just because...

It's always a good time for a little Audrey...

meal planning monday

Back to school - woooooo hoooooooooooooo! And don't worry, it's not just me doing a happy dance - it's my school-loving gal too. To celebrate, let's eat well this week shall we?

Monday: I've got some dory fillets that are begging to be served with oven fries and a green salad.

Tuesday: Ballet's back: so I should do pickled pork with mash, leftover cauliflower gratin from Sunday's roast dinner and wilted greens.

Wednesday: I have a big jar of fresh chicken stock thanks to Sunday night's roast chicken dinner {seriously, simmering the leftover chicken with onions, carrots and herbs for two hours results in the most amazing stock} so I'd best make a risotto. Chicken and crispy pancetta perhaps.

Thursday: Another night of late ballet - followed by tennis shoe shopping. Dinner at the shopping mall {I'm going to plug for Charlestown so I can see dumplings in my future}

Friday: My gal's been asking for salmon patties - best oblige. So simple, so healthy, so tasty.

Saturday: I really am going to bring out the bbq this weekend - I swear. Steaks - big, fat juicy ones and lotsa salad.

Sunday: Roast lamb this week, with the usual vegie suspects.

sweet sunday

Don't you love the morning after a great night out? We caught up with a fab group of friends last night in one of our friends' amazing new house {it's just perfection - I plan on sneaking over and moving into their sun-room - don't think they'll notice...} We had gorgeous food, lotsa champagne and lots of laughs. Don't you just love that?

So we're taking it slowly this morning {well, hubby's not - he's been up since 5am and ridden far too many kilometres - craziness}. My gal and I slept in, and now we're off to Coles to buy a few essentials and check out the new clothing range some of my fave bloggers have been raving about.

This afternoon will involve leisurely bike riding down to the tennis courts so the gal can have a few practice hits before she starts tennis lessons next weekend. A bit of gardening might also be involved. Bliss.

How's your weekend panning out?

delightfully dita

David Jones is launching the Dita Von Teese muse range in November. Squeeee!

Can you imagine? This divine collection is available in sizes 8 - 20 and contains in-built corsetry to get a Dita-esque waist.

Love!

Thanks to my friend Nikki for sending me the link xx

flowers for friday

Who doesn't need a bit of prettiness?

in memorium

I was hit hard by the news on twitter of Steve Jobs' passing.

I've been a Mac fan since the days of these little beauties above, and I've never wavered in my devotion. iPhone, iMac, MacBookAir, iPod, iPad, iPod Touch - all of these share our house. And then, if the creativity behind Apple weren't enough, Steve Jobs shared his genius with Pixar.

Innovative, excellent and a true genius. Steve Jobs you are missed and I'm shedding many tears in your memory. I may not have known you, but damn, do I admire you. Rest in peace.

ps: I saw a nice idea on Twitter: donate to research for pancreatic cancer in Steve Jobs' memory.

midnight in paris je t'aime

Not only did our travel agent get us a great price on our tickets OS {and that much-needed 32 kilo luggage allowance!} he also gave us a double pass to see Midnight In Paris. This new Woody Allen film is a love letter to my favourite city. The opening montage subtly caresses every beautiful centimetre of the city - and each shot is an homage to the city of lights.

I knew I'd walk out of it wanting to visit again, but watching it on the big screen had me aching to spend some more time there.

Great film, with the most exquisite cinematography I've seen in a while.

Besotted? Moi? Mais oui, oui, OUI.

how does your garden grow?

What's not to love about a spring garden? At the moment, you walk past our white picket fence to be greeted by alternate red and pink roses. The scent? Heady. The pink Duchess de Brabant has the most incredible musk-lolly rose fragrance, with these gorgeous nodding blooms.

And, oh my, is there anything more magnificent than a red rose in full bloom?

Up the side we've got purple sage under the dovecote, along with a few wee foxgloves peeping over, and some scabiosa and iris. It's a purple rein.

Continue walking up the side where you'll see my squee-inducing vegie garden. Look at those lettuce! In just a few weeks they're all grown up. And see that self-sown tomato behind? It has wee roma tomatoes growing on it. Woo hoo!

Carrot and beetroot anyone? I have no idea of knowing when these little critters are ready for harvest, but for the time being their foliage is making me happy.

completely covetable

Do you love a bit of purse porn? Well head on over to Sarah Conners where you'll find the most delightfully delicious items to feast your eyes on. I'm more than a bit in love with this gorgeous green python purse - couldn't you just take it anywhere?

Anything by this fabulously talented Aussie designer will be a wardrobe classic, while still looking on-trend. Score!

I know what I'm adding to my "Santa, please" list this year...

meal-planning monday

People, this weather's driving me slightly loopy. Best laid plans are waylaid by outrageous amounts of rain and wind. Grrrrr. So this week's menu won't be featuring a spring-theme - more like beating off the cold meals.

Monday: Shephard's pie, roasted veg and greeens

Tuesday: My gal's at her grandparents for a couple of days, so just hubby and me. Steak and veg/salad will do.

Wednesday: Hubby and I are off to see Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris - woo hoo! Guess whether I'll walk out planning our next trip... We might just have to have a late dinner at the new Japanese spot that's opened next door to the cinema in King Street.

Thursday: Hubby's off to pick up our gal, so I'll have one of her faves planned for when she gets home: chicken pot pie with mash and steamed greens.

Friday: I might try cooking up sole goujons, with oven baked fries and a salad as my gal has a friend over for a sleepover. We might make some ice-cream for pudding.

Saturday: We're off with a bunch of friends to check out another friends' gorgeous new home. I've only seen it on-line and fell in love with it, so can't wait to see what it looks like with all their fabulous things adding personality.

Sunday: Seven hour roast lamb on french lentils with roasted vegies will round out the week nicely don't you think? I'll also have to get cooking to have some lunchbox treats ready for school again!

sweet saturday {on a long weekend!}

Three.

Whole.

Days.

OFF!

Love, love, love a long weekend. We've got plans to relax, and get things done. I'm getting out in the vegie garden to pluck out wee little weeds that have popped up amidst the rapidly growing veg {seriously, I think I can see them growing second-by-second} We're going to finish off a few jobs: hang the pictures we bought for our gal in Provence, measure our living room windows and order blinds - and get the backyard looking fabulous.

We're going to the Olive Tree Markets today, I want to start looking for cute Christmas pressies. Then tomorrow we've got a 40th birthday to attend. That'll be fun - there's a lot of friends I'm really looking forward to catching up with.

Hopefully we'll manage to combine the ultimate mix of fun, relaxation and achievement.

How about you? Are you getting a long-weekend and how do you plan to spend it?

Oh, I'm also going to spend the weekend fighting my new-found urge for a tattoo. The Divine Ms M came back from the tattoo parlour today with the most amazing vintage roses on her arm - which look absolutely beautiful. I think I'll just live vicariously through her...

flowers for friday

It's too windy out there for me to take a photo of the gorgeous lil foxgloves that are gracing our garden {pink, cream and white - divine!} so I thought I'd share this shot from the Hampton Court Palace flower show.

Isn't the speckled throat on this divine? When you get up close and look at the amazing variety and beauty in flowers it's quite astonishing. Love.

PS: I'm guest posting today over at the utterly gorgeous Alice Becomes. I'm so honoured to share such a glorious space with two gals who always offer up the most delightful posts that put a song in my heart. Please go visit here.

step back in time

I am stepping back in time tonight. My pal, The Divine Ms M, is up in Newcastle to get inked tomorrow so tonight we're headed back to our old Uni haunt, The Great Northern. It's the launch of This Is Not Art festival so it should be fun.

Hopefully we won't be the oldest people there. Did I tell you about the last time I went there with some old uni pals? We were reminiscing with the barman about how we used to hang at the East Room in our uni days and he said, "Oh yeah, my mum used to go there."

I'll let you sit with that for a moment.

His.

Mum.

I'll get over that one day.

Oh, if only the East Room were refurbished so we could lounge on some gorgeous old velvet couches just like in the olden days...

taking away the grey

Oh it's grey and dark here today. Not exactly the sunny school holidays filled with swimming that I'd imagined. Oh well. Luckily my gal had Monday and Tuesday with a friend, and is off to a dance camp tomorrow. Friday she has a friend over, so hopefully the weather will clear up. If not we've stocked up on flour, sugar, butter and eggs - so the KitchenAid will get a workout.

In the meantime I'm going to this place above in my head. Have you ever seen anything more divine?

heavenly sounds

We've happily raised a child with good musical taste. Aside from a few rogue years of Hi-5 etc she's happy to sing along to our music in the car. Generally, when given control of the iPod she'll choose Sarah Blasko so we knew who would have to feature in her first live gig.

And what a gig she'll be experiencing: Seeker Lover Keeper at Christ Church Cathedral in Newcastle! Oh my - heavenly voices in a heavenly venue.

I bought the tickets this morning {lots of refreshing of the ticketek site so I didn't miss out!}

Exciting!!!

meal planning tips and tricks

I've been meal planning pretty consistently for a while now and people have asked me a few questions about it which I thought I'd share. So settle yourself and have a read:

First tip: stay simple
Meal planning isn't about creating exotic meals, or meals you've always wanted to try. It's not a time to drag out your cookbooks and try to make something new and different. When you start stay simple: pasta, mexican, pizza, roast - stick with what works for your family and you'll have success.

Second tip: get out your diary
You'll notice in my meal plans I write what we've got planned, such as late night ballet, or netball training. You have to consider this. If you think, "Oh, it's okay, I'll get home at 6pm and still have time to whip up a paella" think again. On busy days plan quick meals, or slow cooker meals. Plan to succeed.

Third tip: be flexible
I'd say that our meal-plans stick to the days I've intended maybe around 80 to 90 per cent of the time on a good week. On a bad week it's more like 50 per cent. Success can be attributed to making sure I've shopped and have all the ingredients ready to go - and enthusiasm. You need to have a couple of lazy meal options ready to go for those days when you're over it all and just want to put something on the table.

Fourth tip: double up where possible
I love meals that offer up double the fun - a roast chicken that can be used in a chicken soup the next night, or leg of lamb that becomes shephard's pie.

Fifth tip: involve the kids
My daughter's become a far more adventurous eater since we've meal-planned. She knows that's what we're having, and she likes being able to have a say as well. Kids are far more likely to eat a meal they've had a say in.

Sixth tip: write it down
The best way to ensure a balance in your meals is to have it all written down in front of you. I try for a range of proteins and vegies in our meals - colours and textures. Jotting it down makes it easy to see you've already got a chicken meal planned, so you can swap with a pork number.

Seventh tip: persist
I didn't succeed the first time time I tried meal planning, or the second, good grief, it's probably more like 10th time lucky. But I'll tell you this, it makes my life soooooooooo much easier. I don't have that awful, "Oh lordy, what's for dinner?" thought at 3pm. We don't fall back on takeaway too often. I save money - and we eat pretty well really.

Ready to give it a shot? Go on, I know it's all grown-up and anally-retentive - but it really does make life a lot more simpler. And don't we all want that?

meal-planning monday

First week of the school holidays - so a rather disjointed meal plan as our gal goes to friend's houses and vice-versa. Last night I made a chicken and leek pot pie as my Aussie Farmer's box had a leek in it. Luckily the weather turned all stormy and cold, which suited it perfectly. Served alongside I roasted some baby dutch carrots and broccoli {love roasted broccoli!}

Monday: Gal at a pals. So hubby and I will have a simple salt and pepper squid salad.

Tuesday: She's home again, but I'll be home late from a meeting in Sydney. Hubby and the gal can cook. Mexican I'd imagine.

Wednesday: I still haven't made salmon patties - tonight shall be the night.

Thursday: The divine Ms M is coming to stay, so I'm going to make pickled pork. Never made it before, so look out for a recipe on the other blog later this week.

Friday: My gal has a pal over. I think we'll make chicken burgers for dinner. With sweet potato chips and salad.

Saturday: BBQ night. Steaks will be good.

Sunday: We're off to a 40th lunchtime do. Apparently it's also grand final day. Hmmm. Mother and father-in-law coming over to look after our gal. I'll cook up a chicken provencale casserole so we can all eat that for dinner when we come home.

Phew, done!

fabulous frocks

So yesterday my gal and I went shopping. I was in search of a new summer frock - and I found FOUR. First of all we wandered aimlessly around David Jones where everything was for old ladies or young chicks. Tragic. I miss my David Jones city store that had everything I needed...

Then we went to Target. Score. Not only did I find the two fab maxi dresses on the right - it was 20 per cent off day. Cheap-as.

Then we wandered downstairs in the hell that is Westfield to buy my gal a book for the school holidays - only to find that there are NO BOOKSTORES in Westfield. None! I realised that Borders closed down, but no Angus and Robertson either. Sad.

So I told the gal we'd trek over to Hamilton to an old-fashioned bookshop. Oh my. It's been a while since I've visited Maclean's Booksellers and that won't happen again. What a glorious store. My gal found three books she just had to have, and the most gorgeous hardcover {pink!} Anne of Green Gables that I insisted she just had to have. And I bought Marieke Hardy's new book You'll Be Sorry When I'm Dead. Love it.

After that we just stepped into the Red Cross store next door where I found that pretty floral sundress on the left that was EXACTLY what I had in my mind. Perfect. And a lovely black and white floral longer number as well. All these for just over $100 - ridiculous.

sweet sweet saturday

Mmmm, the first Saturday of the school holidays. Bliss. We all slept in. Double bliss.

Sadly it's a bit of a grey ol' day today so we won't be getting out into the great outdoors. Instead, my gal and I might hit up the shops. Hubby's playing golf today and I've got some birthday money burning a hole in my wallet that needs to be exchanged for a couple of new dresses. Don't you think?

What do you have planned for the weekend?

flowers for friday

Madonna and I may share the same starsign, but there's one thing we don't have in common. I LOVE hydrangeas. Look at them! They're like a glorious, watercoloured collection of butterflies.

Gorgeous.

Hope your friday's as beautiful as this image. And oh it's nearly the weekend! Squeeeeeeee! And then school holidays, which I really need to get organised. There'll be lots of phone calls re: child-swapping tonight.