New neighbour

This little guy was a pumpkin seed flavoured creation.

Zumbo has finally moved in next door - so good!

Mini asparagus tarts

Been wanting to make this since I saw it here, so with a picnic coming up I thought I'd rustle up some mini versions to take along.  Okay so they are effectively just glorified mini-pizzas but work with me here.

Lining up my toppings - decided I'd make a mushroom variation while I was at it.

The mini asparagus tarts, lined up and ready to go!

Mushroom and rosemary variation - fresh herbs fancy-up any DIY snack.

The golden squares, paced up and ready to go.

Seeing as this recipe isn't 'cooking' as much as just straight up assembling, I at least try to put a bit of loving into how the toppings are stacked.  Ah puff pastry, you save me every time I need to bring a savoury snack.

Long day, long week,

Thank goodness for tuna salad that melts in your mouth and great friends

Didn't take me long to get back into the sushi either

My Saturdays are usually a full stop to the week just gone by, but it feels like today was more of a comma.  Fresh Japanese with an amazing friend got me closer to the finish line though.

Favourite photo

Found on a Roppongi side street

I took this photo while trolling around Roppongi and just really really like it.  I was initially taking it because there are so many photos of me as a kid with exactly the same expressions on my face - a little quiet and suspicious at first and then I would tilt my head up and just open my mouth when I saw a camera around.

But, on taking it I just loved seeing the layers of my reflection in the glass, surrounded by buildings in the background.  Without getting too deep and meaningful I think it captures what I was feeling when I was taking the photo - sort of nostalgic about how I was as a little girl and how I still sometimes feel that way, even when I'm traveling the world all grown up.

Monday Memo: Do you lunch?

Be purposeful about building community

The women in my area at work decided to have lunch the other week.  All it took was a bit of initiative - a calendar invite (which will inevitably always forget to include people), and reservations to the Italian place downstairs.  It was straight up delightful but also reminded me that within the corporate world women typically aren't as good at men in building community amongst themselves; rather, as one girl pointed out, we tend to foster jealousy rather than support of each other.  Someone else piped up at this point and said they just wished they knew what to do to get promoted, although "guys don't seem to have this problem".

I didn't connect with all of the conversation that abounded from that, but the power of making a point to lunch definitely hit home.  We all know we're supposed to do it more often (build community over lunch, have strategic coffees, find a mentor) but I'm hazarding a guess that we don't all do that.

So this week, while we're all writing our to-do lists lets make this common knowledge a common practice and send the invite out.  Make a reservation.  Go to lunch, ladies - if not for yourself then for the girl who thinks "guys don't seem to have this problem".