Rubber ducky cake

On Saturday Canberra is going to host a cake-off that features every single cake from the iconic Women's Weekly Children's Birthday Cake book. I've signed up to make the first cake that sprang the mind -  the rubber ducky.

Weekend links

I've been under the weather this week and I'm hoping that a quiet weekend will sort me out. I would love to check out this cute little op shop that's only open for six hours a week and bake a practice cake for next weekend's epic bake off but mainly I'm excited about sleeping in and catching up on a bit of reading. Have a great weekend.

How to buy clothes you'll actually wear.

An exciting list of new-to-me podcasts that are all hosted by women. This interview with Smitten Kitchen's Deb Perelmen was excellent.

The latest season of Girls is (finally) up.

So very true.

This could be just me but here's how to freeze cookie dough properly.

And a thought-provoking and personal interview with NPR's Terry Gross, who shares why she chose not to have kids via Jo.

Aunt life: Buying the winter jumper

I have a special nephew, my friend Vanessa's son, and this year I chose a thick woollen jumper to keep him warm this winter. It's a new tradition that started accidentally.

Soon after he was born, I stumbled across some hand knitted jumpers at a church hall in Blackheath. I bought a pale purple cardigan for my niece and a striped jumper for my special nephew. The following year my friend Sean bought the winter jumper, and this year I figured it must be my turn again :)

Tony helped me pick this one out, we made a day of it and he made sure I invested in something super warm - and not a cotton jumper with the cute animal face printed on the front. This one looks a little nordic, and I'm looking forward to hearing what he gets up to in it.

I love the idea of buying one special and practical thing and I have a feeling this tradition is going to continue for years.

Food52's Genius recipes

I just discovered Food52's Genius recipes column, which promises to share recipes that'll change the way you cook. Right now, I have a tomato and vodka pasta sauce bubbling away in the oven and aside from a cookbook there's an entire online archive to work through.

The column is five years old and I stumbled across the column via this episode of Burnt Toast, Food52's podcast. I particularly loved learning that a genius recipe isn't necessarily a simple one, it's more about a dish being worth every minute of your time - from time spent shopping for special ingredients to the prep and clean up.

I've had a few disasters from online recipes and normally pick something from Joy the Baker and Smitten Kitchen because they're so reliable. I'm super excited to have another site to work my way through.

P.S My brother put me onto this recipe for Tartine's country bread and it's really good. If you're interested, he sent me this video tutorial too.

Photo by Food52.

Long weekend links

Do you have plans for the long weekend? Our friends Angie and Dave are driving down from Sydney on Friday, they're due to arrive late and I'm going to bake cookies. They're bringing their bikes and we're planning to take it easy and eat well. I found so many good things to share this week, I hope you have a lovely weekend:

A meal that changed history.

The cutest cloud soap.

Parenting versus creativity.

In search of the perfect porridge.

Beautiful stories from anonymous people.

Easiest dinner ever.

How popular clothing brands treat their workers.

50 ways to take care of yourself (in the arts) via Alex. I'm all about number 11.

Iconic grooms.

And an article I kept thinking about all week - resume virtues and eulogy virtues via Joy.

Eggplant pasta with lemon and cheese

This year I'm all about easy homemade food and every now and then I'll be sharing recipes for new staples, starting with this cheesy eggplant pasta (with greens!) that comes from my friend Mel.

One night last year, I went round to Melly's new place for a midweek dinner. She made this cheesy eggplant pasta and opened a bottle of prossecco. It was a simple meal that felt comforting and special. We talked about big things that night and while I'd arrived feeling sad and stuck, I left feeling properly cared for.

Eggplant pasta with lemon, spinach and cheese

You will need:

250g of bow-tie pasta (around half a box)
One medium sized eggplant, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup of olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped (a garlic crusher is your friend here)
15g of butter (or one generous slice)
Two big handfuls of baby spinach, washed and dried
Half a lemon, juiced
1 cup of parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper

Here's how:

Heat the olive oil and the butter in a large frypan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until soft and fragrant, stirring occasionally. Mix in the eggplant, stirring every five minutes until it's dark and tender.

While you're waiting, cook and drain your pasta.

Add the spinach to the eggplant and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the spinach is wilted, about three minutes. Mix through the pasta, lemon juice and half of the parmesan cheese.

Serve with parmesan cheese, cracked pepper and chilled white wine :)

Cute woollen cardigan

There's only one winter cardigan in my wardrobe and I wouldn't mind a couple more, especially for my first Canberra winter. I've been window shopping this weekend and adore this one from Gorman because it's super fun and not at all twin-set material. This striped one is pretty too, and they're both 100 per cent wool.

Uniqlo also has this polka dotted merino cardigan thats a little kinder on the bank balance. Last year I invested in a black cashmere jumper and my first ever down jacket to get me through another brisk Wagga winter. Aside from a few new cardigans I'm hoping to add a good pair of gloves and windproof jacket to keep me on my bike as we head into winter.