Monthly Archives: December 2013

Merry Christmas!

When friends come together, when family stays over and when there is a certain magic in the air as you hear ‘Love Actually’s’ soundtrack played on repeat in every store.

When snows falls in the north and the sun blazes in the south, when the summer solstice and winter solstice collide and when the songs of birds sound more melodious than ever.

When gift wrapped presents glint under trees, when Santas sell candy canes, furniture or booze and when many a Rudolph decorate the lawns of suburban houses.

Continue reading →

So quoting Miley Cyrus is definitely not how I want to start out this post (or any of the other to come), and which is being published after what seems like a million and a half years, but she does (did?) have the right idea because I am not kidding you guys, the United States of America is like an ongoing party.

Everywhere you go there are

Stories to be told (oooooh gossssiiipppp 😉
~~Great~~ SCRUMDIDDLYUMPTIOUS FOOD (in massive sizings) – which I shall happily share with you
Lights. Bright, flashing, lights everywhere!
Such super friendly people – I mean, these guys can strike up conversations in lifts and not even feel a touch of shyness 😀

Continue reading →

Holiday Post #3: White Christmas Slice

December 21, 2013
Choc Chip Uru
39 comments
bar, copha, festive, jelly, lollies, Starburst, white christmas slice

With Christmas only one week away, I am sure you are seeing many of the following categories of people:

People with different accents – visitors, family, friends, globally congregating to spend the festival with their loved ones
Street Santas – Be they for charity or hired for photos, Santas are everything (though the Scottish accent is not always in place :P)
The Runners – People literally marathon-ing it through the shops, trying to find last minute presents for people they forgot or for those who have just gotten off work for the holidays
Christmas Carollers – Though not so common in Australia, I am sure other places are seeing a flurry of warmly dressed, candle holding bunch singing Silent Night, acapella style 🙂

Can you not feel the Christmas spirit in the air? 🙂 – And with only a week to go, next post (if my jet lag has not stopped me from baking) will mean one very Christmassy recipe!

Where am I right now (or where will I be when this post is published?) – I am dancing in grass skirts, flowers in my hair and a big piece of pineapple in my mouth – yep, through my super subtle clues you guessed it – Hawaii! 🙂

While I bathe under the golden sun, feel free to try this recipe I am sharing with you wonderful people – one of my most popular christmas presents when I made it, it is just gorgeous 😀
And it is super simple too!

Continue reading →

Holiday Post #2: Scottish Shortbread

Guys, Christmas is only two weeks away – what are you doing here sitting around, not buying your presents, or organising your parties, or ensuring the Christmas turkey can fit in your oven?

Reading my post? Ain’t that sweet, gnawww you guys! Ok fine, but after this you simply must get back to your baking, your making, your gift-wrapping 😀

Where am I (or will I be at this moment, considering I wrote this post a while ago)? Well, I am gambling, drinking and accidentally getting married by an Elvis Impersonator.

JOKES!
I am not 21 yet, so according to US legal stuff, I can’t. 😉

But yes, I am in Las Vegas, seeing the night life, living the dream and not sleeping – I am pretty darn sure I am not sleeping right now 😛
But besides all that, I am still pretty gosh darn (how mild!) excited hat Christmas is coming up!!!

And with Christmas, comes Santa’s favourite cookies… which seem to disappear before Christmas Eve at my place but maybe Santa likes giving me presents early? 😛

**************************

Now, I don’t know why there is a little bit of country-ism going on here, especially around such a festive season, but apparently, these shortbread are Scottish.

Frosty Baby!

Continue reading →

Holiday Post #1: Rocky Road

This week, I am cruising (quite literally) in the Caribbean, enjoying the Pirates (Jack!!!), the rum and the wonderful feeling of having every luxury designed by man at my fingertips 🙂

I can see the sunsets, the sunrises, in all their peachy glory and I despite writing this in advance, I already know that the atmosphere is making me giddy, while I drink my Pina coladas and what not 😉
But I will of course, tell you more when I come home!

At the same time, I refuse to neglect you all in the blogging world completely because I am holidaying it up in Barbados! I may not be commenting on your blogs, but I still want to share recipes that I made from ages ago, but never posted up. Since Christmas festivities are growing, and the mood is coming, I thought I would share the xmas sweets, the recipes to be given as gifts, or to leave out to Santa, because he is such a cutie-patootie!

Hope you enjoy them all! 😀

**************************

Rocky Road.

I do not know who invented this genius creation and thought ‘Hmm, let me mix things through melted chocolate!’ – simplicity equals genius, it is just so obvious here!

Continue reading →

Well… I’m Off

Hi guys. So I do not have much time to write a lot in this post, though it includes an awful lot (contradictory, aren’t I?) 😛

But don’t blame me – it is SO my brother’s fault – he got me involved in a very heated Scrabble battle.

In the tiebreaker we TIED – 307 to 307, we are what champions aim to be 😉

But anyway, you are probably wondering about the title. I do this a lot to you.

Continue reading →

CCU Undercover: Four Friends – Coffee, Chocolate & Tea

December 21, 2013
Choc Chip Uru
56 comments
chocolate, crows nest, four friends, gourmet, indulgent, nsw, review, tea

CCU looked over the array of chocolates lining the shelf, glimmering with untold flavours, begging to be eaten. She noted the macaron tower, the dusting of glitter sparkling under the rays of light filtering in through the windows.

‘I could get used to this…’ she thought to herself, as she ambled around the shop, taking photos and enjoying the aroma of chocolate surrounding her.

She had no idea that out of this experience, she would be receiving a lot more than just a wonderful chocolate afternoon tea…

*********************

Have you ever experienced an epiphany? Met someone who made you wonder, question and think about life from a whole other perspective you thought might not even exist anymore?

In a world as corporate and money-minded as the one we live in today, it truly is now a dog-eat-dog-world. All the old sayings, such as ‘nice guys finish last’ are actually true and we have multinational corporations taking over small businesses and honing them to be money-making machines. However, I realised that as a result of this mass profiting venture, the quality is compromised and we, as their customers, get used to it, not questioning it, because advertising sells it as the best.

Continue reading →

Match Made In Heaven + Giveaway Time! (Closed)

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

There were slates of clouds scattered throughout the sky, dimming the blue and creating an overcast. Glimpses of rays dodged between them, creating natural spotlights on the earth below.

He was walking, quite stiffly if I do say so myself, through the park. He looked all crinkly, and not fresh at all, as if he had definitely seen better days. ‘Ugh, how to do it, how to do it!?’, a single though revolving through his mind. He could feel his fingers probing at a lump in his pocket, its soft velvety texture not providing any reassurance.

She was coming to meet him in only 10 minutes, and he just wanted the world to stop so he could just breathe. He could feel himself melting by the heat of his stress and the pressure placed on him.

Continue reading →

CCU Undercover: Cafe Boheme

Honestly, I think each time I break my apparent vows of silence on my blog, I feel guilty enough to host another giveaway – while it is not my Blog Birthday giveaway, it is important and coming up soon 😀

I guess that is good for you all, though I hope you haven’t missed me too much! I kind of deserve any frustrated tomatoes thrown my way so go ahead, I have got my eyes shut tight!

*Splat*

*SplatSplat*

*SplatSplatSplat*

Is out of everyone’s system? Ok cool, good stuff guys 😛