In My Kitchen: April 2012...

Some people get excited when their partner surprises them with flowers, or chocolates, or jewellery...

Me? I get excited when SJ brings me home tasty, tasty foods that are otherwise considered a treat, such as these wonderfully ripe Lady Finger Bananas.

Their fat little bodies have so much more flavour than standard bananas, and to make sure none went to waste I baked the first loaf of banana bread for the season (a breakfast favourite during the cooler months). Now that SJ is doing some part-time work for a local green grocer, I'm hoping for some more!

The capsicum plants are still loaded with fruit, although they were late bloomers. I've plans for roasted stuffed capsicums to grace the menu this weekend, along with the last of the homegrown baby carrots from the summer crop.

And since we do not have enough beets to pickle, I've been roasting them instead.

At first it felt a little strange to be eating beetroot warm, but they were packed full of flavour. I wasn't sure what to roast them with, so I went with the classics: Threw in some rosemary, onion and garlic, and sprinkled them with a little sea salt and they worked out great!

A bit messy to prepare, but you can always leave the skins on if you want to avoid it. And they do take a little while to cook right through, just so you know.

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In My Kitchen is a monthly feature hosted by Fig Jam & Lime Cordial.

To take part, simply make a blog post and link back to Fig Jam & Lime Cordial.

Monday Mail Out: An envelope tutorial...

You will need:

Paper

Scissors

Ruler

Pencil

Double-sided crafting tape (or a good glue)

An old envelope of the desired size

Step 1: Choose your paper. I'm using leftover gift wrap, but you can use pretty much anything, from scrapbooking paper to pages from a magazine, as long as it is thick and sturdy enough to transport through the post.

Step 2: Take the old envelope and gently pry it apart so its shape can be used as a template, and trace it onto the underside of your paper.

Step 3: Cut along the outline for the envelope with a sharp pair of scissors, keeping to the lines to ensure the finished envelope remains squared. Any diverson will skew your shape.

Step 4: Fold the envelope in the same manner as your template was folded, and using double-sided craft tape (or glue) seal the bottom to the sides along the same points.

Step 5: Write a letter or make a card to send in your one-of-a-kind handmade envelope, address it and add the postage, then pop it in the post.

So simple yet oh-so-pretty ~

There should be no reason to send dull and drab mail ever again!

Written correspondence has been a hobby of mine for a long time, & Monday Mail Out is a weekly feature whereby I can share my love for the lost art of letter writing. I hope my experiences will encourage others to send out letters on Monday too, and have them rediscover the joy of sending and receiving mail. If you have a blog, feel free to join in.

A Sunday of cupcakes & Easter Bunnies...

It's past noon and I'm still in my pyjamas:

A quiet Easter Sunday at ours, my favourite kind.

Hoping your day is a favourite too!

xo