2013

2013 was a year of stuff happening. 

Jim and I went to Vietnam together. 

Highlights included food, food, food and everything costing a dollar. 

I started my first proper grown up job with a month in Melbourne, working in a factory (lol) and living with a bunch of weirdos (hello if you are reading!).

Highlights included fun adventures and more food. 

Then I went to work in a normal office where I spent most of my time handing out cookies, stuffing my face in the bistro and taking bathroom snaps of Basque dresses which fortunately tend to be quite stretchy. 

Jim and I rented an apartment together! Our flat has two bedrooms and two balconies but more importantly, a good kitchen. 

And as of my 24th birthday, it also has a pink Kitchenaid in same. 

Thanks James!

Then Jim and I BOUGHT an apartment together! We don't move in until the end of January so no snaps yet. 

I also got better at baking. 

Anyway all in all 2013 was a good year, especially living with Jimmy and making some new friends, but I have a good feeling about 2014 too. 

I'm Wide Awake It's Morning

I loved Bright Eyes in high school - still do, really. My little sister used to always make fun of my 'terrible' taste in music (while listening to Groove Is In The Heart on repeat), until she got older and was always asking me did I know this great Bright Eyes song she'd just discovered. 

Since I can't sleep here is a list of Bright Eyes songs I like, accompanied by some unrelated snaps. 

The Calendar Hung Itself. This has been in my head for weeks. Thanks Liam for introducing me to Bright Eyes via this song. It's still my favourite. 

Lover I Don't Have To Love. 

Lua. 

Bowl of Oranges. I used that as a related text for Imaginative Journeys in year twelve English. I still think it was an awesome choice. 

First Day Of My Life. 

Haligh, Haligh, A Lie, Haligh. 

You Will. You? Will. You? Will. You? Will. 

Make War. 

At The Bottom Of Everything. The intro is the best. 

Festive

Only one month 'til Christmas!

Let's get into the spirit with some snaps of Christmas past. 

Yay!!

Mars Bar Baked Cheesecake

So a while ago my friend Blake (hello if you're reading!) did me a favour in exchange for a cheesecake. I don't like cheesecake that much so I'd only ever made one before in my life but it had turned out pretty well (according to my friends - I didn't eat any) so I was keen to try it again. 

I used Faux Fuchsia's baked cheesecake recipe, which you will have to google because I don't know how to do links via the Blogger app. It's pretty straightforward but I didn't have my Kitchenaid yet and had to do the whole thing by hand, so even with Emily helping (thanks again!) it took half the day. 

I guess it turned out okay though because Blake asked for another one, only Mars Bar flavoured this time instead of plain. Except he only likes baked cheesecakes, and EVERY recipe for Mars Bar cheesecake is for the kind with gelatin that sets in the fridge (apart from one that just advises stirring chopped Mars Bars through your plain cheesecake filling), so I had to come up with my own variation. And here it is:

Ingredients

250g chocolate biscuits

100g melted butter

500g cream cheese

4 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

Vanilla essence

Nestle Top n Fill caramel

1 packet Fun Size Mars Bars

Method

1. Put your biscuits in a food processor for a few seconds to turn them into crumbs, or, if you're me, put them in a plastic bag inside a second plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin for half an hour

2. Brush a springform tin with a little melted butter, then mix the rest through the biscuit crumbs and press them into your tin (base and sides) to form a crust. Refrigerate for a bit. 

3. Meanwhile, mix the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in your Kitchenaid until smooth

4. Add the eggs and mix some more

5. Pour the mixture into your biscuit crust. As you go, plop some of your caramel in then use a knife to swirl it all about. 

6. Bake at 160-170 degrees for about 45 minutes. Once your cheesecake is baked, chill it in the fridge for several hours or overnight. 

7. Top your chilled cheesecake with heaps of chopped up Mars Bars. Serve at room temperature for maximum gooey deliciousness. 

Tips

*I wasn't that impressed with the caramel Top n Fill, it was too thick to work with plus it cost four whole dollars. Next time I'll try making my own, or I might just use ice cream topping, which I think would be fine.

* When I say cream cheese I mean like Philadelphia, not that Kraft cheese spread in a jar. I only say this because I once knew someone who made that mistake. 

I have to say, even though I'm not wild about cheesecake and I don't much care for caramel, I really enjoyed this. I can't wait to try more variations of it!

I did burn my base though which was disappointing. Any tips for avoiding this? Any ideas for other cheesecake flavours?