Take It All

Happy halfway through 2012! Six months in, I thought it would be a good time to check how I'm going with my New Year's resolutions. I must be super motivated this year. That, or I just made them far too easy. So how have i been going...?

Blog at least every time I have days off.

Well, I tried. Then I moved and couldn't get the internet to connect at my new house. But I just got a new computer and am fully connected (through my phone, anyway), so look out!

Work on an artwork at least every time I have days off.

I'll admit I've been a bit lazy with this one, doing it every couple of weeks or so, which is better than nothing. I have a group exhibition coming up in August, though, so shit is about to get real. Art will be worked on not only on days off, but well into the early hours of the morning when I have work the next day.

Photo a day.

I've really been getting into the photo a day thing. Instagram makes it pretty easy to do this, but most of my photos there are of dinosaurs and food (my username is raptorsnelling if you're into that kind of thing). Just before the start of the year I got myself an app called Photo365, and every day I've been uploading a picture that kind of sums up my day. Unlike a lot of people's photo a day projects, I love that this one is private. Knowing that I don't have to share the pictures with anyone (although the app does give you the option to share if you like) means that I can be honest when I describe my day with a picture - so there's plenty of awful days along with the good ones. And you can set a reminder so that you don't fail at your resolutions ;)

Go to Perth.

Done and done! Stay tuned because I took a billion photos.

Make an effort to do more PROPER exercise.

For once, I actually followed through with the exercise thing. To be fair, moving house has made all the difference. It's now possible for me to walk to work every day, and even when I'm not working, I just find that it's a nicer place to wander around and explore. Also, my new housemates are the type of people who own gym equipment and I am the childish person who can't help but play around on the cross trainer on my way to the laundry. I'm also fairly sure that I'll get lazy when summer comes around. I hate being hot and sweaty.

Try a new recipe every month.

Nope. I've been super slack with this one. Must try harder.

Drink more water.

After I wrote that I filled up my cup with water rather than putting the kettle on for yet another cup of tea. Baby steps, people.

Send more mail and email.

No. I suck at this.

Make a dedicated studio/creative space when I move.

Slowly getting there. If I make a promise that I have to take pictures of it, surely that'll inspire me to finish it off and tidy up.

Not too bad an effort. Did you keep any resolutions, or did you wake up on January 1st in a pile of vomit regretting your life choices?

Saturday Night

 One of my new year's resolutions was to try a new recipe every month. I've never had much luck with brownies. Even Betty Crocker packet mixes tend to fail in my hands. My mum gave me this book for Christmas a couple of years ago and I found a yummy looking recipe for brownies in it and thought I'd give them one last go.

 Being a very visual person, I absolutely love that every step is photographed. I usually give recipes a miss that don't at least have an end result photo, because I like to make sure I'm generally on track. Having a picture of every step pretty much guaruntees no mistakes.

Well, it guaruntees no mistakes if you actually pay attention. I might have taken mine out of the oven a little too early and then forgotten about it, so it fell apart a bit when I was trying to put it on the cooling rack. BUT it was pretty freaking delicious. And since I've never been one for amazing presentation, I just decided that the best way to eat it was in random chunks with a heap of ice cream.

So, a recipe for amazingly tasty, but not too beautiful brownies..

Ingredients:

* 225g butter, softened

* 150g plain chocolate, broken into pieces (I used Green's 70% dark chocolate.. yummo!)

* 225g self-raising flour

* 125g caster sugar

* 4 eggs, beaten

* 75g pistachio nuts, chopped

* 100g white chocolate, roughly chopped (I accidentally bought Lindt Lindor white chocolate, which is gooey inside. Turned out to be a delicious mistake)

* icing sugar, for dusting

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line a 23cm baking tin.

2. Place the plain chocolate and the butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until melted, then leave to cool slightly.

3. Sift the flour into a seperate bowl and stir in the caster sugar.

4. Stir the eggs into the chocolate mixture, then pour into the flour and sugar and beat well.

5. Stir in the nuts and white chocolate.

6. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, using a pallete knife to spread evenly.

7. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until firm to the touch around the edges. Cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

8. Dust with icing sugar. Cut into 12 squares (or let it break into as many pieces as it feels like) and serve.

I also tried the scones from this recipe book, just to see what they'd be like. I was pretty disappointed. I never use sugar in my scones, but these ones did, and it was all I could taste. I think I'll just stick to my tried and tested boring recipe.

She Said, She Said

Happy 2012!
I've been working over the New Years break, which has been good for the wallet. It was fairly quiet over the weekend, so I can't complain too much. Especially since the neighbours decided to have a fairly quiet night and let me get to sleep by 11pm. As much as I love the fresh starts that come along with the new year, I really hate the forced fun that people expect with New Years Eve. And don't even get me started on the crowds if I'm ever brave (stupid) enough to head into town on that silly night.

Here's some resolutions that will probably last two weeks, tops:

Blog at least every time I have days off.

Work on artwork at least every time I have days off.

Photo a day.

Go to Perth.

Make an effort to do more PROPER exercise.

Try a new recipe every month.

Drink more water.

Send more mail & email.

Make a dedicated studio/creative space when I move.


So far, the photo a day has been quite fun. You know, two days in. And the water consumption is going well apart from all the extra bathroom breaks. I might even do some exercise tomorrow. Maybe.