Archives for September 2017

:) It really is the little things.

My husband suspects I might be just every so slightly totally bonkers. (In the nicest possible way of course). After 20 years, he is used to my sometimes crazy purchases.

One of “secrets” to living my perfect life, is to visualise what that life looks like in minute details. Then I choose an area that is less than perfect and upgrade it closer to my vision. Of course, some things are not possible to jump from a level 1 straight up to a level 10, but for the many little things in life that we “make do,” it can be an easy low-cost upgrade.

One of my upgrades this months has been to buy matching coat hangers for our wardrobe.

This was my side of our wardrobe before….

And this is the after…

It just makes me smile with joy every time I look into the wardrobe now. My wardrobe looks “10/10 ” to me, and it was not a huge expense.

I got these coathangers off eBay I chose the one with clips on them so they are useable for any type of clothing.

Light Healthy Breakfast.

I have (again) decided I need to lose a few kg’s.

I really do not bother too much about my weight, and do stick to a fairly healthy diet, but I know I have been a bit slack lately. Tripping up and back 400kms to see my Mum has seen me not eating the best.

Yesterday I thought I did not want my regular eggs on toast, but still wanted eggs. I came up with this yummy little omelette on salad.

It is a simple dish that is made by gently beating just one egg with a fork until just fluffy add some chopped onion and a bit of grated cheese. I then lightly greased two egg rings and cooked until the egg was cooked through and golden brown.

I then placed them on a bed of store bought salad leaves with a bot of chopped tomato, onion and capsicum. A drizzle of balsamic vinegar, and breakfast was ready ?

Who says dieting has to be boring? 🙂

Ps. Balsamic Vinegar is a fabulous addition to your pantry. A quick drizzle elevates any dish to “restaraunt” quality.

Dry Aged Beef. A sublime meal experience.

Have you ever had Dry Aged Meat?? Hubby and I were aware that some high-end butchers dry aged meat, but we had never seen it let alone eaten it.
What is Dry Aged Meat? According to Wikipedia

“Dry-aged beef is beef that has been hung or placed on a rack to dry for several weeks. After the animal is slaughtered and cleaned, it is hung as a full or half carcass. Primal (large distinct sections) or sub primal cuts, such as strip loins, rib eyes, and sirloin, are placed in a refrigerator unit, also known as a “hot box”. This process involves considerable expense, as the beef must be stored near freezing temperatures. Subprimal cuts can be dry aged on racks either in specially climate-controlled coolers or within a moisture-permeable drybag. Moreover, only the higher grades of meat can be dry aged, as the process requires meat with a large, evenly distributed fat content. Because of this, dry-aged beef is seldom available outside of steak restaurants and upscale butcher shops or groceries. The key effect of dry aging is the concentration and saturation of the natural flavour, as well as the tenderization of the meat texture.”

I noticed on Facebook recently that Cotton Tree Meats not far up the road from as had installed a dry aging cabinet. The reviews were that the meat was something that had to be tasted to be believed.

When my birthday rolled around in August, hubby asked me what I wanted for my birthday, and where would I like to go out for dinner. I suggested a “2 for 1” present and said why not buy a piece of dry aged beef?

A short trip later and we were the proud owners of the most beautiful looking piece of 28-day dry aged Black Angus Rib-eye on the bone.

We like to think we are pretty capable cooks, but we thought we had better find out how to do this lovely steak true justice. The answer turned out to be a cooking technique we had not tried before. “Reverse Searing”

Reverse Searing is a method that involves slow cooking the steak in a super low oven until the internal temperature reaches the desired doneness, then finishing in a screaming hot pan to give a lovely seared crust.

This method works best with a thick piece of steak so have your butcher cut a nice piece of Sirloin, Rib, Rump or T-bone into at least a 50mm thick (this will feed 2-3 people).

This is the step by step method.

Step 1:
Pre-heat your oven to 135º C

Step 2:
Pat your piece of steak dry with paper towel. (the drier you can get the
steak the better the crust you will get)
Season well with salt and pepper. (there is no need to oil the meat)

Step 3:
Place the meat on a grill over a baking pan lined with foil or baking
paper to catch any drips.

Step 4:
Bake in the oven until the internal temperature of the meat reaches your
required doneness. Do NOT guess this, invest in a meat thermometer.
Remove from the oven and rest under foil for at least 10 minutes.

Step 5:
Get a heavy frying pan (cast iron is good) or BBQ screaming hot and add
a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil to the pan. Carefully place the steak in the pan and sear well for 1- 2 minutes on each side, don’t forget the edges until a lovely golden crust form.

Step 6:
Place your steak on a board and cut into pieces on the diagonal across the grain. Serve simply with a bit of herbed butter or your favourite sauce.

Next time you get a piece of steak, do try this method of cooking. It might
just change your life 🙂

Raining Money

The whole concept of “Sunshine Cash” is the total opposite to “Saving for a Rainy Day” It is, of course, important to save an emergency fund for unforeseen events, but (in my opinion) to have money in the bank for money’s sake is just not necessary. In no way would I EVER advocate spending more than you have, but cash is there to be spent. ALWAYS pay your bills first, then allow funds for savings and general “adulting” then allow some “Sunshine Cash” for just having fun.

Some call it “Fun Money” or “Splash Cash” or”Splurge Money”

We all work very hard for our money, and yes!! you DO deserve to enjoy some of it. I am sure you have relished the joy of a fun purchase bought with no guilt.

Spending is not greedy or wasteful, money is meant to be circulated. Your purchase means the cashier has a job, the store owner makes a profit and the whole circle of cash continues. In accounting terms it is even called cash FLOW…cash needs to flow or everything stops.

My greatest ability to having money seemingly rain down is a positive attitude and a good eye for a bargain. The Power of Positive Thinking, The Secret, The Law of Attraction, Manifesting, Mind Powers and a heap of other “brand names” for a positive mindset are not “Woo Woo” rubbish. Our minds ability to manifest what it truly wants has been shown over and over again throughout centuries of Human existence. A simple example of the power of the Law of Attraction is the example that almost everybody has had when are looking for a new car. You decide to buy a red VW Beetle and all of a sudden it seems that every second car on the street is a red Beetle.

The Universe will rarely give you money for the sake of money. Money in itself is just random pieces of paper and metal. What you CAN manifest is the ability to be able to buy the things you desire. You might get a pay rise or promotion that gives you the amount needed to fund the monthly payment on your red VW Beetle, or the local dealer might be having a great runout sale and you snap up your Beetle at a fraction of the price you originally budgeted for. This happens so often to me and many of my friends, cannot be simply LUCK.

The other side of keeping a positive mindset to your money are the inevitable blocks we all have around wealth and money in general. How often have you heard terms like..

Filthy Rich
Dirt Poor
Rich Bitch
Greedy Capitalist
Gold Digger
Sugar Daddy

Many people have a real block around attracting wealth for fear that their friends will not like them anymore, or worse, that their friends will resent them.

I have spent quite a bit of time over the years practising my money language. Instead of saying “I can’t afford that” I will say “I have different priorities right now” or Instead of “OMG That is SOOOO expensive” I might think “Hmmm I wonder how I can achieve that”

Let’s get into action and manifest more Sunshine Cash!!

Let me know how you go.