Whale Waves and Rainbows, Grace and Pikelets with Fresh Strawberry Sauce

Today dear readers marks the first day of Spring on the South Coast. I hope you all had a great weekend and tonight I share with you Whale Waves and Rainbows, Grace and  Pikelets with Fresh Strawberry Sauce. Happy Reading xo♥
Whale Waves and Rainbows
The last day of winter was a mixed bag, sunshine, rainbows and rain. We got up early for a walk to beat the showers that loomed ominously in dark clouds on the horizon. I am so glad we did. The wildlife was certainly putting on a great show. We saw this whale lazily waving a fin in our direction, there was actually a pod of three, we could hear them blow from the boardwalk and here their fins slapping against the water as they lolled around. I also had a close encounter with a small bandicoot and some small grey and red birds which I believe may have been wild finches? The bandicoot and birds were a little camera shy and didn't much like staying still for more than a nano second.

The scenes below to me depict something from an ancient seafarers tale, men in a rowing boat coming across a pod of whales in calm seas......

Just think how amazing would it be to see this so close up, these whales are popping their heads up to say hello! 

To top off the walk, the most beautiful rainbow appeared on the coast hills and stretched across the harbour, the last day of winter on the South Coast. 

Grace 

Most of us have heard music by the late great Jeff Buckley from his only studio album "Grace" which was released in 1994. There is one song which resonates deeply with me, for reasons which I won't explain here and that is Last Goodbye. Please take a moment to listen to this beautiful song. The Album "Grace" was released on 23 August 1994 and the 20th Anniversary has just passed us by in August 2014. 

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For those who are fans of, or just want to learn more about the music and life of Jeff Buckley, I refer you to the fabulous J-Files on DoubleJ. You can read and hear more here:

 http://doublej.net.au/programs/jfiles/jeff-buckley

"Jeff Buckley's voice is one of the most enduring sounds of the 1990s. His music still holds power, despite it being 20 years since the release of his only studio album Grace and over 17 years since his untimely death. Interviews with Buckley expose his unpredictable character ranging from quiet and guarded to candid and revealing. 
Either way, one thing’s for sure: Jeff Buckley could never be relied on for an easy interview." quote from : http://doublej.net.au/programs/jfiles/jeff-buckley

Pikelets with Fresh Strawberry Sauce
What to make when you have an impromptu afternoon tea? Why Pikelets with Fresh Strawberry Sauce. These are so yummy and a great way to use up those tasty fresh strawberries. I substituted white SR Flour, Caster Sugar and milk for wholemeal SR Flour, Coconut Sugar and HiLo milk. I also used coconut oil to grease the frypan instead of butter. Try them for yourself! 

Pikelets with Fresh Strawberry Sauce

Ingredients: Pikelets

1 cup wholemeal self-raising flour

1 tablespoon coconut sugar

3/4 cup (185ml) milk

1  free range egg

Virgin coconut oil

Ingredients: Fresh Strawberry Sauce

400g strawberries, washed and topped

Raw Honey to taste 

Method - Pikelets

Mix flour and sugar together into a bowl with a pinch of salt.

Whisk milk and egg together, then add to dry ingredients, whisking until smooth.

Heat a non-stick pan melt a little virgin coconut oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan.

Drop level tablespoonfuls of the mixture into the pan and cook until bubbles appear on the surface.

Flip the pikelets and cook other side for around  1 minute or until golden.

Allow to cool and serve with fresh strawberry sauce.

Method: Fresh Strawberry Sauce

Place strawberries and raw honey (to taste) into a food processor and blitz until a sauce like consistency. Serve with Pikelets, icecream or pancakes :) 

Dear readers, I hope you enjoyed reading Whale Waves and Rainbows, Grace and  Pikelets with Fresh Strawberry Sauce. See you all on Wednesday for a new edition of Wednesday Wishes x