Aussie Eats - sausage rolls

If you've ever traveled to another country, you'll know how I felt when I first got to Australia years ago and looked in my Mom's fridge for a snack and didn't recognize a damn thing as food. The packaging was all different. I really took for granted that all the food in my fridge back home were things I've grown up with and recognize at a glance.

I don't know what I expected, really, but everything in my mom's fridge was so weird. I had to actually read the labels of everything to figure out what it was I was looking for. Like, is this butter? What's a TimTam? Where's the peanut butter? You don't have kool-aid? wtf is cordial? Vegemite? Why would anyone eat this? Never mind, I'll just live off this amazing chocolate that doesn't melt.

Of course Mom thought it was all too hilarious, giggle-snorting at me as I struggle to figure out how to flush the toilet. (A button for number 1, another button for number 2).

I got used to the foreign food eventually. Some of it I really liked. Aussie chocolate is like a candy orgasm. My family sends me some for Christmas sometimes. The meat there is so much better than here. It's fresh, no fillers or bullshit. I recommend if you have the option in your area, buy straight from your local butcher. The difference will amaze you.

One of my favorite aussie foods is sausage rolls. So I found a recipe online a couple years ago, converted it to American, dropped the undesirables (carrots, yuck!) , changed some stuff a little and hocus pocus, perfect sausage rolls at home.

Everybody loves them, so try them yourself before you share haha
I like them with mustard :)

I borrowed this pic from Google.
I don't cut mine before I cook.
 Makes a mess.

Sausage Rolls

   Ingredients

1-2 lb sweet sausage mince (or country style. hot not recommended)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and shredded (Optional. Yuck)
2 eggs
1 cup bread crumbs
 2 TBS barbecue sauce
 4 cans crescent rolls (the pop-open tube can kind)

    Prepare

-Mix all but the crescent rolls together in a large bowl. 
-Open up the crescent rolls and tear them apart into rectangles. You can do triangles if you prefer, just roll the meat inside the crescent and pinch the ends shut to make a little sausage roll ball. Bakes the same either way.
-Gently pinch together the triangle perforations that you didn't separate to make the rectangles whole, for the most part. 
-Roll the meat mixture into your crescent rolls, lengthwise. 
-Gently pinch the edges shut. It's ok if a little meat is exposed, it won't hurt anything, just shut them enough to keep the things together. 
-Place on a baking sheet, about 1-2" apart. If not a shiny new pan, grease lightly.

      Bake

At 350F for 30 minutes, or until browned. 

     Serve

Hot, with ketchup or mustard for dipping. Can be cut into squares for the kids, the center will be hot. Make some potato wedges and gravy to go with them. 

      Store 

left overs in the fridge in an air tight container up to a week. To reheat place on a microwave safe plate and heat on high for at least 25 seconds on each side.     

There's my sausage rolls. One of my family's favorite meals! Save this recipe and subscribe for more. =)

Happy Birthday Nanna and Rian <3 amp="" back.="" both="" end="" i="" infinti="" love="" of="" p="" the="" to="" you="">

Who is God?

One of the biggest questions there is; who is God? I don't know about you, but I could have a conversation that lasts for weeks on those three words alone. Nat Geo asked this question of people from all over the world in their new show The Story of God. Hosted by everyone's favorite Hollywood version of God; Morgan Freeman.

 I can't wait!

I think "God" is, more than anything else, an idea. It's motivation to do the right thing, hope when you're feeling weak, strength when times are hard, grace when life is good, humility when you get out of check. God, whether you believe in one or not, is a necessity for humans. The notion of a divine creator has shown up in every culture since the beginning of humanity.

The mystery of God and creation and why we are here keeps us humble. If we thought we had everything figured out imagine how chaotic the world would be. (We're getting to that point quickly. Look at how much has been replaced by technology already). I think some mystery in life reminds us that there are things bigger and badder than we are that can just never be explained.

I'm not exactly religious, myself. I'm not an atheist either. My beliefs are more like theories. I've got a hybrid jumble of ideas in my brain about where we came from, why we're here, where we're going, what matters and what doesn't. I pretty much just pick out ideas I think make sense and say, "Yeah, that could happen". 

Ghosts for instance. Maybe it is just my complex human brain playing tricks on me, and my boyfriend, and my friends when they visit and the cat and the dog and the kids... maybe not. I believe it's ghosts. 

Things like de'ja vous and past life memories can be explained by my theory that the sequence of everything is repeated over and over for eternity. Also black holes and big bangs. See, I figure if the universe was created by this big bang, all the matter in the whole universe squashed into a tiny speck until the pressure of it all can't hold it in anymore then BAM! All matter that ever existed, all energy of every kind, explodes all over the universe.

And a black hole is just the opposite of the "Bam", all that energy and matter sucked in and squeezed into a space the size of a marble. It makes sense to me that the two phenomena go together. Folding in on itself and exploding again over and over for the rest of forever. In a universe full of strange things, it seems too far fetched to call it coincidence that black holes and big bangs involve stuff being sucked into and exploding from a tiny space.

So eventually all that is, will be sucked into one big black hole and squashed so tight it eventually explodes back out again. And again and again. The universe is just an extremely slowly moving thing, a giant Mobius loop, endlessly swallowing and regurgitating itself in ripples of time. 

I believe a soul is a tangible thing. Like trees, rocks, people. It's real. It's energy. Even if you burn a tree, it's matter still exists, just now it's charcoal and ash. A soul may not stay in your body when it dies but it has to go somewhere. These things won't disappear in the black hole, they will still be there, even when the next big bang vomits everything back out those souls have to go somewhere. They can't just disappear. 

Maybe everything will happen in the same way it did before. Like the entire universe is basically reduced to binary, everything either is or it isn't, and it will keep running those same "codes" each time it cycles through. So maybe I vaguely remember meeting someone somewhere before because I have, so long ago that time becomes meaningless. I've done all of this before. Maybe that's how the fortune teller sees your future in your palm, she has some vague memory of the previous cycle. 

Reincarnation fascinates me too. I'd love to meet the Dalai Lama, before and after he dies and comes back. What I wouldn't give to sit in on the selection process on the new one. It's a very curious notion, that a soul could pop in and out of a body as it pleases. 

So who is God if all this crazy stuff is true? Everything. That's my answer. There is a living spirit in everything. The universe itself is a moving, changing, living thing. I just plain don't buy the Catholic story I grew up with of some great big guy floating in the clouds who gets lonely and decides to clap his hands and up springs the Earth and all the little fluffy creatures on it. It makes zero sense to me. 

I believe science and spirituality are in harmony with each other. Just because one is right doesn't mean the other is wrong. A monkey with a soul can still evolve into a man. 

What are your thoughts? Who is YOUR God?

Comment below! I absolutely love hearing others beliefs or theories. Don't be shy. What could possibly be crazier than Scientology? And that's a thing, so...

Why Green Beer???

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Wear green, or orange if you want to get pinched, find a four leafed clover, catch a leprechaun and get totally shit faced. Unless you're actually Irish...

Actual Irish on St. Pat's day

In Ireland today is more of a religious thing. Traditionally a day of feasting in celebration of the guy who brought Christianity to pagan Ireland. Turns out he wasn't even Irish, but English. He was kidnapped by Irish pirates when he was a kid and kept as a slave to tend livestock for six years before he escaped and hopped a ship back home to England. He joined the church when he got home then later returned to Ireland as a missionary. March 17th is celebrated in remembrance of the day he died.

St. Patrick's tomb

In Ireland, Lent is lifted for the day, so everyone feasts, eating meat and drinking booze just because they're allowed to. I suppose this is where the tradition of getting hammered while bathed in green glitter comes from.

The green probably comes from the clover, associated with Saint Patrick after he used one to explain the Holy Trinity to his followers. Pictures of the guy usually show him holding some of the weeds in one hand and his "growing" stick in the other. (Not THAT stick, pervert)

See the stick

They say he plopped his walking stick into the ground when he got to town and left it there until the people were converted to Christianity then he'd retrieve it and head off to the next town. And some wise ass said that it took so long to convert them that his stick took root and grew into a tree.

As for the leprechaun, he's an interesting little character. He's been around since before paganism. He's actually a fairy. A shoe making fairy, but only ever seen working with one shoe. Originally he wore red and gold, with seven rows of seven buttons on his jacket. (He has more patience than most for buttons I guess) He does have a stash of gold and if you keep your eye on him and question him, he'll give up the location of his stash. Take your eye off him though and he's gone.

The leprechaun's cousin sounds fun too. The clurichaun is thought to be either another type of fairy or a night version of the leprechaun that goes out and gets drunk after a day's work. Folklore tells that if you're nice to him he'll guard your wine, if you're not, he'll steal it. He sounds fun.

A Clurichaun swiping your booze

 So now that you know why you're celebrating, and why Saint Patrick's day is a traditional excuse to get absolutely wasted, go get your green glitter out and have a green pint for me.

Cheers!

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick%27s_Day, http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Leprechaun, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick

Angel Cookies - So innocently delicious

A couple Christmases ago my family members each received a batch of cookies. They weren't that impressed lol. The problem with cookies is, if they're any good they get eaten. Delicious cookies or slim waist? (#LadyProblems)

So the next Christmas I spent a whole week baking, everyone got cookies or fudge, personalized with their own recipe. The fellas got a lot of sugar, I'll admit. Just as they like their desserts. But for the ladies, I looked for other options and after some tweaking, came up with some instant hits.

Here's the one I made with my step mother in mind; Grandma Kathy's Angel Cookies. They're vegan, they're light, and they're delicious. Enjoy, and keep reading, I'll share more. =)

Grandma Kathy's Angel Cookies
   Ingredients
1 cup almond butter/margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar 
1 tsp vanilla extract 
      - Mix these first

      - Add these and mix well
1/2 cup coconut milk (find it next to the soy milk)
 i cup oats

       - Mix these in another bowl, then add to first bowl
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt

       - Stir these babies in
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/8 cup sliced almonds

And bake on a lightly greased cookie sheet at 375 F for about 12 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the pan. 

There's something about cranberries and white chocolate that inspires love. <3 Share these with your favorite people. And hit subscribe and follow me. There's more of this to come.
  

Welcome Spring, Hello Diet

Mother Earth's northern lands are beginning to thaw. The crusty snowbanks are shrinking quickly this week, flooding the streets and yards around town. It was warm enough yesterday to walk to the other side of town in a tank top! I'm so excited for warmer weather!!

Just thinking of fishing and swimming and laying around in the sun, picking wildflowers, making daisy chains, climbing trees, barbecues and bonfires, I can't wait!

I'm not so excited about trying to squeeze into my shorts though. 

Nooooo
*not my butt, but it could be 

Soooo diet time. 

The scariest part of a diet isn't changing what you eat. It's changing how you think. And that isn't easy to do. But I've done it before, so I know it's possible. It's what they mean by "think thin". It's the leap between "I don't NEED this extra food" to "I don't want this extra food".

I don't know about you, but I need better motivation to get off my ass than just my ass doesn't look good in these shorts. I need something more drastic. Major life changes like moving away or a nasty break up or a new boyfriend to impress aren't options for me right now. I quite like my man, I'd like to keep him,and I can't afford to buy a tropical island yet so moving is out.

So I've chosen a good friend to be my motivation. She wants to diet as well so we're doing this together. Not letting her down is my get-up-and-do-it. You gotta find something to make you NEED that weight gone, not just the weight though, to be healthier. To live differently and not be a slave to the junk food industry. 

Who's with me? 

Good, Let's start! Tomorrow! haha

Is there something you know you shouldn't be indulging in, but you just can't live without it? (Of course there is, you don't want to diet because you're a vegan health nut.) Chips, chocolate, burgers and fries, soda, beer, it's all nutritional slavery. It's food that makes you feel good. (Until you eat too much and feel like a steaming pile of shit.) So your body wants more of it.

Whatever your "thing" is, you need to ditch it! 

Mine is soda and potato chips. Doom foods.

Here's a chart of replacements that might help

Replace	With
Coke/Pepsi	Root Beer
	Coffee
	Anything Else!
Other Soda	Sparkling water
Store Bought	Home Made
Potato Chips	Rice Cakes
	Crackers
Sweet Tea	Herbal Tea
Candy	Fruit
Fried	Baked
Second Helpings	Glass of Water
	Take a Walk
Tacos	Chicken Tacos
Pizza	Chicken and Veggies
Sugar	Honey
Chocolate	Organic Dark Chocolate
Ice Cream	Smoothie
Cookies	Fig Newton
Veg Oil	Coconut Oil
Butter	Coconut Oil
Crisco	Coconut Oil
Milk	Almond Milk
Milk for Baking	Coconut Milk

Coke is so bad for you. I was a pepsi drinker for many years, and could never drop the weight. Until I replaced colas with coffee. It's definitely a required taste, but now I can't get enough of the stuff. Which is also not awesome, but better than cola. Pretty much anything is! I found root beer to be helpful in weening myself off the cola. Read this for more info on what coke does to your body.

If it's a lighter soda you crave, you might like sparkling water. They have better flavors, no caffeine and more bubbles! (Beware some have a high sugar content)

Store bought anything comes with a big fat dose of crap that's no good for you. Preservatives and whatever gluten is. It's barely edible and has fuck all for nutritional value. Home made tastes better, and you know what you're putting into your food. Buy local whenever you can =)

Potato Chips are my downfall. I like salty. But they're bad for you, blah blah blah. I don't mind rice cakes though. They come with cheese and ranch now, they're actually really good. But if you can't stomach those at least switch to crackers or popcorn or something. They're also easier to put down ;)

Willpower is a lonely bitch. Make friends with her. Walk your empty plate to the sink, and right out the door. Any distraction will do! 

In love with tacos? Skip the fried beef. Instead rub your taco season* onto your raw chicken, bake, then shred, then stuff your tacos, easy on the cheese, and stuff your face. They're awesome. *Make your own to avoid nasty chemically crap- Find the foreign food section in the grocery store. Grab Adobo and Sazon. The darker orange one. I use two sazon packets and a dash of adobo and some salt in mine. Add before you drain the grease or after with about a half cup of water, simmer til it thickens.

Pizza, be creative. Try veggies and chicken or fish if you're into it. Go light on the cheese, maybe try something new. I love pumpkin, feta and red onion on a pizza. Google is your best friend, ask her for some ideas. 

Honey is more expensive than sugar, and maybe not right for everything. But new teeth are expensive too, js. 

Chocolate - Oh, the devil's delight. It's like heaven, rolled in sex and marinated in perfection. But sooo fattening. 

Nope!

Milk chocolate, yes. Very fattening. But if you use cocoa powder and bake at home you can control what goes in and what doesn't. Google healthy substitutes and find something that you like. I usually experiment (fuck up) with a few batches before I get what I want out of a google recipe so don't get discouraged if it comes out weird :) LOL

And chocolate lovers rejoice... Scientists (or whoever comes up with these things) have concluded that dark chocolate (70% + cocoa content) is actually GOOD FOR YOU!!!! yayyyyy! Check out this site for more info on dark chocolate.

Cow milk is okay, but there are better alternatives. I don't believe a glass of milk will make you fat LOL But instead of that watery skim bullshit try almond milk for drinking. Smoothies too. And coconut milk is a little thicker than the almond milk making it better for baking. Find both of these right next to the cow milk in your grocery store. 

Ice Cream people- Try italian ices or freeze some dark chocolate, or melt it and pour it on snow. How about a milk shake, with almond milk? Smoooothies. mmm

Cookie lovers - Fig Newtons. Come back for future posts. I have plans to share from my personal cook book. 

And try coconut oil. It does everything. 

Apart from all that, let's drink a ton of water, get off our butts once in a while and lose some of this winter fat.

For the gypsies

she's a gypsy.
she'll wear mismatched socks and purple hair
because your opinion of her is none of her business.
she'll dance and sing with her children
because she loves playing with them.
to her, no single place is home.
no walls contain her.
no labels stick to her.
her spirit lives in the wind.
and she goes where she pleases.
she's an artist today
a baker tomorrow
every day she is new again.
her favorite flowers grow wild by the road.
she's easy to love but fierce if you cross her.
don't hate her for who she was born to be.
dance with her a while.