I grew that

This is my first baby carrot, pictured with a Haviana for size purposes.  I couldn't be prouder if I'd grown it myself... oh but wait, I did!  It's brothers and sisters are still happily growing away, but I got impatient when I saw this one poking it's orange head above the soil and pulled it out.  I think I'll wait until the others get bigger because while it was tasty, there wasn't much to taste.

I included it into a simple pasta dish, served with a red wine sauce chock full of veggies.  I can't wait for the weather to be right to grow some more fresh produce.  At the moment I have carrots, garlic, mint, parsley, rosemary, spring onions, leek, pineapple and chilli growing.  I'd love to add some beans, tomatoes and other delicious spring time foods.  I've also got a compost bin on the go, so that ought to add some nutrients when required!

What does your garden grow?

Operation fascination

In outfitting myself for the wedding(s) I've been trying to DIY as much as possible, partly to keep costs down and partly because I like having our own personality stamped on the day.

I mentioned here that I'd unexpectedly found a hairpiece for my red wedding after brunch one day, but I was scratching my head (haha) about the white wedding.  While I was shopping on the weekend with a bridesmaid, we walked past one of those cheap hair/jewellery stores.  Just for fun (and to be thorough) we popped in to have a look.  End result - a few pretty little flower hair clips that will look perfect - especially from a distance.

Just a few days before, I'd been looking at an option that was going to be $60, and I thought it was cheap! Cost of these little pretties? $8.  That's a nice tidy saving that I can put towards something less frivolous than a one day hair accessory!

Chortle

I think that chortle is a great word; it makes me giggle a little every time I hear it.

 

In support of that word, I'd like to share some things which have given me a chortle this week.

• My regular coffee man always greets me by name and with a smile.  Not to mention that this is one of the few cafes I've found who use Bonsoy (many other commercial brands of soy milk just taste revolting).  This week I also got a little heart on my cup lid.  Soy chai, made with love! ('scuse the lip gloss marks) 

Dumplings. I love a good dumpling and last night, Mr Fork's mother made me a whole pot of steamed dumplings, stuffed with shiitake, cabbage, corn, carrot and peas.  It was delicious, and there was even enough for me to bring for lunch today.  That's saying a lot, because traditionally Fridays are my day to have 'tuckshop' and eat out, but those dumplings won hands down over buying lunch!

Puppy cuddles.  While it's still officially winter there have been a few cold nights, and although my furbabies are affectionate all the time, it's even more pronounced during cold weather when they can't resist a good snuggle (and neither can I).

Yesterday marked the beginning of birthday month, the countdown until my actual birthday.  I suggested to Mr Fork that perhaps he might like to mark the occasion with festivities and fawning but he didn't seem overwhelmed by the idea.  Not to worry.  I love birthdays myself and can fawn perfectly well on my own behalf!

I love a good freebie as much as the next person, and one of the things I did when I first got my Kindle was to sign up for a service on ereaderiq.com to notify me when books for the AU region become free.  So far, I've gotten a bunch of books which go for up to about 20$ when full price, and I'm expanding my reading horizons by picking up books which I mightn't have if I'd had to pay.  Wins all around!

 

Product du jour - MooGoo Shampoo and Conditioner

Lately I have been obsessed with natural cosmetics, skin and hair care.  I have gradually been switching my products as they run out, moving from chemically laden things to alternatives with less numbers, more natural whole ingredients and lots of healthy benefits.

The items which came under the firing line most recently were my shampoo and conditioner.  I've got very fine hair, which I like to wear long.  If I don't wash it every second day or so, it tends to get lank and oily, and of course, being long, takes forever to dry, making washing a chore.  For the last couple of years, I've also had itchy, flaky scalp issues (an attractive feature, natch).  When Head and Shoulders was released, I jumped on the bandwagon with a vengeance, but I never really got any long lasting benefits from it.

Further investigation (oh Google, how did I survive before you?) gave me a couple of insights and aha! moments:

• While I'd love to follow the 'no 'Poo' movement, I just can't cope with having to wait potentially months for my hair to find it's routine.  Nor am I keen to switch to a pure bicarb and vinegar routine.
• Harsh detergents are irritants which stimulate oil production while drying skin. So why do so many manufacturers load their product full of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or by Sodium Laureth Sulfate?
• The first three ingredients of my current shampoo rotations in the shower are: water, sodium, laureth sulfate, sodium lauryl sulfate.

Something had to be done.  


I bit the bullet and breaking my usual rule, didn't even wait to finish the bottles I have, ordering some MooGoo 'Scalp Friendly' Milk Shampoo and Cream Conditioner after being convinced by the multitude of rave reviews out there.  

It's early days yet, but I've used them a couple of times now, in conjunction with the MooGoo MSM Soothing cream after I've washed and I can't believe the difference.  My scalp is less itchy, and I'm not flaking constantly.  My hair feels lush and natural and smells divine (this could also be because the company believes in products so natural you could eat them so I'm literally bathing in milky goodness).


The shampoo foams nicely, and is a good rich texture.  I'm used to my conditioner allowing me to just comb right through in the shower, but the MooGoo one didn't do that and I had to work the comb through a bit more than usual.  Having said that the next day, my hair hung beautifully without blow drying, went easily from pony tail to out without kinks and didn't knot up at all.  I think I'm onto a winner here.  At $17.50 each for the shampoo and conditioner, and $17.95 for the MSM cream, it's not the cheapest product out there, but if the results continue, I'm going to stick with it.  

What can I do with... molasses?

Yesterday I did my usual Saturday morning yoga class, which I completely voided afterward with the usual follow up breakfast with the girls.  Although I did choose the relatively 'healthy' option of bircher muesli, so that should count for something right?  I mean, it does come with fruit.

After chatting over much needed coffee (caw-fee) and food, we went for a wander around the fantastic James St Markets.  Yes the market is overpriced and yes you could probably get better value elsewhere, but as soon as I walk in there, I'm like a kid in a (vegan) candy store - I want everything!

I debated the merits of hibiscus flowers (redundant at the moment, because Mr Fork won't drink champagne with me), hot chocolate (delicious, but I don't want to spend $14 on that), vegan laksa paste (yes I want it, but I should finish the one at home first), and the plethora of deli goods such as flavoured oils and vinegars that I need to have.  I swear, I don't know why Mr Fork finds it so hard to think of presents for me.  Fill a basket full of yummy gourmet foodstuffs or MooGoo cosmetics and I'm a happy camper.  That aside, I did walk out of the market with a jar of molasses.

I've heard so much about molasses in my cookbook collection and blogs that I follow, but I've never personally used it.  I know that it'll be great for my iron, calcium and potassium levels and I can use it like a honey substitute (honey, ugh), but is there some fantastic molasses recipe that I absolutely must try?  Suggestions welcome, and I'll update on my molasses cooking adventures!

Winner!

I've always been a bit shy in the internet world.  I read a lot of blogs quite avidly, but I rarely stop to comment on them.  I scour various specialist forums for other people's advice, but again, rarely add little to the conversations.  I decided recently that I should really change that, and so I've been moved to comment on a few things I felt strongly about, add some expert knowledge and advice when I could and oh yes, enter the odd competition or two.


Maybe this is the way the universe is telling me that I'm doing the right thing, because I won something!  A blog that I follow recently celebrated it's 18 month birthday and was giving away a few gorgeous things.  I was the lucky winner of a Kit Cosmetics Duo Cheek & Lip Creme in Turn it On!

It arrived today and I couldn't resist opening it right away.  First impression was that it smelt divine.  Fruity and full of watermelon scented goodness.  I then had to try it out.  I'm working from home today so I don't have a nice base to add blush to, but I couldn't resist adding some to my lips.  The lighter shade on its own was a bit too pink so I added some of the darker one... perfection!  They just blend beautifully together and give my lips a nice sheen and a feeling of ultra hydration.  I can't wait to see how this will look on my cheeks.  

Thanks, and what a great "hump day" pick me up!

Soap Scum Begone

Soap scum has been the menace of my existence ever since I moved in with Mr Fork.  Internet research has shown that his preference for soap bars over my preference for liquid soap means that he is more likely to produce that waxy white buildup on the shower glass (and since I have no chance of converting his soap choices, we need a solution).


My subtle hints may have been too subtle, as leaving a squeegee and various cleaning products in the shower didn't seem to have the desired result that he wipe the glass when he was done, and as a result, we had a shower so thick with soapy scum that I'm ashamed to describe how bad it really is.

I decided that something needed to be done and searched around for a clean, green cleaning solution.  The overwhelming suggestion seemed to be vinegar so I mixed a solution of 1 part white vinegar to 4 parts water in a spray bottle and went to town on the glass.  Just a segue way here but the way that most cleaning solutions are designed to work is that you apply them, then leave them to sit there for a small while before wiping away.  This gives time to sort of soak in, and get the job done.  Anyway, I left my vinegar/water solution to sit for several minutes, then got in there with one of those slightly rough cleaning pads, scrubbing through the solution and really putting some elbow grease into it.  Next step was to rinse with clean water and then wipe down with a dry towel.


Our glass was pretty terrible, so it took a few more sessions with the vinegar but I can report back that our screens are now transparent again and our shower feels sparkly clean (and smells vinegary fresh!).  I also feel good that I used a natural solution so didn't contribute anything extra down the drains that shouldn't have been there.  Win, win all round.


What's your best natural cleaning solution?