meal planning monday

Hmmm, I have a feeling I may have used this image before, but it's so pretty we can live with it again can't we? It's from housetohome.co.uk - site of many of my home-drooling missions. I had a fabulously busy weekend. Mother's night out on Friday night where I met the gorgeous Lou who reads my blog. She's set to travel and shall be blogging all about it - I'll let you know the address so we can all dream of our next trip OS. Saturday was a baby-welcoming party for two of my dearest friends who now have the most beautiful baby in their family after a long 10-year-wait. He's divine, they're besotted and it was lovely to share the day with family and friends who were ever-so-thrilled for them. Then, yesterday, it was two netball presentations in a row. I'm on the committee so helped with the setting up and hung around while everything ran beautifully. Tired now... But here's what we're eating:

Monday: Steak and salad tonight. Looks like it's going to be a warm day, so that'll be nice.

Tuesday: I'm making my husband and daughter's fave mince and macaroni dish. I made it last week, but I swear my husband would eat it every day. It's an easy re-heater too - so perfect for me with my burlesque fitness class. I'll serve it with a side salad.

Wednesday: Tonight we'll have home-made pizzas. I tend to flop in the middle of the week and can't be bothered cooking and we'll order takeaway thai. Instead, I'm trying to plan and have the ingredients for an easy meal on hand. Like this!

Thursday: I have some saltbush lamb tenderloins I need to cook up. I'll crust them in a fresh herb (flat leaf parsley and mint) and macadamia crust and then slice them and serve them with a salad with persian feta, ruby grapefuit and lots of bitter leaves.

Friday: We're off to a ball. I know, fancy. We've been going ever since kinder with the same core group of friends. Dancing will be involved. And hysterical laughter.

Saturday: I'll do some garlic and lemongrass prawns on the bbq tonight. With a salad.

Sunday: Roast chicken with a simple stuffing - and a warm roast veg and lentil salad.

And that's it. Let me know what you're cooking. I need more ideas...

flowers for friday

Happy friday everyone! I have just had the most inspiring morning. I went to the first of the Renew Newcastle Creative Talks when the incredibly charismatic artist Lucas Grogan spoke. Wow. He was an inspiration. The passion that drives him was evident and it's no wonder that he's charmed his way to success. His unique art speaks for itself, but you'd have to be a hard case not to be won over when he speaks. He spoke of how he just creates and creates, and has a huge box of discarded art. He says that creativity is like a muscle that needs to be worked - you don't wait for inspiration to strike - you work until something magical happens.

Loved it.

Loved him.

Then I went and voted in my local election. It was a tough one. I've been doing a lot of research, not just into the candidates for Lord Mayor, but for council too. There are currently a few sitting on council that I would really like to see the back of - so I was thrilled to mark them as last in the preferences. The first choice was the toughest. I want to see someone who has the passion and experience to do something with this town. Luckily The Newcastle Herald has videos of all the candidates speaking - which helped seal my one, two and three votes.  Go here to see it if you're a local.

I also collected ALL the how-to-vote cards as I like to see where everyone directs their preference - if I'm unsure, then I check this out.

It'll be interesting to see how this pans out. I think the Mayoral vote will be close. I just hope that the make-up of the council can work together for the community so we can continue to be as awesome a town as we have the potential to be.

I'm off to a school mum's dinner tonight where I'll get to meet a reader of this blog (Hey Lou, I'll wear a red rose over my ear and cover three quarters of my face so you recognise me...) Should be fun. Then, tomorrow I'm down to Sydney for a friends party for a much-loved and much-longed-for baby. Can't wait. Sunday it's back home and then off to the netball presentations. Phew. I'll need another weekend to recover I think...

Have a fabulous weekend.

yes please

Every now and again you just need some words to lift you up and let you soar. There's no point in just existing is there? It's all about living. Sure, it might be exhausting, and expensive, and busy - but hey, it's worth it.

Why not? You only live one - live it well.

hats off to newy

I was following the Good Food Guide awards on Twitter the other night and was thrilled to see that Newcastle now has FOUR restaurants with a well-deserved one Hat. The beautiful Bacchus has retained its hat, as has the sublime Restaurant Deux. Newbies coming into the fold are Restaurant Mason (next on my list to try) and the ever-so-awesome Subo.

Yay us.

I'm thrilled at these results, but not surprised. What Newcastle has in its food scene is passion. See that ridiculously pretty pic up there? That's from a Newcastle café. Yes, I'll let that sink in. Café. Not a hatted restaurant, but just a little something on the lunchtime menu. Ridiculously, crazy beautiful. It's an orange and berry verrine, with meringue, and a hazelnut praline. The orange came in the form of light mouthfuls of pannacotta, the berries in the perfect coulis. The toffee surrounding the nuts was deliciously thick, crispy and the perfect shade of caramel. It was so perfectly composed and utterly delicious. I think it's my new favourite dessert.

Unsurprisingly it came from the kitchen of Le Petit Deux, the french breakfast and lunch café set up by Lesley Taylor of Restaurant Deux. I love how she's translated fine dining aspects into the perfect french café menu. Merci Lesley.

I am just so proud of how this town's developing. Of the new cultures that are rising and embracing this town and what it has to offer. I see a promising future - and it's pretty darned sweet.

meal planning monday

image from www.housetohome.co.uk

Hey, Spring! Yay - thank goodness you're here! While I do love Winter, I am somewhat over it now and looking forward to longer days, warmer weather and a change of menu. We're busy this week, (I know - surprise!) here's what we're eating this week.


Monday: I wanted to do crispy-skinned salmon on the BBQ as my daughter loves salmon and I am guilty of never cooking it often enough. But the salmon yesterday at the store looked a bit pale. So, instead, I'll make salmon patties. I’ll serve it with a lemony potato salad and a baby spinach and blood orange salad.

Tuesday: I’ve switched the day of my burlesque fitness class so a friend can come with me. So whatever meal is planned for tonight has to be served up by hubby and daughter. Tonight my daughter has a school dance, and a friend over to get ready together. I'm going to whip up this delish mince and macaroni casserole from my Leggo's cookbook. It's so simple, and terribly tasty.

Wednesday: My daughter’s ballet has switched from Thursday to Wednesday so I now need a speedy Wednesday meal. I think we’ll have caramelised pork tonight. I'm also off to catch up with friends to check out some new offerings at the always-fab Greg & Audrey's Garage. I'm sure it'll inspire me for summer.

Thursday: I was chatting with a friend the other day about retro-meals and she mentioned curried sausages. Boy, did that get me hankering. She said she fried off the sausages first so the skin was nice and brown. I might just have to cook this up.

Friday: I’m going out to a school mum’s night tonight – no cooking for me, just sitting at a table being served two courses with friends. Yes please. Hubby and daughter can make homemade burgers.

Saturday: I'm down in Sydney tonight for a friend's baby party - yayness! All three of us gals from uni days are catching up, so I'm guessing that after the party we'll head out somewhere for some food. Don't worry, I'm not leaving hubby and child purely to fend for themselves - they're off to my in-laws for the night so my hubby can ride from Maitland to Dungog and back on Sunday morning. I know - craziness.

Sunday: I need to start a spring tradition to take over from roast. But I still want to roast… guess I can do lamb shoulder on the bbq and serve it warm with a salad. Can’t I? Yep, that sounds perfect, particularly as we have the netball presentation in the afternoon. I'll leave the bbq roasting slowly while we're out and we'll come home to cooked-to-perfection meat and a pre-prepared salad (I'm thinking a lentil salad and a baby spinach, feta and pinenut salad will work well). Don't worry, I won't leave the bbq unnattended, hubby'll be here working on the garden while we're at netball presso.

And that'll do us. Tell me what you're having.

sweet sunday

It's an utterly glorious day out there today - not that we've seen it yet, been too busy cooking up crispy bacon, yummy eggs and making bowls of coffee. Yep, it's been a relaxing father's day in this neck of the woods. I'll meander off to the Farmer's Market soon. Husband's requested tart tartin for father's day dinner tonight.. Best buy some yummy apples! And some meat for the main too!


Hope you have a lovely sunday x

flowers for friday

Hello Friday, my, you are looking pretty today... So, can you believe that it's the last day of August AND the last day of winter? Hurrah! I am so looking forward to spring. Longer days mean before-dinner bikerides. And warmer days mean SWIMMING! Yes please.

So, how's your weekend panning out? Ours is busy. On Saturday we're going down to watch the grand final of the netball season. Our team didn't make it, but we're off to cheer on the friends who did. Saturday night I'm catching up with some uni friends and we'll dance the night away to a band we used to dance to back in the day. But rather than dancing upstairs at Tatts, we'll be at the Lass. Same old. It won't be a late night though as it's father's day on Sunday. Hubby has requested breakfast in bed and a home cooked meal. Bless. There will be pressies too.

Have a lovely one - and enjoy your Friday. I think it's going to be a very good day indeed.

spoiled rotten

I live less than five minutes walk from this: the largest ocean baths in the Southern Hemisphere. And, arguably, one of the prettiest. My breath never ceases to be taken whenever I stand at the headland looking down over Merewether, across the gorgeous new SurfHouse, down past Dixon to Bar Beach. It's stunning. It's one of the reasons why we moved back to Newcastle 11 years ago.

When we moved to Sydney I thought we'd never come back here. But in the few short years we lived in Newtown and then Bronte Newcastle started experiencing an incredible renaissance. Darby Street swelled from a couple of restaurants and a cafe to the fabulous eating strip that it is now - and that confidence has now spread across the town. People are doing great things - which is inspiring others to try as well.

We are spoiled for choice. When I want to catch up with a friend for coffee we can easily rattle off a list of 10 cafés to meet at. Easily. And we've left off loads. Sure, we have our faves {often ones without the annoying parking metres out the front that double the cost of your latte} - but there are still many on my must-try list.

And fine dining? Woah. Where do I start? I think what makes Newcastle's dining scene so exceptional is the genuine delight the chefs have in their food and in their town. I follow a few chefs on Twitter and love checking out their pics where they're foraging for Samphire off the Newcastle coastline to feature in that night's dishes. Tim Montgomery from Bacchus {which would have to win some kind of prize for the country's most stunning restaurant, with an inspired menu to match} showed pics the other day of the community garden they're working on near the cathedral - talk about herbs with a view! And every time there's a glowing article about Newcastle {and there are MANY - the secret is out} the chefs and cafés are the first to sing each other's praises.

We do cool things in Newy too. Like this:

This is the Newcastle Regional Art Gallery cocktail night for The Archibalds. Local restaurant Silo, on the grittily-pretty Honeysuckle harbour, supplied the cocktails and fingerfood for the night. While local artists and a subject discussed their work. Brilliant. Unique. Novel. I can't wait to see what they come up with when they expand.

Here's a pic from one of my fave nights recently. The Roost Creative {a Renew Newcastle project} came up with a brilliant idea to host an exhibition at Good Brother café - featuring local business Sid Cohen's rubber stamps. It was called Good Rubber and a range of fab artists redesigned their art for a new medium. Rubber stamps. So. Much. Talent. The night went off. Over 200 people RSVPd on facebook saying they were coming and the people spilling out onto the sidewalk pretty much backed up those numbers. The joy in the room was palpable.

At the end of the night most of us trekked down to The Terrace Bar, the newest small bar to open in Newcastle. It was like stepping into a very cool party. There was a DJ spinning vintage vinyl, with tunes from the 50s, and loads of sharp-dressed guys and gals dancing up a storm: complete with authentic moves. Can you imagine? Joyful.

I love new ideas, new concepts, new things to do. Last Saturday night was the first Darby Street Bohemia Festival - so we went along. We saw a lot of cool things. Like this:

Look at the love and care put into the stall at Blackbird Corner. Vintage tablecloths, gorgeous bunting, fabulous smiling faces. It's people like these that make this town a true pleasure to live in.

And it continues. Work is currently taking place in the old ANZ Bank building in Newcastle, turning it into a small bar. Excitement doesn't quite cover how I feel. And it won't be the last. While we continue to enthusiastically support these new initiatives, more will be born. How GOOD is that?

Here's the latest article, complete with food recommendations by chefs. Great, now I have to add MORE places to try...

Love this city. Do you? Share your tales here. Go on - hit me with MORE places I need to try.

meal planning monday

Can you smell spring? I can. Whether it’s the longer days, or the jasmine that’s just starting to pop or something else completely undefined – warmer weather’s on its way. So here’s a trans-seasonal meal plan, especially for this weather.

Monday

One of my friends on Twitter mentioned chicken pie the other day, and it got me hankering. So I’m going to make chicken pot pies tonight. With mash, peas and corn.

Tuesday

It’s my daughter’s long ballet class tonight, so I should make her a meal she loves to come home to. She’s a HUGE Shepherd’s Pie (pictured above) fan so I’ll make that and serve it with broccoli, carrots and some roasted pumpkin and sweet potato.

Wednesday

I haven’t made homemade pizza for a few weeks. So let’s have those shall we? With salad.

Thursday

I have exercise class till 7pm so hubby and daughter can whip up some chicken and avocado burritos for dinner. With a corn salsa and a large salad.

Friday

I have a niggling feeling that I have something on this night, but nothing’s on my calendar. Let’s hope a reminder pops up. But, until it does, I’ll plan a simple meal anyway: my version of Nigella’s Spaghetti Carbonara.

Saturday

Surely it’ll be bbq weather by now. I need a bbq. Pork ribs, a simple rice salad and lots of greens in a salad sound about right to me.

Sunday

I’m almost over Sunday roasts – so let’s give it a final grand hurrah shall we? With a standing rib roast with all the trimmings. Complete with roasted carrots, parsnips and beetroot too. Yum.

So that’s our week, how about you?

happy weekend

Hey, how NICE is it that it's the weekend? Super-nice I reckon. We've had a great morning. Woke up, went down and watched the netball finals (where the team that knocked us out last week had a surprise one point victory over the team who were expected to win - yay!) and then it was the netball team's end-of-season lunch at Grill'd. The girls hung out and ate burgers while a few mums and I had lunch at the café next door (prawn and ginger fritters - hello! - Lotus at The Junction does good lunch).

We're soon heading out to the Darby Street Bohemia Festival and then it's off to my in-laws who just came back home from two months in the UK (lucky ducks!). Then, tomorrow it's lunch for our niece's 18th birthday. Phew, busy.

Enjoy your day, and your weekend. I hope some of it involves time spend relaxing (preferably in a lovely swinging chair like this one - how NICE would that be?)

flowers for friday

I am feeling poorly today. Poorly. So I do believe that a nosegay of violets of lily of the valley and violets will cheer me up. Don't you think?

crazy cute

In September these are coming to Modcloth.

Shortly thereafter they will be on my finger.

If my husband won't allow me to have a French Bulldog, the very least I deserve is a French Bulldog ring. Woof.

a little vitamin d

I have been making a conscious effort to actually drag myself away from my desk and computer and get out into the sunshine for 15 minute stretches. So, each morning and afternoon I find myself here - sitting on a chair, with dappled sunlight dancing on the veranda.

It's not bad really.

ps: see that cyclamen? It's MONTHS old and still alive and flowering. I think it thrives on benign neglect. Watered when it droops, kept outside... loves it.

pps: see that bike? Must take myself on a ride on that tomorrow morning don't you think?

ppps: today I saw the first few purple buds on our wisteria. I may have squealed with joy. Spring, I'll be sooooo happy to see you.

meal planning monday

This whole speedy-gonzales-time-thing is doing my head in. Seriously, is it nearly the end of August already? Sheesh. Luckily we have a quiet week this week, so I'm going to make it simple food-wise as well. Here's what we're eating:

Monday: chicken kebabs, rice salad and steamed broccoli

Tuesday: I have my exercise class at 7pm, so I'll prepare a pasta bake we can all eat whenever we're ready. I made a tasty chicken and chorizo pasta bake last week that was so simple, and such a success I'll make it again.

Wednesday: No netball training this week. Sadly the girls were valiantly defeated in their semi-final. They played their little hearts out though and I'm ever-so-proud of them. I think I might cook up a quiche tonight - bacon will do. And serve it with a salad. That'll be nice.

Thursday: I'm off to a friend's house for a catch-up so I'll make some butter chicken for dinner. Serve it with rice and naan.

Friday: Don't you think friday calls for fish and chips? I do. So that's what we'll have.

Saturday: The Darby Street Bohemia Festival was cancelled earlier this month - but it's back on again tonight. We'll head out there and grab something to eat on the night. That'll be fun.

Sunday: We're going out for lunch for my niece's birthday today, so dinner will be light. Perhaps just a roast chicken and a simple salad.

And that's it. So, tell me, what's on your table this week?

flowers for friday

I think the thing that I love most about the end of winter is watching the red buds of jasmine start to appear. Of all the flowers, it's the scent of jasmine I find most intoxicating. I can't live in a house without jasmine. I need to pick a little bunch to pop in a teeny glass jar in my bedroom and breathe in the scents of spring before I go to sleep. Bliss.

Hey, guess what? It's friday! I know! Are you as excited as I am? I have a fun weekend planned. Tonight it's off to the opening of Good Rubber: an exhibition at Good Brother coffee shop planned by The Roost. It's all about cool works of art - designed for rubber stamps. How ace is that? I love this town!

Saturday's the girls' semi-final. They're pumped to win. Tomorrow they're spraying their hair red (the team's colours are red and white) and, if they get through to the finals - they're all dip-dying the ends of their hair red. Cute. They've worked really hard this year, they do deserve it.

Sunday my gal's going ice skating with a group of friends so hubby and I will probably potter in the garden. It's been a while as the weather's been so ghastly.

There shall also be champagne at some stage. After all, it's the weekend...

You?

things that are awesome

So, I'm on Facebook the other day when this pops up in my feed. Straight away I squealed and knew I had to go. Lookit! It's Mumford & Sons - AND Sarah Blasko (and lots of other cool others, but hey, those two will do me). It's a full day camping event in Dungog, a lovely town I'm keen to revisit. And, guess what? There's GLAMPING! (well, I'm not sure how glamorous it'll be, but there is a VIP tent set up with beds and a lamp, that'll do - I'll bring my own champagne...)

Now, because we have a wedding on the South Coast the following weekend (with a groom who's a HUGE M&S fan who will be rather sad to miss this I'd say) hubby thought it best if we didn't toddle off and leave our child with his parents for another two days on top of the four we're away for the wedding... SO, thank goodness for social media. One of my friends, who's on twitter, also mentioned this, I said "I wanna go", she said, "me too", then another friend joined in and BAM. We have a team of four in a VIP tent. We've already thought of hashtags.

So, anyway, if you see #CarryOnGlamping trending on Twitter you know who's responsible. And sorry, you'll probably hear us squealing too. We're an excitable bunch.

Gee, as my friend A said on Facebook today - I feel like I'm 21 again. Dungog, you ready? Bring it.

meal planning monday

Whew, what a weekend. Lots of good food and good friends. Love. And I got VERY spoiled for my birthday. But it's a new week, so here's what we're eating:

Monday: Netball was cancelled on Saturday due to rain, so we're playing the game tonight at 5pm. Fingers crossed for my girls as this determines their spot in the semis - bless their little socks. We'll come home to chicken burritos I think. I'll just buy a bbq chicken and shred that and have all the fixings in the fridge for when we get home (guacamole, grated cheese, diced tomato and onion, shredded lettuce, sour cream, salsa).

Tuesday: Did I tell you I've started a new type of exercise? Well I have, it's Burlesque fitness and I am in luuuuuuuurve. It's so much fun, with great music and the moves are awesome for my poor old back. I haven't been able to make a tuesday class so far, but tonight I can, but it's from 7 - 8pm so I'll need food fixed and ready for hubby and daughter when they get back from ballet class at 7.15. Let's go simple shall we: spaghetti bolognaise.

Wednesday: I didn't end up cooking the lamb shoulder last week, so I'll serve it up tonight. I'm a bit worried, as hubby has slow-cooked lamb shoulder at the pub on Saturday night and said it was D.I.V.I.N.E. Mine will be better. Served with mash and warm lentil salad.

Thursday: Burlesque fitness class for me AGAIN. And ballet for my gal. So I need another simple meal. Chicken and chorizo pasta bake will do us. With salad. And crusty rolls.

Friday: There are some amazing fish in season. I saw mackerel on one of the local chef's Instagram feed the other day so I might try cooking that. How? No idea. I might look to Jamie Oliver or Rick Stein for inspiration. When we were in Cornwall last year we had lunch at Rick Stein's restaurant and the mackerel I ate was amazing. I'll serve it with a risoni salad.

Saturday: After rejoicing so long and so hard about buying my paella pan I've only used it once. Best rectify that and cook up a paella don't you think? With lots of prawns and mussels.

Sunday: A simple roast pork will be nice. Rhubarb's in season, so guess what the pork will be sitting on as it roasts? Yep, you guessed it, a bed of rhubarb - makes for a caramelised rhubarb sauce that is to-die-for.

And that's it for us. What are your plans?

flowers for friday

I thought I'd do a special flowers for friday today as it's my birthday tomorrow {squeeeeeee!}. So I went back to my fave store in Paris Au Nom de la Rose and feature these beauties again. I will never forget that store. We stumbled upon it in The Marais, and oh, it was magical. Nothing but items devoted to roses. Real roses, rose candles, rose liqueur... the sight and the scent was just magical.

Red and pink roses also remind me of my last big birthday party - where I had a red and pink colour scheme {a combo I will never tire of}. Tomorrow will involve breakfast in bed, pressies, then netball, then lunch at Le Petit Deux. I'll just relax and read in the afternoon, then we're off to an Archibald cocktail party at the Art Gallery with friends. Once that's over we'll wander up Darby Street to check out the Bohemia Festival before having dinner.

Sounds like the perfect day to me.

birthday wish list

Thank you Chanel for releasing this utterly glorious shade of blue nail polish just in time for my birthday. You really are too kind.

meal planning monday

Hey there, hello, and welcome to your monday. Hope all's well with you. I am coming down with a cold (insert sad face here) so am a bit snuffly and sorry for myself today - but I'll pick up. In the meantime, here's what we're eating this week:


Monday: A visit to the farmer's markets yesterday saw me come home with a rack of saltbush lamb. Have you ever tried saltbush lamb? Oh my it's good. It's fed mainly on saltbush and this gives the mea a unique, delicious flavour. I'll serve it with roasted baby blue potatoes (I found these at Coles the other day - and roasted some the other night tossed in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic and rosemary) and some wilted Tuscan cabbage.

Tuesday: Time to whip up another dish from my Leggo's Italian Cookbook - it's proving quite the hit. This week I'll make chicken cacciatore, buttered noodles, and steamed broccoli and carrots

Wednesday: netball training. Slow roasted lamb shoulder with lemon-roasted potatoes and lentils.

Thursday: Ginger and sesame salmon with wilted greens and udon noodles. I'll quickly marinate the salmon in a mix of oil, fresh ginger, sesame seeds and sesame oil before bbqing it. Then I'll cook up the noodles and throw the greens in at the last minute till they wilt. I'll serve the salmon flaked into pieces on top of the noodles and greens. I might even sprinkle a little more toasted sesame seeds over the top.

Friday: Off to a pre-birthday dinner at the local pub. They do awesome steaks – so steak it is.

Saturday: It’s my birthday – and we’re off to a cocktail party at the local art gallery followed by dinner in Darby Street.

Sunday: Because it’s moving into spring, I’m going to start up my Sunday barbeques. I think we might have pork ribs tonight, with apple and almond slaw. This is my simple, cheaty slaw: a bag of 'gourmet' coleslaw mix, apple cheeks sliced thinly and chopped whole almonds. For a dressing I like a lemon-rich vinaigrette, but a mayonaise with lots of lime works just as well.

And that's it. How about you? Tell me what you're eating this week.