Recent Things: Disneyland and a Day of Adventure

Hello! Happy Friday! I'll be totally honest and say I didn't really know what day it was until yesterday because this week has been a bit of a topsy turvy one. We had a long weekend for Easter and then a day off for ANZAC Day yesterday and Jesse has had the whole week off - so even the dogs were confused and have been thinking it's been a weekend all week long 😜

But I'm glad for some extra downtime because things have been crazy lately! Somehow my body also decided a bit of extra downtime meant a bit of extra time to get sick so I've been battling a weird flu/sinus infection all week long - hence why I'm starting this post at 5:30am because I napped yesterday mid-fever and my body decided it had had enough of sleeping. 

But enough chitter chatter,

Let me catch you up on our week! >> 

Recipe: Gluten Free Weetbix ANZAC Biscuits

ANZAC Biscuits get a gluten free makeover with this Easy Weetbix ANZAC Biscuits Recipe. A clever twist on the traditional cookie, these biscuits taste like the original but are oat free, gluten free, egg free, nut free and so easy to make. Perfect for Australia Day celebrations or an anytime treat!

Click to pin this recipe on Pinterest!

Often times people who have to avoid gluten also have to miss out on all the delicious treats - but that doesn't have to be the case. 

The first ANZAC Day after I'd be diagnosed with coeliac disease, I found myself attempting all the gluten free ANZAC biscuit recipes I could. My kitchen was a mess of coconut, quinoa flakes, rice flakes, weird flour mixes, and a whole lot of failed cookies. 

The quinoa flakes were horribly bitter, rice flakes were way too hard and making them just with flour just didn't work. 

Later on, I found out I could safely eat gluten free oats (read more about that here), however, as gluten free oats aren't a thing in Australia (as 1 in 5 coeliacs will have a reaction to uncontaminated oats similar to how they react to gluten), I know there are plenty of other coeliacs still struggling to find the perfect gluten free ANZAC biscuit recipe.

Click to pin this recipe on Pinterest!

So I got to experimenting. 

And last month, I had an a-ha! moment, which was really more like a "you idiot! Why didn't you think of this sooner?!" moment - and came up with the perfect recipe. 

This ANZAC Biscuit Recipe uses crushed gluten free Weetbix - making them the perfect way to use up the crumbly bits at the bottom of the Weetbix box - whilst also creating the most perfect gluten free ANZAC biscuit recipe. 

These ANZACs have become a family fave. So much so that Jesse now asks for them over a traditional oat version. They're crisp and chewy on the edges and soft and delicious in the middle - and they take just minutes to make. 

So go on, do yourself a favour. Make yourself a batch of these, brew a cup of tea (or coffee) and enjoy some fresh from the oven tomorrow as we remember the sacrifice of our ANZAC soldiers - and all of the men and women who devote their lives to protecting our country. 

Let me share this recipe with you! >> 

Recipe: No Bake Cheesecake Filled Easter Eggs (Gluten Free!)

The perfect Easter Dessert Idea, this No Bake Cheesecake Filled Easter Egg Recipe is gluten free, grain free, egg free and SO easy to make. Simple and perfect for parties, kids and adults alike will love these fun treats.

Click to pin this post on Pinterest! 

I do not like eggs... unless I can't taste them. 

Frittatas? I can sometimes do. But hard boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, fried eggs, boiled eggs? That's a big fat nope from me. 

But chocolate eggs? You know I'm all for them. 

So, this Easter, I decided to put a new spin on hardboiled eggs.... swapping chicken eggs for Easter eggs and filling my hollow Easter egg shells with a delicious cheesecake filling. Topped with caramel sauce, they look kind of like a hardboiled egg - but taste SO MUCH BETTER.

Click to pin this post on Pinterest! 

This is the perfect dessert to impress your friends and family this Easter. 

They look impressive (especially if you serve them in individual egg cups with little spoons) - but take literally minutes to make. 

Each of the eggs are filled with a no-bake cheesecake mix and then topped with a dollop of caramel sauce just before serving. 

If you want to go the extra mile (or should that be egg-stra?), add some cookie crumbles to the bottom of each egg for the full cheesecake experience.

But enough chatting - you came for the recipe, right?!

Let me share the recipe with you! >>

Recent Things: A Whole Lot of Puppies + Netflix Recs

Heeeelllooo! Happy FriYAY! 

This week has been so busy as I try to get everything done before Easter next week - but it's also been a good one. Our weekend was super busy as we celebrated Jesse's birthday and we have another busy weekend planned this weekend!

But before I get to the weekend, 

Here's what we've been up to this week! >> 

Recipe: Healthy Caramel Slice (Paleo & Vegan)

This Healthy Caramel Slice Recipe is paleo, vegan, grain free, refined sugar free and SERIOUSLY delicious! Made with almond butter (or your favourite nut butter), it features a coconut flour biscuit base with a gooey maple syrup caramel filling and healthy chocolate topping. One of the best healthy dessert recipes that you need to try ASAP! Simple, easy and so delicious!

Click to pin this recipe on Pinterest!

I'll be totally honest, this wasn't the recipe I planned on posting today. In my head, I had big dreams of a delicious Easter recipe - but then life happened and after a crazy busy week of work, and a weekend of madly cooking for Jesse's birthday party, I just didn't have the time (or energy) to make it. 

But it's okay... because if I was going to give you a consolation prize, this would be the most delicious one I could come up with. 

You see, this Caramel Slice Recipe was one I was saving for after Easter, but it's one you really shouldn't have to wait for. 

Not only is it gluten free, it's refined sugar free, vegan and paleo - so everyone can enjoy it.

Click to pin this recipe on Pinterest!

When I first came up with this recipe, I thought it might have been one of those treats I could keep to myself - because Jesse isn't a rich/dark chocolate fan.

But oh was I mistaken. 

I let him try a tiny piece (because I wasn't going to waste my deliciousness on him if he hated it - ha!) - and before I knew it, he was making claims on the rest of the container. Not cool. 

It quickly became a favourite of not only Jesse and I, but our family and friends too - so I knew it was a recipe I had to share.

Unlike traditional caramel slices, this isn't the kind of treat that leaves you with a sugar hangover. It's just sweet enough and better for you, whilst still feeling seriously decadent.

So let me share the recipe with you! >> 

WINNERS: Schaffen Knife Block Giveaway

Last week I shared a giveaway where you could enter to win 1 of 3 Schaffen Magnetic Knife Block Sets - and today, I get to announce the winners!

This knife block is seriously one of my favourite things in the kitchen - and it's definitely my most used. Rather than a standard wooden knife block which can become overrun with mould (because those tiny knife slots are impossible to clean - and you can't even see if they're mouldy inside 😬) - this magnetic block is not only more hygienic, it's nicer to look at too!

Before I announce the winners, Schaffen also gave me a 60% off coupon code for any readers wanting to buy their own knife block set. The code is:

SIL60

and will give you 60% off your purchase - making the full knife block set with all of the knives just $159.98 including shipping! This offer is only valid until April 21st, 2019.

But let me tell you who the winners are! >>

Recent Things: Pineapple Progress and A Very Scary Chicken

Helllooooo! Happy Friday! 

This week feels like it's dragged on - but I think it's because Jesse has been away for work all week, and outside of work during the day, I have been bored. But for me, boredom also means a lot of reading, planning and thinking - so I spose it's not all bad. 

Luckily Jesse is back tonight and we have a weekend of celebrations planned! But before I can get to that - I've got to catch you up on our week!

Here's what's been happening lately! >> 

Recipe: Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake Cake

This Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake Cake Recipe will become a new family favorite! Perfect as a birthday cake or for sharing with friends, this soft and fluffy gluten free vanilla cake is topped with whipped cream frosting and fresh strawberries for an easy but impressive dessert. Can be made into a sheet cake, layer cake or a single cake.

Click to pin this recipe on Pinterest! 

Today is Jesse's birthday - but I am totally bummed because we don't actually get to spend it together!

You think we'd be used to celebrating birthdays apart after doing it for 5 years... but we're now used to being together, so whenever he's working interstate it totally stinks. 

But because it's not a birthday without cake, we celebrated his birthday a little bit early with plenty of cake - and we're planning on celebrating him again this weekend with lots more cake and a barbecue with friends - so it's not all bad!

This cake totally makes up for it. 

Click to pin this recipe on Pinterest! 

A few months ago, when I asked Jesse what he wanted for his birthday cake this year, he mentioned that he wanted a Strawberry Shortcake Cake - so I set to work creating the ultimate strawberry shortcake cake - that was also gluten free, because he didn't want me to miss out!

Creating a soft and fluffy gluten free cake can be a bit of a challenge - but eventually I managed to perfect it and came up with the recipe I'm sharing today. 

My #protip? Buy these cake strips. If you find your cake edges are often too crispy, or your cakes puff up too much in the middle/bake unevenly, these cake strips are a lifesaver. They are seriously my new favourite thing.

Oh and #protip number two is probably don't make a three layer cake, unless you want all the mess that comes with it 😜 It looks impressive, but cutting into it is seriously messy!

Click to pin this recipe on Pinterest! 

Here is what Jesse's early birthday cake looked like (obviously not the photographed recipe version). It's the same cake recipe - only I put the frosting into a piping bag and piped it on top instead of simply spreading it - and did two layers instead of three. Much neater and so much easier to slice. 

So let me share the recipe with you! >> 

GIVEAWAY: Schaffen Magnetic Knife Block

Knives. They’re probably the most used kitchen item - but the least talked about.

We’ll talk about beautiful plates and must have kitchen gadgets, but knives? Not so much....

But I want to change that. You see, great knives can totally transform your cooking. A great set of knives is my top kitchen must have. It’s also my top kitchen investment - because if you buy a great set, they will last for YEARS.

I recently discovered Schaffen’s magnetic knife block and fell in love with the design - but then I used the knives and was totally smitten.

My parents have always had a wooden knife block. Inside it are the knives they received years ago as a wedding gift - but I’ve always wondered what was also lurking inside those holes... they’re impossible to clean out and impossible to see inside... so who knows what’s hiding in there.... mould... crumbs... bugs? Gross.

Founder of Schaffen, Jayden O’Connell had the same problem - and it was an accident with those knives that inspired him to change the way Australians use their kitchen knives.

“All I wanted to do was slice a couple of pieces of bread to make toast. We’d just thrown out our old knife block after mould had moved into the holes. So naturally, our knives ended up in the second drawer. I went fishing around in there, looking for a serrated knife. After a bit of a search, I found the blade, and pulling it up, caused another knife to fall out of the drawer, and land, blade tip first, into the top of my foot” said O’Connell.

“Sitting there, in surgery, getting my 12th and final stitch, I knew something had to change. We were planning on starting a family, and I was not about to let something like this happen to someone I love.”

“Living in a rental at the time, meant that permanently attaching a big ugly magnetic strip to the wall was just out of the question. We needed a better option.”

That option came with the development of the now famous Schaffen 6pc Magnetic Knife Block Set.

Not only does the knife set look great, the knives feel great in your hand and are so comfortable to use. I have a “thing” with knives where if I don’t like the feel of the handle, I simply won’t use them - so we have an entire second set of knives I just don’t touch.

These Schaffen knives, however, are seriously comfortable. They’re ergonomically designed and tested so you can chop for hours and won’t end up with sore hands or blisters.

My favourite pick of the block? The Santoku knife. I use a Santoku knife for almost everything because it’s so easy to use and so versatile. It’s a beautiful hybrid between the versatility of a Chef’s Knife and the rugged strength and speed of a Vegetable Chopper.

Plus, with the scalloped indentations on the blade, cutting friction is reduced so you can slice through faster.

But now I want to give you a set! 

It's giveaway time! >>