Book worm.

Sup nerds. Out of all my orders that I place, I get the most excited when a delivery from Brumby Books arrives at our door! Four in particular are pretty special.

Firstly there's the Louise L Hay 'I Can Do It' 2012 desk calendar. Each day that you peel off has a new affirmation ready and waiting to inspire you. On my bday next year on Feb 2nd (yay for Aquarians!) the affirmation says "I really enjoy the present. Every moment today is special, and I choose to celebrate it". And celebrate I shall ;)

I'm a bit of a frother for Janella Purcell. She's a super qualified lady who's books don't seem to have any ego about them. The book is alphabeticalised by foods and disease states so you can see what foods to avoid, increase and herbal medicines to take too. How convenient...

Do your kiddies have eczema, anxiety, catch every cold that goes around, poor concentration, chronically snotty, bad sleep patterns or restlessness? Don't just blame it on the age they're at. Sue Dengate is the goddess of kids health and I wish this book belonged on EVERY parents bedside table. It talks about the link between childrens behaviour and the foods they eat. The foods aren't just red cordial and Twisties, it's the naughty things that are "hidden" in rice crackers, vegemite, cheese, juice, etc. It's an eye opener to say the least.

Spilt hair dye on your bathroom bench top? Deoderant stains on your red leather jacket? Did your cat drink green food colouring and then peed on your oatmeal-coloured sisal carpet? (These are all REAL questions in the book). Shannon Lush and Jennifer Fleming will be at your rescue! And just for the record, spiders hate lemon oil, mozzies are not fans of lavender oil and peppermint oil deters ants!

So come in and got your nose in our books!!

Spring fling.

Are you guys and girls loving Spring? Me too. I constantly stop in my tracks admiring stunning trees in full bloom, the seductive scent of jasmine floats through the air and nothing improves your quality of life like a stroll on the beach at 6pm after work.

Springtime is all about new beginnings and we start to feel and eat lighter after the slower, heavier months of winter. I frequently flick through my copy of Eating for the Seasons by naturopath Janella Purcell and have made a conscious effort this year to eat and live more seasonally.

As tempting as it is when you catch a waft of mangoes at the supermarket, it’s best to be patient and wait til they are at their peak of ripeness in summer.

When in the kitchen, aim for lightly stir-fried vegies (that still have some crunch to them) and fresh, leafy salads. Feast on green vegies that act as beautiful blood cleansers: green peas, cabbage, green beans, asparagus, bok choy, lettuce, spinach, watercress and silverbeet!

Your liver and gallbladder are more sensitive during spring so be kind to it by cutting back on oils and alcohol and dose up on bitter foods like chamomile, rye and rocket.

The emotions stored in the liver are anger, resentment, irritability and frustration. So think about whom you need to forgive and any grudges that you are hanging onto. And once you’ve done that, get outside and have a play in the garden!

Books for cooks.

Cookbooks seem to be the latest trend, don’t you think? I was biding time in the book shop at the Sydney airport last week and saw cookbooks by actors (Gwyneth Paltrow), designers (Fleur Wood), reality TV show winners (Julie Goodwin) and even the chick from Playschool in the 80s (Monica Trapaga).

Cookbooks have gone from dog-eared Women’s Weekly favourites to glossy, hard covered masterpieces for decorating coffee tables. This is not necessarily a bad thing.

We received an order from Brumby Books on Friday overflowing with inspiring and creative books. One of which being Eating for the Seasons by naturopath Janella Purcell.

Purcell has created this fantastic book based on Asian and naturopathic principles of eating nutrient dense foods, listening to your body as the seasons change and nourishing the particular organs that are more sensitive to that time of year eg. balancing the lungs and colon in autumn and building the blood in preparation for winter.

The book is divided into four sections for each of the four seasons with breakfast, lunch, dinner and desserts designated accordingly.

For example:

Smoked trout, broccolini and lemon pasta in spring

Baked sweet ricotta with mango cheeks in summer

Pumpkin and sesame tarts in autumn

Baked pears with ginger compote in winter

Needless to say that I now have my very own copy strategically placed on my glass coffee table and am making thai fish cakes and nori rolls for dinner tonight because after all, it is autumn.