A welcome change

Welcome back! Above is the face of a proud little bubby, happily showing her mumma her marvelous creation :)

This is what happens when tissues are left in reach of an ever growing, curious little one and each parent vacates the room for 5 minutes. 

These are busy days indeed! And very cute days too :)

I have titled this post A welcome change for a number of reasons. Firstly, with a cool change hitting, I am once again content. I honestly loathe the several months of heat and humidity a tropical summer brings. With this cooler change, tourists have at last gone home. Living in a beautiful tourist destination has its perks and annoyances. A zillion people everywhere does note make for enjoyable holiday breaks for over tired locals. Hubby, bubby and I went for a late afternoon walk a few days ago in the beautiful, fresh air, and barely ran into a soul. Sigh. Falling back in love with my town all over again.

The cooler weather also makes me feel energised and alive. I went for 2 long walks with bubby, and a gym workout 2 days ago. I am aiming at walking at 7:30 am each morning with bubby. I didn't yesterday- an early airport run followed by an early morning car drop off at the mechanic made that a difficult task. Today, I have had my aqua aerobics with bubby's swimming lesson, followed later on by a 30 minute power walk with hubby and bubby. This weather is just too beautiful to waste. Hubby must agree- gone was his old man strolling pace today- I had trouble keeping up!

Another welcome change is having space again. It's just so nice to walk into our robe and have room, not overflowing baby furniture and clothes everywhere. Bubby has her little room nicely sorted out too. I still haven't found room for all of my sewing material, but at least there is space in the storage above my hanging clothes- I just need to find time to do the sorting. I honestly am loving this new space, neatness and wind down season. I say wind down- not because things are getting less busy. The opposite is true. Wind down because, to me, autumn and winter are lovely excuses to stay indoors more, be creative, bond with your family, relax, and recharge. And make great food! 

I haven't been taking as many sunrises lately. Yes, I broke my 365 days of sunrises. But sleep, glorious sleep wins out, I'm afraid. I have had the wonderful joy of waking up after a lovely 8-8.5hr sleep, grabbing myself a cuppa and having a quiet morning devotion before my sweet bubby wakes. Granted, not every morning, but often enough to help me start to regain my emotional and spiritual strength back. How I have missed this routine. Just got to remember to keep the bed time ritual early for myself! 

Now, take a look at the past few days in pictures...

A lovely salmon salad platter hubby and I shared for dinner a few nights back. Seriously so good!

My refined sugar free banana bread. Bubby loves it, and with only a few basic ingredients, it's certainly a healthier option than buying one.

Cooler days call for baking. It's wrong not too!

I saw this recipe on the I Quit Sugar page and had to try it. It's called Miracle Bread (my title for it), and I'm addicted! I will share the recipe at the end of the post.

Cooler nights mean creamy, comforting dinners, like this coconut, fish curry with lemon creation I whipped up for me and my non teen. Addictive!

I have been seriously trying to cut out on eating processed foods where possible, so I made this gluten free, vegan zucchini slice a few days back. It's a little different- tahini and chia are the binding agents, but I have been enjoying it for dinner with sauteed and fresh veg.

This is a vegan big brekky a few days back. Too filling!

Here is a fabulous, small but nutrient dense lunch I will most certainly have again, and again: Miracle bread topped with boiled egg mashed with fetta, radish, red capsicum and fresh parsley. Yum!

Some beach scenery now. Hubby, bubby and I have enjoyed a few walks together lately. Love the non-crowded local beach. Cooler weather- I love you! 

Our beautiful creek. How could I not love living here?!

No filter necessary when the reality is this beautiful. Walks with bubby just became fun again. Autumn, you rock!

A vegan feast I could eat all day: sauteed mushrooms and onions, spinach, avocado and red capsicum covering a hidden zucchini slice. 

Beautiful Tweed River at Fingal.

Hubby and I went for a little drive after spending a small fortune repairing our car so it would pass roadworthy. Visiting places like this makes you appreciate how blessed we are to have this- for free- on our doorstep.

I am purposely making myself wind down and appreciate being home more. We purchased a giant fish tank yesterday for my one, very spoiled, every growing Mrs Zippy the goldfish. I have online ordered some accessories and in a few days, look forward to landscaping said tank. I need green around me to feel calm. To this day, I absolutely struggle with close living situations- I love space, lush trees and rolling hills. But until that day arrives where I walk outside my own front door to postcard country views, I aim to make the most of what I have. Grateful we scored a brand new tank on a special. 

I miss creating and writing so much. However, my sweet little bubby makes some activities near impossible at present, so a hobby is the next best thing. She is growing in leaps and bounds- this clingy, demanding stage isn't forever. This stage does have its perks though- such as adorable firsts. Wouldn't rush it for the world! 

And now, as promised, the recipe for the divine, nutty bread. My version, of course...

Miracle Bread (I call it miracle bread because I'm amazed it stays together and tastes so good!)

(aka Life-Changing Loaf of Bread)

Ingredients:

1 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup fibre mix (flaxseed/oat bran/psyllium mix)

1/2 cup almonds

1.5 cups rolled oats

2 tbsp chia seeds

4 tbsp psyllium husks

1 tsp fine sea salt

1 tbsp rice malt syrup

3 tbsp coconut oil

1.5 cups water

Method:

Grease and line a loaf tin.

In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients together.

Whisk rice malt syrup, oil and water, then mix this with dry ingredients.

Press mixture into lined pan, firming down and smoothing out as you go.

Let it sit on bench for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 175 C.

Place loaf on middle rack and cook for 20 minutes.

Remove from pan, place it upside down on a rack, return to oven and bake for another 30-40 minutes.

Bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped.

Allow to cool completely before carefully cutting into thin slices. 

Store for 5 days in fridge, or individually sliced and stored in freezer. 

Yum, yum, yum! Make this- you won't regret it!

Thank you, My New Roots for this amazing recipe!

There you have it, your lot for probably another week. Hope you found something of interest here. 

Until next time, thanks for reading :)