Friday I'm In Love: Makeover.

This dress has been sitting in my wardrobe for at least 3 years. If not more.

I think I got the dress from my Aunty Catherine, and she had it as a costume for one of her many plays.

The dress has been sitting in my wardrobe waiting for me to wear it. But the right occasion never came up, and I've been meaning to fix it up to be a bit more wearable.

And I finally did. I took the (horrible) sleeves off and took the hem up to knee length, rather than ankle length.
Now I just have to take it to the dry cleaners to get it cleaned up and then I can really wear it!

I hope Aunty Catherine doesn't mind that I altered her dress. But at least this way, it'll get a lot more wear.

Friday I'm In Love: Convert.

I never considered myself to be a sporty girl. At school, I was too busy with band and choir to be fussed with sport. And I was never really interested, anyway.

But these last two years, I've started to watch AFL, only because Brent is a sporty boy and he really is all about it.

Watching the footy with someone who is really passionate, is definitely the way to get interested about something. Because of Brent, I know the rules, the players, and the right things to yell at the right time. I even have a team (go the Blues!).

But watching a live game is a completely different experience. Sitting in a stadium surrounded by 75,000 dedicated and passionate supporters, is something you need to be there to appreciate. When your favourite player kicks a goal, or gets the mark of the year, there is nothing you can do to stop yourself from punching the air with your fist.

I'm a total convert.

What to eat when you eat alone.

Bacon. Avocado. Peas. Tomato. Cous cous.
I call this lunch.

Because I study from home, and because it's cold and rainy outside, I have to try and find things to have for lunch that are more substantial than vegemite on toast. Because, honestly, I could totally live on vegemite toast. No. Doubts.

This is a bit more substantial than vegemite toast. For starters, it's got veggies in it. And it only takes about 10 minutes to make. That's a win/win in my books.

It has a sweetness from peas, saltiness from bacon, creaminess from avocado. I don't think the tomato adds much other than to make me feel like I'm eating lots of veggies.

Cous cous salad
Serves one very hungry person.

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup uncooked cous cous
1/4 cup frozen peas
2 rashers of short cut bacon
1 roma tomato
1/2 an avocado
1/4 tsp tumeric
salt and pepper to taste

Grill the bacon until crispy.
Meanwhile, put the water and tumeric and a splash of olive oil in a small saucepan and bring to the boil.
When boiling, take off the heat and add the cous cous and peas. Cover and set aside.
Cut up the tomato and avocado and crumble the bacon.
When the cous cous is done (about 6 mins), add the tomato and avocado and bacon.
Mix it all up. Tip it all into a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Choc-chip muffins.

I like chocolate. I like muffins. I like anything baked.
What's not to like about these?

They were exactly what I imagine a muffin should be - brown and crispy on top, full of chocolate chunks,  bulging out of their little paper cups - but mine never are. They looked perfect.

But there was one problem. They had a funny taste. I have no idea why! I think maybe - and this is gross - that the muffin tin was dirty or something... yuck. I might have to make these again (after I've washed the muffin tin) to see if that is actually what the problem was.




Choc-chip muffins
From The Kitchn
Makes 9 muffins


110g butter (4oz), at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups plain flour
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup milk 
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (dark or milk)


Preheat oven to 190C and line a muffin tin with paper cases.
Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until fluffy.
Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well incorporated.
Beat in one cup of flour, then the milk, followed  by the last cup of flour and the remaining ingredients. 
Mix until just combined. 
Spoon the mix into the paper cases, filling them up almost to the top. 
Bake for 20-25 minutes until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.