Excitement.

Hi everyone!

Just before commencing this post, I realised that I had gotten a new comment.  That totals to…  four comments…  on one post!  Please excuse me whilst I go do a little happy/excited jig.  Thank-you, to every one of the commenters.   I really, really, really, (really* a bagizzilion trillion squillion million gazillion) appreciate it.

Once again, I am really sorry for neglecting posting regularly.  This week has been quite busy (back to school!) and today was my daddy-o’s birthday.  Hopefully, as I settle into my usual school routine again, I’ll be able to commit to posting a bit more regularly (3-4 times a week).  :)

My first ever green smoothie!

Ala Ayla.  Two bananas, one apple, three stalks of celery.

Ever since I’d heard of  them, green smoothies have always…  intrigued me.  Up until this week, I had been too scared to try making one, thinking that it’d turn out like the blended Happy Meal experiments that we’d do in youth group…  (Hence why I’ve stopped attending.)  I was wrong.  REALLY wrong.  I can now safely declare that green smoothie’s are super-duper awesome!  (My apologies.  Phrase is courtesy of youth group.)

Spinach, grapes, orange, banana, celery, water.

Salmon quiche + garden salad

This salmon quiche is so simple!  And so yummy!  The crust is great as well – and will work with any other quiche filling.  For Chrissie my mother made a killer Leek quiche using that same crust.

On Tuesday, I was invited to a Australia day gathering at my best buddie’s house.  Of course, I felt obliged to bring something (what kind of guest doesn’t?), in the guise of Veganomicon’s wheat free choc-chip oat cookies…

Pre-baking.

I doubled the recipe, used chia seeds instead of flax seeds, and used 1/3 coconut flakes, 1/3 dried strawberries and 1/3 white chocolate chips, instead of the usual chocolate chips.  I think I died and went to cookie Nirvana…  My mother said that they were the second best biscuit that she has had (next to tim-tams) and they disappeared at the gathering…  What more can I say?  You have to make them!  (Hmm…  I have a sudden twitch to adapt the recipe into an oatmeal flavour…)

Isn't she gorgeous?

She also happens to be the one and only person whom can compete with me in the height category…  All of my other friends come up to my shoulders.  :p

And last but definitely not least…

Phantasmagoric tortilla pizza. (Yes, there is a tortilla underneath all of that.)

After seeing this post, inspired by this post, I had a sudden urge to make myself a tortilla pizza.  On it was:

• Mostly pesto + some herbed tomato and garlic pastes
• Pumpkin smooshed on the bottom
• Zucchini, chickpea, spinach, cherry tomatoes, spring onion.
• Topped with barbeque sauce, a tahini and hummus.

All was toasted on a non-stick wok, (until the tortilla started to brown), and then put under the oven grill for a few minutes.

OH MY GOSH.  It.  Was.  Amazing! Everything seemed to meld together perfectly… The after heating, the tahini + hummus almost seemed…  cheesy?  It’s hard to describe, but trust me, it was goood!

Xoxo, Reigne.

Oh, and expect a blog refurbishing in the near future.  That is, until I work out how to use WordPress.  :p

Hooleydays.

Presenting…  The main reason why you shouldn’t leave me alone with the PB jar.

Well I can't let the PB on the sides go waste, now can I?

Hi everyone!  How has your week been?

I went on an absolutely awesome hooleyday to the beach…  And for the first time in years, I witnessed flat ground! (I live in hill central.)  Ah, the beautiful, beautiful flat ground.  Perfect for running on.  I actually got back on Monday, and have been delaying posting for a while…  due to sheer laziness… :p  Naw well.  It just means that this post is going to be packed!

So voluminous!

Custard oats, inspired by Beeks.  In this bowl was:

• 1/4 cup rolled oats + 1/4 cup oat bran
• 1/2 cup soy milk + 1 cup water
• one egg (whipped in at the beginning)
• pinch of salt + a few drops of stevia
• topped with the best jam and PB ever

Although the bowl was enjoyable (thanks to the toppings, and my post run ravenous-ness) I found that it wasn’t custardy at all.  And the texture was a bit off.  Maybe I didn’t cook it long enough???  I will definitely give it another try in the near future though…

The. Best. Sammich. Ever.

I finally gave into HEABie’s never ending tahin-a-thon (dang nabbit HEABie… why do you have to make everthing look so good?), and made myself a tahini sammich as a snack.

• Two slices of home made (just add water and bake!) pumperknickel (ala IKEA’s food section.)
• 1/3 of a banana
• A couple of spoonfulls of tahini and honey

All grilled in the panini grill…  it was so supercallafragalistically amazing!  It reminded me a lot of french toast…

With extra tahini and honey drizzled on top... pure heaven

Currently, I’m trying to cut down on my fat intake, consuming maybe 3-4 servings a day, and only eating nuts as a part of main meals, not as snacks.  (Gasp shock horror!  :O)  I feel that I’m too reliant on nuts/nut butters, and inherently miss out on other nutrients (mainly protein.)  Before I started eating healthily, I also had a bad skin problem, which cleared up over time.  Unfortunately, it somewhat still remains…  I think my PB and nut addiction may be somewhat contributing to this…  Has anyone else experienced anything similiar to this?

Miso hungry! (Tehe... Get it?)

Dear Mr Miso.  I love you, I love you, I love you…  I can’t wait to come up with other uses for Miso!  (Any suggestions?)  What you see above, is your standard cup of miso, with nori and soba noodles…  So warming.  So good.

Prettyful. (Mwahaha!)

Please excuse the cheesy plays on words which are featured in todays post.  I think I may be suffering from societal withdrawal…

• muesli + puffed rice (okay, I admit, it was rice bubbles.  :P  But lets call it puffed rice, okay?  Puffed rice sounds so much healthier.)
• canned peaches + a banana
• soy milk and a few dollops of greek yoghurt

The bowl was later doused with cinnamon.  Pretty good, I must say.  I lurve mixing and matching cereals.

Another post run snack (disaster )

Bleh. It tasted like foot.

I attempted to make some protein brownie batter, and failed horribly.  I think it was because I used the natural soy protein powder sitting in the cupboard.  I will try again though, as soon as I get my hands on some real protein powder.

And here’s the last eat for today’s post:

Slurpy-slurpy.

On Thursday, I made a big batch of Thai peanut sauce from Veganomicon.  I’ve been eating it over a salad consisting of:

• cold soba noodles
• tofu/boiled eggs
• julliened carrots, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, alfalfa sprouts

So addictive.  And very fun to eat.

To conclude today’s post, I’ll leave you with possible the best song ever.

‘Coz my loony bun is fine benny lava.

Xoxo,

Reigne.

P.S.  I think I may be building a readership (of what, one?  two people?)  According to the WordPress stats, your a Canadian, who uses Google reader…  Please show yourself!  (Anyone for that matter…  I pratically cry everytime I recieve a comment.)

True at Heart.

Hiya all!

I’ve just gotten back from day (or rather, night) one of a Christian Youth conference.  Wowee, was it loud.  Very loud, very crouded and very foggy (from the brilliant smoke screen effects.)   And it the room smelt a bit like used deodorant (I’m sure alot of you are very familiar with that smell.)  However, the conference was not about the music, nor was it about the ingenius lighting, or the slight BO smell, or the Chai tent (yes, a Chai tent.  How cool is that?)  It was about the individual message at heart, what every attendee experienced, what every attendee could take out of the conference, and use to become better disciples – to plant more “seeds” within the world.  And since, my eats haven’t been that dang crash hot as of recently (not bloggy-worthy)  I’d thought that I’d share with you this very humbling talk that was given by a visiting Philippino pastor.  Today, this is my seed, I hope I can plant this all within your hearts, no matter what your religion is.

Sometimes we all lose touch with our true values.  We all become submersed in a fixation on things – achieving the perfect body, a nice house, nice car, good job, good grades, a popular blog etc.  That we truly forget what values the most – other human beings, and relationships with them.  If you take every item that you’ve ever wanted – and compare it, with the poorest, most ugly person out there, pound for pound, the person is going to be of significantly more value.  Why?  Because the person is a living organism, someone with thoughts, a journey, a destiny.  Someone, who, if you make yourself available to, can be transformed, can be made into a beautiful human being.  Someone who can become another seed planter, another person letting others know that they are loved by God.  If you think about it deeply, you’ll realise that any human being by far outweighs any thing.  Things are just things.  They die out eventually, and then are gone.  A soul is eternal.  Therefore, I challenge you to make yourself available to others, to open your heart to them, whether it’s simply giving them a smile, having a chat, 0r inviting them out.  Often the people who need guidance, are people you already know, people sitting right beneath your nose.  Let them know that you love them, that God loves them (remember, we’re plant seeds here, not ramming a whole tree down their throat!)

I’m going back to this conference tomorrow, and then will be heading off on vacation on Saturday!  So there probably won’t be another bloggy post for a few winks.  :(

Oh, an yes, I did manage to pop into the health food store today (much to my mother and sister’s despair) may I present you with possibly two of my best ever purchases.

Stevia and Coconut Chai.

Both items are phenomenally amazing.  The Coconut Chai is the best Chai I have ever had (and I drink a lot of Chai!)  It’s just so hard to describe…  You have to try it!  (It was produced in California).  And the Stevia doesn’t carry the classic bitter Stevia aftertaste!

They cost me $19, which I think was worth it.  I’m sure my mother begs to differ.

<3  Reigne.

;)

;)

Ugh.  Emir has been really…  hyper today…  Really hyper.  Like two year old in a candy store hyper.  He didn’t stop tweeting all day.  And multiple times, decided to invite himself off of his perch and managed to walk across the house to find me in kitchen.  (And then proceeded to squawk at me until he resumed his perch of power on my shoulder.)  It’s even cuter since he can’t walk in a straight line.  Why is he particularly hyper today, you ask?  Because we ran out of seed  (may I add, I did offer him kale, pumpkin and cooked pasta).  Ma boy must certainly like his seed.  He takes after me!  :)

Enough of the absolutely riveting boring ranting about seed!  Eats!

Muesli, almond milk, soy milk, bananananananananananana, granola and a dash of pomegranate concerntrate.

I swear, pom goes with everything.  Everything!  It was especially nice with the muesli + almond milk.  Oh, and please excuse the horrendously bad (grade three standard) presentation.  No excuses….  :p

Arabian Squash Casserole. Pre-bake.

I didn’t bother photographing it post bake.  It.  looked.  horrible.  And honestly, did not taste that great either.  It was okay, but not as great as I expected…

Weet-bix, muesli, soy milk, banana.

I’m an Australian.  I eat my weet-bix, rain, hail or shine…  Not because I have a postie’s level of dedication to stereotypical Australianisms, but because their quick, filling, and so dang addictive.

Speaking of shine:

Note: This photo was taken at 5:30 AM (Yes, I am insane.)

Their’s nothing like a sunny kitchen, and a sink full of dishes to welcome you to the day.

Taking this photo I dashed off to the gym, for a step/weights aerobic class.  It was intense.  Very intense.  As brilliant as the gym instructor was, she didn’t really grasp onto the fact that not all of the gym-goers (mainly myself) were as super humanly fit as she was, and some…  may have required drink breaks, in order to prevent themselves from keeling over *gasp*.

Kale, lettuce, rocket, tomato, beetroot, spring onion, four bean mix, dressed with balsamic. Toasted pumperknickel.

I found the salad mix at the supermarket today…  and almost cried.  It cost $4 for a measly 150 grams, but was soo worth it.  My poor mummy-o’s wallet must be suffering terribly recently…  Almond milk… pom…  kale… it all adds up.  Why does healthy food have to be so expensive?

We sent my brother away (on holidays with a friend) today!  :D  As much as I love him, sometimes I (and I’m sure he) really need a break…  Hoping to go to Flannery’s (the Australian equivalent of Whole Paycheck) tomorrow, after picking up my school books.  The holidays always fly by!

Xoxo.  Reigne.

P.S.  Expect tomorrow’s breaky to involve silken tofu (another supermarket splurge)…  Vegan pound pancakes?  Cozy shack pudding?  How can I decide?  (Suggestions are most welcome.)

P.P.S.  I swear, I’ll get onto journal binding (and post about it) some time soon…  Honest!

P. P. P. S.  I think Emir might be mating with his seed stick.  ;)

Simplicity.

You know what?  I worry too much.  About exercise, what I’m going to eat next, global warming, doing well in school, helping out at home, religion… etc.  Let me correct that last statement.  I worry, way too much.  After reading Sam’s post inspiring post yesterday, I’ve really started to rethink my eating habits.  I often fear cooking/eating things because they aren’t as healthy as they could be, and I sometimes avoid doing things because it will interrupt my exercise schedule.  What’s the point of living, if I can’t live (to some extent)?  What’s the point of eating the same thing day in and day out, if it no longer pleases me?  Today’s breakfast tried to combat that fear, and tried to make something new.  Something with higher fat and sugar contents than my stereotypical bowl of oats, but much more delish, much more satisfying. No regrets here.

1

+ 2

= <3

Sunny days are just perfect for all kinds of love...

Phantamasgoric love included.

Freshly baked quinoa granola, with Greek yoghurt, grated green apple and a drizzle of almond milk.

The granola itself consisted of Walnuts, soaked Quinoa, rolled oats, walnuts, honey and peanut butter, toasted in a pan until golden, and then had dried apple and dried apricot mixed in.  It was, indeed simplicity at its best.  I finalised a recipe yet, but will be sure to post it (sometime…) soon.

I’m pretty sure my constant photo taking is driving my mother insane.  Click click.  Click click. Fiddle fiddle, curse curse, fiddle some more.  Click click, check photos , curse even more, this time throwing some German, French and Hebrew in the mix.  Click click.  Times a billion.  This process happens at least twice a day, and I really try not to annoy her… but it’s so fun.  (The photo taking that is, not annoying her.  Annoying my mother is definitely NOT fun.)

Lunch was equally as simple, equally as delish.

Perfection.

A salad, consisting of cucumber, lettuce, red onion, basil, parsley, lemon and red salmon, topped with low-fat ranch dressing (courtesy of “The New Moosewood Cookbook”.)

The dressing contains:
1 cup of lowfat buttermilk

3 tablespoons of low fat mayonaise

3 tablespoons of dried onion

a pinch of salt

a drizzle of lemon juice.

It’s absolutely amazing…   You must try it!

To conclude this post, I’ll leave you with some of my photos of one of God’s greatest gifts to us… nature.

When I appreciate the insignificant, yet special things that life gives me, whether it be a perfect batch of granola, a delicious salad dressing, my gorgeous little sunny boy Emir, or simply these flowers, I become more at peace with my body, more content with who I am, and sometimes…  cease worrying.

Xoxo Reigne.

The B-day Post… Part Two.

Hiya all!  How are you?  Have a good sleep?

 I’m sad that my birthday has ended.  Of course, that can be expected.  However, today is a new day, and brings new opportunities, that were not apparent yesterday…  Like Hatha Yoga!  (Love it!)

To continue on with yesterdays post…

My little bro was feeling sick yesterday, so we really didn’t do anything…  Lunch was the usual, a wrap…  My mother was around, so I didn’t bother photographing it.  (She doesn’t really know that I have a blog.)  And it fell apart in my hands anyway…

Dinner was much more exciting!!!  Indonesian!  We went to a little hole in the wall Indonesian place (once again, no piccies… )  and it was amazing…  They had a huge range of Indonesian drinks.  I was contemplating ordering a Durian drink, and then my father informed me that Durians have a very…  distinctive smell.  I asked the waitress what it tasted like, and she said the following…  ”Oh!  That smells…  The man from this table didn’t like it…  But his kid did!”  My mother then cut in and adviced that I shouldn’t get it…  :(  So I settled with a Cendol (iced coconut and mung bean jelly drink).  Sure enough, it looked very weird…  but it tasted great!  I declare that the Indonesians are geniuses.  For a main I ordered Vegetarian Laksa.  Much to my despair they brought out a massive bowl!  (It spanned from my wrist to elbow).  It contained lots and lots of ginger, egg noodles, a very spicy broth, carrots..  and tofu, which soaked up the broth…  Nomm nomm.

Now… For the cake!

Expresso Chiffon cake to be exact.  (Give me anything that contains coffee, liqueur or dark chocolate, and I’ll be a very happy girl.)

See the doggy?

All lit!

Singing (screeching) "for she's a jolly good fellow"

The cake was delish!  Not one bit healthy, but then again, is their such a thing as a healthy, delicious cake?  (I bet not.)

Before I dash off to my Hatha Yoga class, I’ll leave you with one last piccy.

The Crazy Cake Killing Sister...

Yes, I am one in a family of lunatics.

Xoxo.  Reigne.

The B-day post…. part one!

Before I commence this post, I’d just like to thank the loveliest Sam and Eleanor.  Your comments have truly made my (birth)day.  Just checking in on my account this morning and realising that I had one…  no wait… two new comments, from non-spammers completely blew me away!  I just can’t thank you enough.

Oh, and a warning.  Today, my photography will be blurrier, unfocused-er, and hideouser than ever.  Shaky, exited, impatient hands, are never a good match for a fiddly SLR camera.  Mr.  Nikon D60, I’m sorry, but I’m not ready to commit to a high maintenance relationship!

Okay, lets just wind back a few seccies.  Yes, today is my BIRTHDAY!  (14!  14!)  It’s…  9:40pm at night right now, and I’m feeling kinda pooped, so I’m going to write the post in two parts.  The next part I’ll post tomorrow morning, which will be about noon-evening for all ya Americans.

This morning started off with… me being sent back to bed  Why?  You ask?  Because the traditional birthday breakfast was still being made!  Normally, for me, birthday breakfasts consist of croissants, and jam…  and maybe some fruit salad and tea.  Nice, but not my kinda thing.  So instead, I was brekky was this:

My parents know me too well. Oh, hello daddy!

A beautiful spread of granola, “raw” muesli (yes, you heard me right, “raw” muesli available in Aus.)  yogies, chai tea, lots and lots of fruit…  and ALMOND MILK!  OMG IT WAS THE BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT EVER!  I should consider myself lucky getting a carton of almond milk for my birthday.  My parents had a friend whose five year old asked for a packet of dried apricots for her birthday, and they happily obliged.  Poor kiddo.

Okay, just kidding.  I didn’t get just a carton of almond flavoured water (yes, that’s right.  There was more sugar was the second largest ingredient in that carton, followed by a measly 7% almonds.  And it still cost $5. ) for my birthday.  (However, the dried apricot thing is true.)  May the real present show-er-offering commence!

Ma little bro felt obliged to help me. :)

He soon learnt to keep his distance, until I calmed down a little.  (Not likely.)

Behold:

Gym gear! (Ala the one and only Luleluelulamon store in the city.) And some much needed sneaks.

A gorgeous Diesel tee.

Baggie!

The Moosewood Cookbook!!!

I actually bought this later on in the day, at one of the awesomest bookstores ever!  I absolutely love it!  My mother said that it was her favourite cookbook back in her Ballerina days.  Does anyone else own it?  What’s your favourite recipe?

I’m really sorry, but it’s getting very late.  I’ll post the rest tommorrow morning, no doubts.

XOXO, Reigne.

Just, stuff.

.  Tomorrow is the girl’s (aka me) birthday.  And I couldn’t be more excited!  :D

14.  14!  It’s just…  so exciting!  As of tomorrow, I’ll be a whole 7/40 ths of the way through my life…  But I just feel so much older!!!  Yes, I know, I’m still a baby in the eye of anyone who has the most miniscule amount of maturity in their cranium, but naw-well.  I’ll be 14!!!

To anyone who is still reading – please excuse my not making sense-ness.  Considering it’s the day before my birthday, I am still… relatively calm.  Last year I spent the whole of January 5th running around like a delusional caffeine addict.  And I hadn’t even been within a 100m realm of my mothers coffee cup.  If I had, I probably would have ended up with my head in the ceiling.  :p

Enough with the crap!  Lets cut to the eats!  (Well, eat, to be exact.)  I am a huge snacky person.  Will never, ever be satisfied with less that 4 different types of food on my plate.  Hence, why I came up with the snack plate lunch.  Basically just a fancy term for rummaging up  anything – and everything in the fridge like a territorial lunatic, post workout.

This is what my latest snack plate beheld.

A mixture of walnuts and muesli, toasted pumperknickel bread spread with assorted jams, honey and cream cheese.  Lots, and lots of grape and a banana spread with a truckload of peanut butter.

Simple, kinda boring.  But then again, I live down under, where larabars, canned pumpkin (oh, the grief!) and ezekiel bread do not exist, and you have to pay a trillion times a bagazillion dollars a litre for agave nectar, if you can find it.  It was delish though, and that’s all that really matters.

Talking of agave nectar, and other assorted goodies from the US of A, I have a plea to issue, to Sam of Merit to the Carrot, relating to her awesome giveaway.

*play sorrowful tune*

Oh dearest Sammy, I beg you!  Please could you have mercy on my non-carrot coveting bravado, and send me some Agave-o?

For this poor deprived deprivied will repay yo(u), with tattered shoelaces, and…  her first born child named Sayo…

The larabar and agave will be in good use, the granola, and apricot bar will become my new muse.  However, the green tea will most likely go out the door, for thy cannot take that stuff anymore!

So, please, oh please dearest Sammy!  Be like our generous (ly-bosomed) friend Pammy!  Bare the $30 postage fees, all for thy who is in desperate need!

Okay.  Something tells me that I won’t be the world’s next Emily Dickinson, but I hoped that little rhyme got the message across!  By the way, the green tea most likely will not go out the door.  I absolutely love the stuff!  :(  The sacriliege I will commit in the name of rhyming.

To end this post on a happier note, I just realised that my last post didn’t show the photos of Emir.

So presenting….  my gorgeous sunny-boy!

Whoops…  How did that get in there?  :s

Xoxo.  Reigne.

PS.  Expect some journal binding action in the near future.  :)

A New Me!

Hiya bloggie-doos!

Long time no see!  I’d just like to announce, that I am back on the blogosphere.  Completely different than before, and hopefully, more…  interesting.  Since you last heard from me, I’ve done the following.

1.  Gained weight!  Practically healthy now.
2.  Took an eight week “break” from running, and started back up two weeks ago.  So far I’ve built up to running 25 minutes non-stop, and plan on building up to 45 minutes.  I’m definitely not going to over do it again.

3.  Finished school (holidays!  Whoo!)  Today is the half-way mark of the six week break.

4.  Turned 14  (okay, I admit it isn’t my birthday for another week…  But lets call me 14 anyway, alright?  It makes me seem that bit more mature.)  Yes, you heard read me right.  I am really am a baby.

5.  Joined the most awesomest, super duper, cooliest gym ever!  Seriously-  the offer the most innovative classes ever!  (One instructor just told us that innovative just is a kinder term for strenuous, butt kicking, gym loathing inducing workouts.  Definitely my kind of thing.)  They offer yoga, pilates, spin, mini tramp, step & weight classes.  And that’s only to name a few.

6.  Found a new companion – in bird form.

My gosh he is a handfull.  Note to any future bird owners – take into consideration that caring for male Cockatiel is just like caring for a needy child – or boyfriend/husband.  He tweets screeches when I’m not with him, and when I am he attempts to maul me – or climbs onto his “position of power” – my head.  And he wolf whistles.

Since the holidays have started, I have really been trying to find my “thing”.  Running?  Rowing?  Writing?  Art?  Cooking?  (Obviously not that one. :p)  Nutrition?  (Definitely.)  I’m still not sure what my thing is, but someday (hopefully!)  I’ll find out.

What’s your thing?

<3  Reigne.

Reasons why I want to gain weight.

Hi peeps!

Now, I know I promised y’all a holiday recap post, but my internet’s throttled.  :(  And I only have a few minutes to spare.  I cross my heart, hope to die, poke myself in the eye, that I’ll post a holiday recap before Saturday though.

Over the weekend, my mother had a very stern talk with me and said that I had to gain 3 kilograms.  I’ve been feeling a little reluctant to gain weight lately, as I feel that it all goes to my stomach, and barely anything goes to my arms – which is really frustrating and is starting to make me feel self conscious and worried.  I’m also afraid that I’m going to lose any muscle tone that I have.  (Has anyone else had similiar fears/problems?  Did you manage to gain weight and avoid these problems?  How?)  So that’s why I’m writing this post!  As motivation for myself, and a reminder to just get over it and gain the weight.

Reasons why I want to gain weight.

1.  So my father will stop worrying so much.

2.  So my phys-ed teacher/rowing coordinator will stop calling me out during HPE theory as “the one who has taken low body fat levels too far”

3.  So everyone will stop staring at my arms and saying “my gosh she’s so skinny!”

4.  So I’ll be able to run faster.  (Is this one true?  I’ve been told that you’ll run slower if you’re underweight.)

5.   So maybe I’ll be able to complete 10 real push ups in a row.

There’s probably  a gazillion more – but that’s all I can name for now.

Nighty-night.

Reigne.