Sweet potato shepherd's pie

There's something so comforting about enjoying a shepherd's pie during these Tassie winter months. A traditional shepherd's pie can sometimes not be the healthiest, particularly if it's loaded with butter or cream, so I've created a nutrient-dense version using sweet potatoes for slow release energy, lean beef, and plenty of vegetables. It definitely doesn't compromise on flavour or the feeling of having a warm meal in you belly on a cold winter's night.

Chewy salted caramel bites

If you're looking for a sweet treat that is extremely easy to prepare and that will satisfy any sugar cravings you have, these chewy salted caramel bites are perfect. I like to make a batch of these at the start of the week to have on hand for a healthy mid-afternoon snack.

A weekend away on the east coast

Given that restrictions were lifted in Tasmania last week so that Tasmanians can now travel around the state, we decided that the long weekend would be the perfect time to escape to Tassie's east coast for a few days. We managed to find a beautiful, dog-friendly house on Air Bnb that was located in Dolphin Sands, a small town near Swansea.

Hobart's 10 best takeaway options during lockdown

As someone who loves to dine out on a regular basis, these past few weeks have thrown a bit of a spanner in the works in respect of that matter. However, I have put my mind to the task of discovering the best takeaway/delivery services available in Hobart and its surrounds, so that I can still get my weekly fix of a meal or two cooked by someone other than myself or Dave. My top 10 picks are set out below.

How I've been adapting to self-isolation

It's been about a month or so since Australia moved to a lifestyle of self-isolation, staying at home unless necessary, and avoiding contact with other people. At first, it was a pretty massive adjustment for a lot of us, as our evenings and weekends no longer involved going out for a meal, hitting the gym, catching up with friends for Saturday brunch, seeing a movie at the cinema, or going to church on Sundays. I generally like to try to keep a positive mindset, so I've been discovering new ways of adapting my old hobbies to keep entertained and happy during these times. I've given a summary of a few of these below if you're looking for new some ways to stay busy at the moment.

My working from home tips

With many of us working from home in this current crazy state of the world, I thought it would be a good time to share the tips I have learnt over the past four years since I began working from home. I definitely learnt the hard way in many respects, from some days spent in my pyjamas until midday, to going far too long without leaving the house - habits that I quickly discovered were not conducive to a productive working day. So, I thought it might be useful to share the below 10 tips for anyone who has found themselves in the position of being at home with your laptop and not too sure how to navigate this new way of life.

A day trip to Bruny Island

It is often not until we have friends visiting us in Tasmania that we spend time exploring many of Tasmania's beautiful locations. Last weekend was no exception. My friend Davina came to stay with us for a few days, and as it was her first time in Tasmania, I wanted to take her to one of my favourite places in Tassie's south - Bruny Island.