Tag Archives: Lifestyle

Decadent Chocolate Cake with Nut Butter Frosting

Wow almost Monday again! Where does the time go. It has been a particularly pleasant weekend here at real soup HQ (I like the ring of that name, makes me sound so much more professional than I actually am). One of my close friends had her 18th on Friday night and it was surprisingly enjoyable.

I love my friends, socializing  and talking until my throats runs dry. Then my voice gets raspy and sexy so I’ll try to get my words out. That said, most parties are breeding grounds for deafening music, alcoholic intoxication and uncomfortably chilly outdoor venues.

When I arrived at the pub and made my way up the stairs to find two intimate rooms, a bar and a balcony, all reserved for the party, I was very relieved and impressed. It was also fun to see people that I really haven’t caught up with since school finished last year, as well as some closer friends that I still see quite regularly. Zoe my dear, if you’re reading, 10/10 for a great night – thanks girl!

Where does that cake fit in? I’m getting to it don’t you worry.


Last night it was earth hour (where you turn your lights, and all electricity, off for one hour to raise money and awareness for the charity WWF) and two of my close friends slept over so that we could all participate together. Now with me being on GAPS and not yet up to baked goods I thought I’d better bake them something special – no need for them to be deprived on my account right?

This chocolate cake was the result. I kind of just used my intuition for this one and the logic that coconut flour needs lots (and I mean LOTS) of liquid. The nut butter icing came about because we were out of honey (I used what we had for the cake) and I was loathe to feed my dear ones icing sugar. I know. Control freak vibes.

The cake was a success and both girls took a sneaky piece home with them. Fluffy and rich without being sickly heavy – or so I’m told. Calm those farms, I still had dessert; warm beef connective tissue warmed with some herbamare is surprisingly satisfying – and no I am not on drugs. GAPS makes you love strange foods!

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Decadent Chocolate Cake with Nut Butter Frosting


  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup 24 hour yoghurt (homemade) or homademade coconut yoghurt for a dairy-free option
  • 1/3 cup olive oil (you could also use coconut oil, macadamia oil, melted ghee/butter or melted raw cacao butter if you’d rather)
  • 1 cup honey or pitted Medjool dates (you could reduce this to 2/3 cup if your guests aren’t major sweet tooths and just add 1/3 cup water to moisten batter (but if you’re making this for company that don’t have a background in whole food eating you might want to use the full cup of sweetener just to be safe)
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1/4 cup raw cacao (increase to 1/3 cup for a richer “mudcake”)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder

Method

Place wet ingredients into a food processor or high speed blender (I used my beloved Vitamix) and blend for 30 seconds until thick, light and fluffy. Add dry ingredients and blend again until combines, you don’t want any lumps. Pour the mixture into a greased (with coconut oil) and lined (optional but easier) large cake tin (or could be made in a loaf pan or in muffin tins) and bake at 180 degrees C for 30 mins.

Nut Butter Icing

  • 2 Tablespoons cashew butter
  • 2 Tablespoons pecan butter
  • 2 Tablespoons coconut oil

Mix all all ingredients together until creamy and spread on cooled cake (if too runny add some chia seeds to thicken … This also adds a textural crunch)

Sprinkle cacao nibs on top for added effect if you dare. It looks snazzy and adds extra antioxidants.

Formula for thought

Howdy friend. You’ve stumbled across an old article. I believe in real food and support anyone – celebrity or otherwise – in their advocacy of nutritional medicine. This doesn’t mean that I support all of the views they express on their own platforms.

Food for thought? Nope, today it’s formula.

I have a soft spot for Pete Evans, despite the fact that he hates on the grain family which includes my close mates Rice, Oats and Buckwheat.

The media, however, love to hate him and I can see why.

The man is outspoken about topics for which he is deemed ‘unqualified’. It is irritating when people flaunt their opinion in a way that comes across as gospel truth. That said, I emphasise with Pete.

He’s in the ‘preachy epiphany phase’ of his life and being a celebrity, is in the public eye whilst doing so.

Continue reading Formula for thought

Pumpkin Muffins

Just a quick post today because this morning I baked some GAPS friendly pumpkin muffins that turned out really well, so well in fact, that I thought it would be rude not to share the recipe straight away!

I’m going to be honest. When it comes to recipes I don’t often measure or write things down. I use my intuition – and usually I end up with something epic. This was one of those times, so below is the closest estimate of what I did. Don’t worry the ingredients are pretty forgiving so you can’t really go too far wrong.

Continue reading Pumpkin Muffins

GAPS stage 3

Oh hello there. You’ve found some very old content. Please read the disclaimer on this page before thinking I’m still a total sheep who has been sucked into a bone-broth worshipping fad diet. Been there, learned from that and am now a much less rigid human.

The Stage I’ve been waiting for. This is the story of a girl reunited with her beloved avocado.

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Stage 3 is where life gets a whole lot easier. One word; avocado.

  • It adds something raw back into the mix
  • It can accompany meat
  • It can accompany roasted pumpkin
  • It can be eaten with sauerkraut – also allowed on stage 3. Before this you are only allowed the juice (remind me again why I’m doing this?)
  • It can be eaten by itself, with nothing else added (yes, really)
  • You can mix the humble avo with ground cinnamon & make pudding!

Continue reading GAPS stage 3

Spectacular Soul Saturday: Amber Magna

This week’s Spectacular guest is my mate Amber.

I am always blown away by her down to earth approach to health. At 23, Amber is already moving towards her goal of inspiring the population to give a damn. She has 2 years of Naturopathy under her belt, written an online program called ‘Simply Eat’ and just recently graduated from Kim Morrison’s  HLE programme. On top of these merits, she is one of the kindest, and most generous humans I know!

Meet Amber …

Continue reading Spectacular Soul Saturday: Amber Magna

Spectacular Soul Saturday: Donna Heathcote

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You see that gorgeous creature front right, bobbing down beside me? That’s today’s guest Donna Heathcote. Donna and I met last November at a retreat called Awaken the Change Within. We instantly developed girl-crushes due to our shared interest in gut health, mindset and puppies. I call her my ‘other mother’ and she calls me daughter (peas in pods!).

Meet Donna …

Continue reading Spectacular Soul Saturday: Donna Heathcote

Pumpkin Pancake Perfection

These pancakes are incredible (if I do say so myself … and I do say so).

Its almost hard to believe that they are utterly nourishing.

Okay, you got me. Maybe it’s not that hard.

After all, real food is delicious. Especially when prepared in snazzy, pancake-like ways.

In the book Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Dr Natasha Campbell McBride, there is no specific pancake recipe. She just says to make them out of vegetables (pumpkin, zucchini, marrow or squash), eggs and nut butter and to cook them in plenty of fat. I simply used my intuition with quantities and came up with a batter that works uber-well. Synchronicity at it’s finest.

This recipe doesn’t include nut butter because I was curious if you could leave it out and still get a ridgy dodge pancake dream. You can.

Your welcome to all my nut-sensitive friends, this one is for you.

But enough chatter. I know you only stopped by for the recipe.

Pumpkin Pancake Perfection


  • Separate 2 Organic Eggs and beat the egg whites until thick and fluffy (like when you make Pavlova).
  • Beforehand (because you are so organised) you would have steamed or boiled (roughly) 3/4 cup butternut pumpkin and pureed it.
  • Mix your egg yolks into the pumpkin puree and add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla bean powder and 1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon,, fold in egg whites and … THERE’S YOUR BATTER PAL!!!!!!
  • Now for the uber-duber exciting part! Heat a small frying pan over a medium-high heat and melt a generous amount of cold-pressed extra virgin coconut oil; swirling it around to coat the pan.
  • Drop Tbs batter into the pan for 1 pancake (make one at a time – these darlings are delicate). Cook until golden on one side before gently flipping over and cooking until second side is golden too.

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And there you go; orgasmic, crispy, buttery pancakes that taste like cinnamon donuts if you really use your imagination.

Happy flipping everyone. Pancakes, not the bird. Unless your dinner guests are rude and in need of sign language.

Homemade Yoghurt or Sour Cream

I figured with all my talk of GAPS I should give you some recipes. In case you’re thinking of starting the GAPS journey yourself or want to add a few new dishes to your repertoire. Yoghurt/sour cream is a wholesome place to start.

Continue reading Homemade Yoghurt or Sour Cream

GAPS intro; Stage 1 and 2

Oh hello there. You’ve found some very old content. Please read the disclaimer on this page before thinking I’m still a total sheep who has been sucked into a bone-broth worshipping fad diet. Been there, learned from that and am now a much less rigid human.

I promised a GAPS diet protocol update and an peek into the routines and meals that make up the first stage. So here we are.

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Stage 1 of the introduction diet is the most intensive part of the protocol that there is (in terms of restriction). It is the most gentle stage and really settles an inflamed gut before any new foods are introduced. Here’s what I was allowed to eat (according to Dr Natasha Campbell McBride’s book Gut and Psychology Syndrome);

Continue reading GAPS intro; Stage 1 and 2