A trip down memory lane

Today marked my fourth day back in Adelaide, Australia and so far it has been full of family, festivities and fond memories. I survived the epic journey via three planes from Vancouver and arrived in one piece with no hiccups thankfully. Since then it has been a blur of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, spent with family - some whom have changed a lot and some not so much. Most of all it has been so lovely to spend time with the two little gorgeous munchkins in my life; my too cute for words nephew and niece. Don't get me wrong, they can definitely be little monsters after too much sugar or sleep deprivation, but I love them to pieces and I know my heart will break a little when I have to say goodbye to them in no time at all. My third day was spent taking a trip down memory lane by going through the majority of the belongings I had left behind when I set off on my Canadian adventure. It brought about a smile or two looking over the possessions I have accumulated in my life thus far, but it also required me to be extremely disciplined in purging what clothing, bags and shoes I still had. With a bit of self-control and determination I managed to fill 3 large garbage bags with items I no longer want or need, which may end up at a charity shop or in a garage sale. I am not sure how I feel when I think about the fact that my current life choices don't really offer me a sense of stability and a use for the stuff that I have. However, one could also argue that life experience cannot be compared to material items. I just hope one day when I am ready I will have stability and a space to call my very own. Sorry I have digressed and I haven't even mentioned the weather yet, which might not seem important, but I feel it necessary to tell you that it hasn't been completely summer weather with rain sneaking in a few times, but all in all much nicer than Vancouver's winter climate right now. Anyway, today on my fourth day, we went to Adelaide Zoo. The zoo has changed quite a bit in my absence including the admission prices, but it was a lovely day and again a nice trip down memory lane with my family including my nephew and niece. There have been some additions to the zoo, most notably two playful pandas, who were wrestling in their enclosure when we went to have a look at them. Some things haven't changed though such as the children's petting zoo where the goats are still as scary as ever when they see food pellets in your hand, and some of the other areas looked a little bit dated. Nonetheless it was a fun day and everyone enjoyed themselves especially my two favourite cheeky monkeys, Ayden and Ebony!

Just one more sleep

Gosh it has been a crazy busy few weeks filled with Christmas shopping, work and getting organised to go home, so I shouldn't be surprised that tomorrow is the day I get on the first of three planes with the end destination Adelaide, Australia. Having said this I really should be finishing my packing, which means trying to figure out how to get everything to fit into my suitcase and have it be under the checked baggage allowance. However, instead I have been catching up on emails and watching my beloved Canucks rack up another victory. Now I am combining blog writing with tea drinking and Lindt chocolate devouring. This is why I have to keep my post tonight as short and sweet as the delightful little chocolate balls I am consuming. On this note, may your Christmas and New Year be as lovely as I plan on making mine, whatever you may be doing. I hope to post regular little updates during my three and a bit weeks away, so while it saddens me that I won't necessarily be able to stick to my regular posting, I mostly definitely hope you will check in throughout the remainder of the festive season to see what this little Aussie is up to in her native land. 
To quote 'Twas the night before Christmas: "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

(image courtesy of Peanuts)

Christmas baking on a Sunday afternoon

It wouldn't be Christmas and the festive season for me without some obligatory, yet fun Christmas baking. Considering time is definitely not my friend right now with only 3 sleeps until I get on the plane Australia bound, I had no choice but to cram two cookie recipes into one Sunday afternoon. It was an enjoyable baking session, which left me with only a few of the usually battle scars, accustomed to a klutz such as myself, in the form of one burnt finger and a couple of cuts. Anyway the motivational ingredients behind my recipe choices took the form of three items, that of Reese's peanut butter cups minis, peppermint candy canes and white chocolate. There was supposed to be a cameo appearance by some festive coloured m&m's minis, but I decided against it during the course of the baking process. 

Before you ask, I did not combine the ingredients into one recipe, which is why I had to find two cookie recipes. After a bit of a search online, the first cookie choice found here incorporated the candy canes and the white chocolate. I followed the recipe step by step, except I did not use chocolate filled candy canes and I used white chocolate chips instead of squares. I probably could have done with some more white chocolate as I think my recipe turned out slightly dry as I literally spilt my bag in half and melted one half to mix into the recipe. Nonetheless, they were successfully received by the usual suspects.

When it came to cookie recipe no. 2, I had been fixated on the Reese's peanut butter cups minis for a little while, ever since I saw them in Dollarama. The plan was to combine them with a chocolate-based cookie and use the cups almost as a chocolate chip substitute. After much searching I re-thought the plan and settled on the recipe found here. Upon opening the packet of Reese's I discovered they were bigger than I expected and therefore could only expect 1-2 of them per cookie. After I got over the slight disappointment, I finished the cookie recipe and was very happy with the result. Even non-peanut butter lovers positively received the cookie. 

As you can see one of these cookies randomly came out in the shape of a love heart, which I thought was pretty adorable and a fitting way to remember my cookies by. It seemed only appropriate that I should then duck out to my local Starbucks to pick up one of my last festive drinks of the season, a white chocolate peppermint mocha. What happened next can only be described as a little piece of heaven, freshly baked cookies and freshly brewed coffee...it doesn't get any better on a Sunday afternoon!

Capturing some Christmas spirit

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. So in the spirit of this exact saying and after a very long week, I am going to let the photos I took tonight, whilst indulging in some retail therapy in downtown Vancouver, do all the talking for me. 

And in case you were wondering if I purchased anything during this retail therapy then see below for the answer to that:

Purchases courtesy of Spring, Sears, London Drugs and Aldo

It was such a lovely evening to wander around downtown and shop my little heart out. I'm so happy with my purchases, a few of which had been on my various wish lists for a while now. It makes me even happier to know that all four items were on offer so I did not pay full price for any of them. You gotta love a bargain!

Australia is calling

As I have said before this time of the year is all about Christmas and getting into the festive spirit. However, as you may already know, for me this time of year in 2011 also means going home to Australia for 3 weeks to spend time with my family and the friends that I left behind in October 2009. I guess you can only imagine how excited I am at the thought of hopping on a plane next Thursday considering how much time has passed. Time is a funny thing because it is constant yet our perception of time slows down or speeds up depending on any given day. Anyway I am definitely beyond happy about going home and so my mind is currently occupied by a mixture of getting ready for my trip, finishing Christmas shopping for everyone on my list and unfortunately work. I must confess that I am failing miserably with my festive to do list as mentioned here, but I figure that this year the most important thing about Christmas is that I get to spend it with my family. Although I do still have high hopes of baking a few festive treats this Sunday fingers crossed. When I go home I am lucky that it will be summer in Australia because I could definitely do with some fun in the sun and plan on devoting at least one day to a beach somewhere. I can't wait to tuck into some Australian food items and my mum was even sweet enough to ask me if I had any requests. Gosh it is little things like that, which make me even more excited to get home next week. 8 sleeps and counting...

Hooray for what awaits me

Macaron with one 'o'

While it may have taken me this long to work out just how to pronounce the name of these brightly coloured and decadent bite-sized sweets, I fell head over heels in love with macarons after the very first bite. The perfect soft and chewy centre encased with an airy crunch that could only have been created with love. However, I am getting ahead of myself here. So to back track, after stumbling across this article on the Inside Vancouver Blog, not long after it was written, I knew I had to see what all the fuss was about in relation to the newly opened Thierry cafe and its array of macaron flavours. After telling a friend about this discovery, it was actually she who surprised me with my first macaron from Thierry, which was a welcome delight after a particularly crummy day. The macaron was a delicious chocolate caramel one and still ranks up there as one of my all time favourite flavours. I have graced Thierry with my presence on more than one occasion so as to slowly work my way through their rotating, sometimes seasonal selection, which I often complement with an Americano coffee. Since that first macaron I have had my taste buds tantalised by the likes of raspberry, coffee, pumpkin and gingerbread just to name a few. Macarons are definitely something to tell all your friends about and trust me when I say they make the perfect gift snugly tucked into a signature Thierry box ready to dazzle the lucky recipient upon opening with all their colourful splendour. I have done this and can confirm it was very well received. While I am not quite ready to make my own, which I have seen done on a few blogs, I am definitely more than happy to keep racking up the flavours at Thierry. Don't just take my word for it, rush out and find your nearest macaron cafe and see what all the fuss is about for yourself.

'Tis the season to be giving

Christmas and all that this encompasses represents something different to everyone who celebrates it or for whom it holds some sort of special meaning. A big part of Christmas is the ritual of gift giving, which on the 25th December is a delightful thing to foresee. However, it also means a few stressful days of crowded shopping malls searching for that ever-elusive perfect gift. I love to give gifts and I am not quite ready to be selfless and assume I will get nothing in return. At the same time I appreciate the notion and the actions of giving to those less fortunate. At my work we take part in a food bank/toy drive put on by one of the local radio stations and although I can't spare much, it fills me with immense pleasure to contribute a few items of food and small toys. No matter what your circumstance, Christmas can provide a sanctuary from it even if for only a few hours. When it comes to gift giving for family and friends, I try to utilise online shopping to save on postage and to avoid the crowds, but at the same time the click on a keyboard doesn't quite fulfill me the way the ringing of a register does. My go to website for friends in the UK is Amazon and they usually don't disappoint especially as my purchases often qualify for free shipping. This week I discovered another website called Oliver Bonas and I was a little bit enamoured with some of their homewares, of which I have my eye on a couple of items for a friend. In relation to shopping for family, we tend to offer the option of wish lists before heading down the surprise avenue. With my niece and nephew it will be of the surprise nature for the next few years at least as I have their mummy to ask for suggestions from. In turn, if anyone asks, I try to offer up a few options, but I tend to struggle with my wish list, especially because I know what I like and I always felt it was a tad bit demanding to ask for an exact item. I like to think I listen enough to my friends and observe their likes and dislikes to be able to make purchases they will enjoy and use. I guess the good thing is I am not there to see their first reaction upon opening, which may be for the best if I have missed the mark. When all is said and done, for me Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without having nicely wrapped presents to open up and while my bank account may not agree, I love pretty much every part of the process.

My first and only Christmas tree in Vancouver

It looks a lot like Christmas

I think it is safe to say that a big part of the world's population are currently consumed by all things Christmas, possibly with visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads at this very moment. The festive consumption may be direct or subconsciously absorbed through the likes of giant Christmas trees or carols being played whilst shopping. During the month of December there really isn't anything better than immersing yourself in the festive season. I really enjoy re-visiting the familiar annual events like the various Christmas markets or seeing the fairy lights in the trees and the opening of the downtown ice rink. However, I also relish the opportunity to discover new festive activities as well as exploring the ones I may have had my eye on the previous year, but for whatever reason did not partake. Furthermore, deep-rooted traditions are what I live for and whilst I may not get the pleasure of them every year, maybe due to geography or seasonal issues, I am still open-minded enough to welcome something that may just become a new tradition. With this in mind, I have composed a bit of a festive to do list with old & new things that I hope to achieve in the 2 weeks I have left before my summer Christmas down under:

1. Attend the Vancouver Christmas Market outside of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre
2. Consume as many Starbucks festive drinks as possible
3. Make some Christmas cupcakes with the supplies I already bought from Michaels
4. Go for an ice skate at the outdoor ice rink below Robson Square
5. Walk through the Bright Nights in Stanley Park, possibly having my photo with Santa and a ride on the miniature train
6. Check out the different Christmas window displays and just soak up the general ambiance of the festive season
7. And of course, finish my Christmas shopping

A collage featuring some of my 2010 Vancouver festive season happy snaps

It is quite a list, but I hope to cross everything off and, who knows, maybe I will come across a few extra fun things to add to it!

Did someone say pie

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder and for me this doesn't always apply to just family and friends. I am someone who loves to eat, which isn't necessarily a good thing, but it does mean that when I am away from home I miss some of the foods that I had readily at my fingertips. It is no surprise then that I already have somewhat of a list of foods to be consumed during my time back in Australia in a few short weeks. However, I have also begun to see this as an opportunity to find out if some items can be homemade with your own spin put on them if so desired. I did just this a few weeks ago when I combined two pies - the meat pie and the shepherd's pie. As a newbie to pastry options in Vancouver supermarkets and as someone who was a little bit pressed for time, I took a shortcut and purchased pre-made pastry shells that I just had to pop in the oven to bake as per the manufacturer's instructions. For the meat filling, I used the recipe found here minus the onion because I have never been a fan. To top it all off I peeled, diced and boiled a few potatoes until they were very tender. There is nothing I dislike more than lumpy mash potato so I always make myself patiently wait those few extra minutes just to be on the safe side. Mash potato consistency is each unto their own, but for mine I like to add margarine, milk, salt and pepper to taste.

To put this creation all together I spooned the meat filling into the pastry shells and put a dollop of mash potato on top. The finishing touch was a quick shake of a cheese mix I had on hand that consisted of parmesan, romano and asiago. I put them in the oven for about 10 minutes on 350 just to add a bit of colour to the cheese. Once ready to consume, these little meat pies go down well with a splash of ketchup. 

I think it was a decent first attempt and I look forward to making the pastry from scratch next time. 

Back to basics

Like many things in life, how you dress starts with a good solid foundation, especially if you are going for a layering effect in the colder months of the year. I find that this means having a selection of cotton basics, either identical in style and/or in colour, in my wardrobe to choose from. I usually get my basics from the same shops because I can rely on them to fit right, feel comfortable and look good. When it comes to the likes of leggings, tank tops and long sleeve tops I cannot go wrong with purchasing them at H&M. They are definitely my go to place when I need to replenish my wardrobe due to wear and tear or maybe I just want to pick up another exciting colour to complement an outfit I have in mind. The price points are incredibly affordable, which gives you the opportunity to splurge on something else you might have your eye on. Below are some H&M basic options available in an array of colours:

Also if you are on the hunt for some affordable and adorable basic cotton briefs in a variety of designs, styles and sizes then Aerie, part of American Eagle Outfitters, is a must. The designs are constantly changing, but the incredible comfort does not. I have a bit of a preference toward the boybrief style so I thought I would showcase some of Aerie's latest festive designs:

With Christmas just around the corner, cotton basics would make a great stocking stuffer that no one would be disappointed by.