Friday, July 15, 2011

What diet?

My stomach is crying out for me to make these CHOCOLATE CREME BRULEE tarts over the weekend...(I haven't counted a propoint in weeks, the jolly fat (wo)man has entered my home and it's not even Christmas! Oh dear...save me..no...feed me...no..save me from these amazing looking treats!!)

chocolate crème brûlée tarts

DONNA HAY

3 sheets store-bought shortcrust pastry
butter, for greasing
2 cups (500ml) milk
200g dark chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup (75g) caster (superfine) sugar
1 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch)
2 tablespoons coffee liqueur
caster (superfine) sugar, extra, to sprinkle
dark chocolate shavings and double cream, to serve

Preheat oven to 160ºC (320ºF). Cut the pastry into 12 x 10cm rounds. Cut a slit halfway through each round (this will make it easier to mould into tart shells). Line the bases of 12 x ½ cup-capacity (125ml) lightly greased muffin tins with the pastry. Prick the bases with a fork and line with non-stick baking paper. Fill with pastry weights and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and weights and bake for a further 5–8 minutes or until golden and crisp. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Place the milk, chocolate and vanilla in saucepan over medium heat and stir until melted. Bring to the boil and remove from heat. Place the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk until pale and creamy. Add the cornflour and whisk to combine. Gradually pour in the hot milk mixture, whisking continuously. Return to saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking continuously, for 1–2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir through the coffee liqueur. Pour mixture into the tart shells and refrigerate for 4 hours or until set. Sprinkle tarts with caster sugar. Use a blowtorch to caramelise the sugar. Top with chocolate shavings and double cream to serve. Makes 12.

Try not to eat all 12 at once!
Recipe stalked down and hunted from here.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

leaving the farm...

All good things must come to an end, greener pastures, time for a change, yadda yadda yadda...

You get the drift. My days 'on the farm' (well, as close to a farm as these well-manicured fingers were ever going to get!) are drawing to a close. I'm leaving my job in agricultural lobbying for a new role. Still in the environment sector, but a fresh start. I'm excited :)

And here's a picture of a ridiculously stunning pair of shoes. Just because every celebration deserves a pair...



Shoes, here, of course ;)

Friday, July 8, 2011

How have I lived 26 years without concealer?

Now that I know totally everything there is to know about beauty ;) , thanks to Zoe Foster and her new book Amazing Faces, my one question really is how did I ever survive without concealer?

On reading the book and watching a few YouTube vids I decided it was high time to do something about my dark circles. And, on her recommendation (and to my initial fear), I stepped away from my beloved MAC counter and walked on over to....Bobbi Brown.

Oh My Lordy! How did I not know the amazing ability of these little pots of goodness?!

Corrector Concealer Kit
Bobbi Brown - Corrector and Concealer Kit.

I now have no black circles, and a perfect, radiant, young looking eye area. I feel a million bucks! Thanks Bobbi!

Beauty Bliss!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Return of the mack..or was it max? And a new beauty book to knock your socks off!

I always sang 'return of the max..' - but that's very 'beth' - my Lover Boy (Happy Birthday today!) always laughs at my ability to make up my own lyrics to songs. He will forever be known as my 'shaving grace', after a roadtrip where Beyonce's 'Halo' featured prominently and it wasn't until we had travelled quite far along the Great Ocean Road that my interpretation was corrected, with much laughter to ensue...

Meanwhile, back to the topic - I'm alive! I didn't die after my surgery (my worrying once again hitting where it hurts). The surgery went well, we found Endo, treated it, and my little uterus is all ready to house many many happy fat bouncing babies (one day...). Enough of the over share - time to return to fun topics, methinks!

Like Beauty. I admit - I have a girl crush.

The other day I was walking through the city DJs on my lunch break, when I saw a cluster of people all gushing over a gorgeous brunette, who was signing books and smiling for cameras. My thoughts of 'who's the D-grade celebrity today?' were quickly overshadowed by something shining over on the MAC counter, and I quickly forgot about said brunette.

Until I saw an snippet of an interview on TV, and had to track her down. And by her, I mean Zoe Foster.

Beauty editor, author, youtube-producer-extraordinaire. This girl has serious Wow! factor. I've spent the whole afternoon looking at her YouTube clips and flicking through her new book Amazing Face which I quickly ran to Dymocks to buy today.



I just wish I'd discovered her last week so that I could have had my book signed too!!