Cherry Ripe Delights

One food that I have really missed in the last two years since I went gluten free, is Cherry Ripes.

So, today, I decided to create my own Cherry Ripe.

Here is the recipe for my Cherry Ripe Delights.

For the Chocolate

1 Cup of solid cacao butter
1 Cup of cocoa powder
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 Cup of liquid sweetener, like raw honey, pure maple syrup or coconut nectar

For the Cherry Ripe Filling

250 g Glace Cherries (mine had no sugar and were organic, but not sure what brand because I threw the packet away)
1/2 Cup of raw cashews, soaked in water for 4 hours (then drain the water off)
1/2 Cup of dessicated coconut
1/4 Cup coconut oil
1/4 Cup of water

You will need a high powered blender or food processor.  Mini patty papers.  Tray or plate that will fit in the freezer.

Method

Chocolate

1. Gently melt the cacao butter in a pot or double boiler.
2. Once melted, add the cacao powder and vanilla essence to the pot and stir to combine.
3. Next, add your liquid sweetener of choice.  Stir
4. Set aside.

Cherry filling

1. Put the cashews, coconut oil and water in the blender and blend until creamy (it doesn't matter if there are a few chunky bits - that just adds more texture).
2. Add the cherries and dessicated coconut and 'pulse' a few times until the cherries are well chopped, but still a bit chunky.
3. Put mixture in a bowl.

Take your patty pans and place them on the tray.   Use a spoon to pour chocolate into the patties to about quarter the way up.

Once done, put the tray in the freezer for about 10 minutes, until the chocolate is set.

Remove from the freezer and spoon a small amount of cherry mixture onto the chocolate, then pour more chocolate over the top until the cherry mixture is covered.

Place the tray in the freezer until set.  Store the cherry ripes in the fridge.

This is the healthiest form of chocolate that you can eat, but it melts easily in your hands and also when they are out of the fridge.  That's the price you pay for healthy stuff.

What a shame (she says with a sarcastic tone) that Adoring Husband is on a liquid diet and can't eat any of these delicious little treats!

It's ok, I made him some apple and blueberry ice cream for his liquid treat.

It's been a rainy stormy day today and now it's after midnight!

I climbed into bed last night, 3 hours earlier than usual, and then woke up at 3am, which is 3 hours earlier than usual!  I can't believe that I am still awake now!

Must be the magic Maca Powder that I'm taking.  I'll tell you about that one day soon.

Nite all.

Sneak Peeks

A rare tropical cyclone hits Somalia - the deadliest in it's history.

Somalia experienced one of the deadliest tropical cyclones in its history. Tropical Cyclone 3A made landfall in north-eastern Somali region of Puntland on November 10–11, 2013. Tropical Cyclone 3A hit the Eyl, Beyla, Dangorayo and Hafun districts along the eastern coast and across to Alula at the tip of the Horn of Africa. Strong winds, heavy rains and flash floods caused more than 100 deaths. Hundreds of homes were destroyed and thousands of livestock killed. According to the International Disaster Database, EM-DAT, this is the deadliest tropical cyclone in Somalia's history.

The typhoon in the Philippines, the most catastrophic of them all, seems to have the spotlight and mainstream news hasn't covered this dreadful disaster in Somalia.

I wonder what is causing these 'deadliest/worst/biggest/strongest in history' tornados, typhoons, cyclones and other disasters, if it's not, as our Prime Minister insists, global warming?

but don't get me started ...

... on a happier note  

I'm excited to be able to share some photos from the wedding that I attended with The Nikonian on the first weekend of November.

These are The Nikonian's edited photos.

I LOVE her work.

These are photos that she has already shared on facebook with the bride and groom, and she gave me permission to share them with you too.

One from mine ..

This is my workspace.  It's too cluttered and I'm struggling to stay focussed on my work, so it needs cleaning ... I think it will be my priority tomorrow morning.

The first photo is how my workspace looked when it was shiny and new.  The second photo is taken 6 months later .. I need to make it look shiny and new again!

There are a lot of nasty storms all over Queensland tonight.  None in this area, thankfully, but I am thinking of our friends down south who are in the paths of some of the storms.  There have been some terrible damaging storms lately, containing mini tornados.  Heart breaking for those affected.

Nite all.

Busy Kitchen

I began cooking yesterday at lunch time.

Yesterday, I made Bombay Honey Chicken, Sweet Potato Chips, Jacket Potatoes, Herbed Feta Cheese, and Chilli Feta Cheese.

This morning I made a big batch of Tropical Fruit Smoothie and then I was busy for the first half of today with the girls.

From 2pm I made Tomato Soup, Apple Pie Ice Cream, Chilli Paste (with help from Adoring Husband) and Veggie Soup.

The kitchen is now closed *wipes sweat from brow*.

Adoring Husband is on fluids for the next week or so.

This means fresh juices, fresh fruit smoothies, home made soups and delicious sugar-free ice creams.

The Apple Pie Ice Cream really does taste like apple pie!  (One that you don't have to chew)

Delicious!

The first half of my day was filled with time at the Seat of Knowledge, the usual Tuesday morning tea with the girls and then a lovely lunch at Goody's in Toogoom.

On Friday nights at the Club, the girls and I each contribute $2 and then buy a keno ticket, choosing two numbers each.  A few weeks ago, we won a nice sum of money and decided to use the winnings for a lunch together.

Our original choice of restaurant advised us today, that they are no longer open for lunch, because there aren't enough people around.  We were very disappointed and headed over the road to Goody's, the only other choice in Toogoom.

It was a lovely day and there was a pleasant breeze blowing in the outdoor eating area, so we chose our table and made ourselves comfortable.

The service was warm and friendly too.

The food was average.

Two of us had gluten free Pork Belly with fries and red capsicum chutney.  One of us had Twice Cooked Duck Salad.  One of us had Roast Pumpkin Salad.  One of us had Chicken and Mushroom Pie.

The chicken in the pie was not cooked properly, so it was returned and replaced with Twice Cooked Duck Salad, which apparently was very nice.

My Pork Belly was very dry.

I don't think I will go back in a hurry.

The company was fabulous and I really enjoyed myself.

I dub thee 'Red Velvet' (because she makes the BEST red velvet cupcakes!)

Adoring Husband played golf and then had a busy afternoon helping a friend and then doing a chore for the SES.

So it's been a pretty full day for both of us.

Oh and look what I found this morning!

Warm and fuzzy ... I'm certain that they recognise me!

Nite all.

Tested

I had my eyes tested today.

My distance vision hasn't changed, but my reading vision has deteriorated slightly, so I need new reading glasses.

I also ordered some new prescription sunglasses ... I'm so tired of having my current sunglasses repaired every month!

After we finished with OPSM, we did the tour of the organic and health shops in town and spent quite a lot of money on some more organic health foods that I didn't think were even available in Australia.

In tomorrow's post, I'll share some details of what we bought, why we bought it and some recipes in which to use them.

I would have shared the information tonight, but I am feeling pretty tired, so please accept a rain check :)

We arrived home just before lunch and then after lunch, Adoring Husband had to leave for a Drs appointment.

After he left, I had to pedal to the Post Office to mail a prize to the 104 group's monthly winner (a necklace with a camera charm) and after returning home, I began the long cheese making process - which reminds me - I must turn it before I head off to bed.

I took some scissors out to the garden and picked all the chillies off the plants to make some chilli paste.

After the Drs, AH had to go to the gym to begin a special exercise plan which will hopefully help ease his Parkinson's symptoms.

So I started to prepare dinner and he arrived home to advised me, that he is on a liquid diet for the next week or more.

He had pumpkin, cauliflower and garlic soup, while I enjoyed my Honey Bombay Chicken with home-made sweet potato chips and potato in it's jacket.

By the time I cleaned the kitchen after dinner and finally sat down, my body told me that I had done enough for the day.

I am now too pooped to pop.

Nite all.

Recovery

I think I'm almost back to normal after 2 weeks away from home.

A couple of days of 'down time' has rejuvenated me, along with some freshly squeezed juice and a big meal of veggies, as well as lots of water and some morning sunshine.

I spent a little time on the wedding photos today and really wanted to share this one that I took of the bride as her make up was being applied.

She looks so radiant and her eyes are sparkling and clear.  I really love this photo of her.

I've decided to spend some time clearing my desk so that I can work on the photos without feeling so cramped and cluttered.

I'm not sure how it happened but it's difficult to see the desk for the mess that I have spread all over it .. a before and after shot is in order I think!

I must also endeavour to keep it clear every day.

I forgot to mention that I won the 'Macro' flickr challenge with this photo ...

... bit of a surprise!

I'm having my eyes tested tomorrow, and my appointment is quite early, so I'd best go get some sleep.

Thinking about The Nikonian whose house was very close to a large bushfire raging in the area.  I hope the danger has passed and everybody is safe.

Nite all.

Exhaustipation

Yeah, I know, no such word as 'exhaustipation', but it describes how I feel.

I was just too tired to even post here last night and was in bed by 8.30pm.  I was awake for two hours between 12.30am and 2.30am, so I probably should have attempted a blog post then, instead of desperately trying to get back to sleep!

We had a 60th birthday party to attend tonight and I even had a short nap on the couch before we left.

I got a late start to the Seat of Knowledge this morning and stopped on the way to see how my Tawnies were faring.

To my surprise, they are out of their nest and sitting in the tree that their Mum used to frequent .. nice and low for me to get a good shot.

The only other thing I did today, was make some home-made muesli for Adoring Husband's breakfast tomorrow .. although I couldn't find my recipe anywhere, so I just had to wing it.  It turned out ok, because AH snacked on a bowl of it when we came home tonight.

We shopped at an Organic Supermarket in Gympie on the way home from the Sunny Coast yesterday and bought all sorts of delicious goodies.   Unfortunately, our supply of nuts and seeds is now somewhat depleted, so we will have to make a trip into The Bay to restock.

I have an appointment to have my 2 yearly eye check on Monday in The Bay, so we'll restock then.   I think I'll need new glasses .. I can feel that my eyesight is weaker now.

Anyway, I'm off to bed .. another early night.  I hope I'll be much more alive and spritely tomorrow.

Nite all.

Homeward Bound

Adoring Husband is driving here tomorrow so that we can travel home together.

It has been a long time away from home and quite busy with photography and grandmothering, so I am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tomorrow night, and then spending some quiet time working on the photos from the wedding last weekend.

I'll be back again in two weeks and then again two weeks after that.  I think we'll be in need of a quiet Christmas!

Chicklet and I had a little 'incident' today while we were out and about in the stroller, and her arm got quite badly pinched by a part of the stroller.

I think it was more distressing for me than her, although she did let out a pretty good squeal!  The promise of a cuddle from mama and a bandaid for her 'owie' helped calm her a little til we arrived home.

She's growing up so fast.

While The Nikonian and I were in Coffs Harbour on the weekend and exploring the resort grounds for locations to shoot the 'before' and 'after' ceremony shots, she took a few practise photos with me in frame.

Some of them were taken at just at the right distance to make me look 'acceptable' in my eyes.

... and some of them were dreadful, as were some of the shots that I took of her ... so they will never be shared with anyone and never shared on here!

 It seems that our SEB (the cockatiel) laid seven eggs!  I could only see three between the wood shavings before I left, so I'm surprised that there were seven.  None of them were fertile, so this season, at least, there will be no bubbies.

I must say that I'm relieved!

Seems I'll be having an earlier night than usual tonight!

Nite all.

Top 3

As I was washing the dishes tonight, I could see through the window that the cloud formations were looking pretty special and that an amazing sunset was on the cards.

Before I knew it, the sky began to change colour, so I grabbed my camera and an extra lens, choosing not to carry my camera bag, because it's so heavy and I knew I had to move pretty fast so as not to miss the sunset completely.

I partly power walked and shuffled a jog to get across the road to the river bank as quickly as possible!

The tide was low and on the turn, so the water was still and smooth, almost like glass.

The clouds were rippling across the sky, just as water does when you throw a pebble into it's stillness, and the colour from the setting sun was moving across the ripples and filling the sky with pinks, reds, purples and orange.

All of this was reflecting beautifully onto the still water as a pelican glided toward me, it's reflection also glistening perfectly in the colour.

A flock of birds flew above me and silhouetted against the golden light of the setting sun, and that golden light shone onto a beautiful yacht rocking gently on the still water.

As my mind tried to figure out which direction to photograph first, I tried to check what my settings were on the camera, when it didn't respond to my button pushing.

I turned it off and then on again, realising suddenly that the battery was flat and my 2 spares were in my camera bag, which was on my bed at Vegan Chickie's house.

*insert sad face here*

I almost came home in a huff, when I realised that the very least I could do, was watch it and enjoy it's beauty .. which surprisingly, is a very difficult thing to do, when bitter disappointment is surging through your veins.

Just to rub salt in the wound, it turned out to be spectacular enough to earn a place in my top 3 sunsets of all time.

It didn't matter which direction I looked, the sky, the light, the view was breath taking and I could see at least half a dozen spectacular shots going to waste.

People were pointing their little cameras and capturing this beauty, while I stood on the wet sand, my camera swinging around my neck and the spare lens in my hand, unable to do a thing.  I did get some strange looks from a couple of people.

Hopefully, my visits in the future will be filled with more sunset opportunities, just as special, or more so ... my lesson learned, is always take the camera bag ... it is full of all the resources that I need, should anything like this ever happen again!

*sigh*

Nite all.

More Pain!

Just when the pain from the weekend's marathon effort had eased, I jarred my back and shoulder while playing with Chicklet today and I'm feeling a little the worst for wear tonight.

I don't want to wait any longer to mention the wedding shoot, because I'm already forgetting so much of it.

The Nikonian is an amazing photographer, a brilliant organiser and so generous with her knowledge, skills and expertise.

I can't begin to explain how much she has taught me.  She has a freakishly absorbent brain for technical and artistic details, which she happily shares with me and it's thanks to her critique and advice, that my photography has improved so quickly since I've known her.

I am useless with technical details, but she has a way of explaining, in plain English, so that my brain accepts more than it rejects.

On the weekend for the wedding, she worked so well under pressure.

We tried so hard to be organised, with lists of all that we wanted to achieve, but the Gods worked against us ... or should I say, the hairdressers and the make-up artists and people worked against us.

With so many people coming and going from the room, it was difficult to get the detail shots on our list - we did get them all, but it wasn't easy.

The hair and make-up began at approximately 9am and lasted for 5 hours!

We were left with very little time to spend with the girls prior to the wedding, to get those special shots.

Cutting it very fine, we had only 30 minutes with the boys, pre-wedding for their special shots.

Finally, we only had one hour to get all the group shots with the Bride, the groom and the wedding party ... and such a large area to cover at the resort.

We really were under pressure, especially in the 90 minutes prior to the ceremony and the 90 minutes straight after.

Taking all of that into consideration, the number of great photos that we took is pretty darned impressive and by the time we've finished editing them and are ready to pass them onto the bride and groom, I think they will be over the moon with the results.

I won't be sharing any more photos from the wedding, until we've finished editing and processing and have passed them on to the bride and groom.

After that, you'll get to see the results of the fabulous teamwork that The Nikonian and I had together.

I'll take this opportunity to thank The Nikonian for sharing with me the experience of a lifetime.  One that has given me a whole new respect for professional wedding photographers and also provided me with valuable new skills that can only be an asset to my future photography.

Your generosity and friendship is priceless.

Please feel free to call on me again if you need assistance - it can only get easier!  Surely!

I had a great weekend.  The families were lovely, warm and welcoming.  They were so appreciative of our efforts and I never once felt like an outsider.

It was a beautiful ceremony in beautiful surroundings and the speeches during the reception were a highlight of the evening for me.

We were utterly exhausted by the end of the day, but knew we'd done well.

So that was our weekend, but the work is not over yet - hundreds of photos to scour through and edit - a lot more hours involved.

I will never question a wedding photographer's value again.

It's like having a baby .. you can never fully understand, until you experience it yourself.

Now I'm off to sleep my pain away.

Nite all

Oh the pain!

Yes, I am still in pain ... not as much pain as yesterday, however, it is still uncomfortable and I struggle to get out of a chair, or climb the stairs!!

Ugh!

I thought I was reasonably fit and I am very surprised that we are hurting so much.

Anyway, it's after midnight, so here are a couple of photos to fill some space ... the two most loved granddaughters on the planet.

Mine ...

and The Nikonian's

One of these days soon, I hope to find the time and the energy to write about the weekend and the 'wedding photography' experience.

Every photographer should experience it at least once in their lifetime.

Intense.

Nite all.

Marathon Girls

The Nikonian and I feel like we have run a marathon.

We can hardly walk due to all the walking, running, climbing, bending, carrying, moving furniture etc that we did yesterday for the wedding shoot.

So I have no mental or physical energy for writing long blog posts tonight - maybe tomorrow.

Here is one of my photos from the wedding.  The second photo that I've processed so far, and this is Lizzie, one of the beautiful bridesmaids.

She is amazing.

I am exhausted... still.

Nite all.

The Fat Lady has Sung!

It's over!

Fifteen hours of wedding photography is over.

Gym membership is a definite must to take on this kind of work.

It's absolutely exhausting!

Imagine how difficult it must be for a sole photographer without any help!

The Nikonian and I make a great team.

We both make up for what the other lacks, we understand each other, we watch out for each other and we cover each other's backs.

Having the Nikonian there, made my job so easy.  She is a wonderful organiser and knows exactly how to pose people in group situations .. especially weddings!

A sneak peek at what today was all about...

I had a fabulous time.

The family were wonderful and loving and welcoming and friendly.

With anything up to fifteen people in the penthouse apartment at a time, it was quite difficult to get all the shots that we planned, however we still managed to get a good deal of photos done in the allotted time frame.

Anyway, I will chat further about it in the coming days.

It's well after midnight and we've been at work for fifteen long, fun, but arduous hours.  Time to regenerate.

Just want to mention .. VERY happy with the outcome of today (so far).

Nite all.

Is it time to panic yet?

Making a list.  Checking it twice.  Adding to the list.  Crossing out some of the list.  Adding something else to the list.

Re-writing the list neater.

Losing the list.

Finding the list.

Taking two hours to photograph the first thing on the list and running out of time to do the other 6 things that we planned for that two hours.

Checking what we've done so far and crossing that off the list (one thing).

Realising the list is too long.

Wondering how the heck we are going to get through the list, in the very short time available tomorrow.

Thinking that we've got it all under control .. then realising that I haven't even factored in the reception yet - luckily The Nikonian has factored in everything - it's just me who has been way too calm for way too long because I only had half the information stored in the vacuum where my brain should reside.

Packing the camera gear.

Writing another list of the extra things that we have to take tomorrow.

Trying to figure out how to stop the list from running through my head all night, so that I can actually get some sleep.

Wondering how The Nikonian can sleep so silently.  I can't even hear her breathing!  Should give her a kick, just to make sure she is alive!

Thinking .. we are among friends.  It will all work out on the day.  It will be fun.  The bride, groom, friends and family will be very happy with our work and at the end of the day, we will give each other a high five and enjoy a couple of vinos to celebrate.

Wish us luck!

Nite all

Coff Coff

Here we are in Coffs Harbour, after travelling through so many roadworks!!

Didn't even recognise the place!

Surprisingly, we are staying in the same resort (Pacific Bay Resort) where Adoring Husband and I stayed, the last time we were in Coffs Harbour.

The Nikonian and I spent the afternoon walking around the resort, which has a 9 hole, par 3 golf course on offer, so the grounds are nicely manicured.

There are lots of places to get all kinds of shots, so we should do ok on the day.

We met up with the bride and groom for a drink this afternoon and they are a lovely couple.

I also met The Nikonian's oldest son, his wife and little grand daughter "Buggy", who is as cute as a button with the most amazing eyes.

So now I've met all of her kids (who are actually adults, not kids lol) and they really are the nicest, friendly and most down to earth family.

They all have some of their mother's charm, which is pretty special.  This is The Nikonian and her little Buggy, doing what they both love to do best .. read books.

Now I need to get some sleep.

Looking forward to another fun filled and exhausting day tomorrow.

Nite all.

Parasauralophus

A morning stroll to the local shopping centre brought with it, the addition of four new dinosaurs to the Chicklet household.

One of them, we had to research, because none of us knew it's name.

PARASAURALOPHUS:

Parasaurolophus is a genus of ornithopod dinosaur that lived in what is now North America during the Late Cretaceous Period, about 76.5–73 million years ago. It was a herbivore that walked both as a biped and a quadruped.

If you google it, you will see a picture.

It was easy to say goodbye to my lovely family this morning, knowing that I would be back in a few days.

Vegan Chickie and Chicklet walked me to The Nikonian's car and Chicklet was in a giggly mood when we said goodbye.  Apparently it didn't take long, after she returned home, to fall asleep in the oddest of places - her makeshift cave, under the dining table!

After a bit of shoe shopping, The Nikonian and I had lunch at Thomas Corner Eatery - Smoked Atlantic Salmon Salad, which was very light and very delicious.

We've spent the afternoon discussing the upcoming wedding shoot and generally being a bit silly.

Now we are in bed for an early night, so that we can head off bright and early in the morning.  

The drive will take about 6 hours.

It's going to be FUN!

So this is yet another short post, because I'm off to sleep.

Nite all. 

Day 365 in a Year of my Life

This is it!  The final day of "A year in my life".

What better way to celebrate it than to share some photos of my precious little possum?  I know you've been waiting for them!

We had a great day today!

This morning we walked to the supermarket and bought all the ingredients for chicken and roast veggie soup, and some flowers for Mama .. oh and a Mickey Mouse doll.

Then we came home and cooked the soup together.

Then Chicklet went down for a nap and Vegan Chickie and the Bare-chested Chef had some quality time together and enjoyed a movie at the cinema.

After Chicklet woke up, after a very long nap, we had a picnic in the lounge room and ate nuts and grapes and strawberries and Sakata crackers.

We cut up a sheet of baking paper into tiny little pieces and then threw them in the air and watched them flutter to the ground like birds, for about an hour!

We played with Mickey Mouse and made a swing out of wool and a pom pom, for Mickey to swing on.

Mama and Dadoo came home with a surprise present .. Peppa Pig!  How very exciting!  So the pieces of paper then became mud puddles for Peppa Pig and Mickey Mouse to jump in, for another hour.

Of course the chicken soup was for dinner and went down a treat.

Now, everyone is in bed and there are storms all about with lightning and crashing thunder and rain and winds.  I think the worst is over, but it was pretty noisy there for a while.

So it's been a full day.

The best news is that I'm not half as exhausted as I usually am on day two of my visit, so I'm thinking that my changed eating habits and small weight loss has contributed to improving my energy levels.   I'm also sleeping better and I imagine that helps too.

That makes me very happy!

Tomorrow I am off for the next leg of my break.  Excited!

Today I'm grateful for an amazing time with Chicklet.  There simply are no words.

Nite all.

Day 364 in a Year of my Life

There are simply no words to express the joy and love that exploded from my heart when my train pulled up at the railway station this morning.

I was standing in the doorway of my carriage waiting for the train to stop.  I was in the very last carriage of the train, so I was going to have to disembark at the far end of the station.

As it slowly pulled up to a stop, there before me, squatting on the platform with Chicklet standing in front of him, was The Bare-chested Chef.

The door to my carriage was in perfect alignment with the two of them.

As the door opened and Chicklet saw me standing there, the biggest brightest smile lit up her face!

Oh the joyous pain of overwhelming love!  It took all of my will to hold my emotions together.

Such a precious moment in time that I will remember clearly forever.

I have tears welling as I type these words.

She looked at me and said "Hullo Bozzy Wozzy.  Is that the train where you live?"

The Bare-chested Chef took my luggage and I took Chicklet's warm little hand in mine and we walked to the car together.

In the car on the drive home, I kept looking at her via the mirror on the back of the sun visor and every so often, I would lift my sunglasses up so that she could see my eyes and I would smile at her.  Her face would light up with the brightest little smile.

She kept asking "What's in your suitcase Bozzy Wozzy?" knowing full well that there would be a surprise in it for her!

Later in the day, we were sitting on the couch together and she was eating strawberries, and she just started chatting out of the blue.

"Dinosaurs that eat plants and trees are herbivores but if they eat dead meat, they are carnivores."

You just never know what she's going to come out with next.

So today, I've been an elephant and a skunk and we've done a few laps of the lounge room.  We've played with the cars on the play mat and we've balanced dinosaurs around the edge of a box, hung rubber snakes over the handle bar of her trampoline, checked out the sensory box and read a book.

Tomorrow will be a big day while Mama and Dadoo go to the movies.

I think we'll make some chicken and vegetable soup together.

There will definitely be photos tomorrow!

Today I'm grateful for warm and delicious family love.  Feelin' it.

Nite all.

Day 363 in a Year of my Life

I spent a solitary morning watching "An Affair to Remember", a movie made three years before I was even born!  A classic.

Thoroughly enjoyed it.  I love old movies.  Thanks to Lady Lynn for loaning me her favourite movie.

Now to find a copy of Waterloo Bridge.

The rest of my day was spent washing, ironing, packing, cleaning, cooking and checking all of my camera gear, so that I can leave for my eleven day sojourn in the Sunny Coast and Coffs Harbour tomorrow.

I get to see my little Chicklet!!!  Squeeeeeeeee!!!!

Stay tuned for new updated photos!

Today, I'm grateful to be pretty well organised with my packing and preparations.  Stress levels, low.  Procrastination level, a touch below average.  All batteries charged and checklist complete.

Nite all.

Day 362 in a Year of my Life

*Jumping on my giant soapbox*

Every day, in every way, I'm led to believe that Drs are stupid.

They are like little sheep.

The pharmaceutical corporations have taken over the medical industry and are training our current and future doctors in a vacuum of limited knowledge, made up mostly of what new drug will mask the symptoms of that disease or illness.

All of these drugs have side effects and a lot of the drugs are effected by certain foods.

For example - the drug Warfarin is a common medication used to prevent blood clots.  If you take Warfarin, you must avoid eating kale, spinach, brussels sprouts, parsley, collard greens, mustard greens, chard, green tea, cranberry juice and alcohol.

These vegetables are rich in vitamin K, which plays an important role in keeping calcium 'in' the bones and 'out' of the arteries .. so while Warfarin is reducing your chance of having a stroke, it is increasing your chance of having a heart attack, because you can no longer eat the foods that protect you from this.

Another example - when the babies of breast feeding women are due for their vaccinations, mothers are often advised to stop breast feeding and supplement feed for the week before and after vaccinations, because the antibodies in the breast milk 'fight' the chemicals in the vaccinations and therefore the vacs won't be as effective.

If you think about it, this proves that the baby doesn't need the vaccination, because the breast milk is doing the job that nature intended - it is providing your baby with the antibodies to fight these diseases naturally.

Nature is so much more powerful than we give it credit for, because we've been brainwashed into believing that 'drugs' are the answer to everything.

The reason that I am sharing these small snippets of information, is because a friend of mine was recently told by his Dr that he must stop having banana with his breakfast every morning because bananas are full of fructose.

*look of genuine shock*

In 2010 the CSIRO published in their Australian Journal of Primary Health,  information which determined that Drs are poorly educated in the areas of food and nutrition.  see here

This is what I, (as an unqualified human being who believes in the health value of good food) know about bananas:

Bananas are one of the best sources of potassium, an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function. Since the average banana contains a whopping 450 mg of potassium and only 1 mg of sodium, a banana a day may help to prevent high blood pressure and protect against atherosclerosis.

Bananas have long been recognised for their antacid effects that protect against stomach ulcers and ulcer damage.

Bananas work their protective magic in two ways: First, substances in bananas help activate the cells that compose the stomach lining, so they produce a thicker protective mucus barrier against stomach acids. Second, other compounds in bananas called protease inhibitors help eliminate bacteria in the stomach that have been pinpointed as a primary cause of stomach ulcers.

Bananas are a smart move if you suffer from elimination problems. A bout of diarrhea can quickly deplete your body of important electrolytes. Bananas can replenish your stores of potassium, one of the most important electrolytes, which helps regulate heart function as well as fluid balance.

Your mother may have told you that carrots were good for your eyes, as a child, but as an adult, fruit is even more important for keeping your sight.  Eating 3 or more servings of fruit per day may lower your risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the primary cause of vision loss in older adults, by 36%, compared to persons who consume less than 1.5 servings of fruit daily.

Build better bones by eating bananas regularly.  Part of your healthy way of eating can help improve your body's ability to absorb calcium via several mechanisms.

Bananas are an exceptionally rich source of fructooligosaccharide, a compound called a prebiotic because it nourishes probiotic (friendly) bacteria in the colon. These beneficial bacteria produce vitamins and digestive enzymes that improve our ability to absorb nutrients, plus compounds that protect us against unfriendly microorganisms. When fructooligosaccharides are fermented by these friendly bacteria, not only do numbers of probiotic bacteria increase, but so does the body's ability to absorb calcium. In addition, gastrointestinal transit time is lessened, decreasing the risk of colon cancer.

One average banana contains all of this ...

Vitamin B6 – .5 mg
Manganese – .3 mg
Vitamin C – 9 mg
Potassium – 450 mg
Dietary Fiber – 3g
Protein – 1 g
Magnesium – 34 mg
Folate – 25.0 mcg
Riboflavin – .1 mg
Niacin – .8 mg
Vitamin A – 81 IU
Iron – .3 mg

Now, explain to me, why any doctor in his right mind, with any education in the value of food, would advise anyone to stop eating their banana with breakfast in the mornings?

Honestly!?

*Leaping off my giant soapbox* 

Thank you for listening.

Today, I'm grateful for quiet 'alone' days that allow me to sit in silence and breathe and feel and appreciate my happiness.

Nite all.

Day 361 in a Year of my Life

I just made this delicious smoothie. I got the recipe from Kunara Organic Marketplace facebook page. If you're on facebook, and you're interested, go here to get all sorts of interesting information and recipes.

This smoothie tastes like a banana chocolate malted thickshake, but it's good for you!

BANANA PEANUT BUTTER SMOOTHIE
Ingredients (serves two):
•1 banana, preferably frozen
•1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
•2 tablespoons of plain peanut butter (i.e. unsweetened, unsalted)
•1 teaspoon of raw cocoa powder
•Half a teaspoon of cinnamon

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth and add some ice cubes or crushed ice if you like.

If you're wondering why there is a capsicum in the photo, it's because I'd just picked it from our garden!

We must have two different varieties, because, although the others are sweet and delicious, they are only a fraction the size of this one and the flesh is quite thin. This one is much bigger and heavier and feels quite thick in the flesh.

I'll let you know how it tastes.

Now I'm in the middle of a 'to pack' list, so that I don't forget anything next week when I go away. I booked my ticket this morning and have quite a lot of 'stuff' to take with me, but I have very good packing skills - even if I do say so myself - so hopefully it won't be a problem.

I'd best move my butt, because I also only have one hour to get ready.

I see a couple of glasses of wine in my immediate future.

Today, I'm grateful for all of the things that I've had to feel grateful for this past year. Only four days left til I complete the Year of my Life in blog. I think I'll go back over the year and see what interesting things happened that I may have forgotten about.

Nite all.

Day 360 in a Year of my Life

Two recipes from yesterday's post ...

Vegetable Slice.

Serving Size: Serves 4 (4 Large Slices if it's your main, otherwise 6-8 as a side)

Ingredients:

4 Whole Eggs
1/2 Cup Chick Pea or Coconut Flour
1 Large Carrot (grated)
1 Medium Zucchini (grated)
1 Cup Pumpkin (grated)
1/2 Large Red Capsicum (finely chopped)
1/2 Cup Chopped Onion
3 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley
3 Tablespoons Feta Cheese

Method:

Pre heat oven 180C.

Crack eggs into a bowl and beat on low until well mixed.

Once egg mix is smooth, add chick pea flour and beat again until smooth.

In a separate bowl, add the grated zucchini, pumpkin, carrot and the capsicum, onion and finely chopped parsley.

Then pour in egg mix and crumbled feta cheese and stir through.

Line a round oven dish with baking paper and slowly pour in mix. Spread the mix evenly into dish.

Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until cooked through, allow to sit for 5 - 10 minutes, remove from dish, cut into quarters and serve warm with a fresh salad or salsa.

(I was thinking of adding some toasted pine nuts next time)

For the Lemon Chilli Chicken (for which I don't have a photo, and this is a modified recipe from somewhere else)

Lemon Ginger and Chilli Chicken

Ingredients:

2 Chicken Breasts

Marinade:
2 x Small Chilli finely chopped.

2 Tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley
Juice of half lemon
2 teaspoons of finely chopped fresh ginger
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tablespoon of raw honey

pinch of salt and pepper

Preheat oven 180C

Combine everything except the chicken and mix well.

Put the chicken into into a plastic bag, or a container that can be sealed, and pour the marinade over the chicken.

Keep in the fridge for 30-60 minutes.

Place on a flat tray in the oven and pour the leftover marinade over the top.  Bake in the oven for approx 40 mins (depending on the size)

************

I get very excited on Thursdays because it's FROG box day!

We got lots of delicious fresh food again today as well as some extras that I ordered, like raw cashews, kale, eggs, coconut cream and juicing oranges among other things.

We also visited Nana's Pantry and stocked up on coconut flour, shredded/flaked/desiccated coconut, walnuts, cocoa powder and flaked almonds.

The seafood shop supplied some salmon steaks, whiting fillets and some other fish that Adoring Husband wanted.

So our fridge and pantry is choc-a-block and overflowing with all sorts of goodies!

Adoring Husband has requested some kale chips with dinner tonight, so I'd best get on that now.

Today, I'm grateful that Adoring Husband is warming to the idea of new and improved eating habits and hope that he will soon notice a difference in the way he feels.  We know he won't be cured, but if we can ease his symptoms, it will be worth it.

Nite all.

Day 359 in a Year of my Life

More good food!

I could grow broccoli in the last town that I lived, without any problems at all, but here, we have struggled to grow broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage.  The bugs adore those crops, so we gave up and haven't tried again for the last couple of years.

Broccoli is so good for you!

It contributes to strengthening the immune system, reduces the frequency of occurrence of cataracts, it supports cardiovascular health and participates in building bones.

Broccoli is rich in beneficial nutrients and, for those of you who care, has very few calories. 100 grams of broccoli contains only 28 calories, and 3 grams of protein.

I love to finely crumble broccoli florrets into my creamy cauliflower or cashew cream sauces or add them to my green smoothies.  I also add them to fried rice and omelettes and frittatas and keep the stems to add to my home made vegetable stock.

They are also delicious lightly steamed, served with a splash of lemon juice and sprinkled with toasted flaked almonds.

Hmmm yum!

An updated photo of our lovely little Tawny Frogmouth chicks ...

Aren't they cute!?

I had some more fun in the kitchen today and made a Vegetable Slice and Lemon Chilli Chicken, which I served with a tomato, onion and avocado salsa.  I'll share the recipes for them tomorrow.

For dessert, we had the last of Adoring Husband's birthday cake with kiwi fruit and cream.

Loving the food at the moment... as you can tell.

Today I'm grateful for more perfect Spring weather, but feeling afraid for all the people in NSW whose lives and property are being threatened by the terrible bush fires that are out of control down that way right now and for the hundreds of volunteer fire fighters working round the clock to gain some kind of control.

Let them all be safe.

Nite all.

Day 358 in a Year of my Life

Thought I might keep my post a bit lighter today.

I LOVE avocados.

Avocados have no natural enemy and therefore don't require spraying with any chemicals.

Avocados are poisonous to birds.

We have two avocado trees in our garden.  One is five years old and produced one avocado last year and has three on it this year.  The other plant is only two years old, so should bear fruit next year.

The trouble that we have here, is that when the avocado tree flowers, it's the windiest time of the year and the strong winds tend to blow the flowers off the tree.

This is why we only find the fruit right at the base of the tree where it is slightly protected from the wind by the fence beside it.

So we've decided to keep it pruned so that it doesn't grow too tall.  Being tall it gets even more battered by the winds.

Still we persist.

Ten Things That Eating Avocados Regularly Will Give You:

1. Healthier Cholesterol
2. Healthier Blood Pressure
3. Healthier Blood Sugar
4. Improved Cancer Protection
5. Good Digestion
6. A Healthier Pregnancy
7. A Healthier Heart
8. Healthier Eyes
9. A Healthier Brain
10. Slower ageing

So ... NEVER feel guilty about gobbling up those avocados!

A few years ago, we planted some Asiatic Lily bulbs in our garden - right beneath the avocado tree co-incidentally enough - and they grow back thicker every Spring.

Today, I decided to pick a few for a vase on my desk, because they are so beautiful and I don't get to enjoy them when they are hiding away in the front corner of the garden.

They are the prettiest colour!

The 'love' sign, I bought from the markets in Brisbane last February and it sits against the wall beside my desk permanently.

It's such a glorious Spring day and I am feeling the love!

Another one of those days when the air is so clean that the colours are more vibrant and the air rushes into your lungs to give you a bit of a high.

I think I'll make myself a snack and go sit in the garden swing to take advantage of the fresh air for a while.

Today, I'm grateful that I have love in my life.

Afternoon all. 

Day 357 in a Year of my Life

Back in the eighties, I spent a lot of time fund raising for cancer research, as well as donating plenty of my tightly budgeted income in the hopes that 'one day soon' they would find a cure for the dreaded cancer.

Then in 1988, I had a bad result from a pap smear and was sent to a hospital out of my local area to have pre-cancerous cells burnt from my cervix.

I remember, as clearly as if it happened yesterday, sitting in that chair with my legs in stirrups wondering if this was the beginning of the end for me.

Three years later, after another pap smear, my Dr phoned me at 10pm one night to tell me that the results looked very grim, that it could be stage four cancer and that he had made an appointment for me the very next day, with a Specialist, once again, out of town.

The following fifteen hours were some of the most stressful that I've experienced.

I was a single mother with no form of transport, so I had to find someone to drive me 2 hours to the Specialist, and someone who could be available for my kids when they got home from school. (I lived 2000 kms from my family)

After frantically making all of those arrangements, I attended the appointment, went through a barrage of invasive tests, only to discover that there was absolutely nothing wrong. All tests came back completely clear.

That was the beginning of my distrust of the medical profession.

Since that time I have lost friends and family due to misdiagnosis, maltreatment and mismanagement by the medical industry and I watch and study and analyse every experience with a Dr or Specialist that my living friends and family have with treatment.

It's only in the last ten years (if that), that I have experienced the trauma of losing friends and family to cancer.

Of the thirteen people I know, who have been diagnosed in the last ten years, seven of them have passed on.

Of the remaining six, three of them are still receiving treatment and only one of those six has hit the five year remission mark.

All of those, still alive, have suffered horrendously with their treatments and three of them teetered on the brink of death.

So I can understand the people who have survived their cancer treatment, feeling very angry with me when I talk about how dangerous and ineffective chemotherapy and radium treatment is and how it causes long term effects that reduces the quality of life of those who endure it.

For a number of years now, I have questioned where the millions of dollars worth of funds raised for cancer research is actually going.

But that story is for another day, in another post.

This is what I found today ...

... and if you want to read more, follow this link

This kind of reinforces the statistics that I provided in yesterday's post.

The incidences of cancer are not declining.

The survival rates of cancer are not improving.

We are losing more and more loved ones because the medical and pharmaceutical industries do not care about healing us.

They will never provide our cure.

We must find it ourselves.

End soapbox rant.

I found this interesting creature on our stove top this afternoon.

I've decided to use it for the 'macro' challenge in flickr, instead of using the photo of 'Lolly'.

Last, but not least, today is Adoring Husband's birthday. We had cake!

Today I'm grateful that Adoring Husband enjoyed the gluten-free, sugar-free birthday cake that I made for him.

If you would like to enjoy it too, here is the recipe ...

Flourless Chocolate Cake

4 large eggs

1 Cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup of pure maple syrup

1/4 cup + 1Tbsp organic coconut oil

2tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp himalayan salt


1/3 cup pecans or walnuts

Method:

Preheat your oven to 180C

Line your loaf tin with baking paper.

Chuck all of the ingredients (except the nuts) in your food processor and mix it til it's all smooth and creamy.

Pour into the loaf tin, sprinkle the top with chopped nuts and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes.

Serve with whipped cream and kiwi fruit or berries.

Nite all.

Day 356 in a Year of my Life

I've been doing lots more research and reading about diet and health in 'the olden days' compared to 'now'.  In summary, this is what I've found:

Obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic modern disease only became an issue in the 1900s. The first documented case of a heart attack was in 1926.  By the 1950s, heart disease had become common, and so experts were scrambling for solutions. Unfortunately, they picked the wrong one.

Saturated fat was targeted as the culprit, but saturated fat consumption dropped 83% in the 1900s. And, consumption of vegetable oil, margarine, and shortening increased 535%. 

This is the scary one - sugar consumption rose by 1150%!!!

Skeptics often use the argument that our bacon and lard eating ancestors didn't live very long, but this isn't actually the case.  The averages that they use for this argument, include the high numbers of infant deaths, which reduces the lifespan age considerably.  In actual fact, people lived to their 80s and 90s and their later health was of a higher quality than today.

And, what few people know is that we have now reduced our lifespan—and often our later years are spent riddled with disease and taking numerous medications.

Even if we have long life expectancy, diseases notably reduce our number of years in health.  Children are now expected to die ten to fifteen years BEFORE their parents.

We need to get the message out that real fats like butter and coconut oil are healthful, and in fact, eliminating them from our diet has drastic consequences.  We need to remove processed and refined sugar from our diets, because THAT has a profound negative effect on our health.

Our ancestors didn’t worry about heart disease, cancer or diabetes.

They didn’t fear Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.

These diseases were so incredibly rare before the 1900s and our ancestors simply ate food – real food, and were nourished. Chronic degenerative diseases rates were incredibly low.

The leading cause of death before 1900 was one of three things: infancy death, death from infections & death from accidents (read more here).  Today, the leading causes of death are heart disease & cancer. (statistics here) If you add all the cancer statistics together .. they outnumber heart disease .. and seem to be increasing every year.

Makes you wonder where those millions of dollars worth of charity raised funds are going doesn't it?

We really must take a closer look at our diets

I set myself a task of taking notice of the ads on television that promote food (usually I zone out during the ads and use that time to write this blog lol) and when you really watch and listen, the words that they use to trick people into believing that the food is full of natural goodness, is quite shocking.

Honestly, the only foods that are natural (not counting meat), are the ones that you pick from the plant.  If the food comes in a packet or in a powdered form or with a list of ingredients that contain numbers or words that you can't pronounce, then it is not full of natural goodness!

Ok I'm off the soapbox.  Thank you for listening.

I've submitted my photo for 'Minimalist' in the flickr group ...

My Tawny Frogmouth chicks have not come out to say hello for a couple of days.  It's been very windy here, so perhaps they feel safer tucked under Dad's feathers.

Adoring Husband is off playing golf - perfect day for it - while I am listening to OB (the cockatiel) talking and screeching and whistling and chirping and squealing and generally being a nuisance.  SEB (the other cockatiel) sits quietly on her eggs in the nesting box.  We still have no idea if they are fertile or not, but we'll probably know in the next week to 10 days.

It's a lovely bright sunny Spring day with a nice breeze blowing and all is right with my world for the moment.

Today I'm grateful to be looking forward to seeing my little Chicklet in about a week and also an exciting mini road trip with The Nikonian.  I'm very excited!

Nite all.