When I lived in Singapore I was hooked on a dish called Hainanese chicken rice. Poached chicken, a spicy dipping sauce, a few rings of cucumber and rice cooked in chicken stock (or, more likely, fat - how else could it taste so good?). Such a simple dish but brimming with flavour. I took my mum... Continue Reading →

Ever wonder where you'll live when you retire? I'm the sort of loop who devotes many hours of contemplation to the subject. I'm not talking about when the Sprogs pack me off to a care facility, it's the brief sojourn before that - when the work is over and the full-time play begins. Husband and I quite fancy the... Continue Reading →

So, what's been going down in LaLa Land this week? Here are the highlights from HouseGoesHollywood ... * Taylor Swift has broken up with her toyboy, Conor Kennedy. * Tom Cruise has filed a $50 million lawsuit against Life & Style and In Touch magazines, claiming they defamed him by reporting he'd abandoned 6-year-old Suri.... Continue Reading →

I was in Melbourne last weekend for a wedding and I couldn't helP stickybeaking at the local Domain. I find Melbourne property fascinating. Why does the architecture look so unmistakably foreign to Sydney? I rubberneck my way through every car trip. The pile that stood out most was this little, or should I say enormous,... Continue Reading →

I've had a packet of SlimPasta lurking in the back of my pantry for eons. I think I got it in one of those goodie bags that come with magazines. Since I'm on a low-carb kick I thought I'd give it a whirl. SlimPasta is made from a vegetable called konjac. It only contains 14.1... Continue Reading →

I can't quite believe I'm saying this, but I miss doing canteen duty. And my computer. I lost canteen duty when the school moved to using a private operator. I lost my computer when we had a power surge. My favourite part about canteen duty was all the kindy kids wanting to know what they... Continue Reading →

Husband thought his baby safety gate days were over. Until yesterday, when he received a call from me. "Husband ... is our baby gate still in the attic?" I tentatively enquired. "I'm at Bunnings, they have them on sale for $40 each and I was just thinking ..." "I know where this conversation is going,"... Continue Reading →

If you're looking for a low-calorie, low-carb vegetable that packs a substantial hunger-busting punch, it's hard to beat pumpkin. A cup of pumpkin contains only 30 calories, no fat or cholesterol and only 8 grams of carbohydrates. Pair it with salad and a piece of grilled salmon and you have a filling meal. I cooked... Continue Reading →

I'm always apologetic when I go to the doctor. Forgive me for bothering you ... It's probably nothing, but ... Would you mind taking a look at ... I'm so sorry, but it's that time of the year again ... Pull on the rubber gloves, it's me ... Because I never seem to go to... Continue Reading →