July 2010

Muesli4Me

July 31, 2010 · 2 comments

Muesli4Me

Okay, new kid on the block, Mueslie4Me impressed. Nice big servings and good shipping price. Yes, I’m a morning muesli gal, I need to try these all out!

My mix included figs… mm…

Muesli4Me

Breakfast-ilicious!

(All this warm muesli is upping my soy milk intake and thus my calcium. PLUS figs are full of calcium!)

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Getting Political

July 31, 2010 · 6 comments

The Federal Election will be held on August 21… so in the lead-up, I warn you, I may get all political on you, and post links, articles, videos and so forth that reflect my views. Consider it a getting to know me ;)

You’ve been warned!

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Backstory: Last week while I was off on sick leave, all hell broke loose over some comment at Chocolate Suze’s Blog… comments about Asians always taking photos of food and blogging them.

So, you can understand my amusement when I’m out for dinner with a mostly Asian group of friends at The Chairman & Yip, I pull out my camera to get a pic of the dishes, and one of the girls shrieks “argh! why are you doing that Asian thing? Taking photos of food! Stop doing that Asian thing!” Cue jokes about me being the whitest girl alive, and the only white gal at the table. And continue trying to take pics, which are clearly affected by low light and a few glasses of wine ….. ;)

Chairman & Yip
I love how they put the menus into design magazines!
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A Touch of Spring

July 29, 2010 · 3 comments

A touch of Spring!

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Frankfurt

July 28, 2010 · 5 comments

It seems I was in Frankfurt on June 5… I’m getting there, I swear!! Frankfurt is manageable… I was only there 24hours!

Arrived in Frankfurt from Vienna on a morning flight, trained to the city and checked into a cheap hotel. Rish went for a nap, and I went for a walk…

Giant Euro

The giant Euro is probably my strongest memory of Frankfurt, but let’s see what else comes flooding back as I look at my photos! It IS pretty impressive, though. In a nerdy way…
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Cocktails at Hippo

July 28, 2010 · 7 comments

Hippo Bar

Drink, talk, stare at the flame, listen to the music, laugh with new friends. I love Hippo :) Don’t go there enough.
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Based on this taste.com.au recipe

5 spice pork

We had an abundance of eshallots in the fridge, so google sent me to that recipe, and I changed it to:

Ingredients (serves 4)
1/4 cup (60ml) peanut oil
6 green eshallots, chopped
1 (about 600g) pork fillet, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tsp finely grated ginger
2 tsp Chinese five spice
1/4 cup (60ml) oyster sauce
1 cup coriander leaves
450g pkt fresh rice noodles (I used dried)

Method
Heat the oil in a wok over medium high heat. Add one-sixth of the shallots and fry for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate lined with paper towel.
Add one-quarter of the pork to the wok and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat in 3 more batches with remaining pork. Add the remaining shallots, garlic, ginger and five spice and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until golden. Add the pork with oyster sauce to the wok and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until heated through. Remove from heat and add the coriander and remaining mint. Gently toss to combine.
Meanwhile, place the noodles in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for 6-8 minutes to heat. Use a fork to gently separate. Drain well.
Place the noodles among serving bowls. Spoon over the pork mixture. Top with fried shallots and mint leaves. Serve immediately.

I served with steamed carrot and beans.

Yums!

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Banana Cake and Mini Muffins

Mmm made the Banana cake again out of Go Dairy Free, this time making a double mix, the cake’s a bit bigger and I made a bunch of mini-muffins too, which I see Rish has been nibbling on this afternoon!

Banana Cake and Mini Muffins

And some Sunday Mutterings:

  1. Inception :: day
  2. Anticipation :: exhilaration
  3. Space :: the final frontier
  4. Earn :: money
  5. .com :: boom
  6. Hello! :: Hai!
  7. Equivalent :: equal
  8. Swore :: dammit
  9. Actions :: speak louder than words
  10. Expletive! :: #$@#%%%%#!

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Food Court Curry

July 25, 2010 · 3 comments

Food Court Curry

Please, don’t shudder in horror, but it was really quite nice – from the curry place at Westfield Kotara food court. Dahl and a vege curry with a garlic naan.

Food Court Curry

The naan had nothing on the ones we used to make when we worked in the Indian restaurant through uni. The scars from the tandoor are worth it! (lived on an alternative diet of naan and butter chicken sauce and pad thai through uni. My tummy couldn’t hack that these days!)

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Yes, my birthday went well… how could it not when it starts with a box of roses from my mother delivered before work, and on my arrival home I get a bunch of Irises (purple! My favourite flower, yesm!) from a friend in Melbourne? :)

Birthday flowers
One vase, think it works!

After a dazed day at work (I’m got a cold and am generally worn down by other health stuff. No, I’m not pregnant, though someone suggested it might be why I’m tired!) I dolled up in a new LBD, new tights and some killer heels to head to Rocksalt for dinner.
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(Being my birthday, you’re obligated to de-lurk and comment! Do it!)

Hello Kitty Cupcakes
Last year’s work cupcakes for my birthday. Hello Kitty!

Okay, any notion I had of doing a 101 in 1001 is long gone, I can’t even WRITE a list, let along get started on one. So perhaps, 30 items before my 30th birthday will be more manageable? We can always hope!

So, let’s see. What are 30 things I would like to achieve in the next 24 months?

  1. Finish my Masters
  2. Visit Japan
  3. Run 8km
  4. Sort out my diet
  5. Buy some knee-high boots that fit my calves
  6. Learn to cook tofu in at least 3 ways (including stirfry)
  7. Read 20 Popular Penguins (a few can be checked off already, will let you know in my first update!)
  8. Do some unassisted chin-ups
  9. Eat gluten free hot cross buns
  10. Finishing knitting the pink/red scarf that’s been in the cupboard part done for at least 2 years
  11. Run 10 km (Mothers day classic?)
  12. Have made at least 2 things from each cookbook I own
  13. Meet at least 10 more ‘internet people’ IRL
  14. Sell or play my clarinet
  15. Drastically reduce my diet coke intake – no more than one in a day, no more than 4 in a week
  16. Have a caffeine free month
  17. Try Body Balance. At least twice.
  18. Properly tag all my mp3s
  19. Do a pole dancing course or burlesque course (I’ve only done a one-off hens night)
  20. Make this gingerbread cake
  21. Get down to my “preferred weight” and maintain it for 3 months
  22. Successfully give blood (ie no passing out before they have enough)
  23. Take and blog a photo a day of me for a month
  24. Buy a re-usable coffee cup for my takeaway coffee (recommendations sought)
  25. Sew a skirt
  26. Sew a dress
  27. Do a wine tasting course
  28. Go skinny dipping!
  29. Bake awesome vegan cupcakes to take into work
  30. “Go Dark” for a weekend (preferably on the South Coast!)

I’m sure to “achieve” other things in that time, but here’s a few to keep tabs on.
Wish me well?

Oh and here’s a song you should all listen to. Because it’s my ring tone.

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Hotel Delany, Darby St
You are here. Trying to explain the geography of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie

Late last year, The Del in Newcastle started a renovation and expansion to include a fancy new dining room. Initial impressions were not that great (such as an hour to get food, having to order at the counter for $30 meals and so on) despite the gorgeous look inside. But thought I might give it another go, and set about gathering friends there on my visit…

Hotel Delany, Darby St
Blurry, low light pics ahoy!

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