“The quest for slowness, which begins as a simple rebellion against the impoverishment of taste in our lives, makes it possible to rediscover taste.” ~ Carlo Petrini, founder of the International Slow Food Movement When you’ve roasted a chicken (see my easy roast chicken recipe here) the scrapings from the pan, and the frame and […]
Simple Roast Chicken Recipe
“Cooking well doesn’t mean cooking fancy.” ~ Julia Child I was about to roast a chicken yesterday morning when a friend popped in. “Can you wait just a minute while I get this roast ready” I asked her. She looked at me as if I was from another planet. “Seriously? How long will that […]
Cedric Snake’s New Girlfriend!
“All discarded lovers should be given a second chance, but with somebody else.” ~ Mae West, Wit & Wisdom of Mae West There is an enormous carpet python who lives in the roof of our farmhouse, and has done for many years. We christened him Cedric, after my maternal grandfather. Last year Cedric had a girlfriend who […]
Gentle Rain
“The only noise now was the rain, pattering softly with the magnificent indifference of nature for the tangled passions of humans.” ~ Sherwood Smith I’ve lain awake for much of the night, listening first to a thunderstorm, and later, to the gentle sound of rain falling. I can hear the gurgle of rain in the gutters, […]
Zucchini Bread Recipe – Gluten free, dairy free, sugar free
“When I pass a flowering zucchini plant in a garden, my heart skips a beat.” ~ Gwyneth Paltrow I should have titled this post The Great Zucchini Loaf Challenge! I have a friend who is always telling me that they positively hate zucchini. This friend last ate zucchini thirty years ago at boarding school. They tell me […]
Hay, Hay, Hay! (because lame jokes & Nicole go so well together)
“Nic, step away from that computer. Sometimes you just have to get going!” ~ Ben Phillips, husband. We got up so early this morning there was no time to blog. We were in the ute and rolling out the door just on dawn. Why? To buy hay at the Saturday Markets of course! The […]
Remembering The Unknown Soldier – ANZAC DAY 2014
“He is all of them, and he is one of us.” – Inscription on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Australian War Memorial This ANZAC Day is particularly poignant for me. Today I can finally acknowledge my grandfather and the role he played with the No. 1 Wireless Operations Unit in World War Two. For me, my grandfather […]
Excuse me, are you the Witch?
“Perhaps I am the only person who, asked whether she were a witch or not, could truthfully say, “I do not know. I do know some very strange things have happened to me, or through me. – Lady Alice Rowhedge” ~ Norah Lofts, Bless This House Last year the little girl from down the road at our city house knocked […]
Sometimes You Have to Be The Warrior
“Whatever you are physically…male or female, strong or weak, ill or healthy–all those things matter less than what your heart contains. If you have the soul of a warrior, you are a warrior. All those other things, they are the glass that contains the lamp, but you are the light inside.” ~ Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Angel 2014 is a BIG […]
A Boat Called Insomnia
“But Pooh couldn’t sleep. The more he tried to sleep the more he couldn’t. He tried counting Sheep, which is sometimes a good way of getting to sleep, and, as that was no good, he tried counting Heffalumps. And that was worse. Because every Heffalump that he counted was making straight for a pot of […]
Easy Mushroom and Walnut Soup Recipe
“Yes,” said Cook. “That is soup that you are smelling. The princess, not that you would know or care, is missing, bless her goodhearted self. And times are terrible. And when times are terrible, soup is the answer. Don’t it smell like the answer?” ~ Kate DiCamillo Soup is such an easy meal to whip up, […]
A Satisfyingly Late Start to My Day
“I made a nap this afternoon. I made it out of two pillows, a bed, a sheet, a blanket, and exhaustion.” ~ Jarod Kintz This morning has been fabulous. After the first night of Bluesfest I hit the pillow last night and slept solidly until 7.32am. No meditation, no blogging – a complete fiesta of relaxation […]
Singing the Blues while baking Easter Treats!
“I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.” ~ Billy Joel Just one more sleep and it will be here. Bluesfest! The music festival in my own home town that showcases the best of Blues and […]
What’s Your Carrot?
“Dangling a carrot in front of a donkey—or anyone else for that matter—is not nice, and not fair, unless you eventually plan to give it up to them.” ~ Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration Traditionally a carrot was dangled in front of a donkey to keep him moving forward, even if he didn’t want to […]
A Flower Mandala for Heart Chakra Healing
“It’s so curious: one can resist tears and ‘behave’ very well in the hardest hours of grief. But then someone makes you a friendly sign behind a window, or one notices that a flower that was in bud only yesterday has suddenly blossomed, or a letter slips from a drawer… and everything collapses.” ~ Colette I’ve […]
Simple Meditation for Connecting With Your Guides
“We are like islands in the sea, separate on the surface but connected in the deep.” ~ William James “We begin to see that we are spiritually linked with people halfway around the world, and with those who lived hundreds, even thousands of years ago. We begin to see that we emerge from, and are the expressions […]
Apple, Pear and Chia Seed Warm Pudding Recipe
“Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.” ~Ernestine Ulmer I came home to our farm last night, too exhausted to cook dinner. Problem was, I was hungry. The thought of a salad, or anything cold and raw was completely off-putting. I needed warmth and nurture. Solution? A lovely bowl of warm pudding – healthy and […]
Last Night I Flew Alone
“Love is how you earn your wings.” ~ Karen Goldman Last night I lifted from my bed and took to the night sky. I flew the way that Auntie showed me. But last night I flew alone. As the land fell away beneath me the air was soft and cool, and it smelled of coming […]
A Little Piece of Normal
“There is nothing that makes me happier than sitting around the dinner table and talking until the candles are burned down.” ~ Madeleine L’Engle, A Circle of Quiet While I’ve been in Brisbane this week for all my medical tests a dear friend took me for an early dinner. Collecting me from my front door she […]
Easy Five Minute Meditation
“Look at everything always as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time: Thus is your time on earth filled with glory.” ~ Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Ever feel like there’s just not enough time in your day? I have a technique that literally extends moments, even when life […]
Catching My Breath
“Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts. Whenever your mind becomes scattered, use your breath as the means to take hold of your mind again.” ~ Thích Nhất Hạnh, The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation The past few days have been a […]
Colour Oracle for Channelled Guidance
“Color directly influences the soul. Color is the keyboard, the eyes are the hammers, the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand that plays, touching one key or another purposely, to cause vibrations in the soul.” ~ Wassily Kandinsky, Concerning the Spiritual in Art Here’s a little colour inspiration to start […]
Measuring Progress
“Progress means getting nearer to the place you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turning, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who […]
Steps Towards Loving and Accepting Yourself
“Your problem is you’re … too busy holding onto your unworthiness.” ~ Ram Dass “Your task is not to seek for Love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” ~ Rumi Most of us believe that to be truly loved by another, their love […]
Easy Tomato Soup Recipe
“A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins.” ~ Laurie Colwin, ‘Home Cooking’ Sorry I didn’t post a blog yesterday.I finally slept, and slept and slept. And when I woke up, I made soup. 🙂 This soup can be made with fresh or canned tomatoes, and takes just a few minutes to […]