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.