Monday, January 28, 2013

Makin' it Monday - a simple little salad

Even though the weather is a little cooler (and it's bucketing down with rain!) I just felt like concocting a salad, with some warm bits....


I already had cooked some beetroot - I boiled mine but it's also yummy if you roast it.

I cooked some of those little blueish Puy Lentils, they don't need any soaking and only take 20 - 25 minutes to cook.
Just place 1 cup of lentils in a saucepan with 3 cups of water, partially cover the saucepan when the water comes to the boil. Drain off any excess water.
Mix the lentils with a couple of chopped tiny roma tomatoes, or about a half a big tomato, and a 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion. Mix in 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar (or brown balsamic, or cider vinegar) and 2 tablespoons virgin olive oil, plus a couple of tablespoons of fresh herbs (I used oregano and coriander, but you could use parsley, basil, mint or whatever you have) and a bit of ground black pepper.

I  grilled a yellow capsicum until the skin blackened slightly, wrapped it in the foil it was resting on under the grill for a few minutes - this helps you to peel the skin off. Thinly slice the capsicum. (You could use a red or green capsicum if you don't happen to have a yellow one)

This would have been lovely with some blanched asparagus - but sadly there was no asparagus in my fridge, so I blanched some broccolini instead.

I put some baby spinach leaves on the plate, followed by the lentils and some crumbled feta, topped with the capsicum. Garnished with the beetroot and broccolini on the side.
You could eat it like this, but I love salad dressings, so I mixed a quick dressing of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and whole grain mustard and drizzled that over the top.

So colourful! And so yummy!

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Saturday Seven #3 - Favorite summertime activities

What do you love to do when it's summertime?

Here are my picks.

1. Going to the beach.
We are about an hour and a half's drive to the beach - so it's do-able in a day.  If the waves are right I love catching the waves on my boogie board.



2. Snorkelling. When the weather is warm and the skies are clear there's nothing so relaxing as floating along above the sealife underneath.

3. Having a BBQ - a true Aussie pastime. It also means that although I normally do the preparation - I don't have to cook!

4. Sitting in a beer garden sipping a boutique beer - or cider!



5. Going for a bike ride. If it's not too hot or there is too much uphill! There are some great dedicated bike paths in Sydney - still more to explore.


6. Eating summer fruits - mangos, nectarines, cherries, apricots, peaches, lychees - yum!



7.Taking advantage of the gorgeous Blue Mountains, where I live. Hanging out in the National Park, walking, swimming in a waterhole or just having a picnic.


I'd love to hear your ideas!
Do you like the hot weather? Or do you try and stay cool?
Get out in the sun? or hide?

I'm sure we are all different and there are many great things to do.

Friday, January 25, 2013

Five Fabulous Friday Faves - Happy Australia Day!

Tomorrow is Australia Day here in the Land Downunder!

So today I'm featuring some of my favorite Aussie artist and designer friends.

tree art print by Lindy Longhurst

teabowl with carved leaves by Black Cockatoo Ceramics

abandoned home photograph by BeadsMe

Nouveau possum coin purse by Pocket Carnival

garden art print by Amelia Herbertson
Have a great weekend!

Thursday, January 24, 2013

My creative space - sewing and more sewing

Nothing much to see here folks!

Just sewing and more sewing, trying to finish up with the tshirts over at Boos Tees as I mentioned back in December.


I'll be touting my wares on Sunday at the lovely little Coledale Market just near Wollongong, south of Sydney.
If you are in the area pop in and have a look, there's lots of great handmade stuff and yummy food.

I'm joining in with My Creative Space on Village Voices at Kidspot. If you'd like to see what's happening in other creative spaces or to join in pop on over here and have a look.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

#52 lists Fave TV shows from childhood

This week's list from over at Meet Me At Mikes is by guest lister Evie from Handmade Romance.

It took a bit of headscratching on my part, but I have to confess that I resorted to googling tv shows from the 50s and 60s (yes, folks - I am that old!)

So here we go:

- Doctor Who
- Crackerjack
- Blue Peter
- Watch with Mother including Bill and Ben, The Woodentops, Andy Pandy, and my favorite Rag, Tag and Bobtail
- Captain Pugwash
- The Lone Ranger



I also loved the politically incorrect Black and White Minstrel show (which I used to call the Golliwogs! Ouch, how times have changed)

And the 'grown-up' shows:
- Dixon of Dock Green
- Tony Hancock ( Hancock's Half Hour)
- Z cars
- The Saint
- The Fugitive
- Steptoe and Son
- Till Death Do Us Part
- Dad's Army
- Are You Being Served?
- The Rag Trade
- The Dick Van Dyke Show
- Bewitched
- The Avengers



So, go on! Hop over here and put your thinking cap on and join in!

Sunday, January 20, 2013

sunday snippets


Saturday, January 19, 2013

Saturday Seven # 2

Thanks to everyone who dropped in last week and "hi" again.
Let's hope that this little listing game can build a great network and a vibrant community.
Are you ready for week 2?

This one will tickle your tastebuds!

Your 7 favorite foods! Yum.

OK, I'll go first.

1. Chocolate. Yes, I'm a chocoholic! I love most things chocolatey. I love milk chocolate and I love quality dark chocolate. There - it's out!

2. Cheese. All sorts of cheese. I have never met a cheese I did't like. Hard, soft, runny, blue, goats milk - you name it!

3. Yoghurt. Plain yoghurt with sliced banana and a drizzle of honey makes me smile.

4. Chips, potato crisps - call them what you will. Not the healthiest of foods, but there's just something about the saltiness that I find irresistible.

5. As a whole food group, I love veggies.
Yes, my name is Tess and I'm a veggo.

6. Cuisine? I love Indian food - that is despite getting thoroughly fed up with curries during 2 trips to India and having a really vile dose of gastroenteritis. (My doctor said she has never known anybody who has visited India who hasn't got sick!)

7. Finishing off with something sweet - I love Danish Pastries - good quality ones, with custard and apricots, or cherries or plums. Yum!

You're next!

See you next week : )

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

#52 lists - week 2

Did I mention that I like lists?

So I'm joining in with #52 lists over on Meet Me At Mikes.

This is the second weekly list and it was a bit of a memory stretch for me.
I had so many small jobs when I was a student. But then I haven't had a proper paid job for many many years!
I have done a fair few voluntary jobs, but I didn't include them. Ah well, maybe I can save them for another time.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Making myself a diary cover

Do you use a diary? A real paper-book-type-diary?
I do. I like quite a big diary that I can write all sorts of things in - my photo challenge prompts, shopping lists, "to-do" lists - all sorts of memos.

But I do like to personalise my diary and I usually cover it in something. Other years I have used those big squares of scrapbooking paper - you know the sort that are so useful as backgrounds for product photos?

But this year, as I have so much fabric that I need to use up, I thought I'd stick some fabric on.

In the end I actually sewed a diary sleeve and if I want to I can reuse it next year.
Good idea, no?


I used some linen fabric that is fairly stiff and wouldn't need interfacing or wadding.
I marked out the corners of the diary on the inside of the fabric.



Just zig-zagged the edges as I thought turning them under would be too bulky.


Folded the ends along the marked line, right sides together.



Sewed along the other marked line.



Turned the ends out.


Ironed it all nice and smooth.
Popped my diary in - and voila!




I like it!
Nice and simple.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Sunday Snippets

A round up of my instagram photos answering 3 photo challenges Fat Mum Slim photo a day, #amonthof and Project Life 365.


 
 

 And I'm joining in with Sunday Snippets over on tinniegirl's blog.

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Saturday seven - a start of the weekly lists of seven things.

I do like lists! Do you?
I'm reviving an idea I had for blog posts a year or so ago - a list of 7 "things".
This time there are a few differences -
1. The 7 things will be posted on Saturday.
2. I'm inviting you all to join in!
3. I'll try and keep it up all year! That's right  - that will be about 50 lists (seeing as how we are already a couple of weeks into the year)

So here we go for week 1.
Something very general, very personal - I'd love to hear your wishes for 2013.



My Wishes.

1. To stay healthy this year.
2. To regain my sleeping pattern.
3. World peace (well I can always wish for the impossible too!)
4. That my car doesn't die.
5. For the health and happiness of all my friends and family.
6. Fine weather for the markets stalls I might do.
7. Rain at the right times.



If you'd like to blog about your wishes and then share them here please do - I'd love to see.

Or if you want to post them somewhere else - facebook, or instagram or wherever leave a link in the comment box.

and if you'd like to join in with some other lists, or peep in on other people's lists hop over to Meet Me At Mikes ( a very inspiring blog!)

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Out & about - Wordless Wednesday










Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Is it wrong to have chocolate for breakfast?


Back before Christmas I posted about christmas muffins.


I tried out a few recipes and in the end made up my own variation.


Here is the recipe -

2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips 
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1/4 cup oil
1 cup milk

In a large bowl thoroughly mix the first 6 ingredients.
Lightly beat the egg, add the oil and milk.
Mix the wet ingredients into the dry and gently mix just until the flour is moistened. Do not over mix.
Spoon into muffin tins and cook for about 20 mins at 180 degrees C.


So we did have chocolate for breakfast on Chrsitmas Day!
....and it didn't feel wrong at all!

Monday, January 7, 2013

Project Life 365 and other challenges

I am taking part in 3 photo challenges!
Am I mad?
I think I must be...
There is the monthly one that has been going for a while run from Fat Mum Slim's blog.

The newish one over at JustB which can be more than just a photo challenge - it is a creative challenge, but this month I am totally doing it as a photo challenge.

And then the really big one! Project Life 365 "A Community of Daily Photographic Storytellers".

They all have their daily prompts and their facebook pages, and some have flickr groups too.

I'm uploading all mine to instagram, this me here on instagram http://instagram.com/planettreasures/

And then I post them to facebook and twitter as well.
I might get around to organising them into facebook albums and I might get around to popping them in flickr as well, but at the moment that is enough to do!

Here is the first week of Project Life 365 (it was a short week)


Are you taking part in any photos challenges?
Any craft challenges?
Or any challenges at all?

Friday, January 4, 2013

Five fabulous Friday finds

Happy New Year!

Starting the first Friday Finds of the year with a sentiment that I'll try and live up to this year.

prints by mateoandtobias

And then following with a few of my favorite things!

Chook! Well actually a rooster.
I have a soft spot for watercolours - love the almost oriental simplicity of this style.

rooster by cat2owl

Oh, yes! and cats!
If you love cats go check out this shop on etsy. It is full of all sorts of cheeky, naughty, whimsical cats.
These chubby little cats sitting on a sofa reading just tickled my fancy!

cat tote by jamieshelman

And I still seem to be obsessed with rings!
How about this trio of aquamarine rings?
Delish!
stacking rings by metalmorphoz

Oh! and blue! How I love this colour.
These hand made suede shoes look sooooo comfy. I'm sure my feet would just melt into them.

ballet flats by elehandmade
Have a great weekend!

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Mount Wilson wanderings - wordless Wednesday















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