My Saturday - belly dance, shopping and cooking

This morning I had a sleep in and then headed out to belly dancing class. I love belly dancing class - it is a lot of fun, and a genuinely worthwhile exercise that brings results. Since I've been doing that and body balance, my torso, arms and legs have toned up really well. I love to shimmy - that is a move where you move your knees quickly so your bum wobbles. I especially love it when I can hear the jingle jangle of my hip scarf.

We always laugh a lot in class - I have two other friends that come with me, and we spend a lot of the time being silly with each other - doing raunchy moves, ribbing each other about our ability and laughing with the rest of the girls in the class. Today I managed to do the whole hour long class without needing a rest! This is a big accomplishment for me. I commented on this, my friend joked with me that I must be feeling better or being less lazy than usual! I think my rock hard abs are developing from equal parts laughing and dancing. I know my lovely teacher reads this blog too, so a shout out to her and her funny analogies.

Here are some photos of me in my gym gear. I know - leggings as pants. It's ok though - my leggings make it easier to see the moves.



This is my coin hip scarf. Isn't it beautiful? So opulent. I love the purples and golds and all the other colours it makes when it catches the light. I have two others - a pink one and an el-cheapo yellow one I bought from eBay for $1.99, but this one truly makes me happy (and maybe a better dancer!).


After dancing my friend went to the local massive shopping centre and had a laksa to counteract all the exercise we just did. It was delicious.

While my friend bought earrings, I tried on my first diamond ring that was worth about $4000. The sales assistant told me that I shouldn't have to wait for someone else to buy it when I can buy it for myself. I told her 'Oh yes I will have to have someone else buy it at $4000'! It was beautiful. So shimmery, so sparkly - I could definitely see it on my finger. One day.

I bought two things.

With my free $30 Witchery voucher I bought a beautiful wool cardi. I put money towards it and it actually only cost me $15.45 - it was once $90! For once it's not a grey cardi (I have four!). It's like a greyish blue.


I also bought the new Angus and Julia Stone album - Down the Way.

It is gorgeously packaged - a little bound book that ties at the side. I can't wait to listen to it later as I do my uni readings.

I've also cooked two things tonight.

Some stewed apples and strawberries for a yoghurt cake that Faux Fuschia, the glamourous, domestic goddess of the blogosphere has inspired me to make. The apples are from my parents' tree. I love home made stewed apples, and in the winter, I love them with rhubarb and strawberries. This time I didn't put cinnamon and vanilla in, but I usually do. I did dust them with vanilla sugar though. Stewed fruit allows you to use the fruits that look a bit sad. My strawberries looked sad tonight.



For dinner I made lamb chops in the pan with fried potatoes - I love how the potato takes on the flavour of the lamb chops. I also had broccolini, sweet potato, carrot and purple cabbage. The vibrant purple cabbage and green broccolini went so well together - I've always loved a purple and green colour combimation. It was a delightfully colourful meal. A variety of colour also means I ate a variety of nutrients.





Here are some things I like in my little kitchen. I enjoy that everything here reminds me of loved ones or a great experience I had.

I really like plates and here are some of them. They all kind of match too. I think they look good standing up against the black tiles.

This green one is handmade pottery from Beechworth. I have a large bowl of the same design that I keep on the table. It reminds me of a James Gleeson painting. The purple one you can kind of see is just an el-cheapo from Target - I liked the purple pansy design.

This one with butterflies is from a friend one Christmas.

This one has a scarecrow on it. A family friend painted it for me when I was about eight, and she passed away soon after. I always think of her when I use it as a spoon rest. She lived next door to us when I was a baby and she would look after me a lot to give my parents some time out.


This is my seasoning tray.


The design on the tray is not visible, but it is another present from my dad - it has a droopy looking dog on it - a Weimaraner I think - it looks like a John Brack painting, but it's not. On the tray is salt, a pepper mill I bought from the Salamanca market in Hobart, and an oil decanter I bought in Beechworth at Christmas in 2008 - it has been handpainted in Australia and supports an organisation creating awareness about factory farmed animals. I love the green birds on the decanter.

Finally, here is my utensil rack - my Dad made this for me out of a small wire baking tray and fish hooks. It holds all the small utensils I need for cooking - it is very handy and I think every kitchen should have one. It's like a mini galley.

Hanging from it is a pickled onion catcher, mini grater, cheese knife, bottle stopper, kitchen scissors, regular scissors, egg separator, lemon zester, lemon juicer, whisks and lots of other goodies.

So that was my day. It was nice. Soon I will either make the yoghurt cake or do some reading for uni. I bet it's going to be making the yoghurt cake...

Tomorrow I will clean my floodrobe and sort clothes (because the cleaner comes on Monday) and start my first assignment of the semester.

This is a nice weekend.