Accepting Faults and Winter Brownies

Accepting Faults and Winter Brownies
30 July 2014

This year, for me, I liken to those doors that revolve out the front of fancy buildings. Whooshing me in and out of my day to day life, to big cities, deserted islands and beachside shacks. It all sounds amazing, and it is, but I have to admit, I have bitten off more than I can chew. I miss my kids, routine, home and I miss the life I didn’t realise I loved so much. It is funny what distance and chaos can do.

I can’t remember the last day I spent doing nothing. This isn’t something I wear as a badge of honour, it is something I need to learn from.

I shouldn’t be doing the bazillion projects I take on. I need to learn to be happy with what is currently on my plate, and once that is done move on. I need to learn to say “no, I don’t really have time to do that right now” and I need to learn that even though I have new ideas every 5 seconds, I don’t need to action them all at that very moment.

Right this very second Ro is sitting next to me saying “tell them, you don’t stop, tell them you don’t know how”. I have forgotten, it is true. I need to jog my memory, practise what I preach and get back to living my life with purpose and meaning. The real purpose and meaning. My family.

All this self realisation is quite liberating. Being happy with the fact I am flawed is pretty cool. All I need to do now is to accept the outside like I do the inside and life would be perfect. I am working on it.

Tomorrow will be a day of going for a drive, looking at old shit shops, drinking tea, walking in the forest and reconnecting with the ones I love. The things that make me happy. The things that bring me back to centre.

Oh, just one thing before we head to gooey brownie town.

I have one little project I am super excited about. I have been asked to show some of my pretty light photos in a real life gallery. I need a little help raising funds for the framing and stuff. If you have a little spare change (or if you want me to come and photograph your family and pick the bigger bucks reward) I would be so appreciative of any help you can give me in achieving one of my secret goals I’ve had for a long time. The link to my Pozible campaign is here. THANK YOU! x

OK, let’s make brownies!

These are a winter variety, the last brownies here were with zucchini. These suckers have pumpkin in them, and they could possibly be EVEN yummier! For real.

Gooey Pumpkin, Maple + Chocolate Winter Brownies

What You Need

• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1/2 cup white or spelt flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (i just quarter a smallish pumpkin, pop it in the oven on 200˚C until the quarters are nice and soft, it will depend on the kind of pumpkin you have, so keep checking every 10 – 15 mins)
• 3 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
• 2 tbsp milk of choice
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

What You Need to Do

1. Preheat your oven to 170˚C.
2. Combine dry ingredients, and mix very well.
3. Combine wet ingredients.
4. Then mix into dry.
5. Pour into an 8″ x 8″ (or any other pan close enough that is in your cupboard) pan lined with baking paper (or grease it, but I like the paper)
6. Cook for about 25 minutes (my oven is slow and sometimes fast, so please check your brownies now and then).
7. Your brownies will taste super sweet when hot, but once cooled down the sweetness will subside. How easy and delicious.