry ingredients and sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top of loaf.

Bake for 1.5 hours (check every 45 minutes).

Lucky Nuts- Cinnamon Breakfast Clusters and Green Tea Cookies

hello there! I'm back from my holidays! We were in NYC and LA for 10 days which turned out to be 12 days due to Hurricane Sandy and the secondary storm that followed that. Fret not, we were safe. We swopped our NYC-LA itinerary to LA-NYC. Our flights were delayed but we managed to get to NYC when it started their recovery works. The last few days were adventurous as we managed to experience fall and winter weather in 24 hours. More photos to follow in the coming week. 

I came home to... THIS! 

Don't you just like having presents waiting by your doorstep? 

Courtesy of Lucky Nuts (through NuffNang), I have the privilege to taste test more of Lucky nuts products and more importantly, their two new additions to their range- The Almond Crumble and Oven Roasted Almond Meal. Perfect for Christmas preparations. 

Given that we have just recently moved into our new home, this year, we are hosting Christmas lunch for some of our closest friends and family. Yes, you hear right. My in laws (including brother in law) will be staying with us as well. That means catering for around 26-30 people. Exciting as it is, it is also about daunting, so I have actually began thinking about the menu. This is a great chance to start rehearsing and practising! 

Now, you may think 27 hours of flight, 33 hours of travel will stop me from screaming in glee. How can I resist? Flipping through the recipe book, I am excited to see what I can do with the nuts. 

I have to also confess that I nearly missed the deadline for the write up for this post. Flying across 4 different time zones and needing to change all our plans due to flight cancellations means I am a little disorientated. So while my mind is running a million miles an hour with different ideas, physically, I could only muster up enough energy to make two. So I did the next best thing, review + write you a list of some things I will be making with these amazing nuts. 

You see, I miss my normal routine of eating and baking with all natural products. That is what I like best about Lucky nuts- it's simplicity. No pretence there, just good quality nuts. I have sent my hubby into our nearby grocery store at 8:55pm at night because I have a sudden urge to bake flour less cakes, make our energy bars, or breakfast nut muesli (most shops here close at 9pm). My favourite of all would be the almond meal and almonds. They are my MUST have ingredients in the pantry. Lucky nuts also carry Brazil nuts, cashews, pistachios..etc. They are also Australian grown. 

I have experienced a huge change since eating more paleo friendly foods. Now, I don't subscribe to any "diet" per say. Just trying to eat clean and make better choices with food. Travelling means that I have chosen to indulge and as a result, I noticed I feel more bloated and gut discomfort. Almond meal is my must have, because it allowed me to bake and cook with texture. I'm really wanting to get back into using my nuts in my normal routine. I'm also into quality- and since I know that Christmas is a time when we are entertaining, I want to make sure we are serving guests meals made from ingredients that are fresh. 

Here are two ideas that could be interesting to you.

Presenting my Cinnamon Breakfast Clusters. I need something healthy and nutritious for breakfast after a 17 days indulgent trip. Combining the nuts with some coconut oil, almond butter and spices, I pressed them into little muffin cups. I love the crisp to go breakfast. Wouldn't your guests like this for their breakfast after a night or afternoon of indulgence? Your house will smell amazing with the combination of nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. (ginger aid with digestion so it will probably be useful after an afternoon feast). I would also add cranberries for some festiveness. 

Cinnamon Breakfast Clusters (makes around 7)

1 cup of coconut flakes

1 cup of walnuts crushed

1/2 cup of silvered almonds

1/2 cup of almond meal

1/4 cup of coconut oil

1/4 cup of almond butter

2 tsp of ground cinnamon

1 tsp of ground ginger

2 dried figs chopped

Preheat Oven to 180C. Line muffin tray with muffin wrappers. 

Melt coconut oil and almond butter together in a microwave. Combine all other dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix wet to dry. Spoon into muffin trays and press down. Bake for 25 minutes, rotating it after 10 minutes. 

My 2nd share: 

Are you bored of my almond bakes yet? I hope not!! :) I'm such a fan of creating desserts and bakes out of almond meal that I am still amazed by what I can come up with or find on the net!

As you know, I like my green tea. Having some more green tea powder in my pantry that I want to finish using (to keep it fresh), I experimented and came up with a batch of cookies. This has a crisp outer and slightly chewy in the centre. I love the hit of matcha that comes with it. Somehow, I can see this as a Chinese New Year Cookie as well!

(can you tell I am jet lagged when writing the post? Holiday posts coming up!)

Green Tea Almond Cookies 
1.5 cup of Almond Meal
1 tablespoon of green tea
1/4 cup of coconut oil melted
1/2 tsp of vanilla paste
handful of silvered almonds

Mix everything together. Shape into cookie form and bake in preheated 180C for 15 minutes!

Some other meal ideas

- Salmon and Goats Cheese Avocado Salad with toasted walnuts

- Balsamic brussel sprouts with toasted pine nuts

- Almond and lemon stuffing in roast chicken 

- "cheesecake crumble" using the Almond crumble mixture.

- Toasted crumble for ice-cream or to sprinkle on yogurt. 

I guess I have just given you a preview of up coming recipes that I am working on! 

This post is part of "Product Talk" by Nuffnang but thoughts and recipes are from myself.