A spring in my step

Why hello night owls and morning birds!

Actually, it seems like most of you are night owls.

What is up with this spring weather?!

One day its hot, the next it's freezing cold. 

Give me sunshine! 

Does the weather happen to affect your mood?

I feel like anytime it's nice and sunny, 

I'm in an instantly happy mood.

A spring-y mood I guess you could say. 

When it's cold, windy or rainy

I'm generally not peppy like I would otherwise be. 

Maybe it's because I have almost constant goosebumps

and always seem to be cold. 

So for me, cold weather means wearing as many layers as possible.

Anyway, you're probably wondering why I posted that picture up there...

you see... I wanted to introduce you to my new friends.

Chia Seeds!

  You see, that picture up there was actually yesterday's snack.

Natural yogurt, fresh strawberries and a sprinkling of chia seeds!

Simple, healthy and delicious! 

I was sent Chia products to try from The Chia Co.

Chia is the highest plant based source of omega 3, dietary fibre and protein 

- making it perfect for someone like me who doesn't eat fish, or eggs

and those tiny powerhouses are so easy to include in your daily diet! 

So far, I've used the Chia Seed sprinkled on top of yogurt and cereal, mixed with yoghurt to make a congealed Chia Pudding and added into piping hot oatmeal. 

The texture is different from what you might think, 

you're not going to break your teeth on these little beauties, 

they're actually quite fluffy! 

(It's hard to describe, forgive me)

The Chia Bran is perfect for adding into cake, muffin and bread recipes and even works as a great thickening agent in smoothies! I've also added it into oatmeal, yogurt and on top of cereal. 

(Is it becoming obvious breakfast is, perhaps, my favourite meal?)

The Chia Ground Seed is much like the other products, in that its perfect for adding to recipes or sprinkling on top of your regular meals for that added nutrition booster. 

For me, Chia products are a perfect way to get more omega-3 and protein into my diet - almost without noticing

and with their ever growing popularity, it's so easy to get your hands on some yourself!

Head to The Chia Co's Online Store or have a look at their retail stockists.

..

So tell me, 

Have you ever tried Chia?

How did you have it? and what did you think?

And does the weather affect your mood?

What would be your ideal day?

Kristy received Chia products courtesy of www.thechiaco.com.au

If you'd like a review of your products, send an email to ksayerphotography@gmail.com  

The early bird vs. the night owl

Its official,

I am the worst at sleeping in.

I just can't do it. 

I'll be lying in bed thinking, "Wow, I slept in for once"

only to look at the clock and see something ridiculous like 5:23.

and that's a good day!

The problem is, 

I don't even have anything I need to wake up early for! 

I swear on my last birthday I didn't turn eighteen, 

more like eighty. 

I used to be a night owl,

staying up until the wee hours of the morning and sleeping in as long as possible.

Now? I'm up at 5am and in bed by 10pm.

I think I need to take some sleeping lessons from my sister

because boy oh boy can that kid sleep or what! 

I can wake up, eat breakfast, get dressed and go out to do whatever needs to be done

and when I come back... she's still asleep.

She's lucky we don't have earth quakes or tornadoes here - because she'd probably sleep through them.

But that's okay.. 

because it means I can get up and make delicious breakfasts!

Like the Maple Banana Oatmeal sitting in front of me at the moment :)

So tell me, 

are you a night or morning person?

and what's your favourite breakfast?

A morning walk sounds perfecto right about now, 

Have a fantastic day, loves!

Sweet Saturday: Double trouble!

hey, you!

it's Sweet Saturday once again!

I've had the most jumbled up week

but, I officially finished high school.

Hooray!! 

A little bit stupid if you ask me, though..

I don't see why they hold the graduation ceremonies before we finish our final exams.

It's kind of like you have to graduate twice.

Once when you finish learning at school and then again when you're finally finished with school altogether.

But nonetheless, I'm extremely happy! 

and the gorgeous spring weather we've been having is definitely amping up my mood.

So, what can I tempt you with this morning.... 

Soft, rich, buttery shortbread?

Or how about some crisp ANZAC biscuits?

Both?! Are you kidding me... 

Brilliant idea! :P

There's something about a tin of biscuits that reminds me of old women.

I didn't even grow up around my grand mother, 

but every year at Christmas she would give tins of biscuits to everyone.

I also had a number of older family friends who I associated with the infamous biscuit tin. 

I was sent some Cripps shortbread to try 

and I think it could have been the softest packaged short bread I've tried.

Cripps Shortbread is super rich and buttery and has even been voted as the top branded shortbread by both Choice Magazine and The Age (in 2005). 

I could definitely agree.

If you put these shortbread out on a plate, and gave me one to try..

I'd have absolutely no idea that they came from a packet.

I'd be too busy crowning you the shortbread king or queen :P

Upon opening the packet you could tell they were going to be good

as the rich, buttery smell filled the air. 

 I was also sent their ANZAC biscuits

made from Australian butter, golden syrup and rolled oats.

These biscuits were super crisp and golden with that well-loved ANZAC flavour.

Definitely a hit with my crunch loving mum.

I prefer my ANZAC biscuits soft, chewy and fresh out of the oven. 

But these were definitely something i'd think to keep in the cupboard.

You can purchase Cripps biscuits at their Online Shop or at a Retailer near you! 

(Att: Nanna ... Christmas is fast approaching!)

...

So, do you associate "the biscuit tin" with anyone you know?

and which do you prefer - soft and chewy or crisp and crunchy?

I'm off to eat my bowl of apple pie oatmeal and wait around until I can leave for the farmer's markets!

I hope you all have a spectacular weekend doing whatever you have (or don't have) planned! :)

Kristy received Cripps biscuits courtesy of www.cripps.com.au

If you'd like a review of your products, send an email to ksayerphotography.blogspot.com

You are my sunshine

Why hello sunshines, 

speaking of sunshine.. I think I may have developed a teeeeeeeeeeeeeeny addiction to vitamin D. 

okay, teeny was totally a lie.

If the suns out, then so am I. 

I've been spending 90% of the daylight hours outside, 

soaking up my favourite vitamin :P

The sun making a regular appearance not only puts me in a brighter mood, 

I get to take more photos! Hooray!

I really love how different things look during different stages of the day.

The above photo was taken in the early morning sun.

I've almost developed a crazy "sun schedule" because I've figured out the best places to take photos during different stages of the day. 

Can you tell I'm INCREDIBLY bored with this waiting for my exams thing?

Worse still that while I'm trying to occupy myself during the day, everyone else is busy working or at school.

A while ago I was sent a box full of Carman's Muesli Products

and i'm still making my way through the box! 

These Carman's muesli rounds are just like a big muesli/oatmeal cookie!

They seem more "grown up" than a muesli bar

and would be perfect with a cup of tea.

The apricot and almond rounds had the distinctive cinnamon flavour found in all Carman's products

with the crunch of almonds and soft juicy bursts of apricots, sultanas and raisins.

I loved the soft and chewy texture of the rounds, just like a homemade cookie!

The classic fruit rounds were very similar to the apricot and almond rounds, with that same cinnamon flavour and sweet sultanas, raisins and apricots, however, they didn't have the crunch of the almonds.

These would be perfect for someone who isn't a fan of nuts

Carman's products are available in supermarkets Australia wide! 

So you can easily try some for yourself

..

I found that these rounds are perfect to crumble into my much loved yogurt messes!

Next in line are the range of Muesli bars, but I thought I'd leave that for another post :) 

This week I have my days all messed up.

I swear I thought tomorrow is Saturday.

Maybe I'm just a little too keen for Sweet Saturday!

But tell meeee, 

What's planned for the rest of your week?

and what are you looking forward to?

I'm looking forward to heading to the Farmer's markets on the weekend

and hopefully soaking up some more vitamin D!

Kristy received Carman's muesli products courtesy of www.carmansfinefoods.com.au

If you'd like a review of your products, send an email to ksayerphotography@gmail.com

Now I know my ABC's.

I've mentioned my love for broccoli a few times on my blog,

but never really elaborated.

Broccoli would have to be my favourite vegetable.

Once upon a time, I was a broccoli hating vegephobe, 

today I'm a vegetable loving eighteen year old

who would much rather dig into a bowl of lightly steamed broccoli than a bowl of chips.

Yeaaah, i'm kinda odd like that.

So this got me thinking about my favourite foods.

Could I come up with an A-Z list like other bloggers I've seen?

It's worth a try! 

Apples - 

They say one a day keeps the doctor away, but doctor or no doctor, I eat at least one apple every day. It's gotta be green though, Granny Smith - I love you! 

Broccoli - 

My favourite vegetable, hands down. In pasta, on pizza, steamed, in stir fry - if it has broccoli in it, I'll probably be more game to try it!

Carrots - 

A vegetable that is vying for the title of favourite vegetable. My lunch isn't complete without carrot sticks on the side and I love how sweet lightly steamed carrots are. They are way too good to be healthy. 

Dried Fruit - 

Raisins, Currants, Dried Apricot, Dates - you name it, I like it. I love making up my own trail mixes with different combinations of dried fruit, definitely nature's candy :)

Easter Eggs - 

Okay, so I don't know if this really counts, but I can't think of any other "E" foods I like. Does anyone else agree that easter eggs taste a hundred times better than regular chocolate. I'm fussy with my easter eggs though, cheap imitations don't cut it. 

Frozen Bananas -  

I actually have a teeny obsession with frozen bananas. I will wait until the bananas have ripened, slice them up and put them into zip lock bags in the freezer. I have every intention of turning them into banana soft serve, but it's rare that they ever make it to the food processor. 

Grapes - 

Another example of natures candy! I'm so happy that grapes have come back into season. Not only are they sweet, juicy and refreshing but they make a superb portable snack!

Hommus, Hummus - 

However you want to spell it, I'm a fan! Hummus makes a regular appearance on my lunch plates. I can't get my head around eating chickpeas by themselves, but I loveeee hummus. 

Ice cream - 

I'm a bigggg ice cream fan. The best thing about the weather warming up is that I can eat ice cream again. But don't worry, I managed to eat ice cream in the winter too! I just made sure to sit in front of the fireplace, wrapped in a blanket :P 

Jam - 

I never used to like it as a child, but after my last trip to the US I fell in love with jam and cream cheese on toast. Strawberry is my jam of choice and Dalfour is the brand that takes pride of place in my refridgerator. I don't like ultra sugary jams, the more fruit the better :)

Kamut - 

More specifically, puffed kamut. Kamut is an ancient grain thought to have originated in Egypt. I've recently developed a "thing" for puffed kamut in my trail mixes and yoghurt messes and it makes a great cereal. Kamut has 40% more protein than wheat and contains up to 65% more amino acids, so it doesn't just taste good. It's also super fun to eat - kinda like popcorn!

Laughing Cow Cheese - 

I'm a bit of a laughing cow addict. I loveeee how creamy it is and how easy it is to spread. Truth be known, I was actually really upset when they changed over to the new recipe because I thought it had been discontinued. But alas,  found it again whilst away at my grandma's house and we've been together ever since. (I actually made sure to buy extra to bring home with me - I told you... addict)

Mangoes - 

Surely mangoes are secretely crack disguised as a fruit. For me, mangoes define summer. As a child I remember eating mangoes and getting them everywhere. Juice running down your face, dripping down to your elbows and an extremely happy tummy. My primary school teacher actually told us that when she was a child, her mum would make her eat mangoes in the bath. They're sweet, juicy and delicious. Definitely one of my favourite fruits.

Nectarines - 

I think it's safe to say I love almost every summer fruit available. I love stone fruits. You can be sure I'm patiently awaiting their arrival at the fruit market.

Oatmeal - 

In winter, there's nothing better than a steaming hot bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. My favourite oatmeal addition would have to be banana, but I'm constantly experimenting with new flavour combinations.

Peanut Butter - 

I loveeeeeeeeeeeee peanut butter. Crunchy peanut butter would have to be my PB of choice and you can be sure that at least a little peanut butter is consumed every day by me. Whether its stirred into my oatmeal, spread on crackers or sandwiches or eaten by itself.

Queso - 

Okay so I couldn't figure out any other foods I like that started with Q and I hadn't mentioned cheese - So why not turn spanish for a moment. I loveeeeee cheese. Vintage cheese, cheddar cheese, brie, camembert, string cheese, swiss cheese, laughing cow cheese, cream cheese, cottage cheese - you name it. Cheese should probably be its own food group.

Raisins - 

Especially if they're covered in dark chocolate. Raisins will always come before sultanas for me. They're perfect in oatmeal cookies, trail mixes, cereals and cakes or even just eaten by themselves.

Strawberries - 

I manage to make my way through at least half a kilo of strawberries a week (don't worry, that's only 2 punnets). Strawberries always make an appearance in my desserts and are a perfect addition to yoghurt, ice cream, custard, chocolate etcetc. You can bet I won't know what to do with myself when they go out of season. (Frozen strawberries? Bingo!)

Tomatoes - 

Whether they're cherry tomatoes, egg tomatoes, roma tomatoes or crushed tomatoes you can guarantee I get at least one tomato into my body daily. I love eating tomatoes by themself with a little bit of salt and pepper. The colder they are, the better!

Unsalted Nuts - 

Okay so I totally couldn't think of anything that started with U. But I guess Unsalted nuts count? right?

Vegemite - 

Yepppp, I'm a true Australian! I love vegemite on toast, with grilled cheese and I'm a big fan of Vegemite, Cheese, Lettuce and Tomato sandwiches (don't knock it til you try it!)

Watermelon - 

I love eating ice cold juicy watermelon. It's one of those foods that remind me of summer. Super sweet, juicy and refreshing. And hey, its pink!

Xmas Pudding - 

First of let me change that to Christmas pudding, but I couldn't come up with anything that started with an X. My mum makes the best christmas pudding and I look forward to it every year.

Yogurt - 

Plain yogurt is one of my favourite foods. Flavoured yogurts are too sweet for me so I make up my own yogurt messes by combining a random mix of ingredients. My favourite yogurt combination would have to be plain yogurt, strawberries and a small crumbled lamington. The perfect mix of chocolate, coconut, strawberries and yoghurt. Yumm!

Zucchini - 

I love grilled zucchini and zucchini also makes up part of my favourite vegetarian pizza - Broccoli, Zucchini and Feta.

...

That was easier than I thought! 

I've discovered that most of my favourite foods fit into the beginning of the alphabet. I had plentyyy of ideas for the first 10 or so letters and by the time I got to U and X, I was stumped!

So tell me, 

What's your favourite food?

and do you think you could come up with an A-Z list? 

Do you eat anything that starts with a U or an X? :P

Sweet Saturday: Naturally Gifted

 

Why hello there,

can you believe another week has flown by?

Something I received recently got me thinking, 

about natural "gifts" or "talents". 

I'm one to think that everyone has a natural talent,

whether it be cooking up a storm in the kitchen, singing, dancing or the person with a calculator disguised as a brain.

I know a lot of people who will say but I don't have a talent.

Are you sure?

Maybe you're just not looking hard enough. 

So think about it, 

what is something that you've always been good at.

It could be something simple, 

something seemingly unimportant.

Now focus on that talent,

what can you do with it? 

The thing that inspired me to think about natural gifts or talents was a gift hamper I received from Naturally Gifted.

I received the Wine Eco Gift Hamper.

This would be the perfect gift to spoil a loved one with.

I don't drink wine, so this hamper was shared with my mum and I.

We did a good deal.

She got the wine, I got the raw dark mint chocolate 

and we shared the other block with dad and my sister.

 

Naturally Gifted ensures that all of the products in their hampers are either organic, fair trade or locally source.

This creates a guilt free gift as it reduces the impact on the environment, supports workers in developing countries and addresses the injustices of conventional trade.

 

Even the packaging is made from recyclable and biodegradable materials!

 

So, lovely readers,

did you figure out what your natural talent/gift is?

Remember - it could be hiding!

 

If you want to suprise or pamper a loved one with a Naturally Gifted Hamper, head on over to their website 

they even deliver Australia wide!

To snack or not to snack

Why hello there,

can you believe it's wednesday again? 

I can't decide whether this week has gone fast or slow, 

i've been getting a little mixed up with the days lately

but that's what happens when you have nothing to do. 

One of the problems with finishing school is all the waiting around.

I can't wait for my exams to be over so there'll be no more of it!

I'm bored out of my mind!

Seriously, I've never been so bored.

Is anyone else ridiculously bored at the moment?

You should email me and we can un-bored each other.

(lovely english Kristy)

 So I've been thinking - when did snacking become bad?

I know that excessive snacking can throw anybody's good diet out the window,

but are people forgetting that snacking can actually work to your benefit?

 

I always eat snacks.

The key is knowing what to eat and knowing when to stop. 

My favourite snacks range from fresh fruit to trail mix to cheese to muesli bars

and of course I add in treats to keep me sane. 

The media is always talking about what we shouldn't eat.

But is there really such a thing as a bad food?

Except for that rotting potato in the back of your cupboard, that gets the bad label.

 I'm all for moderation and don't think that anyone should ban anything from their diet.

I love my fresh fruit and vegetables but I eat dessert every single night

and you know what? there's nothing wrong with that!

We all need to look past what we're told in magazines and think about what's good for us. 

   A while ago I was sent some products from Go Natural

These fruit and nut delight bars were full of crunchy nuts 

with soft bursts of sweet dried apricots, currants, apple and sultanas  

and topped with a ripple of dark chocolate.

The honey soy nut clusters were super crunchy

and a perfect nibbly for entertaining as well as random snacking.

They're a savoury snack but the honey gives them a hint of sweetness.

Go Natural's Fruity Bites are little balls of dried fruit coated in coconut.

Their individual packs would make them a great treat to add to kid's lunchboxes or as something to keep in your bag.

Go Natural's FruitNut was something totally different from what i've had before.

Its a bar made from a date and cocoa base with crunchy pieces of macadamia and almonds.

A little too soft for my preferences, but I'm sure they'd firm up nicely if placed in the fridge or freezer.

All of these Go Natural products are available at super markets across Australia! 

So check them out :) 

But do tell me, lovely people..

How has this week been treating you? 

And are you a snacker?

Kristy was sent Go Natural products courtesy of www.gonatural.com.au

If you'd like a review of your products send an email to ksayerphotography@gmail.com 

In the back of my head

Blue cheese, 

am I the only one that is grossed out by this? 

Lately I've been super keen to try new foods

but blue cheese has yet to get a look in.

I've attempted...

only to be screamed at by the voice in the back of my head..

"MOULLLLLLLLLLLLDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!" 

I think it might be due to the fact that i'm allergic to penicilin

and as a child, when I found out that penicilin = mould 

I thought that eating anything with mould would surely kill me

Yeaaahh I was a bit dramatic, considering i'm not deathly allergic to penicillin or anything.

Even now that i'm older I still find myself thinking that exact thing - But I guess that's just because its what I believed for so long. 

Like as a child I thought my dad told me that if you drank orange juice and milk at the same time it would spoil in your stomach and make you sick.

Apparently he was actually trying to explain how acids curdle milk, but my childish brain took it to the extreme.

I still to this day, couldn't sit down to a bowl of cereal and a glass of orange juice. 

The brain is a funny thing.

I'm sure one day I'll try blue cheese, as long as I can get past the mould factor. 

Afterall, I'm the kind of person who likes strongggggggg cheese.

I'm talking extreme vintage smack you in the mouth cheese.

So tell me, 

Is there something that someone has told you that has stuck in your brain?

Sweet Saturday: Chocolate coated goodness

why hello my fellow Grocery Store Addicts!

I loved reading your comments on my last post,

it seems like being a grocery store addict is a requirement of being a blogger :P

Another week has flown by!

Mine was full of restless nights, early mornings and a sprinkling of shopping here and there.

I've discovered that my body does not know how to sleep in.

 Well actually, it's idea of sleeping in is 6am....

Okay in summer, granted, but when it's cold all I want to do is stay in bed.

My mind disagrees - I swear my brain writes novels while i'm asleep.

I can wake up and be thinking of a million things at once.

Most of the time, it's pretty useless stuff too.

But, alas! It's sweet saturday! 

I received a package that was perfect for this weeks post

and it definitely brightened up my day, despite the cloudy skies!

One of the greatest things about being a blogger is getting sent things like what you see above to share with you all.

I'm one of these people who gets uber excited about things and tells everyone they know about them.

Like last year I'm pretty sure every friend and family member heard about how much I loved Mitch Albom's The five people you meet in heaven (seriously, read it!) and my obsession with Dr Kracker is well pronounced. 

The lovely people at Organic Times sent me a huge selection of their delicious treats!

Organic Times is an Australian owned, certified organic company that offers delicious products made from the finest quality ingredients. 

All of their products are free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives and you can actually understand the ingredients list! (Hooray!)

 

Their Choc-Almond cookies were fantastic!

These are the kind of cookies you could fool your friends with because they don't taste like your average, lackluster packaged cookie.

They are definitely a home-style cookie, something you'd find in the kitchen of an old relative whose baked goods are well renowned and desired. 

I loved the chunks of oven roasted almonds and the smooth milk chocolate chips.

But wait! There was more cookies!

I was also sent their Triple-Choc and White Choc macadamia cookies.

These two babies went straight to my mum and sister who I knew would love them.

I realised how good they were when my mum (who isn't a big sweets fan at all) polished off her entire cookie with mmmm's all around.

They too were a more home-style cookie, with big chunks of chocolate. 

If you cover something in chocolate - doesn't that just mean it tastes a hundred times better?

I was also sent a stack of their chocolate covered goodies! 

First up was crunchy macadamia nuts smothered in milk chocolate.

The creamyness of the macadamia nuts paired perfectly with the dark chocolate!

Next up were the Dark Chocolate coated coffee beans.

Now, I'm not a coffee fan whatsoever

but that is why I employ a group of taste testers when I review anything.

After all, the last thing I'd want to do is lie to you lovely people! 

 

The opinions I gained from my TTT (taste testing team!) were...

crunchy

mocha-like

full flavoured

yum.

 

Now from something I didn't like to something I loved,

These dark chocolate covered sultanas were delicious!

Lately, I've been on a bit of a trail mix kick

so when I received the dark chocolate sultanas I knew exactly where they were going,

TRAIL MIX!

I loved the balance of the sweet sultanas and the rich dark chocolate,

for me they definitely kicked milk chocolate covered sultanas butt. 

Some more nutty goodness was in store with these chocolate almonds!

Once again we found ourselves loving the balance of crunchy oven roasted almonds and smooth milk chocolate.

All these chocolate covered goodies reminded me of christmas.

At christmas time we always have those jars of chocolate covered fruit and nuts that line the stores during the holiday season. 

D

don't run!

 

Yes, this box too had licorice!

I know alot of you aren't licorice fans - but does chocolate make it any better?

I was suprised by how big these were,

they definitely weren't shy on the licorice front!

but they were de-lish-us. 

 

 

Last but not least, probably the cutest thing in the package. 

I loved these little gems. 

They were like mini m&m's that amped up the cuteness.

Organic sugar coated chocolate drops with crisp, fruity candy shells.

The shells were actually flavoured (m&m's with lip smackers - perhaps?) 

and had flavours like orange, passion fruit and mango.

 

So now I've teased your taste buds with all these treats you might be wanting to get your hands on some yourself - right?  

The Organic Times range is available at selected health-food stores around Australia so to get a list of stockists, head on over to Organic Times

...

So you've made it this far and I still have you?!

I think you deserve a best bloggie friend award :P

But before I go to catch up on all your lovely blogs - do tell me,

What's planned for your weekend?

and what would be your ultimate chocolate covered treat? 

 

 ...

 

Kristy received these products courtesy of Organic Times

if you'd like a review of your products, send an email to ksayerphotography@gmail.com