Lions and Tigers and Bears! Oh my!

Wow, what a whirlwind life has been!

I was lost somewhere with Dorothy and Toto, and now I have finally found my ground.

Now I am sitting here contemplating how I will execute my daughter's fourth birthday party.

The theme is 'Circus'. The invites are perfect, the cake is planned (and will hopefully be as cute as I imagine it to be - I hope I can manage it!), the big-top is in creation and is sort of on it's way, as are the quirky novelties that are planned for the day!

What I haven't planned is the food - strange I know - but sadly it's true.

A food blogger that hasn't even a clue!

The invite promises sausages (in hot-dog stand format) and fairy-floss... and pop-corn is a given, but what else should grace the guests lips. Suggestions welcomed, and at the stage essential.

Meanwhile check out the invite and I will post some pics of excitement as it comes along!

I heart Peas

It's 1.30 pm and I get called in. Miss Marci, it's your turn. Please come through. They ask me to wash my hands thoroughly and then wipe my face and neck with some horribly stinky-blue dissinfectant. 

"Can you tell me why you are here today?"

I wanted to reply "Because you horrible people want to torture me" but instead gave the more accurate response...

"I'm here to have my lower, left wisdome tooth out." 

They explained that the tooth had fused to my jaw and that they were opting to chisel rather than saw into the jaw to remove it. They also make my sign a waiver which promises I won't sue if I never feel the left hand side of my face again.. I signed.. I was afraid...Now, well after 12 hours later, I can definitely feel my face..it hurts!

Three hours later, with 6 large anthesia shots and 5 small ones, I emerged in a great deal of pain. Everyone said I should have had a general, but I just don't like the idea of them... anyway - I'm okay, but as aformentioned in a great deal of pain. I was handed antibacterial mouth wash and a panadol... I looked at the panadol and called my GP straight away. Within 15 minutes I had Panedine Forte in my pretty little hands- however, unfortunatlely for me, this number the pain from worse than Contractions to worse than Child Birth ... Yes - I am serious... This hurt more than Child Birth and more than Contractions (personally I think the contractions are more painful than the pushing...) anyway- totally off track... my point here is... on this food blog... is that Peas aren't just for eating. I love them, and they have been on my face for almost 24 hours now. I have two zip-lock bags, which I alternate from freezer to face as each packet melts.

I am so hungry - I can't eat.... this is food bloggers hell. Please someone take my pain, I will give birth for you in exchange! 

Back in the ranks...

So after a crazy, busy month, of sickness, dentistry and hiding I'm back. (Although I'm due back for surgery on Wednesday! Wish me luck and a Valium!!!)

Truth be told I was back a week or more ago, but I just kept putting blogging off, kind of like my tax. (Yes, I know, I'll be fined and audited and whatever, and I really need to get my act together and put my Tax in before this financial year is over, or before I go to Japan at least...)

Anyway, point is, I put it off because I had a back log of posts and there's nothing I hate more than a back-log. As I type, I realised I'm procratinating a backlog of reports I'm supposed to be submitting.... it's all relative.

So this month has consisted of so much, there's been lots of eating out and lots of movies and lots of fun stuff!

In fact, I've just come home from watching "The Rebound" at the cinema with my darlings. It was lovely and fun and it was a good 'non thinking' movie - great for an improptu outing. 

I've also returned to Taste of Shanghai (twice!!) - it's so good, my mouth craves their volcanic Pork Bun w/soup Pot Stickers... oh my! And we cannot and will not go home with out Steam Silver-thread w/ condensed Milk! It's such a mouth party - I just wish everyone could enjoy it as much as I do!

Another adventure I've been having is repeats at 'El Jannah', an amazing BBQ Chicken shop in Granville. One of these days I'll post photos and details, but I must say, that after a long time of chicken ordering I am in complete and utter love with their freshly made, on the spot, worth the wait felafal. It was 15minutes of standing about, but it was so amazingly tasty, that I will never order the chicken again. 

I'm also yet to write about the Hot Pot, Angus steaks and Corn-fed Roast Chicken, but these are all put on the back-log. You may read about them one day, you may not... only time will tell.

One thing you will be reading about is my "Mad Hatter's Tea Party" - it's comming and it will be exciting and I promise to post menus, recipes and plenty of photos!

Chicken Soup for the Sickling...

Hello Followers and Friends,

Marci is super-dooper-sick. 

But, as she has many things to catch up on, there's no need to fret, the blog will go on!  

There will be plenty of snippets to tantalize you on her return, which we hope is soon.

She will be back, but we're concentrating on getting her breathing properly again first.

Thanks for understanding, 

Mr.

Ps. Any chicken soup recipes welcome. Better still, all chicken soup is also welcome!!

I scream, I scream for Almond Butter and Honey Ice Cream!

After nearly a week, I'm finally back! And although I'm well aware of my promised back-log, I thought I'd start off with something a little more exciting. Almond Butter and Honey Ice Cream!

After trying NQN's Carrot Cake Ice Cream I realised the possibilities were endless. I'm allergic to Peanuts (and only Peanuts) and am always a little bit jealous when my Mr has them liberally sprinkled over his Sundaes. Sometimes Macadamia's give me a tickle in the throat, but one 'nut' that I haven't had any problems with (touch wood) is Almonds! I love them and I love Almond Butter. So with that in mind, I set off to make a deliciously sticky, sickly sweet, gooey ice cream.

                                                                                The result, divine! Stringy floss of honey pulls through each bite; the smooth Almond butter dances on the tongue; and the cold, creamy ice-cream ties it all together and spoon after spoon I was left in ecstacy. My father, a diabetic, that really shouldn't, went in for a second spoon; My mother a celiac devoured her gluten-free serve, and asked for another; And Mr and I enjoyed our single scoops with a side of fresh almond biscotti. I really can't get over how lovely this was, and can't wait to try it on a cold winters night - the honey was rich and warming and I'm sure it would be a perfect treat in front of the fireplace.

Almond and Honey Ice Cream 

(The Cheaters Way...)

As I whipped this up with ingredients present to me, I used pre-bought ice cream, however, with time and preparation this would be lovely with a home made batch of ice cream.

I used an organic, sugar-free, gluten free store-bought tub. Make or buy  your ice cream to your tastes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine two tablespoons of Almond Butter and one tablespoon of honey. I use organic salt and sugar free Almond Butter and Macro Honey as it's not as sweet as others...

Fold into eachother and pop into the freeze so that it firms up (30-40 minutes)

Scoop into your favourite ice cream dish, crumble some biscotti over it and serve.

Nom Nom Nom.

On another note, a buzzy note. Have you ever found a bee six bees in your honey?!

Miss Marci is sick.

She now has a back log of posts...

These will be up as soon as she is feeling better, in the order that they came along.

1. Hot Pots
2. Top Choice?
3. Passion Fruit Creme Brule Tarte
4. Birche? Can't Wait..! - My first freebie.

Nicely Minced and Slightly Mashed...

As I am tired, and will be even more so tomorrow - my weekend has been minced and mashed into one blog.

Firstly I must say a massive 'Thank-you!' to NQN - I tried her wonderful Carrot Cake Ice Cream and have converted both my Mr and my Father into addicts. This is a wonderful treat and if you have the time and the appreciation of carrot cake I suggest you try it too! The first time I made it I decided to add freshly micro-julienned carrot and a pinch of ginger;  but tonight when I made another batch I had more ice cream to carrot cake ratio and loved it even more. The spongy texture of the cake inside the ice cream is reminiscent of a scoop of Bar Italia's (Norton Street, Leichhardt) Tiramisu Gelato; The carrot and cream cheese on the other hand provide frequent bursts of deliciously, guilty pleasure. The carrot is sweet and tender, the cream cheese icing decadent and positively sinful.

If you are going to make it from scratch follow NQN recipe, if not, try Sara-Lee Carrot Cake and a low sugar ice-cream, or you'll find yourself harboring a sugar headache.

On another note, a light (literally) and beautiful note at that; why don't you pop down to the Museum of Contemporary Art? Olafur Eliasson has taken over the third floor and the result is peacefully enchanting. You will be encapsulated by light and children especially love the 'prettiness' of it all. The best part of course is the myriad of white lego - and just as the title of the exhibition suggests,  ('Take Your Time'), this is not an exhibition to rush through. Have a lazy afternoon, bask in the lego glory and build 'till your heart is content. My Wee-Miss-Three decided she would be Godzilla, which is absolutely fine in the spirit of the exhibition, but slightly embarrassing when other participants shield their creations and gasp in horror.


Food wise - this day was topped off with a picnic and a ferry ride home. I suggest you try it next Sunday and take a child with you; said child with undoubtedly benefit from the experience, as will your pocket. Sunday's are apparently a family fun-day and with that comes a Family Fun-Day Ticket ($2.50/adult for unlimited bus/train/ferry travel).  I tell you this much, I was pleasantly surprised to return home with a fifty still in-tact, sitting pretty in my wallet.

Picnic Menu

Freshly-baked Home-Made Bread Rolls W/

Egg, Mayo and Watercress

Gorgonzola, Black Russian Tomatoes and Watercress with a drizzle of a sweet and sticky Balsamic Glaze 

Ham carved off the bone with Vintage Tasty and Baby Spinach.

Tomorrow lets talk Hot Pot!

The New Friday Night

The New Friday Night is very new indeed. Four years have passed in a blink of an eye, and not a single part of me misses the drunken dancing and late Easy-Mac that was so typical of said night.

Tonight we decided to relax (we have a lot of cleaning to do, and by electing 'relax' as an option we feel much less lazy). I whipped up a simple but lovely dinner - Cauliflower Mash, served with Tender Beef Kebabs and a Tomato and Mustard Pickle Relish. I know most people are turned off at the mere mention of cauliflower, but after years of sneaking veggies into my mum's (yes, my mum's!) food, this has proven quite popular. It adds a creamy and smooth dimension to the ordinary mash potato, and works really well in place of milk or cream.

The relish is quite lovely too, I make it on the spot with sweet mustard pickle, a little bit of melted butter and two fresh tomatoes, diced and added to the pan. I cook it off until it is of a desired texture and add the jus from my meat pan. This bleeds into the mash so beautifully and creates a textural wonderland.

All in all, it's quick and easy; but this simple and flavourful dinner really hits the spot on a windy, pre-stormy night. It's also super cheap - four serves for $10.50 (that's just over $2.60/serve), and before I forget, I must say that although the meal is nothing special, the half naked Mr. holding the dish sure is!

I've not made dessert yet as I'm missing the vital ingredient of carrot cake, however, my darling Mr is saving the day with a last minute dash to Woolworths. You see I'm going to attempt Not Quite Nigella's Carrot Cake Ice Cream - mmmmmm divine. We can't wait to try it and if all goes well, I might just make my own carrot cake from scratch!

Oh and on another note - a fishy one; I was duped into buying bulk Greenseas Tuna (it's on special at Woolworths 12 for $12) and have now found myself thinking of things to make. I made a delicious, but ugly Tuna, Avocado, Cream Cheese and Sweet Chilli Toasted Club Sandwhich for lunch today, but was hoping to make a more enticing dish.

Any suggestions?

Shanghai Nights

Today I decided I would blog and what a great day it was to start.

With Christmas presents collecting dust, my friend and I decided it was about time we met up for dinner, social lubrication and exchange of aforementioned presents.

Only problem was that on this particular day of the week we found ourselves with no more than $25 to each of our names and with a horrible, stomach-stabbing ache for China Town Dumplings.

We came to terms with it, it wasn't going to happen. Then, realisation struck - We live near Eastwood! Quickly I researched where would be the best place to go. I consulted some of my Chinese, Indonesian and Korean friends and they all recommended dodgy-looking eateries, promising that they are cheap and fantastic - however I could not go past the buzz and look of the Taste of Shanghai, 200 Rowe Street, Eastwood.

We approached with caution, (most crowded places do not like it when patrons arrive with sleeping babies in monster strollers) - there was no problem, we were shown to a table with sufficient space to tuck the stroller near the wall, leaving us plenty of room to move and sit comfortably. The waiter quickly and thoroughly wiped down our table and handed us a menu to share (everyone else in the restaurant appeared to have their own, but we had to share one between three - not sure why.) - The restaurant looked pretty and simple from the outside and was fairly basic and neat on the inside, nothing fancy - except for the fantastic, glass enclosed 'open' kitchen. (I love being able to see the prep.)

We were served tea and set up almost instantly, but had to wait for a good 10-15minutes before anyone came to take our order. After stretching our necks and actively trying to get someone’s attention, a waitress rushed over.

We ordered a number 5 - Shrimp and Pork Mini Wonton Soup 16pcs $8.50, a number 8 - Hand made shallot pancake 4pcs $7.80, a number 9 - Pan fried Big Wontons 12pcs $11.80, a number 26 - Warm Soy Bean Milk $3.00, a number 29 - Egg Pancake with dough stick $5.80, a number 31- Steamed Silver-Thread Loaf 2pcs $6.80 and last but not least, a number 152. Gai-Lan with Garlic $12.80.

Shortly after ordering (within 5 minutes) food started pouring out of the kitchen and piling up on our tables. The tables are small, crowded with a box of tissues (which indeed were a Godsend) and a tray of sauces (also very well appreciated) but we managed to fit everything on.

First to arrive was the Warm Soy Bean Milk - possibly the best thing to start off with, as it meant that we got it out of the way. This was basically a bowl of micro-waved soy milk. Not horrible, but not something we would order again. The table agreed that it was missing something. Honey, perhaps? And considering the waitress told us it was dessert - we were left slightly confused as to a) why it wasn't sweet, and b) why it was brought out first.

We set this aside and made room for the fast arriving dishes. We tucked in to the Egg Pancake - this was basically a 'churro' (South American/Spanish doughnut like log), wrapped in a very thin egg pancake, and then wrapped again in a thin pastry-like-pancake. This was very yummy, but oily and one piece was definitely enough.

We tucked into the Shallot Pancakes with and without soy sauce. Perfect. These were crisp and golden on the outside, then moist and rich on the inside. Definitely a favourite with the table, I especially enjoyed them with the soy.

Then, what we had come for, DUMPLINGS!!! - We ordered Pan Fried Wontons and Boiled Mini-Wontons in soup. Both were amazing. The Pan Fried variety was crisp on one side, perfectly tender on the other, and soft and juicy in the middle. The Mini-Wontons came floating in the most amazing broth; I could eat it for days and can still taste it now. There is still a party in my mouth and I can't wait to go back.

The greens in garlic (Gai Lan) - were also fantastic. Crispy, fresh, perfectly seasoned - another favourite with the table.

Last but not least, (and by far, the most surprising) were the Steamed Silver thread Loaves. These were like two little buns of pure heaven. The fall-apart buns were perfectly teamed with soft and gooey Condensed Milk dipping sauce. This was the most perfect dessert- not overly sweet, but a great end note considering the rich, salty dishes we had the pleasure of devouring.

We left satisfied but in not in pain - a sign that the food was enjoyed, not endured.

We will definitely return, and for $22.00 a head (which included 3 tea refills and 3 Sprites) you really can't go wrong.

And on another note (and an off one at that), Karaoke on Hillview Road was a fun way to top-off the night. At $35 an hour it was fairly reasonable and we certainly got our giggles out!