Chris' Festive Ginger Pistachio and Coconut Slice

Our Nutritionist Chris shares this indulgent no bake slice recipe which is perfect for the festive season. You can sub the butter for vegan butter and make this vegan. We hope you enjoy it. Happy holiday friends.

EDIT. The original recipe stated they were gluten free this was a typo and wasn’t picked up before publishing so apologies for that. The sentence was supposed to read - easy to make gluten free.

Oats are naturally a gluten-free grain. BUT they regularly come into contact with gluten containing grains like wheat, rye, barley etc. They also contain a protein similar to gluten, which is why people some people with coeliacs are advised to avoid. To make this recipe gluten free simply use gluten free oats and biscuits.

Ingredients

Base

I cup raw unsalted pistachio nuts (lighted roasted, coarsely chopped) - reserve half for topping

125 gm butter

1 200 gm packet Nairns stem ginger oat biscuits

1 cup fine coconut

50 gm finely chopped crystallized ginger

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup cranberries (finely chopped) plus an extra 1/4 cup for the topping

1/2 cup sweetened condensed coconut milk

Melt butter and leave to cool whilst crushing the biscuits.

Place all ingredients in bowl mix well together. Press into a slice pan (27.5 x 17.5 cm) lined with baking paper.

Refrigerate till firm

Topping

2 cups of chilled coconut cream

1/4 cup coconut sugar

2 tsp ground ginger

Using an electric beater, beat all topping ingredients together until thick and creamy. Spread on chilled base. Sprinkle with remaining pistachios and cranberries.

Return to refrigerator to set. Slice and enjoy. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator

CHRISTMAS GIFTS $25 AND UNDER

Our Christmas gift guide is thoughtfully created by the Chantal shop staff. We chose our favourite sustainable, best smelling, thirst quenching and delicious gifts under $25.

left to right

ETHIQUE- Skin & Hair Trial Pack $18.30

WELEDA - Aroma shower relax $18.99

ETHIQUE Sweet orange and vanilla body butter $20

WELEDA - Skin Food $24.90

WELEDA - Love body wash $20.95

left to right

CHANTAL TOTE - $5

SPIRITUAL SKY INSENCE - $3

ANTIPODES - Mini Vanilla pod day cream $12

TRILOGY - Must have Xmas set $19.99

MUNCH REUSABLE ICE POPS - $16.80

ANTIPODES DIVINE FACE OIL - $12

WELEDA SHOWER HARMONY - $18.99

LEFT TO RIGHT

BLUE EARTH DOG SHAMPOO BAR- $6.50

EARTH RATED DOG BAG DISPENSER - $9.99

GARDENING CALENDAR - $19.95

BARON HASSELHOFFS SMUGGLE PUFFS - $12.99

LEFT TO RIGHT

BENNETTS HAZEL MILK CHOCOLATE SLAB - $12.90

PUKKA HERBAL COLLECTION - $9.95

LEFT TO RIGHT

LITTLE BIRD GINGERBREAD SPICED NUTS - $16.30

SWISS BLISS COCONUT & RASPBERRY WAFERS - $11.99

BARON HASSELHOFFS PIRATE MARY ROSEMARY CARAMELS - $15.60

STEEL TEA STEEPER - $8.95

ENHANCED WELLBEING REVIVE TEA - $17.99

LEFT TO RIGHT

BENNETTS CANDY CANE CHOCOLATE - $11.90

BENNETTS PAVLOVA CHOCOLATE - $11.90

BENNETTS NOUGAT CHOCOLATE - $11.90

LEFT TO RIGHT

PLUS MINUS ZERO ALCOHOL BLANC - $11.99

HEAPS NORMAL ZERO ALCOHOL BEER - $4.99

left to right

CRYSTAL - $17

HOHEPA CANDLE - $24.95

KAMINI SANDALWOOD INCENSE - $1.70

LEFT TO RIGHT

GARAGE PROJECT VITAL MESMERISM - $12.49

NATURAL WINE CO. PINOT GRIS - $20.95

GARAGE PROJECT WILDFLOWER HOPBINE - $13.40

VEGAN AMBROSIA

No boring bits in this dessert! Each mouthful is a flavour explosion of zesty orange, dark chocolate, sweet fluffy marshmellow, berries and herby rosemary. It’s a grown up version of the childhood classic. Feel free to add more or less of any of the ingredients to suit your taste.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of Dandies Marshmallows halved

1 cup of Raglan greek coconut yoghurt

1 can of Natures Charm whipping coconut cream

1/2 cup passionfruit pulp - fresh or bottled

Zest of one orange

Big handful of dark chocolate chopped

1 cup of fresh strawberries halved

Sprig of fresh rosemary torn into pieces

1/2 cup frozen or fresh blueberries - if using frozen keep their juice to spoon over the dish.

Whip the chilled coconut cream and mix gently with the yoghurt.

Spread the cream/yoghurt mixture over a serving platter and top with all the remaining ingredients.

Gently mix everything together and serve.

Fruit free bulk bin granola.

This fruit Fruit free granola flavoured with carob, cinnamon & coffee is versatile and easy to make with whatever nuts and seeds you have on hand. Or you can easily buy the exact amounts you need from our bulk bins.

INGREDIENTS.

4 cups Rolled oats

2 cups Buckwheat groats

2 cups coconut chips

1 cup hazelnuts

1 1/2 cups walnuts

11 cup almond flakes

1 cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup poppy seeds

1/2 cup brown linseeds

1/2 cup golden linseeds

1/3 cup honey or maple syrup

4 Tablespoons oil

1 Tablespoon vanilla

2 Tablespoons carob powder

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

1 Tablespoon powdered coffee

METHOD.

On individual oven trays we toasted the coconut, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, hazelnuts and linseeds. Watching carefully. 150degC, fan bake.

Everything else gets mixed together, including the carob, cinnamon and coffee.

Then pour over the oil and sweetener. And mix well.

This mixture gets toasted at 150degC for about 20 minutes. We turned it 4 times to prevent burning.

Cool completely before storing in a glass jar.

Serve with fruit and yoghurt.

Porridge to go!

We love these oats in a jar! They’re creamy, sweet and a lil bit spicy. Plus they’re packed full of fibre, protein, and omega 3’s.

Assemble these to-go jars on the weekend to store in the fridge and you’ve got breakfast or snacks sorted for the week.

INGREDIENTS:

Quick oats from our bulk bins

Chantal organic apple pieces

Cinnamon

Coconut sugar

Salt

Ground linseed or LSA

Hemp hearts

Chia seeds

Nut butter

Boiling water

METHOD:

We haven’t given amounts because it depends on the size of your jar and also personal preference.

A rough guide for one serving is: 1/2 cup quick oats, 1 tsp cinnamon, small handful apple pieces, 1 tsp coconut sugar, pinch of salt, 1 tsp chia, 1 tsp hemp, 1 tsp LSA or linseeds, 1 tsp nut butter.

When ready to eat, pour over boiling water so it covers the oats and them some. Give it a good mix and put the lid on and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Mix again and enjoy your creamy delicious porridge in a jar.

Apple & Cinnamon muffins - gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar free, vegan.

Warm, sweet and spicy muffins straight from the pan - yum.

These muffins are lovely and soft with tasty nuggets of organic apple pieces.

INGREDIENTS:

DRY:

1 1/2 cup almond meal

1 1/2 cup buckwheat flour

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1 1/4 cup Chantal organic dried apple pieces

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

WET:

2 TBS golden linseed

1/4 cup water

1 tsp vinegar

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups almond milk

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

METHOD:

Grease or line a 12 hole muffin pan. Heat oven to fan bake 180deg C.

Make flax eggs by grinding linseeds in a bullet or ninja. Then tip into a small bowl and add 1/4 cup water and let sit.

In a mixing bowl add all wet ingredients except flax egg.

In a separate mixing bowl add all the dry ingredients and mix well.

The flax egg should be loose and gluggy. Add it to the wet ingredients and mix well.

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Spoon into muffin pan.

Bake for 15 minutes. Check if cooked by giving one a little stab with a knife, if it comes out clean you’re good to go. If not cook for a few minutes longer, and repeat.

Alcohol Free Mulled Wine

A beautiful drink to share on cold winter nights. This alcohol free mulled wine is a delicious balance of spicy, fruity and sweet.

We used ‘Plus and Minus Pinot Noir’. This juicy wine is vibrant and has fruit driven berry flavours with a hint of spice. It’s also handcrafted by winemakers using dry-grown grapes from South Australia.

Plus and Minus Zero Alcohol Pinot Noir

This recipe made two big glasses of mulled wine.

INGREDIENTS:

1 bottle of red Alcohol free wine

1 cup of Chantal organic apple pieces

2 cinnamon quills (plus 2 to serve)

1 blood orange sliced into rounds

5 whole cloves

3 whole star anise

1/4 cup honey or maple syrup

METHOD:

Add everything to a big pot. And stir to combine.

Bring to a gentle boil.

Turn down to simmer for about 20-30 minutes.

Strain off liquid into glasses. And garnish with extra spices and orange slices if you wish. Enjoy!

Watermelon, lime and mint cooler.

Don’t you just love the sound of ice clinking in a frosty glass of something delicious.

That something delicious could be this watermelon, lime and mint cooler. It’s refreshing and sweet with a zingy minty kick at the end.

We strain our watermelon pulp which gives a much cleaner tasting drink. If you can’t be bothered or don’t mind some texture you can skip this step. Also the amounts are quite loose and you can play around with adding more or less of each ingredient to your taste.

You can also try adding a splash of ginger ale or sparkling water when you serve it if you feel like a few bubbles.

INGREDIENTS:

• About 5 cups of cubed watermelon

• Juice of two limes or more!

• Handful of mint leaves

METHOD:

• In a blender blitz the watermelon until it’s all liquid with no lumps.

• Strain it through a nut milk bag or fine strainer.

• Put the strained juice back in the blender and add the lime juice.

• Blend and adjust to taste.

• To serve. Muddle a few mint leaves and a lime wedge in the bottom of a tall glass. Add plenty of ice cubes.

• Pour over watermelon juice. Garnish with a lime wedge and a sprig of mint.

• Sip and enjoy.

If watermelon isn’t in season you can use Coco Coast 100% watermelon water. It is consistently sweet and delicious.

Megan's Festive Makeup

Thanks to the wonderful world of Instagram we recently discovered a local makeup artist who after many years in the beauty industry has made the leap and branched out on her own.

She specialises in cruelty-free makeup, which we know our Chantal fam is right into. After a wee bit of Insta stalking we decided we had to meet the talented lady behind the brush!

The brief we set was that she had to use our makeup range in store and create a look for the festive season - anything from an office xmas party, Christmas day lunch with the fam, to a festive night out with the girls.

Megan was happy to take on the brief and was very generous with her expert knowledge, she shared plenty of practical tips and tricks. We learnt a lot and are here to share that wisdom with you!

Meet Shelley our Naturopath who was Megan’s model.

Shelley

before…

Megan explains the process in her own words much better than us. Take it away Megan.

“I started with Shelley’s eyes - the reason for this is to avoid any 'fallout' or 'panda eyes' created by eyeshadow dropping down under the eyes. I’ll apply foundation later for a clean makeup look.

I first prepped Shelley's eyelids with Living Nature concealer in the shade Medium. This was applied over the entire lid to create an even tone and give the eyeshadow something to 'stick' to. Then I set the lids with a light dusting of Living Nature pressed powder in Medium.

Eyes first.

Prepping the eyelids with concealer.

Now for the eyeshadow. I chose Living Nature Shell which was applied all over the lid. Kauri was used through her crease and blended out toward Sand, which was applied under the brow bone. These shades have a slightly purple tone that compliment Shelley’s green eyes.

Blend.

If there is one thing you take away from this - blend, blend, blend!

Then I applied eyeliner, I chose the colour storm which is a softer look than a standard black liner. Grey liner is a flattering shade and still creates the illusion of longer lashes when applied to the lash line, top and bottom. To take this look to evening you can add more liner for a smokey eye look.

Next was Mascara, zig zagged through Shelley’s lashes from root to tip to create volume without clumping. I used Living Nature in Black.

Zig zag mascara through the lashes to create volume.

Once the eyes were complete I then cleaned up the under eye area to remove any drop down from the eyeshadow.

Under eye concealer can usually be a shade lighter to brighten and remove any dark circles, focussing on the inner corner. For this we used Living Nature in Light pressed in gently with fingertips to avoid any creasing.

Foundation Match- The way to find your own foundation match is to choose between 2-3 shades and swatch on your chin. The shade that blends with the least effort and looks as natural as possible is your match. It can take a little practice but once you understand your skin's undertone (cool, warm, neutral) finding the correct shade is easier than you might think. Foundation can be applied with a brush for a professional look or with finger tips for a more full coverage finish. Soft Lights is a gorgeous foundation in that it has a real glow and creates radiance for healthy, natural looking skin.

Next up is time to set the foundation with a small amount of Pressed powder, again we used Living Nature Pressed Powder in Medium. This helps to absorb any excess shine and set the makeup for all day wear. Ideal for the "t" zone area.

After this I applied contour with Living Nature Luminous Powder in the shade Deep. Contour can be applied lightly to enhance your features and create further definition of cheekbones and jawline. An easy tip is to think of a figure '3' and sweep your brush across the top of your hairline down under your cheekbone and then another swoop down to your jawline, then focussing on the small area under your chin (this spot never sees the sun) and then reverse the action for the other side of your face, make sure to buff in and avoid any edges! The more blending the better This creates an instant lift!

Shelley's cheek Shade is Living Nature Blush in Warm summer. Blush is applied to the centre of the cheek for a youthful glow. An easy way to find this is to find the cross section between the tip of your nose and centre of your eye and then blend out towards your hairline.

Bold lip.

When going bright on the lips use a brush to create a sharp clean edge.

We decided to go bold for Shelley's lips in the spirit of Christmas. I lined her lips first with Karen Murrells Lip liner in 05 Natural Violet, this is a fairly neutral shade that matched her lip colour. Next Rymba Rhythm was applied with a lip brush to create a sharp and symmetrical bold lip. A brush is always recommended for brighter shades to create clean lines.

Brow.

Framing the face.

Once all is done I tend to go back to apply a little brow colour. By leaving them until last you can create balance with the rest of the makeup look and ensure they're not competing with a bright lip for example. For Shelley’s brows we used a palette by Sante and selected a mid tone taupe. These were gently filled in, concentrating on creating an even curve. If you are someone who doesn't wear a lot of makeup just adding brows can really frame your face and make your eyes the focus.”

Shelley

after…

These are the products Megan used on Shelley.

Eyes

Living Nature Concealer - Medium + Light

Living Nature Eyeshadow - Shell, Kauri and Sand

Living Nature Eyeliner - Storm + Midnight

Living Nature Mascara - Black

Foundation

Living Nature Foundation Soft Lights Illuminating Foundation in Soft Dawn

Living Nature Pressed Powder in Medium

Contour

Living Nature Pressed Powder in Deep

Blush

Living Nature Blush in Summer

Brows

Sante Palette

Lips

Karen Murrell Lip Liner in Natural Violet

Lipstick - Karen Murrell Rymba Rhythm

Megan can be contacted through her Instagram page for all your makeup needs. Go and have a look at her gorgeous bridal make-up.

And thank you so much Megan for creating this fun festive look for us. See you again soon!

Twenty Christmas Gifts under $20

If you’ve got a work Secret Santa, need a few stocking fillers, or the kids want to buy something with their pocket money we’ve put together this list of twenty Christmas gifts for under $20. Let’s get into it…

1.CHANTAL STRING BAGS.$3.95 ea.

Our colourful short handled string bags are perfect for keeping in your handbag or car. They expand an extraordinary amount, which makes them very useful for those times you just pop in for just ‘one’ thing.

2. BAMBOO CUTLERY. $1 EA

This bamboo cutlery is perfect for the picnic basket, lunchbox, car, or work draw. You could make up a little eco set with these, a reusable straw and a wax wrap.

3. KLEAN KANTEEN STAINLESS STEEL STRWS-4 PACK WITH CLEANING BRUSH. $19.95 ON SALE IN DECEMBER $8.99!

Perfect for the smoothie addict in your life. The colourful silicone ends make them easily identifiable. Great for kids, or those who don’t like the feel of steel.

4. LILLYBEE WAX WRAPS. SMALL $7 & MEDIUM $9.95. SANDWICH BAG.$13.95

These wraps make great practical gifts for the person who has everything!

5. J.FRIEND & CO RAW POT SET WEST COAST HONEY. $12.95

This gorgeous jar is perfect for the honey lover in your life.

6. HURRAW! LIP BALM. $6.99 EA.

These lip balms are very popular. They smell dreamy and some of them tint the lips with soft colour. Perfect for secret Santa.

HEXTON BEE COMPANY CANDLES, CUBE $14.95. BEEHIVE $7.50

The beeswax scent from these 100% natural candles is divine. And they are so cute!

CUPPACOFFEECUP REUSABLE TAKEAWAY CUP. $12.95

We have plenty of stunning designs to choose from in this range. There is something for everyone.

EARTH RATED LAVENDER SCENTED DOG POO BAGS. $8.50

Eco-Friendly bags for the dog owner.

GARAGE PROJECT SURRENDER TO THE VOID. $12.50

We have one of the biggest ranges of Garage Project beers.

BRAVE BREWING CO. TIGERMILK IPA. $10.30

An easy drinking crowd pleaser.

ANGOVE CUVEE BRUT.$17.95

A crisp, clean and effervescent celebratory sparkler.

DIARY.$12.99

Positive affirmations are sprinkled throughout these beautiful diaries.

sak it to me bag. $12.95

A nice little compact and durable reusable shopping bag.

HONEY STICKS.

Natural beeswax crayons which smell lovely.

BLUE EARTH SOAP. FROM $5.50

These soaps fly out the door at this time of year.

reusable cleaning cloth.$5.95

Reusable. Sustainable. Hard wearing.

PUFFIN LITTLE COOK BOOK.$15.99

Simple recipes for the little budding chef.

alexandra’s rose harissa. $15.50

A spicy paste with rose petals.

MA MERE NOUGAT $8.10

We have three flavours of this gorgeous nougat - salted macadamia, roasted almond and white chocolate vanilla and almond.