A Collection of Thoughts

Buying Books Online in Australia

 Just as a little add on to my post about wanting to buy some new recipe books - one of my lovely readers shared this site - Booko  who organise a price comparison including shipping.

You can also add your book wishes to a list and it will compile and tell you where to get them all at the cheapest price.

So I gave it a whirl and popped in my three books on my wish list- naturally Book Depo won hands down.

You still have to go to the actual site and order the wishlist won't transfer but it certainly saves a heap of time flicking back and forth between your favourite sites writing down the details, comparing shipping and adding up yourself.

Booko has just become my new favourite site :)

 

 

Time Munching Games

I have never been one to sit playing games but since I was diagnosed the nights stretch out endlessly before me. They still do even now that I am on the mend. I just don't sleep.

My Ipad is a heaven send and if I'm not researching something then I am lost in some sort of game. I am however very fussy and have rules about what I play.

1. It has to be easy to understand- like really easy
2. It can be stressy - as in time limited but not "skilled" like shoot this guy run through this hole etc etc because I'm mega uncoordinated
3. I prefer it to be cute
4. It has to have an end and be sequential because I become a little obsessive and play until I have it completed

Right now I'm in love with Bubble Mania

  A cute little dude who shoots bubbles to save frozen babes - yes that is a little weird-  pretty colours and he moves through different lands.

I don't love that you don't have unlimited energy so you have to keep waiting to repower - but then that's a good thing because otherwise I may just play obsessively. There are ample opportunities within the game to buy power and bits but I just keep it free.

  Where's my water?

Strange name but oh my goodness it's fun to play. There are a million levels (not really) - you have to fill the bathtub - each scene is different. I love it.

The crocodile puts on a tanty if you don't get him enough water. You also have to try to rescue the three ducks each time and there are hidden items to collect.

Also free.

 

 

 

 

In between I also play monopoly. I have become quite ruthless when negotiating trades with my non human partner.

I like to be the thimble. I also like to control all the railroads.  It's not free $7.50 but totally worth the dollars. You can pause your game too and come back to it. I love making my opponent be the race car or the dog or the battleship. They zoom around the board. You can also customise your "house rules". So I double the landing on go money and I always have us start with $2,000 in the bank. For the record I have won half the games and the computer the rest. I really want to win more LOL.

I haven't played this for a while but I went through a Plants VS Zombies stage. I worked through to the very end  (using utube cheats - told ya obsessive ) so I'm not sure if they have released more lands. This one is $3.00 I think but I was happy to pay for it.

Richard just shakes his head when I enter game playing mode. He says it's so out of character for me - which I gues it is but it makes me happy.

So tell me any must play games that fit my criteria?  They also have to be for ipad (so an app) as I tend not to sit in front of my computer much these days. Please don't recommend  Angry Birds - I've really tried to like it because I know so many people do but I can not for the life of me work it out.

 

 

Buying Books Online

I'm not sure if anyone is as frustrated as I am with the lack of physical bookstores we can frequent these days. I was in one the other day asking about a particular book- and they said they would order it in for me if I really wanted to ( yep those were the words) and it would take 10 - 14 days and I had to pay a deposit. I didn't take them up on their offer.

Tonight I received an email from Bookworld - Australian - promising free delivery and if you sign up you receive a heap of discounts and a special pricing. YAY finally.

 But I YAYED ( I know no such word! )  way too soon.

 I have been wanting to get a couple of books that I have been reading about.

 Supercharged Food

 ( which also has a beautiful website with lots of great info)

Bookworld  $27.99  or club price $22.39

Book Depository  $19.08

( while we are not following the Paleo way of eating there are ALOT of similarities - the main difference is the no grain rule in Paleo ) This looks particularly good.

Bookworld   $45.99  or club price $36.79

Book Depository  $30.30

I haven't decided on this one definitely yet - though she also has an ipad app which I think I'll get first before I indulge in the book for $4.50. I love that she is Australian so the ingredients should be easy to source.

Bookworld   $29.95  or club price $23.96

Book Depository $22.19

Honestly it drives me nuts that we can't get books at the same price as we can from overseas.

I haven't bought any yet so please if you have any of the above and love them or hate them let me know.

 

Himalayan Pink Salt

When it comes to clean eating salt it one of the things I look carefully for on a label.  I am constantly amazed by how many processed foods have salt in them. But is all salt equal?

I'm not sure I have an answer but I do have some observations I can share. I first noticed in the heath food stores some pretty pink salt also some yucky grey salt and that was the first time that I really twigged that there was more than just rock salt or table salt.  Up until then I hadn't given it much thought.  I was at Harbourside butchers and they had these pink salt bowls  - when I queried what they were for they said they were used to marinade meats. Then another day when I was buying chocolate I noticed  yummy chocolates with pink crystals on top. I asked what they were and was told pink himalayan salt. That was enough for me to come home and google.

There are conflicting views out there - that's a surprise LOL. Some clean eaters don't use salt at all. Other experts claim that there is no difference salt is salt. 

I've linked in here a few of the articles I have read so you can decide yourself.

Now that I know that hidden salt is out of our diet, I figure I know how much salt I am adding as I cook.  I threw out our table salt and swapped the salt in our grinder for pink himalayan salt that I bought in a scoop from the health food store. It looks pretty and it's apparently good for you.  In opposed to table salt pink salt contains the full spectrum of 84 minerals and trace elements. It also has no preservatives or additives and is processed without chemicals. I think that makes it pretty clean.

 Interesting articles about salt

Himalayan Salt

Pink Himalayan Salt Range

Table Salt  vs Sea Salt

Salt

What do you think? Salt or no salt? Pink or not? I always add pepper :) We have  grinders which light up when you press the button- I like that.

Rest

via pinterest.com

 

 Do you have a bed head? I always love the look of them - I don't we have like a I don't know what it's called - a bed frame? It's wooden. I loved the ones they created on the block. But when I look at something like this - as gorgeous as it is I wonder if I'd be wanting to change the colour  every other week. Driving Richard crazy - well that goes without saying really.

 

or a bed head like this? Maybe that would be better? Anyhow the whole discussion is irrelevant as we are not buying a new bed.  The next few days will be spent resting after surgery and I guarantee as lovely as the accommodation is at pindy the bed will not be anywhere near as inviting.

Surgery No 5 in less that a year. The hardest thing about this one is that I don't want it LOL. The rest I have wanted - been keen to get on and have done. This one just means I still have two more to go.

Still no point whining it's going to happen regardless of if I am happy about it or not. Last night I spent the night wide awake as I tend to do the night before an op. Feeling much less than stellar today. I think it's the whole nil by mouth thing too -  got to get on and do.

See you on the otherside

PS- I have a couple of posts set to tick over for the next few days :) 

 

Ripe Bananas

Do you struggle with timing of ripe bananas for baking ( I know first world problems! ) ? But really it's tricky - letting them get brown enough and then baking with them at the right time- without having your husband throw them out because they have gone brown.

I have found the solution... and it's so simple and so fabulous.  I'm really actually very excited.

You take your bananas - leave them in their skins - pop them in them oven on the lowest setting and they turn brown!  Depending on how brown you want them and how ripe they already are it will take between 15 minutes to  45 minutes tops.

 

 

Take them out of their skins and leave to cool for a little bit before using them in your recipes. I did this last night and made the yummiest banana bread ready for lunches boxes.  My two bananas went from that level of yellow to the brown in 20 minutes.

via reallifenaturalhealth.com

Gluten, butter and sugar free :) Clean eating at it's best. I made it in a tin loaf and cut it into slices.

So just in case you are now in the banana bread making mood  here is a little round up.

 

via www.taste.com.au

This is a traditional recipe using flour butter sugar

 

via www.taste.com.au

 

I haven't tried this one but I will be -It uses oats and yoghurt. I'll be cleaning it up by substituting the flour for wholemeal or a combo of spelt coconut almond flours and leaving out the sugar adding some honey and swapping the canola oil for macadamia oil instead.

No waiting for bananas to over ripen anymore! I can't wait to try out a heap of banana recipes :)

Enjoy

 

Instagram and Pinterest for your Blog

You may have thought I had lost the plot if you stumbled past my blog and noticed a whole series of instagram photos that were of random CDs of musicians I had never heard of. I kept looking at it thinking - what the ? Have the girls hacked my instagram account? We don't even have those cds ... Anyhow finally I clued in that I had changed my instagram name to tarisota - and hadn't changed the feed on my blog.. so really i was displaying someone else's random photos rather than my own. Fortunately they were just of Cds and nothing wildly inappropriate LOL.

This did remind me though that I had promised a while back to share how I added both that feed and my pinterest feed to my blog.

If you don't use typepad it may be slightly different but up to a point it will be the same.

Instagram is quite simple. I use a snap widget. - Go here

Fill in the details

 Hit preview

Collect the code ( I know as soon as I see the word code my eyes glaze over too but hang in there)

 

 Copy the code.

Now if you are a typepad user - in your design section there is an option to add a module of  "embed own html"

 Click add  this module

 In that box pop your code that you have copied - give it a heading like Instagram  (so you know what it is ) click ok and it will appear on the side bar - now you can move it wherever you like.

Save and then your instagram feed will appear magically in your side bar.

If you use another blogging platform all you need to be able to do is work out where you pop your own html and you'll be able to do the same :)

Pinterest is sightly more complicated but the lovely typepad people have written a very detailed tutorial on how to do it ...

So I just followed those instructions to the letter and voila I have pinterest in my side bar. I quite like it as it reminds me to po into pinterest when I get tired of seeing the same images. For non typepad bloggers it's probably worth a read because mostly its about the code and that would be universal.

Happy blinging up your blog day :) Good luck!

 

 

Shopping Local

One of the biggest challenges that I have found when it came to clean eating was working out where to shop.

I still don't quite have it sorted but I thought I would share the places I frequent and maybe that will help you find something similar in your local area. Starting off I used to just hang out at woolies or coles - fruit, vege, meat, dairy and the "natural" aisle. It's a good place to begin and I still shop there at least once a week.

 Farmers or Fresh Food Markets

On the Gold Coast we are spoilt for choice really with all the markets we have available. You can check them all out here   They have the locations and times for all over Australia. I haven't been to the Turf Club ones in years but it's on my hit list in the next few weekends. There is also this group of markets which covers Gold Coast and Brisbane. These are the ones I go to regularly - either Nerang on Sunday or Sharks on Saturday.  Here is the list from the Gold Coast City Council which includes the craft markets that are on too.

A little further afield but totally worth the drive if you want to do more than "just food shop", is Mount Tambourine of course, but my absolute favourite is Bangalow. I have Richard pencilled in for driving me down there not this Sunday next. He is thrilled of course - loves the markets :) I usually go with some other friends but they are heading overseas. It's only on once a month but it's not to be missed.

Health Food Stores

I have found some of my local ones quite honestly to be a little dodgy and one has staff who really can't answer any questions (I often go armed with some LOL). I really do think you have to shop around a bit to find the ones you like.

I have two favourites  - One in Southport - Bliss Foods . They have an awesome range of stuff in bulk, things like almond meal, oat bran and spelt flours etc. So you can buy a little or a lot. The staff there are lovely and very helpful. They don't have fresh fruit and vege but they do stock some nice breads. They also have a good range of things like Agave syrup, maple syrup, and coconut oils- and some yummy protein balls that sit on the counter begging you to buy them when you checkout. - Just saying.

All the way down at Palm Beach ( I go armed with a shopping list ) is Wray Organic. They do have a closer store at Broadbeach in the Oasis centre which I haven't visited yet. I chose the Palm Beach store because they have a cafe there with all manner of goodies. It's just like a "traditional" supermarket with fruit and vege, bread, a huge range of organic dairy products, frozen bits and bobs too, including some meat. They have big tubs of flours, seeds and nuts which are very good value. I had been on the lookout for coconut flour which I found at Wray. They have it branded and packaged which is $19.95 a kilo but in the tubs it's only $9.95  (that's the organic one). On the whole I have found buying from tubs to be the best value for the things I use alot of.

Organic Butchers

We are lucky in that there is one just close to home at Parkwood- GJ Organics. I have only been once. I bought some nitrate free silverside which I cooked in the crockpot - It was so good. The nicest silverside I have ever had. In our freezer is some grass feed beef sausages which are preservative free.  Apart from that I'm sticking to chicken which I get from our local butcher at Pacific Pines or fish from the fish shop at Helensvale Westfield or Tidal Seafood at Harbourside Markets. I'm yet to do much research into the whole meat side of things. It's on my to do list. I have seen some meat and fish available at the fresh food markets too but I am yet to try them out.

Harbourside and Ferry Rd Markets

 

These are the other two places I go to each week.  Ferry Rd because it's near where I have treatments/ drs appointments or if not, then Harbourside is closer. They have a lovely range of goodies in their deli and also the girls really enjoy choosing "different" fruit and vege from their beautiful displays. It's not cheap but you can get some nice things. I often buy fresh ricotta there which usually works out to be just a few dollars for the amount I need for whatever recipe I am making.

Harbourtown

There is a fruit shop at Harbourtown - at the front near the Asian Grocers which is always packed. Like crazy packed. I used to walk past it then a friend Mel told me that's where she gets her bubbies vege from so once I started to get serious about juicing I needed a supply. Its so cheap and they have a huge range.  This is where I get  bulk things like carrots apples oranges etc from. Inside is also really well priced nuts, honey and coconut milk.  As well, they stock a very good range of organic dairy products so this is where I can get my yogurt, sour cream and feta cheese from.

Hmm I  guess when I write it all out it sounds like a lot but really it's not. The health food stores I only hit when supplies are running low in my containers and at a push I can always grab from woolies or coles. 

The one thing that I haven't quite got sorted yet is spices. I have never been one to cook with many spices other than what's in my recipes but now I am doing my own thing I'm thinking I need to add in some bits. I did notice this weekend a lovely spice place where you buy gram amounts at Nerang markets. Harbourside has a great range too but they are eeeeek so expensive.

I'd love some advice on what to get spice wise and any other ideas of local places to try that I haven't yet found.

 

 

 

 

Strawberry Icecream

Strawberries at the farmers markets are around $6 a kilo. I can't resist buying them every time I see them. They look and taste so good. 

My husband is an ice cream fanatic. His meal isn't complete unless he had had a bowl of icecream. So I knew that I had to get onto working out how to make a clean version very quickly.

So I have - here is my sugar free, dairy free, clean eating totally delicious icecream recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 500gms strawberries hulled and chopped
• 2 tblspns honey
• 400ml coconut milk
• 400ml skim milk (can substitute for almond, rice, oat milk)

METHOD

1. Place the strawberries and honey in a bowl and mash until lightly crushed.
2. Mix through the coconut milk and skim milk.
3. Mash again. If you would like a less chunky amount of berries then use a stick blender to blend until you liek the consitancy. I like mine still quite chunky.
4. Pour into ice cream maker and follow the manufacturers instructions.

NOTES

If you don't have an ice cream maker - pour into a container and place in the freezer.  After an hour mix it again and refreeze. Repeat.  The more you do this the more creamy and less icy it will be.

Optional - add in 75 grams of chopped dark chocolate after you have churned it.

Makes about I.4 litres - 10 serves

Nutritional Good Points - This is low in Sodium, and very low in Cholesterol. It is also a very good source of Vitamin C and Manganese.

Disclaimer -  Nutritional info provided is to be used as a guide only. The calculations are based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and utilize statistical averages. Nutrition may vary based on methods of preparation, origin and freshness of ingredients, substitutions etc.

Just Begin

I'm loving hearing all your stories as you consider a cleaner eating program or try to incorporate more exercise into your routine- thank you so much for sharing. In my google reader came this image.

It's perfect isn't it ? That's the answer to almost everything - Just begin.

This is a free printable by Ali Edwards available here. Maybe print it and pop it somewhere to get yourself focused.