Day 327 in a Year of my Life

This is my entry for the 'flour' brief in the photo competition.

It was quite chilly this morning when I pedalled down to the bakery at 4.30am!

Adoring Husband drove the car slowly behind me, all the way, just to make sure I arrived safe n sound, then he went off to work.

I spent about 45 minutes at the bakery weaving in and out between the two bakers as they hurried through their work.  They have their work practises down to a fine art and are totally in sync with each other, knowing exactly what to do and when to do it without uttering a word.

Impressive!

There was a good morning of photography awaiting me at the river.

A beautiful sunrise.

A fish carcass on the beach attracted the birdlife.

I was very happy with my morning .. a nice reward for having to be up at 'stupid' o'clock!

So I'm pretty happy with the day so far.

Now I'm off to figure out what to make for dinner tonight .. hopefully a culinary work of art worthy of bragging about in a future post!

Today I am grateful, that both Adoring Husband and I, get to sleep all night and not have to wake to an early alarm.

Nite all.  

Day 326 in a Year of my Life

OMG

I am so tired!

I stayed awake until 2am so that I could go to the local bakery and get photos of 'flour' for the Photo competition.

Adoring Husband set his alarm so that he could drive me.

I did offer to ride my trike, but he was insistent.  Apparently, even our town isn't safe enough at that time of the night, for his liking.

So he drove me there and sat in the car while I spent about 30 minutes taking photos.

We were home in time for me to be in bed by 3am, but it took a while for me to fall asleep and then I was awake at 7am.

For the first half of the day, I felt totally hung over!

I remember the days when I could stay awake all night and still function very well the next day.

I tried a magic green smoothie and some of my new home made muesli, which helped a little, but it was lunch time before I began to feel normal again.

I need to get a good sleep tonight, because I'm going back there tomorrow morning at 4.30am.

Last night, they were making bread, so there was lots of dough, but not much flour.

Apparently, when they make pastry tomorrow, there will be lots of flour and moving machinery, so I'll have another go.

It's just across the road from the beach, so I'll try for a sunrise afterwards

Anyway, today I'm grateful to be living in a small town where everybody knows each other and are willing to help in any way for my photography challenges.  The same baker that has my photos hanging on his shop walls.  It's so nice.

Nite all.

Day 325 in a Year of my Life

Since I changed my eating habits a month ago, I have 5 favourite 'go-to' foods, that I use in most meals (not all at once of course!).

1. Home made chicken stock - I keep containers of it in the freezer.  It's great for quick soups, boiling rice in, adding to gravies and sauces and any of your favourite meat dishes like spaghetti bolognese sauce.  Much healthier and more full of goodness than the pre-packaged, watery, salty stocks that you buy in the shops.
2. Feta Cheese, which I add to salads, mashes, sauces, vegetables, pizzas, quinoa etc.  Adds so much extra flavour and a little bit goes a long way.  One of the healthiest cheeses you can eat.
3. Coconut Oil.  As an ingredient for cakes, chocolates and desserts.  Excellent for frying foods, for skin care and adding to smoothies.  I also add it to my muesli mix (recipe in this post).
4. Nuts.  All nuts (raw and you can roast them yourself).  They are full of protein, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and omega 3 fatty acids.  They have a long shelf life.  They lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol.  Add them to anything for extra flavour or extra crunch.  Excellent for making sauces and creams, in place of dairy.  They are also a healthy and satisfying snack.  
5. Pure Maple Syrup (NOT maple flavoured syrup).  One of the healthiest replacements for refined sugar, full of manganese, zinc and antioxidants.  It supports reproductive health and Zinc is excellent for keeping your prostate healthy.  Maple Syrup can be used in tea and coffee, smoothies, marinades, over desserts and fruit salads.  I used it in my muesli mix today too.

I have a good supply of those 5 products in my pantry/fridge/freezer and I use them every single day knowing that they are improving the health of my body with vitamins, minerals, nutrients and other such goodness.

I've been wanting to make a nice gluten free, sugar free muesli for ages, so today, I started to do some research and looked for some recipes online.

After about 30 minutes, I couldn't find anything that I liked, and they all contained dried fruits (not a fan .. although the dehydrated fruits that I've made myself have so much more flavour and I may just incorporate them).

So I decided to experiment with all the nuts and seeds that I have stored in my pantry at the moment.

I can't give you any precise measurements, because I just threw in whatever I thought looked good!

Nutty Muesli Mix

Ingredients

• A lot of raw skinless almonds (approx one and half cups)
• 100g mix of pepitas, sunflower seeds and pine nuts
• A good swig of sesame seeds
• A good dollop of tahini
• Approx 1 cup of quinoa puffs
• A good handful of flaxseed
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• Less than 1/4 cup of coconut sugar
• A swig of maple syrup
• Maybe 1/2 cup of coconut oil
• Filtered water - maybe half a cup?

Throw it all in the food processor and mix it til it's all mixed up and the nuts are a 'bit' chopped up.  Lay it out roughly on some baking paper on an oven tray and put it in the oven at 200C for about 20 minutes.  Keep an eye on it because there is a point where it will start to burn .. you want it a bit golden.
When it comes out of the oven, separate it all (I used my favourite kitchen utensil - a paint scraper) til it's a crumbly, crunchy mixture.  Wait til it cools completely before putting it in an airtight container.

It is everything I hoped it would be and more!  I am going to eat it with natural yoghurt and fresh fruit for breakfast.

Tomorrow, I'll share my chicken stock method.

I can't wait to pick up our organic box of fruit and veg this afternoon - to see what lovely surprises are in there to challenge my cooking skills and get those creative juices flowing!

I have one more photo to share with you for the 'jelly' brief in the Canon Photo5 comp.

So far, after some friendly advice, this is the one that I'm using for the brief.

Today, I'm grateful for FROG.  The fruit and veg box was amazing.  We got lettuce, baby spinach, potatoes, pumpkin, broccoli, onions, bananas, apples, celery, oranges, avocado, carrots, tomatoes and mushrooms.  So happy!

Nite all.

Day 324 in a Year of my Life

It was still windy here today, but not near as bad as yesterday.

Apparently the wind will increase again tomorrow.

On the news last night, they predicted 30 storms over the coming season, three of them significant.

Doesn't that warm the cockles of your heart?  I think not.

This morning, I rose early, hoping to get a nice sunrise and experiment with the light and my jelly for the Photo5 contest.

The sunrise was a non-event and the jelly was washed into the ocean after my second photo!!

I still have another idea to try with Adoring Husband tomorrow.  I might nab him early tomorrow morning and see what we can come up with.

Full moon tomorrow afternoon.  If only I could find an interesting location to make the most of it!

A nice photo of a lovely local lady.

I've got the dehydrator working today.  Banana, strawberry, apple and tomato all on their way to dried deliciousness.

Today I'm grateful to see our garden abundant with tomatoes, all beginning to ripen.  I can't wait to make my own sun dried tomatoes with all kinds of different flavours.

Nite all.

Day 323 in a Year of my Life

O-M-G the wind!

All day, the winds have been gusting up to 59km hour.

We couldn't even sit at the Seat of Knowledge this morning because the wind was just too strong and too uncomfortable.  We said our 'good mornings' and then headed home.

Even though I have my nervous moments when the wind is like this during the day, it is much worse  for me at night.

Because the tornado hit us under the cover of darkness back in January, and we were in bed at the time, so that's when the memories come flooding back to make my heart pound.

Lying there listening to the heavy rain on the roof, or hearing the wind gusting, puts me on edge and I know that Adoring Husband feels the same.

During heavy storms over southern Queensland yesterday and last night, there was a suspected tornado near the Darling Downs.  Luckily, it didn't hit a heavily populated area and only damaged one person's property (not their home).

That news story certainly grabbed our attention.

I spent a bit of time in the kitchen again today.

My first little adventure was to make coconut rough chocolates.  Delicious, but rich!  I felt uncomfortable after eating 2 in one sitting .. they are about the size of a small cookie.

After that, for dinner tonight, I made a Smoked Cod and Sweet Potato Pie.  My own invention.

For the white sauce I used a savoury cashew cream and got the recipe for that here.

I had some leftover broccoli in the fridge (about half a head), so I cut the florets leaving most of the stems behind.  I also chopped 4 shallots and used about a 1/4 cup of frozen peas (I wouldn't usually use frozen vegetables, but I'm using up what's in the freezer).

I gently fried these in butter and then added it to the cashew cream.

I poached the smoked cod in full cream milk and butter and then flaked it and added it to the cashew cream mixture.  Stir it all through evenly and pour into a casserole dish.

I boiled and mashed 2 sweet potatoes and 1 normal potato with a dob of butter and then added a big dollop of sour cream to the mix.

I completely covered the smoked cod mixture with the mash and then put it in a very hot oven for 20 minutes, or until the mash started to brown a little.

I think next time I'd like to make some sort of crunchy crumble to put on top of the mash, for some added texture.  I tried to make croutons with gluten free bread, but that didn't work at all.

Adoring Husband didn't make any comment about the meal (I think he was secretly disappointed, expecting the usual smoked cod with white sauce), however, he ate it all, so he can't have hated it.

We both had some coconut rough later in the evening and AH wants to use the same recipe to make peanut clusters ... a much healthier option than the sugar laden peanut clusters that he buys from the shops, which are also full of other strange ingredients.

Today, I'm grateful to have a strong roof over our head.

Nite all.

Day 322 in a Year of my Life

So, yesterday, when I said "I'm grateful for random photography tutorials that trigger possible GREAT ideas for photo competitions", the idea that I had in my head didn't actually work out successfully.  In fact my attempts were pretty dull.

My list of 'fails' appears to be getting longer.

I have two more ideas that I want to try tomorrow.  After that ... who knows?

Adoring Husband and I had to go into The Bay today, to pick up a prize that he had won in a raffle.

Of all the prizes in all the raffles in all the world, why did we win this one????

Not really our cup of tea at all, and it certainly doesn't suit the decor in our home.

I think we will re-gift to another charity organisation so that she can be raffled off again and hopefully go to a home where she will be loved.

Since we had to be in town anyway, we decided to go to the movies.  We saw "Elysium" starring Matt Damon and Jody Foster.  It was quite violent and a bit graphic in parts, but aside from that (just keep reminding yourself that it's not real), I really enjoyed it.

I was never a big fan of Matt Damon, but having seen a few of his interviews, he seems like a nice, down to earth family man and I've recently warmed to him.  I've always been a big Jody Foster fan.

Our dehydrator arrived today, so this week, I hope to start dehydrating!

We had a nice baked dinner tonight and then I got to savour the last of the avocado/chocolate mousse.  Sooooo good!

Today, I'm grateful for the season of Spring, and finding a new Tawny Frogmouth nest to watch and wondering if the strange actions and sounds coming from SEB the cockatiel, is his attempt to court OB the cockatiel.  We may need to obtain a nesting box for the cage!

Nite all.

Day 321 in a Year of my Life

We have what we think is a failed attempt at making feta cheese.

However, we will wait a few more hours before we make a final decision.

*insert sad face here*

The weekend has been filled with football finals games.  The National Rugby League football finals are upon us and there were four games this weekend.

My team didn't quite make it this year, but Adoring Husband's team did, and they won yesterday, thanks to a refereeing error of major proportions.  Controversy abounds.

Next week, in the preliminary finals, they have to play the team that beat them in their only 2 grand final appearances (many, many years ago), so it will be a psychological battle to overcome, as well as a physical one.

Needless to say, Adoring Husband can't wipe the smile off his face ... and football hasn't given him a lot to smile about in recent years, what with State of Origin and his team losing (to my team) 8 years in a row (just had to mention that one and rub a little salt in) and this team not winning a game in the first round of finals since 2008.

His team suffered injuries yesterday, so we're hoping that they aren't too bad and that they don't lose major players for such an important game.

On a happier note, I made a delicious chocolate mousse this afternoon, out of avocado, coconut milk & oil, cocoa, maple syrup, vanilla extract and cream.

I ate some for dinner!

I really wasn't feeling hungry after a very delicious garden salad and potato salad lunch, and I knew if I ate dinner, I wouldn't have room for dessert ... so I had JUST dessert.  Haha!  I had my just desserts!  Pffft.

Here's one of my practise shots for the 'Jelly' brief in the Photo5 competition.  I'm only showing it because I haven't got any other photos prepared for this post.

See, I have lots of 'fails'.

Today I'm grateful for random photography tutorials on facebook that trigger possible GREAT ideas for photo competitions.  Watch this space tomorrow :)

Nite all.

Day 320 in a Year of my Life

I created a delicious potato salad recipe full of goodness today.  Gluten free and sugar free.

I wanted a meatless lunch that still included some protein, so here is what I did.

Ingredients (this should make 6 serves):

• 3 medium potatoes washed and chopped into bite sized chunks, skin on
• 3 eggs 
• Half a brown onion chopped finely
• 1 avocado cubed
• 1/3 cup of pecans chopped and dry roasted in a saucepan
• 1/3 cup feta cheese crumbled
• Juice of 1/2 small lemon
• A handful of parsley finely chopped
• 1T butter
• 2T Sour cream (full cream)
• 1t Rapadura sugar (I will tell you about rapadura in a post next week)
• Salt n cracked pepper to taste

Method:

• Boil the potatoes and eggs together for about 10-15 mins until potatoes are cooked but still firm.
• When they're cooked, tip into a strainer over the sink, remove and shell the eggs and chop into chunks.
• In a good sized bowl, add finely chopped onion and the cubed avocado.
• Pour over lemon juice and stir through.
• Add crumbled feta cheese and stir through.
• Tip the hot, cooked potato on top, add the butter and stir through until the butter is melted and coats the potato.  This is where you have a taste and then add the salt (if you need it) n pepper and stir again.
• Add the egg and the roasted pecans and the sour cream.  Mix well.
• Stir through chopped parsley and then sprinkle the rapadura evenly over the top and stir through evenly.

If you don't care about the type of sugar you use, then you can replace rapadura with any sugar you prefer.  You need the sweetness to help balance out the sour acidity of the lemon and the savoury saltiness of the feta.

This makes enough for probably 6 people to have as a side with their meat and salad.  I ate a small bowl of it for lunch and there's enough left for us to have with dinner tonight.  There will probably be some left over from that too.

What I love about avocados is that they are not on the pesticide list, so we don't have to worry about harmful chemicals.  They are also rich in magnesium and potassium, as well as vitamins B6, C, E and K.

Here is the yummy berry smoothie that I made yesterday and finished off this morning.

I'm off to make another attempt at some Photo5 ideas.

Nite all.

Day 319 in a Year of my Life

I have had a very 'liquid' day today.

Warm lemon water to start the day.

A berry smoothie for breakfast ... blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, banana, organic full cream milk, honey, coconut oil and ice.

Soup for lunch ... zucchini, mushroom and cauliflower soup with a tablespoon of sour cream stirred through.

Dinner tonight consisted of sunflower and chia seed, gluten free toast with avocado and tomato and another with raw honey.  Leftover berry smoothie afterwards.

All nutritious and healthy and sugar free.

However, I DID have 2 glasses of wine tonight and they have gone straight to my head!

I took photos of my deliciously pink smoothie today, but I haven't looked at the photos yet .. perhaps I will share them tomorrow.

Today I'm grateful for kisses from SEB (Someone Else's Bird) who kisses my lips through the bars of the bird cage.  So cute.

Nite all.

Day 318 in a Year of my Life

Well, I thought I was going to get a whole day to study, hone my photoshop skills and get some shots done for the Canon Photo5 competition today.

Adoring Husband had to tow the camper van to Bundaberg for some final repairs (after the tornado damage) and it was expected to take all day.

So I had a leisurely morning at the Seat of Knowledge, cycled around town for a bit, went to the Post Office, pedalled to the other side of town to get some fresh seafood and dropped in briefly to visit a friend.

I arrived home at around 10.30am-ish and just as I settled in at my work area, AH phoned to say that he was on his way home.

I squeezed in a couple of photos (which were dismal failures) before he got home and then it was all over.

Ah well.

I made myself a delicious prawn salsa lunch using the leftover marinade from last night's dinner.

Refreshing and delicious.

Tonight, I experimented with a fish dish.  I used King Salmon, which is a white fish and created a coconut/turmeric/lemon sauce with almonds.  It was quite delicious too!  Even AH enjoyed it.

Tomorrow night will be vegetarian I think.  Maybe even soup!  The freezer is still well stocked with various soups.

I'm looking forward to a coconut/berry smoothie tomorrow morning.

Had enough of hearing about my food menu?? Fair enough.

We received a phone call earlier in the week from The Bay SES telling us that we won a porcelain doll in a raffle and that we could pick it up on Monday or they would call back later.

I knew that I didn't buy any tickets in a raffle and AH decided that they must have called the wrong number, so we didn't bother following it up ... not that they left a number to call anyway!

Well, tonight, they called back and I answered the phone.

Apparently AH DID buy some tickets in the SES raffle ('Oh yeah, I remember now' was his response) and now we are the proud owners of a porcelain doll.

Things happen in threes .. I hope we have another two wins ... like Lotto!  Or Keno!

Today I'm grateful for FROG (Fraser Region Organic Goodness) http://frogshop.com.au/
from where I will be ordering my fruit and veg among other organic goodies in the coming weeks.  What a great discovery!

Nite all.

Day 317 in a Year of my Life

Not a very eventful day for me today.

Adoring Husband played golf and I stayed at home intending to study and perhaps get one brief for the Canon competition complete.

Instead, I watched a movie, gave one of the dogs a haircut and a bath, did some washing and made a delicious marinade for the pork fillet that we had for dinner.

Before I knew it, AH was home and I hadn't done anything that I'd actually planned.

Just as I was about to start dinner, I heard a rumble in the distance, so I walked outside to investigate, and discovered a small storm creeping towards our town.

I decided to head down to the river, so AH dropped me off at my preferred spot, while he went to the supermarket.

The sky looked and sounded quite menacing for all of 30 minutes, and then fizzled into nothing.  Just a few spots of rain fell and then the clouds dispersed.

Still, it was nice to be out with the camera.  I haven't taken any photos since I returned from the Sunny Coast.  I guess I'm going through a small 'lost my mojo' patch.

Tomorrow, I am definitely going to concentrate on a couple of Photo5 briefs.  There are only 19 days left til the competition closes!

Tomorrow is also The Nikonian's 50th birthday ... Happy Birthday my lovely friend.  I know that you'll be surrounded by people who love you and care about you.  I hope it's the happiest of days!

Today, I'm grateful for berry season.  Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and mulberries.  I can't get enough of them and they are delicious!

Nite all.

Day 316 in a Year of my Life

Yay!!  My Canon Photo5 box arrived today!!

Absolutely no idea what I'm going to do for each of the briefs.  I really hoped that setting my eyes on the contents would send some magnificent imaginative and creative juices flowing from within!

But alas, I've got NUTHIN'.

I also had a lovely little shopping spree with the girls in Childers today.

As you know, I meet with the girls most Tuesday mornings for coffee and every once in a while, we'll do something different like go see a movie or, like today, go somewhere else for morning tea.

After our trip to the winery the other week, we decided to head back in that direction to check out a particular dress shop and shoe shop that looked promising and then have morning tea before returning home.

I'm happy to report that my shopping expedition was very successful.

Our choice of coffee shop was not so successful ... I take responsibility for that, because it was my suggestion *sad face*

Kape Centro in the main street of Childers, situated beside the Post Office.

I've been there, probably 10 times, since we moved to the area, and at first it was a pleasant experience.  The service was friendly and the food and coffee was lovely.

The last 3 visits have been most disappointing.  The staff are not at all friendly or welcoming, in fact, they seem to not want to be there.  It was mid morning and not busy at all, but the atmosphere was very unfriendly.

I don't think I'll go back.  There is another coffee shop at the other end of town, where I know the service is friendly and welcoming and the food and coffee, delicious, so that's where I'll take my custom in future.

So girls, I'm sorry for leading you up the garden path, but I hope you enjoyed my spending spree as much as I did *insert smiley face here*

Today I'm grateful for late night Big Bang Theory episodes that give me a good giggle before bed time.

Nite all.

Day 315 in a Year of my Life

What comes with new lifestyle/diet changes, is new food challenges.

I have two new food challenges in the pipeline.

After Adoring Husband did his research, we agreed on a certain brand of dehydrator, only to discover that they are no longer available in Australia!

So after discussions with the lady at Nature's Wonderland http://www.natureswonderland.com.au/shop/ , (What a great looking shop!  We hope to visit it in person one day) we decided on a different brand, and one that she highly recommended.  We ordered it over the phone and hope to receive it soon.

There will be lots of experimenting with all the fruits and vegetables in our garden and hopefully we'll get to store some of the excess produce that we can't eat fresh.

The other challenge is cheese making.

Since I changed my eating habits, feta cheese, along with nuts, has become my new love (I was never a fan of it before this).

We purchased a cheese making kit.  It's specifically for feta cheese and the ingredients are organic and GMO free.

I think Adoring Husband is also excited about cheese making because he had the box opened and unpacked before I'd finished unpacking the groceries!

By the time I was ready to take a look, he had half of it stored in the fridge (I'm guessing the manual instructed him to do so) and the other half stored in another room.

I gathered all the bits and pieces back together to get this photo.

We acquired this little treasure from Nana's Pantry in The Bay.   I love that place and could spend hours of my time there.   Oh, if money were no object!

They have every type of grain, flour, nut, seed, herb, spice, oil, cereal, natural sugar, vinegar and anything gluten free that I could ever wish for!  The list goes on and on.

Once upon a time, we went there to stock up on gluten free chocolates and lollies, but now I browse the other end of the store instead!

Anyway, I can't wait to share the dehydrating and cheese making process with you!

I also hope that my Canon Photo5 box arrives tomorrow, so that I can start on the competition briefs.  Everyone I know has received their box already, so I'll be a bit behind the 8 ball.

Today, I'm grateful for the first ripe peach from our tree.  Fresh, sweet and juicy.  I wonder how they will taste dehydrated?

Nite all.

Day 314 in a Year of my Life

I made those delicious looking Quinoa Fritters for lunch today.  I LOVED them!

It took me about 80 minutes altogether, to make them, BUT I did make my own mayonnaise in the middle of the cooking process, which took a bit of extra time.  The dipping sauce called for half a cup of mayo and I only had the processed mayo which is full of sugar, so I made my own.

I also changed the recipe for both the fritters and the dipping sauce.

I'm not a fan of cooked avocado, so I replaced the avo with chicken and I put the avo in the dipping sauce instead.

So I will give you my adaptation of the recipe first and then add the link to the original recipe, so you can choose your preferred fritter.

Quinoa Chicken Fritters

Ingredients for fritters ...

• 1/2 cup of quinoa
• 3/4 cup of water
• 1/2 cup cooked chicken (I had roasted a chook the night before and used the breast for this)
• 1/4 cup of feta cheese
• 1/4 cup of flour (I used GF SR flour, but I will try coconut flour & rice flour in the future)
• 4 spring onions, chopped finely
• 1/2 cup of chopped parsley
• 3/4 t salt (I used pink Himalayan salt)
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• Healthy oil for frying - I used macadamia oil.
• Pepper to taste

Ingredients for sauce ...

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (my mayo was made with 1 whole egg, 1T lemon juice and a cup of oil)
• 1 tsp chilli sauce (I just chopped a whole chilli finely)
• 1/2 lime juiced
• 1/2 tsp agave syrup (I used pure maple syrup instead)
• 1/2 avocado mashed
• 1/8 cup of pure cream

DIRECTIONS:

Lightly brown the quinoa in a dry frypan over a medium heat.  Keep stirring around and it should take about 5 minutes.

Transfer to a pot with water (3/4 cup) and turn the heat to low.  Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, until fluffy and the water is absorbed.

Use this time to make the dip.

Spoon the mayo into a bowl.  Add all of the other ingredients and stir until smooth and mixed well.  Check for seasoning - add salt n pepper to taste and then refrigerate.

Now for the fritters ...

Place cooked quinoa in a large mixing bowl.  Add flour, crumbled feta cheese, spring onions, parsley and salt.  Add a dash of pepper and mix well.

Now add 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk.

Mix very well until quinoa mix forms a doughy texture.  This is where I added the chicken, chopped quite finely.

Rolls spoonfuls of the mixture into bite-sized balls and then flatten slightly.  It should make about 20.  I made 18.

I shallow fried them in a combination of macadamia oil and butter until golden brown.

Serve with dipping sauce.

Here is the link to the original recipe ... http://www.honeygheeandme.com/2012/08/avocado-stuffed-quinoa-fritters.html

I ate 6 for lunch and was almost uncomfortably full.  Very satisfying.

Today, I'm grateful for fun challenges in the kitchen and a full satisfied belly.

Now I need a nanna nap!

Nite all.

Day 313 in a Year of my Life

Election night.  Pfft.

As you know, I have cut refined processed sugar from my diet.

My obsessive thirst for information regarding sugar has led me to many and varied web sites.  Naturopaths, Wellbeing and Health groups, University Studies, Medical Facts, Scientific studies but these are the things that play on my mind the most, and help make the decision to cut sugar much easier.

Natural sugars are rich in vitamins, nutrients and phytonutrients and are actually good for you.  Raw honey, pure maple syrup and palm sugar are examples of natural sugars.

Refined sugar has been stripped of all it's positive health benefits.  It goes through a bleaching process using 'lime' and 'carbon dioxide' and then further purified and whitened by filtering through a beef bone char.  This process removes even more minerals.

Brown and raw sugar that you buy at the supermarket is simply white sugar stained with molasses.

Other names for sugar that you might find on food labels are

• Cane sugar
• Corn sweetener
• Corn syrup
• Dextrin
• Dextrose
• High fructose corn syrup
• Maltodextrin
• Malt syrup
• Maltose
• Saccharose
• Treacle
• Xylose

and there are actually a lot more names, but these are the most common.

The top side effects of sugar intake are

• Digestive problems
• Diabetes
• Heart Disease
• Cancer
• High Blood Pressure
• Low immunity
• Poor memory
• Tooth decay
• Depression
• Headaches

There are actually more than 90 side effects.

Common foods high in sugar content

• Sugar
• Soft drinks
• Dried fruit
• Flavoured yoghurt
• Cereal
• Fruit juice
• Spaghetti
• Salad dressings
• Frozen dinners
• Baked beans

It seems that the world of science and medicine has made a mistake.  They've been telling us for years to 'cut' the fat out of our diet if we want to lose weight, when in actual fact, fats (even saturated fats) CANNOT add fat to your body unless you combine it with sugar.

Sugar, on the other hand, even without combining it with fats, WILL add fat to your body.

Also, a new study at the Mayo Clinic shows that people over 70 with a diet high in sugar and carbohydrates have an almost 4 times higher risk of developing cognitive impairments like Alzheimers, Dementia and Depression.

Sugar creates an acidic environment in your body which lowers your immune system considerably and that's what makes it perfect to develop the side effects mentioned earlier.

Oh I could go on and on - but I don't want to bore you any more than I already have.

I'm pretty sure that Adoring Husband has skimmed over all of this information, as he drinks his chocolate milk, eats his chocolate peanut clusters and chocolate ice creams, and is probably rolling his eyes and thinking 'here she goes again'.

I started this change on 20th August and I've already noticed changes in my body.  Aside from the weight loss (3.5kgs so far), which was inevitable, my digestion has settled down remarkably.

In my own bed, I sleep more soundly (but not at the Chicklet family house it seems).

I don't feel hungry.  Eating real food, instead of processed food, is more satisfying for longer.

Even more surprisingly, I don't crave sugar!  My sugar input prior to this, was getting out of control, with ice cream, chocolates, lollies, cakes/desserts, cookies and soft drinks.

The other day, I bought a very large slab of my favourite passionfruit fudge, which I divided in half and shared between Vegan Chickie and BGWLBH.  I didn't eat ANY of it and it didn't even bother me!

I feel good.

Tomorrow I'll share the fritter recipe from yesterday's post (as requested by two of you).

Tonight, I'll share two family photos ...

Today, I'm grateful for weekends relaxing at home and doing whatever my little heart desires.

Nite all.

Day 312 in a Year of my Life

I have Adoring Husband on a mission.

To find a good food dehydrator that's not 'over the top' expensive.

He does the research online, checks out all the reviews and compares prices.  He's good at that.  It's one of his many talents.

I appreciate his efforts, because it's not something that I care to spend my time doing, but at the same time, I want to know that I'm getting a good deal.

I would also like a cheese maker - I haven't discussed that with him yet.

There are so many different things that I want to try now that I've opted to remove processed foods from my diet, as well as refined sugar.

I have found amazing 'raw food' recipes, home made probiotics, different fermented foods (kombucha), the value of coconut oil for almost everything, the idea of 'activating' nuts before using them (I eat a lot of nuts - as snack food and in my cooking), preserving fruit and vegetables and making my own fish, chicken, beef or vegetable stock.  The list goes on.

As I try each new and interesting recipe or process, I will take photos and share the good stuff on here.

I've got so much on my list to try, I'm not sure where to start.

I'm liking the look of these Quinoa Fritters with dipping sauce ...

I hope to try them tomorrow.

Today, I'm grateful for a great week on the Sunny Coast with the family and now to be home safe n sound.

Nite all.

Day 311 in a Year of my Life

This is a short post because I just wanted to share this story and it deserves a post all on it's own.

Fred moved me to tears.

A Letter from Fred - *OFFICIAL DOCUMENTARY* Oh Sweet Lorraine



Today, I'm grateful for love.

Nite all.

Day 310 in a Year of my Life

Another full day of dinosaur loving!

Here is a snippet of yesterday's dinosaur picnic - it got much more crowded after this photo was taken ...

... and here is my little piece of perfection eating strawberries with chocolate philly ...

Only two more sleeps (or so Adoring Husband advised me this evening) and it will be the end of my Chicklet time for another few weeks.  As always, it will be sad to say goodbye, but I'll be back!

I'm looking forward to spending time in the kitchen, because I've discovered lots of new recipes that I want to try .. so many, that I'm not even sure where to start!

That's the fun thing about changing the way you eat.  Suddenly you find a whole new set of recipes that you never considered before.

I've found so many different pages on facebook, that are full of helpful advice, interesting information about different foods and how they are beneficial to your health and tons of recipes, with links to where to find the best organic ingredients.

I'm so hungry (pardon the pun) for all of this information and I'm really enjoying the learning process.

So, aside from seeing AH,  that's what I'm looking forward to when I get home ... and sleeping in my own bed.

Today, I'm grateful for 2 hour nana naps to help me re-energise for more Chicklet fun.

Nite all.

Day 309 in a Year of my Life

Chicklet prefers to eat white food .. cucumber, rice crackers, apple, banana, nuts, potato (in hot chip form), yoghurt, pasta, rice etc.

Carrots and strawberries are the exception.

I found this today ...

So white food is a pretty good preference.

Today, we fed the ducks down by the river.  We bought a new dinosaur.  We danced with the dinosaurs and I buried Chicklet, at her insistence, with dinosaurs, over and over and over and over and over again.

Today, I'm grateful for quality time with my Chicklet, even though she is beginning, at day 5, to become overwhelmed with my presence .. every visit, she is able to cope better, for longer periods, so one day, I hope that she will cope well enough to come visit us for a week or two at a time without any adverse affects.

I didn't get a chance to look at the photos yet.

Nite all.

Day 308 in a Year of my Life

It's hard work keeping up with a 2 year old.

Even harder keeping up with an Aspie 2 year old.

Every waking moment is packed with action, activity, movement, words, questions, requests, negotiation and then some.

I am not exaggerating when I say 'every waking moment' OR 'and then some.'

Every time I visit, my admiration for Vegan Chickie and the Bare-chested Chef increases.

They have no support network down here and are managing the daily demands without respite.

Even though I get down here every 6-8 weeks, the break that I provide is only in short bursts of 3 or 4 hours, due to Chicklet's needs and demands.

Physically, mentally and emotionally draining, handling this, day in and day out.

Is it any wonder that they are susceptible to every cold and flu germ that they come into contact with.

Vegan Chickie, especially with her broken sleep EVERY night (a common Aspie trait is very restless sleep) and comforting Chicklet back to sleep frequently.

I don't know how she does it.

Yet they both watch her every move and listen to every word that comes out of her mouth as if she is magical.  They give her every ounce of energy and love and happiness that they can muster and she really is thriving.

I come here for a few days at a time and am absolutely exhausted when I go home.

Not that I am complaining.  Not for one minute!  I love every minute that I'm here and spending precious time with my little sweetie possum.

She is an absolute joy for me and a constant source of both amusement and amazement.

The most wonderful little person in the world and I am so glad that she is a part of MY world.

I did take photos today, but haven't looked at them yet.  I might get a chance tomorrow.

Another big babysitting day tomorrow.  It's the Bare-chested Chef's last day off work before I head  home, so we need to make the most of it.

Today, I'm grateful for picnics in the lounge room that include me, Chicklet and 50 dinosaurs.

Nite all.

Day 307 in a Year of my Life

Father's Day is very busy down this neck of the woods!

All along the esplanade, between the road and the water, there is well maintained lawn, trees and gardens.  A few random bench seats.  A few random picnic tables.

Today, just about all the available shaded spaces on the lawns were filled with families celebrating Father's Day.

Portable folding chairs as far as the eye could see.  Blankets lay on the ground, in the middle of circles of chairs with food a drink spread across for Father's Day picnics.

Kids were running, skating, cycling, skateboarding, scooting, kayaking and swimming all along the water's edge.  Pets were happily playing and running alongside them.

There were sand castles being built, kids climbing trees, photos being taken, laughter ringing out and children squealing, mostly with delight.

Such a nice atmosphere.  It reminded me of my town at Easter, with the big fishing competition on.

Chicklet and I spent an hour walking along the waterfront and taking in the sights and sounds today.

We had a great day together, while Mama and Dadoo took a break and enjoyed some time together over lunch and a movie.

This is a photo that I took of Chicklet yesterday to put in the flickr challenge for a portrait showing 'joy/delight'

I'll try for some more shots tomorrow.   She doesn't like the camera much, so it's hard going, trying to get her to look 'at' the camera, let alone 'smile'!

Today I'm grateful for the new game, created by Chicklet, which she so aptly named 'dinosaurs stomping into the lagoon at great speed'.  This involves dropping every one of her 50-odd dinosaurs down my shirt while chanting 'dinosaurs stomping into the lagoon at great speed!'.  Thank goodness I wear loose fitting tops!

Nite all.

Day 306 in a Year of my Life

I started the day chasing Chicklet around the lounge room while wearing a dragon costume, complete with spiky spotted tail, while carrying a Snoopy doll.  Or maybe she was chasing me?  She is getting faster!

We ended the day watching 'Finding Nemo'.

Full, fun and exhausting.

She reminded me of all the things we did the last time I was here and educated me about Vincent Van Gogh.

I took her to the supermarket and gave her an education on the birds that we passed along the way.

I have a full day of babysitting ahead of me tomorrow, so I need to be energised!

A few photos from before I arrived.

Today I am grateful for an early night, so that I can feel excited about having a day with my girl tomorrow, while Vegan Chickie and the Bare-chested Chef have a break from their daily duties.

Nite all.

Day 305 in a Year of my Life

I'm here only to share two photos from my day with The Nikonian yesterday.

I have wasted the evening and now it's late and I need my energy for my first full day with Chicklet tomorrow.

Today, I'm grateful to have a whole week of Chicklet/Bozzy Wozzy fun ahead of me.

Nite all.

Day 304 in a Year of my Life

I have arrived, alive and well, safe and sound at the Sunshine Coast.

After only 4 hours sleep last night and a very long and full day, I am exhausted!

So, although I have taken a few photos to day, in the mountains and at the beach, I have no photos to share tonight.

I'm off to bed ... you know how exhausted I always am for the first couple of days that I'm here!

I've had a great day with The Nikonian.

Today, I am grateful tonight's delicious dinner of steak and vegetables, cooked by someone else's Adoring Husband!

Nite all.

Day 303 in a Year of my Life

Vintner's Secret vineyard.

http://www.vintnerssecret.com.au/

I highly recommend an outing to visit this lovely spot.

You can eat at Whisper's Cafe.  The food is divine and they source fresh produce from their own onsite herb and vegetable garden, and use seasonal fresh food from the local area.

There is a beautiful, creatively designed garden that you can wander through, with little nooks and crannies and alcoves to explore and many little resting areas where you can sit and enjoy the serenity, or contemplate life.

A few animals for the kids (and adults) to enjoy.  Alpacas, a pig, a goose, a cow, some chickens and a couple of dogs.

The owners are very warm and welcoming and so down to earth.  You'll never want to leave!

Apparently on the weekends they have live music on the grounds ... I'm looking forward to spending a Saturday or Sunday there with Adoring Husband some time in the near future.

I had a great day, as did the other 17 ladies with whom I shared the experience!

Today, I'm grateful for destinations that surprise and delight, especially when they are so close to home!

Nite all.

Day 302 in a Year of my Life

I came upon a blog today that listed "50 Things to Blog About" for the days when you get writer's block or lose your creativity.

So I've saved the list for the days when I have a brain freeze, and hopefully this means that you will be bored less often.

I won't bore you tonight because I'm going to make it brief.  No photos.

I could have had a great photo .. a lost opportunity.

I had a pedicure appointment today and I thought it was for 11.45am.  At 11am, when I checked the card, I discovered that the appointment was actually for 10.45am!

Honestly, there seems to be a trend happening here.  I'm having serious problems with 'times' lately!

So I phoned the salon, apologised profusely and told her I was on my way.

I was in the middle of cooking soup at the time, and I was wearing my daggy old house clothes.  I didn't even look in a mirror before I left.  I just grabbed my purse, jumped on the trike and pedalled my heart out!

At the halfway mark there is a large block of land and as I rode past, I glanced across to see a large bearded dragon lizard sitting in the middle of the block with his head held high and pointed towards the sky.

Not only did I not have the time to stop .. but I had left my camera at home!  A double whammy!

That was my lost opportunity.

I had my lovely pedicure and then came home and finished making Adoring Husband's tomato soup.

Tomorrow I'm looking forward to attending the lady's luncheon at a Childers Winery.  We are all travelling by bus, so I imagine there may be a few tipsy ladies on the way home!

I'll be travelling with camera so I hope to get some good shots to share tomorrow.

Today, I'm grateful for pineapple/mint water.  Refreshing and delicious!

Nite all.

Day 301 in a Year of my Life

I soooo want to keep a food diary right here, but I think I might get booed off the stage if I do!

I've had lots of different fluids today and I'm going to share that!

I started with hot lemon water.

Then I had beetroot/carrot/apple juice with hemp oil and magnesium oil.

After lunch I made watermelon/strawberry/orange/pawpaw/mint/coconut, with the same oils as above.  Even Adoring Husband enjoyed that one (he didn't know about the oils)-(he will when he reads this).

For tomorrow, I've filled a jug with fresh pineapple pieces, mint and water.

All delicious.  All nutritious.  All clean and fresh.  All satisfying.

Only one photo to share today.  A couple of Rainbow Bee Eaters from the block next door.  How lucky am I to have such pretty neighbours!

Just four more sleeps til I see my little Chicklet family.  Can't wait to see my little girl again.

Today, I am grateful to Number One Son for showing me how to book my train ticket online!  It took me 5 minutes to do it myself, as opposed to at least 30 minutes at the agent.  All this time, and I didn't know I had this option!

Nite all.  

Day 300 in a Year of my Life

So I finally found the motivation and enthusiasm to climb out of bed at 5.20am when my alarm went off and try to catch a nice sunrise.

I wasn't feeling too confident when I looked outside and saw not a cloud in sight, but figured that if there was no colour in the sunrise, I would take advantage of the perfect morning light somewhere along my path.

I was so organised.

Last night I packed my camera bag, put my clothes in the main bathroom so that I wouldn't disturb Adoring Husband while I got ready.  Put my hat and glasses on the desk and put the lemon slices in my cup ready to pour hot water onto before I walked out the door.

Just before I left, Adoring Husband was awake so I detoured to the bedroom to kiss him goodbye and then rushed out the door.

Left my lemon drink behind AND my tripod!  Ugh!

Anyway, the sunrise was quite pretty.  I planned this morning's shoot because I knew that the tide would be out and I could get some nice 'still water' shots on the turn of the tide.

I took a detour to the lagoon on the way home and got this photo, before my battery went dead.  Silly me forgot to charge the spare one, which was still in my camera bag, alas, also dead.  So that was my cue to come home.

When I got home, I had my lemon water, which was still warm on my desk and then I made a beetroot, carrot and apple smoothie.  It was quite delicious, but next time I'm going to take Vegan Chickie's advice and add some ginger.

Sunday lamb roast for lunch with potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, beans, snow peas, zucchini, onion and an interesting gravy made from the chicken stock that I'd frozen last week.  It was very tasty.  It was nice to create the gravy off the top of my head without using the usual bought powdered concoctions and no flour.

Then this afternoon, after a nice relaxing time on the couch watching the footy with AH, the clouds were looking interesting over the western sky, so I hopped on the trike and pedalled to the park hoping for a reasonable sunset.

I was almost disappointed, but then at the last moment, just as most great sunsets happen, I got this.

Today I'm grateful that my early morning was rewarded and I thoroughly enjoyed being up at the crack of dawn .. it reminded me why I used to get up at that time every day!  I wonder if I can create a new habit?

Nite all

Day 299 in a Year of my Life

Food Diary:

8am Hot lemon water.

10am Green smoothie - celery, zucchini, lettuce, snow peas, mint, basil, parsley, 3 strawberries, red apple, hemp oil, vital greens and magnesium oil.  It tasted much more delicious than it sounds!

1pm Half chicken breast with salad of avocado, tomato, onion, mushroom, cucumber, fresh beetroot and carrot.  A squeeze of lemon juice and pink Himalayan salt over the top.

3pm A small piece of this delicious chocolate cake.  Sugar free, grain free and gluten free.  The main ingredient is 3 cups of almond meal.  Every single ingredient has good nutritional value.

It's very rich on it's own, but with pure cream and strawberries - bloody delicious!

I included it in this reflections photo ...

I had another small piece at 7.30 tonight.  I didn't have any dinner.  Plenty of water.

I don't think Adoring Husband was keen on the cake.. all the more for me :D  I must check if I can freeze it.

Tomorrow I am going to attempt a chocolate mousse made with avocado, cocoa powder and coconut milk.  Sounds interesting huh?

I have a fridge full of fruit and vegetables that I have to use up before I leave for the Sunny Coast next week.  So I am searching through the 'clean food' recipes on-line.  I'll share the recipes that I think you non-fanatics might enjoy.

Today, I'm grateful for fun time in the kitchen experimenting with new ingredients and feeling GOOD for it!

Nite all.

Day 298 in a Year of my Life

Adoring Husband and I went to the movies to see "Now You See Me" today.  Yes, I got the day and the times correct this time and we shared the cinema with only 6 others.  I love it when that happens.

I was pretty much on the ball through the whole movie.  All the twists and turns didn't fool me and I predicted just about everything.  I even knew who the mastermind would be BUT that final twist at the end got me hook, line and sinker.

I did NOT expect the mastermind to be that particular character in the movie.

Great movie.  I highly recommend it.  Big names like Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg.  I'm a big fan of all of these actors.

There is another movie that can't wait to see. "Red2".  Also big names .. Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich, Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Mary-Louise Parker.  I think it opens next Thursday at our local cinema.

There were a few previews that look good.  A new Channing Tatum movie coming soon, called "White House Down" also starring Jamie Foxx and Maggie Gyllenhaal.  I'll watch it just to look at Channing Tatum.

"RIPD" with Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Bridges, Mary-Louise Parker and Kevin Bacon.  It looks like 'Men in Black' in ghost form.

That's just a few I can think of, off the top of my head.

I promised yesterday that I would share a recipe that I tried.  I called them wraps, but I guess they are more like Tortillas.

Cauliflower Tortillas!

3/4 head of raw cauliflower
2 Eggs
1 minced garlic clove
3/4 teaspoon of mixed herbs of your choice (I used parsley, basil and thyme)
1/4 teaspoon salt

You can also try with 1/4 teaspoon curry powder.

Preheat oven to 220C and line two baking sheets with baking paper.

In a food processor, pulse the cauliflower until it forms a crumb like texture (there should be 2 cups when packed). Place the crumbles and 1/4 cup of water in a saucepan with a tight fitting lid. Cook on a medium high heat for 8 minutes until tender.

Drain cauliflower in a sieve, then transfer to a clean t-towel. Firmly squeeze any excess water from cauliflower. In a bowl, stir together the cauliflower and remaining ingredients . Form two thin circles on baking paper. With a spatula, press down the dough so it forms a thin layer. Keep the wraps compact - there should be no paper showing through the mixture.

Bake for about 17 minutes until dry and pliable. Gently remove to a wire rack to cool so that the bottom doesn't become soggy. 

Heat a frypan and brown the tortillas to your liking .. this makes them a little crunchy round the edges and gives them a nice nutty flavour.

Use with light fillings or tear pieces off to scoop up fillings.  This is supposed to make 6 or 7, but I got 4 large-ish tortillas out of it - they are very filling!

Today I am grateful for my new Batman t-shirt that I bought for a pyjama top :) Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-BATMANNNN!

Nite all.

Day 297 in a Year of my Life

I can't believe how late it is!

So this will be a quickie.

One photo from my ride this morning...

I found a great recipe to make gluten free wraps today, which I will share tomorrow.  I wish I'd taken photos of the cooking process!

Today I'm grateful that I'm not craving sugar after 3 days of being sugar-free!

Nite all.

Day 296 in a Year of my Life

Full moon tonight.

At 5.46pm the moon rose over the ocean straight out from our beach.

I love a full moon, but having a boring straight horizon as the only point of interest makes for a boring moon rise photo.

If it was rising at the end of an interesting pier, or above a magnificent tree,  over the mast of a yacht or between some buildings in an interesting cityscape, then you could see scale.

On a flat boring horizon, you can't even tell how big and amazing the moon is.

I struggled to get my camera settings right tonight.

There was a lot of smoke haze just sitting on the horizon, so the moon appeared and then disappeared for a little while behind the haze.

I had a lovely Skype call with Chicklet and Vegan Chickie today.  Chicklet had some new toys to show me.

She had a couple of dinosaurs (she would correct me if she heard me say that .. she knows their correct names and I have to use them!) and she had an anemone.

I got SEB out of the bird cage and brought him to the computer screen to show her, which she thought was cool, but her favourite thing of all, was a little plastic Snoopy doll that I got from the markets for $1 last week.

She had a lovely conversation with Snoopy and even showed him her new toys!

He is now packed into the suitcase ready to come on a train trip with me next week.

Today, I'm grateful for a beautifully clear and cool evening down on the beach to watch the moon rise.  It was very peaceful down there tonight.

Nite all.

Day 295 in a Year of my Life

What a nice day I've had today.

I didn't even get out of bed til almost 8.30am!  I woke up at 7.50am but lay in bed with my ipad for a while.

My first stop was morning tea with the girls and then I went for a ride around town for about an hour.

It's that perfect time of year leading up to Spring.  Everybody has a spring in their step.  Everybody appreciates the sunshine and warmer weather.  Everybody comes outside to their garden.  Everybody notices the colour of the sky and the river.  They can hear the birds singing.  They want to walk on the beach.

The air is definitely happier.

I got a reflection photo today, but I'm not going to use it for the competition.

I'm working on a couple of ideas at the moment, after doing a bit of brainstorming with BGWLBH and The Nikonian.  I hope something good comes from it .. or at least I hope that I can do the ideas justice!

Today I'm grateful for other people's good ideas :D

Nite all.

Day 294 in a Year of my Life

Canon Photo 5 competition has begun!

Canon run this competition every year at the same time.  It's open to anyone and it's free to enter.  The prize is a creative photography workshop in New Zealand, accommodation and flights included.  A great prize right?

The first open brief is "Reflections".

At first glance, it seems like an easy brief.

Yes, everybody has a decent reflections photo in their collection, but that's the problem.  Everybody has a 'similar' reflections shot in their collection.

There have already been hundreds of photos submitted.

The most common seem to be:

Yacht masts in the marina.
Tree reflections in water.
Frogs on glass.
Cats looking out windows.
Ducks or lilies on ponds.
Bridges or piers over still water.
Eyeballs.
Bubbles.
Water droplets.

So not only do you have to think of something original, but you have to set the photo up and execute it perfectly.

I look forward, every year, to this competition, but as soon as it arrives, I stress over it!!  Why??  It's not like I have anything to lose!

Ugh!

Anyway I found this little fella in the bush today ...

There were so many little Fairy Wrens making so much noise, I didn't know which direction to look!  In the end I just stood very still and he came to me.

Today, I'm grateful for Winter changing into Spring and bringing nature back to life.

Nite all.

Day 293 in a Year of my Life

I had a big day in the kitchen today.

I started with a green smoothie using baby spinach, celery leaf, lettuce from the garden, mint, parsley, 6 snow peas, half an apple, 1/4 of a small papaya, 3 strawberries and a tablespoon of hemp oil.  It was not a pretty colour, but it tasted great!

Then I made a small pavlova.

I'm cutting sugar from my diet, so it's my 'goodbye to sugar' gift!  When it's finished ... it's all over for processed/refined sugar!

I used my imagination to make a delicious vegetable stack, and a chicken and rice dish with turmeric and coconut oil, which was so much nicer than I expected!

I've also decided to cut caffeine and alcohol and to reduce my meat intake.

My diet will consist of lots of green smoothies, lots of vegetable soups, lots of meals made with clean fresh food.  Most processed foods contain sugar, they are all on the 'out' list.

Since my diet became gluten free, 18 months ago, I have gradually introduced so many processed foods, high in sugar and other ingredients that are either numbers, or words that I can't pronounce.  Just because they say 'gluten free' doesn't automatically make them good for you!

I want vitamins, minerals and nutrients and I want to feel rejuvenated and healthy and full of energy.  I want my head to be clear.

Feeling like an old woman is not an option for me anymore!  I'm 53 and I feel 73 (not that I KNOW what 73 feels like lol).  My friends in their 60s have more life and more energy than I do, so this is my way of attempting to find my energy.

A 3 month experiment with the potential to be everlasting.

Facebook friends have shared lots of recipes and links to websites/blogs/pages that have more clean fresh recipes.  I'm a bit excited and have already picked out a few to start with.

The first recipe I want to try, from one of the recommended sites http://thediva-dish.com/recipes-2/ it looks simple and delicious!

Strawberry Broccoli Salad

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 5 mins
Total time: 15 mins

Serves: 3 cups

Ingredients
(For the Salad)
1½ c. chopped strawberries
1½ c. broccoli, cut with most of the stems removed
¼ c. salted cashews, chopped
2 TB (or more) toasted coconut
(For the Dressing)
2 TB. greek yogurt, plain
1 TB. balsamic vinegar
2 TB. honey
sprinkle of cinnamon

Instructions
Add salad ingredients to a medium sized bowl and set aside.
In a separate small bowl whisk together salad dressing, then pour over top of salad.
Can serve immediately, or will do great in the fridge for when ready to serve.
(If serving later, add in coconut just before serving)

Today, I am grateful for new food challenges that I hope will inspire me to find my creative juices in the kitchen!

I've shared this before, but it's my favourite quote.

Nite all.