Author Archives: Amy

Chocolate Cardamom Fete Cookies

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Do you remember the joy of a school fete? I do.

Not my own school actually (we had an ‘arts festival’ – not quite as good really for reasons that shall soon become apparent), but I remember with particular fondness the school fetes of my cousin’s primary school. Every year we would go along one Saturday morning and see the school and churchyard transformed. Stalls would be set up in the grass and line the concrete paths, a miniature Ferris Wheel would spin around those under four feet, and items of all natures would be for sale: the second hand book stall, which I always came away from with a heavier bag and lighter purse; student artwork that had been completed over the semester; and, my favourite of all – the homemade sweets and baked goods.

(This is where it becomes apparent why my school fete/ arts festival wasn’t as good – there were never any baked goods. What?!)

Before glaze, and still yummy

Before glaze, and still yummy

There upon the wooden trestle tables festooned with plastic tablecloths would be the offerings of the parents and grandparents of the pupils: buttery shortbread rounds their tops patterned with forks, splodge-shaped jam drops with sweet raspberry jam, sugary caramel fudge, pink and white coconut ice, ANZAC biscuits, patty cakes with pink butter icing decorated with lollies, and always, always, chocolate slice – my favourite.

I would search among all the other treats, wrapped in plastic packets, or little cardboard boxes, to find the chocolate slice. Sometimes with coconut, sometimes without. Always with a thin cocoa glaze. And always, always, my favourite.

Many years have passed since the last school fete of my cousin’s primary days, and many years have passed since I have eaten chocolate slice (too many other treats to spoon/fork/hand-shovel into my mouth).

To be honest, when I made these biscuits I didn’t even have chocolate slice in mind. I had four egg yolks to use up and a yen for something with a chocolate content. But, when I took the first bite of this puffy, lightly-spiced, cocoa and hazelnut treat I was transported back to those fetes – back to the damp schoolyard lawn on a Saturday morning clutching a plastic bag burgeoning with books in one hand and a crumbling piece of chocolate slice in the other. They are a little dry, a little cake-like inside, and infinitely better with a tea/coffee/milk.

Enjoy.

Glazed and ready to devour

Glazed and ready to devour

Chocolate Cardamom Fete Cookies (gluten free)

Makes 9 large cookies, or 18 smaller ones. I suppose it depends how greedy you are feeling really. I made this using four egg yolks I had left over from a batch of seven-minute frosting, but it also works with whole eggs. Oh yeah, and these are gluten free!

Ingredients:

  • 1 whole egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 75 grams brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
  • 1/2 cup no fat natural yoghurt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 80 grams hazelnut meal
  • 80 grams buckwheat flour
  • 50 grams cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 180C (350F) and line a cookie sheet with baking paper.
  2. In a medium bowl whisk together the whole egg, egg yolk, olive oil, sugar and vanilla essence until smooth and thickened slightly.
  3. Add yoghurt and incorporate well.
  4. Weigh hazelnut meal, buckwheat flour, and cocoa powder into a small bowl then measure in ground cardamom and baking powder. Use a clean whisk to beat together until no lumps remain.
  5. Add dry ingredients to the egg and yoghurt mixture and beat well.
  6. Use an ice-cream scoop or tablespoon to measure out mounds of dough onto the cookie sheet. Leave some room between scoops as they will spread slightly during cooking.
  7. Place tray in oven and cook for 10-12 minutes. Rotate tray 180 degrees halfway through cooking time.
  8. Remove cookies from the oven and cool completely on a rack.
  9. Once completely cooled mix up glaze and spoon on top of the cookies and allow it to dribble enticingly down the side. This is about childhood sweets, not perfection, after all.
  10. Eat.

Glaze: Beat together 1 cup icing sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder and 2 tablespoons of milk.

Oh yum.

Oh yum.

Tell me, dear reader what were school fetes like at your school?

More importantly, what was your favourite homemade treat?

Happy Birthday Little One

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I clutched tightly to my Aunty Lone’s hand as we crossed the pedestrian walk from the car park to the hospital. The mint green cardigan my grandmother had hand-crocheted for me kept out the late autumn breeze. As we walked through the entrance I didn’t notice anything but the big blush pink desk of the nurse’s station. I was only three though, so my view point was a little limited.

I didn’t care. There was only one thing I wanted.

You.

Mine...all mine...

Mine…all mine…

23 years and about 9 months ago I asked Mum and Dad for a present. The best present I was ever going to get: a baby brother or sister.

I waited, and waited.

Mum and Dad let me choose your name. I was so perplexed. I loved the name Sarah, but I had a doll named Sarah. Then there was always Penny, my favourite character on ‘Little People’. No, it had to be something really special. Something that I would always remember – Jessica after my favourite grown-up on TV: Jessica Fletcher.

I watched Mum’s belly grow larger and larger. I watched Dumbo with her and touched the shadows of your hands and feet as you reached out to touch only the skin that separated us.

Then, you were here.

My baby sister.

So perfect. So pretty. The biggest sky-blue eyes and the softest blonde hair.

You had the cheekiest grin – the devil himself couldn’t beat that smirk you had even as a little girl.

Then you would switch and your little forehead would crinkle and crunch as you concentrated on something – so serious, so business like straight away.

I idolised you. I still do in many ways. You were the walking embodiment of perfection on earth. The best present. My best friend. My baby sister.

Your first Christmas.

Your first Christmas.

I crowded you, I still do. I can’t help it, you are the thing that sits the closest to the heart within my heart.

People say they can see the resemblance between the two of us. Maybe it’s the smile, (we both know it’s that ahem…nose), or maybe it’s the way we both cock our head when we are trying to figure something out (look I understand that ‘black’ mascara is a totally different shade to ‘very black’), or maybe it’s the naughty look we both get on our faces when we lick the bowl.

For years as a teenager and a young woman I wanted to look like you. I wanted to be you. Baby sister you move through the world with an impact that belies your petite stature and small gnome-y hands. You seemed to face any problem with a ferocity of intelligence way beyond the grasp of us normal humans. You still do. Only now that I am older I know that your carefully constructed façade sometimes hides a woman who is crumbling like a cookie inside.

Let me be there for you the way you are always there for me.

Me and You.

Me and You.

Every time I have fallen, every time I have been smashed to smithereens on the rocky ledge of life, every time my bridges have burnt at my feet and scorched my toes – you have been there. You have fished me out of the deepest chasms of my soul. Been the candle in my darkest night. Been the balm to soothe my scabs, and told me just how beautiful my scars are.

You are the hardest working woman I know. People often think that you have had such a lucky life, but those who are closest to you know the truth: when you decide what you want in your life you work to make it happen. Every dream that has come true for you has been born from blood, sweat, and tears. You are the brave young thing. The bright young thing. You are the woman who is not afraid to go after what she wants. Whether it is the man you love or a home of your own I have watched you fight for what your heart desires. You deserve your dreams darling because you work so hard for them.

My favourite photo from your wedding day.

My favourite photo from your wedding day.

I love you Jess / chicken / Jec / boob (don’t ask). You are the sprinkles on top of my cupcake. The Romy to my Michelle. The Splenda in my cup of tea. You are the sparkliest piece of soul I could have ever hoped for cast into the sky to shine brightly into my life. I am so heart-bursting-at-the-seams proud of you.

You are my sister. My mentor. My partner in teasing Mum/Dad/Grace. My Christmas tree light detangling companion. The other half of the sing-along to every Britney song duo.

photo (21)

You are the only one I want to watch ‘In Her Shoes’ with because you get that sometimes I’m Maggie and I need you to be my Rose and tell me to get my stuff together. You are the one I look up to. We both know who the real older sister is in this relationship.

You are my little sister. The best present anyone ever gave me. I am grateful for you.

Happy birthday Jec, and here is to many, many more.

(P.S. I love you)

e e cummings

e e cummings

Winter is Coming…

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Winter is coming. Right now I am sitting inside my cosy little house listening to my Mum rattle around the kitchen making pumpkin soup for dinner while the rain plinks gently on our roof. The sun has deserted the sky even earlier tonight and the rain clouds are obscuring the winter stars. Our home has been filled with the scent of baking for much of the afternoon, and the chocolate chip cookie I snuck in before dinner was just as warming as the red knitted socks on my feet.

A season of sweaters and sweet warm tea. (source)

A season of sweaters and sweet warm tea.
(source)

Yes, winter is coming and this year I am determined to enjoy the cold season. Winter, to be honest, is not my favourite season of the year, and I am so grateful that I live in Brisbane where the winter season doesn’t last for too long and isn’t overly nasty. Conversely though, I love to travel during winter; Melbourne with its driving icy rain and cold that seeps into your bones is my favourite place to spirit away to for a few weeks in the depths of winter. This year I will be tucking myself up cosily with my boy and a book, going running in preparation for the Gold Coast Half Marathon (by the way check me out here – super weird/super exciting to be nominated alongside some of my favourites), and making lots of cookies to fuel my writing and running.

Winter is coming, and in preparation for this season (like my preparation for autumn) I am giving myself a little list of things to fill  my winter days and nights.

Cooking:

Mmmm.....

Mmmm…..

Moving:

  • Going ice-skating at a local rink with some friends – Chris and I are both sure that we are going to break our legs in the attempt…
  • Winter morning walks with Mum and Molly on my cross-training days. Nothing like starting the day walking through the frost-crisped grass watching our breath form clouds in front of our faces while Molly trots along happily in front of us.
  • The Gold Coast Half Marathon is only a few weeks away now, and I know that this year I won’t meet my time goal but I am determined to just cross the finish line with a smile on my face.
  • Make use of the heated swimming pool only minutes away from my house and work on improving my lung capacity while staying warm!
Just pretty

Just pretty

Doing:

  • Printing out photos and decorating the walls of my room – it’s only been six years since we extended the house…
  • Hosting a Winter Solstice dinner for my friends. I am not a ‘Christmas in July’ person, but an observance of the season is always fun (and an excuse to make apple pie).
  • Set up a beautiful writing space to help me get through my fifteen-thousand word thesis next semester (I might need some cute organising stationery to help)
  • I still haven’t finished (or actually started, really) my scarf but this cute knitted owl blanket might have to go on my ‘When I Get Crafty’ list.

Thinking:

  • S-l-o-w-l-y digesting Cheryl Strayed’s ‘Tiny Beautiful Things’ - I could speed through it, but I want to soak in each section and absorb the wisdom of her words. Every post makes me question my reaction to life and I need time to digest the emotions and conclusions.
  • My Mum and I cried and smiled while reading Angelina Jolie’s Op-Ed for The New York Times ‘My Medical Choice’. A brave choice, a beautiful woman, and an inspiration to all of us to take charge of our health and our bodies. You are the caretaker of this vessel and it will carry you through your life if you nourish it and care for it correctly.
  • Still enjoying ‘A Clash of Kings‘ (A Song of Ice and Fire book two) and about to start Kate Atkinson’s ‘Life After Life‘. Winter is the perfect season for curling up with a book, and a blanket (and my boy) – then again what season isn’t perfect for curling up with a book?

Tell me dear readers, what are you most looking forward to this coming cold season? What gets you through the dark nights and chilly mornings?

Northern Hemisphere sweethearts, what are you most looking forward to this summer? Make me jealous of your warm days….

Nourished Life Gratitude List: Week Eight

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Well hello my lovely readers, I know this post is a few days late, but this weekend certainly was a busy one and I have just gotten the chance to sit down and reflect on the week-and-a-bit that has passed.  So, while I sit with Mum eating my massive lunchtime salad and watching Murder She Wrote, please do read on for this week’s Thoroughly Nourished Life Gratitude List.

Monday: A great day for writing, and dreaming, and trying to find the courage to face those dreams.

Tuesday: Grateful for a grounding day in the kitchen. I made pretty pink vanilla cupcakes for Mama to take to work, and chicken pot pies for Mama and Dad’s dinner. The perfect way to spend a cool almost-winter afternoon. I shall have to share the chicken pie recipe soon!

Pies for Mum and Dad

Pies for Mum and Dad

Wednesday: An early morning winter workout with Jillian Michaels started the day off with a shot of endorphins. I am thankful for Chris’s technological genius, which diverted a potential disaster in the evening.

Cupcakes for Mum

Cupcakes for Mum

Thursday: A hard goodbye today. So grateful to all my wonderful friends at work who made my last day beautiful and filled with sunshine despite the rainy sky. A very big thank you to everyone who commented on my post about this, or emailed me, your sweet words of encouragement are fuel to keep me seeking my dreams.

Friday: A thanksgiving is due for the wonderful morning I spent soaking up the late autumn sunshine on Casey’s front deck while she plied me with gluten-free goodies and we caught up on where we are in our lives at the moment.

Brunch with Casey

Brunch with Casey

Saturday: A day filled with family time. A morning at the market with the ladies, lunch for my brother-in-law’s graduation and police academy commencement, and a gorgeous feast and catch-up with Chris’s family at dinner time. So much love around every table. (and Chris’s Mama got a gluten-free cake so I could have some too!)

Look at this cake!

Look at this cake!

Sunday: Another day filled with family. My grandmother is moving house so the whole clan gathered to pack, clean, measure, and natter the day away. An emotional day, but I am so grateful that our family is so close.

Now, while I finish up my cup of tea, tell me dear reader, what were you grateful for this week?

 

Shatter and Seek

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Two years ago this would have crushed me. I would have crawled into my bed and stayed under the covers for a week. In my cocoon of blankets I could have pretended that the world outside hadn’t changed at all, that when I emerged everything would be as I left it and I could just step back into the cosmic ebb and flow. Of course, things wouldn’t have been the same at all, and my denial would just have made it harder to move forward and take charge of my life once more.

But I am not the girl I was two years ago. I have been down, been crushed, and risen again triumphant. I have rebuilt my life from the ashes of a dream burned in front of my face. I have taken charge of my future and stepped back into the wide world. Used a winter to rest and recuperate and stepped back into the spring when summertime came again.

This was by no means a solo effort at all, and I would not be who I am, and where I am, without my loved ones, that is for certain.

My lovely co-workers gave me these.

My lovely co-workers gave me these.

Two weeks ago I found out that I had lost my job. I chose not to write about it on the blog at the time; although some of you who read this would already have known through other channels of communication. I was shocked. Rocked to the core. I loved my job. I wasn’t always the best at my job, but I loved it. I love what the place I worked for stands for. I love the work they do and I admire the dedication of all my co-workers. I couldn’t have asked for a nicer, warmer, more inspiring group of people to work alongside. So when the final words were spoken I was shattered. My heart was splintered. I had two weeks to learn how to say one of the hardest goodbyes.

Now, some of you might be asking yourselves why I was so heartbroken over a job? The job I was doing isn’t a job you just do because you have the qualifications. The job, the place I worked for, was more of a calling. Not only did you need specific attributes and professional education, you needed a specific sense of compassion, you needed to feel the thread to connect yourself to another person even though you are virtual strangers. You needed to genuinely care about the lives you were interacting with. I am not trying to big note myself here I am trying to say that I not only liked my job because I felt like I was helping people, I also loved my job because I felt that every person I interacted with was teaching me how to be a better person.

So pretty.

So pretty.

The last project I was working on was with breast cancer survivors – a group that occupies a spot close to my heart. I met so many inspiring women during that time. Women who had faced the most terrible possibility of all, been stripped down to their very cores, and risen again, beaten the darkness, survived. It was not uncommon for me to be moved to tears during my calls with these women. Sometimes we would cry together when they needed to share something with someone, and I was the voice on the end of the line. Sometimes I would hang up and then cry. Other times I was fortunate to make a friend while we journeyed together on their road back to health.

I had women send me Christmas cards, or a message wishing me luck in a race I was running. I was touched by every single story I heard, every woman who honoured me by allowing me to flutter into their world for a while, and every day I was able to do that job.

That is why my heart was broken when I heard those words.

Blush

Blush

In another way, I also know that this is the universe showing me that it is time to move onto something new. Time to take the new skills I have been learning at university, combine them with my passion for health and well-being and living a nourished life, and create something new. What that is, I do not know. Suggestions are welcome. Right now I am looking at the horizon. I am taking in the lay of this new land. Reading the map to see which unexplored corner I will venture to next (metaphorically that is, no holidays planned just yet).

What part of my life, what part of my passions, what part of my knowledge will become my profession? I do not know. I am willing to work hard for my dream. I just need to find that dream.

I am not hiding under the covers this time. I faced the truth of the situation. I cried the tears. I admitted to the fears. I am choosing to rise. I am choosing to find the new wings I need to fly.

I am stepping into this new future a whole woman, so loved and cared for, and seeking the way forward.

Monday Mantra: Pursue Your Dreams

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We do not fear the leap. We fear the fall that we expect will follow. We stop taking chances and pursuing our dreams because the paralysis of fear stops us in our tracks before we can even really begin. If we don’t chase what we really want then we know what the outcome is already. If we don’t move towards our dreams the distance between us and them never changes. We stay in our (sometimes unsatisfying) present, and repeat the words ‘one day’ to ourselves, but we never take ‘one day’ into our own hands and make it today.

If we are going to live our own authentic life and stand in our true selves then we need to pursue our dreams. We need to take courage from the thousands of other souls who make the leap everyday. Take courage that the first step could lessen the distance between you and your dream. Take courage that even the pursuit of your dream can be a wonderful adventure, sometimes you might even find another dream greater than the one you expected, or you might fail and that’s okay too. Failing is hard. It hurts to land on hard ground. Trust me. I have tried, I have failed, and I have cried and mourned a dream that has died. The important thing when we witness the death of one of our dreams is that we take that experience and let it feed our courage to pursue the next dream. To try again, and this time do it better, knock louder, leap higher, trust ourselves more.

My dreams scare me. They are bigger than I am. I am small right now. I have been knocked down and I am learning my way back. But I have courage. I have courage fed by love, gratitude for my present life, belief in the general positivity of life, the kindness of humanity, and that if you keep making today that ‘one day’ then you are doing all you can to chase those dreams of yours down.

Dear reader, what gives you courage? Do your dreams scare you? What dreams are you chasing at the moment?

Nourished Life Gratitude List: Week Seven

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At this present moment I am sitting with my Mum celebrating Mother’s Day in true Chatwin style: nerdy movies, blankets and bottomless cups of tea. I have had a brilliantly busy week, and although there have been some difficult points the awesome moments and amazing opportunities have definitely outweighed them. I have had a lot to be grateful for this week.

Therefore, this week’s Nourished Life Gratitude List:

Monday: My darling Chris’s birthday. We had the laziest, loveliest day possible. I did some writing, cooked a birthday cake, and just revelled in the company of the birthday boy.

Stout and Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Buttercream

Stout and Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Buttercream

Tuesday: I had the wonderful opportunity to talk to Caroline’s grade eleven class about what a dietitian does, the basics of healthy eating, and the importance of healthy body image. I love doing these talks because sometimes I wish someone had given me this advice when I was younger. Thank you Caroline for a lovely morning.

Wednesday: A great day at my internship. I am so grateful to Chris and Nanny for taking over dinner and clean-up duties while I worked during dinner, at the dinner table.

Thursday: Grateful to Jenny for making sure I got out of the office and ate lunch in the sunshine. Autumn lunches on the terrace are one of my favourite things. I spent the evening with my darling doing two of our favourite things: eating vegetable fritters and watching ‘The Colbert Report‘. So grateful that I have found my kindred spirit in political satire appreciation.

His (top, with bacon) and Hers (bottom, with tomato relish)

His (top, with bacon) and Hers (bottom, with tomato relish)

Friday: I am working on a feature article for one of my university subjects and I had the honour to interview a lady who founded a group for young breast cancer survivors. I am so thankful to her for sharing her story with me. A true reminder of how blessed my life is, and that you needn’t look far to find someone inspiring.

Saturday: Chris and I spent the night at Jupiter’s Casino on the Gold Coast. We went for a lovely walk around the grounds, napped in the huge king-sized bed, dined at Osteria Vivo (which I highly, highly recommend – delicious food, attentive staff, and a pleasant atmosphere), and Chris took advantage of the casino part of the hotel while I did some writing. I had such a great weekend away, thank you darling.

Oh yeah room service. Best chocolate thick shake ever.

Oh yeah room service. Best chocolate thick shake ever.

My darling and I.

My darling and I.

Sunday: I am grateful I got to spend today with my Mum. So many sons and daughters are without their mothers, and I am lucky enough to still live with mine. Thank you for being my mother, my friend, and my confidante. I love you Mama. I am also grateful to Jess for making an awesome Mother’s Day lunch – and a crust-less “tart” so I could enjoy dessert too.

Jess's amazing sweet potato, caramelised onion, and roasted almond salad.

Jess’s amazing sweet potato, caramelised onion, and roasted almond salad.

 

Tell me, dear reader, what were you grateful for this week? Any moments that made you sit back and remember how fortunate you are?

For Mama: Quickest Chocolate Cookies with Chocolate Frosting

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My Mum’s favourite school holiday period was always the mid-year winter break. Two whole weeks of Mum and girls time when the days were short and crisp and the nights come early. Mum, Jess, and I would watch our favourite movies (including ‘First Wives Club’, ‘The Birdcage’, and ‘Under Siege’), or spend hours in silence as we were all caught up in our own books, or build huge Lego towns that took over half the lounge room. Those were our days. Some of the best days.

Last Friday Mum came into my room after her morning walk and climbed onto my bed, she said “I really miss snuggling with you and Jess in the mornings. Remember when you two would climb in with me after Dad had left for work and we would just lie there and cuddle. We had the whole day to do whatever we wanted,” she sighed “I know you two are grown up now, but sometimes I miss those winter mornings and our whole day movie marathons on school holidays.”

Mama, Jess, and Me.

Mama, Jess, and Me.

Mama, I miss them too sometimes. And even though I am (supposedly) ‘grown up’ now, I still need your hugs, they are  the meaning of home and comfort. I am so grateful that we had you at home for all those years while we were growing up. I still remember the flood of relief and happiness that would rush through me when I saw your face at the school gate when the afternoon bell rang. Whenever I am in doubt, scared, or frightened by the big wide world, your voice reminds me of the cloud of love that surrounds me and reassures me that everything will turn out okay in the end.

You are my favourite Miss Marple watching companion, my ‘person’ when I am troubled or when I have big fat exciting news, or when I want to daydream about the many possible futures that may lie ahead.

Mum/Mama/Mama Chickpea/Shrieking Trout (don’t ask, it’s a long story) – you are the meaning of love. I am pretty sure that if someone cut you open they would find at your core the meaning of love itself: sacrifice, total acceptance, unlimited affection, and always believing the very best of everyone. If I grow up to be half the woman you are, then I will be happy.

Thank you for being my Mama for 26 years, and Jess’s Mama for (nearly) 23 years. We love you more than we can show.

Happy Mother’s Day Mama.

Mmm...cookies...

Mmm…cookies…

Quickest Chocolate Cookies with Chocolate Frosting

This really is the easiest cookie recipe and came about by accident – namely my impatience with reading a recipe when I really just want to be in the kitchen up to my elbows in butter and sugar. The cookies are soft and lightly chocolatey and the frosting is super sweet. These are the perfect treat to say thanks to Mum on Mother’s Day.

Ingredients:

  • 80 grams butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup icing sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon hazelnut extract (if you can’t find this, use vanilla essence)
  • 3/4 cup plain flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 egg
  • 40 grams dark chocolate, melted and cooled

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 160C (320F) and line a large cookie sheet with baking paper.
  2. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and using a hand-held mixer beat all ingredients until smooth and shiny. (See I told you they were the quickest).
  3. Spoon mixture into a piping bag fitted with a medium-sized round tip and pipe equally sized rounds onto the lined baking sheet. If you do not have a piping bag simply spoon equally sized portions of dough onto the sheet. Leave about 3cm between cookies to allow for spreading during baking.
  4. Slide the filled tray into the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through baking.
  5. Remove from the oven and place the tray on a cooling rack. Allow cookies to cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then remove and allow to cool completely before frosting and decorating.
  6. Once decorated, make a cup of tea and share a plate of biscuits with your Mum.

Chocolate Frosting

  • 2/3 cup butter, softened
  • 2 1/2 cups icing sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  2. Place butter into a medium size bowl and using hand-held mixer beat until very soft and pale. This will take about 2-3 minutes.
  3. Add the remaining frosting ingredients and beat until smooth and lighter in colour.
  4. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a small star-tip (or other desired shape) and create a swirl on top of the cooled cookies. Sprinkle with coloured sanding sugar or other decoration. If you do not have a piping bag you can spread the icing on with a small knife and then decorate as desired.

Tell me, dear reader, how will you treat your Mum this Mother’s Day? Are you celebrating with breakfast, lunch, dinner, a phone call?

To all my other awesome Mama friends (looking at you Jenelle) – Happy Mother’s Day for Sunday.

More cookies

More cookies

Monday (er…Tuesday) Mantra: A Leap of Faith

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As I alluded to in Monday’s post there are some big changes happening in my life at the moment. Changes that I need to process and pull apart like tangled string before I can present them here and speak about the way forward; my future is a little uncertain in some areas and beautifully certain in others.

Therefore this week’s mantras are about taking the next step when you can’t see the floor beneath your feet. How can I not be ready to leap forward into the unknown when I am so blessed and lucky to know that fall or fly I have love in my life: love that will pick up the broken pieces or lift me even higher.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

I can’t help but think the events that took place are the universe telling me, urging me, shouting at me, that it is time to take that next step: to leave all I have known and forge a way into a new future. This is not a time to be shy, to sit back and wait for the world to come to me, this is the time to pursue a new path, take the leap forward even though the way is unclear.

Margaret Shepard

Margaret Shepard

What is next? Who knows? The possibilities are only limited by my imagination and my willingness to fight for what I want in my life. What will be authentic to me? What will satiate the desire to create and leave my mark on the world? What do I feel called to do? These are questions that will need to be answered. Some now, some later. But the only way to achieve anything is to have faith-  in myself and in others and in the universe – and to take the next leap.

Nourished Life Gratitude List Week Six

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Happy Monday my dear readers, I am sorry this list is a little late, but let me tell you that last week was a roller-coaster ride. There were highs and lows and ‘holy cupcake how will I survive this’ moments. Big changes are taking place in my thoroughly nourished life. Big changes that I will share with you all once the dust has settled a little and my world has stopped feeling like it’s balancing on a base of marbles. There were also extremely awesome moments this week, which culminated in Chris’s Thrift Shop themed birthday on Saturday night!

Without further ado I present this week’s Nourished Life Gratitude List:

Monday: An über day. I blogged about how Margaret Thatcher’s words inspired me to power through a fantastically-full day and relax at the end feeling like I had been in the world and left my mark on the day.

My hilly path on Tuesday's run.

My hilly path on Tuesday’s run.

Tuesday: My longest outside run in a very long time. A truly beautiful day to be out in the world enjoying the autumn sunshine and the feeling of life coursing through my veins.

Wednesday: My day started at dawn with some cross-training at the gym. My internship day was full of interesting tasks, and I got to come home and make chocolate chip pancakes for Chris to take for breakfast on Thursday morning.

Thursday: Today a door slammed so firmly and quickly that I nearly lost my fingertips and my self-worth in the process. I was so grateful that my family, my friends (especially the ever-lovely Jenny) and my darling Chris reminded me to see the windows and new doors that would open to me soon. I was also grateful that Chris and I spent the evening with Caroline and Tim at a comedy hypnotism show.

Sushi and Cheryl Strayed. Soul: nourished.

Sushi and Cheryl Strayed. Soul: nourished.

Friday: I bought a copy of ‘Tiny Beautiful Things‘ by Cheryl Strayed and sat sobbing over my sushi lunch. The insight on life, the way she implores each of us to take charge of the days that we have here, is truly what I needed today.

Saturday: Chris’s birthday party!! I still don’t have any photos to show you, but suffice to say I ended up in a motley outfit of American-flag printed mini skirt, black tights, and electric-blue glitter zebra stripe jacket – yeah it was that kind of night. A celebration of my sweetheart surrounded by many friends, and finished off with Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting. Of course, they were only 99c. (See here for Chris’s inspiration for the party).

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes. Didn't get to taste (weren't GF) but the grins on people's faces were enough.

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes. Didn’t get to taste (weren’t GF) but the grins on people’s faces were enough.

Sunday: Grateful to take it very slowly today, after a night of wine, dancing, and laughter. Chris and I napped the day away and then enjoyed some high-brow cinematic entertainment with Iron Man 3. (It was brilliant by the way).

This week promises to be busy and beautiful as well. But today, well, today I’m taking it easy and celebrating my darling’s actual birthday. So Monday’s Mantra will be posted tomorrow. For now, I’m off to cook a late breakfast and be grateful that 26 years ago a very special person came into the world, and now he’s mine. Happy Birthday my love. I am so grateful for you and all that you bring to my life. You are the most vibrant, hilarious, caring person I know. Here’s to many, many more birthday cakes, and many more birthday wishes come true.

You and I. Happy birthday sweetheart.

You and I. Happy birthday sweetheart.

Tell me, dear reader, what were you most grateful for this week? Any roller-coaster rides like mine? Or über days that you want to share?