meal planning monday

 image from Martha Stewart

Wow, how quickly is Christmas sneaking up? Eek! We're into the busy season with ballet rehearsals and birthday party planning too. I'm trying to be as organised as possible to make things run smoothly. Finger's crossed. Here's what's on our plates this week:

monday: pork cutlets, apple slaw (red cabbage, shredded carrot, apple slices, almonds and a little mint) and lemon-roasted potatoes.

tuesday: steak sandwiches - with caramelised onion and beetroot relish and a side of greens.

wednesday: saltbush lamb rissoles (from the Farmer's Market) with mash, gravy and broccoli. Oh, and roasted carrots with mint.

thursday: chicken and thai basil stirfry.

friday: fish tacos made with snapper. Recipe via Twitter! Shall report back after making.

saturday: bbq - whatever meat tickles my fancy.

sunday: roast chicken, lentil salad and a green salad.

Yep, that'll do. I'm also hoping to squish in two burlesque classes (tuesday and thursday) and a bike ride or two. Wish me luck. And please, tell me what you're eating.

sweet saturday

Image from here

It's an indoor kinda day today - it's grey, cold and rainy. Hardly conducive to the 8 loads of washing I need to do this weekend (eeeeek!) Luckily this afternoon I'm off to the Silent Film Festival to check out Hitcock's The Lodger - complete with a real-live musician's accompaniment. I'm meeting a friend there and then we're off to debrief and catch up on her recent OS trip over drinks at Bar Petite. Nice huh?

In the meantime I guess I should work on cleaning the house. Le sigh.

How about you - anything fun planned for this weekend?

flowers for friday

Look - my faves! Peonies! I spied these at III Bean the other day and madly photographed them before being told that they were scented {!} and then madly flinging my nose at them. Divine.

Must buy myself a bunch today. To celebrate it being friday and all.

Happy friday everyone - have a fabulous one x

simply wonderful

Lately I've been treating myself to sole lunches at one of my all-time-favourite Newy cafés. It's III Bean at Hamilton and every time I go there I'm wowed by the elegant simplicity of the place. There's so much care taken. It starts with the fresh flowers on each table.  Normally just a stem, sometimes two. Each week they offer up something different. I loved these pale lemon carnations - stunning with the gorgeous black and white photographs in the background.

And then there's the menu. Oh my. It changes, according to what's in its absolute peak at the time. If an item's on the III Bean menu, you know it's at its ultimate moment of seasonality. I went to another café recently where I had a very meh wagyu beef burger. It was very bland, tasted of nothing (not even the wagyu) and was 'topped off' by horrid, watery, pale orangey-red tomatoes. This tomato not only did nothing to enhance the dish - it detracted. That's the sign of a lack of love and care - something you'll never see at III Bean.

I can guarantee you that every single item on a plate at III Bean is there because it enhances the dish in some way. Those teeny flowers from micro-herbs? Make the dish pop. Guaranteed. There is nothing better than dishes prepared that just bring out the best in every single ingredient. Which is why I love III Bean - their Croque Monsieur? The best.

Hey, you know how we went to the Underground Epicureans last month and I raved about the blue swimmer crab sandwich served up? Guess what was on the menu last week? Yep. Magnificently accessorised with a deliciously simple iceberg salad that was so beautifully dressed it sang. Divine.

PS: In case you're wondering what the world's most awesome Eggs Benedict look like - they look like this. And they taste even better. Seriously.

Finally, here's what I love about III Bean. The love. Every staff member looks like they want to be working there. They're friendly, attentive and just get things right. When I go out to eat I want two things: to eat something I can't or won't prepare myself and to be treated well by the staff.

Mission accomplished.

Every time.

meal planning monday

image from here

Another week is zooming by all Speedy Gonzales-like. Here's what we're eating:

Monday: I'm making chicken and chorizo bake. So simple. Toss some chicken pieces in olive oil, salt, pepper and smoked paprika and place in an oven tray. Slice up chunks of chorizo, quarter a lemon and cut red onion into eighths. Cut red skinned potatoes into quarters. Now, place all these throughout the tray. Pour over a little more olive oil and sprinkle with smoked paprika. 

Bake in a 180 degree oven for thirty minutes, or until chicken's cooked through. If your oven is crazy hot like mine you might want to cover it with foil for 20 mins.

Serve with crusty bread and a simply dressed green salad.

Tuesday: Lamb burgers. I'll serve this on sourdough bread rolls with cucumber, yoghurt dressing and slices of red, red tomatoes and watercress.

Wednesday: Homemade pizza. I have a netball committee meeting tonight, so between touch footy and that I'll make a few pizzas.

Thursday: Steak and salad tonight when I get home from Burlesque class.

Friday: Salmon on the bbq. With a lemon cannelini bean salad. And a green salad - it's spring afterall.

Saturday: Prawns and chorizo on the bbq. With a watercress salad {have you noticed I'm in love with watercress at the moment? So delish.}

Sunday: We're planning on getting a lot done this weekend. I think sausage sandwiches will be the perfect dinner recovery plan.

And that's it. How about you?

sweet sunday

image from housetohome.co.uk

Morning! How's the weather around your place today? We seem to have a rather delightfully sunny day happening here - which makes me very happy indeed. I'm intending on pottering around, continuing my onslaught on Mt Washmore and washing down the front and back verandas on our house {because we're up high we get a lot of road dust on the pale grey weatherboards - I've tried sweeping it off, but only hosing works...}

I'm also planning a trip to the Farmers Market to buy as many items for this week's meals as humanly possible. I saw red last night when I went to Coles to buy a few essentials and looked at "vine ripened cherry tomatoes" - that were a pale orangey-green. So, you know, not actually ripened at all. I'm leaving supermarkets now for the things I can't buy at the markets, local fruit and veg stores and butcher, or Aussie Farmers. Food's too important to be sub-standard. If you're going to eat something - you want it to taste delicious and provide the maximum nutrients. An orangey-green tomato won't have anywhere near the vitamin and anti-oxidant value of a deep red beauty. Which reminds me, I need some vegie seedlings too. Best buy those from the markets too!

Enjoy your Sunday lovely ones x

flowers for friday

Obviously I had to go with a shot of some of last week's wedding photos for today. I'm besotted with the shades of white and green that featured. In fact, the posies I brought home, filled with green carnations, white fuschia and green bells of Ireland are still going strong.

We have a very lazy weekend planned. With nothing planned! I'm hoping for a sunny day or two to ride my bike, and go for a swim, but that's about it.

How about you?

boo

happy halloween

happily ever after

If you're going to get married, why not make a festival of it? That's what our friends did last weekend. Loads of us went down to Kiama on the South Coast to get ready to celebrate the marriage of two fabulous people who are so in love it just makes your heart swell.

See that? It's our view from the house we rented. Awesome huh? We even got to see whales!

How pretty is Kiama? This is the spot where ladies dressed in white and sipped Pimms and champagne and nibbled on tiny delicacies prepared by the bride-to-be's sister-in-laws and family. It was divine.

ps: croquet = heaps more fun when you can coordinate your shoes, toenails and croquet ball.

Here's the Little Blowhole - totally going off and making the big blowhole look like a bit of a fizzer in comparison. We oohed and aahed like we were at a fireworks display.

We all caught a bus to the wedding venue, a perfectly fabulous heritage house with glorious grounds fit for a splendid ceremony.

Waiting for a wedding to start is thirsty work - luckily there was a pretty lemonade stand standing by for refreshment purposes.

Some people just have the best taste in shoes - and a similar taste for co-ordinating toenail polish!

Also, a mean set of moves on the dancefloor.

I loved this idea - table names written on postcards from the bride and groom's overseas jaunt. The bridal table was New York as the proposal took place in Central Park. Bless.

Our was Avignon - perfectly parfait I'd say!

Have you ever seen a more glorious marquee? Decorated in blue and white, with gorgeous flowers in jars - all in the most divine shades of green and white. I do declare I've never seen anything prettier.

Oh, except for maybe this dessert buffet. I die. And go to heaven. Seriously, they actually tasted better than they looked.

Thanks Patty and Coz for inviting us to share in this most special of days. I just know you're going to live happily ever after.

meal planning monday

Hi, sorry - I'm back - but am exhaustipated. The four day wedding festival of awesome has ended and I am pooped. Blissfully pooped. Oh my - what a fabulous, fabulous wedding. So much to say - but I'll save it for a blog post - don't worry, it'll be worth the wait. It was a Pinterest-worthy wedding - filled with gorgeousness. But now, we're back to reality. Well, my version of it.

Monday: tonight I knew I'd be dead-tired so I bought a bbq chicken last night and then tonight I shredded it and tossed it through rice vermicelli noodles, sticks of carrot, cucumber and capsicum, shredded mint and salted peanuts. I made a dressing with oil, vinegar, palm sugar, lime and fish sauce and combined it. YUM.

Tuesday: I'm making an enormous pot of spaghetti bolognaise as I accidentally bought 1kg of mince. Whoopsies! And then I'm off to burlesque (which, ps, came in very handy on the dancefloor on Saturday night as Kellie and I burst into a choreographed box step!)

Wednesday: hello Halloween. I'm making up my daughter with Mexican Day of the Dead makeup tonight and we're off to a Halloween party for trick or treating in a receptive neighbourhood then having dinner. I'm taking dead-man's fingers and blood (or, for the more normal - slow roasted chicken wing bits and tomato sauce).

Thursday: I'm going to make a salmon and asparagus salad that's in the latest Coles magazine - looks very simple and very delish.

Friday: Steak and salad probably.

Saturday: butterflied chicken on the bbq with salad.

Sunday: I think we're off to a friends for late lunch, early dinner type of thing. If not, then takeaway could be in order.

And that's it. You?

image from housetohome.co.uk

flowers for friday

Okay, I know I said yesterday no flowers for friday - but I just had to use my iPhone as a wi-fi hotspot so I could buy Sarah Blasko tickets which went on sale this morning {Opera House next year - woo hoo! My gal's first concert!}

Then, I was cleaning up my desktop on my laptop and saw this shot of my cyclamen and bike and thought it was pretty darned perfect for launching into the weekend.

We're in Kiama. Our house is fabulous, the view divine, and we're off to the lawn in front of the Sebel to play croquet and drink Pimms in two hours. A four-day wedding celebration is totally the way to go! Best news: the happy couple couldn't be any happier!

Enjoy your weekend.
x

the ladies on the hill at gotr

Last weekend I did something so fabulous that I may have used up all the world's awesomes. Along with three friends we packed up my car and drove to Dungog for Gentlemen of the Road. Mumford and Sons were curating a series of festivals around the world - and Dungog was Australia's. Handy, as it's only just over an hour's drive {well, if you know where you're going, note: just because they're hipsters in a Kombi doesn't mean they're going to Dungog...}

We chose the VIP camping option - which was a great move. Inside the grounds of Dungog Showground, where the event was hosted, we arrived to fully set up tents - complete with stretcher beds, matresses and a lamp. Awesome.

We arrived on the friday night where DJs were playing sets with 50s vinyl. Did you know that all the cool kids are now totally down with 50s dance moves? You do now - it's officially a thing. It was excellent and we danced, air-guitared {well, some of us did - some just doubled-over laughing with the joy of it all} and sang the loudest version of Bohemian Rhapsody with 500 others before stumbling off to bed.

We showered and found breakfast under the showground. Awesome egg and bacon rolls were had. We found a table under massive gumtrees on the hill and chatted away. After a while we thought, 'hang on a minute...' We had a table, in shade, on the hill, in direct line of site to the stage - why move? So we didn't. From 9.30am we sat at that table and chatted - and desperately tried to get data to tweet {well, that was me...} Thank goodness we did because.

Mumford and Sons came on stage at about 11.30 and did three complete songs in the soundcheck. We had our own private concert {well, us and all the workers in the bars and food vans}. It was genius. It was also the scene of yet another hilarious run in between my friends J and A who seemed to get pulled up by security for breathing wrong. Nothing negative - just suitably hilarious and yet-another fab story to add to our memories. Oh, see that orange and white thing on table? Solar phone charger - or, as we called it, solar phone sucker as it actually SUCKED charge from my phone.

Here's a bit of a time-lapse photography - I took shots of the ground every hour. We saw brilliant bands and artists play: Husky, Sarah Blasko, Willy Mason, Matt Corby, Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros - and then, piece de resistance - Mumford and Sons.

Yes, this would be Mumford totally going off. What music, what an atmosphere - what an experience. I'm still on a high from it all. I came home and bought every artist's album that I didn't already own and have had them on continual rotation. I want to live my life like a Mumford Song, slow, beautiful - then fast, joyous and passionate.

After a blistering set, Mumford left the stage and when they came back for an encore to the crowd's chants of Babel, Babel, Babel, they actually told us they'd be performing their new song Babel, for the first time ever! And it. Went. Off. If it's possibly for 12 000 people to explode from ecstasy I'm pretty sure we did. Then, all the other artists joined the band on stage for a Fleetwood Mac number. As you do. Joy.

I loved the branding of the event too - there was such a sense of occasion. Here we are leaving, sated on great music and with memories that'll sustain me in my very old age.

The next morning we packed up, left our tent and started the drive back to Newy, but not before stopping at this rather fabulous Cottage Cafe in Clarence Town. It was filled with nana-chic, including these gorgeous flowers on a vintage cloth. I'm sure they were overwhelmed with the hipster influx - but man, they did an awesome egg and bacon roll.

We dubbed ourselves The Ladies on the Hill at Gentlemen of the Road - and what a hill. I also managed to meet the gorgeous Victoria who reads my blog {Hi, V, wasn't it just magnificent!} My friends and I also bonded in an extraordinary way - don't you love it when you experience something one-of-a-kind with friends? The next day we were all a little teary and emotional - and still keep tweeting each other with reminders of the weekend.

Sometimes I wonder if I do too much, go out too often, do too much... and then I think, nah - it's awesome.

ps: sorry, no flowers for friday tomorrow - I'll be in Kiama for an awesome wedding. We're leaving in an hour for four days of festivities {high tea, croquet, lunches, dinners, wedding - house on a cliff overlooking the ocean - I know, tough life...} I'll be instagramming - find me there and follow me. x

puberty blues season two!

Did you just love the series Puberty Blues?

Oh I did.

So, imagine the squeal just mere moments ago when I saw on Director Glendyn Ivin's Instagram this gorgeous pic with the awesome caption #PubertyBlues series two announced today!

Woo hoo.

I need me some more of that gorgeous Debbie, the retro-fabulous wardrobes and sets and the fabulous Aussie acting.

Yayness!

meal planning monday

image from: housetohome.co.uk

Wow, what a weekend. Gentlemen of the Road was one of the most extraordinary weekends of my life - so I need a moment to compose my blog post. Such a big weekend, and another one coming up with a four-day weekend in Kiama to celebrate some awesome friends' wedding. You know those people that you're so amazingly happy they got together and are marrying? This is one of those couples. Love them.

Anyway, here's what we're eating when we're at home.

Monday: I've bought some honey soy chicken kebabs which we'll have with a rice salad (with loads of diced vegies and almond slivers) and a green salad.

Tuesday: Burlesque class for me - I'm totally addicted, it's my favourite form of exercise ever. I'll make spaghetti bolognaise tonight.

Wednesday: I'll cook up something my gal loves for dinner tonight as we're headed off without her for four days (it's okay, her grandparents are staying here and she adores them!) I might make her meatloaf with roasted potatoes, honey-glazed carrots, corn on the cob and broccoli.

Thursday: we're in Kiama staying in a gorgeous beach house on the cliff overlooking the blowhole. We're staying with two other fab couples - so hello fun!

Friday: pre-wedding dinner!

Saturday: wedding - woo hoo!

Sunday: home again. BBQ butterflied chicken perhaps? Easy and tasty. I'll serve it with lentil salad and lots of crispy greens.

And that's it. You?

flowers for friday

Here's a bit of awesome for your friday - giant allium flowers!

Well, I'm packed for my weekend - have clothing that spans 11 to 33 degrees and day to night (well, hopefully!) Just doing a last-minute iTunes purchase so I can make up road trip music for the night. Gentlemen of the Road here I come.

Have an awesome weekend.

ppmj and gal pals go glamping

Only two more sleeps till I drive up to Dungog for a weekend of 'glamping'. Well, I don't really know that it's glamping - but if imagining it is so makes it so then it will be so!

I do get excited about something new to look forward to, and this trip's no exception. It's been many a year since I've attended any kind of music festival - conservatively I'd say it's been 13-odd years (since my gal was born) so this'll be a culture shock. I'm so excited about seeing Sarah Blasko - and Mumford and Sons. Husky too. And I'm sure there'll be loads of others to love.

I have my hubby's battered straw cowboy hat at the ready, and lots of sunscreen and a big water bottle - but aside from that I've no idea what to wear.

Oh well, when the gal's go glamping at Gentlemen of the Road there's bound to be giggles, instagramming and lots of tweeting!

Two more sleeps!

meal planning monday

Whew, sorry, the day just whooshed past me and here I am planning meals at dinnertime! Eep! Busy week this one, so here's a pic of my breakfast the other day - a coffee and a slice of Uprising brioche with french butter and sour cherry jam. Tasted even better than it looks. YUM!

Monday: obviously I'm busy. So we've just gone shopping and tonight we're having a bbq chicken, shredded, with asian salad (one of those pre-mix ones from coles). Lazy-fantazi.

Tuesday: burlesque night tonight. I've bought some Lillydale Chicken Burgers, so fresh burgers it is. On a wholegrain bun with loads of salad and sweet chilli sauce.

Wednesday: my gal starts touch footy after school. She won't be home till 5.30 and then tonight we have to be at the Entertainment Centre by 6.15 to watch the Australia Diamonds netball team vs England. Eeep! So I'll prepare a beef and macaroni pasta bake on Tuesday night so it's ready to go tonight.

Thursday: um, chicken with 40 cloves of garlic perhaps? With salad and roasted potatoes?

Friday: I'm off glamping with the gals. We're off to Gentlemen of the Road in Dungog. They've put on an extra night so after work friday I'll load up my car with my friends and we're off. Road food's in order I guess. Will have to organise it with my buds. Gal and her dad can make pizza.

Saturday: my gal's off to a party, so hubby can fend for himself. My guess is that he'll have a bowl of cereal.

Sunday: I'm home again. Hurrah. I'll be plum-tuckered out after my big weekend. Best organise a butterflied leg of lamb for the bbq and serve it with a simple salad.

And that's it. How about you? Are you more organised than me? Eep!

i followed the white rabbit...

Allow me to define awesome. A secret society of foodlovers. Dinner in an unknown location. One of the town's loveliest and most fabulous cooks. A table for 30 set up in the old Lock Up Exercise Yard. This, my friends, is what Underground Epicureans get up to on a saturday night.

The email arrived at lunchtime. Thankfully as I'd been hitting the 'get mail' button all morning is anxious anticipation of its arrival. The night's feast would be taking place in the old Lock Up in Newcastle's east end.

A long table for 30 was beautifully set up. The room was stunning, with its history etched on its walls. 30 of us spilled into the room, excitement shining from every face. We were to take part in our own history - making a gastronomical event part of Newcastle's new culture.

Now, it's no secret that Newcastle's food scene is sparkling. We have exciting chefs-a-plenty in this town. If anything, we have almost too many options to get around {I may have to give up cooking at home and just take up eating out. Shall I?} Underground Epicureans unveils a new chapter in Newcastle's food scene - one where food lovers are happy to pay to visit an extraordinary venue and be surprised by the chef's choice of food.

Last night's dinner by Ben Armstrong was the perfect way to start off a new tradition. I love what Ben does with food. He has a deft touch and a bold sense of flavour that tickles my tastebuds, delights my eyes and sates my sense of smell. He's also a talented wordsmith so I couldn't wait to find out more about him.

The theme was Memory Bites and Ben's tales from his memory were written down before us, a story to share before taking a bite of his life. Oh my. Ben can write. Really, really write. I adore visiting his blog - his words are like prose, so beautifully composed - a feast for the eyes.

Our first course was a crab sandwich. But oh, not just any crab sandwich. This was served on rounds of the freshest white bread, buttered with Pepe Saya cultured butter and piled with mounds of crab meat seasoned with murray river salt flakes and the most exquisite cider vinegar. It was served with a can of VB. Yep. It was too good to photograph. The crisp crunch of the salt flakes perfectly set off the soft crab meat. It was a study in simple perfection.

The next course was Tasmanian 'Pink Fish' cooked in the sous vide manner served with a sorrel coleslaw {oh my!} and a soft boiled egg topped with salmon roe. It was amazingly good. Sorrel coleslaw may be my new favourite thing.

The main was a knife and fork stew flavoured with marmite, with a confit leek and a divine lamb back strap. Each mouthful was a delight, and the marmite hit you with its aroma before you noticed the amazing taste it gave to the lentils and veg. I'll be using marmite next time I'm cooking lentils.

There was an artist in residence, sketching the evening and giving us a bit of a lesson before the dessert.
 

Such fun.

The dessert was pears poached in lime and vanilla with Alice from Uprising's meringue and a good splodge of whipped cream. The lime was rich, headily-scented and provided the most magnificent cloaking for the pear. Alice's meringue was, as always, exceptional. And Ben's stories behind this dessert were just as tasty.

Look at this place - what a venue!

It was a very sated crowd who left just before midnight. I can't wait for the next one.

Thank you White Rabbit - you sure do know how to throw a dinner party.

flowers for friday

Aren't these hollyhocks simply breathtaking? I shot these in Hampton Court Palace last year - so swoon-worthy. I've yet to try and grow hollyhocks, scared by tales of rust and other problems. But look at them! They'd have to be worth a try wouldn't they?

Now, firstly - hurrah, it's friday! My dad and step-mother are due to arrive for a weekend visit so I'll fire up the bbq tonight. We'll hang out tomorrow and then tomorrow night they'll look after our gal while hubby and I are delighted by the first Underground Epicureans secret dinner. There was a hint on facebook to bring along a semillion or light chardonnay for entree - and a rich red for the main! I've got a petit chablis in the fridge - a nice combination of the two. And I've got a few reds in the wine racks to choose from. Excitement's building...

Enjoy your friday, and your weekend x