Sensation Appreciation

We experience every moment through our 5 senses, so it's about time we appreciate all of them individually. Here are my favourite experiences under the magnifying glass.

Taste

Coffee yoghurt with frozen raspberries

I hadn't heard of coffee yoghurt until recently, and boy had I been missing out. The delicious yoghurt is not dissimilar to the velvety mascarpone in tiramisu and the freshness of the raspberries cuts through the creaminess. I have 5am coffee beam flavour yoghurt, but I'm sure there are many different types. Best and quickest breakfast ever.

Smell

Lavender

Despite its spikey exterior, the scent of lavender is sweet and comforting. 

In aromatherapy, lavender is believed to be an antiseptic for treating infections, a circulatory stimulant meaning it relieves muscle spasms, pain and cramping, migraines and other headaches, as well as inflammation.

Studies have also shown anxiety and insomnia. A study conducted by Britain's University of Southampton, found that the scent of lavender eases anxiety and insomnia, which I can’t argue with.

I have a few different lavender scented belongings that I find calm and lull me into sleepiness including;

A lavender pillow handmade by my grandmother with the lavender from her garden; there is nothing more comforting than cuddling a pillow that smells like your grandmother’s garden and knowing it was made just for you.

Lavender essential oil that I use in an oil burner and diluted I use as a body spritz.

A lush body wash called twilight that helps “transition from day to night”.

Touch

Whether it’s your classic farmers flannie, flannelette bed sheets sheets or pyjamas, I cannot get enough of flannelette. It’s super thin and breathable but so soft and warming. It reminds me of a babies blanket, worn thing with love. What’s even better? Checked flannelette shirts (also referred to fondly as flannies) are in fashion at the moment!

Hear

Don’t get me wrong, I love listening to music, I’ve got Soundcloud and Spotify blazing 24/7 but the sweetest song to my ear is spoken word poetry. Check out Sarah Kay & Phil Kaye "An Origin Story" to get a taste and you won’t be disappointed.

Watch

Whale Rider (2002) directed by Niki Caro

“In the old days, the land felt a great emptiness. It was waiting. Waiting to be filled up. Waiting for someone to love it. Waiting for a leader.” - Pai

Since 2002,  I’ve watched this movie countless times and every viewing I’m surprise to learn something new. The New Zealand film follows a young Maori girl (Keisha Castle-Hughes) and her community’s struggle to find a new leader to lead them out of the darkness while upholding their ancient traditions. It’s quite a heavy film but I find New Zealand accents provide some comic relief.  

Recipe for Gingerbread with a Lemony Twist

 “But gingerbread is for Christmas?” You say. I know! And I wish I could pull the it’s-Christmas-in-July card but it’s still only May!

Let’s be real here, cookies are delicious regardless of the time of year, and the lemon icing gives them a fresh twist that makes you forget about Christmas.

My Favourite Recipe 

For the ginger cookies

125g butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup, firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup golden syrup

1 egg yolk

2 1/2 cups plain flour

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon mixed spice

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

For the lemon icing

1 ½ cups icing sugar

Juice of half a lemon (varies depending on how juicy your lemon is)

 1. Cream the butter and sugar. Add the golden syrup and egg yolk and beat until combined. Stir in the flour, ginger, mixed spice, vanilla and bicarbonate of soda and mix till smooth then smoosh all the dough into a big ball. Cover with plastic wrap and leave it in the fridge for 15 minutes. You can be generous with the spices for more flavoursome cookies. Also consider adding cinnamon or ground cloves. 

(Yes our spices are ALMOST in alphabetical order, super handy!) 

 2. While you are waiting for the dough to rest, preheat the oven to 180* and prepare some cookie trays with baking paper. Also flour your bench top ready to roll out the dough. 

3. Take a hunk of dough about the size of your fist out of the fridge. Put this on your floured bench top, flatten then roll out till it’s about half a centimetre thick. Use your favourite cookie cutters and separate them. Keep doing this until all the dough is rolled and cut and bake in the oven for 8 minutes. If your oven is like mine and gets hotter on one side than the other, rotate the tray after 4 minutes to make sure they bake evenly (unfortunately I didn’t think about this till afterwards and on one side of the tray mine got a bit burnt).

4. For the lemon icing, whisk the lemon and icing sugar together using a fork, it should be a bit sloppy (similar consistency to melted chocolate). Add extra sugar or juice accordingly


5. Once the cookies have cooled, dip the tops into the bowl of your runny icing and spread it around with a knife. Put them back on the tray and back into the oven that is off but still a bit warm, leave the door ajar and leave them there for 2 minutes. This helps the icing set. You can then remove the excess icing to neaten them up a bit with a knife or your fingers. 

6. EAT THEM! (or share them…)

  

Recipe adapted from http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/9761/gingerbread+men

How to create a kaleidoscope masterpiece

Okay so earlier today I was trying to paint a picture of a wave and it was super frustrating because I always find I can never put the image in my head onto the page. To make something really detailed, you need to put in so much concentration and it takes forever. I’m never patient enough to wait for the paint to dry and always end up ruining it.

BUT! I found this website called http://weavesilk.com and it is the most satisfying thing ever. Literally any way you move the mouse you are the next Picasso. It’s so relaxing and mesmerising, so wow.

 It's just like a kaleidoscope, you can never get the same thing twice, but it always looks beautiful. 

And I reckon I found the real life equivalent. 

This lady dipped snails into water and dropped in a bit of food coloring and put the snails on paper and they squiggled around likeVincent VAN escarGOGH (Pls laugh). 

I also tried this website (<- click) which translates the time into a hex colour code, so it changes shade every second, it’s also pretty calming.