About Me!

I'm a creative; I'm smart-ish, funny (I hope) and permanently hungry...I love to read, draw, build (terrible) robots, take photos and eat... Please follow me by email and on Google+
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p.s Scroll to the very bottom of the homepage for a list of my favourite books :)

Thursday 31 March 2016

Steamed Pork Buns

Hi y'all,

I made steamed pork buns!! One of my life-goals has been achieved. And here is how I did it (using this recipe though: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/32735/steamed+pork+buns)


First of all, gather your ingredients:



  • 2tsp peanut oil (I didn't use that at all and they turned out fine)
  • 200g pork mince 
  • 1/3cup Hoi Sin sauce
  • 2 green onions thinly sliced
  • 1stp instant dried yeast (it's important that this be fresh so the dough rises correctly)
  • 1tbsp caster sugar 
  • 2/3 cup warm water
  • 1 1/2 cups plain flour

Then you follow these instruction (taken directly off the Taste website because I'm lazy!)

Step 1: Heat a wok over high heat. Add oil. Swirl to coat. Add mince. Stir-fry for 3 minutes or until brown. Add hoi sin sauce and stir to coat. Add onion. Stir until well combined. Transfer mixture to a bowl and set aside for 20 minutes to cool (ADD EXTRA SAUCE IF YOU WANT AT THIS POINT. SEE THE NOTE BELOW)

Step 2: Meanwhile, combine the yeast, 2tsp sugar and 2tbsp warm water in a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let this mix stand for 20 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface. Place flour in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture, remaining sugar and remaining water. Stir to form a soft dough, adding another tbsp of warm water if necessary. Turn out on a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes (or until smooth). 

Step 3: Using floured hands pat 1 dough portion into an 8cm disc. Place 2tsp mince mixture (or more/less depending on the thickness of your disc) into the center of this disc. Draw the edges up to form a bun and pinch together to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough and mince mixture. One done, cover loosely with a tea towel and set aside for 30 minutes to prove.

Step 4: Place a large steamer (does not have to be bamboo like the website says, I used a metal one) lined with baking paper over a saucepan or wok of simmering water. (make sure the steamed is not touching the water). Using a metal skewer, pierce holes in the baking paper. Steam the buns, in batches, for 12-15 minutes or until puffed and tender. Serve!

NOTE: I actually made more sauce to go in the mince mixture, while it's cooling after being fried with the onions. I added some black-bean sauce and a bit of water, as well as extra Hoi Sin sauce. You don't have to do this, I just mention it because mine tasted extra yummy after I did this :)

This is how delicious my mince mixture looked, it makes me hungry just remembering it:

Here is how the dough should look:



I have to say, before the uncooked buns had time to rise they looked really gross:


But once cooked they were fabulous:

So there you have it: a majorly succesful recipe for steamed pork buns so you too can enjoy the glory!

Thanks for reading, Eve out :3
p.s Why not get updates when I post by subscribing by email! In the right sidebar, at the top of the page :) 

Wednesday 30 March 2016

Birds

Hi Everyone,

Last weekend I went to a park and took some aesthetically pleasing photos of various birds. Here are those photos:






I love the colour in the one above, it's so...pastel! Pink and blue and white!


The Crow.


Action shot of the crow.

And that was my collection of bird photos, all taken using my new groovy camera! It's probably obvious that this was a 'oh gee I haven't posted in AGES I had better post right now!!' post, a more planned and prepared one will come soon I promise!
Thanks for reading!

Eve out :3
p.s Why not get updates when I post by subscribing by email! In the right sidebar, at the top of the page :) 

Thursday 24 March 2016

My Birthday!

Hi Everyone,

So a few days ago it was my birthday *party popper* and I had a fantastic day, full of friends, family, and of course, presents! I got some wonderful things, including my new current obsession, my camera: A Canon EOS 1200D
Me with the camera (still working out how to focus...)
There are so many fantastic things you can do with this camera (don't assume that I know how to do them though...) And it has settings perfect for any type of photography. 

I have spent HOURS trying out all the fun features, and still not getting them right, but thats not what it's about. I'm having fun and that's what counts!

But here are the best photos I've taken with it so far:
Cousie!!!
It just shows: you don't have to be a professional photographer to get some beautiful photos. 
cute cow
Of course, it does help to have nice things to photograph...
very pretty
That's all for now, there will be many more to come!

Eve out :3

Saturday 19 March 2016

Super Simple Fruit Galettes!

Hi Everyone,

This afternoon I decided to make a Donna Hay recipe, but I didn't feel like making anything difficult. Enter 'Fruit Galettes'
Here are some photos:


They look good even before baking!
And some dramatic shots:





These galettes are so simple, anybody could make them! Just preheat the oven to 200 degrees celcius, grab some shop-bought puff pastry and slice some fruit (pears and apples work well) then lay the fruit on small rectangles of puff pastry and sprinkle sugar over the top. Lay on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake for 20 minutes (NOTE: I would have liked mine a teeny bit more caramelised, so perhaps leave them in for longer if you like caramelised fruit...so basically everyone leave them in for a bit longer!) Then eat. Actually, maybe wait a few minutes so they cool down...

Here is the finished product, baked and yummy:

Look at those!! There is nothing more glorious than pastry straight out of the oven :) 

Enjoy!
Eve out :3

Friday 18 March 2016

Weird Stuff in My House...

Hi Everyone,

My house is tiny, cute, and full of stuff. Serisouly: EVERY surface has something on it and about 70% of it is vintage. With vintage comes cute, odd, and downright weird! I have always liked these creepy and unique trinkets and want to show you some:

These are some wall hangings of...Mexican's? I don't quite know what nationality they are, but the man has a sombrero!
Do you think they're Mexican?

And on the wall in our dining room hangs an ornamental display of vintage bits-and-pieces that my mum likes. Including a collection of old dolls...and their missing limbs & torsos...
Creepy, agreed?
And the list goes on:

There's this...THING hanging off a curtain rod:
SUPPOSEDLY It's a vintage baby toy.


A random framed picture of a lamb:


ANOTHER Mexican(this one was hidden on a high shelf):
Yes, there is more

'The Big Banana' key holder:
Why does this even exist?!


Wood-cut pictures of more...Mexicans? 
I guess these are quite cool actually.


But, I have to say, as well as all this weirdness, our house has some amazing things; like these sweet old toys lined up along the top of a glad-wrap dispenser (vintage of course):


A beautiful Kewpie doll in a pink dress:


This incredible art in a bottle:


And this little cowboy on a guitar:


So that was an introduction to the weird stuff in my house, and some of the nicer things too.

Eve out :3






Thursday 17 March 2016

LOOK WHAT I FOUND!!

Hi Everyone,

I warn you: If you don't like spiders, you won't like this post! But maybe it will make you less afraid of them. This morning my mother discovered a rather cute (yes, I think spiders are cute) and hairy houseguest: A Huntsman! Huntsman spiders are completely harmless unless they are feeling threatened.
Lurking in the background...

And so I went up to him and began saying: "What a cute little fellow you are! Who's the cutest? You are! My sweet little-wittle fluffy-wuffy yes you are! Yes you are!"
To which I got no response...

So I moved closer:




But he still didn't move...
So I decided to call him Paisley and get on with my day instead of staring at him all morning. BUT: As I moved into the living room, I found his big brother! Sitting, ready to pounce, in a dusty corner next to my mother's Robbie Williams mask (don't even ask...):


I squealed in delight and ran over to him:


Look at those fangs!


I raced back into the dining room to tell my mother, only to discover that Paisley was gone...Which is a problem: spiders are cute and fluffy when you can see them, as soon as they disappear that's when you panic...

I decided I did not want the big brother to vanish too, so I grabbed a glass and some cardboard and took him outside.
Cute and fluffy!!!
So Paisley is still hiding out somewhere, hopefully he will surface and we can free him into the garden too. Until then I will be checking the dark wood of the doorframe for any suspicious spider-shaped lumps...

Eve out :3

Wednesday 16 March 2016

Choc-Chip Mug Cake

Hi everyone!

I love food, especially cakes. So I wanted to share the best ever mug cake recipe, it's so light and fluffy and really yummy!

First of all this is what you will need:

  • 4tbsp self-raising flour (white is best, but if you only have wholemeal then use wholemeal)
  • 2tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/4tsp baking powder
  • 3tbsp milk
  • 1/8tsp vanilla (I add more for extra yumminess!)
  • 1/2tbsp melted butter (does not have to be cooled)
  • 2tbsp chocolate chips (or you could just add more...)
Then the recipe is as simple as anything: You just combine everything except for the chocolate chips in a large mug. 
Sugar yum.

Make sure that it's got no lumps of flour or sugar. 

Then stir in half the chocolate chips and sprinkle the rest on top!

Chocolate yum.
Then microwave for 1 minute. Simples!
cake time!
I admit, it's not the most appetising cake ever, it doesn't look great, but it tastes amazing! Please make one and tell me what you think :)

Eve out :3
p.s I have been sick for a few days, hence the lack of new posts...This post I actually made a week ago, but have only just got around to publishing!


Saturday 12 March 2016

Fairy Lights!

Hi everyone!

I hope your day has been FANTASTIC and not full of homework and last-minute report writing like mine has...

But there has been an upside to all this! To cheer me up,my mum bought me these gorgeous copper-wire string lights I have been wanting for so long:
As soon as I got the box open and the batteries in!

They are battery operated (3xAA) and just turn on/off with a little switch. I got 5 meters but they come in shorter/longer lengths too. They have other colours, but I loved the warm-white (basically off-white) because it works well in any room and looks very feminine.

As you can imagine, I played with them for about half and hour:


Blurry attempt at artistic selfie


Another artistic selfie!


TOTORO!

And then got down to business: I wanted to put them up in my room, somewhere that would look magical and light up the whole room. I tried against the side wall but it looked a bit plain:
yeah, too boring
Then I pinned them up along the wall above my dresser and around my little bookshelf and they covered the whole corner! They really do look magical ( I have included a before and after shot!)

Before...


After!!!


They work really well and don't heat up very much (unless coiled, in that case they heat up a LOT...) and wouldn't be a fire risk unless you left them on overnight maybe. I don't plan on burning my house down, so I won't be leaving them unattended! You can buy these lights here at a very reasonable price:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/141864350673?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&var=441002972877&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT


Hope you enjoyed this post!

Eve out :3


Monday 7 March 2016

Hi y'all!

Welcome to my blog, I'm so glad you found it! This post is basically an intro to me and my blog. This blog is for teens by a teen (me!)
That's me guys!

I really don't know quite where this blog is going to head, but it will have some life-lessons from the all-knowing one (me again!) and some tutorials on creative endeavours with tips from my past experiences. I'm an honours english student, so there will be some writing; I love painting, drawing, designing so there will be some of that too.
My art :)

I have been to a few countries; America, England and Canada and hope to share some of those fun experiences too.
America!

I have a cat and he may feature occasionally...
poor Cous-Cous...

So there's the intro. I hope you'll keep reading!

Eve out :3