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.