This is not a usual topic of discussion for me, but it is something that I feel the need to write about. I want to talk about those people who live with people with a mental illness. So much discussion is around about the person who has the mental illness, and what it is like to actual live with a mental illness of your own. And that is great. It is something that should be talked about and discussed so that the horrible stigma attached to mental illness may someday be removed entirely.
But what about the people that live with the person who is living with the mental illness? Their parents, or spouses, or siblings, or friends. There is very little by way of help available to these people.
I believe there needs to be more support available to the people who are providing the support. Beyond Blue has some literature, but to the best of my knowledge that is it. Doctors are so time strapped that they have time for the person suffering, but not for those around them. How do you know what is the right thing to say? Or do? Is what you are doing helping? Or making the situation worse? It is a slippery slope.
I would love to hear from others who live with people with mental illness. Whether it be depression, or bi-polar, or schizophrenia… Whatever the illness. The support providers need to start to communicate and share.
If you do live with someone or care for someone with a mental illness, I want to say a huge thank you and well done. It is a thankless task, but one you do because you love the person involved, and wouldn’t dream of doing anything else.
xox
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
One month trial over
At the end of today my one month trial of eating meat-free will be over. It has gone by so fast. To be honest, I didn't think I would be able to get through the first week without finding it all too hard. But quite the opposite was true. It has been fun coming up with alternatives to meat. Finding new recipes and trying them out in my new kitchen. Trying lots of different foods to try and experiment with.
So, I have decided to extend the trial to 3 months. Which could be difficult as it takes me right through Xmas, my husbands birthday, and my birthday. But I am really not ready to go back to eating meat just yet. I am also not quite ready to swear it off completely. So the result of that is, extended trial.
So yesterday I went to a place called Gaganis Bros which is a food and kitchenware wholesaler. The warehouse is massive! Everything is available in bulk and is wickedly cheap. We spent heaps and stocked up on plenty. Most of it Mum is going to give us as part of our Xmas hamper this year. We got lentils, red kidney beans, white beans, chickpeas, soup mix, spices, herbs, honey, cheeses, chocolate, coffee, storage containers, some fancy bowls, sundried tomatos, olives, oil... There was just so much to choose from! Our cupboard will be so well stocked come Xmas. And I will have no excuses not to eat well.
xox
So, I have decided to extend the trial to 3 months. Which could be difficult as it takes me right through Xmas, my husbands birthday, and my birthday. But I am really not ready to go back to eating meat just yet. I am also not quite ready to swear it off completely. So the result of that is, extended trial.
So yesterday I went to a place called Gaganis Bros which is a food and kitchenware wholesaler. The warehouse is massive! Everything is available in bulk and is wickedly cheap. We spent heaps and stocked up on plenty. Most of it Mum is going to give us as part of our Xmas hamper this year. We got lentils, red kidney beans, white beans, chickpeas, soup mix, spices, herbs, honey, cheeses, chocolate, coffee, storage containers, some fancy bowls, sundried tomatos, olives, oil... There was just so much to choose from! Our cupboard will be so well stocked come Xmas. And I will have no excuses not to eat well.
xox
Friday, November 27, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
All you need is a Pencil and a sheet of Paper
Now that I don't have all my Facebook games to play, I find myself with spare time of an evening. I have a few TV shows I like to watch, but I am really not one to sit and watch TV mindlessly. I need to be doing something with my hands.
Earlier this year I took some Drawing classes. I really enjoyed them as I have always wanted to draw. After the classes finished I started drawing by copying from photos. Which was fun, but not really where I want to go with my drawing.
So last night I picked up my sketch book, my "B" pencil, and my eraser, and I sat down. I have never just sat and drawn before, with no picture to copy, and no idea of what I actually wanted to achieve. So it was weird. My fascination with drawing always leads me to fairy drawings. So I decided to give it a go.
I started with the wings (I know they look more like butterfly wings, but it is a start :o) ), and the picture came from there. It took a few hours. The proportions are way off. And it is really just a sketch, but the finished product, for my first shot at freehand drawing, is something I am proud of.
I haven't drawn for a few months. I haven't really had the time. So it was fantastic to just sit down with a pencil and a piece of paper and draw. And I loved that I didn't copy anything, didn't get concerned about the proportions, I just drew my picture.
I can't wait to see what I draw next!
xox
Earlier this year I took some Drawing classes. I really enjoyed them as I have always wanted to draw. After the classes finished I started drawing by copying from photos. Which was fun, but not really where I want to go with my drawing.
So last night I picked up my sketch book, my "B" pencil, and my eraser, and I sat down. I have never just sat and drawn before, with no picture to copy, and no idea of what I actually wanted to achieve. So it was weird. My fascination with drawing always leads me to fairy drawings. So I decided to give it a go. I started with the wings (I know they look more like butterfly wings, but it is a start :o) ), and the picture came from there. It took a few hours. The proportions are way off. And it is really just a sketch, but the finished product, for my first shot at freehand drawing, is something I am proud of.
I haven't drawn for a few months. I haven't really had the time. So it was fantastic to just sit down with a pencil and a piece of paper and draw. And I loved that I didn't copy anything, didn't get concerned about the proportions, I just drew my picture.
I can't wait to see what I draw next!
xox
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Rustic Greek Pie
I forgot to take a pic of last nights dinner. We had Spinach & Leek Fritters. It was pretty good. Very good actually. We didn't cut the spinach small enough, and should have used egg rings like the recipe said, but they were yum.
Tonight we had Rustic Greek Pie. I wasn't going to post the photos, as on the surface it looks like a failure. And to be honest, when I pulled it out of the oven I thought it was a failure. The pastry didn't hold on one side and some of the egg mixture poured out as you can see in the photo.
Obviously I decided to take a photo anyway. It smelled divine, and once it was cut up, it looked pretty good too.
Tonight we had Rustic Greek Pie. I wasn't going to post the photos, as on the surface it looks like a failure. And to be honest, when I pulled it out of the oven I thought it was a failure. The pastry didn't hold on one side and some of the egg mixture poured out as you can see in the photo.
Obviously I decided to take a photo anyway. It smelled divine, and once it was cut up, it looked pretty good too.
Outcome? It was Delicious! So was the glass of wine I had with it. And that does not happen very often. Yet another meal I thoroughly enjoyed cooking, and thoroughly enjoyed eating. Next time I will make it in a quiche dish so the sides can't bust. Other than that, perfect!
xox
The 50 Things Project - The Final List
I am pleased to announce the completion of this years round of the 50 Things Project. I have gotten rid of 50 things in the last few months, and believe me, it feels great! There are a lot of little things that are not on this list, things that were so inconsequential they got thrown without second thought. But this is the big list.
It’s weird, I really do feel free-er (is that a word?) after finishing this. It’s like - by getting rid of the old I have given myself permission to start with the new.
So here it is, the final list…
Already on the list:
1) Brown cabinet (old TV cabinet) -hard rubbish
2) Old clothes that are too big/don't wear anymore - Goodwill
3) Old craft magazines that have been stored and not used in over 10 years - bin
4) Dried and half used paints - bin
5) Textas/crayons from when I was at TAFE - going to R's friend who has an intellectually disabled daughter who loves to colour in
6) Left over miscellaneous craft things from Garage sale - bin
7) Kids books - will give to friends who have kids
8) Old posters/wall hangings that have been in storage since I moved to SA - bin
9) White cupboard that is falling apart - Hard rubbish
10) White wardrobe no longer use - back to Mum's
11) Metal computer table – Hard rubbish
12) Unused craft stuff (things I haven't used in over 5 years) - bin
13) Taped videos - bin (I no longer own a video player so no point keeping these)
14) Excess sheets/towels - Goodwill
15) Excess coffee mugs, dinner plates - Goodwill
16) Spare TV cabinet – Hard rubbish
17) Spare wooden desk – Hard rubbish
18) Futon - Megan
19) Spare wooden drawers - hard rubbish
20) Fabric - Sent to Mums to add to her stash
21) Spare computer monitors and cases - hard rubbish
22) Old Uni assignments (have held on to for nearly 20 years) - bin
23) Books no longer want – Book exchange
24) Grey carpet mat - Hard rubbish
25) Radio Gramophone – Hard rubbish
26) Old tent - hard rubbish
26) Pappasans - hard rubbish or to my MIL's
27) Spare computer chair - dump
28) Old costumes (mostly falling apart) - bin
29) Bits & pieces I used to use in my previous volunteer work - bin
30) Plastic hall runners - hard rubbish
31) Exercise bike - to be sold
32) 2nd fridge - to be sold
33) Plastic outdoor chairs (broken ones) - hard rubbish
34) Small (stained) outdoor table - hard rubbish
The list continues…
35) Black rug – bin
36) Old car (yes car) – sold to an auto wrecker
37) Overlocker – Ebay
38) DVD’s we don’t watch – Ebay
39) Gym set – Ebay
40) Punching bag – sold to Megan
41) Lawn mower – Grandad
42) Oil heater – hard rubbish
43) Air conditioner that doesn’t work – hard rubbish
44) Plants and pots – to my Mother in Law
45) White bookshelves – hard rubbish
46) Black drawers – hard rubbish
47) 2 x hallway shelf units – hard rubbish
48) Massive ceramic pot – bin
49) Guitar (not used in 5 years) – to be sold
50) Wooden hand drum – to be sold
Ross told me last night he was feeling really good about the amount of culling we have done, and he can’t wait to get stuck into the things in storage so we can get rid of a whole lot more. This is a real positive step for him as he has always been such a hoarder. I guess this means that next year we can do another list! YAY!
xox
It’s weird, I really do feel free-er (is that a word?) after finishing this. It’s like - by getting rid of the old I have given myself permission to start with the new.
So here it is, the final list…
Already on the list:
1) Brown cabinet (old TV cabinet) -hard rubbish
2) Old clothes that are too big/don't wear anymore - Goodwill
3) Old craft magazines that have been stored and not used in over 10 years - bin
4) Dried and half used paints - bin
5) Textas/crayons from when I was at TAFE - going to R's friend who has an intellectually disabled daughter who loves to colour in
6) Left over miscellaneous craft things from Garage sale - bin
7) Kids books - will give to friends who have kids
8) Old posters/wall hangings that have been in storage since I moved to SA - bin
9) White cupboard that is falling apart - Hard rubbish
10) White wardrobe no longer use - back to Mum's
11) Metal computer table – Hard rubbish
12) Unused craft stuff (things I haven't used in over 5 years) - bin
13) Taped videos - bin (I no longer own a video player so no point keeping these)
14) Excess sheets/towels - Goodwill
15) Excess coffee mugs, dinner plates - Goodwill
16) Spare TV cabinet – Hard rubbish
17) Spare wooden desk – Hard rubbish
18) Futon - Megan
19) Spare wooden drawers - hard rubbish
20) Fabric - Sent to Mums to add to her stash
21) Spare computer monitors and cases - hard rubbish
22) Old Uni assignments (have held on to for nearly 20 years) - bin
23) Books no longer want – Book exchange
24) Grey carpet mat - Hard rubbish
25) Radio Gramophone – Hard rubbish
26) Old tent - hard rubbish
26) Pappasans - hard rubbish or to my MIL's
27) Spare computer chair - dump
28) Old costumes (mostly falling apart) - bin
29) Bits & pieces I used to use in my previous volunteer work - bin
30) Plastic hall runners - hard rubbish
31) Exercise bike - to be sold
32) 2nd fridge - to be sold
33) Plastic outdoor chairs (broken ones) - hard rubbish
34) Small (stained) outdoor table - hard rubbish
The list continues…
35) Black rug – bin
36) Old car (yes car) – sold to an auto wrecker
37) Overlocker – Ebay
38) DVD’s we don’t watch – Ebay
39) Gym set – Ebay
40) Punching bag – sold to Megan
41) Lawn mower – Grandad
42) Oil heater – hard rubbish
43) Air conditioner that doesn’t work – hard rubbish
44) Plants and pots – to my Mother in Law
45) White bookshelves – hard rubbish
46) Black drawers – hard rubbish
47) 2 x hallway shelf units – hard rubbish
48) Massive ceramic pot – bin
49) Guitar (not used in 5 years) – to be sold
50) Wooden hand drum – to be sold
Ross told me last night he was feeling really good about the amount of culling we have done, and he can’t wait to get stuck into the things in storage so we can get rid of a whole lot more. This is a real positive step for him as he has always been such a hoarder. I guess this means that next year we can do another list! YAY!
xox
Sunday, November 22, 2009
A weekend of Good Food and Hard Work
I have had a really good weekend. It started Friday night with a trip to the markets. Now that we live relatively close to the city we decided to meet after work at the markets on the bikes. It was a great way to get in there, but I am sure we looked pretty funny riding home with spinach and leeks sticking out of the side bags on the pannier!
First stop was the food hall for some food. I have to say I was a bit concerned about finding something vegetarian to eat. The Food Hall we usually go into is all Asian food, and I have never seen non-meat food in there, although to be honest, I haven't looked. As we were walking through we saw a sign to a 2nd food hall. We decided to check it out. Imagine my delight when I found this lovely shop!
First stop was the food hall for some food. I have to say I was a bit concerned about finding something vegetarian to eat. The Food Hall we usually go into is all Asian food, and I have never seen non-meat food in there, although to be honest, I haven't looked. As we were walking through we saw a sign to a 2nd food hall. We decided to check it out. Imagine my delight when I found this lovely shop!
Of course this was where I decided to stop and eat. I was pleasantly surprised that Ross decided to eat there too. There prices were great, and the food yummy.
I got some rice, with stir fry tofu, steamed broccoli & cauliflower, and something called sweet & sour gluten, which they said was a soy based product. It came with a glass of soy milk, all for $7.90. It was delish, and very very filling. I was only able to eat just over half of my meal. Ross ate all of his and half of what was left of mine! And he's the skinny one. :o)
Saturday was a day of hard work. We went back to the old house that we moved out of last weekend to clean up the outside, the shed and the outside rumpus room. We started around 9.30am. Despite how much we had already thrown away we took 2 more heaped trailer loads to the dump. A little bit more into storage, a bit more to the unit. Then there was the vacuuming, sweeping and cleaning the verandah area, weeding the last of the flower beds, and pulling apart the last of the things in the shed. We returned the trailer to our friends, and got home about 8pm. No cooking last night, cheese sandwiches and straight to bed.
Today I spent at the new place trying to finish unpacking. I got 90% of it done. All of my clothes are away (or bagged up to go to the charity bin). The kitchen & laundry and completely finished. And most of the dining room is done. The bookcase we brought with us basically fell apart, so we have to go and get our other one out of storage, so the books are still in boxes. A few of Ross's things are still in boxes, but we cleared away enough so that we could actually set up the dining room table and eat dinner in there, which was lovely.
Dinner tonight was mushroom risotto. I have never cooked a risotto before. In fact, I have only eaten it once or twice. But can I just say - WOW! This was the absolute yummiest meal. Yes, I know I say that all the time, but it truly was. I know risotto is not the lowest calorie meal, but since it takes an hour and a half to prepare and cook, it is not something I will have all the time. The recipe said it served 4, but we had fairly generous helpings and there are 3 serves left.
Tonight I am spending the evening watching Bones with Ross. It is nice to be able to relax, knowing that there is nothing left to do at the old house (final inspection in tomorrow) and that there is also very little left to do here.
A new week begins tomorrow. Work, Guides, all the normal stuff. I can't wait to see what comes my way!
xox
Friday, November 20, 2009
Cutting back on uselessness
OMG… I am having heart palpitations. I just removed my 4 games from my Facebook Applications. What am I going to do with my life now????
I worked out I spend about 2-3 hours a day farming (Farmville), feeding fish (Fishville), attacking dwarves and dragons (Age of Castles), and fighting gangsters (Mafia Wars). That’s 2-3 hours – EVERY DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WTF?!?!?!?!
I get to work early, turn on the computer, and spend an hour or so doing what needs to be done in the games. I spend my lunch break at my computer, doing more. The I spend 1-2 hours of an evening, most evenings, finishing the harvesting, fighting, feeding etc.
I honestly did not realise how much time I spent on them until I sat down today to try and work it out. And I am stunned…
I want to write a book. No wonder I never have time to write. I am making a couple of knitted rugs, no wonder they are taking so long. I love photography, but I haven’t been out with the camera for ages. So as part of my effort to de-clutter and simplify things, I have deleted the games. I just KNOW I will have withdrawal symptoms. It will be hard. But what a complete waste of my life.
Now when I get home from work I don’t HAVE to turn the computer on to harvest, or feed fish. I can do other things. I can write, or knit, or cook, or even clean. I can go out for a ride, read a book, go for a walk, talk to my husband. This is scary and hard. Next step, turn the TV off… No, one thing at a time!
xox
I worked out I spend about 2-3 hours a day farming (Farmville), feeding fish (Fishville), attacking dwarves and dragons (Age of Castles), and fighting gangsters (Mafia Wars). That’s 2-3 hours – EVERY DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WTF?!?!?!?!
I get to work early, turn on the computer, and spend an hour or so doing what needs to be done in the games. I spend my lunch break at my computer, doing more. The I spend 1-2 hours of an evening, most evenings, finishing the harvesting, fighting, feeding etc.
I honestly did not realise how much time I spent on them until I sat down today to try and work it out. And I am stunned…
I want to write a book. No wonder I never have time to write. I am making a couple of knitted rugs, no wonder they are taking so long. I love photography, but I haven’t been out with the camera for ages. So as part of my effort to de-clutter and simplify things, I have deleted the games. I just KNOW I will have withdrawal symptoms. It will be hard. But what a complete waste of my life.
Now when I get home from work I don’t HAVE to turn the computer on to harvest, or feed fish. I can do other things. I can write, or knit, or cook, or even clean. I can go out for a ride, read a book, go for a walk, talk to my husband. This is scary and hard. Next step, turn the TV off… No, one thing at a time!
xox
Dreams of Running
I want to run... I dream of being able to run, to fly through bushes, using just my own legs for strength. I have always wanted to run, but I have never been able to...
I bought the book "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall this week. It was an impulse purchase. I was in the book store looking for vegetarian books, but this one drew me towards it. It is about a runner who goes in search of a lost tribe in Mexico. All of the tribe members are natural runners, doing ultra marathon distances week after week. The astonishing thing is that they never get injured.
I am only up to about chapter 7 or 8. But I am loving it so far. It is very well written, and it is awakening this desire within me to get out there and run.
Here's the thing. At my size, running HURTS! and it hurts badly. So if I seriously want to do this, I need to start thinking about my weight again. I am pretty sure I am sticking with the Vegetarian lifestyle. I enjoy the food, and I feel good. But vegetarian does not necessarily mean low fat or healthy. There are lots of high calorie options when going vego. :o)
We are approaching the silly season. The month of December also includes my birthday, my husbands birthday, my brothers birthday, and the birthdays of several close friends. So let's just get through these next 6 weeks as best we can. But then it is all systems go again. If I want to run, I need to lose weight. And believe me, this book is inspiring me to want to run.
xox
I bought the book "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall this week. It was an impulse purchase. I was in the book store looking for vegetarian books, but this one drew me towards it. It is about a runner who goes in search of a lost tribe in Mexico. All of the tribe members are natural runners, doing ultra marathon distances week after week. The astonishing thing is that they never get injured. I am only up to about chapter 7 or 8. But I am loving it so far. It is very well written, and it is awakening this desire within me to get out there and run.
Here's the thing. At my size, running HURTS! and it hurts badly. So if I seriously want to do this, I need to start thinking about my weight again. I am pretty sure I am sticking with the Vegetarian lifestyle. I enjoy the food, and I feel good. But vegetarian does not necessarily mean low fat or healthy. There are lots of high calorie options when going vego. :o)
We are approaching the silly season. The month of December also includes my birthday, my husbands birthday, my brothers birthday, and the birthdays of several close friends. So let's just get through these next 6 weeks as best we can. But then it is all systems go again. If I want to run, I need to lose weight. And believe me, this book is inspiring me to want to run.
xox
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Tasty Tofu
I spent all afternoon at work thinking about getting home to cook. I should probably preface this by stating that until earlier this year, not only did I hate cooking, I really wasn't very good at it. I could do the basics (grill some meat, steam some veggies, boil an egg etc). I could follow a basic recipe. But that is about it. But this year I have been reading, and practicing, and experimenting. And today I actually looked forward to it.
I had a block of tofu in the fridge that I wanted to cook. I have only ever used tofu in stir fry's so this was all new to me. But I decided to give it a shot. I read a lot of blogs and read one a few weeks ago (I have just tried to find the entry and can't I'm sorry) that showed a fairly simple way to cook it which I decided to adapt.
I melted some butter and lightly sauteed some crushed garlic and spring onion. I cooked some mushrooms and two slices of organic tofu in the butter, garlic and spring onions, laid it on a bed of baby spinach, and served it with some steamed broccoli.
The whole thing, from beginning to end, took under 20 minutes to prepare and cook. And it was delicious! I was so apprehensive about the tofu. I didn't cook any for Ross (he had a meat meal tonight) but he was eyeing it off. I let him try some and he declared that 'next time' he is eating with me!
If I can find some more quick and tasty meat-free meals like this, I really can't see myself going back to eating meat. This was quick, easy, tasty, and quite cheap! And I feel good after eating it. What more can I ask.
xox
I had a block of tofu in the fridge that I wanted to cook. I have only ever used tofu in stir fry's so this was all new to me. But I decided to give it a shot. I read a lot of blogs and read one a few weeks ago (I have just tried to find the entry and can't I'm sorry) that showed a fairly simple way to cook it which I decided to adapt.
I melted some butter and lightly sauteed some crushed garlic and spring onion. I cooked some mushrooms and two slices of organic tofu in the butter, garlic and spring onions, laid it on a bed of baby spinach, and served it with some steamed broccoli.
The whole thing, from beginning to end, took under 20 minutes to prepare and cook. And it was delicious! I was so apprehensive about the tofu. I didn't cook any for Ross (he had a meat meal tonight) but he was eyeing it off. I let him try some and he declared that 'next time' he is eating with me!
If I can find some more quick and tasty meat-free meals like this, I really can't see myself going back to eating meat. This was quick, easy, tasty, and quite cheap! And I feel good after eating it. What more can I ask.
xox
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Home Made Pizza
Ross & I got to use our new kitchen for the first time tonight. We cooked together, which is something we love to do, and made ourselves some pizzas. The kitchen is quite small, especially compared to what we are used to, but it is functional, and if we keep things neat, there is enough room for the two of us to cook together.
Our pizzas were basically the same, except Ross's had a bit of ham and salami on the bottom and mine didn't.
This is Ross's pizza pre-oven.
This one is mine after it came out of the oven. Now we have made pizzas before, but just quite traditional ones, with tomato paste on the bottom, ham, pineapple, maybe some mushrooms, and grated cheese. This was different.
We started with Lebanese bread as the base. Then spread a layer of re-fried beans as the base. Ross moved on to the meat. I started with a layer of baby spinach leaves. On top of that I put red capsicum, green capsicum, mushrooms, sun dried tomato's, and cracked black pepper. Then we drizzled salsa over all the veggies and topped it with some cheese chunks. 15 minutes in the oven, and we enjoyed one of the best meals we have had in a long time. I can't imagine ever ordering from Dominos again...
xox
Our pizzas were basically the same, except Ross's had a bit of ham and salami on the bottom and mine didn't.
This is Ross's pizza pre-oven.
This one is mine after it came out of the oven. Now we have made pizzas before, but just quite traditional ones, with tomato paste on the bottom, ham, pineapple, maybe some mushrooms, and grated cheese. This was different.
We started with Lebanese bread as the base. Then spread a layer of re-fried beans as the base. Ross moved on to the meat. I started with a layer of baby spinach leaves. On top of that I put red capsicum, green capsicum, mushrooms, sun dried tomato's, and cracked black pepper. Then we drizzled salsa over all the veggies and topped it with some cheese chunks. 15 minutes in the oven, and we enjoyed one of the best meals we have had in a long time. I can't imagine ever ordering from Dominos again...
xox
Monday, November 16, 2009
Weddings and Weight Loss
Can I just start by saying that I do not like weddings. I am aware that this makes me a bit of a freak. And I am ok with that. I like the ritual of it and what it stands for (after all, I have been married twice myself). I like the ceremony. It’s all the rest that I don’t generally like. I hate long drawn out services. I hate hours of speeches, formal sit down dinners, small talk with people you don’t know, and the general feeling of falseness of a lot of it.
So I went to a wedding yesterday in blistering 40 degree heat. And I really enjoyed it. The ceremony was beautiful. 25 minutes from the time she walked in till the time it was done. The reception was causal, the food was great, the speeches were short and the people (none of whom I actually knew) were lovely.
The food – here came my first eating out meat-free challenge. They had finger food brought out progressively on platters. And everything was noted as being vegetarian, lactose free, or gluten free, which was a huge help. So there were 4 things I could eat, and they were all divine! I was tempted by the garlic prawns, but not in a way that I drooled over them. Just thinking, geez, they look nice. But I stayed away.
It was a lovely day, despite the heat, and I am so happy for E & T who make an absolutely stunning couple.
Weight loss – well… This last 4 weeks I have lost 2.2 kilos without really trying. Which is actually pretty good. But it will take forever if that is the pace I stick with. So I am going to start being a little more careful with what I eat. I am still not going to count calories, but the pizza and the ice cream and the chocolate and the hot chips need to go. I would like to lose at least 3 kilos in the next 4 weeks. Now that things are settling down, with the move just about over (still have to clean the other place) I should be able to re-focus a bit. And at least cook some more which always makes a difference.
xox
So I went to a wedding yesterday in blistering 40 degree heat. And I really enjoyed it. The ceremony was beautiful. 25 minutes from the time she walked in till the time it was done. The reception was causal, the food was great, the speeches were short and the people (none of whom I actually knew) were lovely.
The food – here came my first eating out meat-free challenge. They had finger food brought out progressively on platters. And everything was noted as being vegetarian, lactose free, or gluten free, which was a huge help. So there were 4 things I could eat, and they were all divine! I was tempted by the garlic prawns, but not in a way that I drooled over them. Just thinking, geez, they look nice. But I stayed away.
It was a lovely day, despite the heat, and I am so happy for E & T who make an absolutely stunning couple.
Weight loss – well… This last 4 weeks I have lost 2.2 kilos without really trying. Which is actually pretty good. But it will take forever if that is the pace I stick with. So I am going to start being a little more careful with what I eat. I am still not going to count calories, but the pizza and the ice cream and the chocolate and the hot chips need to go. I would like to lose at least 3 kilos in the next 4 weeks. Now that things are settling down, with the move just about over (still have to clean the other place) I should be able to re-focus a bit. And at least cook some more which always makes a difference.
xox
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Moving Day
Well, today was the day. It was moving day. The weather forecast was for 39 degrees. So we started early. A lot of it had been done already. Which was good. And we really did well today. We had 3 AMAZING friends come to help us. And by 11.20am, the truck and the cars were unloaded. Of course, nothing was unpacked, but we were out of the sun and inside.
This is the current state of the dining room. This is from the doorway.
And the kitchen...
So far we have unpacked - The food, the TV, the computer, and set up the bed. The essentials in life....
One thing this move has done is shown us just how much crap we have. I am actually embarrassed by how much we own. We have filled the new unit, have things stored at 4 - yes 4 - peoples houses, and we threw away/gave away a mountain. It makes me feel greedy that I have so much. We have already done a lot of culling of belongings, but I can assure you the next 3 months before we move again (sigh...) will be spent doing some very serious culling. For 2 non-materialistic people, we seem to be very materialistic. Hopefully the next move is a lot easier.
xox
This is the current state of the dining room. This is from the doorway.
And the kitchen...
So far we have unpacked - The food, the TV, the computer, and set up the bed. The essentials in life....
One thing this move has done is shown us just how much crap we have. I am actually embarrassed by how much we own. We have filled the new unit, have things stored at 4 - yes 4 - peoples houses, and we threw away/gave away a mountain. It makes me feel greedy that I have so much. We have already done a lot of culling of belongings, but I can assure you the next 3 months before we move again (sigh...) will be spent doing some very serious culling. For 2 non-materialistic people, we seem to be very materialistic. Hopefully the next move is a lot easier.
xox
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Five Rules for Life
I stumbled upon this amazing blog a few weeks ago. It is basically a collection of peoples own "Five Rules for Life". I started thinking about my own rules for life. Everyone lives by their own "code" or beliefs, but how many of us actually put it into words. So I started to write down the things that are most important to me and that I try to live by, sometimes successfully, sometimes not so much. I decided to share my final list with you.
Kylie's Five Rules for Life (in no particular order)
Laugh daily
I spent many years living in a loveless and laughless home. One thing I have learned is that no matter what life throws at you, being able to laugh is on of the keys to happiness and a sense of overall wellness. Learning to laugh at the little things has been key to being able to move forward in my life.
Love openly and honestly
Ahhh…. Such a hard one to learn. If you don’t love with honesty you are living a half life. Tell those you care about how you feel. Love with your whole heart. Don’t hold back. And in return you will allow that same love to be reciprocated.
Respect
Treat other with the same respect that you would like to be treated with. From your nearest and dearest, to the check out chick at Coles. Everyone is a human with feelings and deserves respect. I have found that if you give respect, you then get respect.
Own your actions
This is about accepting responsibility for your own actions, whether they are actions you are proud of or actions you are ashamed of. I spent many years blaming other people for all the problems and dramas in my life, but when I started to take some responsibility and own my actions, my life became less drama-filled. From the smallest action of the day (eg, what time you get out of bed, what you put into your mouth) to what words come out of your mouth, to the biggest of decisions – own your actions. If you are ashamed of them, learn from it and don’t repeat it – but still own it.
Believe in Karma
I believe that what you put out to the universe is what you will get back from it in return. Therefore it is important to live your life in a way that honors this. If you don’t want an action or attitude directed at you, don’t direct it at others.
xox
Kylie's Five Rules for Life (in no particular order)
Laugh daily
I spent many years living in a loveless and laughless home. One thing I have learned is that no matter what life throws at you, being able to laugh is on of the keys to happiness and a sense of overall wellness. Learning to laugh at the little things has been key to being able to move forward in my life.
Love openly and honestly
Ahhh…. Such a hard one to learn. If you don’t love with honesty you are living a half life. Tell those you care about how you feel. Love with your whole heart. Don’t hold back. And in return you will allow that same love to be reciprocated.
Respect
Treat other with the same respect that you would like to be treated with. From your nearest and dearest, to the check out chick at Coles. Everyone is a human with feelings and deserves respect. I have found that if you give respect, you then get respect.
Own your actions
This is about accepting responsibility for your own actions, whether they are actions you are proud of or actions you are ashamed of. I spent many years blaming other people for all the problems and dramas in my life, but when I started to take some responsibility and own my actions, my life became less drama-filled. From the smallest action of the day (eg, what time you get out of bed, what you put into your mouth) to what words come out of your mouth, to the biggest of decisions – own your actions. If you are ashamed of them, learn from it and don’t repeat it – but still own it.
Believe in Karma
I believe that what you put out to the universe is what you will get back from it in return. Therefore it is important to live your life in a way that honors this. If you don’t want an action or attitude directed at you, don’t direct it at others.
xox
Monday, November 9, 2009
Moving Update - 50 Things Project
Well, we are getting closer to the "official" moving day. We move on Saturday. We got the keys to the unit last Friday and have already moved quite a bit over there. We have moved some of the smaller furniture, as well as quite of lot of "stuff". Half the kitchen things are over there, about 2/3 of our clothes are there. Our books, my crafts stuff, games, and just general bits & pieces are over there.
What astounds me though, is how much is left. We have put SO much into storage. We have moved so much. We have thrown away so much. We have given away quite a bit. Yet there is still so much here.
The good news is that Ross has finally realised that his hoarding and collecting ways are not necessarily good, and has helped me get rid of so much. He has voluntarily let go of things I didn't expect him to get rid of without a fight. And he is starting to realise that even all the crap we are putting into storage could possibly be given away as well.
I want to re-balance our money karma. We have been struggling financially for a couple of years. And to do this I think we need to be generous with what we have. Instead of being takers and buyers, we need to be givers. The local Lions who have a weekly "Garage Sale" for charity in a local hall have been called and are hopefully coming by soon to collect quite a bit. The things that are already in storage we will slowly go through. We are going to get a couple of boxes from storage at a time and go through them. Hopefully about 3/4 of what is there will go. Eventually, but it will go.
I have wanted to de-clutter for so long, but when your partner is a hoarder it is quite difficult. This is why I am so excited that Ross is finally agreeing to all this.
Time for an update on the 50 Things Project... (Ross has joined in)
Already on the list:
1) Brown cabinet (old TV cabinet) -hard rubbish
2) Old clothes that are too big/don't wear anymore - Goodwill
3) Old craft magazines that have been stored and not used in over 10 years - bin
4) Dried and half used paints - bin
5) Textas/crayons from when I was at TAFE - going to R's friend who has an intellectually disabled daughter who loves to colour in
6) Left over miscellaneous craft things from Garage sale - bin
7) Kids books - will give to friends who have kids
8) Old posters/wall hangings that have been in storage since I moved to SA - bin
9) White cupboard that is falling apart - Hard rubbish
10) White wardrobe no longer use - back to Mum's
11) Metal computer table - Lions
12) Unused craft stuff (things I haven't used in over 5 years) - bin
13) Taped videos - bin (I no longer own a video player so no point keeping these)
New things to add to the list:
14) Excess sheets/towels - Goodwill
15) Excess coffee mugs, dinner plates - Lions
16) Spare TV cabinet - Lions
17) Spare wooden desk - Lions
18) Futon - Lions
19) Spare wooden drawers - hard rubbish
20) Fabric - Sent to Mums to add to her stash
21) Spare computer monitors and cases - hard rubbish
22) Old Uni assignments (have held on to for nearly 20 years) - bin
23) Books no longer want - Lions
24) Grey carpet mat - Hard rubbish
25) Radio Gramophone - Lions
26) Old tent - hard rubbish
26) Pappasans - hard rubbish or to my MIL's
27) Spare computer chair - Lions
28) Old costumes (mostly falling apart) - bin
29) Bits & pieces I used to use in my previous volunteer work - bin
30) Plastic hall runners - hard rubbish
31) Exercise bike - to be sold
32) 2nd fridge - to be sold
33) Plastic outdoor chairs (broken ones) - hard rubbish
34) Small (stained) outdoor table - hard rubbish
I think there are a few more things, but that is all I can think of right now. Overall, I am really pleased with the progress we are making. We still have a way to go, but we are over halfway there. And that makes me happy.
xox
What astounds me though, is how much is left. We have put SO much into storage. We have moved so much. We have thrown away so much. We have given away quite a bit. Yet there is still so much here.
The good news is that Ross has finally realised that his hoarding and collecting ways are not necessarily good, and has helped me get rid of so much. He has voluntarily let go of things I didn't expect him to get rid of without a fight. And he is starting to realise that even all the crap we are putting into storage could possibly be given away as well.
I want to re-balance our money karma. We have been struggling financially for a couple of years. And to do this I think we need to be generous with what we have. Instead of being takers and buyers, we need to be givers. The local Lions who have a weekly "Garage Sale" for charity in a local hall have been called and are hopefully coming by soon to collect quite a bit. The things that are already in storage we will slowly go through. We are going to get a couple of boxes from storage at a time and go through them. Hopefully about 3/4 of what is there will go. Eventually, but it will go.
I have wanted to de-clutter for so long, but when your partner is a hoarder it is quite difficult. This is why I am so excited that Ross is finally agreeing to all this.
Time for an update on the 50 Things Project... (Ross has joined in)
Already on the list:
1) Brown cabinet (old TV cabinet) -hard rubbish
2) Old clothes that are too big/don't wear anymore - Goodwill
3) Old craft magazines that have been stored and not used in over 10 years - bin
4) Dried and half used paints - bin
5) Textas/crayons from when I was at TAFE - going to R's friend who has an intellectually disabled daughter who loves to colour in
6) Left over miscellaneous craft things from Garage sale - bin
7) Kids books - will give to friends who have kids
8) Old posters/wall hangings that have been in storage since I moved to SA - bin
9) White cupboard that is falling apart - Hard rubbish
10) White wardrobe no longer use - back to Mum's
11) Metal computer table - Lions
12) Unused craft stuff (things I haven't used in over 5 years) - bin
13) Taped videos - bin (I no longer own a video player so no point keeping these)
New things to add to the list:
14) Excess sheets/towels - Goodwill
15) Excess coffee mugs, dinner plates - Lions
16) Spare TV cabinet - Lions
17) Spare wooden desk - Lions
18) Futon - Lions
19) Spare wooden drawers - hard rubbish
20) Fabric - Sent to Mums to add to her stash
21) Spare computer monitors and cases - hard rubbish
22) Old Uni assignments (have held on to for nearly 20 years) - bin
23) Books no longer want - Lions
24) Grey carpet mat - Hard rubbish
25) Radio Gramophone - Lions
26) Old tent - hard rubbish
26) Pappasans - hard rubbish or to my MIL's
27) Spare computer chair - Lions
28) Old costumes (mostly falling apart) - bin
29) Bits & pieces I used to use in my previous volunteer work - bin
30) Plastic hall runners - hard rubbish
31) Exercise bike - to be sold
32) 2nd fridge - to be sold
33) Plastic outdoor chairs (broken ones) - hard rubbish
34) Small (stained) outdoor table - hard rubbish
I think there are a few more things, but that is all I can think of right now. Overall, I am really pleased with the progress we are making. We still have a way to go, but we are over halfway there. And that makes me happy.
xox
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Meal in 10 minutes - now that's fast food...
Until a very short time ago, after a day like I had today, when I am so incredibly tired both physically and mentally, my idea of a quick and easy dinner would have been to have something like this...
Or this...
However now that I am trying to eat meat-free, and make generally healthier choices, these are no longer options. I still needed something quick and easy. My day started at 7 am with cleaning the kitchen, then packing most of it up, then moving it all to the new place, then home to pack up the bedroom and dining room, then borrow the MIL's car and trailer, load up some of the smaller furniture, over to the new place, unload, home, next room... Get the idea. And of course, I twisted my ankle this morning so have done all of this while limping around.
So what do I have that is quick and easy? We had hot chips last night (I know, not healthy) so that was not an option. Wandering around the IGA I found this...
And
Cooks in 6 minutes. I added a bag of frozen steam fresh veg, a handful of mushrooms, some cheese, with a side serve of bean salad from the chip shop, and you get...
It was so yummy and SO filling. I'll be honest, the bean salad only got nibbled on. The pasta with all the veg mixed in was more than enough for a meal. Guess what we are having for lunch tomorrow. But now I have no excuses. I know that I can prepare a vegetarian, filling, healthy-ish meal in around 10 minutes. You can't get much quicker or easier than that!
xox
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Cycle for Life
It arrived! My copy of Nicole Cooke's Cycle for Life arrived by mail today. I have been looking for this book for months, and finally found it at Fishpond. I had a flick through it at lunch time and it looks great. It is designed for the beginner right through to the serious cyclist and covers everything from purchasing the bike, to bike maintenance, to getting started, to serious training programs.
.
I can't wait to have the time to sit down and read it properly. I sense a new cycling challenge on the horizon!
.
xox
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
4 Days & Counting
I have now gone 4 days meat free. I guess I am doing this... :o) Last night Ross made me a fritatta with mushroom and spring onion with fresh coriander & Chili flakes. Yummo!
Tonight I made a pasta bake. I had the Dolmio Mushroom Pasta Bake sauce in the cupboard. The jar said to mix it in with noodles and chicken. Instead of the chicken I added a can of red kidney beans, half a can of corn (left over from the other night) and a handful of mushrooms, plus a dash of dried oregano. I was so worried that it wouldn't work out, but it turned out great!
It came out of the oven smelling absolutely Divine.
And the good news is that it tasted as good as it smelled. This is the first time I have ever had kidney beans. I wasn't real sure at first what I thought of it, as it was quite different. And the texture of the beans was odd. I am a big one for textures. If the texture is off I won't eat the food. But after a few mouthfuls I decided that I really did like it. And Ross went back for seconds, so I guess he did too!
Tomorrow night we are starting to move things to storage for the big move, so it will be leftovers. There is a bit of the corn & avocado salad left, plus the rest of the pasta bake. I need to find something new for Thursday though. Can't wait to see what we have!
xox
Tonight I made a pasta bake. I had the Dolmio Mushroom Pasta Bake sauce in the cupboard. The jar said to mix it in with noodles and chicken. Instead of the chicken I added a can of red kidney beans, half a can of corn (left over from the other night) and a handful of mushrooms, plus a dash of dried oregano. I was so worried that it wouldn't work out, but it turned out great!
It came out of the oven smelling absolutely Divine.
And the good news is that it tasted as good as it smelled. This is the first time I have ever had kidney beans. I wasn't real sure at first what I thought of it, as it was quite different. And the texture of the beans was odd. I am a big one for textures. If the texture is off I won't eat the food. But after a few mouthfuls I decided that I really did like it. And Ross went back for seconds, so I guess he did too!
Tomorrow night we are starting to move things to storage for the big move, so it will be leftovers. There is a bit of the corn & avocado salad left, plus the rest of the pasta bake. I need to find something new for Thursday though. Can't wait to see what we have!
xox
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Meat Free Weekend
Well, I have just completed my first conscious meat free weekend. The plan was always to have today as a meat free day, but part way through yesterday I decided to aim for the whole weekend. Yesterday morning started off with left over vegetarian pizza. The other pizza we had is the Dominos 70's pizza, which I love reheated the next day, but I was strong and stuck with the vege one. Then peanut butter sandwiches for lunch.
Last night was tough. My Girl Guides had a sleepover at the Guide Hall, and the dinner provided was meat patties, sausages, baked potato, salad, and bread rolls. I decided to see how I went just having the potato, salad, and rolls. I made sure I did not go there hungry as I knew that would make it easier. I filled my plate with salad, added a potato and a bread roll and walked past the meat tray. I was still peckish after so I went back into the kitchen. The meat had started to cool, and I have to say, it looked gross. Problem solved, I grabbed another bread roll.
Tonight I picked a few recipes from the Taste website, and had a cook up. We had pasta with Arrabiata Sauce. It was a really yummy pasta sauce that had a huge amount of flavour. It was also super easy to cook up, and now that we have the spices in the cupboard, will also be super cheap.
Avocado & Corn Salad which was absolutely delicious. The recipe says to use a firm avocado, however we discovered it also needs to be quite ripe. It was really tasty though and I was surprised at how the flavour of the coriander came through.
And Cajun Mushrooms. These were fantastic. I didn't make up a huge amount as we were having the 3 dishes, but you could easily use this as the main part of your main meal.
My plating skills wouldn't get me onto Masterchef, but who cares. The dishes looked great together.
We loved each of the dishes, but felt that the pasta and the mushrooms didn't really go together. Both had extremely strong flavours, and they didn't really blend. Both went well with the salad though. Next time I would do the pasta with either this salad or a green leafy salad, and I would do the mushrooms with rice and either this salad or a green leafy salad. But all the dishes will definitely be made again.
Last night was tough. My Girl Guides had a sleepover at the Guide Hall, and the dinner provided was meat patties, sausages, baked potato, salad, and bread rolls. I decided to see how I went just having the potato, salad, and rolls. I made sure I did not go there hungry as I knew that would make it easier. I filled my plate with salad, added a potato and a bread roll and walked past the meat tray. I was still peckish after so I went back into the kitchen. The meat had started to cool, and I have to say, it looked gross. Problem solved, I grabbed another bread roll.
Tonight I picked a few recipes from the Taste website, and had a cook up. We had pasta with Arrabiata Sauce. It was a really yummy pasta sauce that had a huge amount of flavour. It was also super easy to cook up, and now that we have the spices in the cupboard, will also be super cheap.
Avocado & Corn Salad which was absolutely delicious. The recipe says to use a firm avocado, however we discovered it also needs to be quite ripe. It was really tasty though and I was surprised at how the flavour of the coriander came through.
And Cajun Mushrooms. These were fantastic. I didn't make up a huge amount as we were having the 3 dishes, but you could easily use this as the main part of your main meal.
My plating skills wouldn't get me onto Masterchef, but who cares. The dishes looked great together.
We loved each of the dishes, but felt that the pasta and the mushrooms didn't really go together. Both had extremely strong flavours, and they didn't really blend. Both went well with the salad though. Next time I would do the pasta with either this salad or a green leafy salad, and I would do the mushrooms with rice and either this salad or a green leafy salad. But all the dishes will definitely be made again.xox
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