Wordless Wednesday : Dashed Hopes

So this is a bit of a wordy way to start my Wordless Wednesday entry, but I had to say thank you for all your lovely responses on my last post about my dear friend, Sally.  I was a bit afraid there might be some backlash because of the sensitive nature of the topic and the situation at hand, but your supportive messages made me feel better. 

I miss her every day, and sometimes things will happen where she randomly pops into my thoughts and I think of how I would just love to see her and tell her about everything that has been happening.

I spoke to one of Sally's sisters last week, and she said she was comforted by the fact that she remains in the thoughts of her friends, and will be forever cared about wherever she may be.  I will never forget her, and I will never give up the hope that I will some day see her again. 

Thank you for your support. 

For the biggest day of AFL for the year, we held our annual Grand Final Day BBQ.

Liam, being one of the biggest Hawthorn fans you'll ever meet...

...decided it would be appopriate to decorate the house in memorabilia. 

And this is BEFORE all the posters and banners went up.

Oh well... there's always next year!

Wordless Wednesday happens here, here, here, here and here!

What a Weekend!

We had a rather eventful weekend, which resulted in two ambulances careening up our driveway at 5:30 in the morning to wheel away a rather sorry feeling patient. 

We had a few friends over on Saturday who decided to bunk in for the night, after dinner and perhaps a few too many drinks.  A few hours after we had all tucked ourselves into bed, my friend's fiance required a bathroom stop, but unfortunately in his half-asleep and possibly slightly still intoxicated state, forgot where he was and turned left instead of right at the bedroom door and proceeded to try and walk straight down the stair case.  Unfortunately, attempting to walk down steps instead of actually stepping down them meant he ended up tumbling down the entire flight, hitting the bannister with such force that he somehow dislodged and dented it, and continued tumbling down until he landed face first into the tiled floor at the bottom.

I was woken up by the sound of my friend screaming in panic whilst her fiance was bleeding heavily from a massive gash in his neck.  The sheer force of the fall meant that he split right through all layers, to the point where the jaw bone and other innards were visible. 

Almost luckily, I had crawled into bed that night (or morning) minus any clothing, as I'd stored my pyjamas in the spare room upstairs were my friends were sleeping.  This turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as if I had been fully clothed I would most likely to have been the first one out the door to see what the commotion was about.  Instead, I roused Liam from his slumber (no mean feat!) and let him investigate. 

Whilst he did this, I ran to the wardrobe to find some clothing while Liam was on the phone to emergency services.  I could hear him describing the amount of blood all over the floors, and as I frantically fumbled around to find some pants, it dawned on me that the worst possible thing I could do for everyone would be to go out and try to "help".  Let me put it this way - not long ago my mother ended up passing out and hitting her head on the side of the wall, face planting into the tiles giving herself a nice big black eye, all as a result of the sight of a little blood oozing from a small cut on her hand.  We are NOTORIOUSLY bad at handling the sight of blood in my family, and the carnage at the bottom of my steps would almost certainly mean that there would be two people lying on the ground to take care of rather than one!

Thank God for Liam and his calm demeanour!  He has seen enough blood in his lifetime that the sight that greeted him left him completely unphased.  He was so great with it, as he calmly assessed the situation and tried to calm down my friends while they waited for the ambulance.  Unfortunately all I could do was listen to it from the bedroom, but he handled it all with such ease and managed to stay level-headed.  I was so proud of the way he looked after everyone, and kept everyone calm until the paramedics arrived!

Thankfully there was no permanent damage done.  Numerous tests were done, and although surgery was required to mend the gigantic gash it should all heal up nicely save for some scarring.  But as Liam says, chicks dig scars! :)

Anyway... now for the more mundane parts of my weekend! Friday night.

This -

Plus this -

Equals this!

Liam cooked up this yummy paella for dinner.  I have leftovers for lunch today, and I am so looking forward to it! I usually take care of all the cooking in our house because I love it, but I think from now on I'm going to make him cook for me once a week!

I didn't completely reounce my duties in the kitchen, however!

I baked a big batch of these scrummy choc-chip cookies to fill my cookie jar with!  It was such an easy and tasty recipe that I decided to do a few batches and handed them out to my new neighbours and family.  More to come on the cookies later!

Liam was absolutely ecstatic with a Hawthorn win this weekend, which means a Sydney vs Hawthorn Grand Final next week!  We're holding a BBQ, and Liam has already started decorating the house in preparation...

I'm really looking forward to having some of our closest friends come over to watch what should be a riveting game next week! I only hope to rain will hold off... PLEASE Melbourne!

What are your plans for the big day next weekend? xx

Another Monday morning...

...and I'm sitting here munching on my morning tea snack of steamed carrots & broccoli and homemade garlic mountain bread chips, while lamenting at how quickly the weekend has flown by.

Friday night was the big Essendon vs Hawthorn match at Etihad, which is the game of the year for us!  Liam is a massive Hawks fan, and I am an avid Bomber and we attend most games for both team every weekend, so this clash was some major rivalry for us.

There was a lone seagull who appeared to have been trapped in the stadium when they closed the roof, and the poor little thing appeared to be hiding in the painted white part of the ground, to camouflage itself!

Unfortunately, as an Essendon supporter the little seagull was probably the most entertaining thing to watch as the game itself  was a dismal disaapointment from start to finish.

Luckily it wasn't all bad this weekend.  I got to see this little guy -

And we caught up with Liam's dad and best mate over a yummy lunch and a few games of pool.

Can you believe this delicious steak only cost $13?! Plus an extra $3 for the sauce, but still so worth it!

I overheard an interesting conversation on the tram late at night, about a bubble tea diet.  A young gentleman explained to his friend that he was off to get a bubble tea fix.  Apparently, it was the best way to go since bubble tea is very low in fat, but the fact that there is something to chew on satisfies his craving for solid food. GENIUS! Except what he forgot to mention is that a cup of bubble tea equates to around 400 calories per serve.

But that's just a minor detail!

I'm totally on board with this bubble tea diet! :)

While at the shops, I also picked up these cute ninja earphones! Unfortunately, the rubber on the earpieces were shoddy so I took them back and exchanged them for adorable little matryoshkas instead!

Did a bit of a tidy up in my bedroom, and realised I have quite a collection of scarves!

Just ignore that horrible Hawthorn scarf nestled in there.  It's Liam's and it is horrid and full of germs and other bad things! Terrible terrible colours.  But yes, I realised pretty quickly that I was starting to run out of room for storage of scarves! It's not just one layer either...

The wall of scarves is approximately 4 or so scarves thick, and the hanger has seven loops lengthwise and about 4 across. Now I understand why Liam always has a look of horror on his face whenever I wander into the accessories section to look at scarves! Oh well. At least I know I'll always be warm!

And now I've taken so long to finish this post that it's time for lunch! I've got a delicious chicken and salad roll which my lovely man prepare for me last night... YUM!

Half a day down... another four and a half to go until the weekend!!!

Food Diaries : Mornin' Gorgeous (we return)

You may (or you may not!) remember a while back, when I was introduced to this little cafe which has been showering Bridge Road with blessings in the form of scrumptious bagels, sandwiches and the like.  Since gracing Richmond with its presence, it has been gaining a growing amount of loyal customers who will often stop in for a lunch time bite to eat.  One of those loyal patrons is none other than my very own Liam, who (on the days I dare forget to send packed meals to work with him!) will often stop by for a bite to eat.  Whether it be their breakfast wraps, tuna sandwiches, homemade sausage rolls or tasty bagels, Mornin' Gorgeous keeps my darling man (a little too) well-fed.

Aside from serving delicious tasty treats, one of the things which Mornin' Gorgeous prides itself on is listening to their customers and striving their best to keep their patrons happy.  This includes trawling the web and keeping an eye on their Urbanspoon reviews for feedback, which is how they stumbled across my past review on ye olde humble blog.  (Hi!) 

Knowing my obvious enjoyment of their luscious smoked salmon bagel, and with the introduction of their weekend breakfast menu and newly hired breakfast chef, they encouraged Liam and I to come in on a weekend to try some of the breakfast goodies on offer. This weekend happened to be the perfect opportunity! 

We were heading into Richmond to watch Buddy kick his 500th goal, and brunch at Mornin' Gorgeous beforehand sounded like a perfect way to start the day.

I started the meal with a Spiced Chai Latte which, I kid you not, has to be the most delicious chai latte I have ever tried!  Each mouthful was a sweet delight, perfectly fragranced with wonderful chai flavours and was beautifully rich without being too heavy at the same time.  It was a shattering moment when I took my last sip and realised that my glass was empty!

I always have the same dilemma each and every time I go to choose off the menu when I dine out.  There are just so many options, and I can never choose!  The menu at Mornin' Gorgeous did not disappoint, and I was faced with my usual dilemma once again.  Being the gorgeous boy that he is, Liam let me pick two choices from the range so that we could share. 

First up was the Salmon Stack [$16.00], which consisted of two crunchy potato cakes, topped with smoked salmon, gooey poached eggs, thick hollandaise sauce, a generous handful of spinach and rocket leaves, and little slivers of carrot to garnish.  Although the main purpose of the carrot was aesthetic, it tasted lovely coated in the creamy hollandaise and I stole all the little slivers from Liam's plate!  The potato cakes were fluffy on the inside, but wonderfully crunchy on the outside without being too greasy. 

But the real star of the show was that lovely chunky smoked salmon!  Or perhaps I should be describing everything as "beautiful" instead, which seems to be all the rage if you watch Masterchef these days.  Anyway, I digress...  back to the luscious smoked salmon, which definitely deserves a special mention!  And mention it before I have -

This is not your ordinary supermarket-bought smoked salmon, no ma'am! The pieces were about three times as thick as the oily slices you'll usually find vacuum-packed in the shops.  They were lovely and flaky, unlike any other that I have had before.

I still stand by all of the above... except for it being unlike any other that I have had before.  It was just like I have had once before... only better! 

The next choice off the menu was the Gorgeous Big Breakfast [$16.50], which as you can see contained all the important elements of a perfect Sunday treat! Crunchy potato hashbrown, salty rathers of bacon, lightly grilled sweet cherry tomatoes (and I am not usually a fan of the cooked tomato!), chipolatas, juicy mushrooms, and two beautifully poached eggs served on toast and smothered in a rich hollandaise sauce.  The side of avocado which I had ordered was ripe and creamy - a perfect accompaniement to my meal!

Although I'd initially ordered scrambled eggs with my big breakfast, I was almost thankful for the mistake when the dish was placed in front of me.  Piercing my knife into the perfectly poached eggs, I squealed with glee as the beautiful yolks flowed out onto my plate providing a yummy yellow goo that I could mop up with my toast.  I'm not even exaggerating, I get that excited by my food!

I really have no complaints whatsoever about our breakfast experience at Mornin' Gorgeous.  The drinks were divine, the food is spectacular, the mood is relaxed and informal, and the service is friendly.  Before our food was served to us, water was placed on the table.  Knowing about my blog, the owner smartly quipped "I'd hate for you to have to ask where your water is!"... get it, get it?!

I have nothing but good things to say about dining at Mornin' Gorgeous, and can't recommend it enough!

Oh, and yes...

Buddy did kick his 500th!

Ageing Like A Fine Wine...

Happy Birthday, to my darling man!   

This weekend my partner in crime turned the ripe ol' age of 27.  Whilst it means we're approaching the big 3-0 and are advancing way too fast in age for my liking, it was also a relief as it put to an end the "older woman" jokes he has been using since my birthday last month. 

On Saturday night, we headed out for dinner with friends and then to watch a fantastic Hawks victory over the Saints.  We booked a table at our regular pre-game haunt, and indulged in a few bevvies before heading over to the MCG.

I chose the caesar salad with Indian-spiced chicken.  

Liam decided on his usual favourite (what a surprise!) chicken parma.  You know the blogging-world is taking over your life when your boyfriend's meal is placed in front of him and he immediately cries out "oh no - the steam trap, the steam trap!" (a term which I picked up from one of my favourite food blogs) and hurriedly picks his parma up off the chips and onto a separate plate!

After the game, we headed out for a few drinks and I discovered that the amount of photos I take for this blog seems to be in direct correlation with the number of alcoholic beverages I consume.  Research has shown that the higher the drink consumption, the more likely I am to forget about taking a few snaps here and there.  However! Once past a certain number of beverages, happy snaps will often rise up to an all time high.  Although none will be suitable for the public eye.

On Sunday, we headed to Liam's parents place for lunch.  We were feeling rather worse for wear, as you can tell from the above picture where Liam is all decked out in tracky dacks and hasn't bothered to fix his hair at all!  So charming.  Also, note Mark in the background helping Liam blow out the candles on the cake!

Liam's mum cooked us a fabulous Indian feast, and this gorgeous cupcake-cake! 

How cute is it?! Hudson 'Hawka' Knights stands proudly amongst the Hawthorn-themed cupcakes with little goal post candles at each end! There were two types of cupcakes to choose from - chocolate and apricot jam with buttercream frosting.  YUM

As you can see, Liam was too impatient for me to even take a photo before grabbing his birthday cupcake! I can't blame him too much. They were so tasty!

We brought Rocket along with us, to play with the two dogs that Liam's parents have.  

After hours of chasing each other around the garden, they finally tired themselves out and we were able to have a moment of quiet

When we got back to my parent's place for dinner, we discovered that my cousin had been busy baking that day and had put together this little treat! 

Again, Liam couldn't resist long enough for me to take a photo, so there is a huge chunk taken out of the cookie! He's especially looking forward to the big birthday cookie, which he as dubbed as a 'Liam-sized cookie' and has declared to me that all food for him should come in this size.

Next weekend, I'm taking him away for the weekend to celebrate!  The two of us, and our crazy ginger-dog are going to head up to the Gouldburn Valley for a weekend of exploring and relaxation! 

I promise, regardless of how many beverages are consumed over the course of the weekend, that I will take plenty of snapshots to share! :)
 

Easter Long Weekend

How is everyone's long weekend going? 

We tried to start ours with a bit of a lie-in.  Rocket had the right idea!

However since we're used to getting up so early most days, our brains were having none of it!

So eventually we roused, and I prepared a yummy meat-free breakfast. 

While I cleaned up, Liam did some work around the garden.

Rocket helped...

After which, he was all tuckered out and needed a rest...

Like, really needed a rest!

Saturday morning started off with a quintessential Easter treat...

Hot cross buns, slathered with plenty of butter!

Much to Liam's distress, I only eat fruitless hot cross buns.

After breakfast, it was time for a good game of football!

Being a massive Essendon fan, we head along to as many local games as possible.  My brother is a Port Adelaide supporter (don't ask me what happened there!) so this was an essential match for us!

It was my first game back for the season, and it felt so good to be home on familiar territory and to be surrounded by a sea of black and red.   I made sure I was decked out in all my colours too!

Lucky it seemed to work - there were some worrying moments, but we came out victorious in the end!
 

Better luck next time, little brother!

Came home, and spent the evening eating wayyyy too much of this delicious hummingbird cake!

Courtesy of the Mothership.  

Honestly, I don't think there is any dish that woman can't work her magic with!  Amazing.

As if that wasn't enough calories for the weekend, yesterday was spent filled with yet more eating!

 
We visited Liam's parents for lunch, and his mum had cooked up an Asian feast!  His sister was horrified at the idea that she would cook Chinese food to serve me, and whilst I have to admit it was a little different to the traditional Chinese food that I am used to, it was very tasty!

We had dumplings and san choi bow as starters, followed by the main dish satay chicken skewers, special fried rice, and a beef and vegetable casserole served in a crispy noodle basket! Yum.

In an attempt to work off some of lunch, we decided to do some exercise in the form of Wii games! 

In this game, you've got to flap your arms around and shift your balance on the board to try and land on objects.  It was a lot of fun, and was a good laugh watching people flapping their arms around!

But all games aside, we still had my early birthday dinner with my family to attend...

And as you may have learned - where my family is concerned, there is NEVER any shortage of food!

Gosh, I love extra long weekends! So much achieved, yet still so much more fun to come! 

We're just about to head off to the pub to meet friends for lunch, and then we're off to the MCG to watch the footy!  I'm hoping that the Hawkers give the Cats a mighty thrashing.  I'm too afraid of the devestation that I will have to deal with otherwise! Liam has gone to watch every Cats vs Hawthorn game since the 2008 Grand Final, and unfortunately that was the last win they've had! 

Wish us luck, guys! I hope your weekends have been as eventful, happy and safe! xx