Good morning muesli

A gorgeous friend of mine is a real market shopper, she only ever hits the supermarkets when she needs a new broom. The other day she mentioned she makes her own muesli, and oh I heart homemade muesli so much. She's shared the recipe with me and it's a really unique brekkie - no grains and a bit of coconut milk. I can't wait to try it!!!

Apple and cinnamon muesli

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Flax seed meal
3/4 cup Almond meal
1/2 cup Sunflower seeds
1/4 cup Unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup Chopped pecans
1/4 cup Chopped walnuts
1/2 cup Dried apple
2 tsp Cinnamon
2 tsp Vanilla essence
Stevia to sweeten (if desired)
(use Bio-dynamic or Organic where possible)

Method:
• Mix all ingredients together in large bowl.
• To serve measure 1 cup of mixture into bowl and serve with goats milk or organic yogurt or drinking coconut juice. Add berries if desired.
• For Bircher style muesli soak mixture in 1 small can coconut milk and 1/2 cup water (if needed), leave overnight in fridge.

• To make even healthier, pre-soak all nuts and seeds in filtered water for 8hrs. Rinse, then process lightly with other ingredients. Keep in fridge.

You can go your own way

I love hamburgers and pizza, but I don't really digest them so well. Bloated is not my friend. I feel better if I make my own version of the stuff you get from a classic American diner. And when you cook it yourself, you tend to eat slower, enjoy the whole experience more. Here are a few ideas for DIY double-cheese delish...

* In a casserole dish, place chopped up organic Italian sausages, (or pork and fennel), a tin of diced tomatoes, wedges of yellow capsicum, plenty of olives, herbs and seasoning. Bake in the oven for about 40 mins on 180C, or until sausages are cooked all the way through. Meanwhile, toast slices of baguette under the grill with raclette, tilsit or parmesan cheese and serve with hot mustard.

* Make hamburger patties from organic beef, a raw organic egg, sourdough bread crumbs, loads of parsley, a tspn of Dijon mustard and seasoning. Brush with oil and chuck on a grill pan until cooked through. Meanwhile, saute sliced mushrooms and red onion in butter until soft, crack open a can of sliced beetroot, thinly slice a tomato and get out the good cheese. Whack it all on a thick slice of toasted sourdough and hello open-burger heaven.

* Grab your fave pizza toppings - tomato paste, ham, proscuitto, bocconcini, olives and basil are a good start - load them up on some Lebanese bread and pop in the oven until cheese is melted and base is crisp, about 5 - 10 mins. Eat them, make a mess, go back for more.

Pic is of my niece with a hotdog at her school fete. Start 'em young amigos.

Some say love

I say pig. I love pork. We went to our friend's place on Saturday night and they had some pig on a spit with roasted potatoes and a rocket parmesan salad. SO much to love about that. When I checked the fridge yesterday I found two pork chops that I'd been defrosting... ooops. Or oink. Anyway, we had them last night and they were fabulous too.

I used to be afraid of cooking pork because I always dried the suckers out. But now I have one sure way of making sure they're delightfully moist and delish. I use a baking dish (with a lid) and throw in a handful of chopped up potatoes, garlic, onion, green apple, seasoning and oil. Top with pork chops, sprinkle with olive oil, balsamic glaze and plenty of seasoning. Cook for one hour on 180C. YUM. Serve with a light salad, a glass of verdehlo and a good game of scrabble.

Ridiculously tasty

I have a few friends who have recently discovered they can cook... this is very exciting stuff. Anyway, they've asked me to post more food ideas, so here are a few delicious and healthy ideas just in time for the weekend.

* Tahini. I prefer the hulled variety, and I love it on buttered toast with thin slices of cucumber and a pinch of sea salt. Try mashing it with avocado or mixed with olive oil and poured over warm broccoli, bok choy or beans with a squeeze of lemon. Sensational.
* Lentils. All lentils and dried beans are easier to cook and better for digestion when soaked overnight. Just pop a cup's worth in a bowl, cover with water and glad wrap and leave on the counter until you need - drain, rinse and they're ready. My fave recipe starts with Italian sausage - slice into chunks, brown in a medium size pot with a little oil, garlic and onion. Throw in a can of chopped tomatoes, the lentils, a splash of red wine, thyme, olives and seasoning. Simmer with lid on for about half an hour - the lentils should be soft and sausages cooked right through. Top with parsley and a splash of evo. Dig in.
* You can also make a warm lentil salad by simmering them in stock for half an hour, draining and mixing them up with some cherry tomatoes, capsicum, baby spinach, parsley and evo.
* Seaweed. Yes, seaweed. It's yummers and so good for you. You can buy nori sheets and snack on them with rice and seafood if you can't be bothered rolling them into sushi rolls. Or you can get wakame, it's usually dried and in a packet. Soak it in water for 15 minutes, then mix into a salad - see how easy that was peeps? I suggest cucumber, bean sprouts, carrot and smoked salmon or trout. Top with a dressing of rice vinegar, tamari, chilli sauce and a pinch of sugar. You'll love it.

A passionate breakfast

I had such a magical morning at one of the most inspiring beauty events ever. Over a cup of tea and a lush danish, I met the founder of Dermalogica, Jane Wurwand, an absolutely heavenly creature with a serious drive and two feet firmly on the ground. I sat across from her and straight away learned how funny she was, but it wasn't until she got up to speak that I was blown away. Here's what she had to say...

* Dig in, get smart, stay standing. Her mum did it extremely tough bringing up four girls on her own (Jane was two when her dad passed), and she learned that it's not about balance, it's about resilience. Her mum also instilled in her the importance of having a job with skills that you can use anywhere.
* See it, believe it, become it. Jane worked in a beauty salon from the age of 13 where she saw people of all walks of life and hair colour accepted in a dynamic industry that employs and trains a lot of women. At 15 she became shampoo girl and after high school she went to beauty school. She discovered that if you know what it is you want, and you pay attention, you'll see the opportunities. If your vision isn't specific, they'll pass you by.
* Health and wellness, not beauty and pampering. Jane knows that consumers are time-poor, they want to be educated and they want results. Dermalogica is all about hard-working products that are easy to use and help men and women achieve amazing skin at home. She saw the need for fast treatments, especially during the economic slump - hence her uber popular 5 minute skin mapping and 20 minute skin treatments. Genius!
* Jane owns and runs the #1 professional skin therapy line worldwide... but she's never taken a loan, owns 100% of the business with her husband and focuses on growing the beauty businesses of women in 48 countries. Plus, they don't use Mineral Oil, Lanolin, artificial colors and fragrances or other cheap fillers. Yays!

Go here dermalogica.com/au for info on skincare, the products, the new (and free) iPhone app and a therapist nearby. Love love love!!!

Setting the mood for noms

I'll be sorry to see the sunny nights go. I'm looking forward to winter for so many reasons, but I don't like the sun going down on me before 6. Sigh. One big reason I love a sunlit evening is because hubby and I really enjoy eating dinner in the backyard. Last night we had BBQ red snapper with a warm mushroom and tomato salsa, the light was fading but we were blissed out by our little garden, the crazy birds and the chance spotting of a dragonfly or two.

Sitting still while you eat - without a TV, computer or mobile phone to be seen - does amazing things for your digestive system. You appreciate and savour the food much more, you breathe slower, chew slower, and once you've eaten, you tend to sit and contemplate, which gives your insides time to process your meal in peace.

Other great ways to enjoy what you eat and boost your digestive health are to eat when you're hungry, scale back on the meat you eat each day (unless your portions are already too low), steam your vegies (it really is the best way) and eat a mini dessert after lunch, not dinner. The sugar rush from ice-cream and other sweets can easily interfere with the amount of sleep you get and the quality of that sleep.

Eat fresh, sleep well, and your energy levels will positively soar!

The beauty of bliss

We all know by now that I love meditation, exercise (well not all of it) and eating well. These days I see a lot less stress than a few years ago, which I've worked hard to achieve. From a beauty writer's perspective, there are some very good reasons to keep stress at bay. Such as...

* Stress can literally make your hair fall out, especially if you're inclined to play/twist/pull sections as a habit.
* These bald areas might even grow back as gray hair. Pretty.
* When your body is under stress it releases a hormone called cortisol which then increases oil production, leading to potential acne breakouts.
* Some people will pick at their nail without thinking about it, either wreaking havoc with their cuticles or damaging the growth plate of the nail. And then there's the nail-biters, again, not pretty. (Tip for nail biters: paint your nails in really bright colours, some say it helps them stop biting).
* Anxiety can cause you to lose sleep, and when you do get a bit of shut eye, you might be grinding your teeth.

Doesn't that make you want to get more omm in your life?

Happy days

I recently found the perfect birthday present for a good friend of mine - it's a 60s suitcase that was made for picnics, don't you love that idea? It has leather straps on the inside of the lid for plates and cutlery and the rest is a tough shell with leather corners and a cute blue, cream and brown pattern. It's a bit rusty and there's a few stains, but I kinda like that. Anyway, I'm not expecting her to eat her olives or toffee off of the interior.

I love to buy brooches for birthdays - they're so cute, soooo handy and you find such a great assortment these days, from carved wooden ones to laser-cut plastic or the traditional bling variety. You also can't go past a really good pen, who doesn't love swivelling a Tiffany & Co. pen in their hands as they daydream? Silk scarves are also a brilliant idea, if you know the person's style well enough. They can tie it in their hair, around their neck or on a bag, love 'em!

For guys, a super quirky or random t-shirt is the best way to say happy birthday. I love the guys at Blue Dog Posters for their t-shirts, really off-beat and fun. They'll even print ones with your own design. (The website isn't as good as the shop, you really have to venture in to appreciate it.)

For loads of inspiration, try MadeIt, Until and Tesora.

Peace out peeps

The other night I saw A Serious Man by the Coen brothers... we went to Moonlight Cinema in the park, it was such a great night for a fabulous movie. It's based on the mid-life crisis of a Jewish man, it covers some major issues but it's hilarious, beautifully shot and leaves you with lots to think about. I like that in a movie.

It opens with a quote from Rashi (a medieval French rabbi): Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you. I've actually been thinking about that quote ever since, it's quite Buddhist don't you think? It reminds me of a fable I read once where a monk is thought to have fathered a child with a single woman, so he's given the child to look after. He doesn't make a fuss either way and takes care of the child. Years later the parents of the mother discover she lied about the father and go back to the monk to retrieve the child. Again, he makes no fuss and hands the child back. In everything he does he's at peace, calm, unswayed. It doesn't mean he has no feelings, he simply knows life is infinitely better without the crazy highs and lows. To learn from this doesn't mean wiping out pure joy and sorrow, but keeping a level, grounded perspective in what happens to you is key to a more peaceful life. In short, to receive everything with simplicity...

The big lesson for me is to stop reading into things so much! OH! It is what it is. Live in the moment. All that. I'll tell you how I go peace-bean amigos...

Food worth splurging on

We all know I'm a huge fan of organic meat, fruit and vegies, but if you can't afford organic your best bet is to buy meat from a farmer's market. Ask the grower/farmer what they feed the animals, how much space they have to roam and if any pesticides, hormones or chemicals are used in any way. As for fruit and vege, I don't mind buying ones with skins from a local shop (not supermarket), but most others I buy from an organic delivery service or market. You'll find when you spend more on food you cook simpler - it brings out the best flavours of your incredible produce.

Besides the above, there are some pantry and fridge staples you simply cannot scrimp on, in my books. They are:
* extra virgin olive oil... never used for cooking, only for finishing off salads, soups, meats and vegies. Or toast. Or whatever... just don't buy a cheap one. You need a cold-pressed evo. Australia makes some brilliant evo's, if you don't like forking out for an Italian or Spanish one. And if you want to buy in bulk you'll need to be super careful with your tin, make sure it's kept in a cool, dark place and doesn't get any dust inside.
* balsamic vinegar... the cheap stuff isn't even worth buying, and the $20 bottle will last you a very long time. It's so dense and sweet and you'll only need a few drops to get the full effect.
* chocolate... this comes down to personal taste, but if you manage to rid your diet of most sugars, you'll find regular chocolate waaaay too sweet. That's because it is! Good quality dark choc is the way to go, but if it's too bitter for you then at least get the good milk stuff. And savour it in small quanities... better for your tastebuds and health.
* ice cream... I'm a huge fan, but I only indulge once a week. I buy the small pots of Serendipity and enjoy every single, tiny spoonful. It's hard to practice moderation when you've got a massive bucket of the cheapo variety, and again the sugar content (not to mention the articifial colouring and flavouring, preservatives, additives, etc) is off the scale.
* cereal... this is a tough one for me because a bowl of frosty yumminess reminds me of being a very happy child. However, for the last two years-ish I've stuck to only muesli and porridge. It's so satisfying, raw and delicious. And when you consider that anything that looks like a 'flake' on a cereal package is not a 'rolled oat/wheat/kernel' but rather a shape made in a machine from a gruel of processed grains (they lost their health properties a long time before they were poured into a box) and a mind-boggling amount of sugar, etc, it really makes you think twice about where that 'crunch' came from. Hideously bad for you processed vegetable oils? Probably. Why not make your own muesli for a week and see how much better you feel?

The ultimate therapy

I'm a sucker for a massage, I'll face plant onto a fold-out bed in the middle of a shopping centre, busy markets or middle of the road. Some days I like a little more pummeling than others, but I can't think of anything more nurturing. Lately I've come to notice not everyone is as go-lucky as I in the presence of a masseuse. Some come out worse than when they went in, which is such a shame. But don't give up peeps, there are ways to make it work for you...

* Be clear before you lie down that you'd like a very, very soft massage - no thumbs, no elbows, no knot-untangling and no cracking necks. Tell them you're there to relax, not sort out muscular/skeletal problems
* If you'd rather they didn't go near your feet/head/face/bum, tell them. No-go zones are fair enough!
* If all or particular aromatherapy drives you nuts, be specific. Ask for unscented oils and no candles/incense burning nearby
* If you're super self-conscious, wear strapless swimmers or a boob tube - they can work around it. Better to be comfortable from the outset than worrying about your bits
* Pregnant? You need a trained prenatal professional - not just anyone will do. They need to avoid all pressure points, most aromatherapy and know how to make you feel better. Breastfeeding? Recovering from an injury? Suffer from migraines? Retaining too much fluid? Ask them if they normally treat people in your position before you book. Ask them to show/send you their qualifications if you're still unsure

Live in Sydney? Do yourself the biggest favour ever and book in with Susie or one of her goddesses at Stone Soul in Balmain. This is where I go for TLC - facials, la stone therapy, manis, pedis, reflexology and best of all, massages. It's like getting the biggest hug imaginable.

Super shiny skin

There's one thing about the Oscars that's a guarantee... amazingly beautiful shiny skin on celebs. Yes they have access to hard-core facials and world-class makeup artists, but there a few things you can do at home to get yours glowing too.

* Exfoliate regularly. I've said it before and I'll happy repeat, dead skin makes you look dull. If it's scrubs you like, go for one with really small beads - not chunky pieces of whatever. My fave is MD Formulations Face and Body Scrub. I use it at least twice a week and have had the same bottle for about two years (no joke). If scrubs freak you out, I get it, try products with salicylic acid - it helps speed up cell turnover. Try L'Oreal, Neutrogena and Alpha-H.

* Get yourself a nourishing night moisturiser and a day cream with SPF 30+. Hydrating formulas plump skin from the inside, giving you a better base for your makeup. Try True Solutions, Bloom and Clinique.

* Use a touch of primer to make your skin smoother than ever. You only need the teensiest amount, but it makes a whopping difference. Try Korres, Natio or YSL.

* The final - and most important - step is a good foundation. Try one with a pearly (not disco-bally) finish, or mix your current brand with a little Benefit High Beam. While you're at it, experiment by mixing your moisturisers and foundation until you get the perfect finish. You can even mix different foundations together to get the perfect shade - especially as your skin tone changes throughout the year. I like Revlon, Chanel and Bobbi Brown foundations, but this really depends on your skin type and the finish you want. If you have oily skin, please don't listen to people who insist you need a matt finish. You don't!

* Now your skin should look amazing - so don't ruin it with too much powder. Try liquid blushers and bronzers for the perfect glow, Oscars or not.

Hey beautiful

There's no-one quite as gorgeous as the person who is healthy, fit and optimistic. By healthy I mean someone who eats well and has consistently good habits (I don't mean someone who can resist cake and champagne); by fit I mean enjoys some kind of exercise most days of the week (I don't mean can do 50 push-ups on one hand while singing Rude Boy); and by optimistic I mean someone who has control of their life, takes the good with the bad and sails on in the direction they want (not someone who's deliriously happy/giddy).

This is the person I'm trying to be... everyday. Some days it takes effort and others it fits easily, but I like being at a stage in my life where perfection isn't the answer. A good attitude, a great lunch and a long walk in the park can turn any day into a bit of magic. And a chocolate brownie doesn't hurt either.

I have a hunch

I have a hunch. I mean it dear fans. My shoulders droop forward causing me to look and feel sluggish. I've always tried to sit up straight, but it has never happened for me. Then one sunny day last year I discovered particular exercises to help beam me back up. So whether you're a fellow hunchie, or you just lean into your computer all day, this one's for you.

Hunching long-term causes back muscles to become stretched and loose, while the chest muscles (I'm going for layman's terms here, don't mind me) tighten and shorten. Exercises that make the situation worse include sit-ups - anything that involves stretching forward in a hunch. So if you do sit-ups, make absolutely sure you're devoting twice as much time into stretching back the other way.

To balance the muscles, you need to stretch the front muscles and tighten the back ones. One simple (and simply amazing) stretch is to lie backwards over an exercise ball. Don't do it if anything hurts, but try it every morning and you're onto something.

Another amazing stretch for anyone who works on a computer all day even stretches your fingers to relieve texting/mouse aches. Stand in front of a wall, about three feet back. Leave your left leg where it is and place your right toes and ball of foot against the wall with the heel on the ground, keeping both legs straight. Straighten arms up and put palms against the wall, fingers spread, gently resting forehead against the wall if you wish. Breathe normally and swap after 30 seconds.

Make a habit of these and you'll notice you breathe easier and deeper and feel better. Much better.

Hug it out

I'm a big hugger. And I don't mean gimme an Oprah faux-hug, I mean a real I-missed-you-so-much hug. Aren't they the greatest? There's been a lot of research lately on physical contact, currently the NY Times has a brilliant article that I'm going to summarize for you (because you're busy, not because you're incapable amigos):

* Dacher Keltner, a professor of psychology at the Uni of California, Berkley, hits the nail when he says "[Physical contact] is the first language we learn and remains our richest means of emotional expression”

Studies have found...

* Students who received a supportive touch on the back or arm from a teacher were nearly twice as likely to volunteer in class as those who did not
* A sympathetic touch from a doctor leaves people with the impression that the visit lasted twice as long, compared with estimates from people who were untouched
* A massage from a loved one can not only ease pain but also soothe depression and strengthen a relationship
* Couples who touch more report more satisfaction in the relationship
* The best American basketball teams are the touchiest... and their top players are big fans of high-fives, slaps, bumps and hugs

But I still don't like the free hugs people in the city. They weird me out.