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Life

Pineapple cake by notetoiris
Food & DrinkLifeRecipes

Pineapple Celebration Cake (Vegan + Gluten Free)

written by notetoiris

Birthdays are a big deal where I’m from and lockdown has changed our birthdays ever so slightly. We haven’t gone out in the same way but I still tried to make Joel’s birthday a special one. This starts with cake of course.

This cake is filled with pineapple pieces, sprinkled with pineapple juice to keep it moist and topped with dried pineapple flowers! This idea I got from this Spanish post on Pinterest.

Pineapple cake recipe by notetoiris

If you like pineapple, you’ll love this. If you’re not so much into it, it’s not overpowering but you could switch it for apples too 🙂

The buttercream frosting was way too sweet for us! We are not used to that much sugar anymore and so it could have been better without. If you have a sweet tooth though, add the buttercream. I think this simple cake has a wow factor with the layers and easy decoration.

It is gluten-free and not taste free ha! I added roasted walnuts as well as spelt flour. It is a little more crumbly I think using spelt instead of wheat so if you want you can also switch this for wheat flour.

Pineapple Celebration Cake (Vegan + Gluten Free)

Print This
Serves: 8 Prep Time: 1 Hour Cooking Time: 45 Minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pineapple
  • 1 cup of vegetable oil
  • 1 cup of sugar (I used cane + coconut)
  • 3 flax eggs
  • 1 tbsp vanilla essence
  • 3 cups of spelt flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp of salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 cups (about 3 medium) of banana puree
  • 1 cup pineapple diced
  • 1 cup of grated coconut
  • 1 cup of toasted and chopped walnuts

Instructions

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut pineapple in half across the width and reserve half for the filling.

2. Then cut 8-10 extremely thin slices across the width of the pineapple.

3. Place the slices on a muffin tin and bake for 45 to 50 minutes until they dry, forming a kind of flower.

4. Remove the pan from the oven and place the slices in the muffin pans and bake for another 20 minutes. Let it cool completely inside the pan.

5. Chop the remaining pineapple into pieces and reserve for the cake.

6. In a large bowl, beat the oil and sugar until it thickens, about 2 minutes. Add the flax eggs, then add the vanilla essence.

7. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until combined.

8. Beat again, adding the banana puree, the coconut and a cup of chopped walnuts.

9. Pour the mixture into three removable buttered and floured cake pans and bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 180Âș.

10. Buttercream frosting: in a large bowl, beat butter until smooth and fluffy. Add the icing sugar until smooth and white. Add the lemon juice and the vanilla essence.

11. To assemble the cake: place one of the layers and cover with 1/2 cup of buttercream. Spread so there is an even layer and cover with another layer of cake.

12. Repeat with the third sponge cake.

13. Cover the cake with half the rest of the buttercream frosting and send to the fridge for 20 minutes.

15. Decorate with the pineapple flowers that were made at the beginning and serve.

Pineapple Celebration Cake (Vegan + Gluten Free) was last modified: August 4th, 2020 by notetoiris

Have you made this recipe? Share it with me by tagging @notetoiris and using the hashtag #notetoiris

Pineapple Celebration Cake (Vegan + Gluten Free) was last modified: August 4th, 2020 by notetoiris
July 28, 2020
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Inclusive books notetoiris
LifeMotherhood

How To Talk About Race With Your Child – Inclusive Children’s Books

written by notetoiris

I Stand In Solidarity With The Black Community.

Recent events have sparked conversations that need to be out in the open. Therefor I thought it would be good for me to share with you all how we talk about race at home, what we read to our toddler, what we are watching when we are allowing screen time and other useful resources.

Nza is 19 months and loves to be read to, of course she also loves screen time, we try and minimise that to an average of 1 hour or less a day. This is flexible as we watch more on rainy days…

Inclusive books notetoiris

An excellent resource for parents:

  • Are your kids to young to talk about race?

Kids talk about race notetoiris

Book shops

Of course, where you can, please visit your local library or by secondhand books!

We have a lovely bookshop close to us: Moon Lane Ink, they also have an excellent YouTube channel where they read stories.

New Beacon Books specialises in African and African-Caribbean literature, they are based in London.

Sankofa Read Aloud – Online African American Children’s Stories read aloud.

Black Well Oxford have book stores but also have a great eBay account featuring lots of inclusive books.

Children’s books written by authors from African descent

  • My Hair by Hannah Lee

  • Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry (which was originally an Oscar-winning short film)
  • Tiana Eat Up! by Akitoye Sunday
  • I Am Enough and I Believe I Can by Grace Byers
  • Dream Big Little Leaders written & illustrated by Vashti Harrison
  • Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o illustrated by Vashti Harrison

  • Mommy’s Khimar by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow illustrated by Ebony Glenn
  • Grandad Mandela by Zindzi Mandela, Zazi Mandela, Ziwelene Mandela illustrated by Sean Qualls
  • Saturday and Thank you, Omu! by Oge Mora
  • Hands Up by Brenna J. McDaniel illustrated byShane W. Evans
  • Girl of Mine by Jabari Asim illustrated by LeUyen Pham
  • Going Down Home with Daddy by Kelly Starling Lyons illustrated by
  • Another written and illustrated by Christian Robinson
  • The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad with S. K. Ali illustrated by Hatem Aly

  • The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson
  • My Daddy Doesn’t Need a Cape by Sheryl Smiley-Oliphant
  • Welcome To the Party by Gabrielle Union illustrated by Ashley Evans
  • My Hair is a Garden written and illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera

Picture books celebrating Black Fathers and Black Father-Figures.

RESOURCES FOR MULTICULTURAL BOOKS

The Brown Bookshelf: http://www.thebrownbookshelf.com/
We Need Diverse Books: https://diversebooks.org/
Just Us Books: http://justusbooks.com/
Lee & Low: http://www.leeandlow.com/
Helping Kids Rise: https://www.helpingkidsrise.org
Black Children’s Books & Authors: http://bcbooksandauthors.com/
Here Wee Read: http://hereweeread.com/
EyeSeeMe: http://www.eyeseeme.com
The Conscious Kid: https://www.theconsciouskid.org/
Cynsations: https://cynthialeitichsmith.com/cynsations/
CBC Diversity: http://www.cbcdiversity.com/
Cinco Puntos Press: http://www.cincopuntos.com/
American Indians in Children’s Literature: http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/
Cooperative Children’s Book Center: http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/
Social Justice Books: https://socialjusticebooks.org/
Crazy Quilt Edi: http://campbele.wordpress.com/
Diversity in YA: http://www.diversityinya.com/
Sweet Honey Child Book Club: http://sweethoneychildbookclub.tumblr.com/

Inclusive children’s books by non-Black authors

It’s important to know if the author is or isn’t of African descent as the story might be less authentic or feel stereotypical instead of it being a personal story. These books might also be more supported already, they might have bigger publishers in some cases, so please first try and support the above list and than the list below.

  • Last Stop On Market Street by Matt de la Pena illustrated by Christian Robinson
  • My Friend Earth by Patricia MacLachlan
  • Izzy Gizmo and the Invention Convention by Pip Jones
  • Handa’s Surprise by Eileen Browne
  • Off to the Beach by Childs Play
  • Earth Hour A Lights-Out Event for Our Planet by Nanette Heffernan illustrated by Bao Luu
  • Lola Goes to School by Anna McQuinn illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw
  • The Youngest Marcher by Cynthia Levinson
  • When’s My Birthday? by Julie Fogliano

This is an ongoing list, last updated 22 June 2020, please comment if you have any suggestions! 🙂

How To Talk About Race With Your Child – Inclusive Children’s Books was last modified: June 22nd, 2020 by notetoiris
June 3, 2020
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zero waste kit
Life

15 Easy Plastic and Disposable Waste Swaps ♻

written by notetoiris

âšĄïž NEWS FLASH âšĄïž
Nobody’s perfect.
Together we can at least make small changes that collectively have a big impact. ?

I have started swapping plastic items for more sustainable options, and one of the most important things, I just started buying less… I really didn’t need so many items, fast fashion, fast food, fast design. It didn’t last and it didn’t nourish me.

Here’s a few items that I found easy to swap: Toothbrush, hairbrush, razor, make-up remover and disposable pads, water bottle, coffee cup and cutlery for on the go, cleaning products, washing up brush and scour, cotton nappies, food wraps or glass jars instead of cling film, buying as much fruit and veg without plastic packaging. ?????

  • Toothbrush: These bamboo brush options are great
  • Toothpaste: Either use F4AK Activated Charcoal or Georganics English Peppermint
  • Toilet paper: Paper wrapped toilet paper from Who Gives a Crap, and no more runs to he shop when you run out of toilet paper!
  • Hairbrush: This one from hay design I’ve had for a long time
  • Razor: Stainless steel and changeable blades is what you’re looking out for
  • Make-up remover and pads: Coconut oil or any oil of choice with these hemp pads is what I use
  • Water bottle: This berry red bottle by Waikiki is my favourite
  • Coffee cup: I bought an Ecoffee cup at a vegan festival
  • Cutlery: This is the set I got on Etsy
  • Cleaning products: Make you’re own with these easy recipes
  • Washing up brush: This brush is great as you can remove the head
  • Washing up scour: I got this hemp dishcloth on Etsy
  • Food wraps or reusing glass jars: Soya wax wraps are a great alternative, but most of the time I reuse glass jars from food I got earlier
  • Produce bags and buying fruit and veg out of plastic

Baby items

  • Cotton nappies: Totsbots, Little Lambs
  • Teething ring: I got this on Etsy
  • Wipes: Cotton washable
  • Buy as much as you can secondhand like baby clothes or bouncer etc

 

 

15 Easy Plastic and Disposable Waste Swaps ♻ was last modified: January 18th, 2020 by notetoiris
November 15, 2018
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Bloombox by notetoiris
JournalLife

Turn Toxins to Oxygen! Air-Purifying Plants For Your Home ?

written by notetoiris

Breath, De-stress & Grow. That’s just what the doctor ordered for the rest of my pregnancy. Bloombox indoor plants subscription boxes to the rescue!

Plants have sort of always been my thing. When I was little, my job was to water the plants, this to avoid that my mum would neglect them 😉

After working with flora and fauna in lots of different ways (strawberry, tomato and cucumber fields in the summer when I was a teenager to managing a cute florist and gift shop in Peckham) I now realise that I currently don’t have a lot of plants in my life, even though my home is my office… I’m writing this from my tiny desk in my flat with the view of the station and shopping street, people seem to be rushing to catch their train and connections back into central London.

Bloombox Plants Subscription by notetoiris

Indoor plants are proven to purify the air

Given that people nowadays spend over 90% of their time indoors, air quality should matter to all of us. Especially living in London, I find that the car exhausts and general pollution seeps into our home, living just off the south circular…

Good news is that there is a natural solution to combat the presence of that and it comes straight from the natural world. Plants are known to purify the air, making them part of what NASA calls “nature’s life support system.”

Bloombox Plants Pots by notetoiris

I love the colour and texture combination of these plant pots that came with my delivery.

Ready to Purify Your Home? Get The Indoor Subscription Box

The lovely people over at Bloombox Club have put together an Indoor Plants Box that contains all listed in this article for those of you who want to take action now and have them effortlessly delivered right to your front door (and at a great price we might add—buying quality plants like these individually can get expensive quickly).

Bloombox Club Plant Subscriptions by notetoirisBloombox Club Plant Subscription Box by notetoirisBloombox Club Plants Subscription Box by notetoirisBloombox Club Plants Subscription Box by notetoiris

When it comes to having air cleaning plants in your home, the rule of thumb is the more the better.  Each plant pumps out lots of fresh oxygen and cleans toxins and harmful VOC’s out of the air just how nature intended. If you are ready to go all in and upgrade your indoor air quality then this is for you.

Use discount code ‘IC15’ at checkout for 15% off everything on the Bloombox website.
Turn Toxins to Oxygen! Air-Purifying Plants For Your Home ? was last modified: January 18th, 2020 by notetoiris
June 19, 2018
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Goals for 2018
Life

How To Manifest Your Goals – My Goals For 2018

written by notetoiris

Goals for 2018

How To Manifest Your Goals – My Goals For 2018 was last modified: January 16th, 2018 by notetoiris
October 16, 2017
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Life

5 Different Ways People Give and Receive Love

written by notetoiris

Love… As some of you may know, I am in a relationship. Which I prefer to call a partnership. Although we are very different in character, we share similar hopes and dreams in what we want out of life and together we strive to reach our collective goal. Throughout our almost four years of partnering up, we have learned that we like receiving and giving love in very different forms… For a good year I thought we were special in discovering that, but it turns out that Gary Chapman, a marriage counselor for over 30 years, believes that there are “five basic love languages“.  Who knew 😉

Words of affirmation

Now, I can’t lie, I am big on words of affirmation. Psychologist William James said that possibly the deepest human need is the need to feel appreciated and I feel appreciated through words of affirmation. I grew up in the Netherlands, where you just have to ‘act normal, don’t be silly’ and therefor there weren’t many words of affirmation to be found in my childhood, it went without saying that my parents loved me. I think it comes with time, new generations, children as an evolution of the family they come from, to realise expressing emotions are good for the soul.

Try some of these verbal compliments on your partner and really take in their reaction:

“You look sharp in that suit.”
“You look incredible in that dress.”
“I really like how you’re always on time.”
“You can always make me laugh.”

Quality time

Spending quality time together is important to create a partnership. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes we eat our dinner in front of the telly but there are times that we switch off everything and really connect back in with each other. We don’t take our phones into the bedroom, this isn’t just because phone radiation is a scary thing… It also keep us from zoning out on our phones and not saying ‘good morning’ before picking up the phone. To be honest I am a little spoilt with how much time I receive from my partner, it is a compliment to him that I love spending so much time together and I try not to take it for granted…

Receiving gifts

Thoughtful gifts are a major plus but honestly I prefer receiving gifts that I can eat so I don’t accumulate more stuff than I already have… I know there are girls out there who believe receiving a designer bag or pair of shoes shows that a man loves and respects you and if you have found a partner that is happy to give love in that way, good for you 🙂 If your partner’s primary love language is receiving gifts, you are in luck, it is one of the easiest love languages to learn.

Acts of service

I’d like to think acts of service’ to be ‘little heroic gestures’. I’m happy to cook and clear the dishes but cleaning the kitchen after is my nightmare… And even though it only takes 5 minutes to do, I dread it. It’s as if my partner reads my mind and picks up where I’ve left off and for that I’m always grateful! If your spouse’s love language is acts of service, then “actions speak louder than words.”

Physical touch

I suppose no partnership is complete without physical touch, whether it’s a kiss, a gentle stroke or having sex. Dr Gary Chapman says: “We have long known that physical touch is a way of communicating emotional love. Numerous research projects in the area of child development have made that conclusion: Babies who are held, stroked and kissed develop a healthier emotional life than those who are left for long periods of time without physical contact.” In my personal experience I’ve not always been treated well in this department in previous relationships and I think it will leave a permanent scar. Although the scar tissue has healed more than I ever thought it would, with my current partner’s guidance,  I look forward to giving and receiving physical love for years to come 😉

I hope this was somehow useful and please read up on The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts by Gary Chapman

5 Different Ways People Give and Receive Love was last modified: June 5th, 2017 by notetoiris
May 26, 2017
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Life

Music to my ears

written by notetoiris
Music to my ears was last modified: February 24th, 2016 by notetoiris
January 28, 2016
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Food & DrinkLife

The transition to becoming a vegan

written by notetoiris

I talked to the lovely Gaby from London Bio Packaging on how I still eat traditional meals but with a vegan modern twist. I use the ‘Revive’ recycled and ‘Sustain’ biodegradable London Bio Packaging as I always try and reduce plastic waste…

London Bio Packaging

Traditional Meals Become Vegan

Ever wondered what a vegan eats after a night out? Or the typical Sunday roast you would find in the house of a vegan?

We recently spoke to Iris Cohen on the day to day challenges a vegan faces when it comes to the transition of becoming a vegan, and how to say goodbye to the common meals many eat weekly.

Iris is Dutch born, London based vegan entrepreneur with a strong passion for sustainability and a healthy lifestyle. With a vegan diet and lifestyle, we wanted to bridge the gap between the perceptions many have of a vegan diet to the reality.

Sunday RoastSurprisingly, there are options within a vegan diet that replicate the familiar comfort foods many have within their own meal plans including a full English fry up, a Sunday roast and comfort food to name a few!

Here’s the variety of dishes Iris helped us identify that are regularly found in a vegan diet, as well as hints and tips on becoming a vegan.

Read the full article on London Bio Packaging.

The transition to becoming a vegan was last modified: February 6th, 2016 by notetoiris
January 20, 2016
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LifeLondon

Rainy London

written by notetoiris

Rainy Monday’s are for… #AllDay #AllGrey

Rainy London was last modified: December 8th, 2015 by notetoiris
December 1, 2015
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LifeLondon

Learning and the world

written by notetoiris

Read my comment from my nanny days on Learning and the world:

http://www.thestablecompany.com/news/learning-and-the-world/

 

Learning and the world was last modified: December 8th, 2015 by notetoiris
November 30, 2015
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