Old Fashioned Caramel Corn

Popcorn is fabulous stuff. It is gluten-free and fat-free. That is until you embellish it with butter, toffee or chocolate.

This is the old fashioned recipe that used to be on the popcorn bag from the supermarket. It is fast, easy and delicious. I used to make piles of it for movie nights with my boys. 
It also makes a great gift packed in cellophane bags tied with a ribbon. 






Ingredients
1/3 cup popcorn (If you are thinking healthy, use 1/2 cup to spread out the butter and sugar.)
Note: Use the traditional popcorn that comes in a plastic bag at the supermarket, not the microwave butter popcorn.
60g butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp honey
1/4 crushed nuts (Optional, but nuts are delicious.)



Method
1. Cook popcorn according to instructions on the packet. Do not add anything extra. 
2. Place in large bowl. Remove any unpopped kernels. 




3. Place butter, sugar and honey in small saucepan.

4. Bring to the boil. Boil for 4 minutes or until caramel colour, stirring occasionally. 
 WARNING.
        Caramel is HOT!







5. Add nuts to bowl of popcorn and pour caramel over.
6. Stir thoroughly with spoon.
7. Spread out on baking tray lined with baking paper. Press down a little so that it sticks together.
8. Allow to cool for approximately 5 minutes or place in fridge for 2 minutes.
9. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container. 

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Enjoy your popcorn. Annabelle.

RIPE ENERGY. Health & happiness for 50-something women and beyond

Written by Ashley Dawson-Damer

It wasn't the "50-something women and beyond" portion of the title that attracted me to this book. Rather it was the relaxed and welcoming smile. I have reached the age of 50 and sometimes I sure do feel it, so I was sure there was something in the book for me. Books by Australian authors always have an added attraction because we have a different way of expressing ourselves. We write as if we are talking to a mate or our next door neighbour.

This book is a woman's story - Ashley's story. A story of reaching the age of 50+, passing through menopause, ferrying her children through adolescence, maintaining her marriage, being widowed and being happy to admit her age.   

I have to admit, I didn't learn an amazing new way of living, a fabulous wrinkle-removing cosmetic surgery procedure or how to retire before turning 50. What this book did do for me was renew my resolve to live and eat a healthy and simple diet, exercise regularly and put time in to consciously relax.

Ashley's principles are to drink a lot of water and eat a healthy organic diet. At no stage, does she advocate becoming a vegetarian or beyond, or abstinence from the good stuff for the rest of your life. Her argument is also that any exercise is better than none. I can relate to that.    

The book is written in a conversational style with some biographical content. The examples that Ashley gives are from her own life and so you gain an understanding of who she really is. 

I recommend this book for anyone who is looking to get back on track with a healthy lifestyle. It is a relaxing book to read with a few simple messages. That is what I need to remain focused on having a healthy life.    

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Photo courtesy of the Book Depository. The best online bookstore in Australia.

Sweet Roasted Macadamia Nuts

I love nuts. They are my weakness and I will dine on them any way I can- raw, salted, in stirfries, biscuits, chocolate coated. Absolutely any way.




Macadamias are my favourite. They are round and smooth and I have fond memories of sitting on the front steps cracking the hard shells open using a brick on the pavers as a child. Packed with minerals, antioxidants, vitamins and phytosterols, they are also good for you. Plus, they are gluten-free. However, 100g of raw nuts contains almost 3000 kilojoules (718 calories)!

One of my trusted Christmas gifts is home roasted sweet macadamias. I cook up kilos of them and pack them in little jars or plastic containers festooned with ribbons. They take little effort and can be produced in less than two hours including a scurry to the supermarket for the ingredients. 

I hope you enjoy cooking these little delights. 

Ingredients

2 cups of raw shelled macadamia nuts
1 egg white2/3 cup castor sugar (note: white or raw sugar can be used instead)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (note: I prefer Dutch cinnamon as it has a more intense flavour)  

Note. This is not an exact recipe. I start with 2 cups of nuts and continue to add them to the mixture while there is still plenty of coating on each nut. 


Method

1. Preheat oven to 160 celsius. 
2. Beat egg white in large bowl until bubbles form.
3. Add sugar and cinnamon.
4. Beat until well mixed.  





5. Add nuts. Mix until well coated. 










6. Spread in a single layer on a baking tray 
lined with baking paper. 








7. Bake for 30 minutes. Stirring every 10 minutes to separate. 

8. Allow to cool on tray before separating and packing.

One woman's career journey to Antarctica

Leading on the Edge, written in 2013  is the work of Rachael Robertson, a Australian, who, after graduating from university and getting her first job in PR realized that she didn’t really like PR at all, but in her words, “Very few decisions in life are irreversible, so make some!”

Rachael’s career progressed and in 2005, she was seconded to the Australian Antarctic Division from her job as a senior manager at Parks Victor to become the leader of the 58^th Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition to Davis Station. She is only the second female to ever lead a team at the station.  Since returning to Australia from the 12 month expedition, Rachael has completed her MBA and is now working in the field of leadership management.  

In this book, Rachael shares the lessons she learned as leader in the wilds of Antarctica. Leading eighteen strangers around the clock for a full year—through months of darkness and with no escape from the frigid cold, howling winds, and each other, she learned powerful lessons about what real, authentic leadership is. Here, she offers a deeply honest and humorous account of what it takes to survive and lead in the harshest environment on Earth. What emerges from her graphic account of what it is like to take charge when you have no place to hide is a series of powerful and practical lessons for business leaders and managers everywhere.

There is a myriad of lessons that the reader can take away from this book. A few examples:

• ·         Positive change comes from the ground up.
• ·         Empathy goes a long way.
• ·         Leadership is a lifelong journey. There is always room to grow.  

This book is written in a conversational style that gives the reader the choice to either take it as a story or use it as a management primer. There are excerpts from her diary that provide added insight but at times create repetition. 

So what can I use from this book that will help ease my way over the difficult times ahead? I am continually amazed by the generosity of others to help, however, It is my responsibility to make my own way. Small changes everyday to make life easier make room to enjoy the ordinary and the ordinary is what life is all about. I want to be ordinary and not treated as special, but I know that there are people waiting to help. I only have to ask.  

It is well worth reading and not an arduous task. Give it a go.

Book cover photo with thanks from 

The Book Depository  

http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=fiftyfabulousstories

My First Post

I have decided to write a Blog!

Why? Because I have always wanted to.

Why has it taken me so long? Because I had no idea what to write about.

Now I have a reason. I have been diagnosed with adhesive capsulitis. 
FFS for short. It stands for F****** Frozen Shoulder but that's not a pleasant name for a blog so it stands for "Fifty Fabulous Stories."

It's a good name because the blog isn't about my frozen shoulder. It's about my insights, the strategies I use and actions I take to continue to enjoy life while the FFS tries to take over my life (and loses!)

Here you will find book reviews, pretty pictures, tasty recipes, health tips and anything else I find useful in life at the moment. HAPPY READING and check back soon for another post.

~~< Anne >~~