Hot… just so hot...

It's February which means it's hot. 

Well here in Perth, Australia anyway

I always catch myself wishing for a seasons change just about the time it ACTUALLY does start to change -  and I find that rather comforting - as though Mother Nature can sense that I'm at my wits end with the dust, the flies, the heat and the drought… she knows I need the cooler evenings, the promise of rain and ….eventually…. the crisp cool bite of an Autumn morning. 

I know a lot of people who hate Winter and consider it blasphemous that I want to bid Summer farewell  but I think people are born for certain seasons… it's written in their DNA and their chromosomes can't help but either thrive or recoil depending on the temperature outside…. is that a tad dramatic? 

Actually it is a bit dramatic but hey…. that's in my DNA too.

Hubby and I are facing a small crisis at the moment… you see we have people building next door to us

and they have had to carve up the land like a cake in order to accommodate the pad for their house.

Just to paint a picture here - Kalamunda (my town) is on a hill - which is basically a large rock.

So for about SIX weeks we've had a rock breaker & various other large diggers battering 

away at the ground filling the air with the finest orange dust and shaking my house to it's core.

It's been SH*T 

So we keep running away to the sea, the city, friends… anywhere basically to escape the madness.

I do need to add that they are THE NICEST neighbours anyone could wish for which makes hating the situation all the more difficult ….we have no fence to keep the dog in, dust EVERY WHERE - and I 'aint exaggerating peoples (I can taste it in the air!) a patio that's uninhabitable, a feral cat that keeps spraying during the night and…. well …. its' just been a bit of a muchness really.

Buy hey… At least I have a house. At least there are belongings and items within that need dusting.

At least it's only dust (I've seen the flood damage in the UK… blessings to you all)

So as much as I'm letting off steam I do know in my heart that - as with all things - 

"This too shall pass"

In the meantime it's better to savour what one has rather than long for what is clearly lacking.

I have also been practicing meditation and Kundalini Yoga  - which I am 

sure (POSITIVE) has helped to keep me sane.

Couple that with tea, good books*, chocolate, work, movies and 

family and I'm pretty sure I'll survive what I'm now affectionately terming

 "The Desert Storm of 2014"

*(...anyone else loved Gone Girl? … Bloomindales!! I couldn't put it down!!

In a rather twisted way it made me feel like my "foibles and idiosyncrasies" are 

small fries compared to the likes of those two!!)

How are you all going?

Have you all enjoyed your Summer/Winter this year?

Are you ready for Easter Eggs?

(I only ask because they are sticking them on the shelves

already…. MADness)

What about great films, books?

I'm sooooo looking forward to seeing THIS

and I think I'd like to read THIS next  - I caught the 

RADIOLAB podcast about it and …Wowsers.

Well it's been a post about not much really

Apologies - people

I need to jazz it up I know

I have a backlog of controversial, interesting & debatable topics

I have a dozen or more recipes to share

I have at least a HUNDRED pins that I swoon over daily

I have craft ideas, I have new music love and I have

lots more boring beach shots… but for now I just wanted to say what

I've said and be done with it.

Have a super Wednesday, a fabulous Thursday and then a TRULY

wicked Friday peoples… it's Labour day weekend here so travel safe on the 

roads and hug your loved ones extra hard. Just do.

♥♥♥

Oh I do love to be beside the seaside...

A book should serve as the ax for the frozen sea within us.

Franz Kafka 

On life's vast ocean diversely we sail. Reasons the card, but passion the gale.

Alexander Pope

There is one spectacle grander than the sea, that is the sky; 

there is one spectacle grander than the sky, that is the interior of the soul.

Victor Hugo

The three great elemental sounds in nature are the sound of rain, 

the sound of wind in a primeval wood, and the sound of outer ocean on a beach.

Henry Beston

A woman knows the face of the man she loves as a sailor knows the open sea.

Honore de Balzac

You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean;

 if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.

Mahatma Gandhi

Ocean: A body of water occupying about two-thirds of a world made for man - who has no gills.

Ambrose Bierce

I pray to be like the ocean, with soft currents, maybe waves at times. 

More and more, I want the consistency rather than the highs and the lows.

Drew Barrymore

♥♥♥

Impromptu

Packed in a hurry

Audiobook on the drive down - The Fry Chronicles

Gin & Tonics at Sunset

Midnight stroll in the moonlight

Holding hands with your soul mate

Big (mahoosive) bowls of pasta

Sand in my shoes

Life is wonderful

The Beach and Chocolate Chorizo...

Firstly I'd like to thank all the gorgeous ladies who left comments on my last two posts. They moved me and made my heart sing. Although I usually like to keep things light around here I never want to shy away from being authentic. The internet is a crazy place and even though we choose what we want to share we can never be completely sure of how it will be received. Face to face communication gives you that instant feedback whereas with blog land there's a leap of faith involved when you push that "publish" button. So many thanks to those who read and responded with love. 

Anyway today I decided to go light and easy and share my weekend with you all. Myalup is a very special place - stunning beaches, an awesome holiday house (which belongs to my in-laws) and great company that makes a quick jaunt down south an ever worthwhile expedition. To top it off it's just over an hour away...  the perfect weekend destination.

We explored the beach, lit the fire pit, toasted marshmallows, cooked yummy food, slept in and even went out for lunch on the Saturday. 

My Dad is a diabetic so I took down a sweet treat that fools the tastebuds with it's decadence but in fact is packed with nutrition (as well as having complex sugars for a lower glyceamic index) As you can see in the last image - it looks a bit like a fatty Spanish sausage (the white bits are chopped cashew nuts) yet fatty is not what this sinfully delicious desert is all about. What's the down side you ask? Well to be honest I don't actually have a specific recipe to follow. I tend make it up as I go along. I wanted to share the basic ingredients though and that way you can adapt it to suit your taste. I think the only ingredient you wouldn't want to leave out is the coconut oil - it's really the glue that helps bind the roll.

Chocolate Chorizo 

Medjool Dates  - remove the pips before you process

Cashew Nuts  - chopped first 

Almond Meal - about three or four desert spoons

Instant Oats  - small amount to help bind it - I used about a desert spoon

Raw Cacao - this is pretty strong stuff so go easy (you can always add more if you prefer)

Maca Root Powder - A desert spoon should suffice

Maple syrup - just a drizzle 

Coconut oil  - a few tablespoons melted

Glace Ginger - I looove ginger so I went nuts here but you could use dried berries, apricots etc

Cinnamon  

Mix everything in a food processor (except the chopped cashews - mix them in by hand afterwards so they aren't completely ground up) form it into a log shape, wrap it in wax paper followed by cling film then refrigerate so it will firm up and slice easily.

Go on peoples - give this recipe (or your own modified version) a go and let me know how it turns out. I'm a particular fan of the caramel flavour that Maca Root powder gives it, so you may want to go the extra mile and source this stuff (it's a bit pricey here in Oz, I know - but you don't need much) from a health store. 

Enjoy! ♥

Invitation ...

Would you like to come with us to the beach?

Truth is we don't get up to much .... digging, duning and a 

wee bit of lazing around soaking up the rays.

Still ... you're welcome anytime Xx

****

Roll film...

As you can see ... we had fun

*****

PS - If you liked the music then do please
check out Mat's website.
He is gifting his solo album to the world
You can download it here.

Bringing the Beach Home....

(As always) We had such a wonderful & rejuvenating

visit down south....

Apart from a quick drive into the nearest town

for supplies ....

... where Hubby and I salivated over this sexy number

(Decked out with a bed and small kitchen in the back....sigh)

We spent the whole time either cosying up indoors with

wine and music ....

.... or rambling about on the beach, soaking up the 

sun, relishing in the kind winter weather (no wind??)

and simply BEING.....

 The boys did "their thing"

And I did mine....

I'm addicted to beach combing... even if there are very few treasures.

I find the looking as much fun as the collecting. 

My treasures this trip consisted of a few cuttings of plants 

from the sand dunes - I wanted to try my hand at 

a terrarium that reminded me of our beach visits....

Here's how I faired.....

Cuttings from plants - preferably with some roots still attached...

... clean beach sand ...

... pebbles for the base of the glass container

(for drainage) ...

... a few "coastal" treasures ...

... and an appropriate glass container

(mine's a small fishbowl shape)

Then I assembled it all, layering the

pebbles first, then the sand...

I tried to make sure that most of the plants still had 

some of their roots attached...

... and I pressed them firmly into the sand....

I have no idea ho long it will last for or if indeed the plants 

will take? I assume (0f course) they'll need warmth and loads

of light... maybe a bit of water from time to time 

(Coastal dune plants are notoriously water wise)

Anyhooo... I'm pretty pleased with my whimsical 

take on "bringing the beach home"

****

So what's happening in your

neck of the woods?

Have you had a super busy week like me?

Are you as excited about the up and 

coming school vacations as I am?

We are going down south again - Yahooo!

(This time further away to Margaret River)

Also...

What have you had on your playlist lately?

We went to see this guy last night ...

His album is available FOR FREE so do yourselves 

a favour and download some cool tunes for naught but

your absolute aural pleasure! 

Love to you all!