radiothon with a mexican twist

Regular listeners of RRR need no reminder that it is radiothon time. I’ve written some extra posts in the past week as a special thank you to subscribers and clients. I hope you have enjoyed them.

Today I take you for a quick peek behind the scenes. Here is my wonderful host Nicole Findlay from the Long Grass Sessions in action. Each fortnight she asks me questions on an aspect of health, fields the calls for talkback and makes me feel right at home in the RRR studio.



Not only did she put this week's radiothon show together but found the time to make vegan Monte Carlo biscuits. Inspired by “Vegan Indulgence” published by a recent guest to her show Aduki press - these bikkies were an amazing treat.



My treat to keep Nicole and the wonderful volunteers going through the show was a thermos full of Mexican hot chocolate – dairy-free of course. Inspired by a couple of shows in the past year I wanted to marry a superfood with a super herb. At the tail end of winter a boost of lung warming cinnamon never goes astray. While chocolate, the real stuff without the milk and sugar, has rightful claim to some health giving antioxidant properties.


Hot chocolate with cinnamon

1-2 squares of 100% chocolate (I used Mexican chocolate which was a bargain from Casa Iberica in Fitzroy)
1 cup of rice milk
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp palm sugar
a drop of pure vanilla extract

Warm the milk over low heat in a pot. Add the finely chopped chocolate, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla. Stir gently. Don’t let the mixture boil. When the chocolate has melted take off the heat and use a whisk to froth it up.

Drink straight away.

This is a potent brew, stick to a small serve.

Don’t add sugar if you are using regular, sweetened dark chocolate.

For an authentic twist consider adding a bit of chilli.

For this big batch I used 1 litre of rice milk with about 100 gm of chocolate.



Thanks for subscribing to RRR – it keeps shows like Health Trip on air, gives a much needed outlet for new independent and local music and adds to the rich tapestry that is Melbourne. As a result of money raised in recent radiothons the station is now streamed live over the net all over the world and segments like mine are podcast.

it's that time again

Each year around this time, Australia's largest public radio station has its annual subscriber drive. Radiothon 007 is upon us. Sure there are amazing prizes to be won - and if that's all it takes to make you part with a little bit of cash ($33 concession/$66 waged/$110 business) fantastic! Of course there are lots of giveaways and special events throughout the year that only subs can access. For me there was a a magical summer sunset on a Fitzroy rooftop a few years ago when some of us lucky RRR supporters gathered for an intimate encounter with PJ Harvey - that will be one of the most special subscriber experiences of my life.

I feel very privileged to have been listening to RRR for the last 20 years and doing my little segment for over 15. Your support of the station means that shows like mine and the diversity that is RRR can continue to go to air. For all those new, old, lifetime and even tentative subs - I thank you.