meal planning monday

Wowzers, how cool is a long weekend? Can we have one of these every weekend?

Here's what we're eating this week.

Monday: I have some chicken breasts that need eating, so I'll make schnitzel for dinner. With mash, corn cobs and green beans.

Tuesday: I bought duck sausages {DUCK SAUSAGES} from the farmers market. I'm going to serve them with pumpkin mash and roasted beetroot. And a green salad.

Wednesday: I also bought some lamb chops from the markets, so I'll make Nigella's Greek Lamb Chops for dinner. With salad.

Thursday: I have a netball committee meeting. Early dinner of chinese short soup made with chicken stock I made on Sunday night from leftover roast chicken. YUM!

Friday: I'm going to an art exhibition opening tonight, so we'll make homemade pizza on my return.

Saturday: my gal cooked dinner last saturday night from a cookbook - she can do it again!

Sunday: roast beef and lots of roasted vegies. Mmmmmm.

You?

Image from housetohome.co.uk

happy long weekend

How NICE is a long weekend? No sport, no commitments, just three days to get stuff done and RELAX. My gal cooked dinner last night - a slowly braised lamb shoulder on white beans, simply delicious. Today we went to the Farmer's Markets for the first time in yonks, and now I'm just faffing around getting ready to go on a bike ride. Blissful.

Oh, yesterday my gal and I went to the movies to see First Position. It was a documentary about six young dancers and their quest for scholarships, places in ballet companies or some kind of ballet future. It was riveting. For a start, I'm pretty sure that I saw the future of a young dancer who's bound to be the new Rudolf Nureyev - stunning. And a couple of other dancers who were just so talented/joyous I couldn't tear my eyes from them. I cried, held my breath, laughed and applauded. Brilliant.

Now, how much would you like a little getaway with this cutie above? I don't think it'd have a great deal of space inside - but look - cuteness! I found it on housetohome.co.uk - my go-to site for prettiness.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend lovelies xx

flowers for friday

Must dash, but here's a spot of prettiness for your Friday.

Enjoy x

helena does elizabeth

I am ridiculously excited that Helena Bonham Carter is to play Elizabeth Taylor in a telemovie about the relationship between Taylor and Burton that reignited when they co-starred in the play Private Lives.

Please Australian television - bring this to me sooner than later.

let's cook!

So, for Mother's Day one of my favourite gifts was a Passion for Pastry Cooking Class at The Essential Ingredient. As you might remember, a cooking class with a friend was one of my #52NewThings I wanted to do this year. So, luckily, my friend A also received the same gift {great minds whisper in their husband's ears alike}. We rocked up on a Sunday morning to this gleaming kitchen.

Fancy.

We made our way to our individual stations, all set up perfectly for us. {First important step of cooking: mise en place - making sure everything is ready and to-hand}. We would be making choux pastry for profiteroles and then a savoury pastry for a quiche.

Bring it on.

This is how chefs work. Everything prepared, measured and ready to go so you can just concentrate on cooking. Genius.

I've long been fascinated by the process of choux pastry, and watching a chef make it was rather fabulous. Check out that wrist action! Pastry's all about precision and patience. Precisely measuring your ingredients, and patiently waiting for the right moment to add your ingredients.

Here's the master chef at work. Note Jace's perfectly symmetrical and evenly-sized choux buns. Mine looked like little snowmen {because I made them too small first time around and had to add more}. There is a skill to wielding a piping bag. I've yet to master it, but I'm sure that practice will help me perfect.

And ta da! Filled with deliciously-vanillary creme anglaise and topped with a glossy chocolate ganache here are my profiteroles. Sure, they don't look *absolutely* perfect, but damn, they tasted like something straight out of a French patisserie. I am still chuffed to bits that I made something so deliciously fabulous.

I also made this little beauty - look at that thin, tasty crust! In this class I basically unlearned everything I'd learned about pastry in Home Economics at school and learned to make a pastry so light, so short, so damned delicious that every mouthful caused my tastebuds to sing and dance.

I loved the cooking class. It was a couple of hours of pure entertainment, I learned bucketloads AND I got to take home lunch and afternoon tea! So much win.

I'll be going again. Perhaps to the croquembouche class if I'm brave... Or I'll just choose something at random. The chance to learn from someone who's a master at cooking should never be sniffed at.

Find out more about cooking classes at The Essential Ingredient Newcastle here. Or do a google search to find one near you. Go on, you won't regret it.

meal planning monday

Hey all, how's your monday treating you? To a grey and frosty show? Mine too! So there's comforting food on the meal plan this week. Here's what we're eating:

Monday: Salmon patties with salad tonight. My gal has ballet and I have netball development clinics instead of netball training. So I'll make these this afternoon and whack them in the fridge, ready to bake when I get home.

Tuesday: I'm bored with everything I cook, so I searched for something new to whack in the slow cooker and found this recipe. You can't go wrong with chickpeas and chicken. I'll serve it with some yellow cauliflower! And broccoli.

Wednesday: I haven't been to burlesque for three weeks. I need to go - desperately. I'll make beef and macaroni pasta bake for dinner tonight.

Thursday: I have no winter clothes, my gal has no winter clothes - and we're off for a couple of days to the Blue Mountains in a few weeks. So we'll go shopping and grab something to eat while we're out.

Friday: Salmon on the bbq with steamed vegies tonight. I'm out for drinks with a friend who's up from Sydney for the weekend tonight. We'll hit The Terrace Bar like we used to in our youth.

Saturday: looooooooooong weekend! Hurrah! I'll cook something up with my gal. We'll hit the cookbooks to find something fab.

Sunday: roast beef, roasted veg, lots of red wine gravy.

And that's me. You?

the great gatsby review

Well, last night I frocked up, tucked my hair into a faux-bob and went with my friend C to check out The Great Gatsby. It was a fund-raising night for the Newcastle Museum and everyone went all out with the clothing - including the fabulous F who had the most divine dress I'd ever seen on {she'd had a Great Gatsby birthday party a few weeks ago and bought the most legs-a-liscious dress I've ever seen to wear. Swoon!}

After a glass of bubbles in the foyer we settled in to see the film. Well, most of us did, some women to our left just carried on their conversation. RUDE!

If you love Baz you'll love Gatsby. He's returned to form with this film. It's visually sumptuous and the soundtrack is superb. It's not a musical, just very well-punctuated with great tunes. Joel Edgerton nailed the living daylights out of Tom Buchanan. From his opening scene when he rode into shot on a horse he reeked masculinity, danger, arrogance and sex. Brilliant. Leonardo DiCaprio was the perfect choice to play Gatsby, but it took me a while to see him as Jay rather than Leo. Daisy was played delightfully by Carey Mulligan. She was sweet, gullible and made me so frustrated I could cry. Her frocks were also utterly divine - she was a visual feast in every shot. Also she sure knows how to use those eyes of hers to great effect in some very understated yet powerful acting.

The script adhered nicely to the plot of the novel and I was left with the same combination of aching sadness and lightness that I felt after reading the book. I was also left with an unquenchable thirst for Moet which featured strongly in every fabulous party scene.

I also feel the need to dance - can someone throw a Gatsby-style party with lots of dancing, champagne and fireworks for me?

Recommended? Yes. Perfect? No, but neither was anyone in this film or the book. I think the book's done justice with this film, and I find that the more time goes by, the more forgiving I am of its flaws and embracing I am of its strengths.

PS: frock up before seeing it - you'll feel much better.

when in paris

Next time we go overseas I want to visit Paris again. Surprise. It'll be my fourth visit, and there's still so much I want to see and do. I honestly feel like Paris is my spiritual home, I can never get enough of it. Just wandering around the streets, or having lunch in a café feeds my soul. If you're wondering about my must-dos for Paris, here they are {part one}:

• Catch a bateau bus on the Seine. These fabulous hop-on-hop-off boats are a great way to get around Paris via its most scenic route - the river Seine. There are stops at all the main places; the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Musee D'Orsay, The Louvre and it's a great way to enjoy a leisurely view from a different angle of Paris. You can buy a single day ticket and get off and on as often as you like. Parfait.

• Shop in the Galleries Lafeyette. It's just glorious, with a range of items - some normally priced, some astronomically. You can also have lunch upstairs with a rather fabulous view.

• Have lunch in the restaurant on level two of the Eiffel Tower.

• Visit the Louvre on the late opening nights (Wednesday or Fridays till 9.45pm). Want to see the Mona Lisa up close and without the crowds? Come late.

• Shop up a storm in the supermarket. Honestly, the bargains you can find in Monoprix supermarché will boggle your mind. From fabulous laguiole cutlery to gorgeous etched champagne glasses, there's no end to the divine homewares you'll find at crazy, ridiculously low prices. It's also the perfect place to stock up on champagne - at a price way cheaper than bottle shops. Clothing's also amazing. I bought a fabulous frock with a matching cardi on our last trip - and it's one of my faves.

• Watch a ballet or a performance in the Opera Garnier. Last time we went to the ballet and it was magical. Utterly magical.

• Wander the Marais. Here's another much-loved shopping spot. And I love the feel of The Marais. If I lived in Paris, this would be my arrondisment of choice. Hint: if you love something - buy two. Or three and ship them home.

• Eat a perfect macaron or pastry in one of the divine classic stores such as Laduree.

• Climb the Arc de Triomphe. We haven't done this yet - it's on the list for next time.

Fingers and toes crossed we'll be going again next June. Do you have anything to add?

the perfect to-do list

So, I was having a coffee with a friend this morning {not in this photo here, this is on Friday at Good Brother - I just forgot to photograph my coffee this morning...} and we were discussing our search for the ultimate To-Do List.

You know the one?

The one that categorises everything perfectly, keeps you on track, oh, and preferably helps you expand time so you can get everything done.

I've spent far too much time on Pinterest looking for "IT".

I have spent far too much money at Kikki K hoping that I've found "IT".

Apps? I have a few.

Online programs? Yep.

Excel spreadsheets. Erk, but yes.

Really, you know what the perfect to-do list is? Just doing it.

Yep, writing it down, ticking it off and just doing it.

So I did.

And I feel much better now.

high time for high tea

I do love a high tea. There's something so delightfully decadent about them. So, when I was invited to share the new High Tea experience at Anchorage Port Stephens, I cleared my calendar. And oh, I am so glad I did.

The room was glorious, and styled beautifully with delightful flowers in lovely vintage jars and vases styled by The Wedding Designer. And while the skies were grey last Friday, the view over the marina was just ever-so-pretty. What a gorgeous spot.

There are two options for High Tea, traditional - or with champagne. You know me, so you know which option I chose. Hello Piper Heidsieck.

Well, hello.

If you've never been one for Piper you'll be pleased to know it's undergone a reinvention - with smaller yields and longer cellaring - and the result is delicious. A full, slightly smokey champagne taste, with the most delightful little bubbles. I was also thrilled when the champagne was poured into a vintage-style bowl - rather than flute. And imagine how pleased I was when the man from Piper, Andrew Coorey, said that this was the best way to appreciate the flavour of a champagne and let it breathe after being cellared for so many years.

True.

Look at the pretty teacups! Each table had a different, utterly glorious setting - way to make a gal feel spoiled and treated!

Decisions, decisions.

The tea is also bespoke, with an amazing range from Madame Flavour. We tried the Sultry Chai and Green, Jasmine and Pear. So light and delicate.

The menu was divine.  From savoury - OhEmGee pork, apple and sage roll with caramelised onion and roast pumpkin and feta tart!

To the sweetest red velvet cupcakes with persian floss!

Oh hai little strawberry tart!

A Lindt chocolate, hazelnut and raspberry brownie? Oh, if you insist.

All of these treats are freshly made by the very talented chefs on site. They do goooooood!

My verdict?

Divine.

I'll be going back again. At $40 per head, or $60 with the champagne option it's the perfect treat for a girls-day-out. There's more than enough food to make a meal of it, goodness, our table couldn't finish our treats! And with only 40 seated in a room it's an intimate venue that's just perfect for the occasion.

High Tea is available at Anchorage Port Stephens on Wednesday and Sundays or you can make a group booking outside this time (hello perfect hen's do or 21st, 40th, or ANY birthday) Go here to find out more.

Oh, and skip breakfast so you don't have to skip any of these treats!

meal planning monday

After cooking in a commercial-style kitchen yesterday {cooking class - blog post to come!} this image leapt out at me. I think I could quite go for a kitchen like this - especially with those floor-to-ceiling windows. Oh my!

Here's what's cooking in my kitchen this week.

Monday: The rain's decided to come and play today - so chances are no netball training. Last week's green chicken curry with steamed green veg and rice was a hit - so I'm making it again.

Tuesday: My gal's netball training - and I'll be going along again to help them with a few things. We'll have spaghetti bolognaise when I get home. In fact, I'll start cooking it in the afternoon so it's rich and delish.

Wednesday: Burlesque class for me. I've got some peri-peri chicken breasts to make burgers with lots of crunchy cos lettuce and grated carrot.

Thursday: I'm off to the Newcastle premiere of The Great Gatsby. My friend C and I shall be glamming up and sipping champagne - so an early dinner is called for. Thai beef salad I think.

Friday: Hubby and I are off to the movies, to see a double-header of Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs - retro! We'll quickly scoff down something before we leave - soup perhaps?

Saturday: I don't think we have anything planned tonight so I'll cook up a coq au vin.

Sunday: Salmon on the bbq tonight. With loads and loads of salad.

You?

image from housetohome.co.uk

Flowers for friday

High tea prettiness. Blog to come...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

the right tools for the job

I like to believe that my house will be perfectly clean and tidy if only I have the right tools for the job. I'm reluctant to admit how long I've been searching for the "perfect" mop. So much so that I nearly spent $90 on a mop and bucket THAT WAS ON SALE two nights ago.

I didn't. I bought something similar-ish, but what is really just a modern-day string mop, from Woolies yesterday. It is a pretty pale blue and white though - and did seem to do a rather smashing job of washing the kitchen floor. Who knows, could it be the one?

I also finally bought a Dyson. My dream vacuum. And yep, it does work like a dream. But I'm almost too scared to use it - in case it doesn't live up to my extremely high expectations.

I know, weirdo.

Now all I need is to find the perfect duster.

Oh, and that cute lil apron the chick in the pic is wearing {I'll probably wear clothes under it - and not those heels, they're killers for my old floorboards.}

Tell me - have you found the perfect tool? What is it?

feeding the soul

A few years ago I was in Newcastle and needed to buy a drink. The only thing opened was KFC, which was housed in the most glorious old building. I walked in, bought my drink and felt sad that such a beautiful building housed a brightly lit takeaway.

KFC shortly moved and built the largest store in the Southern Hemisphere {so not something to be proud of} and that fabulous building was dormant.

And sad.

But now it's happy.

Ever so happy.

You see, last week Soul Foods Café opened up and it is a delight!

It's filled with a gorgeously eclectic range of furniture - with an awesome range of seating options. From these fabulous princess chairs that my friend C and I sat in, to window seats with hessian coffee sack cushions, and bright red Tolix chairs. Fab.

And look at the details! Pretty red and pink salt and pepper shakers, and old apothecary bottles filled with sugar. SWEET!

The food? Oh, I'm glad you asked.

Oh.

My.

Gawd.

This is a butter chicken pie topped with sweet potato mash. It was awesome, but you know what was even more awesome? That pickled red cabbage and nashi pear salad. See those walnuts? THEY WERE CANDIED! Yep, coated in toffee. My mouth died and went to heaven.

Sweet vintage plates for serving too.

I like me some cute detailing.

This is pomegranate sorbet. It would be a sin not to try it. It was velvety smooth and bloody delicious. I think I might marry it.

Soul Foods is located at 227 Hunter Street, *just* before the Mall.

I think you should go there.

meal planning monday

What a wonderful weekend. Filled with five fabulous films that all made some kind of impact on my life - I've hit this week with a fresh sense of optimism and joy. And plans! Many, many plans. Speaking of which, here's a meal plan:

Monday: my netball training for my 10-year-olds (who, just quietly are on top of the ladder and doing AWESOME!) so I'll make a green chicken curry and serve it with rice and steamed green veg so it's ready for when my gal returns from ballet.

Tuesday: my gal's netball training. They need a bit more oomph, so I'm going down to do a bit of one-on-one training to help out the coach. When we get home we'll have pork schnitzel pan fried with pancetta, steamed green beans and roasted cubes of potatoes.

Wednesday: Burlesque for me tonight. Last week I made a really tasty spaghetti with chicken meatballs - I'll make it again. Really simple: chicken mince, grated onion, lemon zest and fresh thyme combined with an egg and panko breadcrumbs and seasoned. Then I made them into balls and baked till golden. I tossed orichette pasta with a jar of tomato-based pasta sauce with a couple of tablespoons of pesto, then stirred the meatballs through. Simply delish! Great served with a side salad.

Thursday: Baked salmon and salad.

Friday: How about some steak and salad tonight?

Saturday: I can't believe we don't have anything on. Hopefully that means we can get a few things done around the house. I'd love to get some gardening done, and a spot of painting in a few rooms. For dinner? Beef and guinness stew made into pot pies served with salad.

Sunday: Roast chicken and roasted veg.

Yep. That's it. You?

image: kitchen from housetohome.co.uk - how much does that pop of red in the kitchen sing? Love.

flowers for friday

Hey Friday, how's it going? Well, it's got to be going well when I have pink and green roses in a wee little green vase from Blackbird Corner on my desk. How PRETTY! Oh, and when I have the opening of the French Film Festival to look forward to tonight it's even BETTER!

Enjoy your Friday - hope it's fabulous.

it's only words

There are many rewards of being a blogger - the main one is the interaction. Remember this post? I was writing about the hidden gems of Newcastle {surprise!} and mentioned my favourite piece of graffiti. Well, imagine, just imagine my delight when I received the following comment:

"I painted the original "we will never again be together so young" with my friends on my year abroad at Newy uni. It was a saying in broken english by my german housemate, which kind of summed up the magic of our year abroad. I'm so sad that it's gone, but it's amazing that it keeps popping up again!"

Tears, tears I tell you.

I'd always wondered about the origins of this saying, originally written in beautiful white cursive script out on Nobby's breakwall. And now I need wonder no more.

I think the definition was even better than anything I'd come up with in my imagination.

So, for you, oh fabulous Anonymous one, here is the latest version that's appeared right at the tip of the breakwall.

Swoon.

meal planning monday

Just once I'd like a Monday to arrive without thinking "What? Really? Monday? Again?" Wouldn't it be nice? My week's busy this week, with a gazzilionty films this weekend at the French Film Festival - and the Shout Film Festival. Eep! Here's what I'm going to aim for:

Monday: my gal has millions of tests this week at school (well, three) so she's skipping ballet this afternoon (as it's two hours!) so she can study. Not what we'd normally do, but we had my sister-in-law and her two gals down this weekend which was unusual, so you've gotta roll with things. For dinner I have pork schnitzel from Aussie Farmers. I'll crumb them with panko crumbs, parmesan and lemon zest and serve them with mash and roasted brussell sprouts.

Tuesday: my gal has netball training. I have burlesque. Spaghetti with chicken meatballs I think.

Wednesday: I have a butterflied chicken I need to bbq. Best do it tonight.

Thursday: it's my mother-in-law's birthday so I think we're popping up to say "Happy Birthday". Early dinner of chickpea and pumpkin curry I think.

Friday: opening night of French Film Festival. I'll snack on the wine and cheese available - and a bucket of popcorn (healthy). Husband and child will make pizza.

Saturday: another film. I'll whip myself up a tuna nicoise salad. Husband and child going to in-laws for the night to see sister-in-law and two gals before they go back to England on Sunday.

Sunday: three films today, starting at 11am. Husband and child taking English rellos back to airport. Lordy knows what time I'll be home - but I'll grab Sticky Rice takeaway on my way home. And rest my rectangular eyes...

You?

cute pic from housetohome

fabulous friday

Ahhhh, Friday, you saucy minx you. How GOOD is a Friday? Well, must say that mine's particularly good when it starts with a walk with a friend along Merewether to Bar Beach AND you see a massive pod of dolphins frolicking. Cuteness!

This afternoon I'm catching up for drinks with some of the lads from my old workplace, THEN I'm off to a games night with some of the gals. Yep, boardgames, drinkies and giggles. Sounds good to me.

PS: this pic? Lunch the other week at Le Petit Deux - gotta love a rose and a glass of vino.

Have a fabulous Friday x

so, you want to join a bookclub

As you probably know, one of my 52 New Things that I wanted to do this year was to join a book club - and I did. Hurrah! With the help of Twitter there's a bunch of us who get together each month to chat about books. The first book, Little Bee, went down a treat. It was short, sharp and interesting. The second book, Anna Karenina pointed out to us the modern-day dilemma - no matter how beautifully a book is written, if it's over 900 pages and written in teeny, tiny font you are going to end up watching the movie version before book club.

And that's fine.

We managed to watch different versions - from the latest with Keira Knightley in the lead (weird casting. I can kind of get it considering how expressive Anna's eyes are meant to be, but she doesn't carry what she needs to for such a role) to my version with Sophie Marceau (beautiful) to the original with Vivien Leigh!

What I love about bookclub is that I need to make the time to read a book. Which I'll totally do with the next one: David Sedaris Let's Explore Diabetes in Owls (he's probably my fave male author). And I need to think about it. With Anna Karenina I didn't have time to think - I was too busy trying to speed read, or feel guilty that I wasn't reading!

I love how my friend C has set up the club. She emailed out a list of books: classics, modern classics and new releases and asked us what we really wanted to read. Then she set up a schedule (allowing extra time for Anna Karenina, ha!) and we organise to meet at a local wine-serving cafe on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

Are you in a book club? What's your fave book? Have you finished Anna Karenina? (I haven't, I got 1/3 of the way through and I've naughtily moved on to Caitlin Moran's Moranthology...LOVING!)