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#DinnerSpinner app review and a recipe for Panzanella Salad

G'day from Oz and welcome to my little bloggy home, Down Under!

I've been planning and writing this post about one of my favourite recipe apps for a week or so and then, serendipitously I just today read an announcement that Meredith corporation will be launching a new television program based on the very same app! How exciting is that? Can you believe that a television series has been inspired by an app?


#dinnerspinner #natashainoz


To try and get a bit more organised I have recently downloaded a few recipe apps so I can get a meal together quickly with whatever ingredients I have in my fridge and pantry. One app that I particularly like is the free AllRecipes app called Dinner Spinner.

Dinner Spinner gives you quick and easy instant access to Allrecipes’ collection of recipes, cooking videos and photographs.

Access your personalized food feed jam packed with trending and seasonal recipes, easily create custom collections to organize and share favorite recipes by theme, and create your personal Cook’s Profile to share favorite recipes with friends, family and other cooks with your same interests.

I love this app because you simply type in your available ingredients, the type of dish you want to prepare, and how long you want to spend preparing it; et volia, a delicious recipes is right there at your fingertips!

iPhone Screenshot 1

For example, I needed a salad recipe that was easy and quick so gave the dinner spinner app a spin and found a recipe for Italian panzanella salad. I had all the ingredients, including the nearly stale bread so I gave the recipe a go.

#DinnerSpinner app review and a recipe for Panzanella Salad


It was a delicious success and was ready in under 10 minutes.

#DinnerSpinner app review and a recipe for Panzanella Salad

Italian bread salad aka Panzanella Salad

Ingredients

1 loaf of stale italian ciabatta bread (I used Turkish bread!)
600g ripe mixed organic tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
About 1/2 bunch fresh basil
1 cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 small Spanish (red) onion, peeled and finely sliced
3 tablespoons capers, drained
100ml red wine vinegar
300ml extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Method

Tear the bread into rough 3cm pieces and place on a tray. Bake in a warm oven until golden brown and dry. Leave to cool.

Place the oil, vinegar and garlic in a bowl, add the bread and toss together. Add the tomato and onion and tear in the basil leaves. Toss again, season to taste and serve immediately.

YUM!

This video from Gooseberry Patch is another variation of the recipe. There are so many versions of this recipe. It really is such a versatile and delicious recipe!





I just want you to also know that I am not receiving any compensation or endorsements for writing this post; I just think it's a great app and I really wanted to share it! The app is available for iOS, Android, Kindle, and Windows Phone and as I said before, IT'S FREE! Why not give it a go if you haven't already tried it.

Well, thanks for stopping by today and if you have a spare minute or two I'd love it if you could stop by to say g'day over at one of my new Instagram accounts!

 Follow me @natasha_inoz

Best wishes,

Natasha In Oz 


Please visit me at PINTERESTTWITTER, GOOGLE+

#MySundayPhoto - Sunday Flowers and Sunshine

G'day from Down Under lovely friends!

I love this time of year in Australia. There is still a crisp wintry freshness in the air, the days are getting just a little bit longer and the temperatures are creeping up just a little bit too.  This photo, that I also shared at my new Instagram accountshows just how beautiful this time of year is in Australia. I just loved the beautiful dappled sunlight and morning sunshine in my living room this morning so I had to capture it. The poppies look so pretty too!

What a beautiful day! I love this time of year #downunder. #sundaysdownunder #natashainoz #poppies #mysundayphoto



 Follow me @natasha_inoz

I'm joining Photoalife again this weekend, It's a great photography link up with participants from all over the world.

Photalife



I hope your weekend has been wonderful and that your Sunday is especially beautiful.


Best wishes,

Natasha In Oz 


Please visit me at PINTERESTTWITTER, GOOGLE+

#MySundayPhoto - Out for Brunch

I'm joining in with a photography blog hop today. I haven't joined a bloghop for sooo long so I'm really quite excited about joining Photoalife today. Thanks so much to +Cathy Powell at Wandering Sheila for sharing this great photography link up.

Photalife

Today I'm sharing a simple picture of this morning's brunch! I don't often go out for breakfast or brunch as I really enjoy my weekend sleep-in. Thank you to my sister Holly for making me get up early and seize more of my day!

Yummy #brunch @cafe_63 | #natashainoz #bloggerstyle #breakfast #avocado #smokedsalmon #racecourseroad #brisbanecafes #brisbaneblogger #instafood #sundaysdownunder

#brisbaneblogger #instafood #sundaysdownunder

I hope you have had a wonderful weekend!

 Follow me @natasha_inoz

Best wishes,

Natasha In Oz 


Please visit me at PINTERESTTWITTER, GOOGLE+

Creating new memories at a new Instagram account!

G'day lovely friends! Thank you so much for stopping by to visit me at my little bloggy home Down Under.



I have been a busy bee again these last few weeks; I've been teaching, helping Alastair with his school work and supporting my hubby in his most recent artistic adventures in amateur theatre. I'm so proud of him!

Love is Love is Love in ‘Next Fall’

You can read a review here of the Basement Arts production of After Fall at The Creative Issue.

I've been sporadically blogging over at my education blog, Educator in Oz.

 Educator in Oz education blog


I've been having a massive de-clutter at home and have been throwing away 15-year-old-documents, donating boxes of old clothes to charity, selling and donating old furniture and throwing away BOXES and BOXES of tchotchkes and knickknacks.

Good-bye soft toys...it was nice knowing you!


I've also been de-cluttering online and I deleted my personal Facebook account (gasp!) and my old Instagram account. This cartoon sums up my life right about now...I am in a quandry about where to spend my time on social media AND I'm presently teaching Hamlet to my soon-to-be-graduating Seniors!

Image via Expat Zen

So, my life has indeed been full, exciting and very very busy!

I must confess, however, all of these changes have been very cleansing and cathartic and, even though it has been hard to say good-bye to so many memories, I am definitely ready to start making some new ones!

Print via Makewells

So, I am starting from scratch with my Instagram and I crazily decided I needed TWO accounts LOL! I have created an account for this blog as @natasha_inoz and an account for my education blog as @educatorinoz. 



 Follow me @natasha_inoz
If you would like to follow me at one (or BOTH!) of my accounts I'd be ever so grateful! It is hard starting from scratch but I'm really loving networking again and am already finding so many wonderful new folks to follow.

Well, thanks again for stopping by and I hope to see you over at one of my Instagram accounts soon!

Best wishes,

Natasha In Oz 


Please visit me at PINTERESTTWITTER, GOOGLE+

Relax, unwind and disconnect.

 I'm having a very #Zen morning. I hope your Sunday is relaxing and happy, lovely friends.

 #calm #morning #matcha #greentea #maca

Relax, unwind and disconnect #matcha



We need time to defuse, to contemplate
Just as in sleep our brains relax and give us dreams, 
so at some time in the day we need to disconnect, reconnect, 
and look around us. 

Laurie Colwin

Best wishes,

Natasha In Oz 


Please visit me at PINTERESTTWITTER, GOOGLE+

My boy is Macbeth!

Greetings from Oz lovely friends!

I just wanted to share a pic with you today of my talented son Alastair who has been performing in Macbeth AKA the 'Scottish Play' this week. Boy oh boy, has he been amazing?! They only had 21 rehearsals and each student performed with passion and conviction. As an English and Drama teacher it makes me so proud and happy to see young people studying, interpreting and enjoying Shakespeare.

You've been a brilliant Scottish King, Alastair, and I'm so very proud of you.


Chookas to you and your amazing directors, cast & crew on your last night! #dontsaymacbeth #breakaleg

Best wishes,

Natasha In Oz 


Please visit me at PINTERESTTWITTER, GOOGLE+

Peaceful Living

I've been busy on Instagram lately! This week I've been joining in with the #7Vignettes project and the #snaphappybritmums project. I've really been enjoying taking a picture each day to document each day of the school holidays. I must do this more often!


Best wishes for a happy week!

Natasha in Oz

Best of British Cup of Tea

G'day from sunny Oz!

It's tea time here and I'm making it a very British cuppa.

It's #coffeeoclock ☕️ Have a happy Sunday friends! #coffee #coffeetime #sundaymorning #natashainoz
Best wishes,
Natasha in Oz

Blogging for me, blogging authentically!

Hello from Oz!

Well, it seems like a lifetime since I've been here, at my little bloggy home. It seems like a lifetime since I've been focused enough to sit still and take some time write. It seems like a lifetime since I've been able to just sit still!

Don't get me wrong; I try to find time to read, to get my hair done, to share a meal with my family and friends. But, I don't recall the last time I actually did something just for me! 

When I first started blogging in 2009, my blog was called 5 Minutes Just for Me and my aim was to find at least five minutes each day to do something just for me. As my life got busier and as my kids got older my blog's vision and purpose also evolved and from that grew Natasha in Oz. 

I loved that I was able to blog, work part-time, care for my family and stay in touch with my growing network of friends from all over the world via social media. 

Yet, something was missing and I think (I know!) my blog lost its way a little. I wasn't by authentic self and my posts were often rushed and too focussed on reach and numbers.

It made me sad and wanted to give up.

But....

As they say, every cloud has a silver lining and I think I've found mine. I saw this meme on Facebook the other day and it got me thinking....

Poster created by Karen Salmansohn

I have reached that certain age where I really don't care what others think of my wardrobe, the way I decorate my house, the stats for my blog or how often I vacuum my floors!

I have reached a new level of freedom and I now realise that I need to find my authentic blogger self again and blog for me not for numbers!



I need to start saying 'no' more often. 

 

I need to find those 5 Minutes Just for Me each day!


So, I've decided that I won't be hosting any more linky parties. I do LOVE them and I might still join a few but I just can't continue hosting them.

So, to my old friends, thanks for hanging around and supporting me all these years. You are treasured and I am ever so grateful! To my new friends, I hope you forgive me for stopping the Sundays Down Under linky party. Thank you for sticking with me, sharing links to my blog and leaving such beautiful comments-I am so appreciative of YOU ALL!

I hope you might be able to visit me every so often to say g'day and join me on my new journey of authenticity and purpose.



Best wishes,

Natasha In Oz 


Please visit me at PINTERESTTWITTER, GOOGLE+

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