time-saving tuesday

Overcommitting is probably the easiest way to lose time. But, if you're like me, you might find the word no almost impossible to utter.

I don't like to turn down work, because in an industry as fickle as mine, it's easy to be forgotten and they'll move onto the next, more accommodating person. So now I make sure that I can always offer a one-week turnaround to any work I accept. Usually I get a longer time-frame, between two and four weeks, but, if needed, I know I can juggle things about to make things work.

Take this week for example. I have four pieces of work due on Friday. One's from a long-standing deadline, another's from a long-ish deadline, and two are short-notice - but do-able. I've already sent the one from the long-standing deadline, I finished it last Friday and sent it in that afternoon. The second is finished and just waiting for a final read-over before sending this afternoon. The third is halfway to completion to be sent on Thursday and the final piece (the really short notice) has everything in place, interviews set up, research done, ready to go on Friday.

However, because I'm doing all this paid work, something's gotta give. I've told my husband that I'm busy and he's doing the school run in the morning so I can start working at 8.30am. He's also taking on some of my regular tasks - or I'll just let them go this week. I've said "bye-bye" to aimless television this week - I'm only watching what I love and will use the time I'm usually goggling at the box to get other stuff done.

Meals are simple too - and with this unseasonable weather that's an easy thing to do. Hubby and my gal will throw together a salad and tonight I'll pan fry us all a piece of crispy salmon. Tomorrow night my gal can chop the parsley, garlic and lemon rind for the gremolata and panko crumbed pork cutlets {she can crumb them too - I'll just cook them up} and dadda and daughter can prepare the side dishes too.

With a bit of delegation, a lot of organisation and a little luck we'll get through this week - setting up some habits that'll see us all through.

spring fling

To celebrate this utterly amazing weather I'm thinking of bringing out the cotton sheets and bringing in some pretty blooms. Ranunculus are just a stunning flower. They've got the tightly held blooms of Peony, with an astonishing array of colours.

While digging out in the side yard this morning, my hubby found a gorgeous old glass jar. I'm thinking I might need to clean it up and pop in a petite bunch of pretties...

busy, busy, busy

This week is going to be one of my busiest this year, so to ensure I don't have a breakdown - I've broken down my week.

Last night I sat down, worked out everything I had to do, what I needed to do to complete each task, and exactly how long I expected each aspect should take {allowing the usual time for people not getting back to me, stuff popping up, etc}.

So now I've got a time-line for each day this week, broken down into hours or part thereof for each task. I've just written it up in a word document on my computer - in a pretty handwriting font and gorgeous colours. On the computer it's flexible. If something crops up, I can shuffle things around. I know how long everything should take, and have allowed enough time, so now I'm not stressed.

I know I've got plenty to do - but I know it's achievable. I can't wait to write the first - done - next to one of my tasks.

So now I'm going to grab a coffee and get started. Wish me luck!

the big blue

We had our first swim of the season today - and it's not even officially spring. Sure, my 'swim' involved diving in, coming up gasping due to the cold and then zooming up the other end of the pool - quite possibly atop the water... but still, it was a swim.

My gal took a while longer to get in, but actually did a few laps atop her boogie board - and a lap without. While the crazy females in the house got wet, hubby sat in the pavillion reading the papers - giving us a fine indication of the long, hot summer ahead. It might have cost a gazillion dollars, but gee, this backyard renovation was worth every single cent!

mah boys

Back in my lives, tellevisually speaking.

Life is good.

colour crush

I need to find some space in my home for my new colour crush - raspberry and creme. Last night we were watching my fave decorating boys, Colin and Justin from Home Heist, and they did the most incredible things to a dull little house, in varying shades of these tones.

Ordinarily I'd never let a designer near one of my rooms. I'd prefer to slowly build up over the years. However, I'd totally trust Colin and Justin - and it's not just that I love them so. Seriously, how could I not have a gay-crush on these boys? They're funny, they're Scottish {with the most glorious accents}, they tend to call people bebe {scottish-wise, not French} and they're rather splendid sartorially.

Thank you so much Lifestyle Channel for bringing them back into my life. It's made our Friday night's so much happier!

my new obsession

You may have noticed from previous posts that I'm a wee bit addicted to television. Chances are you've also noted that I have a tad of a telly crush on John Corbett. Allow me to introduce my new love - something that marries the two.

My new tv crush is The United States of Tara. I'd meant to watch the first ep, seeings as it stars Toni Collette {who I think is a freakin' acting genius} and is about multiple personality disorder {something I've been fascinated about ever since Sybil - not sure if I've got the spelling right there - but you know the film don't you?}. So anyway, I meant to, but I missed it, until I was flashing through the channels the other week and found it on ABC2.

I was instantly entranced and then John Corbett walked on-screen. WHY DIDN'T ANYONE MENTION HE WAS IN THIS????? All the press poor Toni Collette's done {including Rove, which I suffered through, for her} and all she had to do was mention his name and, poof, I'd be there.

He's the ultimate boyfriend. Seriously, I can't think of another actor that I could so easily imagine slotting into this role. He's believable, he'd do it. I know he would. Oh, and last night's episode? With his "Gentleman's Time"? I'm still giggling.

Chris in the morning. Aiden, and now, oh, damn, don't know his name... I'm too smitten everytime he enters my screen to pay attention. Let's just call him mon petite chou shall we...

coulda, shoulda, woulda

The word "should" is now officially banned from my vocabulary. Realistically it's only used when referring to something you don't really want to do. Therefore there are two choices: do it straight away {or set a time to do it} or decide not to do it at all.

I'm going to work out why I think I 'should' do it, and then decided whether or not I'm going to do it.

I'd hate to end up on my deathbed {presuming I have one to ponder in, that is} bemoaning all the things I'd like to have done, but didn't do because I was doing all the things I 'should' have done.

Nah, either I'm going to do them because I want to do them, or I'm not going to do them at all.

I'm going to spend my time catching up with friends I want to be with. I'm going to do tasks I enjoy doing - or that just need to be done. I'm going to be organised enough to enjoy the work I do. If I see something that needs to be done, I'm just going to do it.

Same goes with, "Oh, I shouldn't". Either it's "Yes please, that cake looks delicious, I'd love a slice." Or it's "No, thank you, I couldn't possibly eat another thing." Should and shouldn't are just cowardly words that place conditions on what we do and don't do - they're apologising for us having an opinion and doing what we really want to do. So that's it, they're dropped.

Instead of saying, "I should", I'm going to say "I will".

So today, I will go for a walk before picking up my daughter from school. I will finish and send off that article before 2pm. And I will have an utterly fabulous weekend!

music is my life

Everything goes better with music. If ever a job seems to dull or deathly I'll sling out the iPod and get it pumping. Today I've got a story due, and I want it finished off my lunchtime. However, I was feeling a bit sluggish - so some tunes were in order.

I quickly read through all my must-see blogs {no comments today, sorry, too busy!} and now have an old fave blasting out - Black Francis fronting the Pixies... Ah, Wave of Mutilation, This Monkey's Gone To Heaven, Debaser... This was the soundtrack to my years at Uni and has so many fantastic connotations that it never fails to boost me to a level way higher than I ever thought I could reach.

So at 9.45am I'm starting on this piece, and with the help of those cute lil Pixies I'll be finished in no time.

frugal friday - just do it

I've mentioned before that to be frugal requires just a tad of organisation. But the best thing about organisation is that once you've been doing it for a bit, it becomes second nature. Seriously, it takes me about 3 minutes to come up with a weekly menu plan these days.

My big frugal goal is to completely eradicate food waste. I loathe waste in any of its guises and plan on living like my grandparents did and using absolutely everything I can - food wise.

So last night we had a roast chicken dinner {it was a Lillydale Free Range ready-seasoned chicken, with onion and sage - and a jasmine rice stuffing and was the most moist, tender and delicious chicken we've ever eaten!}. Now, ordinarily when I cook a chook, I'll wrap the leftovers and pop them in the fridge, to pick off the next day for sandwiches. Fine, no food waste there... But see, then I have plans of using the bones for stock - and I never, ever do. Nope, I think about it, know that I SHOULD do it. And don't. Before I know it it's too late and the body goes in the bin.

However, the new and organised me picked off all the flesh last night, popped it in a container, shredded and ready to go for lunch {salad I think - I have baby cos in the crisper, mmmmm} and then I threw the carcass in a stock pot, chucked a halved onion that was in a container in the fridge in, threw a few cloves of garlic around it, covered it with water and left it to boil.

So now, in the fridge I have two litres of chicken stock. Granted, it's a very mild chicken stock, but it's still homemade and I'm feeling very virtuous and frugal that it's there.

From now on the word SHOULD is totally banned from my vocabulary. Like the multi-national corporation says, Just Do It.

solid gold

The sky's all grey again today, so I needed something shiny to give me a lift. These'll do.

We're going to a ball next month. On the harbour, very swishy. These shoes would look magnificent there. Although it's in one of the old dockyard buildings where they may be gaps between the floorboards - a skinny heel's worst enemy. Best wear a pair of old faves and save my cash for filling my vegie garden. My dress is floorlength so I could wear havaianas and nobody would notice {except me, cause I'd be uber-short...}. But c'mon, you need heels to dance in - and quaff champagne in. Don't you?

face v butt

That old quote {to paraphrase}: "Once a woman reaches 40 she has to choose: her face or her butt," has been attributed to many celebs - including Catherine Deneuve. Regardless of who said it, I think it's a mighty potent thought.

I've chosen my face.

Accidently mind. See, I like to eat, and I like to drink, therefore I shan't be seeing a size 10 again. And, you know what? I don't miss it. For years I fought a tough battle to stay a size 10 and now I've realised that if I'm reasonably fit, relatively healthy and happy enough then that's okay.

However, one aspect of old age does scare me - getting a flat pancake bum.

Now, if you start off with a pancake bum, then fine, but I haven't - so I don't wish to end with one. Luckily, a few years ago I wrote a story on exercise for seniors: Grey Power. I spoke to plenty of experts in the field who told me that our ability to build muscle continues - into our NINETIES. You can be buff at 90! Then, one exercise physiologist told me something that made my heart sing, just because you're old doesn't mean you lose your butt - it's a muscle and so long as you exercise it you can keep it.

Woo hooo.

Remember that episode of Sex and the City where Samantha's getting it on with a wealthy geriatric? And what was the one thing that put her off? When he walked out the room, his butt was gently lapping at the back of his knees...

Well, the soggy butt is not inevitable, which is damned heartening. So now I'm kinda choosing my butt and my face - just with a little more padding. I'll just take my rump with a little plump.

girl stuff

I think I'm getting more Parisian as I'm starting to feel rather erky if I'm not groomed. Now, I don't mean all neat and tidy, rather I need my hair to be washed, with the curls formed just-so. Without a pretty colour on my toes I feel nude, and I'm becoming quite the handcream lover.

I'm still pretty low-maintenance, but my new must-do indulgence is an eyelash tint. See, I have stubby little eyelashes thanks to years of abuse, and because I dye my hair black, my lashes don't quite match.

So this morning I toddled off to the beautician where for $20 I've given myself a good month-worth of blue-black lashes. That's only $5 per week people! You can't even buy two cups of coffee for that. Now all I need to do to feel presentable is slick on a coat on tinted lipgloss, sling some beads around my neck and that's it. Done.

That said, I could do with those gorgeous vintage shoes in the shot here.

Ahhh, 1920s Paris. J'adore...

time-saving tuesday

Normally I'm not a fan of multi-tasking. I believe it dilutes your effectiveness and stops you from concentrating on what matters. Checking emails while you're on the phone? Rudeness.

However, the BEST time to multi-task is while you're boiling the kettle and then waiting for your tea to draw. See, I've always been far too impatient to allow myself to wait the few precious minutes it takes for my tea to infuse properly - so I force myself to DO SOMETHING ELSE while it's drawing. But it's gotta be something in the kitchen, otherwise I'll forget and come back to a soggy cup of tepid tea stew.

Euwww.

I'm usually a coffee from my espresso machine gal, so I only have one cup of tea per day, but boy, do I get a lot done while making it. I set the timer for three minutes and then I'll wipe down the front of the kitchen cupboards with a warm cloth. Perhaps I'll clean out a shelf in the fridge and wipe it down. Maybe I'll sweep the kitchen floor. Or there's a chance I'll dust the skirting boards.

Then, I'll wash my hands and wander off with my perfectly drawn cup of tea. With one job ticked off the kitchen list. Just the one, the others can wait till tomorrow.

Or the next day...

good at/crap at

Some things I'm just fab at. For example, eye make-up? I'm the queen. I can do mine, yours, hers, no problems. Classic styles, fashion styles, contrast with your outfit styles... That I can do.

I'm also a mine of usually useless information. Who was that obscure character in that 80s film? Ask me, I'll know. I swear I'm wasting my life not going out and earning big bucks at trivia nights.

I can put together a meal no problems, I enjoy it, and my plates usually bring out the mmmmmms.

However, I am just crap at a few things. I loathe initiating phone calls - which, as a freelance journalist, I am required to do if I'd like the odd quote in my story. Today's Tuesday, and I still need two more expert quotes for a story I'm working on and due Friday. Eek! I summoned up the strength to call one {who I've interviewed twice before over the years mind} and left a reasonable message on her answering machine. But the other, well, I'm getting there.

I'm not quite sure why I have this phone phobia {but hey, I'm happy to blame Telstra for it!}. I've never been abused, denied, spoken to rudely... every person I've ever approached for an interview has happily said "Hell, yeah!".

Okay, so I'm going to do it. It's 10.14am and at 10.20am I'm making the call. Deep breaths...

monday must-do

The next few weeks look to be busy, busy, busy so I'll be getting ahead of myself and ensuring I have plenty of work finished well ahead of deadline - just so I never have to say no to any work!

The house is in pretty good shape, tidyness-wise, I don't have any pressing laundry I need to do, so tonight, I'm going to tidy my study and prepare to sit in front of this lil computer of mine and type and type and type. Yes, I do think I'd write better on this pink pretty here on this post, but, realistically, my silver iMac is far more practical - and still uber-stylish.

rock solid

Here's a work-in-progress shot of my vegie garden. Now, those thumping great pieces of rock are convict sandstone, way over 100-years-old, that had formed rough 'retaining walls' out the back, before we had the pool. I was a major pain in the butt and made the guys clearing the yard carefully extract these and put them aside for us to use later.

Now it's later.

We've had heaps of people in to quote on shifting them into place, and got a lot of head-shaking, mini-tipper and even the odd, need-a-couple-of-blokes in response. Oh, and the odd, "nah, they're too heavy, you'll never shift 'em". Well they're shifted - by my hubby who managed to summon some kind of superpower. And wow, don't they look amazing!!!!

Once they're dusted off {they'll still be the gorgeous weathered-grey, just not dusty} and spilling over with thyme, chives, shallots, mint, verbena and dozens of other herbs and vegies it'll look mighty spectacular. Yay hubby, you're the best!

purple reign

Oh, the weather's utterly glorious at the moment. We had an amazing weekend, and got loads done. The side garden's taking shape, the backyards looking good and our front yard's a profusion of purples. Check out my lavender - isn't it beautiful? Behind it is a Graham Thomas rose which has the most incredible golden blooms - covered in buds at the moment. I'm also loving on my delicate irises. There are also billions of tiny buds on the wisteria that frames my front veranda - oh, I can't wait till they break out in bloom.

Hubby's taken a long weekend today to get out and move more of the hulking great chunks of convict sandstone to make my vegie gardens, and it's really starting to come together.

I spent some time in the house on the weekend and am rather chuffed to say that two weeks in my kitchen's looking even cleaner than the pics I posted a few weeks back.

Today's going to be very productive on my part. I've got lots of work due in the next few weeks, so I'm just going to put my fingers to the keyboard and type away.

frugal friday

Happy end of the week/beginning of the weekend! We've got a lovely weekend planned. Tomorrow it's my daughter's final game of netball {:(} where I'll be coaching my gorgeous team for the very last time. Fingers, toes, eyes and hairs crossed that I'll get the same team next year - they were a delight. I'm going to be baking some red velvet cupcakes with white buttercream icing for them this afternoon, as their team colours are red and white, and I've bought them all a card {gorgeous $1 cards from the chemist} to write a special individual note to each player. They've taught me so much, I've been very blessed to have such a gorgeous team!

Now, onto Frugal Friday. This week I finally bought some credit and took my headphones out of the packet and used Skype - woo hoo. I'm also trying to get as many friends to join up as possible {particularly my sis-in-law in the UK} so I can make free calls. I downgraded my Telstra account as low as I could sensibly go, and we're trying to keep Telstra calls to a minimum.

Next week I'll be hunting down options on-line to reduce other utility bills - we've already got green power, but perhaps there's a way of running the dishwasher and washing machine at night to take advantage of off-peak rates - if I have them!

While at the chemist I stocked up on $1 cards for birthdays - it's what you write on the inside that counts and they had plenty of pretty options there. Otherwise my gal makes her own cards for friends which satisfies her crafty urges and saves mucho cash.

We're off to a Christening tomorrow, and on the way home we'll call in at Dan Murphy's for a case of my fave cheapo french bubbles. We're coming up to social season so I'd much prefer to pull a delish $11 bottle of Veuve Amiot or Grandin from my wine rack than spend $18+ on an inferior bottle at the local bottle shop. Being frugal's all about being prepared!

red hot

Some weeks it's really tough to find my shoe-of-the-week, others a pair will leap out and grab you by the heart. Scrolling through my second page of net-a-porter I spied these Valentino Couture pieces of perfection and uttered a strangled giggle/sigh/moan/scream.

Oh my.

Is there a more delicious shade than Valentino red...

what's cookin' wednesday

Hmmmmm, let's see what's on the menu this week. Must say that last night's dinner of duck confit will be damned difficult to top - but I'll see if I can still come up with some tasty options.

Wednesday: Nigella's meatballs and rice from her Feast cookbook - a mightly fine b'day pressie

Thursday: Rosé chicken with walnut and greens salad

Friday: dinner at a friend's house. Woo hoo.

Saturday: We've got a christening and a lunch during the day, so something simple. Curry in the slow cooker me-thinks.

Sunday: Seven-hour roast lamb and baked vegies

Monday: pork cutlets, sweet potato bake and cavalo nero {black cabbage - with speck!}

Tuesday: baked marinated salmon with home-made salt and rosemary chips and salad

it's my birthday woo and a hooo

I la la love birthdays. Just got this cute as a button email this morning from my mum and step-dad with birthday pics of me from, gulp, forty years ago. Must say though, I still experience the same excitement and joy as I did in that bottom pic!

We started off the days with lovely, lovely pressies {a dovecote! my fave lipstick! old-fashioned cake cookbook! french monogramed tea towel and a whopping great rose picture bursting with red and pink roses - vintage - and looking spectacular on my bedroom wall!} A bowl of coffee, toast with blood orange jam and lots of cuddles made the morning even more special.

So today, I'll take it easy. I'm catching up with a friend for coffee mid-morning, and tonight we're hitting our favourite French bistro for dinner. I do believe I'll just spend the day doing my nails, popping on a facemask and kicking back and reading some of my birthday cookbooks. Bliss!

it's almost summer...

Spring's not even here yet and I'm already wishing it away, but only cos I can't wait to go swimming this summer. How welcoming does my pool look? I just couldn't resist snapping a shot.

Now, all I need is a daybed in that pavillion and I'm set!

going potty

Hubby potted up the magnolias on the weekend - don't they look gorgeous between our antique french bench and with the charcoal fence as a backdrop? That was the final backyard task done, {why yes I am ignoring the fact that the pavillion requires another coat of paint. Shhhh}

oh the places we'll go...

Reading the local Saturday paper late Saturday night I stumbled upon the uber-exciting news that there was a four day exhibition in Newcastle - The Art of Dr Seuss.

Now, I've already written on my love for this genius of a man, and this adoration has been passed onto my daughter - who uses the great man for inspiration in her writing and drawing.

So, after clearing next weekend's calendar I read the fine print and found that the exhibition opened on Thursday, and was closing 5pm Sunday - as in yesterday. A quick re-arrangement of plans was in order.

So at 9.45am, after a fortifying bowl of coffee each {not for the nine-year-old...} we all strolled into the Town Hall and were dazzled and amazed by the exhibition. Great big works of easily-identifiable art adorned every surface, along with his early advertising work, mis-understood works for grown-ups and a work-in-progress for The Cat in the Hat that showed how Dr Seuss worked on every stage of the process - words, illustrations, colours, layout and typography.

Genius.

It was utterly fascinating and we were all thrilled that we attended.

I still think his final book is his most inspiring. I bumped into a friend at the exhibition who told me that she gives her graduating Year 12 students a copy of The Places You'll Go - which is the best graduation present ever. No story can more effectively teach us about striving for what we want, acknowledging that there are bumps, upsets and backtracks along the way, but that ulitimately YOU have the power to just be YOU.

Maybe we should all start every week with a dose of the Dr.

the best steak sandwich. EVER.

We had friends around for drinks yesterday afternoon, and, as those things often do, drinks turned into dinner. Luckily I was half-expecting that to happen, so I was prepared. Because I wanted it simple we had the best steak sandwiches, ever, for dinner.

Earlier in the afternoon I prepared some caramelised onions with brown sugar, red wine and thyme, ready to reheat later on. Then, around 4pm I took a 2 kilo rump roast from the fridge and let it come to room temperature. At 5ish I massaged the rump with olive oil and liberally seasoned it with salt and pepper. Then I seared all the sides till caramelised in a frypan and threw it in a pre-heated 160 degree oven.

I cooked it rare, for around an hour and a bit, then left it to rest for 15 minutes. While it was resting I chopped up an enormous clove of garlic for my cheat's aoili... Simply add chopped garlic to a good quality mayonaise and stir. That's it.

I sliced up big hunks of sourdough, sliced steaks off the rump, heated the onions and put them in a bowl, and offered up the aoili and salt and pepper - for a make-it-yourself steak sarni.

The girls had a big bowl of homemade chips coooked in the oven in duck fat - served french-style with mayo - or a bowl of ketchup and for 'dessert' we adults had apricot Bellinis (chilled apricot nectar and prosecco)

A rather fine way to end a weekend I believe. Particularly when shared with impeccable company!

i'm making a list...

Today hubby and I had a sneaky long-weekend and decided to get in early and get some long-neglected jobs done around the house.

I sat down and wrote out a wish-list of tasks - depending on our mood and the weather and we got totally stuck in.

Excitingly, not only was I able to cross off SIX ITEMS, I was also able to retrospectively add another three items, and then cross them off {ah, nothing like retrospectively adding items to a to-do list to feel accomplished...

So now the magnolia trees in the courtyard are potted in their massive french urns. The roses are fertilised. The lilly pillies are trimmed and water crystals have been added to the soil. The side of the house which was flecked with concrete and crap after the backyard reno {ah, yes, the one that was completed in February. Shhh} has been scrubbed and chipped away with a paint scraper. Hubby's cleared even more of the side yard and a spot of weeding's been achieved. Oh, and I vacuumed the whole house and have managed to keep the kitchen in its pristine state for four whole days!

I reckon a cocktail's in order don't you?

frugal friday

Our in-laws came for dinner last night and we unintentionally had the most frugal and delicious meal ever. It all came about because my daughter and I are addicted to Food Safari, which is screening every night on Lifestyle Food - yay, a 'replacement' for MasterChef.

So, on Tuesday and Wednesday nights Maeve brightened two hearts by having two nights focusing on French cuisine - our fave. One dish that tickled my fancy was lamb navarin - made with big chunks of lamb shoulder on the bone. I decided to serve that up with mashed potato and a baguette to mop up the sauce - and followed it with lemon delicious pud with whipped cream. All up cost? I reckon about $25 for four adults and one child. Bargain.

Firstly I asked my butcher to chop up around 1.2 kilos of lamb shoulder, with the bones {which he did unblinkingly - he's used to me now} and, you know how expensive lamb is? Guess how much 1.2 kilos of lamb shoulder cost? $12! Yes, twelve dollars!!!

Here's the recipe - it's damned delicious

Ask for 1.2 kilos of lamb shoulder on the bone, chopped into fist-sized chunks {5cm-ish}

1 brown onion, diced

1 carrot, diced

2 cloves of garlic, sliced

4 big roma tomatoes, diced

2 cups chicken stock

2 cups dry white wine

2 tablespoons plain flour

1 turnip, chopped

one bunch baby carrots

8 eschallots, peeled and left whole

butter and oil

a few sprigs of thyme

a couple of bay leaves

a few sprigs of rosemary

salt and pepper

1/2 cup frozen peas

Brown lamb in melted butter, with a splash of oil, till caramel in colour, and set aside. Add a wee bit more butter and add onions and carrots and saute over low heat till soft {10 mins}. Toss meat back in and sprinkle flour over the mix, stir and cook for around 2 mins. Throw in herbs, pour over white wine and then add chicken stock and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, bring to the boil and pop in a 160 degree oven for 60 minutes.

Meanwhile, throw a few spoonfuls of sugar into a small saucepan, add a knob of butter and melt. Then throw in your shallots and cook till caramelised, shaking the pan often - probably for around 10 minutes. Add some white wine if the sauce needs thickening.

Then, add the diced turnip and baby carrots, stir and return to oven.

Five minutes before serving, add the caramelised shallots and frozen peas and add more salt and pepper to taste. By now my meat had fallen from the bone, so I fished around and removed the bones from the dish - digging out any marrow and adding it to the pot. I tasted, fell over in bliss, added a wee bit more pepper and salt, popped the lid on and placed it in the oven for 5 more minutes.

I served it with creamy mash and wow, delicious. Slightly sweet from the caramelised shallots an turnips, rich, soft meat, and the perfect way to use new summer veg and the remainder of the winter veg.

Those peasants really knew how to eat!

pucci coochie coo

Well my jasmine's out in flower, which, in my book means that it's spring. Time to think about ditching the flannelette sheets for crisp, white cotton, swap steamed veg for salads and bring out the floaty frocks and wedges.

These little numbers by Pucci just scream Spring. The varying shades of verdant green hues are like a puff of fresh air after winter.

Come to mama...

happy birthday

Turning fifty sure looks fabulous with the gorgeously illustrated Cate Blanchett on the cover.

I needs me a copy of this!

oh, NOW i get it

On the weekend we were at an appliance store, one staffed by youths, toddlers and embyros {so young that I'm thinking, as IF I'm going to take your advice...} and as I was fondling a 900mm freestanding oven {ah, desire...} one of the wee babes came over to me and started spruiking his wares. In a rather learned manner. This lad, with his crazy hair, knew his stuff.

So I listened up as he waxed on about the virtues of this hulking great cooking beast and told me that "Smeg are one of the few ovens to actually hold a true temperature, so when you're following a recipe you normally have to turn the temperature down 10 or 20 degrees to compensate for the other, lesser ovens."

Damn.

I have a Smeg. A Smeg I've complained about since I bought it as it's too hot. I never cook with fan-forced and I now turn the temperature down somewhat just to stop burning. I've been hating on my oven FOR ACTUALLY BEING EFFECTIVE.

I'm sorry oven. Now that I know that you're cooking true I'll happily slide the dial down a few degrees and take the time to get to know you. I'll also remove the 'apparently removable' glass in the door and clean the inside of the triple layers of glass - rather than fruitlessly scrubbing the already clean exposed glass and complaining that I can't see through it.

Thank you young lad for informing me so well about my current oven - which the older salesman who sold me the product neglected to do.

Oh, Gen Y, I'm sorry for judging. And oven, my apologies - now I know that you're just smoking hot... and that's a good thing x

time-saving tuesday

You know that the best way to save time is just to get in and do it, don't you? Well, here's a great way to stop procrastinating and just get things done. Give yourself a time limit. Say, I'm going to clean the kitchen, or, file paperwork for 30 minutes and then set a timer and get to it. Don't let anything distract you! Set your mobile to silent, don't automatically check emails, set any kiddies in front of the electronic babysitter... do whatever it takes to not distract you from the task at hand.

Seriously, you'll be amazed at what you can achieve in a specific, designated time period.

Ready? Set? Go!

exhibits a, b and c

Okay, this is my super-dooper-mega-looper clean and tidy kitchen. I'm hoping that by posting it here I'll encourage myself to keep it that way {and to howl like a banshee at family to do same!}

move-it monday

Starting the week optimistically I've decided to give the house a quick run-over {rapid tidy, vacuum, wash sheets} and then start work. Seriously.

I'm uber-motivated today as I've got the world's cleanest kitchen. Truly, I don't know when it's ever been this tidy. There's nothing superfluous on any surface, and all of those surfaces are sparkling clean. It's an anomaly for me - but I like it. I've had enough of no room being completely finished - there's always something marring the lines, so last night, before bed, I cleaned like a demon. This morning, I've made porridge, rinsed out the pot and everything's in the dishwasher ready to go. I'm just about to head in there for my morning coffee {my reward after vacuuming} and reckon I'll just about explode with joy at the pristine surfaces.

Of course I'll have to walk past the other rooms with rose-coloured blinkers on - but that's okay...

frugal friday

Around about this time I'd quite like to fall over a wee bag of money of the footpath. I'm doing the whole frugal thing quite nicely, but, man, the bills! Since starting back at school our gal's come home with four different notes for incursions and excursions - all requiring cashola to be handed over. Which I do. Plus we got our first winter electricity bill, with me working at home every day {with air con on most days...} and the pool filter and in-floor cleaning thing happening. It was a bit of an ouchy bill... And let's not even talk about the testra bill that I've been dealing with for two months - and still hasn't been resolved. Anyone recommend another phone company? Anyone?

Next week I'm going on-line and hunting down the best option for my phone. I'm thinking about stripping back my plan to the most basic - what's the point in getting 50 free calls if I only make 40 calls per month? I need to do some serious comparisons and cut my costs way, way down. And then? Well, next stop is to find two new sources of income - you can't coast along when you're a freelancer - always pays to stay a step ahead!

what we're eating this week

Meant to post this yesterday, but blogger wouldn't let me post! So here's our meals for the next week. I've got two new recipes - tonight's stir-fry and tomorrow night's slow-braised chicken dish. Tragically I do need a recipe for stir-fry as I'm just crap at the damned things - but I know they're {meant to be} simple and healthy. Let's hope this one's a success!

Thursday: beef, broccoli and almond stir-fry

Friday: slow-braised chicken in white wine

Saturday: parmesan crumbed pork cutlets with mashed pumpkin and steamed mix greens

Sunday: seven hour roast lamb with roasted veg

Monday: vegetarian frittata with salad

Tuesday: lamb chops with roasted potato chips, vichy carrots and mushy peas

Wednesday: beef casserole in the slow cooker

My gal and I have been watching Maeve O'Meara's {sp?} Food Safari every night on Lifestyle Food this week and it's utterly fascinating. We're learning so much about different cultures it's impressive. Now that my gal wants to be a chef {like most Aussie kids thanks to MasterChef} she's all culinarily-inspired. So we're going to seek out recipes from the cuisines we've followed {Sri Lankan, Brazillian and Hungarian so far} and try out new tastes and recipes. I'll also take her to the Asian food supermarket down in the west-end - that'll be an experience for her!

shoe boop be doo

Hello lover... Have you seen anything more delicious than the shade of grape in these patent pretties? Mr Louboutin did mighty fine with these wedges of wonder.

In my dreams I'm tripping around in them wearing my dove grey jersey wrap dress - but I'd love to sizzle by pairing them with a red pencil skirt. Le sigh...

time-saving tuesday

Hey, I'm back-ish... Went to Sydney yesterday for a meeting, and managed to slip in a wee spot of shopping while I was there. Went to two op-shops and got myself some fabbo books - and a 1950s Vogue dress pattern that's just got to be the makings of a party frock for moi. However, all said shopping and meetings have left me with a wee sore head. Ouch. Went back to bed for an hour, until a knocking at the door disturbed me {not enough to get up to answer it, just enough to decide to get up...}

So, onto time-saving Tuesday. I'm a huge, huge, huge fan of to-do lists. I've got 'em all over the house and on my computer, however, I've learned the ultimate trick in getting your to-do list done. Only have three items {MAX} on your to-do list for the day. That's it - three - no more. I know, of course you've got heaps more things you should do - but just write down the things you MUST DO.

See, what you need is a couple of lists: daily, weekly, monthly and long-term. Work out what you need to do over the long-term and then order each item in terms of how life-savingly important it is. If you have 20 items on your to-do list you'll only get through a few and will then feel crap, before transporting them onto tomorrow's list of 20 things, that you won't get through...

So, do this. Write three achievable things on your list today, cross 'em off - and feel fan-fabu-tastic about it. You'll save time by not faffing about in a stress about all the things you've got to do, and shall feel calm, cool and in-control.

that's entertainment

We had one of those lovely evenings last night. You know the one? You go along to a friend's house for a meal, the kids are playing, the adults are nibbling, sipping and chatting... The food's delish, abundant and exactly what you're in the mood for. The conversation veers from one fascinating topic to another. Champagne's always on the table... And you end the night in a taxi buzzing with joy.

That's what I call entertaining.

PS: how much do I want a blowsy floral wallpaper after using this pic? Heaps!

meaty goodness

My gal had a friend over for a sleepover tonight, so I set them to work making dinner to earn their keep. We had baked chicken meatballs with linguine and damn, they were good. Here's the recipe:

600g chicken mince

6 thin slices of prosciutto, chopped

4 french shallots, diced

2 cloves garlic, diced

1 slice of bread, grated

1 egg

1/2 tsp dried thyme

grated rind of 1/4 lemon

salt, pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and form into balls the size of ping pong balls. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake at 180 for around 20 minutes or until golden and firm, turning once during cooking.

Serve on linguine with a simple sauce made with passata, garlic, onion, pesto, red wine vinegar, white wine, salt and pepper.

If desired you could stir meatballs through the sauce and leave them to simmer for 10 minutes, but these were crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and had such an array of flavours from the lemon and prosciutto I'd serve them on top of the sauce {and actually, I did - with just a grating of parmigano regiano over the top}.

The girls were chuffed with themselves and gobbled their whole plate up {asking for extra meatballs mind}, my husband thought they were divine, and I got yet another lemon fix for my tastebuds. Gotta be happy with that!

absolute essentials

Well, my gal's at the movies with two of her besties, I've sent off both pieces of work due for today, there's washing on the line and now I can choose one essential task to cross off the "should-do" list. I have my essentials {washing clothes and dishes, cooking, shopping} and anything else in the household arena comes after the essentials and my work is done. Sure, that means that I currently have dustbunnies the size of tumbleweeds rolling down my hall, but, really, it's not going to kill us. {well, maybe if we had serious allergies, which we don't...}

So now, my task of choice is to tidy up that which poses a health hazzard {magazines on the floor - husband, I'm looking at you!} and then vacuum. If I'm so inclined I might give the sink and toilet a quick spritz, and then a cup of tea, a spot of afternoon cooking shows, and then a wander to the butcher to pick up my special fresh chicken mince I ordered for tonight's meatballs.

My home's not spotless, but really, isn't life about priorities? Chatting with a friend this morning cemented this. When you've got a lot going on you can't possibly do everything, which can get you so down you end up doing nothing. So my motto is to choose something, do it well, and the rest? Shrug my shoulders and say "what the hell..."

frugal friday

Well, we managed to get through our holiday without spending up too hugely, and I must say that cooking dinner's at home was probably the key. Coming home I've also tried to base our meals around what we already had - only buying fresh meat and a few veg for our meals. Whenever I'm meal-planning for the week I like to check out what I already have in the pantry or fridge and go from there - with some basic staples you can create so much. I like to have the following on hand:

garlic

onions

carrots

celery

potatoes

sweet potatoes

green veg

lemons or limes

tinned tomatoes

passata

tomato paste

chicken and beef stock

pasta

flour

arborio rice

fresh nuts: slivered almonds, pistachios, walnuts - all kept in the fridge for freshness

dried herbs

fresh thyme and rosemary

eggs

bacon

chorizo

ham

butter

puff pastry

With these essentials you've got the base of almost any meal. I've also always got red wine, white wine, rosé, champagne and beer in the fridge to make any sauce special. If I find any of these items on special, I'll stock up, they don't sit in the pantry for long. This way I can always stretch a meal too - adding an extra side dish or a baguette if we have an unexpected guest or two for dinner.

Nibbles with drinks are also easy to whip up - a hot spicy nut mix is easy made by popping nuts on a baking tray, dotting with butter and brown sugar and a bit of cayenne pepper and cinnamon. Baked in a hot oven for 5 minutes, it's delish. Or I'll sauté up some slices of chorizo, deglazing the pan with a little red wine and pepper to pour over the top. A little more time and I'll caramelise some onions and thyme and make teeny puff pastry tarts.

A well-stocked pantry is a frugal-foodies best friend, as Liss from frillsinthehills.blogspot.com can attest with her latest challenge! What are your pantry staples?

becoming besties with your butcher

As you know, I'm keen to support local businesses, which is why I'll walk down the street to my local butcher every couple of days to buy whatever I need for dinner. And, tell you what, if you ask politely, your butcher'll do almost anything you ask them {meat-wise that is}.

I went in yesterday to buy my chicken thighs for the pot pies {delish btw and a thousand times simpler than the Ina Garten recipe I'd used previously} and decided to buy the chuck steak for tonight's black ale and beef pie.

There was a new butcher there and I asked him if he'd mind slicing me up big chunks of steak - one inch thick - around a kilo of the stuff. Sure, no problem. So today, when I went to cook up the casserole, I simply sprinkled a few tablespoons of flour in the bag with the meat, added some dried mixed herbs, salt and pepper and mushed it all around. Then I diced up onion, garlic, carrots and celery and softened them in the pan for around 10 minutes in a good slug of oil. When soft, I simply threw in the beef and tossed it in the heat for a few minutes before pouring in my beer. After it stopped bubbling I topped it up with some beef stock, added a few wooden spoonfuls of tomato paste, a couple of bay leaves, a glug of worscester sauce and brought it to the boil.

Popping some baking paper over the top, I added a lid and flung it in a low oven {150 degrees} at 3.30pm and won't take it out till 6.30 when I serve it with colcannon mash and green beans.

my, my, my, my, MY

Oh Mr McQueen! Pour moi? You shouldn't have! Okay, divinity overload - how amazing are these heels? Sure, they cost as much as my first car {ah, the avocado green Datsun 120y - they don't make 'em like that anymore - thank goodness!} however, these shoes are prettiness personified with that pink sole and layers of ruffles. They'd really up the va-va-voom of any little black dress!

naughty nigella

Well, I had my menu plan all set - until I sat down with a cup of tea to watch Nigella and promptly changed my mind. Now, because of Nigella, we're having Chicken Pot Pies for dinner rather than pork fillets.

Must say, pot pies are the perfect way to get a pastry fix, particularly when served in ramekins with only a circle of pastry on top.

Onions, garlic and pancetta are fried in oil till golden. Then toss chunks of 6 - 8 chopped chicken thighs in a ziplock bag with 2 1/2 tablespooons of flour and some dried thyme. Add this to the pan with a nob of butter, give it a stir till flour is cooked out then add around 375ml of chicken stock. Stir, then pour into ramekins and top with a round of puff pastry {with a few fork holes poked in the top} brush liberally with egg wash, sprinkle with salt flakes and bake at 200 degrees celcius till golden {20 mins-ish}.

Yum.

what's cookin' wednesday

Now I'm back on track and ready to make a meal plan for the next week. It's a bit of a crazy week as I'm away on Sunday night and not back till late Monday, so hubby will be cooking for two of those days and we're off to a friend's for dinner on Saturday night where I'm just bringing a plate of nibbles. Here's what we're eating in between:

Wednesday, pork fillets wrapped in prosciutto and baked on a bed of rhubarb, served with broccolini and sweet potato chips {this is in a book I bought on hols - possible Jamie - found for half price in a wee shop in Gulgong - buy of the trip!}

Thursday: Beef stew, colcannon and green beans

Friday: Baked chicken meatballs with linguine

Saturday: dinner at our friends' - need to think of tasty nibbles to whip up

Sunday: I'm away, so no roast, steak and veg will make my hubby happy

Monday: Spaghetti bolognaise for when I schlep off the train, all tired and hungry

Tuesday: Chicken noodle soup {my gal's special request}

starry starry night

One of the coolest things about our four days in Mudgee was our Friday night trek out to the Observatory. Wowsers. Now, while it was a lot more rustic than I'd expected {we treked up a dark hill, behind a house and saw a tin shed an a couple of domes on the side of a hill - and climbed up and down ladders to get the view} but oh my, what a sky.

Far away from the city lights the sky was just bedazzled with stars - it was amazing and gob-smackingly gorgeous. And because the observatory was privately-owned, the owner was there happy to share his knowledge and love of the stars. Through telescopes I saw a jewelbox of constellations, incredible nebulas and a star in its death-throes {damned spectacular}.

The owner had a helper there with him and between them they had the coolest thing ever - a laser pointer with a 20km reach. That meant I could say, "Where's Scorpio?" and they'd point to it and draw around it - it was so clear and cool.

There was a little cloud which obscured Saturn for most of the time we were there. But we went into the shed and watched a 15 minute DVD on Saturn and when we came out it was peeking out to say hi. Because nothing was too much trouble, these blokes then moved the telescopes to focus on the planet and we saw it in all its glory. It was almost side-on, so the rings were merely lines dissecting the planet - but still, dead cool.

All this for $10 per adult and $5 for kids. Best money I've ever spent.

time-saving tuesday

Even though I work from home, I still like to be a bit stepfordy around the home, so I'm always looking at ways to trim time from my tasks. And I thought I might start sharing the love. Sometimes the simplest things evade our notice. I know that I used to think that menu-planning was for weirdos with too much time on their hands and a lack of creativity. Now, I see it as quite possibly the best invention ever {yep, topping the wheel, fire, iMacs, television...}

So that's number one on my list: here's number two. I remember years ago going to a friend's house who had three kids under five and being amazed when I noticed her washing line. She had a fabulous old silver hills hoist and on three of the quarters were hung particular items of clothing - each child had a section completely dedicated them. I quickly wrote that off as far-too-much-trouble. However, lately, in an effort to stem my moving various piles of washing from one flat surface to another - but rarely the correct surface {which would be inside the proper drawer or on the correct hanger} I decided to take in the washing in a certain order: my gal's clothes, my clothes and hubby's clothes: and a certain manner according to drawer or wardrobe space {socks and underwear, tops, pants, etc}.

Now, this sounds insane, however, it means that because I fold when I take it off the line, I have to merely take the basket into my daughter's room and then our room, and remove the clothing straight into the correct spot. A little bit of time out in the sunshine of the backyard spent sorting, means less time putting away {my most-loathed of task}. And I reckon I'm getting a wee bit of incidental exercise with that moving around {however, if I had a lovely spinning Hills Hoist I'd just have to spin it - easy-peasy}.

So now, it's 4.43pm and all the clothes from our holiday are washed and packed away - not sitting in teetering piles all over the house. This takes me to a happy place!

simple tastes

After spending our long weekend away cooking the meals each night {as the weekend was my mother-in-law's birthday pressie I wanted her to totally relax} we got home last night, after six hours on the road, and I was after simplicity for our meal. So, I had a packet of spaghettini, some pesto-marinated-feta bought in Mudgee and some chorizo in the fridge {now it's a staple!}

I cooked up the spaghettini till just before al-dente, sauteed some slices of chorizo and then tossed the pasta with a spoonful of cooking water in the frypan with the crispy chorizo. I then broke up some of the feta, tossed it in with a little of the oil and pesto and shook the pan around to distribute it.

There: dinner's served.

On our weekend away I was thrilled to discover a big, fat, free-standing smeg oven in the kitchen, all shiny stainless-steel and cavernous space. So I knew I'd be cooking up in the oven on the first night. Off to the butcher and the grocer and I made a couple of shephard's pies with local lamb mince and topped with plenty of creamy mash. Served with some broccoli and sweet corn on the side. MMMmmmm.

Day two saw us head to the Farmer's Markets, in search of a fat pig - which we found in the local Ormiston Free Range pork. I bought a voluptuous shoulder and roasted it with plenty of root vegies that night, and sweet little bursts of peas. The pork was a lush, ruby red, with a rind that made the most crisp, sweet crackling. Oh my. Delish.

Sunday morning we had the eggs left by the owners of the cottage we rented, and, oh my. Blue and green perfect hen's eggs greeted me when I opened the carton - almost too pretty to crack. However, we'd also bought some pork chippolatas to have with scrambled eggs {and french sourdough toast - from a v popular stall at the markets...} so I cracked away. The richest, lushest yolks and whites greeted me - and made me yearn to make custard with such beauties. However, I do think the creamy scramble did them justice.

Sunday night was a lazy night in preparation for the MasterChef finale. I cheated and bought some King Island Gourmet Beef pies which I served with mash, gravy, peas, corn and broccoli. And, hello, for a cheating meal it was damned fine.

I reluctantly bade farewell to my mega smeg, and came home to my standard-size number. But, realistically, with a family of three it'd be tough to justify losing cupboard space for the extra oven-width. However, for a butler's sink I'd happily skim a few inches from a cupboard or two...

home-sweet-home

I reckon that the best thing about a holiday is coming home. Don't get me wrong, I looooooove the holiday aspect {and our four days in Mudgee were so relaxing and gorgeous} but driving back into my home-town I realise how much I love where I live. Walking up to my front gate I soak in my garden and home, and fall in love with it all over again. There's no place like home.

frugal friday {well, nearly}

I can't skip frugal friday - and I'll be too busy to post in the morning. So here goes. This week was all about budgets. Going through, trimming, skimming, plotting and planning. We've got a date to pay off debt, and I'm going to do whatever it takes to get there.

When we were at Uni I remember having only a few dollars till the next payday - and making do. We ate well, went out and saw bands, dressed okay {still in op-shop clothes mind - some things never change} and I think it's time to re-embrace that attitude.

We might be headed off for a four-day weekend, but I've packed plenty of stuff to take with us. There's snacks to eat on the way, bottles of water filled from our purifier, soup for lunch on arrival and we're even taking our coffee machine with us to save buying takeaway {yes, big benchtop coffee machine, five people, luggage for four days, Holden Astra...}

Making frugal fun!

country roads...

We're headed off for four days in the country bright and early in the morning. We'll be staying at Mudgee and this is one of the places I'm dead keen to visit - a cafe in an old butchery {I think I'll be coveting those tiled walls...}

My gal and I are also off to the Observatory tomorrow night - can't wait to see the skies without any city lights to dazzle.

There's a farmer's market to explore on the Saturday, plenty of vineyards, a number of gourmet fooderies... I reckon we'll have a damned fine time.

See you all next week!

the kids are aw-right

Saw it. Adored it. Can't wait for the final two films. Am desperate to re-read the whole series. Am utterly besotted with these three - love 'em all. Still have an evil crush on Snape {I know!}. Cried. Laughed. Gasped. Was amazed I didn't have nightmares about scary things in the water. Want to live in the Weasley's house. Think Helena Bonham-Carter was exquisite and wish my curls would behave in the same manner as Bellatrix's. Am reduced to short sentences with its magnificence. Go see.

shiny shiny bad times behind me

A dozen Tra La La Las would trip from my lips wearing these sparkly Miu Miu numbers. I know my friend M is dying a million deaths that they're not in her wardrobe - and me too - considering we're the same size {hey, it's my birthday in a few weeks - I'm a size 37 - thanks}

wacky wednesday

Oh my. Harry Potter tonight! Dead excited. However, am v, v, v, busy so must get bucketloads of work done between now and netball training at 4pm. Eeek! My gal's having a playdate {thank you G - you're a lifesaver!}, I've got the ingredients ready for provencal chicken and a to-do list that's just itching to get crossed off.

Now I've had another double shot of caffeine I'm ready to bust a move on this work. Ready, set - kapow and I'm off!

music that moves me

In an effort to get myself moving I've delved into iTunes and my computer's blasting out Tender by Blur. And, oh, the memories. See this was one of the songs I played during labour and one of the few songs that could calm my child instantly. Even now, she stills and listens when it comes on. That, along with Lullaby by Reef are two of her favourite songs... and the soundtrack to her babydom.

Listening to bits of the JJJ hottest 100 of all time on the weekend I had to agree with many of the top 10. There were plenty of tunes in there that instantly catapulted me back in time - including the number one - Smells Like Teen Spirit that sends me back to the Hordern Pavillion for the first ever Big Day Out with Nirvana steaming up the room. Good times....

The Hordern was also the scene for Blur, where I basked in the presence of Damon Albarn's beauty and magnificent tunes. Sigh.

I've been blessed by being present at some truly amazing gigs in my lifetime - Pavement, The Pixies, Neds Atomic Dustbin {ah, good times}, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Breeders, Foo Fighters, Reef, Iggy Pop, Nine Inch Nails, Chris Isaak {what can I say, eclectic tastes} Scissor Sisters, Supergrass, Smashing Pumpkins {overseas passenger terminal - opera house as the backdrop - oh my}

Ah, memories...

my heart belongs to paris

sounds of silence

My gal's at her grandparents today after having a sleepover last night, so my house is eerily quiet for a school holiday. Strangely, even though I didn't have to, I woke early and was sitting at my computer at 8am {well, early for me!}

I've got bucketloads of work to do today while I'm on my own. Four jobs on deadline for Thursday. Yep, four. I'm the original gal who can't say no - but I love being busy.

We're off on a four-day-break on Friday morning, up to Mudgee with the in-laws. Can't wait. Although last night had an awful thought that ye-olde-homestead in Mudgee might not have channel 10 for the finale of MasterChef!!!! I think we'll be sending a frantic email and if not, putting on our thinking caps {local pub screening it perhaps? Motel room???}

Can't say I was sorry to see Lucas go last night. Serving up two pies, savoury and sweet, that looked identically crap... well, not the final week of MasterChef is it? I've now come to terms with the fact that the Australian MasterChef really only shares a name with it's English cousin. We're not seeing cooking anything like that calibre - although there's a few contestants whose restaurants I'll be visiting.

Tonight, in honour of last night, I might cook a pie... Julia's duck and red wine pie perhaps. Oh, and if I were on MasterChef know what I would have cooked last night? Venison, rosemary and beetroot pie with a blood orange meringue pie for sweets. Yum.

Okay, time to settle down to work now. I've already had two double shots of coffee this morning - should propel me nicely into achievement...

ahhhh, that's better

Our gal's 'new' wardrobe was delivered this morning bright and early at 9am - and by 10am it was in her room. Poor delivery blokes. It's a solid number, I'm thinking oak - and as you can see, it's a whopper. To get it in through the narrow hallway required removing the top {easy - just lifted off}, the base {not-so-easy - the former owners had screwed the base on with plenty of two-inch screws} and a door {100-odd-year-old screws + rust + paint = a helluva job}. Then there was a lot of shuffling, paint scratching, back-breaking work until finally it was in.

Our daughter's in love - even though a few bits of paint have come off. We cleaned it inside and out with a vinegar, bi-carb, hot water and lavender oil mixture and it's sparkly clean. As you can see the Miley Cyrus posters are already on the side - and it's now filled with all her clothes.

Doesn't it just look like it was made for that spot in her room? The delivery guys said that if we decide to get rid of it - not to call them! But it's a keeper. Now the shelves are lined with pretty-scented paper all we need to do is create a little lavender bundle to tie in a sprig and hang from the rail.

That's one room in the house finished.

Sigh...

the things you do

I spent an hour or so today, in the garden, scrubbing my rose stems with a toothbrush. Neighbours and passer-by must have thought I was mad... But we had a bit of a scale infestation on a few bushes and I like to go with the gentle option first. So there I was, gently scrubbing at the stems with a soft-bristle brush, watching the scale fall to the ground. Then, when the stems were almost visible, I gave them a quick spray with the pest oil.

My new shoots are already peeping out. I do believe they'll be rather happy with their pristine new home!

calling my name

Sometimes you'll spy something so amazing, so once-in-a-lifetime, so incredible on just so many levels that you just have to buy it.

Today, this was mine.

Yep, a Barbara Cartland cookbook.

It works on many levels. It's pretty. It's pretty kitsch. It's hilarious and, surprisingly, it has a few interesting recipes...

Now, I shan't be styling my veal provencale with a range of ceramic figurines and a multitude of flowers, however, chances are that I will be serving it.

See, I've always had a wee soft spot for Barbara Cartland. I loved how she lolled on a chaise and narrated her romance tales. I thought it was magnificent that she always wore pink. I think it's admirable that she was so dedicated to her look - even into her dotage.

There's nothing like a Dame...

that explains it

Having stumbled upon a new blog {lashings & lashings of ginger beer - cutest name ever, from one of my fave books in my childhood, um, ever} I've finally realised how inextricably linked my love of books and lust for food are.

It's all explained here...

why thanks karma, don't mind if I do

Hey, you know how I've been doing about a gazzilion drop-offs at the Salvos lately? Well, even though I've been looking around, I haven't really found anything to buy, so I knew I was building up some good shopping karma. And oh boy, did I.

See my daughter's in desperate need of a new wardrobe. She currently has the old family 1930s lowboy, which we painted, popped on pretty decals and spruced up with new handles, but still, it's too small for a nine-year-old with a love of pretty frocks {have no idea where she gets that from...}

So yesterday, as I was dropping off a load of fabbo kid's books, I took a look around and had my breath subsequently stolen by a jaw-droppingly gorgeous Edwardian three door wardrobe. Not only did it have pretty lines, gorgeous girly carvings and the perfect space - it'd already been painted in antique white and had pretty pink crystal handles.

Perfect.

And, so crazily cheap.

So this morning I measured up her wall and dashed down hoping it was still there, which it was. Plus, it fitted perfectly - made for the space. I called hubby and he dashed down, only to exclaim that it was perfect and I was a shopping genius {I read that genius bit between the lines mind.}

So we bought it and it's getting delivered on Monday. So freakin' excited.

Oh, and I bought something else amazing too - but it needs photos to do it justice, so lunch, coffee, happy snaps and another post to follow!