weekend reading

The sun is shining here in Brunswick Heads, I'm feeling grateful to have some time out of grey, cold Victoria. We're here for a week. Today I'm sharing some of the things I love about being here...

Our good friend David owns Brunswick Heads Health Food Store where there is a wholefood cafe serving beautiful vegetarian food and raw food cakes, you'll find us here most days!

Crystal Castle is a favorite. Lose yourself in the natural beauty of the gardens.

So many markets to go to

Find accommodation through swicki real estate

Little kids will enjoy the Macadamia Castle

Check out Spaghetti Circus for a show or class

And finally, nothing to do with northern rivers, here's a blog I think you'd like sent to me by my friend Jane is Bonnie Delicious.

Happy weekending everyone! x

thursday recipe: oat & chia porridge with seeds

Pete and I came up with this porridge when we did our Dr Gruba cleanse recently (thank the cleansing Gods that's over).

The cleanse is over but porridge for breakfast continues on these cool Autumn mornings.

Not that we have to worry about cool Autumn mornings this week. We're in Byron Bay where the weather is humid! Sorry Victorian friends don't mean to rub it in. It is raining if that makes you feel better.

Long time readers know that the Northern Rivers Shire is a home away from home for me and my family. Pete and I have been escaping winter here since before River was born almost nine years ago.

Like so many who come to Byron Bay and surrounds , I fell instantly in love with its natural beauty, the light, and the cosmic souls who bring so much colour to the area. And we have dear friends here so there is always a sense of coming home when arrive here.

For now let's get back to the porridge that's lovable too, spiced with ground cinnamon and vanilla.
Served with coconut milk and if you like yoghurt and stewed fruit, breakfast like this is to me so luxurious I can't imagine that anyone who switched from processed food to wholefood would feel like they were missing out on something. I'm sorry there isn't a photo with this post, I have a beautiful shot of the porridge stuck on my camera, I'm yet to master blogging on the road! I'm working on it. I've just discovered posting on my phone! There's no stopping me now.

Oat & Chia porridge with seeds - serves 2

Ingredients

1/2 cup oats
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon pepitas
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground vanilla
1.5 cups water
Serve with
milk of choice
yoghurt
stewed fruit

(for those not eating grains you could try this combo with buckwheat or quinoa, cooking times and amount of water will vary)

To Make

Put all ingredients (except milk, yoghurt, stewed fruit) into a small pot and place on a low heat.
Stir occasionally until oats are soft about 10 minutes.
You may need to add more water as you go if it is looking too dry.
If you put it on a really low heat you will have time to go and have a quick shower while it's cooking!

Enjoy!

weekend reading

It's been a long while since I've put together one of these posts. Somehow I fell out of blogging rhythm but hopefully it's come back starting with this post!

Have you seen Sophie's new look?

Check out Rachel Power's most excellent book The Divided Heart - Motherhood & Creativity, it's recently been re-released, I love it. Wish I'd written it myself! Rachel interviewed 22 artists who are also mothers about their creative process and how it fits (or not) with motherhood. Rachel blogs at The Rachel Papers

Pete and I recently heard Steve Biddulph author of 'Raising Boys' speak at a nearby school, Steve is an engaging speaker and still has some speaking dates left for this year that you can find here . I'll write a blog post soon about what I took away from his presentation.

With the weather cooling down here, if you're feeling crafty you might like to check Pip's latest book 'Craft for the Soul'

And while we're talking all things Pip, I bought a copy of Pip's great ebook about blogging: Shake it Up!  I'm inspired. Now to put all those good ideas into practice.

On the creative note, it's an oldie but a goodie, if you haven't ever picked up Julia Cameron's book The Artist's Way it is a great one, it took me deeper into my writing path.

A Cup of Jo is one of the first blogs I started reading all those years ago when I discovered blogs.

Cakes and Ale in Sorrento who I work with on their marketing have a new website, and coming up on Sunday May 31st a beautiful Southern French dinner as part of Taste of Sorrento. The dinner honours LuLu Peyraud, matriarch of Domain Tempier vineyard in southern France.  LuLu's provencal cuisine was adored by many including Alice Waters who travelled to LuLu's kitchen to learn from her. LuLu was renowned for her sense of hospitality, her culinary skill and passion for selling her family's wine to restaurants all over France. Cakes and Ale chef, Leilani Wolfenden will create a three course dinner of Provencal cuisine to be served along with wine from the region LuLu made so famous. To book phone: 03. 5984 4995

It's cold here. Time to put on your slippers.

Stay cosy and enjoy your weekend x

thursday recipe: rhubarb and vanilla cakes

We could call these muffins but really what is the difference between muffins and cake anyway? Is it that calling it a muffin tricks us into thinking they are somehow healthier? The ingredients are the same so let's call it as it is, today's recipe is rhubarb and vanilla cakes made with spelt flour. (I'm not using the word cupcake either because I have an aversion to the whole cupcake obsession that hopefully is over, sorry cupcake lovers).

Pete and I have been eating stewed rhubarb most mornings with natural yoghurt as is or with oat and chia porridge. River and Sol can't stand even the thought of eating rhubarb so I made some of these cakes with and some without, either way they are super delicious especially warm with butter.

Rhubarb and Vanilla Cakes - makes 8 in large muffin tray

Ingredients

100 grams butter, melted
2 cups white spelt flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bi carb soda
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 cup milk of choice
2 eggs, whisked
1 tsp ground vanilla
stewed rhubarb

To make

Preheat oven to 180C
In a large mixing bowl put in flour, baking powder, bi carb soda, coconut sugar and stir to combine.
In a small bowl mix eggs and milk.
Pour egg and milk mixture into dry ingredients and add in cooled melted butter and stir to mix ingredients together thoroughly.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin tray.
Make a little well in the top of each muffin and place a tablespoon of rhubarb in the centre, or leave some plain for those who don't like rhubarb.
Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden and cooked through.

My boys enjoyed the plain vanilla ones warm with butter for an after school snack yesterday, and this morning after a bowl of warm stewed apple + pear with cinnamon and yoghurt River had one toasted! What a way to start the day. Winter is in the air here and we're dreaming of heading north. As regular readers know each year we head north for winter, last year we went to Cape York, this year we are heading to the desert spending time in Alice Springs where Pete will work on Culture is Life.

How about you? Any travel plans this year? Do you escape winter or travel and homeschool your children? I'd love to hear your stories and especially love to know of any blogs you follow of families who do this.

Stay warm. Or cool depending on where you are!