2 new quick pics.

Hooray for drawing again! :D

Oh by the way...

The reason I haven't been online recently is because we have been moving house! [:o
We haven't moved by choice, nor have we shifted into our own place, but the property we have lived on for the past 6 years or so has been sold & so we find ourselves here, at my Mum's house, in the suburbs .___.
In a lot of ways this is the best option for us, & we're hoping to be here less than a year whilst we save the rest of our deposit so we can buy our own property @_@
So here we are in a rather small house (already home to 3 other people) in a teeny room taking it day by day. We're trying our best to be helpful & not step on anyones toes, & everything seems to be going well so far, despite the slightly crowded conditions ^___^'


I'm definitely looking at the positives of living here, especially when it comes to nature, I haven't had much of a chance to take photos yet, but here are a few I snapped on my phone today...

Laying in bed super tired from moving stuff all day & I took this photo of our bedroom window, I thought it looked kinda interesting...

The long grass out front needs to be mowed I guess, but I think it looks nice like this...

My favourite tree, yellow & orange & oh so pretty. I look forward to it's foliage every Autumn :D

Huge patch of clover growing out front, there's also a bunch of lavender which I was super happy to discover cause I use it all the time : )

So that pretty much sums up the last couple of weeks, hopefully I'll be back to blogging (properly) again soon...

Qoo ad compilation (((Just cause it makes me happy

A bunch of short Qoo ads from Japan all stuck together to some energetic music.
Hope it makes you smile : )

BTW, 2:25 is love :D

I'm totally gonna post something a bit more useful very soon, along with an explanation for my recent inactivity >_> but for the moment I GTG...

Hail, yay!

We don't see hail too often, so I get pretty excited when it happens :p
We had a sudden dumping just a few minutes ago, I got out in it an took a few photos : )

A little pile on some autumn leaves.

The roof of my car, totally carpeted & looked very cool (no pun intended ':p)

& a particularly dense pile, which I for one think looks delicious :3

I really want a snow cone now : /

Ice dreams (((Mystery location...

Anyone care to guess what's going on here? :p

Keep those containers! (((Jars, tins, plastic containers, the lot!

Until recently I always put jars, tins & plastic containers into the recycle bin, whenever I needed to store something I always went in search of plastic Tupperware containers to buy to do the job, this of course is not very eco-friendly, but expensive too! :o
One day not too long ago something changed in my brain & made me realise that the jars, tins & plastic containers I was essentially giving away would be perfect to store things in 0_0 I feel really silly admitting that it took me so long to realise, but it's something we're trained into doing our whole lives, 'if you have a need, you should go out & buy something to fill it'.
Happily I have realised this needn't be the case, recycling isn't just about putting things into the recycle bin, it's also about finding new uses for things. I now use empty jars to store nuts, seeds & rice, smaller jars are great for storing herbs & spices. Empty tins are perfect for storing biscuits, & plastic containers (like ice cream containers) are great for a huge variety of things.


It actually upsets me to think about all the containers I've gotten rid of over the years, I now have more things to store than I have containers for & it seems that just about every day I think of new uses for them, here are a few...
- Make your own ice cream & put it into an empty ice cream container (I actually plan on attempting this soon...)
- Storing homemade sauces or dressings (such as 'The anything dressing')
- Collecting & storing seeds to plant
- Large ice cream containers would be great to use to soak washable pads before putting them into the washing machine
- Storing anything you buy in packets eg. Bi-carb soda, mixed nuts, dried fruit etc
- Homemade baked goods will last very well stored in a tin with a lid, or an ice cream container


So maybe take a second look at the things you put into the recycle bin, they may be more use to you than you realise...

& of course there's always opp shops (thrift stores), which in my mind is a much better option than buying something brand new ; )

Today I stumbled upon what looked like a fairy hideout...

It's quite amazing, up under a huge oak tree growing not far away from our house I found what was like a mini eco-system. It was like I'd wandered into another world, or at least another country, the light filtering through the leaves of the tree created a really different atmosphere, there was moss everywhere, & something else as well...

The absolutely beautiful oak tree. One day when we have our own property I'll definitely plant a few of these : ) 

This little puff of mossy plant was particularly cute I thought :3 I looooove moss, so lush, green & pretty.

This is what else I found, toadstools! :D
These are the first ones I have ever found growing wild, so I was pretty excited when I spotted them ^___^ What beautiful colours, & the spots almost look like tiny blobs of cream :p

There were heaps of them too, only in this one small area though, I think I counted 6 or 7.
The whole scene looked just like fairy kingdoms I have seen illustrated in kids books.


< & more moss :D

The underside with a bit of light illuminating the gills, pretty : )
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Stumbling across these shrooms shows that you never know what could be just outside your door. The landscape changes every day & I'm always so happy when I discover something like this. Autumn is a particularly good time to find mushrooms & other interesting plants & critters, so why not head on out & see what you can discover ; )

Voodle in need of a haircut >_> (((Featuring Addi : )

Anyone wondering what a cavoodle (or cavapoo) in need of a haircut looks like, look no further :p

Huge tree fungi [:o (or something else?...)

I spotted this thing on my way home the other day, I didn't have my camera on me at the time (shame...) but I made sure I took it the following day & pulled over to get a few photos : ) The tree is just off the main road, I was super excited to find something like this growing so close to home.
I have no idea what type it is, but it's massive, like the size of my head! :D I seriously doubt it's edible, but I'd be up that tree in a second if it was! :p


picsss...

Isn't it amazing 0_0
I would have liked to get a better shot, but it was pretty high up, & I'm kinda short, so this is about the best I could manage without a ladder >_>
I love the wonders that come with rain <3

From underneath.
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Now I'm on a mission to find out out what it is... wish me luck!


***I spoke to my mushroom friend this morning at the market, & he tells me this is called a 'Step fungi' it's a sign that the tree is rotting, the fungi feeds on the decaying wood. He says they are very firm, tho I've never been able to reach one to find out.
Hooray mystery solved :D

I confess

Quick pic done in Photoshop : )

Living Gluten free... (((challenges, tips & advice

I'd really like to share some things that I have learned over the past 5 years about living a gluten free lifestyle. I was diagnosed in November 2005. At first I thought the new diet was a bit of a novelty, I was kind of excited to start living a new lifestyle. Of course after the first month I was pretty over the whole thing, & in the following years my health went up & down, from bad to good & back again. Thankfully though I learned a number of important lessons which I thought I should share, in the hopes that other coeliacs/celiacs (spelling varies >_>) might avoid some of the problems I've experienced.

1. Products... Gluten is in more things than you may realise, not just food & drink, but many shampoos, glues, beauty products, pet foods, etc may contain gluten. This brings me to the first tip, always, always read the label of any products you bring into your home. If you're unsure, contact the company to check, or leave it out until you know for sure, it's not worth the risk! When it comes to pet food, keep it away from areas you prepare & eat food, be careful when handling it, & wash your hands afterwards.

2. Environment... Cross-contamination is a huge issue for people who need to avoid gluten. It is so easy for a small amount of gluten to be transferred from one item to another, & this is probably one of the most common ways people are contaminated.

Tip number 2 is, a 100% gluten free environment is a must! this applies to your home & especially when eating out. You can only be sure that a meal someone else has made will be gluten free if they have prepared it in a gluten free environment, in many cases a small crumb is all it takes. Unfortunately this includes eating at friends houses as well :'(

Speaking from personal experience, I've found the only sure way to avoid becoming sick is to prepare all your meals at home, that way you know for sure that both the environment & the ingredients will be safe. I quit eating out almost a year ago, & my health has been much better.

Yet another thing to consider is the environment you work/study/volunteer in. I have recently had to quit my job because I was exposed to too much dog food, I was accidentally contaminated & I have become sick : (

As mentioned above, many glues contain gluten, so if you work in an office & you lick envelopes you could be contaminated that way (I've been there too)

3. Knowledge... In the past I have deliberately asked shop owners if an item is gluten free (knowing that it wasn't) & too many times I have been falsely reassured that the item is gluten free. I don't mean to say that people do this on purpose, mostly I would put it down to a lack of knowledge. Thankfully I've found this happens less now-a-days largely because gluten allergies have become so common.

So in short, know what you can eat & what you can't, because it's not always a good idea to rely on other peoples knowledge. Joining a group can be a good idea, or speaking to a dietitian. The internet has helped me many times, but don't trust everything you read, always try to cross-reference things to make sure they are correct.

4. Alternatives... I love Orgran, they are probably my most favourite gluten free brand, because of them I can eat amazing spaghetti & make cakes! H o w e v e r, be careful not to rely on gluten free substitutes too heavily. It's important to remember that whilst these products are very helpful, some of them, like chips, biscuits & 'instant meals' aren't the healthiest choices out there, & it's easy to fall into a habit of buying & eating lots of them because they are convenient. Instead, why not use more fresh produce, it's cheaper, healthier, versatile & delicious. I would also recommend buying organic food wherever possible, it may cost more, but it's better for your body, & the environment, is it really worth saving $2 on carrots when harmful pesticides are used to grow them...

5. Advantages... This may all sound a little sad so far, but try to look at the positives, I absolutely believe that I lead a far more healthy lifestyle because I cannot eat gluten, I have become much better at cooking & it's cheaper than eating out as well.

Some ideas which can make things a bit easier are:

- Cook more than you need & pack the leftovers to take with you to work/school or when visiting friends/family.

- Make a large batch of food, separate it into potions & freeze them, that way you have a safe & healthy instant meal ready to heat up whenever you like :D

- Learn some new recipes which are good to take with you, like 'sushi rolls'. I have made my own many times (vegetarian in my case) & they are great to pack as a meal or snack.

- Be creative & learn to substitute, in many cases there are gluten free alternatives available, but if not, try to think of something else that will work instead, it may work out to be better [: )
- Investing in a few helpful appliances can make a world of difference. My personal favourites are, my rice cooker, blender & my small deep fryer. They make life easier & allow me to cook a wider variety of foods, like hot chips! <3
- Discover simple cooking using only a few ingredients, making a meal doesn't have to take hours, in fact after a bit of practice I can now make something pretty tasty in less than 30 minutes : )

I hope in some small way this helps ^___^

(I'll update if I think of more)

All the best!

Super easy creamy vegan mushroom spaghetti

I'm quite unwell at the moment & it seems my tummy can only handle very simple 'gentle' food, so this idea popped into my head, it's nothing amazing, but it worked out really well, & so far my tummy approves.

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Creamy vegan mushroom spaghetti -

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Ingredients:

- 1 tbs Margarine - (I use Nuttelex)

- 1 tbs of Olive oil
- A pinch of Salt & Pepper

- 6 good sized Mushrooms

- 1 cup of Soy milk - (I use (see pic below...))

- 1/4 Chicken style stock cube - (I use Massel 'ultra cubes')

- Approx 1 tsp plain GF Flour - (I use Orgran flour)

- 1/2 a packet of (gluten free) Spaghetti - (I use Orgran spaghetti)

- 2 tbs of Oil for cooking pasta

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Method:

1. Put water on to boil for the pasta, & add 1 tbs of oil to the water to help stop pasta sticking together.

2. Slice the mushrooms & set aside.

3. In a medium fry pan add the margarine, & 1 tbs Olive oil, & put over medium-low heat to melt. Add the mushrooms, salt & pepper & gently cook for a few minutes until mushrooms soften slightly.

4. Add the soy milk & stock to the pan & gently stir. Sprinkle the flour over the sauce, stir well & allow to gently simmer (reduce heat if needed)

5. Once the water is boiling cook up the pasta & set aside. Stir the spaghetti well to prevent sticking.

6. Once the sauce has reduced & thickened slightly it's ready! Pour it over your pasta & serve : )

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I'm not sure recipes come much simpler than that!

Hope you give it a go :3
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Serves 1

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I absolutely would have added some fresh parsley if I had any...

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This is the soy milk I use, I couldn't find it online anywhere @_@ I'm pretty sure it's available Australia wide, but I think only Woolworths stocks it. It's really nice, I highly recommend it. It's done me proud in a variety of milk-based dishes, including scalloped potatoes : )

The biggest letdown about these bottles is... they are not recyclable :/ I wish they would use better packaging...
I have a plan though, kinda... I'm thinking of ways to re-use them myself here at home, but better than that I'm planning on experimenting & making my own rice milk soon, of course I got the idea from Leslie's DIY rice milk post :D
I think I'll probably need a better blender first tho, the one we have is... inadequate...

My washable pads have arrived! \^o^/ (((Wemoon & Lunapads, check them out :D

The other day my final set of washable pads arrived in the mail. I'm super excited to start a more healthy, eco way to get through 'that time of the month' >_>
It could be a bit weird at first, but as I've been saying to people, I'm not scared of a bit of blood, & actually it's probably healthier to treat it as the natural (however unavoidable) thing it is, an stop hiding behind the horrible, throw-away pads most of us are used to.


Anyway, that's my bit, here's a pic -

The ones to the left are the Lunapads, these come from Canada, but I love the design & couldn't pass the opportunity to try them out, despite the shipping .___. (tho I'm super happy they ship to Australia at all ^u^)

However, now that I have some, I may even be able to sew some up myself, maybe...

What I really like about the Lunapads is the cotton strips are interchangeable (you can see the extra strips in the background) You can double them up if you feel the need & there's no need to wash the base every time, great design! (big thumbs up)

So the pads on the right are the Wemoon pads, which are made is Australia :D

These pads are available in a range of colours & patterns too, but I really wanted to get the organic cotton, which is only available in this cream colour. I like the design of the Wemoon pads as well, however having to wash the entire thing after every use could become a bit tedious.

Both companies had quick shipping, I'm really impressed & happy bout that.

I can only really comment on how good they after I've tried them for myself.

I'll post the results in the next few weeks ; )


Ja ne...

MCR - Sing it for Japan

Just a quick post to let people know that My Chemical Romance has release a revised version of their song 'Sing' to help raise money for the people of Japan after the recent disasters that have struck the country & continue to affect thousands of people.


Here's the song-

If you like the song maybe consider buying it on iTunes, you can find it by searching 'sing it for japan'


Thanks all : )