Wednesday, January 21, 2015 Recipe Recommendation // Whole Pantry's 'Vanilla & Almond Choc-Chip Cookies'

I have no intention of pretending I'm an awesome cook. I know that I'm pretty average, in the whole scheme of things, but I'm getting better. More and more I'm also coming to really enjoy the process of cooking. I find it to be quite a therapeutic activity - it distracts you, for a period of time, from whatever else is going on in your day or your life. It makes you focus on the production and creation of something, and hopefully ends in a satisfying reward. 

However, I'm still not confident in cooking/baking things without following recipes. I feel that if I try to experiment I'll stuff it up and waste ingredients - and I hate wasting food. And so I heavily rely on blogs, cookbooks and internet sites. I thought it might be a nice idea to share with you some recipe recommendations that I've gathered, suitable for anyone like me who doesn't feel wholly confident in the kitchen but are interested in trying new things. 

I found this 'Vanilla & Almond Choc-Chip Cookies' recipe from the Whole Pantry app. They also have a cookbook that I really really want but haven't purchased yet - it's on the list! They focus on mostly vegan and gluten free recipes, but in a really accessible and non-intimidating way ie. you won't need a fuckload of ingredients to substitute for an egg. The app costs a few dollars, but I think it's worth it. Not only for the recipes, but the app itself is beautiful (follow the link and you'll get an insight into what I mean)!

The cookie's are so easy and quick to make, and I usually already have most/all of the ingredients in the cupboard. I substitute cacoa nibs for chopped up dark chocolate, and I use vanilla essence instead of vanilla extract (it's just what I had in the cupboard and it's much cheaper). They're sweet, but not too sweet. And super light. Perfect with tea :) Enjoy!

Tuesday, January 20, 2015 365 Project // Day 20 "Zine lovin' "

20th January

I received a copy of Miso's latest Zine in the mail today, and it is breathtakingly beautiful. It's called Six Studios, and looks to capture the creative spaces of six unique female artists. I had to refrain from photographing every single page, they're all stunning, and so these are just a random selection. It's only $22, available from her Big Cartel, and if you needed any other additional incentive, all the profits go to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre :)

365 Project // Day 19 "Outfit: Tree of Life"

19th January

The ease of online shopping is a beautiful/evil phenomenon. I made these two purchases from Tree of Life online last week, and they arrived in the mail today. Ya know how the more time you have, the more money you spend, even though you don't necessary have more money to spend? Yeh, well I'm at that stage of the holiday break xx

Tara Skirt - $45 

Festival Top - $29.95

Monday, January 19, 2015 365 Project // Day 17-18 "Weekend Snapshots: Shopping, Markets and Nostalgia"

17th January

On Saturday we went shopping. George desperately needed new pants for work, and new shorts for summer. In Bing, Harris and Co everything was half price, and so we managed to score two pairs of chinos, and two pairs of shorts for $144. Bargain, considering the good quality. 

In the arvo we visited Dairy Bell, an icecream warehouse around the corner from our place. It's been around forever, and when we were kids it was a ritual to visit there at least a few times over the summer holidays. We hadn't been for years, but it was in the paper recently that they've decided to close their shop at the end of February. And so my sisters and I decided to visit one last time. It was amazing to see that absolutely nothing inside the shop had changed. They still had the same pictures, the same flavours, the same signs and the same prices! It sounds kind of ridiculous, I know, but it made us incredibly nostalgic.

18th January

On Sunday morning we headed to Prahran market. That place is magical. I think next time we'll go with a shopping list though, because we were a tad overwhelmed by all the options and all the sales and went a little nuts, spent far too much money, and I don't know how we're going to get through all this food before it goes off. But it's a darn nice feeling to have a fridge stocked with beautiful fresh produce. I also bought coconut sugar. I don't really know why, the jar just looked cool. Now I have to figure out how to use it..

When we went for a walk later that evening, we found this wheelbarrow and a 'FREE PLUMS' sign. Don't things like this just warm ya heart a lil?

And lastly, sorry Georgio. But I had to...

365 Project // Day 15 - 16 "Learning Swahili and all of the coffees"

15th January

About six months ago I decided I wanted to put more effort into learning some Swahili words and phrases. George is from Kenya, and so Swahili is his first language, and it's actually kind of redonk how little of the language I know, considering how much I hear him speaking it to his friends and family. And so I bought this chalk board from a cheapo shop up the road, and every now and again I get George to write down a few Swahili words and the English translation. Let's just say that I'm not really a natural when it comes to learning languages, but I do think it has helped a little bit. On the board at the moment are lyrics from this song, by a popular band in Kenya at the moment called Sauti Sol. Apparently it's an expression used to say that you really smitten with someone? Go figure :P

16th January

I caught up with a friend after he finished work on Friday. We went to a place called Queen Street Rescue for iced coffees and beers. It's a cute cafe/bar, with friendly staff and a relaxed vibe. We're making an effort to not always go to the same places. While it's good to have your old favourites, in Melbourne ya can't help but feel that there are lots of new favourites that are waiting to be discovered xx

Thursday, January 15, 2015 365 Project // Day 14 "Masks of acid, yipee!"

14th January - I started packing today for our move. It's not until mid February but who knows when the next heat-wave will come, so I just wanted to start getting a few tasks out of the way. This includes going through all the boxes in all the drawers and under the bed - my version of being 'organised': shove shit in boxes and hide them away so you forget they exist, until you have to move again. 

I found this mask in the 'skincare' drawer of my desk, because apparently I have a skincare drawer. I don't even know where this mask came from. But I Googled it and turns out this brand is pretty expensive, so I decided to give it a shot. I tend to use pretty 'natural' products to clean and moisturise my face, and generally fragrant-free because I have really sensitive skin. So as soon as I opened the packet the first thing I noticed was the stench. It didn't smell bad, just strong. The second thing I noticed, when I was taking it out of the packet, was how slimy it was. Then I put it on my face and the third thing I noticed was how stunning I looked (see below, judge for yourself). I left the mucousy cloth on my face for 15 minutes, as directed, then removed it, splashed my face with water to clean off the snot-like consistency, and patted it dry. The fourth thing I noticed was how it made absolutely no difference to my skin. 

xx

Wednesday, January 14, 2015 365 Project // Day 13 "Welcome back, ladies"

13th January: The weather these days - either super hot, or raining and humid ie. summer in Melbourne :/ It means that, unless you live near a beach, it hasn't been the best weather to be out and about in. We're also trying to save money, and I also have Irish skin that burns like sugar butter, and so in my books, this can lead to only one thing - copious amounts of TV watching :P 

'Girls' started back again on the 12th, for the fourth season. I was excited, as always, for its return. Those one-liners, the quirks, and awkwardness... it didn't disappoint. And while I hold high-hopes for what is to come, and while it still has me glued, I do have to say that I think the show could do with a 'breath of fresh air' of some sort. Perhaps a few new characters, a change in scenery, some character development. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I've also been binging on Orange Is The New Black, and THAT is a show that does all these things really really well. You can never get bored, because it is never stagnant, and so you're always left wanting more. Anyway, if you have any show recommendations, please do let me know!! xx