Recipe: Lemon, Lime and Orange balls {of happiness!!}

I have been on a baking frenzy of late. 

It seems every single night I make something different, try something new, and invent more recipes of the healthy kind. I just  cant get enough!!  My love of experimenting is in my genes!  

Lately all my recipes have been of the chocolate kind. I love using the  sublime and so good for you Cacao.  I love its taste and the decadence that comes with eating this healthy chocolate.  Yet I was searching for a lighter, more refreshing treat! Something that would cleanse my palate. So I came up with these little beauties. They remind me of the lemon slice that my mum would sell in her old cafe. Lots of nostalgic memories of  downing a lemon slice and that tart cirtrus lemon flavour, but so much better for you!

For these balls I added some lime and orange for an all round citrus twist! Darby loved helping me make them and rolling them into little bite size balls!
 

Its a pity that he can't take any to school (due to the nuts and seeds). They would make a great snack to get him through the day, so we have to save them for an after school treat!  I love it when he gobbles them up with such gusto.

You can mix and match any of the ingredients really to suit yourself. I like to be generous with the lemon/lime/orange to give that real burst of fresh flavour! 

They truly are delicious - super easy,  and adjustable to your taste buds. Throw in anything you love... why not give them a go! 

Recipe

1 1/4 cup of nut meal (I make this myself and used a mix of almond, cashew, Brazil nut and sunflower seeds) 

1 cup of desiccated or shredded coconut

1/4 cup of coconut flour

2 tbs of quinoa flakes 

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder (I use the Loving Earth one) 

2 tbs of chia seeds

2 tbs of lemon juice

2 tbs of orange juice 

1 tbs of lime juice

1tsp of lemon, orange, lime rind combined (only if you are using organic fruits)

2 tbs of rice malt syrup, coconut sugar or honey

3 tbs of coconut oil 

1tsp of Maca and Mesquite Powder (totally optional)

Extra Coconut, sesame seeds, or chia seeds to roll them in. 

 

Mix the dry ingredients together until all well combined. Juice the lemon, lime and orange, add then rice malt syrup to it. Add the juice and syrup to the dry mixture and stir well. Melt the coconut oil and pour into the mixture and stir again. It should be sticky but easy enough to roll balls in your hands. Roll the balls in  either coconut/chia/sesame seeds. The mixture should make around 40 smallish balls. Once you have rolled them all, refrigerate or freeze for 1 hour and then you are able to enjoy!!

Enjoy
xx 

20/52

Oh  I wish he was laughing at me!! In reality he is laughing at Batman (oh what a surprise!)   Darby has been very tired this week, and has battled with nightmares, which has left us both drained of energy and lacking in quality sleep!  So its  so nice to see a giggle back on his face!

My favourite picture from last week was  from Mother Down under . The picture taken in front of that magical wall on a momentous occasion in her little boys life!

Linking up in this incredible project with Jodi at Che and Fidel! 

Until next time 

The small steps I took to a happier 2013 ....

 

Earlier in the week I blogged about the card ripping episode. Yes that's right,  I had a horrible card holding me captive. By ripping it up and removing it from my life signified the final step in acknowledging I don't live in that negative and pessimistic mindset anymore. I am now striving to live a happier and healthier life, A life filled with contentment and joy and the people and things I love.  

I thought I would share some of the little things I have done this year that have made all the difference in turning my life around. As a lovely and inspiring friend put it yesterday, its the little things that end up making the bigger picture.  She was so right. Just including a few of these things everyday has made all the difference in how I feel. 

 

- Spending quality time in my own company when Darby is at school, whether that is time at home just relaxing,  out for a coffee just watching the world go by, or sitting somewhere and just daydreaming;

- Wearing bright coloured jewellery, especially of the neon yellow kind! It really does brighten up my mood and my outfits!

- Drinks of nice and hot tea in pretty cups, I am liking the Yogi brand in Chai Roobios, and I can never ever go past my all time favourite Lady Grey;
 

- Attending twice weekly dance exercise classes. Its been so much fun to dance around a room to cheesy music, letting all inhibitions go! It gives me a massive buzz, I don't even realise I have been exercising!

- Finally listening to my body and  respecting what it wants and needs. This has been very powerful in ending my dieting mentality for good (all thanks to intuitive eating);

- Trying new foods, and giving up some foods too! In particular I am loving Umbeboshi Plums (thanks to my sister who introduced these to salty little gems) and Bee Pollen (thanks to Amelia over at Nurture and Shine for recommending these little wonders!)  

-  Baking new treats for Darby and myself. I love trying new products and being innovative with the way I incorporate health and fun into our diets!

- Visiting Health food stores;

- Drinking my one and only daily coffee. As much as I look like I am addicted to the stuff, I am not, I could go a day without, and I have. I just enjoy the ritual of going out and trying new things,  it is just  something I love to do!
 

- Making the time to see good friends, this is so good for the soul. Life is busy, but I find because I don't have a partner at home to have adult conversations with, I crave connecting with  people that I love and when I do, it is so reassuring and I always walk away feeling enriched;
 

- Reading inspiring books and blogs, that leave me feeling uplifted and motivated. My favorite books are quite often cook books, so I have indulged in a few that are supporting my new healthy philosophies;

- Walking around our local neighbourhood and taking photos, I love how I see things in a new way when I do this!

- Taking photos of Darby with my new camera. It  really has me stepping outside my comfort zone as I have somehow managed  to teach myself to shoot in Manual mode. I love how this makes my brain really think!
 

- Giving up processed sugar. Making this change has made me feel amazing, clear headed, vibrant and so much happier! It was a very natural process and the longer I go without the better I feel;

- Switching off from work the moment I leave the building. I enjoy the job I do and the people I work with, but when it clocks over 4.30pm, I clear my mind and don't think about work until the next time I walk through that door. This was a hard one for me, but after some bouts of severe stress last year, it was essential for my mental health to do this. Working 3 days a week has given me back that work/life balance I needed;

- Enjoying my Saturday Darby days. Now that he is at school I really treasure the time we spend together on the weekend. We tend to sight see around Melbourne, have lunch and just hang out. After the hustle and bustle of the busy school week, its just nice to reconnect on the weekends;

Most of these are pretty simple things, but they have all added up to greater happiness and sense of self which is what I was striving for. I want to be able to look back in years to come and remember how much I enjoyed my  life! I am not waiting for the future to do that, I am living the life I want now!
 

Until next time,

Jane

Keep calm as life is pretty special after all

I have always thought of myself as a glass half full kind of gal.  I strive to look at the positives in life and not focus on too many of the negatives. I'm not sure I was always like this, but I know for the last  decade or so I  really tried to adopt this mindset.

I didn't notice that my attitude may have been changing awhile ago. I'm pretty sure it was around the time of my breakup. I guess that is only natural when you are going through a significant and unwanted life change.   When I suddenly realised the path I thought I was meant to take, was now not the right one. That I had to turn around and walk the long, dark road back to the fork and then forge out a new path on my own.

I think any significant life change can bring about these unwelcome and depressed feelings. Its never easy I guess, so you could say my positive approach to life was slowly engulfed in a dark cloud of negativity, cynicism and resentment. I forgot how to see the good in the world. It all looked grey to me. I was so incredibly lucky to have Darby, who turned out to be my little beacon who shone the light on my new path. He  kept me going, and gave me hope that one day our future would be bright.

So I remember getting the above card for myself at Typo some time in late 2010. At the time I thought it was great. It rang true to my hurt and the pain I was feeling. Pessimistic much? 

I think I liked its sarcasm and its hopelessness. So representative of my dejected feelings.  I stuck it on my inspiration board that overlooks my bed and that I reflect on every evening before I sleep.  

I suppose I noticed my attitude to life slowly shifting late last year. After I turned 33, I decided that feeling happy was the answer. I know that is quite simplistic, but there was a definite turn in the positive direction, yet that card still hung above my bed and I would almost flinch when I  looked at it everyday.

So today a funny little thing happened. I had this urge, a real urge I couldn't shake. I knew what I wanted to do and when I arrived home after a morning out with one of my dear dear friends, I walked into my room, pulled it down and ripped it in half {oh and then photographed it before throwing in the bin, never to be seen again}. You know what ? It felt amazing! 

I have come a long way since the day I got this. This card has no relevance in my life anymore. I actually think this life  I'm living is pretty darn great! 

Yes I know there are truly crappy times, and periods when things are so so hard, but my overall sense of happiness and joy has blossomed and my opinion on life has shifted.

Life is meant to be a roller coaster. These adversities make us grow stronger, build our resilience,  perseverance, compassion, gratitude and love. They give us character and depth. They shows us how strong you can be and how emotions can grow, change and heal.
I think it is incredibly important that when we are in the midst of these negative times that we are kind to ourselves, that we grieve what has been lost and try our best to appreciate life afterwards. We need to go through that whole grief cycle  (for me that took 2 and a half years!).  Its amazing when you come out of that dark cloud and the clarity you can see.

So now in 2013 I see bright things, happy things, so much hope for the future,  a life  to be enjoyed and  nurtured.  I have seen the fragility of life,  experienced  the immense joy and monumental heartache, I know this is all part of life's course. These are the things we cannot control.
It is the way you feel in your heart and mind that you can and I know that sounds so naive of me, but it has worked in my situation.  I realised if I didn't just love my life or myself just as it is, no one was going to make me. (Very Mr Darcy, I know!)  It was my responsibility to cultivate my own love and happiness from the inside out.  

Its up to me and me only.

Now I am  just after a new card that reflects how I feel!


Until next time

19/52

Hands up Darbs, that football is coming your way!
Here he is eyeing off  Grandpa's big kick as it descends towards him! Luckily it didn't end with a ball in the face and he took the mark!

We spent mothers day relaxing at the park across from our house and Darby spent time playing kick to kick with Pa and honing the skills he is learning at Auskick.  I love watching him play and run, and handball and kick with so much energy!

Linking up in this incredible project with Jodi at Che and Fidel! 

Until next time 

Recipe: My go to cake of the moment

I am always on the lookout for lunch box ideas for Darby, especially those of the healthy kind. I have tried many things this year, and this recipe seems to pass the ultimate test. It actually gets eaten!

More often than not some or most of the lunch comes home at the end of the day untouched, so when I realised this cake was working some magic and catching his attention for just a moment from playing, I knew I was on to a winner! 

I found this  Quinoa, Sweet Potato and Chocolate cake recipe on Hope for Healing's blog, here is my take on the recipe with a few adjustments, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. 

Quinoa, Sweet Potato and Chocolate Cake 

2/3 cup of Kamut Flour
2/3 cup of Spelt Flour - really any flour is ok, go nuts on what you want, especially if you want to make the recipe gluten free,
1 1/2 cups pre-cooked quinoa
1 cup of sweet potato puree (In this instance it was sweet potato, pumpkin and carrot!)
1/2 cup of Rice Malt Syrup  
1/4 cup of coconut oil (melted) 
1/2 cup of non-dairy milk (I used almond milk, but you could use rice or coconut milk) 
3 TB of cacao powder (today I used 2 TBs of cacao and 1TB of Carob powder for a different take on it) 
1 1/2 ts. of baking powder
1 ts. of baking soda
1/2 ts. of sea salt
1 ts. of ground cinnamon
1/2 ts of vanilla powder 

Note - If I could make the cake just for me, I would add some Chia Seeds or Brazil nut powder, but as I am sending it to school it has to be seed and nut free.  This is hard for someone who adds Chia seeds to everything!

Mix all of the above ingredients together for 1-2 minutes to create a smooth and creamy cake batter. Then pour into a 9x9 circle pan that has been greased with coconut oil.
Bake in a 175 degree oven for  about 50-55 minutes, until you can stick a knife in  the middle of the cake and no gooey-ness comes out. It should be pretty crispy and brown on top, like a brownie (mmmm) . 

 Let cool for 10-15 minutes and then transfer from pan to a plate. On the original recipe there is a wicked Avocado icing, which I haven't  made, but by all means go for it! Who cant resist a layer of yummy chocolate avo icing!  I'll be making it next time.
Cut the cake in slices and store (for me that means the freezer so i can grab them out for our lunches)

It really is a simple cake, but it is full of so much goodness and perfect for these cool nights ahead!  I can see Darby and I sitting all rugged up, munching on this!

Until next time

18/52

This weeks picture is late, but hey thats ok. Life has been happening around here and I always chose life over blogging.
I selected a photo of our recent dinner outing. We had  a Huge Saturday of going everywhere, and we were both EXHAUSTED.
Darby changed into his pyjamas and dressing gown at 4.30pm and we hoppped in the car and headed out to dinner. Such a nice way to spend a Saturday early evening! Just looking at the picture makes me yawn!  Bless!

I just wished I could have been in my pyjamas too!

Linking up in this incredible project with Jodi at Che and Fidel! 

Until next time