2013

Happy New Year, everyone!

I hope you've all had a lovely 2012. I know it was my toughest year, school-wise. It was also a great year as I made a whole bunch of new friends at school (I sound like a five year-old) and got addicted to YouTube. It's true, I spend more time online than outside. It's very sad. My social life has jumped out the window and made a hasty escape.

 

Do you like my drawing? Personally, I think it's the best I've ever done!

Hem hem...anyway...

I do think this year has gone extremely fast. Maybe it's just me, but it seems like yesterday that I was getting ready for 2012, and, to be honest, all of my old resolutions have gone down the drain. So, I've decided that 2013, however difficult it may be, will be the best year yet! My resolutions are as follows:

1. Get in shape. No lying around, couch potato-style. 
2. Eat healthy all the time. No more processed food, at all. Goodbye, ham.
3. Be more adventurous and brave. No screaming at spiders. Unless they are really, really big.

There are a couple more, but I think these are the most important for me, personally. 

Have a wonderful year!

Tina

Merry Christmas!

Hello!

I hope everyone (who celebrates Christmas) has been having a lovely holiday! I personally had a wonderful week, as my relatives came over to visit. They brought with them a heap of teenage-friendly presents.

I've completely pigged out on cookies and assorted snacks for the past few days, not to mention the many cans of soda and heaped plates of my mother's dark chocolate fudge. Looking back, I can now identify over-indulgence as the main cause of my splitting head + tummy-ache after Christmas mass. Among the presents under the tree were a beautiful pair of dark, distressed denim shorts that I shall be wearing for the rest of the summer, the entire set of "The Sullivan's" (an Australian soap from the 70's) and a gorgeous hot pink satchel.

Have a lovely rest of the year and good luck for 2013! (My resolution is to actually start working out, it's been a pipe dream for a while, now)...

Tina

Joy To The World

"Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone." 

                  -Charles Schulz 

{You can now probably tell that none of these Christmas titles have anything to do with the actual posts}

 Anyway.

A few days ago was the unveiling of my school's new building. I, being part of the choir, didn't get to have a tour of the place, but instead, was roped into warbling "What A Wonderful World" on a constant loop for two hours in the new music room. However, we did get ice cream after, so it was a win-win situation. Later, my French class watched a movie and ate crêpes as a "so long, farewell kind" of thing. It would have been awesome, had I not, while posing for a photo, sat on a crêpe covered in chocolate.

Auckland weather has been bi-polar for the past few days (tornadoes, sunshine, thunder, birds chirping), so I've been terrified to go outside in case I am caught in a sudden bout of hail.

 I have been keeping myself busy by making weird snacks, like dark chocolate sauce on cheese crackers. Not the most pleasant, but interesting. Definitely interesting. 

Ciao!

Tina

Santa, Baby!

"Christmas isn't a season. It's a feeling."

                                          -Edna Ferber

Hey there!

It's DECEMBER!!!!!!!! Which means the first Santa of the year has been eaten:

And since I've had a heap of spare time, I've been making a lot of random art/craft stuff. I'm super excited to watch "The Perks Of Being A Wallflower" directed by Stephen Chbosky, who ironically wrote the best-selling novel of the same name - I sound like Wikipedia *eye roll*. It's going to be amazing, and I just love the sub-line (is that what it's called?) of the movie: "We Are Infinite". So, that's how this little project came to be:

It took me twenty minutes to mix up the right green (I don't particularly like the green on the movie poster, so I went with a more pastel shade) because I'm terrible with paint. Then, a very long process of cutting a stencil of the "WE ARE" part, and trying to freehand the "INFINITE". Lots of stress.

But it's done now, and hanging up in my room.

In other news, my boohoo package FINALLY arrived this morning (boohoo is a clothing website). The shoes I ordered were the slightest bit small but I'm not complaining, they look fab. boohoo does have good clothes, so if you're looking for something nice, go onto the website and have a gander (here)

Well, off to listen to Red by Taylor Swift. That song has been branded onto my brain, I just can't listen to it enough. Thank you, Sarah.

Tina

Jingle Bells

"Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind."

                              -Mary Ellen Chase

Hey there!

I know it's a little early, but I've already Christmas-ed the house! The tree was a bit difficult to put up as I, as much as I like to believe that I have good style, don't know how to coordinate ornaments. And Christmas lights. Don't even get me started on the lights. 

Tinsel? 

I just threw it around the base of the tree to save me the grief of winding up on the floor, wrapped in a tinsel straitjacket, bawling my eyes out because I'll never be good at decorating.

I don't like the idea of having a real tree. I'm not judging anyone who does, it's just my opinion that if you don't have a fireplace to reuse the wood, it's a waste of a perfectly good tree. For me, fake is better. Or rather, if you want to sound more classy: "Faux"

He's a door hanger. I call him Frank.

I don't really know why we've never lit this candle. It's been in the decoration box for years. Maybe we're just not a candle-y family. Huh.

Michael Bublé is crooning away on my iPod's Christmas playlist and I've glue-gunned the wooden apples and the ribbons back to the wreath (It's had some mishaps in it's long life and needed some TLC). All that's needed now is some gingerbread biscuits baking in the oven for Christmas to really arrive here. Even though it's a whole month away. Happy November!

Tina

What To Do?

Hey!

So, it's been a week since my liberation from the education system. For the summer. Then I'm being unwillingly reinstated...Anyway.

I'm a big fan of fruit. Except bananas. Never give me a banana and expect for me to remain civil. I will eat them when they've been drowned in caramel, or fried up in pancake batter but if you actually wait for me to peel open a banana and dig in, you're insane. Insane.

I'm more of a tropical fruit gal, myself: mangoes, pineapple, lychees, coconuts, watermelon. Yum.

It's strawberry season here in NZ, and punnets of said fruit have found themselves devoured by my family over the past few weeks. I love strawberries with (cliché, but who cares) whipped cream. Or pavlova and chocolate. Today, I happened to have some good quality chocolate in the larder and decided to make this sinful treat. Actually, it's not that sinful. I mean, there's a lot of strawberries, and a bit of chocolate. It's fruit, isn't it?

Basically, melt some good quality chocolate (I used dark and milk) in a bowl. Then - here's the hard bit - put a heap of sliced strawberries into the chocolate and stir. Whoa. So difficult. I'm a little tired just writing the method down. (Sarcasm - I'm still waiting for an "Irony" button to be installed on computer keyboards...)

The picture may not be that appetizing but if you are willing to turn down strawberries covered in chocolate, then you are no longer my friend. Goodbye.

This is the general idea of what the strawberries should look like if you've followed the recipe well. Though it's not exactly rocket science and if you have screwed up, I don't suggest making anything else. I'm rolling my eyes, by the way. How can you fail at making this?

As an afterthought, you could maybe just get some chocolate dipped strawberries if you don't fancy making a mess like I've done.

Tina

Victory Lunch

Hi there!!!!!

I AM SO HAPPY!!!!!!! MY EXAMS ARE OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My darling best friends and I went out to lunch today. It was absolutely amazing for us, we were celebrating surviving  finishing our first major exams. 

The food photos are taken by Sarah :

An orange/strawberry mocktail. 

Salmon - not mine. I had chicken lollipops. Crispy.

Absolutely delicious Moroccan-spiced chicken. I had the fish. It was eaten too quickly for there to be a photo of it.

A very, very rich crème brulée.

I rented a pile of T.V. programs and movies as soon as I finished exams. Even if you don't have any exams to finish, I suggest you do the same. 

See you later!

Tina

How To Survive Exams

Hey!

{Serious talk ahead}

For the last week, I've had six 3-hour long exams for Level 1 (that's Form 5 or sophomore year)...It was a bucket load of anxiety/stress/freaked-out-ness/crazy/insane mania.

So, I decided to make this list of what to do when you have to start doing school exams...I wish I had a list. I would've done a whole lotta things differently...*sigh*

{This photo is my friend, Sarah's. She is amazing at studying, and she made these really cool flashcards for revising accounting. If you are a person who learns well by flashcards and colour-coding, I suggest you try this method}

A. The first year of your serious, no-fooling-around exams:

1. Get some proper stationery (pens, pencils, notebooks, etc...) for study.
2. Find a study area - quiet, non-cluttered, away from distractions (TV/iPod/Computer!!!)
3. Study! You can never start studying too soon. EVER.
4. Put up a poster on your door with the words : "I WILL PASS MY EXAMS!!!!" on it. Just do it. 
5. Make sure your handwriting is readable. You need to make sure an exam marker will be able to understand everything you have written. If you have messy/loopy/tiny handwriting, I suggest trying to practice writing more legibly. You don't get any marks for being fancy and looping your letters. If an exam marker cannot read your writing, chances are, they won't bother trying to decode the words. Don't risk it.

B. The last month before exams:

1. Cut down on your caffeine intake (you need a lot of sleep during the next few weeks) and do a little daily exercise, if you don't already. Trust me on this one. Endorphins are amazing stress relievers, better than any frappé. Try skipping/jumping rope. Very good for you, and will show you how very unfit you are. Good motivation for summer.
2. Have serious study session with friends. Go through areas of your subjects that you aren't sure of together. No watching movies, talking about boys, or spur of the moment baking. 
3. If you are very organised, create a study schedule - although, you probably might have already made one. 
4. Set yourself a very high goal and assure yourself that you can pass your exams without breaking a sweat. That way, you are drilling positive thinking into your mind. Good for your self-esteem, too.
5. Don't act like studying is the most important thing in the world, even more than your family and friends. While it may be very important, blocking out all outside contact is not healthy. You need to breathe. Go out occasionally, take your siblings out for ice cream, call your friends to make plans for after exams, apply for summer jobs at your local supermarket or mall (otherwise, like me, you will be stuck for weeks on end with nothing to do...)

C. The week before exams - this is your "last-minute revision" week:

1. Ignore B.5. You have to bury your head in your books and STUDY STUDY STUDY!!!!!
2. Don't panic. You're basically going to set yourself up for a total "I am DOOMED!" breakdown. DON'T. PANIC. EVER!
3. Go to sleep early every night you have exams. 
4. Read all the rules of your examinations (keep all pens in a clear bag, don't take any paper into the exam room, etc...)

After exams, you can basically throw you feet up and relax.

So, for anyone who is taking exams soon,

GOOD LUCK!

Tina

French Market

Hi!

It's Sunday, don't believe the date stamp at the top of this post, and I'm a little scared, because tomorrow is the beginning of a week of exams. So, as a little excursion, my parents and I drove down to a beach where a French market is held every month. It's really sweet. There's music, coffee, fresh pastries from a local café and a lot of little jams and compotes, all bottled up for sale.

The market is a perfect people-watching place. Children run around holding sticky jam buns, adults stand around with cups of espresso and bowls of cassoulet, it's all very relaxing. I stood in line for a ham and cheese galette for a good ten minutes, but it was definitely worth the wait.

I don't have a photo because it was super delicious and gone in a flash, but, I did get a photo of one of the two almond croissants we bought for a tea time snack. They were too, gone in a flash.

Happy Sunday!

Tina

London Calling

Hey!!!!!

My Dad just got back from Britain and I am so excited about what he brought me! It's like an early Christmas and I might actually run into a wall, I'm that hyped up!

!!!


This is the chocolate I asked for:

This is the chocolate Mum asked for:

She may have a bit of a problem *snicker*...

One of Dad's friend's got me this cute little Scrabble mug:

He also got me this ADORABLE satchel from Nine West:

What my Dad went to London for in the first place (no really, although this book is very important to me):

 And this last one needs no explaining, just an "aawwww!"

So, I'm off to find a place for these goodies,

Tina

Granita

Hey!

Like I said in my last post, it's getting hot here.

Yesterday, I decided to make a really yummy treat called granita. It is an icy dessert from Sicily, and it's basically teensy little flavoured ice crystals {or I could just say snow}. It's kind of like a sorbet. I made mine coffee flavoured.

This is the recipe I used:

2 cups hot water
1/3 to 1/2 a cup sugar - depending on how sweet you want the granita
2 teaspoons strong, instant espresso

That's it! Easy, right?

Okay, so basically, mix the three ingredients together in a wide, shallow dish (that can fit nicely in your freezer) until all the sugar and coffee is dissolved. Let the hot mixture cool, then place in the freezer. This is where your patience will be tested. Every half an hour to one hour, take a fork and scrape the ice. It will gradually dry out and you will be able to serve it. If you haven't already eaten it first.

Ciao!

Tina

Avocados

Hello!

*warning* this post is about avocados (if that wasn't made clear by the title), so if you don't like them, read no further - although, that would be quite rude, so maybe read a little bit...hehe)

I know I already wrote a post today, but the whole summer thing got me awondering (that's not a word, I know, it just sounded right) and I thought, why not dedicate a whole post to the majestic avocado?

...

According to the Oxford Dictionary (not the actual huge set, I just Googled it here ): an avocado is a pear-shaped fruit with a rough leathery skin and smooth, oily, edible flesh.

My definition: a fantastically versatile food that is healthy, yummy and adds a pop of colour to any dish. Yum yum.

Avocados have many health benefits, but don't go overboard. Everything should be eaten in moderation. My favourite way to eat these babies is to have them in big sandwiches. Get some good quality deli meat (my favorite is shaved champagne ham), some mustard (I put on my Grandpa's chili mustard-it's really good) and avocado slices, pile 'em up on a large chunk of baguette and chomp down!

Or, if you want, guacamole is really good too. Here's my recipe:

Ingredients:
2 small ripe avocados
1/2 a red onion
a lemon (squeezed)
one tomato
coriander/cilantro
tabasco and/or a finely chopped red chili (depending on your heat preference)
salt and pepper
taco chips/corn chips (call them whatever)

Method

1. Peel the avocados, take out the stone  (if you're new to preparing avocados, you might want to Google this) and cut into small-ish pieces. Using a fork, smush until you have your desired texture. 
2. De-seed and chop the tomato into fairly small, equal pieces, chop the onion too, and add to the avocado.
3. Add tabasco and/or chili (this is completely up to you) and mix well. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to your preference too.
4. Chop the coriander finely, sprinkle over and serve with the chips.

And so, with that, my epic avocado post has ended.

Tina

P.S. If you are leaving avocado out (for a salad, maybe?), make sure you squeeze some lemon juice over it to prevent any browning from oxidization. Or, keep it sealed up tight to prevent contact with air.

Rotorua

Hey there!

I've just come back from a three-day trip to Rotorua, where we stayed in a little house near the city.Or somewhere. Huh. I guess I didn't really pay attention to the signs.

My photo diary. Most of the pics are taken while I was moving, so excuse the bad photography.

#1. The best way to start a road trip.

#2. As Janice Ians would say (go, Mean Girls!), this is bleak.

#3. Doubly bleak.

#4. My first snowfall!

#5. Snowball!

#6. Awww...

#7. I was totally frozen by the time we got to the car. The car was also frozen.

#8. No joke, this is the same day. That's New Zealand for you. Full of surprises.

#9. Also the same day. 

#10. Pretty trees on the way back from the mountain.

#11. Fantastique, non?

#12. Bush walk. I felt very short comparatively. 

#13. Hurried shot of some pretty tulips beside the road. 

#14. Ice cream stop on the way home. They mean what they say. The ice creams are HUGE.

#15. Perfection. (Not my ice cream. I had already eaten mine...)

Okay, so I'm off to watch The Vampire Diaries and/or Gossip Girl. It's amazing how easily you can become addicted to these programs.

Tina

French Lunch

Bonjour!

Okay, another food related post...my French teacher organised a fantastic lunch for our class this afternoon. We all went to the city, to a cute restaurant called Pastis.

It was absolutely fabulous, the food was amazing but I think the best bit was just relaxing and chatting to each other without worrying about exams - which are in a month - so it was pretty cool. I didn't take a whole heap of photos, but I do want to announce :

I ate a snail.

Yeah, yeah, I know for a lot of people, this might be totally ordinary and not at all a really big deal, but remember that I am totally terrified of oysters, so imagine how I felt, eating a snail. It wasn't actually that bad (tasty, actually), but the texture was definitely not my cup of tea.

Onion Soup (heavenly!!!)

Beef Bourguignon 

Basque Chicken (I sneaked a taste from my friend and nearly passed out from how good it was)

 Really amazing chocolate mousse that I polished off 'til the glass was clean.

So, you can probably tell that I stuffed myself full and couldn't eat another bite, except for a teensy little canelé that I bought from the French deli near the bus stop.

À bientôt,

Tina