Fine Tune: Eagulls - Moulting

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Foodie Pen Pals - June 2013

This month I got an amazing foodie parcel from Berni in Leeds. I always get excited when I receive home-made goodies, and Berni gave me three different spice mixes that she assembled herself. These made the parcel smell delicious. She also included an easy recipe for spiced roasted seeds to use with the the pumpkin and sunflower kernels she sent.

There was a pot of honey granola that I have yet to try, but I will take it to work with coconut milk yoghurt and berries one of these days.

Berni packed a few herby oat cakes, which I had not tried before, some girly cupcake liners with a shoe-and-handbag print, and some of her favourite apple and blueberry tea, which I've been having over iced mixed with a bit of apple juice. I turn into an ice tea fiend once the weather gets warm, and this one is delicious. I liked the card that came in the package, because beach huts and the seaside are one of my favourite sights!

Here's the aforementioned seed mix and some hot chocolate and lime-infused raisins, which I am saving for a snack attack.

There was also a homemade flapjack, which was lovely and did not make it through the first 24 hours with me. Thank you, Berni, for your thoughtful and tasty food gifts, it was a joy to unpack your parcel!

Foodie Pen Pals is organized by Carol Anne from Rock Salt, and you can find out more about it here or by clicking the link on my swaps page. The whole idea originated in North America, so if you are a state side or Canadian foodie, you can sign up there.

© Text & Photos - Annika - All The Live Long Day (unless otherwise stated).

The Bloedel Conservatory

Hey, here are some photos from my trip to Vancouver! After letting you lot wait such a long time for the last batch of holiday snaps, I thought I'd try for a bit more speed this time. Hope you're not tired of these picture-laden posts yet. 
We had a lovely time in Canada, spend a lot of hours with the family and friends and made some room for sightseeing. I've been to Vancouver a few times now, and there's always something new to discover.
Marco's brother Giulio lent us a voucher book for some money off at certain Vancouver attractions, and we chose to go explore The Bloedel Conservatory one rainy morning. The conservatory sits on a hill with a great view of the city and is surrounded by beautifully maintained gardens.
Inside the big dome is a world of tropical plants and exotic birds that was just the ticket to distract us from the greyness outside. We were given a little guide to the plants and birds and had fun spotting parrots, finches, and other feathered fellows amongst the foliage.

© Text & Photos - Annika - All The Live Long Day (unless otherwise stated).

Fine Tune: Findlay - Your Sister

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Melbourne - Part 2

On our last day in Australia, we treated ourselves to lunch at Charcoal Lane, a fine dining restaurant which employs and trains disadvantaged young people to provide them with work experience for further job opportunities. The food is modern with an Australian twist, using local produce and ingredients that are native to Australia. I ate an heirloom tomato salad with parmesan marshmallows and avocado puree, spiced kangaroo on a bed of vegetables, and lemon aspen & orange blossom honey panna cotta with hazelnut crunch for dessert.
After lunch we wandered around Fitzroy a bit and I spotted a famous shop sign. I went over to take a picture for my friend Christina, and while Marco and I were lurking around, who else should we run into than Pip Lincolne's partner, who stopped and chatted with us about cycling and politics. Cool beans!
Then we made our way down to St. Kilda, to stroll down Acland Street with its many bakeries. We took in our last ocean sunset and looked at the rides inside the old fashioned Luna Park. And this, my patient readers, concludes the series of my vacation snapshots from Vietnam and Australia. Thank you for coming with me!

© Text & Photos - Annika - All The Live Long Day (unless otherwise stated).