Dear Melbourne.....

oh how i love you.   you are cool without being pretentious.  you are familiar like a comfy pair of jeans.  you make everyone feel welcome and those of us who live north of the border - like we should be living there.  you are underground, funky, moody and alive.   coffee, bikes, beers, veg bars, gorilla crafts. 
Needing to get our fix so we will be seeing you soon
xox

claudes and martino

Project #2 - Cushion for Martino's Chair.....

So yesterday I went to my favorite fabric shop and bought lots of really cool fabric and from there decided to make him a cushion for the chair.

This is Martino's chair.....his little space to sit and enjoy all his magazines, bicycle websites, coffee and sometimes even to do none of the above and just have a good old nap!  

I had not used my sewing machine for over a year and a half as all the projects I have been working on recently are all hand stitched.   So I went hunting around online and found one of the easiest tutorials to make an envelope cushion cover.   It is from Vanessa at Crafty Gemini.   Ive only just discovered her videos and they are great mix of sewing, crafting and cooking tutorials that are easy to follow.   So check out her blog for some inspiration and easy to follow instructions.

Here is my finished product -  hope he likes it!

Jamie Oliver you rock!

Here is one of our winter staples for 2010 -  Chickpea and Leek soup.  Ive been collecting his cookbooks for a while and thought I better start really using them - not just for the pretty pictures and to perve at his cheeky smile - but really they are filled with wonderful, fresh, seasonal and yummy goodness! This soup caught my eye as I had been wanting a hearty soup that didn't involve pasta or lots of potato and was vegetarian.  Ive tweaked the recipe a little since I am only cooking for the two of us (the recipe in the book serves 6).   I still get 4 serves out of this recipe below, which is lovely as I get the night off from cooking!  a win win really....

eat me!  I am quick and delish

Recipe:

Serves 4

2 cans of chickpeas (240g per can)
3 medium leeks
1 large potato peeled
850ml of vegetable stock
a little olive oil
1 clove of garlic crushed
salt and pepper to taste
 
Peel and dice the potato into cubes - i usually get 6-8 cubes from the 1 potato.    Slice the leek length ways from the root to the tip. Then peel off a couple of the outer layers and give the leek a good wash to get rid of the gritty stuff that always finds its way amongst the leaves.  Slice the leek thinly.    Put a little olive oil in your pot and cook the leeks and the garlic gently for a few minutes.  You will start to see the leeks get sweaty and soft and at this point - grab a glass of your favourite drink and enjoy cause your kitchen will start to smell sooooo good - after all its part of the experience!     Cook the leeks until they are tender and sweet and then add the potato and  the drained chickpeas and  most of the stock.  Simmer all this for about 15mins.   Your soup is then ready to puree.   I pour out half of the soup and leave the other half in there to puree.  Return the rest of the soup to the pot and use the rest of your stock to get the consistency to your liking.    Check for seasoning - I don't add salt as the stock will already have some, but I do add pepper before serving.    Enjoy it with some crusty bread and a little grated Parmesan.... mmmmm delicioso!   

Enjoy!