this year I will...

* Try out a new recipe each week

* Go to outdoor boxing early each Saturday morning - boxing and the beach are the perfect combo

* Concentrate on cleaning one room in my house each day

* Smile every hour

* Do Pilates once a week - it works for Dita Von Teese and Kate Winslet, so that's enough for me

* Ride my bike once a week

* Try something new at least once a month

* Dedicate fridays as Friendship Friday and call one friend on a Friday evening

* Seek out more freelance work

* Learn conversational French

* Listen to more music

* Read a wider range of authors (maybe even some men - oooooh)

* Plan more dates with my hubby

* Continue to declutter my home and mind

* Go for a walk every day - for at least 15 minutes

* Learn how to sew - properly!

* Work smarter

* Do something special with my daughter every day

green fingers

Wow, I feel like I haven't been in my front garden for months... probably because I haven't. We've been focussing all our attention on the backyard renovation and the poor front garden is starting to sulk. It's mid-summer here and we've had some wild weather. The last few days have been reasonably hot, and today is hot and windy, so I think that later on I'll be lavishing some care on my poor, neglected garden beds. The heat and overnight showers have ensured that many of my roses are covered in black spot, so that needs to be removed. Dead flowerheads need to be snipped off. Plus, there's a spot of weeding in one corner that really needs attending to. While I'm there I might also throw on some manure and give the garden a good soak - while talking soothingly to my plants to let them know I haven't completely forgotten them!

happiness list

Today I'm happy because...

* my daughter's party was a fun-filled success

* I gave nearly all the leftover cake to friends as they collected their children, so I didn't snack on it mindlessly all day

* I'm ahead in my work

* I've come up with a system to keep track of my invoices and income

* Aside from a crunchy and sticky kitchen floor, my house is relatively clean and tidy

* I just made myself a really nice cup of tea

* I've just washed my hair

* I'm listening to girls singing and giggling happily

* We're off to our good friends' house tonight for duck confit and champagne

* I can spy flowers from every window in my study - frangipani to the left, delicate bottle brush dead ahead.

* I am blessed with wonderful friends who make my heart sing

* I live just up the road from one of the most magnificent beaches and ocean baths this glorious country has to offer

* I have a husband and child I adore, and who love me back

* My toenails are a pretty vibrant shade of strawberry pink

* I'm reading a new book by Marlena de Blasi - That Summer in Sicily and she's taking me back to Italy with her enthusiasm and pretty words

* I'm inspired to try a new recipe each week, yep, you read that right, recipe - not just create a meal, but follow a plan

* I'm filled with optimism about 2009 and look forward to enjoying every moment, of every single day

* Comments from you always make me smile! xx

 

party pooped

Phew, the last of the parties over for a while. Oh, and the Rock Star Party? It rocked! Smiling girls left with exultations of  "Best Party Ever!" ringing in our ears. Nice.

I adore planning parties. And it all starts with setting the scene. An invite has to set expectations. Our Rock Star VIP Lanyards really did the trick. They invited the girls to Party Like a Rock Star and the rsvp asked them to call me to "get on the VIP list" which they were pretty chuffed about. We had silver 'tinsel curtains' hanging over the front door, and the entry to the living room, giving it a bit of a backstage vibe. Twenty pale blue and silver helium balloons dotted the living room ceiling. At the front door, posters were set up with a big gold star and ROCK STAR VIP ZONE to set the mood again, and we posted up a few "set lists" with a rundown of events.

First, we got the girls to come up with a band name - which were all impressive - then we had the Rock Star makeovers (suitable for nine-year-olds). We had a range of nail polishes (black, red, dark blue, purple, fluoro pink, yellow) and coloured hair sprays, lip gloss and a eye shadow to do a subtle cats eye. After the makeovers were complete we did a Rock Star photo shoot - with all 10 girls, then each with the birthday girl, then solo - which Matt downloaded and printed out for later - when they were decorating their Concert Posters.

Next up the Wii got a workout. We put on Disney Sing-It and the girls formed Duos to belt out a number or two. After that it was Munch Time at 6pm with homemade pizza, sausage rolls, party pies and surprisingly popular carrot sticks and cherry tomatoes! All swilled down with jugs of water or lemonade. More singing followed, and then posters were decorated before the Cake came out. And that was it. Undoubtedly the most simple and fun party ever. Nibbles on the table were limited to very popular watermelon wedges and a couple of bowls of chips, and much water was consumed.

My gal came in and gave me the world's biggest hug and thank you before bedtime - which really makes it all worthwhile.

salad days

While I love a good salad, I've never really made one - until yesterday. I made a vietnamese chicken salad and it was mighty fine. Just in case you're interested, this is how I did it.

I grabbed two chicken breasts, poached them for 10 minutes, cooled, then shredded them. The I finely sliced 1/4 head of chinese cabbage,  sliced two lebanese cucumbers into thin batons, grated two carrots, sliced two green onions, chopped 1/2 bunch each of mint and coriander and then threw in 1/2 cup of salted peanuts. I then mixed the chicken through and dressed it with a dressing made from 60ml rice wine vinegar, 60ml fish sauce, 1/3 cup fresh lime juice and three tablespoons of caster sugar combined with two finely sliced birds eye chillis. It was very refreshing and healthy. So I followed it with a trifle!

Poached nectarine and raspberry trifle.

I poached the halved nectarines (6) in a syrup made from water, a couple of tablespoons of caster sugar, a vanilla pod and a good sloosh of rose syrup for 10 minutes (turning over halfway through cooking). Then I layered the nectarines on top of broken sponge cake (which I bought, I'm not crazy) and spooned the syrup over to moisten the cake. Then I studded raspberries in between the nectarines. I then spooned a whole tub of brandy custard over the top, then added another layer of sponge - moistened with the last of the syrup. I sprinkled more rapsberries over top and whipped up some cream to which I added the beans from the vanilla pod. All the cream was smoothed over the top and it was refrigerated for a couple of hours. It tasted damned good. Oh, if I wasn't hungover of course I would have added alcohol to the mix!

new year, new shoe

I'm a day late posting my shoe of the week - sorry! New year's hangovers, spontaneous dinner parties and birthday party preparations all conspired against me yesterday. So today, in honour of my new 'working from home wardrobe' here are a pretty pair of pink, patent Miu Miu shoes to make your tootsies really smile.

party, party, party on

Wow, it's 2009 and the parties haven't stopped. We had friends for dinner last night, and I've got Nigella's sour cream chocolate cake bubbling away in the oven for my daughter's Rock Star party this afternoon. There's pizzas to be made (thanks for that Sara!), decorations to be hung (an abundance of pale blue and silver helium balloons), mess to be stashed and lolly bags to be stuffed. All by 5pm. Eeeeeeek!

Hope everyone had a truly fabulous new year. I'm looking forward to sharing so much with you in 2009. Lxx

get the party started

My apologies to iTunes. Thanks to being a complete luddite, I didn't realise that the whole iTunes party mix just keeps going on. I started off slowly with Ben Harper, but am currently rocking out to Dinosaur Jr - apple does know best.

I must say too, that having music playing did put me in a much happier mindset - and I've just about finished reworking that story. Happy now!

tasteful tunes

I'm working today, reworking a story I thought I'd finished, but that the editorial director thought needed a complete change of direction. Grrrrr. At least I'm getting paid for the words, but still. Sigh. Anyway, I thought a bit of music might soothe my savage mood, so I went into iTunes and found what they'd called Party Mix. Hmmm, what could that be? Well, while it's made up of my tunes, it's not what I'd put together for a party. My party tunes have a distinctly retro vibe - heavy on the 80s and 90s pop/dance and grunge scenes. This mix is heavy on Ben Harper, who I love, but I wouldn't put him in my must-have party hits mix.

Oddly, there are party bands on this mix - Blur, Silverchair, Filter... but not the songs I would have chosen. However, as I said yesterday, I'm open to new experiences, so maybe this Ben Harper selection - with its heavy load of Gospel numbers, is just what I need to get this work done. I'll let you know. Apparently iTunes thought I needed divine intervention...

pizza party

As it's New Year's Eve, we're off to friends' tonight to ring in 09. There are five families going along, so to feed the hoards we're all bringing pizza to cook and share. I'm making a fresh tomato sauce and will be using that as the base for my prosciutto and parmesan pizza. I'd also like to use the remaining roast beef I cooked up yesterday for lunch (we had it sliced, cold, with salad and baguettes - yummy) and do a caramelised onion, roast beef and baby spinach pizza. It's not going to be cheesy, I thought I'd just throw on a few chunks of a really strong cheddar - and no tomato sauce, just the juicy onions with a little added garlic oil. That should all go rather nicely with the champers, surely.

rebel yell

I spent a lot of my life inadvertently rebelling against my mother. If you'd asked me, I would have said "No way!" but it's only now that I've realised that a lot of the things I do, I do because my mother didn't do.

When I was growing up our house was always gorgeous. Very fashionable, very clean, very tidy. Our living room was the height of 70s chic - with one wall entirely coated in mirror tiles, deep green modular couches and white carpet. Ye. White carpet. You know what you can do on white carpet? Almost nothing. You could walk on it - in clean feet or clean socks. You couldn't eat or drink on it. Sometimes I wished I could levitate, so I didn't worry about smearing it. 

The kitchen was also very chic, with a white mosaic tile benchtop and splashback - with matching white grout. Now, luckily my mother was a Virgo, so she was keen on clean, and those white surfaces always sparkled under her ministrations. However, I obviously always swore I wouldn't have a house like that. 

See, I refuse to let anyone take off their shoes at my front door, as it always brings flashbacks to that damned white carpet. When we moved into this house, our daughter used to ride her trike up and down the hallways, scratching the floorboards - but adding more character. Food's often eaten at a table, or on the couch in front of the TV - whatever's easiest.

However, being slothful and messy isn't rebellion - it's silly and only impacts on the person who has to live in it. So now, I'm 99 per cent sure I've turned the corner on messiness. These days it's normal for me to put something back where it belongs, immediately. The dishwasher's unloaded as soon as it's finished, and washed dishes are left to dry for no more than half a day before I pack them all away. It's a much nicer life - and I still feel like we've got a lived in and loved in home. It's still pretty gorgeous, but it's worn around the edges. Which is just the way I like it.

something new

I've never been one for resolutions. I always find that as soon as I make a grand statement that I want to achieve... it tends to set me up for failure. I prefer baby steps. For example, this year is the year I try something new as often as possible. A new activity, a new recipe, a new food, a new author, a new album, a new fitness gig, a new restaurant...

To inspire me, I'll tell you all about it. I'd like to step outside my comfort zone in 2009. Stretching the mind and imagination has to be good for the soul non?

pucker up

Okay, I've googled, and reckon that this sounds like the perfect Lemon Drop Martini recipe. Enjoy!

1 1/2 ounces of vodka

1/2 ounce triple sec

1 tsp superfine sugar (I think I'll use caster sugar)

3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice

Place all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake 40 times to allow the sugar to dissolve. Then, grab yourself a frosty cold martini glass, wipe the rim with lemon juice, then dip it in some superfine sugar. Carefully pour in the Lemon Drop Martini, then garnish with a lemon twist.

Oh my.

See, yet another reason why I really need to plant a lemon tree. 

book club

As an avid reader I place my books in categories. Meh: I'm only reading this to find out what happens. Fine: okay, but not life shattering. Fab: loved it, will read it again, and Oh, wow. I just read an Oh, WOW. The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen is such an incredible book. She's one of those rare authors who weave a spellbinding tale, complete with quirky, whimsical characters and can sprinkle on a bit of magic in the most believable manner. I adored every single second of this book.

The cover's different on my version though. It's a pretty blue, with a pair of feathered angel wings and a gorgeous, scroll-script title font in a pretty deep cerise. And it's dotted with raised, sparkly sugardrops. I bought the book for the cover, and I'm so very glad I did.

Oh, and it's spookily magic. One of the main characters in the book had a fondness for a lemondrop - an alcoholic drink I'd never heard of before. And then, less than 10 minutes after reading about this delicious-sounding drink, Jack, on Will & Grace, stepped up to the bar and ordered three lemondrops. Spooky huh? I'm about to google the ingredients, because these little beauties seem to be served in a martini glass - my favourite drinking vessel.

sale guide

We've braving the post-Christmas sales at the local shopping centre today. I'm on the hunt for a new set of sheets and some beach/pool towels. Of course, I'm very, very particular. I only like crisp white cotton sheets on my bed, and for the pool, I want pretty blue and green towels with a cute border of retro fringing. Oh, and I'd like 'em striped if possible. 

We're planning on putting some towel rails up - some on the side of the house next to the intended outdoor shower, and possibly a subtle couple on the fence in the courtyard. Towels get mighty soggy when you swim, so a good drying area is essential, otherwise they get flung over furniture and pool fencing and that just looks very unattractive.

It's also our daughter's birthday tomorrow, so a couple of extra pressies might be in order. We've done most of the shopping, but I love the cheap fillers that make a pile look extra impressive. With girls it's easy - hair bands, lip balm, cute socks...

I've also got the in-laws coming for lunch tomorrow so I'll be roasting up a wedge of beef to slice thinly and serve with a salad and baguette. For dinner we're hoping our favourite French restaurant, Bistro Tartine, will be open. Our little soon-to-be-nine-year-old adores confit duck and creme brulee...

totally stuffed

Last night I roasted a rather delish chicken. I washed it, dried it, then stuffed it with this:

2 slices wholegrain bread, grated

6 slices prosciutto, diced

1 egg

a generous sprinkling of dried mixed herbs

salt and pepper

Then I rubbed olive oil all over the chicken, trussed the legs, sprinkled salt over it, then placed a few slices of butter on top, rubbing into the skin. The chicken then went onto a baking rack, in a tray, into which I poured two cups of moscato (white wine). 

I baked it at 180 degrees for an hour, then tented it with foil and baked it for a further 30 mins till it was cooked through. Finally, I took it out and rested it for 15 minutes. The skin was crispy and golden, the flesh was oohhhh so moist, and the stuffing was mighty fine considering my limited food options on Boxing Day. We ate it with a simple salad and washed it down with bubbles (you know, cos it's Christmas).

bubbles

Festivities just aren't complete without bubbles - preferably French ones. Which is why I'm rather chuffed that a case of this little beauty currently resides in my pantry. 

While I adore Pommery, Moet and Tattinger, my bank account does not. However, I can justify spending $12 on Veuve Amiot - a refreshing sparkling wine that hails from the delightful Loire region. If you ever stumble upon it I can recommend it. It's light and doesn't have that acrid taste that cheaper sparklings can offer. It's also taken over from Grandin as my other bargain French bubble.

Actually, I may need to pop a bottle in the fridge while my chicken roasts. I am meant to be detoxing, but hey, it's Christmas is it not?

flat out

While doing a bit of the odd cleaning and tidying today I got to thinking about the types of chores that I love and loathe. Some I'll do grudgingly (toilet cleaning - erk), others I try to adopt a zen state while I undertake (unloading the dishwasher, putting away clean clothes) and others I just will not do (ironing). Yep, I'm a non-ironer. 

I think I was scarred for life by a white, cotton pirate shirt I had in the 80s. See, I begged for it, and my mother agreed, but only if I'd iron it. Sure enough, the darned thing would sit at the bottom of the ironing basket, getting more crumpled and despicable with every week. Day-by-day more clothes were piled on top and it shrunk and crinkled and almost glowered with wrinkles. Every now and again I'd bring it out, think about ironing it, and shudder before placing it at the bottom. Of course, sometimes I'd just have to wear it with my white knickerbockers and gold belt and shoes combo (I repeat, it was the 80s) so I'd have to dig it out, spray it with the water bottle and spend half an hour cursing as I ironed out one crease, to replace it with another.

Now, I don't iron. I hang out my washing with care, shaking out all the wrinkles and pulling things flat. Then I carefully fold it when I bring it in, and hang anything that can be hung so any remaining wrinkles fall out. 

It works, we look relatively neat and tidy. My husband's work shirts look fine - not pristine, but fine. I hang them all on hangers and all the wrinkles seem to fall out as they dry.

All this time I'm not spending on ironing, or angsting over the growing pile, means I have time to do other stuff - like sleep, or read, or cook. My brow doesn't furrow every time I think about the ironing - because it just doesn't exist, so I'm also saving on botox - bonus!

festive leftovers

Ouch. I'm still very over-satiated from the Christmas Food Festival. The last few days have been a blur of way too much food, swallowed down with plenty of wine. Breakfast this morning was a very light slice of toast with restorative vegemite and a couple of big glasses of cold water. Lunch will be a carved leg ham salad, and for dinner, I have a lovely free-range chook ready to roast and serve with more leaves and other salad greens.

I've just been musing about what to do with the Christmas pudding my mother-in-law lovingly makes for each of her children's families. They're perfect, but unfortunately my hubby has an aversion to dried fruits, so a dried-fruit-studded pudding is not his cup of tea. I'm not keen on nibbling away at it on my own over the next few weeks, lest my waistline take on an even-greater pudding shape. So here's my idea. We're going to friends for dinner in two days time and I thought I'd create a trifle based around the pud. Slices of pudding will be alternated with poached, seasonal fruits, and a vanilla yoghurt 'custard'. Surely that'll use it all it, the sweetness will be tempered with the yogurt and all will be well.

Now, I'm off for a swim - hopefully I'll float and not sink!

seasons shoe greetings

Hope you all have a lovely, lovely Christmas. And I really hope that Santa leaves something like these little beauties under the tree for you...