Cooking for the Sunshine Coast on the Great South East TV show

CLICK to watch me cook on the Great South East!
I love to cook and I love fresh ingredients. I love seasonal ingredients, organic ingredients, unusual, heirloom, traditional and especially, local ingredients!
Where I live on the Sunshine Coast in Qld, Australia there is an incredible amount of talented producers, farmers, real food loving sellers and cafes and food product entrepreneurs!

For 12 months I produced delicious, unique and real food inspired recipes all featuring outstanding local products for local supermarket Maleny Supa IGA and a local products local recipes - recipe card series, and every month put on a tantalizing taste testing event for the public! They are an amazing supermarket promoting and supporting local businesses and producers.

I also did a local food love tour around the Sunshine Coast and cooking demonstrations at the Cooroy Fusion Festival, Sunshine Coast Show, Real Food Festival and 9 libraries.
I also loved doing my own fresh local food column series in WHY Fitness Matters magazine, again featuring local and also seasonal produce.
See me hear launching the recipe cards and talking about why it is such an incredible thing to do, eat local!

I think it is something very exciting when you start to discover wonderful local food producers and products where you live, not only is it living more sustainability by buying local products you are supporting your local community, local farmers, local jobs, even your local economy.

On the Sunshine Coast?
You can catch me cooking live at this year's Sunshine Coast Show on June 14th and at 4 FREE wholefood cooking events you can get all the details and book HERE (until booked out)

What are some of my FAVOURITE food producers from the Sunshine Coast?
Nutworks
Olives Direct
Maleny Dairies
Gourmet Afrika
Noosa Chocolate Factory
Buderim Ginger factory
Chic Nuts
Gourmet Garden
CoYo
Queensland Yoghurt
Maleny Cheese
Noosa Chilli
Ct Fine Foods Pastas
Gluten Free Grain Free co
Maleny Avocado Oil
Suncoast Limes
Kenilworth Country Foods and Cheeses
Pomodoras
Essential Grain
Crystal Waters Sourdoughs
Fairtrade & Organic Montville Coffee
Planet Organic

There are so many more than this list too and of course SO many wonderful local farmers, fresh produce growers, organic growers, fresh free range eggs, local raw honey, markets, home baked goodies and more.

Happy Cooking!
Eat Beautiful. Live Well. Be Active. Live Happy.

Bek XX

B Fresh with Bek

I am very excited to share that you can now read a food column series by me in 

WHY Fitness Matters magazine
on the page

 WHY BFresh with Rebecca Mugridge

The series is sponsored by B Fresh, Warana, Sunshine Coast.

If your on the Sunshine Coast look out for a copy at cafes, gyms, sports centres, swim centres, and many more places.  If your not on the Sunshine Coast you can read the magazine and all its issues online HERE

The page celebrates local and in season food and includes a recipe by me and promotes the lovely fresh produce and gourmet foods available locally through from B Fresh and the fabulous food available right here on the Sunshine Coast.

The magazine itself is inspiration on paper. Packed full of health and fitness articles, experts, athletes and information that is beautifully crafted together by it's editor and the Sunshine Coast's own very inspiring woman and fitness expert Jen Forster.

So far my recipes in the magazine include

My healthy strawberry tart.

This gorgeous tart is made with Sunshine Coast producer Nutworks macadamia meal, coconut oil and gorgeous local strawberries that BFresh have been buying off the same grower for 20 years!
It is also pictured here on a locally produced chopping board called a Fab Slab, they are made from a pest species tree here on the Sunny Coast called a Camphor laurel - you can read more about them here and yes they are available from Bfresh and many other places as well. I love mine and they go with me to all my cooking demonstrations and events.
 

My avocado and coconut muffins.

 Using gorgeous in season avocado's and are dairy and refined sugar free. They have a lovely nutty flavour and are not over the top sweet tasting so great for morning tea.

Both these recipes can be read online in the magazines e-version by clicking HERE

Want more of my delicious recipes?
Get them straight to your inbox every week by entering your email address on the right hand side at the top of the blog! Too easy

You can also see me cooking LIVE at this year's Real Food Festival

Happy Cooking

                      Bek XX

RAW energy Date, Pecan & Macadamia Slice

Raw Energy Date, Pecan & Macadamia Slice

As seen in HOLISTIC BLISS magazine

I love chocolate so I love creating healthy chocolate recipes! This raw slice is easy to make and absolutely delicious, it does not last long in our house at all!


Ingredients
• ½ cup Nui organic coconut flour
• 2 tablespoons organic Power Super Foods Maca/Cacao blend powder
• 1 cup mixed raw unsalted macadamias and pecans
• ¼ cup raw macadamia’s extra
• ¼ cup dates extra,( not soaked), chopped
• ¼ cup raw, unhulled tahini
• ¼ cup Niugini Organics raw organic coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon organic vanilla pod extract
• 1 &1/2 cups pitted dates, soaked overnight in a little water.

Method
• Line a slice tray with baking paper.
• Blitz the cup of raw nuts until crumb like texture.
• Blend dates to make a paste.
• Combine the tahini, coconut oil and date paste together in a large bowl.
• Add in the coconut flour and maca blend powder, combine well.
• Stir through the extra macadamia nuts and dates
• Spread mixture out onto the lined tray, press down.
• Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until really firm.
• Cut into slices.
• Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for firmness.

Notes
• You could add raw agave, raw honey or even stevia for extra sweetness if desired.
• Make it really chocolaty by increasing cacao powder and adding some drops of liquid chocolate stevia.
• Great for a sweet, sugar free, raw snack, afternoon tea with the kids.

You can read the issue of Holistic Bliss Magazine this recipe is featured in HERE it was a raw food special so lots of gorgeous recipes and articles in it X
And you can also check out all the magazines my recipes have been in and read them online via My ISSUU Stack

Happy cooking!

Rebecca XX

Recipe and photography (c) Rebecca Mugridge2013

*In the Spotlight*

I am really excited to share that myself, this blog, my recipes and my book have been in the spotlight a bit lately!


My book was in featured in Women's Running Australia Magazine

And on the blog Naughty Naturopath Mum

I was on the front page of the Range News and on page 3 about my blog and featured in the Sunshine Coast Daily too! See the online version HERE

I was featured on the beautiful Caro Ness Blog and also as a Mums in Health and as a proud supporter of the great work by The Diabetic Health Clinic

I also had one of my recipes from my upcoming Cook Book previously not seen elsewhere! Featured on the Natural New Age Mum Blog about Healthy Kids Party Food

And was a guest contributor on Mums Lounge with my Spinach, Kale and Broccoli Cheesey Scrambled Eggs Recipe - also from my upcoming Cook Book!

FEATURED - Women's Running Australia Magazine

I am SO excited to have my book featured in the latest issue of Women's Running Australia magazine

I absolutely LOVE this inspiring magazine and I want to run in my first ever fun run or half marathon this year! A big goal for myself :) So this magazine has been a huge source of inspiration for that!

Running in an event would be so amazing and I can imagine the feelings of accomplishment and self belief when you cross that finish line, regardless of where you come, whether you are a beginner or a skilled expert are breathtaking.

I started walking with the pram with my first daughter Lily, and then jogging, it was amazing. We averaged 8 km's a day, 6 days a week.
But it also importantly got me through my Post Natal Depression as well.
Exercise has such a powerful effect on our mood, it is one of the best, free tools we have available to us and can do anywhere, every single day!

I now have another little girl and we have done lots of pram walking and are now excitedly running together most afternoon's. We are just starting out but it is such an amazing bonding experience. My 7 yr old either runs or rides her scooter and the toddler urges us on giggling faster, faster!!

We had a very tough year last year so having this time slot of family fun together is wonderful!


 You can read all about my featured book and how I lost 30 kilos pushing that pram! ( not a fad or gimmick in sight) and even see me interviewed about it on TV by clicking HERE

Rebecca XX

Prawns with Mango & Carrot lettuce cups salad

AS SEEN in the Sunshine Coast Daily - 2013

Looking for something fresh and tasty to serve for Christmas Day or a great dish to entertain friends and family at your next diner party? Or just a beautiful dinner or lunch idea for the family?

Fresh, light, healthy and looks gorgeous

Try my recipe Festive Prawns with Mango  & Carrot Salad served with either my apple cider cinegar lemon dressing or for Sunshine Coast people who are ok with sugar try the lovely Lime & Ginger Dressing by Pomodora's

Happy cooking!

Ingredients

• 4 large green prawns per person
• 1 whole head lettuce
• wooden skewers
• 2 ripe mangoes, sliced
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large red chilli, deseeded, chopped
• 2 cups Woodford baby spinach leaves
• 2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
• 2 stalks celery cut thinly on the diagonal
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 2 limes
• Pomodora's ginger & lime dressing

Bek's Apple Cider Lemon Dressing

• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• honey to taste
• chili to taste
• I find this dressing is different for everyone, tweak the quantities until the flavour is just perfect for you - its beautiful!

Method

• Soak skewers for 30 minutes
• Toast coconut by placing in a dry medium heat frying pan, stirring lightly browned, set aside.
• Gently combine carrot, celery, spinach, mango, coconut, chilli and sesame seeds in a bowl, gently toss.
• Lightly salt and then cook skewered prawns in frying pan or on BBQ, 2-3 minutes.
• Wash lettuce and pull of cups for serving salad in, arrange on plates, 1 per person - see notes.
• Fill each cup with carrot and mango salad, garnish with a little extra coconut.
• Place 2 cooked prawn skewers on each plate alongside lettuce cup.
• Serve with a lime wedge and a small side of the Pomodora's dressing for drizzling over the prawns and salad.

Notes

• To remove a lettuce cup - cut 3-4 cm off the bottom of a whole head lettuce. Hold under running water until cups (leaves) come loose, remove an discard outer leaves and use inner leaves (cups), drain.
• Use an iceburg lettuce for a more traditional, crunchier version or any whole head fancy lettuce for a decorative dinner parties, different lettuces for different effects.
• halve quantities for entree`and use small as possible lettuce cups.
• Easy entertaining, perfect for BBQ's, picnics and hot days.

My Lily

Toddler Tips

• Get the kids excited about salad, serve in very small child hand sized lettuce cups for easy, fun eating.
• Leave out chilli from their portion.
• Remove points on skewers.

I am also VERY excited to share that this was my
first recipe printed also in a newspaper, as it appeared in the Sunshine Coast Daily!

This recipe was one of my commercial recipe creation projects for client Maleny Supa IGA.
Maleny Supa IGA have an extensive range of gorgeous local Sunshine Coast products and I created the recipe and all the photography for their collectible Local Products Local Recipes - recipe cards

Rebecca xx

Edible Organic Gardening and Composting Talk - North Shore Community Centre

Edible Gardens & Composting Demo

November 24th 11am
North Shore Community Centre
Come and learn about getting started growing organic edibles at your home and why the soil is so important, with tips for turning your household scraps into usable, beautiful compost!

Guest Post at Mums Delivery

You can read my GUEST POST over on the fabulous website MumsDelivery
by clicking HERE

"Getting your body back after a baby and staying HAPPY along the way!"

In this post I share how important it is to remain HAPPY in your weight loss journey.
To see it as an empowering experience.
CELEBRATE your body and its journey.

Cherish Yourself.

Rebecca xxx

My chapter published in 'Facebook For Your Business'

I’ve just had a chapter published on how business people can use Facebook as a marketing resource. The book is called ‘Facebook For Your Business’ and has been written by social media experts from all over the world. It’s been produced as an ebook (for iPad, Kindles, PC, Mac etc) by Mithra Publishing. Take a look at the book at www.mithrapublishing.com

Want to lose baby weight? Guest Blog at The Mama Club!

Read my piece on Pram Walking, getting started, making it effective, keeping the little ones happy and losing that baby weight over at the

The Mama Club they are even giving away a copy of The Pram Diet book with my guest blog post!

Rebecca xx

Guest Blogger at Swish Lily

I am very delighted to be a guest blogger with the beautiful SWISH LILY!

Read my blog post on 6 ways to get healthy TODAY! By CLICKING HERE

We can get so caught up putting off making our health more important until we feel it is the right timing, waiting until after a certain date or even a the start of a new week (again).

Sometimes we build it up as being something difficult or expensive or even just no fun! We often think it has to be all or nothing...

BUT the exciting thing is easy, small changes that will instantly start making us feel better are something empowering we can do TODAY!

Because we are important and our health is important and we do all deserve to feel really good!

Rebecca xx

Active Gifts and the Pram Diet book

I am extremely excited that the Pram Diet book will be in one of the truly inspiring gift baskets you can order through Active Gifts!

In one of their new Active Mums packs!

Active Gifts has been delivering top quality sports gift packs across Australia and is now offering Active Mum packs. Active Gifts started as a good luck gift for a friend's fun run when no other product could be found. Tired of sending the cliched flowers or chocolates, I created a unique sports gift pack and Active Gifts was born. Recently we had a beautiful addition to the family and as a result I met many mums looking to lose that baby weight; a lot of mums told me they just needed a bit of a boost and permission to do something for themselves without the guilt. The Active Mum gift packs are the perfect way of providing some motivation and permission for new mums (or experienced mums!) to get active. Simply order online and we take care of the rest, delivering via Express post across Australia, it's that simple. Finally a healthy alternative to chocolates!

This is such a positive and empowering business and gift giving idea and I am so excited to have my uplifting healthy living book for mum's coming up in one of their packs-what an amazing present to give a new mum!!
A gift she can actually use, a gift that will make her feel good, a gift that will inspire and nurture.

You can find out more about Active Gifts and buy one of these fantastic packs HERE

If you love to live your life with health and inspiration now you can give that as a present too!

Between the Lines Reader Group-reads the Pram Diet book

Between the Lines Reader group based on the Sunshine Coast are currently reading the Pram Diet book.
I am just loving their take on my book!

"CHAPTER OVERVIEW: Nurturing Your Self pg 27.
I ♥'ed the mantra quote:
"The very best person to be is the very best version of myself"

So true, I think as mothers we can put our needs last - making sure the kids are bathed and fed, Hubby's lunch is packed and clean work clothes - we forget that we are just as important to be eating well, have some time to soak in the bath...this was a great starter for me in the chapter!"

If you are reading, thinking of re-reading or want to read the book there is still time to join in the experience with them or even just read what they are talking about and think of the book. They meet in person and also online and have a facebook page where you can join in HERE

I am so delighted to have them reading my book xx

Amazing Mumpreneurs Book Launch

 It was a fantastic Sunshine Coast Launch of the Amazing Mumpreneurs  book, organised by award winning and Ausmumpreneur finalist and the inspiring creator of successful Sunshine Coast business the Creative Collective Yvette.

Featured on the 7 news and on View News online.
It also saw me featured and interviewed with some super cute pic's of me with my two gorgeous girls in the Range News, Kawana Weekly and the Buderim Cronicle.
Featuring a panel of finalists from the awards that are featured in the book including Lara from www.sunnycoastkids.com.au  Vanessa from Mamma's Market and Kylie from Bubs in arms gift boxes it was a great networking event for mum's from the Sunshine Coast region and even had a special guest speaker, the very successful Rachel Bermingham of 4 Ingredients fame and Bermingham Books, who as an author was fantastic to listen too!

The Amazing Mumpreneurs book feaures very talented finalists from Australia and New Zealand in the Connect2Mums Ausmumpreneur awards, of which I won their Best Product Award with my book The Pram Diet.

You can purchase the book and find out more about the awards at www.connect2mums.com

Speaker at the Melbourne Healthy Food Show

Freshen Up Your Life For Your Waistline

This was the title of the talk I gave at the Melbourne Healthy Food Show held at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre earlier this year.

It was such an exciting and positive event; Brimming with buisness's, speaker's and demonstrations on healthy living and I was really delighted to have been asked to be a part of it.

I was also supported on both days by the amazing owners of the 'Eltham Bookstore' who brought copies of my book to sell on both days. ( You can find a link to their bookstore here on my blogger page too. )

My talk's were based around using the words 'fresh' and 'inspiration' to bring a healthy, energetic vibe to your life.

Here is some of what I taked about it..

Freshen Up Your Life For Your Waistline
Fresh is a word I have come to fill my life with.

When you think of the word FRESH you may conjure up images of beautiful fruits and vegetables in their optimum state-full of goodness, colour and flavour.
You may picture pristine fresh water streams so cooling and refreshing or mountains where the air is so pure that the simple act of a deep breath fills you with awe.

This is the energy and sensation we need to bring into our lives when we are wanting to truly find ourselves within ourselves. When we are wanting to get healthier, lose that weight and tap into the magnificent energy source that does reside within us all.

Freshening up your life will lead to losing weight if that is your goal but it will also most importantly give you a whole new lease on your life.
This I know. After years battling self image issues and my yo-yoing weight I found myself overweight and depressed after having my daughter until one day upon reaching a breaking point I went for a walk-not a walk with a destination, just a walk. I bundled my baby into her pram taking every possible thing I could think of that we could possibly need and off we went.

30 kilo’s lighter with a whole new sense of self and finally a healthy attitude to food I have never looked back.
And this is the magic part of bringing freshness into your life like I did with my walks in the fresh air..you feel so good for letting just a small amount of freshness into your life that you just want to bring more and more and more...

I started with small walks, just around my neighbourhood.
It began to amaze me how much beauty was around me that I never before took the time to see. The tree’s full of life, the flowers dazzling in surrounding gardens, the local birds chirping away.
I saw my walks as my ‘time out’ and would let myself only think of pleasent thoughts on my walks-leaving all my worries at my front door as I left it.

From this exciting starting point I began to feel so alive from this fresh energy i was bringing into my life that it was a natural progression to want more.

I began to appreciate my body more-it felt so good from the refreshing exercise that I wanted to eat fresh as well.
I did this by inspiring myself and embracing the words 'fresh and 'inspiration'.
I visited a local farmers market and discovered local fruit markets and started filling my home with beautiful fresh ingredients and because I was also on a tight budget I started to grow my own fresh organic ingredients at home as well. Just a few pots of herbs at first to freshen up my cooking before ending up with a virtual market garden of delicious ingredients at my fingertips.

Any day can be the day you start to live your life more, in fact any time of any day when your focus is on making positive changes.
Bring freshness to your life.
Some of the greatest ways to bring freshness to your life are often the simplest.
Inspire yourself.
Read inspiring and uplifting magazines and books-watch inspiring tv and movies, find quotes that really move you.

Surround yourself with inspiration

Embrace fresh air.

Take time to just breathe occasionally. We all know that if you find yourself stressed you should take some deep breaths but how often do we pay attention to our breathing? Sit somewhere calmly sometimes and take some gentle slow breaths-feel your body-let your mind relax it all too often works so hard.

Walk in the glorious fresh air. It doesn’t even have to be a long walk, just getting your body moving and getting outside. Breathe deeply and let your mind be cleared of all the worries, stress and concerns even if only for your walk.
If you neighbourhood doesn’t feel relaxing to you walk in a nice park, along a river, lake or by the ocean.
Freshen up your home. Make a point of sometimes opening up all your windows and letting that glorious fresh air circulate through your house-especially if you regularly use heating or air conditioning.
Freshen up your food..
Becoming healthy doesn’t mean no more delicious food. It means getting in touch with your taste buds again and experiencing real foods and real flavours-it means learning new and exciting recipes.

We are even often surprised that many of the family favourites we already make with just a few adjustments or added ingredients can be so much better for us.
It means eating meals that not only taste great but that give you energy and vitality-foods that make your skin glow and give you a bounce of energy in your step.
You even find that the more healthy foods you eat the more you want to eat and so on..

Find the excitement in a healthy fresh new lifestyle.

Embracing a healthier lifestyle doesn’t need to be boring in fact it should be exciting!
There is a wealth of exciting recipes out there that are healthy AND delicious. Once you start
there are so many wonderful ways to get fit or exercise its all just a matter of getting out there and taking that very first step

To a fresh new you!