sunday

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gentle winds stirring through seasoned branches,
 verdant and unyielding, 

sharp mineral smell of rain on the gentle air
softly cloaking my shoulders; 

thoughtful, quiet; 
grateful for all that I am blessed with . . .

peaceful thoughts to nourish the soul . . . gentle food to nourish the body: we become what we are made of


Super Simple Superfruit Smoothie

ingredients:

1 cup fresh (or frozen) mixed summer berries
2 juicy nectarines - roughly chopped
1 cup fresh spinach leaves
juice of half a lemon
2 cups water
2 teaspoons ground flax seeds
a few coconut flakes to decorate 

directions:

• blitz all of the ingredients except coconut flakes together in blender / smoothie maker until completely smooth
• adjust with more water if needed to get the consistency you prefer

relax and enjoy :)

 . . . and maybe listen to a little Holden - Renata (Daphni remix)

note: if you like things a little sweeter add some honey/agave nectar, or replace nectarines with banana - although doing this will mean it isn't suitable for food combining. 

There are lots of theories and diets surrounding the idea of 'healthy' eating - it can be very confusing, but I definitely feel better and more energetic when I eat food that's as close to nature as possible (organic and non-processed), that's mostly alkaline forming (check out a list of alkaline foods on this wonderful blog by The Alkaline Sisters, a large proportion of raw food, and in a beneficial combination that works with my body rather than against it!:

mostly veg and fruits (lots of variety and lots of greens!)

nuts and seeds

quinoa

eggs and fish 

and lots of water - here's why!

it really doesn't have to be complicated - but it does have to be packed with flavour and delicious :))

change . . .

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so . . . gradually, slowly, I can feel life shifting, changing - and it's changing all because I decided to go live the life I had imagined.

When I realised that my life is what it is because of my expectations and the choices I make, and that those start with thoughts, it was all very simple!

I needed to start making choices based on what I really wanted, instead of what I thought I could have . . .

Well, that may sound very simplistic, and it is . . . once I realised that if I wanted my life to be a certain way it was no good making choices that didn't reflect that. If you want beautiful things in your life, you'll never have them while you choose second best in the belief that it's the best that you can have - if it's not right, don't compromise. If you compromise your dreams then you have a life full of compromises and not the beauty, love, and bright energy that we all carry inside us, but so often hide, just because someone else says they don't like us that way!

It's taken me a long time to get here, and every lesson learned has been a blessing . . . but now it's time to claim 'me' back. Now that I know that it's me who creates it, it's time to go live that wonderful life; without apology and with grace and love . . .

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The way I think about food is changing too - although way back in the 80's I got interested in the principles of the Hay Diet as an approach to eating better, and it grew my life-long fascination with the connection between food and well-being. Food as sustenance as well as just great taste; surely one of life's great pleasures is sharing food with those you love!

With so many fabulous blogs out there, an alternative take on what we eat is so easy to explore now, with exciting and inspiring ideas and so many wonderfully creative people . . . so here's a start with some fantastic grain free pancakes that will leave you energised and wanting more, instead of full and flumpy like the traditional heavy ones made with wheat!

After all - wheat's not the only grain - think outside of the box!

Grain Free Banana Pancakes

(very slighlty adapted from the wonderful straight into bed cakefree and dried blog)

Ingredients:

1 large banana
1 large free range egg
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup arrowroot
ground almonds - any nuts will do, but I had almonds to hand

Directions:

• Blitz all ingredients except the nuts and the arrowroot in a food processor
• pulse in arrowroot briefly until mixed
• slowly add the ground nuts - I used almonds - until you get a fairly thick batter - think drop-scones or american pancakes!
• heat your skillet and lightly oil, then drop in about 2 tablespoons of the mixture at a time and cook over a lowish heat to avoid them burning before they're cooked through

I topped mine with some home-made salted caramel that I still had from making cupcakes a while back, and some toasted almonds for crunch - yum!

                     "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the      life you have imagined"

Henry David Thoreau

                                                                 

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