Inspiration. Where do you get yours from?

Inspiration.  It fuels my creativity. It motivates me to be the best version of myself. It drives me.

At CrossFit, I get inspiration from the people around me. The CrossFit women, who I aspire to be as strong as, as committed as, as driven as. Bear, who pushes himself to be better every single time. The personal battles that each individual fights when they push through a WoD. So I utilise this; I channel this. I watch the more experienced CrossFit women in their workouts and in competition; I workout behind Bear where possible, because his efforts inspire my efforts; and I remind myself of the battles that others are fighting, when I feel like my one is just too hard.

In life, I am inspired by my friends and my family. My father, who has battled back from serious illness and major heart surgery; who now enjoys all the activities he used to before his illness. My mother, who carries on like a trooper, supporting us through all our crises; who, at almost 61, is still prepared to give water-skiing a go, and now even CrossFit; and who is a demon in the kitchen. My gorgeous aunt and cousins, who still grieve their husband/father but have found a way to carry on and find happiness in life. My grandparents, who have experienced so many trials and still remain strong, independent, and committed to their family. My friend, who has battled cancer three times, and still faces life head-on, positive and motivated. Bear, who has had 18 months of battles, yet constantly amazes me by his self-awareness, his concern for others, and his strength. I could keep going – the list is endless – but you get the idea…

In the kitchen, I am inspired by recipes I find on the net or in recipe books; by my Cuisine magazines (generously gifted to me by my brothers); by meals eaten out at restaurants or at friends’ places; and by dishes that my Mum makes.

This recipe was inspired by the homemade tomato sauce that Mum used to make. I remember going out to the ‘countryside’ to get the tomatoes, the big preserving pot bubbling away on the stove, and the incredible smell wafting through the house. I remember pouring the sauce out onto the newsprint paper that Friday night fish and chips came wrapped in. I remember the tomato-shaped container that it was always kept in. And I remember the family time that was associated with it.

Obviously I don’t really eat fish and chips anymore, but nothing beats a tasty tomato-based sauce. I especially like hickory sauce. So I have tried to adapt Mum’s original recipe to incorporate primal eating and a smoked hickory flavour…

Hils’ Smokin’ Hickory Sauce

2kg tomatoes*

500ml red wine vinegar

40g rock salt

½ tsp cayenne pepper

2 cloves garlic

500g apples

3 large onions

3 tbsp liquid smoke

½ cup maple syrup (if you want to be strict paleo, you can leave this out, but maybe reduce the salt)

In a muslin bag:

            ½ tsp black peppercorns

            ½ tsp whole all spice

            15g whole cloves

            2 star anise

Cut tomatoes, apples & onions. Put all ingredients into a large saucepan. Boil 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Use a stick blender or food processor to mix.

*Thanks to Nikki & Josh for the homegrown organic Roma tomatoes!

Inspiration. Where do you get yours from?