The festive season has arrived yet again, and boy do I have some ridiculously good sustainable ideas and recipes to grace your table this Christmas!

This celebratory season is all about love, connection and gratitude centred around the best food you'll cook all year. My latest book Supercharge Your Life features lots of festive recipes from decadent grazing platter morsels to gorgeous roasts and potluck favourites to share with family and friends over the Christmas break.

Supercharge Your Life centres around food as the catalyst for pleasure, enjoyment, love and connection. To ramp up the love even further, I’ve put a huge focus on how our food and entertaining choices can be a gift to heal our planet.

The Australian Retailers Association predicts that Aussies will spend approximately $48 billion over Christmas, which results in a massive increase in the waste we produce. The average western country is estimated to throw away around 300,000 tonnes of card packaging, 8000 tonnes/approximately 50,000 trees worth of wrapping paper, 125,000 tonnes of plastic, and 200,000 tonnes of meat!

This doesn’t sit well with me.

So here are some tips straight from my own personal Christmas plans that will hopefully inspire you and your family this year. Why not curate a Christmas experience that will help to save the environment and your wallet, whilst savouring a wholesome feast to delight the senses and warm the hearts of everyone.

Full Tummy, empty bins: Meal plan, meal plan, meal plan! To cut down on waste, be sure to carefully plan your Christmas day spread, being mindful not to over cater. Ask your guests to bring along some containers so that they can take leftovers home for boxing day lunch rather than tossing all that beautiful food in the bin. Compost or worm farm all your food scraps; it’s good for the garden and the planet!. And if you do have a full tummy try my Love Your Gut Synbiotic. It works wonders.

Use brown paper bags and newspaper: Instead of using wrapping paper, opt for leftover newspaper to wrap your gifts. Tie with ribbons or twine (tip- I always save these from gifts and keep them in a special box. This saves me money too!) and poke some foraged flowers, foliage or herbs into the bow. Brown paper bags can be used to bag up cutlery- just tie the top with twine and again pop in some rosemary. Brown paper can also be used to write up menu cards or to gift wrap fresh herbs for your guests.

Forage baby forage! Real plants and foliage offer a free way to decorate your table or create Christmas decorations. Walk through your garden or search for overhanging plants on your street on Christmas morning with a basket and scissors. Snip flowers and/or greenery and place in jars of water. Herbs like rosemary can be tied with string around cutlery or bunched up and given as gifts. Natives like eucalyptus can be woven into a wreath for your front door, or laid out across the middle of the table for a rustic tablescape. Dry eucalyptus leaves can also be used as name tags for your gifts. Simply hole punch them, thread ribbon on twine through them and write the person's name on the leaf for a unique and thoughtful touch.

Ditch the plastic tableware: Straws, cups, plates, and other plastic tableware are simply terrible for our environment and find their way into our oceans; destroying our marine life. Stick to your regular ceramic ware and metal cutlery or invest into some bamboo eco tableware that is more durable and biodegradable. Metal straws and beeswax wraps are widely available now and significantly cut down on single use plastics.

Make a mason jar snow globe: Skip on the plastic Christmas ornaments and make your own out of mason jars and desiccated coconut! Simply glue small ornaments or beautiful small items already available to you into the inside of the mason jar lid. Place a handful of the coconut into the jar, screw the lid on and place upside down for your very own DIY snow globes. Your guests will love the creativity!

Make a herb garland: Herbs are the perfect Chrissy decoration because they reflect the theme of greenery that we all love at Christmas, but they’re also an edible decoration! Weave together herbs like rosemary, oregano, basil, thyme, bay leaf branches, mint, or any others you like. Add red chillies, cherries or garlic bulbs for hits of other festive colours. Give sections of it away as gifts or use them to flavour your meals.

Explore the beach: Hit the seaside with kids and collect beautiful pieces of driftwood, stones, shells and feathers to express a beachy vibe for your Christmas table. Driftwood can be collected in different lengths to be glued together in the shape of a Christmas tree. Sand can also be placed in small jars and topped with a tea light candle.

Buy second hand or recycled: Buy a bundle of unique clothes, accessories, books or retro ceramics from your local thrift store as gifts and invest into the circular economy. Chances are that if they’ve survived one person’s ownership, they’ll be of the quality that can be enjoyed for years to come.

Give thoughtful gifts: Common Christmas gifts like ipads, phones, clothing and fashion accessories are encased in layers of styrofoam and plastic packaging. To eliminate waste, opt for experiences such as tickets to a concert or shout them a cooking lesson. If the kids are into video games, get them off their screens and into a real life experience like a go-karting class rather than giving them more “stuff”.

Use old magazines as placemats: For Christmas last year, I used decorating magazines as placemats. They were the talking point of the table and everyone wanted to take them home afterwards! Simple, creative thoughts like this can be a great way to upcycle things you already have in your home that would simply go straight to landfill.

If you really want to create a show stopper meal this Christmas, get organised, roll up your sleeves and throw yourself into the joy of creating and devouring this gorgeous recipe from my new book Supercharge Your Life:

I hope you have a lovely Christmas filled with good cheer, friendship, family and the kind of food that shares love and brings people together!

Xx Lee

Christmas stuffing balls

{ makes 12 }

These can be made the day before and warmed in the oven while the turkey rests – 10 minutes at 150°C (300°C) should do the trick.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) minced (ground) pork
• 1 tablespoon dried mixed herbs (e.g. sage, rosemary, thyme)
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, plus extra to serve
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 110 g (3³₄ oz/¹₂ cup) cooked quinoa or 95 g (3¹₄ oz/¹₂ cup) cooked brown rice
• 115 g (4 oz/³₄ cup) pine nuts or crushed nuts
• 100 g (3¹₂ oz/1 cup) almond meal
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

METHOD

• Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) and grease a baking tray.
• Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then sauté the onion, garlic and celery for 3–4 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the pork, mixed herbs, parsley and lemon zest, then cook until the pork is no longer pink. Add the quinoa and allow to cool.
• Once cool, add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
• Roll 60 g (2¹₄ oz/¹₄ cup) portions of the mixture into balls, sit them on the prepared baking tray, then bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.

Cranberry sauce

{ makes about 500 ml [17 fl oz/2 cups] }

INGREDIENTS

• 310 g (11 oz/2¹₂ cups) fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained, or frozen cranberries
• 180 g (6¹₄ oz/¹₂ cup) rice malt syrup, plus extra as needed
• 125 ml (4 fl oz/¹₂ cup) filtered water
• grated zest of 1 orange
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• ¹₂ teaspoon ground cinnamon

METHOD

• Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium–low and simmer, stirring, for about 10 minutes, until the mixture thickens.
• Taste for sweetness, add more rice malt syrup if necessary, then cool and seal in a sterilised jar until ready to use.

Roasted whole turkey

{ serves 10–12 }

INGREDIENTS

• 1 × 6 kg (13 lb 4 oz) turkey, giblets removed
• large handful flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 170 g (6 oz) butter, softened
• grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• large handful thyme
• small handful sage
• 3 bay leaves (optional)
• 2 brown onions, peeled and halved
• 2 leeks, pale part only, halved lengthways
• 4 baby carrots, halved
• 2 celery stalks, halved lengthways
• 2 garlic bulbs
• 1 litre (35 fl oz/4 cups) chicken stock

METHOD

• Preheat the oven to 210°C (410°F).
• Pat the turkey dry with paper towel. Place the parsley in the cavity. Season the turkey with salt and pepper, and place in a large roasting tin. Spread the butter all over the bird. Drizzle over the lemon juice, sprinkle over the zest, and tuck the remaining herbs under the bird.
• Arrange the onion, leek, carrot, celery and whole garlic bulbs around the turkey, then pour in the stock. Cover the tin with foil and roast for 45 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 170°C (325°F) and roast for a further 3–4 hours. About 10 minutes before the end of cooking, remove the foil, increase the oven temperature to 200°C (400°F) and roast until the turkey skin is golden brown and crisp, and the juices from the thickest part of the leg run clear.
• Remove from the oven and set aside to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.

Enjoy your Christmas and let me know what you think of the recipe in the comments section below.

Want to fill yourselves with good food from the fluffy tufts of your Santa hats to the ends of your mistletoes?

Over at Supercharged Food HQ, we’re turning the yuletide on feeling full, to feeling fabulous with good food and cheer. I've created a new Christmas salad recipe that you can present in two different ways!

These salads are super easy to put together and look very pretty on the Christmas table too!

I hope you'll love them.

Are you ready to get those sleigh bells jingling? See below for the recipe.

In the meantime, I’ll just be over here watching Christmas movies, cue The Holiday! 🍿 🎄

Supercharged Christmas Salad Two Ways

Wreath Style

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 2 Cos lettuces washed and separate leaves
• 2 cups rocket leaves
• 2 cups mixed lettuce leaves (options are red and green romaine, red and green oak leaf, chard, endive, radicchio, or other heirloom lettuces)
• 1 cup Frisée lettuce
• 2 oranges, peeled, sliced and cut into segments
• 5 radishes sliced and cut into half-moon shapes
• 1 cucumber sliced
• Handful of pecans
• ¼ purple cabbage, grated
• 14 x dried orange slices

Method

Find a wooden chopping board or circular cutting board to place the salad onto

Start by placing a bowl of aioli or your favourite dressing in the centre and add an orange slice to it

Place Cos lettuce around the outside and work in towards the middle

Add mixed lettuce to the inside base of the Cos leaves in a circle

Then add Frisée alongside the dressing bowl

Place orange segments into the wreath then add radish, cucumber, purple cabbage and pecans on top

Gently slide the dried orange slices into the Cos leaves

Dressing

Use a store-bought aioli or make this one

Lemon and Garlic Aioli

Ingredients

• 2 egg yolks
• 4 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus extra as needed
• 1 tablespoon water
• 310 ml (103/4 fl oz/ 1 1/4 cups) light olive oil
• sea salt, as needed

Method

To make the aioli, beat the egg yolks and garlic in a small bowl with a wooden spoon

Add the lemon juice and water and keep beating. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, beating continuously, until the mixture has the desired consistency

Add more lemon juice and sea salt to taste if needed. (Alternatively, prepare in a food processor) 

Deconstructed Style

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 Cos lettuce washed and separate leaves
• 1 cup rocket leaves
• 1 cup mixed lettuce leaves (options are red and green romaine, red and green oak leaf, chard, endive, radicchio, or other heirloom lettuces)
• 1 orange, peeled, sliced and cut into segments
• 5 radishes sliced and cut into half-moon shapes
• 1 cucumber sliced
• 1 cup (cantaloupe) rockmelon sliced
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• Handful of pecans
• ¼ purple cabbage, finely grated
• 6 x dried orange slices
• Coriander leaves to serve

Method

Find a wide mouthed circular bowl place the salad onto

Start by placing a bowl of aioli or your favourite dressing in the centre and add an orange slice to it

Place each ingredient next to one another and work around the bowl

Try to separate the colours so that you can highlight certain ingredients

Dressing

Use a store-bought aioli or make the one above

We've been called for a while now to prioritise more time for the things that we enjoy. Time to slow down a little, appreciate nature and the natural world, and live more in alignment with it. We have an absolutely beautiful planet and I’m continuously in awe of the magical interplay between the order of the seasons and the cycles of nature; our potential for a harmonious relationship with other humans and for nurturing our soil and our earth; and the immense blessing our planet brings us in return.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve been prioritising reflection, rest and connecting back into my roots. One of the ways that I’ve found helps me to feel more grounded, is good old fashioned gardening.

And today I’ve got a great NO WASTE recipe for Pecan and Carrot Top Pesto plus a special discount offer for you to get into growing your own from your own kitchen! 

But first, gardening can bring so much joy, when you consider the offering that can exist within even one herb that shoots straight up from the ground, or your first sun-sweetened strawberry fresh off the plant, still warm, with its ticklish external texture and intense burst of flavour juice that tangs your taste buds and stains your lips with a beautiful ruby-red tint.

With our fast paced lifestyles, and love of convenience, food has been transformed from something we were once in tune with, connected to, loved and respected, into a commodity. But the more we connect back to our roots, the more in tune we can be. 

Home grown produce beats the taste of anything that you’ll find on the supermarket shelves. There’s just so much still to learn and to be grateful for in the process of growing, harvesting, gathering, preparing and enjoying the foods that the earth naturally provides for us.

When growing your own produce, being able to control what and how you produce it, from using organic soils that are free from synthetic fertilisers and sprays, to cultivating more traditional methods of growing, means good results for you and the planet.

If you’re keen to make the move from a more product based lifestyle to a produce based one, there is no time like the present to get your hands dirty. Gardening is an activity that you can do alone or get the kids involved too. The benefits of growing your own food are enormous, from its taste, right through to its economic and environmental impacts.

When I made the decision to grow my own food, after seeing my food budget as an investment in our world and wanting to have an effect on stewarding this earth and embracing the community around me, I bought a couple of Vegepods which have been producing the most flavour-packed produce, filled with vital nutrients. It’s actually more economical to eat home-grown, and I’ve also been able to pass on any excess produce to neighbours, family and friends. What I love about having a Vegepod is that they make gardening easy and definitely less intimidating.

If you’re keen to make the switch and swap out regular big grocery shops for fresh bounty from your kitchen garden, the good news is that you don't need a traditional garden space to start gardening. Even if you’re a novice gardener, have managed to annihilate even the hardiest of houseplants or, if you’ve a tendency to neglect windowsill herbs positioned at eye level in the kitchen, I want to arm you with some very important information...

Vegepods are now on the move indoors! Move over paddock to plate, we now have Veges-to-table.

The new Vegepod Kitchen Garden is as cute as a cute-cumber! 

Plus it will do all the hard work for you. From sunshine to good soil that drains well, regular watering, and a little love and kindness. Ok maybe the love and kindness part you might need to help out with ;).

An easy to grow kitchen-garden bursting with flavour is now a lot simpler than you think. Goodbye expensive supermarket herbs that are limp and bedraggled the day after you buy them. The Vegepod Kitchen Garden allows you to enjoy the intense, vibrant colours of home-grown produce, ripened by nothing apart from the air and sun spectrum grow lights, in a beautifully simple growing space that will be a focal point in the kitchen.

Imagine waking up to the unmistakable scents of fresh basil and rosemary that waft up into your nostrils as you put the kettle on each morning.

Kitchen Gardens are a dream come true in the kitchen; there’s hardly a dish that doesn’t benefit from their bounty. With the new Vegepod Kitchen Garden, you can mix and mingle all manner of greens, to enhance your meals and drinks, both culinarily and medicinally.

Vegepod Kitchen Garden gives you the opportunity to grow your food, whenever you want, whatever your climate, irrespective of the space you have, just as nature intended. They come with adjustable light heights, plug, manual switch or timer-controlled app and some effervescent professional grow lights.

I asked Simon Holloway from Vegepod a few questions about the new Vegepod Kitchen Garden and here’s what he had to say;

The kitchen truly is the heart of the home, and the new Vegepod Kitchen Garden ensures the heart of your home will become a supercharged paradise. Why do you think more people are delving into growing their own food and what are the benefits? 

There are quite a few very strong and worthy reasons these days why people are joining our Grow Your Food, each with their own priorities but the benefits are all the ultimately achieved by everyone anyway – better health, better mind, better wallet and better for the planet! Some are growing to combat the cost-of-living pressures, some are all about their health (gut health, physical activity, mind wellbeing), some are all about the flavours and better taste, some are about the convenience of readily available fresh herbs when cooking, some are about reducing waste (both physical wrapping and the carbon footprint of store bought goods) and some are about self-empowerment and education. Whatever the priorities, Vegepod has made it almost failproof and it all combines to a win-win-win-win + a few more wins, anyway! 

Leonardo da Vinci  said “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” the design not only has a beautiful simplicity but also for all the kitchen pragmatists out there (guilty as charged ;)) it has a load of practical considerations like signature self-watering reservoirs and full spectrum UV lights that promote ginormous growth rates! Was it a long time in the making and did you encounter any stumbling blocks along the way? 

Yes, it was a really long gestation period for our new baby! Three years in the making from “go to woah” to be exact, from early pencil designs and brainstorming sessions to being produced in our factory. And to be honest, you could also say this has actually been 10 years in the making when you consider that we have always had thoughts on “bringing Vegepod indoors” combined with our studious eyes always checking existing indoor edible technologies and practices. We are so proud of not just our signature quality in growing technology and innovation, but also the aesthetics on this one.  These pieces of ‘growing and lit up art’ have to look damn fine amongst the choosiest of high-end kitchens, designer rooms and other emotionally charged places in the home or workspace. We humbly think we have got the balance right with Kitchen Garden.

The Vegepod Kitchen Garden makes edible gardening even more accessible to all. You guys have a thriving community of Podders around the world that are so loving their Vegepods, myself included. What do you recommend for non-green-thumbs and people who are just starting out and keen to venture into the world of growing their own, from the comfort of their kitchen countertops?  

Just start growing with one thing! Don’t be afraid, just dive in and enjoy the journey. It’s so fun, so meaningful, so fulfilling and so healthy. There is no such thing as a black-thumb or green-thumb - just those who have got stuck in and those who haven’t. Life is too short not to enjoy growing your own food to some degree. Both Vegepod Outdoor and Kitchen Garden do help enormously and make things very easy for whoever, so whether you’re a first timer or an expert, just dig in and get growing. You will not regret it, I promise!

To celebrate the release of the Kitchen Garden, Vegepod have kindly offered a 10% discount to all Supercharged Food readers so you can pre-order now for delivery in December.  Just use the code SUPERCHARGED10 at the checkout here.

And now for a delicious no waste pesto recipe that takes advantage of the Vegepod Kitchen Garden and fresh home grown greens and will have you glowing like a health god/goddess from head to toe.

Pecan and Carrot Top Pesto (No waste recipe)

Watch the video here

This pesto takes a unique angle with the earthy flavours of pecans combined with glowing green carrot tops. Serve on eggs, crackers or flatbread, add to pasta or pizza, or serve as an accompaniment to chicken or fish dishes.

Makes 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

• 1 Handful carrot tops
• 1 cup pecans
• 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 tablespoon lemon rind
• 1 tbs lemon or lime juice
• 1-2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• small pinch of sea salt
• 1 cup handful rocket
• 1 cup basil
• Small handful of coriander or flat leaf parsley, whatever you have in your Vegepod or kitchen garden

Method

Place all ingredients in high-speed blender or food processor and blend until you have the desired consistency. Add more olive oil if needed.

Tastes great in a wrap or sandwich, with pasta, salads and roasted vegetables.

Keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week and can be refreshed with an extra splash of extra virgin olive oil.

A healthy lifestyle is one of the most important things you can give your children. It can help them stay healthy now and in the future. There are lots of avenues you can take to discuss many things with your children to help them lead healthy lives.

So I'd love to share a few things you should talk to your children about for a healthy lifestyle.

Eating Healthy Foods

Talk with your children about the importance of eating healthy foods. It's a good way to open up a conversation by explaining to them that eating healthy foods will help them stay energized, avoid getting sick, and maintain a healthy weight. Teaching them about the different food groups and how to ensure they get the nutrients they need is also helpful. If they are older, you can also teach them how to create healthy meal plans and how to go shopping and compile a grocery list.

The benefits of teaching your children to eat healthily are limitless. Eating healthy foods will give them more energy, help them concentrate better in school, and avoid chronic diseases later in life.

Getting Regular Exercise

You can also discuss the importance of getting regular exercise with your children. Exercise is essential for maintaining a healthy weight, improving muscle and bone strength, and reducing stress levels. Help them come up with an exercise routine that they can stick to. Encourage them to participate in activities that they enjoy. This will make it more likely that they will stick with their exercise routine. You can even exercise together as a family which can help bring you closer!

Avoiding Tobacco, Alcohol, And Drugs

As kids mature, it is also essential to have an open discussion the dangers of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs. These substances are harmful to their developing bodies and can also lead to addiction. Explain the risks involved in using these substances and help them find ways to avoid them, channeling energy into sports or hobbies is a good way to keep your kids from being bored or overthinking.

When your children are aware of addiction they will understand the ramifications and research shows that they will be less likely to start using substances. This means that they can avoid ever having to go to a treatment center to get help for their addiction.

Managing Stress

You should also discuss the importance of managing stress with your children. Stress can harm their physical and mental health. Help them identify their stressors and find healthy ways to manage them. Teaching your children how to manage stress will help them lead happier and healthier lives. It can also prevent them from developing anxiety and depression later in life.

Getting Adequate Sleep

Finally, discussing the importance of getting adequate sleep can be very helpful for your children. Sleep is essential for their physical and mental health. It can help them concentrate in school, avoid accidents, and cope with stress.

Ensure your children get the recommended amount of sleep each night. This will help them function at their best during the day. To ensure they get enough sleep, establish a bedtime routine and stick to it. You can also create a calm and relaxing sleep environment in their bedroom.

Having a good dialogue with your children can really help them to lead healthier lives. Eating healthy foods, getting regular exercise, avoiding tobacco, alcohol, and drugs, managing stress, and getting adequate sleep are all critical for their physical and mental health. Teaching your children about these things can help them stay healthy now and in the future.

Put your hands pinky fingers up if you’re planning a special afternoon for a loved one soon, but you’re unsure how to celebrate them. If your pinky is currently raised, you’re in the right place.

While having a high tea at a hotel sounds like a beautiful way to honour your loved one, let’s be honest: the food’s usually pretty bland, it can cost an arm and a leg, and you only have a limited number of hours to celebrate. So, rather than heading to a hotel or tearoom, why not transform your kitchen into a high tea palace? Hosting a high tea is a classy and nostalgic way to celebrate your favourite person or friends.

Before you start sending out invitations via dove, boiling the kettle and polishing your soon to be sparkling silverware, follow these simple steps to craft an afternoon fit for a royal friend or member of your family.

Give yourself time to prepare

If there’s one thing you take from this blog, let it be this: it’s absolutely essential to give yourself ample time to plan for the day. If you’re looking at this list on the day of your tea party, it’s already too late (I’m kidding… kind of). Giving yourself time to set up your space, buy what you need, and plan your food will pay off in the final presentation and help you feel a lot calmer on the big day.

Flower time

If your high tea is taking place indoors, bring the beauty of nature inside with a floral arrangement. You may choose to have a big bouquet in the middle or scatter a selection of fresh flowers across your beautiful table or even just go for a small bunch of natives.  I love these pastel pink and white blooms.

Choose the right area

Where’s the best place to host an afternoon tea party, you ask?

It depends on the situation. A garden setting is ideal if the weather allows, but a kitchen or dining area will work if it’s a bit on the hot or cold side.

Dress your area to impress!

Now that you’ve chosen the area, it’s time to dress it up. Whether you’re using an outdoor or indoor dining table, coffee table or kitchen bench, it will be the focus area of the afternoon, so make sure you give it the attention it deserves. Selecting the right cloth or fabric is essential. For a high tea, I recommend using a tablecloth that’s a little plain or just a bare wooden table, to spotlight your crockery and, of course, the tea and food.

Pick your centrepiece

Add some flair to your table by picking the perfect centrepiece. I love a tiered cake stand that captures attention and houses delicious treats and homemade goodies.   

Invest in tableware pieces

Once you’ve chosen your centrepiece, think about the other elegant pieces on your table: plates, a teapot, teacups, saucers, cutlery sets, placemats and napkins. Soft pastel colours and floral patterns lend themselves to the sophistication of a high tea. To turn the elegance of your tea party up a notch, investing in beautiful matching plates with similar designs is oh so worth it.

Put the ‘tea’ in ‘tea party’

Who could forget about the tea?

Not me, ever.

Fill a charming teapot with your favourite tea. My preference is sticky chai tea, here is my own best ever chai recipe but you may choose to use earl grey, mint or chamomile. Bring out classy teacups and matching saucers to really impress your guests.

Set the tone of the day with tunes

Nothing creates a vibe more than a playlist of curated songs. What background music are you going to set the day to? For a vintage high tea, opt for soft jazz, or if you’re going for a royal and traditional tea party, classical music will make for the ideal accompaniment.

What about the food?

Now that you’ve set out your table and created the ambience you’re after, it’s time to think about what food you’ll serve.

The classic: scones

You cannot, and I mean, cannot, host a tea party without the classic, most British tea party food in the world: scones. These delicious baked goods maketh a high tea. These scones are jolly good fun to make and are ready in a jiffy. Enjoy these scones plain, with a bit of butter or add a wee bit of jam. Scones are forever a crowd pleaser.

The must-have: finger sandwiches

No high tea is complete without finger sandwiches. Luckily for us high tea party throwers, they’re the most minimal effort yet high reward foods you can make.

There are endless options of fillings for your finger sandwiches.

Here are some of my favourites:

• Cucumber with cream cheese
• Smoked salmon
• Smashed avocado
• Tuna salad
• Curried egg dip
• Lettuce, sundried tomato, roasted eggplant and fetta

To avoid sad and soggy sandwich-itis, make your fillings in the morning, and assemble your sandwiches just before guests arrive. Say goodbye to soggy sandwiches for good!

Why not go the extra mile and make a loaf of green, gluten-free bread?

The treats: cakes, cookies and pastries

Between you and me, the delicious, sweet treats are the best part of a high tea.

There’s a reason the ol’ French macaron is a go-to for high-tea; they look impressive, fit perfectly on a cake stand, and are downright delicious.

If you want to put an Aussie twist on your tea, why not bake spectacularly spongey and chocolatey homemade lamingtons? These lamingtons always go down a treat.

I also love this healthy Coconut banana bread you can enjoy a slice of this luscious loaf, with an open and conscious mind, and every mouthful will bless your tastebuds.

There’s something about lime tarts that makes everyone who tries them happy. These tarts are so delicious that your party guests won’t believe they’re raw, dairy-free, refined-sugar free and gluten-free when they gobble them all up. Make these lime tarts mini-sized and enjoy one by yourself – take that, dessert stealers everywhere.

Simple and elegant

When putting on a high tea, the two words to consider are simple and elegant. Now, go on then; you’re ready to make a special afternoon high tea.

I’d love to know – if you’ve thrown a high tea before, what are your tricks and tips? Let me know in the comments below.

The Health-Conscious Person’s Guide To Indulgence

When it comes to indulgence, many people think of being naughty or breaking the rules in terms of your health. Indulging doesn’t mean you have to derail yourself or your health goals. There are simple ways you can indulge and still maintain your healthy lifestyle.  Whether you’re willing to enjoy a cheat day or not, there are choices for everyone. If you’ve been craving a little indulgence or you’re looking for ways to indulge in a healthy way, consider these tips. 

Alcohol-free

If you’ve ever been on a health kick or tried to lose weight, one of the first things people recommend to ditch is alcohol. Alcohol represents empty calories and often comes with overindulgence afterwards. If you’ve ever been at a party or a dinner out and been the only one at the table not drinking, then you know it’s tough. Thankfully, you don’t need to give in to pressure to indulge. 

Try non-alcoholic wine, it's the best alternative to indulge without really indulging. Alcohol-free drinks are the perfect solution to avoid drinking and maintain your health goals while still feeling part of the party. Non-alcohol wine or beer are the perfect options for the health-conscious person looking to indulge without the empty calories or the junk food that comes after. You can buy non-alcoholic drinks from Boisson.

Sugar-free

Sugar is a tough indulgence to shake, and while a little every now and again isn’t the worst, you don’t want to get into a habit. Sugar-free alternatives are a great way to indulge a little without compromising your health goals. Sugar-free alternatives come in so many choices these days, you’ll be sure to find the perfect option for you. Whether you are looking for lollies, chocolate, soft drinks or even brownies, there is an option for you. 

Much like its sugary counterpart though, these sugar-free indulgences should be a sometimes food, not an everyday food. Don’t fall into the trap of just replacing one for the other. Sugar-free alternatives are a great way to help you scratch that itch, but they shouldn’t become the new go-to indulgence. A great rule of thumb is to leave at least a week between sugar-free treats. 

Protein shakes

If you’re craving a sweet drink that is almost like a milkshake, then a protein shake might just be your new best friend. Protein shakes are the perfect indulgence for the health-conscious. Full of protein, vitamins and minerals, these shakes come in a variety of flavours that will have you thinking you’re at the milk bar enjoying an ice-cold shake. Protein shakes are however almost always sugar-free and low in saturated fats. 

These shakes are packed full of good stuff and help you feel fuller for longer, meaning you get an indulgence hit and can feel satisfied until the next one. Shop around though, not all sellers are created equal. If you have special dietary requirements it can really pay to spend a little more for peace of mind. There are plenty of great brands out there to choose from, including organic and vegan options too. 

• Vegetable snacks

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