An island holiday

A few months ago, at the tail end of Winter I went on a spontaneous holiday to Great Keppel Island with friends from down south in chilly Melbourne.  I've had the photos for this post ready for ages, but no words, so I kept waiting for a moment that felt right to write so I could hit publish. On this rainy night at home and in a week where words aren't flowing about the present moment, it felt like a good time to look back over happy holidays snaps, write something and share them with you. 

We spent four days tucked away on our island holiday and spent our days walking barefoot on sand, swimming and snorkelling in crystal clear water, making sandcastles and exploring different parts of the island. Nothing to achieve, nothing to rush towards, just the simple pleasure of living in the moment. 

It was so nice to spend such quality time with Emma, Matt and Finn again. Living miles away from each other we don't get to catch up that often and when we do it's usually only for a few hours or a day at the most. It was delightful to have days instead of hours together.  We didn't have to rush to madly catch up on all the news, instead there was more time to play, and be and laugh whilst conversation flowed.

And of course we spent a great deal of time eating, reading and sleeping. We made simple meals of eggs, fish, tomatoes, leafy greens, rock melon and papaya. It's amazing how good simple, wholesome food is when you slow down to really experience each mouthful. 

Each night after a cup of tea and a few squares of chocolate I curled up in my large tent on a wooden platform with my book and read until the generator was switched off precisely at 10pm and all was dark and quiet again on the island. Bliss!

A Winter feel good giveaway!

Each year as the weather turns cold my thoughts wander to an image of a cosy bookstore cafe (think Berkelouw or Avid Reader) hands wrapped around a cup of warm tea, with good company surrounded by rows of new and old books. It's one of my favourite 'feel-good' winter rituals that I will never tire of and one I look forward to as the days turn cooler. 

To spread a little Winter goodness around I'm chuffed to share a first giveaway for me; a collection of wintery goodness to add a little extra warmth and spice to your days!  A big thanks to contributors, I love that by sharing what I love doing on this blog connections are made.  And a big thanks to you, the reader, for joining in, and making it such a lovely community.

The Winter Feel Good Giveaway.

The winner of this give-away will receive:

A jar of Sticky Chai 200g. I discovered these 2 lads via the Real Food Projects and loved their story. In their words..handmade by a couple of tea-lovin' dudes who split their time between blending top notch things to steep and brew and planning excursions on long open roads to far away places with wood-fired ovens. We passionately blend luxurious tea, loads of spice and raw honey, so you get all natural, and no funny business!

 2 x Broth of Life jars (1 Beef Bone Broth from grass fed beef & 1 Chicken Broth from free range chicken frames).  Dehydrated broth from Tassie! Well I never! I drink it straight, love it in soup (Healing Chicken and Shitake is good!). If you're new to the benefits of broth it's a long list. Here's a few: rich in vitamins and minerals, heals the gut, builds immunity and easy to digest.

A Bloom Cambodia recycled rice bag of your choice (image an idea of one bag style, lots more to choose from). I lived in Cambodia, almost a decade ago. It's a place I feel in love with. I wanted to continue to support once I left- the poverty is unbelievable  One thing led to another and I found Diana's social enterprise, beautiful recycled bags with good principles. They provide people with skills, training, a fair and decent wage and good working condition ( a rarity in the garment industry in developing countries). I purchased a stack of bags and sold them in Sydney markets for a year until life got a bit busy and I had to put that aside. (P.s Diana also runs Bloom Garden Guest House,  definitely worth checking out if Cambodia is in your sights).

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To enter simply answer this question in the comments below  (and your name if you don't have a profile) telling us:

What is your favourite Winter 'feel good' ritual.

The winner will be chosen based on the comment that best inspires and warms my heart. Entries close midnight Tuesday 6th August, AEST. The winner will be announced shortly after on the blog. Open to Australian and NZ readers. 

I would love it if you shared this giveaway with your friends on facebook/your blog. Join me on Facebook for inspiration, whole food goodness and updates. If you're new here, welcome! you can follow me on bloglovin' or subscribe via email (over there on the right). 

You gotta be in it to win it. Good luck x 

(Comments now closed).

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Congratulations to aluminium girl - through your words I could feel the warmth and gratitude of having someone else do something for you with love; and the beauty of being able to sit back and witness this morning ritual.

And because I couldn't stop at one winner I've also got a little surprise (hint hint it's spicy) for Penny, because the image of the little ones eager for their delicious, healthy breakfast was just delightful and warmed my heart.

Farmers Market to Table: Vanilla Spiced Baked Rhubarb & Mandarin + A Winter Sandwich

When eating fruit, remember who planted the tree; when drinking water, remember who dug the well. 

Vietnamese proverb

The weekly visit to my local farmers market is one of my most cherished weekly routines. Produce is fresh, seasonal, organic and limited. I like that there isn't an endless amount of choice. It's easier to stay connected with seasonal rhythms this way, to live a little more connected to mother earth. 

Wandering around each stall I don't have a list to get through, or planned meals I want to make. I'm lead by the colours, smells and the abundance of what's in season. As I wander flavours and dishes start to emerge in my mind. Roasted fennel with garlic; a fresh salad of rocket; kale with olive oil, garlic and lemon and it goes on as my excitement increases. Lately my basket has been filled with an abundance of leafy greens, grounding root veges and zingy citrus.

The mandarin season is mighty fine this year and I was curious to see how I could make the most of the mandarin season. Everyone loves stewed and baked fruit in winter so I decided to make a twist on baked rhubarb with orange and use mandarins instead. The result- yum! It adds a nice sweetness to the rhubarbs and goes well with the warming spices.

Another simple but oh so satisfying combination I've been eating a lot of has been this winter sandwich combination. Something about the taste and texture of warming toast topped with the strong and salty taste of anchovies and finished off with crisp greens, makes it melt and zing in your mouth all at once.

Both recipes are great anytime of the day to satisfy winter cravings for warm and comforting food. Enjoy x 

(p.s you may have noticed a few new buttons on the side. You can now follow me on bloglovin' and facebook).

Winter Sandwich

good quality sourdough bread (I love Sol Bread's pumpkin and rice gluten free)

avocado, smashed

anchovies (from a jar)

cucumber, sliced

tomatoes, sliced (small variety, tomatoes not quite seasonal but a local farmer had managed to harvest some!)

rocket, baby spinach, parsley

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

directions: toast bread and pile ingredients on toast, drizzle with olive oil. season with salt and pepper. yum. 

Vanilla Spiced Baked Rhubarb and Mandarin

3-4 stalks of rhubarb

1 mandarin

juice of 1 mandarin (you could substitute with oranges or lemons)

zest of 1/4 lemon

1/2 teaspoon mixed spice (or cinnamon, star anise and cardamom)

2 inch piece of split and scraped vanilla bean

1 tbsp rice malt syrup

Preheat the oven to 160C. Trim the rhubarb and cut it into short pieces. Place the rhubarb and mandarin into a baking dish in a single layer. Juice the mandarin, I used my hands and squeezed each segment over the mandarin and rhubarb. Add zest, mixed spice and vanilla. Drizzle over the rice malt syrup. Cover with enough water to almost cover the mandarin and rhubarb. Bake uncovered for 30-45 minutes until the rhubarb is soft but still keeps its shape. 

Serve with goat's milk yoghurt, or your favourite yoghurt. 

Serves 2-3