A Cabin By The River And Favourites List For January 2014

Last week we sneaked up to Barrington Tops and spent three adventurous days in a cabin by the river. We explored precarious little paths down to the river, we perched gingerly over moss covered river stones, we slipped and fell in with a splash that frightened tiny birds hiding in the trees, we got industrious and used our wet shoes to catch fish, we chalked out an escape plan if our party was to be shattered by the appearance of a river croc (too many creature movies!), we watched our submerged toes for hours till they became funny little appendages and no longer resembled toes, we swatted pesky flies, we spotted red dragonflies, we shuddered in disgust when tiny leech latched on to our legs, we learned to skip flat rocks on the water’s surface (without much luck!), we strung our expensive cameras up on trees and wrapped around branches for that perfect family shot, we each hunted for the most perfect river rock to bring home as a souvenir. But mostly, we just sat there mindlessly letting the sun sap our strength and our minds wander with an occasional squeal of delight (it is ticklish when the fish nibble your toes!) and a sigh of contentment because with everything we did, we were doing absolutely nothing for once!

And a list of my favourites for the month should give you a couple of new reads for the weekend. Happy weekend guys! See you on the other side.
- These stunning headphones are like a hug for the head. They are sexy and customisable. They haven’t left my side in almost 2 months.
- I couldn’t live without this, for one single day.
- Loving this fragrance at the moment.
- A nifty little video on how real buttermilk is made and it’s benefits along with this glorious Buttermilk Ice Cream.
- A glorious artisan initiative, Peddler’s Creamery serves fabulous bicycle churned ice cream.
- These pictures of summer in Australia by Kara Rosenlund.
- Homemade yoghurt myths demystified with a thoroughly scientific approach to yoghurt making. - Introduction to Wholegrains and their flavour pairings.
- Room in a box, a fabulous concept shared by goop this week.
- This blog (Thanks Sophie for introducing)
- I have a hankering for these kimchi tacos, these bok choy dumplings, this egg roll, these quinoa crusted onion rings, these black energy bars, these cucumber noodles, this black rice pudding, this vegan coconut ice cream and this bunny brew.
- This list of 25 clean detox recipes has kept me busy.
- Didn’t know about this quick way to make makeshift buttermilk.
- This delightful northern beaches home of the iconic Australian furniture and interiors designer Mark Tuckey.

Recently inspired by

Belle Gibson, Wellness Champion. And her app.

Unrefined, a food series by Hayden Quinn (one of the nicest guys I have ever met!).
Dan Churchill, The Healthy Cook. And his book.
The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty, a slowly fascinating and wonderful movie by director/actor Ben Stiller. It reminds you to stop dreaming and start living while maintaining that dreams are important too. Good stuff!

Books I’ve got my nose stuck into at the moment

Dish It Up – Hayden Quinn
Mr. Todiwala’s Bombay – Cyrus Todiwala
Love To Cook – Valli Little
Kinfolk Vol 10 – The Aged Issue
I’d Eat That – Callum Hann
The Bowler’s Meatball Cookbook – Jez Felwick
New York Cult Recipes – Marc Grossman