Father's Day Feasting!

My father is a man of few words.  He can be ever critical, and is as stubborn as they come.  If you don't agree with him, you just must be wrong, and there's nothing you can say or do about it to change his mind.  In summary, he is an absolute pain in the butt.  But I wouldn't have him any other way!

He is the most generous person.  He has always done whatever he can to help, and given me every opportunity in life.  There are so many occasions where he has made sacrifices without a second thought, to instead give me what I wanted/needed.  When I went to unversity, he make the decision to pay all my HECS fees up-front because he wanted to give me the best start in life, rather than coming out with a debt over my head. I owe everything I have in life, including my fabulous new home, to my parents (I know it's Father's Day, but as they say, behind every good man is a good woman!)

Another thing about my father is that he is a simple man.  He does not like fuss, he does not need extravagance, and he shies away from the fancy and over-the-top.  For this reason, our Father's Day celebration this year, as with every year before, were very simple.

Sunday morning I invited my parents to our house for a Father's Day fry-up! Scrambled eggs on lightly toasted sourdough rye, beef chipolatas, streaky bacon, fresh baby spinach, sauteed mushrooms (and I just this moment realised that my hash browns are still happily sitting untouched in my freezer!) washed down with Earl Grey tea.

It was such fantastic weather for the first official day of Spring, and after the meal my dad happily pottered around our back yard taking photos. 

Later that evening, my parents and both sets of grandparents came around to check out the new house (which we are absolutely rapt with, by the way!) and we set off to the local Vietnamese restaurant (walking distance!) for dinner. 

There are actually two Vietnamese restaurants right next door to each other, just around the corner from our house, so we have plenty of choice!  The restaurant was hectic when we arrived with the line out the door, so I was very glad I'd thought to make a booking! Unfortunately there was a mix-up with the ordering, and we ended up having a riculous wait on the food. 

When the food finally arrived though, there were no complaints! The serving sizes were very generous, and everything was very tasty.

For the price, I'm delighted that we'll have such a cheap and easy take away option for the nights that I can't be bothered cooking!  The options are plentiful though, as we have quite a few places within walking distance of our new house!

How did you celebrate your dad? :)

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!

Family Feasting!

This weekend we are going away with family for a mini-getaway down to the country side.  Ever since we were children, our 4 families used to take the opportunity to go away on a big group holiday so that the adults could catch up and enjoy each others company and the kids could play together and wreak havoc!

With my Aunty visting from overseas, we thought it would be the perfect chance to all get together for a weekend of fun again.  Circumstances have changed, families have moved overseas, children have grown up and gone interstate, and various partners have been added to the mix.  Still, sixteen of us (plus my little elderly pup) will be heading down to inland Lorne for the weekend, and I cannot wait!

There is sure to be lots of fun, laughter, and copious amounts of food - these are the prerequisites every time we get together!

If there is one thing that my family is all about, it is definitely food!

We love nothing more than to sit around the table with those that we love and indulge in a fabulous meal, cooked with love.  My childhood reminiscence is highlighted with memories of my grandmother's extravagant meals... the whole family crowding around a long dining table, overflowing and groaning under the weight of the delicious dishes which she had spent days in the kitchen preparing.  Literally days!  My grandfather would often spend his Wednesday mornings at the markets buying the ingredients that were neede, and my grandma would spend the next few days preparing for Friday night dinner.

On this more recent occasion, some of my family met up at my Aunt's house for a family catch up and to say goodbye to my cousin before she moved to Canberra.  Of course where my family is concerned, at any catch up you can be sure there is a feast to be had!

Homemade tangy tomato salsa, a colourful roast vegetable & couscous salad, sweet corn on the cob, crispy potatoes, meaty mushrooms, and a beautiful (there's that Masterchef catch word again!) rare roast beef. 

Can anyone say YUM?!  This meal was perfection.  But it didn't end there...

Of course there's dessert!  A lovely fresh fruit platted for the more health conscious.  And for the rest of us (and nobody could resist a piece!) a gorgeous baked ricotta cheesecake.  My cousin made this, and served it up with double cream.  It was SO good - really fluffy and light tasting.  Not so light on the hips though, I'm sure!

I love catching up with my family.  Not only for the food, although it is one very big bonus!  But spending an evening surrounded by the people that you care about, and consuming mass amounts of tasty morsels!  What could be better?

I can't wait for this weekend! :)

Wordless Wednesday : Pack Rat

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

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.

Birthday Surprises...

I had been massively looking forward to my birthday weekend, even though I had no idea what was in store for me!  Liam had not given me any clues as to what was going on, and I was intrigued and excited to find out what he had planned!  On Saturday morning, he told me to pack my bags for the weekend - I would need casual clothes, bathers, and clothes for going out.  When I asked him what "going out" entailed, and if we were going out for dinner, he told me that he supposed he would have to feed me along the way!

This mystery, although exciting, made it very difficult to know what to pack!

My bags for one night away.  I suppose you could say I haven't quite mastered the art of packing light.

We jumped into the ute, and hit the road!

Liam took an exit to avoid heavy traffic, and the possibilities were running through my mind.  He feigned a big hissy fit at the city traffic and I had to tell him to calm down.

It turns out it was all an act!

When we first started dating, he planned a fancy weekend away to try and win me over. That weekend, he surprised me with a night at the gorgeous 5* Crown Metropol.  As we approached, I pointed it out and giggled reminiscing about our date there.  We had had a lot planned, so never really got time to enjoy the facilities, and have been saying since then that we should go back for a visit. 

He had pretended to take a wrong turn to throw me off the scent... as we pulled into the driveway he yelled out "Damn it! Since we're already here, we may as well stay the night!" Cheeky bugger.

I heart this bed so much.  It is like sleeping on a giant marshmallow!

The room was exactly the same as the one we stayed in last time, only the opposite way around. It was kind of like living in a mirror!  I loved being in the same surroundings, and evoking memories from our previous weekend away. 

Everything was so pretty and perfect!

Even a bottle of sparkling wine on ice!

We decided to leave that for later, and head out for a bite to eat.  Wandering around Southbank, there's definitely not any shortage of choices! As it was getting on in the afternoon, and I wasn't sure what was planned for dinner, we decided not to eat anywhere too fancy and save our stomach space.

A glass of rose for him, and a sparkling pink moscato for her!

This was our first alcoholic beverage in a month, so we savoured it! I'm not sure if it was the shape of the glass (which I love, by the way!) or the month off alcohol, but I was impressed by the way Liam sipped his wine throughout lunch.  Usually he guzzles it within moments of being placed in front of him!



We each ordered a wagyu burger, and a side of onion rings to share.  Unfortunately, lunch was a little disappointing.  The burger patty was incredibly dry, and the onion rings were more like shreds rather than the thick juicy rings we'd been hoping for.  Oh well!

After lunch, we spent some time in the swimming pool and just enjoying the hotel room before we had to get ready for the next surprise! Liam had requested a higher level floor, and we were given level 22.  The views were absolutely stunning! I wish I'd brought along a proper camera to capture some shots.

We jumped into a cab, with the concierge and driver laughing at me as I covered my ears with a "la la la I can't hear you!" while Liam gave him the address we needed to be at. 

YAY! Draculas!

You're not allowed to take photos of the show, but I did manage this sneaky shot of my dessert!

Liam had paid for VIP tickets, so we enjoyed some champagne, cocktails and jelly shots upstairs before being seated for our three-course meal and an awesome show!  Loved the outfit! So much colour, very sexy, and lots of bling!

We decided to get up early the next morning so that we could have a leisurely breakfast and then make the most of the hotel's pool/spa facilities before heading to the football.  As the alarm went off, I looked out the window and saw the sky tinted a beautiful shade of orange as the sun peeked through the buildings. 

I adore Melbourne.

As tempting as it was to lie in bed all day staring at the view, Liam had arranged for us to have a buffet breakfast at the hotel's restaurant - Mr Hive.  The last time we were here, the restaurant (Maze) belonged to the Gordon Ramsay empire.  Apparently that was a failure and closed down last December, making way for this newcomer.

Walking in, the decor looked vaguely familiar although a few changes had been made.

What hadn't changed, however, is the quality of the food!  The scrambled eggs were just as smooth and creamy as I remember, the hashbrowns cooked to crispy perfection, the mushrooms meaty and flavoursome, and gorgeous rolls of salty smoked salmon. 

The pancakes were a complete surprise to me! They were thick, puffy things which resembled a hamburger bun more than anything, however they were so light and fluffly and absolutely melted in my mouth! My only regret is that I could not fit more breakfast into my tummy! YUM.

After consuming that massive amount of food, the last thing I should have been doing is squeezing into my bikini! However, it was a lovely day and there was a gorgeous pool and spa upstairs that was begging to be used.  Who am I to object?!

Located on level 27 is a gorgeous infinity pool and a small heated pool, with the most amazing views!

Next to the pool are a collection of sunbeds and lounges beneath these massive funky light shades.

They look like big puffy jellyfish to me!

We spent time alternating between the big swimming pool, the little heated pool, using the steam room and jet spa in the changing rooms, and lounging on these big comfortable sun beds...

Look at that gorgeous city view!

It was a perfect way to spend my birthday weekend!

 
PS : We didn't end up having time (more like, we preferred to spend the time lazing by the pool!) to pick up my birthday present, but not to worry! I've been assured we will find an occasion to do that soon :)

Let the Birthday Weekend Commence!

I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend!

Mine was fantastic.  I got spoilt rotten, and Liam put together a memorable weekend of surprises!
I will update you about all that in another post soon.

On Friday night, we headed to my Aunt's house for dinner.  She does an a-MAZ-ing risotto, one of my favourites, which was on the menu for the evening! Not before snacking on dips, crackers and smoked salmon though. YUM.  Surprisingly, I actually didn't get any photos of the snacks or dinner! I know, I'm amazed too.

I did, however, get a few snaps of my gorgeous little dining companions! 

In her own words, upon seeing the photo - "Oh aww, I look so cheeky!"

After which she promptly turned around and, with a voice full of attitude, yelled out "LIAM! Don't put your hands in my photo again. You stop ruining my photos, now!" If there is one thing that can be said for that girl, she is a sassy little miss, and will give some poor bloke a run for his money and a permanent headache in the future!

Her little brother is quite the opposite though - a real chilled out little fella! 

Here he is, happily snacking on a cracker! The only time I even heard a peep from him was to let me know he'd finished his cracker and would please like another one!

He did look a little perplexed each time I reached for the smoked salmon, wondering why he was not receiving any, however he would happily go back to his plain cracker.  

Here he is whinging because each mouthful is not coming fast enough!

He sure loves his food, and ate his share of risotto like a little champion.  

Straight after which he totally devoured a baby pudding for dessert! What a little guts :) <3

After dinner (having eaten far too much!) I was lying in the living room, playing with toys and having a conversation with my little cousin when my presence was requested in the dining room.  

Adeline grabbed my hand, and dragged me in to a darkened room, lit up only by the glow of candles sitting on top of a yummy looking mango cheesecake! Yum. What a sweet surprise!

As I was trying to take this picture, a little girl was also vying for my attention... "Cat... Cat... Cat!" 

I quickly took the photo and turned my attention to her.  "Here! Take a photo of my cake too!" 

Happy to oblige. 

During dinner, I was interrupted with requests to take photos. Poser! I'll leave you with one more...

"Oh, look at me! I look so wild!" 

Isn't she scary? :)