Friday, February 13, 2015 365 Project // Day 35 - 43

4 February: Waiting to get coffee. Still taking it slow. This was taken on the way home from having an x-ray done on my neck (turns out they couldn't find anything abnormal, thank lordy).

5 February: I call this one - "recovery".

6 February: My mum has recently retired and is really into knitting. She knits everything. I'm going to go to her house one day and everything from the doormat to the furniture will be knitted. She's kindly asked me to choose something from this beautiful book for her to make for me. I want everything. 

7 February: Not all that keen on uploading this to the interwebz, but this is the 365 project and this is the only photo I took that day. I sent it to my sisters to show our fancy "date night".

8 February: Lunch. Haloumi cheese makes life worth livin'. Can I get a Hellz YEh!?

9 February: Still making these cookies #obsessed. I wrote about the recipe here. So easy, so yummy.

10 February: Tip - Bagels make an easy and satisfying dinner on a hot summer's night.

11 February: Smoothies all summer longggggg.

12 February: I know Europeans would laugh if they heard about/witnessed the hype over H&M opening here in Melbourne. There were lines out the door, security, the whole shebang. And hence, I avoided that place like the plague. I felt brave the other day, and so decided to take a wander in to see what all the fuss is about. You have to admit, it looks pretty spectacular. 

Tuesday, February 3, 2015 365 Project // Day 28 - 34

28 January: This photo was taken pre-FKA Twigs gig. If you haven't listened to any of her music, do yourself a favour. You can start here, if you wish. 

29 January: I decided to join the rest of the world and started reading this book.

30 January: Still been getting bad neck pains, headaches and dizzy spells. Every morning I get up and think that I'm all better, and then gradually get worse as the day goes on. This day was probably the worst it has been. I had to lie on this yoga mat all day, watching TV shows (life could be worse, I admit). I watched the last episode of Parenthood, and became a snotty emotional wreck.

31 January: Someone very close to me is having a bit of a rough time of late. She is in the recovery process, but has a long road ahead. We caught up for lunch on Saturday, where she showed me her project from that morning - a treat to herself. Her name is Sparkles.

1 February: No I didn't make these. But a friend of mine did. And I ate most of them. So it was a very proud day all-round!

2 February: I haven't used an eyelash curler in years. I feel like they're the ultimate 'guilty' purchase. I remember the first time I bought an eyelash curler - it was at Heathrow airport when I was 19, coming home from my trip around Europe. I had my last 50 pound note that I was wanting to spend, and so I went for it. Then I became addicted to it - I basically used it every time I was leaving the house. I think you get used to your eyes looking a certain way, and then it begins to look odd when they don't. I can't really remember why I stopped using it, and I can't even remember what happened to that curler. But the other day I found an old photo, from when I was about 20 - the year of curled lashes - and realised what a difference it can make. And so I went on ebay and made the purchase. Here's hoping I don't get addicted again.

3 February: The neck pains continue. I just want to stay in bed all day long.

Recipe Recommendation // Sesame Snaps

Yet another sweet snack... I think you're getting a clear indication of what I enjoy cooking/eating most :P. Here is another easy yet satisfying recipe. I've been a big fan of sesame snaps since the beginning of uni - they make the perfect mid-lecture snack, or are great with a cup of coffee. And don't underestimate them, they're pretty filling, so you only need a few :)

I followed this recipe here, but there are heaps out there, and it's quite easy to experiment. I added some plain buckinis to the mix, for instance. Or you can add any other type of seed you fancy - maybe some pumpkin seeds could work well? You can drizzle some melted chocolate on top once the snaps have cooled, and then wait for the choc to set before cutting them into squares or whatever shape you prefer. Whatevz man!

Here is what I used:

Then it's basically a matter of mixing it all together and rolling it out:

Then pop it in the oven. I probably should have kept it in for a little bit longer, because they were still quite soft in the centre, but they still tasted fab :)

Cut them into squares and enjoy! xx

Monday, February 2, 2015 Snapshots // Melbourne City Wandering

Last week George took a day off work. He has had a few back pain issues and basically just needed a bit of a break. Seeing as though he had pretty much been bed-ridden for the previous couple of days, we decided to utilise this day to do a bit of 'exploring'. Or as we like to call it, 'aaaadventure tiiiiime' (yes, that's meant to be facetious, please forgive me). 

We started off with brunch at a small cafe called Daniel Son in Murrumbeena. It's always packed on the weekends, and George is usually at work on weekdays, so we were finally able to try it out. It was as good as we were expecting. Their cakes are just something else.

We then headed to the city and just wandered around the laneways, trying to find something to do. We dropped in at Raw Trader, a tiny cafe in Sutherland Street that specialises in organic, raw, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, sugar-free desserts and drinks. Sounds a little bit suspicious, I know, but it amazes me how talented and creative people can get with their cooking when they're having to substitute for things. I recommend checking it out. 

We then ended up at the Queen Victoria Market where I proceeded to eat too many hot-jam donuts. It then gave me a bit of a headache, and a slight tooth ache, so we decided to call it a day after that :) 

Lastly, this photo is of me mourning the fact that I'll be turning 27 in about a month and half time. Freaking me outttttt.

Wednesday, January 28, 2015 Recipe Recommendation // Gluten-Free Chickpea Chocolate Cake

This one is hard to stuff up. Like, you would have to really really try to make it go wrong. I've resorted to this recipe time and time since I discovered it at the beginning of 2014, when I made it for my mum's birthday (she is gluten intolerant). It was a hit, and has been every time. For my dad's birthday later that year, I divided the mixture and made them into muffins (just kept them in the oven for about a third of the time) and they worked a treat!

Once again, I often have all/most of the ingredients in the cupboard. Simple, effective, cheap, tasty, easy... ticks all the boxes. You'll find the recipe here.

PS. Don't worry, I promise you won't be able to taste the chickpeas!

Tuesday, January 27, 2015 365 Project // Day 21 - 27

21st January: I went on a sewing frenzy and ended up chopping a Tigerlily dress into two - making this skirt and a top. I was quite hesitant to do it, because that dress ain't cheap and I was scared of screwing it up, but I kind of felt like the pattern was too 'busy' to wear as a dress, and I think I'll get a lot more wear out them now.

22nd January: I've barely taken this colour off my nails all January. 'Coral Crush' by Maybelline. (I somehow managed to break that teal ring about 2 minutes after taking the photo). 

23rd January: Went on a mini shopping spree at a local discount health food store. 

24th January: I love my mum's place.

25th January: Ishka are having a 50% off sale, only condition is that you sign up to be a member (free to do so). I bought these rings for $5 each, both made in the Philippines out of eggshells.

26th January: I've decided that I probably need to start working on reducing the level of grains in my diet. I love them, but my tummy just hasn't been the best lately, and I'm pretty sure it's a result of gluten. I made this porridge this morning, but substituted oats with quinoa flakes. I think I need to tweak a few things, but it was pretty yum (and no pains that day!). 

27th January: Brunch at Daniel Son cafe (more on this later). I want these lights in my house :P

Monday, January 26, 2015 Weekend Snapshots // St Kilda Coffees and Hangovers

Both George and I have been unwell this weekend. George is suffering from severe lower back pain (we think it might be a pinched nerve) and I was suffering from a severe hangover (so no sympathy for me). But that turned into a migraine which turned into an ear ache which turned into neck pain and a tooth ache (maybe just a lil sympathy?). So we're both drugged up on Panadols and peppermint tea, and have been hanging very very low this weekend (no loud noises allowed).

We did manage to leave the house for a few hours on Sunday morning. I had read this article about Endless Summer iced coffee, and was keen to give it a try. It turns out they use coffee beans sourced from a farm in Kenya that is located only about a hundred Kms from where George's grandma runs her own coffee farm, and so the makers and George had a lot to talk about :) And the coffee itself was beautiful (I think Kenyan coffee is the best... but I might be a little biased). Here are a few snaps from the day.. sorry about the crappy quality of the photos, I really do plan on buying a 'proper' camera soon!

The dog on the back of the bike is wearing goggles!! Made my day.. my week.. my life :P

And now I will return to resting my weary head. Hope you've all had a lovely one xx