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I don't know if I can credit this recipe to "the chicken for my salad didn't thaw in time" or "pumpkins are dominating Pinterest right now and filling my head with possible pumpkin uses" either way this little recipe was created in my kitchen by accident one night and its become a staple. In all honesty, I'm not the biggest salad fan (I pick the side of fries every time) but there is something about the weather warming up that makes you crave a lighter meal in the evening isn't there? And a beer. This salad has just the right amount of 'fill you up' ingredients so that you don't feel like you're eating at a restaurant run by giant rabbit chefs.

Roast at 200 degrees Celsius until golden and cooked through

• A wedge of pumpkin big enough to feed the amount you're feeding, chopped into cubes
• Raw almonds
• A can of chickpeas
• Olive oil & Salt and pepper or some spices if you're feeling spicy

Once they're done set your salads up in separate bowls, we used

• Baby spinach leaves
• Avocado
• Sliced red onion
• Feta
• Tomato

Pop your roasted trio on top and squeeze lemon juice and balsamic vinegar over the whole lot.

• Eat it

The above salad is what Guy called "man-salad" man-salad is achieved by adding leftover roast lamb from the night before.

Lady salad

 

Excuse the photos, I'm no Donna hay and my balsamic vinegar is going to splash on my bowl and I'm not going to wipe it before I take the photo.... I was ravenous at this point and taking two photos before digging in was hard enough. I don't know how Don's does it...

 

NOM NOM NOM

 

weekend dominated

 

This weekend we dominated our section... We bought trees, filling two trailers, then unloaded all of them on site. We marked out where every hole would be (1 metre away from the fence and 1 metre apart.....for 115 metres) Used a crazy machine thingy to dig all of the holes (oh and tear through a water pipe - fail!) then planted all of the trees in a nice looooooong row.

 

When we finished that, I stained the pump shed to pretty much finish it off AND today we set up an irrigation drip system for every single one of those trees.

 

 

 

My body does NOT want to do anymore squats....EVER. There were more up and downs (literally) in the last 3 days than I've done in my entire life.

 

As tiring as it was....it was freakin' rewarding! And last night we felt deliriously happy with ourselves. Unfortunately all the photos I took of the work we completed were taken at the end of the day and unbeknownst to my tired eyes my camera lens was covered in dust.... So you'll just have to take my word for it. We did good, kid.

 

Off to sleep for as long as this body lets me.

 

 

stage one, done & done

 

WELL, Today we met with our draughtsman and went through some final bits and pieces to confirm our design...eeeeeee so much excite. A few things I'm looking forward to the most are... my high ceilings, my white painted brick super-would you like fries, onion rings and a soft serve with that-sized fireplace, and the fact that we have decided on our exterior scheme! HUZZAH!!!!

 

 

We knew we wanted vertical cedar but we have been completely inspired by this summer house designed by Stockholm architect Mikael Bergquist to keep it all natural with white trimmed windows and a charcoal roof. It's gonna take a while for the wood to weather to that great silver colour but I'm just going to have to hold tight, because I want it to look just like this wee beauty.

I first saw this home on Nordic Design blog via Pinterest... Seriously, how did we design our new homes, plan weddings, get dressed, decide what to have for dinner or get inspired to go for a run walk before Pinterest!

 

 

 

 

Now that the plans are all confirmed its time to get onto the costings..... Deep breath.... Lets hope the dream home isn't just that!!!

 

All house photos taken by Mikael Bergquist

 

 

 

 

 

Boxy day

 

Oh, The yesteryears! When it only cost 30c for a loaf of bread, when your parents would walk for miles to school in the snow with barefeet and when old wooden boxes were used for packaging nails, screws, car parts and the like....None of this throw away nonsense of today. It's time to ask your Grandpa, Dad, Uncle or Old man next door if they have any of these sweet wooden boxes that you can make use of.... Or if you run out of man options....maybe just go to a junk shop.

 

These boxes were readily available in my Fathers garage, a builder for many years and a hoarder for many more he has (well, had) loads of them. So, I got to tipping all of the contents into any vessels available and using them for a greater good, like my bookcase, recycling bin, small side table, shampoo station in the salon and a place to keep all of my salon products.

I could drone on about how I did each one, but really, that's an incredibly long post. If you're thinking "don't be such a lazy mofo"... email me (maybe not with that subject title, meanie) and I'll send you some tips.

 

fragments of a few days

 

Seriously busy weekend, so busy it has to be done in bullet points... 

• Friday fun times with friends at our place, there may have been some "catch the cheese in your mouth while going fast on the cross trainer" games.
• Move Guys parents (and their impressive hoard of belongings) out of their family home and inherit some AMAZING stuff!! Including a couple of old wooden boxes, one of which is nice and shallow and ideal as a water station for my kitchen, yep, I like to feel like I live in a cafe.
• Meet baby Jack piercey... All 3lbs2oz of him, what is going on with all the TINY babies that my friends and family are having. Bite sized little beauties!!!
• Went for a Waikuku mission with my lady love Emily
• Made a massive lot of macaroni cheese for dinner....comfort foodius maximus! Yuuuuuuum
• Watched the hunger games with Guy, seriously.... Can't get over the Peeta casting. Just not what I had in my head! Gale... I'm ok with. Very ok.
• Mowed our lawns at the block...love our little tractor. Still trying to think of a name for her....
• Cut my lady love Clare's hair off....from lower back to above boob! She cradled it in her hands and then we both took photos of it. Not weird at all.

 

 

How sweet is this photo of my father in law learning to row a boat in the sounds...awwww

icecreamspiration

 

Inspiration for craftiness can come from anywhere really... Thought I would share with you the inspiration for one of my garlands (selling here soon)!

 

It came in the form of my brother-in-law/ cute man-child guiltily eating an ice cream on the harbour. Now, whenever i look at this garland it will make me think of ice creams by the sea... Like I needed to think about ice cream anymore than I do.

 

Oh! and I'm happily reporting that the...ummm..."head injury" I suffered yesterday has not lead to the copious amounts of ominous possibilities that may have run through my crazy mind. Woohoo! Cest la vie! Live each day to the fullest! High jump with ankle tap!!!!!

treated

 

Today was a day of treats....

 

This awesome little book arrived in the mail from my friend Caroline along with a Caroline Gardner card (my favourite).

 

A mini cheesecake and macaron from my crazy little creep of a client (hehehe)

 

 

 

 

A cupcake made with love from my friend Emily.

 

 

I also managed to spray myself in the eye with hairspray and then while stumbling to the basin to rinse IMEDIATELY I cracked my head into the ceramic basin. Tiny birds flew around my head while I slumped to the floor. My evil little client just laughed at me and cursed herself for not videoing the entire episode. Sweet wee girl.