Autumn Eats

Since discovering Sarah Britton's My New Roots website, I've been inspired to start eating a lot more from the 'legume family'.

Such as chickpeas! As in this bowl of chickpea, eggplant and pumpkin, with a tahini, yoghurt and sweet chilli sauce.

It hasn't all been healthy eating though (far from it). This was back at the start of Autumn in Auckland, when it was still sunny.

My birthday cake! Made by Mr Meet-Cute. This was over a month after my birthday, by the way. Not that I'm complaining.

Amazing whitebait fritters. Now that it's dark in the evenings my dinner shots are all turning out weird like this. It looks like the plate is on it's side - magical levitating fritters!

Mr Meet-Cute tried out this new technique for cooking eggs. It was a bit fiddly but worth the effort.

It's hard to go back to regular poached eggs once you've tried this version.

A delicious meal at Abla's was ended with these treats: coffee, baklava, turkish delight and halwa. I've had halwa again since this with some friends and no one else was into it. Which was great for me because I love it. Like eating delicious sand.

Snacks at home: hummus on toast and eggs on toast, tea on the side.

Takeaway treat from Milkwood.

Bibimbap

Eggs benedict, smothered in hollandaise, in Auckland. I love how kiwi cafes always have eggs benedict on the menu.

Cauliflower fritters topped with salmon for lunch, also in Auckland. I rarely go out for lunch, it's usually dinner or more likely breakfast. I'm pretty lucky to have some fantastic breakfast options in my neighbourhood. I'm mulling over doing a post that will round up some of my favourites. Stay tuned foodie blog readers!

Tails from the Fishbowl

Photographer and animal lover Rachel Bellinsky's new book Tails from the Fishbowl documents the little animal faces spied while she walks her dog in their Southern California neighbourhood.

In the apartment next door to mine lives an old golden labrador who often spends his days on the balcony peering out over the street. We call him 'Perve Dog', and it's always a good day when we see him at his post.

Not quite a Target ad

There's so much to be said about Girls, but all I will say is this:

• Charlie's apartment is amazing. I'm so impressed with what's been done with this small space. It's genius!
• I can't believe Marnie had never been to his apartment. He should have dumped her ages ago.
• Marnie is my least favourite Girl.
• I'm still thoroughly enjoying watching the show though. With a mixture of giggles, and squirmishness!

Woolly Hobes

Introducing the Wooly Hobes. I can't tell you how much I wish these were on my feet right now. I pretty much live in my ugg boots during Winter - when I'm at home that is. These amazing fleece lined creations are taking that ugg luxury to the street.

Easy Eats: Busy People's Bread

Although I love cooking (and eating!) I never really attempt anything too complicated, or that will have me stuck in the kitchen all day. So when I heard about Annabel Langbein's 'Busy People's Bread' I thought it couldn't be more perfect. I have made bread before, and I love it, but what with all the rising and kneading, you need to be at it all day to accomplish such deliciousness. With this recipe you can have homemade bread on your table in around an hour!

The recipe says to use seeds but you can modify this to taste, or just use whatever you have on hand. I've made it before when I had no bread at home and I was too lazy to go out and buy any, and I threw in fresh basil, and grated up the hard end bit of a block of parmesan that had been lying around the fridge for months. The result was pretty bloody good. With this latest loaf I used sunflower seeds and poppy seeds, and ate it with lashings of butter and Melbourne Rooftop Honey.

Winter Wants

A few nice items I've seen around the place.

1. Patent lace ups from Topshop. These were at Karen Walker's Newmarket store when I was in Auckland. Not in my size though. // 2. Hansel from Basel polka dot bag which I did get from Ruby in Newmarket. As I made my purchase I realised I was wearing my Gorman t.shirt that has the exact same polka dotted pattern. Bit embarrassing.

3. The Twentysevennames Katherine dress is a winning combination of pleats + peterpan collar + navy // 4. I need a porridgy jumper like this for slobbing around in this Winter.

5. There are so many good stockings around! This pair are locally made in Melbourne by OKOK. I am sold on their polka dotted good looks, obvs. // 6. PAM Naomi Coat, because you can never have too many Wintery layers.

Cardboard Camera

I so hope that Ikea Melbourne start stocking these cardboard cameras. The usb port on the side plugs straight into your computer to download - how easy is that?

Nice Rack

My apartment has so little storage space, I'd love to have room for something like this. Mr Meet-Cute and I share one wardrobe between the two of us. It's so jam-packed I pretty much lose my shit daily trying to find anything in there.

Youth in Revolt

Seen via Andrea Inspired, how amazing are these LIFE magazine photos titled: Teenage Wasteland: Japanese Youth in Revolt, 1964. (such a good title, I'm itching to add an exclamation mark after it, but that would be wrong)

"Kako, languid from sleeping pills she takes, is lost in a world of her own in a jazz shop in Tokyo."

"The teen in the center is the 17-year-old leader of a pill-popping crew of jazz fans"

"They find violent release in homegrown Japanese Beatles."
 

"[Yoko] often ends her long nights sprawled on a futon in a friend's room."

Obüs Winter

I popped into the Obüs Fitzroy store during the weekend and saw so many nice things. The elbow patch jumpers and cardigans especially won me over (anything with elbow patches generally does).

Obüs have really nailed the whole 'layering for Winter' thing with this collection. Right down to their matching stockings and socks. I would like one of everything please.