shoe of the week

Why thank you Bottega Veneta, don't mind if I do. Any time is Mary Jane time and these are just what I need for a pair of everywhere shoes. I could wear them everywhere, with anything, with a grin spreading across my face. If only my bank account would agree...

going off

I just went one hour and 23 minutes without an internet connection, which promptly made me realise I was addicted to the damned thing. Seriously, if I'd turned on a tap and there was no water I'd shrug and realise that it'd come back on eventually - but my internet? Oh, I refreshed, checked mail, re-started, pushed in every single plug that seemed remotely connected to my mac, and had more than a small whizzy.

It's back now, so I can settle down. Whew.

rear window

The precipitation we're currently experiencing brings new gravitas to the phrase "bucketing down". It's not just raining cats and dogs - it's pouring elephants and rhinos. This is the view from my kitchen window where big fat raindrops the size of baby's fists are hammering down on the surface of the pool - which is about 2mm from overflowing.

Since the Newcastle floods a few years back it's hard not to experience anxiety when the rain is so harsh and unrelenting. Luckily we don't seem to be experiencing the king tides at the beach which fought with the rain trying to escape the storm water drains.

The romance of the sound of rain on a tin roof is sounding a bit hollow these days...

motorin' mama

I'm unusual for a girl in that I really like cars. My head will swivel at the sight of a cool set of wheels - particularly vintage ones, with fins. Despite this, since having a child I've gone all sensible with my wheels. When hubby and I met he owned a cute little Morris Minor and I was restoring a pale grey and white vauxhall cresta {it had fins, whitewall tyres, red leather interior and was a hydromatic - you know, like Greased Lightening...}

So, here I am, a bit of a rev-head yet our two cars are teeny little silver sensible numbers, a hyundai getz and a holden astra - five and eight years old respectively. And I was fine with that. Until today. Today I went to pickup the hire car I'm entitled to under my car's policy {yay Aami!} and emitted a 'kwoar' of delight when I spied what I was driving - a brand new, black Holden Astra.

Oh my.

Anyways, I got behind the wheel and am pretty sure I looked just like Ferris when he slid into the driver's seat of Cameron's dad's car. Sweet.

That's it, I'm smitten. I'm now in new car love, and am pretty sure there will be a petulant pout on these lips when time comes to hand back Black Beauty {yep, already named her} and get back into Old Grey Mare {my new name for my old silver car...}

I'll just enjoy it while it lasts I guess...

to doodle doodle do

For some reason, between yesterday and today, strange things have been afoot. For example, yesterday, if you'd asked me, I would have said I had things pretty well under control for my interstate visitors. Today, when I'm leaving to pick my mum and step-dad up at 1pm from the airport, I'll actually realise that there's a helluva lot to do before they get there.

The sheets for the guest bed are in the washing machine - and will be going in the dryer as it's raining. The guest room needs a good straightening after the sleepover on the weekend. There's paper ALL over the house as my husband's been working on three years worth of my tax for the past week. {I know, a shocker, shan't be doing that again}

So, a plan's in order. I'm going to quickly wash my hair and then start in the kitchen and work my way back through the house. 15 minutes full-on tidying in each room should do it - leaving me free to have a coffee before I leave.

Ready? Set...

easier than opening a pack

Call me odd, but I do like making things. The other day, as I had some sausages I knew I wouldn't use, puff pastry in the freezer and kids coming over I whipped up some sausage rolls. It was as simple as slicing a nick in the end of the sausage casing, peeling it off and laying it on a piece of puff pastry I'd sliced in thirds {three chiplatas per row}. Then I rolled them in the pastry and pushed down the edges to seal. A quick baste with plenty of beaten egg and they went in the oven for 15 minutes - a lot quicker than the frozen ones. Plus, if you've got a butcher you trust, using sausages can work out easier than mixing up your own filling. Served with a big bowl of tomato sauce that's some pretty satisfied kids!

my unreal life

You'll never see me auditioning for reality television. For a few minutes earlier this year I pondered applying for MasterChef, and every night as I watch it I'm sooooooo glad I didn't. For a start, the challenges stump me. Last night? Kingfish, coconut, pineapple and rum? Sure, I can imagine making a few things out of them - but nothing I'd want to eat. The contradictory nature offends me as well. "Think outside the box" exhort the judges, "Don't go out of your comfort zone," they implore... Huh?

Last night the judges whooped with joy when Geni affirmed that she'd be making baklava with the nuts, then tutted and told her she needed to step away from home-cooking when said dish was placed before them. And let's not get started on the vicious forums dedicated to reality contestants. Harsh, mean, soul-destroying. Seriously, if I were MasterChef contestant Sandra and her hubby I'd be moving to another country - one without access to YouTube... 

That said, of course I tune in every night. My week's not complete without its reality run. As horrified as I am by the treatment of Cassie on Australia's Next Top Model do you reckon I'll be protesting by turning it off? Um, nope. It does mean that I'll be helping to realistically boost my daughter's self-esteem, and, should she ever state she'll be auditioning for one of these programs, I'm pretty sure I'll be investing in a couple of plane tickets and scooting her out of town quick smart. 

Reality really does bite.

not another manic monday

From now on I refuse to start the week off in a grump. My loathing on Monday often plummets me into a serious dose of the blues - but that ain't happening from here on in. So today I dressed in a gorgeous new {op-shop new} bright blue top, shiny silver pendant, favourite black and white vintage skirt, opaque tights and pale pink flats. 

I'm finishing off the article I've been postponing, have done a massive load of washing that's drying in the gorgeous winter sunshine and I think I'll cook up a seven-hour leg of lamb for dinner tonight. I've got netball at 6.40 and the MasterChef pressure challenge later on tonight. Seriously, what's not to love about Mondays huh?

sunday smiles

living the crazy life

Hope that's put a nice little image of Ricky Martin in your heads for the weekend! I'm having one of those weeks - that started mid-week so I'm guessing it'll end around Wednesday next week. You know those weeks where it seems like the universe is playing one massive mind-game with you? It started with Thursday afternoon. I had a computer induced eye-head-ache, you know, the headache in your eye thingy? So once my daughter came home from school and I fed and watered her I popped on an eye mask and lay on my bed, blinds drawn. Then, I heard this almightly bang and thought to myself, 'wow, that sounds just like a car crash except their was no breaking glass or creaking of metal' and settled down to rest. Until my doorbell rang. Yes, that would be my car, or the rear of it, in all its plastic and non-metalic glory that'd been rear-ended by a little old lady after taking her husband to the Drs. Sigh.

Then today, at netball, I'm there, on the sidelines, encouraging my little team, who're playing their hearts out - and actually in the lead for the first time ever, when an official comes over and tells me there have been complaints that I'm coaching from the sidelines. Me? I apologise, bemused, and ask what constitutes 'coaching from the sidelines' and apparently it involves moving from the one spot and calling any instructions. Which, colour me confused, I don't believe I did. I start looking around for the parallel universe, or Ashton Kutcher, anything, but no. Sure, I move up the sidelines, and yes, I call out, but it's retrospective praise, or the odd "Move in front of your player" kinda thing. Obviously the other team aren't used to losing.

So then I stand, frozen, mute, watching my team - and the opposing coach cruising up and down the line, calling out instructions, standing and coaching under the goal posts. And I fume. Silently mind.

After the game I approach officials and ask for a little more clarification and am left as bemused as ever. C'est la vie. I've asked the coaching official at my club exactly what I can and can't do and will just have to shrug and move on. My main goal is for the happiness of my team. If they never win it won't bother me - but I know that they'd love just one win - just once before the end of season. They'll get there.

You know why all this is happening don't you? Hubby's away and I've got a witchy-poo pimple on the end of my nose, and another right on the bridge so that every time I look left, there's a pimply obstruction in my view. Is it possibly for anything to go right at a time like this? Oh, did I mention the whole PMT scenario?

I'm trying to get over it - after all, these are just teensy irritations designed to let you see how good your life normally is. I've washed my hair, my gal's invited her bestest bud over for a sleepover and we'll do nails, go out for gourmet burgers, pop corn and watch a DVD. Then, once they're in bed, there'll be a hot chocolate with my name on it.

Tomorrow's another day.

ships ahoy

You'd get me on a cruise if I could pack this little number in my luggage. Chanel, in Venice, sigh...

sew excited

Chances are that I've mentioned before how my husband just tunes out ads - never, ever pays attention to them. Not me. Oh no, the opening seconds and I can tell you exactly what it's all about - particularly if it's an ad I loathe.

Anywhaddle, I was just tidying the living room, TV still on after I'd watched a few minutes of SATC over lunch {had to stop - it was the one where Carrie and Big have the affair - hate that almost as much as Berger...} and I heard the opening for a Project Runway Australia ad. Thinking it was just the usual, I wandered out, hands full of little bits of my daughter's stuff to return to her room, and when I came back in realised that they were SHOWING THE NEW CONTESTANTS!!!!!!!!!!!  Dammit. I caught a quick flash and am already feeling excited. Sure, nobody can ever eclipse the love I feel for Leigh {my husband was dead-over my crush on him by the end of the series} but still, looking diverse and interesting.

July 8 - off to get that date tattooed on my brain.

oh fair lady

Despite still being on the plan which allows us to view every single Foxtel channel {for an exorbitant sum mind, not out of the goodness of their teeny black hearts...}, we tend to stick to a few favourites. Well, last night, due to a dearth of anything on my usual channels I stepped outside my comfort zones and watched a biography of Audrey Hepburn. I've always been enchanted by her, have watched most of her films, and could just drown in those gorgeous eyes. Which was why I was astonished to hear that she described her face as "a square, with tiny, little eyes". What? Those enormous doe eyes above? Sure, she has the most exquisite eye make-up, but small, square? Pardon? 

People never see us the way we imagine ourselves do they?

no boys allowed

Hubby's off on a golfing weekend {Heaven help the town of Terrigal} so my gal and I have a big weekend of being girly together. We're starting off by having some friends over for afternoon tea and then we're having a special dinner - as per my gal's request. Unlike most nine-year-olds she's asked for duck confit, potatoes cooked in duck fat and green beans with toasted almond slivers {she'll eat the almonds and leave the beans of course!}. Luckily I had two pieces of confit duck in the freezer {as you do... it was from the 12 pack I bought and loved} so that's defrosting.

We'll do our nails, watch a movie - then she can have a sleepover with me {yep, no night's rest for me next to that little windmill!} Saturday will start off with netball - with her grandparents coming down to watch. Then they'll pop back here for morning tea {oooh yeah - a lot of baking - scones this time, quick and easy and delish} followed by an afternoon of bike-riding, visiting the beach and finishing off her assignment. Saturday night we'll go out for dinner - her choice again {second choice - her first was the french Bistro Tartine - second the gourmet burger bar - more in budget!} and once she falls asleep I'm going to make myself an enormous hot chocolate and settle in to watch a good girly film.

Sunday we'll get up and make breakfast {eggy bread and bacon perhaps} and rug up and eat it in the pavilion by the pool before greeting hubby when he comes home...

frugal friday

Nowadays I'm looking for items with more than one use. Lavender oil for example. Smells purdy - has dozens of uses...

• Mix a few drops into a bottle of water and it's a swish-smelling multi-purpose cleaner, great for swiping down the bench tops or the bathroom vanity

• Again mix it with water and spray it on as an insect repellent

• A few drops in your rinse water, or in your fabric softener zone, will leave clothes smelling like the South of France

• A drop on your temples can relive sinus or headaches

• A couple of drops on a cotton ball can remove sticky residue from stickers etc

• A few drops on a cloth, rubbed over a cold light globe will help infuse the room with scent when the light's turned on - repelling mozzies and helping you get a good night's sleep

• Mix some milk powder with a couple of drops of lavender {and some lavender petals if you grow it} for a milk bath solution that'd make Cleopatra turn green

• Nasty pimple? A little lavender oil on the end of a cotton bud applied in the middle will see it to its death in the nicest way

• A handful of sea salt, a sploodge of olive oil and a few drops of lavender and you have a scrummy body scrub

• I always mop my floors with hot water with a couple of drops of essential oils and lavender's a must for the bedroom

• and finally, for really sweet dreams, a few drops of lavender oil on a cotton ball, placed under the bottom sheet near the pillow, welcomes the sandman in the most scentsational way...

What's your multi-purpose fave?

louby douby doo

On this uber-frosty morning I thought I'd turn up the heat with these red-hot-mamas. I'm loving on the sleek lines, that glorious shade and the teeteringly high heels. Imagine them with a purple pencil skirt... Mmmmm.

do it yourself

When it comes to helping your child with their homework and assignments it's a fine-line. I remember when our daughter was in kinder checking out some incredible dioramas and flip-top contraptions revealing the insects the children were meant to be writing about. Our child had a sheet of cardboard with wonky insects pasted on and some words written in her own, cute hand. That'd be it. 

Each year I watch with interest and see the kids whose parents obviously dive on the assignments with joy, seeing them as a chance to fulfil their childhood prophesy; the ones where the parents obviously reluctantly assemble the projects the night before; the ones where the kids have primarily worked on it themselves and the poor little ones where the kids have had no guidance at all. This is where it's tough, trying to guide, but not lead.

Our daughter has an assignment at the moment {she's in year 4} where they have to come up with an imaginary country and imagine all the different aspects of it {climate, mapping, flora and fauna... heaps of stuff} it's pretty cool - but hard to find the time on top of regular homework, netball, dancing and playdates. However, yesterday she stayed home from ballet cos she's got a cold - and snotty tissues and ballet don't mix - so we got started. I wrote out all the questions in a word doc, and she sat there and typed - while I tried to keep my gob shut. Luckily she decided to pretend to be Dr Seuss and came up with the coolest ideas ever. She has the best animals and insects, cool flowers, an amazing flag, national dish, sports... and all through her own imagination - with me only asking the odd question. Phew.

I want her to be creative and imaginative - but how do children know what's out there without a little subtle guidance? Hopefully by pointing her in the direction of inspiration {for example she checked out things like the population of Iceland - which is just near her 'country' Winter Wonder Land for guidance} I'll help her develop new ways of thinking that'll see her through her schooling. She knows we're happy to help - but is dead keen to do as much as possible herself. Gotta be happy with that.

birthday boy

Oh Mr Depp. Forty six huh? Le wow...

what about me?

I don't know if it's just a girl thing, that becomes magnified when it also becomes a mum thing, but tell you what, how hard is it to do something for yourself? Take yesterday. We got home from a sleepover at our in-laws and I rushed to put on a load of washing, then hubby and I sat down to go through my tax {without killing each other - hurrah}, then I made snacks for hungry girls, and felt overwhelmingly tired. 

Instead of napping I thought I'd go for a walk - more invigorating. Then I looked into the backyard and realised that a few windy days have probably left the trees in the planter boxes by the pool rather thirsty, so I took myself out to water them. 45 minutes later I'm inside, and preparing dinner - no walking. 

Then, I smacked myself into some sense and realised how much I need a daily walk. I love it for the exercise, the stress-relief and the time to myself. So at 5.30, despite the darkness, I headed off to the beach and boy, was it fabulous. Sure, it was a little scary {seriously, were there more streetlights when I was a kid, or were they just brighter? It's so freaking DARK these nights!} but that just made me walk more briskly. I got to see the most amazingly full moon hanging over the ocean leaving a shimmering white path from the horizon to the shore which was pretty cool. I got to breathe in that amazingly fresh ocean air and hear waves come crashing down on the wet sand.

I came home in a much better mood, refreshed, no longer tired and capable of doing so much more than I would have with a nap. I'm now even more determined to fit a 30 minute walk into every day - seriously, if it were a drug I'd be taking it every day...

a simple plan

For years I was a disorganised mess. If you'd asked me, I would have told you that despite all the chaos, I knew where everything was and was totally under control. I would have been lying {to myself, as well as you}. Now that I'm getting things sorted I'm finding that so many other things are slotting into place. Sitting down for five to ten minutes early in the week to work out a menu plan sounds like a girly swot thing to do, but it spills over into every aspect of my life.

Firstly, as I've mentioned, I don't have to stress every afternoon about what I'm going to cook. 

Secondly, there's little to no food waste as I only buy exactly what I need.

Thirdly, we're having really well-balanced meals.

Finally, I'm saving heaps of money.

Today, I've just written up my menu plan and have worked out that I only need to go to the supermarket to buy dishwasher tablets and washing liquid - that's it. I have plenty of cat food, and all the ingredients I need to make my weekly meals. Anything I need I'm buying fresh from my local butcher and fruit and veg shop. Happy!

Here's what we're having:

last night: butter chicken, rice, wilted greens, pappadums 

tonight: proscuitto-wrapped pork scotch fillet {with maple syrup glaze}, roasted root veg and greens

wednesday: beef and beer stew in slow cooker with mash and steamed greens

thursday: lamb shanks, braised french lentils, pumpkin mash and roasted broccoli

friday: my gal and I are headed out to dinner as my hubby's off on a golfing weekend

saturday: home-made pizzas on the bbq

sunday: lemon and thyme roasted chicken and veg

I only have to go to the service station to buy milk and bread {they've got deals on which make it cheaper than Coles} and stop off at my local stores every few days. The best thing is that this means I can walk and save the car trips for ballet drop-offs and netball training.

I've also got a friend and her kiddies coming over on Friday afternoon, so I'm about to make up a batch of home-made sausage rolls to freeze. I've got quite a few leftover sausages from the weekend, so I'll remove the skin, pop em in some puff pastry and freeze them ready to serve on friday afternoon. I'll also bake up something yummy for afternoon tea - but I'm pretty sure I'll have whatever I need in the pantry and fridge. Feeling mighty frugal on this Tuesday morning!

off the shelf

Hey, you know how we've been decluttering like our lives depended on it lately? Well, I kinda cluttered up again today. But in a good way. 

See, I've had a few boxes of books stored at my in-laws, and they're also in decluttering mode, so I said I'd check out what I had in their loft. Hubby climbed up and found - books. Lots and lots and lots of books. But oh, what books. 

All my old classics are there, even ones I've subsequently replaced {such as Perfume, by Patrick Suskind, love that book}. I found some gorgeous hard cover stuff, some 50s and 60s girls annuals and plenty of classic children's books that'll be just perfect for my daughter {including a 1950s hardcover version of Little Women - sigh!}.

All the more impetus to get those floor to ceiling bookshelves built. Then, I'm 100 per cent sure, my life will be complete...

damn fine chicken pot pie

Well, last night's chicken pot pie was delish, so I'm going to post the recipe. I ended up veering away from the recipe a bit - as always. When it comes to recipes I'm only slavish when it comes to cakes and puddings, otherwise, I'm happy to tweak. Now, this ended up making sooooo much filling that I served it up in my loveheart pie dish, rather than individual ramkekins. Still looked pretty and tasted good though.

Here's what I did.

2 chicken breasts

1 carrot, diced pretty finely

1 large onion, diced finely 

2 waxy potatoes, diced the same size as other veg

2 cups of chicken stock

1 chicken stock cube

{random stock vegies, half an onion, half a carrot, stick of celery, bouquet garni}

1/4 cup butter and a little olive oil

1/2 cup finely minced flat-leaf parsley

dried tarragon

3/4 cup plain flour

1/4 cup thick cream

a glug of brandy

salt and pepper

one egg, beaten

First I poached the chicken in the chicken stock, stock cube along with all the random stock vegies and bouquet garni - I also seasoned them generously with ground black pepper. This took about 10 minutes and I removed them from the stock {which I kept simmering} and then I chopped the chicken into largish bite-sized chunks and set that aside.

Next, in my le crueset, I threw in some butter and oil and tossed in the diced vegies and let them soften over a low heat for around 15 minutes. When the potatoes were cooked I added 3/4 cup of flour and stirred it for around 2 minutes over the heat. Next, I strained the stock and poured it over the vegies {I tossed out the bouquet garni and stock veg}. I stirred this through and then added the brandy, cream, salt and pepper and herbs. After tasting it, I poured it into my pie dish, and popped a piece of butter puff pastry over the top, folding the edges over and giving it a couple of random slashes in the centre so the steam could escape. Finally, I brushed it generously with an egg wash, sprinkled pretty pink Murray River salt over the top and baked it at around 180 degrees for around 45 minutes until the top was really golden and crunchy.

I served it with slices of zucchini I'd layered with sliced almonds and drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice before baking for around 25 minutes. It was yum.

tinkering with perfection

First, a disclaimer. I live in Australia where, for some reason, buying chicken breasts with their skin on is a feat I've yet to manage. Particularly as I like my chicken free-range, and preferably from Lilydale {Food tosser? Moi? Oui!} I could buy a whole chicken from my butcher and ask him to chop it up for me, but then I'd have to think of a recipe to use the rest of the chook - and frankly, I can't be bothered today.

So, anywho, tonight we've got friends coming for dinner {stop reading right now if that's you - I like to surprise my guests!} and, as one of said friends is a chicken breast fan I needed to find a recipe to use them. In the past, I haven't had much success with chicken breast, I tend to find it dry and lacking in flavour, but that's probably the way I've cooked it. Friends have cooked it for me and it's been scrummy, maybe it's just me...

Oh, and to the point of this post... I'm making a dish that the reknowned Ina Garten came up with, and as she has plenty of devotees I was prepared to almost follow her recipe slavishly, until she asked me to bake the chicken breasts. See, her chicken breasts were covered in skin, and had the bone on, so I'm pretty sure they'd taste moist and delish, but my skin-less, bone-less wonders... not so. Instead, I've poached them in chicken stock, with extra pepper, onion, carrot, celery AND a bouquet garni. So far, so moist.

I'll let you know how they turn out once they're added to a rich sauce and in the finished dish. Surely there's no such thing as too much flavour!

happy weekend

Hope you all have a lovely one. For me? Entertaining friends tonight, cooking and pottering today, a sleep-in followed by a big bowl of coffee on Sunday, dinner at my in-laws on Sunday night and a visit to Dan Murphy's for champagne at some stage.

For now, I'm poaching chicken breasts and listening to So Frency So Chic - surely I'll cook better with a French soundtrack...

Enjoy xx

no whales, plenty of waves

Well, we went to the beach - and it was fabulous. No whales, apparently they're too busy getting into fisticuffs around Sydney Harbour. Plenty of surfers though, and one brave deep sea swimmer. It was all pretty gorgeous and the perfect Friday afternoon activity.

slowly does it

If I counted up how many times each day I uttered the words, "hurry up", or "C'mon, quickly" or even "Quick sticks - let's go" to my daughter I'm pretty sure I'd be horrified. So to start the long-weekend off on a good note I'm going to walk down to the school pick up and then we'll meander down to the beach to see if we can spot any migrating whales. I'll let her order whatever she wants from the café {in her own time!} and then we'll hang around, or not, whatever she's in the mood for.

When she was a teeny toddler we'd often go for a walk around the block and I'd be happy to go at her pace while she checked out flowers, picked up stones to put in her pocket {I know! So Amelie!!} and chattered away. Now, with school, netball, ballet, homework, playdates and all our stuff - work, housework, netball, socialising! - rushing seems to be the order of the day. 

Well not today. I've made a tomato sauce and baked some meatballs and now they're all simmering in the slow cooker. The sheets are washed, so I'll bring them in, make the beds and the afternoon will be all my gal's. 

Fingers crossed we'll spot some whales - or at least some surfing dolphins!

trash talking

Oh, opinion columnists, always aiming to stir up dissent. Are they really as opinionated and awful in real life? I was reading the new on-line mag - thepunch.com.au and my eye was drawn to 11 Ways to Spot A Food Tosser. Of course, as a self-proclaimed foodie - I had to check it out, to make sure I wasn't one. Now I wish I hadn't. See, the problem is that this bloke seems to have mixed up Foodies and Food Wankers.

I tick a few of those 11 boxes. I have an espresso machine taking up space on the bench top - but it's a cheaper Sunbeam number that replaced our expensive Saeco {makes better coffee too btw}. And there's nothing I love more than a Farmer's Market. I barely manage to make it there each week, but damn it - the Saltbush Lamb is better than the lamb from the butcher. And yes, I ask for the Bangalow Pork at my butcher because it DOES taste better than generic pork. I don't have a problem with supporting local farmers who are trying to create a top-notch product by researching and treating their stock well. Seriously, does this make me a food wanker?

I'll also put up my hand to buying French sparkling wine over the Aussie stuff - because it tastes better. Yes, there are Aussie winemakers who make a nice bottle, but if I'm comparing a $30 bottle of Chandon to an $11 bottle of Veuve Amiot, my budget's going to go for the French version. However, in Summer, when it comes to whites, I'm supporting my home-grown Hunter Semillion - it's divine.

I spend ages on food blogs, generally the tv is tuned to Lifestyle Food and have a snobbish aversion to the program 4 Ingredients that's never going to be quelled. And I'm not going to apologise for it. So yeah, I'm a foodie - and what's he going to do about it?

What irked me most about this guy is that he's a food and wine writer, and who do you reckon keep him in business by reading his columns? Yep, that'd be the foodies...

frugal friday

I do believe it's possible to be frugal and still entertain well. In winter, frugal dinner parties are even easier. Slow-cooked dishes and retro puddings are cheap and delight almost everyone's tastebuds. Combined with bargain bottles of good wine and champers, all you need to do is set the scene for a great night.

I always used to over-cater. If I was doing a cheese platter for nibblies it'd have four to five huge slabs of cheese, loads of pancetta, a massive dish of olives, quince paste, paté, a couple of different types of biscuit/bagel chips/grissini... But no more. Now, I'm aiming for an elegant sufficiency. 

I love to plan my menus as soon as my friend's have said 'yes' to my invitation. After asking about any allergies or dislikes I'll plot out my main and pudding - then think about a suitable nibbly to have with our pre-dinner cocktails/champagne. It might be fried slices of chorizo or haloumi, home-made marinated olives {simple: bowl, olives, garlic, chilli, lemon zest, herbs, olive oil}, maple-roasted mixed nuts or a simple dip and crackers. Then I usually choose a one-pot main with a potato side and a green and serve this with slices of baguette and butter. 

But now, I'm concentrating on portions. Most of us aren't used to eating more than one course, so realistically, each of those courses SHOULD be smaller than we're used to serving up. That's why I love individual puds in ramekins - perfect portions.

Pudding's whatever I feel balances out the main - or what I'm particularly craving lately... So long as the food comes out regularly, the wine's topped up, and there are bottles of water to balance the wine that's all a person can ask for.

Combined with a well-set table {I'll even bring out the iron and press my tablecloth and napkins to make it special} and attention to detail fun can be frugal.

Dinner party's aren't an opportunity to impress others with budget-busting complex dishes. I think they're a great chance to actually sit down and chat with people whose company you enjoy - while the kids eat and play together - and for me, it's a chance to cook dishes we wouldn't ordinarily have most nights of the week {pudding regularly would make me resemble a pudding dish!}.

easily pleased

The latest BlogThis challenge made me realise how little I need to make me happy. Starting off the day with a great cup of coffee, baking, entertaining or giggling at my gal all make me smile. Clean sheets {preferably lavender-scented}, a reason to get frocked up and made-up, when my hubby smiles and tells me he loves me, cooking a great meal that has my family or friends in raptures, following facebook status updates that give me a little insight into my friends' worlds, discovering new blogs and kindred spirits, immersing myself in a fabulous novel, pretty coloured toenails...

Oh yes, the list can go on and on {and make me realise that I'm kinda cheating - the challenge was meant to be a visual one... Oh well, I'm sure it's also meant to make you grateful}. Today I'm blissfully happy that the sky is blue. I have one set of sheets already on the line and another in the machine ready to hang. Next I'm going to take my time and make myself a lovely cup of tea - I've finally acknowledged that no butler is going to come along and make one for me!

For my break today I'm going to duck out into the sunshine and pull a few weeds. After all that rain they're bound to come out with no effort at all - leaving me proud of my work with very little strain.

it's the little things: blog this challenge

what's for dinner?

Menu planning has made my life sooooooo much easier. After taking my daughter for an x-ray this afternoon I was able to call in at the butcher for tonight's lamb backstraps {served with braised french lentils and pumpkin mash} and also buy some mince for tomorrow night's spaghetti and meatballs {think I'll do them in the slow cooker - how nice will my house smell tomorrow night!}

Honestly, I swear that the thing I loathe most about cooking regular meals is thinking about what to cook, so having a menu plan, shopping once at the supermarket for the essentials and buying fresh meat and some veg from my locals butcher and fruit and veg store is utterly blissful. And I'm sure I'm saving a bucketload by not calling in for one or two items at Coles and walking out $60 poorer!

new scentsations

To me, there is no point in a bunch of sweet peas, hyacinths, freesias or roses unless they have an intoxicating scent. Yes, they are pretty just to look at, but when I bury my nose in expectation in a bouquet and come up wanting I feel utterly cheated. 

I called at my local florist the other day and was disappointed by bunch after bunch of these blooms, all promising, and yet not delivering. I felt sorry for the poor florist, surrounded by petals but bereft of any perfume. The worst was when I spied two pretty little nosegays of violets. I flung my face into them only to feel smacked in return when absolutely nothing filled my nostrils.

Same with food. When I bite into a strawberry I want it to smell and taste like a strawberry - rich and luscious. Bringing a hunk of cheese to my lips I need to smell it even before it hits my tastebuds. Surely it's wrong to deny any of the senses. And I reckon that some of them work in tandem. For me, if I can't become excited by the exquisite aroma of a food before I take my first bite, chances are I'm not going to end up satisfied.

That's why I can't wait to grow my own vegies. Pulling real onions from the soil, plucking a rich, red tomato from the vine and harvesting exquisite explosions of real strawberry flavour will make me very happy indeed.

fade the grey

Okay, it's winter, I'll run with that. But seriously, does it have to be so grey, miserable and drizzly? I'm in Australia by jingo - what is Australia if not a blue-sky wonderland? So to banish my seasonally-affected blues I've gone for a true colour pop for this week's Shoe Of The Week. A little Magenta is always a good thing {side story: when I used to go to the weekly midnight screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show I always went as Magenta. A couple of packs of burgundy semi-permanent, a brush of my curly hair to make it wild and frizzy, and a slash of scarlet lipstick and I was ready to find my Doctor Frank N Furter...} Ooh, now these shoes have got me all hot and flustered...

many staggering works of heartwarming genius

An imagination is never as fired as one fed on Dr Seuss. I immersed myself in his books as a child and I'm sure it's shaped the person I am today. After having our daughter, I scoured op-shops and second-hand bookstores to find original hardcovers of Dr Seuss works. Sadly, all mine had been lost in one of my father's many moves.

Miss A now has quite a collection, and even now, at nine and a half, will often be read to sleep by one of his fanciful tales. She'll read herself for 15 minutes {Inkheart is the current enormous tome she's reading} and then hubby or I will read a quick story to send her off to sleep. It's a tradition started in utero when one of my friends {hey, Bella Mumma!} gave me a Dr Seuss book for babies in utero - Oh Baby the places you'll go.

The rhymes, the illustrations, the magnificence of the stories - often with a motto so subtle, yet strong, it could make you weep - are classic works of brilliance that deserve a place on every child's bookshelf. 

Maybe when a day is miserable and gloomy we could all ask ourselves - "What would Dr Seuss do?"

home library

Books have been my passion ever since I was a wee lass. I adore reading and can re-read old favourites over and over. One of the many things that attracted me to our house was the separate study which had plenty of wall space - enough to live out my long-held dream of floor to ceiling bookcases with a ladder.

And my hubby's found this one, and I think I'm a little bit in love. Finally my red leather bound Russian novels will have a home. I can arrange my books in perfect order, rather than having them in haphazard piles or stuffed into bookcases all over the house. Oh, bliss...

home work

Because I work from home full-time I'm determined to make my home office as pretty as possible. So, in time, I'd like to replace my functional, yet unnattractive, desk {your basic pale veneer, from OfficeWorks number} with something pretty like this. It's from a new company we've found www.frenchboutique.com.au and their gorgeous french furniture is made from real timber - not that fake stuff. 

I think I'd work much better on this desk - don't you?

full flavoured

We had mexican for dinner last night {one of my easy family faves} and in a bid to eat more healthily and slash surplus kilos, my hubby bought an extra, extra light sour cream. Eeeuw. So not worth it. I'd prefer to eat a little of something fabulous than load up on that heavily-processed 'lite' stuff. 

Every few months or so I get all worked up and order my coffee with skim milk - then taste it and quickly vow to go back to regular milk. Skim milk gives the coffee a totally different flavour - and as I have a super-sensitive sense of smell I know what I'm getting as soon as I raise that cup to my lips. Nope, I'd prefer to drink espressos than have a skim cap.

When it comes to chicken I prefer thigh meat over breast, and roast pork ain't pork without a serve of crackling. 

I recently read that Lawrence Llewellyn-Bowen's {spelling probably all wrong, but you know, the designer from Britain - Changing Rooms and all that} wife recently shed a bucketload of kilos - with a controversial diet that effectively swaps all meals for shakes and bars. Now, shakes and bars just get my goat up. I remember when I was in high school, dieting to get my perfectly thin and healthy size 10 body down to an 8, and I bought some Limmits meal replacement biscuits. Gross. I ate them, looked for my cup of tea, and then promptly ate a meal afterwards. A biscuit is never a meal...

And while I've had the odd smoothie for breakfast I don't consider a shake an appropriate meal either. Sorry to come over all judgemental, but I love food, love cooking and love feeling healthy and reckon that it's possible to combine all three. 

I'd rather eat a little of what I fancy, drink plenty of water and walk every day to stay healthy. When it comes to food, I like to keep it real. Sure, it'll take me longer to get to a goal weight - but when I'm there, I reckon I'll find it easier to stay there. 

winter wonderland

Seriously? It's the second day of winter? And it's June? Now I don't know about you, but this year is flying by. I'm pretty happy with most of what I've accomplished, but, um, there's a lot more I'd like to do.

We've got a long weekend coming up, with no netball on Saturday morning so that'll make three days to get plenty done. We still need to pot up the trees in the pots in the courtyard and now the verandas are clean of all the stuff we've tossed out the front for council clean-up it'd be nice to sweep and tidy them.

At least I'm going into the second half of the year relatively clutter-free. A trip to the salvos yesterday saw a boot-load and backseat full of stuff donated, and now I just have a couple of boxes of kid's books to drop down and that should be it. If I combine this with a serious lack of purchasing I should be living in blissful cleanliness for the rest of the year.

snuggle time

After all the cleansing and tidying of our house on the weekend it was time to take stock. Hubby and I had a good look around the study and worked out where we wanted the wall of bookshelves and where I could fit a nice, squishy sofa. Then I let him in on my secret fear...

See, our house had been renovated by someone else. Before they did some pretty amazing things, the house only had one teeny porch on the front - and no return veranda. Now, this return veranda runs up to the study - with a door leading off. And here's where my fear kicked in. I started to wonder if half the study was an extension, and if so, I was guessing that it didn't have the lovely wide floorboards present in the rest of the house - floorboards I ache to paint white. 

So we tentatively eased up a corner of the ugly carpet to reveal. Masonite. Yep, fears realised. Surprisingly I didn't cry. Hubby's told me we can look for pretty carpet to replace the ugly beige berber {maybe even lavender or a colour that will cheer me up}. Maybe I'll just have to paint the boards in our bedrooms...

bean counting

This morning we're all dressed up with somewhere to go. It's the Darby Street Coffee and Chocolate Fair today - who can say no to that combo? We've got fingers and toes crossed that the rain will stay away for long enough for us to do a length of the fair.

clean-a-rama

Netball was cancelled today so our daughter had a friend over - and we cleaned like our lives depended upon it. From 10am till 6pm we had heads down, butts up and now our study, guest room, bedroom, living room and daughter's room are about twice their usual size and clutter-free. 

Our new bed linen is on the bed and looks divine. They'd sold out of the green linen we were after, but we fell even deeper in love with a cream cover blossoming with red and pink roses - delicious. I'll post some pics when I have the energy to pick up a camera...

My friend's arriving any moment now. I have beef bourginon bubbling in the oven, French cheeses coming to room temperature on the kitchen island and champagne and cassis chilling in the fridge. I think we'll all be having a well-deserved drink in a few moments. Enjoy your weekend. xx

frugal friday

This week my aim was conscious spending. It's easy to just hand over your credit card and not think about what you're paying for, but to consciously acknowledge every cent you spend means you've got to be accountable. So when I plotted my menu plan I also thought about what's seasonal and cheap - then I did a double check of the specials at my local supermarket. I'm always prepared to revise a meal choice if there's a special that'll dazzle.

So as I went around the aisles at the supermarket I took note of all the prices and kept a running total in my head - which was pretty spot-on when I got to the checkout. This week's menu managed to carve quite a few dollars off last week's - and we still ate tasty dishes every night.

Sometimes less is more. In last night's spanish chicken I'd usually use two chorizo and slice them into big chunks - cos we all adore chorizo. But as they come in packs of two - and I'd already used one sausage to make my gal's frittatas for school lunches - I made do with one, and sliced it quite finely. And you know what? It tasted just as good, cost less, and our arteries are probably just that little bit less clogged.

This week's spendthrift shocker? The$17 vanilla beans {for three remember} - a real 'what was I thinking moment'. But, for me, I need to learn from my mistakes. Slipping and tripping up every now and again helps me maintain my focus and resolve. So I'll just use those beans, enjoy them, and then buy up big on the bargain beans up the road at the organic shop. Sweet.

le love

I adore my le crueset french oven. It was my first purchase when we started eating meat again. I'd wanted one for years, and while they're hellishly expensive, I'll be passing this one onto my great-grandkids they're so well made. It also helped that I waited for a 40 per cent off sale, and bought it with reward points from my credit card {ergo: it was basically free!}

The last two nights I've cooked two meals that have tasted better for being cooked in such pretty packaging. Last night I revisited an old childhood fave and made chilli con carne. Result? Better than remembered. Recipe? Follows:

600g lean beef mince

1 onion, finely diced

a couple of cloves of garlic, finely sliced

ground coriander

ground cumin

cinnamon

cayene pepper

400g tin of crushed tomates

2 cups of beef stock

1/2 cup red wine {I used one of my frozen 'ice blocks'}

400g tin of red kidney beans

4 squares of dark chocolate

Sweat the onions and garlic for around 10 minutes in a little olive oil, then remove and add beef to french oven. Brown and crumble the beef, toss the onions and garlic back in and add around 1/2 teaspoon each of the spices. Pour in the tomatoes, beef stock and red wine and stir. Bring to boil then simmer for around an hour. Add red kidney beans and chocolate, stir, simmer till it makes you salivate then serve topped with diced coriander on a bed of brown rice.

Spanish chicken and rice

8 chicken drumsticks

1/2 red capsicum, sliced 

1/2 spanish onion, sliced

1 chorizo, sliced

3 cloves of garlic, sliced

2 cups or so of chicken stock

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 to 1 cup risotto rice

juice of 1/2 lemon

Saute onion, capsicum, garlic and chorizo in a little olive oil till soft and golden, then remove from pan. Add chicken drumsticks and brown in a little more olive oil, turning when they don't resist and are nice and golden. Remove. Add wine to deglaze the pan then throw all the browned ingredients back in. Toss some chicken stock and lemon juice over the top and throw in your rice {I had a little leftover in the freezer, add twice as much stock as rice}. Give it a stir, season, bring it to the boil then pop on a tight-fitting lid and throw it in a 180 degree oven for around 45 minutes. Then take off the lid for 5 - 10 minutes to let the chicken crisp up and serve.

I've been making spanish chicken for a while now and have always had too much juice going to waste - see, you need the juice to keep it moist. Throwing in the rice was the best result. It was a delish, rich risotto and the chicken was still ever-so-tender.

I needed a good risotto after watching the horror of a risotto served up on MasterChef last night - it looked wrong on soooooo many levels {big chunks of mushrooms, chunks of carrot - no GARLIC. C'mon people - if there's no garlic wipe risotto off the menu.}. Ooh, MasterChef time - till tomorrow xx

run like the wind

I'm supervising my daughter's athletics carnival today, so this week's shoe is a trainer! I need a new pair of running shoes, as my current pair have zero cushioning. But I'm a total fusspot when it comes to trainers - even worse than I am with my heels. I need comfort, support, prettiness and stability - and finding all of those ain't easy.

My current pair are Asics - dead-expensive, but worth it when you're 41 and still insist on playing netball regularly. It's essential with shoes to do the cost-per-wear-factor calculations. Worn three times a week for a year or so - that triple digit price tag starts to look decidedly reasonable...

what a load of rubbish

I'm counting down the days to this weekend for two reasons. Firstly, my bestest buddy is coming up for a visit {hurrah!} and secondly because this weekend is the bi-annual council clean up. Now, I'll be frantically averting my eyes from any piles of junk on the kerb as we need NOTHING brought into our house. Nothing. However, we've got a ton of stuff to get rid of. 

As I look over my left shoulder I normally have a gorgeous view down the side return of my veranda to the old rocking chair in the corner with the frangipani peering around the edge. Pretty. But for the last few months I've been looking at our rusty old, beyond-repair bbq and a stack of other stuff that's been waiting to go sit at the kerb before finding a new home. So friday, when hubby gets home from work we'll change into our oldest clothes and start lugging stuff down the stairs and out the front. I've been loving how refreshed I feel after purging so much of our clutter on the inside - I can't wait to clean out stuff on the outside too.

Then my home will be all fresh and ready for a girly weekend with cocktails, Sex and the City marathons, antique shopping, coffee and chocolate fairing and all things pink and pretty. Bliss.

inner slattern

I'm trying to be a cleaner person. Honestly. Some parts of my home are clean and shiny, while others, well, they could do with some attention. But generally speaking, there's nothing retch-worthy around my house... Every now and again I'll see something that really needs attention - like the little air vents near the bath in the bathroom. Well, see, the white ceramic bits were all nice and white, but I'd never paid too much attention to what made up the pale grey bits in the centre. Until one day I realised - that would be dust... Yep, a quick wipe over revealed the charcoal flywire underneath - that shall never be so coated with grey dust again. Hmmm.

It's those little things that are often the killers. I was watching Lush House the other night, which I adore because Shannon Lush knows how to clean EVERYTHING. She's the one who steered me away from bleach and back to bi-carb and vinegar and helped me discover the mould-killing properties of oil of cloves. Love her. 

Anywho. On the program the other night were this couple, who, really, I didn't think their place was that bad. Sure, they didn't wash up after dinner, but hey, I'll put my hand up for that sometimes too. But it was in the bathroom that was the killer. Lifting up the lid on the toilet, Shannon revealed a rather patchy toilet seat and for a moment, I thought the plastic had just crazed, or turned chalky {you know, how plastic outdoor furniture turns?}. But no, Shannon told the horrified householders it was SKIN. Yep, bad enough to make me want to cry, but even worse was the response... "Oh no, that was like that when we moved in".

Kill me now.

With new toilet seats starting at around $6 at Bunnings I know where I would have run as soon as I moved in. Eeeuuuuuuwwwwww. Luckily a quick spritz with the all-cleaning power of bi-carb and vinegar quickly cleaned it all off, and I quickly snuck into my toilet to check that an unnoticed colony of skin hadn't taken up residence on my seat {new when we moved in}. It hadn't - thank god. But I must say, daily toilet cleaning's now top of my to-do list...

in the genes

Thank goodness our gal has good taste. Even as a wee tot she enjoyed our music, requesting Ben Harper on long road trips and singing along to Jeff Buckley. And I must say, she's got an eye for a good film too. One of her faves {and mine} is The Aristocats. So. Damned. Cute. What's not to love about cute kitties who live in a divine home in the middle of Paris? And the soundtrack? Ooh la la.

When we went to Disneyland Paris, we were thrilled to find a pair of Marie's {the cute white kitten} fluffy ears on a headband - and a plush toy too. So we've got plenty of pics of our little Miss looking ever-too-cute wandering around Disneyland with little pink and white fluffy ears atop her head. Cuteness.

We love this film so much we've got it on video, and DVD, both much-loved and watched. I can feel a film festival coming on.

creme de la creme a la linda

Undoubtedly my fave mother's day pressie this year was my brulee torch {yep, I know you can do other things with it - but let's be honest, there's gonna be a lot of brulee torching in my kitchen}. Creme brulee is my fave dessert - and my hubby and gal's too. Whenever it's on a menu, we order it. But, that said, I'm a bit of a purist. I like my creme speckled with vanilla beans - and little else. Don't be throwing any white chocolate and passionfruit in there... but I'll forgive a few lavender flowers...

So on the menu for this weekened will be the brulee. Vanilla brulee. Hence, I needed to find me some vanilla beans. I haven't been happy with those on offer at the supermarket - wizened, lacking in any real flavour, difficult to split and scrape out the black gold in the centre - so I've had my eye out.

On Monday I had to head to the country {long story, had to collect tax stuff from an agent in Cessnock - a gazzilion miles from home - which is why I STILL haven't done my tax...} Anywho, I thought that as I had to drive for an hour, at least I'd get to check out country op-shops - normally shopping nirvana. Except for this week when they were shopping nada. Saddened, I called in at a patisserie called The Queen of Tarts for a spot of lunch and saw, on the counter, a glass vial with three plump vanilla beans. At $17 it was pricey - but you normally shell out around $5 per bean, so I thought it was value and snapped 'em up. {Don't worry, I'll be getting my money's worth out of them - sugar, vodka, there will be nothing left un-vanilla'd}.

So, there I was, happy with my purchase and then yesterday I called in at the organic fruit and veg a few doors from my home. I picked up a couple of carrots, parsnips and beetroot to roast and serve with my pork cutlets last night {yummy!} and spied, behind the counter, a big glass jar filled with vanilla beans. Plump, lush vanilla beans. With a sign advising: Vanilla Beans $2 each.

Damn.

Often the best bargains are on your doorstep.

Guess we'll be eating a lot of creme brulee, panacotta, vanilla cakes and vanilla custards this winter...

what's for dinner?

Despite my rows of cookbooks sitting atop kitchen shelves, a television that's either tuned to Lifestyle Food or MasterChef, and my avid attention to numerous foodie blogs - I'm feeling stumped about dinners this week.

I just don't know what I feel like. I think it's because the weather's so in-between {I'd like to blame my indecision on an external factor...} It's autumn, but there's still summer produce sitting around the shelves and nothing's screaming autumn harvest. 

Perhaps I need to get to the farmer's markets this weekend and immerse myself in goods fresh from the farm... Or I could visit my friendly butcher and ask him what's good - and devise a menu around that. I am determined to try something new. Perhaps with dinner tonight we could have caramelised roasted carrots and parsnips. Possibly with pork cutlets? And tomorrow night's netball training, which means slow-cooker - how's chilli con carne sound? Then Thursday, I could whip up some spanish chicken with chorizo and serve it with a mess of greens with plenty of garlic. Friday night...baked fish with tomatoes, garlic and olives - served with homemade lemon fries. We have friends coming for dinner Saturday night - so that's sorted {can't tell you because they read the blog and I love a surprise...} And Sunday night's always roast night - either beef or pork this week I believe.

There you go. Done. Thanks! I couldn't have done it without you. xxx

lightbulb moment

It's not often that I have an idea so brilliant that I dazzle myself. But this weekend I did. After four years of netball my gal's expressed an interest in, and talent at, shooting. Unfortunately, when we started the backyard I snapped her netball hoop's base right off so it was cactus... or so I thought...

It's been lying in the side garden, just waiting for council clean-up, while I've been keeping my eye on hoops on sale. The freestanding numbers are pricey - around $100 - which isn't do-able when you're budgeting. I thought about attaching the hoop to the house, but that wouldn't work as we'd have mis-timed balls on the roof and in the gutters in no time. So yesterday I decided to put my thinking cap on... What if I had a big, long spike I could put the pole on? Then, I remembered the totem tennis game out the back. It's one of those games that seems like a good idea at the time, but hitting a ball round and round gets kinda boring, and the game's just left to rust. 

However... by taking the top half of the totem tennis game off, I was left with a one metre long spike, that the netball post slid right on over. Result? A sturdy three metre netball hoop that's readily relocatable, re-used two bits of metal that would've gone onto the council clean-up, and my gal can duck outside and shoot some goals whenever she fancies!

Oy, Jeeves

Every now and again I'm overcome with an urge for a butler. It's not that I'm into servants as such - I just want someone to bring me a good cup of tea. 

I've blogged before about my inability to make myself a decent cup of tea. My impatience always results in a week cuppa, with just the wrong amount of milk. That's why I probably only drink one cup of tea every two weeks. Coffee I'm good with. My machine helps me create the perfect double shot latte - no stress. I can't mess it up.

I reckon this butler here would bring me a damn fine cup of tea whenever I needed it - and hey, I've got the butler's pantry off my kitchen all ready for him. Jeeves?

welcome back

I stayed up waaaaaay past my usual nana-bedtime last night because - finally - channel 10 are screening the US-version of The Biggest Loser. Now, don't get me wrong, I love me a little Michelle and Shannan, but Jillian and Bob won my heart with the first series of the US progam, and first-love never dies.

I was very lucky in my previous job because I used to regularly write about The Biggest Loser so not only did I get to visit The White House {in Aus} I also got to interview the contestants and trainers. {I know!} I'll never forget the first interview I did with Jillian - who's exactly like she is on the show. We were discussing the first round of Aussie contestants, what surprised her about them... When she said, in her distinctive drawl.... "You know, you'll talk with them, and they'll tell you about how, this is it, they're really going to change, nothing's going to stop them, they're on their journey... Then, you give them the choice of going forward and eating a cupcake, and whadda they do? They eat the f***n cupcake!" It still rings in my ears - bless her.

So of course, I'm addicted to the show, and get more than a little bit excited every time Jillian comes on the screen - let's hope nobody reaches for a cupcake...

Still on reality, MasterChef is helping me realise how ridiculously fickle I am - and how loving can turn to meh in an instant. See, I started off sure than Sam and Kate were two of the front-runners. They seemed to know food and how to put it together. But now? Oh, honey, what's happened. Sam's once again in the bottom three and my love for Chris is reaching a new high. I've also realised that while I love, love, love to cook - there's no way in hell I'd survive an episode of that show - 30 minutes to prepare and cook a dish from mystery ingredients? Hell no, I'd still be slicing and sauteeing 29 minutes in.

So tonight - who's leaving? Surely not Tom after that fabulous snapper dish. And Trevor? I've got a bit of a soft spot for ol' Trev. Maybe Sam -  at least he can get started on that honeymoon.

weekend - woo hoo

Who doesn't love a weekend, particularly one with NO engagements... Well, apart from the assignation I have with the backyard. Our daughter's just headed out for a playdate, so I'm off to scrub the waterline tiles in the pool, while hubby's laying down pavers in the courtyard for the pots to sit on. Then, we're going to summon superhuman strength and pot up the 45 litre magnolias into pots that come up to around my waist... Best go eat some spinach...

fiercely frugal friday

After my mis-step this week with the ATM fees my frugality really kicked in. I'm trying to work out ways to save money in every aspect of our life. One area where our hair-bear-bunch of a family can look to cutback is with hair care. Luckily, I spoke to a celebrity hairstylist earlier this year who gave me some top tips on washing your hair - that also help save money!

* Start by brushing your hair well to get rid of any surface dirt and excess hair product - doing this now will mean you don't have to shampoo twice!

* Then wet your hair well and pour a little shampoo into a bowl, and mix it with water to help it spread {I know what you're thinking, but considering the first ingredient in most shampoos is "Aqua" we're not ruining it - just making it go further}. Apply to the top of your hair and gently massage into your scalp, going down about halfway down the length of your hair. The ends of your hair are usually dry and the residual shampoo when you rinse it out will usually cleanse them enough.

* Rinse it really, really well, using your fingers to lift sections of your hair so that all your scalp is free from shampoo. Then rinse again.

Use conditioner from the ends of your hair and only work about halfway up the shaft - it'll only flatten your head if you apply it too close to your scalp. Comb through with a rubber paddle brush or a wide tooth comb, leave to soak in, then rinse. Gently squeeze the moisture from your hair with a towel, and before applying any product, rub it between your hands to allow it to head up and spread.

These days I tend to use a supermarket brand shampoo and conditioner and alternate every second wash with my expensive Joico leave-in conditioner {cos it gives me better curls}. I'm also using about half the amount of product I used to and am pretty chufffed that I'm still getting similar results. 

I'm also mixing my moisturiser with a little water in the palm of my hand before applying - it spreads a lot easier and moisturises just as effectively.

Food-wise, frugality still has a lot to do with creative uses of leftovers. I made a delish beef and guinness stew in the crockpot on wednesday, so tonight we're having beef and guinness pies with the leftovers. I'm going to pop the mix in a ramekin each, top them with puff pastry and bake them till hot and golden. Yummy.

I also picked up a fancy-schmancy cooking tip on Come Dine With Me last night. You know how, on cooking shows, they're always using funky little metal moulds to form interesting stacks of vegies, or meats? Well, I checked some out at The Essential Ingredient the other day, and realised I just couldn't justify the price. But, you know what this women on CDWM did? She went to the supermarket, bought tins of fruit that were just the right height and diameter and CUT THE TOPS AND BOTTOMS OFF. Brilliant! Combine that with Shannan Lush's hint for soaking labels off jars and tins {fill them with hot water, let them rest, and then they'll just peel off - with any residual stickiness easily banished with a wipe of lavender or eucalyptus oil. I always prefer to reuse rather than recycle, so that little tip has made my week!

How's your week going?

so sweet

Nearly forgot! But here's my shoe of the week, by Dolce & Gabbana. A t-bar, two-toned Mary Jane? Magnifico...

snack attack

I am a food fascist, I'm happy to admit it. Why serve something out of a packet when it's just as easy, and about a gazzilion times more tasty, to make it from scratch? I saw an ad for two-minute noodles today, touting them as the perfect after-school snack... but I reckon this little plateful here is perfect for apres-school munchies. {And two minutes, ha! Boil them, microwave them, stir them, rest them... adds up to more than two minutes in my book}

I always keep a pack of wholemeal muffins in the fridge, with a pack on standby in the freezer. Sitting alongside them is the shredded cheese, frozen and always ready for action. In the fridge is the tomato sauce and sliced ham.

Making mini pizzas is as simple as splitting the muffins and toasting the underside. While they're browing, slicing up the ham, then take them out, spreading them with sauce on the soft inside, layering on shards of ham and topping with the cheese. Back under the grill for a tick to brown, and hello, a yummy snack rich with protein, wholegrain, calcium and vitamins and minerals - in around two minutes. Yes, you could pop vegies on them, but ham and cheese have won my gal's heart.

Noodles, schmoodles...

bed head

My ancient Laura Ashley bed linen is looking more shabby than chic and I've yet to find anything to replace it - until now... Eau de nil, roses and polka dots, a few of my favourite things combined into one perfect package. Best of all, it'd give me the perfect excuse to paint my bedroom walls lilac {cos while I love their current eau de nil shade, even I admit there's such a thing as too much green...}