gogogogogogo goji!

Good Morning Goji Granola

So today i made my own granola!
Its really not that hard.

oats- as much as you want , 4 cups maybe
moderate sprinkle of flax seeds
generous sprinkle of Chia Seeds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup honey
2 table spoons of olive oil
Put it all together and bake in an oven at 160 degrees for 25 mins.
Mixing frequently as it bakes.

Serve with dried goji berries , cranberries and your choice of milk or fruit / yogurt.
Yum!
full of antioxidants and high in protein and omega 3's.

Conscious Consumption - my first experience shopping at a Food Co-op.

Don't get me wrong i am no hippy but After Being inspired by the words of Raj Patel in his new book "the cost of nothingness"

I decided that it was time to invest in trying to shop in a way which is more environmentally

friendly. So after doing some research i decided to head to alfalfa house

in Newtown ( Sydney's Inner West) . I have to admit i had no idea what to do and how to use

the shops facilities. The basic idea is that you bring your own bags and glass containers to fill up on what you want...so it was very easy really!

I love that the produce is all in season , there is a range of fruit and vegetable, grains, liquids such as olive oil, herbs, teas, cereals, cleaning products, soaps, the list goes on.

I bought beautiful pumpkin, mushrooms, sweet potato, ginger, lettuce, apples, oats, spelt pasta, flax seeds, chia seeds, and cauliflower. Some is organic , all is seasonal.

What i didn't expect was the price , it was great value ! And interacting with other customers was something you seldom get in a supermarket setting.

I walked away feeling really happy and excited to try my goodies and glad knowing that I was contributing to

a happier world.
wouldn't captain planet be proud of me!

(picture from http://www.alfalfahouse.org/html/who_are_we.htm, author unknown)

Sweet Bleeping Luxury! 

I really wanted to share this new range of products that I discovered today.

Its a range of goats milk personal care products and they are simply 

divine. If you are someone who is a little bit sensitive to chemicals this

may be a realistic alternative.

The products are packaged in the sweetest way so that you can feel that 

they were made with love and care.

To find out more about the range visit it here

CH CH CH CH CH CHANGE

CH CH CH CH CH CHANGE

So the past few weeks have been pretty busy . 

First some rather somber news ...

Sugar escaped from his cage and is now out 

in the big bad world. 

What fate he has met , who knows?....

maybe he has formed a gang of blue budgies 

planning to take over the world !?!? 

Either way i am hopeful that his little life 

is sweeter. So that leaves dear Enrie , light of my life.

Enrie took the loss well, although initially confused 

he now enjoys extra pats from his owners on 

a daily basis . He also gets total ownership

over the little blue swing, 2 birds on one little 

swing was never going to

work, really .

Other news , i have opened up an etsy shop with all my illustrations .

See the links above and below on my blog to check it out.

Its still in its very new stages as i attempt to wrestle the overly complex

photoshop software. Who ever invented that failed to consider

us un-technologically minded people. Usability = no spuds.

Anyway just a short note that i havn't had a favourite things

update for a while. So what's my pick for this week you ask?

Watching Mater Chef season 2. I can't get enough.

Firstly i adore good food and secondly i love to

see people being creative under pressure.

This week i was grateful for the pavlova challenge.

My favourite sweet thing, and there were some

doozies !

Yours in blogland.

Fist comes Enrie then comes Sugar....

This is the pecking order of our little birdie family. I don't know why but

Sugar is just a bit slow off the mark. Perhaps he was traumatised from getting a bit

caught in the blind when we transferred him into the cage. Either way it seems

that birdies have long memories.  Anyway we have made some progress , Lozz now otherwise known as 'Bird Whisperer' has been able to get up close to pat Enrie's tummy and also 

Enrie has perched on Loz's Finger on one occasion. Sugar does not so much like to be touched 

but did reluctantly place a toe on Loz's finger. From what i have read about budgies it will be another 3 weeks until they are really able to respond to training.

Otherwise things are going well , Enrie likes to play gymnastics and do 360 degree summersaults around his perch and Sugar , well , he likes to follow Enrie  around the cage like a bad smell. 

More updates shortly ..... 

Welcome Enrie and Sugar ....

So the day arrived this weekend where we acquired our additional family members! 

I have to say it was a pretty easy ordeal picking them out and getting their little cage set up. 

The only slight dilemma was transferring them from one cage to another . 

Enrie ( its french for Henri ) went with ease but Sugar flew away and into the blinds! After some very skillful maneuvering,  Lozzy was able to rescue Sugar and return him back to his cage. 

Thank god for Lozzy. As for me I wasn't so helpful , but alas time will tell and we will be able to train them so they don't get too upset by the giant people. (us)

Anyway its been lovely watching them play and chipper to each other , they are much more settled now they have had some time to adapt to their new home and parents. 

It makes such a difference having a animal presence in the house .

Anyway shall keep you posted on any updates especially as they grow ( they are only 4 weeks) . 

Canberra : fishbowl of Australia. 

So the plan was to take a day trip to Canberra to see the art exhibition 'Masterpieces of Paris'. Sounds pretty straight forward yes?

On arrival to Canberra we decided to take a chance to find the gallery ourselves. This turned out to be a bad idea firstly because the GPS was not able to recognise the address of the gallery (an omen perhaps?) and secondly , every road went around in circles and took us in the complete wrong direction.

 Regardless of attempts to try different things we seemed to continue to be lost. 

After an hour of circular driving an emergency call to the tourist information centre was in order. 

Moderately helpful but still not comforting enough so called my dad for a in-depth description of the most direct route. With grumbling tummies and drivers fatigue we finally reached the destination , phew the hard work was over and it was going to be easy from this point onwards. Or so we imagined....

Then we decided we needed some sustenance , so we ventured into town to again fail to find any cafe that was open , everything was a bar , and Canberra it seems stops at a halt after 2:30 pm. 

Another hour and we finally find some food. 

Now we headed back to the gallery only to be greeted by a 2km line with a 2.5-3 hour waiting time.

After lining up for about 5 minutes we were advised to leave and return on Sunday as the gallery would be closed by the time we were able to enter. Damn it . However we are a flexible unit and we thought fine... lets go make the most of it and find a skanky hotel . 

In short after again driving all over Canberra for another 2.5 hours - running into every single hotel,  we found out from a few hotel receptionists that Canberra was officially booked out , not one room left , nil, nothing . It was now 6:30pm. 

Now tired , fatigued and completely disillusioned by Canberra's non-accessibility  we decide to basically head home and hope we get lucky somewhere.... before we have to consider bunking down in the MacDonalds car park for the night - this was a very real option at this point. Caramel Sundae anyone?

So driving back to Sydney we see a road sign that points to a small town called Collector with a sign indicating accommodation. We turn left in hope of finding anything , stable , shack, caravan park ...we were willing! 

After about 1 minute we find The Bushranger's Hotel, it is here i begin to concoct a speech of desperation in my head , i was willing to beg for a room , wash dishes , pay  a large sum of money , show some cleavage  and so on....

Luckily i didn't have to stoop to this as there were rooms available !!!!!! The glory , the joy.....we were back. 

So this pub was/is amazing , in fact it was one of the coolest places we have stayed , friendly owners, pool table, chandeliers, red velvet, great food , and it was 150 years old so it had more history than you could poke a stick at - not too mention it was haunted . They had a dvd playing on the big plasma screen in the lounge showing a psychic medium going through the hotel talking about the ghosts and the criminal events of the past which had taken place in the rooms and grounds of the hotel  . Ok so we found a great place , but maybe sleep won't be high on the agenda tonight. eek. 

Next day ( 2 hours sleep for me , Lozzy just got drunk - very wise ) we headed off to the exhibition . 

Thats some commitment for you. 

And again we were greeted by the 3 hour line , and yes we waited 3 hours . But it was nice in some ways because we made friends with people and it made it seem like it was pretty special. 

All in all the exhibition was amazing and we felt very accomplished - and maybe we wouldn't of felt so proud and achieved if it had gone so smoothly

........so in retrospect i wouldn't of changed a thing. 

except i won't be going to Canberra anytime soon,   at least not without a Winnebago. 

Mango Chicken Wrap with Butter Lettuce and Roma Tomatoes 

Today i made a fabulous lunch . From being strictly vegetarian , over the past 2 years i have found myself evolving in my food choices to include both seafood and chicken and turkey. 

I think my philosophy about food has changed and i feel that moderation is more the key as well as sourcing produce which is quality. 

In my wrap i just pan fried some chicken breast , added a lovely mango chutney at the end stage of cooking and piled it all into a whole-meal wrap which you can find at any supermarket. 

Although be careful as the mango chutney really caramelises into very hot  toffee like substance. I burnt my hand to prove this point! ouch:( 

Kayaking redeemed! 

An interesting and controversial addition to 'my favourite things' blog but i will say that i have had a change in heart since having the chance to kayak in more survivable conditions. 

In order to understand what i mean last year Loz and i went kayaking in a fierce storm off byron bay beach - surf kayaking they call it . We were unprepared to say the least , unfit and both really sick with various viral /  flu like aliments however we decided to sign our lives away - literally ( there was a form for this of course) . 

Anyway to cut the story short (and many swear words later ) we did make it back to shore even in the midst of a shark alarm ...

Anyway i vowed not to inflict this trauma on myself again and to stand strong in the face of extreme sports..... until our holiday to the beautiful north coast of NSW - Hawks Nest. 

We again braced ourselves for another kayaking adventure , why? i don't know , but the pamphlet was very encouraging - especially with the senior citizen on the front page happily kayaking away .....surely i can do this if gran can! 

And we did and it was great . We explored mangroves weaving in and out of branches and learnt about shipwrecks and bird-life ...and there was no storm and no 3 m waves ! yay! 

Tea reviews 

So earlier on i mentioned some herbal teas that i wanted to sample and review . 

So here are my thoughts...

1. Peppermint and licorice : loved it and its my fav. of the bunch . Better for after dinner than early morning though as its quite minty. Makes me feel cleansed and great for tummy ache. I will keep ordering this one .

2.E-tox : very lemony, earthy and rustic , with a little sweetness  from the licorice . I would prefer less lemony but loz loves it so i think its a keeper. 

3. Strawberries and cream: very sweet , maybe a little bit too sweet for me . I am happy to have it and intend to make it into ice tea but may not get this one again. 

4. Rooibos vanilla: This ones good , not great , not amazing, but fine. The vanilla adds  sweetness to the often astringent flavour of rooibos so i think its a nice idea. I do however  prefer my tea bag version. 

thats all ! 

( picture from : http://www.yankodesign.com/images/design_news/2009/11/03/modennflo_set_01.jpg

author unknown ) 

Bagels 

My love for bagels happened quite accidently while  Lozzy and I were in Balmain looking for lunch. 

It was here we began our passionate  relationship with 

The Bagel House . 

One bagel and me and lozzy have been borderline obsessed ever since . 

Our favourite : smoked salmon , cream cheese , capers, red onion-  with poppy seed and sesame seed bagel. 

( foodie-gasm ) 

I also recommend the lovely turkey and cranberry bagel with creamy brie. 

To our delight we have also discovered that the 

Orange grove markets ( Sydney's Inner West) 

also has a little bagel stand. In our excitement we bought 10! 

 - obviously not to eat that day .

Luckily bagels can be frozen and still maintain the   soft , chewy and slightly sweet flavor which makes them one of my fav. things at the moment. 

( pictures from http://www.bagelhouse.com.au/our-menu.html, author unknown) 

Tea tea tea tea tea tea tea tea .......

So as i have previously blogged that i am a massive fan of a cup of tea. However , i am getting a

 bit bored of my current blends. As i result i am going to sample and review these teas from 

 

The Tea Centre.......

E-tox ( organic) - Dandelion root, burdock, liquorice, nettle, st Mary's thistle, lemon verbena, red clover, calendula & rhubarb.

Licorice and peppermint ( organic) 

Strawberry cream fruit infusion - Hibiscus, apple, rosehip, strawberry pieces, caramel, vanilla & roseflowers.

                              Rooibos Vanilla 

                              

                                  Anyway i will post my reviews in the following weeks ! 

                                    ( image from http://www.theteacentre.com.au/ , author unknown) 

Nectarines....aka the fuzz- less variety of the Peach 

My favourite thing lately has been consuming  beautiful nectarines straight from the fridge! 

They must be in season at the moment because they taste divine. 

Not to mention they  are packed full of happy nutrients .yay. 

(picture from http://www.summerfruit.co.nz/content/summerfruit/nectarines, author unknown) 

Lunch box specials ....

So ..i have not blogged my newest favourite thing for a few days now. (bloggers guilt !?)
Its Not that i have run out , it's just been a sleepy few days and Lozzy has the flu. (boo hoo).
And well, i have been watching the tennis - which takes a lot of time and concentration.
Anyway before i go to bed i wanted to share a very cute product that i think i want in the
not too distant future..
STEADY STICKS!
A very sweet company have created some lovely water bottles - completely free of nasty chemicals. In addition to this they come in a set of 5 and even have a fridge stand!
Not to mention the awesome designs. I like to think of this as a great companion to the Keep Cups Range.
Great Value as well so check out all their stuff ....

( Picture from http://steadysticks.com/reduce_range.html , author unknown)

Un- WirEd

For those who don't know i have been caffeine free for about 2.5 months now. Just for the record this is not something i did out of free will - or for the love of self torture, rather i did it to help in combating my chronic migraines which have plagued me for the past 18 months. All in all this has sent me on a mission to find
substitutes, i simply couldn't envision my life without a hot beverage in hand, its always been a massive part of my social life and my down time.
So here's to my top substitutes!!

Rooibos tea:
A full bodied Tea from South Africa , a remedy for insomnia , headaches, allergies hypertension and more.
Check out Clear Mountain Tea , its very good and also organic.

Aveda Comforting Tea:
100% Organic , includes mint and licorice and is probably the nicest tea i have tried in the herbal category. Even if you don't like herbals i promise you will love this! Also great for digestion after meals. I think this is what i drank when i was doing my HSC , so very long ago , however it kept me calm !

Anyway I am still on the prowl to find other options so feel free to post me a comment to my bloggy!


( Picture from aveda.com.au , author unknown)

Do Nourishing and Lovely things even when you can't afford to.....

Over the last 18 months i have come to feel deep affinity with the idea that its the small things that count.
When things are not quite going well or general life plans have come to a halt and the bigger picture feels, well...smaller....
remembering the smaller things that create happiness can really help in shifting the focus.
In essence it is also the inspiration around making my bloggy.

Something i discovered lately is a lovely little range of products under the name
Be Genki.
The range includes candles , body products, and essential oils and beautiful herbal teas. Of course they are all natural!
The Word Genki is Japanese for being healthy , happy and in harmony!
The range is divided into various categories which correspond to different moods...

• Vitality to help us improve our energy levels.
• Tranquility to help us prepare for a peaceful night’s sleep.
• Serenity to help us cope with everyday stresses.
  
• Sensuality to help us nurture the loving relationships that we have with our partner, and more importantly our Self.

My favourite part of the range is the "For Lovers" Sensuality home spa ritual. Possibly a lovley valentines gift i think.
What i like more about the products is that they make you excited to take the time to self indulge and take time out, yes you can do this without any assistance but i think its better to have a ritual .....i like rituals .

( Picture taken from begenki.com.au , author unknown)

Australia Day

Generally speaking i don't celebrate Australia day , be that due to my lack of patriotism or my mixed feelings about the day itself i.e A day which is commonly referred to as Invasion Day by Indigenous Australians. Despite these factors i do love Australia and i think that its a good thing to celebrate that it has some of my favourite things .... So here are my top 3 Australian things .
Lemon Myrtle Tree
Lemon Myrtle is a native Australian tree which smells amazing and can be used in so many different forms - tea , beauty products , cooking and so on. When Lozzy and i were staying in Byron bay at a lovely place called Amber Gardens she was struck down with a very nasty flu. Kindly our hosts crunched up some lemon myrtle leaves and made her a tea. It was delicious! If i was to have a garden i would love to have this tree.
Biome
Biome is an Aussie online shop which stocks eco friendly products including anything from pet beauty shampoo to a clock made from a recycled coffee cup! This is a one stop shop when you have minimal time to buy gifts .
Some of my fav things include the amazing Keep Cup - saves the need of using a new cup every time you go out for coffee as it fits in most industrial coffee machines.
They also have a little blog called accidental greenie . Check it out!

Vegemite
I couldn't go past this one , although very much an expected contender. Vegemite has had a big year with its spin off product formally known as isnack 2.0 - Later called cheesy mite or something , i can't even remember!
Anyway i don't even care because i am happy to keep it simple and stick to the original. Ew , cheese and vegemite in a spread , i just can't see how it can work , almost as bad a that new product called canned chicken which is now being marketed .....blahhhhhhhhhhhh. why.

( picture right : lemonmyrtle.com.au , author unknown )
( Picture Left: isnack2.com/)

Ducks Geese mongoose Pigeon Ambush

Centennial Park , Sydney

What more could you want? Bike hire , birdlife,
picnics, grass, giant trees, people watching, ponds.
Recently Lozzy took me on a romantic birthday rendezvous complete
with grapes , smoked salmon bagels and strawberries! What we had not expected was the attention we would get from the army of birds who were initially playing by the lake. Which led us to ask the old age question ...
Do birds Smell food?
Or do they just gravitate toward the human via years of association i.e.
human = scraps
It was a perplexing thought . I am sure there is a very simple explanation
however we prefer to not really know in some ways. ..its not as interesting to know i don't think.
Or do they know what Food looks like? or will they follow any flying thing that is thrown
( i did do this and - yes they do ) .
Anyway it was amusing to watch them creep up on tip toes ( as if being quiet meant we wouldn't see them in the grass) They were big birds by the way.
Anyway , despite the unanticipated company it was a nice day and in hindsight wouldn't of been as fun without them.

Welcome to my Bloggy !

This is my blog , and its dedicated to all my favourite things! Including activities , places, events, people, books, clothes, websites, animals, plants,parks, beaches, recipes, thoughts , theories, ideas, ......well you get the point. So here's to self indulgence ! So my favourite thing today is a little website i came across while i was shopping for a bathroom bag. It is called Apple and Bee

I love that the cursor is actually a little bee.
In addition to this the company also donates to bees! Adorable ! And they are based in Sydney's Inner West (even better) ....and they have an online shop, yay to not leaving the house !

( the picture above was taken from the website www.biome.com.au , author unknown)