Friday, 1 June 2012

dogs i love


oscer.
My first dog love and its a once in a lifetime love. He can sit, shake with both hands, drop, high-five with both hands and high-ten (rolling-over is over rated). He snores, yawns loudly, howls when hes excited and yaps when he dreams. He will do anything for a walk, or better yet a trip to the beach. He loves to swim in the waves, dig holes and make sure that he is completely covered in sand. His curls get the girls. He goes by the nick names of osc, nugget, nug, mc-nugget, oscypoo, osca-la- bosca, bubba, babaganoush, baby-boy, fluffington & snugglepot. He is moody & will let you know if you're not in his good books. His favourite food is cheese and schmakos. His enemy is the cat next door. He loves a bath and voluntarily lifts his paws up one by one to let me get to them. He digs holes, but only to get the cat. He has been known to bung on a sore leg for extra attention. He loves a good cuddle. He is my absolute best friend in this whole world. We just get each other.

ollie.
Younger brother to oscer and all the more cheeky. Found him on Pet Resucue & fell in love with his face instantly. He has the longest skiniest legs which he uses leap and bound like a little lamb. He's definitely not a morning dog and growls if you try and get him out of bed. We call him ollie-wollie, ollie-wollie-cat-dog, oliver, wolly, wolly-woo and waldo. He likes to have a good old chat and loves chewing (gently) on brother Oscer's tail.


sheeba.
American staffy x big teddy bear, this gorgeous girl is sometimes mistaken for a wombat, and one time even a rissol! After being fed way too much devon, she is currently on a diet & her bottom is already less wobbly! I have always had a soft spot in my heart for sheebs. She is a very special girl. 








jazzy.

A little stumpy cupcake of a dog who isn't afraid to take on her big sister sheeba. The perfect size to curl up in a crochet blanket with.









fred.
Was the most gentle pup with easily mowhawkable fur. He always had a sparkle in his eye & had a such good life with a very loving family.









francine.
A beautifully elegant girl who loves to take nanna naps in the sun. Who could resist those spots!










willow.
Cheeky, bubbly and has secondary spots. She also eats her own poo, but she is absolutley adorable. 




toby.

I have known this little man for over 10 years - that makes him a grandpa!









roxy.
Loves ripping the washing off the line, but she has a good heart.



scooby.
Look at that doggie smile! Such a good all-round family dog.








mia.
Crazy as a pup but has now settled into being a good girl. Loves swimming in the pool and riding on her boogie board.






mav.

 I don't do cats. But this one i kind of like.









I do like goats too!





Tuesday, 15 May 2012

greek semolina cake


simple, sweet, sticky & delicious!


ingredients for the cake mix.
5 large eggs
225ml greek yoghurt
225g caster sugar
75g ground almonds
zest of 1 lemon
zest of 1 orange
150g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
200g semolina level teaspoons baking powder
200ml mild olive oil


ingredients for the sweet & sticky topping.
150g shelled pistachios, slightly toasted
150ml good quality runny honey
big dollops of greek yoghurt


method.
preheat the oven to 180 degrees . mix all of your sponge ingredients in a large bowl . EASY! grease a 22x29cm cake tin with a little olive oil, then dust over a sprinkling of flour, and shake the tin about . spoon in the sponge mixture, and use a spatula to spread it all evenly . put the cake into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden and cooked through . stick a skewer in the centre to check . put aside to cool for about half an hour . when you just about ready to serve, add the honey and pistashios to a saucepan and give everything a good stir . squeeze all the juice from the orange and lemon you zested earlier into the pan. boil for 1-2 minutes, or until nice and syrupy . stab the cake all over with a small knife to create holes for the syrup to sink into, then pour the syrup all over the top . spread it out . you want it to be fairly even so the honey gets sucked right into the cake . slice and serve with a dollop of the greek yoghurt .

this cake looks & tastes so homemade - & is even better the next day once all the lovely honey has soaked in further!

recipe from Jamie.










ALSO : check out Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Day - saturday 19 may 2012!

Tuesday, 8 May 2012

treasures from bondi's garage sale trail


What better way to shop second-hand than wondering in the sunshine, through hundreds of little garage sales lining the streets of Bondi as part of the 2012 Garage Sale Trail!

It was a lovely sister's saturday - browsing, haggling & collecting a range of treasures from a vw kombi badge for $3, japanese noodle bowls for $1 and freebie of the day, Bernard the gnome.

Lunch at Jed's Food Store was delicious & the perfect recharge to continue bargaining into the afternoon.

I managed to tick a few things off my wishlist - teaspoons, blazer, vintage maps which i can frame as art and & a $2 leather travel wallet filled my leather desire for the day :) 

The Garage Sale Trail truely is a fantastic initiative which supports sustainability, community & creativity. Would love to host my own little community sale next year!

Friday, 4 May 2012

garage sale trail wishlist

Can't wait to get out there tomorrow and dig through all ($2.2m worth!) the unwanted treasures!


1. leather boots
2. collection of mis-matched teaspoons (for a secret birthday project)
3. patchwork bedcover like this one
4. blazer or coat
5. piece of art

or i'd be super happy with any item from this pic :)

Thursday, 3 May 2012

Tuesday, 1 May 2012

daily sips of tea

i woudln't be able to get through my day without a cup of sweet-smelling hot tea!

i'm currently sipping:


T2 - chai
cloves, star anise, cardamon, cinnamon and ginger over a black tea base. awakens the senses with spice.


T2 - sencha vanilla
green tea mixed with natural vanilla. grassy, earthy and sweet.

 
T2 - just cinnamon
soft, spicy and sweet. perfect for an afternoon treat. caffeine free.


nerada - organic green w/ lemon myrtle
cleansing, refreshing and easy to drink. anytime favourite.

dilmah - moroccan mint
spearmint mixed with peppermint. refreshing and exotic.
black and green teas with rose petals, peppermint and bergamot. enjoyable and enticing.

what are you sipping? :)

each cup of tea represents an imaginary voyage ~ catherine douzel.

Monday, 30 April 2012

paella

If you love a good risotto to warm up your tastebuds then this spanish paella is definitely worth a try! One pot, stacks of spanish flavour. Serves 6.

ingredients.
1.5 litres chicken stock
2 cups aborio rice
2 onions
3 cloves garlic
2 small red chillis
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6 ripe tomatoes, diced
1 cup dry white wine
3 chorizos, sliced
15 raw green prawns
4 chicken tenderloins, chopped into bite size pieces
pinch of saffron threads (expensive but really makes a difference!)
bunch of roughly chopped parsley
squeeze of lemon juice
lemon wedges to serve

method.
heat stock in a saucepan over a low heat . add the chorizo into a hot paella pan or cast iron pot and cook until crispy . remove chorizo from pot but leave oil (this has amazing flavour). add onion, garlic, chilli and chicken and cook until brown . add chorizo back into pot and stir in tomatoes, white wine, tomato paste and saffron . cook for 3 minutes . add 1 cup of stock and reduce and repeat as per a risotto . stir continuously . once all stock has been added and rice is cooked through, the consistency should be more soupy than a risotto . add more stock if necessary . turn off heat . stir in prawns, parsley and a good squeeze of lemon juice . let sit for 2 minutes or until prawns are cooked through . serve with lemon wedges .

Will have to make this again with a big jug of sangria!