smile

A friend posted this on facebook a few days ago. While I'm pretty sure Nelson Mandela wasn't referring to the crazy amounts of homework I have to do at the moment, it's definitely making me smile.



This super pretty print is available over here!

ohmygosh yum: Vegan Passionfruit Melting Moments!

We have a big, beautiful passionfruit vine that has been absolutely covered in fruit for a good few months now. I eat a few every day and just can't get enough delicious passionfruity goodness. On Sunday afternoon, however, I decided to mix it up a little and make some melting moments. I haven't had a melting moment in many a year, but these are just as good as I remember them to be! All buttery and crumbly and melty and delicious. As usual when I make a new recipe, I looked around at a bunch of recipes, both vegan (such as this'un) and non-vegan (like this one!). The recipe seems to be fairly universal - here is what I went with:

Biscuit Ingredients
250 grams of vegan margarine (eep not so healthy)
a few drops of vanilla extract
half a cup of icing sugar
one cup of custard powder - most supermarket varieties are vegan, but make sure you check the ingredients!
one cup of plain flour
three passionfruits

Icing Ingredients
two cups of icing sugar
a few teaspoons of margarine
around three passionfruits



Make your Cookies!
Begin by lining two trays with baking powder.
Cream the margarine, sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Remove the seeds from your passionfruits and add them to the mixture. I did this by spooning the pulp into a sieve and then stirring it around and around above the bowl. The pulpy bits all came through and the seeds were left in the sieve. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients until your mixture forms a soft dough. Roll teaspoon-sized amounts of dough into balls and place them on your trays around 3cm apart. Gently press them down with a fork and bake them in a 150 degree oven for around 15 minutes. Allow them to cool on a wire rack before icing.



Make your Icing!
The icing is very simple! Pop the margarine and icing sugar in a bowl. Using an electric mixer, gradually add the passionfruit pulp, little bits at a time. You probably will probably only need about two. When the icing is light and fluffy, sandwich about a teaspoon-full between two cookies.











My Mama and I sat down to a little earl-grey and melting moment tea party. They are just the most perfect combination!

xxx

teacher clothes!

Excuse my absence of late, I have been busy busy learning how to be a teacher! Exciting! I'm currently spending two days a week on placement. And what does a new teacher need? Teacher clothes of course! Here are a few of my current favourites. Modest, tattoo-covering and super cute!

1.Topshop 2.American Apparel 3.American Apparel 4.General Pants Co. 5.Forever New 6.Alannah Hill 7.Dotti 8.Ray Bans 9.Topshop

Excuse my absence of late, I have been busy busy learning how to be a teacher! Exciting! I'm currently spending two days a week on placement. And what does a new teacher need? Teacher clothes of course! Here are a few of my current favourites. Modest, tattoo-covering and super cute!

this week on instagram

I finally started using my instagram this week, and eep I'm a little bit obsessed already!


1. re-living my year 7 love of paul frank 2. cupcakesss! 3. eeep! shopping for teacher clothes! 4. our package from mexico finally arrives along with a billion new stamps 5. presents from mexico! 6. i forgot how much i love to sew 7. all this hot weather calls for copious amounts of peach tea cordial 8. trips to the river! 9. mexican themed headwear for a mexican themed party 10. i preeeetty much live on home-grown passionfruits these days.

xxx

a little bit of mexico: part two - Mexico City!

In Mexico City, our little group doubled and went from three to six! We had a lovely few days exploring the city, visiting Frida and enjoying perhaps a few too many coffees and cake.





I was so excited to visit Frida Kahlo's house and was definitely not disappointed! It's fascinating to be able to look inside her bedroom, studio, kitchen and dining room - I also loved the little facts such as "this is the bed where Trotsky slept when he stayed in 1937".



After a couple of days, my friends continued on with their journey, while Jack and I stayed to see a little more of Mexico City. We explored the Centro Historico, attempted to visit the Diego Rivera Museum (unfortunately it is closed on Mondays!), hunted for murals and spent an afternoon floating around Xochimilco on a colourful boat.

























Like a lot of Mexico, I was surprised by just how pleasant Mexico City was - so much pretty architecture, history, art, good coffee and yummy vegetarian eateries! Next stop - Oaxaca!

xox

ohmagosh yum: vegan red velvet cupcakes!

While I was away, I constantly found myself dreaming of all the delicious things I would cook upon my return. Red velvet cupcakes were up the top of my list so, over the weekend, I got baking! They turned out beautifully! I haven't had a red velvet cupcake in years so they are such a nice treat! I love the combination of the chocolatey-vanillary cake along with the creamy icing.

Here's what you need for the cupcakes:

2 cups of soy milk
2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
2 1/2 cups of plain flour
4 tablespoons of cornflour
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
2/3 cup of oil
1 1/2 cups of sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
red food dye - make sure you get a vegan one! most of the supermarket varieties have cochineal in them. i got a natural, vegan one from the health food shop.

Here's what you need for the icing:

one tablespoon of vegan margarine
1/2 tub of Toffuti Better Than Cream Cheese
around about 2 cups of icing sugar



Here's what you do for the cupcakes:

Pour your soy milk and apple cider vinegar into a small bowl. Give them a whisk and pop the mixture aside. Sift all of your dry ingredients into one big bowl. Gradually stir in the soy milk mixture. Add the oil, vanilla extract and red food dye. How much dye you need will depend on the brand. Just add it gradually until the mixture is a nice dark red.

Fill your patty pans about 3/4 full and bake in a moderate oven for 20-25 minutes.






Here's what you do for the icing:

Place the cream cheese and margarine in a medium bowl. Gradually beat in the icing sugar until it is a thick, fluffy consistency.



When the cupcakes have cooled, ice them in any way that you please.

YUM!