golden beauty (or wanna have part IV)

'speech is silver - silence is golden'

__________________

I don't know what it is about gold watches that fascinates me. I used to think that gold watches are only for pimps and gangsters. Especially the big ones. When did I change my mind about that? I have no clue at all. All of a sudden, a golden wrist watch does not simply look good, but I really feel the strong need to have one!

But I keep thinking: are you sure? will you wear it? will it look good on you? is it really the watches that I like? or is simply the 'stacked' look?

I wish I knew the answer to all of these questions....  I wish I had a gold watch.... I wish I wish I wish...

xoxo linskaya

self-made jewellery

Around this time of the year, I normally get out my knitting stuff. yeah, you heard right: knitting! If you don't know it yet: knitting is no longer considered old-fashioned, boring or granny-style. Knitting has a new urban and stylish image if nothing else because of the graffiti knitting movement (see here for some great examples). 

But this post is not about knitting (I just wanted to make sure that you still think I'm cool *chrchr*). This year, I don't feel like knitting though - so I was looking for a new challenge. As I spend quite some time on Pinterest, I was inspired by the idea to make some easy diy-bracelets. After the first one (who turned out to look a bit clumsy), I really got addicted and made more and more of them in all sorts of colours, with different leather ribbons and special beads. Of course, I improved after the first few!

I could now tell you how to make them yourselves, but I won't. If you need a last-minute present or just like them enough to give one to yourself for no apparent reason (who needs a reason to make him-/herself a present anyway?!), I would be happy to give them away for a tiny contribution towards expenses. I'm even inclined to take orders and wishes as to what colour-combination you would like to have your bracelet in. I can even imagine making ones in different lenghts... so, be creative!

Just in case you should have severe sleeping problems because you don't know how to make them, you could still contact me and I'll gladly tell you. ;)

xoxo linskaya

red curry coconut thai soup

I realized that it's time for a recipe that is not weird in any sense at all! I know, I've been pretty experimental where my cooking is concerned... breakfast pizzas, baked eggs, chocolate dipped pretzels... well, today I'm going for something different. And guess what? It's even healthy! 

What I am talking about is a red curry coconut thai soup. and what a delicious soup it is!!! When I first tried this recipe, I was astonished not only by its great taste but also by the utter simplicity to make it. Believe me: I'm not a hell of a cook and I certainly don't like complicated menues (which is probably because I'm a tiny bit too structured when cooking and I'm always following the instructions of a recipe meticulously). So the less instructions the better!

And in times like these, where its grey and cold outside and the temperate crawls under 10°C... nothing warms you up better than a nice spicey soup.

Ingredients – serves about 4 to 6 as a soup course or light entrée

• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 2 heaping tbsp red curry paste (I’d suggest this one)
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 2 cups coconut cream
• 1 lime, halved
• 10 large button mushrooms, sliced
• a handful of baby corn, cut into halves or chunks
• a handful of snow pea pods, ends trimmed
• 2 chicken breasts, sliced
• 1 cup loosely packed cilantro, washed and dried
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions
In a medium pot, heat up the oil on medium heat for a minute or two. Add the red curry paste and stir until it starts to melt (1 or 2 minutes). Add the vegetable stock, coconut cream, lime halves and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.

Some extra advice for those of you who really like it healthy: Remove the pot from heat and allow to cool slightly (10 to 15 minutes). This will allow some of the oil to gather at the top so you can skim it of if you want to.

Put the broth back on the heat and bring back to a simmer over medium heat. You can remove the lime halves at this point. In a separate pan, gently roast the sliced chicken and add to the soup. Also add the snow peas, baby corn and mushrooms and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or just until tender.  Give it a taste and adjust salt and pepper to your liking (I usually like it very spicy, so I added a lot of pepper and some more red curry paste).

Now spoon into serving bowls (you best use preheated ones) and top with sprigs of fresh cilantro. And you’re done! Nothing left to do but to spoon out and wait for the soup to warm you from the inside…

Until my soup is ready, I'll snuggle up in a blanket and read a bit!

xo linskaya

a wall for everything

I recently tried my hand at a bit of diy homeworking on an old wooden sunblend. You should know, before I begin, that I knew absolutely nothing about the subject. And truth be told, I still don't. Luckily, my boyfriend does!

We spent a whole (still warm and sunny) saturday in our garden working on these two old sun blends. The idea - I don't like to admit it, but it was his idea - was genious. We wanted to decorate two old wooden sunblends with a blackboard, a metal (magnetic) sheet and lots of clips. In short, we wanted to create the perfect wall for everything: for keeping businesscards, postcards from friends, photographs of funny occasions, menucards to order from take aways and for being able to keep a "To-Do" or shopping list.

I have to admit that I enjoyed myself A LOT! haha... drilling, painting, screwing, polishing, milling... just my kind of stuff! I should definitively do that more often. It's a very liberating feeling when you're dirty and tired but utterly happy... besides the fact that you made something no one else will ever have in just the same way.

So, my female friends, pick up the drill and hammer and get to work!

xoxo linskaya