Bang, bang, bang

What a way to start today! After a late night to bed (we did a mini roadtrip to Newcastle last night to see Stone Temple Pilots in concert!!), I woke this morning to Hamish’s alarm (with three snoozes!) then the banging of steel beams from the major works they’re doing under our townhouse. This was supposed to be a late rise and a relaxing day off work …

Since there was no use trying to sleep in, it was straight to Tunks Park with Beau for 3.5 roundtrip laps and sit-ups in the still-crisp morning air. Home to shower before venturing out for Brunch. It’s been a little while between visits, but today I returned to Pat’s Cafe in Waverton for his famous $9.90 eggs cooked to your liking with a choice of any two sides and two slices of toast, again of your choice. Strong skim cappuccino on the side and harbour views to boot. Who could complain?!

Beau was ‘happy as larry’ laying in the shade, the sun was dancing at my back and it had become a wonderful day.

Such a lovely day for the outdoors but my mind was ticking at what desserts I could prepare today. Opting for something easy, I settled on Chocolate Crackles and a Lemon Coconut Slice.

The recipe for Chocolate Crackles was sourced from a Kellogg’s Rice Bubbles box and the Lemon Coconut Slice from the Kidspot website.

Tonight is my brother’s house-warming party so I’ve made some extras to take there, as well as to keep enough to satisfy my sweet tooth over the weekend. Surely after my run at the park this morning I must be allowed …

Sara Lee … irresistible

While I was out and about today for work, I saw a Sara Lee Fectory Outlet. My sweet tooth got the better of me and I could not resist taking a look. The cakes were abound and specials were plentiful.

For a small total of $14.99 I came home with seven cheesecakes (cookies & cream bavarian, honeycomb bavarian, choc bavarian, french vanilla x 2, strawberry x 2), two choc-caramel pies and a Sara Lee cooler bag. Brilliant!

There were just so many more sweets I could have indulged in purchasing but resisted temptation. I even managed to resist one of my favourites – caramel slice at the counter for just $1.45.

So it’s got me thinking … what have you gone out to the shops/work for and made a spontaneous (and quite possibly an unneccessary purchase)? Some recent ones for me are:
* A bag of mini musk sticks
* Leather conditioner for my handbags
* A pair of boots and two pairs of ballet flats
* Sports running shorts
* Grain waves
* Twisties
* Lionel Ritchie CD

Classic Shepherd’s Pie

Courtesy of taste.com.au comes our dinner for tonight: Classic Shepherd’s Pie!! (although apparently ours will be more a Cottage Pie as we’ve used beef mince rather than lamb…)

I doubled our recipe so there are some leftovers for lunch/dinner tomorrow as I’ve got high expectations of how amazing it will be and evoke childhood memories of delicious winter dinners. Actually, it used to be one of my favourite meals when I was a little girl and my special request for Mum to make me every birthday!

Preparation Time
10 minutes

Cooking Time
65 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)
1 tbs olive oil
1 brown onion, halved, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, trimmed, finely chopped
500g lamb mince
2 tbs plain flour
500ml (2 cups) beef stock
1 dried bay leaf
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tbs tomato paste
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
4 (about 200g each) desiree potatoes, peeled, chopped
40g butter
125ml (1/2 cup) milk
Melted butter, to brush

Method
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add lamb mince and cook, stirring to break up any lumps, for 5 minutes or until lamb changes colour.

2. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until combined. Add stock, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until sauce thickens. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

3. Meanwhile: cook potato in a saucepan of salted boiling water for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Return to the pan with the butter. Use a potato masher or fork to mash until smooth. Add milk and use a wooden spoon to stir until combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

4. Preheat oven to 200°C. Spoon lamb mixture into a 2L (8-cup) capacity ovenproof baking dish. Top with mashed potato and use a fork to spread over lamb mixture. Brush with butter. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until mashed potato is golden brown. Serve immediately

ENJOY! xx

POST-DINNER UPDATE: I recommend not using as much stock as the recipe suggests and likewise to not use quite as much milk for the mashed potatoes. Was a little sloppy but the taste was still there 🙂

Rainy days

Could there be a better start to a Saturday morning, than home-made corn fritters with a glass of fresh pulpy orange juice and shortly followed by a strong coffee with the new edition of House & Garden?! Rainy Saturday mornings are meant to be lazy days relaxing on the lounge.

My dog is desperate to get out for a morning run at the park. He knows it is a weekend and weekends = lots of play time! We opened the back doors and he could smell the beautiful fresh air with the scent of rain and wimpered when he wasn’t allowed out.

These are the days when spring cleaning should not just be done in ‘spring’. When you can rummage through your wardrobe and send to St Vinnies the outfits you haven’t worn in three years. Don’t just keep it with the thought that you ‘might wear it one day’. If you haven’t worn it in the last year, that ‘one day’ won’t be soon! As much as I hate to say it, same goes for shoes. These are the days when the duster and mop really come alive to the tune of the vaccum in the background and bathrooms are scrubbed top to toe.

As much as we need the rain and it is a god-send for my garden, I do hope the sun breaks through the clouds today for an afternoon stroll and Beau’s doggy play-dates.

Two beautiful butterflies

A beautiful thing happened to me today. As I was working away at my laptop, I had two butterflies in sync fly in our back door and around my head. It was a little blessing from nature and a welcome distraction from my work for a brief moment. I was fascinated as I watched them float around beside me for a few seconds before they drifted back outside to the flowers in the rear courtyard.

It got me thinking though, about those little moments in time that put a smile on your dial. Later in the afternoon as I was contemplating this, I noticed two insects quite obviously mating on our front gate. We have also had a lovely light orange rose flower in the front garden this morning. What an interesting day!

Early this morning I ran around our townhouse like a madwoman – cleaning the glass doors, mirrors, dusted the living room and re-swept the front and rear courtyards along with our balcony since they were covered with pine needles even since the weekend. All for a routine inspection from our real estate agent that ended up cancelling last minute. We also had an electrician in this morning working for two hours to restore power to our living room, the second bedroom and garage as the power had been cut during building works last week.

Have you ever had one of those days where things seem to be frustrating you, when you feel like you’re chasing your tail and efforts are all made in vain? These little reminders of nature at its best, along with the wind in your face while walking the dog at Tunks Park with a delicious cappuccino from The Laneway cafe in Cammeray will always succeed in perking me up!

Food, glorious food

Beef liver sashimi

Hamish cooking our food at Kashiwa Yakiniku Japanese BBQ

Dinner on Saturday night was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I would highly recommend Kashiwa Yakiniku Japanese BBQ at Crows Nest if you want to try something different. We ordered a range of dishes including prawns, chicken thigh fillet, gyoza (japanese dumplings), wagyu beef skirt and for something completely random – beef liver sashimi and pork neck. Here’s how it works: you arrive, communal-style seating, order a few items off the menu and your personal BBQ is delivered to your table. Cook the meat when you want it. Brilliant! BYO wine/beer and there’s a fridge in the restaurant so you can chill it without it taking up space at your table. Total bill was $90 for two of us including a tip and we walked away feeling full and very satisfied, certain that we would make a return with a few friends for a fun experience.

On that note, I must say that I am still shocked by the devastation in Japan. I have twice visited Japan and it is such a beautiful country with so much to offer and to see complete cities wiped out by the tsunami especially, combined with the damage caused by the earthquake is so sad.

Sunday, perfect weather again. While Hamish played cricket, I briskly walked two laps around Centennial Park with Beau. Home to get ready then for a family dinner at Tony Roma’s restaurant in the city to feast on yummy , well-cooked ribs with a to-die-for sauce. A special from cudo.com.au for $15 per person for all-you-can-eat ribs served with a side of fries or rice – you can’t go wrong.

So what’s on my dinner menu this week? Last night was Lamb with potatoes, corn, peas and broccoli. Tonight’s dinner was a hot thai green curry chicken. Tomorrow will be nachos served with guocomale and sour cream, then chicken wraps for Thursday night. Thursday night always needs to be a quick and easy dinner before I head to touch rugby.

I’m feeling rather fit at the moment with my missin to go for a run every day or at least every second day, then touch rugby Thursday nights. Netball starts with a round robin on 28th March and competition from 2nd April. Definitely looking forward to that!

I’m keen to try making some new desserts – let me know if you want to suggest something for me to try!

What a day!

What a day for a daydream ….
Weather has been brilliant today and the perfect opportunity to spend time outdoors in the sun.

Home-made crepes to start the day with summer berries, banana and honey with a squeeze of fresh lemon, yum! Then off to Primrose Park at Cammeray for a run around and a doggy swim.

Easily tempted to head down to a park in Waverton, the Joseph Bugler Playing Field for a run around and kick with the rugby ball. After working up a sweat and feeling great in doing so, homebound for a freshly made sandwich and banana & berry smoothie.

Dinner tonight at Kashiwa Yakiniku Hapanese BBQ in Crows Nest which I am very excited about. I’ve been eyeing it off for months and have decided that tonight will finally be the night to give it a go. My shout as it was Hamish’s birthday yesterday so it’s a little treat for him 🙂

Long time, No speak

I admit, I have been lazy. I have been busy too. It’s a crazy time of year for me with work and just starting to settle again now, however no excuses for not adding new posts!

2011 to date has been an absolute whirlwind. I can’t believe it’s already well into March.

So what have I been up to this year? Work, work, work, booking holidays. The latter has been the most enjoyable of course 🙂

Working in the travel industry, most of my weekends have been consumed with travelling and participation at expos including 10 days in New Zealand.

On a positive note, my fitness goals have been kickstarted! I’m running at the park most afternoons. On Sunday I power-walked two laps around Centennial Park and I have committed to Thursday night touch rugby. All preparation for my winter netball and my goal to maintain a great level of fitness throughout 2011. The encouragement is in the results I can see and feel already.

March is a month of birthdays in our family. It’s Hamish’s (my partner) birthday this Friday, Ash’s birthday (my brother’s girlfriend) on Monday and my Dad’s birthday on 29th March. We’ve also celebrated my Mum’s birthday in January and my sister’s boyfriend and Hamish’s Mum’s birthdays in February. Busy start to the year and a lot to celebrate in the first quarter!

What have I been cooking lately? I made yummy individual carrot cakes last week with a delicious cream cheese icing. Massamun Beef has been in the slow cooker today so looking forward to devouring that for dinner tonight. On Sunday I improved on my previous attempt at Bacon & Egg Pie and produced a delicious bake. Want the recipes? Let me know and I’ll upload them in the Food & Drink section!

I am also excited for the holidays I have planned for the year – Thailand hopefully for May/June (a special offer at the Outrigger Koh Samui with thanks to Cudo.com.au that we couldn’t resist!) and tickets booked for Christmas & New Year in New Zealand.

With so much to do, so much happening around us it is important to remember to take time to enjoy and appreciate the little things in life that are so precious and often go unnoticed – such beautiful things as seeing a butterfly floating amonst the flowers in our rear courtyard on the weekend, feeling overjoyed at the affection shown by my dog, waking up happy and healthy in the morning, regular phone calls and lovely messages from many family and friends 🙂

Summer holidays

Today is my last official ‘holiday’ day. Then there is the weekend. Then I’m back to work.

I had lunch with my Mum today and it is always so nice to catch up with her and have a bit of mother-daughter time. She mentioned how beautiful Christmas/New Year holidays are when they’re so relaxing and allows you time to ‘reflect’ on the year that was.

So I thought I’d look back at what I wrote in early 2010 and have pinned up above my work desk:
2010 Is The Year For Me To …
* Learn to play guitar
* Learn how to meditate and to utilise this profound skill
* Get fit, stay fit
* Do more things for me
* Be organised and keep on top of things – be one step ahead
* Set things up to take me through the rest of my life
* Don’t be afraid to say ‘no’
* Take time out to enjoy the little things
* Enjoy spontaneity – not everything has to be planned and not everything has to stay to plan
* Work within your means, spend within your budget
* Be happy being ME!

And the results are in …
* I did a beginners guitar course to learn the basic chords, how to play the chorus of a few songs, etc (note that one of my 2011 goals is to practice the guitar twice a week!)
* I did a meditation course and really enjoyed it
* I played winter netball on Saturdays for the first time in 10 years!
* I’ve enjoyed time out to myself and catching up with more friends again
* I’m always organised, sometimes too organised, so I’ve also come to appreciate that some things need not be organised but rather I need to just go with the flow
* I’ve got my apartment currently being tenanted which is a great little investment for me
* I’ve saved a small sum of money which I can put towards building an internal laundry in my apartment (rather than having to use the shared laundry in the courtyard) and I have set up a savings plan to lead me into 2011
* I enjoyed a five week holiday in Europe including a Topdeck tour from Barcelona to Rome and a 7 day Croatia sailing trip

So all in all, I feel I can confidently say I’ve had a successful 2010 and I am so excited for what 2011 has in store for me!

I’m looking forward to getting stuck back into work, maintaining a fitness schedule and experimenting even more in the kitchen. Oh, this is going to be a fun year … bring it on!

2011 is underway!

I am rather excited to find that the walking track at the end of our street leads me to Tunks Park. My dog, Beau, and I decided yesterday that we would go ‘exploring’ and after a quick 15 minute walk, we were at Beau’s favourite doggy play park! We did the same walk again today and found another walking track off the main one, so very happy to have that practically on our back doorstep – means I’ve got no excuse not to get out and go for a walk!

Yes, I made the crumble the other night. My partner convinced me that there was no option in the matter, so I sent him across the road to buy my ingredients and set to work in the kitchen. The crumble is almost always as good uncooked as it is when cooked. It lasted us for dessert the last three nights – brilliant!

Oh and I was rather pleased to see the new edition of House & Garden magazine at my local Woolworths so I picked that up and looking forward to getting into that tomorrow too.

My 2011 goals have now officially been set. I’ve got about half a dozen things on my list that I’m certain I will stick to. They’re my driver for the next 12 months. Some are focused on fitness, others on my personal interests like making sure I play my guitar at least twice a week and my savings plan. Looks like it’s going to be a busy year … full steam ahead!

For now, got to go … Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals is on TV 🙂