puppy love

Meet my friend Tina, she is the proud new mumma of Leo the pug.

Seriously, how adorable is Leo? I can't wait to have my own little fur ball all to myself. 

No plans

I had no plans going into the weekend, except for baking carrot cakes. As you can see above 'no plans' turned into a lovely day out.

After I finished baking yesterday, Tommy and I decided to spend the afternoon at Floriade. We packed some turkey sandwiches and headed into the city. 

I was one happy camper once we found the churros stand. They were the biggest churros I've ever seen! I want more!!!

Now to have a Spanish meal and sangria.

100 things before I travel: No. 23 - Bake a carrot cake

Without burning it!

At the beginning of the week Tommy's mum asked me to bake two carrot cakes for the weekend. This is a favourite in our household and I always whip one up for birthdays, family gatherings and coast trips. Tommy's parents don't like eating too much sugar, which means, no icing! the best part in my opinion... Oh well!

I always use Donna Hay's carrot cake recipe because it's easy and it almost works out great every time, depending on the oven.

Today was a success! I baked two carrot cakes and didn't burn them. Yippee!

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
3/4 vegetable Oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 1/2 cups grated carrots (about 3 large carrots)
1/2 cup chopped pecan nuts (I substitute pecans for walnuts)
1/2 cup sultanas (I never use sultanas, one day I will try adding these)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Place sugar and oil in a mixing bowl and beat for 2-3 minutes using an electric mixer

Add eggs one at a time and beat well

Sift all the dry ingredients over the sugar and oil mixture

Fold in the dry ingredients before placing the grated carrot and walnuts in the mixture

 Mix the grated carrot and walnuts through until just combined

 Pour cake batter into a well greased cake tin

 Bake in the oven for 55-60 minutes (our oven cooks super fast, so I normally pull it out after 45 minutes-ish)

 The finished product cooling!

The cake was so yummy, even without icing. I like to add an extra dash of vegetable oil, this make the cake super moist and delish.

my current faves

Six of my favourite products I am loving at the moment

1. Lucas pawpaw ointment

2. M.A.C prep + prime

3. Tony & Guy Iron-It Heat Defence Spray

4. Maybelline Lipstick [coral crush]

5. Hand sanitiser gel

6. Australis nail polish [#totesamaze]

100 things before I travel

I got this idea from my friend Emily, I saw Em’s post on Instagram of her list “101 in 1001 days” and I immediately pulled out my handy notebook and started putting together my own list. 

This is my list of 100 things I would like to cross off before Tommy and I head off overseas in early February 2014.

1. Ride around Lake Burley Griffin on a tandem bike with the umbrella/cover
2. Coast day & fish and chips
3. Watch all the Breaking Bad seasons
4. Organise my summer clothes & pack winter clothes in storage
5. Have lunch at a winery
6. Go to the ballet
7. Buy an iPad
8. Cancel my TPG account - October 2013
9. Try nail art
10. Save $3000 for our holiday
11. Make a budget - September 2013
12. Stick to my budget
13. Buy a book to read on holidays
14. Take Tommy on a surprise date
15. Clean the "games" room
16. Learn to make salted caramel and red skin macaroons
17. Research more about our holiday (15 dot points of things we can do/see in each place)
18. Clean out the pantry
19. Learn to do smokey eye makeup
20. Dye my hair
21. Cook a meal for Tommy and his family
22. Do 5 nice things for Tommy everyday
23. Bake a carrot cake without burning it - October 2013
24. Don't eat chocolate for a week
25. Don't eat froyo for a week
26. Get a massage
27. Buy travel insurance
28. Get organised for our holiday
29. Watch all the Harry Potter movies
30. Walk up Mt Taylor or Mt Ainslie every week
31. Have coffee with girlfriends
32. Try face painting
33. Send Julie and family a handwritten letter
34. Go one weekend without technology
35. Shoot hoops at the courts
36. Go one month without buying clothes
37. Watch Breakfast at Tiffany's
38. Have a picnic - September 2013
49. Learn to cook a Vietnamese dish
40. Organise my makeup draws and makeup bag - October 2013
41. Get a haircut
42. Take Woolworths bags when buying groceries
43. Buy a new outfit for Beyoncé
44. Take a friend out to lunch/dinner
45. Apply for Uni
46. Read to kill a mocking bird
47. Watch 10 documentaries
48. Get a mani & pedi
49. Create a blog - September 2013
50. Wash my car
51. Run around Lake Burley Griffin
52. Bake a layered cake with a surprise in the middle
53. Buy new summer slippers
54. Have a cooking day
55. Cocktails with girlfriends
56. Master the sock bun
57. Sew my buttons back onto my coat
58. Learn to use the DSLR properly
59. Make rice paper rolls
60. Sort out Christmas and NYE plans
61. Use Pintrest more
62. Get my ear pierced
63. DIY calendar and necklace holder
64. Teach Tommy how to drive a manual car
65. Volunteer
66. Host/attend a dinner party
67. Make fruit smoothies
68. Try A Baker Café
69. Get out of bed at 6:30am to get ready for work
70. Pack lunch for work everyday
71. Have a BBQ at the Arboretum
72. Cook a three course meal
73. Buy a 2014 diary
74. Organise Tommy's filing
75. Use my planner more
76. Sunday sesh
77. Send Oroton umbrellas to my mum and sister
78. Visit the art gallery and war memorial
79. Read more blogs
80. Take more photos using the DSLR
81. Make a photo collage
82. Wear lipstick more often
83. Have a bubble bath - use lush products
84. Attend a lifeline book fair
85. Watch the One Direction documentary
86. Donate $25 to a charity
87. Organise Secret Santa for the family
88. Get a Santa photo
89. Submit my tax return - October 2013
90. Roast chickpeas
91. Arrange a surprise activity for Tommy overseas - October 2013
92. Attend a cooking class
93. Buy something from etsy
94. Send Christmas cards
95. Watch 5 movies of Tommy's choice - 1. Wrect it Raplh 5/10/13
96. Play poker
97. Make punch
98. Paint a canvas
99. Buy something from the Bus Depot Markets (that's not OJ)
100. Go one month without Chai Lattes