zombies make funny

If you want to laugh, and don't mind a bit of zombie humour, then go here. The last part in particular is so cute and giggleable. Go on.

red hot

There's always a time for a pair of lipstick red heels. These Marni pretties look like the ideal pair to wear while off lunching with the gals.

It's raining again today, sigh. I shouldn't complain as I managed to get all my washing done - except the two sets of sheets I washed last night... Oh well, I'll string up a line under cover somewhere.

Hey, I'm thinking of something radical. Not replacing my broken clothes dryer. Realistically I only use it in emergencies - and maybe I don't even need it then. I think I'll wait and see...

soap stars

I'm a fan of reality tv - and a huge fan of cooking programs, which is why I'm rather keen on some Top Chef action.

However, the other night I had a revelation of the non-culinary kind. See, at the end of a shift the chefs were scrubbing down the stainless steel bench tops with soapy water, then polishing it with a dry cloth.

Genius.

I have a stainless steel bbq {monster that it is}, stainless steel dishwasher and ss oven and cooktop. All of which have driven me crazy in the search for a polished and clean surface. In the olden days when I had a cleaner she swore by a $7 bottle of specialised stuff, but I felt it left streaks and never really satisfied me in the cleaning stakes.

So tonight I squirted some dishwashing liquid into a bowl of hot water, grabbed a cloth and an old linen tea towel and set to work on the bbq. Within a few minutes it was shiny and cleaner than it's ever been - and I swear I spent less time on it than I would with the specialised cleaner.

Soap and water, you rock.

food fight

I've mentioned before that I've lost my cooking mojo. What with the whirl of December zooming by, Christmas, birthday parties, activities... I got out of my regular weekly meal planning and into a daily buying tizz. Of course this has two side-effects.

Firstly, the hassle. Deciding what to cook on the day sucks. It's taxing, it's stressful and never as effective as if you'd planned.

Secondly, it's damned expensive. Whether it's a frantic dash to the supermarket, or quickly ducking in to buy the world's most expensive head of garlic {at $5 this one had better be damned good} this is an expensive way to eat.

So today I was uninspired till I watched Nigella whip up lemon and garlic chicken. Yum. So I walked up to the organic shop to buy two unwaxed lemons and that gold-plated head of garlic. Next, I walked in the opposite direction to the butcher - where they had no free-range chicken, and only breasts or thighs with no skin. Pointless. This recipe calls for slow roasting and crispy skin - seriously there's no point to chicken without crispy skin {except for poached - that I'll allow}. Then I pondered the meat cabinet for, oh, I reckon a good 15 minutes...

Ditherer.

Now I'm slow roasting an easy carve leg of lamb that's studded with slivers of the world's most expensive garlic and slivers of anchovies. I'll serve it on a salad and bedazzle it with some pomegranite seeds.

Next step is formulating a meal plan for tomorrow on. Which shall, of course, include Nigella's crispy-skin chicken.

and breathe

I'm surrounded by silence today. My husband's returned to work, and our gal is at her grandparents after a sleepover last night.

I've got loads of work to get through, so I'm planning on ploughing through it as quickly as possible. I do also need to vacuum and mop the floors. Parties, cake making, lots of swimming and entertaining have left a patina, quite a thick patina {or maybe that's just crushed up potato chips...}

My thoughts are with one very special person today. I know that bad things do happen to good people, but seriously, how much are some people meant to take? I normally try to look on the bright side, but why are there so many horrid people out there who get through life okay, while those who try and deserve so much just experience blow after blow?

We're on the opposite sides of the world, so I can't do anything except send love - lots and lots of it. xxx

blue sky dreaming

Oh my word, today we awoke to pristine blue skies. Real Aussie summer shades of azure. I felt my mood rise instantly. Isn't everything more achievable on a lovely day? It probably helped that I had a great night's sleep on my fresh, crisp sheets...

We've got the cousins all day again today. Bliss. We had a lovely bbq dinner last night on the back veranda, the girls played red rover cross over and what's the time Mr Wolf in the front garden, and swam of course. Bedtime they all bunked down in my gal's room and even the last recalcitrant child {who needed a drink, lost her toy...} was asleep by 9.30pm.

Breakfast is now complete and Hello Kitty colouring pages have been printed out. The girls will gather on the back veranda to colour and afterwards we'll all go for a swim.

I'm feeling recharged and ready to get into the new year. After the hectic nature of Christmas and New Year I was all entertained out - but a few days of rest, walking every day and eating food to nourish my body have rejuvenated me.

Time to send out a few dinner invitations I think. After all, I've got my Mastering the Art of French Cooking to work through - and a KitchenAid that's just begging to make some puddings.

oh-so-crisp

It didn't rain today and by the afternoon blue sky had broken through the ever-present clouds. So tonight I've got freshly laundered sheets all crisp and white to go on my bed.

Pretty sure that sweet dreams will follow...

sleepover club

In a few hours my sister-in-law will be dropping off our two nieces so we can babysit while she and her hubby enjoy an overnight stay in a beach resort down south. Guess how excited my daughter is at the prospect of well-over 24 hours with her cousins? Yes, very doesn't do her excitement justice.

So I'm going to attempt to squish in a little work before they get here. And then, this week I promise to get onto some lovely, lovely, lovely awards I've been given - and to give them out to some spesh peeps!

Enjoy your monday, hope it's productive. I know ours is going to be filled with giggles galore!

awash

Okay, am now so completely and utterly over this rain. C'mon! I've got a ridiculous amount of washing to do, and now my dryer's decided to cark it on me. Normally I'm a dry in the fresh air and sunshine kinda gal - but there's been none of that and even hanging clothes under cover isn't working as the air's so damp.

Sigh.

Do you think that these Marc Jacobs wellingtons would ease my woes somewhat?

The new calendars are up. My planner's sitting on my desk at the ready and I've got an optimistic attitude for twenty ten {aside from this relentless rain which isn't helping decrease my mountains of washing.}

I've currently got a head-ful of hairdye as you can't have a fresh start with a skunk-like streak of white in your roots {black hair and grey roots - not a good look}.

We'll spend a bit of time getting the house back in order today, but I'm thinking that a spot of laziness is on the agenda.

Tomorrow we're off to a friend's house - mothers and kids at least - while the dads go out for a few drinkies and a meal. We were discussing with our in-laws how lucky we've been at our daughter's school that she's found special friends - with parents we're thrilled to call our nearest and dearest. I'm not sure what we're taking - aside from champagne and swimmers for the kids. Let's hope this rain eases a little by then!

new year new shoe

I intend on being a wee bit infatuated with all things french this year as I immerse myself in the language to become somewhat proficient.

Hence, I had to start the year off with a classically French pair of shoes.

Jolie, non?

Hands up who thinks I need to buy myself a pair of these when I'm next in Paris?

That'll be a consensus then...

sooooo sleepy

One can hardly resolve to blog every day and head off to bed un-blogged! Will you forgive my tardiness if I tell you it's been one very full day? Got up, fed children, tidied errant champagne bottles, packed for picnic, drove 45 minutes to picnic location, picnicked with family for a few hours, came home, swam and helped the British depart, put over-tired child to bed, ate a piece of leftover pudding for dinner, chatted with husband... and realised it's bedtime.

So here's my first post for 2010, posted a mere few minutes before midnight. Hope you're all diving into the new year with gusto. Let's catch up tomorrow shall we?

happy new year

Happy New Year's Eve everyone. What are your plans for tonight?

I've got French bubby chilling in the fridge and plan on whipping up some tapas this afternoon.

For the New Year I resolve the following:

* To do everything with gusto and with a smile on my face

* To feed my imagination

* To nourish my body

* To celebrate my friends

* To love my family

* To keep on doing what I love to do

* To save for my next trip to Paris in 2011

* To study really hard at my Alliance Francais lessons so I'm fluent in French on our travels

* To blog every day and love doing so

Happy new year everyone - hope you have a fabulous one

birthday baby

It's my gorgeous gal's 10th birthday today. She's enjoying spending the day with her cousins and playing with the wii fit she received {as is her father!}.

I made Nigella's American breakfast pancakes for breakfast in the KitchenAid this morning - is there anything that machine can't do? Light, fluffy pancakes were the reward...

Once everyone gets sorted we're off to Blackbutt - a nature reserve a few suburbs away which features plenty of bushwalks and loads of native animals - something the British cousins will enjoy.

Then it's back home to make the angel food cake before heading out to dinner tonight.

Phew. Busy day!

PS: I just had to use this shot of my gal and Mulberry. He's a gorgeous cat but quite possibly the world's most unphotogenic creature. Despite having massive round amber eyes he always squints when having his photo taken. Luckily his fluffy tummy always looks gorgeous!

blog business

I've mentioned before that I've found my blog handy for recipe filing and it's been a big help. As I've mentioned, we've got the relatives coming to stay today and I'd planned on a bbq for dinner tonight - but last night they went to my other sister-in-law's and had a bbq there, and I'm not a fan of doubling up.

So my husband suggested coq au vin and a complete french theme, which I got very excited about - until I realised that sister-in-law doesn't eat bacon in any form {I know! What is she missing}. Well obviously I can't make coq au vin without my lardons, so it was back to popping on the thinking cap.

Then I remembered Ina Garten's chicken pot pies - magically delicious little numbers that'll suit everyone - but then I remembered that I'd tweaked it. Luckily I did blog about it so I had to search through my archives to find it {thankfully I'd titled it damn fine chicken pot pie so it wasn't too hard to find...}

Is there an easy way in blogger to group topics? I'd love to do that with my recipes. Maybe my new year's resolution could be to become a touch more technically adept.

I'm making creme brullee for pudding - very excited to create this in my kitchen aid. My cream beauty had its first workout yesterday whipping up a rather delish chocolate cake and my word, does it make life easier. I can't wait to whip up the angel food cake and white frosting tomorrow. Wish me luck.

tapas time

We have the british relatives coming to stay with us for a few days from tomorrow - so I'm busy devising menus. My sister-in-law only eats chicken and fish, brother-in-law is an extremely omnivorous soul, niece one only really eats meat and niece two really only eats vegetables and fruit {and PUDDING!}.

So, the nieces could conceivably share a meal, bro-in-law will eat what we're having, while I'll be thinking of white-fleshed dishes for sis-in-law. Tomorrow night I'll do a bbq - with a few interesting salads and some bread. Wednesday night is our gal's birthday so we're all headed out to a restaurant for dinner. Easy. Thursday night's New Years Eve so I thought I'd do tapas.

So far on the list I've got:

Garlic prawns

Lime and pepper squid

Fried haloumi with lemon and chilli

Sauteed chorizo

Potato, onion and capsicum tortilla

Lamb meatballs with spicy tomato dipping sauce

Of course there'll be olives, bread and dips.

And something sweet to follow - little lemon tarts perhaps?

Oh, and did I mention champagne?

Also, my husband has indulged his inner-bloke and there's a Heineken keg in the bar fridge in the pavilion.

Fun is bound to be had by all...

bloomin' marvelous

Finding just the perfect pillow to accessorise the bed, without looking OTT or just being damned annoying is a difficult task. So yay to my hubby who bought me this perfectly petaled pillow for Christmas. Obviously, being from Laura Ashley, it coordinates beautifully with my linen {um, also from Laura Ashley...}

Now, if that's not impetus to make the bed every day I'm damned if I know what is!

glamour granny chic

It's been raining for a few days straight here and the rain does nothing more than make me feel like hibernating in a good, comfy cardi!

So, imagine my delight when I spied with my little eyes this comfy grey cardi embellished with pink, white and black sequins! Zac Posen, you're a wee bit of a legend...

chicken crackers

Hey, you know how I made Chicken Christmas Crackers for Christmas Eve {well, that's it, I've used up all my Cs...} well they were rather yum, so I thought I'd best share how I made them.

I couldn't find the camera - but they looked somewhat like this - except with more of a twist at the end!

Now, you know me, I don't really measure. This here's an approximation of a recipe. Personally I never think you can have enough lemon or pepper - but adjust it to your taste and enjoy. Seriously, they're yum.

500g chicken mince

3 diced eshallots

2 cloves garlic, diced

grated rind of one lemon

chopped fresh parsley and tarragon to taste {I probably used 2tblsp each}

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1/4 to 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs {or fresh if you don't have panko - but please buy some}

1 egg

salt and freshly ground pepper - lots

1/2 cup of melted butter

filo pastry

Preheat oven to around 180 degrees celcius and grease a couple of trays.

Mix all ingredients except filo and butter in a bowl till thoroughly combined.

Cut the filo pastry in half, then take two sheets, brush one half with butter and fold so you have a rectangle. Grab a little filling and form into a sausage shape and place in the centre - leaving about 7cm or so at each end. Brush butter on one side and roll up so you have a long cylinder. Grab each end right where the filling ends and twist so you have a christmas cracker. Place this on a tray and brush with butter.

Continue till all filling's used up.

Bake for around 10 minutes, till golden, then turn and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes. Check the filling's cooking by giving it a squeeze. If it feels firm, that means it's setting nicely.

Take out and serve - ideally with a sweet chilli and lime dipping sauce {or you could leave it at home on the bench - up to you}. To make the sauce combine 2/3 sweet chilli sauce and 1/3 lime juice - preferably from a bottle - easy peasy. This is also my preferred dipping sauce for salt and pepper squid and rice paper rolls - doesn't get easier.

Of course, now it's christmas you don't need to make these in a cracker shape. They'd make ideal nibblies in little triangle form, or even as a little lolly size - you know, a ball and then rolled at the ends. Perfect!

shiny shiny

We've just spent the entire day cleaning, tidying and tossing out. There are boxes of books to go to the salvos, piles of rediscovered books that I'm salivating to read, bags of clothes for cousins and {again} salvos and the recycling bin's full.

I've found stacks of old photos {which make me feel positively aged!} and loads of other good things - and unearthed a lot that I really don't need. I know that there's stuff that we haven't used this year, so that's it - it's outta here.

Just having a short break before I get back into it. There's nothing like a rainy day to spur you into action is there?