This little baby is now winging itself to me. I can't wait to wear it.
Hurry hurry hurry...
Kitty
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
A cape is just a fancy cardigan.
I think Matches is now officially my new favourite online retailer.
On Sunday morning I noticed a new round of items had been added to the sale, or reduced further. Including this gorgeous Alexander McQueen cape. Now, as far as I am concerned, a "cape" is just a fancy cardigan, right? And at 70% off (with free shipping) it was just too good a deal to pass up. I tossed up whether I should buy the green or the aubergine, but the purple seemed just a litle to brown for my liking. I like my purples vivid and bright.
This little baby is now winging itself to me. I can't wait to wear it.
Hurry hurry hurry...
Kitty
This little baby is now winging itself to me. I can't wait to wear it.
Hurry hurry hurry...
Kitty
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Miss Kitty Cooks: Skinny pannacotta.
Sometimes our new years resolutions get the better of us and we tuck into that dessert. Admit it, it happened to all of us, whether we like it or not and I for one, usually feel quite guilty afterwards.Especially when new years eve is so soon a memory.
This year I am trying to be just a little bit healthier, so sugar, fat laden cakes and sweets won't be featuring in my daily menu plan, but some days I really just feel like something sweet to finish dinner. Other than fruit. Or Toblerone.
Enter the Skinny Pannacotta. Deceptively deceiving. It's creamy and sweet, yet light and I might even venture to say, good for you.
"But it's a PANNACOTTA!" I hear you all shout! "That means cooked cream!"
It sure does, but with a couple of modifications you can make yourself a dessert that is satisfying, delicious and under 100 calories per portion. And will also allow you to keep those new years resolutions intact for just a little longer.
Miss Kitty's Vanilla Yoghurt Pannacotta
(adapted from Bill's Food)
185 ml skim milk
50 g caster sugar
½ vanilla bean, split lengthways or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1½ leaves gelatine
250 g skim milk or non fat greek style yoghurt (I used Chobani in this recipe)
Place the milk and sugar in a saucepan over a medium heat. Using the point of a knife, scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the saucepan before adding the entire bean, or just add the vanilla paste straight into the milk.
Stir until the sugar is dissolved, then just bring to the boil before removing from the heat.
Soak the gelatine in cold water until soft. Squeeze out the excess water and drop the gelatine into the hot milk mixture and whisk until dissolved.
Add the yoghurt and whisk until smooth. If you are using a vanilla bean, strain the mixture through a fine sieve and discard the vanilla bean.
Divide between four 125 ml (1/2 cup) ramekins, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours, or until just set.
To serve, place spoonfuls of fruit coulis (not included in the calorie count) or chopped fruit on top of each pannacotta and serve immediately.
This year I am trying to be just a little bit healthier, so sugar, fat laden cakes and sweets won't be featuring in my daily menu plan, but some days I really just feel like something sweet to finish dinner. Other than fruit. Or Toblerone.
Enter the Skinny Pannacotta. Deceptively deceiving. It's creamy and sweet, yet light and I might even venture to say, good for you.
"But it's a PANNACOTTA!" I hear you all shout! "That means cooked cream!"
It sure does, but with a couple of modifications you can make yourself a dessert that is satisfying, delicious and under 100 calories per portion. And will also allow you to keep those new years resolutions intact for just a little longer.
Miss Kitty's Vanilla Yoghurt Pannacotta
(adapted from Bill's Food)
185 ml skim milk
50 g caster sugar
½ vanilla bean, split lengthways or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1½ leaves gelatine
250 g skim milk or non fat greek style yoghurt (I used Chobani in this recipe)
Place the milk and sugar in a saucepan over a medium heat. Using the point of a knife, scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the saucepan before adding the entire bean, or just add the vanilla paste straight into the milk.
Stir until the sugar is dissolved, then just bring to the boil before removing from the heat.
Soak the gelatine in cold water until soft. Squeeze out the excess water and drop the gelatine into the hot milk mixture and whisk until dissolved.
Add the yoghurt and whisk until smooth. If you are using a vanilla bean, strain the mixture through a fine sieve and discard the vanilla bean.
Divide between four 125 ml (1/2 cup) ramekins, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours, or until just set.
To serve, place spoonfuls of fruit coulis (not included in the calorie count) or chopped fruit on top of each pannacotta and serve immediately.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Viva la sale!!
Now that Project Nada is no more, Miss Kitty has been going on a bit of a sale spree.Tis the season and all. Support retail blah, blah...
We started last week with a gorgeous Camilla kaftan. Channeling Talitha Getty during her Morocco years, Faux Fuchsia and LovelyJublies, I figure it will be lovely and cool on some of the hots days we will be experiencing this summer. And I'm sure it will be perfectly accessorised, courtesy of Little G's peanut buttery paw prints. Glamtastic. When I showed it to Mr K, he thought it was a tablecloth. Still does. Oh well.
Now, I wasn't going to visit the UK sites much, but when I got an email from Matches enticing me with free international shipping, I thought it would be rude not to browse. After all, they sent me such a lovely note!
Unfortunately (for Mr K) they had exactly what I was looking for.
Remember I posted waaaay back in July about this Alexander McQueen scarf? I looked for it when I was in London but never found it. Combed the streets (well, Harrods, Harvey Nicks and Selfridges). I chanced upon the white version at Liberty's but honestly, who has a baby and wears white cashmere scarves? Recipe For Disaster in this house.
Matches had the original green scarf. For half price. Free shipping. SOLD!
While I was there, I popped these beauties from Monica Vinader in my basket too. A real steal. Unfortunately I got the last pair. Poor you. But they do have similar ones on the Monica Vinader website. Just not these ones. And not on sale. Yay for me!!
Matches free shipping code is FREEJAN, good until the 14th January. And they have loads of amazing things on their website. Seriously... Worth a forage.
All in all, a good sale haul. Miss Kitty has been a very busy girl indeed!!
Did you find anything great in the sales, lovelies?
Kitty xx
We started last week with a gorgeous Camilla kaftan. Channeling Talitha Getty during her Morocco years, Faux Fuchsia and LovelyJublies, I figure it will be lovely and cool on some of the hots days we will be experiencing this summer. And I'm sure it will be perfectly accessorised, courtesy of Little G's peanut buttery paw prints. Glamtastic. When I showed it to Mr K, he thought it was a tablecloth. Still does. Oh well.
Now, I wasn't going to visit the UK sites much, but when I got an email from Matches enticing me with free international shipping, I thought it would be rude not to browse. After all, they sent me such a lovely note!
Unfortunately (for Mr K) they had exactly what I was looking for.
Matches had the original green scarf. For half price. Free shipping. SOLD!
Matches free shipping code is FREEJAN, good until the 14th January. And they have loads of amazing things on their website. Seriously... Worth a forage.
All in all, a good sale haul. Miss Kitty has been a very busy girl indeed!!
Did you find anything great in the sales, lovelies?
Kitty xx
Monday, January 7, 2013
Project Nada
So - Project Nada. I ended up getting so close to my goal... 6 days before Christmas, Little Miss G and I were at Chatswood with my lovely friend Anna and I thought I would pop into Leona. Y'know. Just because. It's pretty in there and all.
Big Mistake - for Project N, that is...
I have been lusting after this dress for ages, but $500 is honestly a bit spenny for a Stay at Home Mumma whose pride and joy is currently two pairs of GAP track pants. On rotation. So when I saw it on sale, my interest was piqued... And then I saw they had my size... Well, I just had to try it on. And while I was ooohing and aaaahing and contemplating whether I would buy it, the person next in the queue for the change rooms said:
"If you don't buy it, I will."
SOLD!!
I have some significant events coming up - my birthday, Mr K's birthday, our 5th wedding anniversary - so I know it will get some wear. It also helps that the dress is called Georgie. Serendipity, I said.
Mr K didn't think so.
Oh well, better luck next time.
Kitty
Big Mistake - for Project N, that is...
I have been lusting after this dress for ages, but $500 is honestly a bit spenny for a Stay at Home Mumma whose pride and joy is currently two pairs of GAP track pants. On rotation. So when I saw it on sale, my interest was piqued... And then I saw they had my size... Well, I just had to try it on. And while I was ooohing and aaaahing and contemplating whether I would buy it, the person next in the queue for the change rooms said:
"If you don't buy it, I will."
SOLD!!
I have some significant events coming up - my birthday, Mr K's birthday, our 5th wedding anniversary - so I know it will get some wear. It also helps that the dress is called Georgie. Serendipity, I said.
Mr K didn't think so.
Oh well, better luck next time.
Kitty
Monday, December 17, 2012
Christmas (over)indulgence
I really need to stop the Christmas baking...
But yet I STILL want to make some gingerbread. We leave for Melbourne in three days and I am still trying to work out how I can fit it in without losing sleep. Well, too much sleep. I think an intervention is in order. And who better to stage it than Grumpy Cat?
Back away from the oven, lady...
What is your Christmas treat that you can't seem to get enough of?
K xx
Friday, December 14, 2012
Georgie in Paris
Dear A-M,
Have a wonderful time in Paris! I loved it there. My favourite parts were visiting the Eiffel Tower, the Tuilleries Garden, screeching at the Pompidou (fabulous acoustics for vocal exercises) and all the wonderful food I ate.
I wish I was coming with you but will have to settle for wearing this beret and eating my plastic croissant.
Lots of love, Georgie xxx
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Christmas baking: dark chocolate and toasted coconut shortbread
I have a confession to make. I love Christmas baking. Cookies of all shapes and sizes and types. Varieties. Yummy.
Every year I make Not Quite Nigella's cinnadoodles - they have become a Kitty family Christmas tradition - and melting moments. And I usually try to make a different new cookie as well. Last year I made pecan, cranberry and white chocolate cookies (which were delicious) but I was the only one who really liked them. Mr K is not a fan of white chocolate so alas, it was up to me to polish them off. I took one for the team.
I have a serious love of coconut so was thrilled when I stumbled across this recipe from Smitten Kitchen. I am a huge fan of Deb's cooking. She has never set me wrong. Her double coconut muffins are some of the best I have ever eaten and her blueberry crumb bars (also made in this house with raspberries) are heavenly. So when I saw the shortbread recipe I knew that was the one for me.
Make no mistake, this is a fairly high maintenance recipe. It requires chilling repeatedly and rolling out a fairly fragile dough. After reading the comments section about the cookie's tendency to spread, I added some extra flour and mine were fine, but I also froze the dough once it had been cut into hearts. Time consuming, yes, but it worked. And they were delicious. Great by themselves and certainly good with the addition of the chocolate drizzle, but on reflection you do lose a bit of the delicate coconut flavour once you smother it in Lindt 70%. Maybe I should have sprinkled more dessicated coconut on the chocolate?
Dark Chocolate and Toasted Coconut Shortbread
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, Originally from Bon Appetit , April 2004
1/2 cup (about 45g) dessicated coconut
3/4 cup (175g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
50g Lindt dark chocolate, for melting
Preheat oven to 160 degrees celcius. Spread coconut on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until coconut is light golden, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Cool completely.
Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Mix in salt and vanilla. Beat in flour in 2 additions. Stir in toasted coconut. Gather dough together, flatten into a disc and wrap in plastic. Chill at least 1 hour. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.)
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out dough disc between two sheets of baking paper to 1/2cm thickness. Using 4-5cm diameter cookie cutters, cut dough into rounds. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Gather dough scraps and reroll; cut out additional cookies.Chill dough in freezer for 5-10 minutes before baking in oven.
Bake cookies until light golden, about 15 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes then transfer cookies to racks and cool completely. Melt chocolate in a bowl over a pot of hot water then drizzle cooled cookies with the chocolate. Allow to sit until chocolate has set.
Store airtight at room temperature up to 1 week. Take it from me, they won't last that long!
Kitty
Every year I make Not Quite Nigella's cinnadoodles - they have become a Kitty family Christmas tradition - and melting moments. And I usually try to make a different new cookie as well. Last year I made pecan, cranberry and white chocolate cookies (which were delicious) but I was the only one who really liked them. Mr K is not a fan of white chocolate so alas, it was up to me to polish them off. I took one for the team.
I have a serious love of coconut so was thrilled when I stumbled across this recipe from Smitten Kitchen. I am a huge fan of Deb's cooking. She has never set me wrong. Her double coconut muffins are some of the best I have ever eaten and her blueberry crumb bars (also made in this house with raspberries) are heavenly. So when I saw the shortbread recipe I knew that was the one for me.
Make no mistake, this is a fairly high maintenance recipe. It requires chilling repeatedly and rolling out a fairly fragile dough. After reading the comments section about the cookie's tendency to spread, I added some extra flour and mine were fine, but I also froze the dough once it had been cut into hearts. Time consuming, yes, but it worked. And they were delicious. Great by themselves and certainly good with the addition of the chocolate drizzle, but on reflection you do lose a bit of the delicate coconut flavour once you smother it in Lindt 70%. Maybe I should have sprinkled more dessicated coconut on the chocolate?
Dark Chocolate and Toasted Coconut Shortbread
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, Originally from Bon Appetit , April 2004
1/2 cup (about 45g) dessicated coconut
3/4 cup (175g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
50g Lindt dark chocolate, for melting
Preheat oven to 160 degrees celcius. Spread coconut on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until coconut is light golden, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Cool completely.
Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Mix in salt and vanilla. Beat in flour in 2 additions. Stir in toasted coconut. Gather dough together, flatten into a disc and wrap in plastic. Chill at least 1 hour. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.)
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out dough disc between two sheets of baking paper to 1/2cm thickness. Using 4-5cm diameter cookie cutters, cut dough into rounds. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Gather dough scraps and reroll; cut out additional cookies.Chill dough in freezer for 5-10 minutes before baking in oven.
Bake cookies until light golden, about 15 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes then transfer cookies to racks and cool completely. Melt chocolate in a bowl over a pot of hot water then drizzle cooled cookies with the chocolate. Allow to sit until chocolate has set.
Store airtight at room temperature up to 1 week. Take it from me, they won't last that long!
Kitty
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