myfoxycorner - Page 10 of 26 - just one little fox trying to enjoy each day she receives

06
Dec
2013

A Christmas Wishlist

Hey Guys!

Thank goodness for Fridays. This week feels like it has gone on forever and the only things keeping me going have been Downtown Abbey and Callie cuddles. Oh and the thought of Christmas. Today I was supposed to be finding presents for other people but I ended up just compiling a Christmas wishlist for myself with a few things I have been lusting over. This potentially could be helpful for anyone buying me presents this year (*cough* Edd *cough).

1. Black and white Little Critters necklace by Karen Walker (short)

I saw two beautiful ladies wearing this at a Benefit blogging event recently and fell immediately head over heels. This is something I think I will have to ensure I get for Christmas as I can’t see myself living without it. Because this is part of the cheaper Karen Walker line its retails for an incredible $55 and can be bought here. It is also available in white and mustard or white and red and for the love of me I still can’t quite make up my mind. Leaning towards black and white….

2. Marc Jacobs Honey Eau de Parfum

I love my Marc Jacobs Daisy but am lusting after this newer addition to the range. A sweet, fruity scent with honeysuckle and mandarin appeals to me and I can’t resist a spritzing it all over me when I walk past it in a store, everytime… (“testing” it out guys). I am not sure how much this is in stores but on strawberry.net it’s going for $112.50 (100mL). To be honest I would pretty much be happy with any Marc Jacobs perfume. I love them all.

3. Treats from Little and Friday by Kim Evans

I love a good cookbook and lately I have been craving this one in particular. This would make a great gift for a lot of people (and just generally pretty on the coffee table…). I feel like a bit of a failure for never checking out the Little and Friday cafes but that doesn’t stop me drooling all over the pages in this book (which would be less weird if it was my own book and not one in the middle of whitcoulls). This can be ordered online here if you are interested.

4. & 5. Teapots from T2

One of my highlights for 2013 was seeing a T2 store opening in Auckland so it comes as not surprise that I have found two gorgeous teapots that I would rather love (well, just one would be fine as well). T2 is full of amazing gifts for any tea loving family member or friend so if you are stuck for ideas go and talk to the lovely staff in the Queen Street store. I can’t choose between these two tea pots but they are both too beautiful for words. This one feels a little afternoon tea at Downton abbey whilst this one is more of a fun, modern take. And both are blue! Winning all round.

6. Floral Vans

So recently my beloved Converse chucks have fallen apart so I am in need of a new pair of reliable footwear. My instinct is to head straight for another pair of converse however I have found myself more drawn to Vans after seeing them in a few stores. Than, browsing the web today, I found this blue floral pair and my heart was set. These may be my next dream shoes. I haven’t found an NZ link for them yet but they can be bought online here. A great gift idea if you know someone’s shoe size (less ideal if you are just guessing).

7. Glasshouse Limited Edition Candle: Night before Christmas

So last up is a candle which is no surprise. I rarely buy these fancy Glasshouse candles but just sniff them obsessively like some sort of deprived addict whenever I go into Redcurrent stores. Firstly, Redcurrent is amazing (both online and instore) for gifts. They have pretty much anything for anyone (well anyone with class that is) and their baby things are to die for. Back to my current Candle pick I love all of the new range of Christmas candles but this plum/blackcurrent/lemon/lavender combination just feels a little bit magical. Buy it here!

What is on your Christmas wishlist this year?

02
Dec
2013

November Favourites!

categories: Beauty Favorites, Favorites

Hi All!

Merry Monday and happy 2nd day of December 😀 My Monday was a little crazy and insane but all is good because Christmas is only 22 Days away! Only getting a little bit excited…

Anyway I am two days into a new month and thought it was definitely time to share a beauty/makeup related favourites as well as a couple of randoms at the end.

1. Lush Dream Cream
Without a doubt my number one favourite product this month and new holy grail skincare product is the ever so popular Dream Cream by Lush. This stuff is like magic lotion, supposed to be for hand and body but I also find it is one of the only moisturizers that I can use on my face. It is full of good stuff and you can read more over on my post at nzgirl. Long story short if you have sensitive or irritable skin this stuff could be your lifesaver and at $6 a pot (40g) it is pretty affordable as well.

2. Revlon Colorburst Lipstick in Fuchsia

I picked this up on a whim for $8 from a makeup sale store that has popped up on Queen street and couldn’t resist the glossy, fuchsia pigmentation. This lipstick is stunning and lasts a good amount of the time on the lips. After sticking to red lips almost exclusively it was quite nice to branch out and pop on a pink.

3. Butter London Nail Lacquer in Slapper

Butter London are a fabulous nail polish brand and this bright teal is one of my favourite colours in the Spring/Summer period. Bright and colourful with a formula that glides on with two easy coats the slightly higher price tag reveals itself in how great this polish is. One of those colours that I pop on when I can’t decide and just want an all round favourite.

4. Imogen Rose solid perfume from Lush

I love perfume. A lot. And yet my skin and I have this funny relationship where it randomly decides it doesn’t want to wear perfume and I am limited to spraying it on my clothes for fear of sending my skin into a spiral of angry irritation. For these times I thought I would try out a solid perfume from Lush and it doesn’t disappoint. I can use this on my skin and it just feels like a moisturizing serum. Most importantly it still smells amazing, of fresh picked roses (and not the artificial “rose” scent of most perfumes) and is very affordable at only $10.90. I think I may have to pick up the vanilla one next. Bear in mind this doesn’t last ages on the skin but is easy to throw in a handbag and reapply throughout the day.

5. Yes to Carrots Lip butter in Berry

I love the new “Yes to” range that has come out into supermarkets recently and this lip butter is no exception. Creamy and moisturizing with a delicious berry scent this clear lip butter is full of coconut oil, olive oil and other natural products that make it far superior to petroleum based lip balms in my opinion. It moisturizes for longer and feels better on the lips and for only $4.99 on special was a very affordable purchase.

6. Dove Go Fresh Deodorant in Green tea and Cucumber

I had to mention this briefly as it is a great deodorant for only $5 approx at supermarkets and I love the crisp, fresh scent that lasts for what seems like all day. If you are on the hunt for a new deodorant to try then pick this one up (or the white nectarine one which also smells divine).

What I’ve Been Listening to: Haim (especially Don’t Save me and If I Could Change Your Mind) and La Sera’s song Love That’s Gone

What I’ve Been Watching: After finishing both Dexter and Breaking Bad Edd and I decided to try something new and are working our way through Downton Abbey (and both rather loving it!)

What I’ve Been Drinking: Tea (obviously. This month’s pick would have to be a new organic Peppermint tea picked up at the local farmer’s market) and also cucumber and lemon water which I have never tried before but is kind of delicious.

What have you been loving this month?

27
Nov
2013

November’s Sample Bar

categories: Makeup and Beauty

Hi all!

So on this busy Wednesday I bring you a quick post sharing what I received in my November Sample Bar Glam Pack. But first:

There are only 28 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!!

Image from here!

So this month’s Sample Bar Glam Pack was focused on the transition from Spring in to Summer and some versatile products that may be useful in this time.

What I Got

1. Organic Rosehip Oil by Essano

I liked the cleanser I received last month so was happy to receive a sample of the rosehip oil from the same brand. This is certified organic and is a gem for reducing wrinkles and uneven skin tone. At the moment I have been loving my Trilogy rosehip oil but this will make a handy handbag spare. It doesn’t have too strong of a scent and sinks into the skin relatively quickly however my favourite thing about this rosehip oil is the affordable price. These can be picked up full size (20mL) from the supermarket for a pretty reasonable $22.99.

2. Model Co Cheek and Lip Tint

Most likely the product I was most excited by at first glance was this cheek and lip tint by Model Co. I love the idea of tints but haven’t tried any out. This one is a berry pink colour and blends out on the cheeks relatively easy. I didn’t have much success using this on the lips and in future see it more as a quick and easy blush however I love the idea of a multipurpose product. This was a half size of their 10mL product which retails for $24.00.

3. Vital C Hyrdrating Repair Creme

This rather expensive creme ($109.70 for 60mL) is supposed to be great for sensitive skin so I was happy to receive a small sample pot to try out. Apparently its high price tag is due to the level of vitamins ACE but I don’t think I would rush out to buy it. Interested to see if it is any better than my Dream Cream by Lush which I am loving.

4. Avene Extremely Gentle Cleanser

Another product suitable for sensitive skin which was great to see. Also good to see a relatively large 20mL sample (those tiny sachets drive me insane). This cleanser is soap free and has a neutral pH to thoroughly cleanse whilst also calming and avoiding irritation. Free of fragrance, perfume and parabens. Definitely happy to try this out and see how well it works. Full size (200mL) is $43.70.

5. Holistic Hair Sea Spray

Another product I was excited to see was this hair spray. For someone who avoids all hair care this was a rare moment but I like the idea of this natural spray, with lime and essential oils (and of course salt!) to add texture to curls and create beachy waves. The scent is pleasant and its another good size sample so I was pretty happy all round. Full size of 250mL comes with a pretty reasonable $22.45 price tag and can be bought online.

6. Daylong Sunscreen

The sixth and bonus product was three sachets of sunscreen. I hate sachets but at least these kind of make sense and are easy to pop into your wallet for those times we forget sunblock. This sunscreen in SPF 50 and is supposed to be light and non-greasy which is always good to hear. It also lasts 8 hours which means one application should last you most of the day. This swiss sunscreen goes for $34.99 (150mL).

The Verdict

Overall I thought the products in the box were all well chosen and none of them were ones I wouldn’t be able to or willing to use. With a lot of sensitive skin care and a couple of season specific products I am excited to try most of these out. My one main negative is that I wish there had been a full size product however the decent sample sizes weren’t as small as usual. Not my favourite box, but not a bad box either. Excited to see what Christmas brings!

What did you think this month?

25
Nov
2013

Saving My Skin: An Introduction

categories: Saving My Skin

Hi All!

While I sit here drinking tea there are brownies baking in the oven so forgive me if I get a little distracted.

This is a post I keep meaning to do but was a little intimidated with tackling it. I have mentioned this previously but I have pretty awful skin and this post is a prelude/introduction to a small project of mine related to that. I know that having bad skin might seem pretty minimal (and in a lot of ways it definitely is) but this doesn’t mean I can’t try to deal with it or talk about it in an honest way. I’m not looking to complain specifically but more just provide a perspective that is mine and perhaps may be similar to some other people out there and that will help explain why I am starting this series of posts.

I get a lot of eczema and just generally dry, angry, resentful skin issues. I have had skin issues since before I can remember although there has always been periods where it was fine and then where it got bad. Now it just seems to be barely manageable (at a stretch) and has become part of how I define myself. I choose outfits based on how well they are going to cover my skin. I wear tights and scarves to hide redness which is fine in Winter but becomes a little challenging in the Summer. I can only wear makeup on the rare days where my skin feels mostly normal (it seems cruel that when my skin is at its worst it is too dry to try and attempt to hide with makeup, or my super-sensitive buddy just decides to react to the makeup and get even worse. Awesome). I shy away from any cameras because I hate the way my skin looks and seeing it just makes me angry. I sleep terribly and although it is not just my skin feeling sore and uncomfortable 24/7 can become frustrating.

The only thing that controls my skin is bursts of prednisone/hyrdrocortisone and other things that are great but not really beneficial or healthy for my skin/body in the long term. I should warn you that I have done zero research for this post because my goal isn’t to create a new Wikipedia page or act like I know what I am talking about, I just want to describe how it seems to me personally. I’m not a dermatologist and all I know is that my skin feels like it is slowly getting worse in the long term not better. It reacts to more things more easily and is just generally less controllable. Hydrocortisone creams and short bursts of prednisone are great (and usually necessary) when my skin flies out of control but they really just treat the symptom at the surface and don’t do anything in the long term at making my skin and overall health better, in fact it is more likely doing damage over time and overuse.

photo 1 (2)

One thing I have learnt is that we are responsible for our emotions so for me it was a decision to stop wallowing in these kinds of thoughts and try and actually deal with it. So after a slightly negative and rambly intro (sorry) here is my project for the foreseeable future.

The plan is to choose different trials/experiments and run them for two weeks whilst keeping a diary to monitor as best as I can how certain changes I make affect my skin as well as my general health. Types of trials include diet related ones like no dairy products as well as more lifestyle focused changes like going to the gym more often or focusing on improving my mental state. Obviously there are so many factors involved it can be close to impossible to know what factors are causing what outcomes but there is no harm trying. This is a way I can try and proactively find a better solution that medication and take some control of my skin. If two weeks of a certain change has an effect than a longer trial may help confirm the effects. I have just finished my first fortnight trial of going gluten free and will be posting about how I found it as well as some restaurant/cafe/meal tips that I found but I thought an introduction may be in order first. I also thought that in this series I could talk about some skin care options that have worked well for me (though they are few and far between).

I know a lot of people won’t be interested in this but I started a blog to focus on things that are important to me and trying to improve my skin is definitely something I think about a lot. If anyone reading has any tips for sensitive skin/eczema or something similar than please share. Likewise if you have any tips for changes to my lifestyle/diet that I should try let me know.

Hope you guys are having a great week See you soon with a going gluten free post!

19
Nov
2013

Inside My Mind #4

categories: General/Life, Inside My Mind

I don’t think I have mentioned on the blog yet that I saw Wicked. Well I did and it was kind of mind blowing. The story I already knew was great from reading the book but the show did an amazing job of adapting the rather complex plot and combining it with stunning sets and a generally incredible production. The two leads were nothing less than perfection, I wanted to go back and watch it again the next day. Unfortunately due to my lack of endless funds for seeing the same musical over and over again I have had to settle for reading the book (settle may be the wrong word, it’s a great book!) and simultaneously singing myself the songs. It isn’t the same. Definitely the best show I have been to and the songs have not stopped running through my head (I’m looking at you Defying Gravity…).

Speaking of songs I have only just cottoned on to the popularity of Haim and although I think they sound a bit 90s I kind of love their upbeat songs, perfect for doing dishes or singing along in the car. I may be the last person to finally listen to them, not that this is unusual.
It is only Tuesday but it feels like Friday. This week has been full on so far! But also kind of productive which is always good. Although 90% of the time I feel like I am still just doing this:

Tonight I made another chickpea salad (I think it may be time to admit I have a problem/obsession) to go with homemade meatballs. I am enjoying trying new meals so much and love experimenting with new ingredients! Unless I fail, then I wish I had just stuck to the standard pasta bake we all know and love.
I am super excited for Christmas (to the slight amusement/annoyance of most of my work colleagues) and have been going a little overboard on creating paper based Christmas decorations for the office (sorry trees!). If you are looking for some ideas for Christmas decorating go check out this amazing post by Maddy (I definitely benefited from her help!).
I am nearly out of my Lush Dream Dream and cannot live without it for more than a few hours so may have to buy a big tub. This stuff is the only cream my skin just seems to drink up quite happily without turning angry and vengeful.
I am reading like 4 books at once at the moment and not finishing any which isn’t working so well. Listening to Inferno by Dan Brown on audiobook is a lot of fun, I love the focus on Florence and art history (good to know my Arts degree would be useful for something even if it is just so I can feel proud when I understand references).
I desperate to make some Strawberries and Cream cupcakes using the beautiful new season strawberries available at the moment but I can never find the time
Speaking of baking and delicious things in general I am heading along to High Tea with Dragon’s cooking class focusing on Christmas gifts (edible ones of course) and I am very excited.
I never know how to end these so here is a fox gif. I spend a lot of time looking at these….totally not weird.

At least I think it is a fox. Whatever it is I want one

16
Nov
2013

My Big Little City: French Farmer’s Markets

categories: My Big Little City

Hi All!

Thank goodness it is the weekend! This week felt exhausting (not that I actually worked any harder) and Friday night (plus a cold beer) couldn’t come any sooner. The end of the week also meant it was the end of my gluten free trial fortnight (which I will be blogging about very soon). What better way to celebrate being able to eat bread than by spending most of Saturday at the local French Farmer’s Market hosted by La Cigale? Being only ten or so minutes drive away and very popular I am not sure how Edd and I have gone so long without cutting our Saturday sleep ins short to eat French food and spend money but nevertheless now that we have gone along I see it becoming a regular occurrence (especially as the weather gets more and more stunning, sorry sleep ins).

Held in the back area of Parnell I was a little bit (okay, a lot) worried about parking, especially because the thought of parallel parking sends me into a minor panic. Luckily there was a large, non-parallel, parking area where despite being busy and at peak time we found a park in a matter of minutes. The market itself is rather huge with a variety of stalls. There is a big area devoted to fresh produce and the fruit and vegetables looked both affordable and appealing). As well as all the outdoor stalls the La Cigale restaurant area that is open during the week is also thriving with a lot of delicious pastries, a cafe and enough delicious food to make brunch a pretty tough decision.

For us we ended up going with the roast pork roll from the inside carvery recommended by a friend which looked amazing! The deliciously moist pork came in a beautiful fresh toasted bun with aioli, dijon mustard, plenty of watercress and some tomato along with a fruity chutney that rounded the whole thing off. Perhaps the best part about this meal was the piece of crackling that was nothing less than perfection (okay, so I kind of am obsessed with perfect crackling). For $10 this was a generous meal that we both agreed was pretty amazing.

I salivate all over my keyboard just looking at this

As well as actually paying for food perhaps my favourite part of markets is all of the samples….and there are plenty! I don’t think I have seen so many different hummus/aioli flavour combinations in one place at once. Amonst the plethora of different stalls to visit there were take home deserts, Mediterranean dried fruits and nuts, chorizo and salami stalls, a whole store full of french wine, fresh fruit tarts, french cheese, well made coffee (albeit there was a bit of a wait) and of course plenty of heavenly gluten filled bread (oh and there was even a tea stall!).

After lunch we were tossing up whether to have the fresh crepes or the fresh fruit ice creams for desert and although I was keen to pretend I was french for the morning the gorgeous weather insisted a freshly made ice cream was in order, and who am I to disagree? I had boysenberry and Edd and strawberry and they were huge and divine. We also ended up taking home some treats to have a nice easy dinner tonight. After much deliberation whilst sampling every food possible we finally decided on some delicious chorizo sausages, a feta and pesto style dip as well as some fresh bread and a strawberry tart for dessert. Yum.

Could not resist bringing one of these home with us…

So if you find yourself with nothing to do on a Saturday or a Sunday or if you have a dinner party and want some food inspiration then take a drive to La Cigale where the market is held. It is held between 8am-1.30pm Saturday or 9am-1.30pm Sunday at 69 St Georges Bay Rd, Parnell, Auckland. I can’t see myself staying away for long….

Also, if any one is wondering how it compares to the other popular farmer’s market out at Clevedon which I blogged about here then here are some of my thoughts:

The French market is bigger with a lot more produce and stalls as well as a wine shop, proper cafe and a couple other stores. Clevedon markets by contrast had only 1 dip stall (versus like 3 at La Cigales) so there isn’t quite so much variety. I also like the fact that the French market is held on both days of the weekend whilst Clevedon is a Sunday event only.
Obviously the French market being in Parnell is a lot more central and despite my reservations still is fine to find parking at. By contrast the Clevedon market is a bit of a drive (albeit a beautiful drive) but being held outside of Auckland in Clevedon it makes for a rather nice escape from the bustle of the city.
For kids I would recommend the Clevedon markets just because it is a little less crowded and there is the famous pony ride. At the french market there aren’t any kid related activities (other than keeping them occupied with samples and with patting the variety of friendly dogs that seem to come along). On a side note the live music at the Clevedon market made for an amazing atmosphere that was a little lacking at the French market.
Lunch wise both have delicious options but the Cafe at La Cigale is a good option for a proper sit down, big breakfast type of feed. Both were reasonably priced with slightly more seating available at the French market with the large indoor tables versus the couple of hay bales at Clevedon that were always occupied :(.

Overall I would visit both again but due to its proximity and the larger amount of food and produce present I see the French Farmer’s market becoming a regular addition to a weekend whilst Clevedon may remain a bit more of a special trip out every once in a while.

Any other markets I should be making part of my weekend?

p.s A very special thanks to my husband for taking most of the amazing photos!

11
Nov
2013

4 Simple Goals… before 2014

categories: General/Life

Happy Monday!

Today I may have become slightly preoccupied with the idea of Christmas…I realize it is only early November but I decided its time to start preparing Christmas decorations for my workplace (anything to make it slightly less grey and office like). With some Christmas themed paper and a pair of scissors my Christmas bunting got underway! Regardless of my slightly premature Christmas excitement, today I wanted to post on a task that A Beautiful Mess has done the last couple years and I keep meaning to take part (4 Simple Goals before 2014).

The idea is to come up with 4 simple goals to try and focus on before 2014 comes along (in case that wasn’t grasped via the rather self-explanatory title). To be honest I am pretty terrible at goal setting (I dread this part of New Years almost as much as I dread waking up after New Year’s Eve) but maybe this slightly less intimidating task will fare better. With the focus on keeping the goals easy to achieve and on small lifestyle changes/trying out new things, I tried to stick to little changes that weren’t negative or too goal orientated. Despite being a little late to the party I enjoyed choosing 4 little areas of focus and I hope to bring little updates in the lead up to 2014 on how it all goes.

Pretty self explanatory but I will elaborate on each goal more in a specific update later on. These are small things that I would like to introduce into my life and I look forward to seeing how I can bring them to life.

Also check out a lovely blogger Tegania and her 4 Simple Goals (and enjoy her beautiful blog while you are at it).

Short post today but more on these later Hope you are all having a great start to the week (if not try introducing a little bit of bunting…it’s very therapeutic!)

P.s I just have to mention that I am going to the Wicked stage show tomorrow night and I am VERY excited. I have had these tickets for a couple of months now and waiting has been excruciating.

P.p.s CHRISTMAS IS 43 DAYS AWAY !!

09
Nov
2013

Brunch Club Part 1: Mozaik

categories: Brunch Club, Restaurants

Hi All,

Happy Weekend! So this week was a bit of a challenge with work stress and trying to resist gluten as well as being a bit exhausted however the work week ended on a high with a work get together last night that was a lot of fun! Then the weekend rolled around, bringing with it my first brunch with two beautiful and lovely blogging friends, Laura from The Dizain Collective and Maddy from Madicatt (both awesome blogs, grab some tea and take a look!).We had so many options in Auckland for great brunch spots but decided to go with something tried and tested, Mozaik in Mt Eden (I have never tried a Mozaik but everyone else had always had positive experiences). My main concern was that being in the middle of my gluten free trial I might not be able to find something delicious to eat but luckily Mozaik was a great choice with the option of gluten free bread instead of the normal (delicious) stuff.

To eat I ended up choosing the Field mushrooms with blue cheese sauce and bacon on gluten free toast (tip for bunch blogging, choose more attractive looking food to blog about). My dish arrived sans bacon which was very unfortunate (but handled pretty well by the friendly staff) but was still very delicious! I am a big fan of mushrooms and these were juicy and perfectly cooked with a subtle blue cheese flavoured creamy sauce. The pesto drizzle around the edge was also divine. The gluten free bread was plain but much nicer than I had envisioned. Maddy had a big breakfast which looked delicious and Laura chose the homemade hashbrown which will be my first pick once I am off my GF trial! To drink I had a feijoa smoothie (I can never resist the allure of feijoa) and then also had coffee to take home to Edd which was satisfying especially after a pretty big night.

All in all the food was delicious and with many yummy items on the menu I will definitely be back. More importantly than the food was the great opportunity to catch up with friends and share lots of information with each other. I think we sat there for about an hour after eating because there was so much to talk about. This brunch club might be the best thing ever! We plan to do it about once a month and so I will hopefully get to share some other great cafe’s with you. If anyone is interested in joining us just tweet me (@liz_lock).

Oh and I almost forgot, I set up a facebook page for myfoxycorner so please go check it out!

05
Nov
2013

Chocolate and Red Wine Cake aka Comfort Cake

categories: Recipe

So on this slightly cold Tuesday I have been moping at home sick (but mostly just exhausted) and not able to drag myself into work. I hope that the massive sleep in this morning helps and keeps me going for the rest of the week! Yesterday also started my gluten free trial period (of two weeks approx) to see how my body feels and if changing up my diet helps things like my skin or overall well being. After this first week I shall bring you an update on how all that is going as well as a gluten free recipe that makes this whole exercise worth it.

Today I bring you a recipe that is not gluten free but is one that I made a couple of weeks ago for my Dad’s birthday. The recipe comes from a favourite blog of mine, hungry and frozen, and I won’t bother rewriting it here as Laura does it best her self! Instead I will just give you a little food porn and explain how much I enjoyed making this. And here is the reliable yet delicious recipe!

Let me begin by explaining a small fear (okay more like a slight phobia) I have of making cakes. I love cupcakes and make them all the time but cakes baffle me and usually just go terribly wrong. I think this might be the third ever cake I have made. Why do they frighten me in a slightly irrational way I hear you asking? Well mainly just because I can’t taste test the cake to make sure it tastes good and is cooked right. With cupcakes I would always eat one (or two) before sharing to make sure I am not making a huge mistake and with a cake this is a bit harder. Undercooked, overcooked, too much baking soda, who knows until the big moment where everyone gets a slice. So yeah, making a cake is a big deal for me.

photo (1)

I went to Laura’s book launch up here in Auckland (which was too much lovely to even begin to describe) and bought her cookbook and then spent the night reading each and every recipe before I could go to bed. The cookbook is great and full of a variety of unique and creative recipes (there is a whole section on toasted sandwiches..this is when I knew I had made the right choice). My first chance to use it was for my Dad’s birthday dinner when I was trying to find a desert for someone who doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth. I ended up going with this because he likes wine and I like chocolate. It just made sense.

The recipe was simple and easy to follow, the ingredients all pretty standard and nothing to crazy. The addition of cinnamon and red wine to this slightly dense but not overly rich chocolate cake brought a warmth and complexity which was very enjoyable and makes it even more comforting than a standard chocolate cake would be. I think my oven was running a little too hot, as you can see from the photos the cake got a little carried away in the cracking department, and next time I would take it out a smidgen earlier to maintain optimum moistness (ugh). I served this up with oranges and lots of whipped cream and was really rather spectacular. I am now thinking about which cake recipe I can try next…. Definitely give this cake a go if you like chocolate and red wine, it was pretty fool proof (if I can make it anyone can) and with a large smothering of chocolate ganache it ends up looking pretty impressive too.

Ready for a little bit of a photo overload?

Chocolate ganache. So easy to make and equally easy to just eat straight out of the bowl. Try save some for the cake

Sorry for all the photos! I couldn’t resist putting heaps of them in (and this is a rather small selection, trust me!). Also thanks to Edd for being my photographer He does such an awesome job!

Have a great week!

Lizzy xx

31
Oct
2013

My Foxy Reading Corner: #33-38

categories: My Foxy Reading Corner

Hi All!

Today I thought I would quickly throw up my next 6 books in my mission to read 50 books before December 31st. I actually have read ten books total since my last update but thought it might be better to break it up evenly. I’m currently on track to finishing my 50 book challenge which is exciting but I am actually kind of sad about the idea of it ending. I have to find a slightly different challenge that I can try next year….

#1: The Boy in Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne. A pretty popular book and movie to is this sad story about an unlikely friendship. I knew this would be a tear jerker but was still kind of stunned (in a bad way) by the ending I’m glad I finally read this classic story and it was a nice easy read aimed primarily at a younger audience (although how they coped I will never know). 4 stars.

#2: The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger. I rather enjoyed the chick flick movie version of this book so thought I would read the book itself. The book lived up to my expectations and was a fun read and a way to turn off at the end of a hard day. Nothing groundbreaking or especially unique but well written with strong characters and an interesting story/setting. 4 stars (maybe a little generous but out of the chick flick genre this is a definite favourite).

#3: Cleo by Helen Brown. Being a crazy cat lady I naturally attract cat related books so I was lent this biographical story of a NZ journalist and her family (fury members included). I am not a big fan of biographies so I was reluctant to read this. In the end I read it purely out of social obligation so I could return the book to my collegue. I ended up really enjoying this, way more than I expected to. The story was sad and funny, real and yet still an escape. The cat, Cleo, was a great character and tugged at my crazy cat lady heart strings. A good kiwi read and perfect for a weekend or holiday at the beach.

#4: A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon. As I mentioned last time I am a big fan of The Curious Incident of the Dog and the Nighttime so when I saw this book by the same author at a book swap I couldn’t resist. The story was about a dysfunctional family and an older man who believes he is going crazy with old age. Chaotic and messy the story was good and I enjoyed the characters however I found the writing a little hesistant in places and the story seemed to drag on a little bit. Not a bad read but not as amazing as the Curious Incident. 3 stars.

#5: Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden. I read the start of this series as a kid and thought I would revisit is as I remembered the series being good but never got very far. Centered around a group of Australian kids who go camping and upon their return to civilisation find out (*Spoiler alert*) that their town has been invaded in some sort of world war three. Written in a gripping way with likeable characters and lots of action this book didn’t fail to dissapoint and I can’t wait to read the rest. 5 stars.

#6: Crossed by Ally Condie. The second in the Matched YA series told from the two view points of Cassia and Ky who are both trying to find each other in the outer provinces. This was interesting and enjoyable but their are so many great YA dystopian novels that this one doesn’t stand out as anything particularly special. I have the third one ready to read soon and finish off this trilogy so fingers crossed for an exciting end! 3 Stars.

See you guys soon with my next six!

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