Winter feeling...

Afternoon sun through the trees.

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Morning frost.

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 'Nabe' Japanese hot pot.

You should try this cereal + a few pep songs

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This is possibly the tastiest (& most expensive) cereal I know of. Despite the price ($8.50 :0) I recommend giving it a try, it's pure deliciousness, & of course Vegan + gluten-free :) & the nuts & seeds give you a nice energy kick to start the day :D

*(As always please double check the ingredients list to be 100% sure that it is suitable for you)
Available in the health food isle at Coles (I'm not sure if Woolworth's has it, I'll check it out)

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Once you've downed some of that, fill your ears with tunes that'll make you feel light & content, here are a few that work particularly well for me at the moment -

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Enjoy the rest of your week!

Pet Illustrations :)

I have started doing pet illustrations :)
All I need is a photo of your pet, & I can get started. I draw directly from the photo to capture your friends likeness as best as I can, so pick a photo you love ;)
Currently I am doing these for free so that I can get some practice, & have some examples ready to show future clients, etc.
If you are interested, leave a comment below, thanks!

Here are some that I have done so far -

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* Five Winter Photos *

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2D animation - Everyday service

This animation was my final major project for uni, back in 2009, & I finally decided to share it online. It was the biggest project I've ever undertaken, & unfortunately I was unable to finish all the audio. I'm fairly happy with the end result, it's encouraging to watch it again after so long, & I hope to start doing some more animation soon.

Electric beast

Experiments in Photoshop.
Deer are awesome.

Peek in my fridge + pB energy ballz recipe - No cooking required ┌(・。・)┘♪

I'm not sure why, I just had this thought to snap a pic of what's going on in my fridge recently :) So here's a look into our refrigerated food storage unit...

Everything in there is Gluten-free & Vegan, I assure you ;) & anyone wondering about the small jar labelled 'cheese', it's made by *Botanical Cuisine*  & I highly recommend you check them out!
Just above the amazing raw, vegan cheese is a plate of delicious snacks I made this morning. I used this recipe >>> LINK, but I used quinoa flakes instead of oats, to make them Gluten free. I think there's lots you could do with this recipe, I plan to try a batch with some coconut added, & maybe some with chocolate as well.

I like to call them;

 *:･ﾟ✧ pB energy ballz *:･ﾟ✧

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You'll need:
A food processor or Blender (I used my Vitamix, cause it's all I have :p)

Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup Raw unsalted Cashew nuts
- 1/4 cup Organic Quinoa flakes
- 1/4 tsp Cinnamon powder
- 1 cup Organic Dates - Pitted
- 2-3 Tbs Peanut butter

Method:
1. Add the cashews, quinoa flakes, & cinnamon powder to your food processor/blender, & whiz them to a rough almond meal consistency. Don't make it super fine, just make sure there are no big chunks.
2. Add in the pitted dates, & 2 tbs of peanut butter & process until combined. If the mix seems dry, add a bit more peanut butter.
3. Form the mix into balls, & place them in the fridge for a few hours to set.
4. 3 hours later... CONSUME ! ! ! :V

Makes 10-12 ballz

*NOTE: The final part of blending was tricky with my Vitamix, I used a low speed & pounded the mix down with the tamper, but it did end up overheating my Vitamix :/
At that point I transferred the mix to a bowl & mixed it a bit by hand, using a spoon, but I was happy with the consistency, so I used it as it was :)

Best eaten within a week, otherwise stick them in an airtight container, & freeze them for a later date :)

I think these would be great for an energy kick during a long bike ride, etc.
Go nuts on these things, there're damn delicious, & healthy too!
Kudos to Vegan Food Addict, I love this recipe c:

All the recipes I post are made to be 100% Gluten-free & Vegan, but please always double check all your ingredients to be sure! Happy (non) cooking times everyone ;D

The perils of dairy!

I think this is an important video for people to see, please take the time to watch it, & consider that dairy is not only unnecessary in our diet, but actually completely unhealthy, & even potentially damaging for our bodies.
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Also consider that the focus of this video is human health, there is still animal cruelty, & environmental damage issues to consider with regards to the dairy industry.
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Men in particular might want to listen carefully from 1:13:00...

Vegan Bowl Tacos; where taste & dignity collide

Bowl tacos are, undisputedly one of my all time favourite meals, ever.
Here's how you too can enjoy the feeling of sheer joy, and quiet dignity that can only be achieved with a generous serve of bowl tacos...

Ingredients:
- 1 packet Organic Corn chips
Bean filling:
- 1 medium Purple onion - Finely diced
- 2 cloves Garlic - Minced
- 1 can Organic Red kidney beans - Rinsed & drained
- 1 can Organic Butter beans - Rinsed & drained
- 1 can Organic Cannelloni beans - Rinsed & drained
- 1/2 a jar Tomato pasta sauce (Alternatively, 1 can of Organic crushed tomatoes)
- 1 Tbs Turmeric powder
- 1 Tbs Cumin powder
- 1 Tbs Sweet paprika powder
- 1 Tbs Tabasco &/or fresh chilli (or 1-2 tsp Chilli powder) - Optional
- Pinch of Black pepper
- Water - As needed
Toppings:
- 1 Organic Avocado - Sliced
- 1 large Organic Tomato - Sliced
- Vegan cheese of choice - Grated
- A handful of Olives - Coarsely chopped
- 1 packet Organic Sprouts
- A bunch of fresh green Salad mix

Then...
1. In a large skillet, saute the onion in a little water, once it has softened slightly, add the minced garlic, & pepper, & saute for another minute.
2. Add all the beans, along with the tomato sauce, turmeric, cumin, paprika, & tabasco, & mix well.
3. Cook the beans over a low-medium heat, adding water as required. Thoroughly mix, & mash the beans with your wooden spoon as they cook to achieve the filling consistency.
4. Once most of the beans are broken up or mashed, & the desired consistency is reached, turn off the heat, & place a lid on your skillet to retain the heat.
5. Prepare all the toppings, & set them aside.
6. Toss some corn chips into a bowl, top with some bean mix, & add toppings of choice.
7. Munch it!

Go ahead & add other toppings if you want, grated carrot, corn kernels  diced capsicum, fresh coriander, etc would make this meal even more awesome. Mix & match, & eat like a boss!

*As always my recipes are made Gluten-Free & Vegan, but please always check your ingredients to be sure, as they can vary between brands, etc.

Misery, & gut ache

I drew all 3 of these while I was feeling quite unwell, I suffer from a couple of health problems, & I'm doing my best to get on top of them, but sometimes they win, & I just feel like crap. I'm on a 5 day green smoothie fast at the moment (day 3 today) & hopefully by the end I'll be good as gold.

Last Photos of Autumn c: (2013)

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One day I'll get a real camera :/

Chook respect day ∩(︶▽︶)∩

I'm a little slow off the mark with this post I know...
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Chooks are sweet, intelligent, & greatly misunderstood. These interesting animals deserve love & respect, the same as our canine & feline family members, but sadly they are one of the most mistreated & forgotten domesticated animals on the planet. Please do your best to avoid animal products to be sure that you are not supporting cruel practices that exploit animals like these lovely hens.
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& be sure to check out the short video on the Edgar's Mission Page about Respect for Chickens day

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Founder of Edgar's Mission, Pam Ahern with some of her chicken friends :)

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Funk

Click this! v v v 

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& this foodie blog is well worth a look v v v (Contains a wee bit of coarse language)

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Man I'm in a funk at the moment, I'm not getting much done at all ε-(´・｀)

Gotta eat this Korma!

(and I did, before I took a photo...)

This recipe is based off of a couple of different recipes I read through online. I tweaked it a bit, made sure it was vegan & celiac friendly, & everyone should definitely make some, cause it's easy, & so so tasty.

Ingredients:
- 1 Tbs of Coconut oil (Alternatively Peanut, or Rice Bran oils work well)
- 1 small Onion - Finely Diced (Any type is fine, I like to use purple ones)
- 1 tsp Fresh Ginger - Minced
- 3 good sized cloves of Garlic - Minced
- 1/3 of a Beef Style Stock cube (These are the bomb)
- 2 Medium Potatoes - Scrubbed & cubed (skin on is better ;)
- 3-4 medium Carrots - Washed, cut lengthwise, & sliced.
- 1-4 (mild or hot) Chilli Peppers - Cut lengthwise, & finely sliced (Add according to taste)
- 1 cup of plain Tomato (pasta) Sauce (alternatively 1 can pureed toms)
- 1 1/2 Tbs Mild Curry Powder
- A handfull of fresh Green Beans - Cut into thirds (Frozen peas are a good substitute)
- 1/2 a Red Capsicum (Bell Pepper) - Sliced into short strips
- 1/2 a Green Capsicum - Sliced into short strips *(optional, but worth adding)
- 1 can of Organic Coconut Cream
- 1 Spring onion - Finely Sliced
- A small bunch of Cilantro (Coriander) - Coarsely chopped

& Steamed Basmati rice, To serve :)

Method:
1. Prep all ingredients.
2. Throw the onion (not the spring onion) into a large skillet along with the oil, & saute until glassy. Next add the garlic & ginger, & saute for 1 minute.
3. Mix in the potatoes, carrots, chilli peppers, stock cube, curry powder, & tomato sauce. Cook for 10-15 mins until the carrot & potato are just tender, add small amounts of water as needed to stop the mix becoming too dry, & keep stirring or it'll stick, big time.
4. Add the capsicums, beans, & the coconut cream, stir well, & simmer covered for 10-15 mins, or until the beans are good & tender.
5. Finally, add the cilantro & finely sliced spring onion, & simmer uncovered for 1 minute.
6. C O N S U M E !

This is good stuff, & I hope you all like it. It's already become a favourite for us, & I'm making it again for dinner tomorrow :D<aw yeah~
& as always, if in doubt always double-check ingredients to be sure they're suitable!

Happy cooking times everyone!

New house=new veggie patch=lots of green :) + some kind of thistle

We're enjoying living in our new place, we have heaps of room, & there was already a small veggie patch ready to be planted out :)
It was left pretty messy & overgrown, but we've tidied it up, & filled it with seeds :)
It is a little small, but I might try some compact planting, & see how that works...
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Here's how it looks so far v v v
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The thistle-ish plant I found looks like this v v v 

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I'm not sure I've seen this kind of plant before, or at least not one that had such bold patterns... It's growing a little ways up from our house, where there used to be 2 enormous cypress trees, so maybe it likes acidic soil? I don't know, but if anyone out there does, leave a comment below :) It's probably just some super common, pain in the ass weed...