Bozzy Wozzy Returns

After an uneventful, but less than comfortable journey on the train, I arrived at the Cooroy train station to the beautiful sight and sound of my little Chicklet, with a smile in her voice calling "Bozzy Wozzy!  You're here!  I'm so excited!"

She makes my heart sing!

She knows that there is always a surprise in my suitcase for her, so when we arrived home, we opened the outside zipper to find some "Octonauts", which have taken over from dinosaurs as her favourite toys, at the moment.

We played Octonauts while Mama and Dadoo went shopping and had a peaceful breakfast date together.

After the regulation afternoon nap, we all headed off to 'Underwater World', which has been revamped since I was there last!

It was a great afternoon, until we began to drive home and I realised that I didn't have my camera!!

What a heart stopping moment THAT was! (as I'm sure it is for Adoring Husband as he reads this!)

We did a quick u-turn and headed back to Underwater World, while Vegan Chickie got on the phone to them, so that they could begin the search.

Luckily, it was exactly where I thought it would be.

Earlier in the afternoon, when we had arrived, their official photographer took a photo of the four of us together.  Then, just before the exit, there is a wall showcasing the photos, and a counter area to pay for it.  Well, I had stopped to buy the photo, and had placed my camera on the counter, but forgot to pick it up again, as we left!

Fortunately, the girls had found it and placed it behind the counter.  Whew!

I can't begin to describe that panicked feeling when I realised I'd left it behind.  The adrenalin was pumping, but I felt like my heart had stopped beating.  I couldn't breathe properly, the car couldn't drive fast enough and the my legs couldn't carry me fast enough to that counter.

Oh the relief when the young girl said "Yes" and reached behind the counter to pick it up and hand it to me!  I could have hugged her.  I SHOULD have hugged her!

Here is my little Chicklet after she called "Follow me everyone!"

This was my favourite thing at Underwater World today ...

This is my amazingly talented son-in-law, the Bare-chested Chef, creating a masterpiece...

... and that was my day!

Now I need sleep, so that I can be bright eyed and bushy tailed for Chicklet fun tomorrow!

Nite all.

On the Rebound

There was once a time in my life when sports and fitness were a slight obsession of mine, but these days, I'm not, by any stretch of the imagination, a fitness freak.

I like to ride my trike every day, but I do it with little effort, and only for about 30 minutes most days, 60 minutes sometimes, but it's a very leisurely hour.

I don't care much for walking, unless it's strolling along the the beach or wandering along the river path with my little Chicklet.

The idea of the gym scares the life out of me!

I only run if I am in danger.

I always wanted to try Tai Chi, but it wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

I have owned a rebounder for a few years now and it has spent most of it's time stored in the shed out the back - HOWEVER - it will be making an appearance upon my return from the Sunny Coast next week.

Rebounding:

• provides an increased G-force (gravitational load), which benefits the body by strengthening the musculoskeletal systems.
• benefits lymphatic circulation by stimulating the millions of one-way valves in the lymphatic system. This benefits the body's immune capacity for fighting current disease, destroying cancer cells, eliminating antigens and preventing future illness.
• circulates more oxygen to the tissues.
• increases capacity for respiration.
• strengthens the heart and other muscles in the body so that they work more efficiently.
• lowers circulating cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
• lowers low-density lipoprotein (bad) in the blood and increases high-density lipoprotein (good) holding off the incidence of coronary artery disease.
• promotes tissue repair.
• improves the brain’s responsiveness to the vestibular apparatus within the inner ear, thus improving balance.
• offers relief from neck and back pains, headaches, and other pain caused by lack of exercise. Rebound Exercise has been shown to benefit body alignment and posture.
• enhances digestion and elimination processes.
• allows for deeper and easier relaxation and sleep.
• results in better mental performance, with keener learning processes.
• minimises the number of colds, allergies, digestive disturbances, and abdominal problems.
• tends to slow down atrophy in the ageing process.

These are the three rebounding exercises:

The Health Bounce is gently bouncing up and down on a rebounder without your feet leaving the mat. It is very low impact and very effective at moving your lymphatic system. Most folks can easily do this for an hour or more while watching tv.

The Strength Bounce is jumping as high as you can. It strengthens primary and stabilizer muscles throughout your body, improves your balance, and moves your lymphatic system like nothing else. That’s what you want to work up to.

Aerobic Bouncing is jumping jacks, twisting, running in place, bouncing on one leg at a time, dancing, and any other crazy manoeuvres you can think of. Doing these high intensity aerobic exercises will get your blood pumping and your sweat on.

Do it outside in the sunshine before 10am to get your daily dose of Vitamin D at the same time.

Otherwise, there is this ...

That looks relatively easy!

Nite all.

Change of Plans

We woke up to steady rain this morning, so we decided that it was a good day to go to the movies.

We saw 'Last Vegas' today.

LOVED IT!  Hilarious and relatable .. especially for those of us over 50 yrs of age.  Great cast and I'll definitely buy a copy of the dvd when it's released.

So that meant that my cooking plans went out the window - although I did cook a chicken curry of sorts .. which I made up in my head .. which was very tricky because I've probably only cooked 3 curries in my life .. but Adoring Husband went for seconds, so I guess I did ok!

I also roasted a chicken.

I'm about to go cook some bread and make the Chocolate Hazelnut Pie as soon as I sign off here.

That will give me all of tomorrow to do my chores and pack my bags!

Being organised is not a good thing for me .. I always forget something important when I'm organised, so I need to make sure and procrastinate between now and then, just to put a bit of pressure on myself.

I do my best work under pressure.

It's been a while since I shared some quotes ...

Sniffing Rosemary improves memory

Now ... if only I could remember where I planted the rosemary!

We can't all do everything, but we can all do 'something'.

Ok I'm off to the kitchen!

Nite all.

 

My Kitchen Ruled

After a brief visit to the Seat of Knowledge this morning, I rolled up my sleeves, put my hair in a very fashionable green scrunchy and started a full day in the kitchen!

I made

• Braised Steak and Onions
• Beef Stroganoff
• Sweet Chilli Chicken Casserole
• Hot n Spicy Tomato Sauce
• Vermicelli Salad with Lemongrass Chicken

Tomorrow, I plan to make

• Chicken and Vegetable Casserole
• Chocolate Hazelnut Pie
• Coconut Love Cake
• Seedy Bread

After all of that, I have a few chores that need to be done before I go away on Saturday, as well as packing, as well as a movie date with Adoring Husband on Friday morning.

I'm looking forward to seeing the movie "Last Vegas" with Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline and Mary Steenburgen.  It looks hilarious!

This morning I got to meet our new neighbour, The Lecky, who is currently in the process of building a home on the block next door.  For the short time that I spoke with him, he seemed like a nice man, which is a relief!

I also had a surprise visit from Woman of Many Talents this afternoon and we spent an hour catching up.  I got to see the latest pics of her beautiful little grand daughters, and we've made plans to do lunch when I return from the Sunny Coast.

So it was a day full of all things good and now I think I'm ready for a long nap!

Nite all.

Go the Girlies

I caught the bus into The Bay this morning to meet the girls for a movie date.

I think today's bus driver got lessons from the other driver, Rocket Rod, because it was another hair-raising trip into town!

Luckily, one of my neighbours caught the bus too, so we had lots to chat about, which made the trip go a lot faster.

I met the girls at the shopping centre, where we all partook in some retail therapy, before making our way to the cinema.

We watched 'The Book Thief'.

What a great movie.  A drama set in Germany, during WWII, and the story told from a different angle than the usual war movie.

We all wished that we had read the book first.

It was very moving, heart wrenching at times, but so full of warmth and compassion and love.

Emily Watson and Geoffrey Rush were brilliant, as was the main actor, Sophie Nelisse.

I think I'd like to watch it again, at home, alone .. which will give me the freedom to sob uncontrollably during the parts that tugged at my heart strings.

A photo from the archives ...

Nite all.

Plans

I had big plans for the kitchen today.  I even made a list.  Then I got all involved in this movie on TV and time slipped away, so I only got a few things on my cooking list done.

I have to say that it was all pretty delicious and even Adoring Husband commented favourably!

Now I'm all involved in another movie on TV, called 'The Words' with Bradley Cooper and Jeremy Irons, so this is just a short post, so that I can continue to indulge in this movie.

Here is a photo that I took in December last year.  The delicious looking drumsticks of an Osprey!

I hope to go to the Cinema tomorrow with the girls to see 'The Book Thief', so an early night is on the cards.

Nite all.

Afternoon Light

We spent our Sunday in The Bay and then at home setting up a new TV.

Adoring Husband did some calculations and it seems that our Plasma TV has been the cause of our high power bills.

What's more, the older a Plasma TV is, the more power it consumes!  Calculations for a new Plasma, shows an added $50-$100 per quarter on the power bill.  It seems that our 6 yr old Plasma was adding about $300 per quarter to our bill .. mind you, it's on for a LOT of hours in the day.

So, we are hoping that our new 6 star LCD TV will reduce our bill considerably .. it should only cost $75 per YEAR .. if Adoring Husband's calculations are correct.  If that's the case, it should pay for itself in a year. 

This afternoon, I pedalled over to the lagoon hoping to catch a decent sunset.  I got there early enough to see the local bird life in full swing, so I captured this ..

Within 20 minutes, the sky had changed to this..

So I think it was worth the effort.  Not a masterpiece, but nice enough to share.

Tomorrow will be a day in the kitchen, to make up for today 'out' of the kitchen!

Nite all.

Strawberry Cream Pie recipe

I made this Pie yesterday, before lunch.  I had a piece for lunch, then a piece for afternoon tea, then a piece for dessert and then a piece for morning tea today.  That's how much I like it!

It's light and creamy and melts in your mouth.  It is also super healthy!!  You can eat as much as you want 'guilt' free :)

For the crust:

• 3/4 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup almonds (I used blanched) - I think you could use any combination of different nuts.
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• 3 T butter softened

Grind all of these ingredients in your food processor until they are like a crumble, then press into the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate, building up the sides slightly.

For the Filling:

• 2 cups of fresh strawberries
• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1 T vanilla extract (not essence)
• 1/2 cup raw honey
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 cup coconut oil

Place all the filling ingredients into your blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.  Carefully pour on top of the crust and refrigerate for 3 hours.  (I put it in the freezer for an hour and it was set)

Serve with fresh whipped pure cream.

I have two other pies that I'm going to try in the next couple of days.

A Chocolate Hazelnut Pie and a Lemon Slice.  I'll keep you posted.

Before I went to bed last night, I took the dogs out through the laundry door to do their business, and look who was waiting for me on the fence!!

Aren't his eyes amazing?

Well, I'm off to do some cooking .. my kitchen awaits!

Nite all.

Lazy Friday

High tide was interesting this morning.

Even though the cyclone isn't even near us, this morning's high tide, to me, seemed worse than last year when the cyclone was much closer.

This is what our waterfront looked like ...

The weather bureau has predicted three cyclones forming next week.

One in Western Australia and two in the Coral Sea, which will affect Queensland and it will, apparently, be an extreme weather event.  *insert worried face here*

Let's think positive.  Let's hope for the best.

After I came home this morning, I made a strawberry tart, which I will show you tomorrow.  Adoring Husband thought it was a bit rich, but I LOVED it and I'm not even a strawberry fan .. unless they are cold and fresh in my bowl with freshly whipped cream!

I will post a photo and the recipe tomorrow .. it's so easy to make!

Off to bed for me.

Nite all.

Fracking Cyclones

Ever heard of 'fracking'?

It's been in the news a bit lately.

Don't worry, Adoring Husband hadn't even heard of it.

If you're interested, go here, and slowly scroll down the page to follow the story with just enough detail that is very easy to understand.  The information you read, is from USA stats, but it happens in Australia too, and Queensland is the worst affected state.

Go here to see some interesting maps and read some interesting information provided by SBS about CSG and fracking and broken rules.

On the weather front at the moment, we have a cyclone to the north which should be crossing the coast between Townsville and Mackay in the early hours of tomorrow morning (by the time you read this, it will have already crossed).

To give you an idea of where Adoring Husband and I are, in the big picture ...

We should get some nice rain out of it .. which we need, but the cyclone is playing havoc with the tides, which are much bigger than normal and it's even possible that we could get our feet a little wet at the Seat of Knowledge tomorrow morning as the tide reaches it's peak.

The spiel with this map warned of impending water spouts and tornadoes between Townsville and Mackay and also on the western edge of the cyclone .. which kind of puts a chill up my spine .. for obvious reasons.

My sister lives in the area to the west.  She is annoyed that the people in her town have begun panic buying, because the shelves were bare in her local supermarket.  I just hope that she will be ok.

My brother is on the northern edge of the cyclone and has received approx 350ml of rain in the past few days and currently has storms rolling through to the north.  He seems to think that he won't be any more affected than that.

A cousin is on Magnetic Island and right in the thick of it.  Uncles, Aunties and cousins in Mackay and Townsville.

Good luck to you all and I hope that you will be safe and secure during the next couple of days.  I know that it's of no use to you, but you will be in my thoughts!

I got to have a little chat on the phone with my Chicklet today.  She will celebrate her 3rd birthday next month, so I'll be heading down that way at the end of next week to be there for the big party!

That also means that this blog will celebrate it's third birthday on 10th February!  Who'da thunk I'd still be committed to writing here after three years?!  Amazing.

Nite all.

Positively Great

I was introduced to a blog, ages ago (and by ages, I mean at least 2 yrs ago), by Vegan Chickie.

The blog is called 'Yes and Yes - because yes is more fun than no'

If I recall correctly, one of Vegan Chickie's photos was selected for the 'Yes and Yes' calendar that they issue every year.

Admittedly, as my life has filled with lots of other interesting things like photography, cooking, health and nutrition, visiting the Sunny Coast regularly,  I haven't followed the blog for over a year, even though I still receive the posts through my RSS feed.  I kind of just ignore it.

HOWEVER .. today I just happened to have a look, and Sarah Von, the writer, shared something that she does every day, and which I think is a great idea.

She keeps a note book beside her bed and at night before she goes to sleep, she writes down five great things that happened to her that day.

It could be something as small as enjoying a take-away coffee from the local cafe or as big as the birth of a grandchild or something like 'I bought a nice sharp pair of scissors today'!

Then on the opposite page, she writes a list of five things that she has to do tomorrow.  It could be cleaning the toilet, attending an important meeting, paying a bill, climbing a mountain, visiting a friend .. whatever!

She says that it makes her feel good about the day that she just had and helps her relax about tomorrow so that she can sleep more soundly.  She even mentioned that her brain conjures up ideas in her sleep, so that things run more smoothly the next day!

It just so happens that I bought myself a lovely little notepad while shopping with Adoring Husband yesterday.  It has a black cover with three words #EAT #PRAY #WRITE written on the front.  I have a bit of a 'thing' for stationery .. much the same as my 'thing' for shoes and handbags lol.

I buy notepads and journals and diaries, but don't like to write in them, because that would spoil their crisp, clean beauty!

I bought this one, telling myself that I would use it .. for something!  Now I've found the 'something' that I'm going to use it for and it will go on my bedside table, starting tonight!

I logged into Google+ today and look what I discovered!!  Google+ played with the Mickey photo to make it snow!

Pretty cool huh?

While I was sitting at the Seat of Knowledge this morning, I noticed a husband and wife walking along the river path, when they stopped, and were looking intently up between two houses nearby.  They edged closer and closer to the houses and kept whispering to each other.

After about 10 minutes, they continued on their walk, and as they got closer to the SOK, I caught their attention and asked what they had noticed between the houses.

They told me that there was a large goanna standing on it's hind legs, so I grabbed my camera and went investigating.

He was a mighty find specimen!

I think he liked the feel of the warm concrete on his belly.

An interesting thing happened today.  A facebook friend, from my 104 photography group, requested, via a facebook post,  a volunteer to help her with an assignment.

She is studying the Higher Dip in Nutritional Medicine and needed a volunteer to provide their diet details via a daily diary, which she made up and emailed through to me.

It will be interesting for me to see exactly what I consume in a week too, so I'm very keen to help her.

She also gave me a couple of recommendations for nutrition courses that were not on my list, so I will follow them up too.

I might get to bed before midnight tonight!  Wish me luck.

Nite all.

Another Date Day

We had the choice of five movies at the cinema this morning.

The 9.30am screenings included two animated children's movies, two very emotionally intense dramas and an action movie that had terrible reviews, which Adoring Husband had read to me a couple of nights ago.

There were a LOT of children at the cinema for the two animated movies .. it seems that not all ages returned to school today .. so those movies were quickly crossed off the list.

I really didn't want to start my day in emotional turmoil and with tears streaming down my cheeks, so the dramas were crossed off the list.

Movie critics annoy me, and more often than not, they are way off the mark, so I was willing to give the action movie a chance.

I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit"  It had me sitting on the edge of my seat for most of the movie and one of it's stars is one of my favourites, Kevin Costner.

Chris Pine and Keira Knightley were great, and Kenneth Brannagh acted in it, as well as Directed it!

We relaxed with a coffee in the cafe before the cinema opened and then during the movie, we enjoyed some popcorn, water and a nice little bag of grapes that I snuck in my handbag.

Afterwards, we had some heavy duty shopping to do because the stores in my pantry were very low, so a trip to 'Nana's Pantry' and 'Go Natural Foods' just about emptied our bank account!  But now I'm all set for a couple of marathon cooking days!

The most exciting part of my shopping day, was finding some Kefir Grains!

I've read so much about Kefir and I just wasn't confident about making my own, but now I have a starter and I should be able to keep up a regular supply!

Kefir is a drink made from kefir grains and it has the consistency of a drinkable yogurt but is much more tart and is actually effervescent.

Kefir has 35 different strains of beneficial bacteria and yeasts which actually colonize our digestive tracts and therefore boosts our immune system by keeping the healthy bacteria there.

Next on my list is finding a Kombucha 'Scoby'.  I'll explain that another day!

On the way home, we had to make way for a couple of Rural Fire Brigade trucks and we could see that they were headed for a rather large fire, but by the time we got home, there were warnings on the radio telling people in the area that if they didn't have a plan, they should get out of their homes now!

The warning was being repeated every ten minutes on the radio for at least two hours.

We've had such terrible winds, including today, so I imagine that the fire got out of control pretty quickly.  It's classed as 'A Major Fire Incident' on the Rural Fire Service website.

I hope that no property has been damaged or destroyed and that nobody has been hurt.

In case you're wondering, it's nowhere near here and it's heading in a direction away from our place, so we are in no danger.

That's my day in a nutshell and now I need to catch up on some recorded TV shows!

Nite all.

Good and Bad

Table Salt = BAD!

Table salt, which is 97% Sodium Chloride (NaCl) is chemically produced, bleached and devoid of most other nutrients. It also contains Aluminium, which has been linked to Alzheimer's disease and other problems in the body.

This type of salt is not naturally occurring and in fact, when salt-water fish are placed in salt water made with table salt… they die.

This type of salt is also devoid of the many trace minerals that the body needs… so it is a wise decision to avoid it.

If you have any of this type of table salt around your house, I’d recommend that you stop using it immediately. Don’t throw it out though… you can use it in natural cleaning and stain treatment. (Just don’t eat it!)

Real Salt = Good!

To the degree that table salt is bad, real salt is healthy, necessary and good.

Consider this: the body contains high concentrations of many minerals and nutrients, and while it needs water, it also must have the proper concentration of these nutrients in bones, blood and organs to function properly.

A person can’t be given an IV of plain water- it must contain a careful balance of minerals, including salt!

Here are five reasons I personally make sure I consume enough healthy salt each day:

1. For Insulin Sensitivity:  Research is showing a link between low salt consumption and insulin resistance (and moderate/high salt intake and insulin sensitivity).  With the rising rates of blood sugar related problems, this is an important factor to consider.
2. Hydration:  Drinking 'Sole' (a specially hydrated salt water) every morning for an energy boost, a reduction in allergy symptoms and for hydration, will give your body lots of trace minerals which are essential for proper hydration.
3. Longevity:  Low salt intake is actually linked to shorter life expectancy.
4. Hormones:  Real salt clears cortisol from the blood, which takes your stress away.
5. Digestion:  Salt activates an enzyme in the mouth, called 'salivary amylase'.  At this point, the salt allows your taste buds to taste the food.  Salt also plays a role in digestion, by helping to break down food.  Salt also creates hydrochloric acid which is a very important digestive secretion, which lines the stomach walls.

Himalayan Pink salt is my favourite.  It has a milder flavour and has 84 trace elements and iron.  So toss that table and cooking salt away and be kind to your body with some nice healthy pink Himalayan salt.

We've got a double challenge in flickr again this month.  

I haven't been out and about with my camera much this month, except for the road trip, and to be honest, I didn't even think about using those photos *forehead slap* so I've used a couple of 'desperate situations, call for desperate measures' photos.

The first challenge is "Can you hear this sound" and I used the Village Voices photo for that ...

The second challenge is 'Weather'.  The only weather we've had for some time is WIND!  So, this morning, I got this photo, of the sand blowing erratically across the beach ...

I don't expect that either of my photos will do any good this month, but it's good to submit photos, to keep the numbers up, and to keep the competition honest.

I've started compiling a list of 'Questions that you should ask your parents before it's too late'.

The reason for this compilation is because of a conversation with some friends yesterday morning.  A couple of us no longer have our parents living, so when we have questions, there is nobody to ask.

I'll probably post a few questions each day, because there will be too many to post in one day!  Stay tuned.

I'm off to watch "MKR" - first episode of the season.

Nite all.

Australia Day 2014

My goodness, the weather wants to remind us about last year, by providing us with 48kph winds and 70kph gusts!

There are strong wind warnings all along the Queensland coast from as far north as Townsville, all the way south to the Gold Coast.

As if we need to be reminded!

During the week, I got a call from 'The Artist', advising me that our friend 'The Beauty' would be presented with a special Australia Day gift from the town of Burrum Heads to acknowledge and recognise her value in our community and to thank her for her friendship and continued involvement in community activities.

This presentation was to remain a secret and my job was to contact her husband 'The Beast' to make sure she attended the Australia Day celebrations at the Community Hall.

So I conspired with 'our group' and we planned to all go together, inviting 'Beauty and the Beast', for the Australia Day sausage sizzle breakfast, the raising of the flag and then the entertainment in the hall afterwards .. which would include the presentation for 'The Beauty'.

I must say, it's a little bit stressful trying to organise surprises like this, without letting the cat out of the bag!

But we were successful and The Beauty appeared to be very surprised and very happy.

It was an interesting morning and I got to meet our local member, Cr Rolf Light and the Fraser Coast, Mayor Gerard O'Connell.  They were very friendly, making small talk about the weather, comparing it to last year, and Rolf Light even shared photos of his beloved dog wearing a diamonte tiara!

These are just a few photos from our morning at the Community Hall.  A pleasant time was had by all.

Adoring Husband and I visited some other friends for a couple of hours after lunch.  By the time we got there, everybody was very merry with a few drinks already under their belts and then we left just before they went over the edge with drunken festivities.

I enjoyed catching up with a few people .. those that we only get to see three or four times each year.

Tonight we met friends at the local Bowls Club for dinner.  Unfortunately, half an hour after we'd placed our orders, one of the kitchen staff came out to tell me that they couldn't provide that meal gluten free and would I like to choose another meal.

That was annoying, because then I had to wait for another 40 minutes for my meal, by which time, everybody else had received and eaten theirs.  So they were all waiting for me to finish before they went home.

Still, it was a nice meal which I enjoyed and the company was special.  I sat with two of the most polite, courteous and genuinely friendly teenagers that I've ever had the pleasure to meet.  So I thoroughly enjoyed that part of the evening.

So our Australia Day was full of friendship and smiles .. just the way Australia Day should be.

Nite all.
  

Define Poison

Bleach.

Bleach is one of the most corrosive and deadly chemicals, yet they still sell it in the supermarket.

Bleach is a known carcinogen and is also linked to fertility issues, miscarriages and birth defects.

When household bleach is mixed with waste water - such as that in your toilet - it is found to form numerous organic compounds.  Two of those compounds are chloroform, which can cause dizziness, headache, respiratory issues, heart attack, liver and kidney damage, birth defects and more - and carbon tetrachloride - nerve damage, liver and kidney degeneration, coma and death.

If you're interested in keeping yourself and your family safe and healthy, it's worth following up the dangers of household bleach.

What is bleach?

The dangers of bleach

Why is bleach bad for me?

Of course there will always be someone to tell you how safe household bleach is, because after all, the bottom line is the dollar, but I will repeat my mantra ... question EVERYTHING.

Yesterday, I made some Fresh Mint and Chocolate Brownies .. gluten free, sugar free, grain free, egg free and dairy free.

Very rich and very tasty, but a bit too minty for me .. I will probably reduce the amount of mint in it next time.

This morning I finally had an attempt at Sauerkraut.

"Sauerkraut provides a high-density source of a wide range of beneficial live lactic acid bacteria which assist in the digestive process, produce a variety of vitamins and other nutrients, and keep harmful micro-organisms at bay. A single serving of genuine raw sauerkraut gives your body a bigger health boost than any of the expensive probiotic drinks and supplements sold in stores.

Cruciferous vegetables (also known as Brassicaceae or Brassicas) include broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard, cress, horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, mustard greens, radish, rutabagas, turnip and watercress.

Cabbage, brussels sprouts and other brassicas offer a host of health benefits. They are high in vitamins A and C. Cabbage provides a rich source of antioxidants. Studies have shown that the cruciferous vegetables can help lower cholesterol levels; have anti-inflammatory properties; and help prevent and combat many cancers.

A phytonutrient in these vegetables named glucosinolate significantly enhances your liver's detoxification ability. It is believed that eating these foods every day will halve your risk of getting cancer.

Some of the phytonutrients in this family seem to be able to protect mucous membranes, especially in the lungs and digestive tract. They are effective guardians against cancer, ulcers and infections in the digestive tract."

Sauerkraut must be raw

Most sauerkraut sold in supermarkets and shops is pasteurised. The beneficial bacteria and other organisms have been destroyed so that it has a long shelf life, and there is no risk of the jar exploding from pressure build-up. To gain the benefits from sauerkraut, it MUST be made the traditional way and consumed raw - best to learn how to make your own.

For more information and a recipe (which is not the same as mine) go here.

That's it for my Saturday.

At 3.30am tomorrow morning, it will be exactly one year since the tornado hit our town.  One year on and still there are a few repairs not finished.  

We have a big day planned starting with breakfast at the community hall, a barbecue with friends at lunchtime and then dinner at the local Bowls Club with more friends.  It will be a big day .. although I have a funny feeling that there will be some wet stuff falling out of the sky.

Happy Australia Day everybody.

Nite all.

An Hour to Kill

I've never been a fan of fad diets, though I admit to attempting a few of them in my youth.  The most successful of them, for me, was the low carbohydrate diet, on which I lost 14kgs in 1982, and which, funnily enough is very close to what I am doing now on my own created diet, quite unintentionally.

So when I read about current fad diets via my friends on facebook, I am, from a nutrition point of view,  quite judgemental and it's difficult for me to zip my lip.

Sometimes, I really can't zip my lip .. especially when people take 'fat' completely out of their diets .. luckily, they are always happy to hear my advice about eating 'full fat' .. they are rarely happy to hear that in conjunction with that, they need to cut refined sugar!

Another fad diet was mentioned in a facebook conversation today.  The 5:2 diet.  Where you eat whatever you want, and as much as you want for 5 days and then 'fast' for two days.

I highly doubted this to be a healthy way to live, but a friend shared this ...

Eat, Fast and Live Longer

So if you have an hour to spare, it's quite an interesting doco, that takes you on a series of different 'fasting' ideas, and it's more about the positive effects it has on your 'insides' eg blood sugar, cholesterol and risk factors for cancers, stroke and heart disease, than actually losing weight .. which is the bonus.

I don't think I would try it because, as far as health and wellbeing goes, I like the way my current diet makes me feel and I enjoy the food I eat now.

The thing I found most interesting in the doco, was how your body, during a 'fast', repairs damaged cells, including brain cells .. and how they are experimenting, using mice, on the effects of fasting on Alzheimer's Disease.

Anyway, I thought it was worth sharing here.

I hoped to have some new photos and a recipe to add, but Adoring Husband came out of his procedure with flying colours, so we did some socialising tonight.

This means that I have nothing more to add and I am off for an early night and hopefully an early morning for sunrise!

Nite all.

Contentious

This is a subject that is becoming important to me .. and to vaccinate or not, is not a decision that I need to make these days, because my kids are grown.

I will never have a flu vaccination myself and I would fight tooth and nail to stop Adoring Husband from having one .. although in the end, of course, the decision is his .. but I would make sure he read every skerrick of information available, so that his decision was well informed and not just based on his Dr's recommendation, or media scare tactics.

I found this very interesting blog today, that provides extensive information regarding all forms of vaccinations.

87 Published Works on Vaccines and Adverse Health Concerns

Each one of these is linked to research information .. where you can read a summary of the research conducted, or go deeper and get more detailed information.

I recently posted an article on facebook regarding the dangers of vaccinations and three of my facebook friends (who are also my friends in real life) put a comment up, warning me about how dangerous my information was.

Personally, I believe that media scare tactics are more dangerous than my information.

I believe that too many people take media reports as law, and don't do enough research themselves, to make informed decisions about something so important as vaccinations.

I'm absolutely certain that your Dr .. the one so willing to inject you with this concoction .. cannot tell you what ingredients are in the vaccination syringe, what each ingredient does to build your immunity against infection of these diseases or flus, or what the side effects are and 'everything' that you should be looking out for after a vaccination.

All of this information is important and you have a right to know the answers.  It's your responsibility to educate yourself and know what you are allowing to be injected into your baby's or child's body... or your own body for that matter.

There is so much negative information hidden from the general public and so many lies told.

Fifty years ago, doctors recommended smoking cigarettes as a way of relaxing and claimed that they had no adverse affects and that smoking was not addictive.

Fifty + years ago, doctors prescribed Thalidomide for morning sickness, and continued to do so for years, even after it was suspected of causing birth defects and miscarriage.  10,000 children, in 46 different countries were affected before they finally withdrew the drug from sales.

In 1999, an anti-inflammatory drug, called Vioxx was released, and is estimated to have caused 139,000 heart attacks before it was recalled.  It took 5 years before it was taken off the market!  That particular drug company made $2.5 billion from that drug.

More than 60 yrs ago DDT was declared 'so safe you could eat it' but it was banned in Australia in 1987 and we now know that DDT is a carcinogen and also causes birth defects.  So, for forty years, they poisoned us, before declaring it unsafe.

Well, instead of me listing the drugs, here is a link that lists more than 60 drugs that were released to the public and found later to cause deaths, heart attacks, cancer, deformities .. among other things.

This is why it's important to educate yourself about the drugs that you are going to put into your mouth or have injected into your body.

The pharmaceutical companies want to make as much money as possible and in most cases, the money that they pay in compensation damages, is a spit in the ocean compared to the billions that they make in profits.

Governments in most countries now trust the pharmaceutical companies to do the adequate testing on new drugs before release.

Basically, we are the guinea pigs, so it's up to us to take care of ourselves.

So, if I post information regarding vaccinations or prescription drugs on facebook, or here in my blog, unless you are prepared to read the information, please don't tell me that what I am doing is dangerous, because, in actual fact, by ignoring half of the available facts, what YOU are doing, is dangerous.

... and now for something a little more light hearted ...

Here is my photo for a mini challenge in one of the photography pages that I joined in facebook.  The theme is 'Yellow'.

... and here is my photo for the 104 group challenge which is themed 'white' (Yes I know! Both are colours - purely co-incidental!)

That's my cue to go to bed.  It's well after midnight again.

Nite all.  

Seriously?! Saturated fats are good!

Adoring Husband has to have a medical procedure performed this Friday and has been put on a 'special' diet.

This is a diet recommended by a Gastroenterologist.  A qualified one.  You know?  One that went to medical school for a good number of years, so that he/she could make people healthy?

These are the meal options, as recommended by the Gastroenterologist, to be eaten during the four days leading up to the procedure.

BREAKFAST:

• Cornflakes or Ricebubbles
• White toast with honey or marmalade
• Scrambled eggs on white toast
• Pancakes
• Apple Juice
• Tea or Coffee

MORNING TEA:

• Plain scones, plain biscuits, vanilla yoghurt or pikelets

LUNCH:

• Chicken soup (without vegetables)
• White bread sandwich with chicken/turkey/cheese
• Apple Juice, lemonade or lemon cordial
• Tea or Coffee

AFTERNOON TEA:

• The same as morning tea

DINNER:

• Chicken/Fish/Pork
• Potato/Pumpkin/Sweet Potato
• Boiled white rice
• White pasta
• Apple juice, lemonade or lemonade cordial
• Tea or Coffee

In the 24 hours prior to the procedure, he can only have clear broth or clear fruit juices, bonox or lucozade.

Call me crazy, but this is an invasive procedure that requires him to be anaesthetised, so I believe that his body needs to be as healthy as is possible, with strong immunity.

This will enable his liver to filter and remove the toxic anaesthetic concoction, as quickly as possible, and will help him to recover quickly from having foreign objects inside his body.

From what I can see, everything here (aside from the sweet potato and pumpkin) is 'white' food.  White food full of gluten and sugar and sodium and caffeine.

I can't think of any other foods that could possibly weaken his immune system more than gluten and sugar.

So I decided to do some of my own research and discovered that prior to this particular procedure, people must eat a 'low residue' diet and the actual list of fresh fruit and vegetables allowed on this diet is much more extensive than that shown on the sheet we were given by the Gastroenterologist.

Every day, in every way, I am questioning the common sense of these people who have our health in their hands.

Next, I'd like to add some links to information about saturated fats.  We've been told for 40 yrs that they are bad and contribute to heart disease, but this is not the case and these links will take you to up-to-date information regarding saturated fats .. and each of these links have further links to take you to even more information, if you choose to go further into it.

Eating-fat-is-good-for-you-Doctors-change-their-minds-after-40-years

Enjoy-saturated-fats-theyre-good-for-you

Saturated-fat-healthy

Last, but not least, an old photo of me, taken in 1987, all dressed up for the Policemen's Ball.  Sheriff Roz, attempting to look mean!

Nite all

More 'do' than 'don't'

With so many stories in the media telling us what not to eat or drink, it's very difficult to determine what is actually good for us, or what we SHOULD be eating or drinking.

If you're a fussy eater, it's virtually impossible to eat a healthy, well balanced diet and when your working life brings a high stress load, then the low nutrient foods that you do eat, just exacerbates your problems.

Your hormones and sugar levels and therefore your moods become erratic and it's difficult to get through the day without feeling overwhelmed with various emotions as the day wears on and by the time you get home, you're too exhausted to do anything except grab a beer or a can of coke out of the fridge and snack on high sugar and high sodium snacks as you collapse on the couch.

If your life is busy, complex or complicated, where your time is limited for each of the duties that you have to perform during the day, plus you have to maintain a home, care for children, share yourself equally between a number of different people/jobs/locations, then generally speaking, taking care of yourself seems to slide very low down the priority list.

The trouble is, the longer you neglect your health, the more likely your body is going to break down with problems like high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, hyper/hypothyroidism, cancers and even problems like headaches, joint pain and allergies, which disrupt your already full and busy life.

I was reading a story online the other day which surmised that the current generation of young people will die before their parents, because their diets are so full of sugars, chemical and synthetic additives, and are so lacking in vitamins, minerals and nutrients that their bodies are almost malnourished and chronic diseases will develop much earlier than in their parents or grandparents.

I was speaking to one of the checkout ladies at my local supermarket yesterday as she weighed and packed my shopping which consisted totally of fruit and vegetables, when she commented about how healthy my purchases were.

I told her about my new eating regime and what I had cut from my diet and she looked at me as if I was crazy and said "I thought about doing something like that .. but it means all you can basically eat, is fruit and vegetables and meat!!  I just couldn't do that!  And the other thing is, all that healthy stuff is so expensive!"

I replied "Well, yes, and so are all the medications that you'll be on for your high blood pressure and your diabetes and your thyroid condition."

"Oh God!" she said "That's already started for me!"

She is only in her late 30s.

So I thought maybe a list of 'do eats' instead of 'don't eats' would make it easier to look at making some dietary decisions.

• Chicken, turkey, veal, bacon, lamb, venison, rabbit, kangaroo, beef, fish and shellfish. 
• Asparagus, avocado, artichokes, brussel sprouts, carrots, spinach, celery, broccoli, zucchini, cabbage, capsicum, cauliflower, eggplant, onions, pumpkin, sweet potato, potato, beetroot, corn, beans, peas, turnips, parsnips, silverbeet, pak choy, bok choy, kale, lettuce, radish and cucumber.
• Apple, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, oranges, lemons, kiwi fruit, bananas, pawpaw, papaya, mango, tomato, grapes, lychee, plums, apricots, peaches, mulberries, passionfruit, figs, watermelon, guava, lime, raspberries, tangerine, rockmelon, rhubarb and any other fruit you can think of.
• Almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, pine nuts (which are not actually nuts), pumpkins seeds, sunflower seeds, macadamia nuts, walnuts and brazil nuts, sesame seeds, poppy seeds.
• Coconut oil, macadamia oil, avocado oil and butter.  Olive oil .. only used cold .. not for cooking.
• Soft cheeses, full cream milk, full cream cream, full cream plain yoghurt, greek yoghurt and butter.
• Eggs.
• Quinoa, rice, GF oats, rice bran, psyllium, linseed.
• Raw honey, pure maple syrup, coconut sugar, rapidura sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, shredded coconut, desiccated coconut, shaved coconut.
• Coconut water, coconut milk, coconut cream, coconut butter.
• Almond milk, rice milk.
• Quinoa flour, chick pea flour, potato starch, brown rice flour, tapioca flour, GF cornflour and almond flour (in moderation).
• Parsley, rosemary, basil, thyme, mint, dill, coriander, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, paprika, cayenne pepper, chilli, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper and any other herb or spice that you can think of.
• Water - lots of it.

Ok, that's off the top of my head and covers a lot!  I'm sure that I've also left a LOT off this list too. 

Of course, the other requirement is knowing how to cook .. or at least knowing how to read and follow a recipe.  I know some 30+ year olds who have never actually cooked a meal, other than toasting bread or putting frozen processed food into a microwave or conventional oven.

Think of it as a challenge!

I've learned to care about, and try to take charge of my own health because I want to be in my children's and my grandchildren's lives. I want to be around for a lot longer than my parents and I want to have a good quality of life.

That's important to me.

Nite all.

Super Walnut Coconut Oil Fudge

I made this delicious fudge today.  Instead of using all walnuts, I used half hazelnuts, half walnuts for one batch.

The other batch, I replaced the nuts with desiccated coconut.

They are delicious ... and so easy to make (as long as you have a food processor)

Super Walnut Coconut Oil Fudge

1 cup raw walnut pieces
1/2 cup raw cacao powder
1/2 cup softened/melted organic coconut oil
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 pinches sea salt

Garnish: 3/4 cup rough chopped raw walnuts

In a food processor, blend 1 cup walnut pieces, cacao powder, softened coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla and sea salt together.  Reserve 3/4 cup walnuts for garnish.

Line a small square dish with baking paper. I used a small loaf tin lined with a baking paper for one and a chinese container lined with baking paper for the other.

Scoop the fudge batter into square dish. Top with chopped walnuts, pushing some in as you go, and add a finishing layer. Freeze for an hour or more.

Chop into squares, ENJOY! Tastes amazing when chilled or right out of the freezer! (Best stored in the freezer).

All of the ingredients are good for you and they taste delicious!

Haven't had a chance to take any photos lately, so I rode down to the lagoon yesterday morning and watched the bees buzzing around the lilies.

... and that's it for my life today.

Nite all.