Beautiful,Strange&Magnificent

Roast Capsicum and Feta Ravioli..Delicious!

2011-03-21T18:45:00.002+13:00

Just had my first attempt at homemade pasta and was extremely happy with the result! It doesn't look that pretty but I'm sure we can work on that. Here's the recipe if your'e brave enough to give it a go..xx

Pasta Dough
1 Cup finely sifted flour
3 Eggs

Combine in blender until soft then knead thoroughly and roll out with loads of flour on a flat surface. Love the way the dough feels at this stage, so light and fluffy! You want to get it as thin as possible, but make sure it doesn't stick to the board.
Use a knife or cookie cutters to cut the dough into shapes.

Filling
Before making the dough chop a red capsicum into quarters and grill in the oven till soft.
Chop thinly and mix with around 200grams of feta. Add a dash of Balsamic Vinegar.
Option - Roast capsicum could be easily and tastily replaced with sundried tomatoes.

Once you have your dough cut in to shapes you can start putting a spoonful of the filling in the centre of each and then placing another shape on top. Seal the pasta by pressing a fork around the edges.

Boil 4-5 Ravioli at a time in simmering water. Make sure the water isn't boiling heavily as this will seperate the pasta.

After 5-8 minutes remove each piece of ravioli and place on a ovenproof dish with a little extra-virgin olive oil until all ravioli is cooked.

I served my Ravioli with a creamy garlic sauce, using garlic, white wine, cream and a teaspoon of feta but this pasta would also be great with a mushroom sauce, pesto sauce or light tomato sauce.

Hope you enjoy it!
Love always,
CrystalJane...x

Feeling Lucky...

2011-03-21T10:17:00.000+13:00

Definately puts your amazing life in perspective. xx

Summer...

2010-10-14T08:43:00.000+13:00

Yay, summer holidays are so close! Woke up this morning with that nostaligic feeling of long and lazy school holidays at college. I feel as though I never worked but always seemed to have money? Now its definately the other way round... but lucky me (?) im moving back in with the parents for my university holidays. Hopefully this should save me a bit of money. Hoping desperately to get a Nannying job... theres not many jobs where you can laze at the park, do some baking and then get crafty so fingers crossed that works out!

As i do every season I tried to write my summer wishlist the other day and it was surprisingly short! Just get me some wicked heels and lots of dresses and ill be happy! Cant wait for luscious dresses every day decorated with gorgeous accessories. Soo big on accessories at the moment. Loving this ring from Etsy.com

Was going to put some pics of my fave dresses for this season but lappy tappy is a bit slow this moring and im dying for a coffe and a cigarette so ill post them tomorrow.. oh the anticipation...

Love always...

CrystalJane..x

Daily Dose #3

2010-08-19T21:37:00.002+12:00

Im pretty sure I missed a day of daily dose, but Im back!! Should be studying.. but procrastination seemed more exciting.. so here it is, daily dose #3...

Beautiful... One of my favourite artists is Audrey Kawasaki, Her paintings are beautifully sensual, feminine and flirtatious. I first discovered her at the fantastic Outre Gallery in Melbourne city centre and have been a big fan since! Check out her website at  http://www.audrey-kawasaki.com/. 

Outre Gallery also features several of my other favourites including Mark Ryden and Miss Van.   

Strange... Some silly, silly laws from around the world.. enjoy. :)

In North Carolina, it is against the law for dogs and cats to fight.
In Florida, it is against the law to put livestock on a school bus.
In Miami, it is forbidden to imitate an animal.
In New Jersey, cabbage can't be sold on Sunday.
In California, a law created in 1925 makes it illegal to wiggle while dancing.
In Missouri, a man must have a permit to shave.

Haha, well I said around the world but turns out its all the US.. typical.

Magnificent... 

    Love.

CrystalJane..x

Daily Dose #2

2010-08-17T20:35:00.001+12:00

Beautiful... This love letter project was started by an amazing girl that decided to write 300 love letters to all sorts of different people and send them on the outside of the envelope so that whoever came in contact with it could read it. Why?? Just to spread the love and intimacy that is lacking in our world. How fucking beautiful.. check it out for inspiration and feel the love, but be warned, some of its x-rated ;).. xo 

Strange... Spontaneous human combustion. Its real. Scientifically proven. People can actually just suddenly explode to death. Craaazy!! This might be common knowledge but I only just found out. Remains have been found that exploded at temperatures over 3000 degrees and havent burnt anything else in the room. Except maybe a melted candle and burn marks on the exact spot where the person was. People have spontaneously combusted in bed and there sheets are still ok. WTF?? Witnesses hear no noise and say it happens really quickly. Would love to know of any tips to prevent SHC?? Haha.  
Unexplained: Spontaneous Human Combustion [VHS] 

Magnificent... The feeling you get when you fall in love all over again with someone that you are madly, deeply and very crazily in love with already. 
Possibly the most magnificent of all magnificentness.

I want!!!

2010-08-17T19:27:00.002+12:00

Please buy me these for mid winter christmas. We can be friends forever.

Blue Heel Booties - $23.99

Available on Ebay

Thanks babes!

CrystalJane..x

Daily Dose #1

2010-08-16T21:31:00.002+12:00

Beautiful - Found this gorgeous pic on a blog by a photographer 'Ibai Acevedo' from Barcelona. This collection is called 'photographing dreams'. All of the photos in this collection give a sense of being in an ethereal dream-like state by playing with the colours and changing the focus to the background. Absolutely love it and hope you guys enjoy it too.. www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/photographing-dreams-15-photos

Strange - This incredible island is called Socotra and lives just off Yemen. It has ridicilously strange plants, and trees that look like mushrooms. Heaps of their native fauna and flora can't be found anywhere else in the world! Kinda creepy, you almost expect aliens to jump out but its definately on my destination list!
http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html

Magnificent - Pomegrenate Ice cream

Found this deliciously magnificent recipe on prettyshinysparkly.com and had to share it with you after making it last night! Texture is really nice and smooth, and the pomegrenate is like a subtle sorbet flavour. So so easy and would be absolutely impressive at a dinner party!

¾ C pomegranate juice

¼ C lime juice

1½ C sugar

2 C thickened cream

Pour ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk until peaks form.

Pour into an old icecream container and make sure you put the lid on so that it doesn't get little icicles.

Freeze for around 7 hours.... then serve! Yum...

If you dont have an icecream container then any dish sealed well with gladwrap will do the job. Also very magnificent.. the nail polish colour! Mint by revlon. :)

Thanks for reading my first daily dose of Beautiful,Strange and Magnificent!

See you tomorrow sweets,

CrystalJane..x

Wardrobe

2010-08-16T09:07:00.001+12:00

Ughh.. have decided I am not getting out of bed this morning because I can feel the dread of 'nothing to wear' starting already. How many days have you spent sitting around in your bath towel frustrated and completely uninspired by your wardrobe?? As a poor student, its pretty hard to keep up with the latest without being a little bit creative. Thankfully my family is fairly generous with their seconds so I usually have a couple of 'new' items every week. Its just a matter of finding what to wear with what and how.

Since its winter over here in NZ, jeans and long sleeves are pretty essential but I can see my pretty skirts and dresses are feeling a bit lonely and left out so today we are gonna brave the cold and invest in a new (non-laddered) pair of stockings. 

  Loving dresses and skirts over tights.. checked shirts.. heeled booties.. long messy hair.. leather and lace.. chunky bangles.. floral and feminine.. 

Ok..time to get up. But atleast im prepared for the impending dissapointment when I open those drawers.. 

Bye for now babes!

CrystalJane..x

Cocktail Candy..

2010-08-15T22:30:00.002+12:00

My favourite summer cocktail is the Vanilla Caprioska..Strong, refreshing and classy. Here's my easy-peasy recipe!

60mls Vanilla Vodka

2 tablespoons sugar

1 lime

1 cup ice

Cut up lime and squeeze juice into shaker. Add remaining ingredients and the rest of the lime.

Shake and strain into a short glass filled with ice.

Vanilla not your flavour? Try it with Chambord - raspberry liquer

Frangelico - hazelnut liquer

Any vodka, plain or flavoured.

Drink responsibly! Haha..

CrystalJane..x

Easiest delicious-est dessert ever..

2010-08-15T20:36:00.001+12:00

Sittin in bed feeling hungry and sorry for myself as I have no food in the cupboard and am craaaving this pudding.. so thought i'd share it with you. Passed down from my mummy, i've only ever known it as 'Joans pudding', but its pretty much like caramel dumplings. Tastes even better with french vanilla ice cream!

1 1/2 Cups Flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

2 tsp Cream of Tartar

Sift ingredients into a bowl.

Rub in butter, about the size of a walnut.

Add enough milk to make a stiff dough.

Make dough into small balls and put in a ovenproof bowl.

Mix together 2 Tablesp Golden Syrup, 1/2 Cup sugar, 4oz Butter and 2 cups boiling water.

Pour sauce over dumplings and cook covered on 180*C for half an hour.

Happy eating!