Cinnamon-Poached Quinoa and Apple Porridge with Banana, Berries and Passionfruit

Lately, I've been all about elaborate and delicious, but still nutritious breakfasts, and while, the past two days, I've had some sort of divine egg dish, I wanted something sweeter this morning. So I have created this scrumptious dish with Quinoa and yummy fruits. Give it a go! It's delicious!


Cinnamon-Poached Quinoa and Apple Porridge with Banana, Berries and Passionfruit
Serves 1
Ingredients
1 cooking apple
1/4 cup white Quinoa, soaked overnight (preferably)
1 cup water
1/2 Cinnamon stick
1/4 cup berries (any)
1 banana
2 passionfruits


Cut apple into 8 wedges, leaving the skin on, then halve the wedges horizontally and core the apple. In a small saucepan (with a lid), add the water, quinoa, apple and cinammon and bring to the boil. Simmer, covered for 15 minutes (or until all of the water has been absorbed).


If your berries are frozen, add them to the quinoa for the last two minutes of cooking, or defrost them separately - better yet, use fresh berries. Slice the banana and add to serving bowl, with the passionfruit pulp. When quinoa is cooked (it looks strange and awesome when it's cooked), discard cinnamon stick and add quinoa and berries to serving bowl and combine. 


Serve it alone or with natural yoghurt. If you are a small eater, this might actually be two serves, I certainly struggled, but a boy could finish it off easily.


Why don't you try it, and let me know how you go. Sweet, but not sickly so.


Have a lovely day.
x

Toothless Wonder

Today I got up very early to drive my boyfriend to the private hospital so he could get his wisdom teeth out. We got there at 7am and he went in at 9.30am. I went home while he was under, so I could shower and get into some clean clothes and came back before he was back. 


It's really strange seeing someone you love come out from anaesthetic for the first time. In fact, before today, I've only ever seen people in hospital who are fully conscious. I don't know why, but seeing him all groggy and blabbing on about whatever it was - although, he was incredibly cute - I was getting very upset and very worried about him. He wasn't in pain, there were no complications, everything was alright; but I was feeling lots of butterflies and potential tears behind my eyes.


Matt is currently sitting on the couch on his iPhone, showing me things he is looking up on Digg. He even ate lamb casserole that I made today for dinner. He such a trooper! 


Today reinforced one thing, that is lovely to be reminded of: I love you Matt, I really, really do.

Have a lovely day everyone.
x

The Beach

I quite like this photo. It was taken in November last year at a beach in South Gippsland. Matt and I went on holiday with my sister and her boyfriend to see our Nannie. It's such a good memory.

I'd love another holiday real soon.

x

A Borrowed Shirt and A Pie

Lately, I have been very inspired by one blog, calivintage, and find myself browsing through her long list of outfits most of the time that I am on the internet. I love that she looks different everyday, and tries different looks, but still looks the same, as in, she looks like herself in every different outfit.

The other day, desperate for warm clothes, (gosh, I am REALLY struggling) I decided to trawl through some of her posts until I found the one in the above link, and thought it was perfect!

I never usually wear Matt's shirts because they just look boxy and awful on my body type, but stick a cardigan on top and it looks great - so great that I think I might invest in my own flannelette one (for extra warmth). So, thanks Calivintage! Here's my interpretation:

So, complete outfit was Matt's shirt, Cotton On cardigan, Mum's suit jacket from the '80's, Jay Jay's high-waisted jeans, Reject Shop socks and Sportsgirl shoes.

I think I have about two layers on underneath the shirt as well as tights on underneath my jeans for extra warmth. I'd really love tips of Australian shops I can get warmer clothing from. I'm off to Metallicus today with my housemate, who works for them, and Tracy (boyfriend's sister) to try to get some warmer basics, but I really need warmer jumpers, cardigans and clothes in general! 

Thanks, Matt. Lol

In other news, I baked a wonderful beef and vegetable pie the other night, mostly from scratch - c'mon, who doesn't use the sheets of frozen puff pastry! We didn't have enough potatoes to make a shepherd's pie, so I put pastry on top instead. Delicious! Here's a photo (which refuses to centre itself properly - argh!);

See the pretty leaves on top?

And last night I cooked my step-dad, Fred's German Green Bean Soup, which uses a special German herb called 'Bohnenkraut' or 'Summer Bean Herb' (Wiki calls it Summer Savory at one point, and Summer Bean Herb at another, but I think Summer Bean Herb is a better translation). The soup is a lovely broth, and great to make when we're poor.

Day One of the no sugar (diet? detox? I'm not sure) thing but it is only 11am, so all I've had is two Vita Brits (they don't have sugar added) and some milk. So far, so good.

x

Hey there sugar!

Actually, Goodbye sugar!


A while ago, inspired by my friend Paula, who I worked with at the time, I decided to go two weeks without chocolate, and did so successfully, which I was pleasantly surprised about. After doing so, I wanted chocolate less often, and felt very refreshed! So recently, after a long time of frustration over my acne and some inspiration from another friend, Terri, who has undertaken a crazy detox that I don't think I could ever do myself, I have decided to take my last attempt one step further and go without refined sugar for two weeks.


This means I can still eat fruit (fructose) and milk (lactose) but nothing that has sugar (glucose), so no alcohol, no scones from work (Aargh!), no over processed flour products (white pasta, white bread - not that I really eat that anyway), and nothing with added sugar at all.


I'm hoping that by doing this I will improve my skin and that after I finish I will want to eat products with refined sugar in them less often, it might also have a bit of a detoxifying effect that could be useful because I'm very stressed out and highly strung at the moment!!!


Luckily for me, I live very close to the Queen Victoria Markets so I can get plenty of fresh fruit and lots of dried pulses to cut down the amount of processed food I eat. If you have any ideas for snacks during this period, I'd love to hear them - just don't say carrot sticks! PLEASE!


Also, I plan on cooking Polenta for the first time and I'm very excited! I'm going to try this recipe, but use chicken thighs instead of beef mince (Free Range Chicken, of course!). Delish!

Image from cuisine.com.au

Wish me luck!
x

Dress ups box

I thought I might post some of my more memorable costumes over the years for your enjoyment/possible inspiration.

1940's Pin-up with Anthony, for Boun's 30th, 2009

The evolution of the 1940's Pin-up costume into the Yellow Polka-Dot Bikini costume that I made (without a pattern) for the La Trobe University Wodonga's Sexual Deviants Ball 2009.

This was my Wood Nymph costume for a fairy picnic my then, not-yet-housemate, Lisa had in the Botanic Gardens in Albury, 2009. Hair and make-up by my sister, Alysia, and I made the head piece from a dead vine I found.

We had an 'F' party for my lovely British friend, Flora, when she went back to England. I was a flamingo. My sister, again did my make-up. Another costume of 2009.

This was originally a badly made bridesmaids dress for my dad's very tacky 3rd wedding. I brought in the skirt to make it a pencil skirt, shortened it and added the black belt and wore it to a Mad Men party. 2009. My sister (the genius!) made my very short hair into this fantastic beehive and did my makeup.

I think this was the first costume I ever made; Wonder Woman for the Heroes and Villains night at Sodens in Albury. The DJ duo, Culture Vulture, who were regulars back then, deemed my costume the best, and I won the $50 bar tab!

This one was a sports themed party, Joe's 21st, 2009.

At my 13th Birthday, I was a witch. 2000.

At my friend Anthony's 21st, a 'Things That Go Bump in the Night' theme. This costume was my sister's idea, and she did the hair and make-up. I thought I made a great spider!

Most recently, this is what I wore to the lovely Dayna's 30th birthday, which was a Vintage theme. So proud of my hair because I did all myself - I don't usually.

So, what do you think?

x

I must, I must, I must improve my bust!

**Title is dedicated to my dorky Mum, who once chanted this after telling us that she'd started going to the gym**

I was horrified today to find out that I have put on 3kg since moving to Melbourne! It may not seem like much, but I have definitely been feeling the extra weight lately, and a couple of years ago I slogged myself like crazy and lost 10kg in a year. Something I don't plan on having to do again for a while - imagine 5 or 6 x 2 to 2 1/2 hour work-outs per week - KILLER!


Luckily for me, I found myself a very lovely place to go for a long and hard walk (takes about an hour) as well as "light to moderate callisthenics" lol. I have started an account on Calorie King so I can track how many calories, and how much protein, fibre, calcium, etc, I am eating and how much exercise I am doing. It's a very helpful site, and I've already figured out that I have VERY low fibre when I thought I was doing ok in that area.


Hopefully I can keep motivated enough to keep up the good work because if I am not in shape, everything else suffers.


And just to prove how great my walking track is, here are some photos I took on my walk the other day after I was inspired by the jogging/photography efforts of Zooey Deschanel in Yes Man:

Spunky old car

Pretty wall climbers

Part of the walk

My view of Melbourne while on my walk - it looks like farmland, very confusing.

Any ideas to keep me motivated are much appreciated.
x

My Current Idol

Ginnifer Goodwin is just SO beautiful! She's on one of my favourite and most addictive shows to watch 'Big Love', and was the only reason why I finished the movie 'Mona Lisa Smile'. 


With her cute pixie cut and beautiful blue eyes, her style is something that definitely inspires me. Here are some examples;

At a pre-Oscars party (from www.zimbio.com)

I just love this dress. Very different to your average LBD.

At another pre-Oscars party (www.fashionising.com) 

Another cute twist on just wearing an LBD

Stunning in a B&W dress at the People' Choice Awards (www.whosdatedwho.com)

A different way to wear stripes and the big flower is a great statement.

From www.style.com

Ooh! I have a dress that's similar to this, although a bit tartier lol. It was only $10 after all. But this one is in a better colour too, and has such a beautiful neckline.

Another one from www.whosdatedwho.com

I just love that she wears so many sweet dresses, because its very much like my style. 

(Also from www.whosdatedwho.com)

She makes casual look so, well, not casual. I especially love the bow on the top.

I think I'm going to try to emulate her tomorrow for uni - heels and all!! Sounds rediculous, but whatever. Oh, and I will post the look too.

x