Honey Joys

Yesterday we attended International Day at Lady Sadie's school. I was so proud of the school community, that came together as one to share our different cultures. Obviously the Aussie stall was the loudest there with Australian music blaring and one family dressed as convicts. I am always proud to say that I'm Australian, I know for sure I come from the most beautiful country in the world and yesterday a group of us bought a little bit of home to Doha.

I was in charge of making Honey Joys, which if you are an Aussie you know that these little gems were served up at every kids birthday party you went to.

Honey Joys couldn't be any easier to make, and on the grand scheme of things aren't that bad for a party treat or even as an after school snack. They are fantastic for kids to make to give them a little bit of independence in the kitchen.

So if you're looking for a true blue, dinky dye bloody bonza treat for your kids....look no further than the humble Honey Joy!

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Ingredients
4 Cups Corn Flakes
1 Tablespoon honey
1/3 cup sugar
90g butter or margarine

1. Preheat oven to 150 degrees celsius. Line 24 hole patty pan with paper cases.

2. Melt butter, sugar and honey together in a saucepan until frothy.

3. Add corn flakes and mix well.

4. Working quickly, spoon mixture into patty cases. Bake in oven for 10 minutes and cool.

Traveling in Style

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Louis Vuitton. I know I'm a very lucky girl to have quite the collection of handbags and wallets from the famous French design house. As I say to Mr D, they are a good investment as they stand the test of time and will one day be handed over to Lady Sadie.

I was a little concerned when late last year Marc Jacobs (my gay husband crush) abruptly resigned as Creative Director for Louis Vuitton. Marc during his 16 years at LV took the brand from a more traditional and mature aesthetic to something so over the top and creative while at the same time paying homage to it's traditional roots.

Rest assured though that Nicolas Ghesquiere has firmly made his mark if this truly beautiful and epic campaign is anything to go by.

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Dip Dye Love

For a while now I've been searching Doha for pastel coloured dining chairs. Do you think I can find them? No! I could have ordered them on line and had them shipped over but the cost and hassle of doing that was not going to work...well it wasn't going to work for Mr D.

After scouring Pinterest for some inspiration, I came across a new trend in DIY...dip dying.

This is going to suit me perfectly, we've got white dining chairs that I can now customise to get the look that I want without having to spend a fortune doing it.

So stay tuned for me first foray into DIY....well if I'm being honest it will be Mr D doing the actual DIY and I will project manage from the sofa.

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Summer Daze

The last few days in Doha have been absolutely glorious, not too cold and not too warm. You can sense Summer is in the air and it won't be long until the only way to cool off is to jump into an icy cold pool.

Shortly I'll begin shopping for new swimsuits and kaftans. I refuse to wear a bikini but I still like to feel sexy and glamourous in my one piece. These are the looks I'll be going for this year.

Good Reads

I am an avid reader, I have been since I was a little girl. I love crawling into bed early at night and tucking up with a great book. I spend a lot of time reading waiting for the school gates to open each afternoon and my favourite holiday, is a beach holiday where I can lay by the pool and read and read and read. 

I'm always storing away ideas of what my dream house will look like when we eventually move back home, without doubt it will come equipped with some kind of library and cosy reading area.

Late last year, a group of us girls got together and started a book club. We meet once a month over dinner, and generally talk about the chosen book for about 5 minutes before spending the next couple of hours chit chatting away. What I love about Book Clubs is that you tend to read books that perhaps you'd never think to pick up and sometimes those books turn out to be some of the best things you've read. 

Some of the books I've been reading lately and loved!

What have you been reading lately?

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My Day Makeup Look

Today I thought I would share with you the make up I use pretty much on a daily basis. I'm a beauty and makeup freak...no wonder my first career was as a Beauty Therapist!

I tend to stick to the same products that work best for me. I spend a lot on foundation and skin care but will only buy cheap mascara as I like to change the tube every two months.

I'm a huge fan of bright lipstick and when I'm feeling really drab and run down, a pop of colour makes me feel so much better. At the moment I'm into pinks and oranges during the day.

I've recently jumped on the BB cream trend. I started off with Sephora but found I didn't like it on my skin at all. Lately I've been using the Estee Lauder version and I must say I'm now a convert!

I carry my Lancome compact with me at all times....at all times! It's great for when you've been running around all day like a mad woman and need a quick touch up.

Finally, I'm here to tell you that primer is your friend! A good foundation primer without doubt improves how makeup looks on your skin, providing a smooth surface and helps keep your makeup melt proof.

So there you have it, a little insight into my daily makeup routine.

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1. Lancome La Base Pro Primer

2. Estee Lauder Daywear BB Cream

3. Lancome Colour Ideal Compact Pro

4. Chanel Crayon Sourcils Eyebrow Pencil

5. Chanel Irreelle Duo Silky Eye Shadow

6. Lancome Le Crayon Kohl Eyeliner

7. Cover Girl Lash Blast Mascara

8. NARS The Multiple in Palm Beach

9. MAC Candy Yum-Yum Lipstick

Cinnamon Baked Doughnuts

One of the first things I do when I arrive back home in Australia is go straight to a good old fashioned bakery for a proper cinnamon doughnut. There is nothing else that beats a good old fashioned Aussie doughnut. 

Sure in Doha we have Krispy Kreme, Dunkin' Donuts and Tim Horton's but they just don't cut the mustard.

I decided to try my hand at making my own. I baked these doughnuts rather than deep fry them and I was very skeptical at first but honestly these doughnuts are melt in your mouth and about as close as I can get to an Australian doughnut.

Now you don't want to go making these too often as they are full of all the stuff that is bad for you but tastes so good! I had one and quickly sent Sadie off to tell the kids in the compound that there were doughnuts so I'm not tempted to sit in my PJs and eat the lot of them!

Enjoy
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Ingredients
Serves 12

Baking spray
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla

For the topping

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Spray 2 doughnut pans well. Into a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, melted butter and vanilla. Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined. Spoon the batter into the baking pans, filling each one a little more than three-quarters full. Bake for 17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then tap the doughnuts out onto a sheet pan. For the topping, melt the 8 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Dip each doughnut in the butter and then in the cinnamon sugar.