We've Moved! (New Blog Home)

Well what can I say? After a whole year of blogging here and much thought and consideration I have decided to move peonies and passion-fruit to a new home online. From now on new posts will go up and be read  at www.peoniesandpassionfruit.com

Posts here will be left up for a little while and ultimately be taken down. I really hope to see you over at our new little corner of the web.

~ E xx

One Year Of Blogging!

                       

And just like that, the blogiversary is here and I have been blogging for one year exactly. I have enjoyed being on this journey and I am amazed and still learning new things everyday. I am incredibly grateful to anyone who has clicked, read and taken the time to comment on my blog posts in the time I've been blogging.

Here's to many more blog posts in the coming year!

                                                       ~E xx

Curious Chia Seeds

I am all about my chia seeds, I love them raw in granola, smoothies, in water, as a chia pudding like this and even in some yummy baked goods like healthy muffins and cookies. I often get asked what chia seeds are and the benefits of incorporating them into a healthy eating lifestyle so I thought I would examine these curious little but mighty seeds a little.

Chia seeds (salvia hispanica) have been around for quite a long time, they are native to southern Mexico and Guatemala and were used by the ancient Mayans and Aztec wariors as a source of nutrition and improved stamina for long periods. Chia seeds are said to be full of beneficial properties among them are; providing seven times more vitamin C than oranges, five times more calcium than milk, eight times more omega -3 than salmon, more potassium than bananas, three times more iron than spinach. Phew! that is quite the list huh?! and it gets better.

It is easy to see why these little powerhouse seeds are considered a "superfood" with many uses such as; stabilising blood sugar levels, weight loss / maintenance, boosting the immune system, increased stamina and strength, great nails, hair and skin, antioxidant, colon cleanser and a few things more. If that isn't enough to convince you that Chia seeds are worth adding to your healthy eating routine I don't know what is. I am definitely looking forward to adding these curious little seeds to a lovely green smoothie in the morning.

Have you used Chia seeds? how do you like to eat or use them?

~E xx

New Favourite Body-care Find

                     

                    

      

As much as I love nothing more than making my own bodycare products, sometimes due to time constraints and my love of trying new things I am lead to purchase some new delicious bodycare products. Recently I came across a range of products that caught my attention while I was purchasing some other bits and pieces. I was impressed not only by the product range centered around fruits and  vegetables but also the ethos of the company.

Enter the "yes to" range of products, according to their website and mission statements their products are at least 95% natural made from plant and mineral sources. Free from phthalates, parabens, silicones, SLS, nasty and unecessary harmful chemicals as well as being cruelty free, there is a lot to love about their products. I decided to start out with two choices of their body wash the lovely and invigorating "yes to grapefruits" and the hydrating and moisturising "yes to blueberries" body washes both in 500 ml. The bottle size contained quite a generous amount of product which will go a long way and were quite reasonably priced for the amount that you get.

So far I have been using the "yes to blueberries" hydrating body wash and I can definitely already see a difference in my skin. I had some pesky dry patches which are now slowly disappearing and my skin in general is soft, smooth and hydrated straight out of the shower, not surprising as the body wash contains yummy shea butter and anti-oxidant blueberries. I love using this product with my new loofah which I mentioned in a previous post here. One more thing I love about these body washes is that they can also double up as a bubble bath so in terms of versatility this is definitely a keeper.

Do you have any natural bodycare favourites that make you look forward to scrubbing up in  the shower or luxuriating in a lovely wam bath? do share.

                                                       ~E xx

Raspberry & Maqui Berry Chia Pudding

                                                               

After a weekend of celebrating my birthday with a few treats, it's time for me to get back to a clean eating routine! I decided to whip up a lovely fruity and wholesome chia pudding. A Chia pudding is a great way to get back on track as it is full of nutrients and antioxidants providing a great natural way to reset the body especially after some invigorating exercise or a much needed yoga session.

   INGREDIENTS

 2 Tbsp Chia seeds

     250 ml Almond milk
1 Pear
 1 Apple

    1 Banana

       1 Kiwi fruit

                               1 cup of frozen raspberries

                           1 inch fresh stem ginger

                      100 ml filtered water

                                         1 capsule of Maqui berry powder

              

      

      METHOD

                              To make the chia pudding base add the chia seeds to a jar and add the               

                                 250 ml of almond milk.

               Refrigerate the chia seed mixture for 4 hours or overnight, this will allow                                                                 the chia seeds to absorb the almond milk and form a gel like pudding.

To make the smoothie layer; wash and chop all the fruit, fresh stem ginger 

and add to the food processor

Add the 100 ml of filtered water followed by the powder content of one Maqui berry capsule.

Blend until smooth

Take the chia pudding out of the refrigerator and add the smoothie layer on 

top of the chia pudding

Grab a spoon and enjoy!

Hopefully you find it as enjoyable as I did.

        

    
~ E xx