july.

ah, the only thing that doesn't change is change itself. just when everything seems like it may be starting to settle, change happens. at least, that's how it feels to me. so this is how i'm greeting July.

'why hello, change. i believe we're on a first name basis now.'

the days are colder, daylight is shorter, and there's an exponential increase in need for comfort food! i've been craving chocolate chip cookies all week... i found this recipe on cupcakesandcashmere that i'm dying to try! other than that, i've been eyeing up this suitably-named cocoon cardi from one of my favourite nz designers- Moochi, to hibernate in.

i've achieved my goal of dragging my Wii Fit out and getting some exercise. it's fantastic. though i have to admit i wasn't thinking that whilst doing lunges. and my shoulder blades (due to bad everyday posture) were definitely feeling it the next day. aiming for more time per week on the Wii!

have also been a bit food-naughty... went to a local supermarket to hunt down some specialty ingredients and made this yum pasta. i also bought mini bagels, sprinkled them with parmesan cheese and toasted them to make the best bread to go with the pasta! dad and j loved it.

 and finally calmed my choc mousse craving... c treated me to a Goode Brothers chocolate mousse. yum!

after much experiment (i've made loaves and loaves of different types of bread. but we just couldn't find one that our family was happy with. i've been trying beer and soda bread before) i'm super happy to say i've finally created a good loaf of bread for everyday. simple and super easy with yeast,  adapted from the river cottage basic white loaf recipe. i halve all the ingredients (we only need one large loaf), and rather than adding the yeast straight into the flour, i start the yeast in warm water and a large spoonful of sugar (about 10g) first. the only trick is getting the temperature perfect when letting the yeast froth (around 40degrees- should feel warm to you).

i've been searching a while, but today out of coincidence of i ran into this satchel bag at Marc's! though i'd originally wanted a tan leather/more traditional look, i love the green. it's simple, but different. and it goes with black/white/grey/blue/green (making up 95% of my wardrobe). it's my winter bag! ps. my blush tilly fits snugly inside if i need it to!

have adjusted into a better mood this weekend, the week was incredibly nerve-wrecking for me. felt sick in the stomach, started to get cold/flu symptoms. but mostly the sore tummy. argh. decided to take some tablets to help with the cold and sleep...ended up oversleeping and getting to work late on Friday! not the best end to the week. but other than the headache (which seems to be a winter constant for me), the anxious tummy is slightly calming down. phew. 

while a is getting some quality time with the family in malaysia, i have an extra post prepared for this week! happy july.

love, h