Monday:
We had nachos w/ slow cooked beef for dinner.

Tuesday:
Bacon & cheese wedges at quiz.

Wednesday:
a bookcrossing book arrived from The UK.

Thursday:
I looked after my nephew; he’s such a cutie.

Friday:
Grinding coffee beans.

Saturday:
Glasses on the table.

Sunday:
Graffiti on the way home from the supermarket.

Monday:
I was beyond tired, so I went out and bought coffee beans.

Tuesday: 
I got bored while cleaning.

Wednesday:
We had coffee with the lovely Rochelle.

Thursday:
I acquired a less than impressed cat-friend.

Friday:
Day one of Womad.

Saturday:
Walking to the Bowl of Brookland’s for day 2 of Womad.

Sunday:
So. Many. Geese!

Newtown Rocksteady

Savoy Cajun Family Band

Grace Barbé

Alaev Family:

*I’m going to do a more detailed post on our time away later this week.

What can I say? I know I’ve been really slack with the regular updating of the blog thing. I don’t really have a ‘good‘ reason for not posting; it’s just that the past couple of weeks I’ve been in a hide from all the things kind of mood, the type of mood where I’d much rather curl into a ball and watch terrible movies in bed. In my slackness though, I have still been doing project 365 (I am determined to finish it this year!), so this week I have two weeks worth of photo for you*.

Feb 25th – March 3rd

Monday:
I made salsa for the first time (it was delicious)

Tuesday:
We had fresh poached salmon for dinner – SO GOOD.

Wednesday:
My boyfriend and I took an evening walk along the waterfront.

Thursday:
Waiting for my bestie.

Friday:
Burger Fuel’s Peanut Piston is my favourite.

Saturday:
Stir-frying the filling for our spring rolls.

Sunday:
We took spring rolls to mum’s leaving lunch/family get together.

March 4th – March 10th

Monday:
Monday’s lunch was amazing.

Tuesday:
It was census night!

Wednesday:
Waiting for coffee.

Thursday:
One of my longest (literally & figuratively) friends got married.

Friday:
This deer is my favourite figurine (probably because of its weird tail).

Saturday:
The coffee cart we usually go to was closed, so we got gelato instead

Sunday:
Coffee after a walk along the waterfront.

*I’m really sorry about how image heavy this post is, I promise I’ll try to do these posts more regularly!

Anyway, this week I’ve decided to share my favourite song at the moment – Frank Ocean’s Lost

*Apparently it’s been going around, you’ll know it when you get it – it starts off with a bunch of headaches/migraines…

Monday:
I’m LOVING freshly squeezed lemon in ice-cold sparkling water at the moment.

Tuesday:
Had some homemade iced tea after a walk (SO GOOD).

Wednesday:
I stopped for coffee after a midday walk around the waterfront.

Thursday:
Walking home after catching up with my sister

Friday:
brown rice tea and matcha powder, with honey? Not the best idea ever…

Saturday:
I finally used the moustache cookie cutter my boyfriend got me for my birthday.

Sunday:
Cutting through the basin reserve on our way home from the supermarket.

Everlasting Light (Black Key’s cover) – Alex Winston

Pillow Talk – Wild Child

Call Off The Search – Josh Kumra

You And I – Ingrid Michaelson

Monday:
Waiting room magazines

Tuesday:
Pancakes for dinner!

Wednesday:
I had lunch with the bestie at Café Neo.

Thursday:
I made chocolate polenta cakes (they tasted better than they looked).

Friday:
I can’t stop playing The Ocarina of Time.

Saturday:
My boyfriend and I stopped for coffee on our way to the supermarket.

Sunday:
An art installation that was part of the Fringe Festival.

I’ve got two weeks worth of awesomeness for you guys, seeing as I completely forgot about posting last week’s gratitude list*

Week 1:  Drinks that live up to their names (I tried an ‘amazing‘ iced coffee, I was not disappointed), peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies, the banana splits at Joe’s Garage, spending time with family, fresh smoked pipi for breakfast, my boyfriend (he bought me ear plugs so I would be able to sleep through the ‘sevens weekend‘; and early morning swims at the beach.

Week 2: My birthday dinner at Picke (I had a real low-key one this year, and had dinner with my boyfriend, my dad and his partner), incredibly thoughtful-yet-ridiculous birthday presents, Alan Davies’ show: Life is pain (it was fucking hilarious), pancake day, catching up with friends I haven’t seen in ages, lunch with my bestie, finding a chip shop that does gluten-free fish & chips, dinner on the waterfront; and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

*Time flies when you’re having fun, I’m sure there a lot of things I’ve missed out/forgotten.

Freedom – Anthony Hamilton & Elanya Boynton

Who Did That To You – John Legend

Ain’t No Grave – Johnny Cash

Monday:
I made peanut butter & chocolate chip cookies (SO GOOD).

Tuesday:
This was a bitch to make, but I got there in the end!

Wednesday:
The banana split at Joe’s Garage is delicious.

Thursday:
Birthday dinner at pickle.

Friday:
Sitting in the gallery waiting for the Alan Davies show to start.

Saturday:
My boyfriend and I stopped for coffee on our way to visit his dad

Sunday:
This place sells gluten-free fish & chips (YAY).

Last Friday I made the most ridiculously easy, yet most awesome tasting chicken dish for (aside from the chicken and seasoning I used four ingredients that I basically threw into a pot that I left to cook for about half an hour).

I’ve decided this week, that instead of writing out the recipe I’d share the video I got the recipe from, because I think it will be a hell of a lot more entertaining if you watched Gennaro instead.

*Yes, I got that title from the Barenaked Ladie’s song One Week.

Monday:
Went to Joe’s Garage for coffee, I tried a Bongo; it was great.

Tuesday:
I LOVE Wellington on days weeks like this

Wednesday:
Went for a swim at Otaki beach with my dad

Thursday:
After dinner my boyfriend took a walk to the supermarket

Friday:
Moroccan lamb skewers and coleslaw for dinner

Saturday:
Tried to convince my boyfriend to go for a ride on a crocodile bike.

Sunday:
I had an ‘amazing‘ iced coffee at Bernie’s On The Bay; I was not disappointed.

I wasn’t able to post this on Wednesday as I was at my dad’s place* (I had an AWESOME time and definitely need to visit him more; especially during the summer). I have a lot to be grateful for this week, and I feel truly blessed. So, let’s get started.

Easy to cook (yet incredibly delicious) meals: I made (basically) a 3-ingrdient chicken on Friday and it was fucking amazing.
Caching up with my dad: Dad came into town on Saturday, so we had coffee and went for a little walk.
New coffee discoveries: I have no idea what a bongo is, all I know is that I like it, a lot.
Evening walks with my boyfriend around the city: I really need to get fit/lose weight.
Great weather: We’ve had awesome weather all week so far, and the weekend is supposed to be great as well.
The beach: My dad lives on Otaki beach, so I spent as much time there as I could while I was at his place (this included going down there at 7am to collect pipi).
Family photo time: Basucally, whenever my dad, sister and I get together we have to take photos of the three of us together.

*I took my laptop with me but dad had forgotten his wifi password

•Justin Bieber – Boyfriend

•One Direction – One Thing

•Taylor Swift – I Knew You Were Trouble

•Rita Ora – How We Do (Party)

I know i’m a bit late posting this, but it’s still Sunday somewhere in the world, right? Seriously though, I was far too tired to post yesterday; I think it was a mixture of being kept up all night by the neighbours playing music until about 6 in the morning and me being a dumbass and not drinking enough over the weekend (yesterday, I had a cup of tea a glass of ginger ale and some pink grapefruit juice). I have still been taking photos though, and here are my favourites from this week.

Monday:
We celebrated Wellington anniversary with pancakes (and candied bacon).

Tuesday:
Our evening walk along the waterfront.

Wednesday:
I found a 1964 florin in an old money box.

Thursday:
I had a huge headache and decided to watch DVDs (I fell asleep instead).

Friday:
Dinner was easy to make and tasted AMAZING.

Saturday:
My dad was in town so we caught up and had coffee.

Sunday:
It was a beautiful day.

Oh, and incase you were wondering about the title for this blog:

Last week my copy of Sorted Food’s* latest book Beginners Get Sorted arrived in the post (yay for book vouchers, right?). I’ve made a few recipes from it already, and my favourite so far is definitely the spiced tomato chutney. Why? Because, chutney (seriously though, who doesn’t love it?).

I’ve decided to share their recipe with you, because this stuff IS delicious. We pretty much demolished it within three days of making it; I would love to make it again sometime soon, but buying the amount of fruit and vege required (at supermarket prices) gets a bit expensive (does anyone know where I can get seconds/battered and beaten looking veges in Wellington? Anyone?!)

Ingredients:
•Clove of garlic
•1 red onion
•1 read eating apple
•500g ripe tomatoes
•Small handful of sultanas (I left these out, because raisiny type things in a chutney? Gross)
•Tsp grated fresh ginger
•Tsp mustard seeds
•Pinch of ground clothes
•100g brown sugar
*250ml malt vinegar (I used red wine vinegar, because it’s all we have)

Method:
•Peel and grate the garlic (I crushed mine, because I’m lazy and hate cleaning the grater/removing the last stubborn bits of garlic that stick to it)
•Peel and dice the onion and the apple
•Chop the tomatoes, then  throw the fruit, vegetables, dry ingredients and half the vinegar into a  deep pan
•Bring to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes before adding the rest of the vinegar
•Cook for a further 30 minutes, or until the mixture has reached a syrupy consistency
•Pour into clean jars and set aside to cool
•The chutney can be stored in the fridge for 3 months, and tastes great in cheese sandwiches**

* I swear I’m not being sponsored by these guys
** I had to try it after seeing that tweet, and OH MY GOD.

Here are some of the things that have made me smile this week, especially when I’ve felt like everything was just a bit too much (I suggest you grab a bucket because at least one of these things will be vomit inducing).

•My Boyfriend: Yeah, I know total gag fest, right? He is awesome though, and I’m very lucky to have him. Who else would put up with me/be able to keep me sane when I’m having days where I just want to hulk smash stuff/people? I’ve had a few of those days this week; to be honest, I’m not sure how he does it.
•Good Weather: We’ve had a few shitty days this week, but for the most part we’re still having a decent summer. On Friday we walked down to the waterfront to get some coffee and watch some WW2 fighter planes flying over the city (I was so excited I burst into tears; I’m not even really into planes WTF).
•Bad Movies: On Thursday, I was beyond tired so we went to bed early and watched Lesbian Vampire Killers; it’s probably one of my favourite terrible movies
•Little Things: Swings (yes, my inner child is 5), cooking (yesterday I made chutney, and I’ve got some beef curry in the oven at the moment), good mail days (I got sorted food’s latest book in the mail last week, and on Saturday an egg cosie I won arrived; he is the CUTEST), family time, my mum, late night walks along the waterfront, candied bacon (OMGF SO GOOD), cups of tea, coffee; and the box of my grandmother’s stuff my dad gave me.