tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68566489125204006882024-03-14T07:54:23.645+11:00What would Martha do?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997993230401145841noreply@blogger.comBlogger168125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6856648912520400688.post-31912582027551696342014-10-21T19:45:00.001+11:002015-01-04T21:48:29.677+11:00Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens and Cafe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We've started to have such beautiful, sunny days lately and I'm really looking forward to spending more and more time outside enjoying it. There's so many great festivals coming up (especially the Paris to Provence and the Hispanic Latin ones in November) plus there's some beautiful gardens for picnics in Melbourne and beyond. One garden that I found out about recently and plan to revisit soon is the Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens in Daylesford. I had no idea they existed until I started seeing images on Facebook recently and my family ended up visiting for my sister's birthday.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wZI3Y56bdTs/VEYOHK9ginI/AAAAAAAADuU/04h9N68a6k8/s1600/20140914_160154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="What would Martha do - Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wZI3Y56bdTs/VEYOHK9ginI/AAAAAAAADuU/04h9N68a6k8/s1600/20140914_160154.jpg" height="640" title="" width="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is the tower that's in the gardens - there's stairs inside so you can climb all the way to the top. I'm a little <strike>terrified</strike> scared of heights so I didn't give it a go this time but my two nephews and their mum raced up to the top. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R-Y68lJJ2HU/VEYN3EIBacI/AAAAAAAADuM/5NNN1r5-5KA/s1600/WombatHillBotanicGardens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="What would Martha do - Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R-Y68lJJ2HU/VEYN3EIBacI/AAAAAAAADuM/5NNN1r5-5KA/s1600/WombatHillBotanicGardens.jpg" height="320" title="" width="640" /></a></div>The gardens were so beautiful, there were lots of flowers starting to bloom and so many amazingly massive old trees. If you don't visit the cafe there then it'd be the perfect spot for a picnic.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pAWjLj1ftA8/VEYWy7yxgOI/AAAAAAAADus/P7-m8YEhG38/s1600/20140914_130055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="What would Martha do - Wombat Hill House Cafe" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pAWjLj1ftA8/VEYWy7yxgOI/AAAAAAAADus/P7-m8YEhG38/s1600/20140914_130055.jpg" height="640" title="" width="360" /></a></div>We got a big table in the window of the cafe to eat at. I just loved that place - from the art on the walls like above to the gorgeous big blue bookshelves with a ladder and cool industrial type stools. The cafe is run by Alla Wolf-Tasker, the very same who owns the Lake House in Daylesford. It has much more of a casual vibe with seating outside in the sun. The cafe serves up simple seasonal food, sourced from the local area.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aSfmHeldFi4/VEYWjHdZn4I/AAAAAAAADuk/iisMlUCWKSA/s1600/20140914_133828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="What would Martha do - Wombat Hill House Cafe" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aSfmHeldFi4/VEYWjHdZn4I/AAAAAAAADuk/iisMlUCWKSA/s1600/20140914_133828.jpg" height="360" title="" width="640" /></a></div>I tried the Moroccan Meatballs with couscous which was fantastic. It had yoghurt drizzled over the top and a sprinkling of dukkah that added a nice crunch. My skinny latte (not pictured) was really good too,<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_1ERzcZoW18/VEYaaKIfrSI/AAAAAAAADu4/apkkLa-Sj0g/s1600/20140914_143634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="What would Martha do - Wombat Hill House Cafe" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_1ERzcZoW18/VEYaaKIfrSI/AAAAAAAADu4/apkkLa-Sj0g/s1600/20140914_143634.jpg" height="360" title="" width="640" /></a></div>Of course, any birthday needs cake so we ended up picking this beautiful Hummingbird cake from the large amount of beautiful looking sweets on offer. Mum and I ended up sharing the one above, and it was amazing.<br />
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<a href="http://wombathillhouse.com.au/" target="_blank"><b>Wombat Hill House</b></a><br />
Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens<br />
Daylesford, Victoria<br />
3460<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/346/1608104/restaurant/Victoria/Wombat-Hill-House-Daylesford"><img alt="Wombat Hill House on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1608104/minilink.gif" style="border: none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/4775467/?claim=778agavg7gu">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997993230401145841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6856648912520400688.post-62648843307285293422014-09-15T23:13:00.000+10:002014-09-15T23:13:19.616+10:00A Round up of FoodI often visit restaurants and cafes over the weekend, but usually don't get enough photos or try enough food to do what I feel like is a proper review. I thought every so often I'd do a post about these places I've visited to share my feelings about what I'd tried so far.<br />
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<a href="http://hammerandtong.com.au/" target="_blank"><b>Hammer and Tong 412</b></a><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1ocsWl4epbs/VBaf4IF8l4I/AAAAAAAADqw/wkONK9lnYM0/s1600/HammerandTong%2B(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1ocsWl4epbs/VBaf4IF8l4I/AAAAAAAADqw/wkONK9lnYM0/s1600/HammerandTong%2B(1).jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
I'm still a little undecided about how I feel about Hammer and Tong. The food that I had was amazing - I just had to try the soft shell crab burger. It was lovely and crunchy, with a slight bite from the sauce, but I thought it would be nice if it had come with a side of some sort - it's quite a small meal. I also tried their coffee, ordering a skim latte which I really enjoyed.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YfoHgFur7aA/VBavwQYZM-I/AAAAAAAADrA/bSBHejuSuxg/s1600/HammerandTongFood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YfoHgFur7aA/VBavwQYZM-I/AAAAAAAADrA/bSBHejuSuxg/s1600/HammerandTongFood.jpg" height="320" width="640" /></a></div>
On the other hand though, I didn't think much of the service. The waiter who helped us with our table was lovely, but I felt that the other waiters we came into contact with didn't have much personality. We tried a little banter with them a couple of times but got no smile or no reaction really altogether. The whole cafe was a little cramped, with the five of us being squished onto a table for four. But...it's not enough to put me off completely - I still want to try their breakfast ramen and their french toast sounds really interesting too.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.qv.com.au/" target="_blank">QV Hidden Garden</a></b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4JI2qegHcxk/VBax5VHQbjI/AAAAAAAADrM/sQsmAUn9_xQ/s1600/20140831_142724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4JI2qegHcxk/VBax5VHQbjI/AAAAAAAADrM/sQsmAUn9_xQ/s1600/20140831_142724.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></div>
I accidentally stumbled onto the Hidden Garden at QV, and I'm so glad that I did. It's such a beautiful space. I was hanging out with a couple of friends and when I had to take something back to my car at QV I walked past it. I sent the above photo to my friends asking if they wanted a coffee, with an immediate YES! in response. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U7xlg_Fa9Yk/VBa619UxPsI/AAAAAAAADrc/eRRZkSOQO90/s1600/QVHiddenGarden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U7xlg_Fa9Yk/VBa619UxPsI/AAAAAAAADrc/eRRZkSOQO90/s1600/QVHiddenGarden.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
Now this is only a pop up garden so I'm not sure how much longer it'll be there but hopefully they bring it back again soon. Each day there's a different thing happening there, including eyebrow shaping, drink mixing classes and on each weekend (like when we were there) it's a cafe, run by Milky Joes that serves coffee, hot chocolate and different sweets. I ordered my usual skim latte and a escargot both which were served up in a cute basket.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Py3clzFQihU/VBa_7ntwW-I/AAAAAAAADrs/rpZe6UtrR_g/s1600/20140831_145200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Py3clzFQihU/VBa_7ntwW-I/AAAAAAAADrs/rpZe6UtrR_g/s1600/20140831_145200.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997993230401145841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6856648912520400688.post-33602439439721552192014-08-29T23:08:00.002+10:002014-08-29T23:08:18.093+10:00On my RadarI've been wanting to talk about some different things on the blog every so often, whether it's fashion, the TV shows, movies and books that I love or just things that I've found on the internet. I thought it might seem a little random at first so I thought I'd do a 'On my Radar' post, like this one, every so often.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dMhWvDAbB_I/VABukPwxunI/AAAAAAAADpw/VBnyf9MKqBs/s1600/FrenchLaundry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dMhWvDAbB_I/VABukPwxunI/AAAAAAAADpw/VBnyf9MKqBs/s1600/FrenchLaundry.jpg" height="384" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.thebolditalic.com/articles/5607-a-four-year-old-reviews-the-french-laundry" target="_blank">4 year old reviews The French Laundry</a> - not only is this adorable (the facial expressions of this little girl are hilarious!) but you can drool over pictures of the food that gets served at the French Laundry.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wIQzyUWySZg/VABx7MA5kGI/AAAAAAAADqE/Conw2RqV3pc/s1600/OrangeistheNewBlack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wIQzyUWySZg/VABx7MA5kGI/AAAAAAAADqE/Conw2RqV3pc/s1600/OrangeistheNewBlack.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HW3EXCE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00HW3EXCE&linkCode=as2&tag=thresno-20&linkId=IA4KWOHRNSXB7UHB">Orange Is the New Black: Season 1</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=thresno-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00HW3EXCE" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />- I know I'm late to the game with this one but I've only just got the chance to start watching it. And? It's fantastic! Definitely worth watching!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EmDm1BMVSro/VAB4WdcdjgI/AAAAAAAADqU/_aE29wckCaM/s1600/2014%2BFood%2BAwards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EmDm1BMVSro/VAB4WdcdjgI/AAAAAAAADqU/_aE29wckCaM/s1600/2014%2BFood%2BAwards.jpg" height="400" width="311" /></a></div>
Food Awards 2014 in the Melbourne <a href="http://www.au.timeout.com/melbourne/magazine" target="_blank">Time Out Magazine</a> - there's so many cafes and restaurants I want to try here. I'm glad that Smith and Daughters won the viewers choice award and one of my favourites, Rockwell and Sons, was a runner up for best casual eatery. I just want to eat my way through the entire list!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mxe_92Vmnbk/VABu7ufqjjI/AAAAAAAADp4/TeD-0IN9Wm8/s1600/Daffodil%2BDay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mxe_92Vmnbk/VABu7ufqjjI/AAAAAAAADp4/TeD-0IN9Wm8/s1600/Daffodil%2BDay.jpg" height="120" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="https://daffodilday.com.au/" target="_blank">Daffodil Day</a> - I know everyone seems to be talking about the ice challenge at the moment but I thought I'd remind everyone about Daffodil Day. This is a cause close to my heart and I think it's a great one to donate to. Lets try and get rid of cancer for good!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bIvm-FnN7hU/VAB7D-hgUjI/AAAAAAAADqg/pCYZ2cO_gS4/s1600/ruth_reichl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bIvm-FnN7hU/VAB7D-hgUjI/AAAAAAAADqg/pCYZ2cO_gS4/s1600/ruth_reichl.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.ruthreichl.com/" target="_blank">Ruth Reichl</a>'s blog posts about restaurants in Melbourne - especially after seeing her on <a href="http://marthado.blogspot.com.au/2014/08/ruth-reichl-at-melbourne-writers.html" target="_blank">Saturday</a>. I stumbled upon this earlier today when I was trying to find information on her books and love that she took the time to write about the food she ate while she was in Melbourne, and to hear her thoughts on <a href="http://www.ruthreichl.com/2014/08/notes-from-melbourne.html" target="_blank">Cumulus</a> and <a href="http://www.ruthreichl.com/2014/08/notes-from-melbourne-2-attica.html" target="_blank">Attica</a>. Worth a read!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997993230401145841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6856648912520400688.post-40660001472840784712014-08-25T21:01:00.000+10:002015-02-28T19:27:16.253+11:00Ruth Reichl at the Melbourne Writer's Festival + Lunch at Bowery to WilliamsburgI've only read one of Ruth Reichl's books, Garlic and Sapphires, but it's one of my favourites. Garlic and Sapphires is the account of Ruth's time as New York Time's food critic (dream job!). It was fascinating to read of how she would dress in disguise so she wouldn't be recognized and how she was treated in comparison to when restaurants knew who she was. And the way that she described the amazing meals that she ate....I could almost taste them myself!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6_Z-Fr1T0-s/U_r9Ajp479I/AAAAAAAADnw/Mhal7kFnCaY/s1600/20140823_123534%2B(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6_Z-Fr1T0-s/U_r9Ajp479I/AAAAAAAADnw/Mhal7kFnCaY/s1600/20140823_123534%2B(1).jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
Ruth has just released her first fiction book Delicious!, and is visiting Melbourne for the Melbourne Writer's Festival. She had 3 talks over this past weekend, the one I went to was a Q&A about her new book, Delicious! I've just started reading it and am loving it so far. The Q&A was held in the Deakin Building at Federation Square which is such a beautiful room, especially on a sunny day like we had.<br />
Ruth also had an amazing sounding talk on about food writing over the weekend, but that one was just a little out of my price range. I'm just glad that I at least got to see her talk at all!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j0bt4wSnNgQ/U_r_ydaOGjI/AAAAAAAADn8/TgAn7yqHlA8/s1600/20140823_123634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j0bt4wSnNgQ/U_r_ydaOGjI/AAAAAAAADn8/TgAn7yqHlA8/s1600/20140823_123634.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_1523960322"></span><span id="goog_1523960323"></span>I must admit that listening to all the talk about food made me hungry so my friend, who I went to the talk with and I headed to Brewery to Williamsburg which was close by in Oliver Lane. We'd heard mention of their peanut butter hot chocolate and had to try it! I loved the cup it was served in, it was made to look like plastic cup that had been crumpled a little. I'm not usually one for hot chocolates, often I find them overly sweet but this one had the perfect level of sweetness. It wasn't overwhelming at all. Plus it comes with a Reese's Peanut Butter cup on the side. Yum!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dkVDfIRWrUA/U_sA5AAhNuI/AAAAAAAADoE/pPKRxJ1OAdk/s1600/IMG_20140823_131637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dkVDfIRWrUA/U_sA5AAhNuI/AAAAAAAADoE/pPKRxJ1OAdk/s1600/IMG_20140823_131637.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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I was originally planning on ordering the Reuben sandwich, but instead decided to go for one of the brunch dishes. The maple baked beans, bacon and poached eggs on rye toast was fantastic so I'm glad I swapped. The eggs were perfectly runny, with gorgeously orange yolks. The bacon had a sweetness to it and the beans (which I'm usually not a fan of) were warm and comforting. I definitely want to go back to try more of their dishes, especially the amazing American desserts - pecan pie, New York cheesecake...and the bagels! </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iKbqAh3nBdU/U_sBs05I8fI/AAAAAAAADoM/myDAHKZwNQk/s1600/20140823_132355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iKbqAh3nBdU/U_sBs05I8fI/AAAAAAAADoM/myDAHKZwNQk/s1600/20140823_132355.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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Bowery to Williamsburg</div>
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16 Oliver Lane</div>
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Melbourne.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KD9H_tmiRh0/U_sHPKm-3BI/AAAAAAAADoc/fg3UHNsQQLI/s1600/Flinders%2BSt%2BStation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KD9H_tmiRh0/U_sHPKm-3BI/AAAAAAAADoc/fg3UHNsQQLI/s1600/Flinders%2BSt%2BStation.jpg" height="640" width="470" /></a></div>
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The view looking back down Flinders Street was so beautiful I couldn't resist taking this shot of Flinders St Station from afar. If you're interested in any of Ruth Reichl's books follow the links below to find out more. I'm really looking forward to reading another of her books, Tender at the Bone, next!</div>
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<img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZOaKnSLG2jI/U_sMxV2A3YI/AAAAAAAADo8/RNszYfuCdMM/s1600/Tender%2Bat%2Bthe%2Bbone.jpg" width="130" /><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/book/9780812981117/?a_aid=whatwouldmarthado" target="_blank">Tender at the Bone</a></div>
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<img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7UbMQtQbHXc/U_sP0YttSzI/AAAAAAAADpQ/icRZW91YiIY/s1600/Garlic%2Band%2BSapphires.jpg" width="127" /><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/book/9780099489979/?a_aid=whatwouldmarthado" target="_blank">Garlic and Sapphires</a></div>
<img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M1DegWPPAJY/U_sMMJJ3YYI/AAAAAAAADos/Q_i-XRfRnCk/s1600/Delicious%2BRuth%2BReichl.jpg" width="132" /><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/book/9781400069620/?a_aid=whatwouldmarthado" target="_blank">Delicious!</a>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f2oHwGxaizE/U_Mr39ZSlYI/AAAAAAAADnI/nOB9VskSoyU/s1600/20140817_173550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f2oHwGxaizE/U_Mr39ZSlYI/AAAAAAAADnI/nOB9VskSoyU/s1600/20140817_173550.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
Do you ever get to that point in winter where you just get cravings for fresh foods? I've been feeling that way for the past week or so, I think because I'm starting to get sick of all the wintery foods I've been eating. I was browsing through Pinterest for some inspiration when I found this recipe for avocado pasta. I can't get enough of avocados and this just sounded like a quick, healthy way to have pasta (also another favourite).<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j-UZN9QN7qk/U_SGJENCBGI/AAAAAAAADnY/EoHeFPhfcjo/s1600/20140817_171202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j-UZN9QN7qk/U_SGJENCBGI/AAAAAAAADnY/EoHeFPhfcjo/s1600/20140817_171202.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></div>
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I loved the taste - the combination of the basil, lemon and avocado was great. I think the next time I make it though the addition of some chicken and mushrooms would round it out nicely.</div>
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Would you add anything else to this recipe? Or would you keep it simple?</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Avocado Pasta</span></b><br />
[<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/whatwouldmarthadoau/home/avocado-pasta" target="_blank">Printable Recipe</a>]<br />
INGREDIENTS:<br />
300g Pasta<br />
2 ripe avocados, halved, seeded and peeled<br />
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves<br />
2 cloves garlic<br />
2 tbsp lemon juice<br />
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste<br />
1/3 cup olive oil<br />
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved<br />
<br />
INSTRUCTIONS:<br />
1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.<br />
2. To make the pasta sauce, combine avocados, basil, garlic and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor, season with salt and pepper, to taste. With the motor running, add olive oil in a slow stream until emulsified.<br />
3. In a large bowl, combine pasta, avocado sauce and cherry tomatoes<br />
4. Serve immediately<br />
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<b>Recipe Source:</b><br />
<a href="http://damndelicious.net/2014/06/20/avocado-pasta/" target="_blank">Damn Delicious</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997993230401145841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6856648912520400688.post-46951078613508769762014-07-19T23:30:00.000+10:002015-02-28T19:33:13.641+11:00The Spotted Owl Cafe, SunburyA new cafe has opened up in the town I work in so of course I had to give it a try. While there's a few places I can go to eat during my lunch breaks there's no amazing cafes in the area. I was pleasantly surprised with The Spotted Owl. It's a very light, bright and modern cafe - more of the type you would find in Melbourne, with little potted plants in the entry way which I really liked.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JGVPlpbiQzU/U8o2s_oyIqI/AAAAAAAADlg/za5PtMpqgo8/s1600/Spotted+Owl+Cafe+What+would+Martha+do.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JGVPlpbiQzU/U8o2s_oyIqI/AAAAAAAADlg/za5PtMpqgo8/s1600/Spotted+Owl+Cafe+What+would+Martha+do.jpg" height="476" width="640" /></a></div>
I've been a couple of times since they've opened and have really enjoyed all of my meals. They do some very interesting but tasty combinations that work well.<br />
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I think the only thing I've been slightly disappointed with each time I've been has been the coffee. Each time I've ordered my usual skim latte and while it's...okay...there's just a strange taste to it that's not very pleasant. I do love the green plates that the coffees are served on though.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l_KBtUf5QME/U8pFNxiZVuI/AAAAAAAADmI/ypZOnbevJmw/s1600/20140708_130445.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l_KBtUf5QME/U8pFNxiZVuI/AAAAAAAADmI/ypZOnbevJmw/s1600/20140708_130445.jpeg" height="640" width="360" /></a></div>
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The first time I went I tried the smashed avocado and chickpea on toast and asked for a poached egg on the side. I love avocado so really loved this. The chickpea added that little bit of difference in texture to your usual smashed avocado dish. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nLhPrfTI-jQ/U8pxWqLwloI/AAAAAAAADmc/u1ovw6-X0Vk/s1600/20140708_132311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nLhPrfTI-jQ/U8pxWqLwloI/AAAAAAAADmc/u1ovw6-X0Vk/s1600/20140708_132311.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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While I was there that first time I spotted people with a dish that looked like Eggs Benedict but couldn't find it on the menu. The second time around I realised that it was on the menu as The Breakfast Stack. This was a little bit of a twist on the usual Eggs Benedict though with the addition of melted cheese, avocado and tomato relish. I liked this version, but I think it was a little too rich because of the cheese - I'd rather stick with the usual Eggs Benedict in the future (with the addition of some avocado - yum!). </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lNU0ICJibV8/U8pxv4JLBJI/AAAAAAAADmk/gswKrsR_SIk/s1600/20140711_131700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lNU0ICJibV8/U8pxv4JLBJI/AAAAAAAADmk/gswKrsR_SIk/s1600/20140711_131700.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/thespottedowlcafe" target="_blank">The Spotted Owl Cafe</a></b></div>
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93 O'Shanassy St</div>
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Sunbury, 3429</div>
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Sunbury</div>
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1862348/restaurant/Melbourne/The-Spotted-Owl-Sunbury"><img alt="The Spotted Owl on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1862348/minilink.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997993230401145841noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6856648912520400688.post-83787164806382605482014-06-17T22:00:00.000+10:002015-02-28T19:36:31.107+11:00Pumpkin Cinnamon rolls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b500BoC2OQo/U6AjnxMJuuI/AAAAAAAADkY/p35LKRhu1p0/s1600/IMG_2221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b500BoC2OQo/U6AjnxMJuuI/AAAAAAAADkY/p35LKRhu1p0/s1600/IMG_2221.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
I love making these pumpkin cinnamon rolls. It's just so fun to see the swirls and colours come together, as the rolls rise and bake. I know, I'm a nerd. I made them again just the other day, so I could take some to work as treats for the people I work with. They never last long around my house, and in the office it was the same.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z8zxzOmVXfo/U6Ao6DAQmGI/AAAAAAAADko/cin1kNadCxA/s1600/Pumpkin+Cinnamon+Rolls+Recipe+Pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z8zxzOmVXfo/U6Ao6DAQmGI/AAAAAAAADko/cin1kNadCxA/s1600/Pumpkin+Cinnamon+Rolls+Recipe+Pic.jpg" height="640" width="491" /></a></div>
The <a href="http://www.recipegirl.com/2008/11/25/amish-pumpkin-cinnamon-rolls-with-caramel-icing-2/" target="_blank">recipe</a> that I used to make these called for a caramel icing. This is one of the things that drew me to the recipe, but I found it just a little too overwhelmingly sweet. So this time I decided to try the rolls with a simple glaze. I think it worked out really well.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oTSBBoLejp0/U6AtEFttIcI/AAAAAAAADk0/P5HivDOBd8Q/s1600/IMG_2220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oTSBBoLejp0/U6AtEFttIcI/AAAAAAAADk0/P5HivDOBd8Q/s1600/IMG_2220.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Pumpkin Cinnamon rolls</span></b><br />
[<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/whatwouldmarthadoau/pumpkin-cinnamon-rolls" target="_blank">printable recipe</a>]<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<b>ROLLS</b><br />
1/3 cup milk<br />
2 tbsp butter<br />
1/2 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree<br />
2 tbsp white sugar<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1 large egg, beaten<br />
1 envelope active dry yeast<br />
1 cup plain flour<br />
1 cup bread flour<br />
<br />
<b>FILLING:</b><br />
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed<br />
1 tsp ground cinnamon<br />
2 tbsp butter, melted<br />
<br />
<b>ICING:</b><br />
4 tbsp butter<br />
2 cups icing sugar<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
3-6 tbsp hot water<br />
<br />
<b>Method:</b><br />
1. <b>Prepare rolls:</b> In a small saucepan, heat milk and 2 tbsp butter until just warm and butter is almost melted, stirring constantly<br />
2. In a large mixer bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar and salt. Add milk mixture and beat with an electric mixer until well combined. Beat in egg and yeast. In a seperate bowl, combine flours. Add half of the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture. Beat on low speed for 5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl frequently. Add remaining flour and mix thoroughly (dough will be very soft). Turn into a lightly greased bowl, then grease the surface of the dough lightly. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.<br />
3. Punch dough down. Turn onto floured surface. Knead a few turns to form a smooth dough, sprinkling with enough additional flour to make dough easy to handle. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12x10 rectangle.<br />
4. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Brush the surface of the dough with melted butter. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the top of the dough. Beginning with the long side of the dough, roll up jelly-roll style. Pinch the seams to seal. With a sharp serrated knife, gently cut the roll into twelve 1 inch slices. Place rolls cut-side-up in a greased baking pan.<br />
5. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, 30-45 minutes.<br />
6. Preheat oven to 180<span style="color: #54514f; font-family: 'Lucida Sans', 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Trebuchet MS', Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">°</span><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans', 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Trebuchet MS', Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">C. </span><span style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bake the rolls about 20 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the pan to a baking paper lined wire rack. Cool the buns 10-15 minutes.</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">7. While the rolls are cooling, <b>prepare icing:</b> Mix butter, icing sugar and vanilla in a bowl. Add hot water 1 tbsp at a time until the icing reaches the desired consistency. Drizzle over the top of the rolls and serve. </span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997993230401145841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6856648912520400688.post-65244268839222609492014-06-12T00:21:00.001+10:002015-02-28T19:37:01.898+11:00Tarta de Santiago recipe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I found this recipe in the latest issue of the <a href="http://www.gourmettraveller.com.au/" target="_blank">Gourmet Traveller</a> magazine and thought it would be perfect to make for my Dad's birthday. After all the help he's been giving me with my apartment, and getting things done there it was the least that I could do. I had pretty much no storage in the apartment when it was built, apart from the kitchen cupboards but now I have pantry cupboards, wardrobes and a great cupboard in the bathroom all thanks to Dad :)<br />
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The addition of the dulce de leche made it just all the more appealing. Yum! The Tarta de Santiago is traditionally decorated with a fancy cross stenciled in icing sugar, but I thought the heart would mean a bit more to Dad. It looks quite sweet, I think!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997993230401145841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6856648912520400688.post-43713547028500455062014-05-25T19:56:00.000+10:002015-02-28T19:37:26.879+11:00Thistle Be Good!I was lucky enough to receive a mixed box of goodies from South Australian company <a href="http://thistlebegood.com.au/" target="_blank">Thistle be Good </a>for Lifestyle channel's <a href="http://www.lifestyle.com.au/you/tryitrateit/" target="_blank">Try it, Rate it</a> program. My box included Wild Mushroom & Tarragon risotto, Persian Quinoa with dates & pistachios, Moroccan couscous with currants, a Moroccan rub and a tub of Egyptian Dukkah. What a week of amazing meals I've had since this package arrived in the mail!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G3Z8konQOEE/U4GyIQJg99I/AAAAAAAADeg/NVhADQM8QHM/s1600/IMG_2152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G3Z8konQOEE/U4GyIQJg99I/AAAAAAAADeg/NVhADQM8QHM/s1600/IMG_2152.JPG" height="400" width="305" /></a></div>
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I decided to try out the Risotto first, as a side dish to the . I was amazed that such little effort and ingredients, especially compared to cooking a risotto from scratch, could turn out so well. No not just well, but one of the best tasting risottos I've had. The mushroom and tarragon flavours, with the parmesan, really worked well together. The flavours were light, and really tasty - not too rich or salty like some risottos I've tasted.<br />
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The couscous was even quicker and easier to make than the risotto, if that's possible. The flavours were really lovely and the couscous itself was very light and fluffy. I could smell the wonderful combination of spices as soon as I opened the packet. There was just the most subtle heat to the couscous too, but nothing too overpowering, just a small amount that grew on the tongue and then faded away as quickly as it came. The currants added a lovely sweetness to the whole dish as well.<br />
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I decided to follow the recipe provided on the packet of the Moroccan mayhem rub (except that I used my slow cooker) and I'm so glad that I did. The result was a fantastically delicious slow cooked dish with wonderful flavours and soft lamb falling off the bone. The spices, which were rubbed on the lamb shanks at the start of the cooking process, went right through all of the ingredients and gave off a lovely amount of heat which became more subtle with the addition of greek yoghurt.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-azqHOvap9Yk/U4G3d4m0A7I/AAAAAAAADfI/h99ddIkyspg/s1600/Slow+cooked+moroccan+lamb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-azqHOvap9Yk/U4G3d4m0A7I/AAAAAAAADfI/h99ddIkyspg/s1600/Slow+cooked+moroccan+lamb.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
We served this on top of the Persian Quinoa which was another star product - and also really easy to make. There was a lovely flavour through this, which was complimented by the crunch of pistachios through the dish.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hlX6r8wh8Ik/U4G3KOFSryI/AAAAAAAADfA/4bUJf9QR6zg/s1600/Thistle+be+good+Persian+quinoa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hlX6r8wh8Ik/U4G3KOFSryI/AAAAAAAADfA/4bUJf9QR6zg/s1600/Thistle+be+good+Persian+quinoa.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
To be honest I don't know a lot about dukkah, but I'm looking forward to doing some research and making some dishes with it. I did see online the option of having some bread dipped in olive oil and then the dukkah which I tried and really enjoyed. It was just a really simple, lovely idea. I loved the crunch and the flavours of the spices.<br />
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These should definitely be a staple in everyone's pantry. They're just fantastic to have on hand in case you need to make a really tasty, but quick meal after work or just when you're in a hurry.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997993230401145841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6856648912520400688.post-71565158103880708432014-03-31T19:21:00.001+11:002015-02-28T19:40:03.759+11:00Heston's coming to Melbourne!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-28ZWDlx1N5o/UzkkHomie8I/AAAAAAAADds/Ab6z_mKaeM8/s1600/Heston.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-28ZWDlx1N5o/UzkkHomie8I/AAAAAAAADds/Ab6z_mKaeM8/s1600/Heston.jpg" height="250" width="400" /></a></div>
I found out a piece of super exciting news earlier today. Heston Blumenthal is bringing his three-Michelin-star <a href="http://www.thefatduck.co.uk/">The Fat Duck</a> restaurant to Melbourne for 6 months next year! In a press conference held today Heston made his announcement. "I guess you are expecting me to announce the opening of a new restaurant; I'll move onto that in a bit. But in fact, what I'm going to announce now is the closing of a restaurant. I'm going to shut The Fat Duck and bring it here to Melbourne," he said, "It's the furthest migration a duck of any kind, let alone a fat duck, has made. I'm going to close the restaurant and I'm going to bring it here to Crown Melbourne Resort for six months."<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S2kFqpuiuiA/UzkkSQmkg-I/AAAAAAAADd0/89n5kV0VJOI/s1600/fat_duck_logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S2kFqpuiuiA/UzkkSQmkg-I/AAAAAAAADd0/89n5kV0VJOI/s1600/fat_duck_logo.png" height="400" width="285" /></a></div>
Of all cities around the world, I just can't believe that he chose Melbourne. I'm already making plans to go with my friends. Just over a year ago I went to London on my own and had plans to book in at The Fat Duck but found out that unfortunately you can't book for a single person. So maybe now I'll finally have my chance to go, if we can get a booking!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6rNbLy0iP8M/UzklHn5e11I/AAAAAAAADd8/uVHyWlp5vOw/s1600/HestonMelbourne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6rNbLy0iP8M/UzklHn5e11I/AAAAAAAADd8/uVHyWlp5vOw/s1600/HestonMelbourne.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
Apparently the Bray restaurant will be closed for renovations so Heston will be bringing his whole team over to the Melbourne restaurant. He said that he'll be introducing some Anglo-Australian dishes to the Melbourne menu so it'll be really interesting to see what he can come up with.<br />
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Once the 6 months is over, which will be in about August 2015 The Fat Duck Melbourne will be closing. In more exciting news though, that will be when Heston's other restaurant 'Dinner by Heston Blumenthal' will be opening at Crown Casino so we'll all hopefully have a chance to try at least one (or both) of Heston's feasts.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997993230401145841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6856648912520400688.post-91977015304544291352014-03-31T00:05:00.000+11:002015-02-28T19:40:30.555+11:00Magnolia Bakery's Lime Pie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WhtOs_5SC-s/Uze41QTacDI/AAAAAAAADcE/dn81iCZOH8U/s1600/IMG_2004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WhtOs_5SC-s/Uze41QTacDI/AAAAAAAADcE/dn81iCZOH8U/s1600/IMG_2004.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
My gorgeous twin nieces, Indi and Maggie were baptised recently. Don't they look gorgeous in their little outfits?! I was so happy to be asked to be Maggie's (on the right) Godmother. This is the second time I've become a godmother (the other time was my other beautiful niece Ruby) and it's always so special to be asked.<br />
The girls were so good, they're just very relaxed, happy babies. Everything went well, especially when the priest poured the water over their heads. No crying!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2HpHEwkYa-8/UzfdYAgKysI/AAAAAAAADcY/kEMGsP-uAzE/s1600/Magnolia+Bakery+Lime+Pie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2HpHEwkYa-8/UzfdYAgKysI/AAAAAAAADcY/kEMGsP-uAzE/s1600/Magnolia+Bakery+Lime+Pie.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
We had a really nice family lunch at my sister's house afterwards and I was asked to make a Lime Pie for it. I've made this pie a few times before and it's just so easy to make and delicious. It's from one of the places I visited while in New York, Magnolia Bakery so you know it's going to be great. I love citrus desserts, and I think this one has the perfect level of lime flavour - a little tangy without being too over the top.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MNL_aeYCxiQ/UzfoCLSC-jI/AAAAAAAADc0/9iwrJHravsQ/s1600/Magnolia+Bakery+Lime+Pie+Recipe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MNL_aeYCxiQ/UzfoCLSC-jI/AAAAAAAADc0/9iwrJHravsQ/s1600/Magnolia+Bakery+Lime+Pie+Recipe.jpg" height="456" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
<b>Recipe Source:</b><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0684859106/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0684859106&linkCode=as2&tag=thresno-20">The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook: Old-Fashioned Recipes From New York's Sweetest Bakery</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=thresno-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0684859106" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<noscript><br />
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</noscript>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997993230401145841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6856648912520400688.post-24568984714980628362014-03-11T20:49:00.000+11:002015-02-28T19:47:48.673+11:00Starbucks Pumpkin Pound Cake RecipeI know it's been ages since I mentioned my new apartment but I've finally had an update this week. I was able to see the inside at an inspection held by the real estate agency. It was exciting to be able to see inside (rather than just driving by and trying to see what had been updated all the time), and while I was a little overwhelmed at how small the apartment is, I'm now looking forward to seeing what it will look like once I've moved in. It's going to be an interesting challenge getting that balance between having all that I need in there without it looking cluttered. Here's a sneak peak, I'll post more photos once I'm all moved in and have it decorated the way I want it. Isn't it pretty though?!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2XFB_OveT9I/Uxz_LfJCDNI/AAAAAAAADa8/9DXEjdC_rPs/s1600/Apartment1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2XFB_OveT9I/Uxz_LfJCDNI/AAAAAAAADa8/9DXEjdC_rPs/s1600/Apartment1.jpg" height="320" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wpqcjfOKdAU/Uxz_q_WuF4I/AAAAAAAADbE/YQDrJgz4mYo/s1600/Apartment2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wpqcjfOKdAU/Uxz_q_WuF4I/AAAAAAAADbE/YQDrJgz4mYo/s1600/Apartment2.jpg" height="320" width="640" /></a></div>
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What better excuse to do some baking and to try out one of my many pinned recipes on Pinterest? I had a tin of pumpkin purée in the pantry so I thought I'd try out this recipe for <a href="http://www.somethingswanky.com/starbucks-pumpkin-pound-cake/">Starbuck's Pumpkin Pound Cake</a>. Although apparently this recipe is for a modified and slightly more healthy version of the Starbuck's one it still tastes fantastic. The spices also add a lot of flavour to what's a very dense but moist cake. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ar-SeyIpbg0/Ux7TOzxAdMI/AAAAAAAADbU/IQkLD6qGIik/s1600/StarbucksPumpkinPoundCake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ar-SeyIpbg0/Ux7TOzxAdMI/AAAAAAAADbU/IQkLD6qGIik/s1600/StarbucksPumpkinPoundCake.jpg" height="640" width="505" /></a></div>
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<b>Starbucks Pumpkin Pound Cake</b></div>
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<b>Ingredients:</b></div>
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1 1/2 cup Plain Flour</div>
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1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon</div>
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1/2 tsp Salt</div>
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1/2 tsp Baking Soda</div>
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1/2 tsp Baking Powder</div>
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1/4 tsp Ground Cloves</div>
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1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg</div>
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1 1/2 cups Sugar</div>
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1/2 cup Fat Free Vanilla Yoghurt</div>
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3 Egg Whites</div>
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1 cup Canned Pumpkin</div>
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<b>Instructions:</b></div>
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1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease a loaf pan, set aside. </div>
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2. Sift the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cloves and nutmeg into a mixing bowl. Set aside.</div>
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3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, yoghurt and egg whites. Whisk thoroughly until blended. Stir in the pumpkin. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture. Stir until completely incorporated.</div>
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4. Pour into pan and bake for 60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool on a wire rack.</div>
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5. Once cool, drizzle with a glaze or top with cream cheese icing (if desired)</div>
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<b>Source:</b> Something Swanky recipe for <a href="http://www.somethingswanky.com/starbucks-pumpkin-pound-cake/">Starbucks Pumpkin Pound Cake</a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_VA6jtnPWUI/Ux7X0LQHbYI/AAAAAAAADbg/2bFCfZXt7sw/s1600/StarbucksPumpkinPoundCake1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_VA6jtnPWUI/Ux7X0LQHbYI/AAAAAAAADbg/2bFCfZXt7sw/s1600/StarbucksPumpkinPoundCake1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997993230401145841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6856648912520400688.post-67846529634553214172014-02-26T00:00:00.000+11:002014-02-26T00:00:11.009+11:00Lunch at Rockwell and SonsI don't know about you, but I always feel slightly awkward going out to eat by myself, especially when there's lots of couples and other people around. I try not to let that stop me, I mean really why should it? It's just that I don't know what to do with myself, do I sit there and look around or do I use my phone or....? What do you do when you're eating out alone? Or do you try to avoid it? The other day I had a hair appointment and decided to grab something for lunch afterwards. I couldn't decide what I wanted, but ended up choosing to treat myself by going to Rockwell and Sons.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ibNdDElB4IY/UwnD3iAjtsI/AAAAAAAADZM/vjCbi0dmn20/s1600/20140222_135558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ibNdDElB4IY/UwnD3iAjtsI/AAAAAAAADZM/vjCbi0dmn20/s1600/20140222_135558.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
While I did at times feel like I didn't know what to do with myself, and a little awkward, it was worth going outside my comfort zone. I had a really lovely meal and enjoyed relaxing there, especially after having my hair done.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EePcCInUa34/UwnElUNW3MI/AAAAAAAADZU/BYjFhrwfyuo/s1600/20140222_140031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EePcCInUa34/UwnElUNW3MI/AAAAAAAADZU/BYjFhrwfyuo/s1600/20140222_140031.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
I'm not usually a big fan of soft drinks but I really liked this traditional lemonade. It was more bitter than sweet, which I prefer.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bve0LY15AtI/UwnFd6e4nAI/AAAAAAAADZg/YimFfrVui6k/s1600/20140222_140142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bve0LY15AtI/UwnFd6e4nAI/AAAAAAAADZg/YimFfrVui6k/s1600/20140222_140142.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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I'd have to say that this is probably the best chicken burger I've ever had. It was actually fried chicken which made the chicken very soft and juicy, with a really nice crunch from the crust. The chicken was topped with iceberg lettuce, buttermilk dressing and hot sauce, which gave it a nice bite - not too hot though!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JaDDx2twVYU/UwnGOCYybdI/AAAAAAAADZo/DKm4DvpdtAk/s1600/20140222_140216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JaDDx2twVYU/UwnGOCYybdI/AAAAAAAADZo/DKm4DvpdtAk/s1600/20140222_140216.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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I ordered some chips to go along with my burger and they were really nice and crispy. They came with a malt vinegar aioli which I really liked but it did become a little too rich (for me) in the end. </div>
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This was the second time I've been to Rockwell and Sons and it's one of those places that I want to take everyone to. Hopefully I'll be able to drag some of my friends along next time!</div>
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<b>Information:</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.rockwellandsons.com.au/">Rockwell and Sons</a></div>
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288 Smith St, </div>
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Collingwood, Victoria</div>
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(03) 8415 0700</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997993230401145841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6856648912520400688.post-51484434581231086302014-02-23T16:48:00.000+11:002014-02-23T16:48:43.307+11:00Lunch at Father's Office Melbourne<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
After seeing a chef on TV preparing foods for the super bowl weekend, I was inspired to do a little research into what American restaurants there are around Melbourne. One that stood out was <a href="http://www.fathersoffice.com.au/">Father's Office</a> and so after a couple of quick text messages to my friends we'd organised a lunch date. I didn't realise, but I'd actually walked past there countless times when I was in the city. It's actually part of the QV building, right near the State Library. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7LtzwyLWNks/UwhduR1tEzI/AAAAAAAADW8/FJpiB6uKksY/s1600/20140216_130828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7LtzwyLWNks/UwhduR1tEzI/AAAAAAAADW8/FJpiB6uKksY/s1600/20140216_130828.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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I loved the interior of Father's Office, it had a mixture of different features from the big chandelier in the entry way to the dark blue pressed metal roof with rustic lights hanging from it. As you walked up the stairs one of the walls was covered in wallpaper that looked like bookshelves. There were big couches through the middle of the room and tables on the outer part of the room that looked out over the street and the State Library. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cpSmo2DMdZ0/UwlqTloRwmI/AAAAAAAADXM/WE6ULaOUjsw/s1600/20140216_131036+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cpSmo2DMdZ0/UwlqTloRwmI/AAAAAAAADXM/WE6ULaOUjsw/s1600/20140216_131036+(1).jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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We sat on one of these big couches which were super comfy. It made it easy to sit for hours and we ended up having a really long lazy lunch. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iMZNUhEK87s/UwlqiYpRTKI/AAAAAAAADXU/yYPSLMVEtQY/s1600/20140216_131150+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iMZNUhEK87s/UwlqiYpRTKI/AAAAAAAADXU/yYPSLMVEtQY/s1600/20140216_131150+(1).jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9E_O6hf5n_U/Uwl6ChX3XNI/AAAAAAAADX8/FgVc8WivwDw/s1600/menu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9E_O6hf5n_U/Uwl6ChX3XNI/AAAAAAAADX8/FgVc8WivwDw/s1600/menu.jpg" height="320" width="640" /></a></div>
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The menu was set out like a newspaper, titled The Speakeasy Daily. There were definitely plenty of options for food and drink, making it hard to choose. Most items on the menu were very American with things like Louisiana Fried Wings, Philly Steak Sandwich and Key Lime Pie. I liked that while they had the rich American comfort food, there were also some lighter, healthier options. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FD-O5iLMPig/Uwl9atPBT5I/AAAAAAAADYI/q5U7WaaMjbk/s1600/IMG_20140216_132006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FD-O5iLMPig/Uwl9atPBT5I/AAAAAAAADYI/q5U7WaaMjbk/s1600/IMG_20140216_132006.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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We started off with the obligatory cider, pear this time which was really light and refreshing. This and an apple cider were both on tap, but I can't remember the name unfortunately.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_wfgbhTLfT8/UwluDmbv_XI/AAAAAAAADXg/-wnZpBPfw1c/s1600/20140216_135256+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_wfgbhTLfT8/UwluDmbv_XI/AAAAAAAADXg/-wnZpBPfw1c/s1600/20140216_135256+(1).jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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One of my friends ordered pork scratchings to go along with her drink. Boy were there a lot of them! We all trialled them and they were really crunchy and salty - delicious - but I managed to stop after having a couple. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bE_1c1TkT2M/UwmDM0tIC5I/AAAAAAAADYY/Dst3sd59F0I/s1600/20140216_135250+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bE_1c1TkT2M/UwmDM0tIC5I/AAAAAAAADYY/Dst3sd59F0I/s1600/20140216_135250+(1).jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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This is the same friend's meal that she ordered - the buffalo wings with fries and blue cheese sauce. A very messy, but really well done dish. You had the choice of ordering 6 or 12 wings, so it could make a good dish for sharing.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_MXDf1iN2ys/UwmEIvgSuaI/AAAAAAAADYg/3wfkH1Y4ZeI/s1600/20140216_135328+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_MXDf1iN2ys/UwmEIvgSuaI/AAAAAAAADYg/3wfkH1Y4ZeI/s1600/20140216_135328+(1).jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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Another friend ordered this very pretty looking dish - Quinoa, Halloumi and roasted vegetable salad which was very light, but nicely flavoured. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LA8-P578pes/UwmE9DmDrjI/AAAAAAAADYo/S4RumGm_pks/s1600/20140216_135657+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LA8-P578pes/UwmE9DmDrjI/AAAAAAAADYo/S4RumGm_pks/s1600/20140216_135657+(1).jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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This is the burger that I ordered - the Pork Belly burger which was amazing. The pork was beautifully soft, with some of the crackling left on and it went really well with the soft pear and apple compote and crisp lettuce. </div>
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We couldn't resist the Home Style Mac n Cheese either, which we decided to share amongst us. That was really rich and creamy, so it was difficult to finish. Unfortunately we ordered so much food for our mains that we just couldn't fit in dessert (even in our dessert stomachs) so we'll have to go back one day to try those - especially the Key Lime Pie! </div>
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<b>Information:</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.fathersoffice.com.au/">Father's Office Speakeasy Bar and Restaurant </a></div>
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249 Little Lonsdale St, </div>
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Melbourne, Victoria</div>
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(03) 9662 3798</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997993230401145841noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6856648912520400688.post-20043850522658118382014-02-13T08:42:00.000+11:002014-02-13T08:42:25.408+11:00Martha Stewart's New York style Cheesecake<div class="ecxseparator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #444444; line-height: 22.719999313354492px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; text-align: center;">
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I meant to post this over the weekend but it's been really hectic around here (and I've got really uncooperative wifi at the moment). Sunday was especially crazy with the hot windy weather causing a huge fire to flare up near my house. Originally it was headed in our direction, so everyone but my Dad and brother in law evacuated to my sister's house. Luckily (for us) the wind changed not long after we'd left and caused the fire to head away from us. We spent the day watching the ABC news channel and listening to the water bombers (helicopters) fly back and forth over the house and trying to entertain 5 very young kids.</div>
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Mum, Dad and I were came home Sunday night and it was so eerie driving through the burnt area and seeing the whole horizon glowing from the fire. On the one hand we were so so lucky that the wind changed and sent the fire in a different direction but I feel terrible for all those other people who have been effected by the fires. They're still going after a couple of days and I'm just hoping that all those amazing fire-fighters are able to put them out.</div>
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It's crazy to think only a day before all of this, on Saturday, we were all together as a family celebrating my Mum's birthday. Mum loves cheesecakes so I decided to try <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/332755/new-york-style-cheesecake">this Martha Stewart recipe</a> for New York style cheesecake. There's a lot of cream cheese in this and it makes a huge cheesecake so you could probably half the recipe to make a smaller one. It's a great recipe though, and it went perfectly with the ice cream and strawberries one of my sisters brought over. </div>
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<b>FOR THE CRUST-</b><br />
1 packet of Marie biscuits<br />
6 tbsp butter, melted; plus more for pan<br />
2 tbsp sugar<br />
Pinch salt<br />
<b>FOR THE CAKE - </b><br />
3.5 lb (1.5kg) cream cheese, room temperature<br />
2 1/4 cups sugar<br />
1/2 cup plain flour<br />
1 cup sour cream, room temperature<br />
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
5 large eggs, room temperature<br />
<b>Method:</b><br />
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Butter the sides of a large springform pan. Wrap exterior of pan (including base) in a double layer of foil.<br />
2. To make the crust, process biscuits in a food processor until fine. Combine biscuit crumbs, butter, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Transfer mixture to the pan and pat into an even layer. Freeze the dough in the pan for about 15 minutes. Plan the pan on a baking sheet and bake until the crust is firm to touch and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire wrack to cool completely.<br />
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the cream cheese on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.<br />
4. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and flour. With mixer on low speed, gradually add sugar mixture to cream cheese; mix until smooth. Add sour cream and vanilla; mix until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined; don't over mix.<br />
5. Pour cream cheese filling into the prepared pan. Set pan inside a large, shallow roasting pan. Carefully pour boiling water into roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the springform pan.<br />
6. Bake for 45 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 160 degrees Celsius. Continue baking until cake is set but still slightly wobbly in the centre, about 30 minutes more. Turn off oven; leave the cake in the oven with the door slightly ajar, about 1 hour. Transfer the pan to a wire rack; let cake cool completely. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 6 hours or overnight. Before unmolding, run a knife around the edge of the cake.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997993230401145841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6856648912520400688.post-43819085625451370382014-02-06T23:44:00.002+11:002014-02-12T09:50:36.325+11:00Baked Risotto Recipe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yrPBNk6p3gY/UvHxrAAt4dI/AAAAAAAADUM/JoNkMkoo1zM/s1600/BakedRisotto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yrPBNk6p3gY/UvHxrAAt4dI/AAAAAAAADUM/JoNkMkoo1zM/s1600/BakedRisotto.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
I found this Baked Risotto recipe a while ago (I can't remember where from) and loved it. It was just so easy to make and, unlike usual risotto recipes, it didn't require you to stand over a stove for ages. But it tasted just good!<br />
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The fantastic thing about this recipe is that, even though it tastes great if you follow the recipe exactly, it's one of those dishes that you can swap and change ingredients depending what you like. My sister likes to leave out the prawns and chorizo but likes to add more vegetables like capsicum and spinach. So really you can follow the basic instructions but add any additional ingredients you want.<br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
- 250g cherry tomatoes<br />
- 1 red onion, diced<br />
- 2 cloves garlic, whole but crushed<br />
- 2 tbsp olive oil<br />
- 1 1/2 cups Risotto rice<br />
- 1 chicken breast, cut into pieces<br />
- 200g chorizo, cut into pieces<br />
- 2 tsp rosemary<br />
- 1 litre chicken stock (warm)<br />
- 8 raw prawns<br />
- salt/pepper to taste<br />
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<b>Instructions:</b><br />
1. Preheat oven to 220 Celsius.<br />
2. Put cherry tomatoes in a roasting tray. Scatter over the diced onion and garlic, and then drizzle the olive oil over the top. Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes.<br />
3. Remove from oven and stir in the rice, chicken, chorizo, rosemary, stock and salt & pepper. Return to the oven for 20 minutes.<br />
4. Remove from oven and stir in prawns. Return to the oven for an extra 10 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997993230401145841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6856648912520400688.post-21029857650800118712014-02-02T20:27:00.002+11:002014-02-02T20:27:40.494+11:00Gelato Messina, FitzroyHi. I'm Claire and I'm addicted to <a href="http://www.gelatomessina.com/">Gelato Messina</a>. It's not really my fault, you see I was innocently getting my hair cut and coloured one day before Christmas when my hairdressers decided to tell me about the amazing gelato they'd had from there only days before. They'd tried the Christmas Pudding flavour and insisted that I had to go there and try it out. So what else is a girl to do but follow their instructions? And that was it for me....they had salted caramel! With pieces of white chocolate in it! And dulce de leche! And...oh I could go on and on.<br />
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I have to say it's the best gelato that I've ever had. I loved that there were little pieces of extras in the gelato, like the last time I went I had a peanut butter gelato that had pieces of chocolate biscuit pie crust in it and it was just amazing. I've been back a few times and introduced some of my family and friends to it. I'm spreading the addiction around. I'm just glad, in one way, that I don't live closer because I'd have to swing by every day (just once...or well, maybe twice). I'm still able to get my fix through their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/gelatomessinafitzroy">Facebook page</a> where they post all these yummy pictures, but that just makes me want to go back more often.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997993230401145841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6856648912520400688.post-62737845591828949272014-01-29T08:00:00.000+11:002014-01-29T08:00:03.888+11:00Brunch at Du Fermier, TrenthamAs I mentioned back here last Sunday was my birthday and one of my favourite birthday traditions that happens most years is going out to brunch with whichever family members are available. This birthday I went with my Mum, my sister and my niece to Annie Smither's Du Fermier, somewhere I'd been wanting to go for a while. Du Fermier is such a gorgeous cafe, it has a rustic French style that I really love with cool artwork on the walls, and some gorgeous products for sale.<br />
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I just love this light shade. I'd love to be able to put this in a future house, or even somewhere in my apartment. It's just perfect!</div>
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All of the items on the menu are either grown in Annie Smither's garden, including eggs from her hens or are sourced from local suppliers. I love the idea of everything being grown near the cafe, and being so fresh and healthy. The day we were there the berries had just been picked and were being served with the granola. </div>
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I was torn between going for the savoury option of eggs and the sweet of the hot cakes. Both just sounded so good, but the savoury won out (like it does most of the time). I got the toast with avocado, mushrooms and goat cheese with two poached eggs on the side. The eggs were nicely cooked, just runny enough. As you've probably noticed from <a href="http://marthado.blogspot.com.au/2011/01/breakfast-at-colenso-woodend.html">here</a> and <a href="http://marthado.blogspot.com.au/2011/12/breakfast-at-emporium-on-piper-kyneton.html">here</a>, I do love the combination of avocado, goats cheese and eggs. Yum!</div>
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Both my sister and my Mum ordered the scrambled eggs, with different sides. My sister went with the smoked trout option while my Mum stuck with the more traditional bacon. </div>
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I think I've found another favourite cafe, I can't wait to go back and really want to take my other sisters along. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997993230401145841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6856648912520400688.post-69258536517508123122014-01-27T08:00:00.000+11:002014-01-27T08:00:03.090+11:00Christian Lacroix Travel Notebook<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">My Mum and I took an impromptu trip into the city (Melbourne) the other day and while we were there had to take a detour to her favourite store, a French Fabric/Craft store called L'Uccello. While she was busy consulting the store assistant about a quilt that she'd been making I noticed these amazing notebooks that they had in stock by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008HO9R32/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008HO9R32&linkCode=as2&tag=thresno-20">Christian Lacroix</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=thresno-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B008HO9R32" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />. There were two absolutely gorgeous travel journals, and one in particular that I just had to buy. Every 'chapter' there was an beautifully illustrated page dedicated to a particular city, each with a particular part that moves. On the Paris page there's a little hot air balloon that moves across the top of the page. How adorable is that?!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">The only thing I was worried about was what I would put or write in the notebook that would be special enough. One idea that I had was that I could write some of my favourite recipes in there, so it would be something that I could keep forever. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">What do you think? What would you put in a special notebook like this? </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997993230401145841noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6856648912520400688.post-31258628909962055822014-01-23T19:37:00.000+11:002014-01-23T19:37:00.794+11:00Dinner at the Union Hotel, BrunswickBefore going to <a href="http://marthado.blogspot.com.au/2014/01/i-animal-at-melbourne-zoo.html">I, Animal</a> at Melbourne Zoo the other night, I took my friends out for dinner to the <a href="http://unionhotelbrunswick.com.au/">Union Hotel</a> in Brunswick. It's one of those cute neighbourhood pubs that does fantastic food. My older sister Danielle introduced me to it a while ago and our family has been there for dinner a few times since then. My friends and I sat out in a garden at the back of the pub which was really lovely.<br />
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It's a really nice area that would be great to spend hanging out with some friends and having a drink and some nibblies on a warm day. While we were there there was a band playing inside which we could hear from where we were sitting. It was so nice sitting out there, enjoying an cider (thanks to my beautiful friend Steph) and the music.<br />
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I'm one of those girls who loves eating red meat (this seems rare to me - I'm not sure if any of you find that?) At the Union Hotel I ordered myself a scotch fillet which came with mashed potato and steamed vegies. That steak was just amazing, it was so so tender and beautifully cooked.<br />
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It's a really great little pub, and I'm really looking forward to heading back there with my friends, especially once I live down that way.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997993230401145841noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6856648912520400688.post-78492138227533761632014-01-21T22:12:00.000+11:002014-01-21T22:12:08.982+11:00I Animal at Melbourne ZooOne of the great benefits about working in a school is the fact that I get a really good amount of holidays, especially at this time of year when the students are all on summer holidays. Earlier on when I was trying to think of some things that I wanted to do over my holidays I looked up some websites to see what was happening in Melbourne over the summer. One thing that caught my eye was an event called <a href="http://www.moshtix.com.au/v2/i-animal">I Animal</a> hosted by <a href="http://www.zoo.org.au/melbourne">Melbourne Zoo</a>. I found out that it was an ongoing event, so I booked myself and a couple of my friends in to go the day before my birthday (which was on Sunday! Yay!)<br />
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We arrived at the zoo at 6.30pm to hand over our tickets and to pick up our iPod type device called Zoe. The tour started at exactly 7.00pm with Zoe talking about what it was like to be a child and how we saw the world (this was an ongoing theme through the event) and asking us all what we wanted to be when we grew up, which we had to say into the device. We also got to choose which animal we preferred out of elephants, giraffes and penguins. It's encouraged that you choose a different animal from your friends but we decided to stick together and chose the giraffe option.<br />
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We all started off with Zoe guiding us through the zoo, with groups of people breaking away to head off in different directions. For our group we were led by Zoe to see the lions first. Along the way she told us some pretty gory stories about some people who didn't fare so well against these beautiful creatures. The lions are always one of my favourite things to see at Melbourne Zoo, so I was really glad we got to see them that night.<br />
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Next we moved on to see a cute looking pig-like creature called the Peccary. Looks can be deceiving though as this creature has very long teeth and has been known to take on and win against jaguars in the wild. We did move on to see another animal (I can't remember the name) but unfortunately it wasn't in it's enclosure. I'm not sure why that was but it was probably the only disappointing thing about the night.<br />
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We then moved on past the baboon enclosure and on to see the zebras. These came out of a pen at the back of their enclosure for just a short while, but we still got to have a good look at them and had time to take a few photos.<br />
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And then finally we moved on to see the beautiful giraffes. They're one of my favourite animals, I always love to see them at the zoo. It looked like they'd just been fed before we got there so they were really close to the fence eating out of the baskets high up in the trees.<br />
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All of the different groups then came together and finished up near the carousel. We were told to take off our earphones only to hear our voices from the start of the tour, over the loud speakers saying what we wanted to be when we grew up. It was a really nice way to finish off, especially since we all got to act like kids just a little longer and got to have a ride on the carousel. Fun!<br />
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I really enjoyed the I Animal experience and thought the $39 it cost to do wasn't too bad a price, although it would have been nice to see a few more animals or maybe have a more hands on experience. Saying that though, I'm really curious to go back and see what the elephant and penguin tours were like. I've heard that the elephant one in particular can be very emotional. It's a really great idea to get more adults coming to the zoo, and I loved being there with only a small group of people and not with hundreds of other people around.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997993230401145841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6856648912520400688.post-9153856198148904962014-01-12T09:59:00.000+11:002014-01-12T09:59:37.562+11:00Martha Stewart's Zucchini FrittersYou may have noticed a lack of recipes on the blog recently. To be honest I've not really felt much like cooking much for these past few months. I'm not really sure why, usually I want to cook everything, all the time (make ALL the recipes!) but lately that drive just hasn't been there. Until these last couple of days, when the urge to cook has started coming back.<br />
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I had a couple of zucchini's in my fridge that I wanted to use, but felt like doing something different than just steaming them for dinner. I thought this Martha Stewart recipe for <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/261922/zucchini-fritters">Zucchini Fritters</a> sounded interesting, and tried them out. I've made them a couple of times since then and they've been a hit with everyone. I really like how easy they are to make and the different subtle flavours you can taste in them. Who would have thought that lemon zest would work with zucchini? But it really does.<br />
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INGREDIENTS:<br />
- 2 medium zucchini<br />
- 1 tsp salt<br />
- 1 tbsp grated lemon zest<br />
- 10 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped<br />
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced<br />
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper<br />
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten<br />
- 1/2 cup plain flour<br />
- Olive oil<br />
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METHOD:<br />
1. Grate zucchini into a medium bowl. Add salt, lemon zest, chopped parsley, garlic, pepper, and eggs. Mix well to combine. Slowly add the flour, stirring so no lumps form.<br />
2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until the oil sizzles when you drop a small amount of zucchini mixture into the pan. Carefully drop two spoonfuls of zucchini mixture into the pan; repeat, spacing fritters a few inches apart.<br />
3. Cook fritters until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Lower heat to medium. Turn fritters, and continue cooking until golden, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer fritters to a plate; set aside. Cook remaining mixture, adding more oil to the frying pan if necessary.<br />
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RECIPE SOURCE:<br />
Martha Stewart recipe for<br />
Zucchini FrittersAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997993230401145841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6856648912520400688.post-64840438396579014252013-11-29T10:25:00.001+11:002013-11-29T10:25:37.573+11:00Paris to Provence Festival 2013The <a href="http://www.paristoprovence.com.au/">Paris to Provence Festival</a> was on in Melbourne over this weekend just passed and I managed to drag my Mum along with me on Sunday. I (and she) were so glad that I did. We felt like we were in the middle of a French market right in Melbourne. There were French food and drink everywhere (champagne, macarons, croissants, pastries and more!), beautiful French clothes and products that were oh so tempting and people wandering around dressed up as Marie Antoinette and Louis XIV.<br />
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The event was held at the beautiful <a href="http://www.comohouse.com.au/">Como House</a>, somewhere I'd never been before but was happy to explore. I always think it's fascinating to explore these beautiful old homes and definitely want to go back for a better look (there was so many people it was hard to move around on the day!). The restaurant on the ground 'The Stables' looked really lovely too, I'm curious to see what their food is like. </div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Of course, first we had to line up for crepes (thank goodness, because later when we wandered past the line was insanely huge). Mum and I both decided to get the salted caramel crepe, which was delicious. </span></div>
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This is just some of the food that was on offer that day. Seriously it was so hard to refrain from just buying everything!</div>
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And of course, how could we skip the champagne?! We had this with our lunch from the <a href="http://www.madamesousou.com.au/">Madame Sousou</a> stall, which was lovely. </div>
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And they had a cake competition where we got to vote for our favourite cake design. These cakes were just amazing, I wish I was half as talented as some of these people. All of the cakes were French themed of course, the winner being the gorgeous Ratatouille one below, but they were all so clever and beautiful.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997993230401145841noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6856648912520400688.post-61706154660288253762013-08-26T08:00:00.000+10:002013-08-26T08:00:02.291+10:00The Sweet side of New York CityOne thing I noticed about staying in New York was the over abundance of sweet things. There were not only the huge amounts of candy and chocolate - some of what we get in Australia but with different flavours - but even the bread and burgers buns were sweet! I found that only after a few days of being in the city that I was craving a 'proper meal'. I needed meat. I needed vegetables! I'm not sure if it was just the food we were eating, or whether New Yorkers or Americans in general are used to the high sugar content? I will say that I was more than happy to browse through the big stores with all those sweet things as it was such a novelty for me.<br />
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I found out about <a href="http://www.dylanscandybar.com/">Dylan's Candy Bar</a> not long before we left for our holiday and knew I had to get us there somehow! I'm so glad we did, imagine - a 3 level store filled with candy, chocolate and sweet things with staff who are lovely and excited about their jobs. This is where we first tried one of the best tasting things in the world (this coming from someone who's not a sweet tooth!) - Candy Corn M&Ms!</div>
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I'd been wanting to go to <a href="http://www.fao.com/home/index.jsp">FAO Schwarz</a> ever since I saw Tom Hanks in the piano scene in Big. While I knew about the floors and floors filled with toys, I had no idea that they had such a big sweet section on their bottom floor. There seemed to be so many tubs filled with weird and wonderful candy and chocolates, or lots of giant versions or giant bag fulls of sweets. </div>
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These are just a couple of the different sorts of chocolate bars I found. We do have Milky Ways and Twix in Australia, but definitely not caramel and peanut butter flavoured ones!</div>
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A new addiction! Candy Corn M&Ms! When the girl in Dylan's Candy Bar offered us a sample of these we were a little uncertain, but she was so excited for us to try them we gave them a shot. And...they were amazing! We both immediately bought some and a couple of bags ended up in my luggage to bring home. Hmm, I wish they had these in Australia!</div>
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How could we pass up <a href="http://scoopshops.benjerry.com/scoopshops/macys/default.aspx">Ben & Jerry's</a>. While this is now sold in Australia we definitely don't have many of the different flavours that they have in the USA. This the 'Late Night Snack' that I tried Vanilla bean ice cream with salty caramel and fudge covered potato chip clusters. I know it sounds weird, but the combination worked really well together with the sweet and salty.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aaWzv1EtL-Y/UhhQxVUQWCI/AAAAAAAADH8/KTkw3pecNAs/s1600/NYPumpkinSpiceLatte.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aaWzv1EtL-Y/UhhQxVUQWCI/AAAAAAAADH8/KTkw3pecNAs/s400/NYPumpkinSpiceLatte.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I loved the time of year that we were there, summer had just ended so we still had amazing weather - all beautiful sunny days, but we got to enjoy some of the benefits of Autumn (fall). The shops were full of pumpkins, Halloween decorations and candy were starting to come out in stores and <a href="http://www.starbucks.com/">Starbucks</a> had their pumpkin spice lattes in. While I enjoyed the mixture of the pumpkin and spices (and coffee!!) I found it was a little too sweet for me. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997993230401145841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6856648912520400688.post-24371026473541965422013-08-20T08:00:00.000+10:002013-08-19T18:33:32.020+10:00Dhaba TruckSomething that has lately become a weekly ritual for me is to visit the <a href="http://www.dhaba.com.au/index.php">Dhaba Truck</a> (an extension of Dhaba at the Mill, Kyneton and Horn Please) on a Thursday evening for takeaway. The truck comes to Mt Macedon once a week, from 5.30pm onwards, in time for me to leave work and get there in time for opening (about a half hour drive). And let me tell you, the food they serve is ahhhmazing! I could live on their butter chicken, which is my favourite dish and their samosa are the best that I've tasted (and so big!). I usually get the same thing when I go - Butter Chicken, Samosa and rice. It's enough for quite a big meal, plus some left overs. Definitely worth the weekly trip!<br />
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