I was looking through my photos over the weekend, and realised that they were almost all of food! So much for going on a diet. I have still yet to lose those extra holiday kilos, but finding the motivation to do so is proving to be a challenge! A hearty meal wins every time...
We kicked off Friday night by meeting friends for dinner. I have been going to this restaurant since high school, and I almost always get the same dish! It never fails to disappoint. On this particular night, I was clearly feeling rather adventurous and decided to choose something different. I opted for the ribeye pork with creamy rosemary sauce instead. Luckily, it was a good choice!
Liam ordered the stonegrill steak - you get your choice of meat, and it comes out raw on a sizzling hot stone. You then basically have to cook every bite of meat to your liking. The smell that comes from it is absolutely heavenly! My friend G had never heard of the stonegrill concept before, and the look of terror on her face when the waiter brought her out her chicken raw was absolutely priceless!
After a vet debacle (separate post coming!) Saturday morning, Liam returned home from work and we tried to work out what we felt like for lunch. At that moment, my mother posted a photo on Facebook, and my mind was made up!
My cousin decided that salmon handrolls would do the job, and although that would have been a healthier, more diet-conscious option for me, I knew exactly what I wanted! The beef teriyaki bento box is a steal at $8.50, so I decided to splurge and get an extra seafood salad to share with Liam.
He chose another not-so healthy option in the form of a deep fried seafood bento box.
After lunch, my mind went straight from food to... what else but yet more food?! I headed on a mission to the supermarket, getting all the ingredients together for dinner. My Aunt is visiting from Malaysia, and adores a good home cooked meal so I promised to make her some of my favourite meals as a trade-off for the massage and meals she treated me to while I was overseas!
Baked potatoes. So simple to prepare, and a dish that invokes childhood memories of bike rides around the park with my father. Every weekend he used to take me and my little pink bicycle down to a local bike track, and would follow me down the path until we arrived back where our car was parked. Not too far away, there was always a van selling baked potatoes and each week after our ride my dad would treat us to a large potato with all the trimmings. I remember sitting there each week with a large styrofoam box full of fluffy potato oozing with cheese; the freshness of sour cream and the crunch of coleslaw in my mouth.
Although my Aunt may not share the same memories as me, she now has a new-found love for baked potatoes in common! Between 7 of us, we manager to polish off 10 monster sized potatoes!
After all that nomming, you'd think the last thing on my mind would be food, right?
Wrong.
On Sunday, as I watched my mum prepare Monday's lunch for everyone, my mind was mulling over preparation for the second meal I'd promised my Aunt.
But before we talk about that, there are many reasons why my mother is amazing. This registers only a fraction of the wonderful way in which she cares for her family, but is something to be grateful for nonetheless! Here we have lovingly prepared salami rolls, with cream cheese, tuscan antipasto mix, and salad, all ready to take to work. 5 rolls, one each for myself, my brother, my dad, my cousin and lucky Liam! Biting into this is a surefire way to alleviate the symptoms of Monday-itis! I don't tell her nearly enough, but gosh I love my mum! <3
Anyway... back to Sunday dinner!
Moroccan spiced lamb, served with tzatziki, vegetable cous cous, tater tots and a rocket and spinach salad. One of my go-to meals. So easy to prepare, but a winner with everyone!
Peppery chunks of meat, paired with tangy tzatziki sauce. Fluffy cous cous flavoured with fresh vegetables, and the crunch of piping hot potato gems. YUM.
However after being treated to a luxurious hour long massage - one of the best I'd ever had - I still didn't feel like I'd fully repaid my dues to my Aunt yet. Cue dessert.
Banoffee pie. In my mind, I don't think that there's any debt that banoffee pie wouldn't be able to pay back. Whilst I'm not sure my credit card company would share the same view if I tried to pay my statement with a slice of pie, I will still stand by the fact that this treat is worth a million dollars!
Crunchy biscuit base, gooey caramel toffee layer, a healthy (!) fruit hit in the form of sliced bananas, a dousing of chantilly whipped cream, and a sprinkling of chocolate curls. Honestly, what's NOT to love?!
So... after an indulgent weekend, it appears that
my need to go on a diet is greater than ever!
