Sweet Little Treat

Sweetest bundle of joy :: Jamie

2007-05-19T16:30:00.000+10:00

At last I introduce to you our little bundle of joy....Jamie. So comfy was he in my womb the little one didn't want to come out, but my boredom & impatience was abated when my waters broke while the hubbie & I were out shopping for a new frypan!? Lucky we were only 5 minutes from home/hospital, but I'm glad it all happened rather unexpectedly!

Anyways, Jamie arrived almost a week late on the 29 April, weighing in at a healthy 3.47kg (or 7lb 10oz). The delivery didn't quite go to plan, but all those thoughts went out the window when we first laid our eyes on him and he came out healthy & screaming!! And when he revealed his cute dimples to us on day one, my heart just melted....

Here he is in Poppa's arms charming us with his cheeky cuteness....

Displaying his Houdini skills unravelling from his wrap....

Some bonding time with Mum.....

Sleeping soundly in Dad's arms....

And here is Mr Dimples once again...

Thanks to everyone for all your congratulatory comments & good wishes. We've had fantastic family support too...we've only had to cook once in the last 2 weeks! Let's just say our mums have been putting ginger in everything (the Chinese are very big on the healing properties of ginger) and even the hubbie has been sneaking it in his cooking! I think I'm almost over it!

Nevertheless, I'm really enjoying motherhood - it's not as manic as I thought it would be....yet! I'm not sure if it's because so far Jamie's feeding and sleeping pretty well. I'm still waiting for the scary unsettled period everyone is telling me about...it's only a matter of time! But even when I'm up in the wee hours of the morning feeding him, he still makes me laugh with his mid-feed farting, his burping, funny faces, & his post-feed milk comas. The tiredness (& that humongous amount of washing this little guy generates) is all worth it...I just love him to bits. And I can't stop kissing those juicy cheeks. That's the best bit of all! N

Home Sweet Home

2007-05-17T22:29:00.000+10:00

Finally we have reached the calm oasis stage in moving house... at least on my side of the bed! And it seems about time I got around to posting on our much neglected blog.

Moving house is something that I am usually good at... we move every 1- 2 years. This time it didn't seem to go to plan! Instead of a week and a half to move as planned... the boy had to go overseas for work and we were left to move in half a week.... Operation Stuff-It-In-A- Box began. Things are still in boxes... but I can see the light at the end of the cardboard tunnel now. Phew!

The new place is lovely. We have a shared courtyard that kids and dogs run about in... I knew three of my neighbours before we came to live here and it is so nice to bump into friends at the garbage bins! I also get to listen to the conversations between the 4 year olds that live either side of me. They are so funny and so serious!

The calm oasis has definitely not reached my office... I have rearranged everything about 5 times and still it isn't right! So no pictures to show you just yet... the falling leaves outside my window will have to suffice. Our little garden is currently just weeds but I have a couple of weeks to plant some strawberries before it gets too cold... and I don't want to miss out on home grown strawberries! T

P.S I am sure Nicky will get around to posting some pics of the little sweet one soon... at the moment she is grappling with all changes and the humongous amount of washing!

Sweetness has arrived!

2007-05-04T09:25:00.000+10:00

Hullo all... just a quick little note to let you know that the little bub has arrived. Mum & the sweet little one are happy and healthy! I will let Nicky fill you in on all the details... T

P.S Still waiting for the internet to be turned on at home... so it might stay a bit quiet around here for a little longer

Soft & Sweet :: The Groupies

2007-04-26T13:12:00.000+10:00

Just finished off these little rocker dudes... ready for their trip to Melbourne for some Kiss Army convention. And just in time too. I'm moving house. We are in sea of boxes, sticky tape & bubble wrap...and I can't sleep as lists of things "To Do" are swimming around in my brain. But I'm excited! I'm going to have my very own office/ crafty room... and a little garden. It seems like a dream come true!

Unfortunately the Internet will be turned off soon... so it might be a bit quiet around here for a wee while. Hopefully not too long as I have got to make use of that new room! ...suppose I better pull the gloves back on and do some cleaning. T

P.S Yes my husband went to Fashion School... and is a fashion designer. I have been given his sewing machine, fabric scraps and sewing books. He buys my clothes and doesn't say my butt looks big in anything... just that I should consider my silhouette!!!! For all this he still had the boxing on the telly last night despite my objections!

Sew Sweet :: The Bound & the Beautiful

2007-04-25T10:40:00.000+10:00

Avert your eyes Nicky!... this is the hassle of sharing a blog, maybe you are making something for the other contributor and they might just find out what you have been up to!

And I have been up to binding! Binding used to be such a mystery to me... When I sew I just jump on the sewing machine and hope for the best. It might take me longer than the average josie/ joe, as I just usually figure things our for myself. Don't get me wrong, this is not my general behaviour... I do read maps and ask for directions! But as a result of this particular sewing philosophy my binding creations have been a disaster!

Making this little padded jacket spurred me to rely on the wisdom of others and read a book ! My husband handed his mint condition tome that got him through fashion school. It is brilliant! It opened the door to more binding possibilities than I thought were possible... turning tatty to bound & beautiful.

As my skills improved I started to dislike the first bits I had sewn. Isn't this always the way? But after 8 hours of binding I can say I am now over it... but it is good not to have to lie to Nicky anymore with stories of making oven mitts! T

P.S The baby hasn't arrived yet... and Nicky has cleaned everything and is telling me she is bored. I believe this is called the calm before the storm!

Sew Sweet :: Nursery Tales (Part 3)

2007-04-21T11:00:00.000+10:00

Nicky has gone into serious nesting mode... and apparently this means scrubbing everything within an inch of its being. So I have been given the task of posting about our 2 day crafty challenge. As you can't predict when the bub will arrive everything seems to be urgent... we dropped all other tasks (sorry business) to make this nursery crafty centerpiece before the little one's arrival! And boy did we have a lot of fun- forgot how fun it is to craft with a friend.

We used inspiration from everywhere... Nicky really wanted to feature a tree. It was all about the tree. After searching on the web and books the inspiration was right on her desk calendar... the fabric for the trunk is some thrifted tweedy wool. We adhered it to some Ikea linen with Visofix - an amazing fusible web. I had never heard of this iron on product before, but it is safe to say I am in love. Oh, the instant gratification! No sewing required!

The little critters were inspired by shoes, the amazing felt book and from prints on fabric...

Once we had attached everything to the background linen it was staple gunned to a board of Caneite (I think this is called Homasote in other countries). Caneite is another great discovery, light weight and can be used as a bulletin board. It can be a bit fibrous though and it was a real challenge trying to find a hook that would stay in, so it could be hung on the wall. I think this is a trial and error thing. I want to make another hanging crafty work but this time I might talk to hardware store peeps about the best way! Hope the little bubba likes it! T

Sweet Inspiration :: Forest Finds

2007-04-16T08:54:00.000+10:00

Every morning and every evening I walk my dog in one of the biggest parks in Sydney... it has lakes, running tracks, picnic areas and my favourite, the forest.... I guess it isn't really strictly a forest, more like a wooded area with a stream running through and lots of dogs playing hide n' seek. It is lovely... nice to be in touch with nature in the big bad city!

In the "forest" is lots of pine trees... a few of them have been cut down recently and I have scampered off with a few twigs and a whole lotta pine cones... And in a particularly rushed weekend I was able to find 30 minutes to throw together this ode to Autumn, or Fall.

There is a slight chill in the air and I am thinking about baked apples, warm soups and making the house cozy! T

P.S These cutie postcards are a tokyo find... of course.

Sweet Eats :: All the fun of the fair!

2007-04-11T09:05:00.000+10:00

When Easter hits Sydney so does the fever of the Royal Easter show... the country comes to the city. Think... sticky fingers, zillions of people, show bags, hay, cute animals & related smells... and for Nicky & I the most important destination is the Country Women's Association's (CWA) Tearoom.

We have been engrossed in "Not just Tea and Scones" a documentary all about the CWA... the ladies, their baking and community exploits. So despite Nicky's 8 and a half months preggas belly we headed out to try some of their famous scones with cream & jam... and so did everyone else! The line curled around 50 people deep. But is was worth the wait as they were straight out of the oven... warm and delicious. We each bought a 1/2 dozen to take home, fruit cake and some jam... best show bag around we reckoned!

With our tummies full we moved onto the cake judging area.... can you see the three guys in the background? They were earnestly discussing the Sultana Cakes... the judging criteria includes even distribution of fruit, the absence of rack marks and even colour. They had obviously been watching the documentary too!

Amazing gigantic Sushi cake and Dr Seuss Cake...

If you would like a CWA recipe for a Sultana cake, fruit cake, scones or even a chocolate cake they have some on their site. And the best news is that they don't look hard at all.... so maybe Nicky & I might enter next year! Just for a giggle!

And some other highlights...
The three pigs...

Their cousins the Wessex Saddleback three pigs...

Goats in polkadot coats...

And the amazing display made from fruit and seeds by the Northern District... By the way, all the scones are gone now, so we will just have to wait til next year. T

Sweet & Soft :: We made the press!

2007-04-10T11:44:00.000+10:00

Having a little market stall has been fantastic for our little business... not only have we made some sales and some fantastic creative friends... but a recent added bonus has been a wee bit of press interest from Cosmopolitan Pregnancy. After all the years of Cosmo giving "relationships" advice it seems it has been so successful with a resulting baby boom in Sydney!

Our market days are over for a while as Nicky is on maternity leave and I will be working on something new... but that will have to wait for another post when everything has congealed in my brain! T

Sweet Inspiration :: Nursery tales (Part 2)

2007-04-03T16:57:00.000+10:00

I have been bitten by the international on-line shopping bug. I'm loving the anticipation of receiving a package from the other side of the world. Can I use little bubba as an excuse for this behaviour? Well....too late, I have. And so some new additions have been made to the nursery including this lovely boxart collage of a spotty baby giraffe by artist Kate George. I purchased it from the gorgeous Papa Stour...a treasure trove of beautiful things designed and made by Scottish artists. Sweet.

Whilst shopping for Tiff's pincushion on Maminka (see previous post)...I couldn't resist these little handpainted boy & girl ornaments. I think they're meant to be Christmas ornaments, but they're too sweet to put away for the rest of the year!

And finally....this package of yummy fabrics arrived from Reprodepot this morning. Some cutie Japanese hedgehog fabric which we've spied in Tokyo before...and some lovely Westfalenstoffe fabric from Germany:

Tiff has mentioned her fear of online shopping...but I am trying to convince her otherwise! I keep telling her it's totally safe and it's so easy to click on "Add to shopping cart". Ok, who am I kidding...maybe it's a little TOO easy once you start! N

Sweet & Soft :: Received

2007-03-29T10:44:00.000+10:00

It is apparently better to "give than receive"... but I am not sure about this, as I seem to be doing alot of receiving. I also have been feeling the tinge of guilt as it has taken me a long time to write this post... The longer I put it off, the harder it seemed to get to it. A weird law of the universe... methinks.

Little Miss Softie Pincushion head is a lovely gift from Nicky... I have been browsing longingly on the Maminka site for a while now... Mitsuko lovingly hand paints her goodies and packages them up with a handmade tag... her site says she wants to make things with "a mother's affection". She has achieved this I think. It is a joy to stick pins into this little happy one, she never complains, always smiles & holds on to my reels aswell.

The rest of my gift was the fabulous felt book that has been popping up all over the place. It really is a keeper...lots of inspiring images and most of them are very achievable. I have stopped buying those craft books that are way beyond my skill level! They are only good for reading in bed!

The source of most of my guilt came from a magazine swap with Sally... a package of goodies including the Martha Stewart Holiday special arrived on my doorstep a month and more ago. Yet my package didn't arrive on her doorstep until this week. Phew! I can finally let myself have a read, and as it is filled with warming goodies which is great as it is starting to cool down here.

And finally the lovely Italian lady "up the road" has given me a bag of vintage buttons... I think they have been accumulating from around since the 60's. Some still have their threads attached and they smell like moth balls!

Now I finally got that all off my chest I had better concentrate on the "give" part of the old saying... T

Sweet Inspiration :: got Japanese milk?

2007-03-26T14:45:00.000+10:00

When ever I get the chance to lay my hands on some serious overseas magazine goodies.... I always look for the the French kids magazine Milk. Imagine my excitement when I found the Japanese version! Without even a thought about excess luggage I snapped it up, in total I came away with 4 kids magazines. I think I am addicted!

I tried to pick only one favourite page but this was impossible! There is a fashion spread of young ones discovering butterflies, American Indians and fairy princesses in a library. This one of being shrunk to the height of 5 gummy bears is so fun... When I was little I could spend hours looking out the window reading & imagining... it has got to be better for the brain than TV!

They also featured a French store "Not so big" which is hidden down a winding alley near Etienne Marcel... (I think an out post has opened in Japan somewhere). I got a couple of friends some treasures in there and listened to another Aussie couple whispering about the amazing toys. It was fun to hear their wonderment and I couldn't agree more... just take a look at the wall pockets! They also had some pram toys that are stacks of softies which inspired me to create this for Nicky's little bub.

I wish I could whip up some of the gorgeous clothes for Nicky's little one, but I think I have become a bit of a softie maker and it is becoming difficult to think things up that don't need stuffing! T

P.S Sorry about any spelling mistakes, new blogger is driving me a wee bit crazy!

Milk Magazine
No.1 / 2007 Spring
1. Cover
2. pg 147
3. pg 88

Sweet Eats :: Oh La La! Is that patisserie for moi?

2007-03-21T10:40:00.000+11:00

Oh yes! I ate in Paris... and I am afraid this will be a rather photo filled post. I am not a big fan of browsing through other people's volumes of the European trip (making it to Europe is a big deal for us Aussies!)... so I am sorry about being terribly self indulgent! Above is moi & my invaluable friend who seeks out great foodie place in Paris... being very indulgent at "Chartier".

Paris Eats ::

Chartier
7 Rue du Faubourg MONMATRE 75009 Paris
A favourite for tourists as it is tucked away down an alley, fabulous waistcoated waiters (ours was number 5!), amazing atmosphere of twinkling lights and shared table. The food? Not mind blowing fare but simple and satisfying on a winter night. This place has the "feeling" of Paris, that as a visitor you think it should have... romantic and old wordly.

Paris Sweets ::

Raspberry Financier (buttery goodness),Gerard Mulot's delicious cherry clafoutis and a mille- feuille.
And all were for me! Okay I shared with the boy, but I still ate most of it.

Paris Parks :: Jardin du Luxemborg

This is where I see the real Parisians... walking in the park...

reading in the park... playing in the park...

Just being...

I can't help it... I love Paris. T

Sweet Inspiration :: Nursery in progress (Part 1)

2007-03-15T11:45:00.000+11:00

The nursery is slowly coming along and currently taking pride of place is this gorgeous wooden cut-out hanging. After spotting it in a magazine (twice!), I just had to hunt it down! I ended up ordering it directly from the designer, Miranda from Bride & Wolfe based in Melbourne. What a talent...I'm just in awe of people who can design and make pieces like this. Here is a bit more detail:

I just love the delicacy of the whole piece and its whimsical nature...with its birds, bunnies, squirrels & butterflies. I've hung it near the cot and think little bubba will love it waking up from his/her slumber. And at least I will have something lovely to look at as I spend many bleary-eyed hours in the nursery!

Tiff is right...my belly really is getting bigger and it's not long to go now...last week the doctor said bubba is heading south! I'm glad he/she knows which way to go! N

Sew Sweet :: Home Sweet Home

2007-03-13T12:09:00.000+11:00

I am home... and it is so nice... I mean't to write a post about going away. I had plans to make a travel wallet out of some scumptious fabric I have tucked away. But of course I never got around to it, time spend up and suddenly it was time to run for the gate to jump on the plane... yes we really did have to run.

We went to London, Amsterdam, Paris, London, Tokyo and then onto home. Lots of washing to do... dog walking to make up with my loyal buddy and goodies to unwrap! The 3 above are my new favourite mug... it is super cute and broke down my "no breakables" resolve! My boy always knew I was going to crumble! Harrods teabags... if you love tea, it is hard to go past this slightly luxurious leaf for flavour. Lenotre sweets... Paris goodies, yum, yum!

I am not sure why fabric makes my heart beat with joy... and my muscles strain from carrying this lot! But I couldn't help it! Here are the additions to my stash!

The grey and white canvas makes me sooooo smiliey! I bought it because I wanted an Orla Keily tote with similar fabric but I couldn't sling it over my shoulder with ease. I giggled when I read "Sally" was up to the same tote envy... so hopefully you will be seeing my version soon!

Cutie goodness... hopefully I will be making some things for Nicky's baby. Her belly is getting bigger and bigger so I feel my time is running out... as the little bub might be swimming for the gate soon! T

Sweet & Soft :: Jorgen

2007-03-03T12:35:00.000+11:00

This here is little Jorgen. He wants to be an Ikea designer when he grows up & you will normally find him gorging on his favourite...key lime pie!

He is currently residing in a gallery in the tropical climes of Palm Cove in far north Queensland, where he hopes to be lovingly adopted by a passing tourist! N

Sweet Eats :: Caneles

2007-02-23T17:10:00.000+11:00

I love petit-fours. I'm not sure if it's their miniature size or the don't-feel-as-guilty-having-more-than-one factor that attracts me. Nevertheless, I was prompted to make these little caneles the other day. Caneles date back to the 18th century, a specialty from Bordeaux in the south-west of France made from a batter using eggs, milk, rum & vanilla. A brotherhoood was even set up in the 1980's to protect the traditions of this little cake! Don't you just love that idea?!

Caneles are pretty easy to make. Traditionally they are made in fluted copper moulds (of various sizes), but since my baking budget doesn't stretch that far, I made them in mini silicon canele moulds that I picked up at a kitchenware supplier in Paris. Apparently the batter is best made in advance & left in the fridge to rest for at least 24 hours. Using the recipe over at C&Z, most of the work came in preparing the silicon moulds, greasing them & sprinking them with icing sugar so I would get the crispy caramelization happening on the outside. And then it's just a matter of waiting patiently for them to bake in a very hot oven...they take a while depending how dark & crispy you like them. Luckily they are pretty impressive to watch during baking cos they rise up out of the moulds like souffles, only to sink back down again.

What you end up with is a little cake that's dark & crispy-chewy on the outside, but moist and custardy on the inside with a lovely rummy vanilla flavour. They are delicious and you can't stop at one...or two! These cakes keep pretty well...but they never last long enough in our household for that! N

Sweet Year :: Have a piggy new year!

2007-02-19T16:14:00.000+11:00

Happy Chinese New Year everyone! A weekend of feasting, celebrating and giving of lucky red money packets has just passed in this Year of the Pig. And 2007 is an extra special year...not just any old piggy year...it's the Year of the Golden Pig! Apparently, this "golden" year only swings around every 60 years (or 600 years, depending what you read!) Subsequently, a baby boom is expected in China as it's believed any child born this year will be extra lucky & prosperous!

I just like to have a giggle thinking that I'm going to give birth to my own little piggy in April! There's no doubt this little piggy will follow in its mother's foodie footsteps! And we got off to a great start on the weekend, thanks to a 10-course Chinese banquet! Little bubba didn't know what hit him/her!

We couldn't find any golden pigs, so these little pink piggies had to do...they'd like to wish everyone a thoroughly happy & piggy year! N

Sweet & Soft :: A market stall tale

2007-02-13T22:11:00.000+11:00

"Awww.... these little toys are so cute. You wouldn't happen to have one who wants to be a librarian?"

"Well... we do actually!"

"I have to have her! I am a librarian attending a librarian conference and I am looking for a present for a librarian friend!"

This is little Orabella and she has found herself the perfect home! I hope they feed her Sacher Torte as that is her most favourite dessert! T

Sew Sweet :: You complete me!

2007-02-09T07:22:00.000+11:00

There is a horrible pink plastic crate languishing next to my desk and it is filled with, what I call WNIPs.... Works Not in Progress! The amount of these WNIPS has been bugging me... I feel guilty every time I start thinking of something else I want to create! So in an effort to get some of these things completed and allay my conscience I gave myself a couple of rules.

1. I am not allowed to start something new unless I complete a WNIP first.
2. I am not allowed to post until I had completed both.

So that's why it has been so quiet around here!

Little Flopsy has been hanging around for months with just a completed head and some cut out limbs. Her pattern is from "this" Japanese magazine... which is my all time favourite. She has a bit of a grumpy attitude, which makes me like her even more.

My reward was being able to myself a tea cozy, Like Nicky I have some "Tea History".... it runs through my veins. Both my parents are from great tea nations, China & England... and has always been apart of our daily ritual. Tea signifies the end of chores, a time to relax... and that would never happen if the tea is cold!

The hand stitching of the motif was so much fun... creating images out of thread can be a bit addictive! I think I understand embroidery a bit more now. Maybe I will have to complete some more WNIPs so I can stitch some more! T

Sweet Eats :: "...and then we had a cup of tea. The End."

2007-01-30T20:31:00.000+11:00

Lots of people ask me why I love to bake. I usually tell them I find it relaxing, it makes the house smell amazing and you usually (!?) end up with something good to share at the end of the whole process. Maybe it's cos my mum is an amazing baker and I feel it's my duty to carry on the tradition. Or maybe it's stemmed from my childhood creative writing, where every story ended happily with "...and then we had a cup of tea. The End."

Ok ok, I admit I have a sweet tooth but I actually do feel compelled to carry on some family recipes. And nothing quite did it for me when I was growing up then these biccies I made on Australia Day last week...cornflake boomerangs. I'm the third generation to make these, the recipe being passed down from a close friend of my grandparents. She was a legend with these biccies made with cornflakes, walnuts, cinnamon and icing sugar. Every year she'd whip up a batch for the church fete, but if you weren't quick enough they'd be snapped up before you knew it! My mum was always on the ball and would bring home a box and stash it in her special "sweet stuff" cupboard. Unbeknownst to her, a little mouse called Nicky knew about this secret stash and would help herself, rearranging the biccies so the box never looked depleted!

Over the years both mum, myself and several other family friends have attempted this recipe with disastrous results...many attempts ending up as one massive merged biccie! Conspiracy theories abounded as to how she managed to make these so perfectly shaped and melt-in-the-mouth...there must be something she's not telling us! I think we were all too scared to ask.

Nevertheless, I have persisted with trial & error over the years and while they'll never be like hers (the taste of the original is imprinted on my brain), I've decided this is as close to them as I'll ever get. And I think I'm happy with that. Now it's time for that cup of tea. N

Sweet Musings : Tagged

2007-01-23T14:20:00.000+11:00

So the lovely "Justine" has tagged us.... and we are supposed to tell you 5 things about us that we haven't previously blogged about. As Nicky has used up all her bandwidth it is up to me to come up with some juicy facts. This sounds easier than it actually is! But here goes:

1. I love, love, love rice. I eat it with everything from a baked dinner to KFC to your bonafide Asian meal. The only meal when I am not boiling up a pot is when we are having pasta! And it tastes great with tomato sauce! Yum! Nicky on the other hand, the full blooded Chinese girl hardly eats rice. She only keeps it in her bowl to keep the other food warm!

2. Nicky always carries Tic Tacs, tissues and some band aids (plasters) in her bag. I think she is worried of being stranded with bad breath, a runny nose and a bleeding knee! I only carry the bare essentials... money, phone, keys and about 65 old receipts!

3. Nicky loathes with "a vengeance" oranges. But I think the vengeance might be waning as she has been known to eat cake with orange peel! I hate perfume... anything floral and my head just pounds.

4. Our husbands went to high school together in Sydney. They also both immigrated to Australia from Malaysia.

5. We both have Eurasian nieces.... part anglo-saxon and part Asian and both are part jabber jaw. The little drawing above is by my niece and it happens to be a face... if you couldn't tell!

Now we have to pass this on... so we choose "Soo" and we also choose "Josephine"Josephine... good luck guys and I hope to read some interesting things about you I didn't know! T

Sweet & Soft :: Highs & Lows

2007-01-20T21:21:00.000+11:00

The week gone past has been filled with highs and lows. Funny how these things happen together... one great thing and one sad.

The High ::

Ari : Jerusha : Kelby
A high circulation magazine contacted us about our "Rescued softies". They would like to feature them in a Rock 'n' Roll kids section. We have been contacted by another magazine in the past and it didn't pan out... so fingers crossed that one of these little guys makes the cut!

The Low ::

After one & half years of Rugby living with our family, our most faithful friend past away. Mum, Dad, brothers, their wives & me gathered together to say goodbye... we hadn't even managed to catch up at Christmas. He was such a gentle soul. T

Sweet Eats :: Homemade

2007-01-19T14:18:00.000+11:00

It has been a delectable summer... warm with a nice breeze, blue skys and beach walks in Sydney. And another advantage is a seemingly endless supply of reasonably priced fruit. Every time I go to the store I come back with a different berry, a mango or some stone fruit. So much so that we accumulated more than we can eat! It was time to get busy... and turn the fruit into some treats!

Bill Granger is the king of the breakfast scene in Sydney- oh yes there is a breakfast scene! Think oversized sunglasses, hot pants & skinny brown limbed folk clustered on sidewalks! So I thought I would give his Raspberry & Ricotta muffins ago. You can get hold of the recipe "here...." Not bad, but I like a bit more sugar... mind you I have given up on the concept of trying to wear hot pants!

I also indulged in jam making :: Vanilla Bean & Nectarine .

The other sweet homemade treat has been bite sized biccies...

I find it is nice to have something homemade rather than store bought every now and then... of course only if you have got the time! T

Sweet Inspiration :: There's more to Sweden than IKEA...

2007-01-12T18:45:00.000+11:00

Until I left home, my entire bedroom was furnished with IKEA. In fact, my current home office desk is the very one that saw me through every year of schooling, uni & beyond....not to mention using it as a cubby hole as a wee youngster. You could say it is vintage IKEA!

But alas, it's time for that desk to move on...a baby's on the way & we need to magically turn our spare bedroom/office into a baby haven. I say "magically" cos right now it looks like a bomb blew up in it. So keeping me inspired is this lovely book, Children's Rooms "Stockholm" (ISBN 4072501395) which I picked up in Tokyo last year while pregnant (although not even knowing it!?) It's part of the Jeu de Paume series of books, showcasing interiors from around the world. The books are full of mouthwatering pictures...I would have brought them all back, but my baggage allowance was already maxed out!

Anyway, this little book features the kids' rooms of some very creative Swedes. And it is right up my alley cos I'm currently obsessed with that whole Scandinavian aesthetic. I love their use of colours and the simple yet contemporary lines of their designs, whether that be in home furnishings or fashion. Fresh and functional. Here's a snippet of what's inside:

This room just says a happy childhood to me...

Lots of goodies to fire up a little person's imagination...

Who says a little girl can't have a blue room....

And this is my current fav - clean and fresh with red as the highlight...

Thanks to this little book there are so many ideas swimming around in my head. And I'm sure IKEA will feature somewhere in our little one's room. But right now, I can't even walk in there without tripping...wonder what I'll be doing this Friday night?? N

Sweet & Soft :: Meiko & other things

2007-01-10T16:15:00.000+11:00

It is 10 days into 2007. I have thoroughly embraced the brand new year, full of possibilities...

I have been inspired by "Susan's" post, her beautiful photos reflected in her beautiful creations. My tummy has rumbled when I read "Ali" & "Tiel's" rediscovery of ingredients (great idea). And I love the concept of project numbering over at "Sadie & Lace."

This year I have called in the experts to help me with my resolutions. I have failed most other years! Here is the catergories:

Housekeeping :: "Shannon Lush's" Speed cleaning is my guide for this year's domestic responsibilities. Her chart is stuck on the fridge & the back of the bedroom door. A different day... a different chore.

Diet :: The "CSIRO diet" has swept this nation... I think because it isn't crazy, you can even have burgers for lunch. I found it really worked last year, so we are sticking to it. I was actually really excited to tuck into a healthy meal after all the feasting.

Budget :: We sat down & did the budget with the help of the taxation authority site- they should know, right?! Always a fun night in! ...I have to admit, I have already blown it!

Exercise :: Maybe to our peril we aren't getting any advice. I am mainly walking 2 hours a day... great way to spend a summer afternoon!

But can I tell you that all this resolution time tabling has left me exhausted! Crafting, baking & work still are yet to be factored in! The whole planning meals and then cleaning like crazy (does everyone dust their walls once a week??) and then coming home to count the pennies I spent that day has given me insomnia! You haven't even seen my pile of Japanese cute craft books that are inspiring all the things I want to make for Nicky's bub!

Today I am supposed to post about a softie called Renzo... but with all this frantic behaviour I deleted the photo! So instead we bring you Meiko...

She wants to be a rhythmic gymnast and loves strawberry jelly.

Gotta walk the dog, cook dinner and clean the bathroom now! T

Sweet News :: The pitter patter of little Vans....

2007-01-05T21:45:00.000+11:00

Aren't these the coolest little kicks you've ever seen? No, they're not something I picked up for myself at the summer sales...given that I can only fit about 2 toes into them! They're actually for a pint-sized little person who will be arriving some time in April. If you haven't guessed....I'm gonna be a mum!!

Yes, I'm about 24 weeks pregnant...the belly's really out there now, so thought it's about time I shared the news with everyone out there in blogland! Everything's going well so far, little bubba's starting to move around & I'm getting excited for his/her arrival. The above little Vans were a Christmas gift from Tiff...how lucky is little bubba to be receiving gifts while still in the womb! I believe the story went that Tiff just couldn't resist them when she saw them in the shop - she had to get them! I don't blame her - I don't think I would have been able to resist them either if I saw them...so cool!

It's funny...I've been pretty good at resisting all that cute stuff out there & so far the hubbie & I have only lashed out on the big stuff like a cot, stroller etc. I've only just started trawling websites for cool baby stuff, so I guess it's only a matter of time before I get sucked into the abyss that is I-can't-resist-this-is-too-cute-I-need-to-have-it baby stuff! Be scared credit card, be scared!! N

Sweet Inspiration :: Not green eggs or ham

2007-01-04T09:51:00.000+11:00

"I am Lorax. I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees for the trees have no tongues"
The Lorax by Dr Seuss

We have Dr Seuss to thank for inspiring this print... Neither Nicky or I had ever read "The Lorax" when we were kids. We know all about "Green Eggs & Ham". Maybe because food is a universal love and protecting the environment is now only gathering momentum that I have only just discovered the wisdom of this book. Reading "Wikipedia" it seems it was banned in some schools & libraries.... the sign of a gem methinks!

It has been a bit of a best seller and now we only have these 2 left... we are stuck with whether to keep them for ourselves (sampling rights!) or sell them... Thanks Dr Seuss. T

Sweet Eats :: Martha's December Fuitcake

2006-12-31T14:08:00.000+11:00

Happy New Year!

Nicky & I capped off 2006 with a week at the beach... filled with jam making, beach cricket, fishing and making the final cake of the "Martha Stewart "Year of Cakes" challenge"! I say final, but as we missed last month's installment we will give the November cakes a whirl in Jan.

With only 2 days left to go in our holiday we decided we had better brush off the sand and get off the couch and make some Christmas goodies. The boys put on some DVDs ...and we got out our ingredients.

There were some of the usual suspects, butter, butter & butter! And some more unusual for a fruitcake, like dried pineapple & pears. We also substituted the Armagnac for cognac and a slosh of rum.... as this was a bit more in budget!

The cake was so easy to make... and when it emerged from the oven it was beautifully golden and smelt of warm alcohol & fruit. I am salivating now. It is a great recipe for a quick fruit cake... if you should ever need one! The cake needed to cool... so lucky us, we headed off to the beach, swam and inspected the rock pools. I have never done that before!

Decorating the cake was the best bit! Neither of us have used "plastic" icing before... I usually pick it off wedding cake as it is so sweeeet! But I understand why people like it... it is really easy to use as long as you use a bit of corn starch/flour.

After a close inspection of our cookie cutters we decided against the snow flakes in favour for a more summery Australian Christmas star-capped effect.

To see Martha's version click "here."

And here is ours on holidays with the blue ocean views sparkling away.

Wishing you all sweetness for 2007! T

P.S Martha says the cake last up to 2 days. This is about right as it was juicy, moist and flavourful... but it became dry and the flavour disappeared. So eat it all up as soon as you can!

Gone Fishing...

2006-12-16T01:22:00.000+11:00

Truly... we are off up the coast to go fishing and to the beach for a week... we will post when we get back.

Seeya Sweeties! T

Sweet Eats :: There are tarts and there are...

2006-12-14T13:05:00.000+11:00

Mince Tarts! I have decided this festive season was the right time to dedicate my body to research.... into Mince Tarts. Every time I pop into David Jones I have come away with a different example or two examples of this Christmas Treat. Although there is a possibility I have gone a bit over board as my boy last night said he didn't want a mince tart every night... "I am more of a banana split kind've guy"! Here are my findings!

Simmone Logue...

For me this is the winner. Crispy & crunchy pastry. Just a small morsel... nothing over powering! And the mince was moist and had a lovely orange zestiness! It was fresh out of the oven... so I think it was at an advantage to the rest... and Simmone Logue made my 6 wedding cakes, so maybe I was a bit biased!

Patchetts & Manna from Heaven...

The Patchetts mince tart really caught my greedy eye. It was deep and substantial looking. The taste didn't live up to my expectations... the mince was too wet. My boy couldn't even eat half... as the taste was a bit more challenging for the mince tart beginner!

Manna from Heaven. I could eat more of these... nice pastry and a firm, slightly dryish mince. The most shallow tart of the lot. Imagine being called a "shallow tart"!

David Jones...

This is the department store's own tart (I think). It was the most traditional of the tarts. The pastry was most like short bread and the mince had a very rich flavour of currants & spice. This was pleasantly balanced by the lashings of icing sugar! I think it comes a close third to Manna's.

I find mince tarts just seem to split the population into those who love them and those who hate them. I am obviously in the "love them" catergory! Hmmm... what should be next puddings? Ginger bread? I know a full belly is in my future! T

Sweet Musings :: Tagged!

2006-12-13T17:45:00.000+11:00

Well, there's a first for everything and so it goes that I've been tagged for the first time by the lovely Soo. Thanks for thinking of me! So here goes:

Four jobs I've had:
1. Sales assistant in a jewellery shop
2. Customer service officer in life insurance
3. Manager in project management training co.
4. Working in fashion (current)

Four movies I could watch over and over:
1. Amelie - love the story, the nostalgia, the music...oh & being set in Paris helps!
2. The Bourne Identity - European locales, action-packed, Matt Damon...what more could you want??
3. Lost in Translation - love the quirky factor
4. The Wedding Singer - the 80's music & it's just plain funny

Four places I've lived:
Ummm....Sydney, Sydney, Sydney & Sydney! Ok, so I've travelled to far more places than I've lived. I lived at my aunt & uncle's in Buckinghamshire (UK) on & off for 6 months while backpacking...does that count?

Four TV shows I love:
1. Desperate Housewives
2. Grey's Anatomy
3. Any cooking shows...recent ones include Rick Stein's French Odyssey & The Food Lover's Guide to Australia
4. Any travel shows...Getaway, Pilot Guides

Four places I've been on vacation:
1. Bernese Oberland, Switzerland - this region really IS Switzerland - amazing!
2. Santorini, Greece - whitewashed houses & blue domes...this place was EXACTLY like a postcard
3. New Zealand - driving holiday on my honeymoon, so scenic.
4. Provence - loved the Mediterranean feel & the food, food, food!!

Four websites I visit daily:
1. Yahoo mail
2. Sydney Morning Herald
3. Bureau of Meteorology (for some reason, I always need to know the weather in advance!)
4. Various blogs

Four favourite foods:
1. Cheese - anything & everything!
2. Summer fruits - esp. cherries, lychees, white peaches & nectarines
3. Cured meats - proscuitto, pancetta, Spanish jamon - could eat this by the bucketload!
4. Seafood - esp. prawns, mud crab & lobster

Four places I would rather be:
1. Having a little lie-down on the couch.
2. In the kitchen doing some Christmas baking
3. Lying on a beach with a book (ok, that will actually happen next week - yay!)
4. Somewhere in the northern hemisphere having a white Christmas.

Okey-dokey...I think that's enough information for you to digest & a brain-squeeze on my part! N

Sweet Inspiration: The bug bit!

2006-12-10T20:57:00.000+11:00

The Christmas beetle that is!

These felt decorations make me smile. The soft colours... strung on brown string... are one of my favourite things about this season. They are of course from the lovelyAfternoon Tea(I do shop and eat else where, I swear!).... and as of today are strung on out tree.

Donna Hay's Christmas magazine inspired this "Noel" on my coffee table. And I am trying to resist the temptation to paint them a ruby red. They will be seen hanging about on our market store to help create that holiday vibe. I like them so much that after Christmas I may want to spell something else out! T

Sweet Eats :: A merry cherry Christmas

2006-12-05T11:17:00.000+11:00

Cherries.....mmmm. The only fruit I think I could eat til I turned into one! Nothing quite says Christmas to me like these sweet little ruby jewels. And they're in abundance this year thanks to a bumper crop. The farmers are happy and I am happy, cos I get to gorge on them practically every day! It's all part of getting into the festive spirit!

Normally I feel like cherries are too sweet and precious to do anything other than eat them as they are. They seemed so messy and time-consuming to manually pit them to turn them into a dessert! But this year I've had a change of heart, which saw me churn out an easy-peasy French dessert on the weekend....cherry clafoutis. It's basically a classic batter pudding made with eggs, flour, milk & sometimes cream. Traditionally you don't pit the cherries as the pips add an almondy flavour during cooking. But I didn't want any broken molars for Christmas, so this is my low-fat version without cream, but with pitted cherries and the addition of blueberries, another summery favourite. It turned out to be a yummy combination:

And to more festive baking...I also made a Christmas cake from Nigella's "How to be a Domestic Goddess". I did a bit of substitution, macerating the fruit in marsala not brandy and used dried cherries instead of glace ones (cos I don't really like those). Sorry, I can't tell you what it tastes like as it needs to "mature" for at least 3 weeks, but I can tell you it smelt rich and fruity and it's pretty dense...over 2kg!! Here's a quick peek just before it got wrapped up for hibernation:

Ok, it's morning tea time now...think that means it's cherry time! Well, they seem to disappear off the market soon after Christmas, so I have to make the most of it! N

Sweet Inspiration: Herve Morvan

2006-12-02T18:08:00.000+11:00

These postcards were found in a charming shop in Jiyugaoka, Tokyo. The fresh colours and simple illustration drew me in from the other side of the cluttered store... past the vintage cook books, aprons and cookware! They were created by the French artist Herve Moran. I haven't really heard of him before and a google search doesn't really supply much info in English.

Wouldn't have been lovely to have a children's book illustrated by him? But from what I can gather, I think he illustrated mainly for advertisements.

I have never found these post cards in Paris... and I think this reflects the Japanese. They have created their own version of France which is so dreamy and sweet... all that is whimsical and beautiful is celebrated in galleries, fabrics and patisseries! The gritty streets and dog poop of Paris is no where to be seen! I actually read that there is a condition called the Paris Syndrome where Japanese visitors become so upset at discovering that the real Paris is not as they thought it would be!

The whole day in Jiyugaoka was filled with sweet little treats... from these lovelies to lunch at a high end Parisian patisserie, Dalloyau. This little suburb is known for its hidden Zakka stores... secreted away in little laneways and between apartment blocks. A fantastic discovery journey and great way to spend the day away from the bright lights, crowds and department stores of Tokyo. T

P.S

It is hard to find Jiyugaoka on the regular transit map... it is on the Hibiya line not far from Roppongi.

Sweet & Soft :: Killing me Softie

2006-12-01T10:52:00.000+11:00

So you thought we disappeared... well here is our list of excuses for being such pathetic bloggers!

1. Sofites: These little critters have taken over our lives. I farwelled the last box-ful on Monday and did not shed a tear! The Brady bunch collection above is just a small sample of the guys heading off to little boutiques. Although we are grateful for the business... I am so over them! And I have 20 to complete today for our markets tomorrow... Only 3 and a bit weeks to Christmas!

2. U2 concert: Bono was my high school sweetheart. He just doesn't know it.

The big show finally rolled into Sydney. Us and the rest of the middle aged rockers were jumping around and screaming like it was 1998. Sang my heart out, screamed my lungs out, bought the T-shirt... was exhausted for 3 whole days. Thus no blogging.

3. Beachie break: Nicky is having a week off a month at the moment... disappearing to lovely beachie locations with family. Lucky for me this month I get to go along. Only 15 days til we head up the coast to enjoy the surf & yummy seafood.

4. How hot is it!!!???: Summer has well and truly come to Sydney.... 38 degrees Celsius which I think is about 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The only action I could manage was to reach into the freezer for an icy pole!

5. Interstate & International friends: Both of us have been enjoying a bit of catch up time with folk who have come in from out of town. There is nothing so nice as seeing old friends... the time just seemed to fly.

Okay... I am sure we will be good from now on as it is December and everything! The tree will go up today! And lots of baking & crafty things have to happen. T

P.S Martha Stewart Challenge. We have failed! There was no way to find the 8 hours to make the November cakes. I think we are talking about making them in Jan 2007. What a bummer.

Sweet Eats :: Afternoon Tea (Part 2) - The sweet stuff!

2006-11-15T16:45:00.000+11:00

I guess our affection for Afternoon Tea in Roppongi Hills was pretty obvious in my previous post, as we worked our way through their menu for brekkie each morning. Clearly, this wasn't enough...there are other meals in the day and other branches of Afternoon Tea to try!

And so one afternoon we were in Tokyo's Isetan department store in Shinjuku, having a bit of a browse...when there before us stood another branch of Afternoon Tea! The place was packed...all with ladies (not a man in sight!) with a very civilised queue of people waiting on seats placed outside. Ok, let's have a sticky-beak at the menu. And that's when we jointly exclaimed, "Hey, this is different, they don't have the same menu as Roppongi Hills!"

But it was the range of french toasts that caught our eye & before we could say "Are we actually hungry?", we'd joined the seated queue, perusing the menu while we waited. In fact, they even took our order while we waited...what efficiency! And then I realised how often Tiff must have come to Afternoon Tea when one of the waitresses recognised her! So here is what we ate...

For me: French toast sandwiched with a pinky-hued berry cream cheese, served with berries and maple syrup. It was delicious - yummy textures with the little baguette pieces perfectly caramelised. Yum factor: 4.5/5

And for Tiff: French toast sandwiched with custard and served with stewed apples and cream. She was super-happy with her choice. Yum factor: 4/5

Well that was afternoon tea...let's not forget supper! Believe it or not but we had to forego dessert most nights in Tokyo cos we stuffed ourselves so much for dinner! After eyeing off the dessert menu many times, we somehow found the stomach to fit in some sweet goodness on our last night. Both Tiff & I had the warm apple pie with cream. I think I enjoyed it more than Tiff as it was more like an apple cake than a traditional pie. Yum factor: 4/5

And Tiff's boy had the raspberry parfait...but told the waiter to hold the raspberries! We were like, "what, no raspberries....that's the best bit!?" Oh well, each to their own but I found out later he doesn't like the combo of raspberries and chocolate. Anyway, I think he was pretty pleased with his devilish choice...an ice cream sundae with little brownies and chopped banana topped with chocolate sauce. Yum factor: about a 4/5

Ok, so I think we've saturated this blog with enough exploits at Afternoon Tea! I even brought some goodies back with me just so I don't forget! Is it time for a cup of tea & a biccie now?? N

Sew Sweet :: Two Calling Birds

2006-11-07T13:03:00.000+11:00

So I was trawlling around blogland and what did I see... but a lovely felt book over at Pinku. I have to have it. If it isn't at my local Kinokuniya I will have to do the previously unthinkable and buy online! I have a terrible phobia of buying over the internet. It is not that I have had a bad experience... must be something to do with techno gobbley- gook.

Anyway back to the book... there are a lovely felt decorations abounding in it. I obviously couldn't wait and had to create my own replica as you can see above. The felt I used isn't very strong so it is a bit on the droopy side... and the circular bit needs to be reinforced... but I am pretty happy with it.

There were too many possibilities for disaster just to cut this baby out free hand so I created a bit of a pattern. Here it is:

If you are wanting to use it go ahead. If it doesn't download well, due to techno gobbley -gook give me an email and I will send you a PDF! T

Sweet & Soft :: Christmas Rush

2006-11-06T17:03:00.000+11:00

It is misery-guts weather here...and so many of us Sydney- siders are suffering. We just don't know what to do with ourselves if we can't go outside! The upside is that we are in the grip of our longest ever drought and a bit of rain really is a blessing.

Whilst others are hiring 3 DVDs I was finishing off these guys. We are still in the midst of a pre-Christmas softie rush as wholesale orders have been appearing out of surprising places. I finally finished off this batch which are off to the fabulous Hunter Gatherer in Melbourne. This little store has its own clothing label that supports women who sew from home, in sweat-shop free conditions with a fair wage. It also supports little businesses like ours.

I really enjoyed making Lenny. He wants to be the KISS fan club president and can't go past a toffee apple! T

Sweet Inspiration :: Milk knows best

2006-11-03T16:11:00.000+11:00

This little superhero looks like he's ready to take off and save the world, blinding his enemies with those gold accessories alone! Actually, it's the cover of the Autumn edition of super-cool French kids mag, Milk. It arrived in the post last week along with a French foodie mag, Saveurs. This is thanks to an international magazine swap I started recently between myself and a dear Sydney friend who's now working in Switzerland. She misses her Australian Gourmet Traveller mags, so I decided to be her personal subscription service while in return she sends me European magazines from her travels! Yay!

I love this mag - lots of slick professional photo shoots and lots of inspiring ideas and uses of colour. You only have to flick through it to realise just how big the childrenswear industry is...so many gorgeous outfits and furnishings that I'm sure cost the earth, but Milk manages to display them all with a fun style and sense of humour. I mean, just look at this other cutie superhero - he just cracks me up...

And these girls look like they're getting up to sweet mischief...

There are also features on real kids' bedrooms like this one...

And I love these sweet cushions and textiles...

Hmmm...I know I can rely on Milk to keep me inspired and giggling for a little while to come! N

Sweet Eats :: The sweetest sushi

2006-11-01T23:25:00.000+11:00

I'm always amazed at how travelling has opened my eyes, ears & tastebuds to so many wonderful experiences. Sometimes I feel like my memory is a library of little stories that hit me as flashbacks when I least expect them. I could be standing in the shower not really thinking about anything, when I'll remember the hot crispy wafers from a street stand on a cold autumn night in Prague, the satisfaction of standing on top of a Scottish mountain after a 4-hour hike or the refreshing summer dip in a Swiss lake. Experiences not even a photo can capture.

So our recent trip to Tokyo once again added to my memory bank of stories....this place was such a feast for the senses. And no trip to Tokyo would be complete without sampling the local goodies....sushi & sashimi. On my last trip to Japan when I was nine, I ate my way around the country with spaghetti bolognese, such was my disgust at the local raw delicacies. But I wasn't gonna miss out this time!

I met up for dinner with some family friends currently working in Tokyo, and they took me through the dimly lit back lanes of Tokyo's famous fish markets, the Tsukiji Markets to a restaurant called Aozora. It was one of those places that tourists probably wouldn't venture, since there wasn't an English menu in sight, nor did anyone speak English! Luckily I was with native speakers so this wasn't an issue! It had a real authentic feel, full of Japanese business people (almost all men!) eating, drinking, talking loudly & smoking a lot!

The pic at the top is a free appetiser of a sesame jelly topped with raw sea urchin...sounds kinda disgusting but I quite enjoyed the textures. And here's what else we ate:

A starter of seared tuna with wasabi - I think this was the house specialty - it just melted in the mouth...

A selection of sashimi - I had no idea what fish they all were, but it was all so fresh and delicious...

A mixed sushi platter, including some seafood you wouldn't find in Australia...

And finally, the most tender chargrilled tuna and vegetables with a delicious sweet sauce:

As you can see, we ate quite a bit of tuna. It's funny, I'm normally not a huge fan of tuna sashimi, but this meal was an absolute revelation - the tuna here was so sweet, especially the paler cut which was marbled with fat. Unbelievable. I can taste it now. All I can say is thank goodness for that memory bank. N

Sweet Eats:: Martha's Darkest Chocolate Crepe Cake

2006-10-24T14:26:00.000+10:00

Baking & mucking around in the kitchen for the past few years has been my most favourite form of relaxation... putting on my apron and concentrating on the whirring of my beautiful red Kitchen Aid just gets my mind off things. This seems to have changed this year with the baking-skills- stretching "Martha Challenge". It isn't as therapeutic as I thought it would be. In fact it is more like endurance baking! 36 crepes later and all I can say is RSI! I am a bit awe of "others" who are completing this challenge on their lonesome.

After 8 hours or so, and much giggling our leaning tower of "Darkest Chocolate Crepe Cake" was finally finished and ready to present to our hubbies for their respective birthdays. We had really been looking forward to making this cake and thought they would be blown away by our efforts. Maybe it was because the cake was leaning like a drunk auntie on a night out or because they where watching "Alien Vs Predator" at the time, we found their responses where very ...nonplussed! We even sang for them!

And maybe it was because it tasted a bit like congealed cream and butter wedged between soft pancakes that we didn't blow them away! We were disappointed to find it just didn't taste that great, no real variation in textures.

A few things I learnt whilst making this cake...

1. Don't underestimate Fran Drescher : I saw her on TV making it with Martha. Surely "if the nanny can make this cake so can we" I thought!

2. The average crepe maker deserves more credit : In Paris the street vendors of crepes spread the batter so thin and they certainly don't make any holes. I made lots & lots of holes.

3. Chopsticks are my best friend: All the older Chinese women cook with them- from steam fish to omelets. Crepes have to be added to the list... nothing unfurls those little suckers like a pair of chop sticks.

4. Skewers are my 2nd best friend: When Nicky was slapping together the 32 crepes they did the splits. The bottom just started sliding away. There was a bit of hysterical giggling. Four skewers later and those crepes weren't going anywhere. You can just see them in this picture.

5. Martha loves butter: Acutally I already knew this. But I can't get over it.

6. Hazelnut Praline decorative toppers are easy!: This was the best bit and only took a few minutes.

Well, click "here" to see Martha's amazing creation.

And here is our lopsided "dopey side kick" version!

Two cakes next month... again something new for me & Nicky, a pumpkin cheese cake. T

Sweet & Soft :: Little Birdy

2006-10-23T18:55:00.000+10:00

I am having a classic "While the cat is away, the mice will play" day. My boy is off overseas for 2 weeks and Nicky has disappeared for a week at the beach... so this little mouse has been playing with Cotton Paint 2006 Vol.25 again! (If you are reading this Nicky I also got all my work done... promise!)

I seem to have got to the age where my friends are all having babies... The 21st birthday parties are long over! And so it seems are most of the 30ths. There are not many weddings marked on my social calendar, but the babes are arriving thick and fast! Apparently Australia is enjoying a bit of a baby boom. Thank goodness for those lovely Japanese magazines, as new babes need gifts!

Love these patchwork bibs in Cotton Paint! They made them reversible.

I adjusted the pattern a bit to make it longer. When I was in Tokyo I noticed that lots of the bibs were more like a collar... a bit of a fashion accessory. In my mind this doesn't seem to be practical enough for your average Aussie, you need something to catch all that dribble! I also didn't plan to have an orange theme, it just seemed to happen.

These are stroller toys... I wasn't sure about the ribbons. Are these safe for kids? So I didn't include it... maybe something attached with velcro would make it safer.

Such sweet little treats! Better get back to work before the cats get back and find out what I have been up to! T

Sweet Eats :: Afternoon Tea (Part 1) - A breakfast diary

2006-10-17T21:23:00.000+10:00

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and boy did we make the most of that at a little place called Afternoon Tea in Roppongi Hills! Tiff has previously shared her affection for Afternoon Tea and on her return from numerous trips to Tokyo, I would just sigh enviously as she recounted all the delicious things she ate and showed me all the zakka goodness she brought home. My expectations were high! I guess it doesn't help that Tiff has a way of describing things that make you want to have them right now!

And so each morning without fail, we would be standing outside Afternoon Tea waiting for it to open at 10am. After a while I thought it'd be nice to try a different place for brekkie each day, but this place just draws you in with its warmth, ambience and food! On the third day when she saw us yet again, the lovely smiley manager said to us "Thank you for every day!" so grateful she was for our custom. So sweet.

What stood out for me was the yummy array of freshly baked breads. Here is a visual diary of what we ate...remembering this was just breakfast!:

Day 1: Fresh off the plane, I had the bacon and eggplant chilli pasta, served with warm freshly baked bread. Just what I felt like & delicious. I didn't get a shot, but Tiff had the shrimp roll served with salad and a little mug of sausage soup. This would become an almost daily favourite for us.

Day 2: Oh my, this was so so good. Soft, warm banana bread (more like a sweet scroll) sprinkled with flaked almonds and icing sugar. We had this with the autumn special of chestnut chai. We had admired the tea's gorgeous packaging in the store, but thought we should try before we buy! Mmmm...not quite what we expected and we didn't fancy it too much - a little too milky:

Day 3: Ok, so this was actually all for me. A super moist chicken tofu patty in the softest sesame seed bun....followed by another super soft matcha (green tea) sweet bun, crispy on the outside from the sugar coating:

Day 4: Oh my again. This is the shrimp coquette, served warm with mayonnaise in a soft bun with crispy flaky bits on the outside. So yummy:

Day 5: A teriyaki chicken patty, again in a soft sesame seed bun - not as tasty as the tofu burger above, but worth a try! I had this with a very moist and cakey blueberry muffin:

And if you're wondering what that cutie elephant pastry is up top - it was one of Tiff's brekkie choices. Thinking it would be filled with sultanas, this soft sweet bun was a little dry until she got the red bean paste surprise in the middle!

Afternoon Tea subjected our tummies to all sorts of tasty surprises...who knew brekkie could be so exciting?! Did we feel like little piggies afterwards? Yes, but we needed the energy for the big days ahead! Well, that's what we told ourselves. And you haven't seen what we ate for dessert yet...so stay tuned! N

Sweet Inspiration :: "Re-use" Cute Mushroom Pincushion

2006-10-15T11:31:00.000+10:00

I only discovered "Cotton Paint" and the rest of the Cotton series from reading other people's blogs... and have been trying to track them down ever since. Whenever I was lucky enough to make a trip to Tokyo I would scan the book & craft stores all to no avail, it wasn't until my last visit that I actually found a couple in Kinokuniya. Yay for Kinokuniya! And they are fantastic... every page seems to be filled with goodness.

Our little company tries to be as "green" as possible and we love to re-use things. In Tokyo I have found that there is a crazy amount of packaging waste- 3 plastic bags for one purchase! I actually get an uneasy feeling from it all. However there is a "re-use" culture which we just don't have. It is all seen as a bit hippy if it isn't vintage in Australia. But these little felted mushroom pincushions are so cute and non hippy! And they are made from 2 drink bottle lids (I drink from these water bottles all the time).

Love the pins aswell!

This is another use for 2 drink bottle lids- a wee little ring box.

Another "Re-use" and green inspiration is Danny Seo . He has been described as a green stylist and I like to check his blog every now and then. T

Cotton Paint
2006 Vol.25

Sweet Eats:: Little Danish pick-me-ups in Shibuya

2006-10-12T16:06:00.000+10:00

Tokyo is a city filled with quick sweet pick-me-ups... there seems to be something to entice you on every corner. This is something Nicky & I were more than grateful for after we had been gazing at Zakka, admiring baking paraphenalia & rifling through rolls of fabric for hours in Shibuya. You just have to have something sweet. Don't you?

One of my favourite places in Shibuya is Cafe Danmark. It is a cool & quite island in the sea of pichinko (sp?) halls, flashing lights, love hotels and what seems to be millions of people... and it has a bathroom! Another plus is the amount of pastries, they have... This seems to be the home of Danish pastries in Tokyo. There is also a touch of the "east meets west". Nicky ordered what she thought was a jam doughnut, a deep fried number coated in sugar. But she was surprised to discover inside was red bean paste, not strawberry jam. Still yummy apparently!

I think I know why the Japanese are much more svelte than your average Aussie. Most food servings seem to be a third of the size! It is nice to have something petite and elegant... I got these two cute mini rectangular pastries. Baked cream cheese is not big in Australia so it was a yummy surprise to find that what I thought was custard was actually a lemony cream cheese filling. As you can see I only remember to take a photo once I had started eating!

One thing that still bamboozles me a bit is the way the Japanese sort their waste. Because they live on a relatively small island waste isn't dumped in a hole somewhere, it is burnt. So when you put your rubbish in the bin it must be separated into combustible and plastics. I used to stand at the bins picking through the contents of my tray trying to get it just right... But after a while I just fell into doing this at the table. Much more efficient! T

Sew Sweet :: Patchwork begins & other things

2006-10-11T20:53:00.000+10:00

Sewing :I have been chained to the sewing machine, so it seems only appropriate that I post up a long overdue "Sew Sweet" installment. What has kept my foot on the pedal morning, noon & night? Nicky & I have been lucky enough to received a couple of orders from some little stores for our "Rescue Softies". So expect to see a lot more of those little critters en masse gracing this blog!

In between time I have been wanting to give some of that fresh Japanese patchwork a go... and the impending holiday season is also starting to take up more of my thoughts. So this stocking is my first attempt at trying to cover these two birds with one stone!

I think it is a bit country... and that wasn't the look I was going for! So I will have to have a look back at my magazine to get a more contemporary feel. I think it might be the fabric combination... but I am not sure yet.

Baking:Other than sewing, I have been making Honey Snaps.

For very little effort these make lovely little lacy treats... crisp & sweet. Only 15 mins & 4 ingredients. I am not sure which generation I fall into ...X or Y! But I know it is the one that includes "instant gratification" in its description! Yum. T

Sweet Eats :: Martha's "Bake Sale Cookie" Cupcakes

2006-10-05T11:20:00.000+10:00

Is it really that time of the month we asked?? Thanks to our Tokyo trip earlier in the month, September seemed to have slipped away from us & we were like...Oh no, we haven't done the Martha cake yet!! September's "cake" was actually three..."Bake Sale Cookie" Cupcakes consisting of Chocolate Chunk, Peanut Butter and Oatmeal-Raisin. Due to time constraints & the fact we didn't know how we'd get rid of approx. 80+ cupcakes (Martha doesn't do things by halves does she?), we decided to make just the one type. We chose the Oatmeal-Raisin ones since the others didn't really appeal to us. We even halved the quantity since we still didn't know how we'd get rid of the full quantity of 30!

The cupcakes were pretty straightforward to make, although there were a lot of ingredients involved, so it was a bit more work than your average cupcake/muffin. We basically needed to make 2 batters. The main batter consisted of whisking the dry ingredients and then adding them to the beaten butter/sugar/egg mixture. Sour cream was added followed by the raisins. Some of this mixture was set aside, in which we made the second chunkier batter by mixing in flaked coconut and some more rolled oats.

The main batter was spooned into the paper cups and then the chunkier batter was spooned on top of that. And into the oven they went for about 20 minutes.

So here are all 3 of Martha's Cookie Cupcakes:

And here are our Oatmeal-Raisin Cookie Cupcakes:

And the taste? The cupcakes were hearty, moist, quite sweet and they definitely benefited from the raisins. The coconut in the top batter was also a nice touch, cos it had a nice toasted flavour. They had a healthy texture to them, thanks to the rolled oats and oat bran...but we know they weren't that healthy cos as with all Martha cakes this year, there was lots of butter involved! Unlike us lazy bakers, some people actually made all three cupcakes...check out their efforts here.

Next up for October...the amazingly decadent-looking Darkest Chocolate Crepe Cake. Our hubbies' birthdays are 2 weeks apart this month...so they have this special treat in store! It's not too late to join in Martha's Year of Cakes (don't forget to post your pics here), so tie up those apron strings & bake your hearts out...there are only 3 months to go! N

Sweet & Soft :: What can I get for half a dollar?

2006-10-02T14:14:00.000+10:00

Sorry about the title... but I didn't want everybody out there who is googling for a certain gangsta rapper that goes by the name of a certain number of cents to end up at sweet little treat! This little guy with attitude is named after the afore mentioned rapper... he is made from an unloved shirt that never got worn! And happily found a new home on the weekend... hope he doesn't have too much attitude!

No prizes for guessing what he wants to be when he grows up, wearing that big medallion. He loves jam tarts, by the way! T

Sweet Inspiration :: Bags of patches

2006-09-27T21:58:00.000+10:00

When we were in Tokyo Nicky was on a mission... to get a new bag. Something original, possibly hand crafted and practical. She unfortunately failed, but was sorely tempted by a patchwork bag we saw at a book store... but it was so, so, expensive. It was apart of an art exhibition by an artist called Kodue Hibino (I think!).

By the way, I love how there are art exhibitions supporting small artists in cafes, bookstores and even on the streets in Tokyo.

A few days later I picked up this magazine (I don't know its name!)

and it was featuring Kodue Hibino... and her bright, fresh patchwork. I haven't ever been a big fan of patchwork... but I am beginning to appreciate this more modern & fresh approach to the craft.

It show some of her techniques, like the way she pins fabrics together to create patchwork.

There were other patchwork goodies in the magazine. This is my favourite.

I will post the other ones up in Flickr so you can see the whole set. T

Sew Sweet :: Cashless capers in Textile Town

2006-09-24T21:41:00.000+10:00

And so here we finally were. Nippori Textile Town in the outer Tokyo suburbs. With quiet anticipation of the fabric discoveries we would make and armed with this map, we exited the subway and followed the signs to a main street full of fabric stores. It's a rather non-descript street in a residential neighbourhood where everyone rides on bikes. The stores also look rather non-descript, but that didn't matter when there was fabric goodness to be found!

We wandered up one side of the street, scanning a few things we planned to come back for. We didn't want to laden ourselves with goodies too soon, but already there were lots of "Wow's!", "Look at this!" and "Oh my goodness, I NEED to have that!" After lunch in an Italian cucina called Cinderella (ok, so there wasn't much choice in the eats department on this street & the air-con was highly appreciated!), we headed down the other side of the street.

And this is where we discovered the store of all fabric stores...Tomato. This place is split into several shopfronts, one specialising in soft furnishings, another in trimmings & sewing accessories...but the best was the main store. 5 storeys of the most amazing fabrics at amazing prices! It was Tokyo's take on our Spotlight stores...but on steroids! Ok, so Spotlight doesn't even compare. We knew there were bargains to be had when we could see the masses of women rifling through fabrics on the ground floor.

We systematically scanned every floor, so we could see what we wanted to buy. And believe me, there was SO much we wanted to buy. And that's when we came to a little problem. After finding some amazing fabric for our business, we proceeded to the counter with all 12 rolls. We'll have 3m of each thanks. After cutting the third roll, I see a sign...it's Cash Only. What?? Yes, all 5 floors we're told...Cash only. Stop, stop...no more cutting we say! Neither Tiff or I had too much cash on us, so while Tiff waited with the fabric, I dashed down the street, trying to find an ATM that would accept my card. No such luck. I had an inkling getting cash out of Japanese banks could be difficult & we were in the 'burbs. It wasn't gonna happen.

So there we were, shaking out our coinage to pay for the 3 pieces that had already been cut. We must have looked like we couldn't afford the stuff! Here they are:

We couldn't believe our luck. We just couldn't believe a big place like that didn't accept credit cards. We'd come all this way to stock up on fabric for our business & our own personal stash...only to be stumped up by a lack of cash. And I think it was pretty much the same for all the other little shops on the street. I did manage to scrape together some cash to pick up these goodies, also from Tomato - a few trimmings and French-inspired fat quarters:

So everyone, the moral of the story is...if you're heading out Nippori way, be CASHED up or you'll find yourself commiserating all the way home! And the upside to this story...we saved a lot of pennies including excess baggage fees! N

Sweet Eats :: Busted...but oh-so worth it!!

2006-09-20T20:36:00.000+10:00

Hee hee hee.....so here's the only shot I took of the legendary Millefeuille 2000 at Pierre Herme's Chocolate Bar in Aoyama before I got busted by the oh-so-polite French waiter! Oh well...I was just another foodie tourist! More importantly, the millefeuille was just how I remembered it in Paris nearly a year ago! Super crispy, super creamy with flecks of praline...although I can't believe I'm saying this, it was almost too much of a good thing...I was completely stuffed for hours after this it was so rich! Maybe that's cos I also had a decadently rich iced chocolate to go with it! Tiff indulged in something different....a Plaisir Sucre. Translation: Sweet Pleasure. Indeed! Tiff said it was delicious. I couldn't take a pic, but I do have the recipe in my PH book. Let's just say the recipe goes for just over 5 pages (!?)...a hazelnut dacquoise on the bottom, then layers of praline, chocolate ganache, whipped chocolate cream & chocolate sheets!

Come to think of it, this wasn't the first time we got reprimanded. A couple of days earlier, we were standing outside another French patisserie, Dalloyau in Jiyugaoka...admiring the amazing confections in the window when a young lass came running out the store motioning for us not to take a photo! Hmmm...these patisseries are quite protective of their artistic creations! Anyway, after losing track of time shopping in zakka stores, we returned later for a 3 o'clock lunch with the ladies-who-lunch upstairs. Our salmon & cream cheese sandwiches (no crusts of course!), lemon squash & 2 desserts turned out to be the most expensive meal of our whole trip!

Well, here's a shot I didn't get busted for...cos I took it in the comfort of our hotel room! Some lovely patisseries from Sadaharu Aoki. I can't remember what they were called...the one in the foreground is my choice...a cakey layer on the bottom with crispy praline, layered with blackcurrant mousse & chocolate. Very interesting textures in the mouth. Tiff chose a strawberry moussey cake which she liked much more than mine!

We purchased these in the basement of the Isetan department store in Shinjuku. It has the most amazing food hall, packed with counters & counters of take-home Japanese food. But not just that, down here were mini French patisserie shops like Pierre Herme, Sadaharu Aoki, Jean-Paul Hevin...and to my astoundment, even Le Roux was here...famous for its salted butter caramels I fell in love with in France! But drats, they'd sold out!

I haven't been to Japan since I was 9, so it was very different seeing Tokyo with adult eyes! What a consumer culture...I keep saying to everyone - you can buy EVERYTHING in Tokyo! EVERYTHING!! Every brand name you've ever heard of is here! And so finally, here are some of the "brand name" biccies I bought: Pierre Herme florentines & currant biccies, Peltier mini palmiers and some very crispy coconut tuiles from L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon (the hubbie's current fav):

Mmmm...there's nothing like bringing back food from your travels! But the use-by dates are calling me on these biccies....we are eating our way through them now! N

Sweet & Soft :: Ernie goes to Tokyo

2006-09-18T18:43:00.000+10:00

Yes we have made it back from Tokyo.... with our luggage stuffed to overflowing, our tummies filled with Oh So MANY goodies... we are just zakka-ed out really! Ernie still looks chirpy though! Here he is, my lovely little buddy, on the Narita Express. This is the fastest way into Tokyo from Narita airport and in my books the most comfortable... it takes you past rice paddies and little towns. The Thomas the Tank engine of Tokyo really...

Here is a few more of Ernie... He loves to relax with a bottle of Lemon water. The best drink in Japan, fresh & fruity and not crazy sweet!

And a little summary of things we enjoyed:

Best broken English: "Thank you for every day".... Yes we went to Afternoon Tea every day without fail.

Left our jaws gaping: Two girls pulling our curling irons in the bathroom for a hair touch up!!! It drove me to blow dry my hair every day (very, very unusual behaviour for me).

Best Tokyo fashion moment: Two heavily tanned girls in Shibuya. Which is not that unusual except they had brilliant white & purple hair that was twisted around their bodies and looked like vines! Nicky called them the Tarzan girls! They were also wearing something that resembled loin cloths!

Best foodie blog moment: Always keen to get her foodie shot before devouring her treat Nicky got reprimanded in the "Chocolate Bar" of Pierre Herme for taking photos!

Nicky still got the shot it... so I am sure there will be much to share in the coming posts! Good to be back.... T

Sweet Eats :: Martha's Ice Cream Cake

2006-08-31T20:37:00.000+10:00

Martha, Martha, Martha....what can we say?? We were just not impressed with August's Peaches-and-Cream Ice Cream Cake. Maybe it didn't help that neither of us were in enthusiastic baking mode when we made it. Maybe it didn't help that we actually made a Strawberries-and-Cream Ice Cream Cake cos there are no peaches this time of year in Oz. Maybe it didn't help that we had nothing to show for our baking efforts by day's end. Maybe it didn't help that we used low-fat ice cream and raspberry sorbet. Ok, more on that later.

So we started out with the cake layer. Very simple batter to make and the cake turned out nice and golden. But it was all a bit downhill from here. Lesson #1: Always read a recipe the whole way through. I'm usually quite obedient to this fact, but it just shows you we really weren't in the mood for it. Thinking the cake layer was to go on the bottom of the pan, Tiff gets out the ruler & starts measuring the cake. Oops...the cake's meant to go on top and we've cut the cake too small (since my loaf pan widens at the top). We'll need to add more cake bits! So here is our patchwork cutting in progress:

Oh well. Next came chopping up the strawberries while softening the vanilla ice cream...

After folding the strawberries through the ice cream, we spread it into the base of our multi-lined, multi-greased tin and then stuck it in the freezer. Recipe said it would take about 2 hours...but it took far longer, more like 4 hours! (meanwhile, Tiff has gone home!). And here's Lesson #2: Don't use low-fat ice cream for ice cream cakes - it doesn't re-freeze too good. Well, that's our take on it given the final result. We thought it would be ok, cos I always buy this ice cream that has a lovely creamy texture without all the fat!

After the ice cream finally solidified, I spread a layer of raspberry sorbet over the top. Yes, raspberry sorbet....not even a matching strawberry sorbet!! Oh, & we skipped a step...Martha said to use 2 different varieties of sorbet to get colourfully contrasting layers. Hmmm, wasn't keen on running all over the place looking for contrasting sorbets...Martha will just have to accept this incident of baking disobedience!

After the sorbet firmed up, I then pressed our patchwork pieces of cake over the top, then put it back into the freezer. You can see how enthusiastic we were about this whole thing when we didn't actually cut the cake til a week later! Here is us trying to cut the cake - it was rock solid. Lesson #3: Even a hot wet knife doesn't work sometimes....

So here is Martha's perfect 4-layered, colourfully-contrasting Peaches-and-Cream ice cream cake:

And here is our not-so-perfect 3-layered Strawberries-and-Cream ice cream cake:

This would have to be our worst effort so far in this Year of Cakes. It was our first ice cream cake...and possibly our last. And the taste?? Let's just say we weren't exactly shovelling the stuff into our mouths. The raspberry sorbet went nicely with the cake. In fact, the cake was the best bit. The strawberry ice cream was something else altogether. It had re-freezed a creamy-yellowy colour (we think this is the low-fat ice cream factor), it was icy and the strawberries were too crunchy. Tiff said hers tasted like garlic (!?)...ok, so something funny was going on with her tastebuds! Not sure what to do with the leftovers - think they'll sit in my freezer til the next Ice Age. Final lesson: Only make an ice cream cake if you have the patience...and the right ingredients!

Next up..."Bake Sale Cookie" Cupcakes...not just one variety, but three! Here's hoping this'll be more up our alley! N

PS. It's bye bye from us for a little while...we'll see you in about 10 days with lots of Tokyo tales to tell!

Sweet Apologies!

2006-08-28T14:17:00.000+10:00

Oh my! Nicky & I have to apologise for our complete slackness in the blog department... you would think with 2 of us that we could keep it all under control!

We have a bit of an excuse though... we have decided to go to Tokyo on Saturday! We are going to a massive Gift fair to see if we can expand our business horizons. So we are going to be a bit slack for a bit longer... hope you can bear with us! T

Sweet & Soft :: Henry

2006-08-28T14:12:00.000+10:00

This little fella is Henry... Although he is currently hanging out at the play ground, in the future he hopes to be a sitcom script writer. Henry also especially likes a slice Banoffee Pie. He has gone to live with another softie called Lucinda who are waiting for their new owner to be born.

His lovely fabric is from France... various blues in a check with some bottle green detail.

Sweet Eats:: Afternoon Tea anytime of the day!

2006-08-23T11:46:00.000+10:00

I have hesitated to post about Afternoon Tea in the past because I am not sure that I can do it justice... this mecca to everything sweet & nostalgic is as close as I have ever been to my idea of perfection. I think it is all captured in the name, Afternoon Tea... the luxury of a pot of tea, a slice of cake and wasting the rest of the day daydreaming some where comfortable.

You wouldn't think it, but this place is a Japanese chain... Apparently in its early days Jamie Oliver was involved, which might account for the yummy food. Every morning my boy & I head to the one in Roppongi Hills (we have been there so often now the staff say they remember us!). The basic menu never seems to change, but there are always seasonal specials. The ice tea with orange juice was a hit with me (the mint leaf is such a nice touch!) to combat the Summer heat.

The service is also something else... always a glass of iced water, a basket of soft & juicy freshly baked bread with a main and your tea pot always gets a cozy even in the middle of Summer. Being half English there is nothing I dislike less than a luke warm cup of tea!

Every morning almost without fail I order the eggplant, bacon & chili pasta. Does that seem a bit much for breakfast? I can only use the time difference as my excuse! And that it is so tasty!

Once all the eating has been done the shop finally opens! I can't show you everything I have bought there as it is a bit embarrassing! They have the balance just right sweet & cute, but not overwhelmingly so... it all seems still stylish! There is some stuff which is a little bit on the chintzy & flowery side, but this means I can also shop for my mum there too!

The glass in the background is actually 3 stacked together. If you turn one the girl's outfit changes. If you turn the other the background changes from sea shells to gardens to more! I can't bring myself to use them yet! It usually takes a year! This is my favorite purchase this trip... other than the collection of classic French songs. Yep they have their own collection of feel good music for cooking, relaxing... even cocktailing! T

Sweet & Soft :: Sayuri

2006-08-22T09:10:00.000+10:00

This is little Sayuri here. She wants to be a geisha when she grows up and hopes to be able to sneak in some green tea tiramisu in between her training in the Japanese arts.

As you can see, she's made from some rescued Japanese floral fabric. T

Sew Sweet :: Shibuya how I luv ya!

2006-08-17T21:00:00.000+10:00

Shibuya I luv ya for your fabric store... and your air conditioning. Oh yes folks the fabrics were every thing I salivated about on the net and more. Six or so levels (got a bit overwhelmed) of crafty goodness exists at Maurnan. It was 35 degrees Celsius in Tokyo so we waited until the evening to venture out of the airconditioning to this store.

The outside of the shop is surrounded in swathes of enticing fabric and I squeezed through the door to find lots of older gentlemen with aprons ready to help. I don't know why I headed to the basement first... but I found these treasures there...

Red Riding Hood & Baby chick canvas and red & green tulip cotton fabric...

And some beyond belief cheap spotty fabric & little lamb fabric...

There was so much more! I was torn... when will I be back? There was so much to buy, so many more levels! My boy was waiting outside in the heat with all our other purchases. So I ran out and gave him the fabrics... explaining I had to get upstairs. I am not sure about you but there is something about having your husband waiting outside (in the heat) that makes me nervous, especially when he lifts the bag and an eyebrow and says "Heavy". Yikes.

I scooted up the stairs and discovered a whole range of linens that are in the craft books. So beautiful... and really expensive. I made the hard decision that my sewing skills weren't up to the cost... maybe next time with a bit of practice.

I did make it to one other crafty store with great buttons... but other than that it was hot, hot, hot and I found myself wilting & disoriented! I am not sure how those Tokyo girls manage to look so cool & composed. Their hair looked fabulous! Hopefully I can go back when there is a nice cool breeze! T

Sweet Eats :: From one foodie to another

2006-08-16T19:58:00.000+10:00

A dear friend of mine, Leona is a true foodie and an amazing home cook. Her dinner parties are legendary...hubbie & I would reminisce about her 4-5 course dinners for days. Leona & I are Francophiles and can talk for hours about food, travelling, France, foodie moments while travelling in France...and more food! We often swap travelling tips and recipes and she is passionate about Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine...I think she has been subscribing since the late 1990's! This is a very gourmet mag, and I was amazed how she'd whip up weeknight meals from it! While we have a current subscription to the magazine (a Christmas gift), I actually spend most of my time drooling over it, instead of cooking from it!

A few months ago though, Leona got her dream opportunity to work overseas, when she was offered a job at the Basel headquarters of her Sydney office. So along with her hubbie, she packed up her life in Sydney & sent it to Switzerland!

Even though it was sad to see her leave, before she left we decided we'd send food parcels to each other. And this week, I was the lucky recipient of the goodies above. Thankfully, our strict quarantine service didn't need to remove anything! Inside were some Pierre Marcolini (amazing-looking stores both Tiff & I have been too intimidated to go into, at least in Paris!) and Godiva choccies she bought in Brussels; a little jar of Bonne Maman cherry jam from France; some Lackerli-Huus Basler Leckerli (sweet biscuits from Basel) packaged in a little cone; a packet of marzipan; marzipan carrots (perfect for decorating a carrot cake!) and a little bunny cookie cutter to go with it; some dried cranberries (apparently, widely available in Basel); and finally, a gorgeous little tin of Oliviers & Co lemon-flavoured extra virgin olive oil...a brand you can't get in Australia! To top it off, a Swiss handmade card of Basel's marketplace. Thank you so much Leona!

Here were the goodies I sent off to her last month in time for her birthday. I tried to make it Aussie-themed & to include things that she couldn't get in Switzerland (or were too expensive!), but got a little sidetracked! Inside was the July issue of AGT (a very timely French issue); Vegemite (of course!); macadamia nuts and pine nuts; Herbie's Spices vanilla beans, Morrocan tagine spice mix, and za'atar; A Taste of the Bush Tasmanian pepper & lemon myrtle tea; saffron; demerera sugar (apparently, the Swiss don't have much variety in the sugar dept!), lavender strawberry jam; Maggie Beer blood plum paste; lemon sherbets (Leona loves lemons!); Golden Boronia cappucino nougat and a cookie cutter of Australia. I also threw in a couple of biscuit recipes...and along for the ride was one of our rescued softies, Chloe. Her dream is to be a food stylist & she loves lemon tart!

Both of us made a deal not to be precious about our food...so I hope you've started digging in Leona...I'm already dreaming up your next package!! N

Sweet & Soft :: Taki

2006-08-14T14:11:00.000+10:00

Little Taki wants to be a Zen Master when he grows up... whilst keeping his Yin & Yang in balance he also likes to nibble on Lychee Jelly.

Sew Sweet :: Patchwork passion

2006-08-10T15:54:00.000+10:00

In continuation of easy straight-line sewing projects for myself, here is the first patchwork cushion I made this week. It's made from some lovely thick turquoise fabric Tiff & I picked up at a recent fabric sale. Turquoise is my favourite colour at the moment! Anyway, I was surprisingly patient with myself while sewing and although it probably took longer to sew than it should have, there were no major dramas and I was quite happy with the final result.

The cushion was inspired by my new book Machine Made Patchworks 2 (ISBN 457911082X). I don't even have the first book in the series, but this one is lovely, full of nice little projects and colour combinations. Here's a pic of the cushion I tried to emulate, although I made a few changes...using only 4 patchwork panels and leaving out some of the decorative stitching and corner embellishments...

Cushions have always been my weakness whenever I'm in homewares stores. Just the other day I was stroking and admiring a cushion when Tiff said "But I just can't see what it will go with in your place?!" Yes...suddenly praticality sets in and Tiff saves me from making unnecessary purchases!

And after showing him my cushion, I told the hubbie that I'm saving us money by making my own homewares! I think this was music to his ears! Thanks to this sewing milestone, my confidence is slowly building up to tackle more sewing projects. Am really loving this patchworking thing....and last week, I was even considering taking up quilting! Time will only tell if this all pans out....N

Sweet Eats :: The one & only...Bernachon

2006-08-09T18:59:00.000+10:00

If this display of chocolate confections makes you go "Whooaaaa!", then you should have seen my face when I saw it for real! Look at the ruffles on those cakes...how do they do that?! This amazing display is at Bernachon in Lyon, where the hubbie & I visited while in France last year. Bernachon is a world-famous family-run chocolate house, started by Maurice Bernachon in the 1950's. They make their chocolate from scratch, from roasting and grinding the raw cocoa beans to the final goodies you see above. It was a must-stop for us because their Lyon store is the only one in the world. Their stuff is so special they only stock their chocolate in one store in Paris...the amazing A L'Etoile D'Or run by the eccentric Denise Acabo, a lady in her fifties who dresses like a schoolgirl!

We thought we'd splurge and have afternoon tea in the adjacent tea salon first, appropriately named Bernachon Passion. Along with some tea, we chose a plate of 4 petit-fours, where a man came around with a tray and we picked the ones we wanted. Oh, to have to choose! We eventually decided on a mini coffee eclair, lemon tart, almond tart and a pistachio macaroony thing. They were divine, especially the eclair! I'm a sucker for those...

Afterwards, we headed next door to the store where there was a vast array of chocolates and pastries on display. Bernachon is most well known for some chocolates called palet d'ors, made with fresh cream, dark chocolate and topped with flecks of gold leaf. Well, since we had indulged already, we bought a couple of chocolates to take away (some delicious nutty toffee numbers) along with a bag of cocoa powder...a steal at around 5 euros for a 250g bag...especially when I later saw it in the above-mentioned Parisian store for 11 euros!!

I decided long ago not to be too precious about the goodies I buy from overseas. Now that I am the recipient of Pierre Herme's Chocolate Desserts book, there's no shortage of things to make with my Bernachon cocoa. So with it I made this Italian panforte, a rich and chewy cake made with spices, honey, cocoa, fruit and nuts that is sliced thinly and served with coffee. For this particular one, I used glace figs, pears and apricots and roasted hazelnuts and almonds. It was my first time making this & it tasted dense, chewy and sweet...great in small doses, so you don't feel bad having more!

I made it for the Christmas in July dinner my mum recently had. For those not in the know, this is an excuse by some of us Aussies to do Christmas again, cos we're usually sweltering in the summer heat at Christmas....far too hot to stomach all that rich and heavy food typical of a wintry Christmas! So there we were gorging on roast pork, glazed ham, duck...followed by a line up of desserts including my sliced up panforte, Christmas pudding and mum's fruit mince pies:

Something tells me I don't need to work on my winter fat stores anymore...thank goodness the warmer months are on their way! N

Bernachon
42, cours Franklin-Roosevelt
69006 Lyon
T: 04 78 24 37 98
Open: Tues-Sat 8.30am-7pm, Sun 8am-5pm
Tues-Sat 9am-6.15pm (Bernachon Passion)

A L'Etoile D'Or
30 rue Fontaine
75009 Paris
T: 01 48 74 59 55

Sweet & Soft :: Felix

2006-08-08T15:14:00.000+10:00

Say hi to Felix. He wants to be a set designer when he grows up. He plans to start out in small productions to get his foot in the door, and then work up to the Hollywood big time! Any chance he gets you'll find him chilling out with strawberries and cream.

He is made from some lovely Japanese shell cotton fabric. N

Sweet Inspiration :: Handmade Style Interior

2006-08-04T10:54:00.000+10:00

Since latching on to this addiction that is Japanese craft books, I've been quite intrigued at the Japanese's fascination with all things French. There's a whole vintage French aesthetic going on behind lots of these books...fabrics, trimmings, furnishings...the kinds of things you'd see in a Parisian flea market. Being a bit of a Francophile myself, I completely appreciate it! Plus...when you see that the only outposts of top Parisian patisseries are in Japan, you gotta think there's something going on there! (Tiff, I hope you're having a Pierre Herme millefeuille for me!)

Recently I picked up this lovely book called Handmade Style Interior (ISBN 4072500569) full of inspiring images of the living and working spaces of some very creative Japanese. There's little profiles on them (if only I could read it!) and it's full of handy hints you can recreate at home/work too. It's so nice seeing their personalities come through in the decoration of their places and creative ways in which they make use of small spaces. And they still manage to keep that Japanese sense of kitschy quirkiness and ingenuity they're so known for. Here's a sampling:

That French thing I was talking about comes through here...

I love this little workspace...and the tatami mats keep it quintessentially Japanese...

Some more lovely images...

A nice little corner...

There's also a mail order section, with pictures and prices of selected goodies...

Finally, in the back are a big list of stores in east and west Japan where you can pick up lots of crafty and homeware treats. I photocopied practically this whole section for Tiff before she left for Tokyo! There's quirkily-named places like Socks Ciao!...full to the brim with fabrics, trimmings and the like. Oh, I'd love to have a rummage in there!

Meanwhile, we're both still fantasising about our dream studio...at least there's no shortage of inspiration! N

Sew Sweet :: Not sew brilliant yet...

2006-08-02T14:54:00.000+10:00

I admit I was a little reluctant to do this post. You may have noticed that Tiff has done almost all of the "Sew Sweet" posts thus far. That's cos I'm a sewing newbie and she is far more talented in the sewing department! But she is living it up in Tokyo, and I have to post!

It is my fault for not taking an interest in sewing when I was younger...I'm sure Mum was keen to show me. And the funny thing is...I have all these friends I've known for years who've only recently revealed to me that they can sew! "You can sew???" I ask in envious disbelief! Obviously, some of us did listen to our mothers! I've also been finding all those creative blogs and Japanese craft books so inspiring and petrifying at the same time. Does that make any sense??

So instead of just dreaming about being a brilliant sewer, I thought I should just sit down in front of my newly purchased sewing machine & give it a go. I told Tiff that I needed to start with simple stuff...anything with straight lines! That means things like coasters, placemats, cushions etc. And so here are the results of my very first projects...some bookmarks and coasters made with some of the fat quarter fabrics we picked up at the craft fair recently...bit of a blue, red & white theme going on:

As simple as these might seem to you folk out there, the bookmarks caused me a bit of grief. The poor hubbie has been the recipient of cries like "If I can't even sew a bookmark, how am I ever going to sew something more difficult??" I'm not sure if it's beginner's frustration, but I'm hoping other people sometimes want to kick their machine...oops, did I really say that...I don't want to condone any violent behaviour here!

Anyway, I was quite happy with how the coasters turned out & the hubbie has been very encouraging. I even managed to step out of straight-line sewing to make the pin cushion at the top. Circular sewing...big accomplishment for me. I made it using the pin cushion tutorial over at whipup using blue wool felt & some spotty cotton fabric. Just noticed my friend Soo's done the very same tut - check out her lovely efforts here.

I'm not sure what I'll be sewing next, but I'm starting to amass a fabric collection...so I better put them to good use! Any simple sewing project suggestions are welcome! N

Sweet Eats :: Martha's Berry Pound Cake

2006-08-01T20:19:00.000+10:00

We can't believe we're more than half way through Martha Stewart's Year of Cakes challenge. This challenge has seen both of us step out of our baking "comfort zones", attempting endurance-testing layer cakes and using heart attack-inducing quantities of butter and sugar. So it was with relief that July's Berry Pound Cake with Whipped Cream was going to be a fairly simple feat (as others have attested here). Unfortunately, Tiff was sick last week & sensibly opted out of baking so she could recuperate in time for her trip to Tokyo this week. So for the first time, I was on my own.

Luckily for this cake there was no major new equipment required, although my Mum lent me a loaf tin from her stash of cake tins, so that I could at least have similarly sized cakes. But just cos it was a simple cake to make doesn't mean there wasn't a lot of butter and sugar involved. After last month's inventive butter spa in an attempt to soften butter, I decided to be a bit more organised and left the butter out overnight to soften. Worked a treat. Here is a pic of the butter & sugar prior to beating:

After beating the butter and sugar together, adding the eggs and then mixing in the flour, the result was some thick gooey cake batter:

I popped the cakes into the oven and after about an hour, they came out puffed and golden brown. Here is a pic of the naked cakes hot out of the oven...I couldn't wait to trim those crusty tops for a taste test!:

So far all of Martha's cakes haven't been seasonal enough to affect us here in the southern hemisphere. But given it's the middle of winter here and this cake was very summery, some berry substitution was in order. Raspberries and blueberries are preposterously expensive this time of year, but I did manage to find some sweet juicy strawberries that were reasonably priced. I'm glad I found these cos it wouldn't be much of a berry pound cake if I had to find some other fruit!

After letting the cakes cool for a few hours, it was time for them to get dressed. I whipped up some cream, piped it on the cake and decorated it with the strawberries. Since Tiff wasn't with me, I only decorated one cake and gave her the other plain pound cake the next day to share with her family.

Here is Martha's Berry Pound Cake:

Our Berry Pound Cake:

And here is a cross-section of it:

Due to the whipped cream, I imagine this cake is best eaten soon after decorating. Thankfully I was able to take it that night to a gathering of friends. And the verdict? The cake had the tight and dense texture typical of a pound cake and it tasted very buttery and quite sweet. The strawberries and cream complimented it perfectly - I think it would be a bit plain without them. Everyone loved it. All in all, a yummy cake which I'd be happy to make again...maybe in summer when I can get my hands on all those berries!

Next up for August...the divine sounding Peaches-and-Cream Ice Cream Cake. Hmmm, the only question is...where are we gonna get our hands on some peaches?? N

Sweet & Soft :: Perry

2006-07-30T17:44:00.000+10:00

This is Perry. He likes being entertained in all sorts of ways...his favourites are comedy and song & dance routines. So it only seems natural that he'd love to be a vaudeville host when he grows up. In the meantime, he's honing his "Roll up! roll up!" skills with the other kids in the playground, putting on makeshift shows and munching on orange poppyseed cake!

He is made from some beautiful Italian check fabric scraps... rescued from a menswear range of jackets. N

Sweet Inspiration :: Always prepared

2006-07-28T18:17:00.000+10:00

Following the Scouts' motto "Always prepared" has stood Nicky & I well in our respective traveling adventures... Nicky is decidedly more organised than me, but I do have my own clutch of maps & websites! This has not stopped me from pilfering her spreadsheet of patisseries in Paris though!

So as I am leaving for Tokyo early Monday morning I thought I should get organised, put the washing on, dig around for the passport, book the pup into the kennels (he thinks it is a country retreat) and drag out my stuff on Tokyo.

This book "walking on streets of Aoyama" was my new find last trip... and I thought you might like to peek at some of the wallet damaging shopping inspiration held within it's pages.

This little shop, Le Charme de Fifi et Fafa is intriguing, plastic dinosaurs & lingerie!

Nuno Works seems to be a artisan fabric shop which sells the fabrics & wares made from the range.

And just in case I am feeling like a enormous creamy fruity cake for a pick-me-up there is the Berry cafe!

Nicky also recently purchased a book that has lots of craft & Zakka stores in Japan listed in the back. These are a few I hope to hit if I can figure out the maps and if they are actually in Tokyo!

Passe Compose
L.Musee
Fabrica
Rollo

With all this research I hope to have lots of things to bring back & share (Heh! Heh!- So glad my boy hardly reads this blog)! T

Sew Sweet :: Cutie made me do it

2006-07-27T22:11:00.000+10:00

If my boy doesn't see me for a few days or so (he travels for work) I always score a magazine or Japanese craft book from him! Last time my surprise was this Cutie magazine...

I love, love, love the apron on the cover. At the time I was looking for inspiration for Tie One On's theme of favourite musical and this was it. My favourite musical? Annie. I went to the movie, watched the video and listened & listened to the album... my childhood friend and I were always singing along in her bedroom...

So this is my "Hard Knock Life" apron... Annie was poor at this stage, just an orphan in scrap material hanging out for "tomorrow"! I left it untied to achieve that Cutie cover look!

A close up of bib...

It took me longer to make than I expected, sewing all the pieces together... It turned out a bit frumpy compared to the Cutie version & I'm not that happy with the gathering. I got a bit carried away and made the length way to long. So I am ready to try again! T

Sweet Eats:: Like a kid in a candy store...

2006-07-25T15:50:00.000+10:00

I'm a lolly girl through and through. Or a candy girl, whatever you want to call it. As a little girl, I spent my pocket money on lollies in the local (now sadly long-gone) milkbars, where 20c could buy you so much!! The 1c & 2c coinage was phased out long ago in this country, but to think that once upon a time 1c could buy you a lolly...it seems such good value looking back now...

Well, even though I can't pop down to the local milkbar anymore, that hasn't stopped my penchant for lollies. Whether at school/uni/work...there were always lollies tucked in my pocket/satchel/office drawer. My current favourites are anything apple, lemon or berry flavoured. Oh, and gummy bears. Gummy anything. So, on the day Tiff & I celebrated our 100th post, we popped down to the Sticky candy shop in The Rocks for a sticky-beak...so to speak.

This place really does make you feel like a kid in a candy store. Rows and rows of colourful rock candy and lollypops in a multitude of flavours. Not only that, but you get to watch the stuff being made! It's amazing to watch...here's a taste of what we saw:

Rolling out the mammoth candy on a heated rubber mat to keep it pliable...definitely lots of upper body strength required here!...

A bit of rolling action...

Ready to be chopped up into bite-sized pieces....

A small selection of the candy on offer...

Of course, the great thing about Sticky is the sampling on offer! What perfect timing we thought...cos we got to try the candy we watched being made...it was still warm! These particular ones were personalised with a couple's names in tiny characters inside...I have still not worked out how they do this!

Tiff bought a lollypop for her niece (who I believe has had to lick it in stages to space out the sugar hits!), but surprisingly we both left empty-handed. What stopped me from buying some toffee apple-flavoured rock?? Hmmm...could it be the stash of sweets I already have in my pantry? So we grabbed another sample for the road...in the knowledge that we'll be back again soon! N

Sticky
10 The Rocks Centre
Kendall Lane
The Rocks, Sydney 2000
T: (02) 9252 3337

Sweet & Soft :: Caesar

2006-07-24T20:40:00.000+10:00

Of course this little guy wants to be emperor and he snacks on Greek almond cookies all day.... because he can! Emperor's privileges!

Made from: Yummy Parisian fabric, 100% cotton with flowers overprinted... scraps rescued from a menswear label.

Sweet Inspiration :: Thrift to create!

2006-07-20T18:29:00.000+10:00

"Mismatched plates & cups found in thrift shops are stacked and glued together so that the objects are given new life"

These lovely objects are called the "Salvation" project... I found them in a magazine, I am not sure which one! Due to the massive amount of periodicals I have I have started ripping out the "good" pages so I can't tell you much except that they were created by Constantin & Laurene Boym with Mooi studio... and that this collection of thrifted objects were shown at the prestigious Milan's furniture fair! Wow! Doesn't it make you want to go thrifting or Op shopping as we call it?!

What are the possibilities?! I am not sure that my brain works in such a creative way... I am only just starting to overcome my reticence in the op shopping department. When I was a kid we went to our local St. Vinnies every week (or that is my recollection)... I devour books, so I think it was a pretty economical way that my mum satisfied my need for a regular new book.

When I went to uni it was pretty cool to trawl through the musty shelves to find interesting things for dress up parties. I bought my first wedding dress at St. Vinnies! And I modified it into an angel's outfit... but of recent years I have found it a bit hard to overcome my dislike for the musty smells... But reading blogs have really spiked my interest in thrifting again. Besides it runs in my blood, my mum is a hard core op shopper, recently discovering a Chanel suit for $100... to bad it was too small & cream!

Here are my recent finds...

I don't even really like eggs but with those sweet little faces I just had to have these egg cups. On their base it reads "Genuine Anne Beate Design * Handmade in Denmark"... It just makes me wonder what journey they have been on, only to be found nestled on a table at a market stall. I think I might use them as candle holders... or just look at them on my desk. They still have their spoons which I think is pretty amazing.

Nicky has also been out & about at St. Vinnies and other places! She found these plastic cannisters... and spent time picking through piles of buttons. She even made friends with the little old ladies behind the counter, they had her sorting all the buttons into colours! Thats how you spot the best ones!

And something totally unrelated, Sally & Bekka asked me about the loop & bow on the side of the bib. I don't think my powers of description are up to describing the method. So to use the old adage "a picture is worth a 1000 words"... here is the diagram from Masaki's book I mention yesterday.

Happy thrifting folks! T

Sew Sweet:: Bib & Babe

2006-07-19T16:59:00.000+10:00

One of my friends from Uni (College) emailed to let me know that his first born, a little girl had safely arrived... Both mumma & babe are doing well, so my mind quickly jumped to the gift! This friend is a fantastic gift giver... when I turned 21 (not so long ago, Heh! Heh!) he made me a clay "Farside" cow. For another friend he painted a rustic Provencal type chair with a van Gogh inspired picture! So of course I wanted to make something!

So little Jemima was whipped up yesterday along with a matching bib. The neck tie for the bib was inspired by a Masaki Apron... when I have baby sitted I have always found it hard to tie a bib at the back when the little one in my care is screaming for food (do I sound like a nervous aunt!).

I used a pattern for the doll from Martha Stewart kids...

The September/ October 2004 edition.

I am also thinking about making these felt booties using this pattern from Martha as well. I really enjoyed making Jemima and I think I will be making another one soon as the babes seem to be coming think & fast at the moment! T

Sweet Eats:: A sweet discovery...

2006-07-18T11:39:00.000+10:00

Anyone who knows me well knows that when I travel, I like to plan a detailed itinerary. Super detailed. It doesn't necessarily have to be followed...I just like knowing what my options are, opening times etc...so I'm not wasting time looking for a place or disappointed if I turn up somewhere & it's closed! This extensive research also encompasses all things related to food. Restaurants, markets, specialist food stores, patisseries...they're all typed up in a spreadsheet!

On our last trip to Paris, we stayed again in the Latin Quarter...it's close to sights, there are lots of daily markets, restaurants & shops. We headed down the famous street, Rue Mouffetard...if you've seen the movie 'Amelie', this is the street where the man in the phonebox discovers his childhood treasure box. The lower end of the street is full of food shops spilling out onto the street, and it is here we unexpectedly discovered the amazing Xavier Le Quere patisserie...standing out in all its modern slickness. In a central glass case with overhead spotlights were the stars of the show...gorgeous little pastries like the raspberry tart I eventually decided upon.

Here's a pic of the store...you'll have to excuse my head being attached to the glass case...the hubbie always chuckles at this "typically Nicky" shot when in front of patisserie displays:

The packaging was sublime (I love that pastries over there are given such respect!), the price very reasonable (almost half the price of Pierre Herme's offerings)....and the tart was delicious. Crisp pastry & the juiciest raspberries! And that's the beauty I've found about travelling...sometimes all the planning in the world can't prepare you for the sweet surprises that you find...N

NB. I've just found out on another blog that the Xavier Le Quere store has recently moved (will keep you posted)...replaced by another patisserie, Pascal Caffet. Hmmm...another beauty about travelling...never finding your favourite haunts again...but at least, the chance to discover new ones!

Sweet & Soft: Leroy

2006-07-16T22:49:00.000+10:00

Meet little Leroy here. He aspires to be a wedding singer, rehashing all those 80's classic hits! I bet you can guess what his fav dessert must be! In his brown & white floral and ruffles, we think he'd give THE Wedding Singer (aka. Adam Sandler's character, Robbie Hart) a run for his money!

Yes, that movie's gotta be one of our fav's....is it the trip down memory lane with all that crazy geometric primary-coloured fashion, the lycra, the big hair...or is it just the awesome music?? No other decade did pop music like the 80's! Just the other day, Tiff, myself & our hubbies had a reminisce about 80's music. Past pop loves like A-ha, Banarama, Billy Joel and Michael Jackson came out of our collective memory banks (I confess....A-ha was mine!!). I even confessed the first album I bought as a wee 10-year old was Olivia Newton John's "Soul Kiss". Hmmm....are we showing our age or what?!

Leroy has yet to show off his talents at the market, but we're sure people will be floored by his Culture Club renditions! N

Sweet inspiration :: Story book dreams

2006-07-14T12:07:00.000+10:00

My dad says that I am a dreamer... Living in the land of the "Faraway Tree". I don't deny it! Story books have always captured my imagination... I have always been able to disappear into the world of pixies, childhood adventures and sweets that grow and grow in your mouth til they explode with goodness! It must be genetic, my youngest brother was captured for years by the story book "Home for a bunny".

I am sure that part of this fascination was because of the pictures.... and I have discovered some amazing Japanese story book pictures! Apparently these were created in the 20's & 30's... before the age of the computer. To me they are exquisite, you can see the time taken to design these beauties.

It makes me think about how things have changed... who can get by without a computer? Not me! We wouldn't be able to blog for one thing! My husband and his friend used to be hired for their ability to illustrate... with much sadness for them they now find they are hired to use their computers! With less time to draw & colour by hand... the whole process is much quicker but it just isn't the same...

Other storybook gems from the past can be found at the Rosetta Project. Old & rare children's books are scanned into the computer and are being saved for generations to come. You can even download them! Great idea.

Seeing these books online has made me want to scour a few garage sales & oppourtunity shops to see if I can find some old "Milly Molly Mandy", Enid Blyton or even some old Little Golden Books. T

Sew Sweet:: Bags of Goodness

2006-07-13T22:20:00.000+10:00

Want one of these bags? Or maybe both? I do... and if I needed more convincing there is even a close up of the different possible details...

And it is just possible that I can make it! Yee gods! With the help of this Japanese craft book...

It comes with a plan for a week worth of lessons, with step by step instructions complete with diagrams & pictures.

Even with this guide and the possibilities that I could have both bags I have a feeling it might end up on the backburner as Nicky & I are trying to stockpile all our market goodies... because I just might be off to Tokyo soon! Yay! T

Sweet Eats:: The sweetest surprise...

2006-07-11T11:29:00.000+10:00

On Sunday we caught up with some good friends Soo & Jono and their kids for lunch. Soo had recently mentioned to me that thanks to trawling all those crafty blogs out there...her old passion for sewing had been rekindled and she had been gradually amassing some fabrics and whipping things up with her sewing machine.

Well, nothing quite prepared me for the sweetest surprise Soo presented me with. Tied up with stripey ribbon was a copy of Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme (!!) and a lovely oven mitt she made from a quilting book by Denyse Schmidt. I was absolutely gobsmacked by her generosity....and her sewing skills! She obviously knew about our reverence for the master patissier that is Pierre Herme...and maybe even my fixation with spotty fabric?! It was the most perfect and unexpected gift in every way. I love them...thank you so much Soo! You've really inspired me to get going on my sewing...

Here is some spotty detail on the oven mitt....

The cover of the book...

And here are some of the delectable goodies inside (Warning: do not view if your tummy is rumbling even the slightest!):

Chocolate macaroons...

Chocolate-filled millefeuille (& you know how obsessed we are with these)...

Chocolate cigarettes (I see more tuile-rolling in my future!)...

Warm chocolate & raspberry tart...

The Concorde (you gotta love a cake with a name like that!)...

....And so it goes on....pages after pages of choccy recipes, some of which look reasonably do-able & others that are in another league!! I don't know where to start...licking the pages is not an option! N

Sweet & Soft :: Amisha

2006-07-09T21:37:00.000+10:00

This is little Amisha... the budding Bollywood dancer, her favourite dessert is Kulfi.

I love a bit of Bollywood.. my favourite movie list is littered with Indian -English films... Bride & Predjudice, Bend it like Beckham just to name two. One of my Indian friends is going to marry a guy from the Punjabi region, this is where Bollywood type dancing apparently is from. Her region have their own style, so she has to go for lessons so she is up to form at the wedding reception... I have already volunteered to go with her! Unfortunately little Amisha is on her way to London so she won't be able to come along! T

Sweet Inspiration! Heartful Style

2006-07-06T14:37:00.000+10:00

Colour combinations... you just don't know how important they are! Some can remind me of childhood, trips to Paris, make me happy or serene. Anthropolgie is a master of colour & their combinations- why else would I feel so happy when I get the chance to go there? Why else would I walk out with a butter yellow jacket? My boy always chuckles when he goes in there, he says all the girls look so happy, they can't stop smiling and kissing their husbands. Does he know he only gets kisses after the purchase?

Here are some yummy colour combinations. Momo sent me a wad of Japanese papers that I love to look at...

And a metal snowflakes that I have still got to decide where to hang!

She also sent me a Masaki book! Heartful style...

Some of Masaki's inspirations...

Masaki's daughter designed this little sheep... and now it is in her store on cups and other things. What a great idea! I think I am going to steal it.

Tips on how to wrap a present...

And shopping tips, when you are in London...

Feeling inspired to go and clean up my craft area & make it special! T

Sew Sweet: Button bounty

2006-07-05T21:45:00.000+10:00

Today we spent the day making hair accessories that have become a popular addition to our weekly market stall. They consist of fabric-covered buttons and like our softies, are made from fabrics rescued from the manufacturing process. We love the colour combinations when we mix them up altogether...they look like colourful sweets!

Initially, we tested the market waters with our hair ties...and we realised girls (of all ages!) really like to wear "bobbles" in their hair, harking back to the days when we were little kids in pigtails! Thanks to the great response, we have only recently branched out into making hair clips and these are also a hit, almost outselling the hair ties! There are lots of fabrics to choose from and some people have a hard time deciding which ones they want...

In fact, we have been so busy making the hair accessories for the market...that we haven't even had a chance to make any for ourselves! Tiff was even picking her favourites today as we made them...until we came to the conclusion that we each need a set of all of them! I think we have our work cut out for us for some time yet...N

Sweet Eats:: Martha's Cocoa Buttermilk Cake

2006-07-04T08:27:00.000+10:00

"This is my kinda cake... it hugs the heart & makes it warm by wrapping it in a thick film of butter. I can feel it snuggled around my aorta" ~ my brother-in-law

All this lyrical description was brought on by a slice of Martha Stewart's June Cake, a Cocoa Buttermilk offering with scrolled tuiles. If dense, rich, chocolatey & buttery is your idea of dessert heaven, then this one is for you...

It has been pretty cold around here, being winter and all... so we found that butter just doesn't soften. We sliced it up into small chunks to aid the process. But still to no avail after 30 mins or so. So we decided to measure out all the ingredients and put them in little containers to kill some more time. Still no softening. So I created a steam bath ... the butter had 5 mins at the spa!

Did I mention there was a whole lot of butter in this recipe... seems to be a theme of Martha's Year of Cakes!

The bottom chunks started to melt... and we didn't want that, so we quickly whipped it off. Most of the chunks weren't soft yet but we didn't have time to waste (could this be because Nicky & I had spent the morning at a fabric sale!) & had to use them a bit hard anyways.

We didn't really have any dramas with this cake (unlike other months)... just a bit of buttermilk spillage.

A whole lot of chocolate...

Alot of frosting action...

I thought the tuiles were the best bit. I am not sure how people do this on their own. We found that if you even left them for half a minute they would cease up and crumble when you try to roll them. As soon as the baking tray hit the bench Nicky was in with the spatula lifting the edges. I didn't even wait til she had got the whole thing loosened before I was grabbing & pulling them off to wrap around the rolling pin. Asbestos hands is what you need! Insert sounds effects like "yikes" & "ouch" in here!

For us it turned out to be a bit of a boy's cake. Whilst we were picking at the crumbs... Nicky's husband has been eating it for breakfast (usually it is biscuits!) & my boy has been hankering for more frosting between the layers! He must be crazy, or something is going on with his palate, but he insists that he needs the balance, equal cake to frosting! I was scrapping the stuff off!

Last month's cake we timed for Mother's Day & this month we used it as a birthday cake, as did another. Kill 2 birds with one cake and all that.

Here is Martha's version:

Our grown ups version:

And the kid's version for my niece...

I think it looks a bit scrap booking for my taste, but I was tired and didn't have it in me to create more decorations.

Easy peasy (I hope) pound cakes this month! Yay! Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any events on our calendar, we might just have to eat them all ourselves! T

P.S Check out others who have made this cake here. Four of us seem to be keeping the challenge alive so far!

Sweet & Soft: Long John

2006-07-02T18:30:00.000+10:00

Say "Ahoy!" to little Long John here. We're not sure if his creation was inspired by the second Pirates of the Caribbean movie being released here in Oz next week, or if it was just pure coincidence! Anyways, when not sailing the high seas or plundering loot, Long John aspires to be a Treasurer and his favourite dessert is rum balls!

Tiff has recently said that picking softie favourites can somehow jinx them at the market...but we just couldn't help it & had to name Long John as our favourite thus far! And lo & behold we jinxed him all right. While people picked him up & admired him...he just couldn't find a new home yesterday! But our fellow stallholder buddy - the lovely Ro - was very taken with Long John and told us to make sure he goes to a good home; she said if we're not sure about the character of his future guardians...to tell them that he's already spoken for!

Oh well, looks like we'll be looking after him this week. His eye is bigger than his stomach, so we told him to go easy on those rum balls...they can be quite intoxicating for a little guy like him! N

Sew Sweet:: Polkadots!

2006-06-30T22:35:00.000+10:00

One of my favourite blogs belongs to a Japanese blog friend, Momo. She used to live in Australia but has now returned to Japan. It is great to know someone who is a part of both these countries... selfishly it is an interpretation of Japanese goodness into English! After posting a few comments on each other's blogs I think I read that she couldn't get any freezer paper, if memory serves me correctly! ... And as these things happen in lovely blogland we decided to do a swap! Our first blog to blog, non-organised event!

On Momo's first post she mentioned that we could read her blog whilst drinking a cup of tea... I love tea, it runs in my blood... the tea leaf originally coming from China (Dad's side) & having an English mother with a pot always on the boil. I can't relax properly if I don't have a cup of the freshly brewed stuff! It seems Momo is a girl after my own heart! Whilst we are freezing here in Sydney I am guzzling down loads of hot tea, but I have got the feeling that it is absolutely sweltering in the Northern Hemisphere. A good time for a refreshing Ice Tea, with coasters of course.

These coasters were made from the "fat quarters" that Nicky & I both discovered & hoarded at the craft fair... I don't like to cut into pretty fabric but I am trying hard to get over this affliction! This is one of my first steps in a 12 step program!

Momo sent me some lovely things from Japan... the light was very dull today, so when the sun shines I will take some photos & show you her generosity.

On another note, you may have noticed that we are prefacing our titles of late. We are trialling a new system! Yep trying to get organised... we plan to do 4 posts each week in the areas of Sweet & Soft, Sweet Eats, Sweet Inspiration & Sew Sweet. Blogging has made us much more creative & camera toting people... but sometimes we have found that we don't have any time to get any work done! So hopefully this will work out & our blog will be more focused. One downfall we have already noticed is that although we have completed our Martha Stewart cake for this month, as of today... we will have to wait & post it up next week!

By the way, clever Momo has started an etsy store selling her hand embroidered fabric covered buttons & other goodies... Japanese craft books to come! Yay! T

Raspberry Darjeeling Tea
From Donna Hay Magazine

1/2 Cup sugar
1.25 cups (180g/6oz) raspberries
4.5 cups (2 pints) boiling water
1.5 tablespoons of darjeeling tea leaves
ice cubes

- Place the tea in a heatproof jug, pour over boiling water and infuse
for 5 mins.
- Strain the tea and set aside to cool.
- Crush the raspberries with the back of a fork, then add the raspberry pulp & juice to the tea the sugar.
- Whisk to combine & serve over ice. Serves 4.

Sweet Inspiration! Fashion Market II

2006-06-29T21:04:00.000+10:00

The last time I was in Singapore I trawled through the amazing "Page One" book stores. I could spend hours (actually I have spent hours) in there... they have the most amazing range of cook books from around the globe and an eye boggling range of design books. Baggage overload to the max!

This is the little tome I scored last visit... called Fashion Market II... it is 13 interviews with stall holders from Old Spitalfields Market & Up Market by Yi-Ying Wang. It gives an insight into the people, their designs & work spaces. I find it really inspiring, as a market stallholder myself to see people doing it really well....

My favourite is "As Twee As It Can Be". These three girls seem to be dreaming the same dream as us... to have a store with a studio out the back (Oops, did I type that out loud!).

I love the hand stitching of quirky sayings & they have cupcakes! I know I would spend a few pounds if I walked past this stall.

Love their work space... & I think I could kill for a Pingu fridge!

I can't seem to find a web site for them, but other than the Up Market the book says they sell at "our shop" in Kingly court in London. One of my favourite destinations in London... I always find something totally unique there... I could spend the same money at a chain store and have the same thing as a 1000 others or get some thing special... and next time I am going to look out for these guys! T

Up Market
In The Old Truman Brewery
Cnr Of Hanbury St & Brick Lane
On Sundays

Spitalfield's Market
105a Commerical Street
Spitalfield
Open 7 days

Nearest Tube Station: Liverpool St & Aldgate East

Sweet Eats: Snacks...& more snacks

2006-06-27T11:15:00.000+10:00

Last Friday, Tiff & I took the day off to take our Mums to the annual Good Food & Wine Show at Darling Harbour. It was part of our Mother's Day present to them and it had been a couple of years since we had been, so we were really looking forward to seeing what was on offer!

The show basically gathers food and wine companies under one roof to showcase their products and gives the public an opportunity to try them and buy them on the spot. There's no need to have lunch here with so many goodies to sample....chocolate, jams, teas, dips, olive oils, spices, nougat, biscuits, dried fruits, soups, curries, cheeses...the list goes on. There were even kitchenware suppliers & our Mums got sucked in by that bastion of home demo parties...Tupperware. We particularly enjoyed the big Italian stand that sold coffee, pastas, antipasti and the most divine balsamic vinegar (which I later bought):

There was also a chance to check out Aussie celebrity chefs in the Celebrity Theatre & we had booked in to see Australia's answer to Martha Stewart....Donna Hay. Her cooking demonstration consisted of four simple ten-minute dinners. There was a bit of humour thrown in & the audience got to ask questions...here she is in action:

I think my Mum was quite impressed cos afterwards we proceeded to the Donna Hay stand where she bought a great value sample bag including a cookbook of these quick dinners. Mind you, none of us left empty-handed - Tiff & I stocked up on the latest Donna Hay Kids issue & some back issues (half the price of buying them on-line). At the Le Cordon Bleu stand (known for its international cooking school), I bought a fantastic Desserts cookbook with detailed step-by-step instructions on dessert techniques. Here is my bounty from the day including coffee, nougat, dukkah, honey and salmon jerky (!?):

There were so many great value deals at the stands...but our bags were so laden with food and magazines we really had to think twice about making purchases cos we'd have to carry them! My mum said next time she will bring a little wheelie-trolley. Then again, maybe it's a good thing to only buy what you can carry...otherwise we'd be out of pocket plenty more! Our stomachs were so full & our bodies exhausted that we didn't even venture to do any wine-tasting. Who knew that snacking could be such hard work! N

Sweet & Soft: And the winner is....

2006-06-25T22:46:00.000+10:00

A big thank you to all you kind souls for your best wishes for our 100th post! Thank you also for sharing your favourite Sweet Little Treats...we had a great time reading them and we're glad we're not the only ones obssessed with sweet things! After some deliberation on our part...hmmm, yes I really love a sticky date pud in winter I said....it was agreed that Ali had to be the winner! While we also both have a soft spot for macaroons, it was the florentines that drew us in! We confess that apart from our millefeuille missions, we are also on florentine missions!

Congratulations Ali! Drop us an email with your details & Milly will be on her way to you! May you have many sweet adventures together! If there's not a millefeuille in sight, I'm sure she won't mind a florentine or two! N

What is your favourite Sweet Little Treat?

2006-06-21T13:00:00.000+10:00

Yesterday was something for us.... now something for you to celebrate our 100 posts! If you like the little Rescue Softie below please leave a comment, letting us know what your favourite Sweet Little Treat is. You have until Saturday... on Sunday we will make our choice and let you know who it is.

This is Milly made from Japanese material rescued from the fashion manufacturing process. When she grows up she wants to be a Milliner & her favourite dessert? Millefeuille of course! So get commenting... and yes anyone can comment, friends you can join in too! (but we won't be biased... don't worry).T

100 Treats!

2006-06-20T20:19:00.000+10:00

This is our 100th post! When we started blogging both of us were worried that we wouldn't have anything to post up. Who would have thought that we would have so much to say about sweet little treats? Okay, other than our husbands! We are really enjoying the blogging world... it is so positive & fun. The Martha Stewart "Year of Cakes" has driven us to make cakes we never thought we could... in tandem with others from around the world. We have participated in swaps here, here & here. We have even been mentioned here. The best part is meeting new sweet peeps! Our blogging friends! We even got to meet some face to face here!

To celebrate, Nicky & I treated ourselves to our most favourite place for patisserie in Sydney, La Renaissance. Both of us have a thing for Millefeuilles... In Paris our favourites are Pierre Herme & Sadaharu Aoki. But we aren't very often in Paris! So when we are home and need a fix... we seek out at this Rocks establishment. Their pastry is crispy & crunchy... not a hint of sogginess. The vanilla creme patissiere is so smooth & sleek. But the best bit is the caramelised icing sugar... not overwhelming, but for me the highlight.

Nicky tried the Cherry Michael... to be a bit adventurous (I just can't go past the MF!). It was made with sour cherries and apparently was tart, moist & full of juicy cherriness. It must have been good as it disappeared almost as quickly as my Millefeuille! The patisserie isn't the only thing that is so appealing about this place... it is the French service! Sometimes when you take too long to make up your mind which treat you are going to order you quickly find you have been ignored & have to wait again! This always makes me laugh...the full experience! T

La Renaissance Patisserie Francaise
47 Argyle Street
The Rocks Sydney 2000
T. 02) 9241 4878
Open 7 Days - 8.30am to 6.00pm

Winter warmer

2006-06-17T21:52:00.000+10:00

Well, just so we won't be accused of foodie fraudulence as Tiff mentioned below...let me share a foodie experience I had last night.

For the Chinese (& many other cultures for that matter), the act of eating is very much about gathering with family & friends to share a meal. And nothing beats this more than getting together with friends for a Chinese steamboat dinner, as the hubbie & I did last night.

For those not in the know, steamboat consists of pots of homemade broth constantly on the boil on little gas stoves placed on the table. Into it are thrown anything that you fancy...sliced meats, seafood, fish balls, beef balls, eggs, vermicelli (or noodle of your choice)...and loads & loads of Asian greens. I call it the Asian fondue. You then scoop out the contents with little mesh spoons, accompanying the food with all manner of condiments & sauces (last night I had a mix of hoisin sauce with some laksa paste...sweet with chilli....mmm, very nice)....& eat! Food is constantly added, the stock is regularly topped up & by the end, you have this wonderful tasty soup to drink from all the goodies cooking in it. It's filling, it's messy, it feels healthy (everything is boiled) & it's very social cos everyone gets involved (as you can see above).

At last night's gathering, we had a market garden's worth of Asian vegies & we were eating for about 2 hours. We were stuffed! But it was a great winter warmer. I don't think I could have this too often, although my mother-in-law recently mentioned putting on a steamboat before winter's end....hmmm, I think I should be ok by then! N

Friday :: Red

2006-06-16T14:43:00.000+10:00

Red is pretty big in Chinese culture... so much of the traditions seem to centre on good fortune and long life. The two colours that have come to symbolise these good things are gold & red. Yep it can get a bit gaudy at times especially at special occasions like weddings & births! I wore one of those traditional tight slip of silk red cheong sams with the high collar at my wedding. Half of me is English... and that half found it very difficult to breathe in for the 2 hour duration that I wore that thing! Since then I have really adopted red as my "signature" colour.

My desk is red... my cabinets are red.. kitchen aid is red... kitchen wall is red... fruit bowl is red... kitchen bin is red... Yep! Love it...

On Sunday Nicky & I are meeting up with other Sydney food bloggers.... having said other food bloggers makes me feel a bit fraudulent as I don't think we have mentioned food this week! So to prove our worthiness I am in the midst of putting together a postcard for another recipe I found in my mum's old cook book for Sago pudding.

On another food front I was listening to ABC radio (our public broadcaster) yesterday & Virginia Trioli had Damien Pignolet of Bistro Moncur as her guest. The segment is called "The Knack"-where chefs share special techniques to get your home cooking up to restaurant quality. Yesterday it was pastry and he shared a recipe... it seems he double blind bakes & there were tips like putting your food processor bits in the fridge before using them. I didn't hear the whole interview as I was driving through a tunnel next to a semi-trailer at the time. Not great sound quality. Hopefully the tips are on the website!

And to end... the cutest kid in red!

Well I think so! T

Thursday + 1:: Blue

2006-06-16T14:21:00.000+10:00

Okay! I know I am late with my blueness... Here it is! I was outside on the balcony catching a bit of winter sun with a cup of tea. Harrods Tea. I ration the stuff out because it is so good and I never seem to buy enough of it when I am in London. It is all brewing away in my favourite teapot from Afternoon Tea (the best shop in the world) and in my favourite Lisa & Gaspard mug. Life is so much better when you use your favourite things!

The polkatdot bags and the squares of blue fabric are something for my blogging friend Momo. I am off to post them now and then I will have to think about something red before it is tomorrow!

Some more winter blue:

Horlicks the pup is sick. He has Kennel cough... he has never been anywhere near a kennel mind you, but he has managed to pick up the little bug. He has doggy antibiotics and doggy cough syrup. The worst part is that he needs to be in isolation from other dogs for 2 whole weeks! He is used to gallivanting with his buddies every day for about two hours... so we have had to go for long... long walks. So long that half way up the fifth hill yesterday I needed to lie down on the grass. I think by the end of all this I will have lost a couple of kilos and improved my fitness (trying to be Pollyanna!).

The photo is of Sydney park... it used to be a rubbish dump but now it is a puppy playground of hills & dales that after all our rain is green enough for the telly tubbies to waddle on. T

Crazy craftsters!

2006-06-15T11:55:00.000+10:00

We headed off to our first Craft & Quilt Fair yesterday, not knowing what to expect but hoping to find some crafty goodies and maybe some supplies for our business exploits. What we did find was a mass of crazy craftsters, all jostling & edging their way around the exhibitor stalls...some of the queues were 5-deep! And this was a weekday! Tiff & I were looking at each other with bemusement, especially when we overheard one craftser tell an exhibitor she's in town for all 5 days of the fair! Wow, these people are full-on!

The fair consisted mainly of quilt & knitting retailers, but there were also quite a few stationery & scrapbooking stalls, workshops to attend and the Bead Fair was also running concurrently. We found it all a little overwhelming & things started to blur & look the same after a while! But we did manage to pick up some lovely fabric pieces, giggling at the quilting term for these "fat squares"...or was that "fat quarters"? Ok, can you tell neither of us quilt?! Here is the delicious selection I purchased:

I love them!! I think I will need to keep them out, cos every time I look at them they make me smile! Being a craft newbie, I have absolutely no fabric collection to speak of. But I think buying these has created a fabric monster...a bit like the handbag monster that I already am!

Both of us had to restrain from buying any more...especially as we need to save our pennies for next week's food & wine fair! And we know there'll be a tonne of goodies there! N

Wednesday :: Black/ Grey

2006-06-14T08:18:00.000+10:00

I think little Foong here is my favourite black/grey thing at the moment... although I hesitate to have a favourite softie because they end up JINXED! Before we go to the market and I am happily sewing on the faces I can't help myself, I have to nominate which softie I like the best.... but there is a whole lotta trouble with this. The one I choose always gets lots of cuddles but it takes a couple of weeks for them to find a home. Others (non-favourites) dash off the moment they hit the table. Weird.

Foong is a fortune cookie maker whose favourite dessert is of course fortune cookies! He is made from some Japanese fabric picturing the great wave. Japanese just know how to use the neutral colours so well together.

As I mentioned last post... Nicky & I are off to the craft fair today. Hopefully I will find something for the lovely Momo there. T

Tuesday :: Brown

2006-06-13T22:40:00.001+10:00

I think I am a bit slow to cotton on to things happening in blogland! Last time the colour week was on I noticed on Thursday and loved it. Although I didn't actively participate it really enhanced my walks around our neighbourhood... I saw the oranges, reds, browns... everywhere.

So it is Tuesday and my radar seems a little bit more in tune... at least I was getting my little birds fix! So here is my favourite brown, espresso coffee in a glass. Not coffee in one of those take-away paper thingies...

I guess it signifies time with friends.... time to sit... time to sip that nutty goodness. Today it was time with my oldest friend (not in age, but in time known... since the vulnerable age of 13) to hear about her first trip to the glorious Spain.

I also found this picture of white for yesterday... I guess there is a lot of black, but to me that is what makes the white of the cherry blossom so brilliant. I posted a picture similar to this previously, but I think I like this one better.

Going to the craft fair tomorrow... wonder if there is any black/grey there! T

Kitty & the city- Back Tack ends

2006-06-12T14:17:00.001+10:00

Here is Samantha, a real city kitty who is my Back Tack offering for Allison.

I tried to be as pure as possible about the Back Tack project... I loved its premise. Same patterns, 5 buttons, recipient's monogram, black & white plus one other colour and the interesting part... how each of us would interpret all of this and make a softie. And with all this everyone has created something different. Love it!

So I chose the wee pointy kitty... a pattern I had been eyeing off but for all the other projects had never attempted. I really like the pointy bits! The trial kitty was made out of some cotton gingham... and believe the warning this is not an easy creature to turn inside out! Samantha was made with white herringbone fabric that I iron-on transferred my design onto. Did you know that this iron-on stuff makes fabric feel & act like vinyl?! AAArgh! I didn't think about it... but turning a wee vinyl pointy kitty inside out is for crazy people! It took me over 1 and a half hours! And in the end I had to give up on the tail... sorry Allison she has a stumpy tail!

The reason she is called Samantha is because I was pondering who on this earth would wear white vinyl? It would have to be Samantha from "Sex & the city"! Allison, she is only young, so there may be hope to reform her... but I had to give her that slightly bling button around her neck in case she wishes to live up to her name sake!

I also made up some other offerings for Allison to hopefully distract her from Samantha's tail...

...some matching extra bits:

...and there are some other fun things for Allison & Tilly that they will discover!

Looking forward to seeing the gallery of all the other creations and to not lying awake at 1am wondering if my softie was good enough! T

Little ray of sunshine!

2006-06-10T20:13:00.000+10:00

On Thursday a little ray of sunshine came to Sydney. It didn't last long, but while it was here Horlicks the pup & I ran about in it... we went straight to a reserve down from Nicky's.

On the way back I noticed that the local bushcare group has transformed some ugly cyclone fencing into art. With a few scraps of fabric they have changed some urban ugliness into something that makes me smile every time I walk past.

I think this is a stork...

willy wag tail...

sparrow...

rosella...

It is raining again, but for a drought sticken country we can't be complaining about that. T

Buon giorno Principessa!

2006-06-08T18:46:00.000+10:00

I am still trying to be Italian and in my continuing quest to discover my adoptive roots I headed around to Ana's with mum & Nicky for our second cooking lesson - Amaretti Biscotti! Again the day was filled with giggling, eating & yummy smells filling the air... Here is the recipe and our photographic journal... that we took in the hope we can still be Italian at home!

Ana's Amaretti

Ingredients
1 kilo Almonds
1 doz egg whites
600g Caster sugar
50ml Almond Essence
Icing sugar for dusting

Preset the oven to 190C

1. I thought that I would be picking up the Almond meal from the shops. But no... we made our own. I don't know why, but Nicky & I were a bit blown away by this. We had never even considered doing this, but Ana assures us the Almond meal will become tired if made in advance! Okay first step is to blanch the Almonds for a few mins.
2. Dry the Almonds in the oven- don't toast.
3. Then get your handy Almond mill and get milling. Here is an action shot of Nicky (after our tomato milling last time we are wondering what we will be doing on our next lesson!) grinding through the kilo.

The result is a massive bowl of meal.

4. Gently mix the meal & the castor sugar together. You should try and keep the air in as much as possible. Don't squeeze!
5. Add the Almond Essence to the whites.
6. In a constant stream add the whites to the meal & sugar.... if you are just making this by yourself Ana says to tip it in all at once.
7. Mix the whole lot together gently. We were still trying to keep as much air in the mixture as possible. Ana kept saying "Don't squeeze"!
8. Pinch off a small amount then roll around in your hand until it is a ball. Don't press it together. Here is Ana's hand in action!

9. Toss the ball in icing sugar.

10. Set the balls out on a tray lined with baking paper. Make sure the tray is not too crowded to allow good air flow around each biscotti.
11. Gently push an almond or small piece of glace cherry onto each ball. The ball should flatten a bit. Sometimes we didn't push the almond in enough and it didn't look as good perched on the top.

12. Place tray in oven for 15- 20 mins or until golden brown.

This recipe makes about 88 biscotti. If you don't like a strong marzipan taste (like me) I would reduce the amount of Almond Essence. Nicky knows of a recipe that just uses Vanilla Essence, I think that would be nice.

It didn't take much time to make these tasty morsels which left us ample time to enjoy some lunch... which Ana had been preparing when we arrived in the morning, slow cooked Italian sausage & tomato sauce with home made spaghetti. This is why I want to be Italian... to live la dolce vita! Ciao! T

Work or play?

2006-06-07T18:19:00.000+10:00

Tiff & I neeeeed an office. Really badly. Yes, it has dawned on us that we need a space just for work. To focus. To be more efficient. To stash our boxes of t-shirts, fabric hoards and other sewing paraphenalia. To reclaim our homes as personal living spaces. Our home offices have taken over our homes! The photo above is of my dining table...split down the middle between our work stuff and my personal recipe collating project.

The other night, my hubbie (who's the chef in our household) asked me to set the table for dinner. I said, "What table???" I try to tidy up before he gets home from work, but sometimes I just don't get round to it! And then last night, hubbie & I had dinner on the coffee table, Japanese-style. Hmmm, don't think we can continue this for too much longer - the mess is driving me crazy! And I won't go into what our spare room/home office looks like.......but let's just say when we have guests over, the door remains closed at all times!

So we've been on the hunt for a small office for our business, but we haven't had much luck yet. We are hoping something pops up soon...cos we need to reclaim some of our sanity! N