On My Nightstand: Candice from The Gorgeous Gourmet

My love for cooking is a fairly new one, which, I'll admit, really only came about after my fiancé complained that I wasn't being as proactive when it came to meal times as I should be. In the past, I've been guilty of leaving the task of cooking dinner entirely up to him, but after we moved in together about a year ago, I decided (for the sake of our relationship!) to start contributing more in the kitchen. Imagine my shock when I discovered that I really enjoy cooking (!) and that I'm actually quite good at it! I have a few dishes that I've mastered and I tend to stick to them (Easy Chicken Curry, anyone? Gwyneth's 10 Hour Chicken? Done! Creamy Tomato Soup? You're welcome!), but my goal is to experiment a bit more and to broaden my culinary horizons just a tad. So I was thrilled to stumble upon Candice Le Noury's amazing blog, The Gorgeous Gourmet recently. Every time I click through this beautiful blog with it's scrummy recipes and utterly delicious photographs, I can feel the hunger pangs start to hit - even if I've just had lunch. (I'm dying to try these decadent Double Chocolate Cookies and I think this may just be the weekend to pull out the apron and do a spot of baking). You might also recognize Candice from SA's first MasterChef, where she was one of the top 50 contestants. You can read more about Candice's MasterChef SA experiences here and here. But for now, have a look at Candice's awesome nightstand - I am obsessed with her white, red and navy colour scheme!

"So, what's on my nightstand? My bedroom is themed red, white and blue-  above my bed you can just see the bottom of my "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster - a great reminder to see everyday I think!"

  
"A blackboard - my lovely boyfriend, Luke, made this for me. I love writing "to do lists" and it's a very visible way for me to keep track of the important things I need to do for the week. Seeing it first thing when I wake up, and last thing before I go to sleep is a constant reminder to get it done. I also love the satisfaction of crossing things off the list!"

 "A pile of cookbooks - my all-time favourite is Nigella's Express, and locally I'm also enjoying Bitten, by my fellow-food blogger and friend, Sarah Graham, and Bake by Tina Bester. I love flipping though cookbooks before bed, especially on a Thursday night, to find brilliant ideas to cook up on the weekend."

"A selection of magazines - even though most of my reading centres around food, I'm trying to pay more attention to the rest of my life. I've recently subscribed to Women's Health, which I'm loving. You'll also find Good Housekeeping, Fair Lady, and of course Woolworths TASTE (I can't escape food!)"

"A photograph of Luke and I -this was taken in Franschhoek last autumn, and is one of my favourite photos of us.

A little box of surprises - I do all of my beauty routine in the bathroom, but I'm always forgetting hand cream. So that stays in the box, along with my day-to-day jewellery. I like everything to stay neat and tidy, so this box allows it to all stay hidden from sight."



I love Candice's blackboard - I am an obsessive list maker, so I'm contemplating buying a small blackboard and doing the same! Thank you so much for sharing, Candice! 

To further indulge my curiosity, I'll be doing a regular series called 'On My Nightstand' where fellow bloggers and friends will take a few snap shots of their nightstand and send a brief description for your viewing pleasure, so be sure to check back regularly for the next installment. If you'd like to share the contents of your nightstand, please be in touch. I'd love to hear from you!


Images: Candice Le Noury