On January 13th my firstborn turned 4. 

On January 17th my baby turned 1. 

On January 19th we threw them a joint birthday party with a [party] animal theme. 

Meanwhile I was working at all hours after both kids were in bed to complete my eBooks ‘Nurtured - plant based recipes for kids’.

January was nuts. 

That party though!!

Lake said it was the best day of her life. And we’re pretty sure it was too! 

We hired a bouncy castle for Lakey’s gang, a soft play area for Banksy’s baby crew and incredibly it all fit inside The Living Room of My Chelsea/Tanya’s!!

The entire buffet spread was 100% vegan and nut-free and the sweets were also gluten-free and refined-sugar-free in addition to that. 

We ordered all the savoury yummies from My Chelsea and I did all the baking.

Lake’s grown up cake was Chocolate with Strawberry Frosting and Banksy’s baby cake was Carob with Apricot Frosting, because a). I wanted them to match and b). there’s no stimulants or caffeine in carob.

Here’s our plant based menu...

From My Chelsea Hotel:

Vegan Pizzas

Vegan Pasties

Vegan Sausage Rolls

Vegan Nuggets

Hummus + crudités + pita breads

Beetroot falafels

From ‘Nurtured - plant based recipes for kids’ eBooks:

Creamy Pea Dip (Dips & Party Foods eBook)

Blueberry Ice Lollies (Shakes & Ice Creams eBook)

Breakfast Popsicles (Shakes & Ice Creams eBook)

Banana Cake Bites (Dips & Party Foods eBook)

Baked Doughnuts (Dips & Party Foods eBook)

Chocolate Cake & Strawberry Frosting (Birthday Cakes eBook) 

Carob Cake & Apricot Frosting (Birthday Cakes eBook)

Lake specifically requested a Chocolate and Strawberry Cake, so that’s exactly what she got.

The end result went down an absolute treat and was very popular among all the parents as well as the kiddos.

It’s also a great staple cake recipe to keep handy and any one of your favourite frostings will go amazingly here, so have fun with it!

Aaaaand if you're looking for the perfect recipe to bake on the upcoming Love Day (Valentine's Day is this Friday people!!), then you've just found it...

VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKE & STRAWBERRY FROSTING 

For the cake:

(This recipe is enough for two 7-inch cakes just like you see in my pictures. Or you can make two slim 9-inch cakes instead.)

3 cups (440g) GF self-raising flour

3/4 cup (65g) cacao powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp Himalayan pink salt

1 1/2 cup (420g) agave nectar

1 cup (200g) coconut milk from tin

1 cup (200g) light olive oil

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp ground flaxseed

1 tbsp vanilla extract

For the icing:

2 cups (250g) ground xylitol

1/3 cup (70g) vegan butter or a non-dairy spread

280g jar of sugar-free strawberry jam

3/4 block (150g) creamed coconut or 1/2 cup coconut butter

optional: 2-8 tbsp coconut flour

 METHOD

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/390°F/gas mark 6. Grease two 7 inch (18cm) removable base cake tins with some olive oil.
2. Place the flour, cacao powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and whisk together to combine.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the coconut milk with agave, olive oil, vinegar, vanilla and ground flax.
4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and whisk again to combine, but don’t over-do it. Distribute among the two greased tins in equal amounts, tap tins on a hard surface for the mixture to even out and let them sit for 5-10 minutes at room temperature.
5. Place inside the hot oven and bake for 25 minutes. Cakes are ready when a sharp knife comes out clean or with a few crumbs stuck to it, just make sure not to overcook - this recipe is better gooey than too dry. Let the cakes cool entirely before getting started on the icing.
6. You can grind xylitol in your blender, simply blend on high until powdered and wait for 2-3 minutes for the dust to settle before opening the lid. Place all of the icing ingredients, except the coconut flour, into a food processor and process until smooth (You may need to open the lid and scrape everything down from the sides of the jug).
7. If you are making a Victoria sandwich-style cake, the cakes will need to be levelled off before they will stack neatly (only if the cakes haven’t sunk in the middle. If they’ve sunk, leave untouched). To do this, use a sharp knife to slice off the top of both cakes where they have over-risen. Then place a scoop of frosting onto the bottom cake and smooth out to the edges giving a generous layer of filling. Flip the second cake over and place on top. Pour the rest of the frosting on top of that if your icing is thick and spreadable but not runny. If it is too runny, add 1-2 tablespoons coconut flour to thicken it up and process to combine. Continue adding more coconut flour until the desired texture for icing your cakes has been achieved, careful not to over-do it as the coconut flour has a drying effect. Spread a generous amount of icing all over the top of the cake and take your time to carefully spread it towards the sides and then down the sides to completely cover the cake. If you like the exposed look of my cake, scrape off the icing from the sides as you are turning the cake on its stand. Decorate to your liking.

 If you think this recipe is pretty special, I have many many more in my new eBook series 'Nurtured - plant based recipes for kids'.

And the Launch Special 'Buy 2 eBooks, Get all 5!' is still on... check it out:

tanyasliving.com/pages/nurtured-plant-based-recipes-for-kids

Have you been following since the early days and remember this backdrop?

Thank you SO much for sticking with me!

I miss this kitchen so much, even though I love our remodel into Tanya's "The Deli" and know that by adding the take out + delivery aspect to our business is helping to nourish more of you. 

I miss these adorable faces, even though I also adore the My Chelsea team managing the Deli. 

So many mixed emotions celebrating our 5 year anniversary.

The truth is, when we first opened, I had a vision of a 5 year project, but throughout the many ups and downs of running a restaurant over this period, a fear that the 5 years will be cut short and we’d have to close down prevailed.

Well we don’t have plans to close even though the ‘project’ has undergone many changes, endings & beginnings over this time. 

And then... on our 5 Year Birthday... it finally hit me!!

I can see now that the ‘5 year vision’ was never about the restaurant making it massive or failing, it was just a cycle of a certain genre of my own life which has been preparing me for the next & most important stage yet...

As you know, I’ve had 2 babies over these few years (really 4, because opening a cafe and publishing a book felt like giving birth in a way).

My focus has shifted mainly to my kids and how to help them grow into strong, healthy, happy humans with a big appetite for nourishing food and adventure.

I’ve been experimenting with healthy kids’ recipes and gathering winners for a couple of years now.

Finally, I’ll be able to share the collection with other parents in the form of eBooks, videos and coaching, very very soon. 

Nothing can take away this focus now. 

I’m seriously motivated to watch more children grow up super well and healthy and to witness more parents feel confident and well informed in their decision making when it comes to feeding their children.

So motivated in fact that I’ve recruited the most amazing intern to help me launch these projects and for Summer we've been busy testing and typing recipes in my kitchen as well as photographing kids of all ages enjoying them (so you can see proof that it's not only Lake's tastebuds :))


All this awesomeness will be ready to launch very very soon! 

Make sure that you're subscribed to our newsletter to be the first to know once we're LIVE >>

While this sweet little 3 year old was expecting a baby brother for her birthday, he was gracious enough to leave 13th January especially to her and arrived a couple of days later.

It was the first year Lake truly looked forward to her birthday, learned about making a wish, picked her own outfit (and matched it with a hair ribbon) and even ordered her very own cake flavour…

She specifically asked for ‘Money & Peanut Butter’.

Money is Chocolate 😜because when she was 1 and 1/2, I let her try a dairy free chocolate coin and because ‘money’ was much easier to say than ‘chocolate’, that’s what it’s been ever since 🤣.

The cake is gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free and baked, the icing is a raw, dairy free, refined sugar free ganache type.

The icing remains moist, shiny and creamy for days. The cake itself is super soft, a little crumbly and fudgey. It is equally indulgent to feed an adult as it is healthy'ish to feed a child of mine :)

Lake's Money & Peanut Butter Cake

For the cake

225g Brown rice flour or another Gluten free flour

320g Coconut palm sugar

250ml Hot water (1 cup)

130g Peanut butter

90g Extra virgin coconut oil, melted

50g Cacao powder

1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp Himalayan salt

For the icing

40g Peanut butter

40g Hot water

80g Maple syrup

65g Extra virgin coconut oil, melted

2 Tbsp Cacao powder

1/3 tsp Himalayan salt

METHOD

-You will  need a 20cm/8in round springform cake tine or a standard rectangular loaf pan which you will line with tin foil.

-Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/350°F/gas mark 4.

-Place a baking sheet under your cake tin if using a springform round tin (note it needs to be a good leakproof one as the batter is runny) or line the entire rectangular loaf pan with tin foil.

-Mix the sugar and hot water in a food processor or a blender, add the remaining ingredients and blend again till smooth. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 35 minutes. Do check at the 30 minute mark to see if the cake is done and the knife comes out clean. This cake is fudgy so it’s better a little wet than too dry, don’t over-do it and remove from the oven to cool.

-Once the cake has completely cooled down in its tin, remove it and start on the icing. I bake the cake the day before to make sure it is entirely cooled but you can speed up this step by holding it in a fridge for an hour after cooling a little on a wire rack.

-Place all the icing ingredients into a blender and blend till smooth. Pour generously all over the middle of the cake, then using the back of a spoon carefully spread the icing to the edges to let it drip a little off the top. Do this last step slowly and space out the drips no closer than an inch apart.

I reckon if there was a competition for the healthiest and most nutrient dense ice cream that kids actually enjoy, this recipe could very well be IT!

It's easy to make in any blender and any ice block mould (or improvise with a baking tray like I've done below). And just take a look at the health benefits of the ingredients:

Pili nuts:   These are my latest obsession and are possibly the most delicious nut ever. They taste like a blend of macadamia, cashew and brazil nut. The Raw & Wild brand which we stock at Tanya's already comes activated, so if you have a powerful blender, there's no need to soak! Pili nuts are ultra high in Vitamin E, magnesium, manganese, thiamine/vitamin B1, phosphorus and copper. They are also great for getting extra iron, zinc and calcium in you! This cocktail of nutrients is quite literally amazing for everything from healthy hair and nails to top immune system and bone health to better sleep and controlling your blood sugar levels to improving mood, brain function and even vision!

Udo's Choice Oil Blend:  This oil blend of essential fats derived from flax, sunflower seed, sesame seed, evening primrose and coconut is honestly magical! It provides all the Omega 3s and 6s you need in one day in a single spoonful. Aside from being incredible for your skin and brain function, I add this to my family's recipes for great digestion. I'm so eager to have you giving it to your family that I've arranged a special 20% off discount for you... Simply go to the Udo's Choice website and enter promo code BETTERRAW at check out for the whole store!

Mango:  Most of you might agree that no other fruit compares to a sweet ripe aromatic creamy mango. It therefore comes as a surprise to many that mangos are jam packed with nutrients which help combat diabetes, promote smoother elimination, protect against free radicals, strengthen bones and improve joints.

Apple juice:  When you use freshly squeezed apple juice (or buy cold-pressed!), it gives you extra enzymes for energy and every bodily function really. Apple juice contains lots of Vitamin C, so it's great for the immune system. It even cleanses the liver! Please only ever use organic apples though, because if you juice conventional, you're consuming all the pesticides, herbicides and chemicals that come with them, no matter how hard you scrub your apples.

Creamy Raw Vegan Ice Blocks

2 x Ripe Mangos, peeled and de-stoned

1 x 70g pack Original Pili Nuts (buy at Tanya's, Whole Foods UK, Planet Organic, etc)

300ml x Organic Apple Juice

3 tablespoons x Udo's Choice Oil Blend (see promo code above)

Optional (advised for fussy kids): 60g Maple Syrup

-If you don't have a high powered blender, soak the pili nuts in water for 4-6 hours, otherwise use straight out of packet.

-Transfer all the ingredients into your blender and blend till creamy. Note: if using maple syrup, it is likely to taste too sweet, but don't worry because sweetness dulls once frozen.

-Transfer into ice block moulds, insert a wooden stick and transfer to the freezer for a minimum of 4 hours.

[We were in NZ at this time and didn't have our ice lolly moulds handy, so I found this baking tray and folded some tin foil inside to the point which held the right amount of mixture, so that the sticks had plenty of support]:

In this below pic, Lake is 1, her cousin Stanley is [almost] 4 and cousin Theo is 2,5. At this age, Lake hasn't had anything sweet apart from fruits, so she was super into the ice-block and ate up the entire thing! For the boys, I wish I added the optional maple syrup, they would've finished more than 1/3 and got all those amazing nutrients into them.

You know your kiddies and their fussiness best, so keep that in mind when contemplating the additional maple syrup- the overall sweetness of anything will always dull when food freezes. 

If you'd love to know more tricks for sneaking vital nutrients and vitamins into your children's lunches, as well learn some seriously delicious recipes that your 2-11 year olds won't even realise are healthy, my next class is for you!...