Travelling Domestically on a Restricted Diet

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol Reintroduction, Bliss Balls, Domestic Travel, Travel, Travel Food, Travel Tips, Travelling on the Autoimmune Protocol, Travelling with Food Restrictions

(Image by TSL)

I’m currently on the Autoimmune Protocol, a nutrient-rich elimination diet that removes foods that irritate the gut, cause gut imbalance and activate the immune system. You can read more about the protocol and why I’m doing this here.

The reintroduction stage of my autoimmune protocol adventure has finally arrived. That means I have started reintroducing foods that have previously been excluded. This is managed in a very systematic way – one food at a time, starting with things that are least likely to cause a problem (or that I miss the most!). I’m keeping a food journal and recording any unusual symptoms or changes in mood. Honestly? – it’s actually proving to be more work that strict AIP!

My doctor told me I had to stop throwing intimate dinners for four unless there are three other people. (Orson Welles)

I’m currently travelling interstate (I’m typing this from my hotel room).

More precisely, I’m having six lovely days in Melbourne catching up with study-buddies, touching base with old friends and – hopefully – establishing a few new connections. LM is not with me. I’m flying solo.

And, just like with my tendency to over-pack, I prepared w a y too much food to take with me. BUT! – I want to minimise the risk of contamination… (Turns out I was contaminated anyway, but at least I gave it a good hard go, yes?)

Travelling on a restricted diet is not so easy. Not by a rather huge margin. And, because it takes so much bloody work, LM thought I should share a few of the foods (and beverages) I carried with me.

First, if at all possible, book accommodation with a kitchen

Really. It will make life so much easier. A decent fridge, a sink to wash up, and basic cookware allows you the freedom to shop for fresh ingredients upon arrival and to store them easily.

I find having provisions on hand means I’m less likely to give into pressure to ‘fall off the wagon’ and, it’s definitely cheaper.

Then, prepare a few foods to take with you

In my case, since I have recently reintroduced coffee, I needed my dairy-free creamer.

I also figured that breakfast is a particularly difficult ask at a restaurant when eggs, grains and dairy are off the menu, so I prepared for that.

And of course, snacks are always welcome!

(Most of) My Interstate Travel Haul
L – R: Jaffa Balls, Mackerel in olive oil, Filtered Water (in red flask), Dark Chocolate, Organic Coconut Oil, Seeded crackers, Dairy-Free Creamer (in silver flask), AIP Reintroduction-compliant Breakfast Crunch.
(Image by TSL)

In case you have any interest, here are links to the recipes for some of the items above:

• My choc-orange ‘Jaffa Balls’ are my current favourite snack ball. I reckon they’re a winner (and they went down a treat with the Melbourne crew)
• The Dairy-Free Creamer is, I reckon’, my best invention ever. Especially if you want the milkiness of a flat white or a latte, but can’t do dairy or soy (and find straight almond milk too watery)
• The very talented Alexx Stuart created this particular Breakfast Crunch recipe. It’s a nut & seed number with some cacao and cinnamon thrown in for added flavour. Frankly, it rocks! – Especially when eaten with coconut yoghurt and fresh berries
• The seeded crackers are a wee number I’m still perfecting. Trust me – you’ll be the first to know when I’m happy with them.

Chilly Bin (NZ for cooler bag!) and my TSL House Fermented Vegetables
(Image by TSL)

 Next, when you arrive at your destination – head to the nearest organic or whole foods store

Seriously. Do not pass go. Have a shopping list prepared and make it a priority to get ‘compliant’ food into your temporary kitchen. I promise you won’t regret it.

Finally, should accidental contamination happen, try not to let it ruin your trip…

Dining out at restaurants (which I have not done in 9 months) means you will have less control over what goes into the pot or pan with your clean food – even with every precaution you can possibly take. If you do have a flare, try to pick yourself up and get back on the horse. Stressing about it will only make things worse.

And, as soon as you get home, you will be back in charge again.

Vivid Sydney 2013 – Lights. Camera. Action!

Tags

Art, Art Installation, Arts, Australia, Circular Quay, Colour, Festival, Light Show, Sydney, Sydney Harbour, Sydney Opera House, Travel, Vivid Sydney

Vivid Sydney 2013
Sydney Harbour Bridge
(Image by TSL)

If you’re a long-time TSL reader, you may remember my post on the Vivid Sydney 2012 light show. Honestly, I find it hard to believe it has been a year – almost to the day – since LM and I last attended the light spectacular that is Vivid Sydney. Well, it has been a whole year – and on Saturday night we joined the thousands and thousands of fellow Sydney-siders (young and old, big and small, bipedal and the doggie kind – they were all out in force) to check out this year’s lighting installations. I gotta’ tell you, we were not disappointed. Sydney’s annual Vivid Festival is a w e s o m e…

We splashed out and kicked off our evening with a pre-walk meal at the ever consistent ‘Guillaume at Bennelong’.

Vivid Sydney 2013
Sydney Opera House Light Installation from Inside ‘Guillaume at Bennelong’ Restaurant
(Images by TSL)

My best secret tip to avoiding the crowds for Vivid is to head up to the Cahill Walkway that runs next to the Cahill Expressway and then winds down through the rocks.

Vivid Sydney 2013
The Custom House from the Cahill Expressway
(Image by TSL)

Vivid Sydney 2013
Circular Quay from the Cahill Expressway
(Image by TSL)

Vivid Sydney 2013
Museum of Contemporary Art from the Cahill Expressway
(Image by TSL)

There were lots of surprising wee pockets to hunt down…

Vivid Sydney 2013
‘Praxis Makes Perfect’ Installation at Walsh Bay
An amazing animation series against a building wall
(Images by TSL)

Vivid Sydney 2013
‘Moths to a Flame’ Installation at Walsh Bay
(Image by TSL)

Vivid Sydney 2013
‘Sky Grass’ Installation at Circular Quay
(Images by TSL)

Lunar Park was all lit up…

Vivid Sydney 2013
Novotel at Walsh Bay
(Image by TSL)

Of course, The Sydney Opera House took centre stage…

Vivid Sydney
Sydney Opera House Lights Up
(Images by TSL)

But, the Custom House was pretty incredible, too.

Vivid Sydney 2013
The Custom House Lights Up…
(Images by TSL)

Vivid Sydney’s light installations kick off every night at 6pm until 10 June 2013. Seriously worth a look-see!

So much more than a rat with a cuter outfit, S.J.P…

Tags

animals, Australia, London, New Zealand, Outdoors, Recreation, Sarah Jessica Parker, Squirrel, Travel

A squirrel is just a rat with a cuter outfit! (Sarah Jessica Parker)

We don’t have squirrels here in Australia. Nor did we have them in New Zealand. The animal that comes closest, for me, is the possum. Australia protects possums. I have no idea why – perhaps because they are native to here. In New Zealand, they are considered vermin. Some enterprising Kiwis make hats and gloves out of their fur. It’s very snuggly.

My first encounter with squirrels was as a teenager. My family had travelled to Frankfurt for a white Christmas with my German Grandmother. My wonderful Omi would feed the birds and the squirrels in feeders outside the large picture window in front of her garden. The squirrels would appear from the eaves and shamelessly watch us from the safety of the other side of the glass. They fascinated me. I spent ages looking out for them. I have had a soft spot for them ever since.

O sweet September, they first breezes bring dry leaf’s rustle and the squirrel’s laughter, the cool fresh air whence health and vigour spring and promise of exceeding joy hereafter. (George Arnold)

I suspect Londoners laugh at tourists taking happy snaps of the squirrels while wandering through Hyde Park, but that didn’t matter to me as LM and I encountered this little guy during one of walks…

Hyde Park Squirrel – take I
(Image by TSL)

Hyde Park Squirrel – take II
(Image by TSL)

Hyde Park Squirrel – take III
(Image by TSL)

Hyde Park Squirrel – take IV
(Image by TSL)

Hyde Park Squirrel – take V
(Image by TSL)

Hyde Park Squirrel – take VI
(Image by TSL)

Hyde Park Squirrel – take VII
(Image by TSL)

Good Bye Mr Squirrel…
(Image by TSL)

 

Abigail Ahern is the business…

Tags

Abigail, Abigail Ahern, Boris, Design, Dogs, food, Islington, Lighting, London, Ottolenghi, Travel, vegetarian, Yotam Ottolenghi

Way back in March, I wrote about the fabulous Abigail Ahern bulldog lamps (read about it here) that I so coveted…

Abigail Ahern
(Image from here)

Famed for her edgy, eclectic taste, Abigail runs her super funky North London design school & boutique, Atelier Abigail Ahern, in between blogging and creating amazing spaces. She is a total design ‘it’ girl, and funny and warm to boot. I was lucky enough to attend one of her recent Design School sessions in Sydney and it was fab’ (but that’s another story).

Anyhoo, as you can imagine, I was most excited to have the opportunity to visit Atelier Abigail Ahern in Islington while I was in London. So, under the guise of a dining experience at Ottolenghi (conveniently located just across the road), LM trooped out to Upper Street for a wee look-see at Abigail’s flagship with me…

I was not disappointed. However, I did not walk away with one of the bulldog lamps. No, I did not. Rather, after falling madly in love, I am soon to be in possession of a most gorgeous Mungo Bulldog Lamp. I have named him ‘Boris’ – in honour of our recent trip to London.

Mungo Bulldog Lamp from Atelier Abigail Ahern
(Image by TSL)

I gotta’ say – the lovely Ainsley and her pooch, Bailey looked after us so well. ‘Boris’ is being shipped to us here in Sydney, along with a couple of other wee treasures. AND, when Ainsley heard we had some time to kill before our dinner, she sent us off to ‘The Bar With No Name‘ at 69 Colebrook Row for a wee beverage. If you are ever in the area, take it from me, it’s well worth a small detour…

AND, Ottolenghi was everything I had hoped to experience and more. I have long been a fan of Yotam Ottolenghi’s food since acquiring his vegetarian cookbook, Plenty. It is sublime (and I am no vegetarian). If you are not already a convert, I encourage you to check it out.

I leave you with a wee shot of Bailey on the couch at Atelier Abigail Ahern…

Bailey
(Image by TSL)

Atelier Abigail Ahern can be found at 137 Upper Street, Islington, London, N1 1QP. Ottolenghi can be found at 287 Upper Street, London, N1 2TZ.

TSL est de retour de vacances!

Tags

Big Ben, Borough Market, England, Holidays, James Weldon Johnson, London, Rodney Dangerfield, Sydney, Travel

I thought of Paris as a beauty spot on the face of the earth, and of London as a big freckle. (James Weldon Johnson)

Hello to all you loyal TSL readers who have hung in there during my hiatus from blog-world! Thanks for sticking around and I do hope you are all well! I’m looking forward to catching up…

LM and I have returned from the northern hemisphere. As one might expect, we over indulged and had four weeks of excess. It was wonderful!

Back to reality in Sydney, and also the start of summer (Mango season has started – yay!) We tootled off to the farmers market yesterday. Great to be back but perhaps not quite as extensive as Borough Market in London…

Borough Market
We’re not in Redfern now, Kylie…
(Image by TSL)

Borough Market
Enough to tempt even the most stoic of those attempting a dairy-free existence…
(Image by TSL)

Borough Market
One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish…
(Images by TSL)

Borough Market
A rainbow of offerings…
(Image by TSL)

Borough Market
I’ve never seen this in Sydney…
(Image by TSL)

Borough Market
Anybody for pork pie?
(Image by TSL)

Borough Market
It’s enough to make even the most anti of mushroom eaters reconsider…
(Image by TSL)

Borough Market
Care for some truffles with your mushrooms…?
(Image by TSL)

Borough Market
Or, perhaps you’d like to select your jamon of choice…?
(Image by TSL)

Borough Market
Cheerio, Borough Market…
(Image by TSL)

My cousins gay, he went to London only to find out that Big Ben was a clock. (Rodney Dangerfield)*

*No reason for the quote. Just tickled my fancy, although I do have a gay cousin! Pretty sure he already knows Big Ben is a clock…

TSL est toujours en vacances

Tags

Audrey Hepburn, Chocolate, Eiffel Tower, Fashion, food, France, French language, Mona Lisa, Musee Rodin, Paris, secrets of paris, Sydney, The Louvre, Travel

No introduction required…
(Image by TSL)

Paris is always a good idea. (Audrey Hepburn)

Bonjour TSL readers! A wee post from not-so-sunny Paris where LM and I are enjoying our last couple of days before crossing the channel…

Some observations:

1. Raspberries are so much better here than at home. I have been scoffing them at a rate of knots. I can’t express how much I love them. Seriously yummy!

2. Despite not speaking any French (beyond the extreme basics), LM has mastered the art of Gallic posturing and shoulder shrugs. He’s a natural. Who would’ve thunk it? Quite endearing, really.

3. Sydney would be a better city with a Metro like the one in Paris. No question.

4. Sometimes, (like today) I wish you could pick a new pair of feet when it feels like you have worn your old ones out. All this walking wears a girl out!

…and, some happy snaps as promised. I am not known for my photography skills, and more often than not forget to take pictures (its hereditary) so, apologies in advance!:

Hermes Flagship Store in Paris
Formerly a public swimming pool, now a super luxe example of how Hermes gets it right. Wow!
(image by TSL)

Louis Vuitton Flagship Store in Paris
Looking up at the most amazing atrium in the Louis Vuitton store on the Champs Elysees (& MJ, he didn’t buy the boat shoes!)
(Image by TSL)

A La Mere de Famille
The very lovely Heather from Secrets of Paris introduced us to ‘Les Folies de L’Ecureuil’ (the misadventures of the squirrel) from this fabulous chocolate shop. Yummo!
(Image by TSL)

Musee Rodin
One of my very favourite places to visit in Paris
(Image by TSL)

The most famous painting in the world…
What I imagine an average day in front of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre looks like
(Image by TSL)

Museum of Decorative Arts
…and right next door to the Louvre, gorgeous tapestries (among other things) from the 15th Century can be seen with nobody else in the room… Go figure!
(Image by TSL)

A dinner of snails, anyone…?
(Image by TSL)

On the Pont de l’Archeveché
LM being mysterious and interesting
(Image by TSL)

The Padlocks of Pont de l’Archeveché
(Image by TSL)

Do hope you are all well at your end. I shall try and pop in again from London.

A bientôt

TSL est en vacances…

Tags

France, French, Holiday, London, Paris, Quote, Steve Martin, Travel

Image from Favim.com

Boy, those French. They have a different word for everything. (Steve Martin)

Hard to believe the trip to Paris and London is finally here, but it is! I’ll be off-line for four weeks while LM and I tootle around the city of light and old London-town for a while.

Please keep my seat warm for me until I return, and if I get the opportunity I’ll post some happy snaps of the journey…

Au revoir, my blogging buddies!

La boutique des Boîtes à Musique d’Anna Joliet

Tags

Anna Joliet, Boites a Musique, Colette, Design, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, La boutique des Boîtes à Musique d'Anna Joliet, La vie en rose, Love me tender, Music, Music Box, Nostalgia, Palais Royal, Paris, Shopping, The Beatles, Travel, Yesterday

Ballerina Music Box
(Image from here)

Growing up, my sister and I were not part of the ‘ballet set’. Not even when we were very young. For starters, neither one of us would have been seen dead in pale pink. Not for us the pink leotards and hair ribbons. I didn’t even have one of those ballerina music boxes. Instead, my Mum’s godmother sent me a beautiful pillow, all the way from Germany, which – if I remember correctly – somehow played Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and smelled divine. I loved that pillow.

I do not recall ever feeling hard done by for not having a music box growing up, but I do vividly remember how I felt on one of my early visits to Paris when I discovered La boutique des Boîtes à Musique d’Anna Joliet (Anna Joliet’s Music Box boutique). This enchanting (and tiny) shop at the northern end of the Jardin du Palais Royal specialises in music boxes, both new and old, from Switzerland.

Boites a Musique Palais Royal
(Image from here)

Boites a Musique Music Box
(Image from here)

For almost three decades the store has occupied the same corner, next to a sign proclaiming that the writer Colette passed her last years here by the northern edge of the gardens of the Palais Royal. There’s hardly any room to move in the store, but it doesn’t matter because the melodies instantly transport you to your childhood (even when it didn’t feature music boxes!).

There are music boxes for every budget, some tiny cardboard containers with the inner workings displayed for less than 10 euros, or a gilded cage of warbling birds that costs upwards of 3,000 euros. I still have the small one I bought 20 years ago. It plays ‘Yesterday‘.

Boites a Musique Music Box
This is not my wee music box
(Image from here)

There may only be one thing for sale in Anna Joliet’s shop, but there is a seemingly endless variety of melodies from which to choose – from the classic “La Vie en Rose” to the wind-up tinkle of Elvis Presley’s “Love Me Tender” and the Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine.”

I shall be visiting again…

(Image from here)

Destination Victor Churchill – Meat-lover’s Paradise…

Tags

Butcher, Charcuterie, Cooking, Design, food, Meat, Nat King Cole, Peter Gilmore, Protein, Retail, Sydney, Travel, Victor Churchill

Victor Churchill Shop Front
(Image from here)

Primarily I’m a meat man, although once in a while I toy with a few vegetables. (Nat King Cole)

If you ask LM what he’d like to do on a lazy Sunday, he will suggest a visit to Victor Churchill’s. It’s his happy place.

When my father comes to visit from New Zealand, he considers Victor Churchill a favourite destination. We bought him a full-day Charcuterie course for Christmas last year. He was not disappointed (and we dined extremely well on his confit of duck).

Peter Gilmore, Executive Chef of Quay restaurant – which currently sits at number 29 in the San Pelligrino top 50 – says it’s his favourite food shop anywhere in the world. If its good enough for Peter, I reckon it’s worth a blog post…

The original Victor Churchill’s was established in 1876. Father and son team, Victor and Anthony Puharich, founders of the highly regarded Vic’s Premium Quality Meats, are the fourth owners of the butcher shop in its 136 year history.

Inside, it is a shrine to protein and has literally changed the way people look at butcheries. It’s got major bells and whistles in the form of a Himalayan salt-brick wall and the kind of visual merchandising you would more likely associate with high-end fashion (in fact it has been dubbed the Tiffany’s of butcher shops) but it more than backs up with a superb meat and poultry.

If you consider yourself a meat-lover or a foodie, or you just love great design, this is one spot to add to the list when you visit Sydney…

Victor Churchill Shop Interior
(Image from here)

Victor Churchill Himalayan Rock Salt Wall
(Image from here)

Victor Churchill Rotisserie
(Image from here)

Victor Churchill – the product!
(Image from here)

We have some good friends visiting from Auckland next weekend. I have suggested to them we might plan a visit to Victor Churchill on Saturday so they can hand-select their protein of choice for the barbecue that evening…

Victor Churchill can be found at 132 Queen Street, Woollahra. The shop is open 7 days AND if you happen to live is a selected part of Sydney, they deliver. For those of you who just want a squizz at the fabulousness that is Victor Churchill, check out their website here.

Brick Bay Sculpture Trail – Showcasing Some Great NZ Art

Tags

Art Collecting, Gregor Kregar, Jeff Thomson, Konstantin Dimopoulos, Lucy Bucknall, Mary-Louise Browne, Neil Dawson, New Zealand, New Zealand Art, Sculpture, Sculpture Trail, Terry Stringer, Travel, Visual Arts

‘Whare’ by Neil Dawson (Brick Bay Sculpture Trail)
2009
Powder Coated and screen printed stainless steel
(Image by TSL)

Flew home from New Zealand last night (and am giving myself a small pat on the back for getting a blog post out to you this morning!) I thought you might like to read about the very worthwhile Brick Bay Sculpture Trail which I visited on Saturday morning – before the heavens opened.

If you are ever in the neighbourhood – yes, even those of you from Texas and Vancouver and London and, and, and… well, this is one to put on the NZ bucket list. It really is a wonderful way to while away and hour or two.

A 50 minute drive north of Auckland, the walk itself is an outdoor gallery experience, where an ever-changing exhibition of around 45 sculptures by leading New Zealand artists are sensitively sited along the 2km trail. As you walk the path, you experience sculpture framed by native trees and palms, surrounded by bird life and green pastures.

All sculptures are for sale and change regularly as works are sold.

Some of the works are pictured below – I’d love to know if you have a favourite.

‘The Blue Trees’ by Konstantin Dimopoulos (Brick Bay Sculpture Trail)
December 2011 – June 2012
(Image by TSL)

The Blue Trees by Konstantin Dimopoulos is Brick Bay’s Temporary Artist Project for summer. Firstly realised in Melbourne, Australia then in Vancouver, Canada and now at Brick Bay, the artist is taking The Blue Trees around the world. 

Dimopoulos transformed native manuka trees at Brick Bay into an electric ultramarine blue walkway using biodegradable pigment. The vibrant Blue Trees call to attention the issue of deforestation and its impact on global warming. Every year some 800,000 miles of forest are felled, trees which breathe for the planet, and without them temperatures rise. Often overlooked in daily life, trees are enormously important to our survival.

The ultramarine pigment is biologically safe within a water base and classified as a non-hazardous substance, harmless to humans and the natural world. Over time the colour naturally degrades and trees return to their natural state.

‘Figure in a Landscape’ by Terry Stringer (Brick Bay Sculpture Trail)
2011
Bronze
(Images by TSL)

A rosebush becomes a hand-held rosebud which then becomes a woman with a flower as a head.

‘Matthew 12:12 Cup 2011’ by Gregor Kregar (Brick Bay Sculpture Trail)
2011
Porcelain
(Images by TSL)

Matthew 12:12 Cup 2011 is an exhibition by sculptor Gregor Kregar featuring a collection of new porcelain sheep in national rugby jerseys, set to coincide with the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Kregar continues his practice of displacing and disrupting the everyday to allow new and unexpected meanings to emerge. For this New Zealand based artist, nothing is quite as ubiquitous as sheep. They are a national icon, an economic mainstay and an unmistakable feature of the livestock landscape.

‘Awaiting Transportation’ by Lucy Bucknall (Brick Bay Sculpture Trail)
2009
Phosphor Bronze
(Image by TSL)

Here they are, two otters, sporting their Sunday-best hats, laden with luggage, waiting at the station for the next part of their journey. Awaiting Transportation reflects the artist’s thoughts about issues that she visits regularly in her art. A key theme is that of migration and its connotations of displacement, which is intensified in the context of forced migration in wartime. This leads to considerations of war, the adversity it creates, its effect on people’s lives. In Awaiting Transportation the small Star of David on the suitcase is redolent with memories of the plight of the Jews in Europe during World War II. Here, awaiting transportation to an unknown destination is a proud married couple dressed up in their finery, literally putting their best foot forward. With a trusting innocence, believing Nazi propaganda, they have dutifully packed their belongings in readiness for a journey to ‘another place’.

‘Live Wire’ by Mary-Louise Browne (Brick Bay Sculpture Trail)
2009
Neon
(Image by TSL)

Live Wire is exactly that – bright, electrifying and ‘alive’. This piece continues Mary Louise Browne’s fascination with highlighting the intricacies and complexities of the English language. Described as a sculptor of words, Browne explores the ways that meanings in language can proliferate. In her sequential carved works she walks us step by step, word by word, through the evolution of an idea, Body to Soul, Rain to Mist, Rape to Ruin. In her neon works she makes clever, pithy comments on language and on concepts, as she investigates the sculptural material and the visual power of language.

‘Dinghy’ by Jeff Thomson (Brick Bay Sculpture Trail)
2004
Corrugated iron, paint
(Image by TSL)

I love Jeff Thomson’s work (as you can see here in a previous post which features an image of the artist rowing this Dinghy!)

The enchanting Dinghy fashioned from corrugated iron is characteristically Jeff Thomson. The artist manages to transform this basic, cold material into an inviting work of art. Not simply a sculpture, this piece is an actual boat.

I could go on and on with images – the trail is full of wonderful pieces, but perhaps you should have a look at the website (here) if you’d like to see more.