No breakfast photos today,I woke up very tired,have been having too many late nights and believe it or not I was actually craving some toast after all those ellaborate breakfasts.
Now that we have warmer day I haven't been using my hug mug so it's been used to store things at the moment.I will most probably be using this blue and white turquoise ribbon on my Chritmas decorations which I'm hoping to complete this weekend,I have fallen behind as I've had a few nights out after work this week and just want to sleep when i get home.
Hoping for some lovely weather this weekend to enjoy the markets.

Thursday breakfast

Coconut pancakes with passionfruit syrup and banana

I woke up this morning and thought,what was I thinking with this idea to make pancakes on a weekday morning,but since I came up with this challenge for myself,I knew I had to complete it.


I made a large batch to be able to freeze some and enjoy on the weekend.Pancakes are definitely something that should be made on the weekends when you can have a lazy late breakfast.I didn't have any coconut milk so just added some extra shredded coconut and used buttermilk instead and they still had an amazing but subtle coconut taste.And the passionfruit syrup goes so well together with the coconut

Wednesday Breakfast

This morning i realised i was missing some key ingredients for a special breakfast so decided to have muesli with mashed raspberries and yoghurt.It tasted much better than what it looks.

Tuesday breakfast

Even though i didn't sleep well,I managed to wake up early enough to enjoy breakfast.Today it was mushrooms on toast.Must use more parsley next time,it all wilted away.

Enjoying breakfast

The past week i was getting bored with the same breakfast every day that some days i wouldn't bother and just get something on the way to work.
This week I've set up a challenge for myself to get up early and sit down and enjoy a lovely breakfast.I knew i would get lots of great ideas from Bill Granger ,the king of breakfasts and had a look through his cookbooks.
Today i didn't go to work so was able to prepare at a leisurely pace and decided to make some sweetcorn cakes with avocado salsa.

A productive weekend

As i gathered my shopping list on Saturday morning i realised I had not done a proper grocery shop in 2 weeks.I had become too lazy and was eating out most of the time to bother with cooking.Before going out i did get the voting for the Federal election out of the way,I'm the type of person who just walks in and looks straight ahead and doesn't pick up any pamphlets.Saturday night i made lamb with eggplant and tzatzkiki,always a good combination.Pretty much lied in front of the tv reading with the election coverage on in the background,I really don't get what was so great and less boring about the Channel 7 coverage that they were going on about.My vote goes to Ray and Kerry O'brien,superb job.

Selecting a colour scheme and patterns

I felt like i was 6 again cutting out shapes,it's quite therapeutic

I did manage to start with my Christmas decorating,not the actual decorating but making some paper ornaments,I hate the overload of the cliche green and red look this time of year so my colour theme is blue and green with a hint of silver.I was ready to keep going but didn't buy enough of a certain paper so will have to continue during the week,at least it gives me something to after work besides colapse in front of the tv.

I finally got around to changing quilt covers and changing from a winter duck down quilt to my light cotton one for summer,this is one job i really hate,inserting the doona inside the quilt cover and because i made a mistake and the quilt cover is showing on the wrong side i will have to redo it,really not looking forward to it.Also have to buy some pillow inserts for some new blue morrocan style print cushions I'm using.

Blueberry and almond tarts

Later this afternoon i made some blueberry and almond tarts that were featured in this week's Good Living section of the paper.I used the Careme Pastry i had seen on Julia's blog.Because it was a hot afternoon the pastry was not behaving so i rolled the pastry into a few balls and left them in the freezer for a bit and then push the pastry on to the tart cases like Lisa had shown me once.
Just watched The Royal Tenanbaums on dvd,not a huge fan of Gwyneth Paltrow but i loved her in this as Margo,the outfits and the whole look with the dead straight hair and kohl eyes.
It's sticky humid at the moment,about to go have a shower and pop into bed and read before going to sleep early.
Have to be up early tomorrow to start my new challenge for the week,more about that tomorrow.

The $8 pastry

In bloom

Our garden is full of hydrangea at the moment so i took the opportunity to add some to my new turquoise vase on my bedside table.Hopefully the flowers will now help me get some decent sleep which i have been lacking this past week.I've woken up still half asleep and in a very bad mood until i get to work and consume some coffee.
I am in desperate need of a holiday but cannot get any annual leave until February next year,maybe I could plan a late summer getaway once school holidays are over.
I've decided to try and make some handmade ornaments for Christmas,hopefully it all works out,if no pictures emerge,it means i have failed.But I am looking forward to decorating my room and desk at work for Christmas,hoping to start planning next week in anticipation of December 1st.I was also thinking of setting up a challenge for myself,with all the holiday baking ideas i thought of a 12 days of Christmas baking but I don't want to induce a heart attack on anyone before Christmas,will definitely make a few sweet treats.
Can't wait for tomorrow afternoon to arrive to start enjoying the weekend.I am having a very quiet weekend,voting in the Federal election on Saturday morning,watching dvds,attempting my holiday crafts and maybe a trip to Zumbo after grocery shopping in Rozelle.

I love Sydney

Love this time of year enjoying a few drinks out in a bar and so close to the harbour.Met up with a friend to finally try yum cha at Zilver,the trolley ladies were soooo aggressive,like we've never seen before,but all was forgiven when we had some amazing mango pancakes and it was a nice touch to have someone come around and ask if we would like to order some duck panakes.
Enjoyed the sunshine outside at Opera Bar with a refreshing cocktail and several bottles of champagne then ended the night in a bar in Darlinghurst.

A good view to have while drinking

The finale to our degustation dinner

Saturday evening a bunch of young women gathered to celebrate my friend's Hens night.We started the night early at ECQ bar in Circular Quay with a cocktail and a few glasses of champagne.Being daylight savings,it was lovely having an amazing view over to the Harbour Bridge with the sun streaming into the bar through the open windows.The ship that's in the photo later left so we got an even better view.

We got cabs over to Bistro Lilly which is on the ground floor of the Observatory apartment tower next to the Harbour Bridge.Luckily for the other diners,they seated us in a private dining area away from other diners.The plan was to have the 5 course degustation menu with matching wines,we were all impressed that they were full glasses for each course,many other restaurants only serve you half a glass or it's one glass for every 2 courses.The waiter would give us a brief description of the next course but unfortunately didn't tell us the venison was cold and we would whisper to the person next to us "Is your venison cold?"The standout of the meal was dessert described as Yukatan Chocolate Pudding with Stracciatella and drunken chocolate sauce.

The rest of a night we stayed in a great room in the Quay Grand Hotel,we kicked off our heels and talked all night while enjoying the view,drinking more champagne and having some late night snacks.Finally made it home at 4am,i cannot remember the last time i had such a late night and i definitely felt it the next day.

I've had to put myself on an Etsy ban for this month,went on a bit of a spree last month and the budget will be very tight for the next fortnight with hens night,wedding costs(and I'm not even the one getting married) the amount you can spend all adds up,new accessories,hairdresser appointments,travel costs,wedding gift and so on.The necklace above was my last purchase and I will probably wear it to the wedding next week,I can't wait,i officially got all excited the other day when i tried on my dress and new shoes.
Off to my friend's hens night tonight,it will be massive and I'm sure all i can handle tomorrow is recovering and relaxing with a dvd or getting into the big stack of magazines I have.
It's good to see the sun out this morning,it has been overcast,cold and raining all week,good to see spring back.

Leaf Chair

This chair would be perfect out in a garden or courtyard for summer or the lounge chair to sit back and read under a big tree.From Italian furniture company Arper.

Zucchini and feta fritters

There's nothing ground breaking about this meal but it was probably the first time I've actually cooked a meal in weeks.I've loved fritters ever since the first time i tried the corn fritters at Bills,and have looked for them at other cafes along the way.It's very disappointing though when you're served fritters with too much dough,you need to get the ingredients to dough ratio right.
These are so easy and are great for any time of the day.

Zucchini and feta fritters from Delicious magazine
Serves 4(makes 12 fritters)

600g zucchini (about 4),coarsely grated
1 small onion,grated
1 garlic clove,grated
100g feta
2 eggs
2tbs each chopped fresh parsley and mint
1/3 cup(50g) plain flour
30g rice flour
1 tsp sumac
2-3 tbs olive oil

Place zucchini in a colander or sieve and squeeze out excess water.
Combine zucchini,onion,feta,eggs,herbs and a pinch of salt in a bowl.Add flours and sumac,then mix with a spoon.
Heat oil in a non stick frypan over medium to high heat.Add 4 heaped tablespoonfuls of mixture to the pan and flatten slightly.Cook for 1-2 minutes each side until golden and heated through.Repeat with remaining batter.
Serve with salad.

Lilac

Footpaths,driveways and gardens all over Sydney are littered with an amazing shade of lilac from the jacaranda trees in bloom.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Received a lovely bunch of dark pink roses last night when i met up with friends for drinks at Gazebo Wine Garden in Elizabeth Bay.Lovely food and a continuous flow of champagne,what more could you need.Was a pretty early night which shows that i'm getting old but i did have to look half decent this morning for my appointment at the hairdresser,was in desperate need of a cut.

The Goddess Guide by Gisele Scanlon

I received this book last Christmas and have only just got around to reading it,i had flipped through it many times(I'm a major book and magazine flipper).I absolutely love this book,tips on everything from travelling,beauty and guides to her favourite stores in London,New York and Paris.The author,Gisele Scanlon,is a Dublin based writer who writes about fashion,beauty and travel and likes to collect all bits of information.Adding to the appeal of this book are the gorgeous illustrations and ciollages by the author herself,what a talented lady.And to top it off the cover of the book is covered in a beautiful black flocked print.