cheaters strudel

Last week I craved comfort food. And I happened to have some apples in the fruit bowl.

Apple pie seemed like too much effort, so instead I made a 'cheaters' version of apple strudel.

I call it the 'cheaters' version because I used store-bought puff pastry, which is not my usual style.

But none the less, my first attempt at strudel was delicious (although, as it turns out, not so photogenic*)


C H E A T E R S   A P P L E   S T R U D E L

Cheaters Apple Strudel

2 tablespoons caster sugar

1 tablespoon plain flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons raisins (optional)
4 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 egg
Slivered almonds, for sprinkling

Icing sugar, to dust

Preheat oven to 190°C. Combine sugar, flour and cinnamon in a bowl. Add apples (raisons are optional). Toss to coat.

Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Place the pastry on a lightly floured sheet of non-stick baking paper. Dust the pastry lightly with flour. Spoon the apple mixture over the bottom half of the pastry. Roll the pastry into a large log. 

Place, seam side down, on the baking tray. Tuck the ends under the roll.

Combine the egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush with the egg mixture. Cut several 2cm-long slits, 2cm apart, into the top of the roll. Sprinkle with slivered almonds.

Bake for 35 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a wire rack lined with baking paper for 30 minutes to cool (if you can wait that long..) Dust with icing sugar and serve.

xx

[*Disclaimer : I may or may not have made, photographed, and eaten these after a glass (or two) of bubbles]

little miss contradiction

Contradiction

con·tra·dic·tion  [kon-truh-dik-shuhn] 

noun

the act of contradicting; gainsaying or opposition.

assertion of the contrary or opposite; denial.

a statement or proposition that contradicts or denies another or itself and is logically incongruous.

direct opposition between things compared; inconsistency.

I dream of conquering the world but I don't think I am smart/determined/motivated enough

I am a cat person who owns a dog

I love comfy pjs and twirling in skirts

My memory is terrible but I don't forget lyrics to songs

I have a 'don't mess with me attitude' but can cry for days

I am known to be 'girly' but my wardrobe is black

I love absorbing the suns rays but yearn to play in the snow

I will offer advice but rarely want to hear it

I want the freedom of travel but the foundation of 'home'

I want to prove my independence but long to be loved

I am strong and stubborn but vulnerable and emotional

I want to jump out of planes but I am scared of heights

I hate confrontation but am passionate about my beliefs

I drink green juices for breakfast and wine for my dinner

I crave uninhibited passion but fear for my heart

I want to snuggle all day and dance all night

I like structure but resent nine-to-five

I am quick to learn but slow to trust

I resist change but continue to search for something

I stress about finances but I have just quit my job

I embrace doing nothing and then worry about wasted time

I'm an organised list writer with a cluttered mind

That's me - a whole complex package

xx

why i can't settle

Sometimes starting a blog post is the hardest part. There are so many thoughts in my head that I struggle to communicate them to my fingers and type anything coherent.

Usually, once I have begun, the words flow from me with ease. 

And most often, the message I thought I was trying to convey in the beginning is not at all where it ends up.

But that's my point today. It's a new concept I am learning to understand, accept and embrace - 

It's OK to veer off path

It's OK to change your mind.

You have the freedom to reconsider any and all aspects of your life - from simple things like what you want for breakfast today, or which direction you're going to take on your morning walk; To larger plans like where you'll spend Christmas; To life changing ideas like where you want to live; work, play; and with whom you wish to spend the rest of your life.

In life, we stick with plans because we feel like we have made a commitment (either to ourselves or to others). Most of the time we are afraid to change our plans unless there is something terribly wrong so that we can justify our decision to anyone who dares question our motives to seek something new. But you know what? Just because it's a good, solid, plan - doesn't mean it's right for you, or right for now.

Occasionally, we stop to identify that the plan we thought we had signed, sealed and delivered turns out to be inadequate or less than desirable or maybe something just isn't right. In this moment, we realise we are missing a major component in our lives. Maybe we have become complacent? Maybe we didn't consider our options in the past because they just didn't seem possible?

When we refuse to change direction for any reason (fear being the most common) - 

We are settling.

And we should never settle.

Nelson Mandela

Why should live an ordinary life, when we are capable of being extraordinary?

xx

#sharethegoodstuff

Have you ever stumbled across a blog/website/instagram account and marveled in the beauty of such a simple concept that you think to yourself - 

I must shout my praise of this person and their awesomeness from the rooftops?

I have.

So I am.

May I introduce to you...

In the interest of full disclosure – Yes, this little marvel is brought to you by a very special friend of mine. BUT I didn’t know that when I first came across it in its infancy.

The sheer simplicity of this project is what makes it so damn special.

"It might only be a small thing, 

but One Such Thing is something to someone."

Let us marvel in the beauty of our daily lives.

Let us take a moment to appreciate just one thing in our world, for which we are truly grateful.

Sandy Toes

I've shared my One Such Thing.. Have you?

xx

redefining success

I have been sitting on this post for several weeks now. Jotting down my thoughts and spending some time letting my own self judgement swirl around in my mind, letting my opinions form, then change, then reconsidering my previous assumptions.

So here I am. Ready to talk about the definitions of 'success' and 'failure'.

I have posted about feeling like a failure in the past. But today I ponder failure of a more general kind. 

Life failure.

What does it actually mean to fail? In exams, it’s black and white

and easy to understand.

But in life ... it’s ambiguous because success is 

often about meeting a set of criteria created by a person or a 

group of people whose opinions differ from your own.

- Here

If the opposite of failure is success, then what exactly does that mean?

If you ask society to determine if you're successful it is easy - 

On paper, I was 'successful' in my early 20's.

Uni Degree  ✔️

Job  ✔️

Husband  ✔️

House  ✔️

Dog  ✔️

Tick; Tick; Tick.


But back then, I was (unknowingly) living a life with blinkers on, like a Clydesdale horse - focused on the path ahead, blindly heading from 'here' to 'there'. 

Yes, I was ticking the boxes and yes, I was feeling satisfied that I was succeeding. But in hindsight, these goals were self imposed priorities that were previously determined by societal expectations and I didn't really stop to wonder if I was on the right path for me.




You know why?

Because I was 100% focused on being who I 'should' be.



WHO MAKES THESE RULES?!


Those who know me in 'real life' know I have been challenging this concept for months. 
If you know me really well.. you know I have been quietly struggling with this concept for YEARS!


But I have come to a life changing realisation that is - 

Failure is what happens when you feel disconnected from who 

you really are.

This means (in a very harsh and judgmental way) that I had failed more than a marriage by the ripe age of 25.

*oops!*

[Edit: After a conversation with my sister about this very topic, I have acknowledged that I know I haven't failed at life, but I was definitely doing all the things I was 'supposed' to do rather than figuring out who I am and what I want. As a 'wife' I made sacrifices because that's what I thought marriage and compromise was all about. Happily, I now know that if/when I ever choose to become a 'wife' again, I will not lose myself in the process. HIGH FIVE!]
Sidenote - I think I have come up with a new blog topic - "Thing that my marriage and subsequent breakdown taught me".. 
But I'll leave that for another day!


So now I am focused on a brand new kind of success.

I am throwing out the rigid and inflexible concept of the word and embracing a new theory.

Success is love.

Self love first and foremost.

Love yourself. Love what you are doing. Love where you are. Love where you have been.

And if you don't - then make a change.

Because your life should not be spend striving for someone else's ideal of success.


~ ~ ~


I'm not done with this topic. I still have a long way to go.

It's not easy to challenge society. And it sure as hell isn't easy to challenge yourself.

I am currently fighting my own internal dialect Every. Damn. Day.


xx

what i know

There are lots of things in life that I don't quite understand - 

Like death - or more specifically what happens after death?

And why an hour spent on Pinterest is gone in the blink of an eye, but feels like 5 years when you're waiting for that call, text, email...

Or why it's always an annoying song that gets stuck in your head, and not one of your favourites.

But what I know is that the beach is the perfect place to hang, no matter what your mood; 

Some friends are irreplaceable and even if you don't get to see them often, they are definitely worth their weight in gold; 

Sometimes, even after a week of healthy eating (or maybe especially after a week of healthy eating) a margarita is the best idea;

Lying on the grass, staring at the sky, is the best therapy;

Nothing beats a kick-ass playlist on a long flight;

And when in doubt - ask dad because his no nonsense advice is second to none.

here

xx

pass the popcorn

The number of ticket stubs floating in the bottom on my handbag has led me write this post..

I am certainly no Margaret Pomeranz or David Stratton when it comes to my movie knowledge or ability to review said films, but I know what I like and I know warm popcorn and a choctop always make the experience 100% better.

THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY

I ventured out to the cinema alone for the very first time and saw this movie.

Perhaps it was my new found cinema-going independence, or perhaps it was because this movie gave me the sense that anyone can be/do/see anything they want, whatever it was - I really enjoyed this film.

I will admit, I am not a huge Ben Stiller fan, so I have some reservations at first, but the story and the scenery captured me from the beginning and I enjoyed every second of the journey.

««««

SAVING MR BANKS

I had zero expectations of this film. I literally had no idea what it was about.

I hadn't seen a single preview or read any reviews.

And I was so thankful, because that just made this movie even more magical.

Emma Thompson is perfect.

The soundtrack is (obviously) amazing.

The back story is heart-wrenching.

Tears were shed. Smiles happened.

My inner-child beamed with love for Disney.

True warm and fuzzy.

«««««

THE WOLF OF WALLSTREET

How much will you hurt me when I tell you that I just didn't love it?!
Don't get me wrong - Leonardo DiCaprio is freakin' fantastic.
And anyone who ever watched Neighbours, would be just so damn proud of Margot Robbie.
But after allll the rave reviews, I think I just expected more.....
It was long. And yes - I laughed, and grimaced, and squirmed.
But it's not a movie I can gush about.
Sorry I'm not sorry.

«««


ARE WE OFFICIALLY DATING?

OK.. there had to be one chick flick in the mix.
And this is it.
Funny? Yes
Relatable? Maybe
Worth the movie ticket? Probably not.
I've seen Zac do better. (Charlie St Cloud)
I've seen him do worse too.. (Hello, New Years Eve)
In the United States, this movie is called 'That Awkward Moment' and well.. it was.
Zac's gotten a little chubby, so the eye candy wasn't there. And I didn't feel the chemistry between him and his girlfriend Imogen Poots.
Bonus points to his onscreen BFF Daniel though.

Two memorable moments for me -
1. When his other BFF Mikey admits his life is over after his wife has cheated on him, because how did it go so wrong? After all "he checked all the boxes.. College degree, successful job, marriage"; and
2. When he cyber-stalks the guy who is in four of the girls Facebook photos, like an obsessed teenage girl [Admit it - You've done that too]

««


Argue if you want. But I call it how I see it.


And finally, because when I went to the movies on Friday night, all I really wanted to see was a little of this -

You're welcome

xx

let's talk gratitude

grat-i-tude [noun] 
Gratitude, thankfulness, gratefulness, or appreciation is a feeling or

 attitude in acknowledgment of a benefit that one has received or 

will receive.

No other words today. There's no explanation required.

“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the

 foundation for all abundance.” 

― Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose

xx

pizza + wine

I know that my latest and greatest eating habits are not as exciting as my baking of delicious sweet treats.. and I also know that for some reason, I am not as skilled at photographing my savoury food compared to fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies or generously-iced cakes..

But after seeing a million photos on pinterest, I decided it was a sign from the universe telling me it was time to give the whole 'cauliflower pizza crust' thing a go.

Was it worth the time and effort??

Cauli-crust Pizza

YES!!!

I roasted pumpkin for the topping;

I blended cauliflower into a 'dough';

I smeared avocado as a base;

I added capsicum, pinenuts, mushrooms and basil for the topping.

And the end result was undeniably delicious.

The most time consuming component of the entire process was drying out the cauliflower to make it 'dough-ready'.

After blitzing about half a head of cauli in my blender (apparently, you can grate it as an alternative), you then need to get the excess moisture out of it.

I did this over the stove top, on low heat, stirring until it 'cooked' and dried.

After allowing it to cool, add 1 egg + some mozzerella cheese. Then form 'pizza' sized circles on a baking tray.

Cook the base until golden brown.

Unless you're like me, and you get too excited, forget, and load your pizza with toppings before you realise you missed this step!!

[It didn't really matter.. I suppose my bases would have been a little crispier if I had remembered this part...]

After adding the topping, cook until brown/cheese has melted/you get hungry..

Enjoy with a glass of vino*.

xx

*Always drink responsibly.