Carrot, date and chia loaf. Gluten free and vegan!

I love when I see a recipe and I have everything I need.

That happened today when I came across the readers recipe in Woman's Day (21st May).

I needed to change the recipe to be gluten free for me and Mr J doesn't like nuts (the original recipe had half a cup of walnuts in it), so this is what I came up with.

Carrot, Date and Chia Loaf

You need:
1 cup of pitted chopped dates
1 cup of water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp of bicarb soda
1/2 tsp of gluten free baking powder
1 & 1/4 cup of gluten free self raising flour
1/3 cup of ground almonds
(If gluten is not a problem for you omit the GF flour, baking powder and ground almonds and put in 1 & 1/2 cups of wholemeal SR flour)
1 tsp mixed spice (or half tsp nutmeg & half tsp of ground cinnamon)
1 cup of grated carrot
1 tbsp chia seeds
Marg or butter to serve
(that's right no eggs, oil or butter!!)

Now do this:
1/. First of all preheat your oven to 180C. Line a loaf tin with baked paper and give it a little spray or grease.
2/. Then put the dates, sugar, water and bicarb in a small pot and heat quickly. Once it comes to the boil, turn it down and simmer for 5 mins. Allow to cool a little.
3/. Put the flour, almonds, baking powder, chia, spices and carrot into a bowl and combine.
4/. Once the date mixture has cooled a little, add it to the dry ingredients and mix well.
5/. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 40 mins.
6/. Slice and serve with your favourite spread.

It's very yummy. I recommend eating it while it's still warm.

{33/52} Talking to myself

Have you read Eat, Pray Love? Not seen the movie, which didn't have hardly any of the insightful stuff in it, but read the book?

I read it a couple of years ago and I can't say that I loved it, but one part of it slapped me across the face. Elizabeth(the author) was stuck in a quagmire of guilt. She really wanted her ex-husband to forgive her for ending their relationship, but the forgiving just wasn't a-coming. From my hazy, chronically sleep deprived, memory she imagines her ex-husband forgiving her and she says the words that she needs to hear and is able to let go. Or something like that.

At the time I was stuck too and unable to move on. I desperately needed to hear words that weren't coming. I was sick of waiting.

After reading about Elizabeth's experience I knew that the words I needed to hear were never going to come. I needed to tell them to myself.

I was reminded of this during the week when I read a fabulous post by Kirri on Happy Mums at Home.

Whatever it is you would like to hear, say it to yourself.

If we can do this, we can be free.
No ifs Lee. Own it.
Do this and be free.

Is there anything you need to tell yourself this week?

~


So on a completely different note, today I bought a new winter coat. I haven't bought one in years. I love it. It's bright orange. I love orange. Lurve.

My week 33 self portrait for the 52 week project.

I also joined in Fox in Flats brooch/ pin/ badge style dare #pinupdare! I have loved digging out and showing off my grandmothers brooches, some old and new gifts and a badge I picked up at a free Yoko Ono exhibition in London many moons ago.

Have an awesome week!


Joining Fi in life's up and downs and linking up for the 52 week project. 

Previous weeks:-

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12 Week 13 Week 14 Week 15 Week 16Week  17 Beauty Week 18 Sunset Week 19 Sun Week 20 Back seat driver Week 21 Jigsaw edition Week 22 Style?? Week 23 Trying to fly Week 24 Freedom Week 25 Cranky

Week 26 The Wiggles Week 27 DPCON12 Week 28 My comforts Week 29 Huffy Week 30 Me Again Week 31 Mothers Day Classic 32 being and doing

Thanks so much for reading. x

{32/52} being and doing

I had a glimpse of self awareness today as I commented on a friends facebook status*.

I realised that when I am not blogging I am doing.

In life we need a balance of doing and being. Too much of doing and I am frazzled and irritable. Too much of being and I am bored.

I need time in my own head to be a calm and pleasant-enough person to be around.

I have found that when I am struggling to find head space I dive head-first into my blog. Write my heart out, complete some thoughts. Kind people give me some words of encouragement and on I go.

I haven't being blogging quite as much recently. Not because I don't have stuff to write, but because I am on a bit of a doing streak. Blogging to me is more a being thing, I think.

I have been running, doing a 2000 piece jigsaw, cooking, working two days a week (yippee!), regularly meditating and last night I picked up my unfinished knitting that I started last year instead of the laptop (although that was short lived as Baby J had an unsettled evening). I have been playing with the kids more. And actually enjoying it.

The balance feels quite good for me at the moment.


* I have joined a facebook page for beginner meditators, lead by Kirri White. We have been working on incorporating meditation into our daily lives for over 30 days now. Let me know if you'd like to join us.


~

This self portrait project is at a challenging stage. It's hard for me to make it interesting for the reader and for myself. I have done my feet, my shadow, in the car, in bed, in my kitchen, after a run. I don't want to over think it, so I just went outside, the sun come out and bam! And this is it.

Joining Fi in life's up and downs and linking up for the 52 week project.

And while I am at it, with Grace from With Some Grace for FYBF

Previous weeks selfies...

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12 Week 13 Week 14 Week 15 Week 16Week  17 Beauty Week 18 Sunset Week 19 Sun Week 20 Back seat driver Week 21 Jigsaw edition Week 22 Style?? Week 23 Trying to fly Week 24 Freedom Week 25 Cranky

Week 26 The Wiggles Week 27 DPCON12 Week 28 My comforts Week 29 Huffy Week 30 Me Again Week 31 Mothers Day Classic

Belated #photoadayApril

Last month I managed to complete Fat Mum Slim's April photo a day challenge. Admittedly a few of the photos came a couple of days late, but I did do them all. And yes, day 15 and 19 are the same photo - but they cover both prompts - "Orange" and "Sunset".  If I took a photo of the sunset on the 15th it wouldn't have been the best snap. I was glad that I waited. 

The beauty of this challenge is that it brings creativity into your everyday life, even if it's for 3 minutes. Sometimes the moment jumps out at you, like today when Miss A was painting. She has just started to draw and paint things that are recognisable and the prompt for today was grass. She happened to paint a picture of the sun, flowers and grass and bam! there was my photo for the day.

If you like my fancy collage and are on instagram you can make one too at printsgram.com. 

Thanks Chantelle for sharing this gem.

31/52 Mothers Day Classic

#iloveendorphins

I love that I can now call myself a runner. 

I am not a natural runner. I am neither petite or slight in build.

My technique isn't great. I plod. I won't be breaking any land speed records anytime soon.

But I can run and run. Eight kilometres to be exact. And next weekend I am going to do ten. 10.

One way or another.

Linking up with the gorgeous Fi for the 52 week project.

Previous weeks selfies...

Week 30 Me Again

Week 29 Huffy

Week 28 My comforts

Week 27 DPCON12

Week 26 The Wiggles

Week 25 Cranky

Week 24 Freedom

Week 23 Trying to fly

Week 22 Style??

Week 21 Jigsaw edition

Week 20 Back seat driver
Week 19 Sun
Week 18 Sunset
Week 17 Beauty

Week 16

Week 15

Week 14

Week 13

Week 12
Week 11

Week 10

Week 9

Week 8

Week 7
Week 6

Week 5Week 4Week 3Week 2Week 1

Before I started blogging...take 2 boo hoo

Okay, so there was a real post here. This is the rig-in. The real post was written over about two weeks which is kind of a record for me because I usually just vomit out what ever I feel like on the day.

I lost the post fiddling on one of my I-gadgets.

FARK!

I feel sick in my stomach.

I want chocolate and I can't have any.

I will need coffee in the morning and I can't have any of that either.

Today is my first bloggy birthday. I published my first post on the 4th of May 2011.

My post talked about where I was at before I started this little blog of mine. What I have gained.

And most crutially I thanked two people who have supported me since I started - these lovely ladies being Anne from Domesblissity and The Truth About Mummy. Caz commented on my third post and Anne my fourth. I have felt their supportive presence throughout my bloggy journey and I am so grateful to them.

So until I find my post or someone discovers that the have left one of their tabs open with my original post on it and kindly emails it to me, or in the unlikely event that I try to recreate the post this is my birthday post for now.

Thanks everyone who has read, commented on or followed my rants, purges and recipes here. I am so grateful for your love and community.


Finally thanks to Mr J, Miss A and Baby J for putting up with this slightly annoying hobby of mine.

I'm giving it up

Okay so I am crapping myself.

After the #DPCON12 blogging for social good seminar, I felt compelled to do something. I was full of thoughts and good intentions. I looked around at the aid organisations and noticed that the Australian Red Cross was running a Give it Up in May campaign. I jumped on board.

I pledged that I will give up barista made coffee and chocolate for the month of May and donate my savings to The Red Cross. I calculated that I probably spend $130 a month on coffee and chocolate. That is OBSCENE. The consumption of the lucky inhabitants of the first world is obscene. The issue of severe poverty and famine in the third world seems so overwhelming, but if everyone in the first world does a little bit, it will help. So this is my little bit for now.

~

So yeah, as I said I am crapping myself.

Going out for a coffee is my crutch. I use it as a change of scenery to move the day along, to prevent me from turning into a raving ranty-pants, to get the kids out of the house so they stop wrecking stuff, and to give me something to look forward to. Some days seem to go forever.  I need to get out. I use whatever energy I have left to get the kids in the car and get to a cafe. Once there, everyone know's the drill, babycino's, flat whites and biscuits later we are all good and slightly more chilled. I am recharged, caffeinated, and sweetened in mood and nutrition.

Having a treat of chocolate in the evenings serves a couple of purposes for me. I am rewarding myself for surviving the day and I am comforting myself by drinking tea and scoffing. The dinner, bed, bath thing is stressful at the best of times and it is such a relief when the kids finally conk out and I can have some time in my own thoughts. Eating the emotional energy is part of my wind down.

So, while this may be an exercise to raise money for the Red Cross, it is also an opportunity for me to look at some of my food issues.

Source: someecards.com via Lee on Pinterest

: media-cache2.pinterest.com via Lee on Pinterest

Yep, they sum my food issues up pretty perfectly.

I definitely need to work on finding other ways to care for myself.

If you'd like to sponsor me or donate money to the Red Cross, please go here or find the button on my side bar.

Or why not give something up yourself this month? It's not too late to join in. Create your own fundraising page here. It won't take a minute. Go on! You can follow on twitter on #imgivingitup.

Linking up with the bestest Auskick coach in the Territory, Jess for IBOT. Thanks Jess. xx