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This blog started as a way for me to share my recipes + culinary adventures, tips for vibrant health + happiness, thoughts on the latest developments in nutritional medicine + the low down on the Sydney wholefoods scene and beyond...

Filtering by Category: Current Affairs

Celebrate Mother’s Day with some healthy indulgence!

Becca Crawford

 

Motherhood.

For me, it has been the most incredibly rewarding journey. And to be honest, not without its hardships either. My children are my greatest teachers. They remind me on a minute to minute basis how much I still need to grow as a mother and as a person. I probably wouldn’t have changed careers had it not been for them and they provide me with constant inspiration in both my personal and professional life. My children bring up in me the full gamut of emotions – from sheer wonderment, to unconditional love to utter exasperation. It wasn’t until I became a mother that I truly understood that a love so pure and intense even existed, nor truly appreciated the sacrifices that my own mother had made to raise me.


To my own mother, and to all my fellow mothers out there: I salute you. I see first hand through my health coaching sessions, cooking classes and from meeting and talking to you every day at Broth Bar & Larder just how hard you are working for the health of your family. I see the effort you put into making nourishing meals and the hurdles that you are overcoming in the pursuit of providing your children with the best start in life. I am in awe of you and I want each and every one of you to take a moment to reflect on all that you do, to appreciate your worth and to take a little time out on Mother’s Day to savour all of the delights showered your way no matter how great or small.

To celebrate and honour the mothers in our lives and the incredible role they play, we have crafted something truly special this year. An organic muesli of the highest quality. We started with our organic hand-crafted muesli (to read why our muesli is so unique and of the highest quality that you will find in Australia, click here). We then infused it with Ovvio Organics rose petals and pieces of our signature maple-sweetened raw dark chocolate for the ultimate healthy indulgence.  

The impetus for creating this muesli came from my own mother a few years back who asked for something that would provide nourishment and delight rather than “dust collecting crap that I don’t need or want” (that’s the English translation of the Greek version!). So I put together something that I as a mother would love to receive. Organic artisan wholefood that will nourish, satisfy, and delight! This muesli is bound to entice even the fussiest of yummy mummies, and those who need or want for nothing.

Retailing at $25.50/300g, we are selling a very limited quantity only. These make a beautiful gift in and of themselves or as an inclusion in a hamper as part of a larger gift. For ideas on what to include in a Mother’s Day hamper, I can suggest a bottle of Toscana cold pressed extra virgin olive oil which we sell at Broth Bar & Larder, a packet of our activated macadamia nuts, our fruit & nut raw dark chocolate,  our macadamia nut sokolata and/or our choc orange bliss balls.  My friendly staff and I are more than happy to help you construct a hamper if you bring in the box for us to fill. 

As our Mother’s Day muesli contains our pure chocolate, it does require refrigeration.  Purchase prior to Mother’s Day (13 May 2017) from our retail store Broth Bar & Larder or if you prefer to have a packet couriered to you for an additional shipping fee please pre-pay and order on 0421 786 009 or orders@staraniseorgnic.com in advance.

I will leave you with some of my favourite quotes on motherhood. I hope these resonate with you as much as they do with me.

 

Easter 2018!

Becca Crawford

 

Our nutrient-dense no-crap Easter chocolates are once again available for purchase at Broth Bar & Larder

This is artisan chocolate alchemy made with the highest quality ingredients. To create our Easter range, I took  our original sokolata recipe and tweaked it to make it more kid-friendly for younger palates.

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As usual, we have two fabulous offerings this Easter! 

1. ORGANIC YUMMY BUNNY

These little fellows are made of solid raw dark chocolate and retail for $22.50 (cheaper than the Lindt ones I saw in Woollies!). Perfect for all the yummy mummies, delicious daddies and little bunnies out there….these will get your bunny tails shaking! 

2. MINI SOKOLATA DELIGHTS

These delightful little half eggs are the perfect mouth-sized treat. Each egg is decorated with either a goji berry, an activated almond or activated cinnamon buckwheat. You can pop them into some hard plastic egg-shaped containers from $2 shops for those treasured Easter egg hunts (pictured below). 

They are retailing for $15/100g bag and each bag has a mixture of the 3 flavours. 


THE INGREDIENTS THAT GO INTO OUR ARTISAN CHOCOLATE...


Our artisan Easter chocolate is made with the following 3 pure ingredients:

  • Certified organic raw cacao powder
  • Certified organic raw cacao butter
  • Mineral rich pure Canadian maple syrup

In keeping with previous years traditions we have reformulated our signature raw dark chocolate recipe by reducing the amount of raw cacao powder to make it less bitter for younger palates. Because it is less bitter, we reduced the amount of maple syrup as less sweetener is needed when there is less raw cacao powder. Commercial manufacturers increase the amount of sweetener for kids’ chocolates but we did the exact opposite as we know how unnecessary and damaging an excess of sweeteners are, especially for young growing bodies. The result is a silky smooth melt-in-your-mouth buttery sensation with a hint of raw dark chocolate. We trialled these on the harshest of critics (kids!) and got the big thumbs up!

To read about the nutritional benefits of raw cacao powder and what’s in commercially-produced chocolate that you might want to steer clear of (such as soy lecithins, refined sweetens, agave syrup, preservatives, milk powders), read one of my earlier newsletters here.

If these Easter chocolates don’t take your fancy, there’s always our sokolata (raw dark chocolate slabs…choose from 4 different flavours) or our raw cacao coconut balls (sweetened with whole medjool dates). 


AVAILABLE NOW UNTIL STOCKS LAST AT BROTH BAR & LARDER IN BRONTE


To avoid disappointment, I strongly encourage you to pre-order and pre-pay for your Easter chocolates by calling the friendly staff at Broth Bar & Larder on 0421 786 009 or emailing us at orders@staraniseorganic.com and we will put packets aside for you. We can also courier the Easter chocolates to Sydney Metro Areas for an additional courier fee.

We are closed over the Easter 4 day public holiday long weekend 30 March – 2 April.

WISHING YOU ALL A HAPPY CHOCOLATE-FILLED EASTER!!

 

Valentines Day 2018

Becca Crawford

 

Valentines Day might traditionally be a celebration of romantic love but I’m drawing a broader bow and see it as a celebration of love in all its guises. The unconditional love a mother has for her children, the love for one’s family and close friends and let’s not forget where this outpouring all starts from, the deep well of self-love. Whatever we do, and why we do it, all comes back to love. To either feel loved or gift love. 

 

I EXPRESS MY LOVE IN MANY WAYS BUT, LIKE MY MOTHER, ONE OF THE WAYS I INSTINCTIVELY EXPRESS MY LOVE IS THROUGH THE CREATION OF BEAUTIFUL NOURISHING FOOD MADE FOR THOSE I CARE ABOUT

 

To that end, here is our selection of limited edition exquisite hand-made products that we make each year for the International Day of Love for you to share with your loved ones...or perhaps to enjoy yourself!

I hope they make your heart sing as much as I loved crafting and making them for you:


1.
ROSE PETAL RAW DARK CHOCOLATE —


We liberally sprinkled our signature raw dark chocolate with Ovvio Organics certified organic rose petals to create chocolate that is almost too pretty to eat!

Each piece is individually wrapped in paper, tied with twine and stamped with a little “Love You” card. These sing artisan chocolate hand-made with love at the top of their sweet voices.

Priced according to weight at $14.50/100g. Keep refrigerated as our chocolate is so pure.


2. RAW LOVE DOUBLE LOVE HEART CHOCOLATES —

Pre-packaged solid double love heart chocolates made with our signature raw dark chocolate sweetened with maple syrup (81% raw cacao content). There are 7 double love heart chocolates in a bag for $14/100g. Keep refrigerated as our chocolate is so pure.


3. CHOCOLATE-INFUSED ACTIVATED MUESLI —

What happens when you combine the 3rd most nutrient-dense food on the planet (activated nuts and seeds) with the fourth most nutrient-dense food on the planet (raw cacao powder)? Our raw dark chocolate + our activated muesli = taste orgasm in a bowl. Does is get any better? Over the past few weeks we’ve saved all the off cuts of our range of raw dark chocolates and mixed them through our activated muesli, packaged it up in glass jars with beautiful ribbon and a little “Love You” card. Because I think breakfast is the best time of day to eat chocolate! $23.50/350g.


WHAT MAKES OUR CHOCOLATE UNIQUE?


We think our chocolate is pretty special and one of a kind. Here’s why:

1. We only use certified organic ingredients where these are available.

2. We use raw cacao powder (as opposed to processed/heat treated cocoa) that has been fermented for 3 days. Raw cacao powder is ranked as the 4th most nutrient-dense food on the planet and touted for its numerous health benefits:

a. High in polyphenols (anti-oxidants) particularly flavanols (higher than green tea, red wine, goji berries, acai berries). Anti-oxidants prevent the effects of aging, DNA damage, heart disease and cancer.
b. High in minerals esp. magnesium (healthy heart and brain function; muscle relaxant; bones density; mitigates feelings of stress), chromium (assists pancreatic health and regulates blood sugar) and iron (promotes oxygen transport in the blood).
c. Positive effects on the brain, circulatory and cardiovascular system. Eg lowers Alzheimer’s risk, lowers blood pressure, improves blood lipid profile (lowers oxidised LDL), improves insulin sensitivity, improves exercise endurance, protects against pre-eclampsia in pregnancy.
d. Anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, anti-thrombotic (anti-blood clotting)
e. Anti-depressant/feel-good chemicals (eg dopamine, serotonine, tryptophan)
f. Protects the liver against alcohol (wine and chocolate = winning pair!)
g. Protects against UV damage
h. Its theobromine content (bitter compound) has a stimulating effect producing higher levels of physical energy and mental alertness. It has 1/4 of the stimulating power of caffeine.

3. We only use raw cacao butter as our fat of choice which is what is used in traditional chocolate making (and do not ‘water down’ with coconut oil or other fats and especially no industrial seed oils like vegetable oil found in conventional chocolate). Raw cacao butter is what gives chocolate that melt in your mouth smooth chocolaty taste.

4. We only use pure Canadian maple syrup in our chocolate. It is our natural sweetener of choice due to its high mineral content, delicious flavour, smooth texture and favourable glucose to fructose ratio.  We do not use agave syrup (way too high in fructose which causes metabolic and digestive issues).

5. We do not use soy lecithins, emulsifiers, milk powders, any preservatives, or artificial flavours, colours or additives, and nor to we temper our chocolate. For all these reasons, the purity of our chocolate requires that it be stored in the fridge.


 

“IF YOU ARE GOING TO EAT CHOCOLATE, EAT THE BEST QUALITY CHOCOLATE IN THE WORLD. LIFE’S TOO SHORT TO EAT CRAP CHOCOLATE”  

click here to tweet

 

WHAT MAKES OUR MUESLI UNIQUE?


I crafted this muesli many years ago as there was, and still is, nothing on the market that comes close in terms of source and processing.

Here’s why:

1. It is important that all nuts and seeds added to a muesli are properly prepared through soaking and long slow dehydrating to make them digestible (it also makes them so much more delicious to!). Many mueslis might claim to be “paleo” or “organic” but proper preparation is all-important to reduce phytates and make the nutrients digestible and accessible.  

2. We only use certified organic ingredients where these are available.

3. Our muesli is grain-free and in particular gluten-free. We use activated buckwheat (not a relative of wheat) as the base. Technically buckwheat is a fruit and not a grain but it behaves like a grain so it is soaked and dehydrated until light and crispy. We do not use puffed grains or any other grains for that matter.

4. We do not add any concentrated sugars or sweeteners. It is naturally sweetened with gojis, coconut flakes and dried figs which are hand-cut to size.


IN THE WORDS OF SOME OF MY CLIENTS —

I just wanted to let you know that your  muesli is so delicious …. It has the most amazing combination of flavours &  textures & our family love it ....there is nothing else like it on the market ....
— Heather
Awww Soulla, the goods arrived, and oh myyyy, they are sooo delicious! The muesli is absolutely yummy (could devour it all day long)
— Fiona
Soulla, your muesli is the best part of my day!
— Kate
Hi there, I have had many organic/natural chocolates over the last 10 years from all over the world… these ones have to be the best by far! My fav is the fruit and nut and cinnamon crunch… well done! Your macadamia nuts are the best too!
— Peter

HOW TO PURCHASE —


These limited edition Valentines Day products can be purchased from Broth Bar & Larder or to pre-order please drop us a line at orders@staraniseorganic.com. We have only made a limited amount and will not be making more when these sell out so please get in fast or pre-order to avoid disappointment.  

I HOPE YOUR VALENTINES DAY IS INFUSED WITH RAW LOVE IN ALL ITS GUISES...

Soulla xX