just the little things

giving thanks

We were in charge of dessert and made a little spread. I started to freak out a little bit on the night before Thanksgiving because nobody seemed to have any canned pumpkin which was quite crucial for the mini pumpkin cheesecakes. After 3 stores, we found 3 cans which was JUST ENOUGH… phew. It was long night… we barely made it out as friends… haha… I think we may want to make the entire Thanksgiving dinner next time instead of baking!

{mini pumpkin cheesecake + mini brownie cakes – covered the lid of a box with linen fabric}

{2-bite chocolate chip oatmeal cookies – they fit perfectly in these cookie jars}
 

{strawberry jam cookies on a cakestand with a doily}
 

PS… I’m just learning the basics of Adobe Lightroom and I LOVE it!

i <3 donna hay

If I could, I’d go visit Australia. My cousin lives there and well, she loves it! But I’d really go to see the Donna Hay store and scoop up as many DH items as possible. haha.. A few years ago, my friends were there for a family trip and she purchased a few copies of the Donna Hay magazine. I think I pull them out once a month just for some inspiration! And I must confess, it’s the first magazine I look for at the bookstore.

After scouring her website for ideas, inspiration and tips, I stumbled upon her newsletter and subscribed. They send you email straight to your inbox which is wonderful because sometimes, I just don’t have the time to check back often enough nor remember which ones I’ve already bookmarked!

Here’s the first email I received. The pasta looks scrumptious and fairly simple!

chicken + silver beet pasta
400g rigatoni
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 chorizo sausages, chopped
2 chicken breast fillets, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
600g silver beet (Swiss chard),
   trimmed + chopped
½ cup (125ml) chicken stock
½ cup (125ml) single cream
1 tablespoon seeded mustard
finely grated parmesan, to serve

Cook pasta in boiling water for 10–12 minutes or until al dente. Drain and keep warm. Heat oil over high heat. Add chorizo and chicken and cook for 3–4 minutes or until browned. Add garlic and silver beet and cook for 1 minute. Add stock, cream and mustard and cook for 1 minute. Toss with pasta and sprinkle with cheese to serve. Serves 4.
photography c court styling j poole recipe j collings

I love her simple + clean display. Hurry up and sign up for your own copy of her newsletter! There’s even a conversion link on her site.

lemon + watermelon = watermelon lemonade!

I have this large bowl of lemons and limes… They were leftover after a first birthday this past Sunday. They smell lovely in the house, but I don’t think they’ll last that long on the dining room table.

I also have half of a watermelon [and plenty of strawberries]! I forgot how hard it is to cut up a large watermelon.

But I found this recipe for watermelon lemonade. I’m going to have to take a stab at it in the next day or so. Oh, and they also give you a recipe for simple syrup. I never knew it was THAT easy! This will come handy for a baby shower in August!

[image courtesy of smitten kitchen]