Few people know this story, or rather the horrific chain of events that occured in the month of May, but I’m finally ready to write about it, decompress a little, and share some, in hope that others can relate, and well, maybe just, I don’t even know – so here goes .. stay with me,…
she.was.one.in.a.lifetime – 31st december 1934 to 29th may 2017
Recently, my family lost our beautiful grandmother, great-grandmother and matriarch of our family, Shirley Tangey. Over the last 12 months we watched our elderly grandmother deteriorate rapidly, with an unknown sickness she failed to acknowledge. It made me angry, sad, desperate to know that there was nothing I could do to save her, when it…
PODCAST – theblissbombproject x melissa gearing, the naked naturopath
Listen to the amazing conversation Melissa Gearing and I had on anxiety, depression, natural medicine, burnout, blogging, life, food and community. Tune in here !! There’s a new podcast every week to two weeks, on a variety of subjects and with some really amazing guests. Here are some of my favourites: * Herbs, Herbs, Herbs…
E is for .. eggs benedict x florentine – poached eggs benedict with spinach and bacon
Theres no way I could have done E without the humble, little egg. I was gifted some beautiful home-laid eggs from my dear friends Nick and Anastasia, in return I will be conjuring up some all natural gripe water for their newest little babe. I love it when friends swap services, produce and homemade things….
indoor plant life
During my recent visit in beautiful, weather confused Melbourne, I stayed with my dear friend Leana-Rose. Lele’s house is beautifully decorated with photos of her loved and adored ones and others from her multiple trips overseas, cute trinkets and glorious bursts of tribal print and colour. But something was different… her home space seemed more…
D is for .. dhal – spiced red lentil dhal with chickpeas and spinach
Dhal is a staple food in Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi, Nepalese and Indian cuisines. It is one of the most beautiful global comfort foods known – it’s deliciously spiced and complex but warming, soothing and satisfying all at the same time. Dhal is usually served as a side-dish, but I’ve been known, on more than…
forage paleo granola by Forage Cereal, Damian Kristof ++ GIVEAWAY
I’m gonna lay it out straight for y’all .. I don’t like cereal .. I never really have .. I also don’t like milk .. which now I think about it, is probably why I don’t like cereal. Parker and Bart, love cereal .. but I tend not to buy it due to the amount…
c is for … croque madame – decadent croque madame with spinach and artichoke
Ahhhh croque madame – the wicked sister to the oh-so-famous croque monsieur — the toasted sandwich to rival them all. She’s all about layers, texture and a classy richnesses that rivals all others. Miss Croque Madame is a French classic that is traditionally served in cafes and bistros as a brunch item or snack. She…
australian natural soap company, melbourne
Have you been to South Melbourne market before? If you have, you would know that it is full of artisan, homemade, hand-crafted goodies of all kinds – ranging from pet foods to super cute clothing. One of the best things about the Sth.Melb Market is the amazing range of Australian businesses showcasing their ranges and…
B is for .. boeuf bourguignon- beef braised in red wine
-There is something really beautiful about traditional classics. I often think that with classic dishes it about simplicity but the appreciation for flavour.. Maybe it’s a chef thing ? But there’s also that intoxicating smell when dishes that have been cooking for hours fill up your home.. it brews anticipation and appreciation for the final…
a is for .. apple pie – spiced apple pie jaffles
Homemade apple pie is an old school dessert favourite. Crispy pastry, with a filling that conjures up feelings of warmth and comfort. Seeings as we don’t have an operational oven at the moment, I am forced to seek other methods of ‘baking’ or making desserts. After much hesitation and doubt, I gathered the courage and…
a cute easter sunday
Today was such a beautiful day; we ate, played, read, laughed, napped. The boys played most of today; laughing, chasing each other with Nerf guns, they watched a few movies and played superhero trivia. Meanwhile I finished and sent off another assignment, recipe developed and scheduled another 3 blog posts, did some last minute groceries…
the A to Z .. of modern classics series
Starting tomorrow, I will be posting every now and then with an A-Z of modern classics. These are dishes that are either in your repertoire, classics you know and love, or recipes you just know of but haven’t got around to cooking yet! Some of the recipes will have fun, quirky and modern spins on…
ginger-chicken udon soup
Not only is this recipe kid-approved, but it’s also man-approved. A quick an easy mid-week meal using poached chicken and Asian broth! Packed with veggies and the nutritional benefits of homemade stock, this quick and easy weeknight meal is perfect for busy weeks and long days. Plus.. who doesn’t love a noodle? The addition of…
the crisis of a tuesday
Today was the first of many herbal medicine exams. 1hr. Short and extended response. Open book. I hadn’t purchased my texts yet, due to insufficient funds. I was continuously borrowing them from the library on a 7-day loan rotation. I had finally saved enough money to be able to purchase them this morning – the…
asian style white poached chicken
I’ve been mixing things up lately in our kitchen. I don’t know about you, but I go thru phases of cuisines; one week it’s a Mexican vibe, the next week its a Spanish flavour fiesta, this week it’s all about the Asian flavours. Whole free-range chooks were on special this week at my local grocers….
loaded toast featuring the cult favourites: smashed avocado, cottage cheese & rye bread
I’ve been eating this the last few mornings before Uni; it’s filling, healthy, not too heavy and not boring. What’s not to love? Featuring all the cult favourites: rye, cottage cheese, smashed avocado, dukkah za’atar, tomato, leaves and EVOO. Booooom! Beautiful, colourful breakfast at your fingertips.. who said brekky had to be boring? Loaded Toast…
functional medicine ? .. huh ?
I was sitting in my Medicinal Food Science lecture at the beginning of the week when my lecturer used the phrase ‘functional medicine’. It made me think ‘isn’t all medicine functional medicine?’. So here I was, puzzled thinking that there is this new branch of conventional allopathic medicine – called functional medicine – which had…
mexican rice bowl
To say we like Mexican cuisine in this house is a gross understatement. Tacos, nachos, chilli, burritos, enchiladas, guacamole, quesadillas .. all of it, we loooove it. This Mexican rice bowl is an easy, delicious way to use up leftovers from the Mexican feast the night before or for meal preparation for a busy week…
slow cooked ginger ale corned beef
Nothing like what your grandmother makes! Looks ordinary.. but tastes uniquely extrordinary.. This is a twisty fantastic recipe on a all time classic. I saw something pop up on my Pinterest feed the other week, and after some deliberation and adjustments out came this beauty of a recipe. I know people who only cook corned…
diy hair repair mask
My hair suffers with the change of seasons.. and with the humidity and excruciating heat lately, my hair has become lifeless, frizzy, and just plain sad. I cannot remember the last time I had a hair treatment – professional or DIY, which is also pretty sad actually. So I had a looksies in my pantry…
trinidad slaw
I served this with my jerk chicken and rice salad, and I tell ya what .. it went down a real treat for my tribe. I find whenever I have chicken that requires hands – like wings and drumsticks – I need ‘slaw to go with it. By the way, there’s nothing remotely about this…
carribean-style rice salad
This is a total spin on something traditionally called ‘rice and beans’, usually served hot as a side to many chicken, goat or game meat curries or main dishes. It’s so hot here in Brisbane at the moment, so I need to create something refreshing to go with my Jerk Chicken and ‘tatoes – something…
jamaican jerk chicken
This has to be in my top 10 favourite foods of all time. Legit. It’s hot, it’s spicy, it’s colourful, it’s bold .. all in all, there is something super sexy about jerk chicken. It’s taken me a while of trial and error to get this recipe to where it is now, many successes and…
burst cherry tomato pasta
I have had an abundance of baby bush tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and baby roma tomatoes gifted to me by my Nanny. I would have my own abundance if I had paid more tender loving care and attention to my garden .. but the sun and I have a love~hate relationship and she wants to incinerate…
awareness
I had my final lectures at uni yesterday, and it reminded me how lucky I am to be around like-minded individuals in a positive and constructive learning environment. Our human biological science lecturer brought in some cuttings from her medicinal herb garden to share with us, and so that we could take some home and…
sugar scrub
Have you ever made your own sugar scrub? Its so easy, and cheap + they make great gifts! Sugar scrubs are great for exfoliating and moisturizing dry skin and promoting circulation. I find the best way to use these is on dry skin, rubbing firmly in circular motions, then hopping in a warm to hot…
sexy eggs with chorizo crumb + warm roasted capsicum and kale salsa
Is there anything more beautiful than perfect poached eggs? Maybe.. but it’s up there on the list with fresh truffles, rainy days, the smell of grass, newborn babies, diamonds. It takes a fair few disaster trials before you master the perfect poached eggs, but when you do, you will realize that they pretty much go…
lamb neck, kale and potato pasties
Pasties are one of my favourite comfort foods. I was under the firm belief that my Nanny makes the best pasties, but, sorry Nanny, these may just top them. ** Pre-heat oven to 160*C Ingredients: – 1kg of lamb neck rosettes – 2 tablespoons of plain flour – 2 medium red skinned potatoes, cubed –…
50 cloves of garlic – soup
Who doesn’t loooove garlic ? No, seriously, who ? Garlic is pretty special if you ask me. It’s considered as one of natures original wonder drugs 😀 and this is due to an active compound called allicin. According to online healthy life ambassadors ‘Natural Society’ dot com “A mere one milligram of allicin is nearly…
strawberry tart – tarte aux fraises
Strawberries are back people – and they are so cheap – I picked up 500g yesterday for $2.00. They were sweet and delicious with the lush red skin and soft flesh, not sour and tasteless. It’s ideal to use fresh berries for this, at their most ripe too ! One of my favourite flavour combos…
gluten free vanilla and raspberry cupcakes with rose buttercream frosting
I made these last night as a birthday cake alternative for my mother-in-law. I think gluten free food needs to be pretty and not have such a stigma attached to it as being boring. What’s prettier than a red rose ? I find them seductively beautiful; the smell, the velvety feel of their petals, the…
Cheeky Bacon Doughnuts
A naughty breakfast treat!! Smokey Bacon Sugar – 250g of good quallity smokey streaky bacon, cut into thin strips – 1 cup of caster sugar – sprinkle of cinnamon Doughnut Batter – 350g self raising flour – 100g of bacon sugar – 1 whole large egg + 2 egg whites – 1 cup of milk…
gluten free lemon and raspberry polenta cake
I made this recipe for my wonderful mother-in-law while we were living in their home. Cathy is coeliac, and her daughter Tahnee, my sister-in-law is gluten intolerant, so a lot of cakes and biccies and things are out of the question. I was dubious of how this would turn out, but I was pleasantly surprised….
silken tofu chocolate fudge tart
I’ve been exploring vegan-friendly food lately. Vegan-friendly food makes me think outside the box – it makes me steer away from the usual milk, butter, eggs routine when making sweet goodies. I have made this a number of times now, and it’s been a hit with meat eaters and vegans alike. This fudgey tart is gluten free,…
lamb, fetta and spinach sausage rolls
Who doesn’t love sausage rolls ? Proper sausage rolls by the way – not the ones you can purchase from shotty bakeries or the local servo when you are rolling home from a night on the turps. A recent dish at work has made me think about sausage rolls. After some deliberation – it was simple……
signing my soul away
Ahhh .. yesterday, it became all official. I am now a first year apprentice. It’s a little scary knowing now that I am signed into a three year contract. It doesn’t change my status in the kitchen strictly speaking, but, I don’t know, it feels a little different already. I am still doubting my skill-set…
New Shanghai, Brisbane CBD
Bring on New Shanghai in Brisbane City, Queens Plaza. Tucked away in the bottom level food court next to Coles, lies the busy little sanctum of really good Shanganese food. We were greeted and seated almost immediately and, because we had our little Parker-Bear with us, we were given a high-chair. My partner Bart and…
lentil and haloumi salad
Another Summer salad to add to my ever growing collection.. nothing better than a really good wholesome salad in the heat of Summer I reckon. Salad’s are so quick and easy, not to mention fresh and nutritious – it’s an easy way to get a dinner meal out of the way so you aren’t stuck…
raspberry and rose jam
I am on the preserve train at the moment. It’s pretty fun and rewarding, but my advice would be NOT to do it in the heat of Summer (in Australia) – because man does it get hot in the kitchen over a boil pot of bubbling jam! This jam is super delicious on scones, fresh…
‘Zumbarons’ Book Launch Luncheon @ Berardo’s – Noosa
When I received a phone call from the beautiful Tara one morning saying that I was invited to attend a book launch luncheon in Noosa for Adriano Zumbo, I literally squeeled for joy when I got off the phone. What an oppurtunity! and what a great way to finish of my patisserie studies – and…
sweet potato, spinach, fetta and pinenut salad
It’s Summer season here in Australia. And that means three things : 1. It’s bloody hot. 2. The best seafood is around. 3. It’s salad time. It’s too humid to be sitting around waiting for slow cooked meals and roasts in the oven around this time of year, so simple and delicious salads are an all…
lemon and vanilla curd
There’s just something special about lemon curd.. whether it’s on artifically soft white bread, with icecream, or with fruit tarts. I have to say, hands down, my Nanny makes the best lemon curd – which she calls lemon butter. Suprisingly enough, lemon curd or lemon butter isn’t hard to make.. and it makes an excellent gift 😀 Ingredients:…
spiced roast cauliflower
I love cauliflower. I think it is one of the most under rated vegetables. I’ve been doing my cauliflower like this for two weeks now and I haven’t got bored of it yet. ** Pre-heat oven to 200*C Ingredients – 1 head of cauliflower, stem removed and cut into various sized florets – cumin seeds…
GUEST POST – Starloz
Hi there, I’m Laura and I write the healthy food blog Starloz where I share healthy recipes with the internet. After losing 52kg in 2008 and 2009, I decided I wanted to learn exactly how the body processed foods and the impact that different foods have on the human body. When I’m not studying Full-time…
Dudley Street Espresso, Annerley
Ever since I started blogging, I knew that one day I was going to review my favourite coffee shop. Dudley Street Espresso was my haven. When Ditty, Bart and I lived around the corner from DSE we would venture up get a coffee and, what we call ‘heroin’ sandwich. I was devastated when we moved…
warm broccoli, asparagus and feta salad
I have made this twice now.. Once as a side with poached eggs for breakfast and now, as a side for dinner. Parker, Bart and I love it.. It might just be our new favourite side dish ! Ingredients: – 1 medium sized head of broccoli, stalks removed, and cut into florets – 1/2 a…
zucchini pizza
Tonight we had pizzas. I love pizza night. It gives me the opportunity to use up a lot of produce before my next shop. I make my own dough, sauce and use only fresh ingredients, it makes for a more fresher, tastier and more delicious pizza. ** Place pizza stone in the oven and crank…
pumpkin and lentil curry
In my latest fruit and vegetable delivery I recieved half a pumpkin. I don’t like pumpkin. Bart adores pumpkin. And curry. Pumpkin + Curry = pumpkin curry 🙂 Ingredients: – 1/4 of a jap pumpkin or any other pumpkin, skin and seeds removed – 1 onion, sliced – 2 heaped tablespoons of your favourite Indian…
a new kind of pesto – basil & fetta
One thing I hate about buying herbs from the supermarket, is when you only need a couple of leaves or stalks but the rest has to goto waste 😦 This makes for one sad Lolly. Especially when they are so expensive too!! So after making my vegetarian ratatouille, I had nearly a whole bunch of…
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