my food: back in the game

Ok, ok. I know how slack I've been with the blog posts. It kind of became an issue when we (and by we, I mean Rob) lost the charger for my laptop. Add to that the fact that he has been working long hours (and so his laptop hasn't been readily available) which means posting has been pretty much impossible. BUT I finally gave in to the fact that it wasn't just going to turn up out of the blue and bought a new one - so now I'm back with a vengence! (And by vengence, I mean posting at least a few times a week. Hey, its been a while. Baby steps...)

So what have I been up to? Well let me tell you that I am most definitely back in the game when it comes to food prep. Don't believe me? Why, here's proof:

Chicken curry (with homemade curry paste)

Homemade hummus

Pasta with broccolini, parmesan and breadcrumbs

Raw zucchini salad

Go me! This is a vast improvement compared to my efforts a few weeks ago. Though I must admit that I'm starting to tire of all of the winter produce and am dreaming of a new season. Not long now!

back in the kitchen

This pregnancy has really thrown a spanner in the works when it comes to cooking. So far, energy has been my biggest issue when it comes to the amount of effort (or lack thereof) that I currently put into preparing meals. It's a rather frustrating side effect combined with a sudden aversion to random foods that I can't quite put my finger on until they are presented on a plate right in front of me. So far on this list we have onions, honey, pork and broccoli (just to name a few) and weirdly enough I have hardly any cravings for tea or chocolate... Who am I?!

But despite all this I'm determined to push through it all - I have an inkling that my lack of energy comes not only from the pregnancy but also from a lack of good, whole food as a result of my laziness. Although I am not eating badly, I usually have a much healthier (and at least more diverse) diet which I'm going to aim to maintain on my better days. So the plan for this week? I'm not going to get too ahead of myself here, but I am thinking along the lines of something like this for dinner tomorrow night:

Black Sesame Otsu

The recipe is from one of my favourite cookbooks Super Natural Every Day but is also available here. I'm already excited.

my life: a week gone by

This past week has been an eventful one and not only because of this. In an effort to shake my annual winter slump (it's unavoidable, I just really don't like the cold) I booked in to get my hair done at my new favourite place Mana Hair. I have been there a few times now and each appointment is more fun than the last. It has the best rep on the beaches and the girls there are lovely. 

And hey, if it's good enough for Heidi Middleton (and her current rhubarb-coloured hair), then it's good enough for me. In fact, she popped in for a touch-up while I was there and I couldn't help but stare - she is without a doubt one of the most effortlessly stylish people I've seen. I left in a much better state of mind with a shorter and lighter look - which I love! Change really is as good as a holiday (but that doesn't mean I don't still need a holiday if you're reading this Rob).

my food: Friday night involved unwinding with a few of the girls over Mexican. At Missy Foxall in fact. The food there never fails to impress, but then again I guess I get pretty excited just being out at night these days. I had the chicken tacos and let's just say that approximately 5 minutes after this picture was taken, that plate was telling a very different story.

my family: At least one of our weekend mornings is typically spent at the dog beach. Sandy Bay beach next to Clontarf Reserve is absolutely beautiful.

Even in Winter it's lovely - Scout has a swim and and the boys get to bond over a warm drink.

Cuteness overload

And I just stand around taking pictures.

it all makes sense now...

Ok, ok. I know I have been super slack with the blog posts of late. And yes, I do have the ultimate excuse. If you'll give me the benefit of the doubt, I will explain. You see, the past few weeks have been rather trying, and not just due to a few bouts of illness and my penchant for hibernation in cold weather. It's because of much more than that. Let me show you:

Yes my friends, I am well and truly up the duff and have been silently suffering from who-the-hell-called-it-morning-because-it-is-24-hour sickness for the past few weeks. I'll be honest here, it hasn't been pretty. Think of waking up in the middle of the night to throw up, and a constant supply of oranges by the bed to lift my blood sugar level when needed, and you get the drift. Although I do feel like I'm coming out of it (to a degree), the constant tiredness has led to more than just a new bedtime - my cooking mojo has pretty much vanished, as well as my will to leave the house. So not only were my waking hours substantially shorter, but I also wasn't doing anything interesting enough to blog about.

But that's enough of the excuses. I do hope you'll forgive me, and know that I have every intention of regaining my momentum in the coming weeks - if only because of the fact that I think we're all getting sick of sandwiches for dinner and wearing summer clothes in winter (washing has been way down on my to-do list).