After the response to the natural sweetener date syrup post that I did a few weeks ago, I decided to try using another dried fruit instead of dates. I use some Turkish dried apricots and have been very happy with this sweet, delicious syrup. Whilst the flavour is not as neutral as the date syrup, it is perfect for adding a twist to your breakfast or porridge or perhaps even baked goods (although I haven't tried this yet.)

I love apricots, and this a great way to add that beautiful flavour to lots of meals. My favourite has been in a healthy and nutritious brekkie parfait which is simply fresh fruit, muesli, natural yoghurt and apricot syrup layered in a glass.

This is one of the easiest recipes I have made I think. It is also one I make on a regular basis. Dates are a fantastic natural sweetener but obviously in their normal whole form, you can't add them to everything. Turn them into a liquid however, and you have a mild tasting, totally natural and raw sweetener. I like to substitute date syrup in everything from baking to in a green smoothie or even in my cup of tea or hot chocolate.

Last weekend we had the annual Juice Plus+ conference in Newcastle. It was inspiring, motivating and very exciting - so much new research coming out and lots of awesome news.

Anyway, we drove up to Newcastle with some of our team members and I wanted to bring some healthy, light (but totally delicious) snacks for the ride. Something made with fruit seemed highly appropriate (Juice Plus+ is simply fruits & veg in a capsule).

One of these was these snacks that I made was ridiculously easy and healthy apple chips. Whilst they take a few hours to dehydrate obviously, they are certainly not difficult to make...it's not even really a recipe! So that's even more reason for everybody to make these!

Next time I make these, I'm going to sprinkle them with cinnamon...just because I LOVE cinnamon.

Brrrr! It was COLD today! In fact, since Autumn started here in Sydney, today was really the first day that had that real wintery bite in the air...you know the kind that makes your nose a bit pink and your fingers and toes cold? On my way to work at 5am it was only 10.5°C! Well it did get up to about 15°C during the day, but it has just been chilly.

Which brings me to my first soup of the season. My mother had told me to buy red lentils the other week and I had yet to find a recipe that I wanted to use them in...I decided that a simple, warming soup with butternut squash and a bit of spice was the perfect way to use them. This was so delicious...the chili combined with the sweetness of the squash and then that tart yoghurt was just a perfect combination. (I'm glad I have another 1.5 litres left!)

I came across some beautiful, purple carrots at Harris Farm in Potts Point this morning...it was a bit of a detour on the way home from the market buying the cranberries for these cookies. In fact I had only dropped in to get some organic butter for the cookies but somehow (as usual) walked out with a bag full to the brim of fresh fruit and vegetables.



I was most excited about my purple carrots as I had heard that they had double the nutritional value of the orange ones. I did a bit of research and it turns out that not only are the original carrot (orange being a genetic throwback,) they are little purple powerhouses! Compared to our common orange carrots, they have double the levels of beta-carotene and 28 times more anthocyanins which act to capture harmful free radicals in the body, slow blood clotting and act as an anti-inflammatory agent. They also taste just as delicious too!

I would love to get hold of the entire rainbow of carrot colours...

Anyway, I wanted to use my purple powerhouses in something delicious and healthy and have been meaning to try a raw carrot cake for some time now. I used a combination of purple carrots and their orange friend to get a beautiful depth of flavour and speckled colour throughout this delicious, moist cake. I was quite surprised with how much this tasted just like carrot cake too! It has all the right flavours, sweet carrots, walnuts, coconut and the lemon cashew frosting was simply divine. Bugs Bunny would be impressed!

I have been reading and exploring raw foods over the past few months and I am really starting to enjoy creating new raw dishes or mainly raw. I am not interested in being 100% raw but I certainly love the benefits and how my body feels when I eat more fresh vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds etc... but even more so because I'm eating less and less of the processed foods. One day I will perhaps try a totally raw lifestyle...who knows!