Another beautiful day

Hello yet again!

I'm back after only one day, eager to show off the amazing morning I had. 

Look at this gorgeous scene- my bike, parked on the beach at sunrise. Sigh. Life is good. I am grateful hubby watched bubby so I could duck off early, actually for a trip to the bank, with a slight detour on the way :) 

I love this sunrise! It's the first one I have had on the beach for the longest time. My bubby slept reasonably well. I did get woken a few times, but only attended to a dummy replacement call twice. The time she kicked her little legs for over half an hour around 3:30-4am, I ignored, as best I could. It worked- she dozed off again 'til nearly 6- Yes! I was planning on getting up early to exercise. Not quite a full nights sleep, but near enough. This was the best reward. 

When home, my non teen came over for a breaky. Apparently, my Instagram post of yesterdays gluten free banana cake with an abundance of berries tempted her, so guess what her mumma made her today :) I, however, had this  green smoothy- yum!

Some craft projects I had planned today just didn't eventuate. While bubby slept well this morning, I did a few more loads of washing and putting clothes away- making the most of the time I had. When bubby woke- the day got hectic. Someone was a little demanding and clingy, and you've just got to go with at times.

I did manage to get out and start sorting my abundance of projects- can't wait to show you what I am planning via Hank & Petal. If I get time to sit that is.

Instead of craft, I cooked again. Slow cooked actually. The house smelt interesting due to the flavours involved, but oh what a result! Look below...

Slow Cooked Corned Silverside

Ingredients:

1.5 kg beef silverside,

400mls liquid stock, 

1/2 tsp peppercorns,

2-3 bay leaves,

1 stick cinnamon,

1 heaped tsp sweet paprika,

1/2 tsp salt,

4-5 cloves,

1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar,

enough water to cover.

Method:

Remove silverside from wrapping and wash.

Put into a large, deep pot.

Place in all of the above ingredients, cover with water and bring to the boil.

When boiling, turn heat down to lowest setting, cover and simmer for 2-3 hours. Basically, just set and forget.

When cooked, turn heat off and let sit for half an hour. Then remove from pan, discard liquid, and slice meat as thinly as desired. 

I like slightly meatier pieces.

Refrigerate until needed, or freeze excess in serving sizes.

Perfect for lunches or as a quick dinner with veg.

The finished meat- the fat has separated and isn't on the meat anymore, but all the flavour is there. 

This meat is sweet and tender. Slice and store- ready to eat, or frozen 'til needed.

Now, let me show you another experiment of sorts, my marinated fish for tonight's dinner...

Spicy Coconut Fish

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

Marinade

4 white fish fillets

1/4 cup coconut cream or milk

1 tablespoon freshly ground coriander seeds

1/2 fresh red chilli, sliced

1-2 tbsp tamari

1 tsp grated ginger

1/2 tsp sesame oil

Topping:

2 crushed cloves garlic

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

3 stalks celery, sliced thinly

1 tbsp coconut oil to grease dish

1/3 cup boiling water

Method:

Mix marinade ingredients together and spoon over fish.

leave for at least 30 mins, but 2 hours is better.

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees C.

Grease baking dish with coconut oil.

Place fish and marinade into dish, cover with garlic, celery and onions. Pour water over fish.

Cover with foil and bake for 40 mins.

When cooked, serve over spinach or another favourite green (I only had spinach left), using liquid and all from dish. Top with a squeeze of lime and coriander, and extra chilli if desired.

The fish pre-oven.

My non teens serve- minus lime and coriander. I forgot to add the lime, and I have run out of coriander. 

The soup base is great- it partly cooks the spinach, and adds another layer to the meal. Very satisfying and ridiculously healthy :)

Well, that's another day down already! As you know, tomorrow is a new day, and I will be cooking up a storm and bringing you the details soon enough. Until I do, thanks for reading :)

Roast onion, sweet potato and fetta tart

Welcome back! What a gorgeous way to start the week- this scene as I walked to Mum's & Bub's group today. Doesn't get much better than this!

I had to stop and snap this- it looked too perfect. Hubby later said the trees make it look like an archway :)

I have been increasing the food a bit these past few days, mainly due to- you guessed it- exhaustion. I did sleep last night, and have had an extremely wonderful, busy, productive day as a result. I even gladly walked to and from Mum's & Bub's group with a quick detour via the shops, came home, cooked, did laundry and socialised. Go me! Sleep does wonders for my personalty and productivity :)

To give you an idea of my diet, check out these two breakies...

Sunday morning: coconut pancake topped with natural yoghurt, berries and walnuts, and a sprinkling of cinnamon. Yum! 

This morning:my gluten free banana cake, warmed, topped with natural yoghurt and a few too many warmed berries- 

I spilled the frozen berries from the packet. How sad I had to eat them all :)

As Monday's are family dinner nights, I am constantly trying to come up with a variety of budget friendly, easy cook meals that please everyone. Tonight, I hit on a winner, so I hoped!  

Ok, I cheated. I purchased bread flour. But I did mix it, prove it and bake it, so that counts, right? I also decided it needed to be an olive loaf (only had green) with some rosemary salt and drizzled with olive oil. 

35 minutes of baking later and the result...Oh-My-Goodness. For those who aren't aware, I heart carbs beyond words, especially bread carbs , and this was heavenly! Crunchy crust, fluffy inside, salty top...I am a happy girl.

I felt so energised today, I could take a little time with dinner prep. Bubby was a happy girl- the playing in the morning wore her out, so she slept well. So here is my special family main for tonight...

Roast Sweet Potato, Onion and Fetta Tart

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

2 sheets puff pastry

1 red onion

1 medium sweet potato

2 eggs 

1/3 cup cream

fresh thyme

100-150gms fetta

olive oil

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Add splash of olive oil to a small baking tray.

Trim onion of outer skin, cut in half and add to tray. Scrub- not peel, a sweet potato, chopped into wedges, and add also. Splash with a little more olive oil. 

Slowly roast for 45 mins, to and hour, turning once.

Remove from pan, but leave juices and oil. Make sure sides of pan are oiled too- adding more if necessary.

Turn oven up to 210 degrees.

Defrost puff pastry sheets and cut into half to fit baking tray. 

Place onion and sweet potato across the base.

Whip eggs and cream- gently pour over the veg.

Add fetta, crumbled or chopped. 

Add fresh thyme, scattering across the top.

Fold outer pastry down gently onto the filling.

Bake for 35 mins, or until pastry is golden and base is set.

Tart with filling in place, but pastry still up on the sides.

Tonight's dinner, a vegetarian feast. I don't think hubby realised that!  

The tart was served with a tomato and fresh basil salad, dressed with a little olive oil, rock salt and a hint of balsamic.

The ciabbata also went down a treat.

 I was told this dinner was amazing :)

Yay! 

I am getting it right at last. Fatigue certainly does put a dent in creativity at times. Then, you sleep and this happens.

I hope that has inspired some of you to get cooking. I am inspired to keep thinking up ideas and researching some more. I am also encouraged to exercise more- today's outing put me in such a good head space. As did making time early this morning for devotions while my sweet bubby slept. Sometimes, the simple things can make the big things work so much better.

There you have it, your lot for another day. Until next time, thanks for reading!  

Spicy marinated chicken, some experimenting and garden success!

Attention: My personality has left the building! Experts say you should keep your baby in your room for up to 12 months. Why this is so utterly defeats me. Perhaps it's so you never breed again. It does make for effective population control. It  also does ensure higher carbs foods and much coffee is consumed, resulting in a sustained food industry. Hmmm, makes sense really.

Seriously, I am rather fatigued. Hit a wall kind of tired. Counting down the days when my sweet little human gets to go into her own bedroom.  The world needs parents who are sane. It's just hard sharing a room- darned maternal wiring- we hear everything! It is much easier to wake up to her stirs/cries and hasten the process of sleep rather than wait the half hour or more that letting her do it herself takes. As I can't sleep through her noise, it makes sense at present. If she is genuinely distressed, I attend her asap. But I have often heard talking at 3 am. It's when she hears her mumma stir that she wakes bolt upright and then cries. Having a wall between her and I soon sounds positively delightful. 

I am rather looking forward to routine. There isn't much at present. I don't speak ill of family members, unless they are supportive of sharing a situation that helps respectfully express the current challenges faced. I will say that having a hubby home, a non working teen, and even embracing 3 teens from Germany since conceiving my sweet bubby is a challenge. There are different personalities to adjust too, diets to accommodate and hungry adults who are often underfoot. As a current stay home mumma who is trying to get organised, and get healthy, this is extremely challenging for me. 

All I can do is my best in these current circumstances. Slowly but surely, things will change. Nothing ever does stay the same forever. Things that do stagnate anyway. So, welcome to my past few days, even if posted a little late...

Yesterday's Big Breaky :) Going to bed hungry and rewarding myself with a nutritious big feed the next morning is so worth it. I topped my salmon slice with a poached egg, fried some mushrooms and tomato in butter and topped it off with some fresh garden grown parsley. Divine!

My sweet bubby started swimming lessons yesterday. I was thrilled that my non teen and hubby could watch. I was also thrilled that my board shorts actually fit at long last! In fact, yesterday was the first time I have comfortably worn shorts in public for the longest time. Losing weight is great for my confidence. 

Me and my bubby, learning to paddle.

At the end of her first lesson in her cute tankini. Someone, though distracted easily, loves the water :)

After the swimming lesson, I did a bit of experimental cooking. I wanted to try a banana version of my gluten free bread and this is the result...

Banana Cake

Makes 1 loaf

Dairy, refined sugar and gluten free

Ingredients:

1/2 cup soaked (overnight) quinoa

30gms soaked chia seeds (in 1/4 cup water)

3 overripe (or frozen) bananas 

60mls coconut oil

2/3 cup shredded coconut

vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp coconut flour

1/2 teaspoon bi-carb

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 170 degrees Celsius.

Mash bananas in a mixing bowl.

Drain quinoa and place in a bowl, along with other ingredients.

Mix well.

Pour into a well greased and lined cake loaf tin.

Bake for 1 hour, turning down the heat and covering towards the end of cooking if the middle isn't firm to touch.

When set- it will be soft and slightly firm to touch. Leave in tin until cool enough to handle.

Turn out carefully. 

Set in the fridge before cutting. Store in the fridge until needed.

I must say, as this was an experiment, it definitely needs tweaking. However, fresh from the oven- though very moist- Yum! Not super sweet, and a little chewy with the coconut, but again- Yum! I thought it had failed until I fridge set it. I will work on the recipe to make it less moist. Perhaps less oil, or maybe more quinoa- drained better. As we eat bananas weekly, I will have ample opportunity to keep experimenting :)

The batter ready for the oven...

And cooked- barely risen, but set.

The cake after carefully being removed from the tin.

When set in the fridge, decorate thin slices with whatever takes your fancy. Here I have used frozen raspberries, some fresh picked mint leaves and a native violet flower. This slice isn't overly sweet, but filling and nutritious. It's the perfect naughty food because it's good for you :)

Now I need to throw in some scenery, just in case you thought I had forgotten :) Hubby, bubby and I went on an hours long walk last night to settle a grumpy bubby, and this is some of the stunning scenery our local creek has to offer... 

Kayaks lined up ready for tourists.

The mouth of the creek viewed from under the tall pines.

My favourite spot with the tide going out.

There, scenery done and dusted. Now, to more food :)

Spicy Marinated Chicken

Serves 2 as a main dish

Ingredients:

1 tbsp tamari

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon honey

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 cloves crushed garlic

2 tbsp coconut cream

2 large chicken breasts

Method:

Marinate for 2-3 hours.

Add 1 tbsp cocnut oil to pan on medium heat

Sear one side 4-5 mins. Turn, cook 1 minute, cover, turn off heat. leave for 10-15 minutes.

Juicy and cooked through with minimal fat.

 Despite the shadows which seem to leave a pink tinge on my laptops image, I have cut this chicken to show that the cooking method ensures tender, white flesh inside that is extremely juicy.

The chicken was so moist, and spicy.  I will make this again for sure!

We have just spent a lovely, tiring, fun, scary family day at Movieworld. I took my German teen on some nerve wracking rides I haven't experienced for nearly 2 years due to pregnancy and a bubby- so much fun, and so much adrenaline for us both! And our sweet bubby got to experience her first rides- the Merry-go-round, and the ultra squashy kids train (not designed for grown up bums). Now, however, I'm fading fast. So before I do, I had better show you what hubby did bright and early this morning... 

We have pavers, a garden edging and stones! The covering kept the concrete dry despite heavy rain, and I have a path out that I can use!!! So happy.

The garden just needs some mulch, and the gate a security lock attached, and my garden is aesthetically pleasing again :)

Just in time too I think, if my sweet bubby's desire to walk is anything to go by! Those little legs will need more room than what indoors will provide :)

There you have it, another few days down. I apologise for any spelling errors. They can stay until morning when my brain function is hopefully at a peak again. Hope this offers some inspiration. Feel free to comment- I welcome ideas, thoughts etc. 

Until next time :)

Marinated chicken skewers with satay sauce

As always, let me start with something beautiful. Not scenery- that follows, but flowers form my amazing hubby. Roses in fact! I haven't felt particularly deserving of late, being sleep deprived and less than gracious about it. He sees thing differently. I'm grateful he does.

Let me now show you yesterday's delish breaky: my gluten free bread, topped with blackberries, natural yoghurt, drizzled with coconut oil, sprinkled with walnuts, cinnamon and topped with a fresh sprig of mint. So good! 

And now, some scenery! My non teen, hubby, bubby and I went on a rather epic walk yesterday afternoon. My non teen and I powered off and left hubby to push bubby. We made it to a spot I just love just past the bridge. The heavy rainfall this summer has left the dunes looking gorgeous and green.  

Travelling a familiar, much loved path. What a view!

I feel so incredibly blessed that this is minutes from my home. 

Here we have this morning's breaky: Coffee/ yoghurt smoothy. Yep, one of those days where I have tried to incorporated caffeine into every main meal. Please sleep through tonight, my sweet bubby!!!

These past few days, I have been on a mission to get organised. A trip to my uni was very productive. I have applied for advanced standing as 2 of the 3 subjects I have previously completed are anti-requisites, which apparently means very similar to ones already on offer with the restructured course. I filled out the form as best I could and emailed it off today. Now, to play the waiting game.

I also have a totally unflattering uni ID card now. Lucky I have such frizzy dark hair. You can guess its me a mile away with one eye closed. Turns out that I don't have to start uni now, but can do it anytime this year. Yay! So grateful they have three semesters a year. And if I get advanced standing, I will have completed a potential 3 subjects already. That would be awesome! Fingers crossed.

I have been organised with blogging on Hank & Petal , with two posts this week! Check out The Healing Power of Art and The Creation Of Mardi Loves Lipstick! . It feels good to get back into this blog- I miss being creative.

On a mundane note, but still qualifying for being organised, I just totally blitzed my linen cupboards today!!! I have been desperate to do it for the longest time, but it took getting a pink plastic bag in the mail to fill for the local op-shop to motivate me. That giant pink bag, and another one of my giant rubbish bags is now curb side to be collected with half the contents of my cupboards. De-cluttering is good for the soul! 

I was going to blog last nights dinner, but someone (ie: me) forgot to take a pic. I was very tired and just grateful to eat and get to bed asap. Anyway, it was make yourself burger night, using my Aussie Day beef patty recipe. Gotta say, they were juicy, gigantic and divine! 

Tonight's dinner was motivated by the desire to rid my pantry of peanut butter. I still have 3 full jars! A little bit of web browsing led me to this recipe by Claire Thomson, tweaked by me of course!

Marinated Chicken Skewers

makes 8

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts, cut into thin strips.

 1 tbsp coriander seeds

1/2 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp rice malt syrup or honey

1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari

Method:

Lightly toast coriander seeds (I used a dry pan on medium heat) and then grind to a powder (I used my coffee grinder).

Add all ingredients except chicken and mix well.

Pour over chicken that has been threaded evenly onto 8 wooden skewers.

Marinate for 30mins -2 hours.

Grill for 5 minutes, turn, repeat, until chicken is cooked through.

Satay Sauce

Ingredients:

150gms natural peanut butter 

1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari

1 tbsp rice malt syrup or honey

1 tsp dried chilli flakes

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 tbsp olive oil

150mls coconut milk

1/2 cup lemon juice

Method:

Place all ingredients in a container and blend.

Heat prior to serving.

Can be used as a dipping sauce, or poured over the top.

My serve- without rice. Not a glamorous looking dinner, but it tasted amazing. 

My non teen was held up in traffic, something about police, a car hijacking and gun shots. So the planned dinner with warm, tender skewers with a side of dipping sauce never eventuated. However, as this dinner was a winner, I'm doing it again soon. After all, I still have all that peanut butter!

I am going to leave you with my little cutey at the park yesterday. She may not sleep all night long at times, but when you're this adorable, you're quickly forgiven :)

 She is my reason for this blog. I'm grateful every day for her and the family that is growing around me.

I hope that satisfied you! I am attempting to make a twist on my gluten free bread tomorrow by crossing it with my banana bread. Should be interesting :)

Until next time, thanks for reading.

Beef and herb puff stew, a weigh in, and fun at the beach

Hello again, dear readers. I hope you all had a fabulous weekend. We had our first monthly BBQ now held at church on Sunday. It went very well. So well, we need to think about preparing more food next time. To us, that is an excellent result! Now, look above at this stunning sunrise. How blessed am I to have this view every morning! I never take this for granted- it is special.

I love how in the space of a few minutes, the sky goes through so many colour changes. Such a stunning time of the day :)

The weather was very warm yesterday, especially after the overcast morning. After dinner last night, we decided to head to the beach as the tide was coming in- a great chance to swim in clear water.

We ended up at an alcove on the creek side, not too far from the creek mouth. The area was packed- it may have been 5:30 pm but it was still so warm, and many were obviously doing the very same thing as us. Who could blame them- the water was stunning! 

Hubby, bubby, my German teen and I found a spot to park our gear, put on bubby's swimmers, and head to the water. Lets just say, bubby isn't fond of waves-even itty-bitty ones. But she loves sand! Playing, touching, eating- it delighted her. So while hubby sat on the sand with a happy bub, my German teen and I headed into the water for a swim.

The crystal clear water was surprisingly warm after diving in. I could clearly see the bottom, and the scores of fish swimming around my feet. After a while, the many swimmers around us vanished. I hadn't really noticed, as i was enjoying swimming further out. Then I heard my name called. My full name, by hubby. Apparently, there had been a rather large, dark shadow swimming only a few metres from me-within 5 metres. Strangely, I wasn't scared. In fact, at one point as I was swimming deeper and further out, the thought of sharks crossed my mind, but I felt no fear. Apparently, everyone else did- expect my German teen.

My first real swim for ages, and a dark shadow scared people out of the water. As you can see, I wasn't bothered! 

To be honest, except that I am responsible for the safety and well being of my teen, if it was a shark, they aren't likely to purposely target people. No one got hurt, and for the most part, in clear water with plenty of daylight, and with an abundance of fish, humans are safe. 

 My sweet little beach babe, enjoying the taste and texture of an afternoon at the beach :)

I jumped on the scales this morn. I wasn't sure what to expect. I went swimming yesterday in size 8 shorts and a new hot pink swimmers. The shorts were a little snug on my hips, but fitted great everywhere else. I have had a few naughty food days where I have eaten to stay awake. Not bad food, just too much starchy/ carb meals. Imagine my relief when I stepped on the scales and saw this...

...still 60kg's. I'm relieved, and motivated to get back on track. I want those swimming shorts to be looser on my hips!

Breaky this morning was big and healthy. I was starving, and had to fill my belly with good nutrients... 

 My salmon slice and a green yoghurt smoothy. A great way to start the day and satisfy a rumbling tum. 

To make the green smoothy:

2/3 cup baby spinach leaves

1 scoop barley green powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon natural fibre mix (or LSA)

1/2 cup plain yoghurt

water.

Blend.

I needed a nutritious breaky- I had big plans for today. I am pleased to say, I have fulfilled all I set out to do. Satisfaction right there. The things I accomplished went a little like this...

• Put away the weeks worth of folded washing scattered all over my bedroom and walk in robe. Check!
• Clean the fish tank and change the water. Check!
• Do 3 loads of washing and hang them out. Check!
• Find the illustrations for my kids book, Mardi Loves Lipstick! and scan/save ready to upload later onto Hank & Petal blog. Check! 
• Organise to see a friend in relation to a photo with my art work and ask her how it has impacted her, and her work. Check! Interview/ photo done this afternoon :)
• Make something filling for dinner out of the organic beef strips I purchased on special. Check!

I am quite pleased about my efforts today. This was despite the fact that the storm that hit last night cut the power for a few hours after 1am-ish, leaving hubby wired and talkative, me hot and grumpy with no fans and interrupting what could have been a brilliant sleep, as bubby barely stirred. I have been super tired today. But I chose not to let it stop me. I may need to apologise more to hubby for being so snappy today however :) 

And now, lets talk dinner. This is what  felt like making the family for 

Family Dinner Night: 

Beef and Herb Puff Stew.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

Base:

1 medium zucchini, roughly chopped

1 carrot, roughly chopped,

1 stick celery, chopped

1/2 red onion, roughly chopped

500gms beef strips

salt/pepper/sweet paprika

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon tamari or soy

300mls stock (I used my home made lamb stock)

1 dessert spoon plain four

1 tablespoon each butter and olive oil

Herb Puffs: 

1 cup unbleached SR flour

60mls olive oil

1 tbsp each fresh chopped parsley and thyme

1 egg

1/3 cup grated cheese

1/4 cup milk

salt 

Method:
Heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

Cook meat in batches in butter/olive oil mix. Put aside.

Cook veg in same pan juices. Stir frequently 'til softened slightly.

Add meat back, stir. Add stock, seasoning and stir. Simmer for several minutes. Add 1 dessert spoon of flour mixed with water to the meat. Stir through, turn of heat.
Place in a baking dish.

To make the puffs:
In a bowl, place flour and mix in 60mls of olive oil with a spatula until it resembles crumbs. 
Add milk, herbs, cheese and mix thoroughly.
The mix may be sticky. 
Roll into balls and cover top of meat base.
Cook in oven for 35 minutes, or until puffs are golden and have risen.

The veg, roughly chopped and ready to cook.

The first stage of the puffs- olive oil mixed into the flour.

The remaining ingredients about ready to be mixed in.

The stew ready to go into the oven...

...and 35 minutes later. If only you could smell this!

The feedback was definitely do it again, but add more gravy to the meat and some more veg. I need a larger baking dish. How sad, I must go shopping for kitchen needs :) 

There, another day done! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I have writing it for you. Remember, feedback appreciated, and welcome. Stay tuned, I have more planned for you soon.

Thanks for reading :)