A winter dessert (or breakfast!): Pear, Ginger and Macadamia Crumble Pots

Come winter, I’m a bit of a crumble fiend. Especially with dollop cream. In the past, I couldn’t often be bothered to make it, because I found the process of rubbing butter into flour too involved and messy. I have this irrational idea that if I have to get the flour out of the pantry, it’s all going to be too much effort.

An earlier round of the IQS program introduced an apple crumble which used a combination of almond meal and oats in the topping, and it has revolutionised my crumble-making. Plus, the addition of oats makes it breakfast-friendly, in my book. 😉 Rani from You Totally Got This also uses this topping in her baked apple crumble – check it out, it’s an easy and delicious family sized dessert.

These pear, ginger and macadamia crumble pots use no added sweetener at all – I feel that pears are sweet enough already. They are simple and quick to make, requiring very few ingredients. I opt for individual servings so I don’t over-indulge. (That’s a lie: it’s actually so my husband doesn’t eat more than his fair share!) Plus, you could double the recipe and make a couple of extra pots, to store in the fridge for breakfast. Continue reading →

A restorative, turmeric-filled week in Byron Bay

I was incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to enjoy an entire week in Byron Bay recently, with my Mum. When we initially chatted about travelling somewhere together a few years ago, we settled on three weeks in Spain for her sixtieth birthday, which was in April. The reality of my budget caught up with me and we ‘downgraded’ to a week in Byron – which I think I enjoyed more, to be honest! Spain is still on my wish list for another time. It was the type of holiday that only she and I could have had: My kids would have been terribly bored by the slow afternoons, my husband would have been appalled by the lack of red meat, and my dad would have been horrified at the number of turmeric lattes consumed. Continue reading →

Frantic doggy-paddling… Plus, a chocolate olive oil cake, and turmeric buttons

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve tried out a couple of recipes by my fellow Instagrammer/blogger mates, which I’d love to share here. One of them is by Sarah (@redladybird3 on Instagram). Coincidentally, Sarah also happened to comment recently on an old post that I wrote nearly a year ago, about how it had then been a year since I ceased taking anti-depression medication for anxiety (and depression to a lesser extent). She commented, ‘…it just shows that graceful swan image, stunning pictures, articulate & kind comments you make, gliding along beautifully can be accompanied by frantic paddling beneath still waters sometimes’.

Well, it was very nice of her to think of me as a graceful swan (no one else does, I’m sure!). I replied that I’m more like a puppy doggy-paddling. I might be less anxious than I once was, but I’m still doggy-paddling. Occasionally, someone uses the word ‘super mum’, mainly in relation to the number of things I do (part-time work, part-time study, part-time stay at home mum, home-cook, part-time IQS helper, blogger, and, um, Netflix binger). Although I appreciate the sentiment, it honestly makes me balk. I’m not a super mum. What is a super mum? (I do think my own mum is pretty super.) I do too much. I don’t want to do so much, but I find it hard to give anything up. I get easily overwhelmed and stressed. I angst about why it’s so hard to find balance. While wanting to do less, I also feel guilty that I can’t do more. I battle against my introverted tendencies, and feel guilty about needing time away from people. Continue reading →