Time Out

Time out...

This has been a crazy week. Cookbook deadlines are zooming by, so I've been stuck at the computer with hardly a break. (Except to homeschool, do housework, cook, go to a wedding, answer lots of phone calls and messages, and deal with all the other interruptions that are part of everyday life around here!)

Then at about 11pm the other night I realised someone had decided to steal my Facebook identity, so I was madly trying to sort that out and didn't get much sleep. (And it's still ongoing... so please don't accept a 'friend request' on FB from 'Quirky Cooking' because it's not me, despite the fact that they're using my photo and covershot and have also set up a Quirky Cooking 'Health & Beauty' page. This is my page, by the way ---> Quirky Cooking... not the other one.)

Stress. I was tingling with it that night and the next morning. And quite a few times in the past week. You know that feeling? I hate it. Sometimes the feeling of "so much to do and I don't know where to start and I don't know what to do" totally overwhelms me. I don't want to talk to anyone, I want to hide in my bed, disconnect the phone, and pretend I'm not home when someone knocks on the door. But you can't really do that when you have a home business, a family to look after, and you're behind schedule with the book you're writing.

I find it helps to focus on a job that needs doing, and start working on that in slow and steady steps, bit by bit, til it's done. (It feels so good to tick something off your to-do list, no matter how small, doesn't it!)

And I also find it helps to give myself the reward of some 'time out' to look forward to, as the jobs are ticked off my list.

Time Out...

As my mum says, it's imporant to 'take some time out to let your soul catch up with your body.' I'm not talking about big chunks of time spent alone in blissful quietness - I mean just making the most of little moments, little snippets of time, and letting that quiet moment completely soak in and relax you. 

One of my favourite writers said this,

"It is in quietness that we are fed. Sometimes it is not possible to get long uninterrupted quiet, but even if it be only ten minutes, “hem it with quietness.” Enclose it in quietness; do not spend the time in thinking how little time you have. Be quiet. If you are interrupted, as soon as the interruption ceases, sink back into quietness again without fuss or worry of spirit. Those who know this secret and practise it, are lifted up."       (Amy Carmichael)

It can be as simple as...

- Getting up early to have some peace and quiet to read and think and write before the kids wake up.

- Going for a short walk and bringing home some flowers you picked. (Or weeds, if you're anything like me.)

- Baking a cake.

- Playing relaxing, happy music while you work. 

- And maybe dancing around the kitchen a little bit. And singing.

- Sitting outside in the sunshine with a cup of tea for 10 minutes.

- Kicking off your shoes and sitting on the grass to eat your lunch.

- A chat and a laugh with a friend. 

- Stopping to notice the beauty that is all around you, and taking photos of what you see.

- Hugging someone you love.

And for me, a big one is...

Driving.

If I'm feeling really overwhelmed and my brain is tired of thinking, and all those little 'time outs' just aren't enough, I find it really helps to go for a drive.

I've been feeling really frustrated the past couple of weeks, because I have this absolutely beautiful car sitting in my driveway, and no time to drive it. And I have only two weeks til they take it back! Noooooooo...

(For those of you who don't know, Ford sent me a Territory Titanium to test drive for six weeks (yeeehaaaa!!) as part of their "Choose Your Own Adventure" Challenge. I was picked because Kidspot awarded me a place in the top 25 "Food & Wellbeing" Bloggers for Voices of 2013 this year. And yes, I'm truly loving this car. And I don't want to give it back.)

Anyway, today I had so much to do, and a wedding to go to, and the 'overwhelmed' feeling was building up again. So when my husband said, "Let's drive home from the wedding the long way - around the lake," my answer was, "I'm driving!!"

I know, I know, I had lots to do. I probably should've said, "No we'd better get straight home as I need to keep working." But after the stress of the past week, hugging the cat just wasn't going to cut it. I needed some time out to drive 'my' car, to sit back in air conditioned comfort and relax and watch the scenery go by.  I could honestly sit in those soft, leather seats all day, meandering through the countryside enjoying the view, music on, air conditioner blowing in my face, thoughts drifting, stopping to take photos whenever I want to... I dream of doing that when I'm stuck in front of my computer for hours.

So that's what we did. We went for a drive on a winding dirt road, and stopped to watch the sun set over the lake. And revelled in the comfort of driving such a lovely car. And it really helped. Now I'm feeling much happier and more relaxed, because I've had some time out, away from the computer and housework, driving this lovely car and enjoying the scenery. Bliss.

So tell me, what do you do to help yourself relax, refocus and de-stress? I'd really love to know. Please leave a comment - your ideas may help someone else!

Have a great Sunday, guys, and don't forget to...

♥ ♥ ♥

Road Tripping, Expo Cooking & Finding the Balance Between Stop and Go

Black's Beach, Mackay

I love a good road trip, don't you? I grew up in a road tripping family and I have so many wonderful memories of travelling together for hours, days, weeks, even months - around half of Australia, the USA, down into Mexico, up into Canada... 

As teenagers, we were packed into the car like sardines, suitcases bumping the backs of our heads as we bounced along, a banjo and a guitar sandwiched between us in the back seat, portable electric typewriter on my lap so I could type out my school assignments as we drove. Endless roads, new friends everywhere we went, beautiful scenery, singing together and telling stories, cooking Australian treats like pavlova for our American friends and trying their foods, and taking photos of wildflowers and canyons and lakes and snow. Once road tripping is in your blood you just can't get rid of the addiction. I dream of spending a whole year travelling around Australia with my family, showing the kids this amazing country of ours.

Sadly, my husband does NOT have any desire to pack up all our earthly goods and set off into the sunrise, living the gyspy life on the road. He's totally not interested in packing four noisy kids into the car with a bunch of luggage and food and a Thermomix, and driving endlessly just to see what we can see. He's so practical. I'm a bit of dreamer. Like my dad. But I DID manage to get him to agree to a one week road trip to Mackay and Townsville in the second week of the school holidays, and I think he actually enjoyed it! Well, most of it. Maybe not the bit where I got really sick with a tummy bug and he had to cook and look after the kids who were constantly wanting to go to the beach when he just wanted to sit inside with a book. But hey, I didn't enjoy that bit either.

Okay, so in case you're wondering, here's how I convinced my husband to do this whole road trip thing. Ford picked me (along with 19 other Voices of 2013 bloggers) to take part in their "Choose Your Own Adventure Challenge," test driving their newest, sparkliest, most top of the range Territory Titanium! (Yeah, I know, awesome huh!!) We've been given this brand-spanking-new car for 6 weeks, and it even came with $400 worth of fuel vouchers and a full tank of fuel! Well that just shouted 'road trip' to me, and hubby had to give in to the pressure.

Picking up 'my' car! Woo hooooo...

I have to say, my 'totally not interested in cars or road trips' husband is now as much in love with this car as I am. After driving it for two weeks, including a 10 hour drive in one day, we are completely smitten. As we're driving along, hubby will turn to me and say, 'I love how the electric windows can still be rolled up after the motor is turned off - make sure you mention that on your blog!' and 'It's so comfortable, and so smooth to drive' and 'The POWER!!!'... ha ha! I think we're both loving the quiet, smooth, panther-like power the best - we've never driven a V6 turbo diesel before, it's awesome! 

My front seat office!

We've never had such an easy road trip with our four kids as this one was. It was so quiet I could write, and chat with hubby while we drove. The GPS kept us on track, the kids were comfortable, no one felt squashed or cramped, and the built in DVD player kept them distracted for the 10 hour drive. We only stopped twice. This does not usually happen!! Big win for the Ford.

Morning tea break...

...and a tailgate lunch. 

I brought some homemade roast beef, some spelt bread rolls that I baked quickly before we left in the morning, a jar of my homemade tomato sauce, and some salad, and we made lunch in our makeshift 'kitchen' by the road. I also took fruit, chia puddings in jars, and a homemade trailmix. Easy, and lots cheaper and yummier than buying greasy roadhouse food!

The only negative was all the road works we encountered on the drive. No, that is not some strange kind of tattoo, that's my hubby keeping track of how many road works we'd passed through. Ha ha!

We really enjoyed catching up with old friends in Mackay, and I had fun cooking with the Thermomix girls there. (A big thanks to my lovely friend and recipe testing guru, Lauren, who invited us all to her house.) I made them a few recipes that will be in my book to see what they thought, and everything got the thumbs up - woo hoo! I have sworn them to secrecy, so don’t try and get the recipes out of them, Mackay peeps!

Some of the Mackay Thermomix ladies

And this is where things went a bit pear shaped. I got really sick with a tummy bug. Maybe because I'd been a bit careless with my eating when visiting old friends, and it got me all out of whack, I don't know (no one else in the family got it), but after a day or so in bed I managed to get back on my feet and the holiday continued. I had to take it pretty slow, and we didn't do all the 'stuff' we'd planned to do. But that's okay. Just being able to rest and relax was probably exactly what I needed. Sometimes when you won't stop, your body MAKES you stop. Right?

I think my body was telling me it was time to slow down...

I spent some time resting, walking on the beach, and preparing myself for the next leg of the trip, which I knew would be very busy. I find I can handle the crazy, hectic times as long as I intersperse them with quiet, rest times. And it really helps to have some alone time now and then, too. It's all about finding the balance between stop and go. 

"Cultivate Solitude." It's good for the soul.

So after a rest, it was on to Townsville. I spent Friday afternoon at Sprout, prepping the food for my cooking demonstrations the next day. (That was pretty cool, being given free rein to use anything in the store, as Sprout were the sponsors for my demos. Love that shop.) Then Saturday it was off to the Townsville Plant & Garden Expo to do some Quirky Cooking demos. It all got a bit chaotic, trying to set up and cook and speak and pack up and wash up with a make shift camping sink, then start all over again after an hour or so break, but with the help of my good friend Bron and a couple of others who pitched in, we managed it. Thanks to those of you who came to watch and chat, and especially to those who helped out with the serving and cleaning up when we were running out of time - you're awesome!! :)

Here's a little snippet of my demo, taken by my friend Felicity...

A few of you have asked for the recipes from the demos - so here they are:

     Coconut milk: as made in this recipe.

     Chicken & Veges with Coconut Rice and Macadamia Satay Sauce: similar to Chicken & Cashews, but with macadamias replacing the cashews, and the addition of the juice of half a lime to the sauce. Also used long grain brown rice which was soaked overnight, making the cooking time 30 mins.

     Beetroot Salad: same as the one in the Thermomix Everyday Cookbook, served on a bed of baby spinach and sprinkled with crumbled sheep's feta.

     Tangello Sorbet: Tangello zest blended up with 100g coconut sugar, 10 sec/speed 9; add 350g ice and blend 10 sec/speed 9; add another 350g ice and blend 10 sec/speed 9; add the peeled tangello (I froze the portions, didn't remove seeds) and an egg white, blend 30 sec/speed 9, using spatula to help mix. Top servings with 'ice magic'. 

     Ice magic: 100g dark chocolate, grated 10 sec/speed 8, plus 50g coconut oil, cooked 2 mins/50C/speed 2. 

     Raw Vegan Chocolate Mousse: made with frozen avocado to make it thicker like an ice cream.

Macadamia Satay Chicken & Rice with Beetroot Salad

Tangello Sorbet with 'Ice Magic'

Now we're back from our epic road trip and the holidays are over. Today I started back with the homeschooling and book writing and house work and everyday life, so things are back to normal here, except for the shiny car in my driveway... Hopefully I'll be able to sneak off on a few mini road trips to make the most of 'my' car before I have to give it back. Hey, do you think Ford would notice if I disappeared into the sunset with the Territory for an 'around Australia road trip'?

Weekly Highlights & some NEWS!

(Ummm, no, this isn't the recipe for my Cherry Delight 'Cheese'cake, so sorry. I just thought the photo might get your attention.) :D

Hello everyone. I know, my Weekly Highlights are very late, but I have an excuse!

I'm not sure if you've noticed that I've been a little bit absent from my blog and Facebook page lately. Well, there's a good reason for that. I promise it's not because I've been lazing around the house in my PJ's all day eating dulce de leche on fresh strawberries (as much as I've wanted to). It's just that I've been madly recipe testing and writing out recipes for the last couple of weeks because ... I have a publisher for my COOKBOOK!!!! EEEEK!!! (A bit exciting!!) Yes, a really real printed book, complete with really real photographers and stylists and all that fun stuff!

And along with a publisher comes DEADLINES and SECRETS and eating, sleeping and breathing RECIPES! And as much as I'd love to, I'm afraid I can't share the recipe for my cherry 'cheese'cake yet, because I need it for my book. You do understand, don't you? I'll try not to tease you with any more photos that do not have recipes attached, okay? (Although now and then I might post a sneaky one on Instagram, so if you want to see some sneak previews that's the place to look.) :)

So although I haven't had as much time to chat, there were still quite a few subjects discussed on my Facebook page this past week. Here's the main ones, to keep you all up to date.


FOOD

My big girl turned 16 last week (yes, I'm feeling old!). She wasn't interested in going out for dinner or having a party, she just wanted a big, family, Mexican fajita feast with a cherry cheesecake to finish it off. So that's what we did...

Fajitas with the lot!

Spelt tortillas, Mexican rice (mum's recipe - another option is my Mexican Quinoa), marinated fajita beef & chicken, sauteed red peppers (capsicums) and onions, guacamole, and my dairy free sour cream. So good.

Oh, and some smoky chipotle chilli sauce to top it off. Woweee, love that stuff!

(Do you like my cow apron? Lol!)

Mmmmm... fajitas!

What healthy treats would you cook for a 16th birthday party? Here's some reader's ideas.

Coconut Caramel Custard: In case you missed this, I posted this quick and easy recipe on the blog last week. Warning: dangerously addictive!

Pandan leaves: Ever see 'pandan leaves' in an Asian recipe and wonder where to get them, how to use them, whether you can grow them yourself, and what to substitute for them if they're nowhere to be found? Wonder no more, answers here!

Date loaf/cake recipes: Do you have a favourite date loaf or cake you like to make? Here's some readers' favourites.

Grapefruit recipes: It's grapefruit season, our fruit basket is overflowing with them! Need some ideas?

Travelling with Thermomix: A reader asked for simple Thermomix meal ideas that don't need heaps of pantry stuff, as she wanted to take her Thermomix with them on holiday. With a 2 year old and a 7 month old, it's a lot easier to 'eat in' than 'out', and the room they were to stay in only had coffee/tea making facilities. Here's some ideas readers suggested for travel meals.

7 Ingredient challenge: A desperate plea for a quick dessert idea using the 7 ingredients available brought out some very creative suggestions!

Vegan dinners: Recipes and ideas for a meat free meal.

Traditional afternoon tea ideas: Except they need to be gluten, dairy, sugar, and soy free! No problem.

Free-from birthday cake! A reader needs a recipe for a birthday cake that's gluten, dairy and soy free - preferably something rich and decadent.

Passionfruit recipes: Ideas for using up all those passionfruits that are falling off the vine! (At least here in FNQ, anyway!)

Paleo and nightshade-free food: A reader needs some ideas for paleo meals/food that are also free from potatoes, tomatoes, chillies, eggplants, capsicum and most legumes. Some great ideas here.

Lactation biscuit recipe: Have you heard of these? I hadn't! Basically it's a biscuit containing ingredients that help with lactation. Lots of other ideas for helping to increase breastmilk production here too.

Soup weather: What soups are you making on these wintery evenings?

And just a quick tip for when you make your tortillas or wraps - this is how thin you want to roll them, then cook them quickly in a really hot, dry frypan so they don't dry out. Make sure you keep them wrapped up in a clean tea towel while you cook them, so they stay warm and soft. Enjoy!

AND MORE...

Boosting your immune system: A reader asked for help for immune boosting ideas, as her husband has Ross River Fever.

Making soaps in your Thermomix - yes or no? Some great ideas and discussions here.

New Thermomix Blog & FB Page! If you need some help meal planning with your new Thermomix, Thermonerd may be the blog for you. Being a work-at-home mum of a little boy and twin baby girls means this busy lady HAS to plan ahead to keep up! Meal planning is definitely the way to go for helping with time management and budgeting... if you haven't tried it, you should.

By the way, there's lots of menu plans on my blog, as well as some here on my Facebook page!

Favourite Thermomix recipe books: What's your fave?

What the rural life is really like. I loved reading this blog post by Rural Miss and seeing her beautiful photos. Have you thanked a farmer today?

So now I'd better get back to my recipe writing...

I might have to get Mr I to do a guest post for me this week, so my blog doesn't look so neglected. :D

Have a great week!

Life & Blogging & My Trip to Sydney for Voices of 2013

Well last week was pretty exciting. I was whisked off to Sydney at very short notice to attend the Kidspot Voices of 2013 bloggers masterclass and competition launch party... and I had a ball!

My blog was selected from almost 700 other nominated Australian blogs to be amongst the top 25 Food & Wellbeing blogs in Australia! Wow. I was pretty excited. Next followed an invite in the mail to attend the launch party in Sydney. I really, really wanted to go, but I didn't think that it would work out... Sydney is a world away from my little country town in the mountains west of Cairns, in Far North Queensland. I was busy with homeschooling and running a business from home, and I'd only recently gotten back from a trip to Daydream Island for a Thermomix seminar and holiday. And my husband and youngest daughter were just about to leave for a trip to Perth to visit family. It was all a bit too hard.

Excited to be in such good company!

But even though my head was saying 'you won't be able to go, be sensible,' something else was telling me 'don't book anything into those dates, you'll be in Sydney.' So I kept the dates free. (Which is no mean task with my crazy life!)

A few days before the RSVP date, an email came saying, 'You haven't booked in! We want you to come. Tell us in 30 words or less what YOU could bring to the launch party, and Ford (the sponsor) will consider flying you down for free.' Here was my chance. I went into my room to escape my noisy kids and skeptical husband, sat down on my bed, and excitedly dashed off an answer. It was pretty silly. I said, 'I'll bring my biggest smile, my quirky sense of humour, and I'll be wearing my crowd-stopping chocolate perfume.' Ha ha!! (Yes, I really do wear chocolate perfume. I'm kind of addicted to chocolate, if you haven't noticed.)

I didn't think my silly answer would win me a free trip. But I still kept the dates free, just in case.

And guess what? I won the trip!! Free flights, accommodation and transfers. And all thanks to my chocolate perfume... the judges must be chocoholics too. ;)

Surrounded by bloggers, loving every minute!

So what did I learn in my time away? Well, I gleaned lots of blogging tips from many successful bloggers; nuggets of wisdom that also apply to life in general. And when I say 'successful bloggers,' I don't necessarily mean bloggers who make a lot of money from their blogs, or are world famous. I mean bloggers that make us laugh and cry. That win our affection by their openness and vulnerability. That open our eyes to the beauty around us. That give of themselves, writing with enthusiasm and joy. That share their thoughts, inspirations, ideas and passions, and each make a difference in their own small (or big) way.

Let me share some of these nuggets of wisdom about blogging (and life) with you...

{from various bloggers, plus some of my own tips}

Do what you love, and love what you do. If you don't love it, chances are no one else will either.

Stop watching what everyone else is doing and be yourself. Stay true to yourself, your ideals, and your personality.

Don't be afraid to have an opinion, and own it! Opinion-less people are boring. (But at the same time, don't be rude or sarcastic about anyone else's opinion. There's enough of that in the world.)

Be your own critic. Step back and look at what you've done and ask yourself, 'Does it look good? Do I love it? Will I regret what I've said/done in five hours? In five years? In ten years?' Don't forget, the internet is 'forever'.

You have a unique opportunity to connect. Don't just sit and wait for people to come to you, go to them. Be open and friendly and ready to share yourself. Make it easy for people to get to know you.

Use spellcheck.

Keep it simple. Don't get so 'clever' with the way you say things that no one knows what you're talking about.

Take lots of photos with a good camera. Jot down your thoughts. Be alive to what's going on around you, every day.

Don't stress about SEO and other means of 'getting noticed'. If you're genuinely passionate about what you do, and you're good at it, you'll be noticed. Be less interested in statistics and more interested in people.

Be picky about who you are affiliated with. Go with your gut. If it feels 'icky,' don't do it. Integrity is so important.

Perservere. Be persistant. Don't give up when you hit a bump in the road - climb over it and keep going. Build good relationships with other bloggers and build up a buddy system to help each other along.

When you doubt yourself (which we all do at times), think back to your motivation for starting in the first place. Keep that in mind. Write about what you love.

Stay humble. Without your readers you would be nothing.

And above all, don't take yourself too seriously! Blogging is supposed to be fun. If it's not fun anymore, stop blogging. :)

And we sure did have fun...

Recognize anyone? 

{Clockwise, left to right} Maddie of 'Colour Me There'; Lauren of 'Potpourri'; Kate of 'Finger, Fork, Knife'; Ally of 'The Vintage Valley'; me and Alexx of 'Alexx Stuart. Real Food. Low Tox Living.'; Claire of 'Checks and Spots'; and Lexi of 'Pottymouth Mama'.

Interviews...

Sore feet, but lots of goodies to take home!

While I had the chance, I spent a couple of days roaming the big city on my own, taking photos, getting lost in the city streets (and loving that I had nowhere I needed to be), sitting in sunny courtyards listening to street musicians and just enjoying some time alone... Because we all need some time out now and then to let our souls catch up to our bodies.

And here's my favourite photo from my visits to the Opera House...

he walked into my photo and made it perfect.

What a very special few days.

Thanks for the great time, Kidspot! 

Sydney - I'll be back!

And thanks to YOU, my lovely readers, for making it all possible.