Travel // Flinders Beach & Point Leo

Our day at the coast didn't go quite as planned...

We were up early, I'd packed a picnic of spiced drumsticks with potato and pickle salad (recipe in this months Gourmet Traveller) for us to eat at the beach on the Mornington Peninsular. With coffee in hand, we headed straight to Flinders. 

Leaving Melbourne we had blue skies but also big clouds and the further we drove the larger and darker the clouds got. 

Arriving a Flinders I took out my camera and turning it on, the red light flashed! No battery... ok so if you know me, you'll know this is a regular occurrence but still no less annoying! 

Grrrr so apologies in advance as the pics are from my Iphone but thank goodness for camera-phones hey!

Flinders was lovely, the pup got a run, we walked up the pier and had a watch of all those fishing.

Back in the car the petrol light came on...whoops! Should have really checked that before heading off for the day, so we then spent the next 20-odd minutes re-tracing our steps to the town inland to fill-up, and just in time, pretty sure he was driving in neutral to save the petrol!

Next stop Point Leo - this beach is beautiful and I can't wait to go back in the summer and get in the sea! But this day those big ol' dark clouds just wouldn't budge and after a brisk walk the heavens opened! 

Back in the car-park we decided the only option was to picnic in the car! How very British of us!

Oh well it might not have been the day we planned but it was lovely to get out of the city and spend some time together exploring more of the Peninsular.

Happy day tripping!

Happy Weekend! // Things I'm Lovin'

Another Friday is upon us! 

This weekend I'm catching a talk at The Melbourne Writers Festival, exploring the new Melbourne Emporium and day-tripping to the coast. 

Hope you have a great one, here are a few of my favourite finds from around the web.

Pairing Gin & Cheese

Gorgeous lightweight scarf for Spring

Reading-list inspiration 

Needed: new tea towels 

Love the Life you Live 

Add a dash of gold to your home 

Dressed up or down a skirt for any occasion 

These measuring spoons are so cute

Perfect colours to embrace Spring

Hilarious Honest Slogans

Happy Weekend!

Fashion // Flats for Spring

If you're anything like me you'll look at shoes for ages, see loads you love, telling yourself you just have to wait a little longer till they are Season appropriate....but then before you know it that Season is upon you and all those shoes you had so longingly pictured have sold out! So you're left with either wearing last years or buying a single pair which you wear to death and ruin. 

Well not this year!! I am planning ahead and going to buy some beautiful flats to ease me into Spring, that I will continue to enjoy during the Summer and which will still be suitable for Autumn. Result! 

Umm very wishful thinking on my behalf but if I can purchase even 2 or 3 of these beauties I reckon I'll be doing well and the hubby won't have to hear the dreaded sentence "but I don't have any shoes..."!! ;) 

Happy Shopping!

Mason sneaker // Kate Spade New York Glinda //Adriana flat 
 English wharf flats // Tilly pointed flat // Endora denim red canvas flat // Tulpen flats  
Rachel Comey Novak Oxfords // Pointed ballerinas with bow 
Yosi Samra loafers // Soft slipper // Doll face tan leopard 
Pointed t-strap flat // Sperry top sider Sabrina flat // Seaside lace-up cut-out shoe 
Monument tassel loafer // Gatinha flat

Recipes // Maple, Pecan and Sultana Twirls

Ok so not my healthiest breakfast choice but mornings in the King house-hold are pretty crazy; If it's not yoga, it's personal training and if it's not either of those it's walking the dog which also happens on the days we are exercising, all before heading into the office by 8.30am (for him) and 9.30 am (for me.)

And really what is better than a warm pastry for breakfast?! These will be this weeks treat to ourselves, enjoyed with coffee, fruit and yogurt. 

Go on spoil yourselves - they are super easy.

Maple, Pecan and Sultana Twirls by Jo Pratt 

Makes 10, Takes 40 minutes

375g ready-rolled puff pastry (best you can buy, I think my sheets might have been in the freezer a little too long)

100g pecan nuts, chopped

100g sultanas

8 tablespoons maple syrup

2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon

1 egg, beaten

1 1/2 tablespoons of demerara sugar

Preheat oven to 200c. Line 10 holes of a twelve-hole muffin tin with 10-12cm square pieces of baking paper.

Cut the pastry widthways into ten strips, witch will be approximately 3cm wide.

Mix together the pecan nuts, sultanas, maple syrup and cinnamon. Spoon on top of the pastry strips and spread lightly. Roll each strip of pastry to form a coil (I found rolling way from myself the best) and sit in the muffin tin. Brush the top of the pastry and any edges you can see with the beaten egg and scatter the demerara sugar over the top.

Bake in the oven for 20-25mins until golden brown.

For a bigger sugar hit, you can swap the sultanas for 100g dark or milk chocolate drops and use the grated zest of one orange instead of the cinnamon - Yum.

Store in an air-tight container and warm before serving.

Enjoy!

Recipes // Adding Zinc to my Diet

My lovely colleague and friend suggested I take zinc while I was trying to kill off this flu and honestly after only one day I felt much better in myself. The cough and runny nose hadn't shifted but I felt less cloudy and had more energy. 

I like to think I have a balanced diet but actually it would do no harm to introduce a little more zinc, especially with some of our most common foods being the best sources; oysters, seafood, dark meat, broccoli, spinach, pumpkin, pumpkin seeds (so get sprinkling on your salads!) nuts including cashews, pine-nuts, pecans, almonds. Also mushrooms and dark chocolate (Yipee!)

So to encourage more zinc intake I've put together some delicious options from my regular go-to recipes and also some new recipes I'm looking forward to trying.

Here's to eating great food and warding off the dreading flu.

Freshly shucked oysters 

Saag paneer  // Spaghettini with crab, chilli and rocket // Sticky glazed asian beef short ribs  

Wild mushroom on toast // Pumpkin and chickpea curry // Broccolini and incaberry salad // Mini guacamole and crab tacos 

Roast pumpkin with radicchio chilli and lemon 

&

Pistachio and milk chocolate squares
(I substitute the milk for dark chocolate)

Happy Cooking!

Lifestyle // Bedroom Inspiration

I've been house bound for the last 5 days suffering with the flu. I've moved from the bed to the couch and back to the bed again! I've caught up on reading, box sets and generally felt very sorry for myself.

So the only thing I could think to post about and what would truly make me happy is beautiful, fluffy, bouncy, colourful or monochrome, bed-head or no bed-head, lots of pillows or not so many pillows  basically every type of bed you could think of... here are my favourites.

Urban Outfitters

Country Road

Adairs

Adairs

Urban Outfitters

Myer

Fab

WestElm

Bodie and Fou

Adairs

Zara Home

Oh and you can't forget the puppy!!

Happy Sleeping!