My Domestic Art

Our theme for this Christmas is RED AND GOLD. I'm not such a big fan of red, but the kids have been asking me to do red for years... And I figured it is such a classic colour associated with Christmas that I just had to oblige.  I didn't want to do a full-on red so I added some gold decorations from previous years .  The highlight is always the Christmas tree - placed right in front of our front door.  I love setting up the tree... taking my time adding layer by layer and looking at how it slowly comes together.  I always start with the big items like ribbons, flowers, twigs and branches, then the kids would end off with the balls in various sizes.  The gold star topper is from many years back. Unfortunately I couldn't find any large red topper that I liked so I had to make do with what I have.  This butterfly has been making an appearance year after year. I just love it!  All lighted...

Even though Christmas was 5 days ago, I am still trying to clear my fridge from leftover ham and turkey. I am not complaining though, I enjoy these leftover makeovers! 😋 This recipe is a simple and satisfying way to transform the ham into a hearty meal. Start by simmering chicken thighs and beans to create a savoury broth. I use my favourite thermal cooker so I can cook in the morning and forget about it till the afternoon, when I add some chopped vegetables and diced ham. (If you do not have a thermal cooker, you can use a slow cooker instead). This warm and comforting stew is great for the whole family. Serve with rice or crusty bread for a complete meal. But I enjoy this stew by itself as it is filling enough without loading on more carb! Chicken Ham Beans Stew Ingredients: ¾ cup (80g) dried white beans - I use black eye beans 1 kg chicken thighs bone-in 1 bowl diced leftover ham 1 tbsp....

Now that Christmas has come and gone, I can foresee us having leftover turkey and ham for the next few days. But it doesn't have to be boring! With a little bit of makeover, we can transform the Christmas leftovers into something new and delicious. This is what we had when some relatives decided to pop over one day. Lucky for me, I had a fridge full of food so getting dinner ready on the table was a breeze. I made this really simple pasta with the leftover turkey and what I have in my pantry. It was so rich and creamy. Turkey Pasta with Mushroom Cream Sauce Ingredients: 1 pack (375g) pasta 4 cloves garlic - minced 1 onion - chopped finely 1 bowl of shredded leftover turkey 1 can mushroom - sliced thinly a handful of frozen peas 1 can (170g) double cream 1 tbsp. dijon mustard a pinch of nutmeg chopped basil Instructions: Cook the pasta in boiling salted water, following the packet instruction. Drain, reserving 1 cup o...

Merry Christmas from our family to yours! Kids' favourite corner - mini quiche, cheese rolls, cocktail sausages, chocolates, gummies and chips. What's a party without drinks... 😜 The spread - roast turkey with cranberry sauce, ham, roast vegetables, red cabbage...  and lasagne, toad in the hole, roast potatoes and fried prawns... Dessert time! Chocolate pudding with custard, red velvet log cake... Love it or hate it. You just gotta have the rich and fruity Christmas pudding, served with a good dose of brandy and vanilla cream. Delicious food, endless supply of drinks, wonderful company! It was a lovely night. Santa came visiting last night too! XOXOXO 💞

This is one dish that I prepare without fail every year during Christmas. It takes time to prep and cook but is actually a very simple dish. I usually cook a big batch of this and store in the fridge. It can be cooked a few days in advance and reheated easily. This dish goes really well with the usual Christmas roasts. The sourness of the red cabbage balances the flavours of the rest of the meats. This is a very forgiving recipe. You can add more or less vinegar depending on how sharp you like it to be. Braised Red Cabbage with Apples Ingredients: 2 tbsp. butter 1 whole red cabbage - shredded thinly 2 onions - shredded thinly 4 green apples - cut into 1cm cubes 2 cinnamon sticks a good splash of red wine 250ml red wine vinegar salt and pepper Instructions: Melt butter in a large non-stick pan over medium high heat Add the onions and cook for 1-2 minutes until slightly softened Add the red cabbage to the pan Add salt and pepper generously, and ...

I am finally satisfied with how the wreath looks. It is for the main entrance and it is going to be the first impression. I want it to set the scene for the rest of the house. But unfortunately most of my ornaments were already used up for the tree and the garland... So I filled it up with lots of ribbons here. I used 3 different types of ribbons - plain silver, gold mesh and gold lace. Then added some gold balls and pinecones, white flowers and some berries. I like using ribbons to do up my decorations as they give interesting texture and layers. They don't have to look too perfect or symmetrical which I like. They are also very economical - they can fill up those empty green spaces quickly. Hung up on the front door. I think I did pretty well with the limited resources I have! I really need to build up on my Christmas decorations collection. :)

I was at Great World City the other day when I saw this at the taxi stand. Their Christmas decorations hanging on the pillars really caught my eye.  I absolutely loved their colour scheme. Purple with turquoise and gold. What a unique colour combination. Major love!! 💜 Inspiration for next year perhaps.... 😉 Here are some other Christmas trees that caught my eye this year. I'm always drawn to gold! But I think I've done enough gold already. I need to go for red or purple or turquoise next year.

I am very much in the Christmas spirit this year! I started ordering Christmas decorations online way back in September and have nearly finished all the Christmas projects that I wanted to create this year. The theme for this year is  Silver and Gold - building up from last year's gold theme. I love this theme as it's classy yet super sparkly, especially when lighted up! 😀 I'm excited to show you the little corners of my house all decked out in their Christmas glory today. The highlight - our Christmas tree. I love the glow when lighted up at night. All the gold decorations were from last year. I just added on some silver ribbons, silver twigs and berries, silver and white flowers and some silver ornaments this time round. My favourite item that I bought this year is the super sparkly "disco balls" full of mirrors that reflect light so beautifully. Every year, I get one little something special for myself that fits in w...