simply sally

Baking challenge

2016-05-31T18:00:00.001+10:00

I'm 5 months in on a baking challenge at work. My team decided this year that it was important to extend ourselves in our whole lives, and to get out of the habit and rut we had created for ourselves. We picked baking as an area that we all needed improvement and the opportunity to stretch ourselves and take a risk - not bake the same old recipes that we knew worked. Being very organized we started a list - with a theme for each month and a nominated day to 'bring in your baking'. May was slices. I baked this - an almond and blackberry tart.

This was super easy to make and I'm really happy with the way it turned out.

Definitely one that's going to be in the rotation for future baking. Perfect for an afternoon treat that is sweet but without being sickly sweet. I think it could also become an late morning fav as well. With an obligatory coffee of course.

If you've got a fav go to slice I'd love to know. Share the recipe in the comments below.

Best of baking 2016

2016-01-19T13:48:00.001+11:00

Wow I've been so neglectful of my blog. Almost a year with no blogging. I haven't told you about my trips to Italy and to Cuba... let alone all the baking I've done. I guess that's what happens when your work gets busy as the scope and impact grows. (A great problem to have). That said I do need to balance this out with a little time for me.

2016 is another year where I'm trying to make a commitment to spending time on things I enjoy - one of those being baking, and trying new recipes. With that in mind it's time for a 2016 baking challenge. The rules are pretty simple. There's a theme each month, and you need to bake something loosely associated with that theme. It helps if you have someone else committed to doing the challenge with you - in this case I have a colleague at work.

This month is Australiana. And it's a very loose interpretation of Australian baking. I wanted to be more experimental and not do something so cliched like - lamingtons, ANZAC cookies, Damper. As I have zero ability to cook anything from our indigenous friends I decided to go a little rogue and use an ingredient that is uniquely Australian, and something I'm rather fond of as it reminds me of enrollment day at university and standing in long long queues. It's also a unique Australian sweet where someone, somewhere has a cool job in coming up with the info on the wrappers. That's right - it's a fantale inspired desert. A fantale popcorn caramel tart to be exact. Of course I couldn't possibly invent something so awesome so I found a recipe on taste.com.au that did the job.

Here it is in all it's gooey glory! It was gooey and gloriously full of sugar. Don't try this at home if you are sugar free or trying to eat healthy - it will ruin you.

As adventures in baking go this one was pretty good. The taste was awesome, although you can't see the caramel goodness hiding under that chocolate sauce. The salty peanuts and popcorn gave it just enough crunch and counterpoint to sweet that it saved it. The only thing I didn't love was the pastry recipe. It came out a little too crumbly and not as good as the short crust pasty I usually make. So I might substitute that next time.

#adventuresincooking - a great side

2015-01-27T09:00:00.001+11:00

It's summer here right now in Australia which means lots of BBQ's and lots of salads. I've found a new one which I originally got from the Faking It cookbook by the ABC. In the cook book it's featured as a side for a cajun spiced fish - and it's fantastic that way, but I've been using it as a salad when we have BBQ's of meat or fish as a primary side along with some asparagus or capsicum.

Without giving the whole recipe away it's pretty easy to make - tomatoes, avocado, corn, coriander and red onion forming the main ingredients. The sauce is a little surprising, but again super simple. I'm thinking I might add some black beans and chilli to this and turn it into a meal on it's own next. Do you think that will work?

#adventuresincooking

2015-01-20T12:27:00.001+11:00

Remember I wrote one of my new years resolutions was to try more recipes from the rather large collection of cookbooks I have? Well the good news is I've been keeping it... the not so great news is I keep forgetting to take photos of it. The photo of one of my recent adventures isn't great - but trust me the unusual combo was delicious. Can you guess what it is? Bet you can't....

It's poached eggs with crispy onion rings and iceberg lettuce. Not a combo I would ever come up with on my own. Thankfully I didn't have to as this too came out of my new Donna Hay cookbook.

It probably took a little longer that I would have liked for a quick breakfast - definitely a brunch option when you've got a little more time. And I did make a mess - shallow frying is fun - but I still have to learn how not to get burned. All in all the taste made up for it though. The crunch of the lettuce and onion rings went perfectly with the poached eggs. Side note - OMG poaching eggs is an art form I'm yet to master - mine looked awful but tasted great. If you've got a fool proof method for poaching eggs please tell me - I need to master this in 2015!

I've done a few other recipes from this same cook book and loved all of them. It's proving to be the best secret santa gift I've received in years. Now I need to dig out some of my older cookbooks and put them through their paces.

#adventuresincooking

2015-01-05T09:00:00.001+11:00

One of my new years resolutions that's carried over from 2014 is to cook more from the stack of cook books I own. I have a love hate relationships with cook books. I love the pretty pictures and the idea of eating home cooked gourmet meals every day. I hate, hate, hate that so many cook books have recipes that list about 100 ingredients, at least half of which you'll never use apart from that one recipe. I'm also not a great fan of anything that takes 9 hours to make - unless it's in my slow cooker of course!

There are a few cook books that I've grown to love over the years - Marie Claire Fresh is one of my go to favourites. The Australian Women's Weekly cook books are always a trusted source - after all if it was good enough for mum... And anything by Donna Hay is usually pretty easy to make and tastes good. I'm never able to make it look as good though!

I'd bought this cook book last year but hadn't made anything from it yet. It was love at first site as there were so many of my favourite recipes in there. And like everything Donna Hay does - the pictures were beautiful - so I had to buy it. But I have to confess it's been sitting on my shelf for a very long time unopened - until yesterday.

I decided to try and make my very first gnocchi - porcini gnocchi with creamy mushroom sauce. In theory it should look like this.

I've never made gnocchi before. I guess because I thought it would be too hard and take too much time. I decided to give it a go this time because the recipe for this dish was just so short. Just 6 ingredients for the gnocchi (if you don't count salt and pepper for seasoning) and 6 for the sauce! Out of these I had most of them already (flour, salt, pepper, oil, eggs, potatoes, garlic, parmesan) which meant I really just needed to buy the mushrooms, and cream). The gnocchi took me about 15 mins to make if you don't count the hour it took to bake the potatoes. But as I was drinking a glass of wine and watching old episodes of Grand Designs I didn't count the hour. The sauce took about the same time and was pretty easy - but I wasn't sure if it was going to turn out right. Mid-way through cooking the sauce it looked a little more like this. That was just until it reduced though. Phew!

All in all it probably took about 2 hours if you count the complete time - from putting the potatoes in the oven, to dishing it up. But really about 45 mins - 1 hour if you don't count that. A little long for a week night meal - I do have a day job - but pretty damn good for a weekend. Here's how it came out.

Overall I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. My gnocchi is a little weird in shape which I'll definitely have to work on next time, but it tasted amazing and came together just right. I also had to substitute some of the mushrooms for what was available, but hubby agreed it was still delicious, so it will definitely be on repeat in our kitchen.

I've made it my mission this year to try and use more of what I have in my house - including my cook books so expect to see more adventures from my kitchen. Perhaps I need a # tag?

go your own way

2014-12-30T13:40:00.001+11:00

2014 has been a year of change & challenge, of fun & fear, of trials & travels. It's been a year that's been insanely busy. It's been almost a whole year of no blogging - and I feel great. Yep great - not guilty. Sometimes you just need to focus on living life, not talking about living life. And that pretty much sums up what I've been doing in 2014. If I had to make a list it would read something like this:

Work hard in January, really hard.
Travel to Spain for a rest.
Come back and work even harder.
Start looking for a new house - not on the plan for 2014, but a surprise opportunity.
Spend every weekend for 12 weeks looking at 14+ houses a day on Saturday.
Learn to go to auctions.
Learn to kind of hate auctions.
Buy a mad house that no-one else sees potential in.
Move to mad house in the midst of renos that would only take 4 weeks (still ongoing).
Rent the old house out.
Work insanely while this is all going on.
Have a dog diagnosed with separation anxiety - which explains the 8 hours of howling.
Put dog on prozac.
Work insanely.
Just when it's the busiest time of the year go to Italy for a holiday.
Work insanely.
Find joy when the prozac kicks in and the household is at peace.
Find joy in the move.
Realise it's been a hell of a year - with ups and downs but more ups than downs.
Work insanely.
Christmas.
THE END.

Yeah so not much happened in 2014 really - just our whole world changed - for the better. 2015 I'm going to try and catch my breath. Learn how to be me again. Breathe deeply. Walk freely. Take time for my loved ones. Take time for me. I hope I won't neglect my blogging quite so much but I won't apologise if I do. Life is for living - not just talking about it.

Happy New Year

February flashback

2014-03-05T21:07:00.001+11:00

Can you believe it's already March? I can't. 2014 is going insanely fast. I've decided to call a bit of a halt and look back on some of the highlight of February before I move on to the fullness that March is bringing with it.

At the beginning of February I was in the second week of holidays in Spain. A trip to the Guggenheim in Bilbao was one of our highlights.

We enjoyed some fantastic wine and food in San Sebastian and Rioja.

Gaudi made a huge impression on us in Barcelona. And so did the food & wine. We definitely over indulged here. But hey... that's what holidays are for.

I decided it was time to get really motivated on Mondays.

And all that motivation made me hungry.... for some new recipes for fast food - not the fatty type - the fast to prepare type.

March is proving to be crazy at work. Lots of local travel but not much opportunity for holidays. Here's hoping I manage to keep up my regular blogging streak :-)

#motivationmonday

2014-03-03T07:49:00.001+11:00

I took this photo on Sunday morning while I was walking my dogs. It had been raining for the better part of the week and they were a little like caged tigers wanting to pull me in every direction and get in as much sniffing and walking as possible before the next shower begin. With two beagles on a joint lead it's usually all I can do to stay upright and keep walking, but I did stop and pause to see these tiny little plants which had sprung up because of the rain.

It got me thinking about life. We spend so much time focusing on the big things - the stuff that really makes up the bulk of our hours - that we often forget it's the little things that bring the most joy and lead to the richest life. The smile you get from a stranger when you pick up your coffee, the random message from a friend 'just thinking of you', the tea your partner makes you while you're curled up reading. These are the things that really demonstrate who we are as individuals. These are the things that show what we value. These are the things we remember. These are the things that make a difference in life.

This week while there are many big things I need to get done I'm taking a moment to remind myself how much the little things count - and to remind myself not to forget that they matter.

#motivationmonday

2014-02-24T07:57:00.002+11:00

I have this stuck to the centre of my monitor at work. It's a constant reminder that s**t doesn't get done unless I do it. No-one is going to serve you your dreams on a platter. You have to work for it.

#funfriday - fast food for a fast life

2014-02-21T10:12:00.001+11:00

Sometimes you get into a production efficient rut. You optimize your free time between work and chilling out with a glass of wine by optimizing your life chores and the thing you need to do - like cook dinner. I’m incredibly guilty of doing this. My hubby and I have quite the commute to and from work each day so we’ve developed a number of quick and easy meals that we can get on the table from scratch in around 20mins at night. While this is great from a life enjoyment perspective it does get a little monotonous from a foodie perspective. I’ve decide to make 2014 the year that I try and expand my "go to" 20min meal repertoire. My criteria for new meals was that I could have them on the table inside 30mins - even if it was the first time I was creating them, and that all the ingredients were available at my local fruit & vege store, butcher or supermarket.

We love the wide variety of Asian flavors - so my first go to was to rework an old favorite - Vietnamese chicken salad. Super easy to make, there is hardly any cooking in this recipe and it made enough for 4 people so we could have it the second night also.

Boil around 500g chicken. When it’s cooked through allow it to rest before roughly shredding with a fork. In the mean time thinly slice around 1/4 to 1/2 a savoy cabbage. Change the amount depending on how much cabbage you like. Thinly slice a couple of carrots into small pieces around the size of a toothpick. Again you can add more if carrot is a favorite food. Roughly chop a bunch of coriander and a bunch of Vietnamese mint. And thinly slice one white onion. Add a cup or two of bean sprouts. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl - including the chicken. Serve on a plate and dress. The dressing can be customized to your taste but is roughly 2-3 tablespoons of fish sauce, 2-3 table spoons of lime juice, a tea spoon of palm sugar (or castor sugar) and fresh chilli to taste. I add about 2-3 birds eye chills as we like it spicy. If you’re going to eat this over 2 nights I recommend keeping the dressing separate and only pouring it over what you serve up. Garnish with some fried shallots. (You can find these in the international foods section of your supermarket) and you have a great meal. I particularly love this in summer. Oh and it’s super healthy so if you’re hungry just add extra cabbage and carrot and you have a great filling meal that’s pretty low calorie.

This is definitely going to be on my meal repeat list for the next few months.

Barcelona (Spain - day 11, 12 & 13)

2014-02-02T21:41:00.003+11:00

I'm feeling a little lost as I sit on the bed of our hotel in Barcelona and write this post. You see our holiday is almost at an end. The bag is mostly packed and just waiting for me to zip it up and for us to make our way to the airport. I've had a great time traveling around Spain - not sure if it really counts as a holiday as we've been so busy. But it's definitely been time away from work and an opportunity to see and experience part of the world I've never been. I'm very thankful for the experience and that each place we stayed had wifi (of varying quality) so that I could blog and upload photos - something I wish I did more regularly when I travel. With that said let me move on to talk about our final destination in Spain - Barcelona. (Make sure you pronounce it Bar-the-lona to at least try and sound like you're local).

I had high hopes for Barcelona. Every time I told someone I was coming to Spain they always, always, always mentioned how much they loved Barcelona. In fact it was usually the first thing they mentioned. When I asked what they loved about it they were always pretty vague - 'you know it's just awesome'. Well I'm sorry to tell you I've joined the club - it is awesome. I'll try and be a little more specific though. I loved the people. I loved the food. And I loved the art. For me Barcelona has been all about Gaudi. His presence is everywhere in the city - and not just in the architecture of what he built. There are influences of his design and whimsy everywhere. The thing is you really need to experience it. The photos (and certainly mine) just don't do it justice and capture the whimsy and workings of his mind. Nevertheless I tried.

Our first stop was La Sagradia Familia - which is still being built. Everywhere you look your mind bends like the curves and swirls Gaudi embraced in his design. My mind boggles that someone could come up with the idea and every little detail it entails. It truly is magical and worthy of several hours of time in a visit.

If you haven't got your Gaudi fill after the Basilica (it is now) then you can head on up to Park Guell for some more of Gaudi's fantasy expressed in architecture. My big tip - do both early - it gets packed. Seems like Gaudi has lots of fans :-)

And if that's not enough Gaudi for you (and it wasn't for me) head on over to Casa Batllo - a stunning example of a private home Gaudi built for a clearly very discerning patron.

The thing about Gaudi that I love is how every angle gives you a new perspective on his buildings. It's astonishing how much you see the longer you pause and look. Of course Barcelona is not just about the art of Gaudi, it's also about the art of food - and we ate a lot of it. Thanks to some fabulous recommendations from a friend (Courtney you rock!) we appreciated the art of food a lot in Barcelona. Everything from the markets to the finest dining was delicious, and beautiful on the plate.

It's hard to pick a favourite place on this trip. It seems like each new place we visited I liked better than the last, but as I look over the blog posts of the past few weeks that's just not true. I truly enjoyed each city and town and there was something unique and special in each one. I think that's the thing about travel. If you look for the heart of each place you visit you'll never be disappointed and you'll always be delighted by what you find.

Want to read all my posts on Spain? You can find them here.

San Sebastian (Spain, day 9 & 10)

2014-02-01T05:26:00.001+11:00

San Sebastian was the first place on our trip where we experienced rain. Oh and extreme high tides and seas. When we arrived in the city the first thing we say was the closure of the sea front roads and walkways and the bridge that you see below due to high seas.

We weren't too worried as we really came here for the food and wine. After all it's the middle of winter and way too cold for the beach. On the plus side the cold and wet weather meant we had the place almost to ourselves and could get in to any restaurant we wanted - including Azark... more on that later. We spent our first evening doing a wine tasting with San Sebastian Food before heading out for some pinchos. This was a great way to start the evening and we learnt a lot more about Spanish wine and several grape varieties I've never hear of. I'll be blogging details of the tasting over at agirlandaglass.com in the coming weeks.

As we were so close to Rioja we decided to drive up and visit a few wineries on our first full day in town. We visited two completely different, but both fantastic, wineries. First up was Muga Bodega - a family run business over 200 years old. Not only do they still make wines with very traditional methods but they also have their own master hooper on site and still make all their own barrels. They made over 1700 last year alone. We came, we toured, we tasted and we enjoyed. You could see the history and passion.

Bia Gorri was a complete contrast, but again beautiful and enjoyable. At only 11 years old the winery is modern in both architecture and style of wine. Quite the contrast to Muga. After touring the facility and seeing how they use gravity to make the wine, we enjoyed a tasting paired with lunch.

We were not done eating or drinking for the day though. That night we went to dinner at Azark. Hands down this was the best degustation I've ever done. The food was amazing. The wine was great. And the staff were welcoming and relaxed. This is an absolute must visit if you're a foodie and in the area. I don't care who you have to bribe to get in... do it! (I only posted some of photos).

Our last day in San Sebastian was filled with more rain and just a few glimmers of sunshine. We spent the day wandering the streets in between downpours and bar hopping for more pinchos (pinxtos).

All in all the visit here was great - a little too short and a lot too wet. If I get the opportunity I'll definitely come back.

Want to read all my posts on Spain? You can find them here.

Bilbao (Spain, day 8)

2014-02-01T04:39:00.004+11:00

Our stay in Bilbao was short and sweet. After arriving late at night in the rain we got a great nights sleep to get up bright and early and head to the Guggenheim. After visiting the one in New York a few months ago I wasn't sure what to expect from Bilbao. The museum in New York was great architecture but I wasn't super excited by the exhibitions we saw. The Guggenheim in Bilbao did not disappoint on either front. Both the architecture and the exhibitions were amazing. I walked out with my head spinning from the different perspectives of both the design of the building and the sculptures on display. Sadly I couldn't take photos inside but here's a few I snapped on the way in.

If you are in Spain and have the chance to visit - do - it's worth it.

Want to read all my posts on Spain? You can find them here.

Granada & the Alhambra (Spain, day 7)

2014-01-29T04:32:00.001+11:00

If you visit Spain and spend anytime at all in Seville you must take a trip to Granada. About 2 hours away by car, the drive along is spectacular, and in the winter filled with snow capped mountains in the distance. We went for one thing, which is what everyone heads to Granada for, a visit to the Alhambra. Just like Cordoba, Granada had much more to offer than just the Alhambra - although it was spectacular.

Lets start with adventure. Although this point only really applies if you're driving and staying in the old city - then it's full of adventure. The streets in this part of town are narrow - extremely narrow. So narrow in fact you often have to find a door way to step into to let a car pass you. If you're driving take a smaller car - you'll thank me for it. Your nerves will worship me in fact. Thankfully my hubby has nerves of steel and we paid for full insurance on our rental so our adventure was manageable.

One of the wider streets in the old town.

The second thing about Granada is the view. It's magnificent. No matter where you are. The alleys are quaint and perfect for photos. The country side is spectacular. And any view of the old city and the Alhambra... well just take a look at my photos. The first four are the view from our room.

The third thing was the food. Don't get me wrong, tapas is fun, but I was ready to sit down to a meal and eat a full dish. Thankfully we chose a great restaurant for a late lunch on arrival and had probably one of the best paella I've had in my life. No menu envy here. (**Menu envy is that thing where you wish you'd ordered what someone else on your table had. I optimize my dining experience so I'll never regret it.)

The fourth thing I loved about Granada - the Alhambra. This is by far the main attraction and you should book in advance to do it. Also you should allow at least 3 hours for your visit. There is so much to see and it is spectacular. I keep saying this with every new site I visit in Spain but it seems like it just keeps getting better and better. And they are all different. I'm not going to bore you with the history - you can look that up yourself - just promise me you'll visit if you get to Granada - event if it's raining. It's worth it! I really couldn't decide which pics to post so I just posted a random snippet. I dare you to go there and only take 10 photos. It's impossible.

Granada - we were only in you one day and night - but it was worth every moment.

Want to read all my posts on Spain? You can find them here.

A little Ole' in Seville (Spain, day 4, 5 & 6)

2014-01-27T17:56:00.002+11:00

Seville fascinated me. The city had a very different feel from Madrid, and I guess that's because of the history. I should have got an inkling of what it would be like after learning some of the history of Cordoba - a mixing pot of Jewish, Arabic and Catholic people living side by side at some points in history and waring with each other at other times. We took a great walking tour in the morning that was offered by our hotel. It's advertised as free and you pay what you think it's worth at the end of it. We actually enjoyed it so much we paid more than what we would have if we'd booked our own tour. Anyway I digress.

The thing that fascinated me was the every changing history of Seville over the years. That there were times in Seville's history when Gypsies, Arabic, Jewish and Catholic people lived side by side and were content. Sadly it seems like we've lost that art in some parts of the world today. Anyway it struck me on hearing the stories of kings, priests, and other invaders forcing people out of their homes and to conform to a culture that was not their own, that somethings haven't changed much over the years. Someone, somewhere has always put people under intense pressure to confirm, adapt or move - because they are not comfortable with it. Someone, somewhere has forced people out of their homes, their jobs, their land - because they don't think they deserve it or have a right to it. Oversimplified? Sure - but at the heart of it the lack of ability to appreciate diversity seems to still be so prevalent today.

The thing that fascinated me in Seville, and to a lesser extent Toledo and Cordoba, was the length to which the latest occupants went to to transform people's lives through the transformation of architecture. Mosques became Synagogues, which became Cathedrals. Spires were transformed to bell towers. Halls of prayer became places for choirs. I guess they embraced recycling early ;-) And thankfully it means we get to see this mix of architecture and culture in each place we visit.

My favourite things in Seville.... the Alcazar - completely breathtaking.

Flaminco - it's not just Ole.

Walking the streets.

Holidays are fun!

Want to read all my posts on Spain? You can find them here.

Cordoba - an unexpected surprise (Spain, day 4)

2014-01-26T21:08:00.003+11:00

Do you read guidebooks and websites obsessively before you visit a place? Are you ever then disappointed by the visit because it doesn't live up to the hype? It's happened to me before. One of the reasons I usually only glance at the guides the night before my visit now. So I don't set my expectations too high. For me Cordoba was just the opposite. I glanced at it in my hubby's guide book the night before we went. Only 1 page dedicated to it and three sites listed. Suffice to say my expectations were set pretty low, especially after our visit to Toledo.

Arriving at the train station which is unremarkable and set in the newer part of town I was glad my expectations were low. Now there was nothing wrong with the train station or it's location, but it was just another train station in another city. When you travel as much as I do for work these things are unremarkable. We headed out to the day and I was determined to enjoy it for what it was - another city, but nothing special. Boy was I wrong.

Making our way to the old centre the scenery soon changed from modern wide boulevards to the cobble stone lanes that I love. Our first stop was Alcazar - where we wandered through buildings and gardens and even climbed a tower for our first view of the old city on high.

The surprise of the day was heading over the bridge and finding a medieval markets of sorts. What I mean by that is the market was styled in a medieval style - all the vendors were dressed in garments depicting what I guess a medieval market looked like and the booths were tents with flags everywhere. The thing is they were selling modern items and delicious food - and chocolate. Regardless of the unique clash of period costume with modernity it's a market and markets are awesome. We spent a lot of time wandering around, sampling meat and cheese. This is Spain after all - meat and cheese is pretty much a staple.

Heading back into town we visited the Cathedral and spent the rest of the day wandering the town.

Cordoba was just a day trip - one that I had not been excited about. I love it when a town proves me wrong.

Want to read all my posts on Spain? You can find them here.

Toledo time (Spain, Day 3)

2014-01-25T17:59:00.002+11:00

It's safe to say we've been walking a lot this trip. In fact my fitbit dashboard keeps giving me tons of smiley faces whenever I get back online. More walking = more tapas I say! Today was no exception as we headed out of Madrid to Toledo on a day trip. At just 20-25 mins away on the high speed train this was on my list of must visit places when we were planning the holiday. (Full confession my wonderful hubby planned the whole thing - I just turned up).

I think I kind of fell in love with Toledo when we first stepped off the train and wandered over the bridge into town. I knew I was going to love very minute of our day.

While I've loved being in Madrid I have to say my heart kind of melts at smaller towns and cities. Must have something to do with growing up in a small town. Toledo is just that - a small town with a wealth of history. It's a town made for walking. I certainly wouldn't drive in it - the streets are so narrow I'm sure I'd sideswipe the car. But that's what you get from a town that is hundreds of years old. We spent the day visiting monasteries, churches, cathedrals and wandering through the back streets and lane ways.

Highlights of the trip.... the Cathedral - or the St Iglesia Catedral Primada Toledo - the Primate Church of Spain.

San Ildefonso Church where we climbed the bell towers and got the most amazing view of the city.

Synagogue of Santa Maria la Blanca a former Synagogue which was really now a Catholic Church.

And the Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes. This was one of my favourites. I love courtyards in the middle of a building. If I could build my dream home I think it would have a courtyard in the middle of the building. And inner outer garden.

Toledo exceeded my expectations. The tiny lane ways, the beautiful architecture, the amazing views. It was a perfect day.

Want to read all my posts on Spain? You can find them here.

Madrid (Spain, day 2 & 3)

2014-01-23T05:00:00.001+11:00

I'm not sure if sleep deprivation, walking around 15km per day and eating at weird times classify as a holiday, but if so I'm definitely doing it right. After a later night enjoying some Spanish wine and tapas I mistakenly got up at 5.30am thinking it was 8.30am and started to get ready for the day. Big mistake on 2 counts. Firstly in Spain nothing gets going until 10am so sleeping in is a must after a very late dinner. And secondly... it was 5.30am!!!! After this small hiccup we actually managed to get on the road at 10am and head out for breakfast - hot chocolate and toast. Apparently the breakfast of champions in Spain. Not what I'm used to but as the saying goes - When in Rome...

Today was another museum day so sadly no photos inside. The Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza was created in 1988 and is certainly a much more modern building than I expected. The gallery was great and it was a nice way to start the day. We then went for a walk along the Gran Via and to the Chueca area for lunch and wandering. I think I could wander all day in Spain. I love the architecture. I love the winding streets. I love the pace of things. It's really quiet beautiful. Coming from a country where most of our architecture is only just over 200 years old I think you really appreciate visiting a city where the age of many of the buildings is over that.

We decided to wander through the Parque de el Retiro for a few hours. We stared at the Puerta de Alcala in Plaza de la Independencia and walked up the main path. Along the way we passed the Monumento Alfonso, XIII, a few fountains and some beautiful avenues.

I think my favourite part of the park was the Palacio de Cristal. Built in 1887 to house flora and fauna from south east Asia this glass building is enormous and just wonderful to wander through and observe the light through the glass and steel at different angles. You know I enjoyed it by the number of photos I too ;-)

Tonight we're off to the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia and then a late dinner. Spain is fun!

Want to read all my posts on Spain? You can find them here.

Holidays are here (Spain, day 1)

2014-01-22T17:25:00.001+11:00

I have a friend that tells me I holiday a lot. I wish this were the case, but usually when I'm on a plane flying somewhere it's for work. This time, though I'm on a trip that is just a holiday & only a holiday. This is much cause for celebration!

Holidays are interesting in our family. I'm not a big holiday planner. My mode of operation is usually to book a flight and maybe the first night or two of accommodation and then just go and see where my trip takes me. My husband is the exact opposite. I remember one trip we made with friends that he had a pre-departure dinner a week before to brief everyone of the itinerary, what to pack and the schedule for each day. Thankfully he's mellowed somewhat in the scheduling and I've grown to love and appreciate his planning. It means I just turn up and enjoy the ride! This time we've headed to Spain. And given I've got internet where we are staying I thought I might try and blog about each day.

We arrived in Spain in the late afternoon. Just in time for the tail end of the siesta. After settling in to our great apartment we went walking on a quest for a snack. Not just any snack - chocolate con churros. We went to San Ginés just near Puerta del Sol. (Seeing sights and eating churros - win!) San Ginés was founded in 1894 and has been making churros and chocolate ever since. The place was packed and absolutely everyone was there for just one thing - chocolate con churros. Let me tell you about the chocolate. It was think, it was dark, it was sweet - but not too sweet, and it was heavenly. Liquid heaven - or something like that. I mean check it out - doesn't it look divine?

Mission Accomplished!

We walked around a bit more but as our heads were in a complete jet lagged fog (after 2 days of travel to get to Spain), we had an early but unremarkable dinner and went back to the apartment to crash.

Day 2 dawned cold, but sunny. (When I say cold I mean really really cold. Well at least for this Queensland girl. I had about 4 layers on by the time we headed out and looked like the Michelin man in my puffy jacket). After a brief breakfast stop (more hot chocolate for me - it's a thing here), we headed back through Plaza Mayor.

Plaza Mayor is a beautiful square. It's origins are old (1576 but restored after fire in 1790). Apparently in days past it was used for markets, bullfights, sports, executions, and during the Spanish Inquisition. Today it's much more sedate. In addition to the tourist information centre theres lots of restaurants and shops and some interesting (?) street performers wandering around. Side note - I've never seen such a fat spiderman and I'm not at all sure about what he was up to.

After leaving the Plaza we wandered the streets making out way towards Catedral de la Almundena and the Palacio Real. Construction on the Caterdral de la Almundena started in 1879 but only finished in 1993 which makes this a very young church in by Europes standards. Also a very slow build by anyone's standards. That said it's very grand from the outside.

The Palacio Real was built on the site of previous fortresses and castles and was constructed between 1738 - 1755. It's big. Really really big. According to wikipedia it's 135,000 square meters, and has 3418 rooms. Sadly you can't take photos inside the Palace so I had to make do with taking lots outside. And one illicit one on the stairs on the way in (ssshhhhh don't tell).

The thing I loved about the Palace was that I saw a few things I've not seen before. The armoury was immense and had a fantastic collection of armour. There was room after room of full armour, including armour for horses and children. Some of it dates from the 15th century and it's been kept in remarkable condition. The things that stood out to me was how ornate everything way. The swords, the suits, the horse blankets, the shields. Everything, and I mean everything was engraved or inlayed with gold or other metals. The workmanship was nothing I've ever seen before. The children's armour was also something I'd never seen or even considered before. Largely ceremonial and used for training, I was amazed at how small several of the suits were, and cannot imagine a child today willingly wearing one. Just imagine the argument you'd face getting 'junior' dressed in that in the morning! The other thing that was astounding was the collection of muscats and guns. The length of some of these guns were amazing. The longest ones came on their own wheeled support and made it look more like a mini canon that a gun. I've no idea what the accuracy was, but looking at some of these weapons you would have needed a small army of people to carry them for you.

The other thing at the Palace that I was interested in was the Pharmacia. When so much of the art and objects in the palace are religious in nature and inspiration it was great to see something scientific in the palace. That said I'm pretty sure there were some whacky things that happened in the Pharmacy in the early days judging by some of the jars and materials we saw mentioned - but they also showed the doctors who have been part of the Palace since it was built, right up to the later part of the last century. All in all it was fascinating.

The rest of the afternoon was spent eating tapas and drinking wine at the Mercado de San Miguel, wandering the streets and more hot chocolate. In the evening we went to the Museo Nacional del Prado and for more wine and tapas. Here's a few more pics of the day.

Day 1 into the holiday and I think it's safe to say I'm having a good time. Looking forward to tomorrow.

Want to read all my posts on Spain? You can find them here.

When life gives you lemons.... bake cake!

2013-10-05T08:35:00.001+10:00

I like to bake. I don't get a lot of time to do it, but when I do I do it right and it looks something like this.

Make short crust pastry from scratch!

Find a lemon or two & make lemon tart, or lemon curd, or lemon anything really. Left over lemons are perfect for cocktails ;-)

Invite people over and eat the cake.... or just hide away somewhere by yourself and eat it for the next 2 days at every meal. Not that I've ever done that... really!

Sometimes you just need soup

2013-07-06T17:48:00.003+10:00

I rarely get sick... but this week has been a doosey. (Did I just use the word doosey?!? I must still be a little under the weather.) So I was very glad to have started out the week right by fortuitously making a huge pot of chicken and vege soup. I didn't know how much I was going to need it. I made it because the weather has been horrid here last week and was cold and wet. All I wanted to do was curl up on the couch with a blanket and a big bowl of home cooked soup.

I love soup. I love making it. I love experimenting. I love that it is almost impossible to get it wrong. I can't say this is a special recipe handed down from generation to generation. It's not something from a famous chef's cook book. It's really just a bit of this and a bit of that that I've thrown into a pot, but it sure tastes good and is a go to meal for us in winter.

Oh and because it's chicken soup it's good for the soul... or so they say. All I know is that I was grateful I'd made so much of it and I ate every last bit. Here's to restoring both my soul and my body.

macarons

2013-05-30T14:19:00.003+10:00

I've always wanted to make macarons but I've shied away from it because people tell me it's too hard. Well last week I decided to take the plunge. I must admit that this urge came about after grocery shopping and finding that Adriano Zumbo makes a macaron packet mix. And they had it in my local Woolies. OMG!

For those of you who don't know who Adriano Zumbo is I say 'shame on you'. This is the master Patissier. The man who makes the contestants on Master Chef cry. The man who can single handedly make you gain 5 pounds and you won't care just by opening up a shop opposite where you work... (Damn you Zumbo! I care. I care.) Anyway needless to say I bought the mix. I didn't make it straight away. I think his work on Master Chef breaking down contestant after contestant left me feeling a little daunted. I looked at the box for a whole week before I worked up the courage to try it. And this is the result.

Beautiful, delicious, salty little biscuits straight from heaven. Sure it took some time. Sure it was a little fiddly and delicate. But friends, I have now sealed the deal and broken through my macaron baking virginity. Stand back world this girl is hooked. Next time I might even try making them from scratch. Anyone got a fool proof recipe?

abandoned

2013-04-05T17:08:00.001+11:00

There is something haunting about the images in this blog post. What was once significant and a monument of achievement, or celebration of effort and work lies abandoned and desolate. Makes you really think about the monuments (real or otherwise) that we build in our own lives and what they will look like in years to come.

PS - that photo above... well that's Sigiriya in Sri Lanka. An abandoned fortress of a kingdom long gone.

pondering as I'm wandering

2013-04-04T16:55:00.000+11:00

I've been in Sri Lanka for about a week now. It's not my first time here and it won't be my last. But in the journey I'm on in this season I am finding that it is speaking to me in a deeper way than it has in past visits.

I found myself traveling about 2 hours by van this week from Nilaveli to Pasekudah in the north east. This is an area that is still largely untouched by development - although that is rapidly changing - due to the war, and then the tsunami. People here have lived a different life to that of those in Colombo. A simpler life. A harder life. A life with greater joy. A life with greater sorrow. As I read that back it sounds a little like the start of a bad novel, but I don't mean it to be. What I think I mean is that life here seems to be one of stark contrasts. Contrasts that are becoming more apparent as the area opens up for development.

As I traveled the coastal road I was struck by the incongruity of new hotel developments on picturesque beaches side by side with rural shacks - barely some mud brick walls and thatch roof. One building is a temple to all that the tourist worships - a view, a cocktail, a pool - a sanctuary to unwind and get away from it all. The other represents a fisherman and his family who work long hours through the night to catch enough fish to sell and make a small income on. One if full of mod cons - aircon, tv's, internet, you name it it's there. The other has no mod cons, no aircon, no washers & driers, no car. Yet side by side they share the same view, the same beach, the same world. One is filled with people who are desperate to escape the rat race and find serenity. The other is filled with people who are living, surviving, and doing the best they can to raise a family. Both have laughter and tears - at different times and for different reasons. I wonder what those families think? Do they look with envy or pity? Does the excess make sense? Is it something they aspire to or can't comprehend? What will this do to their world? Will it improve it with opportunities, or will it destroy the community life they now know?

I make no judgements on either side here. I don't think there is a right or wrong way to live. Or that a perfect solution to developing economies and communities exists. I does have me pondering though... How do you do the right thing by the people living in these locations? What is the right thing? Does any of this matter? I don't have the answers. But I will watch this transition and journey over time. Surely there are life lessons for us all in the midst of it.

#funfriday - chocolate cupcakes with a twist

2013-02-15T16:35:00.003+11:00

A few weeks ago a friend of mine posted a picture of these ridiculously delicious looking cupcakes. I can't remember where - it could have been pinterest, it could have been instagram - but they taunted me. They called out to me. They had me in lust. They had me in love. So last week after I completed the colour run I came home and made my version of them.

I cheated. I didn't have all I needed in the cupboard to make the cake from scratch, but I did have a Betty Crockers Chocolate Mud Cake mix. (Betty is my go to girl for quick treats when I don't have much time - I'll let you borrow that little tip!) After making the cake mix up, and resisting temptation to tweak the recipe I baked the cupcakes. Because I baked them as cupcakes and not a full cake the baking time was almost half what was recommended (yay for eating them sooner!). I scooped out a small piece of cake from the top to make a bowl shape for the Ferrero Rocher to sit. Before putting it on I iced the cupcakes with chocolate butter frosting - including the hole - and then pushed the Ferrero Rocher in.

The best bit about these cupcakes... not only were they delicious, but there were left over Ferrero Rocher's to enjoy all week :-)

Happy Friday