It’s from Tales of a Female Nomad by Rita Golden Gelman, an American woman who, at 48, took off to discover the world. She sold her possessions and became a nomad, living in a Zapotec village in Mexico, sleeping with sea lions on the Galapagos Islands, etc. From the preface:

I am a modern-day nomad. I have no permanent address, no possessions except the ones I carry, and I rarely know where I’ll be six months from now. I move through the world without a plan, guided by instinct, connecting through trust, and constantly watching for serendipitous opportunities.

Up until very recently – like two months ago – it didn’t occur to me what is really rather obvious to most: I wander a lot and don’t like to settle. I’m a nomad. It was nice not being aware. I blindly went about dismantling all the expectations of adulthood, one commitment at a time, convinced I was merely being efficient and practical.

I was mostly unaware because it was a gradual disintegration of commitment. Not a sudden about-face. One by one, I dropped off everything that pinned me down unnecessarily.
Of course, as soon as I become aware of things, I started to fret. Shouldn’t I be getting more serious about life? I’m 38. I don’t own a house, a car, a fridge. I don’t have a pet, a partner, a fixed abode. I have two life anchors: a $20/week storage shed and a PO Box. I’ve lived out of two suitcases of belongings for 14 months.

How long can this last? Can I seriously sustain a living from… wandering and experimenting? Is it allowed? Will I deteriorate into one of those women who wears too much purple and annoys people at bus stops?
I’ve written about this before after speaking with Barbera Sher…she says I’m a scanner - I try lots of things and move on quickly – and that it’s a completely legitimate way to live, when you trust yourself.

This is where I’m at. I’m starting to trust myself as a nomad. I like that I don’t settle. I like that I feel at home in change. I’m not running away, I’m moving towards things. Belongings and home comforts don’t keep me bright and light; fending and navigating and being creative with the limited resources I have does. Being a nomad reminds me daily of what I want from this life. I can’t get comfortable…I have to be alive to my priorities. What a gift!

It can get lonely, of course. Because not everyone moves about like I do. But I’m always guided to the right point, the next stage, the right people.

It can be hard, not making plans. I’m an over-planner.

But it’s become my latest experiment…to trust that the dots will join and that I must simply move to the next dot.

I don’t have to have a complete picture; I just have to look out for the next one. Then the next. This is harrrrrd. But necessary. I don’t want to be an over-planner anymore.

This, of course, entails “constantly watching for serendipitous opportunities”

I like this. A lot. Serendipity can pass you by if you’re not bright and light. When you’re alive to it though, it’s really rather magical. And more than anything else in my life, when I notice it, it makes sense. It guides me, dot to dot.

Right now, serendipitous opportunities are sending me off on another wander. So many things have opened up to allow me to do this. All roads point to a journey. I’m getting emails from people asking me to meet in Greece to explore traditional cooks. My brother invited me to ride with him in France. Job commitments dropped off. My book comes out this week… Today I’m buying a ticket to London to go on my first holiday in almost seven years. I have no plans. I’m just getting to London…and then…. Ooooooh boy, this feels right and good and bright and light!!

Are you a nomad? Would you like to be more nomadic and have less plans? Is it allowed?

bacon and egg cupcakes, photo by Marija Ivkovic

And so I figure I might share this recipe from the book: bacon and egg cupcakes! Yes. Two ingredients + some clever assembling = fun breakfast. Astonishing stuff!

You can watch the video below, which was shot by my good mate Faustina (you might have seen her on The Voice?!) at Rokeby Studios in Melbourne.

Click here to view the embedded video.

While I have your attention, I’ll also point out that

today is your last chance to pre-order the cookbook and get 30% off + a special gift

Just click on the button below to take advantage…

photo via apronstringsblog.com

 flower power eggs

Donna and Anne from Apron Strings Blog came up with this pretty and clever idea.

* 3 x capsicums (bell peppers), in red, green and orange

* eggs

Cut the capsicums into 1.5cm rings; place in a non-stick lightly oiled skillet. Now crack an egg in the middle of each ring and cover and cook over low heat until done. If you like your yolks runny, just cook over low heat until whites are done. If you like your yolks firm, break the yolks and then cook over low heat until both whites and yolks are firm.

13 tips for making paleo lunches:

1. Pre-order my I Quit Sugar Cookbook, due out soon! It has a chapter on kids’ recipes, most of which are paleo (ask your kids if they like the sound of coconut popsicles!).  PS, if you pre-order you will receive 30% off, plus a gift. Plus you’ll get the book before everyone else.

2. Make sandwiches with this great Paleo bread from Deek’s bakery. Available online. 

All Deeks products are grain free (including the absence of rice and corn), are additive and preservative free. They are made from freshly ground organic seeds of quinoa and amaranth as well as soya (de-bittered, enzyme inactive), tapioca, almond, buckwheat, pumpkin, potato, sorghum and besan. Some products have dairy, some have yeast, some have eggs. Deek’s is based in Canberra – at the Pearce shops – but delivers to most cities.

3. The people over at Paleo Parents suggest:

• let the kids pick items for the grocery list. They’re more likely to eat something if they’ve picked it themselves. Be wise: give them a few options, and let them pick one. You know all three are healthy, and they feel like they’ve had a say.
• let them pack their own lunch box. Keep things age appropriate… but even really young kids can spoon almond butter into a dip container by themselves.
• Try to do mostly ‘meat and veggies’ lunches each week.
• Leftovers: last night’s chili, or slices of the beef roast, pieces of cubed leftover chicken

What else?

Jenny at Nourished Kitchen runs some great meal plans which might give inspiration.

And here’s a great link to some grain free dinners on a budget from Holistic Kid. They have a bunch of great ‘kid friendly’ resources.

And what about ten grain free dinners on a budget!

Got some of your own recipes or links? Do share. I know there are a lot of parents out there after inspiration.

If you were the kid with the mushroom kit or the Venus flytraps on your windowsill that you’d race home from school to just sit and… watch, you’ll love sprouting. If you rather like watching any creation you’ve made grow, you’ll love sprouting, too. So much veiw-able gratification as they do their sprouty thing.

The rest of you? Read on to see why it’s a good idea to try this cooking technique. And scroll below for some recipes. Me, personally, I avoid eating too many legumes: I find them super rough on my guts. Sprouting is certainly the best approach I’ve found for making them a smoother experience.

First, why sprout?

Sprouting kills toxins

Phytic acid, a toxin found in the fibre of legumes, leaches calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc from our bodies. Not great. Sprouting neutralises this nasty acid (as does soaking before cooking). It also inactivates aflatoxins -  potent carcinogens – in grains.

Sprouting increases vitamins

It increases the amount of B vitamins and carotene in the little beady things. Vitamin C is also created in the process.

Sprouting (almost) fixes the farting issue…

….because the complex sugars responsible for intestinal gas are broken down into simpler glucose molecules.

Sprouting alkalises

I’ve shared about why eating more alkalising foods is a good thing before. Legumes tend to be acid forming but by sprouting them you are effectively making a plant…and plants are always alkalising.

Sprouting increases enzymes

Legumes – the nasty little things – also contain enzyme inhibitors, which unfortunately not only inhibit enzymes in the actual seed, but can also inhibit your own valuable enzymes once they have been eaten. So sprouting first neutralises these WHILE ALSO adding extra enzymes into your system. This helps your digestion immeasurably…but also…

Sprouting slows aging

I’ve written about how more enzymes = less aging in last week’s post (a simplistic reading of things, to be sure). Have a read here to get the drift.

But a word of caution

Now. Sit down here and take heed, my child. You don’t want to eat too many raw sprouted legumes. Don’t go overboard. They still contain a few toxins… and can bring on the farting issue if consumed in bulk. The best idea is to also cook your sprouts where possible. I braise or steam mine, or add them to stews and soups. See below for more.

sprouted legumes

1 cup of dried legumes (chickpeas, brown lentils, mung beans work really well)

Water

Soak the legumes in the water overnight. In the morning drain and rinse in a wire sieve. Leaving the legumes in the sieve, prop the sieve over a bowl and put a saucepan lid over the top. Leave on the bench for 2-3 days, rinsing twice a day (I rinse really well, filling the bowl with water up and over the legumes and stirring up a little before draining). In summer, you’ll need to rinse more often.  White shoots will start to form after a day or so. Once they’re about 1/2 cm long, put in a storage container in the fridge.

Things to do with ya sprouts

* steam lightly and then sprinkle on a salad

* Toss through stirfries or casseroles or soups

* For a snack. Braise in a little chicken stock (I freeze in icecube trays for just this purpose) and a dash of Liquid Aminos or tamari.

* Add to a mish-mash meal. Steam some veggies (broccoli or zucchini) and the sprouts or braise as above (with some Liquid Aminos) and then toss through 1/2 a chopped avocado, feta and rocket…perhaps some capers…

* Try this recipe for Teriyaki Lentils.

* Or this one for a curried sprouted lentils recipe (topped with a coriander sauce)

* Or check out the recipes in Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions

Do you sprout? Any tips? What do you do with them? Fixes the farting issue? OK, maybe that goes too far…

Click here to view the embedded video.

The producer Adam Zwar(he made Wilfred) and I met about 10 years ago when we both wrote a relationship-ish column in the Sunday Herald Sun. Funny to come full circle. He’s an ace guy with a delicate touch. The series Agony Uncles was friggen amazing. The guy really knows how to drill down into hearts to get intimate answers.

I thought I’d share this “outtake” about wing women. I’m sharing it, in part, because it’s an interesting example of how CRAP I can look (despite having profressional makeup on) when my thyroid is playing up. I know there are a lot of images of me out there looking all fancy and shiny and GOOD. But how about I balance things out a little!

Yes. This is what happens on a thyroidy day: my face puffs up, my eyes go wonky, I get strained, my skin sends makeup funny shades (um, oompah-loompah woman!) and I develop a lisp.

But don’t let that put you off watching the series…ep 2 is this Wednesday night.

photo by Aquabumps

Boy. What would that feel like? I’m always onto something next. Surely I’d be a shell of a human if I had no more happenings to forward onto?

I find life almost inconceivable without this relentless scheduling voice in my head, steering me on to the next thing, slotting in activities all day, timing how long it will get from here to there and what phone calls I can return while I’m transit. I rang my brother the other day. I was riding up a hill carrying groceries on the handlebars. “Geez Sarah, do you ever uni-task?” he asked. He’s 21 and he shakes his head at me.

When I was a little girl living in the country I would jump with excitement when the phone rang and physically ached to hear the sound of a car rumbling up our long driveway. I would climb a tree and wait and listen. For something to happen.  Someone’s coming! Something’s about to happen! I don’t think this anxious, incomplete anticipation has ever left my bones.

My biggest impediment to reaching something  resembling a meditative state each day when I sit in lotus is the constant diarising and scheduling more things to happen. I revert to this as soon as there’s an empty moment.

I thrive in disasters, because something is happening.  I always know what’s around the next corner…because I’ve anticipated it, planned it, scheduled it’s very possibility. Arghhh….it never stops.

I schedule, therefore I am. It’s my default cognitive position.

It’s got me places, this over-eager embracing of possibility and activity. Lots of things have happened in my life. Great jobs. Awesome opportunities. Excitement.

But it’s now starting to drive me mental. This, I know, is because it no longer serves me.

Whenever something no longer serves me, it all starts to become a noise that gets louder and brighter in my head, more irritating, until I just have to do something about it. I have a bunch of pink elephants in a room sitting opposite me. Staring at me. And demanding I act.

It’s time to act.

It’s beginning with curiosity. I am so so so curious to see what life can look/feel/be like when I have no expectation of what will happen next. When my being isn’t constantly on to the next thing, metaphorically looking over someone’s shoulder at the party onto the next conversation.

I’m not sure if this resonates. It it does…

You can read here about how to bring life in closer to the core, instead of flinging out into the ever-expanding universe.

You might also like writer Pico Iyer‘s take on the subject that he shared in the New York Times recently. He was picking up on the way technology drags us away from ourselves. And how we’re all increasingly seeking some stillness because we know that’s where happiness lies. The monk David Steindl-Rast describes it as “that kind of happiness that doesn’t depend on what happens.”

Yes! A happiness that doesn’t depend on what happens!!

Back to Iver. He makes the point that we have to get to this point not just to be happy, but to function best with technology and busy-ness:

“The central paradox of the machines that have made our lives so much brighter, quicker, longer and healthier is that they cannot teach us how to make the best use of them; the information revolution came without an instruction manual. All the data in the world cannot teach us how to sift through data; images don’t show us how to process images.

The only way to do justice to our onscreen lives is by summoning exactly the emotional and moral clarity that can’t be found on any screen.

In my own case, I turn to eccentric and often extreme measures. I try not to go online till my day’s writing is finished, and I moved from Manhattan to rural Japan in part so I could more easily survive for long stretches entirely on foot, and every trip to the movies would be an event.

Nothing makes me feel better — calmer, clearer and happier — than being in one place….

…absorbed in a book, a conversation, a piece of music. It’s actually something deeper than mere happiness: it’s joy.

For more than 20 years, therefore, I’ve been going several times a year — often for no longer than three days — to a Benedictine hermitage. I don’t attend services when I’m there, and I’ve never meditated, there or anywhere; I just take walks and read and lose myself in the stillness, recalling that it’s only by stepping briefly away from my wife and bosses and friends that I’ll have anything useful to bring to them.

Said Blaise Pascal:

“Distraction is the only thing that consoles us for our miseries and yet it is itself the greatest of our miseries.”

He also remarked that all of man’s problems come from his inability to sit quietly in a room alone. And to let nothing happen.

To this end, I think I’m going to go for a wander soon. No plans. No sense of what will happen next. This is not the same as searching for nothingness. And I don’t think it will be found alone in a room (only in the ability to sit in a room alone).

It’s about letting nothing happen. Something might happen. But it’s about it not mattering, one way or the other. Instead of being the kid in the tree with the ear cocked, it’s about being the kid mucking about in the dam doing their own thing and then being genuinely happy when a car appears over the ridge.

Are you addicted to stuff happening? Do you get what I mean by the constantly scheduling voice in the head?