Chocolate Brownies with Raspberries

When it comes to baking, I have this system. I would print off recipes on scraps of paper of things that I stumble across on the net and when I finally feel like it, I would make it. If I don't like it, the recipe gets binned. If I love it, the recipe gets copied into my pretty recipe book permanently.

The collection of scraps of paper I have lying around has grown ridiculously over the last few months. I have now got a thick wad of folded A4 papers in my bag that I lug all over the place. Just because you never know when the mood might strike - be it food shopping for ingredients at the supermarket or hanging out at a mate's place and the need to bake strikes!

Anyhooo I've decided I need to get rid of all these papers so recently I've made:

* Chocolate Chips Cookies with bacon ... so good! Photos to come.

* Avocado Cake ... not so good, it tasted like avocado. Duh! Recipe binned. Yay one down!

Last night, I made these so-called Best Chocolate Brownies ever! They aren't bad but I don't know if I would have been so bold as to call them the best ever. Oh well. I'm actually not that much of a pure chocolate dessert person. Chocolates themselves, sure. Something fruity covered with chocolate sauce, I am so there. But pure chocolate chocolate dessert? Meh.

So anyway, these aren't going into the recipe book. But still good. I've also recently discovered a combination that is a match made in heaven! Decadent moist and slightly warm dessert with a dollop of tangy greek yoghurt. S.O   G.O.O.D and healthier than ice cream! Next up, lemon squares!

How you doing??

Definition of A Grown-Up

For those of you who don't know, Dad is a lawyer. When we were younger, we used to love going to his office to muck around. From walking past the busy grocery shop downstairs with the strong exotic smell of fresh coffee being ground up to venturing up the scary dark staircase that led to Dad's office, everything seemed like such an adventure.

Dad's office was the epitome of grown-upness (it's a word!) with the stacks of papers and Dad's special way of filing (triangle of yellow paper clipped to the corner so that the agreements don't crease) and Dad's funny wig and robes (No he does not have a dress up fetish.. it's for court appearances, ok?!). Come Christmas time, there were always stacks of diaries and desk planners for the new year gifted to him from the likes of American Express and what not. He would always give them to us for use and we would feel very grown-up and self-important because of it.

Well looksie here... Hello, world. I am officially a grown-up. Voila, gift from one of our suppliers.

All Over This!

I am SO there!!! Except for the last one cos' that's just nasty.

Chopper Ride December 2011

I was lucky enough to go on a 40 minute helicopter ride with our American visitors at work last week. It was an awesome day in Auckland so the timing was perfect. The trip out to the helipad was a bit stressful due to the heavy Friday traffic but we were only 5 minutes late which was a miracle. Totally enjoyed it and like I always said, nothing beats Auckland on a gorgeous sunny day. I LOVE SUMMER!!