food when you're sick

because i'm sick
i eat what chinese people always eat when they are sick
rice porridge, congee or bubur
[people also eat it for breakfast when they aren't sick]
its a savoury dish thats very simple and comforting

i loaded mine with lashings of garnishings
to give it heaps of flavour

this was the bowl i had for lunch and i added
- chinese crullers [ char kuay]
- sweetened pickled radish
- spring onions
- fried crispy shallots [ bawang goreng]
-soy sauce
- white fine pepper
- sesame oil

to make the basic plain congee
i added 2 cups of cooked white rice into a large pot
added about 2L of water
and put it on medium heat on top of the stove, stirring every once in a while

eventually all the rice grains breakdown and it becomes a thick porridge

to make it more flavourful you can add
- chicken stock
- vegetable stock
- chicken pieces
- pork mince
- thinly sliced fish
- century egg [ for the adventurous!]

in my porridge today i added pork mince and century egg
because its my favourite flavour combo :)

my throat is getting better but my vow of slience continues
xxoo

lost my voice

with all the craziness that goes with teaching the graduating year group
i have lost my voice

i really really really pushed myself this time
and now my body is paying for it

it has been such a super duper crazy 2 weeks and it is seriously non stop
my body is so tired and exhausted - i guess something had to give

anyways, here is the graduation cupcake from the yr 6 2010 graduation dinner and dance party
our theme this year was winter wonderland and the parents did an AMAZING job
putting the party together

it's too cute to eat!

circa home candles

i really really really love my candles
but i don't just like any old candle
i'm quite fussy about the ones i buy

i love the ones that smell f beautiful fresh flowers
or a crisp fresh fruit in season
or a fresh light scent that reminds me of a glorious day at the beach or picnics in field of flowers

as a little reward to myself today
[i have been very good at sticking to a basic budget and got my cc under control]
i decided to buy myself a candle :D

i went into bed bath n table looking for a beach towel for a kk present
but found myself a gorgeous candle that reminds me of my bali holidays

Candle is made by Circa Home in Jasmine & Magnolia
$29.95
45 hrs burn time

I'm burning it now as i write this blog and it is just gorgeous!
The jasmine & magnolia combination is light and sweet,
and smells like a tree full of frangipani flowers from bali

There were other fragrances ... but this was my favourite by far :)
check out the full range at www.circahome.com.au

image courtesy of circahome

bye bye puppies..

the puppies are finally gone and we're back to 3 adult bassets
no more puppies
not for a reeeeeeeeeeeaaaal loooong time

it's sad but it's also a relief
having puppies is like having young children/babies in the house
they're A LOT of work
but very very adorable and fun

so its back to loooong walk to piney lakes
walks around the block
doggy showers
and lazy sleepy logs that look like bassets

procrastinating

i have school reports to do

but i am getting easily distracted by the billion and one pretty things to see on the internet

oh lord help me...

really need to finish these d*** reports... GRRR

ps: went to a quiz night on saturday - was AWESOME fun
the competitive geek in me loves quizzes
unfortunately our table didnt win anything [just not geeky enuff!]
but the organisers raised lots of money for a very good cause

www.afesip.org
an anti human trafficking organisation thats trying to stop the child sex slavery industry in cambodia
check out their website, their stories will touch your heart
and donate what you can

PRADA

Prada is opening in Perth!

The Perth Prada store located on the corner of Hay St and King St is due to open on the 6 January 2011

Very exciting times indeed for the Perth fashion pack
as another international labels hit our streets.

Can't wait to check out the store, I've always had a soft spot for Prada,
especially their durable and practical nylon and canvas bags :)

There goes my 'bag ban' and savings account
[hehehe]

birthday

birthday pressie from DH

my first Tiffany jewellery piece

Kikki K Love

i can't believe i forgot to add this
this is what i have been pestering the poor sales people at kikki k for
i know i have enough pens
but the stationery monster inside me can't get enough of gorgeous coloured felt tip pens
its a super bonus that it's also in white :o)
[grins]

numero uno on my wish list
felt tip pens 10 pack $12.95

Kikki K Love

to all the stationery geeks out there

Kikki K has a secret sale on now!
sign up as a member and receive 20% off all full priced items

this is what my kikki k wishlist looks like

1. peek a boo shopping basket $14.95

2. magnetic whiteboard $49.95

3. white letter holder $34.95

4. bin bin $79.95

5. 2011 family calendar $29.95

guess what my favourite kikki k colour is?


[white!]

summer shopping

high on the top of my summer must haves is this pair of sandals from witchery
ever since my bargain basement country road strappy sandals broke [i cried and weeped over them]
i have been on the look out for a replacement
this is the probably the next best thing to my beloved broken pair
i love that its comfortable to wear every day [i probably will]
that it can be dressed down or up
and this picture does not do the poor sandal justice
[i want mine in black and gold]
$99.95 at a witchery store near you

The outnet has a great sale on and here are a couple of things i should've, could've, would've bought if i wasn't so poor and if they hadn't already sold out.


Thurley
Crystal embellished sillk chiffon dress
rrp £382.98
now £191.49
50% off!

gorgeous dress for any cocktail or glamorous event
love it!

Alexander Wang
Rocco Mini Studded leather bag
rrp £489.36
now £244.68
thats 50% off

another beautiful leather handbag that has an amazing celeb following
i love its lush leather and discrete studded accents
would love to add this to my collection :o)
but ...alas... unfortunately i was too slow and now its all sold out

top pic in grey and bottom in black
[love love the grey one!]

Alexander Wang
Alla leather wedge mules
rrp £ 387
now £ 174.25
thats 55% off

i love these, very out there and will spunk up any outfit
its a same its sold out

san choy bau

one of my ALL time favourite foods is san choy bau
i just love the freshness and crispness of this dish
tasty porky mince wrapped in lettuce cups
yummm... to die for!

i dont think i ever get enough of this
last week it was melbourne cup day [02.11.2010]
and as a school tradition we have a pot luck lunch and sweeps for fun

in the past i have always brought fresh veitnamese spring rolls but this year i wanted to stir things up and do something different [dont like being predictable ]

so i brought san choy bau to school to share with colleagues
i must say it was a big hit
every last lettuce cup and every bit of mince was finished
with requests for me to share my recipe

so here it is .... and enjoy!
ps: i think san choy bau is the best spring/summer food [crispy, fresh and light...oh drools...i am making myself hungry]

San Choy Bau Recipe

Ingredients

· 1-2 large iceberg lettuce washed and seperated into leaves [coz lettuce is ok too]

· 1 Splash Sesame Oil

· 500 g Pork Mince or chicken mince [or combination of both is ok]

· 1 Onion peeled and finely chopped

· 1 tablespoon Ginger finely chopped

· 2 Garlic Cloves peeled and finely chopped

· 1 small tin of mushrooms chopped into small pieces

· 1 small tin of water chestnuts chopped into small pieces

· 1.5 cups of frozen peas, carrot, corn mix

· 3 tablespoons Oyster sauce

· 1 tablespoons Soy sauce

· 3 tablespoon of hoi sin sauce

· 3 tablespoon of kecap manis [sweet soy sauce]

· 1 tablespoon of fish sauce

· 2 tablespoons finely chopped spring onions [optional]

Method

1. Heat about a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a wok or large pan over a high heat; add the onion, garlic, ginger

and the pork mince.

2. Once the meat has browned add all the veges [water chestnut, corn, peas, carrot and mushrooms]

3. Add in all of the sauces [oyster, fish sauce, hoi sin, kecap manis etc]

4. Bring to the boil, once the sauce is thick and of a syrup consistency have a taste for seasoning.

Toss through the spring onion.

5. Serve the meat in a bowl with the iceberg cups on the side.

To munch simply spoon the cooked mince into the lettuce cups.

thoughts

why is it ..that everyone around me is either
pregnant, trying or recently had a baby

feeling really left out and depressed about it

feel like im being left behind
like it will never happen

guess i'll just stick to my four legged furry babies <3

feeling

so tired,
exhausted
and frustrated

im over it

i dont like these games

i feel like the geek thats always on the outside

sigh

you know what?
i really shouldn't care

get over it

feeding the puppies

too cute for words

took these photos the other night,
they are just too cute for words

had to share them with everyone
:oD

feeling

frustrated ...grrr....

spring

saw this stunning tree in full srping blossom behind the cinemas at garden city
could not take my eyes off it
i dont know what tree it is
but i love love LOVE it

too pretty!

in the perfect world
in my dream house
in my garden
i want one of these trees

coffee with friends

i will never be a good food reviewer, becuase
1. i keep forgeting the names of places/restaurants i have eaten, even if its really good.
2. i keep forgeting to take photos of the food!

i get so carried away with all the delicious looking eye candy i just dig in and then say...f@$%!!
i was supposed to take a photo.
anyways, this time i remembered to take a photo but i have forgotten the name of the restaurant.
i know its in sth perth and it used to be linq/oyster bar and it is right next to cocos.
so if you're a perth person, those clues should give you a good idea about where we ate.

the menu look liked it was indian inspired because there were a lot of spices and unusual combinations for desserts.[sorry i dont actually remember them!]
anyways i ordered an ice chocolate which was delicious and refreshing.

this is the dessert tasting plate we shared, lots of exotic flavours which was nice but not quite my cup of tea.

this little coffee session was to say goodbye to our friend mrs madsen. who has relocated to singapore to be with her husband. it was not that long ago when she moved from brunei to perth and now shes gone again. our little santa group has lost another person.

there is nothing like a group of old friends who you have shared your life with
<3

school holiday projects

Every school holiday i try to get things done around the house.
Just little improvements to make life a little easier and hopefully a little more organised.
Here were these school holidays "projects"

1. Put together the new shoe shelf from ikea and add extra shelves
i love this one because i can now keep all my shoes organised, theres heaps of room and
the extra shelves are awesome!
i keep the heels to one level, flats in another and sneakers in the same place.
Now to improve this i could get those clear shoe boxes from www.benjibox.com.au...
now that would look awesome!

clear shoe boxes from benjibox.com.au
i love how they are stackable and slide out
the perfect shoe organisation system - definitely want to add these to my wardrobe
my shoe shelves - the taller one was from ikea - $79
extra shelves made up from bunnings $15
extra organisation & storage = priceless
[the short grey shelf is for my hubby's shoes]


remember how i bought that large white mirror?
well it took me a loooooong time to hang it up
it's finally up and i am totally loving it because i can now
properly check out my outfit before i go out :0D
[you can also see my hubby's messy study table hehehe]

the other major project of these school holidays are the puppies!!
mummy Bella is living INSIDE the house with us
she is normally an outdoor dog
she is now fully doted on by 2 humans
we are on call 24/7 to all of her needs

toilet break at 3 am - no problems [escorted outside to do her business]
hungry at 11.30pm - easy [ a range of snacks will provided for]
need a break to get away from the kids? - done, hang out with mum and dad in the games room - get lots of cuddles and pats
makes a mess ALL OVER the house? no problems, mum runs around cleaning up all of Bella's discharge and blood and gunk and whatever
oh it is a sweet life for our little mum
she is fully loving it and milking it for all it's worth
she does not want to be an outdoor dog again

how ever we do get to play with these adorably cute pups
and thats priceless!

meet the puppies

puppies were finally born on tuesday evening, around 5.30pm or so
we have been waiting for these lil buns in the oven to arrive,
very excited and nervous, we had sooo many questions
are we going to get a girl this time? what will they look like?
would they be like mum or dad? how many?

our questions were soon answered
4 pups in total
2 passed away
originally there were 2 girls and 2 boys, but now we only have 1 girl and 1 boy left.
1 of the pups had their stomach develop outside the body[very deformed] and not operatable
the other lil one was very weak and had lots of fluid in his lungs
no matter how much we tried to revive him, he just didnt make it
[there was a lot of human/puppy mouth to mouth resuscitation]

mum was super groggy after the c section
but bounced back on the next day
shes doing such an awesome job looking after her babies
shes such a natural at it

we all slept on the sofa on the first night just to make sure bella and the pups would be ok
they slept on the floor next to us

the vet also told us that bella wont/shouldnt have any more puppies after this
apparently theres a lot of scar tissue on/in her uterus
any future litters would be very complicated and put her life at risk
so this is our last litter with bella & boo
we're going to get her snipped before her next season is due
oh well, at least it makes planning holidays easier
no more last minute emergencies :oD

here are some gorgeous pics of mum and babies
[puppies are very shy, they dont want to show their faces yet]

i hate housework

i've probably whinged about this before

but i really really really hate housework
why does it feel so endless?
it seems one day i do such a fantastic job, cleaning, re-arranging, organising, sorting .... and then...
30 minutes later everything just goes into shits again!
argh!!
hate it hate it hate it
it doesn't help that im a messy person [ so is hubby] [ he is worse then me tho]

my kitchen looked great about 24 hrs ago, and now it looks like the aftermath of the 9/11 bombings

its a never ending list of chores, laundry, cooking, cleaning, washing, folding, putting away...
i think it makes me feel sick, especially when all i do all day is cook and clean..urgh
i would be such a bad house wife

its no wonder i run to the shops for retail therapy :oD

on another note, i have been VERY productive school wise
just finished marking the kids spelling and maths test - very unsual of me
hope i keep it up

retail therapy

school holidays always mean that i spend far more money then usual
and as usual .. on all sorts of random stuff i dont really need but i cant seem to live without
go figure?!

im going to stop typing and start posting pics of stuff i have bought recently and not so recently

ps: this post is dedicated to my current obsession : head bands, cant get enough of them

equip flower ring $5.00 on sale :D

just a bit of fun, great for summer and dressing up

forever new soft pink flower head band $7.00 [i think- cant remember]
super cute with pink outfits or any other pastel colours

dusty rose satin flower head band from diva accessories

equip butterfly head band $3.00 - bargain!

white chiffon flower head band - diva i think?

silver beaded head band - diva

super kawaii red ribbon head band- $5.00 sports girl
theres a red and white spotty one on sale right now
for summer they have launched a range of gorgeous pastel colours in the same style
trying really hard to resist... maybe when they are on sale?

latest aquisition : mimco love heart head band.
rrp$50.00
on sale for $23.00
love a bargain [plus i used my gift card, so its kinda like free?!]

xxoo.clio