Friday, July 30, 2010

Easy Meal - Frittas


150g self-raising Flour
2 Eggs
20g butter
1/2 cup milk
2 cobs of fresh corn
1 zucchini grated

Combine flour, eggs, butter and milk in a bowl and mix well. Add the corn and zucchini and stir to combine.

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Brush pan with a little oil and cook 1/4 cup of the mixture in bathes, for 3-4 minutes each side.

I love this recipe, its quick, simple, and best of all, its tasty! So very glad I found it in the Donna Hay magazine!
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Thursday, July 29, 2010

Sea Coral


A few years back the husband and I took a trip to the Great Barrier Reef, and went snorkling for a day. It was one of my favourite holidays that we have been on, as it was our first holiday together. We both loved the reef so much that we vowed to go back one day soon. Ever since then I have been fascinated by coral. I love how it can change so easily, within moments.

Then when I saw John and Sherry's coral at Young House Love, I fell even in more love. What an awesome way to display it. Love it!
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Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Red Hearts


How lovely would this look above our bed? I love it!
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Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Gift Wrapping: PomPom


With only 155 days until Christmas, it is about time I start to think about presents. And how to wrap them this year. So far the pompom idea is wining with its ease and statement factor.
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Monday, July 26, 2010

Point & Shoot - Sunday 25th July

This weekend saw me take it a touch slower than usual. The sun finally showed its presence on Sunday, allowing me to do a touch a gardening without wearing 15 layers (I managed to get away with 4 layers).

So I took the opportunity to do some maintenance on my worm farm, and use some of the castings to plant my new herbs.

We have parsley, sage, rosemary, mint, garlic chives and four lettuce mix. I am wanting to go back for some basil, and lemon grass. I am looking forward to cooking with my new herbs in the coming weeks.

Who knows, it might actually get me motivated to create my veggie patch!

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Friday, July 23, 2010

Flutterbies


I saw this frame on Etsy, and fell in love. It's just so whimsical and would look spectacular in a nursery.

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Thursday, July 22, 2010

Sticky Ribs


A few weeks back I brought the Donna Hay Kids Magazine, as it featured some interesting recipes. One of which was Sticky Ribs with Potato Wedges.

I have never had Sticky Ribs before, and had been meaning to try them for some time now. So, on a trip to the butchers that weekend, I picked up a kilo of pork ribs.

1 kg pork ribs
1tbs tomato paste
1 tbs worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar

* Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
* Mix all the ingredients together, and coat the ribs.
* Place the ribs on a tray (I used a roasting rack inside a baking dish). Coat with the leftover marinade regularly. Bake for 40 mins, or until the marinade is sticky.

I tried following the recipe, but I was missing a few ingredients, so I made up my own, comprising of brown sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce and worcestershire sauce. All in all, they were quite good.

For the wedges we coated them with Bush Spices and oil. We baked them on a tray for 30 minutes, until golden brown.
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Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Menu Planner



I love this menu planner, I can imagine it in a white Ikea frame, where we can write on the glass each week.

You can download it, and many other cool items, from here.

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Monday, July 19, 2010

Point & Shoot - Saturday 17th July


This weekend saw a first in this household. The husband asked to go house hunting! I wasn't really in the mood, but have learnt never to argue against the husband when the mood strikes him.

This was the house we liked the most, given it had room for a shed on the block (huge tick for the husband) and was new (tick for me). Infact it is so brand new it hasn't been finished yet.

Only time will tell where we go from here.
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Friday, July 16, 2010

Monster Art


I know a lot of the children's stuff I feature on here is for little girls, so when I saw this, I knew I had to share it. I love the facial expressions of all the monsters, especially the red slug!

If I ever have a little boy, I would loe to put something like this in his room.
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Thursday, July 15, 2010

Donna Hay General Store


I love Donna Hay, she is such a down to earth woman, and an amazing chef. I have a few of her cookbooks, and love that they don't include recipes that I need to go to foreign countries to collect all the ingredients for.

I have been extremely jealous of my New South Welshman friends who have Donna's General Store in their lovely state. Every now and then I hear a snippet of what one can buy at this store. An amazing vase. The cutest cupcake papers. Chocolate Brownies that will make you sell your mothers soul.

I am on the countdown for when Britt and I go on our 'Tour of Eating'. Any guesses on where our first stop is???

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Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Birthday Gifts - Part 2

Now for the big reveal of what was in the bag.

I was given open slather in Tiffany's, but bypassed the diamonds. As much as one can dream, I want a new house more than I want a massive diamond. Not that I am a huge diamond person anyway, so I guess that is a moot point.

There were several things on my list to look at, a bangle, a silver ring, and a necklace.

The bangle was too small to go over my massive fist (thanks dad, I have man-hands). The ring wasn't in my size in store (and I am saving it for a christmas present ;) ). And the necklace, well I am saving it for either another present idea, or a certain anniversary to match the earrings I received for our second anniversary.

I was begining to feel deflated, the one time the husband willingly takes me to Tiffany's and nothing feels 'right'. And off of a sudden I saw it. The cuff bangle I have wanted since 2003 when I first fell in love with Tiffany's.
It was love at first feel. It's neither too heavy nor too light. It doesn't clunk on the desk when I type at work (a pet hate of mine), and it fitted over my massive fist thanks to it being a cuff. I couldn't imagine my wrist without it now!

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Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Birthday Gifts

Given that the husband was given a very short list of what I would have liked, and I went to the shops to chose it myself *, it was no suprise that I ended up with this baby on my birthday**

It is a Philips GC4420 and I have named him Grapple. I do not regret this purchase, it has made ironing a dream. Seriously, I hunted out more of the husbands workshirts (which I usually avoid like the plague). That is how much I love my new iron. It has this handy little steam tip, which I shrugged my shoulders at when my mum told me about it, but having used it on workshirts, with a million and one buttons, I can see its benefit.


And to go with my new iron my mum brought me a new ironing board, a Hills Caprice. I have complained about our ironing board ever since the husband and I moved in together. I suspect that it came from the 1970's with how much it squeeked when using it. The foam was non-existant, to the point where I had old towels under the cover. After a couple of years I discovered you can buy replacement foam and felt, and put both of those under the cover. But it just wasn't enough. It  was small, and required Army like precision to iron a pair of pants. And lets not go there when you want to iron a yard of material for a sewing project. Not an issue now! This is the biggest ironing board I could find without being an industrial board.

All in all, it was a good day!


* The husband had my ok to let me chose my own gift, as it was one of those situations where if he got something different (which lets face it, this iron was different to the one I chose) it probably wouldn't have got the right one, and I would be stuck with an iron I hate. Irons are like shoes people, you need the right fit!

** "Birthday" is a losely used in this post, meaning it may or may not have been presented to me the week before my birthday when I was doing the washing. Pin It

Monday, July 12, 2010

Point & Shoot

I was about to timestamp the crappy quality iphone picture, but then realised I am standing under a clock. Duh April!!!

I had a bit of a win on Saturday evening, the husband suggested a trip to my old friend to have a look for an extra present for my birthday. Stupidly, I argued and said that there was nothing I needed and that we should just go to the homeshow. Luckily between 1am and 12.20pm on Sunday, I had changed my mind, and a little something was purchased. I do love my husband!!!

What did you get up to on the weekend?

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Friday, July 9, 2010

What I love about winter

I love winter. Not only because it is my birthday, but because it means wood fires, warm jackets, and flannie jammies!

Sometimes, all at the same time!

Ok, that was a lie, I hate making my winter jacket smell like smoke! But I do come home of a night and put on my flannies, slippers, and place my bottom in front of our wood heater. And there is nothing that warms my heart like new jarmies. Which is why I have brought these three pairs, in as many weeks.

It started with my leopards when I arrived in Melbourne and realised I forgot my jarmies on a cold winters night! A trip to Peter Alexander was in order.

And then there was the trip to Melbourne to see my bestie and her litter, where I needed something to perk myself up. Zebra's were calling my name.


Until I saw the leopards. And then it was a 10 minute debate about which one's a I wanted more. I reasoned with myself, and decided to get the pants in both (the zebra's were originally a set). Unfortunately all the medium leopards were sold out :(

Bring on a week of stalking the Peter Alexander website three times a day, until I saw them in all their glory. And they were in my cart quicker than you can say 'jack rabbit swift'.


Now it is a debate over which pair to wear each night!

So what about you? Do you have a favourite pair of jammies? Tell me about them!
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Thursday, July 8, 2010

Name Art


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Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Spring Cleaning: Pantry

Our pantry has never been a disaster zone, however it was in need of some improvements. Starting with finding where the pasta disappeared to, as it hasn't been seen for weeks.

I forgot to take a before photo, but here is the after


I want the husband to alter the shelves at some point, to raise the shelf that the Tupperware containers are on, so that we can fit the water filter in the cupboard, seeing as though I made such a song and dance about putting a powerpoint in the pantry. It would be a lot easier if the middle shelf wasn't fixed in place, and adjustable like all the other shelves!

Plus, I think more Tupperware is in order, another MM Rectangle 2 for my baking goods, another Mini Rectangle 2 for some biscuits, and a larger container for the pasta, as it never fits a whole packet in there!
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Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Hall Table

Last week was a cruddy week in our house. A funeral, End of Financial Year, family issues and just an overall flat out week, left me feeling very deflated by the time Saturday rolled around.

I needed cheering up, and with one friend overseas (which I am insanely jealous about!) and my BFF in Melbourne with her babies (which are doing extreamly well - I am so proud!) I needed some therapy. Retail Therapy.

Now, given that I have hit the shops pretty hard the last few weeks, shoes and clothes weren't going to cut it. It needed to be something different. Something foreign. Something like IKEA!  Which was handy, as I had been compiling a list of things I need from Ikea for a few weeks. Including my hall table, which I had been harping on about for some time.

I came home with these little gem:



In its proper Swedish Ikea life it is a shoe storage, but in our house it is used as a place to store the phonebook (the husband won't let me throw it out, and insists on using it rather than the online version), random cables to the camera and other identified objects, and of course, a place to sit the mail of an evening before it is opened. As our hallway is so narrow, a normal halltable wouldn't fit, and this one is the perfect width!

What do you think?


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Friday, July 2, 2010

Winter Days

I don't know about you, but I hate being cold. I don't so much hate winter, but I do hate being cold in winter. Which is why I am forever on the hunt for the 'perfect winter jacket'.
I brought this one from Just Jeans recently (a whole week before it went on sale for half price I might add!) and I must say it is mighty close to being the perfect jacket. It's warm, versatile, and cute enough to wear to work and casually. However, it isn't made from the greatest material, and now it has all these little balls around the cuff, that I need to find the buzzer to remove.

What are you winter must haves?

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Thursday, July 1, 2010

Useful tools for winter

We have lived in our house since 2004, and until this weekend, used a random tong like fire poker. We have no idea what it really is, as it was left in the garden, and we just started using it. We always meant to buy a nice fire tool set, but just never remembered at the right times.

So whilst in Bunnings this weekend, we finally remembered (ok, it was the sole reason we were going to Bunnings, with a secret mission of looking at paint samples).


No more going outside in the cold of a night. Can't complain with that!
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