In season at The Farm – A Box Full Of Beans!

 

Riverford is at it again, packing the boxes to full potential with the best of the season and ever thankful are we (my family) as devoted customers. Thank You 🙂

These beans that I speak of are the classic Organic Broad Beans that are currently in season and in the vegetable boxes on The Farm.
They can be purchased at Riverford Organic Farms through the online store via the Fruit and Veg section using the link above in this post. The beans also come with free recipes about them that can be found in the recipe section via this link here.

Now, which recipes to follow with all these beans, hope my boys have a healthy appetite this week as I have one for trying out new things 😀

If you don’t already know about Riverford, where have you been?! They are a superb organic farming company with 3 main farms in this country and a couple in France. The staff work extremely hard to provide an abundance of fresh and a truly nourishing range of foods and beverages. Vegetables, fruit, meat, dairy, drinks of all sorts, bakery goods and handy items for the home can all be found on their well thought-out website – Riverford.co.uk.

They do a range of boxes if you fancy refreshing your diet and changing up your shopping list with just a few clicks, or there are different sections for you to choose your own produce and make your own list. It is all organic and delivery is free providing you spend £12.50, already sounding good right? When you place a regular order through me you will get a box free and a free recipe book 🙂 Sounding fab now isn’t it. Always wanted to make the jump over to deliciousness from mundane supermarket aisles, online stores and not so great foods that are chemically dangerous instead of healthy? Now is your chance, and best of all the overall price you spend will be a tiny fraction more than what you spend now because you will have pure quality health over quantity and affordability.

The guys at this company totally changed my life around, I am so happy with the nourishment and well-being I get from eating Riverford’s outstanding organic foods that I spend next to £0 on impulse foods. The budget is set and we know we are always getting a great deal.
An honest and friendly member of the team will arrive every week on the day allocated to your area without fail with smiles and boxes full of goodies, you will know it is them at the door as I swear the boxes glow!

If you would like to place and order and receive the free welcome gifts stated please do get in touch via our Contact Page and we can get you set on your way within minutes. If you would prefer to trial them yourself then pop over to the website give them a try, or alternatively you could call them on 01803 762059. Trust me you will never loose out or feel hard done by and you will probably never look back if I am honest.

You can feel the quality instantly and then when you live it, you know.

For a further detailed review on the farm in Hampshire please see a previous article I wrote on The Farm.

Peace.

 

 

THANK YOU RIVERFORD HAMPSHIRE – WE LOVE YOU

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Pak Choi is back!

Boy am I glad to say that!

This member of the cruciferous family, at an average of around 105mg of Calcium per 100g of raw Pak Choi, is a delicate source of greens, truly an Asian treasure. A treasure that was definitely on this weeks list! That level of Calcium is ranking higher than Broccoli per 100g and seeing as this veg is also rich in Vitamin C it is most definitely therefore making its into my families meal times wherever possible. I just love raw food and discovering the true goodness of the Chinese cabbage really made me listen in and focus (well try to, given the stage of the moon we are in).
Our source of Pak Choi comes from Riverford Organic Farms where it arrives in a beautiful, clean, well packed condition.
Pak Choi is a delicious addition to any meal and can be enjoyed lightly cooked (steamed or lightly stir fried) or eaten raw in salads where this vegetable holds the most nutritional value. It has smooth and tender, large, thin leaves on a crunchy stalk with a mild ‘green’, pleasant and earthy taste.
I used some tonight in a soup where a habanero totally drowned any other flavour out so I took an after nibble sometime later and in fact after actually trying Pak Choi raw on its own again, has reminded me how wonderful this cabbage can be in a salad and with my new style of salad I am sure it will go down a treat for tomorrows testings.
Also known as Bok Choy and several other names this leafy wonder is booming full of nutrients containing high levels of Vitamins A, C and B-6 whilst also gifting small amounts of Iron and Magnesium, providing us with a healthy boost of brain and body functioning power!
I can roll with that, it is such a handsome veggie after all!

Extended Hiatus

Hey guys, apart from last night’s rolling ramblings I am still feeling rather unwell and everything around me is slacking now and my divine bed has become my best friend.
I am extending my hiatus from writing and being so strict on my posting routine as I can really only focus on the bare minimum all round.

I may comment quite a bit still as I am slightly addicted to you All and feel you nourish my soul with your indescribable words and intriguing notions. I am sorry to my friends running the wonderful challenges, I cannot seem to keep up right now.

Many thanks to everyone who continually supports me with well wishes, I really appreciate your loyalty and commitment. I feel your love.

Now, I must get busy with the kiddies and the Sunshine.

Much Love to You All.

Lucy

(wrote this half asleep :P)

💖

The local host.

Candida & Me – Feeding the beast

Just who do I think I am feeding, or what for that matter?
Without properly realising, in fact what has been happening is, I have been way too generous with the fungus that roams my intestines, way too kind to the population of dirty dwellers within, feeding and nourishing them into full throttle. Well no more! It has gotten to the point where at the time of piling in the food, it almost seems I am turning and looking at myself saying, what are you doing, what are you feeding, it’s almost as if something is taking over my ability to not eat these things I know desperately need to be moderated. It is as if something is silently calling me to feed it sweetness, salt and starch in any and every form possible. I do this, have a sugar rush, feel strange and in shock at what I have just done and will many of times fall down with a pain of instant regret and will often literally cry in disbelief. That is totally abnormal and most unacceptable.

Most of the time ‘will power’ doesn’t respond leaving me as a machine overruled. Take charge lady, pull those socks up and own yourself! Just say ‘No’ to over consumption and unhealthy choices. It is totally gross and I have done it over and over and over again, greed, gluttony, waste and overload. Way too many times the amount of this nutrient and a far too many of that one, urrgh! You know this wonderfully fun loop of rapids I appear to have become part of is really getting boring now! I mean how many times do I have to go there and say the same shit! *Fed up* Much change is needed.

Today I bough some Milk Thistle to help with the die-off from the literal taming session that awaits and Monday I stocked up on organic Lemons for my newly discovered preserve.
Tonight I have gone to abysmal levels of starch, salt and sugars…again! This time was one of the scariest though, I guess the only thing I can compare it to is an explosive fungal / bacterial awakening or a case of diabetes. Tonight I experienced blurred vision where it feels as if the side of my vision / eyes has been chopped off leaving the only clear focus towards the centre of gaze (really scary – happened real bad after high amounts of Agave Syrup before), a weird coating to tongue and mouth (really spooky), hardcore grinding of the teeth and jaw (real freaky), bloated belly and wide eyed buzziness and shaking! Uh oh! None of these symptoms I take as healthy signs although all of which I now understand as good ones as they mean my body is telling me something is wrong and with my minds ability to understand it all. I feel blessed to be aware of such a problem and for the ability to be able to fix myself.

Last night I listened to an awesome podcast with a lady named Andrea where she inspired me through her story about her thyroid gland which got me thinking of the many similarities we show. Andrea also raised awareness about working with the problem i.e Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis or Candida Albicans overgrowth instead of battling an illness she puts forward a great case on making it yours and owning it. That encouraged me further to do all I can to work with “my candida’, to tame it down and replenish me.

Using a course of healthy, non-reactive food, natural herbal medicines and probiotics I will get to know the real me the one who can be in control. Surely I can handle myself? Right?

I have come to the conclusion that the starter cause of this overgrowth came from the ingestion of hormone replacement pills from a young age when my body was still growing rather rapidly learning its functions and the impact of environmental factors of life. Also chairs has come from the mass consumption of fructose, starch, artificial sweetener aspartame and dairy produce. I am a 5″2, UK size 6, 25 year old western female, how is it even possible to eat the entire pantry in 10 minutes or a Kilo of Coconut in 5 days?…Candida that is why. Its hungry and appears to know no limits.

It wasn’t until a specialist online Doctor who actually cared about me suggested the Candida overgrowth problem that things regarding my digestive system started to make sense. The Candida overgrowth seems to be the most likely cause of the, IBS, SIBO and Leaky Gut symptoms also. Lovely stuff!

 When I heard about the autoimmunity regarding the Thyroid I was like, oh gosh, that is scary! Autoimmunity is extremely lethal and it really needs a strategic and strict approach. After an arduous journey of discovery I have come to a deep understanding as to what the heck has been revealed to me through research, detox and premature reintroductions.

The healing journey is becoming more imprinted within me and the more I get to know it and the more I seek to own my ‘I’, the more the determination can break through causing a successful outcome.

Even if I can only be strong enough to fully achieve the focus for one day after so many hard weeks, months, years then no matter what, I know it can be done and therfore I can do it.

Sometimes it isn’t about just getting on with it’, research needs to be completed, aid from nutrients and tools need gathering and the right mind set all need to come together to be able to say “I’m ready”.

I prayed for the guidance, for my path to be shown to me and this is what I am getting, clearer and clearer the more I follow and pray. It is a beautiful and miraculous way of life and the struggles are easier when one listens and takes heed of the Word.

I think I now have a full plan in place complete with nearly all the methods and tools to reach my goal. I need this to work, it has to, to be a better person for me, for my children, for us as One.

 Healthy gut, healthy everything.

in association with stream of consciousness in the now.

Banana, Coconut & Grapefruit Breakfast

The simple but really really healthy life!

The ingredients you will require:

1/4 Grapefruit
1 Banana
1 dessert spoon Mulberry Leaf Powder
1 dessert spoon Moringa Leaf Powder
2 dessert spoon Carob Powder
A sprinkle of Desiccated Coconut
3/4 mug Rosemary & Saffron tea*

*denotes non organic ingredient.

Equipment required:

Dessert Spoon
Blender
Mug / Glass Cup

To make this smoothie:

Chop the banana and grapefruit. Add all the ingredients to a blender. Blend for about 1 minute. Serve with a spoon in a small cup and enjoy 🙂 Simple.

The Protocol Prep Soup

Delicious Dinner Soup.

Round up, round up, healthy food without Monsanto’s Round Up anyone? Uh huh that’s what I thought!

Time to get holistically healthy and soup is on the menu!

The Protocol Prep Soup Recipe

1x Organic Garlic Clove
1x Organic Onion
1x Organic Carrot
2x Organic Parsnips
2x Organic Branches of Broccoli
1/2 Organic Fennel
1/2 Organic Lemon
100g Organic Rutabaga
100ml Organic Homemade Almond Milk
Small group of Fresh Wild Chives
Pinch of Pro Fusion Pink Himalayan Salt
Drizzle of Organic Olive Oil

All vegetables are from Riverford Organic Farm.
The Almonds are sent with love from Superfoodies.
The chives are locally wild harvested by myself.

Wash and chop all the ingredients and crush the garlic.
Add the rutabaga, parsnip and carrot to a steam blender for 10-15 minutes then add all other ingredients bar a pinch of chives and salt and further steam for 10 minutes (times may vary according to individual blender brand).

Water can substitute the milk for optimum purity.

Serve hot.

ENJOY!

Bergamot & Rocket Topped Salad For Lunch

Healthy and organic lunchtime recipe.

After realising the goodness and feeling the health benefits in my digestive system I feel it is still important to have food in the diet which needs chewing therefore I have allocated lunch to being this meal with breakfast as a smoothie and dinner as a soup, with NO snacking in between!
Until Thursday morning whatever I do is my trial period (LOL!). No seriously I simply cannot do this greed and sweet craving bull anymore so with a little help from my friend I have devised a plan and intend to do the best I can to stick to it eliminating everything that is making me unwell including stress. It has become deeply apparent that a huge trigger to me delving into mindless munching is a lack of stress management. I can go from being the happiest doll you ever met with sunshine literally beaming from me looking like I met the man of my dreams and actively living in a beautifully confident way to instantly being drained of all colour and not caring about anything but ingesting sweetness. I can see where the phrase “sweet enough already” comes from, when I don’t feel ‘sweet’ I mindlessly fill up on such foods, seriously screwing myself in the long run! Not the progression I need. Nevertheless I seek change and righteousness with an almighty force from within so I will achieve my goal and here’s the perfect lunch to help me do so…

Organic Lunchtime Salad Recipe

1x handful of Riverford Mixed Salad leaves + a few leaves to top
5x (small) Lettuce Leaves
1/2 Courgette
1/2 Bergamot Lemon
A drizzle of Casa Lucena Olive Oil

Using a bamboo knife, chop the mixed salad and lettuce leaves and combine. Dice the courgette and mix it into the leaves. Squeeze out the lemon into the dish and stir it up. Drizzle over with this delicious oil and toss it all together.
Use a few aesthetically pleasing and colourful leaves to top off the salad for presentation before serving.

Take a seat and a deep breath and slowly enjoy this meal savouring each mouthful (mandatory!).

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy this simple little dish.

Magic Mornings Smoothie

As you know if you have been keeping up with us here at PeaceCrafting, we are totally raw and organic superfood manic and love to try new things especially if they are packed with superfoods!

I am slowly getting to know more and more of the named superfoods and my ‘pantry’ cupboard is now starting to look like the shelves in the local health store, expensive but yay!! Can’t put, a price on your children’s health right? I mean once your ethics agree with something you can’t just ignore it can you? If you’re like me you’ll get an icky sensation until you iron out the creases and follow yourself fully (seems to be the answers to all problems but that’s another post ;).

Besides family and nature, food has become my biggest passion over the last couple of years, well since I discovered the poison Aspartame actually and its disgraceful abundance in the public food market. More recently, since following a strictly vegan lifestyle, I have become obsessed with health and exactly what goes into my children. Respect for life and following the word being the main objective.

This is the first official smoothie to be worthy of a post, admittedly I was slightly daunted and put off by smoothies as I ignorantly thought they needed a tonne of fruit which would be a) a serious health problem for me and b) totally out of our budget so I shyed away and just didn’t do any. Recently my health has taken a turn for the worst which is extremely hard for me to accept and amend but I am determined to make the needed changes and sacrifice everything I am used to, surrendering to the will of God. Good thing I do have a fetish for Sauerkraut then.

All jokes aside it is time to switch out the overly sweet breakfasts and get in touch with these magic leaf powders that will actually help to heal me.

Yes this smoothie does contain 2 fruits that are high in fat and probably well over my fructose limit for the day but in my eyes it was a good start, albeit the wrong time of the moon…look out February New Moon your energy is mine! Anyways this little lot made me feel amazing and gave me a magic glow which definitely supressed all hunger until lunch time when the thought of more leaves (Bergamot & Rocket Topped Salad for Lunch) in the form of rocket popped up so yes it was awesome and I felt amazing as I didn’t have 3 breakfasts today! I could really and truly feel the natural high and happiness gifted from this elixir and I am overjoyed I decided to give it a go!

Sound good? Then why not get the taste of what was coming out of my blender this morning…

Magic Mornings Smoothie – Recipe Ingredients: 

1x organic Fair Trade Banana
1/4 x organic Riverford Avocado
1 tbsp raw organic Superfoodies Cacao powder
1 tbsp raw organic Superfoodies Moringa Leaf Powder
1 tbsp raw Minvita Mulberry Leaf Powder
1 tbsp raw organic Minvita Baobab Powder + 400ml Cold Water

Chop the banana and avocado and add all the ingredients into a blender. Use on full power for about 1 minute. Serve and enjoy. So good!

Let me know what you think 🙂

White Mulberry Leaf Superfood Powder

Magic! This green powder is absolutely amazing providing nutrition content high in zinc, calcium and iron. For someone like myself with abnormally high blood sugar just below the threshold for diabetes this discovery is a dream come true, a true life saviour!

I can say from my experience that this powder really does supress that sugar spike that follows a meal. Usually in the morning I will have a type of seeds and almond milk for breakfast loaded with my superfood powders i.e. Moringa, Cacao, Açai etc. and then after eating a more than required amount of food I will crave another 3 bowls and usually go back for more or something else. It is always a feeling I dislike, one that makes me feel like I am not in control like something inside me wants feeding (parasites/candida?) like I am being overridden and often I end up in tears due to my weak-willed lack of control, looking back in disgust wondering what on earth has happened to me, my guts, my head, my skin! Seriously the amount I can eat isn’t healthy and gets me very depressed and that is why I was so filled with joy to find that adding white mulberry leaf powder to my usual breakfast really works at keeping the sweet cravings down. I can honestly say I have easily managed to say no to going back for more the last few mornings and this was before I read the accompanying leaflet!

These ancient trees have almost been hidden from the UK culture today when in fact they have been used as herbal medicine for a long time. The incredible healing powers of the tree produce medicinal leaves and delicious berries ideal for optimum human health.

If you too are looking for a natural way to control your blood sugars I highly recommend this powder. It has been recommended that Mulberry powder can be added to juices, smoothies or tea for easy consumption or baked into cakes and bread. I have found it works well when added raw mixed into my breakfast. I only use about 1g and it has made a huge difference in keeping the cravings at bay.

I cannot tell you how happy I am with the powders immediate effects. It is amazing to finally feel like I have gained a little more control and from such a simple natural method and source. I will definitely be including this green powder regularly into my diet, in moderation of course. Anything (healthy;) to rid myself of the ‘demon’ within!