(Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Vegan, Raw)

As a family, we are not milk drinkers.  My kids have organic cows milk or homemade yogurt with their cereal in the morning, and that's it.  We do like cheese, both dairy and nut cheese, lately I'm addicted to both cashew cheese and goats cheese - yum!

I sometimes use almond milk when I cook, but again, not a lot, usually just buying the sugar free most natural one I could find.  Made it once or twice, but never really got into it... just not a milk drinker.

The other day, I decide to make hemp milk:

• Super Easy - just whizz in the blender for 1 - 1 1/2 minutes
  
• Flexible - can flavor as you wish
  
• Yummy - as a dessert or with breakfast or for a snack
  

Ingredients

• 1 Cup hemp seeds
  
• 3 Cups of water 
  
• 1 Date (none for sugar free, up to 3 for sweeter)
  
• 1 Tablespoon of coconut butter/manna 
  
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla seeds (I love this!)
  
• 1 teaspoon of raw cacao powder
  
• A dash of pink Himalayan salt

Directions
Add all ingredients to a blender (I use a Vitamix, but ANY blender will work)
Blend 1-2 minutes until smooth
Taste with a straw to see if you want to adjust the flavor
Put in a jar in the fridge, will last 2 days

Optionally, you can strain out the 'gritty bits' but I like keeping them in and stirring it before drinking.  If you do opt to strain (use a 'Chinese soup' bag, muslin, cheese cloth or nut bag), use the 'gritty bits' to make raw crackers, raw balls or when baking.

Now, hemp and water on their own, are really quite bland - so you can flavor this however you like - I did the above which was very mild, but could easily go for pumpkin spice for something seasonal or more cacao for a chocolatey treat!  

Let me know how it goes and your favorite flavor combination.

(Gluten Free, Grain Free, Sugar Free, Vegan)

Usually I see a recipe, and change about 30% of it before I am happy enough to share it and call it my own.

Well, this three ingredient recipe from Ashley at My Heart Beets is absolutely perfect!  It makes the ideal wrap: stretchy, soft and flexible.  All with just three ingredients.

• Tapioca flour**
  
• Almond flour
  
• Coconut milk

The only change I have made is to make them as thin as possible and use them as wraps - and they are amazing! The photo is of my dinner tonight, some salad and mild curried chickpeas I just wrapped up and ate.  

Please note you MUST use a NON-STICK pan for this recipe.  This has been confirmed by a friend who is a superb chef, and she just couldn't get them thin and right in a regular pan.

Another option comes from Alicia at Magic and Mayhem where in the comment section below she wrote 'you can make these without a non-stick pan if you have a well-seasoned old cast iron frying pan' she also adds a drop of coconut oil to the pan.  

I love wrapping food - for lunch today I used sprouted tortillas and put in homemade vegan fermented cashew cheese, guacamole and salad. Super yummy healthy meal to throw in my bag and eat after my Cantonese class.  

One wrap from dinner was saved to have tomorrow for my mid morning snack - thinking my homemade raw almond hemp seed butter and this raw chia mango jam.

Enough from me, go to the link to get the recipe, make them thin, and enjoy superb wraps with your next meal!  Or just make mini pancakes and serve them on their own as a 'bread' or put in the kids lunch boxes.

Here's the recipe: http://myheartbeets.com/paleo-naan-indian-bread/

** Tapioca Flour is also called Tapioca Starch and easy to find in local Hong Kong supermarkets or Asian supermarkets.  If you want organic, then try this Tapioca Flour.

(Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Raw, Vegan)

I have a green smoothie every morning. It is my crutch, I am miserable without it.  I even have ways of having one when I travel and don't have a blender.  It is my main source of vitamins and nutrients to start the day, and usually keeps me full until about 11.   

This post is going to be short, I am not going to go on about the wonders of green smoothies, enough other blogs and articles do that... but I am going to share with you my 'standard' green smoothie base, which a few people have asked me about. and the extras I add for my own personal health as well as some things I add sometimes.

Green Smoothie Base:

• 1-4 cubes of frozen kale or spinach**
  
• 1 cup of other fruit - could be watermelon, mango, berries whatever we have to add some sweetness and vitamins - fresh or frozen
  
• 1 ripe banana - fresh or frozen** (you can omit if you do not like bananas!)
• Liquid - I use water kefir (if I don't have that, then kombucha or just water)

That is the base - that's it.  That makes a fabulous green smoothie and it is an ideal start to any day.  

Personally, I have a real need to pack in more to my smoothie - it is my first meal in the morning, and lasts me through to lunch most days.

Optional to add:

• 2-4 Tablespoons flax seeds
  
• 1 scoop green powder 
  
• 1 teaspoon bee pollen
  
• 1-2 Tablespoons liquid chlorophyll 
• 1 teaspoon matcha green tee powder I buy in Japan (not for the kids smoothies as I don't want them having the caffeine) 

I sometimes also add:

• some celery and/or carrots
• A bit of turmeric, when I remember
  
• A half lemon, when I remember
  
• some ginger, when I remember
• A ripe avocado, when I want something thicker and the extra good fats
• 1 Tablespoon raw cacao powder, when I want a treat
• 1 scoop acia berry powder, when I feel like it
  
• 1 teaspoon maca powder (not for the kids), for weeks I use it, then I don't
  
• 1 Tablespoon spirulina powder, when I feel like it
  
• 1 Tablespoon of coconut butter or coconut oil

For liquid I use water kefir, coconut water kefir or just water.  I've also been known to use some mild kombucha when I am out of kefir.

This all gets whizzed up in my blender - I have a Vitamix, but for years I just had random blenders - any blender works.

Let me repeat: any blender works.

Then I pour it into my blender bottle or glass camelback eddy, add some chia seeds, shake it up, and drink about 10+ minutes later after the chia seeds have soaked.

Usually I take it with me to go and drink it in the car on the way to driving the kids to school.  If I am staying at home then I just use two huge glass beer glasses (from a loooong time ago) and drink it from those.

Some helpful tips:
Have all the fruit/veggies you plan to put in, already washed and chopped up in the fridge or freezer
For any powders you might add, leave them on the counter next to the blender so they are at hand
For anything that comes from the fridge, leave it all on one side of one shelf, so you can easily see and grab them in the morning

** Notes:
Bananas - lots of people don't like bananas, either the taste or how they make the smoothie a bit thicker - it's okay! You don't have to use a banana, but you do need some fruit to balance the vegetables.  

Kale - I buy kale in bulk and freeze it into Frozen Kale 'muffins' 

Spinach - The UK shop Waitrose does perfect organic spinach cubes and they are sold at our local HK supermarket

But I don't always use frozen spinach!  I bought some stunning sweet potato leaves from Dragontail Farm and put 2 huge handfuls in my smoothie this morning instead of the frozen spinach - super good!  I also use their amazing carrot tops - yummmm!

Remember:
do what you can, 
where you can, 
with what you have.