So, here we all are again, Wednesday nearly already. Not long til the weekend, I'm planning something to enjoy and distinguish it from the drudge of the week.
Last weekend, on Sunday, we had plans to go down the beach in the morning, have a coffee and just hang. However it was a rare totally grey sky in Australia and rather than just fester inside all day Mr BC said he fancied going for a bush walk.
We packed up some bacon and eggs and the picnic baskets and headed up to the lake & waterfall with plans to build a fire and cook some brunch. Yep beach one way, lake the other. Love Australia.
Look, I know the brunch is nothing fancy, just grabbed a pack of bacon and half a dozen eggs and threw in a plastic sliced white loaf & HP Sauce. But sometimes that's just what you need at the weekend isn't it? I find it easier to just lose any ideas of fancy and follow a simpleworks for me procedure.
And it worked so well. What is it about boys (and big girls like me) and fire? They got all boy-scoutish and built it, they cooked on it, I sat by it and then we all poked sticks in it…
I'm not pretending this was no work, it took a bit of effort to pack it in the back of the car (and simply had to throw in my new vintage $6 crochet blanket, mmm mmmm)…but in terms of reward versus hard labour. No brainer.
That looks so beautiful. I’m really grateful for a glimpse of the landscape inland from you!
I was thinking of you a lot, yesterday, as I started re-vamping a ste of ramshackle shelves I picked up from the roadside the other day. I had a quick look at your makeover posts and set to work! It’s nearly done – I’ll post about it when I’ve got it finished to my satisfaction! Thanks for the inspiration.
Yum…the bacon and eggs look SO good about now! You certainly live in an amazing area- I’ve been to Sydney once and fell in love with it.
Great post Sarah.
Your family must hate going out, everything is about setting up shots for your blog. Nothing seems natural or spontaneous. Each to their own. You have done some nice styling for your teenie cottage but it lacks quality, it is better to have a few quality pieces than lots of cheap trash. I would throw those floor rags you have in your bedroom and invest in a nice quality rug, it would pull the room together better.
For inspiration there are many blogs to visit. This blog is inspirational and her styling is tasteful, appealing and she has an eye for quality http://brookegiannetti.typepad.com/
Sally
Hi Sarah, That looks like a lovely spot and I am sure you all had a lovely time. You are an inspiration to all of us that ‘get’ thrifting and living on a budget and besides its so satisfying to make a home wonderful through imagination rather than just throwing money at it (hey whos got it these days anyway) keep up the great photos and blog. Regards and best wishes.
as for the above comment about spending more money, i love your unpretentious style!
love the beautiful bush table setting with candles in jars.
keep up the great work..
LOVE LOVE LURVE YOUR BLOG.
Brings so much joy to my day and always looking forward to your inspiring finds and remodelling.
My new home is finally getting the attention it deserves!!
Having trouble finding you on the technoarti site?
Cheers
Justine
Love it, love it. What a gorgeous site. How fun is camping/picnicking with family in nature. Some of our family’s best memories. Love the charming, easy presentation- campground picnic tables can be a tad grotty & bird poopish. I say give the kids a tablecloth & jamjar candles along with the bacon & eggs! Bet they loved it.
That looks like alot of fun! What a great way to have a picnic/brunch! My husband would love it! Can’t wait to see what you will reveal on Thursday! Love your blog. hugs, ~cindy s~
Okay Sarah, you are awesome. Look at your chair by the lake! Oh my! How sweet. Waterfalls? Brunch? Can it get any better? Looks like you all had a fabulous time together. Thank you for sharing!
Loved this post. I was thrilled to see a little of your surroundings…the lake is fantastic.
Cute setup for your brunch…and the eggs and bacon taste 100 times better when cooked out like that. I know ya’ll had a great time!
And, that Sally girl can go fly a kite!! :O)
Hey Sarah, Good to see the boys doing something! I just had to leave my own comment because I always thought that if you can’t think of anything nice to say you shouldn’t comment at all – are you reading this Sally? Why don’t you put your life on display and then we can compare?
What a great post! I agree… Australia is lovely
Sarah i just love your blog. LOVE IT! The other week i inherited a brass iron bed which i thought should go straight to the tip and then after reading your post about the black mirror… i decided to paint it black and it looks GREAT!
Thanks for the inspiration.
Sarah, What a lovely day and the bacon and eggs look great..I have been to Aussie land and it is wonderful..we were in Perth for 10 days…loved it and the country side.
Sarah–This is beautiful and reminded me of my Girl Scout days (sans the covered chair and candles, of course What a great family outing in such a serene-looking place. I love the little egg cups!
Hi Sarah, and thanks for popping over to my blog. My blue washed shelves are at the bottom of today’s post, and I’ve put a link to you as the inspiration, so thanks very much!
That reminds me so much of the waterfall where we live. It’s about 200 yards from our front door, but we don’t take advantage of it enough. When I see your lovely pics of the beach and start longing for the “greener grass on the other side,” I make myself stop and remember what a beautiful place we have ourselves. A running creek, trees for miles and hills are abundant. It’s beautiful, but I still long for the sea. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I hope you enjoyed your waterfall adventure!
What is it about the cooking over an open flames in the great outdoors that just whets my appetite? I am an avid camper and this looks like a perfect morning to me!
Beach in one direction and lake in the other? Sounds like my house, ain’t life grand?
What a grand day this must have been. I was feeling lyrical till I saw the slip covered camp chair. Then I started whooping with laughter. I plan to visit more often.
Oh I think this looks gorgeous. So much fun, and yes it is what memories are made of. I am in a bit of shock though after reading Sally’s comment. Doesn’t surprise me that she is “annonymous” and hasn’t left a link. I do agree with one thing though. Velvet and Linens blog that she recommends is one of my faves and it is inspirational, however, I dont think Brooke has the same budget constraints and it would be so much harder to have great style like you do Sara on a budget and you do it “FABULOUSLY”
G'day! I'm Sarah, I live in a tatty old cottage, near the sea in Australia with a battered old deck & a big old fig tree out the back...stripped wooden floors, old sash windows & a jumble of vintage furniture. [Read More …]
G’day ladies, oooh have I got a good Beach Cottage recipe for you or have I got a good recipe for you. Well it’s actually not Beach Cottage, I cannot claim that… So, a couple of months ago I met up with a couple of blogging friends, AllConsuming and Mrs W for a lil [...]
G'day ladies, let's have a Too Easy Beach Cottage recipe yeah? The original place for Too Easy Recipes on the web ;-)
So, after my last salad went down a storm in my inbox, that's here if you missed it, I had to do this one seeing as I make it most weeks.
There is a problem with this salad and kiddos though...it looks, well, it looks, kinda yucky...but once they try it, they'll ask if and when they are next having it....at least that's what happens in this ratty old cottage...but I must interject here that my kiddos are 'good eaters'? ...they didn't get a choice in that ;-)
Now, stop, don't start running and hitting that next on your blog reading list, pulses are your best friend in the Too Easy Dump & Go kitchen for the busy mum, or busy anyone for that matter...that reminds me I must blog the garlic canneloni Go To for when you forgot to do dinner, feel like a bath but have three ravenous young Beach Cottage Kiddos on your hands...another day.
I am almost embarrassed to tell you how easy this is, we have it so much that I always have a couple, make that six, cans of lentils around and a jar of goat's cheese in the fridge...the great thing about this is that it's all too easy to get ready in just a few minutes, but it looks, tastes and seems like you did oh so very much more than that.
You can obviously too change it up a bit depending on what you have to hand in your kitchen, and I must say that is how I settled on this version...because one day when I made it I didn't have enough Parsley in the garden and so I chucked in some basil too, and liked the Summer feel it added.
I think of this as being a rather posh salad, not sure why, because it couldn't really be further from the truth...the great thing is that it works so well for an average run of the mill day, (when I did this for this blog post, it was a hot Sydney Sunday and I did it just simply to go with Rosemary & Garlic stuffed pork, you can see that pork here),
...but just as easily it works on a regular old Wednesday night when you have lost all enthusiasm for rustling up yet another meal, or indeed on Saturday night, when your friends are on their way over for dinner and you my friend, are in your new vintage inspired clawfoot bathtub (that's me in a few weeks time, k?) without any clothes on, a tipple and no idea what to cook for dinner...
I have a complicated and ever-changing relationship with goat's cheese...it never fails me in its performance and it never fails to impress me (you can find out a bit more on what I like in food here if you like) and I kinda collect it...because it's very easy to collect and has a fairly long fridge-life, I love trying out different ones and there's not many things I love more than goat's cheese on sourdough...but I think the best thing about it is not thinking about it exclusively in the toast/salad department...I've stuffed it in chicken and all sorts of things as a last minute and it's been fab.
But let's get down to the nitty gritty of this super salad that makes you look like an angel who has been on her knees all day scrubbing the front step when really you are in the digital world and spent most of ...
G'day Beach Cottage ladies, howdy, howdy howdy today for a Beach Cottage Too Easy recipe.
If you like cake, cream, sugar and chocolate, make this.
This is, rather than a recipe, a putting it together...as you know I am no dessert maker, but, I do make quite a few sweet things, because, somehow I have ended up with kiddos, who in their roles as offspring, believe that part of the deal, is that not only do I feed them a home-cooked meal with a few homegrown ingredients in there, yes, they also believe that dessert and not the kind that comes out of a packet is included too in this All-Inclusive Deal they call Parenthood.
So, this, for sure, is no culinary masterpiece, but if you are looking for something that is so very easy, dump-able, uses everyday ingredients and at the same time makes you look like you spent hours pulling things together plus tastes good....well, then this is for you.
Best though, you don't make this for yourself, if you have spent the most part of your week sitting on your derriere reading blogs...this my friend ain't low in the calories department...if, however, you are treating yourself to a delight in a mason jar, this is so for you.
I first had a version of this when at dinner back in Old Blighty with a girl, I once, in another life, caught the train up from our village to London with...she was a funny thing really...I am not quite sure how we got on...she was kinda prissy and a bit bothered by too much...I would run to the train flustered, having got up late, and she would have a spreadsheet on the train times, if you know what I mean.
Anyway, a few years later when we both had bambinos, I bumped into her again and we met up for playdates and dinner sometimes....this particular night, after a lovely meal she served up little bowls of creamy, cakey fruity stuff topped off with chocolate flake...it was delicious!
She didn't serve hers in little jars like this, hers were in a champagne glass and not quite so layered as these ones, plus she used tinned fruit not fresh or frozen.
Years later when said offspring kept requesting dessert, one day I wangled together somehow these from what was around in the fridge and they've been with us ever since.
Most likely, if you ever come here for dinner, and shock horror, you dont' bring the dessert with you, this, if you are lucky, will be what you will get.
Throw it all together, sprinkle a lil bit of chocolate on the top and the blog reading past-time you so rudely left in order to make this, is my friend, your oyster.
Beach Cottage Too Easy Layered Raspberry, Cream & Sponge Dessert
1 small maderia or butter cake or a pack of cupcakes (or of course make your own)
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
8 tbsp fruit
1 x chocolate Flake or chocolate bar for grating
1. beat the cream cheese until it is soft
2. whip the cream until soft peaks form
3. combine & add the sugar through
4. cut your cake into portions
& layer into the bottom of your jar
5. add a tablespoon of fruit
6. layer on top the cream combo
7. repeat
8. grate chocolate or Flake on top
*Beach Cottage Recipe Notes : this is just a guide really, you can use any cream that you have on hand...I have made this with clotted cream (don't even go there unless you want to seriously get these babies on your thighs), with double cream and I have even, in desperate times squirted in that, ...
G'day Beach Cottage ladies, well I thought it was time for some blogging tips here today, alongside a few nice flowers and shells ;-)
I was recently part of a blogger discussion group over at Kidspot and a couple of hours later had a few questions from girls who couldn't make it to the live chat, one was on my Facebook page and one via email, the Facebook one I will deal with in another Real Girl Blogging Tips post...the email one asked me what essentials do I think every blog needs?
Well I have been around here for a while now doing the blogging thing, so I should know this, yeah and I mused this on my walk by the sea this morning I thought well what do you only need?
...I think it is really very easy when blogging, whether or not you are blogging up there in the lofty heights of the Super Bloggers or you are just dipping your toe in the water, to get side-tracked by 101 million different things that are 'essential' to your blog and if you are someone like me who actually gets a thrill from reading blogging tips then you are in an even worse place because you will find yourself literally buzzing with these essential things to add/do/implement on your blog.
However, walking along, gulping down that brisk sea air today (no sunshine & clouds) I thought you actually don't need any of that professional blogging stuff to be successful...but there are a few things that are pretty much crucial ...and once I started to think about it I got it down to about 5 - these are the only things that you need to concentrate on...once you have read through take a look at some of the big girl's blogs...you'll see that actually they don't have bundles of stuff on their blogs...but they do have all of these...
So here are my top things that your blog must have
1. About Page
There are all sorts of About Pages out there, and if you search on it there are many different tips and ideas for what to have on yours
Whatever blogging platform you use, adding an About Me Page is easy, quick and simple and will do everything to grow your blog.
I like a long-ish About Page, I am inherently nosy and I like to know a bit more about the person but at the least you should have on it your name and where you are located. I also think a photo is good too...over the last year or so I think this has become more important in blogging - if you are hesitant about that as I was, you can try using sunglasses or a behind shot until you get comfortable.
There is nothing worse than stumbling upon a new blog and going to find out more to only be faced with a piddly little one liner About Me Page...well there is something worse, not having one at all!
2. Contact Page
The chances are someone, somewhere will want to contact you and you will be surprised what lands in your inbox once you put yourself out there on the world wide web with a blog.
Many bloggers also use this page to include details for PR's/brands that may want to contact them and some bloggers put their stats on there too.
A short, to the point and simple Contact Page works really well...whenever I have wanted to contact another blogger I am often very busy and have limited time so I don't want to hang around sifting through information looking for an email address, so concise and clear ...
G'day lovely Beach Cottage lovelies.
So, yeah, so on a roll people, so on a roll.
I feel kinda home accessory wired right now.
I am always telling people, if anyone ever listens, that blogging is all about passion, not that sort of passion, but about passion that makes one tick.
Things like this make me tick tick boom.
I love finding things that suit my budget and let me treat my home but look amazing too.
So without further adieu I introduce you, ladies of the beach, to the blue vintage glasses that I have been stroking for about a week or two now...
These glasses are from a little boutique I sometimes happen upon, this boutique sells also pet accessories, carpet cleaner, bras and compost...it's quite unique though.
And, thanks to my friend Marnie (she blogs over here, go take a look at her praying position, interesting), who just so happens to be one day having me over for a lil' Greek dinner, has let me in on the fact that we call Kmart....The KMart...with an accent ....as in 'I love The KMart'...just like her MIL does. Oh yeah. Love that.
So I have had my eye on reproduction vintage glass blue wine glasses and being trying to find real true vintage blue glasses for like ever.
Oh yes I have spied them in Frenchy boutiques, I have lusted after them in stores that I shouldn't even enter and I have put them back pretty quickly in those shops with the hand-written price tags. C'mon, you know the ones.
And, though all of the above have tempted me, muchly, really, even with my wardrobe stashing skills I just thought that, actually, I'd rather be saving that casherooni for our next trip overseas..
Hello The KMart.
Tick Tick Boom
Vintage style blue wine glasses.
Do not come to my old place and think you might pick up one of these and smile with pleasure at their handblown quality, their weight, and be secretly jealous that my wine glasses cost more than your car...friend, that would not happen...these do not feel like that...indeed these in a funny way reminded me of my baby girl, she was a tiny little thing, with stick legs, the tinsssssssiest ankles and wrists you ever did see, she slept sideways in her cot wedged in between rolled up blankets and would only settle attached to Mr Beach Cottage or I or a (dirty) pj top of mine scrunched up under her nose...the first few times I picked her up to cuddle, being used to Honeymoon Baby who weighed in at 9lbs at birth and has never really stopped growing, I nearly threw her little bird-cum-rat down covered body over my shoulder.
These glasses are like that...be careful or you might lose your wine down the front of your shirt.
But oh baby, we are not talking picking up here, we are not talking quality, we are not talking house accessory snobbery.
Beach Cottage ladies, we are talking aesthetics.
And this is what I need in my cottage.
Blue vintage style glass, paired with coastal / nautical / beach stuff on my deck.
It's The KMart.
Tune in tomorrow, tomorrow, I have more budget foofing for your home, or maybe it will be the dress that wraps me up in supermarket-chic and makes me feel like me again.
Good Day to you my friends, wanna come hang out on my deck, talk house accessories, The KMart and drink some wine from blue glasses?
Sarah
The perfect Aussie Brunch. Nothing like a great bush walk followed by a simple yummy brunch.
Fantastic setting
Alison
Okay, you got me. I am not the best camper. But I am sucker for a picnic! The waterfall shot is magnificent, thank you for sharing.
That looks so beautiful. I’m really grateful for a glimpse of the landscape inland from you!
I was thinking of you a lot, yesterday, as I started re-vamping a ste of ramshackle shelves I picked up from the roadside the other day. I had a quick look at your makeover posts and set to work! It’s nearly done – I’ll post about it when I’ve got it finished to my satisfaction! Thanks for the inspiration.
What a great brunch! Thx for sharing it !!
m ^..^
Yum…the bacon and eggs look SO good about now! You certainly live in an amazing area- I’ve been to Sydney once and fell in love with it.
Great post Sarah.
Your family must hate going out, everything is about setting up shots for your blog. Nothing seems natural or spontaneous. Each to their own. You have done some nice styling for your teenie cottage but it lacks quality, it is better to have a few quality pieces than lots of cheap trash. I would throw those floor rags you have in your bedroom and invest in a nice quality rug, it would pull the room together better.
For inspiration there are many blogs to visit. This blog is inspirational and her styling is tasteful, appealing and she has an eye for quality
http://brookegiannetti.typepad.com/
Sally
Where did you get the pan you were cooking on? I would love to have something like that.
What great fun! Looks like the day was perfection, every detail, from what nature provided to what you provided! Beautiful!
We just got back from are vacation and when we were up there we saw three waterfalls they are soooo pretty!!!! Great post!!
Love, Madison
Hi Sarah, That looks like a lovely spot and I am sure you all had a lovely time. You are an inspiration to all of us that ‘get’ thrifting and living on a budget and besides its so satisfying to make a home wonderful through imagination rather than just throwing money at it (hey whos got it these days anyway) keep up the great photos and blog. Regards and best wishes.
Beautiful pictures! Made my day!
<3 Lindsay
Lovely little trip for you and your family and with a fry up at the end of it….. Heaven.XXXX
Oh my goodness, what a gorgeous outing! Thanks for sharing so many beautiful pieces of your life.
Aahh what a fab way to spend the day.
love
Alison
x
as for the above comment about spending more money, i love your unpretentious style!
love the beautiful bush table setting with candles in jars.
keep up the great work..
LOVE LOVE LURVE YOUR BLOG.
Brings so much joy to my day and always looking forward to your inspiring finds and remodelling.
My new home is finally getting the attention it deserves!!
Having trouble finding you on the technoarti site?
Cheers
Justine
Well, you put my sorry lazy a** to shame, I’m here to tell ya! What on earth is HP sauce?
Brenda
Sarah,
Even camping with you looks elegant. I love your campsite.
Gretchen
Looks like you had a lovely time! Love the simple tablescape too!
hugs,
Rachel
Love it, love it. What a gorgeous site. How fun is camping/picnicking with family in nature. Some of our family’s best memories. Love the charming, easy presentation- campground picnic tables can be a tad grotty & bird poopish. I say give the kids a tablecloth & jamjar candles along with the bacon & eggs! Bet they loved it.
That looks like alot of fun! What a great way to have a picnic/brunch! My husband would love it! Can’t wait to see what you will reveal on Thursday! Love your blog. hugs, ~cindy s~
Looks like my idea of Heaven!!
yummy and the setting is so lovely and dreamy!
Okay Sarah, you are awesome. Look at your chair by the lake! Oh my! How sweet. Waterfalls? Brunch? Can it get any better? Looks like you all had a fabulous time together. Thank you for sharing!
Blessings,
Marie
Loved this post. I was thrilled to see a little of your surroundings…the lake is fantastic.
Cute setup for your brunch…and the eggs and bacon taste 100 times better when cooked out like that. I know ya’ll had a great time!
And, that Sally girl can go fly a kite!! :O)
That first photo is surreal! What a beautiful setting and wonderful outdoor brunch you enjoyed.
~Susan
What a great outing! I love the photos and I know exactly what you mean about boys and fire!! What a fun meal to cook up over the fire too!!
What a nice outing…, and the fireplace is just great.
Hey Sarah, Good to see the boys doing something! I just had to leave my own comment because I always thought that if you can’t think of anything nice to say you shouldn’t comment at all – are you reading this Sally? Why don’t you put your life on display and then we can compare?
cheers,
lg
What a great post! I agree… Australia is lovely
Sarah i just love your blog. LOVE IT! The other week i inherited a brass iron bed which i thought should go straight to the tip and then after reading your post about the black mirror… i decided to paint it black and it looks GREAT!
Thanks for the inspiration.
What a lovely day! Thanks for sharing it with us.
Well my mouths watering at the thought of that bacon sizzling on the barbie… mmmmmm. What a perfect Aussie brunch Sarah.
Hugs ~ Kerryanne
WOW! Amazing pics of the waterfall. I wish that was my scenery for the day. Thank you for sharing.
WOW! Yup, my mouth is hanging open.
Sarah, What a lovely day and the bacon and eggs look great..I have been to Aussie land and it is wonderful..we were in Perth for 10 days…loved it and the country side.
Barbara
Sarah–This is beautiful and reminded me of my Girl Scout days (sans the covered chair and candles, of course
What a great family outing in such a serene-looking place. I love the little egg cups!
sounds like bliss to me and I
love that chair!! xo Lynn
Hi Sarah, and thanks for popping over to my blog. My blue washed shelves are at the bottom of today’s post, and I’ve put a link to you as the inspiration, so thanks very much!
Great pictures! Looks like fun.
That reminds me so much of the waterfall where we live. It’s about 200 yards from our front door, but we don’t take advantage of it enough. When I see your lovely pics of the beach and start longing for the “greener grass on the other side,” I make myself stop and remember what a beautiful place we have ourselves. A running creek, trees for miles and hills are abundant. It’s beautiful, but I still long for the sea. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I hope you enjoyed your waterfall adventure!
It all looks lovely!! What a wonderful place to hang out. Doesn’t food taste better when it’s cooked outdoors?
Happy OW!!
It looked like you had a lovely picnic. ta ta for now.
Joyce M
No doubt a good time was had by all. Lovely place to have a picnic. You are in a beautiful part of the world. Enjoyed sharing your picnic.
I had to smile when i saw your wonderful stripped chair cover at your Brunch! Design even while out in the wilderness
TTFN~~Claudia
It’s like being with you on the walk. Beautiful photos. We just recently put picnic baskets together for the kids. I love to make gifts like that!
What a beautiful waterfall, what fun this must have been!!
What is it about the cooking over an open flames in the great outdoors that just whets my appetite? I am an avid camper and this looks like a perfect morning to me!
Beach in one direction and lake in the other? Sounds like my house, ain’t life grand?
What a grand day this must have been. I was feeling lyrical till I saw the slip covered camp chair. Then I started whooping with laughter. I plan to visit more often.
I love it!!
We have 3 year old grandson, Drew, Saturday. He’s spending the night, too.
We have an iron “fireplace” on the patio. We are going to pretend camp and roast marshmallow, for s’mores.
Oh I think this looks gorgeous. So much fun, and yes it is what memories are made of. I am in a bit of shock though after reading Sally’s comment. Doesn’t surprise me that she is “annonymous” and hasn’t left a link. I do agree with one thing though. Velvet and Linens blog that she recommends is one of my faves and it is inspirational, however, I dont think Brooke has the same budget constraints and it would be so much harder to have great style like you do Sara on a budget and you do it “FABULOUSLY”