Chocolate

Yesterday I polished off the remaining two morsels of delectable chocolate which was left over from Easter.

Wish I could find some more treats hiding in the pantry....


Annie xx

Food Glorious Food

This week seems to be revolving around food and the consumption of same. We have a house guest this week...our son had unexpected surgery and is recuperating at the hacienda (he flew the nest a year ago). He's lapping up his mother's love and home cooked treats. Banana & cranberry muffins, healthy mango smoothies, smoked salmon pasta salad, watermelon, stir fry's and dried cranberries to name a few. My son and I are just a little bit addicted to munching on dried cranberries.

 This week also sees my daughter celebrating a birthday which of course means birthday cake and dining out.  I baked Morgan's Grandma's Red Velvet cake. This recipe is dead easy to whip up and the result is divine.

Have a great rest of the week everyone. I'll just go squeeze in another slice of cake then paint my toenails before dining out tonight at a Japanese restaurant.
What colour nail varnish you ask? I do believe Rimmel Cranberry Zest will be appropriate.

Annie xx

I Blame it on The Turkey

I blame the brush turkey.... for not posting since last week.

                                                       images.google.com

You see I came to grief on the driveway. On pebbles the turkey flung everywhere while it busied itself scratching around in the garden. On the list of landscaping jobs at the hacienda is to replace these pebbles with rocks to prevent someone having an accident because we foresaw this scenario.
I know.
Could of, should of, had not got around to that job yet!

*Brush turkeys are protected species here and free to roam and rearrange ones garden to their hearts content.

So here is my new designer footwear and please readers, contain your excitement and no jealousy will be tolerated because it's all mine and you can't have one.

Thing is, I've travelled this particular road three years ago with a rather more serious injury and rehabilitation. Same foot. Last weekends effort has aggravated the old injury. Don't worry I won't bore you with the ins and outs of my dodgy ligament. Suffice to say this week saw me have a itsy bitsy pity party oh whoa is me session and ingest a few anti-inflammatory meds.

So I'm thinking maybe I should get creative and bling up this divine apparatus for Christmas. Have you seen those clip-on blingy things one can tart up a plain shoe with? I was work-shopping this idea with the podiatrists and it gave them a giggle. Podiatrists love my ailment by the way because it's an unusual injury.
I aim to please.

Pity party food consists of comforting high calorie salty fare like nachos and sugar laden lollies.
In no particular order.

The moral to this tale people is to never ever take your tootsies for granted.
Or the landscaping ambitions of Queensland's turkey population!

Annie xx

I'm Home

Hello Everyone

I'm back home after having a ball in Beijing and Hong Kong.

If you have not yet travelled to these cities then quickly put them on your bucket list because both are wonderful experiences. We've visited HK several times and while Mr red roses has hit the ground running once before on a quick visit to Beijing it was the first visit for me and our daughter.

Of course I took heaps of photos and shall probably bore you all senseless sharing some in the next few posts. 

Now just check out this skyline. The tallest building lit at the very top was behind our hotel in HK (on the island). Our abode is the wee building directly in front and it was about 40 floors high! 

Travelling to China one must participate in a spot of shopping therapy. Remarkably we didn't go overboard. Here's a few trinkets we hunted and gathered.
Several cashmere pashminas and silk scarves were added to my collection along with a few strands of bling from Beijing.

My favourite shoe shop at Stanley Market HK never disappoints when it comes to sourcing Birkenstock and this trip I also gathered a pair of sensible Merrill sandals.
Drastically reduced compared to Aust. prices tags let me tell you.

Duty free perfume was on the list. I took the leap and reignited an old love affair.
With Chanel No 5.
I've enjoyed wearing No 19 for about two decades so figured a change back to my first love was in order. Girls this fragrance is an all time classic and I love it to bits.
Yes I'm a creature of habit with fragrance but you can't beat the old timers in my opinion.

My son discovered a tailor in HK two years ago while he was kicking up his heels in the city.
Dear son had a bespoke suit and shirts made to measure so this trip Mr redroses and I trotted off to the same tailor. Mr red roses got all measured up and a spanking new suit and four shirts winged their way home in his suitcase. Only took two days to sew...unbelievable.
Not one to be left out I carted a favourite frock in my luggage which the very clever tailor copied exactly and voila!... my wardrobe now contains two new summer additions created with the softest cotton in my choice of patterns, lined and with pockets. Teamed with a belt and I'm good to go.
Bliss for a stifling summer.
                                             

Today I was joking with a friend how I craved plain comfort food after nearly two weeks of delectable spicy meals.
So here is tonight's dinner...BBQ chook, mash and lashings of gravy. Hit the spot!

A tad more boring don't you agree than skewered scorpion?

Hmm...do you think I ate these critters?

Travelling restricts the reading of fave blogs and I'm dreadfully behind with every ones shenanigans.
Have you all been having fun?

Annie xx

Thai Curry and Preparations

Thought I'd hit you with my colourful and yummy dinner photo first up before I wax lyrical of the soothing properties of devouring Thai food. Involving coconut cream of course.
Thai is my number one comfort food (even when I don't require comforting).

I will not fib...running low or heaven forbid running out of these basic ingredients results in a mini meltdown. The green curry paste has a zesty bite and helps clear out the old sinuses and the massaman paste is milder and super delish. Topped with snipped home-grown coriander.....mmmmm
Oh and must be consumed with the aid of a Splayd.   Remember those retro utensils? Ours belonged to my parents. Purchased in the seventies.

Dead easy and probably the cheats way to cook Thai food but it will do me.
How about you...do you love love love lashings of coconut cream based recipes?

This is a first for RRC. I'm posting a department store fitting room iPhone photo. It's fun to see other bloggers' sharing fitting room reveals so I thought I'd give it a whirl. Yes I need some practice.
This little number is a cotton Esprit dress come long top over leggings that will come in handy when I go a travelling soon.
More to follow on that...

Do you find when planning a trip all of a sudden there is oodles of everyday stuff to hunt and gather eg. new underwear, toiletries, skincare etc. Mr redroses always reminds me that stuff can be purchased at ports of call but I prefer to be hyper-prepared.

 
                                        Honestly the box was so pretty, forget about the skincare!

Now because I should be a good girl and wear supportive footwear due to an injury I will need to gather a pair of sensible clod hoppers or I will be in a sore and sorry state from walking and sight-seeing. Of course I've bought sensible shoes before but never been terribly happy with my choices so the quest for a orthopedic yet stylish (is it possible?) pair is imminent.

But certainly Not like this pair I spied recently in a thrift shop. Am guessing the same vintage as the Splayds.

Hilarious!!

Annie xx