(flowers on the coriander that went to seed in our garden. so delicate and pretty)
Happy New Year! I'm back. I hope you've all had a delicious, relaxing Christmas holiday and are ready for the new year. I am easing my way into it, reflecting on 2013 and then leaping all the way ahead to 2015. In doing so I am beginning with the end in mind, imagining it is the end of 2014 and wondering what I would like to accomplish this year. Here's a list of things brewing:
- complete my ebook (most of the chapters are written - hooray! - and my aim is by the end of January to have the recipes finalised, tested and photographed, then in February it will down to editing, proofing and designing. Simple really. Ha!)
- write at least 3 articles about our travels later this year up the east coast and down the centre of Australia
- get to know the intricacies of the functions on my camera
- cook with ingredients I've never tried before
- cook at least one recipe per week from the stack of cookbooks I have and never cook from!
- make sauerkraut
- daily yoga and/or walking
- reduce grains in my diet
- increase range of vegetables in our diet
- set up online shop to sell the pile of children's pants I have sewn that are just waiting to be played in
This is just the beginning. I am sure more ideas will brew. How about you? What's on your 2014 wishlist?
As for my blog dreams for 2014 my aim is to serve you up:
- at least one recipe per week
- a new series called 'Ask the Expert'
- more wholefood/healthy book reviews
- another new series called 'In My Kitchen' where we peek into people's kitchens and hear their stories
- and the series I am most excited about is wholefood step-by-step where I will post one simple step each week that you can take to transform your diet. By the end of the year with 52 steps taken you will be in a new place with feeding your family and no one will feel like drastic changes or sacrifices were made. Good?
Feel free to make requests, I'd love to hear what you have enjoyed about my blog over the past year, and if there are any particular things you would like some extra help or inspiration with when it comes to eating well and feeding your family well.
I've made a list of links to wholefood/health pages that I like and think will inspire anyone looking to have a healthier, real food year. There are about a bazillion more! Please add any you like in the comments.
Alexx Stuart
Natural New Age Mum
Mamacino
Bitter Sweet Sour
Quirky Cooking
Well Nourished
Changing Habits, Changing Lives
Food Glorious Friendly Food
My New Roots
Homegrown Kitchen
The Wellness Warrior
Facebook page - Real Food Real Change
Facebook page - Chef Pete Evans
Digestible Kitchen
Transition Farm
Apples Under My Bed
Michelle Schoeps Organic
There. That should get you off to a good start. Now don't spend too much time though in front of the screen; moving your body, fresh air and sunlight are just as important as the quality of food you eat.
Here's to 2014 dream big and make it happen!
I'm looking forward to your step by step series! I think I've done a pretty good job over the last several years of cooking with new ingredients, broadening the spectrum vegetables I cook, and getting comfortable with some grains and things that were intimidating to me for some reason, but I am definitely stuck in a rut now. I want to continue to grow in my cooking and feed my family and myself even more healthily. My big goal for this year is to cut back on the processed food. We don't eat that much of it, but still, too much. Thank you for all the good info!
ReplyDeleteThanks Lori for your words, it is helpful to hear where readers are at with their wholefood experience. I totally get being intimidated by ingredients! And I also hear you on being stuck in a rut, the best thing I recommend for that is cooking with a spice or flavour you haven't tried before or trying a new recipe. Cutting back on processed food is a great goal, make it easy on yourself and choose one food at a time and phase it out. I have a few to cut down on in my family too, I will write a post about this. Good luck! And let me know how you go.
DeleteIt al sounds inspiring and a great start to the new year. The 52 steps sound great. As for your photography check out Karen Russell from Snapshots of a Good Life. Her photos are amazing and she only takes photos of her own family (ie no paid gigs) but teaches on-line workshops. I did her course about 4 years ago and again 2 years ago. She teaches one thing weekly ie focus on learning how shutter speed work, or depth of field, then composition and then at the end of the 9 weeks they all come together. All you have to do to book into a course is sign u p for the mailing list and then when registrations open y'll be notified and sign up the minute it opens even if that is 9pm at night as it gets sold out. You can do the full course row the auditing course and the only difference is she critiques your work each week which I would highly recommend. The run a couple of times a year and I think one has just started. It's a great way to learn and she is amazing. Regards Kathy A, Brisbane, Australia
ReplyDeletewww.oursimpleandmeaningfullife.blogspot.com
Thank you Kathy for the great link to Karen's photography course. I am actually married to a professional photographer which is handy when I have questions about photography, it is more the functions of my specific camera that I have to put some time into understanding - just me and the manual and some quiet time should achieve that! You have inspired me though to make learning more about photography a priority so thank you! Wishing you and your family well this year.
DeleteHappy New Year! It sounds as though you have a lot to look forward to achieving in the coming months. I don't have a huge amount I want to achieve (other than a full night of sleep at some point!), however my main two are continue on my wholefoods journey (it sounds as though your planned posts will help with that!) and incorporate a full yoga practice into my life.
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend, Luna. xx
P.S. Our coriander has also gone to seed!
thanks Luna HNY to you too! I do believe that we have seasons in our life as mothers and you are in the season where a full nights sleep is at top of the list! With my youngest starting kinder this year and my oldest at school I am in the season where i have more childfree hours than I have in seven years so I can add a bit more to my wishlist. Full yoga practice is a wonderful thing to aim for for all of us. Best wishes with sleep and yoga xx
DeleteEven better if you have a photographer in the house...I think I have read that somewhere but I must have forgot. Kathy A, Brisbane, Australia
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DeleteSounds like you have a big year ahead of you. I so know what you mean about all those cook books. The kids have recently all flown the nest and I have recipes I've been saving for when I was no longer cooking for their tastes. You get so stuck with what you know a lot of people will all sit down to and enjoy and there's plenty of things I've been missing - so cook books are being dragged out and new menus concocted.
ReplyDeleteNew menus sound great! I think changing the foods and flavours we eat can bring a whole new perspective to many things in our lives. Enjoy this next season. Thanks for stopping by x
DeleteI am looking forward to hearing about your new foods. Trying one new food every day can actually expand the parts of your brain involved in creativity... This year I plan to grow LOTS of food in our new house so hopefully that means lots of deliciousness in the kitchen and some new foods on our plates too.
ReplyDeleteI am fascinated by your comment about trying new foods and creativity - fascinated! Where did you hear about this? I'd love to hear more. Your garden plans sound wonderful I am planning a post on growing your own food. There really is nothing better than picking food from your own backyard, it doesn't get more local than that! x
DeleteThanks so much for including me on your fabulous list Nikki - there are some there I haven't seen before so I am off to check them out!! HNY to you!
ReplyDeleteThat's a pleasure Sonia. Happy New Year to you too xx
DeleteOh look at that list, how wonderful and exciting. i love it, my favourite being your trip up the east coast of Australia, woohoo. I am so excited to have you all in our home, to get to catch up and have everyone of those teas we have been talking about. xxx
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