Healthy Granola Recipe

Granola. Mm. I'm a big fan.

But not of the additives and fat that are usually in store bought types. Sometimes you can find a nice one in a health food store, but they usually cost an arm and a leg.
So here's my recipe :)

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup raw almonds
A handful of pitted dates (cut into small pieces)
1/4 cup linseed & chia  (meaning, half of each to make 1/4)
1/4 sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pepitas
1/4 cup wheatgerm
1/4 cup sugar free maple syrup
 1/4 cup macadamia/coconut oil

You can add anything else, walnuts, pecans, dried blueberries, coconut, carrot... the list goes on!

Mix the wet with the dry, spread on a sheet of baking paper and roast for approx 20 minutes at 150 Celsius.

Enjoy with some yoghurt and fresh fruit! :)

Making New Friends

I don't know about you, but I find it hard to make new friends. I guess I expected that my friends from school would be my BFF's for life. And as much as I love them still, and they are still my friends, they also have their own lives and it's hard to fit time in. Especially if they live in Canada - you know who you are! - and have had, or are having babies. That's something that I want to do one day, but right now I can't really relate to what they're going through - as much as I'd like to!

So, here's my question: how do adults make friends? Am I the only one that has a little bit of trouble with this? Is it simply as easy as "asking them out"? I don't know. What if they say no and it's awkward and weird, but you still work together so you try and pretend it never happened. Over thinking it? Definitely.

So, lovely people who read my blog, if you have any advice, I would love to hear it!

 

Photo credit

Getting Back into it

So Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, all that. I've been such a bad blogger! The worst.

Sorry about that. Life and stuff get in the way. Inspiration goes out the window at Christmas time (for me anyway!) along with any motivation to do exercise/be creative and break the cycle of eating Christmas pudding in January.

Also, I've had a few of those "oh!" moments since my 24th birthday last year. I dunno, I think some people call it growing up? Who knows.

Anyway, some of the things I thought were important, weren't anymore. Some of the things I liked, I don't anymore. It's good, because if I look back on some of them, I think - "were they ever important?" or "Did I ever really like that?" Sometimes other peoples opinions influence your own, without you even realizing it.

So 2013 is more about things I ACTUALLY like, and things that are (no, I won't put it in caps, I think you get it) actually important. Hurray!

So, to kick off my first blog post of the new year, here's a fantastic juice recipe I made this morning, to help my PMS bugger off. It worked!

 

Tru's PMS Be Gone Juice! 

2 large carrots

1 large pink lady apple

1/2 punnet blueberries

1 large orange

Blend/juice! 

Website!

I now have my very own website! It's exciting stuff.

Feel free to visit me at truanlowes.com  !

I'll still be updating this blog though, the website is more of a professional thing.

Yay!

An Australian Christmas

At the risk of being predictable, here is a Christmas post. I know, I know, but I can't help myself. I simply LOVE Christmas time.

Here in Australia we spend our Christmases outside, having a barbie (barbecue), drinking beer/summery cocktails and playing cricket, eating pavlova and swimming. It's a pretty excellent time.

On Boxing Day, there's always massive sales but there's also the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. It's pretty excellent to watch as they sail on the harbour (to Tasmania).

 

Christmas Tree in Martin Place

Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

 

 Moonlight Cinema

(I've never actually been to this, but dying to go!) 

 

Sydney Town Hall

Pavlova... best. Ever.

When I look at all the lovely things I'll be able to see for Christmas, I just get so excited. It's such a fun time. 

I'm curious though, for those who are used to a white Christmas - how would it be for you to spend it swimming and having a barbie? Would it be weird for you, or would it be a fun experience?

I think I'd like to experience a white Christmas at least once :) 

How do you spend your Christmas/Hanukkah/Ramadan? 

I'd love to hear!

Vintage cars, beaches and fairy woods

Yep, that was my weekend. Vintage car show, walks by the beach and cycling in the national park. Does it get much better than this?!

I hope your weekend was magical!

(Delicious savory loaf recipe to come later this week!)

Rett Syndrome

I don't have any kids. I don't know anyone with Rett Syndrome. It hasn't affected my life and up until recently, I didn't even know it existed.

But that doesn't mean I can't tell people about it now.

Elizabeth Halford is a photographer I admire. She is honest, quirky and her daughter has Rett Syndrome.

Her website, Gracie for Rett opened my eyes to this development disorder that affects 1 in 12,000 girls.

I don't presume to know what she goes through, or what other families go through, or even what those brave little girls who have this disorder go through. But if this blog post gets seen by someone, who emails it to someone else, who then tweets it... well, I guess it's a small thing in the scheme of things.

Elizabeth has got some great information on her website, so please, have a read and pass it along!

Tweet it, email it, pin it - anything to get the word out!