Citrus poppy seed loaf cake

May 3 2015
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I don’t bake with poppy seeds enough so thought I’d throw some in a citrus loaf cake I baked a while back.  Poppy seeds give a tiny little satisfying crunch in this zesty loaf in which I replaced some of the flour with almond meal; almond meal adds a soft texture I love in cakes.

Initially I planned to make a lemon poppy seed cake but then thought, why just stop at lemon?!  Lemon and orange are quite friendly together in baked goods and citrus sounds a bit fancier.

If you have a cake-loving mum, this would be just the thing for our upcoming Mother’s Day too.
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The Game (2014)

April 29 2015
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If anyone hasn’t watched the brilliant, underrated BBC show The Game, you really should.  I’m in the middle of this 6 part, British, historical, cold war mini series set in 1972; it’s wonderfully acted and fascinating to watch.

The filming of this really gets to me.  There’s so much more to historical TV or movies than slapping on a few era appropriate clothes and hair; the detail, props, camera work and colours are so important and The Game does this particularly well.  I love how some of the camera work is slightly amateurish, just like it was in the 70s (the suspenseful music and camera slowly panning out in the more paranoid, tense moments, for example), the perfect framing of scenes, the minimalist but excellent props and sets and the muted vintage film tones.  I’m a bit nerdy when it comes to film and tend to notice stuff like this so don’t mind me!

Also, I love anything from this era so much and anything espionage related always reels me in.

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All images belong to and are from mini series: The Game, BBC One & BBC America, UK, 2014

The Affair (Showtime) & Bloodline (Netflix)

April 15 2015
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So basically my life now is waiting for season 2 of both these awesome series; drama/mystery The Affair and drama/thriller Bloodline.

Our very own Ben Mendelsohn is so bloody amazing in Bloodline, it’s worth watching just for him.  Both shows should be massively cheesy (affair, marriage breakdowns and murder in the Hamptons + family secrets, black sheep son returning and recriminations = not exactly unchartered TV territory) and yet, both are brilliantly acted and played out.

Watch them if you have a chance!


Images are from and belong to TV series:  Bloodline, Netflix, USA (2015) and The Affair, Showtime, USA (2015)

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