Menu Planning and a Celebration

This week coming the Beau an I will have settlement on our first home.  I am so excited to have our own place and be able to have privacy and be free to do whatever we like.  At the moment we live in a noisy building in a popular spot.  For example, even though it's 11 am on a Tuesday I can hear building works, cars, people walking past, lifeguards on a megaphone and a garbage truck.  So it's good bye to to all that - though I will miss the view and the spectacular weather changes we get to see coming in from out at sea.

Here are some pictures that we have taken from our time here:

This is the view from the kitchen

This is Dee Why Beach at sunset.

An amazing storm front moving out to sea

This is the crowd we get on a public holiday

This is Beau with the other end of the beach in view - Long Reef

A beautiful rainbow after a quick sun shower.

I am back to menu planning this week so here we go:

18/3/10

B: Brown rice, gomashio and miso soup

L: Lunch out - shopping day - probably sushi

D: Greek salad (from Nigella's Forever Summer p 62), Pumpkin and Red Lentil Soup (Vegetarian Cooking)

19/3/10

B: Porridge with pear 

L: Falafel (from a box mix) with salad on whole-wheat pita bread.

D: Pappardelle with zucchini, sultanas and pine nuts (Nigella's Forever Summer p 32)

20/3/10

B: Toast with peanut butter

L: Leftover soup and bread

D: Grilled eggplant with feta, mint and chilli (Nigella Summer p 7), Cacik (Nigella's Forever Summer p 57) and lamp chops (for the boys)

21/3/10

B: Brown rice, gomashio and miso soup

L: Leftover eggplant and Cacik on pita

D: Prawn Curry (Nigella's Forever Summer p 73) - chickpeas for me and brown rice

22/3/10 - Settlement Day

B: Fruit salad with yoghurt

L: Leftover curry and rice

D: Celebration dinner

Bloody Mary and Oyster shooters Rouille

Avocado and verjuice jellies (Maggie's Kitchen p 83)

Homemade gnocchi with pumpkin, ricotta and spinach

Grilled octopus with (Maggie's Kitchen p 84)

Baked yoghurt tart with figs and hazelnuts (Cooking deserts p 125)

24/3/10

B: Summer Bircher

L: something leftover or a meal from the freezer

D: Mum's

25/3/10

B: Miso soup and fruit

L: Caponata (Nigella's Forever Summer p 152) and Zucchini Fritters (Nigella's Forever Summer p 156)

D: Grandma's

The books this week are some I have used before (click titles for more information):

Nigella's Forever Summer

Maggie's Kitchen by Maggie Beer

Vegetarian Cooking - A Commonsense Guide

Cooking Deserts

   

The week past

This week has been quite busy.  I have been on prac and had n exam but have still managed to follow all the blogs on my pages and feel inspired to do some vintage hair!  

Here is my hair from last night.  It involved some backcombing, pinning and hairspray.  I also did some Marilyn inspired make-up, with the wings.  I don't think it looked too over the top - especially when I had my glasses on.

The other photos are of my current half-macrobiotic breakfast (polenta with ginger, tamari and a coffee) and the view the other morning.  The light was just incredible - I wish I could take better photos to show just how wonderful it was.

The plan for my first Sunday no study to do is:

• Be the Perfect Housewife and do dusting and washing until the cows come home.
• Do some cooking today so during the week I will not be living on junk - well healthy junk but it's still not great.
• Try not to miss my Beau too much - I haven't seen him for 15 days now - that's the longest it has ever been.
• Watch Mona Lisa Smile
• Hopefully go op-shopping and food shopping.
• Visit my best friend, Christine, will she is at work and get a coffee

Autumn

It's definitely in the air.  

The sunrise the other morning

This morning I woke up early to go to the gym (Engagement party is in 2 weeks) and it was so chilly I had to close the windows before I could get changed! 

 I love Autumn.  I feel refreshed and able to do things.  Everyone speaks of the power of spring to get you motivated but I feel that way about Autumn.  

It reminds me of speding time in Armidale (where my university is) and of all the lovely people I meet there who were all so inspiring with tll the hard work they put in and all the goals they had for the future.  

The sunrise the other morning.  On March 1.  The first day of Autumn.

On the Downhill Run

Last night my boy and I went to a farewell for a friend who is heading Thailand today... Just hours after the Australian Government upgraded their travel warning.  Hope everything goes well for him.

Here is what I wore last night...

I am a little sunburnt from the a swim yesterday.  The water was freezing (well 19).

I'm also a count down to school holidays, lets see... ahh... 10 more school days left!!!

In that time I have 5 presentations days, three different carol services, my boys 30th weekend (in the Hunter Valley), to finish Christmas shopping and to organise all my teaching for next year!

Most people who come over to our place say how lovely the view is.  I have to agree and so will post a photo of the view every day I post.