SUGAR AND SALT FREE BREAKFAST IDEAS/RECIPES

I love to eat, and I endeavour to eat slowly and mindfully (enjoying the taste and texture of the food), usually on the couch looking outside, quietly, with no tv or music. I love food and I am fussy; if it isn't good to eat I wont eat it.  

The breakfast ideas below are tried and true.

I try to mix them up.  I am not on a grain or gluten free diet, and I realise that fruit is fructose (a form of sugar), but I am only cane sugar and salt free at this stage. Even the small changes I have made have had a big impact on my well being.  

My breakfast standards/pleasures ... every morning:

Brewed coffee (never instant) with organic milk.

A large green tea with mint and a squeeze of  lemon juice that I sip on while I make breakfast and wait for the coffee to brew. (I sometimes shave some fresh ginger into the tea too).

I also have vitamin supplements: 1x magnesium/calcium, 1x multivit, 2x fish oils, 1x ‘skin/hair/nails’ targeted mix.

Breakfasts:

(All of these meals can also be dinner/lunch/brunch whatever!)

- One lightly cooked egg with mushrooms and spinach (I use grapeseed oil or ghee to cook with as they have a high heat tolerance) on home made bread*.  Slather with lime-infused olive oil and zatar** herb mix for taste.

- Hot oat porridge (or cold as a muesli) with nuts and seeds, cinnamon, frozen berries, chia, some shredded coconut, home made full fat Greek yoghurt*** and honey. 

- Baked pearl barley milk porridge**** with apple and berries, yoghurt and honey/maple syrup.

- Home made, no sugar banana bread or my own fruit bread with either home made cream cheese,*****  tahini or peanut butter and honey or sugar free jam****** 

- Chopped fresh fruit and yoghurt sprinkled with toasted nuts and seeds

- Almond meal and wholemeal flour pancakes.  Top with frozen berries melted in warm maple syrup. 

- Home made bread with avocado, olive oil and zatar

*       Home made bread:  I use a bread maker.  4 cups bread flour, 1 1/2 tsp dry yeast, 410 ml liquid (usually whey or whey and water), 1 tblsp grape seed oil, 1 tblsp rice malt syrup. 

You can add an extra 40ml of liquid and a couple of spoons of chia seeds too.  

**     Zatar: a dry herb mix of thyme, oregano, sumac and sesame seeds:  sprinkle on everything 

***   Greek yogurt: I use the New Zealand Eziyo 'make your own at home' full fat Greek base, and use some of the yogurt for making cream cheese and whey

****  Baked pearl barley porridge: I modified a version I sourced from the blog 'Scandi food'.  Soak overnight 1 cup pearl barley in 3 cups of organic milk. Next day chop in two apples, a tsp of cinnamon and a big handful of frozen berries.  Mix and put in the oven with a lid or aluminum foil on top for 1 1/2 hours on 160-180C until all milk is soaked in.  Yum hot or cold with yogurt and maple syrup.  (Pearl barley is an acquired taste.  I love it!) 

***** Home made cream cheese: Simple, simple, simple.  Use a muslin cloth, put in as much yogurt as you want (I put in half a litre at a time) twist the top of the cloth and put it in a sieve over a bowl with a weight like a saucer on top.  Leave for 2-3 hours (the longer you leave it the firmer it gets).  The liquid that drains out is the whey and I use it for cooking.  Whey freezes well.  

****** In Australia Dick Smith makes a lovely sugar free marmalade; the strawberry and the apricot jams are nice too (forget the fig!), but the jars are dumb! You can’t get everything out and they are too long for a normal tea spoon!

I will get the recipes for the fruit bread, pancakes and banana bread to you next time.

Enjoy your breakfasts.  :)

Sugar and salt free ....

I previously posted my initial efforts to ‘find myself’.  

I thought I would start with my diet and a positive routine and work from there.

Stage 1: 

I established a very loose morning routine that I seem to be able to stick to 4-5 days a week. 

Yoga (my own routine) for 30 minutes with deep breathing.

Take time to do things, no rushing.

Slow breakfast, no tv.  

Think positive calm thoughts whenever I can remind myself throughout the day.

It is going ok, minor hiccups.  

Stage 2: 

I took myself almost totally off sugar and salt, and started eating a modified version of a ‘James Duigan/Sarah Wilson/flat stomach/mainly 'home made organic’ diet.

It is a weird mish-mash of conscious eating that has had a surprising result.  I am losing weight even though I am eating more; my skin is happy and my digestion has improved.  It is a bit of extra work, but I cook/prepare for several days and just reheat.

The main premise is - most of my meals revolve around huge serves of veges and beans and fruit.  Lots of olive oil, tahini and nuts, avocados, greek yoghurt.  Green tea with lemon. Home-made oat-based muesli, at any time of the day.  Other whole-grains/bread once a day.  

The obvious side effects of a heavy veg/fruit/pulse diet don't occur, because of the oil, nuts/seeds and avocado. Olives are also supposed to help.  I read that this would be the case, and it is!  Go figure!

So, what do I do?

- I make my own bread in a bread maker (using bulk baker’s flour, not pre-packaged  which are packed with salt).  (Note: I bought my bread maker in a second hand shop for $12 and it works great!).  I slice the bread and freeze it.  Instead of using cane sugar to help the yeast along I use either honey or rice malt syrup.

- I make my own yoghurt (I use the Eziyo full fat Greek) and make my own cream cheese and whey with it.  I love yoghurt on my vege stews.

- I use the whey instead of water/buttermilk when making bread, muffins, etc.  I freeze the whey if I have too much.

- I make my own vegetable stock and freeze it.

- I sprout my own beans, almonds and chick peas. I freeze these too.

- I try to have half an avocado a day.

- Fish 2-3 times per week.  Either canned tuna in olive oil (Safcol), salmon (Safcol) or sardines in oil (Brunswick).  I choose these brands because they are sustainably fished and they taste nicer than other brands too (also; Safcol is 100% olive oil: brands like Sirena mix their oils with canola etc).  If I can, I get fresh fish. 

- An egg once or twice a week and always use one in baking where one is needed.  

- I use vegetables fresh or frozen, not canned any more (sigh, I will have to learn to make my own baked beans!) This is because of the possible toxicity of the lining inside the cans. Frozen veges include  peas, corn, broad beans and the occasional block of spinach. 

- No more tinned tomatoes.  Only passata in glass bottles, with two ingredients ‘tomato and salt’ (salt reduced version). The passata can be a bit tart, so I caramelise onions prior to adding passata and this evens things out great.

- The only veges I never eat are potatoes and garlic due to personal preference.

- I use lots of fresh and dried herbs and spices and lots of onions and leeks.

- I pour olive oil over everything after cooking. I especially love the infused oils (yum for chilli and lime).  I use grape seed oil when baking and cooking instead of butter.

- I love peanut butter and tahini and use them as thickeners in stews. 

- I sprinkle seeds and nuts over everything (I love sesame, walnuts, almonds, pepitas, sunflower).

- I have gone grain mad.  Brown rice, quinoa, pearl barley, oats, chia.

- 3-4 pieces of fresh fruit every day.  Also frozen mixed berries and dried fruit (dates, plums, apricots, raisins, sultanas).

- I never add salt – not even soy sauce.

- I never add cane sugar – a bit of honey or maple syrup for a treat and cook with rice malt syrup or 'natvia'.

- I eat dark chocolate everyday (I know – cane sugar- but it is my treat.  The Whittaker’s 85% is divine, so is their dark choc and almond) with a cup of hot chocolate (there is a sugar-free brand, Vitarium, which is really yummy).

- 3-4 days a week I have a small glass of red wine.

However, I am not ‘super strict’; If I go out to morning tea/lunch/dinner with friends, I have what I am offered or is on the menu, and enjoy it.

How does it all taste?

I missed the taste of salt more than anything else.  Food initially tasted bland, especially eggs.  Maybe I developed a cooking technique to make food taste better, or maybe my tastebuds have become more refined; food now tastes good again.

Sugar; I don’t crave it as often.  I still think an evening meal is not complete without dessert, but now it is baked apples and yoghurt or dark choc and a hot choc, or a fruit muffin or home made fruit bread and sugar free jam.

Ahhhhh what mid life crisis!

CLAIRVOYANTS AND WHAT YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW

Sometimes you hear or read a random sentence that makes you feel so uncomfortable that it makes it difficult to talk about.  Different topics affect people in different ways, but this one sort of gave me a cold horror chill.  

I suppose the only way I could summarize it is ‘What not to ask a clairvoyant’. 

Galadarling has a weblink to a blog by Rachael Rabbit White: rachelrabbitwhite.com.   Her blog is excellently written, not sensationalist just tackles sensational topics. However, it is sometimes difficult and confronting reading. 

One of her posts discussed people wanting to become non-gender.  Rachael interviewed an ex-woman who got not only her breasts removed, but also her nipples, so that she could truly say she was a non-gender individual.   The reasoning and the extent of the desire by this person to undergo this transformation is the topic of the posting.

It also asks, what do you call ‘it’? (A bit like the ‘man previously known as Prince’ but now acknowledged by love symbol #2)

Another post by Rachael was an interview with an award winning, cross-dressing, Goth-shock adult entertainer.

He asked Rachael to come to the clairvoyant with him, and for her to ask a confronting question.   

When she asked for an example, he apparently was pushing for her to ask ... ‘will I ever be raped?’

I have to admit, this shocked me; what a question to ask!  Traditionally the 'yuk!' question we all don’t want to know is ‘when or how we are going to die?’ 

Another one I don’t want to know is ‘Are our children going to die before us? If so, how and when?’

Are we going to be raped? This goes beyond the realm of wanting to know. 

We all have to die, but hope it is not too soon.  But to want to know if you will be violently violated sexually ... brrrr.  That is one question I DON’T WANT AN ANSWER TO.

BEFORE AND AFTER - RENOVATING

I finished most of the dining room at the 'sea change' over the weekend.  Before and after pics below. 

All furniture in this pic has come from the side of the road or, in the case of the dresser, a garage sale (thanks to my sister-in-law!).  Gorgeous colour, isn't it.

Although the pic is a bit blurry, it shows what I have done.   I painted the wall British Paints 'Still Stream' and 'Blueberry Ash'.  The picture frame around the darker blue panel is spray painted silver.  I am painting the skirting board a plain white.  Beach themed paintings came from a second hand shop. Nick-nacks and other bits also from second hand shops. 

Still working on the art work for the other wall and recovering the seating.  The 'gorgeous' lino floor will have to wait.  Not sure what to do about it yet, but it doesn't bother me too much so I can put up with it.  

I love the colours, and when the sunlight shines through the window the whole room just pops in the most serene way.  

Below is my sunroom.  Again, all second hand finds.  I stripped off all the curtains and will fix up the garden outside to make a view (not much to look at at the moment!)  Under the glass on the the coffee table I have an earthernware bowl with sea shore finds.  Still have to find a nicer throw for the couch.  

                                        

Am I obsessed with blue colours?  You betcha!  So serene.  

WHICH TRIBE ARE YOU FROM? CULTURAL BELONGING AND INSTINCT

Tribe: noun

1. A unit of socio-political organization consisting of a number of families, clans, or other groups who share a common ancestry and culture and among whom leadership is typically neither formalized nor permanent.

2. A political, ethnic, or ancestral division of ancient states and cultures

3. A group of people sharing an occupation, interest, or habit

4. Informal A large family.                                              http://www.thefreedictionary.com

Sarah Wilson (http://www.sarahwilson.com.au/ ) recently posted of her search for the ‘tribe’ she belongs to.  Sarah is travelling though Europe.  Vienna made her feel ‘not with her tribe’; Greece made her feel closer to her tribal ‘roots’ (and I don’t think she is Greek!). 

‘The Sapphires’ movie the other day also made me think about tribes, of a slightly different kind ... where do we all belong? (Chris O’Dowd’s character said something lovely about the issue of belonging – you will have to see the movie).

 ‘Googling’ several months ago, researching mythology (long story), I found a website discussing people who form psedo-relationships with certain cultures.  However, those people may not belong to those cultures; they may not be with their ‘tribe’.   The example was of the American Indians.  Some Americans feel spiritually compelled to participate and join in with various Indian tribal customs and rituals, because of the Indian strong spiritual connection and tie to land and nature. 

However, if people are not of American Indian heritage then they DON’T belong, they CAN’T belong and they SHOULDN’T belong; they are not Indian and they are simplifying and common-ising the tribal spirituality.

I remember reading James Michener’s ‘The Source’; there was a quote, something like ‘you can’t become a Jew until there are 7 generations of Jewishness in your family line’. That means, for a current generation Jew, their great, great, great, great, grandparents had to be a practicing Jew.  That is really belonging.

Which brings me back to.... tribes.

I am Australian-born (first generation) with mother’s heritage Russian and Swedish and father’s heritage of Dutch and French. 

I have an interest in Buddhist philosophy but I wouldn’t consider myself a Buddhist nor do I practice Buddhism, or not a form that I recognise.  I follow more the Dali Lamas suggestion to ‘do the bits you like’ type-Buddhism.  

I have an interest in Celtic and Druidic cultures, but I don’t belong there; they are not my ‘tribe’ by right or birth. 

I don’t feel great connection to my Russian heritage or my French either.  But, I do feel more drawn to my northern European (Dutch/Swedish) inheritance. 

LOL: Picture me as a Helga or a Bjorn in a Viking helmet and blonde plaits, singing as my ship (rowed by slaves) travels to foreign lands with Thor the Thunderer backing me up in the clouds!

I don’t feel as disengaged as Sarah Wilson says she feels (she has been searching for a while now).  But I do feel like I need to know more about myself. 

I will be doing more research.  I am going to start with reading the book:

Northern Lore: A Field Guide to the Northern Mind, Body & Spirit by Eoghan Odinsson, or something by Freya Aswynn...

...if I can find them.  

THE SAPPHIRES MOVIE REVIEW

 I went to the movies last night (cheap Tuesdays) to see a new Australian movie ‘The Sapphires’.  It is the story of a group of Aboriginal sisters/cousins who form a soul group and go to sing in the war zone of Vietnam during the 1960s.  It looked like fun and had good reviews, but I did have a few preconceptions ... that were proved wrong.

It is not a girly movie.  The male I went with pointed out ‘girly movies don’t have war scenes in them’.  (I did bring up GI Jane, but that was a girl’s movie for boys because of the grrrrrowl factor of Demi Moore.)

The sound track is brilliant and all the singers (Debra Mailman included) are fabulous.  Even the lead male Chris O’Dowd* can sing (in the same way that Colin Firth can sing in Mama Mia). 

It is not a musical, so people are not bursting into song to emphasise parts of the story; they are singing as a singing group in the story.

It is not a ‘force-Aboriginal-issues-down-your-throat’ type of movie.  They could have been Aussie-Italians, or Australian-born Chinese; they just happened to be Aboriginal.  

It is not a perfect movie.  The script is a bit clunky in parts, much of the acting is very Australian (unpolished is a way I could describe it), some bits of the movie are overworked and others are just plain melodramatic. 

What does work?  

The glorious honest-ness of the indigenous actors:  They shine in their integrity.  They make you feel warm and welcome for the brief time you watch them on the screen.

The fact that it is based on a real life story:  Fascinating snippets at the end of the flick of the real group and where they are today. 

The gentle lessons presented to us ‘Gubbas’ (white people) of what being Aboriginal may have been like in the 60’s.  Nothing forced or soap-boxy; just shown in a matter-of-fact way, as reminiscences, or as life in its own gentle way. 

At the end of the movie, you feel glad you have seen it, you feel foot-tapping happy, you want to buy the sound track, (you keep thinking ‘Why didn’t Jess Mauboy win Australian Idol?’) and you are in love with Debra Mailman with her glorious realness.

It is not glossy or perfectly produced.  It is a bit raw and real and great.  I won’t give it stars; that would demean the movie.    Just go to see it if you want to have a good time.

*Just as an aside, if you haven’t seen the movie 'Bridesmaids', Chris O’Dowd is the stand out in that movie – the movie wasn’t my cup of tea, but he was great. 

IKEAnut

In theory, I shouldn’t like IKEA.  Lots of chip and particle board furniture with a limited life span, interspersed with some more expensive, yet classic, furniture.  Most of the furniture you can’t paint as it is coated with that masonite finish, and if you chip it, it looks shoddy.

IKEA is generally a bit ‘throw away’ and ‘everyone has a piece'.  I know I do, (more than one too)!

However,   when I visit an IKEA store (which I do this several times a year – a guilty pleasure) I get excited and want everything.  Why?  Because it is all so practical and logical and clean and creative. 

Hang on, did I say creative?  Yes, and artistically so too.  Has anyone looked at their latest catalogue?  All the resurgence of older style furniture, and crushed curtains with bohemian style beds, strewn with lots of clashing covers and pillows; very, very me. 

On my latest visit to the Springvale store in Victoria I took a few photos from the display in the foyer, and fell in love with the ideas.  (Wait and see what I end up copying at the seachange.)   I hope to finish one room this weekend so that I can post some photos – before and afters.  

Anyhow, IKEA pics posted below.  (Yes, I must be nuts!)

 Is it just me, or is this the latest in beaded curtains?

Who needs paintings, there is now 'materialings!'

Ha, walls as art!