EARTH HOUR

Earth Hour... what a perfect excuse to mix things up this Saturday night. If the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Eiffel Tower, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Tower of Pisa and Times Square, among others, can switch their lights off for an hour in recognition of our commitment to the globe, so should we, I say.

I'm *not* disappointed that I'm going to be out at a wedding tomorrow night, just a fraction disappointed I won't get to participate in a little something like this: with your lover or with a group of friends: lights out, comfies on, candles lit, wine in hand, pizza present, board games/spooky stories at the ready... or just get out under the stars.

It might look a little something like this... x

one. queen b pure beeswax candles two. peter alexander chunky knit pom pom socks three. dr. mcgillicuddy's schnapps four. p i z z a five. s c r a b b l e six. 100% 'stansborough grey' eco-friendly wool knit blanket seven. f o r t u n e c o o k i e s eight. banrock station cabernet nine. c o o k i e s

ALLIGATOR PEAR AND COCONUT POPSICLES

Yesterday I whizzed up these Alligator Pear (otherwise known as an Avocado) & Coconut popsicles from Sarah Wilson's I Quit Sugar book and they were later taste-tested over an episode of Puberty Blues. Not quite a Golden Gaytime but no doubt better for the bod. On a side note, imagine a 70s mama making homemade icypoles out of coconut water and chia seeds? Lolz. Crazy hippy. How times have changed.

What's in?

1 large ripe avo
200mL coconut cream
Juice of 1 lime
3 tablespoons coconut water (Cocobella contains no added extras)
1 tablespoon rice malt syrup (didn't have any, replaced it with honey)
1 teaspoon chia seeds (the white ones)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Whizz and freeze.

And let's take a moment to zero in on some of the contents.

Avocado: Labelled as "the world's most perfect food" these knobbly numbers are high-fiber, contain 20 essential nutrients and vitamins,  are rich in healthy fats such as omega-3 which are the secret to a healthy heart and a brainy brain. Avos, more particularly their high Vitamin E content, are connected to the prevented and reversal of Alzheimer's. Did you know that avocados are also known as alligator pears? I didn't. Makes sense.

Coconut Water: There seems to be a bit of argument about the health benefits of coconut water but if we're to believe the coco-nuts then straight-up coconut water is super hydrating, high in potassium and low in calories. It contains sugar in the form of glucose and fructose in low doses.

Ch-ch-ch-chia Seeds: I don't know how many seeds you have to pop to reap the rewards but these super seeds supposedly slow down digestion and are high in fiber, calcium, omega-3, manganese (which is good for dem bones and helps your body to utilise other nutrients), phosphorous (to synthesise protein for tissue repair and growth), and tryptophan to help regulate appetite, sleep and improve mood. Chia seeds are tasteless, nom, so you can add them to anything and everything. Go nuts seeds.

"Your *kids* will enjoy reaching for the stars with these fun star-shaped frozen treats".

FONDUE NIGHT

As a little girl, this shiny, alluring red pot was the source of much curiosity on my behalf. A child of the eighties, I missed Mum and Dad's fondue party era (how I'd love to have been a fly on the wall), but the melting pot remained. Later in life, perhaps in my teens, I remember it being relegated to the chuck-out pile and I screamed in protest. The fondue pot, although I'd never used it, was a symbol of mama's kitchen -- a place where good things happened. It could not go. The 70s relic heaved a sigh of relief and returned to her position in the cupboard. For years since then, Mum has been saying "We have to do a fondue, we have to do a fondue". Like all good things in life, we were in for a bit of a wait. Finally, thirty years after my birth, we set a night. Copious quantities of shockingly expensive cheeses were purchased, and the old girl sprung to life. Now I'm not sure if this is an actual Fondue Rule or just one of Mama Ryan's spur of the moment things, but it was declared that if you wanted to eat the fondue, you had to have a turn stirring. One by one the ingredients were added to the pot. My folks, my brother and sister in law, my two nieces and myself gathered at the table and took turns passing round the wooden spoon, then dived in with our skewered bread. It had been a long time coming but such fun and worth the wait. I'm quietly confident that ol' Red won't have to wait another 30 before she's called to service again. x

Along with the pot, Mum had managed to hold on to her ancient fondue recipe book, too, but if you're not so fortunate, Nigella has a cheesy concoction that sounds similar to ours.

KIND OVER MATTER

One of the benefits of not working full-time is that you occasionally get to catch some Ellen, and today I'm glad my soup + toast coincided with same. I was about to walk away when Josh Radnor of How I Met Your Mother fame appeared (on set, not in the lounge room). I don't watch the show but thought I'd stay and see what he had to say for himself. I'm happy I did. At the end of the interview, Ellen read a few lines from a post that Josh had written. It resonated, so I found it online and then, like a true lady of leisure, transcribed it with my bare hand. Now it's going to live on the fridge, and here on the internet. Thanks Josh & Ellen -- I'm glad I happened across you today :) You can read the whole piece here.

SMOOTH & GREEN

I am a regular consumer of smoothie breakfasts but my usual concoctions don't venture too far from bananas and berries with the occasional mango or choc-cherry treat. But, sweeping through my Instragram feed, styled shots of green mush keep rearing their cheeky, healthy heads, so I thought I would make like a sheep and follow that trend.

I had grim concerns about the palatability of a green smoothie, but luckily for me I struck green (haaaaar) with this recipe, right here. With coconut water, spinach, cucumber and protein powder, among other things, it was a nice mix of health and taste - very filling too. The I Quit Sugar website has lots of smoothie recipes, actually, so I'm thinking I'll do a weekly road test to mix things up a little bit.

*Please note the home-grown mint, top left. Thank you.

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