Mowielicious

Croatia & Montenegro Summer 2010

Coming back home is never easy.

Not after a holiday like the one I just had.

Bruce and I spent a week in Croatia & Montenegro last week, and by the end of it, we just didn't want to come back. I kept my expectations low, even though both countries were high on my list of must-visit/must-photograph places, and both came highly recommended by friends.

The holiday turned out to be a photographers dream.

Wherever we turned, there was something begging to be photographed - benches, rooftops, even doors! Such old doors that seemed to guard the age-old secrets of time itself. The crystal-clear waters in about 20 shades of blue and turquoise is probably what I'll remember the most because usually, the clear and colourful parts are few and far between. But in Croatia & Montenegro, the water is clear and stunningly turquoise just about everywhere, and being immersed in it is like floating in air molecules that have turned fluid, if only just for a while. 

I also set myself a challenge to only photograph with my new fixed 50mm f/1.8 lens on this holiday, forcing me to capture more of the beauty in the details, instead of just the obvious. It forced me to look at things very differently and it made me think every time I was about to click the button: if I take this photo now, will it encapsulate my experience of this moment, of this time, of this country?

It's funny how when I'm on holiday I hardly take photos of the food. I think it's because I do it all the time here at home, so when I am on holiday, it's just that - I'm on holiday. That's not to say that the food wasn't amazing. We had some great food (expect me to attempt making some of it for this blog!), but the biggest surprise was having the best fish I've ever tasted, on a tiny boat, caught and grilled right there on the boat, on our way to the Elafiti Islands.

We've come back with so many beautiful memories of our trip. And it was so much more than just a holiday and beautiful memories. It was a true experience, one that opened up my eyes and my senses to the beauty that is all around me, all the time.  

What have you heard of Croatia & Montenegro? Have you been? If so, do share your memories, I'd love to hear all about it. If you haven't been to either, I implore you to visit. You won't regret it.

(PS: Congratulations to the winner of last week's KitchenAid giveaway! And a big welcome to all my new blog subscribers - I have many more exclusive giveaways lined up for you, which you will all be automatically entered into once they're announced, so stay tuned).

More photos after the jump.

Cherry Coconut Friands & A KitchenAid Giveaway

I'm definitely a cherry person.

A few weeks ago, I posted my Cherry Crumble Cake and was undecided if I was a strawberry or cherry person. But when faced with a choice of the two, I will always pick cherries.

The summer days are rolling on, and I'm enjoying every single day. Long days spent idling in the park, lying in the grass, catching up on my reading, and innumerable hours spent looking for four-leaf clovers. It's amazing how many I've actually found over the years - on average, I tend to find one or two a year. Not that I'm that superstitious or anything, and I really do believe you make your own luck (success = 5% luck + 5% ambition + 90% hard work), but it's such a great feeling finding a four-leaf clover.

It's not all just fun and games, because even though I'm enjoying the summer as much as I can, I find it really hard to balance work and play. Running this blog and trying to make it as a food stylist/photographer takes a lot of discipline and I'm still fine-tuning my time management skills. Thing is, there's so much I want to do with this blog, with my photography & with food styling, but I feel like a lifetime isn't enough time for all I'd like to achieve. My to-do list is literally endless and there definitely aren't enough hours in the day.

Back to cherries, and this post.

I made friands this week, which are the Australian version of financiers. They have a special friand tin in Australia for these, it looks very similar to a muffin tray, but has oval shapes rather than round ones. I've tried looking for a friand tin but haven't found one yet (if anyone knows where I can find one, please let me know - it would be most appreciated!).

I used a normal muffin tray for these. For the batter, I added coconut to the ground almond mixture which works beautifully with the cherries - the friands turn out slightly crispier on the outside (more like macaroons) and even more moist on the inside.

And now, for a special giveaway.

I enter a lot of competitions and giveaways, either in magazines, blogs, or online, and I've been quite lucky over the years, as I tend to win more often than not. Last week, I found out I'd won a KitchenAid mixer, and because I already have one (and love it!), this one is all yours.

This giveaway is open to all email subscribers of Mowielicious - all those already subscribed by email will automatically be entered into the giveaway. If you're not a subscriber yet, don't worry, it's easy and free to subscribe. All you have to do is enter your email address in the box on the top left side of this page where is says 'Subscribe by email'.

And that's it! You will automatically be entered into the next email subscriber giveaway. Just make sure to activate your subscription once you get the activation email.

This giveaway is open to anyone anywhere in the world and ends this Sunday the 18th of July at 12:00 GMT. I will pick a winner at random using random.org and I will email you to let you know you've won. Good luck!