Does my passion for chocolate show? (That is a rhetorical question!)
This week I have been dreaming about sinful little balls of chocolate. I saw a recipe posted this week and it has haunted me. I think it is time to give in to the primal chocolate hunter/gatherer urge and just make them! Thanks to Shelly of Shak’in and Bak’in for this recipe.
Malted Milk Ball Cookies
3/4 c. butter, softened
1 1/4 c. brown sugar
1 c. granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1/4 c. cooking oil
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. whole bran cereal
3 c. malted milk balls, crushed
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with electric mixer on high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Beat until well combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs, oil and vanilla. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour and cereal by hand. Reserve 1/2 c. crushed malted milk balls to sprinkle on top. Stir in remaining malted milk balls. Shape dough into 1 1/2″ balls. Place balls 2″ apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Place cookie sheet on wire rack. Immediately sprinkle tops of warm cookies with reserved crushed malted milk balls. Cool on cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring cookies to wire rack to cool
I have to say that exercise is not something that comes naturally to me. Sport - what is it? Still, a girl has to do something to keep in shape, doesn’t she? This Fridays entertainment will increase your fitness while leading to who knows what future uses!
One of the best workouts I have had really didn’t feel like exercise at all and the best news of all is that it suits women of all sizes. In fact, the larger women have more to shimmmy with! Have you tried belly dancing? I tell you, nothing that has you wrapped in floating material and moving to music can be called exercise. You feel more like a butterfly than a Rocky.
Beauty Banquet has a gift set “Belly Dance Beginner” that is now available in store. The set comes with a really big, shimmering organza veil/scarf that can be wrapped around your body to make you feel as though you are in Arabian Nights. You can also use it as an accessory in some of your dances. With the scarf you will also get one of 2 instructional DVD’s by Neena and Veena, who are renowned belly dance fitness instructors. Both DVD’s are suitable for beginners.
Dance your way to fitness and float through your exercise routines. You won’t feel a twinge.
At long last it is Friday. I think we should make Friday stand out right from the beginning of the day. It has a feeling all its own, anyway, doesn’t it? Freedom lies at the end of this day….
How about starting the day off with a bang? Well, more precisely in this case, with a disco beat? Let me show you the Disco Alarm Clock from Cool Things.
This groovy disco ball is an alarm clock complete with disco music and flashing coloured lights from its rotating ball!
If that doesn’t put you in the party mood in the morning, then nothing will. Of course, you can still toss a pillow at it to shut it up but I can’t guarantee its survival!
Some Fridays are bigger than others and in those TGIF emergencies you will need these.
Your own ATM Machine. Really. Well, OK, this is really a money box but what a way to keep track of your dollars. Add coins and notes through their slots and the machine will add it all up for you. This is a high tech money box! Now just keep away from it over the weekend,
When you are really in a hard spot in deciding which Friday night invitation to accept
you need an excuse generator.
This device will create 10 excuses for you so that you don’t have to think about it at all. Think of the brain power saved!
Both of these gadgets are available from dStore.
If there is one thing I hate it is being kept waiting, especially in some strange bar or restaurant. I feel as though everyone is watching me.
Time for a new watch. One for me and one for ‘the man.’ Have a look at these.
Aren’t they lovely? How streamlined is the mans watch on the left? For me, I picked one with a bit of bling for my Friday night out.
These are both available from the large watch selection at
Essential Mall.
Sometimes you just fall over good things by accident and that is what happened when I found Glorydaze.
Some girls have a passion for shoes but I am a bag girl ( no, not bag lady!) Glorydaze makes a clever and colourful range of bags which are available on Etsy. Many are restyled military bags that are remade with the addition of unique and individually sourced material. Each bag is a work of art and the best thing is that there is a great selection of messenger bags - those universally useful carry alls! Just the thing to carry all my Friday night essentials…………..
Don’t even talk to me. I am tired and I want chocolate. What I want is the Big Chocolate Box from Rainbow Designs.
It includes all those temper soothing delights such as freckles, M&M’s, jaffas, clinkers, choc bullets, fantales, choc buds, cobbers, milk and caramel buds.
To aid the soothing process I should add some nice scent to my bath. 
No! Blow that! I want more chocolate.
Where better to get if from than Real Mums and in the form of Chocolate Moo Shake.? This is a rich and chocolatey bath milk that soothes the skin and the mind.
These little chocolate fixes should set me up for the weekend.
Going out can be a drama for the plus-size woman. It is really difficult to find something to suit the occasion that is available in anything over a size 14. A search of the internet will turn up lots of listings for swimwear and maternity gear with the odd smattering of lingerie thrown in. If you are looking for PM wear then the hunt is long and hard.
Enter Kivalin. Kivalin is an Australian online store that specialises in clothes for plus-sized women. Their range includes evening wear and dresses. The even have some light weight tops and jackets which can be worn with sleeveless tops if you prefer to be covered. The range includes a lot of lace and velvet, and has a slight touch of the romantic goth about it, but there are also the designs that are classically elegant and will never date. One such gown is pictured below, with its soft flowing lines and simple diamonte feature at the waist.
Here is a sample from their collection. If you really want to party on a Friday night, then take your plus-sized self to this great online store.
The cold nights have arrived here in the southern end of Australia and Friday night is fast becoming the perfect night to stay in and snuggle up somewhere really cosy.
These embroidered Mia Lucce pyjamas would be really comfortable, not to mention stylish if you just happen to be caught in them! Available from Ezibuy, they have been designed with an Asian influence on their styling.
Add this lovely, soft, faux fur blanket and you will feel warm and 
snug as you curl up beneath it. Available from DealsDirect this is a queen sized blanket in a lovely, soft rose colour. The breathable outer fur lining is made from 100% Acrylic while the inner layer is made from comfortable and warm Polyester.
Now just add hot chocolate with marshmallows and a good movie and you will be set for a great night in.
Pasta night…..
Pasta with roast pumpkin, feta & basil (vegetarian)
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 375g fettucine
- 1/2 small butternut pumpkin (500g), peeled, sliced 1cm thick
- 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
- 2 tbs lemon juice
- 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 125g feta, crumbled
- 3 roasted red capsicum (180g), thickly sliced
- 1 cup baby basil leaves
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Cook the pasta in a saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, then drain.
- Meanwhile, toss the pumpkin with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and lay flat on a baking tray. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes until tender.
- For the dressing, place the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a small bowl with lemon juice and zest. Whisk to combine.
- Combine the drained pasta, feta, capsicum and basil in a bowl. Add the dressing, season with salt and pepper, then toss to combine. Gently stir through the roasted pumpkin and serve.
This recipe is from Taste and comes out of that great magazine called Delicious. You can subscribe to Delicious at iSubscribe.
