More Than You Need To Know...

To cheer myself up from the wet & rainy day which is our first day of Summer...  and as a little treat for a super busy morning at work.. I thought I would fill out a meme which I saw over at Amyschmamey...

name: Caz
birthday: Jan 11
sign: Capricorn
favorite food: Japanese

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favorite drink: Bubble tea..
favorite color: Teal/Aqua/Turquoise - greeny blue or bluey green..
favorite song this week: Erm.. I heard Airplanes on the radio and it reminded me how much I like that song... otherwise, probably Adele's Someone Like You.. 
favorite outfit: Jeans + t shirt or tank top, tho I'm trying to not wear jeans so much.. 
hobbies: Photography, sewing, fb gaming..  
guilty pleasures: Ninja Warrior - I don't know if that counts.. I'm not ashamed to admit I like it.. maybe Dating in the Dark.. haha.. that show is kinda hilarious...
last dream you remember: I don't really remember my dreams...
what comes to mind when i say cabbage: Sauerkraut
have you ever met a celebrity: Define "met"
favorite (new) blog: I've only recently discovered Keiko Lynn - does that count?
secret celebrity crush: I seriously don't watch enough movies to develop celebrity crushes.. secret or otherwise... 
favorite gadget: My blender, it makes my smoothies in the morning.. YUM!!
three things you can't live without: Fundamentally - food, drink & shelter?? Creature comforts - laptop, camera, Lucas pawpaw Ointment.. 
favorite harry potter character: Pass.. I have never read or watched any Harry Potter, nor do I have any desire to.. 
play any instruments: I've had piano, guitar, viola, flute & drum lessons.. I wouldn't necessarily say I "play" any of them tho... 
best book you've ever read: Time Traveller's Wife - I dunno if it's the BEST book I've EVER read.. but it's definitely one of my favourites... 
favorite quotation: I'm hard at work being idle - Oscar Wilde
favorite rainy day activity: Reading.. watching tv.. baking.. anything that does not involve leaving the house is ok by me.. 
what do you do when you're stressed: I get mad insomnia..
favorite time of the year: Tough call.. I love the heat and sun of Summer (HA! bit of a joke living in Edinburgh).. but I love being able to go play in the snow in Winter (HA! bit of a joke living in Scotland)... I really should rethink this choice of living location...
tattoos: Yes

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favorite animal: Monkeys! or dolphins.. 
crunchy or smooth peanut butter: I used to like smooth, now I like crunchy.. but I'd still eat smooth if there isn't any crunchy.. I love pb... 
foreign countries you've visited: How long have you got? And how do you define "foreign"?
favorite candy: Gummies... I like just about all gummies.. maybe sour coke bottles if I had to pick one...
cake or pie: Depends on what's in them and what my mood is... Key Lime or Apple Pies win over cake.. but molten chocolate cake would win over pumpkin or cherry pie... 
favorite holiday: All of them! Maybe Chinese New Year - but only if I'm in Asia... 
favorite flower: Bird of Paradise. Hands down.

Foodie Alphabet!

So I'm still in a funk after being told off for my tardiness this morning and all I have on my agenda today is filing.. so I'm going to fill in another meme to try and lift my mood before I tackle X's overflowing filing tray... *sigh* nothing cheers me up like food!! 


ABC
A: is for Apple, what’s your favorite variety? Granny Smith... crunchy and sharp! yummo!! If green apples aren't available, then Braeburns.. they are almost always crunchy and that is VERY important! mushy apples are yuck!

B: is for Bread, regardless of nutrition, calories, or whole grains what is your favorite type to have a nice big piece of? Brown bread with seeds and nuts.. nom nom nom.. or focacia... dipped in olive oil and balsamic.. or dukkah... nom nom nom... 

C: is for Cereal what is your favorite kind currently (just one!) muesli! muesli from real foods.. om nom nom nom... 

D: is for Doughnuts, you might not currently be eating them but what kind do you fancy? boston creme from tim hortons... but I'm not really picky.. I love doughnuts.. ooh oooh.. or those mini ones from the street stalls.. drowning in cinnamon sugar... mmmmmmmmini doughnuts.. 

E: is for Eggs, how would you like yours prepared? any way! I love eggs.. 

F: is for Fat Free, what is your favorite fat free product? yoghurt.. it's about the only fat free thing I do because fat free usually involves sweetners and I think it's far worse to eat things that are chemically manufactured rather than just eat sugar which is a natural product! 


G: is for Groceries, where do you purchase yours at? mostly Tesco... sometimes Sainsbury's.. bits and pieces from real foods... I wish we had a proper green grocer or butcher nearby.. 

H: is for Hot Beverages, what is your favorite hot drink? flat white if there's an espresso machine involved.. otherwise I'm not overly picky.. depends on my mood... I go between coffee and tea.. or Turkish Apple Tea.. sometimes hot chocolate.. 

I: is for Ice Cream, pick a favorite flavor and add a fun topping. hokey pokey! or stracciatella.. with crushed almonds on top.. or chocolate sauce.. 

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J: is for Jams or Jellies, do you eat them, and if so what kind and flavor? Berries.. anything berry flavour.. strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, boysenberry... ooh.. and grape!! I don't like marmalade tho.. ick! I agree with Mrs Biscuit that the Bonne Maman jams are pretty yummy!

K: is for Kashi, name your favorite Kashi product? I think the only Kashi product I've eaten is the Strawberry Fields cereal.. we don't get Kashi here.. so I say K is for Kellog's.. and my fave Kellog's product is probably Crunchy Nut.. I eat it outta the box like chips.. haha.. or pop tarts, tho they are so sweet they make my teeth hurt... but they are a fun treat.. 

L: is for Lunch, what was yours today? leftover sausage and spinach pasta bake from dins last night.. 

M: is for microwave, what is your favorite microwave meal/snack? popcorn.. that's about the only thing I cook in the microwave.. otherwise microwave lasagne is good too.. 


N: is for nutrients, do you likes carbs, fats, or proteins best? what does fruit and veges count as?? probably carbs? I love chips.. I've gone weeks without meat and dairy but chips are absolutely my weakness.. 

O: is for oil, what kind do you like to use? EVOO.. just OO..  

P: is for protein, how do you get yours? Steak, bacon.. pork chops.. lamb.. chicken.. I have no qualms with eating animals.. whale, zebra, kangaroo, ostrich, alligator, rabbit, boar, caribou, deer, reindeer.. I've eaten them all..  

Q: is for Quaker, how do you like your oats? baked in muffins!! 

R: is for roasting, what is your favorite thing to roast? sweet potato/kumara or pumpkin... 

S: is for sandwich, what’s your favorite kind? depends on my mood.. but anything that contains bacon usually wins my vote! 

T: is for travel, how do you handle eating while traveling? junk food!! road trips are for junk food!! otherwise I like to eat local when I'm travelling.. I'm game to try just about anything.. (bugs and insects.. not so much).. I ate iguana once when I lived in Honduras.. 

U: is for unique, what is one of your weirdest food combos? erm... nothing?? banana and peanut butter? or apple and peanut butter?? I thought it was weird when I saw my roomy Ash do it.. but I've seen other people eat it since.. so it can't be that weird! 

V: is for vitamins, what kind do you take? I take cod liver oil and some vitamin C.. when I remember.. when I'm feeling a bit down or can't sleep well, I take St John's Wort.. but that's about it.. 

W: is for wasabi, yay or nay? Yum! but only on sushi and sashimi.. or wasabi peas! nom nom nom... 

X: is for Xmas time treats, what is your favorite type? umm.. I don't think I have one.. candy canes? :D 

Y: is for youth, what food reminds you of your childhood? My mum or granny's cooking.. I ate loads of stuff as a kid.. maybe plum discs.. or Morinaga caramels.. or Chelsea Candy.. and Koala cookies!!  

Z: is for zucchini, how do you prepare it? Zucchini/Courgettes aren't something that I'd buy... I'll eat em if they show up on my plate.. but a couple of weeks ago was the first time I've bought them for myself.. I just sliced them up and put them in George (the mister's George Foreman grill).. they were yum! 







Thanks Mrs Biscuit for posting~


nb: I am happy to report that I am feeling quite a bit better after consuming a bacon & egg roll... and a wander around the charity shops at lunch time!! :) 

30 Days of me - Day 30

Day 30 - Your favourite song

This seems like such a strange one to finish on... almost seems too easy.. tho as I type that.. I'm thinking... it's really hard to pick just ONE favourite song...

Usually the first song that comes to mind is

But this is definitely a close second

And these two follow pretty closely behind that

 

They are definitely songs I could listen to over and over and over again... and over the years.. I have.. 

So there you have it!! My complete 30 Days of Me challenge!! It wasn't all smooth sailing and I've had some hiccups on the way.. but I made it.. albeit a few days tardy.. but I'm proud that I stuck with it to the end!

It's a gorgeously sunny day outside today and I feel like I should be outside making the most of it.. but I just cannot find the energy or the enthusiasm... we did a lot of stuff yesterday, flea markets, thrifting, going to Ikea, Sainsbury's, stopping by my work and didn't get home till late, then I made dinner... spaghetti & meatballs a la Ikea!! Made my first ever homemade pasta sauce.. SO EASY!! Never buying pasta sauce again!! (HA!) 

Then we were up early again this morning to watch the F1 race and we were going to go shopping at Primarni, but I'm broke.. so.. :(  tho a guy just called me about going to see a bike he's selling on gumtree, so once the mister gets home I might see if we wants to head out and see it.. and if he wants to loan me some money so I can buy it... :)  But I haven't actually been shopping for bikes so I don't really know how much bikes are etc... and I hate buying things without shopping around first...  bah! I really just cannot be bothered today!! BAH!!

I kinda just want to stay home, maybe do the last fix on my shirt skirt project, catch up on my blogging and hang out in my kitchen... I have ingredients for noodle soup and to make more tangy ribs.. ( I gotta have something to eat with all that cornbread I made yesterday!!)... *sigh*

Do you have days like this?? Where you feel like you just cannot be bothered!!??!! 

Bah humbug!!

30 Days of me - Day 21

Day 21 - A picture of something that makes you happy

Monkeys & Road Trips!!

Would it be insane to go to Baltimore...

Just so I can order a cake from Charm City Cakes???!!!!???? Of Ace of Cakes Fame!

And would it be just a little too crazy to spend US$250 on said cake??!!!

They have just released a new line called Cakes for Two (C42)... for those of us who don't necessarily have an event to plan and the US$1000 minimum to spend on a custom cake...  tho at $250 a pop... it's not exactly easy on the pocket! Even for a cake that feeds 15... that's more than a tenner a head.. for CAKE... GAH!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE Ace of Cakes... They just look like they have so much fun!! I would love a chance to go visit the shop (to pick up my $250 cake... eep!)...

This is the cake I think I would get if only I could bring myself to spend that much money on a cake...

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specially if I was going to make Mr J detour all the way to Baltimore to get it!! HAHAHAHAHAHA...

I would actually really like this cake....

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if only it said MONKEY CHOW!!!

Anyways... for all you lovers of Aces of Cakes!! 

pssst.. they are opening one in LA!!

If you don't already love this show... why not!?!?!

30 Days of me - Day 10

Day 10 - Songs you listen to when you are Happy, Sad, Bored, Hyped, Mad

I don't have any particular songs that I listen to when I am in a particular mood... I could be happy one day and wana listen to some songs and be happy the next day and wana listen to completely different songs...

When I'm happy, I generally like crappy catchy pop music... like top 40 stuff...

When I'm sad, I will usually put on something like Gabriel by Lamb, things that are just chilled and mellow...

Bored... just depends how I want to pick myself up from being bored... usually crappy pop music again.. so I can dance around the house and entertain myself... :D

Hyped... def Rock when I'm hyped.. usually coz I'm flying down a mountain on my snowboard... think... System of a Down.. Old skool Metallica... (like Master of Puppets & the Black album old)....

Mad... depends on what kinda mad... if I want to calm down... or if I want to rage and get it out of my system.. :D

Argh.. this is a super hard post.. I feel like I'm being super vague... but my music taste is pretty vague... so... I'm not copping out... honest...

But I can tell you there are certain songs that provoke certain memories which always made me smile... :)

Some are from so long ago, they are no longer relevant.. but it takes me back to that period in time...

ie. Who let the dogs out - Baja men, reminds me of my friend Tony... from high school days...

Brass monkey - Beastie boys, reminds me of my friend Joel.. from high school days when having massive subs in your car was the coolest thing EVER... :D

I like the way - Bodyrockers, reminds me of my Canadian wife... dancing on her bed in staff housing in Whistler... mad times... MAD times... oh man... I miss her so much... I miss you wifey!!! (noone talks baby talk like you do!!)

The muppets song.. the one that's like me nah me nah - on one of the early Triple J cd's... remind me of my friend Nick, who I'm not even friends with anymore...

I could go on, but those are the Main ones that come to mind.. and they are probably fairly boring for you all so... I'm going to leave it at that...

Thanks for reading... if you're still reading... I applaud you if you are!!!

As a reward... here is a picture of my favourite band... Shihad... homegrown in NZ..

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Awesomest Monkey Mister...

 Look what came to my work for me today!!!

12 Red Roses and a Mini box of chocs!!! NOMMMS!!!

I am a lucky monkey!! I can't decide whether the mister should be a monkey mister or a banana mister.. I think I like monkey mister better because of the alliteration consanance of the double m... It is apparently our 6 monthsaversary today... I am bad with dates... seriously.. it took me about 16 years to remember my MOTHER's birthday... honestly... there was one year I forgot my own birthday.. not because I don't know WHEN it is... just I didn't realise that it was THAT day.. until after dinner and I was like.. hey... it was my birthday today!  Yea.. that's how NOT good I am with days and dates... I dunno why... I think time for me is very fluid.. ie. I consider a "day" - as the time I wake up until the time I go to sleep... as opposed to, from midnight to midnight...  

I don't remember what year things happen, I associate memories with "time periods" ie. I was at uni when that happened, or.. I was working at that places when this happened... or I was going out with that person at the time...  I never remember months... I vaguely associate things with seasons.. ie.. it must have been summer because we were at a bbq.. or we were at the snow... 

So anyyywhos... I am bad at dates... I never remember them... but apparently the monkey mister does!! 

This isn't the first time he's sent me flowers mind you... the last two times I got flowers.. I got

Birds of Paradise.. :)  Coz they are my favourite flowers...

Happy Friday!!

Thanks for my flowers monkey mister!!

30 Days of me - Day 6

Day 06 - Favourite Super hero and why

This one was a toughy... I don't have a favourite super hero... I was never really into super heroes...

I mean.. I like Astro boy....

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and I rather loved Danger Mouse...

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But I wouldn't really say they were my favourite...

If I really had to pick a favourite character... then it would have to be Doraemon...

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And for those of you who don't know who he is... he is a cat (can't you tell??) anyways.. he doesn't have "super powers" per se... but he has a magic pocket... (that one you see on his tummy there *points*) and from it, he produces all sorts of fantastic things.. such as doors that make you travel through time and space... and dragonfly propellers that make you fly... and an entire host of other superfantastic things!! I used to read his comic books (or manga if you will) all the time when I was younger...

Most likely the reason I bothered every trying to learn how to read Chinese.. so I could read comics.. HAHAHA... anyyywhos... since this post is technically supposed to be about super heroes... I leave you with this...

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ARRRRR Monkey!!

I found..

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from

Hello Lucky

I <3 Monkeys
I <3 Pirates
I <3 Octopus

Hooorah!!!!! I am going to print this picture, take it home, frame it, or put it on my wall somehow...

It made me happy!! :)

I am also going to email it to the mister...  he emails me cute pictures all the time.. sometimes it feels like we have cute picture email-a-thons... which also make me happy.. :)