where did October go?

Question: what happened to October? Is it just me or did I miss it?

On another note, there are 7 weeks until Christmas!

melbourne + friends

It's not often I get visitors from Brisbane so I was most fortunate to be paid a visit from two of my best friends from Brisbane over the weekend, Lauren and Candy.

The weekend started mighty early for my friends that woke up at 3am to get on an early bird flight from Brisbane. They were real troopers though, meeting me in the City in the early afternoon where we continued to browse shops, wonder at people's choice in fashion and grumble at the poor customer service at supposedly high end department stores (ok, that last one was just me).

An early dinner was called for and I didn't object. Off we went to Mamasitas - we probably couldn't time it any better. When we walked out, the line was so long I felt sorry for the poor people. I must say, it is definitely worth the wait but it might be best to put your name down on the list and then come back... I can't imagine not knowing how long to wait for a table... Anyway, the food was delicious - fast, fresh and simple. Perhaps they took a leaf out of Donna Hay's book...?

The best thing about old friends coming to visit? You can take them out to all the places you've discovered in your new town and also discover new places with them. Lauren and I went to one of my fav breakfast haunts - 3 bags full, where I enjoyed the house scramble and Lauren, a sweet breakfast that looked amazing. I think it was the french toast... Dinner Saturday night was at Cumulus - the dinner was just gorgeous. Great service, food cooked to perfection, wine to match and great conversations were had in the ambient atmosphere. Dessert at Max Brenner was not as delightful. It started raining so we moved the tables a bit and the staff grumbled at us and our response was to grumble back. Talk about shit customer service. Sunday breakfast was at friend of mine on Swan St - a quaint, not-so-little place (don't let what you see on the outside fool you!) but the breakfast is fresh, fast and delicious. I've already made a mental note to go there again. It does get busy so if you're an early bird that wants to catch the worm, best bet is to arrive before 10am.

But what I enjoyed most about my friends spending the weekend with me is you can reminisce, take stupid photos, gossip and eat complete junk without being judged. A bit like a massive sleepover. Just with more alcohol than the sleepovers I remember...

winning

Can I please just take a moment to give myself a pat on the back?

No I haven't done something amazing, or anything really noteworthy, new or innovative or achieved anything of epic proportions.

I just wanted to take this moment to pat myself on the back and congratulate myself - I have blogged somewhat regularly i.e. >4 times this month, which is, when averaged out, more than once a week. In a sense, a real achievement, compared to my dismal attempt during August. Booyah.

Small mercies, yes.

And most importantly, winning.

cupcake decorating class

I've been wanting to do a cupcake decorating class for...oh I don't know, a really long time now. With so many out there, it's been hard to pick just one, and also find the time to do it. So when I came across a Scoopon email one Saturday for Jennifer Graham's cupcake decorating class I quickly snapped it up.

I have been a fan of Crabapple cupcakes for so long now. I first came across Jennifer and her book when I was in a bookstore in Brisbane, looking through the sweets/cakes section for inspiration. Jenny's book provides inspiration by the bucket load and best of all, it really is a fantastic guide on baking and decorating cupcakes. There used to be a flagship store in Prahran but Jenny now mainly teaches classes at CAE in Melbourne, Flinders Lane, where her classes apparently constantly sell out. Her other classes seem really interesting and I'd love to do it, when I find some more time...

During the class, Jenny showed us 9 different designs/techniques:

• free form swirl
• signature crabapple swirl
• flat spatula
• lattice
• topiary tree
• soft serve swirl
• proposal 
• mounded 
• buttercream rose

And here is the first cupcake I decorated on the night - the free form swirl. I think simple decorations like these flowers make the cupcakes really pretty. 

I unfortunately didn't push enough icing to the edge so didn't quite get enough sprinkles on I think... 

Nevertheless, not a bad effort I guess...?!

I love chocolate frosting. I'm just not very good at smoothing it out... 

So, whilst this is supposed to be the flat spatula, it's not very flat...

I decided to jazz it up with a rose and some leaves, to hide the not so flat top... 

I absolutely LOVE the crabapple swirl. I'm just not very good at it!

It's quite pretty. Looks simple but it's not. 

Here's my attempt and again, the flower is great for hiding imperfections or bumps....

There were lots of different coloured icing and types of sprinkles.

I decided to give the blue icing a go with pink and white sprinkles around the edge, using the free form swirl. 

A very pretty effect I think which really surprised me, as I would have thought blue icing would look unnatural. Instead, it looks very sweet and much like bubblegum I think!

Ah, the topiary tree. Basically a whole bunch of piped leaves on the top of the cupcake, with roses and pearls and a sprinkling of green glitter.

Unfortunately you can't see the glitter here but trust me, adding glitter to the tops of the cakes makes them that little bit more special. It gives the cupcakes pizazz. 

At first I thought this was really hard but actually it's not that bad...

Well as you can see, I can't pipe in straight lines very well... but still, lattice designs can be very effective (once I master piping in straight lines!)

This design is very sweet with a mini topiary tree in the middle squished by two flowers on either side. 

A sprinkle of glitter adds a bit of sparkle.

We only had about 45 minutes to decorate our cupcakes so unfortunately I didn't do all of them (I didn't try the last three on the list) but I bought a piping kit so will have to try at home and post up results! 

Aside from limited time to decorate the cakes, I found the class to be extremely useful. The tips provided were invaluable and the stories shared were touching. I found it to be a very inspiring night and can't wait to make cupcakes and put my new-found skills to action! 

tesselaar tulip festival

Even though it’s spring, the weather has been fluctuating and has been somewhat erratic over the past few days. We’ve had cool mornings, rain, warm winds and apparently, in some areas hail. Today though, thankfully, was probably the very first ‘proper’ day of spring. The sun was out, temperatures soared past the mid 20’s and there was no need for a cardigan!

The day couldn’t have been better for a trip out to the Tesselaar Tulip Festival where they brought Turkey to Melbourne (the country and its culture, not the food).

We were greeted at the gate by people in costume (that looked alarmingly like traditional Dutch costumes) and were amazed at the vast fields of tulips. Before we roamed the tulips we decided to visit the alpacas – a little family of mum, dad and baby. Very cute!

For those that know me well, I can never go anywhere without eating or drinking. Nothing new to report, as soon as I saw an ice cream stand I knew I had to try it. This time though, I wasn’t on my own – if anything my cousin had a strong influence on me so we decided to eat ice cream then and there. For me, Turkish Delight (delicious by the way) and for Melissa; choc-mint.

Most of the grounds were filled with rows and rows of tulips. There were some other flowers like daffodils but the tulip is the hero of the grounds (hence the name Tulip Festival...) and the different types and colours on display were certainly impressive.

So, no need to travel to Holland folks to sit amongst a field of tulips and experience its beauty and vivid colours... you can easily do it within an hour’s drive from Melbourne!

zucchini, corn and capsicum fritters

Trends that have become apparent are the return to simplicity and a more conscious effort to understand what we eat and where it comes from. This can be seen with the number of farmer’s markets and personal vegetable gardens popping up all over urban cities. With the change in season, I’ve noticed this more and more. As the weather gets warmer and the days get longer, people venture out again, and the number of people that frequent community gardens and the local markets is overwhelming. Seeing as I don’t have a veggie patch and haven’t had the chance to replant my herb garden, I love going to the markets to see what fresh produce is available. I revel in picking out unmarked, plump fruit and vegetables and the inspiration they bring. Cooking with fresh seasonal produce is so much fun in spring because I think what’s in season is so much more colourful compared to other seasons. And with that, came the inspiration for zucchini, corn and capsicum fritters. 

One thing I struggle with is making dinner after I’ve come home from work. The very last thing I want to do is spend time slaving away in the kitchen – I’m too hungry and impatient to cook an elaborate meal. I want to make something that is simple to prepare, fast to cook and assemble and deliciously fresh and tasty to eat. Perhaps I should get myself Donna Hay’s book Fast, Fresh, Simple... Yes, friends, Christmas is coming up and so is my birthday... hint, hint, nudge, nudge.

I went shopping over the weekend and while in the local grocer was inspired by all the beautifully bright colours. Off I went, loading my basket with corn, zucchini, capsicum, cucumber and other necessities (yes, chocolate). Once at home, I pored through my cookbooks at home and found a recipe for zucchini fritters – something I’ve always wanted to make. Given how inspired I was I decided to do a little experimenting and throw together a hodge-podge of the ingredients I bought and bam – zucchini, corn and capsicum fritters.

These are so simple to make. Really. I’m not lying. They hardly take any time at all to cook (and eat). Plus, you’re getting 3 veggies in every fritter. Win-win I say.

Zucchini, corn and capsicum fritters

preparation time | 5 minutes + 10 minutes standing time for zucchini
cooking time | 10 minutes
makes | about 8 medium sized fritters (around 5cm in diameter)

1 big zucchini
2 spring onions
½ red capsicum
1 whole corn cob
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup plain flour
½ teaspoon of baking powder
Olive oil or another oil of your choice for frying

Tzatziki
1 cup plain or Greek, full-fat yogurt
1 to 2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
Grated cucumber, as much or as little as you want
Pinches of salt and pepper
1 small minced or crushed clove of garlic 

1| Cut the rounded end of the zucchini off and coarsely grate into a colander. Stir the salt through and let it sit in the colander. Make sure to put a bowl under the colander as water will drip out and you don’t really want zucchini water dripping all over your kitchen bench.

2| While you’re waiting for the water to extract from the zucchini (amazingly, this does happen), finely slice the spring onions and chop up the capsicum into cube-like pieces (it’s ok if they’re not perfectly cubed – it will add a rustic charm to the fritters). To remove the corn kernels from the corn, cut all the way down the corn cob with a sharp knife, as close to the cob as you can.

3| With the back of a wooden spoon, try to press out as much water from the zucchini as possible. Amazing isn’t it?! Mix in the corn and capsicum. Add freshly cracked pepper. You probably don’t need to add any more salt at this stage. Salty fritters are not really that tasty. Trust me, been there, done that.

4| Mix the egg, flour and baking powder into the vegetable mixture. You’ll see the mixture come start to come together and form kind of a sloppy dough. That’s ok – it’s what you want! Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a fry pan (non-stick skillets work best – less mess!) until it shimmers. Drop small bunches of the vegetable mixture into the skillet, a few at a time, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Flatten the fritters slightly with your spatula – it will make cooking and turning them easier. Cook over a moderately high heat and until the edges are golden, flip them over and cook until the other side is golden.

5| To make tzatziki, mix all ingredients in a bowl and flavour with salt and pepper to your taste. Dollop on fritters before serving.

penguin parade

The Penguin Parade on Phillip Island is a magical event. Yes, it happens every day at sunset but it’s still magical. I’ve been twice now and whilst in theory, the experience shouldn’t change, it was different for me, both times.



There is actually quite a lot to explore around Phillip Island. There are plenty of wineries, beaches, wildlife parks, even a chocolate factory! A day trip isn’t really enough time I think to explore the Island in its entirety which is a great excuse to go back, particularly when family and friends come to visit!



September is one of the better months to go – the penguins are plentiful and the weather is not too cold. And I end the post with this last thought – sunset is a beautiful time on the Island. 

why hello spring!

Finally! It's here! What I hear you say?! Spring! That's what!

What better way to welcome spring than take a day trip around Victoria? Now I don't normally take day trips around Victoria, on Fridays no less but I had an RDO and my parents and sister were in town visiting. So with that in mind, I capitalised on the beautiful weather and pleasant company. Off we trekked to Ballarat... after a few wrong turns here and there on the Western Ring Road we finally got there.

Ah Ballarat, aren't you a sleepy little town. To be fair to Ballarat, we probably should have stayed longer in the town and visited Sovereign Hill but after I baulked at the amount of time needed, at a minimum, to explore it, I made the executive decision to quickly say goodbye and start the trek to Daylesford. Unfortunately, we just didn’t have the time to spend 3-4 hours in Sovereign Hill. Instead we dropped into the art gallery for a quick squiz, takeaway coffees and organic sweet potato chips (which were delish by the way and were gobbled up very quickly) and headed to the lake. Good thing Ballarat is only an hour's drive from Melbourne so I'm sure I'll make the trek again (so I keep telling myself).



Onwards and upwards (literally) to Daylesford. We drove through Hepburn Springs before arriving at Lavandula Lavender Farm, a lovely quaint place that is all things lavender. As the name suggests, they harvest lavender (and lots of other beautiful flowers dot the farm) but also harvest olives, and an array of animals call it home too. We were lucky enough to have arrived at just the right time for a tour of the house on the farm, recreated to replicate the home that was lived in so many years ago. A two bedroom home for, if I remember correctly 13 kids?! The guys on the farm have done a fantastic job restoring the home – it really takes you back on a journey of a time that is so foreign to me. No electricity?! Unheard of!












Still no lavender – it gets harvested in January apparently but still, a beautiful day to enjoy the grounds and a lovely lavender lemonade and scones or in my dad’s case, a lavender champagne.

massive FAIL

Wow. So much for posting, and I quote "more regularly in August". I couldn't even do that!

And with this I vow, in the month of September, I will post at least once.

new lens

Just before the end of the Financial year (2010-2011) I bought a prime lens. I did what I thought was the pragmatic thing to do - I bought it second hand. I must say, I am extremely chuffed with my purchase. Not only is the lens made in Japan (no offense China or Thailand but I still associate Japan with quality goods) it was worth the investment.

What lens did I buy? I bought a 50mm f1.4. I cannot stop raving about this lens. It is seriously fast, fabulous in low light and the bokeh effect is amazing. The depth of field you can achieve with this lens is out of this world. Seriously.

Here are a couple of shots I took over the weekend to tide you over until I take more adventurous shots with my parents in town this weekend.

on hiatus

Well. I knew this would happen. A minor setback really. I tend to get really excited about new projects and ventures and then either slowly tumble off the wagon or fall at full speed with a thud to the ground. I’m choosing to treat this as a slow tumble.

I’ve come to realise that the amount of spare time I have directly correlates with how busy I am with my day job. For example, if I have a focus group on a Monday and/or Tuesday night, by the time the end of the week is upon me, the last thing I feel like doing is sitting at a computer, bashing out a post. If, like me, you spend most of your days in front of a computer screen, I’m sure you’ll agree with me here. It is not my lack of discipline or motivation that stops me from sharing stories, it is the fatigue and weariness after a long day at work. (That’s my story and I’m sticking to it).

So, July was a month of madness that has completely flown by – focus groups coming out of my ears, holidays, Splendour in the Grass, falling sick... definitely an eventful start to the beginning of FY012. Can you believe that we are in the second half of the year already? Christmas is four months away! Yes, I went there. We’ll probably start seeing Father’s Day paraphernalia in stores now (if not already) and everything Christmas will probably start merchandising in a month’s time. Fun times.

So, with Winter moving behind us, days getting finally getting (albeit only a little) longer and a slow start to FY012 work wise, I am back on the wagon. I have, at the moment, more time to bake, read, and if I stop making excuses, blog. I pledge to you, dear reader (thanks Mum for reading my blog), to blog more regularly in the month of August. Afterall, I’m all about baby steps.

chicken pot pies

Oh winter. How you’ve come so quickly. The days are short, the nights are cold and the gusty wind howls. Judging by the recent bout of Melbourne weather, you’re planning on sticking around for awhile right?

One of the (many) good things about winter is I would have to say, is the food. Winter food is warm, comforting, rich and creamy. I can just about hear you gasp at the thought of eating fat loaded content that makes up winter food. But it’s ok, you have to eat these kinds of food to stay warm. So jump for joy (it will keep you warm) and rejoice in pulling out your slow cooker, large pots and casserole dishes. Embrace the cold I say! Type into google “winter food recipes” and revel in what your search comes up with. Cook up soups, hearty casseroles, beautiful roasts, warm self-saucing puddings, deliciously moist cakes or brownies, whatever tickles your fancy.

I personally think nothing beats a chicken pot pie. Tucking into your own little pot pie, made just for you is special, warm and soothing. They are fantastic also for when friends come round for dinner. I think there’s something quite special about individual serves. There is nothing better than seeing your guest’s eyes light up when a little pot pie is presented to them.

A while back I bought some lovely white ramekins because I was on a mad hunt to make little chocolate puddings. I unfortunately haven’t been bothered to try making them (they always seem to be a lot of effort, but I will tackle them one day) so decided to christen my ramekins by making chicken pot pies instead!

I must say, definitely winning.

 

Chicken pot pies

preparation time | 15 minutes

cooking time | 30 minutes

makes | 6 pot pies

6 smallish potatoes

4 medium carrots

1 medium zucchini

1 handful of green beans

1 brown onion

3 garlic cloves

1 tbs chilli powder (optional)

300mL thickened cream

150mL sour cream

1/4 cup white wine

2 tablespoons corn flour

Dash of olive oil

2 single chicken breasts (or 1 double breast)

2 sheets of puff pasty

1 egg yolk (to make egg wash)

1| Preheat oven to 180°C, or 160°C fan forced. Using a sharp knife, cut your vegetables and chicken into smallish cubes. It doesn’t matter if they aren’t all the same size, it adds a somewhat “rustic” quality to your cooking. Push the cloves of garlic through a garlic press, or cut super fine if you prefer / can be bothered.

2| In a pan, add the dash of olive oil over a medium heat. When hot, throw in the garlic and onion and brown. Add in the chicken and brown for a few minutes before adding in the vegetables. Stir so there’s a bit of colour on the vegies and chicken. Season with salt and pepper and chilli powder.

3| Pour in the cream, sour cream and white wine, stir to combine. Turn heat down to simmer so the sauce can thicken. After a few minutes, if you feel the sauce is not thick enough, in a small bowl combine the corn flour with a bit of the liquid mixture to form a smooth paste and stir it back in to the chicken and vegie mix.

4| Divide the mixture up into 6 ramekins and place on a tray (a baking or cookie tray will do), leave to cool for a bit.

5| Using a sharp knife, cut the sheets of puff pastry into squares.

6| Rub a bit of butter around the rims of each ramekin, place a puff pastry square over the top of each one and squish down a bit around the sides. Make a small cross on the top of each pie with a small knife.

7| Brush the tops of each of the pies with the egg yolk wash – this makes the pies nice and shiny!

8| Pop pies into the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes or so, or until tops are nice and golden brown.

9| Leave to cool for a few minutes before tucking in – they will be extremely hot and may burn your tongue (I am, of course, speaking from previous experience).  

cookies and cream cupcakes

Cookies and cream. What a winning combination. I'm a massive fan of cookies and cream. Think Oreos, Ice Cream, mmm.

There are so many recipes online for cookies and cream cupcakes - some from packet mix, some from scratch. Some with a vanilla base, others chocolate, ones with choc chips, crushed oreos, an oreo in the bottom, filled with marshmallow, ones with crushed wafer, some with cream cheese frosting, others with buttercream, crushed oreos throughout and of course, the icing of the cupcake – the oreo on top. There is variance in this too – a big oreo, a mini oreo, a big oreo cut in half.

So where do I start?

I thought I’d make my own up. 

cookies and cream cupcakes 

preparation time | 25 minutes

cooking time | 20 minutes

makes | 16 cupcakes 

chocolate cupcakes 

1/2 cup (50g) dutch processed cocoa powder

1 cup (250ml) boiling hot water

1 1/3 cups (175g) plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup (113g) salted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup (175g) white sugar 

3 eggs 

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

6 Oreo cookies

mini Oreo cookies

vanilla icing

1/2 cup salted butter, at room temperature

2 cups icing sugar mixture

milk at room temperature 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1| Preheat oven 190°C (or 170°C fan forced). Line the muffin / cupcake tray with pretty paper cases. Halve the Oreo cookies and place one half in the bottom of each cupcake liner.

2| In a small bowl, stir the hot water and cocoa powder until smooth and let it cool to room temperature. In another bowl, sift the flour and baking powder. 

3| In the bowl of your electric or hand mixer, beat the butter first for a couple of minutes. Then add the sugar, bit by bit and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until smooth after each egg. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the vanilla extract. On the lowest speed of your mixer, add in the flour and cocoa mixture in thirds alternating, starting with flour and ending with flour. Stop mixing when incorporate - it's important not to over beat the mixture, the cake won't be very moist! 

4| Fill each cup with batter, on top of the Oreo cookie (about 1 oversized tablespoon of batter) and bake for about 16-20 minutes or until risen and springy when touched, and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Don't over bake the cupcakes - they'll become dry!

5| Remove from the oven and patiently wait for them to cool on a wire rack. 

6 | To make the icing, beat the butter with an electric mixer until creamy and slowly add in the sugar, vanilla extract and milk until it's of a smooth thick consistency (so you can pipe it). You can either pipe it or spread it on to the cupcakes, and then decorate the tops of your cupcakes with a mini Oreo cookie. 

vivid sydney

Talk about great timing. The weekend I was in Sydney, Vivid was still on – bright lights, clever animations and the Opera House prettied up – who could pass this up? Unfortunately, it was raining so this also meant large crowds vying for undercover space and large umbrellas obscuring views. 

Our Vivid Sydney walk started off at Hyde Park. Hyde Park at night, I find, is quite a mystical and mysterious place. That’s probably because of the lights. 

Then we kept walking and saw this place. I think it’s an aquatic centre (don’t quote me on that). But it very much looks like a church doesn’t it?

 Then off to Circular Quay where we were met with large crowds overcrowding undercover areas. We made our way over to the Opera House, trying to dodge extremely large umbrellas, prams, strollers and large groups of tourists. My sister and I had a bit of a laugh, attempting the art of ghosting (and consequently failing). 

 There were some fantastic light installations / displays at Circular Quay but given the rain, and our unpreparedness for it, our trip downtown didn’t last very long, though I managed to take a few pictures. But note to self, when shooting in low light and rain, using a tripod will give you the best results. Must add that on my list of things to get...

breakfast @ bills

I’m very fortunate enough to have experienced breakfast at bills earlier this year, on a short trip to Sydney, courtesy of work. So when I found myself in Sydney again for work and had the opportunity to stay for the weekend, I knew I just had to take my sister to bills for breakfast. In her 4-5 years of living in Sydney, she has never been. I was gobsmacked. I had to rectify this. Stat.

I remember how, on my first visit, I instantly fell in love with the place – the lovely clean lines of the interior, the large communal table, the bowls of fresh fruit, the magazines laid out by category, the somewhat open kitchen, the service, my pot of chai tea, the general buzz of breakfast. All this and I hadn’t even seen the menu yet.  

And what a menu! I find that at breakfast I am always faced with a dilemma - sweet or savoury? I am a lover of both. There's nothing better than soft fluffy eggs and crispy bacon, or a nice fat slab of toasted banana bread with berries and mascarpone cheese. Can you see my dilemma? Last time I was at bills, I chose sweet – the ricotta hotcakes with honeycomb butter. Drool. So I decided to do savoury this time, choosing the corn fritters with bacon and convinced my sister to try the hotcakes (it didn’t take much convincing!)

The corn fritters didn’t disappoint. I polished them off pretty quickly. And my sister loved the ricotta hotcakes, claiming this was the only time she would allow herself to smother her breakfast with butter.

I must say, everything about bills screams fresh, simple, homemade. I am in love. Oh if only there was bills in Melbourne.

it's time to get thrifty...

For the month of June, I set myself a challenge where I am not to spend any money on shoes or clothes until the next pay day. Well, I wasn't even past day one of the challenge and I failed. I went to a scarf sale in East Malvern and bought some beautiful wool scarves in bright colours. Can I say though, in my defence,I bought one for my mum. Ok, and the rest were for me... but they were 50% off the reduced price, so I got them at bargain-basement prices.

I then headed to a shopping centre, only because I wanted to get some ramekins so I could start experimenting with souffles, individual self-saucing puddings, etc. I came back home with 8 ramekins. Whilst not shoes or clothes, I was still spending money. Whoops. You know what I've done - I've transferred my spending on to something else! How terrible.

Right, that was yesterday. Today is a brand new day. I stayed in bed for as long as I could (it was a cold morning and I figured the longer I stay in bed, the longer I can fight temptation). I couldn't lie in bed all day so I got up and thought right, I still have about $30 on a David Jones gift card, why don't I use that up? It's like I'm spending money but money I already have. Plus, it's a shame and waste to not spend / use it. Off I went to the City in search for something worthy to spend my gift card on. I had already bought ramekins yesterday and was thinking I wouldn't mind some nice servingware. Off I trudged to David Jones. What a mistake. I pretty much fell in love with all things homewares.

There is something whimsical about homewares displayed in large groups, particularly when they are grouped by colour. I instantly fell in love with the Ecoya Metro candle jars and reed diffusers. Not only are the candles natural and made of soy, they smell divine! Unfortunately, I just couldn't justify spending my voucher on something that would melt. I wanted to buy something that I could keep and would last. I decided to head over to the cook books - I've been keeping my eye out on a couple of books (namely Jamie Oliver's 30 minute meals) and wanted to see if they were in stock.

Today, there truly is a plethora of cooking books. I sometimes think to myself and wonder who isn't putting out a cook book these days? Gwenyth Paltrow, Olivia Newton John, Lisa McCune, Sophie Dahl, Masterchef winners, actors, chefs, home cooks - it seems everyone has put out at least one cook book. It's quite inspiring actually. I must admit, quite a few cook books caught my eye - I am very much drawn in by rich vibrant visuals. Not wanting to make a hasty decision giving that I'm pretty much cutting off my right arm by vowing to limit my spending, I wanted to make the right choice. I kept ploughing through book after book.

I continued to wander around the floor and found myself in the servingware / dinnerware section and lo and behold I found a book by Bill Granger - bills sydney food. The book is beautifully presented in hardback and comes in a hardback sleeve. I opened it to the page that contained the recipe for his ricotta hotcakes. It was a sign - I tried the hotcakes not long ago when I went to bills earlier this year. I knew it - I had to get the book. This was the one. I remember coming out of bills thinking how wonderfully fresh and clean the place was. It would be silly of me to not buy the book. Off I went to the register. No cognitive dissonance here! I plan to make everything in the book and I promise to blog about it (eventually!)

So happy with my purchase, I decided to go for a bit of a wander into Myer, mainly I wanted to go through the gorgeous Perfume hall. I love looking at all the different shapes and colours of perfume bottles. On my way I got distracted and decided to have a quick look at the homewares section. Funny isn't it, I don't have a home to furnish with homewares yet I just love browsing through the section. I love how homeware displays have been put together. I always feel the stylist has put so much time and effort into putting different elements together.

I found the different products and colour / shape combinations put together quite inspiring and of course, pretty to look at. Hey, if I can't have the displays in my home, I might as well appreciate the installation display somewhere else.

After providing a feast for my eyes, I knew it was time to head home (plus, heading home meant that I wouldn't be spending any more money for the rest of the day!). I took a little detour and went through the back of Myer when my eyes caught a glimpse of the flower shop. Wow. Such beautiful flower installations on display! Such a foray of flowers in vibrant colours, shapes and types. It felt like being in an art exhibition of flowers.

And with that I leave you with a feast of flowers.