Wordless Wednesday : Entertainment

Liam decided to photobomb this photo I was taking to send to my mummy.

 

Dinner and a show, anyone?

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

Pat-a-Cake, Pat-a-Cake, Baker's Man!

This week I experienced the overwhelming urge to action some baked goods. But with our oven out-of-action, I wasn't sure how I was going to remedy this.  As I pondered my baking basket full of ingredients, I decided it could not wait any longer and I was going to have to made do!

As you know, we're soon to be moving into our new house and have been busy stocking up on furniture and updating our household goods.  As luck would have it, last weekend we stumbled across a great deal on a mini toaster oven and I decided what better way to put it to the test than blueberry muffins!

What a way to christen the new toaster!

We're still pretending to be on this healthy eating bandwagon, so I tried to make them as healthy as possible using a very basic recipe.  A bit of flour, small amount of brown sugar, milk, egg, vanilla extract, a little oil (I substituted coconut oil in place of canola oil) and a handful of blueberries. 

With such a simple recipe and not so perfect cooking conditions, I wasn't expecting too much - but these ended up coming out of the (toaster) oven light, moist and very moreish!

So you'd think with that out of the way, my baking urge would be satisfied right?  Not so.  Now I knew I could bake perfectly acceptable muffins in the toaster oven I just wanted to bake more semi-healthy treats! I had an urge for jammy sugary cinnamony donuts, so I turned to Google (ah, my ever faithful friend) and came across a dead-easy recipe that I could bake. 

I tweaked the recipe a bit, and with the simplest of ingredients I had a bowl full of batter ready to go!

Some flour, a bit of sugar, milk, vanilla extract, unsweetened apple puree in place of an egg, strawberry jam and a little sugar + cinnamon for dusting was all it took! The recipe called for oil again, but it wasn't until I was filling the muffin cases did I realise that my melted coconut oil was still sitting on the edge of the sink...

Despite this oversight, I was thrilled at the little golden bundles that I pulled out of the oven just a short time later! Still moist, with a cakey-donutty casing flavoured by sweet strawberry jam in the middle.

Considering that both these muffin variations took about 20 minutes including prep-time and baking to whip up, I was very happy! Guilt-free jam donuts and blueberry muffins!

Liam was also very happy, as it meant he got little bags full of assorted muffins to munch on all week!  These were the perfect snacks to take to work, as they satisfied the sweet cravings without completely ruining the diet.  I didn't feel quite so guilty as I ate them since I knew all the ingredients that had gone into making them!

I can't wait to get into the new house so I can get my bake on with a proper oven!

Any recipes you can recommend I try next? xx

Because I Am Spoilt Again...

The other day I opened up the front door to Liam arriving home late from work with a big grin on his face, and a little box in his hands.  Without saying a word, he hands over the box and walks past me into the house.  I turn the box over, and see this scrawled on the side...

I had been wanting an iPad for a while, and decided that before we moved into the new house I wanted to get one.  My old laptop is a little heavy, and I rarely use it these days, so I thought an iPad would be a good alternative for easy internet browsing. 

I've been a grumpy bum since my phone recently took a trip to iPhone Heaven from severe water damage,(note to self, do not leave iPhone anywhere in the bathroom!), so Liam decided some drastic action was needed to cheer me up!

So I have now joined the ranks as a proud iPad user!  I am absolutely loving it, it is so convenient when I want to check Facebook or look something up online, and there are plenty of new apps and games for me to play with!

I need some recommendations with cases though! I am looking at this cute book-style polka dotted cover to go with it, or perhaps one of the smart magnetic covers which just sticks to the front.  Does anyone have any good suggestions?!

Also, since it is going to mostly replace my laptop, does anyone have any suggestions for apps to use for blogging?! I have gone to the normal Blogger site in Safari to write a post, but it appears that I can only write blog posts in HTML format.  I am an extremely lazy blogger, and can't be bothered having to use HTML every time I write a post!

HELP!

Country Getaway

As part of Liam's birthday present, I decided to arrange a weekend escape to the country to spend a little bit of quality time together.  Just the two of us, and Rocket dog!

We finished up work early on Friday, and headed off to the country town of Trawool.

Upon arriving, we were shown to our cute little cottage.  The property is just off the main highway and is home to two gorgeous little guest cottages, as well as the owner's residence and a restaurant/cafe.

The two guest cottages are situated side by side, surrounded by lovely gardens and an sprawling open yard that is perfect for the dog! And not far away is the cafe where the owner's spend most of their time and are always available should you need anything. 

We let them know roughly what time we expected to arrive, so by the time we got there the fire was roaring and the cottage was so lovely, warm and cosy!

Rocket found his spot by the warmth of the fire!  Liam, the self-professed "Master of the Fire" made sure that the fire kept roaring all weekend long, keeping the cottage the perfect warm place to stay in the cold weather. 

By the time we ran into town for supplies and take away for dinner it was getting cold and dark so it was a perfect place to settle for the night.  We ordered some Indian takeaway in town, and spent the evening cuddled up on the couch watching a fantastic Hawthorn victory.

I managed to get a fantastic deal and as a result breakfast was included both mornings of our stay. 

Nothing like a nice pot of tea and a delicious hot cooked breakfast to start your day off right!  Liam ordered a full breakfast, whilst I opted for an omelette with mushrooms, bacon and cheese.  YUM

After breakfast, we decided to go for a quick wander into one of the near by towns. 

We had a little jacket for Rocket to wear so he didn't feel too cold in the back of the ute.  I feel that it emasculated him somewhat, but have to admit that he did look kind of cute! The above photo makes it look like he is wearing a cape, and for some reason reminds me of Sherlock Holmes.  All he needs is a hat and a pipe! Anybody else agree, or am I just insane?

Speaking of insane, Liam looks slightly loopy in this photo! Aww, my boys <3

Wandering through town, it was bitterly cold and windy so we decided to head back to our cottage.  Rocket must have had enough, and promptly crashed out!

We left him there and made our back back to the cafe, where we sat out on the balcony and  feasted on a lovely cheese platter, which was also included in our package! It was divine, and I would have happily paid oodles for it.  Totally worth it!  We enjoyed a lovely bottle of moscato to accompany the cheese and basked in the sunshine which would intermittently break through the clouds. 

What a perfect way to spend the afternoon!

Not content with just a perfect afternoon though, I was determined to make it a double, and follow it up with the perfect evening too!

The big West Coast vs Essendon game was on and we planned to stay in by the fire again to watch another fantastic victory.  This time I was feeling a little more adventurous than just take away and wanted to prepare some warming winter comfort food to enjoy whilst we watched the football. 



I set to work in the "kitchen" whilst Liam prepared some baked potatoes using the coals.

Et voila, here is our cottage feast!

Potatoes baked on the coals topped with garlic butter, tasty cheese, coleslaw and copious amounts of sour cream! Accompanied by pork pepper and mustard sausages with caramelized onions. YUM

I'm not sure you can get any more perfect!

A tasty meal,  the company of my wonderful man and our cheeky pup, cuddled by the fire in front of the TV watching a victorious game of football! I was a very happy camper.

Day two started out with another pot of tea with breakfast! This time I chose bacon and eggs for my meal and an English Breakfast tea, whilst also stealing sips of Liam's pot of chai. 

After breakfast, we went for a wander around the property :

I love that garden and chair set! It's looks like it's been thereforever, and the area around it has become mossy and overgrown, but that only seems to add to the charm.  We met this curious Alpaca who came bounding over to say hello, but was very wary of the dog.  So cute!  I marvelled in the gorgeous colours of the area.  The grass was just so lush and green, whilst the leaves on the trees had turned the most stunning array of earthy Autumn shades. 

Rocket was very patient with me as I set him to work as my little model...

Unfortunately all good things come to an end, and after a fabulous weekend away it was time to head home! :( As you can see, Rocket did not want to leave.

Here he is, staring sadly at the ute while we packed everything up ready to go.  I can't blame him though... I did not want to leave either! It was such a nice relaxing weekend away. 

Liam is now looking up land an property in the country, as he has always wanted to move out that way and away from the big smoke!  He is now determined that after purchasing a little house in the suburbs, the next step is to buy a piece of land in the country as a holiday destination/investment piece.  Ever since we got back, he's been trying his best to convince me and show me properties for sale to win me over!

Well... I think I can safely say that he enjoyed his birthday trip...

Perhaps a little too much!

It's A Red-Letter Day!

I scurried out to my car to retrieve some clothing... as I was rummaging through the mess in my boot, a large work ute pulled up outside my house.  I shoved the jumble of clothes and shoes back into the car, and panicking slightly (as this meant I would not have time to change) I casually turned around and waved as Liam wandered up my driveway and enveloped me into a hug. 

And that is, you might say, where it all began!

On our anniversary last week, things were a little different.  Although I still hadn't changed when he arrived, and although he still enveloped me in a huge hug when he got home, we are a long way from where we were on our very first date.

After picking me up, we drove to Knox City near my house, and wandered around for a while before settling on Hog's Breath Cafe.  This year, we decided to return to the scene of the crime!

It's been a year since we'd been here last, so I had no idea what to expect from the food - not to mention the fact that Hog's Breath isn't exactly a gourmet establishment to start with!  We decided to start the meal the same way as our first ever date with...

... Boss Hog Mushies! [$9.50]

At first glance, there is a major difference between the plate that has been set in front of us and the dish as it was in my memory.  The portion size has gone down, and the price gone up! This is to be expected in this day and age, however disappointingly the amount in the bowl appears to have decreased by almost half. 

Fortunately, that's where the disappointment ends with these mushrooms.  I pop one in my mouth, and bite through a peppery crunchy coating to taste that wonderful mushroomy juice which is almost scalding on my tongue! Yet I can't resist and continue to eat them piping hot, with a little smear of the tartare sauce provided. 

As we're deciding what to order, Liam pulls these out of his pocket, and places them on the table :

As our anniversary falls in between both of our birthdays, we agreed on no gifts... however I couldn't resist a couple of small items!

Right before our first date, Liam had decided it would be a good time to try and mow some of the lawn, electrocuting himself in the process! He sent me a text of his bleeding finger, and to be honest I thought it was his way of cancelling on me at the time! He reassured me that he was still keen to see me, and I told him I would have bandaids to make it all better. 

Flash-back!  Here are his superhero band-aids!

I tried to find the same superhero band-aids but to no avail, so instead had to settle on Transformers or Cars.  I couldn't decide, so I bought both! We're both still children at heart.

He has a love affair with Stitch, so I bought him this phone cover, where the ears pop in and out! Yep, there's an iPhone hiding under that little blue Alien!

Okay, now back to the food!  We decided to try a Mixed Grill Tower for 2 - that way we'd be able to sample a little of everything that Hog's Breath has to offer! The tower includes steak, lamb, ribs and bacon, with a serve of Hog Tail fries, and your choice of sauces and either salad, vegies or mash. 

Vegetarians... look away now!

It really is a tower! Like... the high tea of meat?



That is a mountain of meat! Carnivore's delight, and a nightmare for vegetarians!  We opted for steamed vegetables as part of our tower, but I didn't take any photos... you all know what vegetables look like!

I have to say, unfortunately I was left underwhelmed by our meal in general.  The meat, while I could find no real fault with it, was lacking in flavour.  We had ordered it to be rare, and by the time it was brought out to us was cold.  The lamb cutlets had been perched on top of the plate, and were the coldest of all, so by the time we got to eating had congealed and were not that pleasant to eat. 

The Hog Tail fries were probably the best part of the meal, however these were slightly cold as well, and tasted like they'd been sitting around for a while. 

Again, there was nothing wrong with the vegetables per se, however if a restaurant can't steam brocolli without stuffing up then we have major issues!

It had been a year since we'd eaten at Hog's Breath last, and going by the quality of our most recent experience, it will be another year until we dine here again.

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! :)