Five photos I like

In the past, I never enjoyed having my photo taken;  however as I get older, I am beginning to feel differently about a camera's flash.  I love the memories associated with photos and the feelings of nostalgia a simple photo can trigger within.  Here are a few of my favourites...

 This is a photo of my parents and I on holidays somewhere in Asia, however I can't remember where.  My dad used to travel a lot for work, so our annual holidays were always a special time.

Mr B took this photo without me knowing and I ended up liking it.  It was on one of our little trips to Paris. (Annie from Red Roses and Crystal inspired this photo with her post this week)

This is a photo taken on Hayman Island; one of my favourite warm-weather holiday destinations. I hope to go back one day.

With a group of dear friends, we got up at the break of dawn to go and see the royal wedding last year.  You can read my post here.  It was such a fabulous day and this photo was taken as Kate and William passed us on Horse Guards Parade.

This is Mr B and I racing to get to our wedding reception so we could have a much needed beverage!  I thought this photo was quite funny and even though you can't see it from the photo, we are actually close to running!  

Have a lovely weekend.

Fifi x

More Fabulous Cookbooks

I have always loved beautifully written, inventive and uncomplicated cookbooks.  This captivation began in my late teens, when I assigned myself the task of preparing dinner for my parents each night during school holidays.  Sometimes these meals were met with praise and other times they were followed by toasted sandwiches. 

I feel my fascination with food began when I was a  small child, often travelling to foreign countries and tasting an array of exotic flavours and unfamiliar ingredients.  My obsession with cookbooks ensued, not for pretentious reasons but purely for my thirst for knowledge from incredible cooks and chefs who have spent their lifetime studying ingredients and techniques.  Whenever you research quality cookbooks the authors are always the same; Thomas Keller, Elizabeth David, Stephanie Alexander, Auguste Escoffier, Paul Bertolli, Alice Waters and the list goes on.

Some have suggested that cooking is purely chemistry, while others have stated it is an instinctive and intuitive process.  I use my cookbooks each week for ideas on interesting meals to prepare, some of which I often tweak in order to make the dishes healthier or to help me use up the ingredients already in my refrigerator.

Here are some of my current favourites which I hope you enjoy reading about:

Ottolenghi

 A very kind and thoughtful friend gave me my first Yotam Ottolenghi cookbook as a wedding gift and I instantly fell in love with his multi-cuisine fusion style.  His eateries in London are much loved and frequented by serious foodies.  Mr B bought me his second book, Plenty: a vegetarian style cookbook, which is also fantastic. I highly recommend the recipe Asparagus mimosa.

 

Michel Roux Jr
I was very lucky to go along to Le Gavroche for dinner in London one night and it was superb.  This motivated me to get Michel Roux's cookbooks which include wonderful French recipes that not only look good, but taste good too.  His knowledge of wine and champagne is also impressive.

Tessa Kiros
 I was first introduced to Tessa Kiros by a lady who worked at Waterstones in Clapham Junction.  She knew a lot about cookbooks and spoke to me at length about Tessa and her superbly written recipes.  I initially purchased one of her books for a friend  and then decided I would like one as well.  Her Apples for Jam and Falling Cloudberries are very popular family cookbooks, however I admire her Greek cookbook, Food from many Greek kitchens the most, as it draws upon recipes from her family's heritage.  Overall a wonderful cookbook writer.

Elizabeth David 
One of the most venerated cookbook writers; her recipes have influenced food enthusiats around the world and she has without a doubt educated millions of household cooks for the better.  Her knowledge of Mediterraen cooking is second to none and I would say she is one of my all time favourite cookbook writers.  I love her tian recipes.

Happy cooking!

Fifi x

Iimages 1,2,3,4.5,6,7,8&9

Le weekend

I am always excited by the prospect of a long weekend and fortunately Brisbane has been putting on a perfect display of autumnal blue skies; perfect for walks and taking it easy.  

 A very simple weekend dress  - Marc by Marc Jacobs

Mr B and I headed to Cirque for brunch which was delish...

I ordered the vegetarian breakfast,

while Mr B ordered the black pudding with scallops.

I have also been indulging in my horrendous reality tv obsession. I don't watch all reality tv, I am selective, however I do like this series.  I was so excited when my Made in Chelsea dvds arrived via the wonders of Amazon.co.uk  It is simultaneously terrible, yet engaging and extremely addictive. 

Mr B told me today that he can't consume any more green smoothies, chlorella, spirulina or anything that is considered a superfood for a while.  He has reached his limit, so due to this I thought it was time to make him some of these...

Chocolate chip biscuits  Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall style. 

 Are you a River Cottage fan like me?

I am also looking forward to purchasing his new book later in the year.

 We were fortunate to go to River Cottage in Axminster a few years ago and enjoyed a seriously delectable meal.

I am also excited about watching this documentary over the weekend.

I have also spent part of today listening to snippets from the new Keane album.  

It's called Strangeland and you can listen to it here.

Finally, the super moon is just phenomenal this evening.

 Hope you are having a lovely weekend wherever you are in the world.

Fifi x

Images 4,6,7,9 &10

Beauty and beautiful things

I am definitely not a beauty expert.  In fact, I know very little about beauty, but I often have friends ask me questions about what I use, where I go for treatments and what daily routines I practise.  This got me thinking about what I do for beautification...

My most memorable and effective beauty treatment to date was in an ancient hamam in Istanbul.  I remember my skin and hair felt perfect (yes that's right, actually perfect) once all the scrubbing, cold water and hot steam treatments were completed.  Despite not being able to speak the language of my beauty therapist (aka - the lady with the serious scrubbing mit), it was a magical experience and I am very keen to return to another hamam in the future.  My skin glowed for days and my hair felt so clean, shiny and healthy.

Another wonderful beauty experience was in the geothermal Blue Lagoon Spa in Iceland.  I am really into Epsom salt baths, so this was definitely the ultimate bath for me - helping to draw out the toxins through the skin and relaxing the muscles;  I absolutely loved it.  

To be honest, I am not into too many daily routines for beauty maintenance, nor do I like the idea of spending a lot of money on treatments and products.  I like to keep things as minimalistic, natural and as healthy as possible. 

I use this product everyday:

Dr Brommer's Classic Body Soap

For moisturiser, I love this product:

 

This is virgin cold pressed coconut oil - perhaps not for everyone but I adore it.

This is my entire make up collection (very minimalistic) - eye shadow, eye liner, mascara, blush and lip gloss are what I use.  I am on the look out for a more natural make up brand, however I will stick with what I have for the time being.

I try to eat well, but I also like to live and am not as strict as I used to be.  I love massage, acupunture and Indian Ishnan showers during the colder months (these techniques are certainly not for everyone) but they help me feel fantastic.  

Even though these things work for me at present, I am always on the lookout for new products, techniques and love listening to my friends and what works for them.  

What are your beauty secrets? 

I also read a pertinent quote by Confucius this week

"Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it"

This is something I certainly need to work on.

 So here are some beautiful things I have spotted this week:

My friend L sent me this photo of a beautiful rose from her garden.  Gorgeous.

 I have also been loving this beautiful album of Chinese music. Click here to listen.


With Brisbane's temperatures starting to drop (thank goodness) I have been loving the beauty of Barbour.  

Barbour jackets are just gorgeous with beautiful linings.

Hope you are having a lovely weekend with lots of beautiful moments.

Fifi x

Image 1. & 5

What I am loving this week

I am a less is more kind of girl and even though life over the past few years has begun to toughen me up a bit, I really don't want to lose my childish enthusiasm for life and all it has to offer.  I still get very excited and appreciative about the simple pleasures in life.  This might be a new song, a good book, a delicious meal, a beautifully-made piece of clothing or a glorious sunset. Therefore the point of this blog is to share fabulous things which excite me and here are some more recent discoveries which I hope you enjoy reading about:

Fresh herbs.  Mr B and I don't have a garden at present, so we have decided to start a herb garden on our balcony.   Buying fresh herbs from the markets or supermarket can be costly, so here is an easy alternative.  Fingers crossed they are still alive in a month's time.  This may be the start of my gardner's green thumb.

One of the best breakfasts I have ever had.  Yes, this is a serious declaration, however it is true.  The Hardware Sociéte in Melbourne was just fantastic and this omelette was literally sublime.  

Do you have a favourite piece of clothing?  Well this is mine.  It is from Whistles in the UK and I love it to bits.  I buy a few dresses each year and I always try to purchase one or two during their annual sales.  They are classic and are always made of lovely fabrics. 

This is my Himalayan Salt Lamp and I love it.  I put it on for a few hours each day (supposedly they increase the number of negative ions in an environment which creates a healthier space to be in), however Mr B dislikes the lamp immensely.  He says it gives him a headache which results in him somehow requiring an alcoholic beverage. 

I love simple suppers.  Scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, left over roast meat etc. all make delicious easy dinners during the week.  I made a fabulous warm chicken salad last week and it was terrific.  What are your simple suppers?

Ripailles is one cookbook to own.
Stéphane Reynaud knows food and this book is just fantastic, especially if you love French food.  Délicieux.

 I love nail polish but I only own one bottle of it.  Yes that is right, just one; Chanel Le Vernis.  In the past I tried a chemical free one from Whole Foods, however it chipped really easily, so after a bit of research I finally found a brand which seems to be a healthier alternative.  Butter - London.  I am looking forward to giving it a go.  

 Beer in wines glasses.  Yes that's right, some establishments are now serving beer in wine glasses and I like it.  I like the odd beer now and then and I am not embarrassed to admit that Mr B and I ordered a tallie while at a restaurant recently.  In Queensland a tallie is not considered very glamourous but I loved it and I highly recommend the Spanish beer Estrella. 

Have you tried Goji berries?  Well I am going to start using them in my morning smoothies.  I will soak them in water first and will put them in with some green leafy vegetables, chlorella and nut butter, plus a few other ingredients.  I love my morning smoothies so much.

The Lark Ascending is my favourite piece of classical music.  I regularly play it to the children I teach, as it helps them focus on their work.   It is always on my IPod, as I find it is the perfect music to help me unwind and relax after a busy day.   You can hear it on ITunes; however the You Tube version is terrific too.

Click here to watch a performance of it at the Royal Albert Hall.


Have a wonderful week 

Fifi x

Images 6 & 9

Anniversaire and other nice things

It was my birthday a week or so ago and to be honest I am not a big birthday person.  I generally try to keep celebrations to a minimum, however I love going out for dinner somewhere cheap and cheerful with Mr B and my parents. 

Mr B got me this Smythson zip-around wallet.  It is black with a gold zip. 

Enjoy Inn, is in my opinion, one of the best Chinese restaurants in Brisbane.  It is always packed and the food is delicious.  I have been eating there since I was little and my birthday dinner here was just fantastic.  

I don't do cake, but I do consume anything by Charbonnel et Walker.  David Jones sold me this small chocolate block.  I shared it with Mr B and it was heavenly. 

Hello is still my favourite magazine.  I don't mind that Australia gets it a week or two late.  I visit my local newsagency every Wednesday to purchase a copy.  

I also got a new copy of Stephanie Alexander’s classic cookbook.  Almost half price at Big W.  How good is that! I love Big W; they also have a terrific range of Zyliss gadgets and Pyrex dishes. 

I also caught up with my dear friend L for lunch at Room with Roses in the Brisbane Arcade.  It was just sensational - this is the gluten free poached chicken salad.

If you haven’t seen this SBS two-part documentary about European Royal Jewels then you should.  It is just fascinating.

I also recommend this divine film:

 It's about a lovely country school in rural France.

Finally, I have nearly finished this amazing book.

 It is about Elizabeth Hardwick, who was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in England during the 1500's.  Mary S. Lovell also wrote The Mitford Girls, so if you enjoyed that book, I am sure you will love this one.  Mary has also written a book about the Churchill family which is next on my reading list.

Have a lovely week.

Fifi

Image 4