Thursday 9 March 2017

Beef and Broccoli Stew


Looking for a super simple mid-week dinner? 

Then look no further. This beef and broccoli stew served with rice I so easy you will be laughing. It also makes plenty of leftovers #bonus! Ok lets do this. 



You Will Need
1 pound flank steak, sliced into 1/4 inch thick strips
3 cups small broccoli florets
1/2 cup beef stock 
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons corn starch 
1 tablespoon oil
Rice (4 servings)

For the sauce:
1/2 cup soy sauce 
1/4 cup brown sugar 
2 teaspoons corn starch 

Method

Toss sliced beef in a large bowl with corn starch.

Heat canola oil in a pan over medium heat for a few minutes. Add sliced beef and cook until it browns, a few minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Add broccoli and garlic to the pan, and stir. Add beef broth. Let simmer until the broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While waiting for the broccoli to cook, combine all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Add the reserved beef and sauce to the pan, and stir. 

Let simmer for 5 minutes so the sauce thickens a bit.

Serve beef and broccoli over cooked white rice.


Enjoy! 

Lou 
xxx


Wednesday 8 March 2017

California here we come!

Happy Monday Friends! 

First and foremost I must apologise for my un-intentional absence last week. Work + family birthday + babysitting for friends + apartment hinting = no free time. But I'm back at it and blogging this week. 

Today I'm asking for advice. Today we are talking California. I have recently booked a trip to the States to visit family and have a little vacation and will be spending most of my time in beautiful California. 

I have been several times before but this time we are going to try and see more than Disney world and the rest of tourist central 😂

So I want to know what you would recommend? What are your favourites places to visit, road trip paths, national parks, hikes, wineries. What ever you love to do in California I would love to know! 

Second, where do you stay in LA. We usually opt for Santa Monica and have always loved it but I'm open to suggestions. Please share your stories, knowledge and advice. 




Thank you! 

Lou 

xxx


Friday 24 February 2017

Friday Favourites

Happy happy Friday! 

This weekend I will be celebrating my birthday (again), enjoying the last official weekend of Summer  and spending time with some of my favourite people. I 'am pumped!

 Here's to a great weekend everyone! 

One 
Daisy by Marc Jacobs has been a favourite of mine for a long time and for some reason I moved on to try different scents for a while. However this week I received it as a birthday present and have fallen in love all over again. This perfume is sweet and floral yet not too much. Thank you G & D for my beautiful present 💗

Two 



My family, friends, co workers, neighbours  - my tribe. I love these people so very much and thank them for making my birthday and everyday so special. I can't wait to continue the celebration with you all this weekend! 

Three



The second greatest love in my life behind my tribe is Pyjamas 😜 Ok maybe not quite but we all know how I love my Pj's. I received these this week for my birthday and may or may not be wearing them as I type this. Comfy, cute and soft as anything, they tick a whole lot of boxes. You can find them online here.

Four 



I know I am totally late to the party with the Frank body scrub craze but humour me. I have just gotten on board and I'm never looking back! This body scrub will leave your skin smooth and looking and feeling great. I 'm using the coconut coffee scrub at the moment so I also smell great!  #winning You can find Frank Body online here.

Five 
Finally so wise words for your Friday. 

Have a fantastic few days friends! 

Lou 
xxx




Thursday 23 February 2017

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake


We all know I'm a sucker for cake!

Sponge, carrot, cheese you name it I'll eat it. But chocolate cake just has a special place in my heart. Every year my mum (to this day) ask what type of cake we would like and bless her, she pulls through every year. This year I said "chocolate and salted caramel, go wild" and I think she found the best recipe yet. 

Today I'm sharing my birthday cake from last week thanks to Ashley from Bake by Nature.  Now don't be scared off by the massive amount of ingredients I assure you, you will find most of them in your pantry already. Ok ready to make the worlds best cake? Lets do it! 




You Will Need 

2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed 
2 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (not packed!)
1 and 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted 
3 teaspoons baking soda
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 and 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs + 2 large egg yolks (at room temperature)
1 and 1/2 cups full-fat sour cream
1/3 cup whole milk 
3/4 cup vegetable oil 
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cups hot water

For the salted caramel chocolate frosting:
2 cups unsalted butter
4 and 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons heavy cream 
2 tablespoons salted caramel sauce (there are tones of super easy recipes for this online) 

Method
Preheat oven to 350°(F). Cut out three 9-inch round segments of parchment paper to line your cake pans with. Spray each pan generously - sides and bottom - with nonstick cooking spray, then place the parchment paper cut out in the bottom of the pans. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, combine both sugars, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt; mix on low until dry ingredients are thoroughly combined. 

 In a separate bowl combine the eggs, egg yolks, sour cream, milk, oil and vanilla extract; mix until completely combined. Pour mixture into the dry ingredients and beat on low until just incorporated. Pour in hot water and continue mixing until completely combined; about 1 minute. The batter will quite thin.

Divide batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached. Cool cakes for 10 minutes in the pan before removing from pans and transferring to a cooling rack; cool cakes completely before frosting.

For the chocolate frosting:

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter on medium-speed until completely smooth; about 3 minutes. Turn the mixer off and sift the icing sugar and cocoa into the mixing bowl. Turn the mixer on the lowest speed and mix until the sugar/cocoa have been absorbed by the butter. Add in vanilla extract, salt, heavy cream and salted caramel; beat for 3 minutes. 

Assembly:

Using a serrated knife, carefully trim the raised top of each cake, making each one an even, level surface. Transfer 1 layer to a large plate or cake stand. Spread a thin layer of frosting on top, then add a 1/2 cup of caramel; top with another cake layer, and repeat, thinly spread it with a layer of frosting, then adding a 1/2 cup of caramel. Top final cake layer and place cake in the fridge to set for 1 hour. Once set, finishing frosting the top and sides of the cake. 


You still with me? Now enjoy a big old piece of cake and have a rest (worry about the clean up later)  😉

Have a wonderful day friends! 

Lou 
xxx



Wednesday 22 February 2017

Weekly Wardrobe

Morning Friends! 

I hope you are all having a fabulous week so far. I celebrated my birthday yesterday, so thank you to everyone for the birthday wishes. But I'am well and truly exhausted and its only Wednesday 😁 

As usual I have been seriously slack with my photography skills as of late but I will be sharing a few of my favourite / latest wardrobe outfits from this past week. Here we go! 



I'am totally obsessed with these shoes, I will admit it. I bought them in both the mid and high version and have no regrets. They are seriously comfortable and look great with pretty much any outfit. 


You can find the high style here and mid style here. P.S both styles come in two colours so be sure to check them out! 


I get so many questions about my White Zimmerman playsuit (which I wear constantly!) Sadly it is no longer is stock but this Eden Web Dot Playsuit is so darn cute and very very similar. If you are as in love with it as I am you can find it here. Plus its on SALE! Woo hoo! 



No matter the season or the occasion I will be wearing these shoes 90% of the time. I have mentioned these espadrilles about a million times on the blog but I can't stop and I won't stop. I'am forever obsessed and you all need to get on board. Find them here.



Can you ever have too many silk cami's? I think not! I have this came in about 5 colours and seriously wear it constantly. Bonus they are currently reduced to just $20 so check them out here.

So there you have it. Not a whole lot of excitement on the wardrobe front but my essentials as of late. I promise to try and improve the outfit pics 😑

Until tomorrow friends! 

Lou 
xxx







Friday 17 February 2017

Friday Favourites

Happy Friday Everyone! 

This week has  been crazy busy so I'm thrilled to welcome the weekend. This weekend you can catch me at the beach enjoying the last few moments of Summer, catching up with friends and celebrating, birthdays, new homes and farewells. It should be lots of fun! But before the festivities begin here are my favourites from the week! 

One 

This weekend you can find me listening to this album. It screams summer to mean and although its an oldie its a goodie! #iheartjackjohnson

Two 


Speaking of oldies but goodies, My big Fat Greek Wedding happened to be on TV last night as my sister and I sat down to talk. We put it on in the background and with 5 minutes where transfixed. I love this movie all these years later and still find it as funny and sweet as ever. 

Three 


Now not to bore you with entertainment suggestions, but I can't not include Sir David Attenborough as a favourite. Thanks to Netflix I'm rediscovering old movies and documentaries constantly. This week it was Sir Attenborough's 'Life' doc-series. I urge you all to watch it. AMAZING! 

Four 



A few of you have asked about these shoes which have featured on the blog several times. To answer a few of the questions, they come in three colours, including the tan and black as I have worn. They are indeed very comfortable and run true to size. You can find them here.

Five 



Last but not least, wise words to start your Friday. 


Have a wonderful weekend my friends! 

Lou 
xxx





Thursday 16 February 2017

Dark and White Chocolate Cheese Cake

Morning Everyone! 

This week has been an absolute blur of work, friends, holiday planning, birthdays and usual chaos. And now all of a sudden it is Thursday. How did that happen? 

During my prep for next week which just happens to include my mother and my birthday. I came across this recipe and had to share. Cheesecake can be a birthday cake right?! Either way it looks amazing and is on the menu this weekend! 


You Will Need

1 1/4 cup chocolate biscuit crumbs
80g butter, melted
500g block Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup caster sugar
2 teaspoons gelatine dissolved in 1/4 cup boiling water
100g Dark chocolate, melted
100g White chocolate, melted
1 cup cream, softly whipped
Fresh Raspberries 


Method 

Combine the biscuit crumbs and butter then press into the base of a greased 20cm springform pan. Chill until firm.

Beat the Philadelphia cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir through the gelatine. Divide mixture into 2, fold dark chocolate through one half of the mixture and white chocolate through the other. 

Fold half the whipped cream through each.

 Fold mixtures over the prepared base. Use a knife to swirl the mixture into a marble effect. 

Chill for 2 hours or until set. 

Decorate with fresh raspberries prior to slicing.



Enjoy! 

Lou 
xxx