Inspirational cooking : Four Plates

I have hit that point with my cooking where I am getting bored and looking for inspiration. I want to start cooking some different meals as I am getting bored with cooking the same thing all the time. I want to keep it healthy but also different and interesting for my family.

This is where you meet the beautiful Bec . I met Bec at the gym I go to and she was always posting the most amazing dishes on Instagram which made me drool everyday (not good for the computer) She has now started a Facebook page called Four Plates which has an array of amazing meals and recipes.

Here is a bit of info about how her journey into food started:

My food journey began when I had my first child, Tate. Being a new mother, everything had to be fresh and healthy and, in the process, I started cleaning up my diet also.  I was the fussiest eater in my childhood (and my mum would vouch for this) so it seemed unbelievable to everybody who knew me that I started cooking and really experimenting with flavours and complicated techniques.

I have really blossomed since the birth of my second child, Harper, and we live by my 80/20 rule, 80% red wine....just kidding... 80% fresh, clean food and 20% for naughtiness. I have also become a bit of a fitness junkie and I visit the gym 4 times a week -  fitness and healthy food go hand-in-hand for me. My focus is on simple, healthy cooking and sometimes pushing my techniques to a new level.

So if you are looking for new ideas or just want to surprise your family with something new and tasty check out https://www.facebook.com/fourplates .You will be salivating everyday.

I Gotta Have That!!

I live in my Zori's. They are extremely comfortable and like you are floating on comfort.

Here is a video on Femme Gel

 

 

 

Health supplements

I was talking to a friend of mine at the gym about taking vitamin supplements to help boost your health and prevent you getting sick. I take a women's multi-vitamin and a immune support called Astra Forte everyday. Over the past 2 years I really haven't had any serious flus or colds and if I do get a cold it is generally short lived. My daughter also takes a multi-vitamin everyday and has not really caught anything serious either.

We have a pretty good diet including lots of fresh fruit and vegies but take the supplements to make sure we have a good dose of everything. What Astra Forte does is support the immune system. Astragalus root has a tradition of use in Chinese medicine as a general tonic and to support healthy immune function. It also may reduce the severity and duration of colds.

What health supplements do you take to help improve your health or prevent you from getting sick??

 

 

The Pain of High Heels

Every woman knows the pain you get in your feet when wearing high heels on a night out. I personally do not really wear high heels and when I do I suffer from pain under ball of my foot and struggle to walk the next day. I only wear them on special nights which really is not that often so I know if I am going to wear high heels (because they do make you look great) I know my feet are going to pay for it.

With my wedding and hens night I wore heels on both those nights. I had been given some Femme Gel Forefoot Insole's, which is a gel filled pad you stick to the front of your heel to give it cushioning so knowing they were both going to be big nights on my feet I thought I would give them a go. To my surprise the front of my foot had no pain and I was able to get up in the morning with out limping around with sore feet. I did end up with some blisters though so I will be researching a way to eliminate that as well.

Here is some information on the Gel insole

Neat Feat Femme Gel Forefoot insole is a double layered superior polymer gel, tailored to fit high heel and fashionable shoes. The insole has an adhesive backing so they can be placed firmly at the front of the shoe. These will ease the pressure on the front of the shoes reducing discomfort and protecting the pad of the foot.

They also do have a wide range of different gel insoles to help to make wearing high heels as comfortable as possible. Check out the Neat Feat website for the range. I personally am going to try some of the other products and maybe start wearing high heels more often. Also might be an excuse to go shoe shopping.

www.neatfeat.com

Benefit of kids playing outside

Yesterday afternoon I was out walking my dog and came across a group of abut 10 kids playing on a side street. They were laughing and riding their bikes up and down a hill and I realised that I had not seen this for a very long time. I actually could not recall the last time I had seen a group of kids playing in the street.

We are very lucky because we live on a avocado farm so my little girl is outside playing all the time usually playing with our dog or helping me to go feed the cattle or riding her bike around the house. It got me thinking do kids get the chance to go play and just have fun or is technology getting in the way.

I did some research and found some of the benefits of kids playing outside. Sending children outside to play may not only be healthier for them physically, but it may be better for them psychologically too. A research project called Child of Our Time produced by the BBC is tracking the growth of twenty-five children from the time they're born until they become adults. After reaching the midpoint of this study, they've made an important observation - children who play outside laugh more.
They say that laughter is the best medicine and this may hold true for kids too. Not only is laughter a stress reliever, but the physical movements involved with laughing gives the heart and lungs a workout. Laughter also stimulates the immune system to fight off colds and viruses that children are so susceptible too. If playing outside causes children to laugh more - it's something they need more of.

Children playing outside experience other health benefits as well. They're more likely to be adventurous and open to new experiences than a child who lives parked in front of the television set. Outdoor play fuels the imagination of children and teaches them how to be resourceful by creating their own entertainment. It also brings them closer to nature.

Of course there are also the more obvious health benefits of playing outside such as positive benefits on the heart and a reduction in the risk of certain diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Running and jumping builds stronger bones and muscles.

 The best source of vitamin D is the sun and when a child spends all his time indoors, his risk of developing a vitamin D deficiency is high - which could lead to health problems later in life.

Obviously, the benefits of playing outside are many; but the sad reality is that the time kids spend outdoors has dropped significantly over the past few decades. Now kids spend their time with fictional game characters instead of other children - and that lost time can never be replaced. Isn't it time to cut off the television set and give your child a chance to explore the great outdoors? Once you do, listen hard - and don't be surprised if you hear the sound of laughter.

Our Wedding

I'm back, Well we had the most perfect wedding. I mean everything went perfect not a single hiccup. Mind you I was very stressed before hand making sure that everything was organised. Also the dresses weren't ready until 2 days before the wedding and one of the bridesmaids dresses was very tight but it had to do cause we didn't have time to have them re altered.

The day was wonderful and full of people we loved and cared about. It was so lovely to have them all there to celebrate our love for each other and it made us realise how many special people we have in our lives. We had the most perfect weather as well. Then it was off on our honeymoon. We went to Hamilton Island and it was perfect too. Was very hard to come back to reality of not having a Pina colada at 2pm in the afternoon but its now time to get back to work and save up for out next adventure.