Sunday Afternoon .

A lazy Sunday afternoon spent meandering around Studley Park Boathouse.  All rugged up with a coffee in one hand and my camera in the other....

......with the sun peeking through the clouds.

A picture of pure contentment - a view of the water, cup of tea in hand and the picnic basket close by.  Lovely!

Sunday night . . .

After spending my weekend catering for a 40th birthday party (with everyone dressed up as old codgers...hilarious!), Sunday night was spent in pj's, on the couch, drinking cider and munching my way though this delicious dish of Stuffed Greek Eggplant with Lamb.

Now I'm ready for a nap!

North Carlton .

A cold and very grey wintry day in my favourite Melbourne suburb - North Carlton. 

Moving to this side of Melbourne almost 10 years ago was like exhaling.  I felt like I'd finally found where I belonged.



Even though I no longer live in this suburb (I'm still close by), I still dream of the day when I move back.  Perhaps a gorgeous little terrace house with a veggie patch.....mmmmmm.....one day.....

The humble bean !

Even though the 8 Week Challenge is well and truly up, I still find myself cooking dishes from the website.  Some I've loved and plan to cook again, and some have just not been my cup of tea.  In the end I didn't do too bad - lost 2kg all up which I guess is better than nothing!  I have to say that even though it was only 2kg I feel so much better/lighter for it.

Craving comfort and warming food this particular night, I had no energy to go to the supermarket so dinner was whatever I could find in the fridge and pantry. I was J'ai faim (hungry) and needed something quick otherwise all hell was going to break loose.

Thank God for the humble tin of beans, which turned into Smoked Paprika Beans (recipe courtesy of the 8 Week Challenge website -  http://www.weighitup.com.au/)

Served with toasted solders (I told you I needed comfort food), this was just what the doctor ordered!

Cheeky Little Bird !

A weekend filled purely with cooking for others was a delight, especially while listening to French jazz and stopping for copious amounts of tea and some chocolate.

Although, this little bird was all for me!  Sticky, jucy and slightly sweet, this was the perfect end to a relaxing and fun day.

There is something I find very special knowing a whole chicken is roasting in the oven.  I'm not sure if it's knowing you're going to have loads of leftovers or the fact it brings back comforting childhood memories, but when the smell of this little baby crisping up in my oven filled my kitchen - I was all smiles.

Burgundy .

Burgundy isn't a region we're planning to explore on our trip to France later this year.  As a number of my favourite dishes come from the region, including Coq au Vin, it's definitely a place a plan to go back to one day. 

Another reason I'd like to go back would be to go to a cooking class at The Cooks Atelier.  An amazing looking school where you head off to the market in the morning then cook the afternoon away.  I had originally thought I'd just pop down there from Paris to attend the school, but with the amount of things I want to do in Paris - I'll think I'll have to leave it for now.  Oh well, there's always next time.

Link to The Cook's Atelier Website here

One of my other favourite dishes from this region, and one I make A LOT, is the good old Beouf Bourguignon.  I've made this dish numerous times using a multitude of different recipes, but never this particular recipe - from the Weigh It Up website - a reduced fat version with the meat servings reduced to a healthier portion by the addition of kidney beans.

YUMMO!

Definitely still a delicious version of this dish and worth trying if you're wanting to cut back on the butter.  Although I will admit that I did miss the luscious velvet texture and taste that only butter can bring. 

I made a big batch which I took away with me on the long weekend holiday down to Portarlington (see here) - indulging in french food, french movies and a french plonk or two.

The Beach !

The long weekend for me consisted of grey clouds and cold misty rain, French food and wine, LOADS of French movies whilst curled up under a blanket eating chocolate, and when the sun came out on the last day, a stunningly beautiful walk along Portarlington beach.

I just loved the way the sun made everything sparkle.

Dinner No. 5 !

Well this is it.  The final recipe from the box of delicious goodies DinnerHero sent me.  Five, simple yet flavoursome recipes which I found very easy  to whip up for mid-week meals.

My overall impression of DinnerHero - FANTASTIC.  I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this wonderful product/service to anyone and in fact, I've had a couple of my friends already sign up for it.  It's the perfect "pick me up" when you're tired of eating the same boring meals during the week - especially when you lack the time and energy to come up with anything exciting and new (not to mention have the time to then pop out to the markets once you've decided on what you're going to make).

I loved the ease of the recipes.  I loved the novelty of "not knowing what's coming".  I loved the beautiful fresh produce (I have to say, the meat was exceptional!) and I love, love, love the whole concept behind of DinnerHeros.

Pesto Rigatoni

The eggs were not included in the recipe, but there is something luscious (that I love) about egg yolk and pesto. Maybe it's just my taste buds, but I'm a fan!

Thanks DinnerHero's for the wonderful opportunity of trying out your product.  I loved it!

www.dinnerhero.com.au

Saturday .

After a lazy Saturday morning spent with my mandatory pot of tea (Earl Grey of course!), I rugged up and headed down the street for my mandatory morning coffee.  With my latest Country Style magazine in hand (it was delivered a couple of weeks ago but this was the first chance I had to open it), I spent the morning sipping my latte and dreaming of living in one of the beautiful country homes staring back at me from the pages.  The thought of having a huge veggie patch all to myself, along with lots of fruit trees and neighbours that I can't see, and most importantly can't hear, puts a big smile on my face.  Ahh one day!

Also knowing that a big bowl of Parsnip and Split Pea Soup was waiting for me at home made this past Saturday an absolutely blissful day.  A perfect Saturday in my book.

From the Weigh it Up website (yes, I am still participating in the 8 week challenge, although not as successfully as I'd hoped), this particular recipe caught my eye.  I love a soup with guts and the split pea and spices is a perfect match with the parsnip.  Topped off with a dollop of yoghurt.  Delicious!

My Mum !

My apologies to you all, but the truth is I have the best mum in the world, and this past Sunday we celebrated her Mother's Day.

Yep, Mother's Day.  We have so many birthdays in our family during the months of April and May that my mum, some years ago, decided to move the celebration of her Mother's Day to June.  That's my mum!

So for this year, we celebrated at The Boathouse.

I have 2 brothers and a sister, but being born 9 years after them all (a little mistake) I basically grew up as an only child.  A lot of time it was just me and mum and I wouldn't change any of those years for the world.  It's my mum who taught me to love the little things in this world, to enjoy every minute of every day and to hug.  It's amazing what a simple little hug can do.

Beetroot, goats cheese and walnut dip

Scallops with chorizo

Smoked trout toasts with potato salad

And some of the yummiest pizza's I've ever tasted

Thanks mum for this wonderful journey you started me on all those years ago.

Love you lots!

xx

Dinner No. 4 !

My favourite! Out of the five recipes sent to me from DinnerHero, this has been my favourite. Simple and comforting - perfect for a cold Tuesday night meal when a friend pops over for dinner.

Parmesan Crusted Schnitzel with Asparagus and Boccocini Salad

We never really grew up (well, from what I remember) eating crumbed food. Maybe the occasional Chicken Kiev (either the frozen variety from the supermarket which you popped into the oven to cook) or when my mum and I would have dinner at the Southern Cross Hotel in the city. I thought I was so sophisticated eating Chicken Kiev. With a foreign name, why wouldn’t I at that age?

These days I rarely eat crumbed food, and I couldn’t tell you the last time I ate a Chicken Kiev (although now that I’m writing this I’m getting a little craving…..) I don’t eat crumbed food, not because I don't like the taste but purely due to health reasons – once crumbed it usually requires frying of some sort, so I just tend to avoid it altogether. I have enough trouble fitting into my clothes without adding fried/crumbed food to my diet!

Even though this dish required frying in olive oil, I decided to embrace the process for this one time, and God, it was good! The piece of griello was superb. So tender with loads of flavour, you really couldn’t go wrong.

Served with silky smooth mashed potato and a salad of roasted asparagus, fresh tomato and bocconcini – perfection on a plate for Tuesday night.