give a dog a bone

Poppy eats…

Poppy has always had a love-hate relationship with food. After seeing a holistic vet, we have learned that her appetite is closely linked with her emotional state and past experiences relating to food.

In a nutshell, she has a history of being a fussy eater but we are so glad to have found an alternative and holistic vet practitioner who has been able to help her. 

Following our previous post on ZiwiPeak food, I thought we would this time talk about Poppy's relationship with dog bones and her teeth.

Poppy has never liked Dentastix or other types of dental bones. Because of this, last year we spent close to $600 on a good scale + clean at her old vet (for many reasons we have decided to stop seeing this vet, which I will talk more about another time).

We were then recommended to try sun dried kangaroo bones and have never looked back! We think that because they are sun dried, they have bits of jerky effectively left on the bone, that Poppy finds a lot tastier. They are a good size for her too, as lamb shanks were too big and anything smaller ran the risk of splintering. Compared to products like Dentastix, there are no grains, fillers or preservatives either.

So, if you have a fussy dog, we highly recommend these "Triple side brush teeth cleaners" of organic, and raw, human grade kangaroo!

Poppy now has sparkling teeth and loves her weekly chomp on some kangaroo - how aussie for the dog from Belfast.

rooibos tea

There is something very relaxing about sitting down with a good cup of tea. During the working day, I am pretty partial to elevenses and/or afternoon tea involving a sweet treat and a good cup of black tea with rice milk.

Our naturopath recently asked my husband and I to try and cut out caffeine (and therefore black tea) all together. My husband and I looked at each other with fear! How were we going to get through the day without copious amounts of black tea?!

After a bit of tea research, and some trial and error, we have come across our perfect replacement black tea. And, to be fair, it is actually much nicer than black tea - Rooibos (red) Earl Grey!!! The infusion of earthy, mellow rooibos and bergamot is divine, and is as full-flavoured and full-bodied as black tea.

I have mine the same as I had black tea - with a splash of rice milk. My husband (who is a lot less strict with his diet) has his with sugar and cow's milk. As it turns out, the rooibos and honey bush tisanes generally taste quite good with milk, unlike green, white or other herbal teas.

Everything has been restored in the world!

Here is an excerpt from the T2 website about rooibos and honeybush:

"A famed & feisty South African infusion.

Same, same but different, these two African varieties of bush tea are an absolute bombshell of health benefits. Naturally sweet and slightly nutty, Rooibos or “red bush” is cultivated from a native South African shrub, as is the closely related Honeybush or “bush tea” which has a distinctly sweet fragrance that is similar to honey. While not technically teas both are caffeine-free and high in antioxidants and minerals, providing a plethora of healthy gains. Beautiful in colour and mellow in flavour, our Rooibos range is red hot and rousing."

To find out more, head here 

http://www.t2tea.com/

dog food

As all my followers will know, Poppy is our gorgeous West Highland Terrier. When it comes to food, Poppy is a typical female and can be very picky. A few years ago, in addressing a common West Highland Terrier skin condition, we put her on a veterinarian Hypoallergenic dog food, which helped to regulate her eating habits whilst also addressing her skin condition. We found that each meal time, we had to entice her to eat her food by adding a few nibbles of either meat or raw vegetables, and you would never dare to add the same thing for more than one meal in a row - how dare you!

Anyway, we take Poppy to a special Westie groomer half an hour away from her home - we figure it is worth the extra travel for a groomer that treats the dogs well and doesn't stress them out. This particular groomer also grooms show Westie's, so we have full confidence that he knows what he is doing when it comes to the haircare of Poppy. On our last visit, he introduced us to a New Zealand brand of dog food he was importing that is so good, I just had to tell you all about it!

It is called Ziwi Peak, and it is the perfect gluten free, dairy free and sugar free food FOR YOUR DOG! We buy the air-dried dog food which comes in three flavours: lamb, venison and venison + fish. As I mentioned before, Poppy has always been a picky eater, but since feeding her Ziwi Peak, she has become a real foodie! As soon as she hears the jar which we store her food in being opened, she comes racing in. We no longer have to add anything to her dog food to entice her to eat, just give her the Ziwi Peak and she is a happy Westie.

The only way I was able to take this picture of Poppy looking up at me was to dangle some Ziwi Peak in front of her, hehe

So what is so special about Ziwi Peak?

1. 1=3...Gently air dried to lock in great nutrition. Their unique, gentle air-drying process preserves the goodness of raw meat, organs and fish. 1 portion of air-dried ZiwiPeak = 3 of raw meat.
2. No preservatives, fillers or carbohydrates from grains. Only natural ingredients go into ZiwiPeak. It's totally free of any nasties, added sugars, salt, glycerines, antibiotics, hormones or preservatives.
3. Over 90% meat content. With over 95% digestibility rating, ZiwiPeak ensures your pet gets almost all the nutritional benefit or raw feeding.
4. 100% of all ingredients from New Zealand. From trusted pastures and clean oceans, safely and conveniently, to your pet's food bowl.
5. Wild-prey diet...A completely  balanced, natural, wild-prey, meat diet.  Exactly what your pet's digestive system has evolved to thrive on.

Some of my friends have complained that ZiwiPeak is more expensive than other brands of dog kibble. And it is, but it is still affordable at around $150 for a 5kg bag. You also no longer need to add anything else to their food to either entice them to eat or in an effort to give them a more rounded diet; just feed them ZiwiPeak alone - they never get sick of it and it provides them with all the nutrition they need! Plus, can you honestly put a price on your dog's health and well-being?

For more information and stockists, go to http://www.ziwipeak.com

Is nutrition a need or a want?

An excellent article from Matt Walsh - a must read!

"Everyone’s got something to sell, and very few of them are selling anything you need. So, to compensate, the peddlers pull out their shotguns and blow giant holes in your psyche. Then they convince you that they’ve got the perfect thing to plug the gaps."

Read the full article here:http://themattwalshblog.com/2013/11/02/dear-daughter-youre-beautiful-regardless-of-what-the-media-tells-you/

It begs the question of what we really need in life…love, health and nutrition, a good environment (built and natural) and education perhaps. What do you think?

chicken risotto

Serves 4

Ingredients

500g chicken tenderloins, chopped into bite-size pieces

olive oil

celtic sea salt + cracked black pepper

onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 cups arborio rice

500ml chicken stock

1 cup hot water

tin of diced tomato

1 cup sliced green beans

2 tablespoons basil leaves, sliced

Method

1. Cook chicken in rice cooker with oil and seasoning. Remove and place in a separate bowl
2. Cook onion and garlic in rice cooker. Add additional oil if necessary
3. Add rice and toss to coat with oil
4. Add stock, water and tomato. Stir and cover with lid
5. When most of the liquid is absorbed (but before the rice cooker turns itself off) add beans and stir through
6. When the rice cooker turns itself off stir through chicken and basil leaves

Notes
If you don't have a rice cooker, the same method can be used on a cooktop or in the oven. If you don't have fresh green beans, frozen green beans work just as well, or even peas. Feel free to grate fresh parmesan cheese if you aren't avoiding dairy.

pork + pineapple salad

Serves 4

Poppy cooks...

1. Cook
   2 cups brown basmati rice and leave to cool (best to cook rice earlier in day or night before).
   
   
2. In a large frying pan, saute
   shallot, finely sliced, 
   2 cups red or green cabbage, shredded and
   1/4 pineapple, cut into pieces in
   olive oil until onion is slightly browned.
   
   
3. Add cold rice,
   punnet cherry tomatoes, halved and season with
   gluten free soy sauce and
   cracked black pepper to taste. Toss for 3 minutes and set aside.
   
   
4. Season
   pork fillet with
   celtic sea salt + cracked black pepper and cook in frying pan.
   
   
5. Slice pork and serve on bed of fried rice.

beef hotpot

Serves 10

Poppy cooks...

1. Chop
   800g eggplant into 2cm cubes then heat
   olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, cooking eggplant in batches so not to crowd the pot until light browned and transfer to a plate.
   
   
   
2. Repeat process with
   1kg diced beef in batches to brown and set aside.
   
   
   
3. Add
   2 onions, diced to pan and cook in olive oil until golden.
   
   
   
4. Stir through
   1 tablespoon garlic, minced and cook until soft.
   
   
   
5. Add
   1 tablespoon ground cumin,
   2 teaspoons ground coriander and
   1 teaspoon ground allspice and cook for 1 minute, or until aromatic.
   
   
   
6. Stir through
   1/4 cup tomato paste for 1 minute, or until well combined.
   
   
   
7. Add back in beef,
   400g tin of diced tomato, 
   500ml chicken broth,
   1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt and
   1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper then reduce heat to low, cover and stir occasionally for 1 hour.
   
   
   
8. Stir in
   800g carrots, chopped and cover for an additional 1 hour or until carrots start to soften.
   
   
   
9. Stir in eggplant and cook until beef, carrot and eggplant is tender. If there is a lot of liquid, remove the lid; otherwise, leave the lid on.
   
   
   
10. Cook
    6 cups rice separately.
    
    
    
11. Stir through
    handful of parsley, chopped before serving on steamed rice.

Notes
This Egyptian spiced dish is a great hearty meal for the winter months. I actually cook this and divide into 3, freezing 2 of the quantities to make the whole batch last for 3 dinners for our family of 5.

pumpkin soup

At Poppy Loves Pear, we are not only about tasty and healthy food, but also easy food. We live in an age where everyone is time poor, so we need to work smart as much as working hard.

I love pumpkin soup, and stumbled across this La Zuppa Roasted Pumpkin soup which has no nasties in it and tastes beautiful. I could make pumpkin soup myself, but this product saves me the time and mess. Simply pour into a saucepan and bring to the boil on the stovetop and it is done!

As the label says, it has no artificial additives, is gluten free and dairy free. The ingredients list is simply: water, 38% pumpkin, potato, onion and salt. It is fast food, but it is healthy and tasty fast food. It is a great pantry staple to draw upon for those stressful days when cooking is the last thing you have the head-space to do.

I find this to be a great lunch time meal when I have no time to cook. It serves 2, and I usually accompany it with 2 slices of toasted gluten-free bread (I will give you my top tips for gluten-free bread in another blog post) and with cracked black pepper and pepitas sprinkled on top.

I buy La Zuppa from Farmer Jacks in Claremont or Subiaco. Here is the La Zuppa website for more information: http://lazuppa.com.au

cumin spiced chicken on a beetroot rice salad

Serves 4

Poppy cooks...

1. Cook
   2.5 cups of jasmine rice.
   
   
   
2. Boil
   300g beetroot.
   
   
   
3. Preheat oven to 180C.
   
   
   
4. Mix together
   4 tablespoons olive oil,
   2 tablespoon ground cumin,
   4 garlic cloves, minced,
   1/2 teaspoon of celtic sea salt + cracked black pepper and
   1kg chicken thigh, diced in a large baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. This can be done up to 24 hours ahead of time to marinade.
   
   
   
5. Once the rice is cooked, stir through
   2 spring onions, diagonally sliced,
   handful coriander, roughly chopped,
   2 mint leaves, roughly chopped and the beetroot, peeled and diced.
   
   
   
6. Make dressing by mixing together
   orange, juice + zest,
   1 tablespoon white wine vinegar,
   2.5 tablespoons olive oil,
   celtic sea salt + cracked black pepper, to taste. Stir through rice salad.
   
   
   
7. Serve salad with chicken on top.

vegetable + bean soup

Serves 4

Poppy cooks...

1. In a large soup pot, heat
   1 tablespoon coconut oil.
   
   
2. Add
   1 bunch kale, stems removed and torn,
   onion, diced,
   3 garlic cloves, crushed,
   carrot, diced,
   zucchini, diced,
   red capsicum, diced,
   1/4 cup coriander, chopped,
   1/4 cup parsley, chopped,
   1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds,
   1/2 teaspoon ground cumin and
   1/4 teaspoon ground paprika. Saute uncovered over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables start to soften.
   
   
3. Add
   2.5 cups filtered water and
   2 teaspoons celtic sea salt, cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes.
   
   
4. Stir in
   2 400g tins of red kidney beans, drained and mashed and
   2 400g tins of black beans, rinsed. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occassionally for 10-15 minutes.
   
   
5. Serve with desired garnish such as cracked black pepper, pepitas, coriander and flax seed oil.

Notes

You can also serve with gluten-free bread or coconut yoghurt. The use of cumin is a great source of iron and was used traditionally to help relieve allergy symptoms, reduce heartburn and improve digestion.

lamb quinoa

Serves 3

Method

1. Cook
   2 onions, halved and thinly sliced with
   olive oil in a large frying pan until soft and golden.
   
   
2. Add
   500g lamb mince and cook until well browned.
   
   
3. Stir in
   4 garlic cloves, minced and
   1 tablespoon ground cumin for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
   
   
4. Stir in
   1 cup quinoa,
   red capsicum, finely diced,
   1 tablespoon gluten free soy sauce,
   chilli powder, to taste (optional),
   pinch of celtic sea salt and
   2 cups filtered water.
   
   
5. Cover and simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes, until quinoa is almost cooked (add extra water if necessary).
   
   
6. Stir in
   1 cup frozen peas,
   2 tablespoons currants and
   sprig parsley, chopped.
   
   
7. Serve once peas are cooked and all the liquid is absorbed with a
   lemon wedge.

Notes
The fresh lemon juice really makes this dish pop. If you like chilli, feel free to slice extra red chillies and put on top as a garnish, or you can even try it with coconut yoghurt to counter-balance the hot chilli!

This is a great dish that uses pantry and freezer staples, so is great when you have run out of fresh ingredients and don't have time to go to the markets or shops. AND...it's a one-pot-wonder!!!

water purifier

I used to boil tap water, as the thought of a tacky looking plaster water filter that would be expensive to buy replacement filters for didn't appeal to me. It wasn't until I spotted a Southern Cross Pottery water purifier in a magazine that I realised there were some really good options available.

To be honest, what attracted me to the product was the aesthetics of the brightly coloured glazed pottery. When I had a look at their website, I then realised the enormous benefits of investing in a good quality water purifier as a long term investment.

I ended up buying the Ultra Chic water purifier in the Turquoise colour for $269 and absolutely adore it. There is a top chamber within the purifier that you fill up where the replaceable filter is fitted. I love the quaint stainless steel tap of the gravity fed purifier too. We found the perfect block of teak timber to set it on so that it is at a functional height and looks great in our kitchen.

Here are some facts and benefits of the Southern Cross Pottery water purifiers:

• They are gravity fed so don't require any special plumbing or electricity like modern fridge filters
• The filtered water substantially reduces risks of ill health
• Unlike distilled water and reverse osmosis, purified water using a carbon filter retains natural energy vibrations with healthy minerals like calcium and magnesium being retained
• Also acts as a water storage container. My model holds 10 litres (7 litres in the storage container and 3 litres in the purifier compartment)
• Water is filtered through a replaceable ceramic filter at a cost of less than 3 cents per litre
• Our bodies are at least 75% water. Adults should drink a minimum of 8 glasses of pure water a day to prevent hydration. Water is essential for our bodies to function properly as it facilitates nutrient absorption and removal of wastes
• Anything other than hydrogen and oxygen should be considered as a pollutant in our water and many of these pollutants are now positively linked to acute, chronic and terminal illnesses.
• Tap water can contain variable levels of contaminants such as chlorine, cryptosporidium, bacteria and giardia
• The purifiers are supplied with a Royal Doulton carbon activated ceramic filter which are extremely efficient at removing impurities such as bacteria, chlorine, amoeba, suspended solids, organic pesticides, heavy metals and cysts
• Laboratory test results show that this system will remove up to:
• Cyst reduction (Cryptosporidium & Giardia) > 99.999%
• Removes algae, rust, sediment & suspended solids > 99.99%
• Reduces harmful bacteria (E coli, cholera, shigella, salmonella, klebsiella) > 99.99%
• Turbidity reduction > 97%
• Removes guinea worm 100%
• Chlorine reduction > 95%
• Absolute filtration 0.9 micron > 99.99%
• For particles between 0.5 and 0.8 micron > 99.9%
• Flow rate under gravity = 1 LPH
• The ceramic wall of the filter is impregnated with silver ions to prevent growth of bacteria in the filter itself as it is a natural biocide inhibiting microbiological growth meaning there is no need to sterilise the filter
• Each purifier is hand made on the potter's wheel and individually decorated in a variety of colours
• Unlike terracotta and earthenware systems, stone water will not grow mould, become stained, deteriorate with age or leave a clay taste in your water
• The inside of the purifier is glazed allowing ease of cleaning
• No fumes are given off as with plastics or metals allowing safer long storage
• The insulating properties of stoneware will help keep water naturally cool for drinking

For more information, head to the Southern Cross Pottery website:

http://www.southerncrosspottery.com.au

passionfruit, coconut + chia cake

Serves 8

Wet ingredients

2 eggs

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup rice milk

1/4 cup honey

1.5 tablespoons nuttelex

1/3 cup passionfruit pulp

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon celtic sea salt

Dry ingredients

1 cups gluten-free self-raising flour

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 cup fine desiccated coconut

1/4 cup ground chia seeds

Method

1. Prepare 18cm round cake tin by greasing with coconut oil
2. Preheat oven to 180°C
3. In a food processor or hand-blender, mix wet ingredients until well combined and smooth at medium-high speed
4. Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl
5. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix gently to combine
6. Spoon mixture into a cake tin and bake for 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean
7. Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving

Notes
You can sprinkle extra desiccated coconut or passionfruit pulp for decoration. It also tastes great served with vanilla coconut ice cream. 

The cake pictured above was baked using double the quantities of ingredients to serve 12 larger pieces. I found that the centre of the cake didn't cook as well being a very moist mixture. That is why this cake recipe is also great for making muffins...

Does Poppy want a passionfruit, coconut + chia muffin? Sleepy face with ears pulled back in confusion.

moroccan lamb soup

Serves 4

An excellent winter warmer that is hearty and filling. Feel free to accompany with gluten-free bread or make your own toasted gluten-free herb bread.

Poppy cooks…

1. Boil
   1/2 cup quinoa in
   1 cup of hot filtered water until all the water is absorbed and then set aside.
   
   
2. In a large pot over medium heat, place
   2 tablespoons coconut oil,
   2 cloves garlic, minced,
   1/2 teaspoon ground coriander,
   1.5 teaspoons ground cumin and
   3/4 teaspoon turmeric. Stir for 1-2 minutes.
   
   
3. Add 2 lamb shanks and toss to coat with spices until lightly browned on all sides.
   
   
4. Add
   2 purple carrots, sliced,
   2 orange carrots, sliced, 
   1/2 red capsicum, diced,
   1 cup pumpkin, diced,
   400g tin diced tomatoes,
   500ml gluten-free vegetable stock,
   celtic sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste and bring to the boil.
   
   
5. Add
   1 cup hot filtered water, reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for 2.5 hours or until the meat is falling off the bone. Add more water if required.
   
   
6. Remove shanks, shred meat and add back to the pot.
   
   
7. Add quinoa into the pot and stir through.

chocolate + strawberry cake

Serves 2

Ingredients

4 tablespoons gluten free self raising flour

4 tablespoons coconut sugar

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

3 tablespoons rice milk

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 egg

punnet strawberries

coconut ice cream

Method

1. Combine all ingredients (except strawberries and ice cream) and whisk well with a fork
2. Cut strawberries into bite-size pieces and add
3. Pour into a mini cake tin, small oven-proof bowl or 2 ramekins (or you can mix it in the bowl you plan to cook it in)
4. Bake in a fan forced oven at 180 degrees for 30 minutes
5. Serve with your choice of coconut ice cream and strawberries

Notes
You can double, triple or quadruple this recipe to make a larger cake. I like being able to make a single serve cake for my husband and I for a one-off bit of indulgence. You can also cook this cake in the microwave by cooking on high for 1.5 - 3 minutes. Pictured below is an organic coconut ice cream I have come across called Coco Luscious...