I seem to be in a very domestic mood right now. I found the cutest apron secondhand yesterday. With all it´s straps and frills it´s a difficult garment to put on, something that I love about something that is supposed to be so practical. I can´t even get it right without help. The weather report promises sun and springy temperatures for the next week, so we decided to spend today cooking. That way we make use of this cold and rainy day and also have lots of yummy treats for lazy days in the park. I made cookies and rolls while my husband made bread.

Dress: Secondhand
Apron: Secondhand
Shoes: Pleaser

Today is a day for detox at our house and has mostly been spent in the bedroom. It started with getting the biggest mirror in the world. At least it´s huge. I was so tired of squatting down check out my outfits in the mirror of the vanity and figured it was about time to get a proper one. And this is with no doubt a proper mirror. I almost couldn´t sleep last night cause I was so excited of bringing it home today and since we finally got it I have barely left the room.

For a proper detox day, facial masks and lotions are a must. Today´s attire is all about comfort and I am wearing a vintage slip and woolen socks.

Healthy food is included, with avocado soup as a starter…

…a Kurdish stew with lots of vegetables and ayran to drink…

…and fruits and more of it for desert.

While the facial mask does it´s wonders I can admire the figurines I have started to collect for a future nursery.

And when the day comes to an end and I am all cleansed I can go to bed and dream sweet dreams right next to our very kitschy lamp.

Today is the grand opening of the new opera building in Oslo. While my husband and I haven´t got tickets, we decided to dress up a little anyway, and rather go check out the fireworks later tonight. I´m wearing a dress I got at Tonica today, and my husband is wearing his YSL blazer from the same shop. To make the evening extra special we made sushi for dinner.

Dress: Vintage
Shoes: Zara

The best sandwich in the world with Choritzo, Manchego and lots of aioli, an apple juice and a couple of fashion magazines… The sun is even shining today!

Sometimes I wish I didn’t give a rat’s ass about fashion. That I was one of those girls always walking around in a pair of All Stars with holes in them, old jeans and a washed out t-shirt. Some girls really pull that off too. My money is usually gone two or three weeks before I can expect more, just because there are all those fashion items I just can’t live without. Then I sit here with all my fancy clothes and great outfit plans without being able to take them out for fun. Sometimes I wish I was one of those girls that goes out drinking beer every night. That I spend my money on beer, not fashion. That I am out having fun all the time instead of saving up for that next must-have item. I guess the thing is: It’s Friday, I’m broke and I would kill for a beer - or six.

I am so broke these days. I feel like I say that all the time, but it’s true. While living on a student loan it’s hard to get the ends to meet. Usually I get by without too much pain, but now before facing a new season it’s extra hard. Spring items are starting to reach the stores and I am dreaming of warmer days while planning all the outfits I’ll be wearing. There’s so many things I want that I live in constant pain! First of all I need lots of new dresses, and to do this I have to eat cheap.

Pesto Baguettes

This is most suited for lunch, but I often make this for a quick dinner when I’m short on time. Don’t be frightened by the picture, it’s actually very good.

Tomatoes
Cheese
Pesto
Butter
Baguettes
Salt & Pepper

Slice a baguette in half. (Or do it the fancy way and make cuts in a whole baguette and put it all in the holes.) Mix together a spoonful of pesto, some butter, a little salt and a bunch of pepper. Put this on the baguettes. Lay on cheese and slices of tomatoes on top. Heat in an hot oven until the cheese is starting to get color. Eat and enjoy and think about that you’re getting one step closer to your spring wardrobe. For me it will be some nice vintage dresses like from this seller on eBay:

I need a white dress with lots of laces, a flowery dress, a shirt dress, a black wrap dress and a yellow dress…

Ok, I know I tend to strech what concerns fashion quite a bit. But these days around Christmas with all the preparations and shopping and all the parties, it’s a shame to get sick. A few days ago my throat started to hurt and I was afraid to come down with a cold. I made my very simple miracle cure, and I was fine again. I just had to share it with you so that you won’t miss out on all the sales these days.

An inch of fresh ginger, sliced

1 tbsp honey

A splash of lemon juice

Put it all in a cup and pour on boiled water. Leave for a bit and drink. Usually I save the last few sips until it has soaked really long, then it’s extra strong. I drink this as soon as I feel like I’m coming down with something, and in 9 out of 10 cases it works. If it’s too late I keep on drinking it and I get well faster.

There are many Christmas gifts left to be bought and I have to save in on some areas to afford all the presents. Luckily I have made a deal with both my boyfriend and my best friends to rather spend money on a trip and have some fun together. I like the idea of investing in some nice experiences rather than new things. But there are other presents to buy… Here are a couple of ideas for tasty and affordable food that will help your budget survive though the holidays. No photos yet, but will be added later.

Chili & Banana Soup

This soup is just a starter as it’s not very filling. But it tastes really good and is easy and cheap to make. Serves four people as a starter.

oil

50 g spring onions

2 cloves of garlic

half a can of coconut milk

4 dl chicken stock

3 tbsp of fish sauce (nam pla) or soy sauce

1 big banana, finely sliced

1 red chili, sliced

a little salt, sugar and pepper

Heat some oil in a pan an put in the spring onions and garlic. Fry for a few seconds. Put in all the other ingredients except the banana and cook for 5 minutes. Put the soup in a blender with 3/4 of the banana and until it is like a purè. Pour the soup back in the pan with the rest of the banana and boil for 3 minutes. Voilà!

Italian Creme Fraiche Pizza

Pizza is really cheap and you can just use whatever leftovers you have in your fridge. Here’s my favorite one that uses creme fraiche in stead of tomato sauce. If you haven’t tried it before I can assure you that you’ll love it!

First you have to make the dough. This will of course take some time, but while you’re at it you can make some bread of the rest. Lately we have started to make more pizzas to put in the freezer for busy days. This dough will be enough for two pizzas but I often double the size.

8 dl flour

little more than half a pack of yeast (30 g)

1 tbsp oil

2-3 dl water

1/2 tbsp salt

Mix the dry, then put in the wet. Bash it around for a while. Leave four an hour. Now it’s ready to become pizza. Remember to make it really thin cause it’s supposed to be the Italian way.

Now to the topping. Here you can of course choose what you like the best, but try out this:

Ham

Pesto

Creme Fraiche

Olive Oil

Champignon, finely sliced

Cheese

Fresh tomatoes (or sundried tomatoes), finely sliced

Cover the pizza in a thin layer of Creme Fraiche, then cheese. The rest (ham, tomatoes…) goes on top. Put some dashes of pesto here and there and a little olive oil at the end. Put in a hot oven until it’s getting a little color and the cheese has melted.

I am eating cheap right now to afford all the Christmas gifts, but I am hoping to save up to this dress by Anthropologie cause I need something velvet.

I think there are way too few occations to really dress up. My closet is filled with dresses, but many of them are lucky to be worn once. If you feel the same way, why not create the occation? Invite a few friends over for snacks and drinks, and have them dress up in their fanciest dresses and their highest heels. If you start planning now you can host it next weekend.

The invitation

It has to be home made. Flip through old magazines and cut out gorgeous dresses, coctails and flowers. Glue these on a piece of cardbord and practice your calligraphy for writing on the back. Make sure to write that your friends have to be dressed up. If you’re short on cash it’s also allowed to have them pitch in on the fun. Send the invitations out in good time so that people can set aside the day.

The outfit

Have a look through your closet and find your favorite dress. It might be that vintage princess dress that’s too pouffy and nice for any other occation. Or the dress you bought for the dance you never got invited to. There are no rules, except it has to be over the top. Pick out a pair of nice matching shoes that are so high you usually don’t dear to wear them outside the house. Go crazy with accessories. Don’t think simple if you don’t want to. If you’re ever going to take it all the way, this is the time.

The menu

If your not an experienced chef don’t try too hard. The party is all about dressing up, not about frustrating over the stove. Here’s one suggestion:

Honey and brie snack

One baguette or more (depending on how many you are)
Honey
Brie

Slice the baguette up in thin slices and put them on a trey. Put some honey on them and a slice of brie. Put them in a hot oven until the cheese melts. Simple as hell. All you need to worry about is watching the oven so they don’t burn.

The drinks

May not go too well with the snacks, but I’m just throwing in all my favorites in the same way as with the outfit.

Margarita

1 oz lime juice
1 1/2 oz tequila
1/2 oz triple sec
Salt
Ice

Prepare the glasses by rubbing a piece of lime along the rim and then putting them upside down on a plate with salt. Mix all the ingredients in a shaker filled half up with ice. Shake for a bit. Pour into the glasses.

The party

Light some candles and fill the room with fresh flowers to get that right girly atmosphere. Be ready early so you don’t have to stess. The food can be prepared in advance, but you don’t need to put it in the oven until the guests start arriving. If you need to spice up the party, suggest some silly drinking games. But most importantly: keep the drinks coming! If you decide to go clubbing afterwards agree on an excuse for being so dressed up, like that you’re having a bachelorette party or something. And at last; have fun and feel like a princess!

A girl needs her beer, even when saving up for a new dress. To save some money I decided to make my own beer after reading a post on it over at Sponbustion Magazine.

If you’d like to try this yourself there are explainations and videos over at Sponbustion. It’s actually very simple and demands very little work. It’s even pretty good!

I was thinking that there must be so many fashionistas out there starving themselves to a pair of designer shoes or that IT bag. As I like to cook and to eat well, I would never give up on good food for a nice wardrobe. In stead I have found a way to make food I love for as little money as possible. I will post some of the recipes I turn to when there are expencive shoes I’m dying for.

Soup

First out is an indian soup with lentils. I make a huge batch which will feed two people for two days (four-five days if you’re just one). It can be frozen or put in the fridge if you don’t feel like eating the same thing several days in a row. What’s with this soup is that it’s actually filling and it’s of course very good.

350 grams of red lentils
2 tbsp butter
1 finely sliced onion
1 inch of ginger, finely chopped
2-3 finely chopped potatoes
1 can of tomatoes
1 can of coconut milk
1 liter of chicken or vegetable stock
Spices like coriander (fresh), cumin, tumerick, chili, salt, pepper and what ever else you feel like.

Boil the lentses in a big pan of water until they are about soft. Heat butter in a pan and fry the onion on medium heat until it’s deep brown. (Do not fry them too hard, let this take the while it has to take!) Put the tomatoes and potatoes in with the onion and cook this for a few minutes. Add spices and coconut milk. Pour the water off the lentes and put everything in with them. Add water and let it boil until the until the potatoes are starting to fall apart. Remember to stirr often or it will burn. Serve with lots of fresh coriander on top. The soup also needs some extra salt when eaten (makes it taste ten times better).

Rolls

For this some nice rolls will be good. And I’ll share with you my secret recipe for rolls. They are the best I’ve ever had and they’re super easy to make (nearly no work at all). When I have the time I try to always have some in the freezer to heat up in the oven when needed. They actually taste best when they have been frozed and are heated. This recipe usually gives me 16 rolls, but I always make twice as much. Be aware that you’ll need a big bowl cause it get’s quite big, and if you’re making twice as much you will need two big bowls.

1 tbsp of honey
25 grams of yeast (half a package, not the dry kind)
5 dl of lukewarm water
1 dl of milk
12 1/2 dl of flour
2 tsp of salt

Mix the water and milk with salt and honey. Put in the flour. Mix this together fast. It’s supposed to be quite loose. Let it stay for an hour and a half. When ready pour the dough out on a table with flour. Squeeze it until it becomes kind of flat, but very carefully! Do not brake the bubbles. With a knife cut about 16 pieces. They are not supposed to have the same shape or look very pretty, but the taste makes up for that. Put the rolls in the oven right away on 240 celcius until they are starting to get nice and tan. (About 15 minutes.) As I said; nearly no work at all!

If you need any help on measurements I can help you convert the numbers, and if anything else is unclear just ask!

While eating this I’ll think of these Mary Janes by Paul and Joe and hope I’ll manage to save up for them:

(Thanks Rachel for posting about these gorgeous shoes!)