winosandfoodies

Escaping The Beach For The Country

Lately I've been having some incredible good luck. Like winning a weekend at Freestyle Escape, a gorgeous house on the ridge at Mapleton.

Such stunning views from the sea of windows across the front of the house.

We arrived  mid morning and immediately set the table and opened the wine for a long lunch.

Lunch was followed by a couple of hours on the couch  watching Love Actually.  Pre dinner we opened the champagne and nibbled on canapes before our chef arrived to demonstrate and cook us dinner.

We splashed out on my favourite  vintage champagne.

Bryan and I enjoying a glass before dinner.

Part of our prize included a meal cooked by Sally from Taste Trekkers. We got to choose the style and I selected Vietnamese.

Sally did most of the work while we looked on, tasting as we went. Occasionally we stepped up to the bench to make a dipping sauce and roll our own Vietnamese rolls.

Here are a few dishes from the evening.

Bun Thit Nuong (char grilled pork with vermicelli salad)

Tom Rim (prawns in tomato, fish sauce and black pepper)

Che Khoai Mon (sticky black rice pudding) served with Nuoc Cot Dua (sweetened coconut cream) and fresh fruit.

....and just to make sure we slept really well, a long relaxing soak in the enormous bath over looking  the night time view.  The bath is so big it seats two comfortably. Each of the 2 main bedrooms has it's own ensuite with  this view.

Sunday morning was a little overcast and we set off for a walk, only to return 10 minutes later to wait out the rain. After a lunch of last nights leftovers we finally managed a little exercise.

 
...and on our last morning we cleaned out the fridge and  made Bruschetta for breakfast.

A delightful weekend, shared with our lovely friends, Jenny and Mark visiting  from New Zealand, and Janet, The Old Foodie .

My prize also included massages from Ripple Massage but as my boys and their partners were unable to come with us I'm treating them to the massages.

Thank you  @Rippleali  @Dessertboy and @snackqueen  for pulling my name out of the hat for your Twitter promotion

I Have A Date With This Chef Tonight

I'll tell you more about it tomorrow.

Hope For Haiti Raffle

Would you like to win this book?

You can by making a donation for the H2OPE for Haiti raffle organised by Jeanne at Cooksister. 

I have donated the book UNDERSTANDING CLOSE-UP PHOTOGRAPHY by Bryan Peterson.

Suitable for photographers, this book shows how to capture subjects in innovative fresh ways - from animals and plants, to objects found in the kitchen, the supermarket, even the local tip. It offers information on equipment, exposure, light and composition.

The following links will tell you the background to  H2OPE for Haiti and how you can help by purchasing a raffle ticket. The code for this prize is HFH09

1.    A full  list of the prizes.

2.     How you can donate and purchase a raffle ticket.

3.    The charity that will benefit from this raffle.

4.    The cost of each raffle ticket is approx GBP6.50 (approx US$10, AU$11)

5.    All information about the raffle  is available at Cooksister.

Thank you for your support. The raffle runs from 21 - 28 February. How many tickets would you like?

Protecting Your Images

There was a time when when you could leave your house unlocked and know no one would enter and steal your possessions.  Things change and now most of us lock our houses to protect our possessions.

There was a time when you could leave your car unlocked on the street and know it would still be there when you got back. Things change and now you not only lock your car, you install an alarm.

There was a time when you could post a photo on your blog and know no one would steal  it. Things change and now you need to protect your images from the thieves.  It doesn't matter how much you bitch about it, you won't change the behaviour of the thieves who steal your images. You need to find a way to make it difficult for them to take something that doesn't belong to them.

Here are a few links with some suggestions of how you can protect your images.

About.com

Go Daddy

Digital Photography School

But as they say the only way to stop an image being used without your permission is not to put it on the internet in the first place.

The Sunshine Award

Kat, who writes about her life in Japan at  Our Adventures in Japan has awarded me the  Sunshine Award . Please drop by her blog to see the 11 other bloggers who also received Sunshine Awards. Thank you Kat.

Things To Say To your Children

Today I was looking  through boxes for a photo when I  came across this Good Parent Litany. The paper is old and yellow, and I remember cutting it from a magazine when my boys were tiny. With so many new babies born to food bloggers recently, and more    on the way, I thought some parents out there might find it strikes a cord.

Say to your children

I love you.

I'll take care of you.

You're special to me.

I want you.

You can trust me.

I'll always be here for you.

It's not what you do, but who you are that I love.

You don't have to be afraid anymore.

My love will make you well.

I'm proud of you.

You can trust your inner voice

Sometimes I'll say no to you and that's because I love you.

I thought I'd share these photos.  Why is it so hard to get two kids posing perfectly for the one photo. I can't believe Bryan and I were so young....with my '80's hairdo and Bryans '80's moustache.

A Short Break

Happy Holidays

This Is George

He is an Australian chef and judge of the TV show Masterchef Australia. George is my project for December. As the month progresses I'll be sharing more about  George.

In 2004, the Global Food and Wine Magazine voted George one of the Top 40 Chefs of Influence in the World. An internationally successful restaurateur, George owns three restaurants in Melbourne and one in Mykonos, Greece. His flagship Melbourne restaurant, The Press Club, was recently awarded The Age Good Food Guide 'Best New Restaurant 2008' with George named 'Chef of the Year 2008'.

As a boy, George Calombaris says he was tied to his mother’s apron strings. These days, the ties have loosened but his Greek heritage is still very much the driving force in his life and career.

His most recent venture, Hellenic Republic, is more like a Greek tavern, offering simple, robustly-flavoured dishes that are more traditional in their approach.

Did you know he has complained about bloggers?  He is reported to have said '"Bloggers have no idea about restaurants. They've got no idea how they're run.' 

I cannot find the original Sun Herald article online but the full quote  is here with a response  to the quote, from a Melbourne blogger.

If only George had said "Some bloggers."  Read enough blogs and you will see there are a handful or more of bloggers who do write excellent restaurant reviews and then there are bloggers who have no idea bout writing a review. There are also newspaper restaurant critics who write excellent reviews and some who have no idea how to write a review.

Today I'm Thankful For

Earlier this week a Facebook entry from Jen  at use real butter mentioned she would daily post (through to the end of November) something she was thankful for. We don't celebrate Thanksgiving in this part of the world but I thought it was a nice idea.  I'm posting my thankfulness over at Facebook each day and will also post here until the end of the month.

What are you thankful for today?

DAY 14

This is my final thank you post for this meme. Thank you to everyone who left comments and showed their support. I'm thankful you are all in my life. I ♥ you all.

DAY 13

This thankful post is possibly the most difficult to write. How do you say thank you to the person who has been there for the past 37 years, through thick and the thin, the ups and downs, the good and the bad? How do you put into words how the last 5 years have been made bearable by having that person by your side? How do you say thank you to the one who makes you laugh when it's the last thing you feel like doing, who accepts you for who you are and loves you unconditionally. Thank you Bryan, I love you.

 

DAY 12

I am thankful for my children Chris and Michael. Being a mother is one of the most challenging and satisfying choices one can make. Teenage boys can cause enormous stress but when they become loving, well rounded young men you realise you did okay at parenting. I am also grateful to Diane and Barb, our AFS host daughters who allow me to be their to be their second Mum.

DAY 11

  I'm thankful for my family, especially my sister who works, is a mother to two teenagers and still finds time to do all the running around for my mother.

DAY 10

I am thankful for friends. Old friends, new friends, friends I've known forever, new friends I've met through blogging, forgotten friends who came back into my life 5 years ago to offer their help. For your unconditional love and support I thank you all.

DAY 9

I'm thankful for everyone that fought for both gender and racial equality. There is still a long way to go before we are all considered and treated as equal.... but there has been a huge improvement in what was once acceptable.

DAY 8

I'm thankful for Harry Krinks. Harry died in WW1. He was my Grandmother's first husband. Had he not died, my Grandmother would not have married my grandfather, my mother would not exist and I would not be here.....and you would not be reading this.

DAY 7

  I'm thankful for the passion I have for certain things in life. Passions may change as we grow but I'll always be grateful for the knowledge and friends I have made through my passions. How boring life would be without passion.

DAY 6

I'm thankful I can afford to eat what I want when I want. I can only imagine how tough life is for those peope who live in a place of poverty or famine. I've experienced being unable to sleep because I was hungry, but too sick to eat. I knew there would be an end to it and I'd eat normally again. Those that go to bed hungry because they live in poverty or famine don't have that privilige.

DAY 5

  I'm thankful for the winemakers of the world. Especially the ones who use their talent to create an idividual wine full of complex tastes and aromas. If wine drinkers only drank quality wine, winemakers wouldn't be forced to produce the cheap commercial wines demanded by supermarkets and liquor chains.

DAY 4

  I'm thankful for laughter. When I completed my chemo four months ago I suffered depression. It felt like 80% of my day, every day, was spent in depression. I began to think I'd never feel happy again. Slowly I came through it. Just this week I noticed I was experiencing maybe only 20% of my entire week feeling depressed. And best of all I was laughing again.

DAY 3

I'm thankful for all the writers, artisits, musicians, photographers and film directors in the world. They make me laugh, they make me cry, they make me think. I am grateful for the joy and inspiration they bring to my life.

DAY 2

I'm thankful I walked the Camino de Santiago. Walking 6 hours a day gives you so much time to think and contemplate life. I learnt such a lot about myself and realised it is the people I meet and the joys I experience are the things that are important to me.

DAY 1

I'm thankful for my oncologist who convinced me to give chemo another go.

We Will Remember Them

11.00AM 11th November

Armistice Day    Remembrance Day    Veterans Day

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

By John McCrae

The poppy became a symbol of remembrance .  It was the only thing that grew on the fields at Flanders. It brought life, hope, colour and reassurance to those still fighting.

Bits and Pieces

Today I turned my camera to manual. It has been on auto for the past 10 months. With help from the White on Rice photography series I will improve.

I'm cleaning out my freezer and made a clafoutis with some frozen cherries. I use the Julia Child recipe with a few changes. I preheat the pan before adding the frozen fruit and mixture and bake it for around 35 minutes.

A TASTE OF YELLOW

Earlier  this year I excitedly posted about a cook book from the Taste Of Yellow event. Unfortunately being a new mother has prevented Sara at Whisk and Needles from progressing with this.  Thank you to everyone who gave permission for their entries to be used. I'm sorry there was not a response to your emails.

A FEW FREEBIES I'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU

A selection of Beerenberg Sauces I received several weeks ago.

Asian Dressing - I wasn't keen on this and gave it  to Chris. He liked it.

Teriyaki Grill Sauce - suggested use is in stir fries but we tried it over some dried fried rice and enjoyed it.

No1 Asian Plum Sauce - also excellent in stir fries. I added it to a stir fry of beef, red pepper and asparagus.

Hamburger Relish - I could eat this straight from the jar with a spoon.

FREEBIE BOOKS

Knit the Season is the third book from the  Friday Night Knitting Club series by  Kate Jacobs.  I had read the first book in the series but missed out on the second, Knit Two. The series focuses on family bonds and friendships.  I found it to be an enjoyable light read.

The Food Of A Younger Land is more my type of book. It's been out for some months but I wasn't up to reading when I received it. I prefer non fiction to fiction and I'm a big Mark Kurlansky fan. At a book signing in Auckland several years ago a long and impatient queue formed behind me as we chatted about his book The Basque History of the World. 

The Food of a Younger Land is a collection of essays written before fast food restaurants and frozen food when American's ate seasonal, regional and traditional foods. Mark Kurlansky has chosen a selection of the writings from the Federal Writers Project of the 1930's. The book is arranged in regions and features some recipes.

It is the type of book best stored by your bedside table to dip in and out of as the mood takes.

Champagne Celebration

 

Yay. I've finished chemo.......and I celebrated with champagne.  A big glass of Veuve Cliquot champagne.....my favourite non vintage champagne.

I shared it with Bryan and some friends, George and Bobby, visiting from New Zealand. It was all the more special because Bobby kicked cancer in the butt 10 years ago. Bobby was one of the first people I rang when I was diagnosed 5 years ago. I needed to talk with someone who understood and who had a positive outlook.... thank you Bobby for being there for Bryan and I these past 5 years.

It was also nice to share my celebration with some blogging friends who joined me virtually by celebrating in there own special  way. Jen at  Use Real Butter, who has her own cancer story, wrote a beautiful post and invited others to join me in my celebration. Thank you Jen and thank you to everyone who joined the celebrations.  I've said it before and I'll say it again.....food bloggers are the nicest people in the world. I appareciate the support you have given me these past 5 years.

I don't usally discuss my cancer treatment but I will share with you that my oncologist is extremely pleased with the results of my CT Scan taken this week.  As hard as the chemo was results like that make it worth it.

My tastebuds haven't quite returned to normal yet but hopefully they soon will. I'm so looking forward to cooking and blogging again. I've missed you all.

My Kitchen

 

Come into my kitchen.......................................

See more pictures of my kitchen over at Use Real Butter.  Over the next few weeks Jen is doing a feature on food bloggers kitchens. I'm up first along with Figs, Lavender and Cheese.  I'm looking forward to seeing  the  kitchens of some of my favourite bloggers.

freebies

A few months back I received an email from a PR company asking if I'd be interested in receiving products for review on my blog. I agreed on the understanding I would be free to express my own opinions.

Today a package arrived from Adelaide. I got  excited thinking it was my copy of Harold McGee I've ordered from my friend  Jude. It wasn't. It was two products from Beerenberg.

Reading the information that came with them I was intrigued with their nifty little gadget which allows you to  go to their website and track the history of your purchase.  By entering the barcode you can find out where and when it was made and by whom, the ingredients and how it was made.

My jar of Strawberry Jam is from  batch 9 made on the on 12th January 2009 by Jeff and Allen.
The Tomato Sauce from batch 9 made on 27th November 2008 by Peter and Jordan.

Over the weekend I tried the products out on the family. Both passed our family taste test. And my family is fussy and know good from ordinary. The tomato sauce has a much more vinegar taste than regular tomato sauce to the point of being more like a chutney. And the jam was a success on some scones from the freezer.

Duck a la Blue

Jump in, It's time you learnt to swim.

We swim up the pool

We swim down the pool.

Now we get out and shake a tail feather to dry.

Except these little ducks couldn't get out and needed help in getting back on dry land.

...and even then one got left behind and it took Chris an hour to find the mother and family to return the baby duckling to it's home in the park pond.

Joy To The World

Thank you everyone for your lovely messages and comments throughout the year. It has been particularly comforting the past few months to have had your support. I very much appreciate your kindness, virtual hugs and love.

I have some exciting news for the New Year regarding LiveSTRONG With  A Taste Of Yellow. Check back here in January for the announcement.

I'm celebrating  Christmas at home with both our boys here to make the day extra special. We'll be tucking into a roast turkey cooked by Michael assisted by sous chef Chris.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

You Light Up My Life

When I started blogging in 2005 I never imagined my world would open up to so many  wonderful friendships.  Blogging for me was just a way of writing down my thoughts and recording my life. I wasn't interested in a career as a food writer or a book deal or even making money from ads.

I have always blogged just for me.  Sometimes I can go for weeks without checking my stats.  When I do, it is always a thrill to see I have readers from far off places.  

Yesterday when Bron and Ilva's Virtual Hugs event popped up on my Google alerts I was overcome to the point of being speechless.  A big fat tear rolled down my cheek as I showed it to Bryan.

The past month has been particularly difficult as my first chemo session was too strong. I felt like one of those dolls that you punch down and they pop back up and you punch them down again and they pop back up again. I suffered every possible side effect of the chemo and then some. There is no way I would get through 24 weeks of this.

Happily for my second session the dose was adjusted and they seem to have got it right. Last night I cooked dinner for the first time in 5 weeks.  On Monday I go in for my third session of the 12 sessions I am scheduled for. My dear oncologist has decided to let me delay the 22nd December treatment until after Christmas.

Sessions happen fortnightly so I have a long way to go.  Which will give me plenty of time to plan my end of chemo celebration for May 2009.  I'm thinking a bottle of Cristal and a few days with Bryan in a vineyard cottage in the Granite Belt, a 3 hour drive from here.

Thank you to all my fabulous food and wine blogging friends  for you kindness, your beautiful words, the tantalising recipes I wish Bryan could recreate for me, and the biggest virtual hug I've ever received.  And a special thank you to Bron and Ilva for this kind and thoughtful gesture.

Do visit Bron's or Ilva's blog for a list of   the particpants because they have created some fabulous recipes to go with my virtual hugs.

.....and I'm also honoured to be the recipient of the ANGEL AWARD

I'd like to thank Giz at Equal Opportunity Kitchen and Jeanne at Cook Sister for the Angel award they deemed me worthy to receive because of my support of Livestrong Day with the LiveStrong With A Taste Of Yellow event.  Both Giz and Jeanne have been recipients of the Angel award for their own personal efforts to make the world a better place for us all.

The award comes with the following rules.

1. The rules of this award are not to be taken lightly--which means you can't give it to someone just because they did something really sweet for you.
2. This award is to be given to bloggers that have shown they are angels by doing something humanitarian and heavenly to help others.
3. You don't have to receive the award in order to give it. Feel free to copy it and bestow it on someone who is worthy of it. If you think they're an angel, they probably are.
4. The award must be linked to a post about an organization or good cause you would like more people to be aware of.
5. The rules for this award are to be shown when giving the award.

UPDATE: You would not beleive how my day turned out.  It seems the port in my chest that has a line that takes the chemo into the heart has moved and isn't working. Tomorrow I report to the hospital at 6.30AM to have the portacath removed and the following Wednesday I have a new one put in and treatment resumes. It totally screws up my Christmas schedule but there you go.  I have a week without any chemo in my body so that's got to be a bonus.

Thank you again for your fabulous virtual hugs, pretty flowers and delicious meals.

UPDATE,UPDATE Wednesday 10th December 08

Well it appears a blood clot had developed near my port. So the last couple of days have been a series of tests and scans to see where we go from here. For the moment I'm off chemo until it is sorted. It is wonderful to have almost minimal nausea and be able to cook dinner each night.

Tuesday - Following reporting to the hospital at 6.30AM for the removal of the port under a general anesthetic I spent the remainder of the day in and out of labs and doctors rooms. Finally I left my oncologists office at 6.30 pm. We got in the lift and pressed carpark and the lift locked. We looked at each other and after the day we'd just had what can you do but laugh. So laugh we did, perhaps a little hysterically at first, then just a jolly good laugh before we pressed the emergency button and staff came running to rescue us. You see after normal working hours the lifts lock for security reasons and the receptionist is required to escort you down.

So for the moment I'm on a blood thinner drug and two blood tests are week and we shall see.

BBM And Other Things

Food bloggers are the best. Thank you for all the lovely messages, comments and kind words both here and at Twitter. And thank you to my friends who aren't food bloggers and have also been there for me this past fortnight. When you are feeling rotten it is nice to wake up to lovely messages from around the world.

I particpated in the latest round of Blog By Mail organised by Stephanie ant Dispensing Happiness. My parcel of authentic Aussie goodies went to Deb in Hawaii at Kahakai Kitchen. 

I was the lucky recipient of a parcel of goodies from Leigh at Kumquat Connection. Such a delightful name for a blog don't you think?

 

Leigh's collected goodies from Chicago included Rooibos Tea, Burts Bee Hand Salve, Smashed fruit strips, Roasted pumpkin seeds. a gourd shaped candle, artisan jam from a company in Maine, a huge maple leaf cooker cutter - and when I first saw them - I thought how did that get through customs - a set of erasers in the shape of peanuts.  Leigh also made a lovely hand crafted card featuring my favourite pink  flowers.Thank you Leigh it was lovely to receive a little bit of your autumn colour in our spring.

My friend S dropped in over the weekend bearing gifts of figs, mango and this beautiful bunch of white asparagus. Wooooonderful.

I Wish I Could Tell You

I wish I could tell you I'm free of cancer.
I wish I wasn't starting more chemo tomorrow.
I wish I wasn't afraid of the side effects.
I wish I didn't have to see the fear in my children's eyes.
I wish I didn't have to hear my son say 'I feel so helpless'.
I wish Bryan didn't have to cook dinner 'cos I know he doesn't enjoy cooking.
I wish I had an appetite.
I wish I didn't have to cancel lunch in Sydney with Fatemeh.
I wish I'd been able to swim in the ocean with my sister last week when she visited.
I wish I didn't know words like Folfox and Avastin.
I wish I didn't know my CEA.
I wish I didn't have  blood tests every week.
I wish I didn't have to press the button in the elevator marked Oncology.
I wish I could beat the cancer.
I wish I didn't think about my children's future which may not include me.
I wish Bryan and I will grow very old together.
I wish the will to live was enough to overcome my genetics.
I wish I will have the energy to continue blogging.
I wish you will understand when I am too sick to reply to your comments and emails.
I wish you will understand when I visit your blog and don't leave a comment.
I wish one day I could tell you I'm free of cancer.

Thanks to Maryam for helping me find a way to tell you my wishes.

Stop Food Waste

Thanks to the charming David Lebovitz  in Paris for allowing me to use his photo of rotting fruit.

How often do you throw out rotting fruit like this?

Australians throw away food because we forget about it,” says Jon Dee, environmentalist and founder of Planet Ark, who has joined forces with Notebook: magazine to put an end to food waste in Australia. “We leave it lingering in the depths of our fridges and cupboards, unused and unloved. When we do use it, we use too much and even then we don’t use the leftovers.” “It’s an approach to food that anathema to older generations. Their cooking of leftovers was the earliest form of recycling. They used up every scrap of food, because they valued it. Today that attitude has changed but it’s vital that we change it back.” “When food waste rots in landfill it produces methane, a greenhouse gas 23 times more potent than the CO2 pouring out of your car’s exhaust,” explains Jon. “If we don’t mend our wasteful ways, we’ll be eating ourselves out of an environment that can sustainably support future generations of Australians.”

We all do it. How often do you forget what's in our pantry or fridge and then throw it out because it's gone rotten.

It came at an opportune time when the people at Notebook asked if I'd support their campaign on Food Waste in Australia.  Even if they hadn't sent me a free copy of their magazine (thank you) I'd support it.

Food waste is something I've been conscious of since we moved to Australia.  I can't tell you how much food I've wasted in the past 6 months since we have been here.  There is much we take for granted when we live in the same house for years. Where to shop for the best produce, how long the fruit will last on the bench, where in the pantry is the best place to store your onions and potatoes. Even how long the wine will remain drinkable in the  cupboard you call the cellar.

Suddenly I live in a climate averaging 10 degrees warmer and I've learnt the hard way the bowl of red peppers can't sit on the bench looking pretty any more. 

Added to that is the fact we don't know that many people here yet and keeping the fridge stocked with nibbly things in case friends drop in for a drink has seen me throw out packets of smoked salmon and jars of sour cream.

In Auckland we lived within walking of the best produce shop in Auckland. It not only sold fabulous produce, it sold all the best  Asian, Italian,Spanish and French delicacies.  Although we love living in this part of the Gold Coast, and it has great bars and restaurants, it lacks shopping facilities. Which means driving to the shops and rather than shop every day, I now shop twice a week.   I'm not so good at planning meals in advance. I hate to shop today for what I'm going to eat in two days time.

From the September issue of Notebook magazine - Australians are  wasting $6 billion of food each year - enough to feed the entire nation for three weeks. - Current research suggests the majority of food thrown away is fresh fruit and vegetables. - Meat, fish, bread, dairy produce, rice and pasta are all in the ‘top’ most wasted foods. - The two main reasons for food wastage is that people ‘cook or prepare too much’ or ‘don’t use food before its use-by date’. - A 2005 study by The Australia Institute estimated that food waste was costing Australians $5.3 billion per year. - The Australian 2006 National Greenhouse Gas Inventory report stated methane emissions from solid waste disposal on land were equivalent to 13.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. - According to CSIRO data, dumping a kilogram of beef wastes the 50,000 litres of water it took to produce that meat; throwing out a kilogram of white rice will waste 2,385 litres and wasting a kilogram of potatoes costs 500 litres.

That is just in Australia, a country of 21 million people. Can you imagine the amount of food wasted in the entire world.

Do you have any tips for stopping food waste? Feel free to share them in the comments. I could use the help.

Australian readers can share their tips on stopping food waste at Notebook and win.

Ker-ching, Ker-ching, Ker-ching

Picture from North American Carousel Website.

Why do some retailers think it is okay to display their products without prices? Because if they put prices on no one would buy them. Imagine walking into a bookstore or clothing store and having to ask the price. Or a restaurant menu without prices.  It doesn't happen.

A couple of minutes walk from my apartment is a fruit shop with fabulous looking produce. In past years when we came here on holiday I shopped there somedays.  I'd walk out thinking it was expensive, but that's okay, the quality was excellent. I naturally wasn't up with the current Australian  produce prices at the time.

However I live here now and I know the price at the supermarket, farmers market and convenience store.  I  realise just how expensive this particular shop, Fruitique On Tedder,  really is. But today their expensive prices were overshadowed by their arrogance.

On several occasions I've gone in and chosen a piece of fruit or a couple of tomatoes, they've weighed it and told me the price, and I've said no thank you and left. But today is hot and I have a sore throat and god that watermelon looked good. I chose a nice piece, asked the price and was told $3.99 a kilo. Now I'd seen watermelon at the produce store in the mall on the weekend and it was $1.99 a kilo. Onto the scales with my chosen chunk and $7.80.

Me: Hmmm, I don't want to pay that much so could you cut it in half please.

Assistant: (to I assume the owner) Can we?

Owner: No, you'll have to choose another piece.

Me: But I don't want another piece, they don't look as nice as this piece.

Owner shrugged and continued doing what she was doing. I walked away without any watermelon.

Does your local fruit and vegie store display their prices?

I'm Back Blogging After Two Weeks Without Posts

The best meals are often the most simple. We used two different methods to cook the prawns. The ones with shells on were barbecued.

Method One

Barbeque green prawns.Top a slice of bread with a lettuce leaf dipped in seafood sauce.Top with shelled prawns.Add another slice of bread. Eat.

Follow up with a glass of pinot gris.

Method Two

Shell green prawns and remove digestive tract. Saute in butter and garlic with a dash of white wine thrown in at the end to create a sauce for dipping bread in. Drink more pinot gris.

 

 

We enjoyed lots of foodie experiences over the 10 days of celebrations. Here are a few of them.
Seriously good hotcakes for Sunday breakfast at the Surf Club.

 

Breakfast at home in the sunshine. Clafouti is so easy to make.

 

Beach picnic at Byron Bay.

 

Late night pizza at home.

Thai take aways at home when we too tired to go out.

Of course everyone was in town for the big birthday party.

The Main Event - The Party.

Set the scene with candles

Invite some friends and open the champagne.

 

Presents for the birthday boy.

Hire taxis to take everyone to the restaurant where the room is decorated with tea lights and a sea of yellow daffodils in blue bottles.

 

Provide place names so everyone sits where they are told. We used CD's of some favourite music.

 After the main and before the dessert came the official speeches.

The funny one from Michael.

 

The more serious one from Chris.

Then the toast. Believe it or not I'm drinking water. I didn't drink any alcohol until dessert. Someone had to stay in control.

I had some help on choosing the wines to accompany the meal from my favourite winosapien.

He made some excellent choices for us. The big hit of the night was the Seppelts DP33 Muscat which was served with the desserts. Other favourites were De Bortolli Shiraz Viognier, Sandalford Verdelho, Mt Langi Ghiran Billi Billi 2005,  Thorn Clark Shotfire Quartage.

The weather was fabulous. There were a lot of walks on the beach.

and drawing in the sand.

And indoor events. Boys and their toys 

- playing games and checking emails.

Girls having fun without boys

- doing a jigsaw puzzle.

And finally after 10 days I think we've eaten enough, drunk enough and crammed a lot of living and laughter into the time with our family and friends.

Thank you to everone who sent birthday wishes here and at Twitter and Facebook. I apologise if I didn't send a personal thank you.

The Birthdays Week

Bryan and I almost share our birthdays. His is the 15th and mine is the 16th. As from the 15th July 2008 his age will end in a zero. Once you get past 21 any birthday with a zero means a party. My age will not contain a zero for another couple of years. We may need that time to recover from the next two weeks.

We have friends and family flying in from France, New Zealand and Lindeman Island. All on different days, different airports and different times.

Bryan and I kick off the celebrations with a dinner on Monday 7th at Restaurant Two in Brisbane. We need to be at Brisbane airport by 7AM on Tuesday morning to meet the crew from France. I t seemed a good idea to stay in Brisbane, rather than get up really early and drive up from the coast. The 7th just happened to be the  Vogue E & T 2008 Champagne dinner. Nice coincidence don't you think.

Everyday that week someone will arrive and by Friday everyone will be here and the partying proper begins.And by the 18th of the following week they will have all gone home.

The main event will be held at Bumbles restaurant on the Saturday night. They don't open in the evenings so we will have the restaurant to ourselves, with Kate cooking  exclusively for us. The menu has been chosen and guests will have a choice for their entree and dessert. For the main we decided to have a selection of dishes on the table and everyone  helps themselves...as you would at home.

Some days are planned and some days we will wing it and go with the mood. I won't be blogging for a couple of weeks although I'll be dropping into Twitter so I don't miss everyone.

Vanilla Beans

I found local vanilla beans. Earlier this year when we spent a weeks holiday in Port Douglas I saw big bunches of locally grown vanilla beans in the fruit shop. The heaviest rains in 70 years prevented me from getting through the flooded streets to buy some on my last day. A bit of googling when I arrived home and I found the grower....and they sell online. So I placed my order and I now have two big bundles of vanilla beans in my pantry. After placing a bean in all my sugars, vanilla flavoured olive oil was first on my to do list. It is made and sitting in a cool spot waiting to be used. I have no idea what I will use it for. I like Garrett's  vanilla olive oil ice cream.  Anyone have any suggestions?

UPDATE 17th July 08

Since writing this post I've been told the vanilla beans from Vanilla Plantations of Australia are actually imported from Papau New Guinea. I'm attempting to confirm the origin with the owners of the site but it isn't proving easy. I apologise to anyone who bought the beans  under the impression they were locally grown in Australia.  Australian grown vanilla beans can be purchased from Daintree Vanilla and Spice.