Bejeweled

My jewellery and accessories collection was getting a bit out of control, so I spent some time re-arranging them in tea cups and saucers last night. It looks better than before but I still think it could be better organised. What I do like is that everything is out on display, because if I don't see it, I don't wear it (and very promptly forget about it!)

How do you organise your jewellery?

Haaaaalooooooomi

They say you can't buy happiness, but this pack of haloumi cheese has brought Stu and me so much eating pleasure, it's unreal. The saltiness, the chewy texture - Mmmmm. We love it grilled, in salads or simply on its own with a little squeeze of lemon.

Do you love haloumi too?

Spread the love

I've been very lucky to have received a few awards recently and would love the spread the love around.

Picture via here

BIG thanks to:

Miss Patti Pei for the Kreative Blogger award

The Siu Jiat for the gorgeous blogger and beautiful blogger award

Connie of this old dress who gave me the lovely little blog award

Lemon for the 'Your Blog is "freakin" Fabulous' tag

Each tag/award requires that I tell you something about myself and pass it on, so here it goes:

10 things about me:

1. Receiving awards and getting tags (such as these) really makes my day.
2. I think the person who invented nutella is genious.
3. I actually care about the number of facebook friends I have. When the number drops, I try very hard to find out who has secretly un-friended me.
4. I don't know how to send emails or surf the internet on my mobile phone.
5. I still have an old fashioned 'fat' TV that is not HD and not digital.
6. I love GLEE!
7. I prefer cooking to baking. Stu, on the other hand, enjoys baking, which works out really well, because we always savoury and sweet yum yums at home.
8. I am a supporter of the slow food movement.
9. But I do enjoy the occasional fast food fix.
10. To have quit smoking is one of the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.

I pass the tag/awards to:

my suitcase heart

It's Life and it's happening

Bird Trouble

Storeyshop

Witty words

Sticky Note

Eloisa and Abelard

genessee

un petit lapin

Amourous

Colour me grey

Sydney's skies are overcast today and looks set to remain so for the rest of the week. Grey skies and wet weather usually gets me down, but this cute little post by Zoe has me thinking grey ain't so bad afterall.

Weekend at a glance

Saturday:Sunday:Went to the Glebe markets, sat out in the sun and satisfied my cravings with a sinful but yummy gozleme, then washed it down with an ice cold lemonade. Bought a silk dress in the prettiest apricot colour and finished a really good book.

What did you do on the weekend?

Caramelised chicken wings

I know a lot of people don't like eating chicken on the bone, but I always think drumsticks and wings are the best bits of a chicken. Part of the fun is getting the meat off hard to reach places, followed by licking all the juices off my fingers!

These caramelised chicken wings are quite messy to eat but they are absolutely DELISH, I promise. If you don't mind getting your hands dirty, I have the recipe below.Ingredients:

1 kg chicken wings
5 garlic cloves, crushed, skin on
1 small red chili, chopped (optional)
1 spring onion, cleaned, whole
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water

Add all ingredients in a wok and bring to boil.

Simmer for 15 minutes and stir constantly. When cooked, turn on high heat to reduce the sauce and caramelise.

Frankie photo album

My pre-ordered Frankie photo book arrived recently and I am ever so glad I bought it. Filled with beautiful photos taken by amateur and professionals photographers from all around the world, this book makes the perfect addition to my coffee table. I thoroughly enjoy flipping through the pages and reading the snippets of story behind each photo.

You can still get yours from Frankie Magazine.

Amazing

Remember the orchids Stu's mom gave me a while ago? It's been over 5 weeks since they were first cut from the garden and they're only just starting to fade and drop. I am just amazed at how long they've lasted.

I might press them or make some potpourri with them; a vanilla scent will be delicious, don't you think?

Spring racing carnival

I went to the races with the girlies on the weekend! I won some and lost more, then drank myself silly to make it all better. It was, overall, a fantastic day out.

How was your weekend?

What I love about Spring

The days are longer so there's more time to be spent out in the sun, doing the things I love.The endless opportunities to wear pretty floaty dresses.

Spring racing carnival! (which is of course all about dressing up and drinking lots of bubbly)

Flowers in bloom everywhere (but minus the pollen and the hay fever)
Pictures from weheartit.

Floriade

Stu and I missed out on this year's Floriade spring fest at Canberra, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to post these photos from when we went last year. Plus I wanted to make people in the Northern hemisphere a wee bit jealous of Spring time here in Australia. Heh.

Spring rolls for spring time

Made a big batch of spring rolls stuffed full of prawns, water chestnuts, chives and spring onions. I can never make them into neat parcels like in the shops, but they are nevertheless so yummy and easy to eat; Stu and I worked very hard to resist the temptation of eating all 40 of them at once!

I love my spring rolls dipped in plum sauce...how do you eat yours?

Post updated with recipe below:

Prawn Spring Rolls

Filling

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon potato flour

600g cooked prawns, peeled and diced

100g chives, cut into 2 cm pieces

30g spring onions, finely chopped

160g water chestnuts (canned), diced

1 tablespoon plain flour

spring roll pastry (I used a pack of 50, 10cm in size)

vegetable oil

Combine all the filling ingredients except for the chives and shallots. Then add chives and shallots and mix well.

Mix the plain flour with 1 tablespoon of water to make a paste

Fill a spring roll pastry with a tablespoon of filling mixture. Spread the mixture evenly over hald of the pastry, roll and seal with the flour paste.

Repeat with remaining filling and pastry.

Heat up enough oil in wotk or deep fry until they start to float and are lightly browned. Drain on paper towels before serving with prefered sauce.

Have fun making them!

Magic jeans

They are really called Ginny jeans and they are magic because my thighs look so much slimmer and longer in them. I couldn't stop at one, so I got 2! I think it's the distressing and the crinkle detail, but it's definitely worth a try if you want some magic of your own.

Let me know if you do!

Have a great weekend!

Picture from here.

What are you doing this weekend? I have a birthday party to attend tomorrow, I'm quite excited because we're going to this lovely french restaurant to celebrate. On Sunday, I'm going to the shops to collect my new pair of magic jeans (magic because they make my legs look so slim!) Apart from that, I will be staying home, since cold weather and rain looks set to continue for the next few days in Sydney. Hopefully, I'll be tucked in bed, nice and cosy, hot cup of tea in my hands.

Sounds good? You have a great one, too.

Same but different

My bookHis book It occured to me yesterday that Stu and I are similar and yet so different. Not a bad thing I think. At least he reads!

Windy week

I'm back!! A lot sooner, I know but I've missed blogging so much, I had to make it happen. It's really windy in Sydney, with showers forecasted for the rest of the week. Kind of weird for Spring and unusually cold, considering we had some warm weather in winter. Stupid thing is, I happily packed away my winter clothes on the weekend, so I'm layering on my summer clothes to make do.

What's the weather like at your end?

Pictures from weheartit.

Busy bee

Sorry I've disappeared for a bit, but things are just a wee bit hectic at the moment. Will be back soon though...take care!

Picture from weheartit.