summer roasted panzanella w/ artichokes

hello lovelies! we are so lucky to have a really short work week in switzerland, with the national day (1st of august) coming up tomorrow, it's obviously a good idea to prolong the weekend. starting now, laugh. i'm going abroad for a rustic, mini summer vacation, more details to come. i've also prepared a few posts for you, ready to be posted while i'm away, so that you won't have to miss me.

but before i leave tomorrow (very early in the morning, sleep), here's the recipe for a sweet and simple italian summer salad: roasted panzanella (bread salad). first version of a panzanella to be found here. a great way to use up any kinds of vegetables, breads and things in your freezer (like these fresh, hand podded sweet peas that i prepared some weeks ago).

summer roasted panzanella with artichokes and basil pesto

ingredients: 

1 stale bread, cut or torn into large cubes

1 cup freshly podded or frozen sweet peas

2 cups cherry tomatoes (in different colors)

1 medium aubergine, cubed

1 red pepper, cubed

1 glass artichokes (in olive oil), halved

handful black olives (ideally pitted)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 rosemary sprig, needles minced

olive oil

salt, pepper

for the basil pesto (serves as a dressing):

1 cup basil leaves

1 sprig oregano, leaves

1/4 cup olive oil

1 garlic clove

1 lemon zest plus drizzle lemon juice

1 drop of acacia honey

1 drop of sriracha hot sauce or chili paste

salt, pepper

directions:

preheat the oven to 220 degrees. line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. evenly spread the aubergine cubes, pepper cubes, artichoke halves and olives (ideally with enough space in between, not layered on top of each other). drizzle with olive oil, add the garlic cloves, minced rosemary needles and season with salt and pepper. place the tomatoes in a separate oven proof pan, also drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. roast both, on separate levels, in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

in the meantime, blanch the peas in boiling, salted water for 30 seconds. drain and cool in ice water. put aside. heat enough olive oil in a large frying pan, and gently and slowly roast the bread cubes until golden-brown and crispy. 

for the pesto, combine all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth. season with salt and pepper. 

to assemble, remove the vegetables from the oven. place the roasted bread cubes on a plate, add the aubergines, peppers, artichokes, olives, tomatoes, arrange the sweet peas and drizzle with the basil pesto. if necessary, season with more salt and drizzle with a bit more of olive oil. serve tepid. 

blueberry tartelettes (in a hurry)

sometimes when you have guests over for dinner (especially after a work day) it's much more important to spend time with them than you make a big impression with time-consuming, complex food. those simple blueberry tartelettes with vanilla cream are quickly whipped up (it's a bit of a cheat's version, using packaged pastry, but who cares when all you want to do is nibble at something sweet while listening intently to your friend's stories and sharing a laugh?).

blueberry tartelettes with vanilla cream

adapted from donna hay

ingredients:

1 package of shortpastry, rolled out

250 ml of cream, whipped

500 g of blueberries, cleaned

1 vanilla bean, beans extracted

3 tbsp. sugar

dusting of confectioner's sugar

mint leaves for decorating

directions:

preheat the oven to 220 degrees. in mini tart pans, place the shortpastry. cut off the excess dough and fold in on the corner. place some blind baking pearls on each tart crust (this prevents the pastry from rising). bake for about 6 to 8 minutes or until crust is golden. remove from the oven and leave to cool. in the meantime whip the cream and pimp it with vanilla and a bit of sugar. ladle the whipped vanilla cream onto the tart crusts. arrange the blueberries on top. dust with a bit of confectioner's sugar. decorate with a mint leave. serve, chat, share and laugh.

hair ties

a lot of women i know would never wear their hair piled up in a - more or less - mess (like me). they often look at me funny when i do, though (which is, pretty much, every day...). because to them, there is no alternative to wearing their hair open (except maybe for the shower...). come what may, the present their glossy manes brushed and blowed out to perfection, every single day of their perfect lives. and oh how i envy those women! i look at their tresses with longing. but sadly, i myself am just too plain lazy to blow them out and straighten them and curl them (and bla...) everyday to perfection. especially since it's so repetitive. every day, again and again... 

that's basically the main reason why i pile them together with a hair tie - more often than i wear them open. but... also, i really, really love a ponytail! i kind of think it's quite classy. and it makes me happy to wear sweet, colorful ties. so when i spotted these hair ties over on emily's blog i knew i had to have them... they are so freakin cute! i love the colors and that they're made of simple elastics and tied together with a knot, and that the knot looks like a little bow. so whimsy and special, right? thank you anthropologie for the nice change of ponytail routine. i think it makes me feel less inferior to the glossy manes out there. amen.

note to self: must think about showing off my pimped ponytail. yeah. maybe.

five o'clock tea dreams

just look at the whimsy table setting for our family five o'clock tea time some weeks back! i think my mom is so good at hosting guests. she inspires me. different pattern for everyone, mixed and matched. candles and roses. plenty of home-made cakes, one for every type. a coconut chocolate marble loaf, a pavlova (coming soon), a red currant tart (dito). plus a selection of fingersticks and tiny salads (no picture of them yet, i didn't want to disturb the sweet and whimsy look of those rather dessert like shots...). and of course hot and ice cold fresh teas, from earl grey to limeade. and everything was garnished au naturel with slices of lemon and lime, currants, flowers, berries and leaves.

my overall memory of this afternoon tea is... well, dreamy, lavish, and quite classy. and thus now even more so: i can't wait to go for a proper english afternoon tea when in london in september! i will go to the goring for that, sans doubt. or maybe also the browns. i'll sit there, in a trench coat, loafers and a plaid scarf (it might already be a bit chilly in september, at least i secretly hope so...), sip some earl grey tea and dream of being an english lady with plush bedding and linens, twelfe beagle dogs and a vast collection of soupières and hunter wellies... yeah, life is good.

nigella & co.

what's more appealing and inspiring that a pile of new cookbooks? there's nothing quite like that to take me away into another world... here i'm browsing my mom's new stack: two from nigella lawson, one really good standard work on pasta, and the noma cookbook. sighs... give me a rainy weekend, some pots of tea and this stack - and you won't hear from me for at least 48 hours. 

truffle ravioli with beurre noisette

did you ever try to make your own pasta? i made a few attempts. like these dim sum ravioli here. or malfatti. i even tried gnocchi several times and with several different approaches. those sure taste great, but somehow they feel like a cheater's pasta... so, some time ago, i started to think that there won't be a way around real, home-made pasta. i (spontaneously) bought a pasta machine. and a lot of eggs and flour. and on a rainy afternoon, i started to make my own ravioli (of course with a truffled filling). they were the perfect starter to a lavish dinner i made for friends. and, since the batch was pretty vast, i even got some leftovers which i quickly froze (with layers of parchment paper in between). they tasted just as good when cooked and served with beurre noisette (i won't fool you, the beurre noisette is quite the delicacy on its own...).

truffle ravioli with beurre noisette

ingredients:

1 package fresh pasta dough, rolled out

250 g ricotta, drained

20 g minced black truffles, jarred

50 g grated parmesan cheese

2 thyme sprigs, leaves picked

2 oregano sprigs, leaves picked & minced

1 egg

1 garlic clove, minced

egg-wash (1 egg white with 1/4 cup water)

salt, black pepper, musk

50g organic butter

20g dried porcini, chopped

handful sage leaves, cut in thin slices

freshly grated musk

salt, black pepper

oregano sprig for decorating

truffle oil

directions:

if you want to make your own pasta dough (like I did), use 5 eggs and 500 g flour and combine, very slowly and steadily, by continually making stirring motions from the inside out with a fork. a store-bought dough is pretty perfect, too, though. roll the dough out pretty thin (about 3mm) - i used a pasta machine to roll it out - and place on a work space dusted with a little flour. prepare strips of twice 3 cms width. cut with a ravioli roller.

for the filling, combine the ricotta, truffles, parmesan, herbs, garlic and egg in a bowl. stir with a fork until homogeneous. season with salt, pepper and some musk. place 1 teaspoon of the truffle-ricotta-mixture on the upper side of the dough stripe. continue along the line, leaving out two finger widths between each new drop of filling. now brush each corner of every raviolo field with egg wash.

fold the dough over from the middle, on top of the filling. press together top and bottom of the dough, creating separate fields. make sure to press out all the excess air, as it will cause your ravioli to break during cooking. cut along the borders of the ravioli with the ravioli roller. continue until dough and / or filling are used up.dust with flour and put aside.

note: you can also freeze the ravioli with parchment paper in between layers of ravioli. when needed, just throw them, still frozen, in the boiling water (this will add a minute of cooking time).

heat a large pot of salted water. when it's simmering (not boiling) add the ravioli to the water and let heat through until they appear on the surface of the water (after about 2-3 minutes). don't overcook, and don't let the water boil too much.

for the beurre noisette: melt the butter in a small saucepan, on low heat. add the minced dried porcini, sage, musk, a little salt and pepper. the secret to beurre noisette: the butter needs to develop the nutty taste and brown color, that can only be achieve with patience, low heat and a bit of time (it will take around 10 to 15 minutes, at least).

drain pasta, arrange on a plate, drizzle with truffle oil, pour the beurre noisette over the ravioli and arrange a sprig of oregano on top. serve with a little extra grated parmesan cheese, if you like.

bar cart paraphernalia

it might appear otherwise now (thanks to my obvious bar obsession), but i'm really not that big of a drinker... i sure like a good hendrick's gin & tonic now and then (though from too much pepper in it i start to cry...) or like to experiment with new drinks at a good bar, but that's about it with booze for me (or you'll have to carry me home). that's why i simply don't know anything about the art of cocktail drinking and preparing. sorry.

what i do know however is how to put a bar cart together, for the in-style cocktail hour at home. you'd need, of course, a bar cart (vintage, please?) and all of the below listed essentials. i prefer fun little objects that are both, functional and nice to look at (for example how cute is this pineapple ice bucket?).

1 a bottle opener (this one is made of an antler)

2 a crystal bowl with tongs, i.e. for lemon or lime slices

3 salt and pepper shakers (e.g. for bloody mary, hendrick's g&t, tequila, right?)

4 whimsy champagne cups and other types of glasses

5 a lemon mortar

6 monogrammed coasters (preferably in your initials)

7 decorative lemonades and tonic (like the one from fentimans)

8 collection of bar tools, like a strainer and stirrers

9 pretty booze or bubbly, like monkey gin and skull vodka bottle

10 a decanter, for water or any home-brew (if you're lucky to come across one)

11 pineapple ice bucket

12 crystal cocktail shaker

lemongrass risotto with vine tomatoes & haloumi skewers

hello lovelies! i'm sorry but i can't write a lot tonight... i've been so efficient and on the run without really a break today, i feel exhausted. when i got up at six this morning, i started to clean a bit (i find myself doing a bit of cleaning on many mornings), then i couldn't stop and in the end i had the whole flat cleaned by 8am (and it was desperately necessary). such things happen when your stupid cleaning company isn't really all that professional. duh!

so anyway, after this efficiency i'm tired. somebody told me today i sleep too much to be efficient and get everything done in due time? well, thank you very much. but i officially admit: i love a good night's sleep... i could never become a person with only 3 hours of sleep at night, just for the sake of efficiency. could you? let's be honest: life is just to good not to sleep! haha.

lemon grass risotto with roasted vine tomatoes, grilled haloumi skewers & basil oil

for four people

ingredients:

2 cups of risotto rice

2 cups of white wine

1 liter of vegetable bouillon, kept simmering on the stove meanwhile

1 onion, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

4 lemongrass stalks, outer leaves removed, soft core minced

1 cup parmesan cheese, grated

2 tbsp. mascarpone

1 tbsp. lemon zest

1/2 lemon, juice

1 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. olive oil

salt, pepper

for the top:

2 haloumi cheeses (or about 600 grams) + wooden skewers

4 vine tomato branches (with about 5 tomatoes per branch)

drizzle olive oil

salt, pepper

1 cup basil leaves

1 cup olive oil

salt, pepper

lime oil (for finishing touch)

directions:

start by heating the bouillon in a saucepan and keep heated. heat olive oil in a large saucepan, sweat the onion, garlic, lemongrass and rice in it for 2 minutes. deglaze with the white wine. add the lemon zest. stir continually. when the wine is evaporated, continue to add liquid (now broth) and stir on. whenever liquid is incorporated in the rice, add more liquid. proceed until the rice is cooked al dente.

in the meantime: preheat the oven to 220 degrees c. place the tomatoes (on the branches) in a oven proof pan, drizzle with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast for twenty or so minutes.

next, cut the haloumi cheese into cubes and pull onto wooden skewers. place on a baking pan lined with a parchment paper. grill in the oven (one oven layer over tomatoes) for 15 minutes or until golden.

and: for the basil oil (note: i love a good pesto-like drizzle on almost any dish... it adds flavor and color). you can either quickly blanch the basil leaves in hot water for only 20 seconds, drain and pat them dry and finally puree them with the olive oil - OR you just puree them with the olive oil. on the blanching: the blanching isn't necessary, but it makes sure the green color stays and prevents bitterness (which can happen with basil, normally). in any way: add a generous pinch of salt and pepper.

finally, the finishing touches to the risotto: add the butter and mascarpone for creaminess, stir to combine. same with the parmesan. season only now with salt and pepper (since the parmesan adds a bit more saltiness, too, so only salt now). now for the twist: add the lemon juice (only shortly before serving). 

assemble everything: place the risotto in the middle of the plate, place the tomato branches and the haloumi skewer on top, drizzle with the basil oil and finally with a few drops of the lime oil (if available). serve & enjoy.

good night, everyone! i'll sleep, i'll sleep...

coconut chocolate marble loaf

what a weekend! there was a friend's wedding (wonderful, magic, love!) to celebrate. she looked gorgeous in her dress, like a greek goddess. we danced (even a bit of line dance, and i was in heaven) with a breathtaking view of the city lights at night. the crowd was amazing. thank you friends, for the celebration! it was a good one. and hey, it's exhausting to celebrate and generally just have a good time... my every bone aches (not necessarily from the high heels only...). i feel too tired to utter or write another word. give me a break! laugh.

fittingly, this cake was made by my mom. it's a '3 c' cake (sorry, i'm in marketing!): crumbl-ey, coconut-ey, chocolatey. actually, add a little 'n' for nice.

coconut chocolate marble loaf

(for one large 30cm loaf pan)

ingredients: 

4 tbsp. milk

1 small can coconut milk (175 ml)

100 coconut rasps

150 butter, at room temperature

200 g sugar

2 pinches of salt

4 eggs

150 g flour

50 g semolina

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 tbsp. milk

150 g dark chocolate, crushed

2 tbsp. rum

directions:

preheat the oven to 180 degrees. line the loaf pan with parchment paper. combine milk, coconut milk and coconut rasps in a bowl and combine. in a second bowl, stir the butter until creamy, add sugar, salt, and egg and continue to stir until the mixture is of a fair color. add the coconut-milk-mixture. sift in the flour, semolina and baking powder. that's the light, coconut mix. pour half of the dough mix into the loaf pan. 

next heat the milk in a small saucepan, add the chocolate and melt slowly. stir in the rum, cool slightly. pour melted chocolate into the dough mix. distribute on top of the coconut mix in the loaf pan. now combine the two mixes by running through it with a fork. 

bake for about 35 minutes. remove from the oven, let cool slightly, remove from the pan and let cool completely. serve with cinnamon whipped cream, or such.

dreamy blush

we're not experiencing a really hot summer at the moment... but still, i find myself lusting after some lighter sheets and duvets for the warmer nights. something that feels crisp, light and cool on the bare skin. something that's comforting to be wrapped into at night. i finally found a really pretty linen throw... but it didn't stop there: in the end this shop, calypso st. barth, drew me in so much, i couldn't stop creating mental wish lists (it's not that i don't have a bottle stopper or a lavender sachet... just not such pretty ones... hmpf). 

1 a lush pale greige throw
2 a crystal bottle stopper
3 a lavender filled sachet with a tiny skull on it

you love, as well?
love
scarlett

folk favorite: bahamas

i know it's been a while since my last folk favorite (namely in march - las year! gee...). but now is just about the perfect time to bring it back. there wasn't really anything out there that i felt like showing you. but the music of 'bahamas', my dears, touched me beyond words...

afie jurvanen, the man behind the band bahamas, is another one of those self-taught, awe-inspiring, deeply emotional musicians. just like bon iver, he recorded his first album in a cabin somewhere in the middle of nowhere (or so i like to think). he's got so much talent and puts so much emotion into his folky, authentic, earthy music. no wonder it was awarded with several prices. his two albums so far (the first, pink strat, was recorded in 2009, the second, barchords, only in 2012) are both brilliant.

it's hard to tell which is my favorite song.. i guess it must be 'lost in the light'. as so many weddings advance around me, as a proof for the love in this world, i can't help but dream about finding the one that's ready to love me back, for as long as we both shall live. well, one fine day, i know i will. and: this song has got to be on the playlist of every little and big love celebration. so smitten.

i know i can be a little cheesy sometimes - okay, all of the time. but, please don't stop reading right now! there's an additional note: 'lost in the light' is the first song that i heard from bahams. so, i feel like adding the credits is only appropriate: ashley from not without salt created a video of her and her husband's date nights (needless to say i love everything about that concept anyway...) using this specific song. thank you, ashley, for sharing this with us. your family is gorgeous. and i am struck by the way you live and cherish the love that's been given to you. thank you for the romantic inspiration, you made my week.

ps: is this afie guy cute, or what?

polenta fries with home made ketchup & tsatsiki

dears! i'm sorry for the slow-down of updates... i've been busy making plans, running around golf courses (melting), cooking (at least there are some really good new dishes in the pipeline for you... just give me some time to edit them and write down the recipes) and organising my wall painting session. next weekend! i am so looking forward to it (the result, i mean, not the actual painting, ugh...). and by the way: i've got a new settee! my sister in law and my brother gave it to me after they felt they probably haven't got the space anymore with the baby due any minute now... lucky me! i'll show pictures of it, soon! it adds a bit of glamour to my living room, i'd say.

so far, here's a vegetarian dish i made for dinner with a friend. we both thought it's quite the good vegetarian alternative. because often times enough, vegetarian dishes are a bit bland at restaurants... those polenta fries were crispy and tasted just a little bit of parmiggiano... 

polenta fries with home made ketchup and tsatsiki

ingredients:
1 cup polenta grain (i took the finest one available)
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup milk
1/2 cup parmesean cheese, freshly grated
2 tbsp. butter, plus more for greasing
2 sprigs thyme, leaves removed
2 sprigs oregano, leaves removed
1/4 cup olive oil
Fleur de sel
black pepper, freshly ground
zest of organic lemon

directions:
heat the milk and broth mixture in a large saucepan. when hot, cook the polenta in it according to directions on the packaging (mine took about two to three minutes), while stirring constantly. stir in the parmesan cheese and butter. season with salt and pepper according to taste. grease a large form (a baking sheet or a gratin form) with some butter. pour the polenta mix in the form and let cool completely. 

when cooled, slice it in sticks. spread them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment. preheat the oven to 220 degrees c (or 420 degrees f). combine the olive oil with the herbs, lemon zest and some salt and pepper. brush each polenta stick with the oil mix. bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the fries are golden-brown around the edges.

for the ketchup go here. and for the tsatsiki inquire donna hay aka my personal hero. she knows best.

light(n)ing strikes #2

after some search in the www (i can be very persistent) i found the pendant lamps i posted some days back. they cost 2000 euros. each! faint. then my mom went to ikea's this week (for the new true blue collection) and came back with two identical, just as chic and classy and elegant black ones for me. so totally made my day! can't wait to hang them up.

in the meantime, i also deepened my search for table lamps (once i'm in the swing for things...) - and i thought i'd share my elaborate research results with you. so: the stacked ball ones (in either silver or crystal) is still one of my altime favorite models - but those four seem to be worth giving another thought. don't you think? i particularly like the rock crystal one (that one won't be such a bargain, i'm afraid...).

peace, love and light to all of you!

sources (from left to right, top to bottom): 1, 2, 3, 4

white pizza w/ caramelized grilled pear

a picture from a past dinner for moi même: white pizza (with mascarpone only, no tomato sauce) and grilled pear slices. i just got back from half a round of golf with my brother. one almost-hole-in-one! ha! kidding (sort of). anyway, it was wonderful, mind clearing and energizing. but now i've got a load of ironing to do - so not much blogging and telling wonderful stories. sorry! still, a recipe for you (though i think it's pretty intuitive to smear together a white pizza, but whatevs...). hugs!

white pizza w/ caramelized grilled pear (for one)

ingredients:

1 pizza dough quarter

3 tbsp. mascarpone

20 g parmiggiano, grated

1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves

1/2 pear, sliced (horizontally), 1 cm thick

2 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tbsp. butter

pinch fleur de sel

3 black pepper corns, ground

drizzle of olive oil

directions:

preheat the oven to 220 degrees celsius. cover the pizza dough slice with the mascarpone. drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with parmiggiano, thyme, fleur de sel and pepper. bake for 10 to 12 minutes. 

in the meantime heat a grill pan with butter. slice up the pear, remove the seeds. grill for 3 minutes or until slightly charred in places on each side. then push the pear to one side of the pan and add the sugar to the pan and wait - no stirring - until caramelized. add a pinch of fleur de sel to the salt. remove the pizza from the oven, sprinkle with remaining parmiggiano and place pear slices with caramel sauce on top. 

light(n)ing strikes

sometimes, i admit, all i think about is what to cook in the evening (or men, but let's not go there now...). true fact. now, i must say that currently, all i think about is redecorating. i'm sorry, am i already boring you to death? 

yesterday my aunt and uncle came for dinner and to help me choose a great color scheme for my flat. what we came up with: a nice, muddy, elephant-skin-like medium dark grey-brown for one side of the flat. and a really dark, smokey, matte, boudoir-esk charcoal black (the same color as all the window frames and the kitchen elements) for the bedroom. it's going to look breathtakingly magnicifent (after all the work, which i'm only a teensy, tiny bit afraid of, i'll admit...).

now, of course one thing always induces another thing. alas, after painting, i will need new lamps. anybody who tells me otherwise can just go stand in the corner for 10 minutes, okay? so, please, would you all agree with me?

those two lamps are currently on my wish list. and of course i'll need two of each (i am a freak for symmetry and order, like that). so, santa, could you please hurry up and come, really quickly? and if possible send the handiman over with the delivery, at the same time. i mean, it would be kind of wonderful not to have to fuss with the installation... thank you.

ps: if you must (...) know the source (i.e. here and here), then better close your eyes at the price. i'm just saying. and i warned you!

caviar d'aubergine

what's totally incomprehensible for me today is how i didn't like aubergines as a kid. why? today, from the perspective of a cook, it's just the best vegetable there is. so versatile! so full of flavor! such a nice texture! i particularly like it cubed and roasted (as found here). though i must add: my love story with the aubergine is endless, and i try to find new ways to transform it and incorporate it in my meals every week.

exactly the opposite: i would really like to be a fan of tartare - but i suspect i'll never grow fond of it in this life... a tartare is a sophisticated and light meal, it looks cool and i love how at times you are allowed to assemble it on your own in restaurants. but i admit: i'm just not that fond of raw meat and probably never will be.

so this vegetarian tartare version made from aubergines is a really good alternative for me. it looks just as sophisticated and special as the real, meaty thing. another great use for aubergines.

caviar d'aubergine

ingredients:

2 round eggplants, halved

3 tbsp. olive oil

3 fresh garlic cloves, minced

20 black olives, pitted and minced

3 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves

1 tbsp. fresh rosemary needles, minced

1 tbsp. ground cumin seeds

1 tsp. sweet pepper

1/2 tbsp. fleur de sel

5 black pepper corns, freshly ground

1/2 organic lemon, juice

directions:

preheat the oven to 220 degrees fahrenheit with the grill function turned on. half the eggplants, place them on a baking sheet and roast - with the face side up - for half an hour until the eggplant skins are slightly charred. remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

scratch the flesh of the eggplant out with a fork, leaving behind the charred skin. mash it a bit more with the fork if needed. heat the olive oil in a frying pan. stir-fry the eggplant flesh for two minutes, then add the garlic cloves, thyme, rosemary, cumin and pepper. fry for another minute or two. season with salt and pepper. drizzle with lemon juice and a bit more salt if necessary. 

shape with a patissier ring and remove the ring. serve with grilled slices of baguettes and some salted butter.

chalk black

we had a nice family tea time gathering at my parents' today. on the menu: mini sandwiches, pavlova with strawberry coulis and basil syrup, chocolat coconut marble loaf, curd cake with blueberries and a redcurrant baiser cake. i have a bit of a sugar overdose... i feel good!

tomorrow, my uncle, who is a specialist at house painting and decorating, will come over for dinner to help me decide on a suitable color for each wall. ah, i forgot to mention it: before i can put up the many pictures i framed for the wall of fame, i want to paint all the walls new. i'm thinking maybe one in charcoal black, or maybe one even in chalkboard paint (so i can write the menu on it when i have guests over for dinner). or a very pale pink, or a light duck egg blue in the bedroom? my uncle thought one gold wall would be nice in my flat. but i have a feeling black will win. keep you posted!

hmm, i wish i could think only about redecorating and nothing more this whole week... i'm so in the mood for another round of paint!

picture source