A Soup(er) Day

Yesterday was not a good day. My digestive system went haywire, as it does from time to time (just wish I knew the trigger). I made a lovely fish pie with a sweet potato topping .....but just had to sit and watch my husband and my son eat it :-(
Ah well, at least I could enjoy the conversation.

But today I feel much better so decided to make my favourite green detox soup.....

Good ingredients for a poorly tum; broccoli, leek, celery, kale, cauliflower, courgette, garlic, veg bouillon..... 

and lots of parsley. 

Its a simple recipe......chop all the veg quite small, fry the leeks with the crushed garlic, add half a litre of stock along with the rest of the veg and simmer till everything is soft....but not too soft (you don't want mushy).

I then like to blend two thirds with a big handful of chopped parsley before putting it all back together in the pan and adding salt and pepper to taste.

Lovely with a small piece of spelt bread.....

Texture Tuesday (a few days late)

I'm starting to feel really positive about the arrival of Spring...there are so many signs around, I can't help but feel it's just around the corner. Of course, we could have a rude awakening and winter could actually arrive in the next few weeks! Here in the Midlands we've escaped a lot of the really bad weather.....only time will tell if we've escaped it completely :-)
Kim Klassen's theme is Light this week....and I'm thinking 'Light at the end of the tunnel'.
Winter, for me, is a bit like a tunnel I have to get through....

I used Kim's 'wonderfulmagic_stars' texture...twice (both at soft light).
I have a number of these hyacinths around the house; not only do they look beautiful, they smell wonderful too...
(The pot holder is from Ikea BTW).

I'm hoping there's 'light at the end of the tunnel' regarding my health too.....
I mentioned a couple of posts back that I've suffered with digestive problems for almost two years and during that time I've read many books on the subject. I believe that carbs are very damaging to our health and I'm trying hard to avoid them. I eat no refined sugar and avoid cakes, biscuits, sweets etc.
I LOVE bread though and can't imagine giving that up completely. So, I've done a lot of research into spelt flour. Its an ancient grain that hasn't been refined or modified and so is much healthier. It is higher in protein and easier to digest than wheat. I find that I can eat one piece a day without suffering any consequences. And it's much tastier than ordinary bread.......I've even converted my mum :-)

This is the flour I use.....plus the spelt and walnut loaf I made yesterday.  The addition of chopped dates is good too! There are other recipes on the back of the bag.

I have also become a bit obsessed with coconut oil....it has so many amazing health benefits. I use it in most of our meals nowadays;  its the best oil to use for frying as it doesn't deteriorate when heated. I also eat it by the spoonful; its good for the brain! I made these treats today.....

The base is made from ground oats, ground almonds, coconut oil, Manuka honey, almond butter, cinnamon and vanilla essence. I pressed it into petit four cases then poured the topping over...which is made from coconut oil, raw cacao powder and honey. They are only tiny but they satisfy my craving for something sweet. I found the recipe on the marvellous  'Oh she glows' website.....which I highly recommend. Go and look at her latest recipe.....'Blissful Blueberry Banana Spelt Muffins'.........(vegan and no refined sugar). Can't wait to try those.

Back tomorrow with some artwork.....

Friday Finds....Pussy Willow

I would love to be able to say I found the pussy willow whilst out walking today.......unless you count walking around Marks & Spencers ;-)
I spotted a lovely huge bunch there whilst shopping for our Valentines Day dinner.
I have to confess to stroking them a lot...I'm surprised there are any furry bits left on the branches actually.

Textures: Kim Klassen's 'All my loving', '99' and 'Natures Beauty' all soft light.

Quote: 'No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn'.  ~Hal Borland  

Thank goodness...........

Before....and after

Texture Tuesday

This week the theme is  Love  on Texture Tuesday. I decided avoid the usual pink and red (lovely as it is) and see what else I could find.....

....a vintage glass bottle, some hydrangea skeletons, tiny poppy seedheads plus a metal tag.

I used Kim Klassen's black texture 'Wonderful magic_scripted' (screen. 55% opacity),  plus '99'...a cream texture (soft light).

Brian and I have always celebrated Valentine's Day...cards, presents, a special meal. Don't suppose we'll ever stop...... I'll maybe make a card this year with this image.

I love this tiny heart from Kim's 'Vines and Lines' brush collection.

Before and after.....

Back on Friday with an update on my new collage plus 'Friday Finds'.

Hope you're having a   lovely   week........... :-)

Friday Finds

This is my contribution to Kim Klassen's 'Friday Finds', which I am going to try and join in with on a regular basis.  I used Kim's 'Magic Scripted' texture on my photo, plus one of her affirmation brushes.......a great quote and even more appropriate as the flower has a flaw on one of the petals.

I decided to make a start on my garden journal yesterday.....which meant photographing the garden at its 'winter worst', in order to appreciate the beauty later on ;-)
I had a lovely surprise though when I found the hellebore flowering amongst all the duller stuff.
I remember buying it last year; an unimpressive stem with four leaves which the nursery owner assured me would become a wonderful plant.  Well he was right.....

I printed out a few sizes of the digitally altered photo and spent a happy half hour sorting through my collage boxes to find matching materials for a collage (or two).

Angel was on hand to give advice....

So at last I am going to start sticking and stitching!! Its been a long time.......