Favourite things, January 2014

• Surprise visit from an old friend, engineered by a beloved soul sister
• Delicious locally-made cold-pressed juices and tonics and superfood bars
• Looking forward to reading this book
• Burning fir & mistletoe candles while it's snowing
• Being a student again
• Trying out this new coffee flavour
• Watching Bron | Broen (The Bridge). Spellbinding television
• Sherlock lives!
• This dose of sanity from Tara Mohr. Being more productive ≠ being happier

• Drinking superfood hot chocolate with maca, cinnamon, cayenne, and ginger
• Breakfasting on coconut black rice pudding with pineapple. Oh, yes

Favourite things, September 2012

A WWII bomb shelter in the basement of a house in Lord North Street, Westminster

• London. London Walks. Immersion in history. Westminster. The Shakespeare: Staging the World exhibition at the British Museum

Kilchurn Castle, between rain showers

• Scotland's castles
• This dual biography of Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I 

Exploring Edinburgh's Old Town.

• Edinburgh. All of it.

Dumpling and noodle heaven in Edinburgh

• Dumplings at Chop Chop restaurant in Haymarket

French cheese board a La Fromagerie: Saint Maure, Olivet, Morbier, Crayeux de Roncq, Fourme D'Ambert (and housemade caraway, charcoal, oat and rye biscuits).

• La Fromagerie in Marylebone: my new favourite place to sit and sip and eat

Our SW6 neighbourhood café, Al Santo

• Breakfasts at Al Santo in Fulham
• Duchy Originals biscuits. I stock up on these each time I pass through the UK; sadly they're only available now at Waitrose, so impossible to pick up during brief Heathrow stopovers
• "I shop at Waitrose because I once heard a dad say 'Put the papaya down, Orlando'"
• Roaming London's fabulous LRB and Daunt bookshops
• Downsizing and simplifying in preparation for our move to a tiny terrace house in Georgetown. It's an emotional (my Bialetti!) yet liberating process. I'm even cutting back on my email newsletters. Must be that spring clean spirit taking hold.

Favourite things, July 2012

Exploring Reef Beach on Sydney Harbour, which Jem and I reached by kayak from Manly.

Garfish at Manly: incredible seafood.

Garfish seafood platter.

• Returning to Sydney to be reminded how we should live: surrounded by physical beauty, spending part of every day in nature, eating the world's best and freshest food (including meals at Garfish, Burnt Orange, Hugo's Manly, Nilgiri's, Kitchen by Mike and those cooked by Peter H. at home) access to culture (harpist Victor Valdes at the Camelot Lounge) and intellectual stimulation, and sharing it all with some of my favourite people. Australia's fresh air and beautiful pink-gold light really struck me this visit, as did the pure joy of waking each morning to hear native birdsong. 
• ICIJ's Skin and Bone project and video was published all around the world, particularly in the Daily Mail online and NBC
• White sangria: Sauvignon blanc, apricot juice, sparkling water, peaches
• Danielle Polen's yin yoga to keep me sane when work deadlines amped up the stress levels
• Mark Bittman's "Got Milk? You Don't Need It" NYT piece on milk
• There's nothing like going home, but when it begins with a glass of Taittinger the pleasure is elevated to new heights. I finally sampled the Qantas A380 international business class: a sublime experience from start to finish. Perfect comfort, terrific food and wine, great entertainment. Even from the outside, the plane still inspires awe. We drove alongside a Qantas A380 on the shuttle bus transferring us to the international terminal at LAX, and each head on board swivelled wordlessly to take it in as we drove by, a look of awe on each face.

Flying into Sydney from Brisbane, on my way back to the US.

Favourite things, June 2012

• Are you a Newddhist?
• This recipe for vegetable lasagna with cashew cream. Even Gerard loves it.
• Reading the latest research about the human microbiome in Science: 'Microbiota-Targeted Therapies: An Ecological Perspective' and the New York Times: 'Tending the Body’s Microbial Garden' and 'In Good Health? Thank Your 100 Trillion Bacteria'.
• These vanilla macaroons by Hail Merry. Yummy straight out of the fridge.
• Yogitunes for free music and excellent music for sale. They turned me on to The Perfect Hour by Black Buddha: highly recommended for aural stress relief.
• Completing a 21-day challenge at my yoga studio: 21 classes in 21 days.
• Nama yoga mat spray. I'm becoming American - now I carry my own sanitizer! It has a minty fresh smell to savour during poses which bring my face to the mat, although I suspect the alcohol may be breaking down my yoga mat. I frequently find specks of teal blue rubber on my yoga tights post-class now 
• Digital library loans through Amazon's Kindle store. No more schlepping books back to the library
• Miracle noodles. You'd never mistake them for pasta but they are satisfying without the bloat
• This article about how to determine if a statement is scientifically correct 
• Livemocha: learn languages for free

Favourite things, May 2012

• The American Ballet Theater's La Bayadère at the Lincoln Center. The red velvet-lined Metropolitan Opera House is just the place to sip a $19 flute of champagne whilst eyeing off NYC's bourgeoisie at the Grand Tier restaurant.

• Eataly. For the joy of standing in a marble hall, nibbling on Parma ham and parmiagiano with a chilled glass of rosé. For their lattes as good as those in Sydney, and divine apple tartlets. For their perfect pasta and jaw-dropping grocery aisles.

• Zainab Salbi's memoir, Between Two Worlds
• Mad Men season 5 - every episode is increasingly explosive. Season finale next week.   
• Launching a website for the ICIJ (International Consortium of Investigative Journalists) (www.icij.org) and a new digital product, the Global Muckraker (www.icij.org/blog) 
• Watching this video of my Sydney yoga teacher Susanna cycling through my beautiful home city:
• Jouer lip enhancer - no sting, and a pretty, sheer veil of pink.
• Algenist regenerative anti-aging moisturizer - finally, an effective anti-aging product.

Favourite things, April 2012

April was a bit of a bumpy month so it's a rather slender list this time. But a few things brought moments of joy:

Stephanie, me, and Stephanie after teaching our karma yoga class to benefit Women for Women

• Co-teaching a 60-minute karma yoga class on April 29 to benefit Women for Women International
• Sara Avant Stover's Way of the Happy Woman mini-retreat on April 1 was powerfully rejuvenating and nurturing. Such a gifted teacher, and it was wonderful to finally meet her in person
• Brunch at Zaytinya: a taste of Sydney with their Lebanese/Greek/Turkish menu. Their taramasalata is possibly the best thing I have eaten on US soil
• Strawberries with Tellicherry black pepper, made into jam
• New friendship with the lovely Carol, aka Coco Yogini
• This song, which makes me want to sip summer drinks and dance beside a swimming pool:

Favourite things, March 2012

• It's Spring! The scent and sight of cherry blossoms. Cherry green smoothies. Cherry marzipan green tea. Open windows. Warm breeze on your bare arms.
• Fojol Bros food truck. Each Wednesday the fantastically mustachio-ed, turban-ed chaps pull up at Farragut Square in their silver van and I feast on spicy Ethiopian stews such as beets and greens or beef berbere with a soft slab of injera bread. Alongside the Red Hook Lobster truck, this is the best quick lunch in downtown DC.
• My yoga teacher trainee sangha. I can't imagine weekends without their constant companionship and stimulation. 
• Roost blog. Exquisite photography and recipes.

• One Love Skin Savior on my face. It's a super-concentrated water-free cleanser and a moisturiser, so it's at once both non-comodegenic and very hydrating. Even better, it's all-natural and good enough to eat. A discovery via Birchbox.
• Age of Aquarius by Color Club on my toes.
• The Wisdom of No Escape by Pema Chodron. Her accessible Buddhist teachings help me find serenity and clarity.
• This article about foodie-ism as youth culture in New York magazine.

• Canal House Cooking lunchtime emails. Their cookbooks are outstanding (I have numbers 2 - fall/holidays - and 6 - the grocery store) and their name so evocative of a lovely, homey kitchen with a wood stove and a tree-fringed water view, fueled by the meeting of two creative minds. But I must put in a pitch for their daily emails of what they made for lunch that day, which are a true treat. Voyeurism and inspiration in one dose.
• Monoi Tiare Tahiti (coconut oil w/ Gardenia). I am seriously craving summer, having gone from one winter into another when we moved to the northern hemisphere in September. When I smell this I am transported home to our front courtyard in Bronte, sea salt in my hair and my skin slicked with coconut oil and the scent of our gardenia hedge in the air, with a glass of rose in my hand.
• My wonderful yoga students at Whitman Walker Health. Never imagined they would reward me so much
• Yago Hortal's colour-bomb paintings for some springtime sizzle. 

What brought you moments of bliss in March? Leave your favourites in the comments below.

Favourite things, February 2012

Image: Sanjay Patel's Big Poster Book of Hindu Deities

• Really enjoying reading The Secret Power of Yoga by Nischala Joy Devi, one of the set texts for yoga teacher training. I'm dipping my toes into yoga philosophy, and can already feel the pull of the vast ocean of wisdom and its transformational effects. I see that I haven't been fully practicing yoga up until now, merely the physical aspects of it, although appreciating its powers to calm the mind and balance the emotions. Now its spiritual potential is slowly revealing itself to me. I've never had a spiritual practice before, not being raised Christian or following any faith (other than Dawkinsism), so it's mysterious and I'm naturally cautious - but inquisitive to learn more. First task? Defining what a spiritual practice even is.
• Birchbox. I'm a makeup gumby and one of my aspirations for 2012 is to learn a bit about it. For a small monthly subscription, Birchbox sends a box of cosmetic, skincare and haircare samples (and sometimes full-size products) tailored to your preferences. It's a fun way to find out about products - I never go to shopping malls or department stores and don't want to read beauty mags or blogs - and it gives a frisson of excitement when each box arrives. Love a cheap thrill! Now I'm looking for an excuse to try these stick-on eyeliner strips. Also enjoying the Jouer tinted moisturiser from February's box which gives subtle coverage and a glow without being too heavy for work. I'd been using my powdered mineral foundation but it's just been too heavy for daytime (see, told you I was a gumby).
• Mac and cheese at farm-to-table DC restaurant Founding Farmers. Ticks all the wrong boxes nutritionally, but it's so good. A very occasional treat. 
• Asian slaw at Teaism. I visit their Dupont teahouse at least once every weekend during our lunch break for yoga teacher training at Tranquil Space and often pick this up in lieu of a heavier meal. I love the crunch of the raw vegies and the heat in their dressing. I'm not a fan of mayonnaise but I love this. Their teas are also excellent but only if you dine in - my takeout green jasmine tea was made from a teabag, not loose leaf tea, boo.
• Pixar animator Sanjay Patel's illustrations have appeared in Toy Story 3 and the video for Bjork's I Miss You. Loving his illustrations of Hindu deities.
• Lately I've revived the homemade body scrub of rolled oats, brown sugar and olive oil routine. Smoothes away all the nasty bits on elbows and heels, softens my central-heating parched winter skin without being greasy, and there's no risk of toxicity since it is literally good enough to eat. You could scent it with essential oils but I don't - some oils can burn or sting the skin so unless you know what you're doing I would exercise caution. I don't add honey either, which plenty of recipes found online do include, but I imagine that would smell heavenly and be both softening and soothing.
• Paddywax's Jane Austen candle, part of their Library collection. A soy candle intensely scented with gardenia, tuberose and jasmine - can you imagine a yummier combination? Packaging is divine in a card file-like box and it's adorned with the message "there is nothing like staying at home for real comfort", taken from Austen's Emma.
• Baked quinoa patties by Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks. Studded with fetta and onions, and toothsome with shredded kale, chives and dill. They pack up great for office lunches.
• My go-to quick dinner for the month: lightly-wilted greens (such as kale, rainbow chard) with a handful of cooked puy lentils, cubed pear, pecans/walnuts, and goats cheese, with an apple cider vinegar-dijon mustard dressing. Yum.

What brought you moments of bliss during February 2012? Leave your favourite things in the comments below.

Favourite things, January 2012

• Yoga Teacher Training 1 intensive at Tranquil Space
• Dr Alejandro Junger's 21-day cleanse. Includes probiotics and liver support, as well as insulin support to maintain blood sugar levels and help tackle cravings, and a fibre supplement to add to the shakes to help combat constipation - all of which are missing in juice cleanses
• Yogi Tea's Tahitian Vanilla Hazelnut flavour. Add some liquid stevia and I don't crave dessert
• Hot baths, often with the aforementioned tea
• Downton Abbey and Portlandia
• Brad's Raw Foods' Nasty Hot raw leafy kale chips
• This article about Stephen Colbert in the New York Times Magazine
• Peppermint candles
• Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
• Knowing Your Value by Mika Brzezinski
• Thrive by Brendan Brazier: explains how to get optimum energy and strength to power an active lifestyle with a plant-based diet. Great recipes too
• The cricket test between India and Australia, via a dodgy live stream
• Cafe Sabarsky and the Egon Schiele and Constantin Brancusi works at the Neue Galerie
• Swan greens pressed juice from One Lucky Duck
• Apple slices dipped into a jar of sunflower seed butter
• New "fearless" journal from Papaya!

Favourite things, December 2011

• The Christmas tree and Neopolitan Baroque Crèche at the Metropolitan Museum
• Stunning, just-opened Islamic Galleries, also at the Met
• Tortilla wraps from One Lucky Duck in NYC
• Truffled croque-madame at The National in NYC
• Please Don't Tell speakeasy and Crif Dogs
• Seasonal scented candles on the mantlepiece: mistletoe, winter cabin, hot buttered rum, peppermint
• Fairy lights around the fireplace
• Mulled apple cider with a splash of small-batch bourbon
• Potato latkes
• Salmon, red cabbage and edamame salad with miso-wasabi dressing (inspired by this one)
• Yin yoga
• Sadie Nardini's core strength vinyasa yoga
• Living Yoga by Georg Feuerstein
• Black cardiwrap by TranquiliT in organic bamboo
• Trader Joe's Peppermint Joe Joe's - oh my!
• Pandora's Indie Holidays station
• Fort St-Antoine Comté cheese
• Jo Malone's Wild Fig and Cassis cologne

Favourite things, December 2008

Willow silk chemise in graphite
Brillat-Savarin cheese
MediaStorm
New York City
DUMBO
Brazilian Girls, Good Time
MGMT
One Lucky Duck spicy cashews and rosemary quackers
Qantas Business Class upgrades
Lynda.com
Zum Schneider, East Village
Latest issues of Atlantic Monthly, Harper’s, Monocle
The red frangipani tree on the corner
Mad Men series two
Canberra's Diamant Hotel
Starbucks gingerbread latte (guilty secret)