One post, two epic bike rides :D

Bike rides make me so happy I don't know what to do with myself, I get to see so many beautiful & interesting things, I feel like I could overflow somehow... I swear nothing compares to an epic bike ride with a great friend ;3

Here are some photos from two of our longest rides so far...

Capital City trail-

This is a 30km loop running through the Docklands & outer suburbs of Melbourne (we did a bit more than that, around 35-ish km in total) It was one of the best rides I have ever been on, I had sooo much fun & saw some incredibly beautiful places. I would have liked to take more photos, but it's a pain to stop too often & get the camera out.

Here are the ones I did take tho...

These first three were taken along the Merry river trail, which is a short part of the capital trail. It was one of my favourite sections, it was really beautiful & I was surprised to find places like this so close to the city 0_0

 Our bikes :D

Just as we were heading off again after our late lunch I looked back & thought that the grass, yellow flowers & the sky looked so beautiful that I had to take a photo. Something about the light at that time was really nice...

This is a new section of the Docklands that is still under construction. It was really interesting to ride through because there was virtually no one there, but there were many interesting buildings, boats & new shops to see.


In the end we didn't get home until after dark & we were exhausted, but I can't wait to do it again one day. BEST. BIKE RIDE. EVER.

Bike ride #2

26km loop from home & back again (which we rode today) -

This was also a really fun ride, Eli & I discovered a bunch of new areas to explore & some nice views too, even tho they were up some killer hills @_@

Photos...

I took these first two photos at the top of a very large hill which I really struggled to ride up. I was already a little tired by this point & my legs were a little worn out from a ride the day before, but I made it! Happily the view at the top was pretty nice : )

My awesome bike being awesome :p Eli recently installed pannier racks on the back of our bikes. They act as mud guards & can carry up to 25kilos, it's also provided somewhere to attach the rear lights required when riding in low light or at night (we're still waiting on the ones for the front)

These last two were taken in our neighbouring suburb Eltham, approximately 6km from home. We sat in the grass, snaffled some fruit & water & rested a little before the last bit of riding to get home. The weather was beautiful & it was brilliant to be outside, the air smelt particularly nice, like spring : )

That's the lot, can't wait till our next big ride next weekend ^_____^

Ja ne.

My dog Akira got coloured today [:p (((Blue & orange FTW!

My younger sister is currently completing a course in animal care, & one section is grooming. This week the class got to experiment with dog-friendly dye [: ) Of course I couldn't pass up the chance to have one of mine coloured, so Akira went along & this is how he came back...

Some of the photos look different cause of the flash, but I stuck them in cause it lights up his freaky eyes & I think it looks kinda cool. He's completely blind now, so his eye shine is weird & reflects different colours depending on the angle 0_o'


Good times...
Thanks Sam! ^_____^


*********************************************************************

Some of my new pictures, PRINTED! :D

Yes indeed, as I may have mentioned recently I would love to start selling prints of my drawings & photos, once I get good enough of course (lord knows when that will be) So recently I looked around & found myself a great local printing place & went & got a few things printed up so I can see my pictures on paper, rather than only ever seeing them on screen :p
I haven't really ever printed many of my pictures, & in the past when I have I've had issues with size, resolution etc, but I think I pretty much have it worked out now [: /
The ones I got printed look pretty good, almost exactly they way they appear on screen, which I was mighty impressed with (I've also has issues with printed pictures being waaay darker than they appear on screen & such)
So, I'd say the tests so far have been quite successful & I'm pleased with the quality. The last thing I'm going to try is making one of my pictures on DeviantArt available as a print & purchasing one so I can compare them with the ones I've had printed myself locally to see if it's worth the difference in price (very unlikely I'd say, but definitely worth a shot) So I'll update once I've done that...


For now here's a quick shot I took of some of the pics I've had printed...
(yay cork-board!)

Not bad right?...

aaand back to drawing ;3

Ja ne.

Picture dump (((A few of my older pictures, some of which have never been posted anywhere else...

I think maybe I scribbled this little fellow up in a class at uni. I never did use him for anything, but I still think he's kinda cute :3

I had posted this sketch in a previous entry, but I updated it a bit an decided to stick it in here instead...

Woo!

Don't you hate that! Ouch~

Quick sketchy thing done in Photohop. Messing around with ideas, & clichéd ones at that! ':p (but I still kinda like it >_>)

Some random 'ham' character...

This is Onesie, a character I developed & used during my second year of uni (she was actually for 3D class, this is just one development pic) She is best pals with the little octopus creature on her head, they have grown up together & never separate. I'm working on a pic currently which is based off Onesie, that'll be coming soon...

A few photos for you...

Some random from my life...

So the other night I was about to go & take a shower when I realised
I needed a lemon (I use lemon instead of soap now) I grabbed what I
thought was a lemon, when in fact it was a Tahitian lime, which a
friend had given us at the market. These limes are cool cause their
skin is yellow just like a lemon, but when you cut them open they have
this beautiful green flesh : ) & they smell AMAZING 0_0 Needless to
say it was a lovely shower & I really want some more now :p

All I'm gonna say here is, if anyone can ever guess what's going on
I'll gift you a small pic :p

This is an adorable little charm I bought for Eli whilst I was in Japan a
number of years ago. It's pretty old now, & a little scratched, but still
awesome :D I don't remember where in Japan I found it, I have a
feeling it might have been at the Tokyo Radio Tower, but not sure...

Ja ne...

My (ugly) Vegan Ki Si Minh Recipe

For those of you unfamiliar with Ki Si Minh, it's like a soupy Asian cabbage curry stew... that's the best way I can describe it.

There are many different recipes around for Ki Si Minh, & traditionally they feature beef mince as a main ingredient, so that puts it off the menu for vegans & vegetarians. Not so anymore! I have devised a recipe, it's not beautiful, but it tastes pretty darn good. I've been pleasantly surprised at how well this recipe has worked, I haven't eaten Ki Si Minh in a number of years, but it tastes similar to how I remember it, & certainly it's just as delicious. :D

So what to use in place of beef mice? TOFU! Yep, beautiful, reliable tofu. I realised recently that when roughly crumbled tofu has a similar texture to minced meat, so it's a perfect replacement in meals like Spaghetti Bolognese, Tacos, etc. Remember that tofu is quite bland on it's own, like a sponge, you can add flavor using many different things, this recipe uses margarine, curry powder, Vegan 'Beef' stock, & pepper. Moving right along though, here's the recipe -


*Vegan Ki Si Minh*


Ingredients:
- 250g of organic Tofu - Rinsed, dried & roughly crumbled into chunks
- 1 Wombok cabbage - Cut in half lengthways & finely sliced into strips - Any cabbage will do.
- 2 medium Carrots - Grated
- 1/2 a Capsicum - Finely diced
- 6 Mushrooms - Finely diced
- 1 medium Onion - Finely diced
- 1 cup of Frozen peas & corn mix (alternatively you can use fresh Beans or Snow peas)
- 1/4 cup of White rice - (I like Medium grain)
- 3/4 of a 'Beef' stock cube (I used Massel stock)
- 1/2 a 'Chicken' stock cube (Massels)
- 2.5 tbs Mild Curry power
- 4 tbs of Mirin
- 1/4 cup GF Soy sauce or Tamari
- 2.5 tbs of Nuttelex (or any margarine of your choice)
- Pinch of Pepper
- Oil for cooking
- Boiling water for cooking


Method:
1. Prepare all ingredients.
2. In a large pot add a small amount of oil, the crumbled Tofu & a pinch of pepper & stir over a low-medium heat. Once the tofu has heated thru add 1.5 tbs of Nuttelex, 1/2 a beef stock cube, 1/2 tbs of Curry powder, & half the Mirin & saute until tofu is cooked & slightly golden.
3. Add 1 cup of water to the pot & stir well. Add all remaining ingredients except the rice, cabbage & frozen peas & corn.
4. Tip in water until it comes up to the vegetables, but does not cover them. Place a lid on the pot & allow the liquid to begin simmering, then stir in the rice & place the cabbage on top & replace the lid to allow the cabbage to steam.
5. Once the cabbage has softened a bit you can stir it through the rest of the mix. Cover & allow to simmer for 15 minutes. At this stage you should taste the liquid & adjust seasonings accordingly, more soy sauce for saltiness, Nuttelex for richness, curry powder for heat etc... 
6. Once the rice & vegetables have cooked & the flavour is right remove the lid & stir through the peas & corn. Once the liquid begins to simmer again it's ready!


Serves 4
Great with a slice of warm toast.

Crumbled tofu, ready to cook. 

This is the mix with the cabbage sitting on top. It's fine
like this, it will reduce in size & soften as it steams
with the lid on.

The Ki Si Min cooking once the cabbage is mixed
through.

As I said, it's not beautiful, but it is really tasty, well worth a try.

While this recipe has quite a few ingredients it's simple to prep & cook, once you get the hang of it it's quite a quick meal to make.

Enjoy~

Delicious Sweet & Salty glazed tofu - Great side dish or snack!

Time for a recipe! :D
I tried this just recently as something to serve with a simple fried rice, it makes a great side dish, & the flavorings can be adjusted to be stronger or more mild depending on your preference.


*Sweet & salty glazed tofu*


Ingredients:
- 125g of Tofu - Rinsed, patted dry & thinly sliced
- 1 medium clove of Garlic - minced
- Approximately 6 tbs of GF Soy sauce
- Approximately 10 tbs of Mirin - Check the label, not all are GF!
- Oil for cooking


Method:
1. Prepare the tofu & garlic & set them aside.
2. Heat enough oil to lightly cover the bottom of a large skillet over a low-medium heat. After a minute add the tofu & saute for a few minutes until tofu just starts to get some colour.
3. Carefully drizzle some mirin & soy sauce over the tofu slices, add enough to coat them, but add slightly more mirin than soy sauce. (be careful at this stage, there may be some splash-back if there is too much oil in the pan, or if the heat is too high)
4. Allow the tofu to simmer, turning occasionally until the liquid has absorbed & thickened (it should become shiny, like a glaze) Lower the heat & add a little more mirin & the minced garlic & stir until tofu is covered.
5. Remove from the heat & serve!


Best served with some kind of simple side dish, as the tofu has a pronounced flavor of it's own. This is a cheap & easy dish to make, & you can easily adjust the flavors to suit your taste.


I hope you give it a try!

Tofu has been rinsed under cold water & dried well with

some paper towel, then sliced thinly. Any excess tofu

can be stored in a bowl in some fresh water in the fridge,

if you change the water daily it should last for a week

or more.

Tofu slices simmering in soy sauce & mirin. You can

also add some pepper of you like. : ) The rules for the
flavorings are very simple, soy sauce =
saltiness & mirin = sweetness.

The finished tofu! The garlic adds a little bit of heat &
helps balance out the salty flavor. I have made this
batch quite strong (I used more soy sauce & mirin)
I'm still experimenting.

Enjoy!

Graffiti

I've had this idea in my head for a looong time, last night I finally started :p & finished it this morning [:D Just a quick version for now, but I might do a better one some time in the future...

Hope y'all like him :D


Catch ya!

Raichu amongst glowing clover...

It's only 8:30, but I feel so tired x___x

See you later... (((That's what the hiragana says...

Today I wanted to try doing a pic with clean line art & flat colours. Also I wanted to draw another woman with shiny lips, & there you have it!

Hooray!
The only trouble I've found using ArtRage so far is when working with big files the program lags a fair bit, having said that my computer is getting a little old...


Time to start something new! [:D


じゃあ ね 。。。

Another Pikachu (((It's been one of those days :p

WHOOOOOSHHHHHHH~


I want to draw more... but my eyes [:' /


じゃあ ね 。。。

Pika globe (((Shiny and cute

Yank his tail & he'll light it up for you 0_0...
(WARNING: Pulling a pikachu's tail may result in electrocution & DEATH)

My first Pokemon pic painted using ArtRage [:D I'm supposed to be doing housework, but I can't stay away!

Bonus Pikachu -

じゃあ ね 。。。

*Blog update* (((Now WobbleCUBE ***Scrap that!***

Hello to anyone who happens to read this [" u "],


Last night I made myself a signature/watermark image to use on my pictures to (hopefully) avoid anyone attempting to nick them (unlikely, but still...) From the watermark image I got the idea of WobbleCUBE & decided it would be a good name to use [: )
I wasn't sure when I first started blogging if I would keep up with it, happily it turns out that I'm really enjoying it, & it felt like time for a more thoughtful title. So I hope it works out & that people like WobbleCUBE  /(* 3*)...
Any feedback would be awesome!


Also...


I have a fair bit to do today, but I should have time for some drawing a bit later, so there may be some new art this afternoon. I also have a super vegetarian version of Ki Si Min coming soon ;3


***MASSIVE EDIT - I couldn't do it! D':] I had to change it back... I guess I like it :p


じゃあ ね 。。。- (ja ne. Informal Japanese for 'until next time')


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