Today I got a day off work to drink cider and eat BBQ in the sun...

And I hear there was a horse race...?

PS I'm not naked, just wearing a strappy dress. You probably assumed that.

7 Days Of Dinners!

Ooops... so I haven't blogged in a week. Sorry friends! Smack on the hand! Here's this week's *hopefully* delicious meal plan...

Monday: Mexican Pulled Chicken Stuffed Peppers

Tuesday: Creamy Caprese Pasta with garlic bread (yeah, stolen from this week's plan. Chris was out this week so I made a quick and easy quiche)

Wednesday: Balsamic Beef & Glass Noodle Salad

Thursday: Chris is hosting a LAN at our house, so I'm spending the night at my parents'

Friday: Bisteeya (Moroccan chicken & almond filo pie) with salad

PLUS *maybe* Caramelised Strawberry Shortcakes for dessert because Hatti's coming over!!!

Saturday: We're out at an engagement party (nawwww!!)

Sunday: Chris is in charge, so who knows?

Hope you have a week of great eating too!

New Feature: 7 Days Of Dinners!

Hey friends! If you've read my blog in the last 24 hours, you know that yesterday I got super-excited about food blogs. One weekly feature I discovered on a couple of them is a 7-day meal plan. I plan my meals for the week in one hit anyway, so I figure why not broadcast it? It'll be a good record for me, and maybe it'll inspire some of you. I'll link to the recipes I'm using whenever I can. Hope you enjoy!

Monday: P.F. Chang's Lettuce Wraps (I believe P.F. Chang is a restaurant chain in the US)

PLUS Ricotta-Mascarpone Mousse with Balsamic Strawberries for dessert!

Tuesday: Broccoli Cheddar Soup with garlic bread

Wednesday: Stuffed Zucchinis

Thursday Dinner: Jalapeno Popper-Stuffed Chicken with Hasselback Potatoes

Friday: Creamy Caprese Pasta

Saturday: Chris is working at a gig, so probably vegemite on toast!

Sunday: Oven-bake fish and salad

Here's to a delicious week!

What I Did 365 - Day 261

Don't you love those situations in life that involve long, convoluted tales about band mixing and late-afternoon job interviews and unplanned last-minute car swaps? They really keep you guessing! Chris surprised me one Thursday evening by arriving home in a Murdoch University Campus Security Van. You need to know that Chris is not on staff at Murdoch University, let alone part of the security team. So I had a lot of questions, namely "If you've got to steal car, why would you make it a burly security man's car?" Turns out he didn't steal it, and that through a long, complicated turn of events, he simply had to borrow it to race out to a job interview in Mandurah which he unfortunately never made it to (it's OK, he didn't actually want the job anyway, more the interview experience). We spent the evening returning the van and tracking down his car to take us back home. A fun little excursion indeed!

What I Did 365 - Day 260

They ain't pretty, but they're one of the greatest comfort foods out! On the Tuesday we headed home from Margaret River, stopping only to pick up a new shower head at Bunnings (thanks to our old one snapping off in Chris's hands moments before we left for our holiday down south!) and a small handful of groceries at Woolworths. Our meal requirements for the evening were:

1. Something delicious

2. Something comforting (after our long, harrowing road trip)

3. Something easy

Parmesan and parsley-crumbed lamb chops ticked all three requirements, and so while Chris got things in order around the house, I spent 20 minutes crumbing, cooking and salad making, and... voila! Delicious meal! We both adore lamb, so it was the perfect post-holiday meal.

Food Blogs!

[Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes] 

 

Today I've had a rare day with Chris. Thursdays mark the start of my 'weekends' (don't get too jealous, I work all the way through yours!!) and Chris has fallen ill with that unshakeable cold that's been going around this season... you know the one, where you're sick for a week, then you're mostly better for a couple of weeks, and then you're hit again? Seems like a heap of my friends and co-workers have been experiencing this particular brand of sickness over the last couple of months!

[Stuffed Zucchini]

Anyway, I've spent today rugged up on the couch with my sick husband. We've been watching movies, catching up on the latest How I Met Your Mother and Glee episodes, devouring Mi Goreng (the 2-minute kind) for lunch and other than a nice couple of hours when Steph dropped by to eat dinner with us and borrow a wig from me, we've basically been total slobs. I'm OK with that. In amongst all the TV-watching and noodle-eating, I've been glued to my laptop, hunting down recipe after recipe on Pinterest. Through this process I've been discovering a great number of food blogs, a couple of which I've added to my daily reads. So the purpose of my post today is to celebrate the wonder that is food blogs!

[Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies]

 

How great are food blogs? If you're not into any, but want to check some out, some of my favourites are:

- Mandy's Recipe Box

- Bakerella

- Pioneer Woman

- What Katie Ate

- Cassie Craves

And for every blog I've listed, there's another 10,000 equally amazing blogs that I'm yet to discover! I just LOVE the format of food blogging - every recipe tends to begin with a story or anecdote of some sort, there are multiple photos available of the process as well as the finished product, and there are comments readily available from people who have tried the recipes and have suggestions for making it even better!

[Linguine with Garlic Breadcrumbs]

A fantastic resource I also discovered today is Food Gawker - the most extensive and amazing collection of links to the very best recipes that have ever been blogged. If you're looking for inspiration for dinner tonight, breakfast on Sunday or just the perfect cake for that upcoming event you're planning, get browsing! My advice does come with a small warning tag: If you love food, you will become addicted to Food Gawker.

So, those are my thoughts on food blogs. I've always wanted to bring more of a foodie element into my blog, so maybe this is just the inspiration I need!

Shoes For Every Occasion!

Hi guys. Umm, I love shoes. I've been thinking lots about shoes lately - mostly which pretty pairs to layby next at Betts! Hahaha. But I've been broadening my scope and have discovered Style Tread, basically the greatest shoe resource in Australia (with FREE SHIPPING to boot)! We are broke, and I'm having to hide my debit card from myself this month... but look who's tempting me! I could definitely imagine all of these shoes getting me through those critical moments in life...

Mae Orange by Ko Fashion - for Summer nights spent at the outdoor cinema

Roxie Black by I Love Billy - for shooting an AK47 in the Cu Chi tunnels of Vietnam

Abeeba Yellow by Siren -  for reading the latest issue of Frankie in the park

Girgio Bright Multi by I Love Billy -  for dates to the hardware store

Darva Multi Glitter by Lipstik - for cocktails (mojitos, specifically) with your sisters

Larkan Peach by I Love Billy - for weekly oil painting classes

Mae Aqua by Ko Fashion -  for fun trips to the dog park with your fur-babies

Malaga Black by I Love Billy - for strolling through the Fremantle Markets on a Saturday

Malbi Fuchsia/Orange/Purple by Ko Fashion -  for coffee and window shopping at the mall

Sheena Ice by I Love Billy - for girls' night out at an Italian restaurant.

How great would life be if I had all of those shoes?!

What I Did 365 - Day 259

Ohhhhh. Just looking at this picture is making me drool! Monday was our last full day in Margaret River, and we decided to spend the morning wine-tasting. Five wineries in, we were already feeling it (we're not really huge wine drinkers so our bodies were like whaaa???) Chris had a wine headache, and I was feeling totally blah. One thing we realised was that we were supremely hungry, and Chris had a major hankering for a brewery lunch. We'd already hit up the famous Bootleg Brewery over the weekend, and we weren't clambering to get back there in a hurry. Chris remembered that he'd seen a sign for Cowaramup Brewery out on the road, so we went exploring... and hit gold. Oh my. Bootleg doesn't hold a candle to Cowaramup Brewery! For a couple of tired travellers who had been driving through the rain, trekking through mud, starting to get their heads around packing up and going home the next day, it was the perfect comfort meal. Hot beef guinness pies with crunchy beer-battered chips. Mmmmm. Winter lunches should always be so wonderful!

What I Did 365 - Day 258

You know you're photographing a puppy when, 20 shots later, this is the best shot you've got! While in Margaret River, we dropped in on Chris's Grandpa Frank, and his lovely wife Marg. Frank and Marg have recently adopted this super cute little lady, named Layla. It was fun catching up with them while being reminded of the crazy puppy days that we experienced ourselves only a couple of years ago! Sadly we couldn't bring our boys for a play because poor Layla had a leg injury, but she still managed to have a good wrestle and play with Chris! Cuuuuuute!!!

What I Did 365 - Day 257

This is a car which we saw a lot of during our stay in Margaret River. We passed it every time we drove anywhere... just casually sitting at the side of the road. Eventually Chris realised that there was a 'for sale' sign displayed in the window, and he couldn't resist having a little perv! He has a thing for cars. He can name just about any type of car on the road - it's a weird talent that doesn't mesh with my non-car brain. He particularly enjoys old cars and quirky cars. Sometimes we'll be driving along and he'll murmur "Helloooo beautiful" - and he's not talking to me! He's spotted some old restored car, and spends the next little while drooling over it. Chris and I don't fit into every man/woman stereotype, but I will say that the man loves his cars the way I love my shoes!

What I Did 365 - Day 256

When I look at this picture, I like to imagine that little Cupcake is crying out "Rooooooad trip!" in excitement.While I have blogged about Margaret River (aaages ago!), I've only just gotten this far in my 365. On this Friday morning, we set off excitedly on our first holiday in just over a year. We don't take a lot of them, so it was a pretty big deal to be taking a break. The road trip was fun, and filled with the anticipation of getting down south and just relaxing. While Dog always chooses to spend his time in the car lying across the back seat, willing away his car-sickness, Cupcake likes to get in between us with his little paws on the glove box, looking out at everything up ahead. It's kind of adorable, and he can be pretty good company when he's not shrieking and yapping in our ears!

What I Did 365 - Day 255

I love little shared experiences with my sisters. We've been known to share sister-breakfast, sister-drinks, sister-op-shopping, and even sister-sunnies (we all got super cool matching sunglasses). Back in July, we decided to purchase sister-Scoopons and go get our sister-hair done. We raced out to Midland as soon as I finished work and made our appointments with seconds to spare! The Scoopons were amazing value - we ended up with cuts, colours and conditioning treatments all for $49! Bargain! Once we were all done, we decided to flash our hair around in the Midland Shopping Centre Food Court. Oh yeah, we know how to stop traffic.

What I Did 365 - Day 254

Bless my amazing sister Steph. Hannah's super great too, but I have to give Steph some credit for a) introducing me to Brands Exclusive, and b) doing so during a Raco sale. Raco! I scored a couple of big stainless steel frying pans at less than half their retail value! On this happy Tuesday in July, my exciting purchase FINALLY arrived! Since taking this photo, these fry pans have become my ultimate favourite pans ever. I love them! I know, I'm a dork, but good quality kitchen gear is so worth it, especially when you get it at a bargain price. Since this purchase, I've mostly just exercised my Brands Exclusive membership by purchasing various shoes. But I highly recommend joining up - I'm completely addicted!

What I Did 365 - Day 253

Back in July, I worked every Monday. It was definitely not a day that I considered to be dear to me. But the Monday after Steph's birthday (Monday the 25th, for those playing at home) a storm began brewing toward the end of the day. By the time I'd done a quick grocery shop after work, this happened. Sigh. Looking at this picture makes me all kinds of happy, especially now that we're warming up and getting lots of attention from Mr. Sun. I love storms. I love rain. I love staring out a window and being faced with the sight of thick grey clouds rolling in, knowing any second now that I'm going to hear and smell the beautiful rain. I love the gloomy, pre-storminess of this photo, because it brings all those feelings back to me. Mmmm Winter. You are a lovely lady.

What I Did 365 - Day 252

Welcome back to my 365! We're now in the month of July... hope you don't mind a bit of time traveling. In July, Hatti moved in with her friend Deanna (housemate match made in heaven!!!) This happy Sunday, she hosted a little house warming party and asked everyone to bring a plate. Oh, the food. The amazing food. There was so much to eat, and it was a lovely little gathering of some great ladies. I had a really great time, and the highlight for me was being told off by our friend Sara's little girl, Ella, because we were talking too loud over Strawberry Shortcake on TV. Nawwww. On the topic of Ella, it's amazing seeing your friends' kids growing up! I remember when Ella was a teeny tiny little newborn, and now she's a smart, chatty little girl. Just amazing.
Oh, and back to Hatti's new living arrangement - it's pretty great for the following reasons:
1. Deanna is cool!
2. Hatti is walking distance from the cafe strip in Vic Park. Brilliant!
3. Basically I don't need any more reasons to convince you. This is a winning arrangement!

My Brain Is Fried!

I feel like I need to start this post by setting the record straight - yes, I was trying to look 48 in this picture. Definitely. I was poignantly drawing the contrast between the... uh... crazy young hair of my youth and the impending process of my aging. *OK but seriously do I actually look that old every time I close my eyes?!*

Anyway. My brain is fried, friends. This has been a giant couple of weeks! Work has been super busy, Chris and I have been nutting out the big decisions in life, and... I haven't been sick! Miracle! I have, however, started working weekends now and it's messing with my head like you wouldn't believe! To clarify, I don't mind working Saturdays and Sundays... it's not for the rest of my life, just a season, and I can deal with that just fine. The reason it's messing with me is that I can't get my head around what day of the week it is. Like right now, it's Sunday night but I legitimately thought it was Tuesday for like half the evening. I got the shock of my life to see that Postsecret had been updated. Ha!

Anyway, I just wanted to ramble and convey my confusion. But to avoid this blog post being a complete waste of time, here is a list:

1. I'm seriously jealous of girls with stick-thin legs. How delicate and great are super-skinny legs?

2. Clearing the air here: while I prefer not to cook with jar sauces and packet meals, I don't even slightly judge people who do. It's cheaper and easier and still tastes good. I just enjoy cooking and creating flavours, it makes me happy.

3. I wash my hair once a week. I know, I'm a beast.

4. I hate buying clothes/accessories that are black, so I avoid black things and tend towards colours. Yet at least once a week I get cranky over the fact that I don't own enough black stuff.

5. Moist is a word, people. Get over it ;)

6. I want to go out for cocktails.

7. Tomorrow I'm going to clean our extremely messy bedroom as a surprise, and Chris won't know until he gets home because he doesn't read my blog.

8. I honestly believe that I will never possess the ability to successfully keep goldfish long-term. Frick, they are so hard to keep alive.

9. Oh, but some people are so tiresomely tactless!

10. It's 11.30. It's time to stop rambling. It is.

If you are reading this blog, I love you. Thanks for checking in.