GUEST POST: Cole Millen

May 12, 2013

I am very happy to introduce our guest speaker Cole Millen. Cole is an expert on keeping your healthy habits while on holidays. We all find it hard to turn down meals around the pool, high cal cocktails and eating out can make this seem virtually impossible. I know I find that my anxiety is elevated when I eat out too often and this is usually a trigger when I holiday. I am loving all of his tips for healthy solutions and think that you guys will too! Take it away Cole :)

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You CAN take your healthy lifestyle on vacation!

You have been diligent to eat right and exercise well for months in order to establish a healthy lifestyle. You’ve lost weight, gained muscle tone, and lowered your cholesterol. You are headed off to a well-deserved vacation and wonder if you will have to succumb to seemingly inevitable weight gain and exercise setback. The fact is, you do not! You can take your diet on vacation. Here are some helpful ways to retain the important progress you have worked so hard for. Continue reading →

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Best Moments Award

May 9, 2013

I feel so honoured to be thought about and nominated for this award by Caroline of All That I’m Eating. It really makes me think about how many lovely people I have become friends with over this blog. People with amazing blogs and lives so different to mine, but with the same passions. We all follow our love of food to each others blogs and bond on a whole new level to what I ever thought possible. So thank you. . .  so much :)

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The Rules: Winners re-post this completely with their acceptance speech and have the privilege of awarding the next awards! The re-post should include a new set of people/blogs worthy of the award; and winners notify them of the great news!

Awarding the people who live in the moment,
The noble who write and capture the best in life,
The bold who reminded us what really mattered –
Savouring the experience of quality time.

What makes a good acceptance speech?

  • Gratitude. Thank the people who helped you along the way.
  • Humour. Keep us entertained and smiling.
  • Inspiration. Make your story touch our lives.

Wow, so I don’t know if I will do the last 2 points but I am definately grateful for all of the beautiful souls that surround my blog. Thank you for making ‘my space’ such a cool and encouraging place to be. You guys inspire me everyday and I am so appreciative for that. <3 <3 <3

My nominees are -

Genie – Bunny.Eats.Design.

Johanna – Green Gourmet Giraffe

Kari – Bite Sized Thoughts

Monet – Anecdotes & Applecores

Kiran – Kiran Tarun

Saskia – One Equals Two

Ashley – Quarter Life Crisis Cuisine

Bec – Daisy and the Fox

Make sure you take a look around all of these beautiful blogs and meet some more wonderful people!

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Posted in Occasions

Pops Pumpkin Soup

May 6, 2013

My Pop has an amazing veggie garden. There is a little story behind how he got the perfect veggie garden and it goes roughly like this – when we were kids, Pop built us an awesome tree house in the base of a huge tree in their rockery garden. This tree was 15m high, 15m wide and the trunk would have been 2m across. The roots from the tree, after 25 years of living in the house, made their way into the neighbours drainage. The tree had to be removed by the council and left a huge space. A huge space, perfect for a veggie garden. 3 layers of rockery garden filled with organic soil and Pops own compost from kitchen scraps.

Pumpkin Soup He is always giving me greens for Flatpac and Archie – their favourites being his dutch carrot tops! Parlsey, mint, basil, coriander, kale, bok choy, broccoli, pumpkin, zucchini, potatoes, corn, you name it and he probably grows it! I was fortunate enough to aquire half of his first pumpkin of the season. It is bright orange and smells super sweet. I informed him that I wanted to make pumpkin soup and Nan pipes up and tells me that she made pumpkin soup with the other half of my pumpkin. Pop chases this story up by saying ‘Love, do not add too much to your soup. This pumpkin is beautiful and it only needs some onion, garlic and stock.’ Well played Pop – best pumpkin soup ever. Continue reading →

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Posted in Savoury

Flatpac Fridays: Has a Husbun

May 3, 2013

Flatpac is in love. He’s a younger man, a toy boy if you will. I am proud to finally introduce my Archie boy now that I have had the chance to get to know him. Archie started life in the pound and is a little bit timid because of it. Porsche tells me that he may be a little bit worried about a return visit to the pound and as such, has been a little bit shy. Well! My baby boy is not shy anymore. He is a cheeky little speed racer that binkies more than any bunny that I have ever met.Archie Cuddles

He gets into places that make me think ‘how did you get there cheeky bunny butt?!’ After sectioning off the tv cabinet (cables, electricity and other delicious things), he managed to get stuck on the inside of the cabinet and I am beginning to think that he is houdini re-encarnated. Luckily we turn the power off when we aren’t using the tv for cases like this. That reminds me, I need to buy a new stereo cable. *ahem* Archibald *ahem*. Continue reading →

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Posted in Flatpac Fridays

Our Growing Edge – Making My Own Fresh Cheeses

May 1, 2013

This post certainly has been a long time coming. I don’t know about you guys, but the days, weeks and even months fly by me quicker every year. I can’t believe we have just stepped into May! I have neglected to participate in this awesome monthly event for 3 consecutive months now and I feel horrible about it. I told Genie that I was making soft cheeses months ago, but here we are months on and at least I’m doing it now. Hurrah for getting shit done! I am so happy to be involved in this and that the event is getting bigger every month. Genie has done a fantastic job and I can’t think of anyone better to lead such an event.Mozzarella

I absolutely adore cheese. Fresh cheese, soft cheese, hard cheese, stinky cheese. . . If it’s cheese, imma eat it. Except the one that my friend Porsche was telling me about where the maggots eat it and poop it out. Blergh. Hard cheese making does appear to be a dedicated art form, which is why (with my lack of attention and ’want it now’ attitude) I will not be attempting it. If you will recall, my only other attempt at cheese making was to prove a goat milk man wrong on his opinion that you CANNOT make ricotta out of goats milk. I made it. . . just there was only 2 tablespoons out of 1 litre of goats cheese. . . that cost me $7.00. Admitting defeat is sooo overrated. Continue reading →

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Posted in Occasions, Savoury

Watermelon with Pistachio Dukkah

April 29, 2013

In Sydney, Summer has slipped away and the weather is now teasing us with boiling hot days, freezing cold windy nights and random flooding. Global warming doesn’t exist my bum! Well, here I am yet again, clinging onto the warm weather. We even went to the beach yesterday! I was so excited to take my new car (oh! I got a truck!!) out 4 wheel driving, until we got to the gates of the sand dune park. . . $25 entrance. Wtf park? Long story short, we high tailed it out of there and spent that $25 on lunch instead. We found a quiet little beach and enjoyed our ANZAC Day long weekend.Watermelon dukkah I managed to make it to a fruit market on the weekend and picked myself up 2 watermelons. 2 lovely melons. Hehe. Sorry. Anyway, when Tyler cut through the centre of the first one, it had a big crack through it! A bit hit and miss but it had its moments. I am a bit hesitant on cutting the second one up but I have my fingers crossed. I really want to recreate the watermelon shakes that we live on when we visit Thailand. I always keep a tub of frozen watermelon cubes in the freezer for when the mood strikes me. Continue reading →

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Posted in Savoury, Sweet

Raspberry, Strawberry and Vanilla Bean Jam

April 21, 2013

I always end up with the ends of punnets of raspberries and strawberries. Mainly because I am trying to limit Flatpac and Archies sugar intake. . . I don’t know why I don’t think to eat them myself!

Strawberry and Raspberry Jam111

Making jam makes the whole house smell so amazing. It smells like lollies and vanilla bean and that is a very good thing :) Continue reading →

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Posted in Sweet

Pistachio and White Chocolate Bark

April 17, 2013

Is there anything better than instant satisfaction? I’m a big fan of getting a kick out of something that takes a long time and then you have a sense of achievement at the end, but seriously. . . I love a quicky too!

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It’s just a matter of melting your chocolate and topping it with a bunch of beautiful things. I particuarly love pistachios and rose petals but pistachios and pink sprinkles was working for me just as well! Continue reading →

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Posted in Sweet

How: To Make A Cricket Bat Cake

April 11, 2013

Every now and then, I get asked to make a Birthday cake. This particular one was a paid cake so it was lovely to get such a great result. . . and a little bit of coffee money! I think that you could also use the same techniques to make a baseball bat. Just with a slender bat of course! It was for a very lucky little boy who was apparently thrilled with his cake as he is a cricket enthusist. The board was covered with a ready roll icing and the edges were pinched with a cookie cutter for a grassy look. I hope you like it!Cricket Bat Cake

You Need: Continue reading →

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Posted in How To, Sweet

Roasted Hazelnut and Caramel Slice

April 4, 2013

The chocolate bit goes without saying right? I had to share this recipe with you guys, it’s so simple but so awesome. I don’t think I’ve met a person who doesn’t dig caramel slice either so it’s a win win really? That reminds me. . . go to the gym.Caramel Slice1

I grew myself out of the habit of making sweets with nuts in them. My littlest brother has a tree nut allergy. Poor little bugger can’t enjoy most varieties of store bought chocolate, biscuits, ice cream . . . basically everything fun. I remember when I made him chocolate mousse a few months ago, he was over the moon. It broke my heart when he said ‘I’ve never had it before’. I had to buy special nut free chocolate for it but it was totally worth it. I’m yet to find dark nut free chocolate but hey, he was wrapped. Continue reading →

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Posted in Sweet