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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