Weekend breakfast and a small book review.

So, I received this book during the week. I have wanted Sweet Paul's Eat & Make book since, well, it was released this year. And while I've been waiting VERY impatiently for my paper copy of the 2014 Fall issue of Sweet Paul magazine to arrive (stupid slow international post), I satisfied my Sweet Paul cravings by buying the book (finally). I'm yet to have a proper read through (some wonderful stories of Paul's journey), but flicking through I found a heap of recipes I wanted to try. I am dying to make the baked doughnuts (and finally put my mini doughnut pan to good use), there is an amazing looking lasagne I want to try, a really nice sounding recipe for a Skagen Salad, and of course the World's Best Cake. 

The smoked trout salad really appealed to me. My partner is Swedish, and this just sounded so Scandinavian so I just had to try it for breakfast! And I was soooo not disappointed!

I modified the instructions a bit - I used less smoked trout, used more red onion and shallot (scallion).

I lightly cooked the onion and shallot so we didn't have that raw onion taste for the day. As much as I love raw onion and shallots, the after taste isn't the best. That light cook kept the crunch, but took that after taste away.  

I also used more celery than required, but the more veggies the better! There is also some dill and lemon juice in there, and the dill is really what makes this dish, because dill is amazing and one of my favourite herbs ever. 

Then you mix it all up with a few tablespoons of good quality mayonnaise and done! 

Next, boiling eggs and toasting the rye bread. There is an amazing sounding recipe for Finnish Rye Bread in the book but instead I bought a super amazing rye sourdough. We're really lucky in Australia so have some amazing artisan bread makers, so it's really easy to find really amazing breads of all sorts. The eggs are hard boiled and I was really happy with my egg timing - they were JUST right. That perfect orange-y tinge (because freerange eggs are the best) with that slight hint of moisture. Then it's just simply assembling and there you have it. The most amazingly delicious Scandinavian-style smoked trout breakfast! Will 100%, definitely make this again. My new go-to weekend breakfast!

Sooooo yum!

So! There you have it! One of the most delicious breakfasts ever! Can't wait to have it again....

#1 A little bit of honey...

These "Little bit of honey..." posts will be where I talk about the good things at the moment. So, this is post number 1 in this series!

Even though we're officially in spring now, the camellia tree is still flowering, the last breath of winter. I love this tree and how when all of the leaves are off the trees, these trees are covered in gorgeous pink blooms. Although I love winter a lot, spring flowers always make me happy and to have these gorgeous flowers through the chilly months, always puts a smile on my face. 

I finished reading Pride and Prejudice! It took me just under 4 weeks, which I think is pretty good time considering I'm usually only reading it for an hour or so each weekday on the way home from work. The verdict? I loved it. I still think Persuasion is my favourite of Austen's novels so far, but I finally get all the hype around this book. I don't personally see Mr Darcy as nearly an amazing romantic figure as people claim him to be, I can understand why he has a fan base, but he's no Captain Wentworth...

On crafty-ness

Over the past couple of years, I have turned into a crazy craft lady. Yes, I may be 20-something, but already I'm well on my way to being a granny. What non-crafty people don't realise though is that craft is like, so hot right now.
I started off with quilting - my first quilt was made as a gift for my bf''s mum for Christmas a couple years ago. Since then I haven't had such a tight deadline to get a quilt done, so my next one, a granny square quilt, had been very, very slow. Have to cut some 300+ 2 1/2in squares, and I think I'm close to half cut, but I am taking it pretty easy.

Nice little pile of the California Girl range by Fig Tree Quilts for Moda (and a nice Tilda backdrop)

Went on to cutting some more of my fabrics for this today. I would really love to get started on sewing soon, but alas, heaps more fabric to cut. If I can at least get a few blocks sewn by the end of the year I'd be happy.

Close up of some Tilda fabric - seriously love this fabric!

As much as I love quilting, it can be a bit of a hassle to go to the table and cut fabric or sew after a long day. This is where I'm really happy that I taught myself to crochet. I've seen so many amazing things on Pinterest, there are some incredibly talented people out there. So, I took a day over the Christmas holidays last year, and taught myself the basics in one day. Made one lap blanket which took up a few months, but now I'm 172 squares into a 224 square blanket. Might seem like a lot, but if I can knock off a few a day, I can get there pretty quickly. Then it's just a matter of joining and making a boarder and then I'll have a queen size bed crochet blanket!

Pretttttyyyyy

The thing I really, really love about crochet is how mindless it is. I can just pick it up (although colour selection now is getting quite slim - picking from my 20 colours, which combo I haven't done yet is thankfully easy thanks to my colour chart!) when I'm watching the tv after a long day. I just need to make sure I don't get cramps in my arm if I crochet for too long!

Mmmmm pretty colours.
My big problem is I just have way too many projects - in my head. I'll be working on one at a time, but I have so many ideas in my head and I just can't wait to start them! Once I'm done with this blanket, I have a really really cool idea for the next one!

On the subject of reading

It is a truth universally acknowledged that High School English can somewhat put a dampener on a love of reading. When I was young, I was not a big reader, at least of fiction. Each week when we went to the school library to borrow books, I always headed straight towards to the non-fiction section, more specifically the dinosaur and animal books. I would read kids' books, but I just loved learning about dinosaurs and animals. It wasn't until a was around 11 that a book series started gaining popularity and I jumped on the band wagon that was Harry Potter. It is pretty much since then that I have identified myself as someone who loves to read. In between waiting for the next Harry Potter book, I would read other books in the childrens'/young adult sections, and I would always enjoy reading.
High School English class, I think, put a big downer on my love of reading. I was still eagerly anticipating the next Harry Potter book and would consume it within the week of its release. However, English as a subject and the choice of texts to study, did taint my love of reading. The only texts I look back on fondly were To Kill a Mockingbird, Midsummer Night's  Dream and Dead Poet's Society (RIP Robin Williams, and thank you for your perfect portrayal of Mr Keating in DPS) and one book I selected myself when we had that rare opportunity to select our own piece to study. I really did detest the majority of what we read (don't get me started on Animal Farm), and reading was something I only did in my spare time if it was Harry Potter.
I did have to read Jane Austen's Emma one year, and I never finished it. I found it dull, and Austen's writing difficult to follow as a teenager. That was pretty much the extent of my reading the "classics".
After High School, I would read for pleasure but always stories that interested me and I certainly didn't branch out that much, I have pretty much been a fantasy fan through and through.

It wasn't until recently, after watching the recent film adaptation of Great Expectations (with Helena Bonham Carter) that I found myself with an overwhelming desire to read the book. So, read it I did. And I was surprised how much I loved it. While Dickens's writing can be a bit hard to read at times, his style is incredible, I was surprised at how modern his writing was, and the story, so well formed. It was very cleverly written and the story is heart-breakingly wonderful.

So, I've started a bit of a "read all the classics" mission. While I'd only read (and not finished) Jane Austen's Emma (and I really, really did not like it), I decided next on my agenda was the remaining Austen books, as I did love the '95 version of Sense and Sensibility with Emma Thompson, so I was confident I would enjoy reading Austen. And so far, I have been pleasantly surprised at just how much I am enjoying it.

I started with Northanger Abbey, which I enjoyed immensely. The storyline was good, and John Thorpe was a very well-written character because man, I hated that pompous ass. Mansfield Park was the next on the list and I absolutely adored it. Although Henry Crawford turns out to be, uh, not so agreeable, am I the only one that had a wincy literary crush on him? And the ending scandal certainly added a bit of juiciness and was certainly not an element I expected to find in her work.

Next on my list was Persuasion and honestly, I loved this one most of all. So far it is my absolute favourite. Considering Austen is seen as being THE romance writer, the romance in this one is exquisite. So different to the others, with some very interesting and complex characters, especially in Anne and Captain Wentworth. Ah, their love story is just, perfection. The letter he writes to her in the end, was honestly surprising. My opinion of Austen's writing was that it was stiff and somewhat lacking deep, deep emotion. How mistaken I was. I put Wentworth's letter to Anne in the end, write up there with Pip's "Out of my thoughts" monologue to Estella in Great Expectations, in terms of romantic heart flutters. Ah, perfection!

Now, It's been a week since finishing Persuasion and I started on the infamous and most talked about of Austen's work, Pride and Prejudice. So far, I am enjoying it, it seems to explore a variety of other types of characters not introduced in her other works, and Mr Darcy is wonderfully detestable. Lizzy is surprising, much unlike the other heroine's of Austen's novels. And this is what I love about her writing, this is what has surprised me. Each and every character (especially her leading ladies) and each and every plotline, is vastly different. Each story has its charms, and each has its characters that you love, and love to hate, and love to love even though you should hate. Her writing is wonderful and I am in all honesty, surprised I have enjoyed making my way through Austen's works. After this one, and then Sense and Sensibility, I have a big selection (which I plan on growing) of other classics to make my way through.
And this is what I am really enjoying about reading the classics. Each time, I find myself pleasantly surprised that it is not too far removed from modern writing, although the styles can be a bit harder to follow along with, and certain words, etc, but there are wonderful things in each, stories you can follow and love and feel for. Not to mention, having a wonderful glimpse into the past and thinking "Wow. Someone who lived a couple hundred years ago, wrote this, and here I am, all these years later, reading and enjoying this piece of the past". It is that where I find the true charms of the classics, and why they are indeed classics, that after all these years later, someone living in the time of smart phones and the Internet, can enjoy these books just as much as people did when they were first published.

On inspiration

I could really kick myself for how lax I've been in blogging, but alas, any time I have a great bloggy idea, it just slips through my fingers once I get back on my computer.
Today however, I've been having lots of thoughts (shocking, I know). Thoughts in particular about how happy I am with my career path.
While all jobs inevitably have their ups and downs, I am really happy that I went down the road of journalism.
It wasn't always my intention to go into the world of journalism, even though I did often think it would be super cool to be a music journo. Once upon a time, I had aspirations to become involved in the film industry. In which role, I don't think I ever really decided on as such.
When I was at Uni, I took a Music & Arts Journalism class, which basically changed my career direction. I had a wonderful tutor who complimented my work, and that was that. If I could ever offer advice to someone, it would be to really listen to someone who knows what they're talking about. I've had a couple situations in my life where I have done exactly this, and been happier for it.
Working on craft magazines has brought out a part of me that I never really knew was there. Now I'm immersed in a world that I hardly knew before, and had a small interest in. I see amazingly creative people doing amazing creative things and I find myself wanting to create.
Inspiration is a wonderful thing and it can come by total surprise, but the feeling of inspiration, that light bulb, that little flutter you feel, that happiness. (Or maybe it's just me?)
It's what I like to call "warm fuzzy feelings". It just makes you feel so warm and happy that you're smiling on the inside (and out), that you just want to squee and talk in a high pitched excited voice. (Or maybe it's just me? Probably is....)
Anyway, back to inspiration. I've been thinking a lot about what inspires me. Because I have a few different outlets for my creativity, I get inspired by a lot of different things. For my (fiction) writing, music is the big thing for me, sometimes other books or movies, more for the overall FEEL rather than ripping off someone else's work. For my craftiness, Pinterest is just, amazing. But in my line of work, personally and professionally, what I find really inspires me is a digital magazine called Sweet Paul. I just love this magazine to bits, it gives me so many fuzzy feelings and I've found it inspiring me with where I want to go in life. Might seem a bit weird, but just bear with me.
Any magazine that gives you warm fuzzy feelings is doing something right. This magazine, for me, is so perfect. It has a clear style and brand, it's top class, without being pretentious. It's homey without losing its class, its beautiful and just amazing. It makes me realise something about myself. I've changed in the last couple of years. What I would love to achieve one day is a product that I've crafted, that is me. Its about the product you produce and the feelings from it. Making something huggable (I so totally want to hug these magazines). I want to make huggable magazines. Huggable products. It isn't a feeling or desire I ever thought I would have. Whether I ever will get the chance, actually doesn't bother me too much. I want it, but I find that desire, that drive, satisfies that creative urge anyway. Just looking and feeling inspired at times is enough to quench those urges.
Anyway, that seems like a bit of random rambling but oh well, just felt like expressing some random thoughts. Now, to break up this wall of text, here is a picture of my crochet blanket progress from a little while ago. Made more progress on it now.

Progress!

2013 in retrospect

I've been really bad with this whole keeping my blog up to date, but things have been a tad hectic. Anyways, with the year that was 2013 coming to a close, I can't ignore a little trip down memory lane and reflect on what has been with no doubt, the best year ever!

View from the Roman Forum

I started the new year in Rome of all places. The bf and I were there for a short trip (after spending Christmas in Sweden with his family - my first ever white Christmas!) just for New Years, and while I spent the majority of the time there sick, it was still a lot of fun, especially for the history nerd in me. I mean, come on, ancient Rome!

A not-so-snowy Sweden

We then got back to Sweden for a few days more with the bf's family, then, it was off to London for a day, and a bit before I went back home.

 We spent only one whole day in London, spending our time at the Tower of London with some super awesome friends of ours.

Despite our greatest efforts, the ravens did not actually say "Snow" or "corn". How disappointing.

I just loved London, especially the Tower. I had a super history nerd moment when I realised I was in the exact same room that Anne Boleyn's bones were. Wow.
Then 'twas back to Sydney, and as much as that sucked to finish my time overseas with my bf, I did at least have a concert the day after I got back to occupy my time with. Second time seeing Nightwish, and they had the support of Sabaton (who at the time, I didn't know too well, despite my bf being obsessed with them) and it was Sabaton's first ever Australian show. And did they put on a show or what. After their incredible energy, it was pretty hard to top, and Nightwish tried, and I will always love them, but you just can't follow such an electric Sabaton show and Live To Tell The Tale (hahahaha so lame, if you're a Nightwish fan, you'll see why). Anyways, after that, I did the whole wait around the back of the venue, and I got my ticket signed by Marco (of Nightwish) and Joakim (of Sabaton).

Woooooowwwww signed stuff!

2013 has been the best year for live music for me. Starting off with Nightwish and Sabaton, not long after, I not only saw Opeth play for the 3rd time, but I also got to meet them! That was so super duper awesome. I had some really nice chats with some of them (Mikael and Mendez were pretty much surrounded the whole time) and of course, they put on an amazing show, especially since they played Demon of the Fall. That was just incredible.
Then a few months after that, I FINALLY got to see Eluveitie. They have been one of my favourite bands for about 5 years, and I never thought I'd see them. Well, see them I did. Had a blast I did, got to meet them too. (Seriously, VIP tickets are so worth it).
THEN not long after seeing Eluveitie, it was back on a plan for me, and I headed back to Sweden in June, to spend some more quality time with the bf and his super awesome family. In the Swedish summer too, for a change. It was just beautiful.

See? Beautiful.

A big part of that trip was to go to Finland (ZOMG FINLAND YAY!!) for a music festival to see, for the second time this year, Nightwish, Sabaton AND Opeth. 3 of my favourite bands ALL IN ONE FESTIVAL! Before we went to Finland though, we had a little trip to Stockholm. Something I've wanted to do for a very long time And I just love that city. It is so beautiful. Like the Swedish version of Sydney. We had perfect weather. 

We went to the palace, the Vasa museum and saw the massive ship.

Palace!

Pansies!

Massive ship!

And, then, the most important thing. We saw an otter.

NAWWW LITTLE PRECIOUS

Then it was off to Finland. Our flight from Helsinki to Tampere (where the festival was) was a very eventful flight. Not eventful like plane problems, but more like, I was freaking out big time cause Nightwish's singer, Floor, AND Opeth's bassist, Mendez, were both on our flight. OMG OMG OMG. Yeah, I got a little bit too super duper excited and OMG over that.

The festival was super awesome happy times. AND we met (most of) Nightwish in our hotel's lobby bar after they played on the Saturday. That was awesome. Like a dream come true. I was disappointed in the Finnish crowd, but other than that, I had a blast. 

Sabaton!

Opeth!

Marco & Troy of Nightwish!

Tampere!

After I got back home, had a pretty quiet few months, until November when I went to RADelaide (or Adelaide for those who don't get the whole RADelaide thing...it's pretty obvious though. Adelaide is rad...RADelaide) with a couple friends, just for a weekend of being super nerds and going to the Supanova Pop Culter expo. Now, I had to do this because the one and only George RR freaking Martin was gonna be there (with some of the cast of Game of Thrones). GRRM is like, the next best thing to meeting JK Rowling for me. GRRM is seriously just so amazing. If you haven't read A Song of Ice and Fire (the series which the Game of Thrones TV show is based off) you must read it. I went in costume. I got a Gold Dragon. From GRRM. If you've read the books or whatever, then you must realise the immense awesomeness that is this event. Being given a Gold Dragon coin from GRRM.

Now when I go to Westeros, I'll be quite rich!

We had a really great weekend. It was just so much fun, and Adelaide is a really nice city.

So, that is my year 2013 in review. I met not only all of my favourite bands, but one of my favourite authors. I had so many great opportunities, spent time with some amazing people, and I don't think it will be possible to ever top what was 2013 for me.

So, Happy New Year everyone, and I hope you all have a year that was as good as mine was this year! :)

50 things about me

I thought I'd start off this blog with one of those "50 things you might not know about me". But of course, some people might know these things, some people might know none of them. So, here goes!

1) I really am a huge mix of things. A lot of my likes and loves really contrast.
2) I love heavy metal music. Going to a metal gig is pure indescribable joy.
3) As much as I love metal, I completely adore celtic folk music. I can't describe the feeling I get when I listen to it, with all the wonderful traditional instruments like Uilleann pipes. I just love it.
4) Music is really important for me when it comes to my fiction writing. It can change my story mood really easily.
5) I have a heap of different story ideas going on at once. I am determined to finish them (well, the ones I'm really dedicated to), but when my mood changes, I can't write anything else than that one story I'm in the mood for.
6) One of my stories is over 60 000 words, but it has been going on for quite a few years.
7) Writing is one of the most important things to me. I would give anything for it to be my main source of income. And to call myself a professional author would be a dream come true.
8) I love sewing, I've made one quilt which I gave away, and I have a bunch of other quilt designs lined up, I just need some time!
9) I'm desperate to learn knitting, crochet and embroidery. I have so many ideas and things I want to do!
10) I love orange flavoured things.
11) Blueberries are my favourite berry.
12) I love flowers.
13) I love forests.
14) I love everything fantasy.
15) I absolutely love mythology, especially Celtic and Greek mythology. But all mythology is awesome.
16) I just love history, but not so much modern history.
17) I have always been fascinated by English history, especially English royal Tudor history.
18) When I visited the Tower of London, I had a semi freak-out when I realised I was in the same room where Anne Boleyn was buried. That was major history nerd freak-out time for me!
19) I love ancient history too. And medieval history. Just all the history. Don't make me pick!
20) I'm really lucky I've been able to get to do a bit of travel in Europe. Nothing too long, I've spent most of the time in Sweden, but I have been to Rome, London and Tampere in Finland.
21) Going to Finland was like a dream come true, something I've wanted to do for about 6 years.
22) I love Stockholm. I've wanted to go there since before I landed myself a Swedish bf. When I finally visited Stockholm, it was in the summer, and just perfect and wonderful. I would recommend anyone goes there.
23) As much as I love Stockholm, I couldn't live there, I wouldn't want living there to ruin my love for that city.
24) Sweden is like a second home to me.
25) I'm so lucky to have an amazing in-law family over in Sweden, including the second cutest dog in the world, after my dog, of course! :) I miss them all so much though.
26) I have a black miniature poodle. Poodles are just the best dogs. They don't really smell, but the top of their head smells really nice, since their fur is more like wool than fir.
27) I love all animals, but I've never really been a cat person until more recently. Now I really want a cat. But I will always be a dog person.
28) Otters are the most amazing animal in the world. I love them so much I could die.
29) I want a pet fox.
30) I love salmon. Salmon done any way, especially raw salmon sashimi, and cold smoked salmon. I could eat so much smoked salmon.
31) I love Japanese food.
32) I love lemon-y stuff. The lemon-ier the better.
33) English me so very good at.
34) I can't decide if I would rather be a Jedi or go to Hogwarts. I wouldn't want to live in Westeros, I would probably die an awful awful death.
35) I have come to the realisation that to me, George R.R. Martin is the best writer I've ever come across, simply for the fact that some of the chapters in A Dance with Dragons actually makes me feel sick to my stomach. (It's the "Reek" chapters, FYI, and if you've read them, I'm sure you understand me!)
36) Meeting George R.R. Martin was one of the most amazing things ever. Especially since he gave me a gold dragon (coin, aka, currency of Westeros - can't believe he has actual coins!) and he called me "princess" thanks to my super awesome Targaryen cosplay costume.
37) I've not met almost every single band member of my 4 favourite bands. Just missing Jukka and Emppu from Nightwish. I guess since Meri isn't with Eluveitie anymore, I don't include her in the list now...
38) I was so super excited when I met and talked  to Troy Donockley was one of the coolest things ever. He plays Uilleann pipes for crying out loud! That is an easy ticket to the road of awesome in my books!
39) My favourite movie of all time is Almost Famous. I have seen it sooooo many times, I basically know all the words. The soundtrack is amazing. Its just perfect.
40) Midnight in Paris is another favourite movie, I totally want to go to Paris now. I just wish I could be at that place at midnight and go hang out in Paris in the 20s.
41) I love French 20s/30s jazz, Ahhhhh so awesome.
42) Sweet Paul magazine is like, the best magazine in the history of everything. He has managed to create something that gives me such warm fuzzy feelings.
43) When Sirius Black died in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, that was the toughest HP death to handle for me. Followed closely by Dobby.
44) I laughed way too hard at the "Harry Potter must find his Weezey" line that Dobby says in Goblet of Fire.
45) I haven't read Lord of the Rings, or The Hobbit. I love the movies, but I tried reading Fellowship of the Ring and snorefest. Can't handle the ridiculously long descriptions. I might try again at some other time.
46) I haven't read many "classics" but I really want to...when I have the time of course.
47) This is harder than I thought.
48) The more intense the tomato is in a pasta sauce, the better.
49) I love vegetables, especially zucchini.
50) Now you know 50 random things about me, yay!