Because..... xo

Last Friday, my sweet Friend sent these words to me on my phone... and I LOVE them xo

I love the the raw truth that spills out from these words.  Being boldly honest with yourself and recognising it ALL, your flaws, mistakes, fears or moments of hate or sadness which you wish you never had.... are actually beautiful blessings xo  TRUE Strength and TRUE Beauty comes from looking at yourself in the mirror and being honest with yourself.  Hugs.

From: http://www.facebook.com/followyourdreamstoachieve

Chewy Comfort: Molasses Spice Cookies

If you love gingerbread and you find comfort in chewy soft cookies... you will definitely be baking these amazing golden goodies just about every single week.

This recipe had been pasted in my recipe scrapbook for years, sadly being ignored... but on a quiet Sunday when I was itching to get baking in the kitchen I decided to spontaneously give it a whirl.  And it was SO worth it!  The perfect combination of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and all spice with a generous hit of rich molasses makes it so moorish without it being sickly sweet.  It certainly isn't your average B grade cookie...it's my current top cookie of the moment which I can't resist sharing with everybody.  It's unique spicyness and chewy texture offers lots of comfort on a cold winters day.... even more satisfying when dipped into a steaming hot mug of milk.  Enjoy xo

Molasses Spice Cookies* (From Simply Recipes) Makes about 20 large cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups plain flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon all spice

3/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 cups unsalted butter (room temperature)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup raw sugar (plus extra 1/3 cup)

1/3 cup molasses

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 190 degrees celsius.

Mix in a bowl the sifted flour, baking powder, ginger, all spice, cinnamon, cloves and salt.

Beat the butter for about 2 minutes, then add the brown sugar and 1/2 cup of raw sugar and beat until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract, egg and molasses and beat in until just combined.

Fold in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients a little at a time using a spatula.

Once the dough is formed, get about 2 tablespoons worth of dough at a time to form a round ball (almost 2 inches in diameter) and then roll into the extra 1/3 cup of raw sugar to coat it on the outside.  Place onto a baking tray atleast 2 inches apart and bake for about 11 - 13 minutes.  They will still feel soft but that's ok... once cooled to room temperature they will be perfectly chewy.

* Simply Recipes "Molasses Spice Cookies"

REAL honey nut bars

It amazes me how many 'HONEY' nut bars sold at the supermarket and health food stores contain sugar.  Flip over the wrapper and you'll most likely find processed sugar as one of the top ingredients listed.  Don't get me wrong.... I LOVE getting my hit of sugar too (macaroons, creme bulee, chocolate.... yum).  But when I'm specifically in a health kick mood and want a quick snack with natural basic ingredients I struggle finding something authentic! 

So here's my sweet, chewy recipe for my own version of REAL honey and nut bars.  Can get your fingers a little sticky because of the generous amounts of honey in it, but that's part of the fun of knowing you're enjoying something REAL, NATURAL and SIMPLY good for your body.  Finger lickin good!

Saya's REAL honey nut bars

Ingredients:

1/2 cup honey

1 cup granulated dry roasted peanuts*

1 1/2 cups granulated dry roasted almonds*

1 handful of dry roasted almond chunks (I just made rustic chunks by putting them in a ziplock bag and hitting them for half a minute with a wooden spoon - great chef skills)

1 heaped tablespoon of cinnamon

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

* I used a food processor for the granulated nuts.  I just processed them enough so they still had a bit of bite.  Like the size of small beads(see pics below).  It's fine too if there is a little bit of a powdery consistency mixed in with the granulated nuts.

Instructions:

Roughly tuck in baking paper into a square shallow dish leaving a generous amount of baking paper spilling over the side.  When I say generous, I mean long enough so the baking paper spills over the sides of the dish to double it's measurements.

In a saucepan over a low to medium heat, melt the honey, salt, vanilla extract and cinnamon together.  Once it comes to a simmer, stir for a minute and make sure everything is dissolved together making a dark brown sauce.  Add all the granulated nuts (almonds and peanuts) and the almond chunks and stir in.  Then immediately remove from the heat and pour mixture into a shallow square dish lined with baking paper.  Using a wooden spoon spread mixture around base of the dish as pictured below.

Then fold over the long part of the baking paper to cover the nut base and press down firmly using your hands (make sure the mixture isn't too hot).

Now leave it to rest (I like stacking books on top to keep it firm as it sets to room temperature). 

Then once cooled refrigerate for a few hours.  Then you're ready to slice and chew and enjoy xo

NOTE: I LOVE generous amounts of cinnamon but if this is too strong for you just add a teaspoon instead.  Or you could always omit the cinnamon and add 1/4 cup of desiccated coconut for a creamier taste xo

Sun Love Inspiration from Hafiz

The Sun Never Says

Even after all this time,

the sun never says to the earth,

‘You owe me.’

Look what happens with a love like that.

It lights up the whole sky.

Remnants of the romantic high from Valentine's Day are still floating around in my head, so I wanted to share the above poem and dedicate this post to the beautiful thing that is.....LOVE.

I discovered the Persian poet Hafiz* only a few years ago, and at that moment his beautiful, inspiring poetry dating as far back as the 1300's ... immediately fell into my 'favourite soulful things' world. 

This poem is certainly one of my favourites... expressing all the beautiful, romantic and sincere notions of unconditional love, purity and humbleness.  May this soulful poem give anyone reading this, inspiration to embrace this type of 'sun love'.  An unconditional and unlimited love that doesn't hold back, that doesn't demand, that doesn't calculate... but is just free and pure and beautiful xo

*Wikipedia - Hafez

My Valentine's Day love gesture..... seriously delish flourless chocolate cake



Getting to know: Wei Yee and Yoga

People will always surprise you.... so don't be deceived by Wei yee's dainty, pixie like figure.  Despite her petiteness, she is packed full of punch and bursting with energy and a strong 'can do attitude' head on her shoulders.  With big aspirations in and outside the sphere of yoga, this young lady is sure to to excel in whatever direction her sights take her!  I love the beauty and power expressed in her yoga poses and her clean, flowing lines in the photos captured below.  Young.., old.., big.., small.... JUST WORDS.  Push beyond those boundaries and deceiving categories you mentally confine yourself within, and your body will always surprise you and be true to you.  Wei yee shows you how.

When did you first start yoga?
You could say I started when I was about 6 when I used to copy my grandfather whom was 80 at the time doing headstands every morning.

Why did you start yoga?

I have to admit that I actually took my first class purely out of vanity and in pursuit of a better physique at the time.  But after one class I realised there was a whole lot more which yoga offered that none of the other gym classes I had attended ever did.  I was hooked from there.

What do you think yoga aims to achieve?

Unification and harmonisation of all things within and around us whereby we ultimately learn to understand the true nature of everything as it is.  It teaches mindfulness of how you treat yourself and all others around you.

What do you find most rewarding in yoga?

Understanding how to be more mindful of everything I do in life and how my actions impact others.  As a training teacher, the most rewarding thing is to be able to pass all I have learnt to others.

What do you find most challenging in yoga?

Physically, I find postures requiring flexibility quite challenging in yoga as I am naturally not very flexible.  In a more subtle sense, learning to apply the patience and calm we learn in yoga to everyday life is a big challenge.

What kinds of people would you recommend it to?

i) I recommend it to all people who work in corporate or sedentary jobs because we really need the movement!

ii) It's such an amazing workout physically because it works on both what you see on the outside and your internal organis.  I don't know why anyone would not give it a go?

iii) I recommend everyone to retain an open mind and try more than one class before they conclude whether yoga is for them.  There are a multitude of yoga styles now being taught which will suit all tastes and ages.  Keep a curious mind.

3 words that describe how you feel after yoga?

Release, peaceful, relaxed.

What makes you smile?

To see others around me smile.

What's your ideal way to spend a Sunday?

To be able to have the luxury of just relaxing and not going through my list of chores.  A yoga class has to be in there at some point though.

What's your best holiday?

It would have to be my five week trip to Europe (UK, France, Spain, Switzerland, Italy) with my 3 closest girlfriends.  We didn't follow a tour, just our maps.

Favourite food?
Potatoes in any shape or form.

Favourite book?

Pride and Prejudice.

What's something that a lot of people don't knkow about you?

That I absolutely love tha alpine and love hiking the high country regardless of what country I am in.  The last few years I've been making annual trips up to the Snowy Mountains to explore the alpine walks there.

Thanks Wei yee! xo