:: Because We Are All Busy : 15 Rad Recipes For Baked Risotto

via

1. Bacon and Tomato Risotto via BBC Good Food //// here
2. Tomato and Parmesan Risotto via The Vine //// here
3. Oven Baked Risotto Carbonara via Delia Smith //// here
4. Bill's Risotto with Tomato and Zucchini via ABC Sydney //// here
5. Baked Mushroom, Bacon and Spinach Risotto via Donna Hay //// here
6. Oven Baked Risotto with Mushrooms and Thyme via Rachel Allen //// here
7. Baked Spanish style Risotto via Silvana Franco //// here
8. Honey Baked Pumpkin Risotto via Taste //// here
9. Baked Mushroom Risotto with Sauteed Eggplant via Vegie Num Num //// here
10. Oven Baked Tuna Risotto via The Australian Women's Weekly //// here
11. Oven Baked Pumpkin, Leek and Chicken Risotto via Taste //// here
12. Oven Baked Red Pepper Risotto via BBC Good Food //// here
13. Baked Sage and Saffron Risotto via Martha Stewart //// here
14. Baked Beetroot and Goats Cheese Risotto via A Foodie Lives Here //// here
15. Oven Baked Risotto with Italian Sausage via The Australian Women's Weekly //// here

So bake some rice!

xx Pip

:: Spread It Thin...

images via Dos Family

Hello!  I have lots of things to show and tell this week... but not yet!  I have been kind of frazzled finishing off the projects for the new book.  Cam has had a chronic tooth ache and has been a bear with a sore tooth.  Max has been peaky.  I have been recuperating. Ari has been flighty.  It's been a weird week and was one best forgotten, methinks!

THIS WEEK is going to be super great. I can feel it.  Can you feel it?  I have a whole week to work on the book by myself (if no one else gets sick!)  And it's nearly AUTUMN which is my favourite season. And there will be no natural disasters.  I am sure.  Yes.

What are you doing this week?  What have you been doing?  Here are some links for you, because you are RAD.  Hope you did not miss me too much last week!

• The Lost Prince : an amazingly great BBC production (you can view it on YouTube here) : it features the doomed Romanovs and the hidden Prince
• Look at these gorgeous baby blankets!
• Twitter : please DO follow me and say hello!
• Lara and her cute apartment were in the Herald Sun on the weekend and I think she might be about to be featured somewhere else...!
• This recipe for Baked Risotto : via The Vine : I made it (doubled the recipe and it was SO YUM!) You should make it tonight.
• Dos Family are still touring HANDBAG CONTENTS!  I love this so much. A hangover from my teen magazine reading days, I always DREAMED that someone would photograph the contents of my bag! Sheesh.
• Robyn : I really love Robyn. Her site is slow to load, but very snazzy.
• At Swim Two Birds is making lovely crocheted potholders here
• Do you remember when I made ravioli? Remember the soundtrack to that video? It was by Fujiya and Miyagi... and they have a new album out. (Thanks to 3RRR's Breakfasters for the heads up!)
• Also Steve played a great, moody track (well a LOT of great tracks, but this one particularly!) on Far and Wide  on Friday : listen here
• Offspring are shooting Season 2 in our neighbourhood
• The new Built By Wendy Coats and Jackets book!
• Oscars Live!  Watch them here sneakily while you are pretending to be productive!
• Noel Fielding of The Mighty Boosh : as Kate Bush (or Boosh)
• Mette made this cute alphabet tote!
• Words With Friends : I can not stop playing this game! (I am meetmeatmikes if you play too!)
• Five Daughters : a grim but amazing BBC drama about a series of murders in Ipswich.   On YouTube here.
• The Victorian Lady on YouTube : HEAPS of good stuff to watch

xx Pip

:: Printcess

images via Style.com

Incredible, florally, print laden Fall 2011 collection by Mary Katrantzou.  Very Liberty meets Otami meets The Tudors methinks.  What do you think?

xx Pip

:: Brown Owls and Yellow Owls too

yellow owl :: from Beci's Shop!

Brown Owls is a craft club for nice people.  It's a very inclusive and fun way to meet other people, and you might get to learn some crafty skills or even share some skills you have.  Brown Owls is for novices and experts alike.  It involves Cake or Cheese or Wine or Tea, usually.  If there is not a Brown Owls in your area, you can start your own group.  Please send me an email if you would like to start a group.  I think I have missed a couple of emails from people who have wanted to start groups.  If I missed you, please forgive me and email me once more. My email is meetmeatmikes at gmail (dot) com

Brown Owls is about making new friends and having fun.  It's not a craft course.  It's a fun time. It's a community and it is a great thing to be part of. I have made some of my very favourite friends at Brown Owls, and maybe you will too.  Did you know that this is the 4th year of Owling along!  Yesiree!

There are a few groups running now, but locally there is a BRAND NEW fledgling group tomorrow (Wednesday) night in Brunswick (Melbourne).  If you live out that way you should TOTALLY go and make some friends.  Details are on the Brown Owls member blog.

The Brown Owls event blog is here
The Brown Owls facebook page is here

xx Pip

:: This Is What's For Dinner...

This week my publisher Hardie Grant are sharing some recipes from some of their very best cookbooks over on Facebook.  This dish is Parmagiana de Melanzane from Italian Food Safari. Did you know that I saw Maeve O'Mara (who wrote this book) when I was at the airport in Sydney?  My flight was delayed and I ended up sitting in the terminal next to a couple of very nice nuns for an hour.  Maeve's flight was not delayed and she did not get to sit next to any nuns.  I bet she would regret that, if she knew what she missed. I bet she is totally the type of lady who would like to sit next to nuns. Regardless of nuns, you can find the recipe for Maeve's dish over here, as well as one from Greg and Lucy Malouf's Saraban cookbook.. and more to come this week.  You can save the recipes and print them for your recipe file. If you have a recipe file. And if you don't today is a good day to start one.

And while we are talking Hardie Grant, I quite fancy a peek at this book : Monday Morning Cooking Club or this book (Two Greedy Italians) or this book (Tartine Bread) or even this book (How I Cook) and I really like Ross Dobson too!  You should look Ross up. His books are really great.  I really like the mushrooms with red wine and chili that he makes.  Yum.

I am really excited that the extra cute My Grandma's Kitchen is about to come out.  It is a kid's cookbook with recipes by that institution that IS Margaret Fulton. What a lady.  I have had a peek at this book (which Michelle Mackintosh designed) and it is really cute. I can't wait to get a copy for Ari.  He likes to cook, you know?

That is the end of me talking about my publisher.  I am only doing it because they really do publish some great cookbooks.  If you don't believe me go and look. You will see I am not fibbing. You will.

xx Pip

:: A Room Of My Own...

image via

Hello!  I am back in my studio today. It's a bit of a secret place, isn't it? I mean, I haven't shown you any photos of it. I guess it is a bit private for me. So much of my life is accessible via the internet or our shop, it is very nice to have somewhere that is a bit of a mystery. Somewhere just for me, at least for now. If that makes any sense.

Of course if you come to visit Victoria's shopfront (which you should!), you might be able to see a teensy bit of my space too... but for the most part it is secret squirrel. I think it is good not to share every single bit of your life... because that is very exhausting and a lot to live up to. When I am here I don't have to be on show at all. That is really nice. It's nice to have some time out and just get on with things. It's kind of a hide-out, I guess!

I have written the new book here (except for the last little bit which I wrote in bed!), and I made most of the projects for that book here too. I am about to start work on book four here. Do you know, I can get a zillion things done here. This place has super-powers.  Honestly. That was a lot of 'here's, wasn't it?!

Do you have a studio? Or do you have a sun room or spare room where you make things? Or do you do it on the lounge room floor? Or in your bedroom? Where do you make things? Do you want a studio? What would it be like? Do you need a room of your own? Do you have a hideout?  Or a secret sanctuary?

xx Pip

:: Zee Winner

The winner of our giveaway was chosen by Rin this morning! Good work Rin! Here is the winner!

lucyrogue 2 days ago
Comment comment comment comment comment.
Love love love.
Thank thank thank.
You you you.
From from from,
Lucy lucy lucy.

Please email me LucyRogue and we will pack and send your prize to you! Congratulations and thank you to everyone for all their lovely comments. I really do appreciate you and all you do. I do. Yes.

xx Pip

:: Thinking About Lunch. In Japan.

I have posted this video before, but I really love it. I thought you would not mind if I posted it again, in case you have not seen it.

I have been listening to the Shrift album. You might like it too!

xx Pip

:: Liberty Valance...

Liberty's new season fabrics see them team up with some of our most beloved illustrators! Nice work Liberty!

 Lauren Child and Quentin Blake are just for starters, there are also lovely prints inspired by Brian Wildsmith, Hello Kitty and Emma Chichester Clark. I have seen these fabrics in the window of Cleg's in Melbourne. If you can't see them there, then pop over to Liberty instead! And make a Valance.  If you want. (sorry)

xx Pip

:: Sibling Nicety...

Oh my stars. Look what was in my email this morning!   You probably already spotted this over at Frankie today, but I had to post this here (just like Georgia!) because this embroidery is completely beautiful.  I think you should totally visit  Maricor Maricar and perhaps even head to Mart Gallery for the opening of this exhibition in early March.  It is in Sydney. Wowee-awesomeness.  Do you know what makes this even better? That two SISTERS made these works together.  That is so great, no?

xx Pip

:: Thanks! Win!

Gosh.  Do you know what? In the last week these things have happened::

• I handed in BOOK THREE!!!!
• I had a life threatening stoopid asthma attack (I am fine now!)
• I found out my book 'Sew La Tea Do' will be published in France (by Hachette) and the US (by Shambhala)
• My book 'Meet Me at Mike's' is about to come out in the States
• We sealed plans for a 'Meet Me at Mike's' journal!
• I nearly finished my bits and pieces for an upcoming crochet book by Chronicle Books
• My project just came out in Frankie and I love it so much
• I have nearly posted my first column over at Poppytalk
• I found a great cute vintage location for our new book shoot
• My Michigirl column got a LOAD of hits and love : it was about CatRabbit
• Ari got asked to join a BMX gang
• Rin finished her first two units of her course
• Max organised recommendations so he can go to a new school he is totally keen on
• Joe launched his EP!

THAT is a lot of things.  In one week.  Especially when I have been in bed most of the time trying to BREATHE!   Gosh.  I feel like a lot of these things have happened with YOUR support.  Obviously not the kid things... but the other things.  Because it is hard to keep working hard sometimes, esp when you don't make a lot of money from what you do. BUT it is really easy to keep working hard when you have an awesome cheer squad of ACE people like YOU!  Yes!

So thank you.  I really mean it.  All your get well wishes and clicks over and comments and nice words and visits and things... they mean a lot and they keep things ticking here.  They do. Even those of you who don't say anything ever.... but are there... thank you!  Even those of you who I have not seen in an age.... thank you!  And those who have helped in more obvious and visible ways... thank YOU too!

Let's give something away :: If you would like to WIN a signed copy of SEW LA TEA DO and $100 worth of Mike's handmade things (including a brooch, pendant, earrings and necklace) : just comment below before Friday midnight.  I will even throw in some extra crocheted treats if you butter me up!  We will draw a random winner on Saturday.  AND super thanks to you for giving us a leg up and being so RAD.  If you already have the book it is still fine to enter because you might want to give it to someone else who would like it!  Please note that we have comment moderation turned on, but your comment will appear in order, time-stamped at the time you left it, once moderated!

xx Pip

:: Me and Frankie...

image source

The new Frankie is out today!  Look at the project I came up with for this issue!  Is it not CUTE?  I think it is!  This issue features heaps of lovely people and you should run and get it right now!  Off you go...?

xx Pip

:: Tales From Under The Doona...

I did go out for coffee this morning.  So that is GOOD. Apart from that I have been in bed working on the book and the blog.  Here are some photos from my day.  From my room. I hope your day is great / was great!  See you soon, petals!

xx Pip

:: Interiors, Exteriors & Things I Like To Watch....

Look at these lovely rooms and homes, from some of the very excellent films and series I like to watch! Do you like to watch any of these too? Or do you have some favourite period interiors from film or telly that you might like to share in the comments? Here are just a snippity few of mine!

Downton Abbey :: via Michelle and Steve! :: (otherwise known as Highclere Castle) : above :: source

Brideshead Revisited : above : (which is really Castle Howard) : source

Nanny McPhee (the second one...) Not sure where this is, but what a lovely interior!  Perhaps in studio? : above

Jane Eyre and The Princess Bride's Haddon Hall :: source : above

Black Books shop exterior :: source : above

Lark Rise To Candleford : they built this set just for the series...  :: source :: above

Pride and Prejudice's Belton House :: source : above

and again but this time in Jane Eyre : below

and Wingfield Manor (below) : shown as Rochester's burnt out home (when Jane returns...!) : source

And here is Renee Zellweger in Potter : shot in the Lakes District where lots of productions (including our favourite The Tenant of Wildfell Hall) were shot   : more here : below

Above : Not a film set, but rather the room where the Bronte Sisters hung out and wrote, amongst other things, Jane Eyre, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and Wuthering Heights.  It's The Parsonage in West Yorkshire, quite close to those moody moors which inspired so many windswept, damp scenes in Bronte tales.  More here.

And mildy related (below) : I love these shots from Enid (have you seen it? It is great!)  I spy Karen from Outnumbered, too!

And did you see The King's Speech?  It is wonderful, I think! (below : the wallpaper was outstanding!)

:: I Love This....

quilt, originally uploaded by the style files.

// via The Style Files

I am all about triangles and diamonds and stripes and things.
I am. Did you know that? It is true.

xx pip

:: Esther Horcher : via Copy and Paste

The amazing work of Esther Horcher

found via Copy and Paste

You can see more here

xx Pip