Lip Gloss

My addiction to lip gloss was innocently started at the tender age of 5. You see – one of our neighbours was an Avon lady and she kindly gave me a strawberry lip gloss as a gift one day, as my lips had got very dry in the wind. I still remember how thrilled I was to be given such a grown up thing. What made it even better was the fact that it coloured your lips a little red as well as smelling nice – so in my mind - it was just like lipstick. Very, very fancy indeed.

I rushed home to show it off to my Mother – yippee! As time went on my little kinder buddy Ella acquired her own lip gloss too. Hers was a watermelon flavoured Lip Smacker. She knew how taken I was with lip gloss - so offered me a try of hers – I was hooked. Back home to Mum – to request that she buy me a lip smacker too. I think my first flavour was cherry followed closely by watermelon and well it all just goes on from there really – one very, very long line of lip gloss.

I have spent a good proportion of my life applying lip gloss (I’d hate to think how much I may have digested over the years). I usually have at least 3 or 4 different flavours on the go at any given time. A few years ago – Bonne Bell released a giant lip smacker. I was absolutely delighted when I saw it (I have a real thing about everyday objects in miniature form or giant form for that matter) – so of course I bought a few and posted one off to Ella with a little note of friendship appreciation and of course a little reminder of the 5 year olds we used to be.

Now that I’m a grown up my tastes have changed somewhat and my number one favourite is the Palmers Dark Chocolate & Peppermint combo….a little lip treat every time – but thank goodness - without the calories!

Le Creuset

As a child my favourite dessert of all time, was my Mother’s Chocolate pudding. What a treat! Somewhere in my early twenties, Mum gave me a recipe book with a few of my favourites in it that she used to make me when I was little - one of which was the chocolate pudding recipe.

There is something about comfort food – that I find, so well…comforting (funny that). Chocolate pudding is definitely one of those foods. Come winter time – there is something so delicious about being all wrapped up and snuggly with a lovely bowl of warm chocolate pudding and ice cream. Yum – I’m getting cravings just thinking about it.

Anyway – this entry is not about chocolate pudding it’s about the vessel that I cook it in. Given to me as a gift – the heart shaped Le Creuset casserole would have to be one of my favourite kitchen items. Cast iron – whilst heavy – makes me want to cook. The few pieces we have – a wok, a square skillet grill and an oval French oven all get a good working out in our kitchen and of course what better a vessel to cook and serve chocolate pudding in then a heart shaped one.

Just in case you are feeling the love (or having a comfort food craving)…..here is Mum’s recipe……….thanks Mum xoxo

Mum’s Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients
60 grams butter
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup self raising flour
¾ cup caster sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa (I’m always a little more generous than this)
2 cups hot water

Topping
¾ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa
Combine both ingredients well.

Method
Heat butter and milk in saucepan, stir until butter melts, add vanilla. Sift dry ingredients into basin, add butter mixture to well in centre, stir until smooth, pour into deep, greased 1 litre (2 pint) oven proof dish. Sift topping over, carefully pour hot water over. Bake in moderate oven 40 – 45 mins.

Serve with fresh cream or vanilla ice cream – Enjoy!

Lavender

Lavender's blue, dilly dilly, lavender's green,
When I am king, dilly, dilly, you shall be queen.
Who told you so, dilly, dilly, who told you so?
'Twas my own heart, dilly, dilly, that told me so.

One of my favourite scents of all time would have to be lavender. I am a huge fan of handmade lavender soap and of course LOVE lavender hand cream.

A well-loved Mediterranean herb, lavender has been associated with cleanliness since Romans first added it to their bathwater. In fact, the name comes from the Latin lavandus, meaning to wash. A Christian legend says that lavender originally had no odor, but since the Virgin Mary dried Jesus’s swaddling clothes on it, it has had a heavenly perfume. Essential oil of lavender is now known to have many applications in aromatherapy.

Most days in the morning I use a spritz of Jurlique’s Lavender hydrating mist on my face before I put my moisturizer on – the smell of which I find so uplifting…..lucky for me it has become a Christmas tradition on my lovely husbands part, to replenish my stocks for the year ahead.

Where would I be without my King?

Laughing

According to legend, if one rubs the Laughing Buddha's great belly, it brings forth wealth, good luck, and prosperity. If only I could rub my post baby belly and get the same results……

I love having a good laugh……in fact I can remember times over my life – especially when I was a little girl – when I would laugh so much, that I would roll around on the floor, crying and clutching at my tummy which had started to hurt because I was laughing so much….almost to the point I think of wetting my pants (although I never did).

Who knows what I was laughing about…..sometimes the smallest of things tickle my fancy and it sets me off. For those of you who know me – you would probably say I have a fairly loud and distinctive laugh – I do love the contagious aspect of laughter where something gets you laughing and then the sound of your laughing gets someone else laughing and so on.

Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hopes, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert. Laughter makes you feel good. And the good feeling that you get when you laugh remains with you even after the laughter subsides. Humor helps us keep a positive, optimistic outlook through difficult situations, disappointments and loss.

I think one essential quality that helps us laugh is not taking ourselves too seriously. The ability to laugh, play, and have fun with others not only makes life more enjoyable – it also helps you solve problems, connect with others, and be more creative.

So on that note – let’s make 2010 the year of laughter and to not taking yourself too seriously.

I’ll leave you with a bad joke - which always makes me laugh – no matter how many times I hear it!

Q. What is pink and wrinkly and hangs out your undies?

A. Your Grandma