What I achieved with my weekend...

The above drawing, which I am far too proud of considering it could easily have been completed by a 5 year old. This delight was a product of crafternoon, a very pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon (Thank you, Tara, for the awesome word! Thank you, Julia, for the actual crafternoon).

The cleaning and organisation of my bedside table.


You should have seen how dusty it was, I would have taken a before photo, but I was too ashamed to show you all how disgusting it really was. I added the framed print and sorted my jewels into piles on plates, instead on the clump of tangled jewelry it used to be and voila it looks like new (I suppose you'll have to take my word on that...). I have recently been inspired by the amazing homes and studios on The Selby to make more of an effort in my own spaces.

So that was my relatively pathetic effort, I hope that all of your weekends were much, much more productive than mine.

First

Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of a fateful day which saw Jaimie put pen to paper (or fingers to keys) and write a hilarious post called '5 ways to purge that guy you are kinda seeing'. It was thus that she birthed our blog, with Vanessa and I as her reluctant sidekicks. And I for one am dang glad she did.

Happy birthday Number One Millionaire, and thanks, dear readers, for sticking around.

All I have to give

I'm not going to take the conventional route, here, and apologise for being gone for so long. The truth is, you wouldn't have wanted to hear from me anyway. I've been in no state for blogging. Unemployed, pennyless and lonely, my words of woe would only taint this lovely space with an unpleasant yellowish-grey tinge of misery.

Instead, I'm going to share with you the only good thing to have happened to me in the past week: this sandwich. It was cast into my unsuspecting lap by the internet gods, and with a little of my own tinkering and creativity, became a beacon of light, a reminder of hope, of joy, of food, of yum.

This deconstructed felafel of sorts is all the things I look for in a recipe these days: cheap, easy, healthy, yummy. I reckon that if you're lucky enough to have a job, or go to uni, or have something else occupying your time, this would make a great packed lunch. Maybe take the wet ingredients in a box and assemble before eating though, to avoid something which resembles the dreaded soggy sandwiches of our primary school days (yuk).

Chickpea Salad Roll

Not the most appetizing of photographs, I know, but I'm going for this new, rustic honesty style

1. Prepare this smashed chickpea salad, as seen on the always fabulous Smitten Kitchen food blog. I also added mint for an extra bit of herby fragrance.

2. Mix a few tablespoons of tahini paste with a little lemon juice and olive oil

3. Take a fresh, fluffy piece of Lebanese bread (I like the ones made by Peace Bakery) and spread with the tahini mixture. Also spread with a little harissa for a touch of spice if desired.

4. Top with a thick stripe of chickpea salad down the middle, a few pieces of sliced tomato and a handful of baby spinach leaves or lettuce.

5. Roll up all nice like, folding the bottom up first, then turning in the sides for mess free eating.

6. Send me an e-mail offering me a fabulous job as a reward for the genius of this recipe. Please?