Friday, July 30, 2010

104.


some like salty
some like sweet

salty, sweet, salty, sweet, salty, sweet
how do you decide?

well, YOU MIX THEM TOGETHER! 
think, peanut butter and chocolate
think, maltesers and popcorn (seriously, you have to try it)
think, chocolate covered pretzels.

it's sweet saturday but I decided to twist it up, jussstt a little bit
after seeing a recipe on Carrots 'n' Cake that caught my attention

Salty Sweet Oatmeal Cookies
adapted from here

1 cup Rolled Oats
1/2 cup Plain Flour 
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 egg
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup Milk 
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 180*C.
Combine all ingredients (except salt) in a mixing bowl. 
Drop tablespoons of batter onto a lined/greased cookie sheet.
Sprinkle tops of cookies with salt.
Bake for 12 - 15 minutes.

These cookies were super easy to make (and eat)
I ground the oats a little in the food processor before I started to keep a certain grain hater happy
and added about 1/4 cup currants.

You could definitely add any other dried fruit you like and I think chocolate chips would work wonders (especially white chocolate)
Keep in mind that these cookies are quite cake like - not your traditional cookie texture
and the salt on top may put some people off. 

But they get addictive
and they're really quite healthy :)

So tell me, 
are you a salty or sweet kinda person?


Have an AMAZING sweet saturday 
(and rest of your weekend!)
:)



Friday, July 23, 2010

103.


I scream, you scream
we all scream for?

ICE CREAM!

I love ice cream - year round
I may be super sensitive to the cold
and constantly carrying a hot cup of tea or a heat pack

But if you offer me ice cream,
they're dropped at lightning speed.
When I first heard Ben & Jerry were coming to Australia I was super excited and new I had to get my hands on some of their delicious ice cream goodness!
As soon as I located a store near me I was off to get some for myself!
Ben & Jerry are flavour geniuses - in America the range is HUGE!
but here in Australia you can only get a limited number
but they've just added three new flavours to their Pints and Mini Cups range


 The first of the new flavours is Triple Caramel Chunk
Caramel ice cream with a swirl of caramel and fudge covered caramel chunks
AKA: heaven for caramel lovers

The caramel is really rich and buttery soooooooo good 
and the ice cream base is super creamy.

 But fear not! It's not sickeningly sweet like some caramel products

favouritefavouritefavourite!


the next flavour is Phish Food
Chocolate ice cream with gooey marshmallow, caramel swirls and chocolate fish
I LOVE the marshmallow in this! It takes ice cream to a whole other level of deliciousness
You get the gooey marshmallow with the crunch of the super cute chocolate fish and the swirls of caramel
omnomnom.
You can definitely taste good quality dark chocolate
and the ice cream base is decadently rich - yummmmm

favouritefavouritefavourite!
and last but not least, Half Baked
Chocolate and vanilla ice creams mixed with chunks of chocolate chip cookie dough and fudge brownies
There's just something about baked goods and ice cream 
they're a match made in heaven!
and this ice cream is like a combination of Chocolate Fudge Brownie and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
and it definitely works!

favouritefavouritefavourite!
and yes, I know
I favourited all three - but there's no rule against that, right?
I told you I love ice cream!

While they only have one Scoop Shop at the moment, you can buy the ice cream at selected outlets in Sydney and Melbourne
The pints retail at a RRP of $11.95 

and on a closing note, I must say..
Ben and Jerry, I love you
Oh and I love you too fabulous readers :)
so tell me, 
What would be your dream ice cream flavour?

I think mine would have to involve cheesecake - I'm in the middle of a cheesecake obsession at the moment
and I hope you have a super Sweet Saturday and an awesome weekend!

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

102.

have you ever been stuck in a rut?
you know, where you might feel 
unmotivated
stressed
hopeless 
uncertain
or feel like your life is just a little too monotonous? 
You know there's more too life, but you just don't know how to get from where you are to where you want to be? 
I'm sure every body has felt like that at one time or another. 

A few days ago, that's exactly how I felt. 
I'd lost confidence in myself and my abilities 
and was starting to doubt everything.

Not good

But I broke out of it! 
and I think it's important that I share this so that anyone else in a rut knows that you have the ability to get out of it. 

So what'd I do? What should you do?

Do something new - take a break from what you are doing, maybe it's a project or an assignment, but stop what you're doing. Take a break and do something different. For me it was as simple as getting out of the house and walking. I needed to get away from what I was doing and think about something new. But maybe for you it might be finding a new hobby or learning a new skill. 

Talk! Don't, whatever you do, bottle it up and try to forget about it. It doesn't work. You need to talk to someone. Talk to someone about what you're feeling - maybe they'll help you to realise the positive things about yourself that you're not or maybe they'll just be a shoulder to cry on.
Think about what you'd say to a friend in the same situation NOW SAY IT TO YOURSELF! Whoever said you can't compliment yourself can kiss my expletive. Realise that you are different and there's things about you that NO ONE ELSE HAS. 

Stop comparing yourself it's hard.. but it has to be done. Why do we compare ourselves to other people when everyone is different? It's such an easy thing to do, but in reality, it's ridiculous. Human beings are way too hard on themselves.

Take action you can't just sit around wondering why you can't get out of your rut. You've got to decide what you are going to do. Take risks. Sure something might be scary, but everyone gets scared. Write down the 10 things you want most - Now brainstorm how you can get them. 

Change do you eat the same thing every day? or run off the same routine? Switch it up - it might be as simple as eating breakfast outside instead of sitting at your computer. Any little thing that disrupts your routine provides a wake up call. Hey - who said you can't have pancakes on a Thursday?

Accept what you can't change you might not be able to change your job, or your financial status for the moment - but you can change the way you approach things. Positivity works!


And the other thing that worked for me? My luck changed. 
I got an email from a new client.

INSTANT
CONFIDENCE
BOOST

and exactly what I needed.
I can do this, so take that, RUT! 
I'm thinking about starting a new project.
An injection of positivity - so to speak.  
I think that's what the world needs.
So I may soon be asking for your help. 
if you'll give it to me!

But I want to know,
Have you ever been stuck in a rut? 
How did you get out of it?

Sunday, July 18, 2010

101.

Usually I only ever use natural light,
this can become a bit of a problem in winter
so lately I've been messing about with lighting in my spare time.

I don't have any fancy equipment,
but I'm extremely creative in using household objects :P

I've had a bad case of blog doubting lately. 
Maybe it's because I read so many fantastic blogs! 
But don't worry, I'm not giving up!
Kristy doesn't quit :)
I'm just going to work on bettering my blog
- Is that a word?
So I want to ask you,
How do you think I could better my blog?
And what's your opinion on the changed layout?

ps: secretly I really wanted this post to involve dalmations... 
do you think I could find one? nope :( 
yes - i'm a disney dork

Friday, July 16, 2010

100.

let's start by recognizing that this is my 100th post :) 
hooray!

It's Sweet Saturday yet again, 
but this Sweet Saturday is a little different than what I was hoping to do. 
You see, I had planned to bake up something special to share with you.

But my body had other ideas...
I got really, really sick
and baking or eating anything was the last thing I wanted to do.
Plus, I'm under strict eating instructions.
:( 

But that got me thinking. 
Who said sweet has to be sugary?
There are plenty of sweet things in life that don't involve sugar or butter or eggs.
Like friends who send you gorgeous flowers (see above),
my puppy who is always happy to see me,
having an amazing family and boyfriend,
getting great comments from people who read this blog.

You name it! 

So I want you to do some thinking,
and tell me.. 
What's the sweetest thing that's ever happened to you?

And don't worry,
that baking post will be coming soon!
As soon as I feel up to it :)

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

099.



I often come across new and unusual things. 
Whether it be products I get sent
or random facts. 

I adore learning new things, 
and I thought you might too! 
So I figured I had to share :)
(maybe I should start a series - thoughts?)


So today's subject is Halva. 

What is it?
According to Wikipedia Halva refers to many types of dense, sweet confections served across the Indian Subcontinent, Central Asia, West Asia, North Africa, The Horn of Africa, The Balkans and the Jewish World.
So it's a type of dessert/confection - right? 
The world halawa in Arabic means 'sweetness' while the word halwa means sweets or candy
Tahin Helvasi refers to crushed sesame seeds (tahin)
The Halva I received from Turkish Store is Pistachio Halva (as you can see from the picture above)

What does it taste like?
Unsure of what I was tasting, I cut a tiny slither off one of the slices of Halva and put it in my mouth..
First I got the extreme nutty flavour - Almost like a nut butter
and then the Halva melted away in my mouth. 
I was expecting more of a nougat type of texture, but what I got was more of a marshmallowy texture, however, the outer edge of the halva was quite chewy - (yum!)
The halva itself was incredibly oily - I'm guessing from the nuts.

What do I do with it?
I guess the easy answer is EAT IT! 
But after googling for a while I've seen suggestions of putting it on bread, having it with coffee like a biscuit, spreading it on biscuits etcetc.
I also saw recipes for halva cupcakes but I could see it as an addition to ice cream (yes, I'm obsessed - I think this is where the halva will end up) or maybe as a garnish for a cake - Anything that lends itself to nutty flavours really.
Maybe you could put it in a cookie!

Where can I get it?
Of course if you're in Australia, I'd say head to Turkish Store
which is where I was sent the Halva from.  
Otherwise maybe have a look at your local Turkish Supermarket/store.
Or you could make it yourself!

 


Now, Share with me... 
Have you ever had Halva?
What do you think I should do with it?

and What do you think about a series of these posts? Yay or Nay?
Kristy received this Halva courtesy of www.turkishstore.com.au
If you'd like a review of your products, send an email to ksayerphotography@gmail.com

Sunday, July 11, 2010

098.


I thought I'd share a simple but oh so tasty recipe with you.
Last Christmas I was given an ice cream maker (yay!) as I'm a huge ice cream fan.
So I've been on a bit of a journey to find the best ice cream recipes out there.

This one was a mix up of a few recipes and ended up becoming a low fat recipe (win-win eh?)
So here it is, My Rocky Road Ice Cream 

1½ cups skim milk
200g condensed skim milk (sweetened)
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 tbsp boiling water
¾ cup light cream
1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or 1 tsp Vanilla Essence)
1 cup marshmallows, chopped
½ cup Allen's Ripe Raspberries
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
Dissolve cocoa powder in 1 tbsp boiling water.
Combine milk, Condensed Milk, cream, cocoa powder and vanilla together in a bowl; mix well.
Refrigerate mixture until completely chilled.
Pour Mix into Ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions
Combine marshmallows, raspberries and peanuts in a bowl.
Once finished churning stir through the marshmallow mixture.
It's so quick to make and tastes super yummy!
It kind of has the same flavour as a Chocolate Paddlepop - Definitely more on the cocoa side of town.

So tell me, 
What's your favourite ice cream flavour?   

Friday, July 9, 2010

097.

Last weekend, this lovely bunch of sunshine arrived for me :)
it totally made my Sweet Saturday

I'm in the middle of a strawberry obsession at the moment. 
Like, in the last week I would've eaten about.. hm.. 4 punnets?

I think strawberries are a perfect example of a healthy food that doesn't taste like it,
I'd much prefer a plate of strawberries than chocolate.
They're super refreshing and de-lish!


This lovely fruit bouquet was from Naked Berry
and was filled with delicious strawberries, pineapple slices, melon balls and of course chocolate covered strawberries!

It was beautifully presented and came straight out of a refridgerated delivery truck wrapped in cellophane - 
No worries that your fruit will spoil!

They'd be a perfect gift for birthdays or anniversaries etcetc
and way better than flowers!
Because they don't just look gorgeous,
they taste it too!

So have a looksie at their catalog
:) 

pssstt.. my birthday is only a month away!

The fruit Naked Berry use must come from some fruit wonderland,
because the strawberries were heavenly
as were the pineapple pieces.

and the chocolate?
deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelicious :)
It doesn't count if it's on a strawberry- right?

 But do tell me,
What's your favourite healthy food? 

Kristy received this fruit bouquet courtesy of www.nakedberry.com.au
If you'd like a review of your products send an email to ksayerphotography@gmail.com 

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

096.

 
What are the requirements of comfort food?
For me, comfort food isn't something that's fancy or pretty.
It's food that warms your heart and reminds you of something or someone.
Food that brings satisfaction and takes you back somewhere.

This is a post i've been wanted to add for a long, long time now,
but unfortunately my computer decided to keep the deliciousness of baked rice pudding to itself
and eat my photos.

but alas, 
I got them back! 
finally. 
 
Food isn't just about survival, 
it brings people together and creates memories. 
This is why I knew I had to share the Marysville Cookbook with you all.


For those of you that don't know, 
On February 7th 2009, Victoria was faced with uncontrollable bushfires.
Now it's known as Black Saturday.

Black Saturday saw thousands of people lose their homes, their workplaces and even their family members and 173 people perished in the flames. 
Marysville is a town that was devastated by these fires and the Marysville Cookbook was created to give hope to the people of the town.
From each book that is bought, $10 is donated to the Marysville community. 
I heard from Heather Samsa, the one who put the book together, a few weeks back to find out that the money raised from these cookbooks has already helped out local schools in the area.

The book includes a whole heap of great recipes - Real hearty country cooking
and the 165 pages also hold many pictures of Marysville before it was devastated.

So I'm going to encourage all of you, take a look at the Marysville Cookbook Website
read the story
and learn about what happened.

I'm happy to say that I've had a few of my friends and family purchase the book after seeing it here.

And if you do purchase the book?
You'll be able to make a super yummy, heart warming rice pudding
and know that you've helped the Marysville Community.

But do tell me,
What's your ideal comfort food/meal and why? 

Kristy received the Marysville Cookbook courtesy of www.marysvillecookbook.com
If you'd like a review of your products send an email to ksayerphotography@gmail.com

Saturday, July 3, 2010

095.

can you guess where I was yesterday?

Friday, July 2, 2010

094.

 
Today is saturday... 
The weekend... 
 
What does that mean? 
time for some fun,
some indulgence,
time to let loose.

This is the reason I've decided that saturdays on my blog will now be
SWEET SATURDAYS!

Every saturday you'll be seeing something sweet,
whether it be a product review, 
a recipe 
or a random picture
 
Now this weeks sweet saturday comes from Cocolo Chocolate,
a while ago I was sent a box of their products. 
Eight blocks of fine swiss organic chocolate. 

With everything that's been going on I hadn't had a chance to review any,
but this week I decided it was time to be acquainted with their bittersweet chocolate.
 
 
It's only been recently that I've become a fan of dark chocolate,
I think it's definitely an age thing. 
As a child I'd refuse anything other than Cadbury.

But just as I can now eat 300 kilograms of broccoli, 
I'd also be quite happy with some dark chocolate :P

This Cocolo chocolate was delicious, 
perfect for those who haven't quite converted to the dark side.
Not too bitter and with a perfect bite!
 
It had a fantastic aroma too
and by eating Cocolo Chocolate you're not filling your body with anything nasty like pesticides or soy lecithin because it's Certified Organic! 
It's also Fairtrade, meaning that Cocolo supports the growers who they source their ingredients from.
So Cocolo really is a guilt free chocolate. 

It's also easy to get your hands on some Cocolo,
you can get it from Coles stores around Australia
as well as a number of individual stockists.

The blocks are perfect for that little bit of indulgence as they're 100 grams - 
Meaning you can keep a block stashed away in the cupboard and snack at your will :P

So I still have seven blocks remaining,
what do you think should be next?
  • Dark 70%
  • Milk
  • Dark Mint Crisp
  • Dark Almond
  • Dark Orange
  • Milk Hazelnut
  • White Almond Crunch
Kristy received Cocolo chocolate courtesy of Cocolo
if you'd like a review of your products, send an email to ksayerphotography@gmail.com