Eye Spy... something cuddly

Well surprise surprise, but my something 'cuddly' has to be Jett. (sure I might sometimes alternate the word 'cuddly' for 'clingy' but that's another story :p)

He's been in an awesome mood the past few weeks and is giving everybody (well as long as your mum, dad, grandma, grandad, aunty bec, uncle matt, aunty ann, lee or kate...) lots of hugs and kisses. That's when he's not making dinosaur 'roars' at them :p But if he's giving them out, I'll take a cuddle anytime.

Thanks to Bek for picking this weeks Eye Spy theme - head on over to Cindy's blog for more cuddles with Eye Spy.

Baby steps...

After some serious time off, I'm coming around to the idea of a spot or sewing and perhaps a little blogging. I'm not sure if it was a little burn out, the fact that Kym had been around so much more through the restaurant renos, or the fact that I needed some 'computer timeout' for a little while. Or perhaps the crappy morning sickness I was feeling for a while there... but I'm now 15 weeks and feel like I'm starting to feel motivated! More energy, more time, and ready to start thinking about 'gettin back on the horse so the expression goes.

So this is a small post. Just testing it out. See if it still fits. I'm definitely thinking about it, so for a big procrastinator like me, means I'm half-way there!

So sorry for being a slack ass and not reading all the lovely blogs that used to fill so much of my time - I'll try and be better I promise!!!

Eye Spy & lovely little things

This week's eye spy theme is 'something soothing' and after months of not playing as I've been flat chat (OK and maybe a little lazy too...) I thought I better participate! So currently for me, this is my 'something soothing'. I have been feeling a little 'off' lately and this has worked a treat :) Also hoping my acupuncture in 2 hours will also help - yay! Can't wait for that - plus the hour or so of kid-free time is just an added bonus.

Actually Kym went off bike riding last Sunday morning at Mt Tambo with the words 'I'll be home around 12pm' - so when it got to 2.15pm and he wasn't back and wasn't answering his phone I got worried and called Bec. Luckily Matt had the number of one of the guys who was with them and called for me and passed on the message to 'call your wife ASAP'. Apparently Matt misunderestimated my anger at only an 8.2 on the scale instead of the 10 I was feeling! I went from worried to angry pretty quickly! So after a few terse words he was on his way home - only to get lost and have it take him an hour and a half instead of 40 minutes. He got home at 4pm. I have every intention of being pretty pissed however when he walked in with a few scrapes up his arms, a couple on either side of his face, cut knees, and he couldn't bend his left fingers properly, I found that rather 'soothing' too. *insert evil laugh here* Karma bit him on the arse for making me worry unnecessarily and he fell off his bike - twice. I was even more 'soothed' when I watched the pain on his face as he showered and had to wet all the scrapes... he he. I know, I seem mean, but honestly, every week he comes off and hurts himself and/or breaks something on his bike that needs to be fixed. I think he sometimes forgets he's the primary income earner here!! But he knew better than to expect any sympathy from me and could see the funny side a little :p I wanted to video tape his pain while he showered but he drew the line there!

Anyhoo, back on track, I also had the pleasure of buying myself some very lovely goodies while the EEK sale was on. Check out my lovely brooch I purchased from the talented Rebecca from Edward & Lily - I got this one in olive green and it's just awesome. I also purchased this lovely pendant from Em at Up in Annies Room - I just love it. I just have to keep it away from Jett as he has a tendancy to try and pull it off my neck...Finally, after babysitting my niece for a weekend, Bec brought me this tulip brooch I'd had my eye on from the lovely Chris at Little Chrissy. Cool hey? So I'm feeling rather accesorised again :) Hope some of you managed to snag some goodies during the EEK sale too!! Would love to see them.

xxx

Congratulations Miss Cindy!

Well part one of the Beckybean double giveaway has been drawn using a random number generator (number two it was) and the lovely Cindy from Bugandpop is the winner! Congratulations :) Even though it's going to be making the journey down to chilly Melbourne, I'll be sure to tell it to take a coat (unlike the air-con it's been needing up here in Sunny Brisbane the last few days!) and I'm sure it will be happy in the new home of one of my favourite bloggers. Yay!

Cindy if you want to flick an email to blog@beckybean.com with your address details I'll wrap it up and it will be on its way.

Thanks to everyone for entering and leaving your fabulous comments. Keep your eye on Bec's blog - The Small Stuff - for details on the other winner of this tote - should be up soon I'd say.

xxx

Beckybean double giveaway!!!

Woops! I was supposed to have this post up this afternoon! Sorry to anyone who ducked over earlier... we were mad cleaning here but then left to go and have some yummy tapas over at Bec and Matt's for dinner. Completely forgot about this post until now (not that it is any less important, but honestly there was some yummy food - duck fat potatotes, sashimi, rare beef, lentils, pissaladiere...). And of course a very good red! Sure, there was a broad cross of cultures at the table in the food stakes (or should I write 'steaks' and say 'boom boom') and while some may not think it was all overly cohesive it was all awesome and we loved it :p A little bit of everything :)

OK enough about what's going in my tummy and back to what slings across our shoulders, uses eco fabrics, and of course looks totally awesome! And what's more, is free for you! How's that for a segue?

Bec and I are celebrating the launch of a new retail outlet in West End (Brisbane, Australia) that will be stocking our Eco Market Totes. As mentioned in my previous post, the very lovely Michelle (of Pedrosprout fame!) has opened her very own shop call Nook, which has awesome wares and lots of handmade goodness - many things are eco too!

So we're having a double Beckybean giveaway! To win the Eco Market Tote pictured above, simply leave a comment here, and then pop over to Bec's blog for a chance to win another Eco Market Tote there too! This tote is made from recycled fabrics, with a reclaimed men's tie, and two handmade wooden buttons (one on the front and one on the strap) that have been made by our Dad from recycled offcuts. There is a handy pocket on the inside too.

OK I think that's it. Time to enjoy my full tummy, sleepy head from red wine and hit the hay I think :) Enjoy the week!

I will be drawing the winner on Monday 24th August.

Oh and I before I forget - The Brisbane Etsy Street Team (BrisStyle) is holding an EEE sale to celebrate our local Exhibition or Ekka as it's known to the locals (Fair). The sale runs from the 6-15 August.
During the sale all Beckybean items will be reduced by 10% with free postage in Australia! All items in the store are still listed at the normal price but we'll either revise the invoice once it's taken to the checkout, or refund the 10% with Paypal once purchased. Too easy :) Head on over to this post on the BrisStyle site to see who else is participating.

Cheers
Jade xxx

Oh the slackness in blogland...but I've been busy, I promise!

Photo from Michelle at Nook

How how terrible I have been in blogland... please forgive me for my absence over the past month :p I promise to try and stay abreast of everything from now on!!!

So since the BrisStyle market, we've had a few fabulous opportunities present themselves - first one being the lovely Michelle (AKA Pedrosprout) who is opening an awesome little shop in West End called Nook. Michelle will be stocking some of the Beckybean market totes - yay! The store should be opening any day now so head on over to the shop's blog to keep updated on its progress. I know I for one can't wait for it to open so I can do a spot of shopping (shh.. don't tell Kym!). Stay tuned for the opening too as to coincide with it Bec and I will be hosting a little giveaway!!! (really have to get our butts into gear and get it organised pronto hey Bec? :p)

The second is we're hoping to stock some of the bags from the Crema Range in a couple of Merlo Coffee's outlets (who we so generously get most of our coffee sack from - Mel really is the best!) - we should find out soon exactly what the go is, but fingers crossed!!! Bec and I have been templating some new bag styles for the range and I must say, they're pretty cool. We've also found some beautiful hemp/cotton fabrics that we'll be using in some of the linings - it is just awesome. I liked one of the samples so much I've decided I really needed to keep it for myself (you know, for research purposes and all...). I needed a new bag anyway... This one is a newbie and is really BIG. For the gal who wants to take everything with them... actually I think it would work as a nappy bag!This bag is one I made for one of my best friend's Jodie who lives in Melbourne - it was her birthday (shh...it wasn't a major one like 30 or anything... he he). I'm so happy she really likes it. I've had a few excited calls from her with people asking where they can get one - even one chic from Bvulgari who was asking who's it by and when can she get one :) She even had one friend admiring it the other day and when she looked at the tag said 'I have a Beckybean bag' - apparently her brother had bought it for her for her birthday this year. Way too small of a world isn't it? This is Jode's modelling her bag at home.
This bag is one I made for one of my best friend's Jodie who lives in Melbourne - it was her birthday (shh...it wasn't a major one like 30 or anything... he he). I'm so happy she really likes it. I've had a few excited calls from her with people asking where they can get one - even one chic from Bvulgari who was asking who's it by and when can she get one :) She even had one friend admiring it the other day and when she looked at the tag said 'I have a Beckybean bag' - apparently her brother had bought it for her for her birthday this year. Way too small of a world isn't it? This is Jode's modelling her bag at home.

OK that's enough for now. Here's a few pics of some of our latest pochette's in the shop too - they really feel lovely too. Beautiful linen tea towels in their former lives they were :)

You asked for it :)

OK after my last post I've had the lovely Miss Mimoo and Mrs Fudge request the recipe for that Fish Pie. It's dead simple but really was very tasty. My guess is they key ingredient like most of Kym's cooking is 'salt'... he he

Oh and taste as you go! Don't try and adjust the seasoning at the end. Some people like more salt or less dill and so on - make it to suit your taste buds. And we found it makes a fair bit - maybe about 6 big serves.

Here were go...

Ingredients

- 2 fillets of fresh fish, chopped into pieces (we used king snapper, but any white fish will do as long as you put it in at the end so it doesn't break up)
- 1/4 large fennel, finely chopped
- 1 leek (white only), finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 6 or so mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 500 ml fish or chicken stock (we had our own homemade chicken stock and found this worked well and I preferred that it wasn't as 'fishy')
- 1/4 lemon, zest only
- 1 small bunch of dill and parsley, finely chopped
- Shortcrust pastry - enough to make a top and bottom. (we needed about 3 sheets)
- Approx 100ml Pastis (French digestive drink which has an aniseedy flavour, Ricard is a good one, but Pernod would do for a cheaper alternative). Now I'm told this is 'essential' to the recipe by Kym too!

Method

-Line a large pie dish (I use our big lasagna one!) with the pastry (make sure you cover the sides) and blind bake for 10 minutes or so. You can do this first or as you're cooking the mixture if you can multi-task :)
- Saute in a large onion and garlic lightly in a fair bit of vegetable oil and approx 1-2 tbsp butter until clear.
- Add the Pastis and let it cook off a little.
- Add carrot, then celery and then fennel, sweating these for about 5-10 minutes.
- Then add the leak and mushrooms.
- Add your stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring back to the boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.
- Add the zest and additional water if needed. Taste and add more Pastis if necessary.
- While the mixture is simmering away, make a white roux. Basically this is just butter melted in a pan, add some flour or cornflour and keep stirring. It will go into a ball and you just keep stirring it over the heat. Then take a little of the liquid from the simmering mixture and add it to the roux, continuously stirring so there's no lumps. Add the roux slowly to the pie mix to thicken. Taste it and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Apparently a brown roux is when you keep it on heat and the mix darkens, and a white roux is when it's just mixed together and removed from heat.

- Add the parsley and dill - enough to suit your taste preferences. Keep tasting!
- Add the fish pieces and stir in. Try not to break up the fish too much, so stir carefully!
- Add the pie mixture into the dish, add pastry as a lid and bake in a moderate oven. We found about 20-25 minutes did the trick - just until the pastry is cooked on top.

Well good luck :) Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures of it before we ate it all... hence the best I could do was our Pastis bottle :p

If you've got any questions just ask away! Love to hear your feedback too if you give it a go.