An Elephant Mind

I am a multi-tasker.

I like to think this makes me super productive; but studies have shown that the opposite might infact be closer to the truth.

"People who multitask are actually less productive than people who focus on one thing at a time"  

 - -  University of Utah

Hmph!

I am terrible at doing one thing at a time.. 

Likely Scenario #1

Watching TV and playing on Pinterest on my laptop and texting someone or scrolling through Instagram on my iPhone;

Or

Likely Scenario #2

Preparing lunch, cooking dinner and baking a tray of cookies with the stereo blasting (which implies kitchen dancing) and checking Facebook on my iPhone.

So when my yoga instructor was explaining the concept of an 'Elephant Mind' to me in class this week, it resonated with me particularly because I am terrible at turning off the brain chatter because I am never concentrating on one thing only.

I even listen to music when going to sleep. 

My house is very rarely silent.

My brain doesn't understand the concept of noiselessness.

Stop it Brain

Anyway, back to the Elephant Mind - 

Explained to me as a herd of elephant stampeding through the mind.

Hardly a vision of serenity or meditation.

As Yogis we are supposed to quiet the brain chatter, calm the elephant mind, and simply be.

We are encouraged to be alert throughout the day, rather than moving through tasks and processes on auto-pilot.

"When was the last time you went for a walk and enjoyed your surroundings?" the instructor asked.

Ummm... probably never. My morning walks are full of constant mental reminders for the day ahead and plans for the weekend, thoughts of breakfast, or lunch, and probably dinner.. recapping conversations with friends, thinking about the latest family drama and wondering what's going to come next.

Chatter chatter chatter..

Sure, if there's a pretty view or a gorgeous sunset I'll probably notice it. 

And I'll have whipped out my phone and snapped a photo before you can say 'Instagram'!!

Mind Full, or Mindful?

It's hardly mindful.

This is a foreign concept to me. Something I need to work on. And that I can see will be a constant battle.

Wish me luck.

xx

Paleo Banana Bread

If you follow me on Instagram; You will notice that my entire life is about food and Miss Emmy.

Seriously.

That's a pretty fair summary.

But honestly? Once you've tried this Banana Bread, you'll want your whole world to be about eating too.

Paleo Choc Chip Banana Bread

Give it a try.

You can thank me later.

Ingredients

3 eggs, separated (keep the yolks and whites separate!)

4 tbsp honey

4 tbsp macadamia oil

3 mashed bananas

1 tsp vanilla essense

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 cups almond meal

1 cup walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

2. Cream the egg yolks and honey in a large bowl until light and fluffy.

3. Add the oil, vanilla, and mashed banana to the bowl, mixing well.

4. In a smaller separate bowl, mix the cinnamon, baking powder and almond flour and sift well. 

5. Add the spice mix to the bowl and stir well.

6. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Stiff peaks are vital.

7. Fold the egg whites into the banana mixture.

8. Add walnuts and stir well.

9. Pour into greased (or lined) bread loaf pan.

10. Bake for 40-45 minutes.

ENJOY!!!!!!

Oh what?? Dark chocolate chips? You must have snuck in when I wasn't looking.

By the way - the little flowers on my plate? Banana.

Super cute, right?!

xx

Recipe here

The Latest in Canine Fashion

The clouds have descended and the rain is relentless.

Summer is officially a distant memory and already it is a struggle to get out of my warm bed in the morning.

Luckily (although sometimes it doesn't feel like it) there's a certain look Miss Emmy can give me that not only convinces me to get up but also brave the outdoors. brrrr!

On a morning walk this week, I realised the inequality in our relationship - she wears a raincoat and gets to go back to bed when we get home.

It' a tough life for a spoilt pooch!!

Think it's going to be a looooong winter.

xx

Down the Rabbit Hole

It's my 2nd Blogiversary and what better way to celebrate than with a little rebranding?

Here

I don't have a set path in mind for this little blog, but I do know that the possibilities are limitless.

All I have to do is leap down the rabbit hole..

Imagine where my imagination could take us.

xx

Within The Pages

Lately I've been making the time to read.

This may have something to do with the lack of reasonable shows on TV.. But I like to think it is more to do with the delicious feeling of curling up under a blanket with a cup of tea and a story that takes you away from reality.

Weekend mornings have been spent with the blinds and windows open to let in the fresh morning air; and still in my pyjamas I can stay in bed for hours turning the pages of any book and losing myself in the words.

The books?

Not classical works of literary brilliance.

But enjoyable.

Easy.

Sometimes that is all you need in a good book.

The first - Girls in White Dresses - seemed appropriate given the blurb which asked 

"Do you ever feel like everyone else has their lives figured out?"

Girls in White Dresses - Jennifer Close

Isabella, Mary, and Lauren feel like everyone they know is getting married. On Sunday after Sunday, at bridal shower after bridal shower, they coo over toasters, collect ribbons and wrapping paper, eat minuscule sandwiches and doll-sized cakes. They wear pastel dresses and drink champagne by the case, but amid the celebration these women have their own lives to contend with: Isabella is working at a mailing-list company, dizzy with the mixed signals of a boss who claims she’s on a diet but has Isabella file all morning if she forgets to bring her a chocolate muffin. Mary thinks she might cry with happiness when she finally meets a nice guy who loves his mother, only to realize he’ll never love Mary quite as much. And Lauren, a waitress at a Midtown bar, swears up and down she won’t fall for the sleazy bartender—a promise that his dirty blond curls and perfect vodka sodas make hard to keep. 

The second - The Hidden Cottage - Contained some heavy themes including infidelity, eating and drinking disorders, and death.. and yet it was still a light read.

The Hidden Cottage - Erica James

We all hide things, some more than others...Mia Channing appears to have an enviable life: a beautiful home in the village of Little Pelham, a happy, stable marriage, a job she enjoys and three grown up children to whom she's devoted. But appearances are deceiving; the truth is that it's all a precarious balancing act. When the family gather for her son's thirtieth birthday, Daisy, her youngest daughter, drops a bombshell in the way only Daisy can. Once again Mia finds herself cast in the role of peacemaker. It's a role she's tired of, particularly since her husband refuses to believe he's responsible for the problems they're facing. Not surprisingly, Mia longs for escape. For Owen Fletcher, buying the Hidden Cottage was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream and provides the perfect escape for him. When Mia meets him, she must decide whether she has the courage to do something for herself for a change. And if she does, can she ever go back to the life of compromise she had before?

And finally, by my favourite author - The Storyteller - With themes revolving around the holocaust and war criminals, this was not a light read; and given my distinct lack of historical knowledge I wasn't sure if I would enjoy Jodi Picoult's latest offering... but it was a can't-put-it-down-at-night-even-if-I-have-to-get-up-early page turner.

The Storyteller - Jodi Picoult

Sage Singer has a past that makes her want to hide from the world. Sleeping by day and working in a bakery by night, she kneads her emotion into the beautiful bread she bakes. But when she strikes up an unlikely friendship with Josef Weber, a quiet man old enough to be her grandfather, and respected pillar of the community, she feels that finally, she may have found someone she can open up to. Until Josef tells her the evil secret he's kept for sixty years. Caught between Josef's search for redemption and her shattered illusions, Sage turns to her family history and her own life for answers. As she uncovers the truth from the darkest horrors of war, she must follow a twisting trail between betrayal and forgiveness, love and revenge. And ask herself the most difficult question she has ever faced - can murder ever be justice? Or mercy?

Yup - the quote is 100% correct.

There is no enjoyment like reading.

xx

Breakfast Cakes

I don't know that pumpkin cakes are necessarily 'Easter' related..

But they are what I felt like making and eating for breakfast on Easter Sunday.

Maybe it's because they contain pumpkin.. Which means they're totally healthy and therefore I could justify my mass Chocolate consumption later in the day?!?

Yup - works for me!

Spiced Pumpkin Cakes

½ cup pureed pumpkin

¾ cup almond flour

¼ cup canned coconut milk

2 tablespoon maple syrup

2 eggs, whisked

⅛ teaspoon baking soda

⅛ teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ginger

¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

1.      In a medium sized bowl, mix together coconut milk, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla.

3.     Then add the rest of the dry ingredients and pumpkin and mix together. Add a bit more coconut milk, if needed. 

4.    Sppon into individual patty pans. 

5.     Bake in a moderate oven for 15 minutes or until golden. 

xx

Easter Treat

It is fair to say that I have eaten farrrr too much over this Easter Break.

These little bites of heaven were irresistible.

GLUTEN FREE HOT CROSS BUNS

3 cups ground almonds

pinch sea salt

1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda

1/4 cup macadamia nut oil

2 tablespoons honey

zest from 1 orange

1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

2 eggs

pinch cinnamon

80g dried cranberries

50g dark chocolate + extra for crosses.

Preheat oven to 160C.

Combine all the ingredients and mix well, this includes the dried cherries and dark chocolate.

Spoon out small portions onto a baking tray – I shaped mine into little squares.

Bake for 20 – 30 minutes or until golden.

Remove and cool.

Drizzle dark chocolate crosses on top if you like.

Enjoy.

xx

A Comforting Tradition

I like traditions.

I am a creature of habit. I've decided that it's in my DNA.

I especially cling to plans and schedules in times of stress. 
(Sometimes I wonder how I would adjust if I met someone new and had to fit them into my life.. but that's another blogpost for another time)

At the moment I am experiencing heightened stress due to changes at work; So I've started a new tradition at home - The Sunday Morning Breakfast.

It started with waffles with my new waffle machine; Then it was almond meal pancakes; and now - 

Blueberry Pancake Bites

Ingredients

4 eggs, room temperature

1 cup coconut milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon agave nectar

1/2 cup coconut flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

coconut oil frying

Directions

1. Preheat griddle over medium-low heat. In a small bowl beat eggs until frothy, about two minutes. Mix in milk, vanilla, agave.
2. In a medium-sized bowl combine coconut flour, baking soda, and sea salt and whisk together. Stir wet mixture into dry until coconut flour is incorporated.
3. Grease pan with coconut oil. Ladle a tablespoons of batter into pan for each pancake (larger pancakes were too difficult to flip and created a mess in the pan..) Spread batter out slightly with the back of a spoon. Cook for a few minutes on each side, until the bottoms start to brown. 
4. Serve hot with agave and/or fruit.

I ate some of these for breakfast on Sunday morning; but these little pancake bites have been the perfect morning or afternoon tea to take to work.

And my co-workers ?  All jealous!

xx

Liquid Gold

I've been known to make soup in 40+ degree heat. So it's not unusual for me to randomly decide that it's soup season.

Sometimes I just feel like a hot bowl of soup.

It's that simple.

And this soup recipe was the perfect solution to my craving.

Thai Pumpkin Soup

This recipe made enough for nine decent portions.

I froze the excess into individual containers for easy lunches or dinners.

Or snacks, if the mood strikes..

This was probably the easiest soup I've ever made.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 brown onion, coarsely chopped
2 clove of garlic, grated
1.5 kg of butternut pumpkin, peeled, coarsely chopped
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbs ginger, chopped or grated
1 litre of vegetable stock
200ml of coconut milk or cream

Instructions
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat before adding the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion becomes translucent.
Add the ground coriander, cumin, fresh ginger and cook, stirring until aromatic.
Add the pumpkin and coat in the spices before adding the stock. Bring to the boil
Reduce heat to low and simmer and stir occasionally. Cook for 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender.
Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Using stick mixer - Mix until smooth.
Add the coconut cream or milk  and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve.

xx

Original recipe here