Summer and such.

Summer was filled with warm days, fruit picking and lazy afternoons – I really do love Summer. Even though Autumn is upon us, the days are still lovely, with crisp mornings and warm afternoons. I have been drying herbs for winter and making pesto with our abundance of basil. I think I will move on to mint and parsley pestos next. I will miss my summer herbs over the cooler months, so I'm trying to make the most of them now. Once my tomatoes have finished, I'm planning on planting a crop of Kale.

Broken Heart.

“What do you know of my heart? What do you know of anything but your own suffering. For weeks, Marianne, I've had this pressing on me without being at liberty to speak of it to a single creature. It was forced on me by the very person whose prior claims ruined all my hope. I have endured her exultations again and again whilst knowing myself to be divided from Edward forever. Believe me, Marianne, had I not been bound to silence I could have provided proof enough of a broken heart, even for you.” 
Elinor to Marianne, Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen.
Image via ffffound

Cooking with Coconut Flour.

I've been doing a bit of experimenting in the kitchen of late. Being gluten free is part of it, but I really do enjoy trying new things.
I went to the health food shop in search of quinoa flour and left with coconut flour. I didn't think much of it at the time, but when I got home and started reading about cooking with coconut flour I started to get nervous. You can't just substitute coconut flour for wheat flour. Because it's so dense you use a lot less, and need a lot more eggs! I was convinced my first batch of apple and cinnamon muffins would be a flop, but they turned out well. They were very nice with some fruit and yoghurt for a breakfast treat. I used this recipe, but I think they would have been nicer with some blueberries or sultanas in them.
My next coconut flour cooking adventure was a a batch of Lamingtons. We called them 'Flamingtons' – fake Lamingtons. I was so worried at first, but for a healthy gluten free, sugar free, butter free Lamington they turned out ok. I wish I had've used normal dark chocolate instead of 70% dark chocolate, because I think they needed a little extra sweetness.
I have also used coconut flour in gluten free zucchini fritters – they were a success. The Lamington and zucchini fritter recipes are both from The Healthy Chef.
I recommend giving coconut flour a try, but make sure you do your research before you start cooking!

Truth and Simon Walker.

Firstly, I love Simon Walker's typography. It is simply wonderful. Secondly, I love this quote. It is so true. I think we all need to remember it.

Chia Pudding and Fruit Salad.

Breakfast is my favourite meal at the moment. I've been loving a green smoothie, or homemade muesli with yoghurt and fruit, but today I thought I'd try something different. I made chia seed pudding and served it with fruit salad. Here's the recipe:

Chia Seed Pudding
3 tablespoons Chia Seed
1 cup unsweetened Almond Milk
Cinnamon

Soak chia seeds in the almond milk for 20 minutes, stir every 5 mins. Add a good pinch of cinnamon. Serve with fresh fruit, almonds and some sunflower seeds and pepitas. I put some creamed honey on top of mine for some extra sweetness.

Christmas baking.

I have loved having a weekend so close to Christmas. Yesterday we spent the day baking and wrapping the last of our gifts. My husband baked the neighbours a beautiful loaf of bread, and prepared the dough to make crossiants for brunch today. Hamish and I made muesli and lolly drop biscuits. It was such a nice way to spend the day.

The wrapping of gifts and such.

Christmas is almost upon us! The festive season is my favourite, but this year it has snuck up on me. It has been nice to spend the last couple of days finalising gifts and organising food. I love everything about Christmas. The music, the  decorations, the baking, the time spent with loved ones, and especially buying and wrapping gifts!
This year I have used brown paper, twine, black ribbon, and cuttings of rosemary and bay leaf. I was lucky enough to stumble upon some vintage postcards at a local school market, and they have added the special touch I was after. I have only allowed one postcard for each person, so I made some christmas tree shaped gift tags from some special paper and pages from an old book I saved from the recycling bin. I joined the trees together on the sewing machine, and I have used the cotton to tie the tags to the gifts. I'm very happy with the result.

Ten years.

Ten years ago tomorrow we were married. Barely adults, but madly in love. Ten years have gone in the blink of an eye. Here's to the next ten.