Artillery

Needles. Check. Pattern. Check. Cable, you will be mine. Oh yes, you will be mine.

Late afternoon sun

After a chilly start to the day, we were privy to some gorgeous late afternoon sun. It was so nice to spend a little time clicking away. I must do it more often.

Supplies

As much as I'm enjoying my little crochet project, it's taking forever and I feel as though I need a change of scenery. So I pick up some supplies. Stay tuned!

Cookies!

Last weekend Saturday night footy with the Golden Child (otherwise known as my Bro) called for dinner as well as dessert. Deservedly so given he had to work all weekend. I wanted something easy that used the ingredients in my cupboard. Thanks again Jamie. His Ministry of Food cookbook came through with the simple biscuit goods.

You'll need a food processor and 30mins to rest the dough before baking.

Ingredients
• 125g butter slightly soft • 100g caster sugar • 1 large egg (free range of course!) • 100g plain flour • 25g oats • 1/4 tsp baking powder • 1/2 tsp salt.

Additions
• lemon/lime/orange peel OR • 100g chocolate chopped OR • 50g nuts chopped/50g sultanas
Use your imagination or what's in the pantry.

Directions
Add basic ingredients to processor and whiz until smooth.
Alternatively achieve the same results with a wooden spoon, mixing bowl and a little more time.
Flavour with your choice of additions. I used a combo of walnuts, pecans and almonds. I'd like to try cranberry & white chocolate next.
Spoon onto cling film and roll into a sausage shape. Freeze the dough for 30 mins.
Heat the oven to 190C/375F.
Cut the dough into slices (Jamie recommends 1cm - mine were thinner).
Place onto tray lined with baking paper and bake for 8-10mins.
Let them cool down slightly before transferring to a wire rack.

You definitely want the edges to go a golden brown. The middle will still be chewy.

The blues

A couple of weeks ago I did something very out of the ordinary. For me anyway. I made a purchase that included a shade of blue. Those who know me well may need a minute to pick themselves up off the floor. I can't explain what it is with blue, but in the nicest way it offends my aesthetic sensibilities. Don't ask, I am aware of the ridiculousness. But I could not resist the other colours in this necklace from Kristina Klarin. The arrival of the necklace brightened my week even with the blues.

Another year

It's a belated Happy (dating) Anniversary to Mr T. Two years yesterday. I put not remembering down to being ill last week and not wholly on the ball. It won't matter, because I'm sure he won't have remembered either! Thankfully I'd prepared the card earlier. It just needed some last minute cropping.

This year threw up far more challenges than the first. But he's still awesome and I still count myself lucky!

This week in the garden

I'm seeing the fruits of last weekend's planting already! Given that almost everything is at a standstill in the garden outside, I decided to bring a few pots inside to see if I could raise some herbs, mini cauliflower and baby beetroots amongst others. This is the start of the rocket. I shouldn't lose this lot to caterpillars and snails!

Coconut pie

Last Friday I had dinner with the girls, a fabulous Indian banquet was feasted on, complete with bollywood films playing in the background. I offered to bring dessert and opted for Impossible coconut pie, in that it's impossible for anything to go wrong. I was looking for something that would complement the meal and not be too heavy. Had it been warmer I would have gone for sorbet, but this fit the bill.

Ingredients:
• 4 eggs • 1 cup caster sugar • 100g unsalted butter, softened • 100g almond meal • 1 cup desiccated coconut • grated lemon rind (from 2 lemons) and their juice ~1/2 cup • grated orange rind and it's juice ~ 1/2 cup • 1 cup coconut milk • 1/2 cup plain flour, sifted • Cream & passionfruit to serve.

Preheat oven to 180C
Mix everything in a food processor and pour into a greased 28cm pan. (The mixture is super runny)
Bake for an hour or until golden.

My pan wasn't quite 28cm so I got a couple of small ramekins and baked them too. Which was lucky, because the nine of us polished this off easily and there wouldn't have been anything to photograph!

Hump day

Thank god for three seasons of Mad Men. I was off work today ill and thinking tomorrow may hold the same. There's some reading material in there too, namely the latest edition of Inside Out which comprises their annual decorating and renovating guide. Which is timely, because this is the current state of our main bathroom. I tell you, it's an improvement on the pink tiles with matching pink spa that were there, but it's not ideal. A new bath has been ordered, we're just deciding on tap ware and tiles.

Panda Eyes

The Japanese really do have a monopoly on cute containers. I'm looking forward to making onigiri to be carried by the panda. For the moment he's doing a pretty good job carrying my quinoa.