inside

(My bedroom. Nanna's Lounge. My Lounge. K & I's Lounge. Rooms 2&4 are carpet twins - its so disorientating!)

This week has been a lot rainy. And Ive been a bit sick. Lots of quiet times inside. Cozying up.

black sticky rice porridge

I was first served Black Rice Porridge as a breakfast food in Bali some 13 years back. It was 4am and we were off to climb some volcano and watch the sunrise, so forced my 14 year old self to down this black sloppy 'energy food' helper. I never did make it to the top of that mountain but I spent the next six years of my life secretly obsessing over that breakfast until I found it for sale again from a Beijing street seller. Since then, there have been several failed attempts at recreating this dish using various microwavable 'intant' packets, but had never (until now) thought to just google how to make that guy!

Oh god, its the easiest thing to make ever and is just so damned tasty. I want to describe it as chocolatey but think maybe its just delicious like chocolate but with a different flavour all together. I dont know. What I am really trying to say here is - Make it! Its summery goodness and winter comfort food all in one so youve got no excuse. Even add fresh mango or banana! Yum!

A "recipe". Inverted Comma.

1C Black Glutenous Rice (aka Black Sticky Rice)

5C Water

4 Tbsp Palm Sugar (but palm sugar can be a bit scary though, non? raw sugar is ok too, apparently)

1 Tin Coconut Cream

Mango or Banana (Optional)

Serves 4-6.

Wash then soak rice overnight. Add to a pot with 5 cups of water. Bring the the boil and simmer for roughly 1 hour, stirring occasionally. It should be a porridge like consistancy with the rice soft right through. Stir in shaved palm sugar to taste (roughly 4 tablespoon, it does need to be quite sweet!) then serve with coconut cream and fruit.

Refridgerated, it will keep well for a few days, too. Just reheated as you go. Yep.

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Oh, and how amazing are those pincushion protea flowers? My housemate and I picked them from someones garden while drunkardly walking home last week, as we are known to do. They are my new love.

forever changes

Watching as my tabletop garden slowly moves and changes. This could go on forever.

hi how are you

Oh Hello! Remember me? Life has been a bit crazy around here lately but lets promise to catch up soon, ok? x

1010

Two Sundays past I was lucky to take part in a sweet little project - 10 photographers. 10 photos each. All taken on 10/10/10. Thats a lot of 10's!

My 10/10/10 was not so thrilling - breakfast and a very early morning dog walk followed by 8 hours at The Mall Job, then a quick few ciders in a park to catch the last of the days sun. I was a little nervous that all my images would turn out terrible, so ended up taking so many! Above are 10 out-takes, but you'll have to go over to the 1010 project website to see my final results.

Everyones photographs turned out soooo nicely (unsurprising considering the impressive list of contributors)! Special thanks to the ever lovely Vic for organising it all! x

backyard

Oh Spring, she's arrived (!) and so Ive been spending all my time outside. This year I'm making some ambitious attempts at a veggie garden, and the dogs have been really helping out. See - Poppy has been keeping the potato's warm & Frank even kindly carted off some large skeletal remains I found buried in an old planter. Thanks so much guys!

Oh and Beetroot. I love you best when I eat you with feta on toast but also kind of secretly like how you stain my fingers a crazy shade of red. So yeah, Beetroot, thank you too!

a minor place

Walking from my gaff to the little cafe just down the road (for coffee and french toast w/ rhubarb & pistachio mascarpone om nom nom nom!) and then back again. All "ugly" 1970's brick houses besides victorian terraces besides big old wooden things. Thats why I like it here. Oh, and for all the fruit trees in yards waiting around for me to come and (sneakily) harvest!

Melbournians, did you know you can find (and help others find) nearby fruit trees by using this map? Or this one?

Everyone else- I bet a similar thing exists for your city too (and if not you should start one)!

hello peach

Really & truly, I try my hardest not to turn this blog into a full time dog-fest but sometimes you'll just have to indulge me, okay?

visitors

Dawn (of handmadelove fame) and some of her friends came over to my house on the weekend - for cups of tea and coffee, some TV & a quick ride on the swing set. Aren't they the cutest?! & they brought delicious homemade cakes too... such dreamboats! Even the dogs were in love. Dawn was even brave enough to trust me with her big fancy dSLR. I.. I dont think I'd ever even touched one before. They are so scary! And confusing! Anyway, there's some of those pictures on Dawn's blog here and here, if your interested!? Poppy even makes an appearance. Hurray!