Grand Final Fever!

We're in baby! The mighty Parramatta Eels have continued their freaky run of wins and have actually made the grand final.

You may remember me blogging about this game we attended and I was happy we won that! Ironically, we play the Storm again on Sunday. 

So because I am a massive dork (and I had some blue sprinkles) I made these little cuties on Monday night. 

Oh yes, the Fever has hit, and its hit us hard!

And this is the current Meal Plan

DC
xoxoxo

Jenolan Caves, NSW. August 2009

The husband and I ventured out one Sunday to the Jenolan Caves.  The Caves are about 1 1/2 hour past the Blue Mountains, which are about 1 hour from our house, so it was a decent "Sunday drive".

The Caves are that typical place that you'd have gone to on a school excursion. But not me, I'd never been before so i was very excited.  For those who don't know of these caves, they are massive underground, well caves, that have been forming for a really really really long time.  They are formed by limestone..... falling from the roof...... something about air and water, maybe minerals? 

Ok, I wasn't really paying attention, more taking photos and staring at the shiney sparkly rocks! It was a really great day, if you are near you really should visit.  I would suggest taking your lunch as well. Unless you go for burgers made with frozen pattys whacked on the grill STILL FROZEN, or meat pies with chewy pasrty.  The coffee smelt good though.

Anyway here are some pics. 

At the end of the tour they put on some coloured lights, a bit tacky perhaps?

This is the only building at the Caves. Its a hotel/cafe/souveni shop.

The terrace to have lunch on is lovely though

The water was so blue it looked kind of algae-y

We came across some old bones, I really hope they were from an animal.

DC

xoxox

1 down, 27 to go!

12. Go to Max Brenner.


A few weeks ago my friend and I visited Max at Parramatta.

And we fell in love with him.

Meal Plan

S: birthday party
S: birthday party
M: spinach, ricotta & mushroom tarts w/tomato salad
T: chicken schnitzel w/potato panckaes w/salad
W: putanesca - him; potato & leek soup - her
T: spaghetti bolognaise
F: fish & oven fries

S: beef cannelloni
S: pumpkin & ricotta ravioli
M: chicken florentine
T: pumpkin risotto
W: steak & salad
T: chicken burritos
F: lasagne

The Past and Present Meal Plans

This was last fortnights (please excuse the typing and no photos, the camera is here, somewhere....)

S: beef stroganoff
S: chicken caesar salad
M: spaghetti bolognaise
T: spinach, ricotta & mushroom tarts w/tomato and pinenut salad
W: tacos
T: creamy pacnetta & roast garlic parpadelle
F: theo's (you might see this pop up alot, its our local charcoal chicken place that the husband visits when I work on Friday nights. 
S: out
S: chive & ricotta gnochi
M: chinese beef noodles
T: fish (him) & lamb (her) w/salad and oven fries
W: veal schnitzel w/creamed spinach & veg
T: enchiladas
F: quick grab-what-you-can- meal because we were heading to the football


The Present:
S: pumpkin & ricotta canelloni
S: steak w/onion gravy & veg
M: homemade pizza
T: grilled chicken w/pumpkin & spinach salad
W: potato & leek soup
T: spaghetti bolognaise
F: take away after the football (nothing sader than eating crap at 11pm after your team has lost, but alot.
S: chicken caesar salad
S: Fathers Day (out)
M: lamb cuttlets w/veg
T: spinach & ricotta pasta shells
W: sweet potato topped beef pie
T: roast cauliflower, sage & almond risotto
F: fish (him)

I am almost done with this coming fortnights.  Reading back on the last months worth of meals, it seems I like to cook with ricotta!

xox
DC

Um, hi...

Long time, no type, hey?

How you been? Good I hope.

I apologise, I do have things to blog about, I will catch up. Really, I will. I have 3 meal plans (1 past, 1 present and 1 future) to share, a story about our trip to the Jenolan Caves, and some cooking adventures to show you too.

Sit tight, I will be back

xoxox
DC

Meal Plan (a bit late...)

I apologise for the lateness, our printer was playing tricks on me so I couldnt print it. I couldn't show you the ugly hand written copy now, could I!

Our Neighbour and the Passionfruits

We have great neighbours.

They are both pensioners so we have no worries about loud music and wild parties, and they always keep an eye on our place when we are at work or on holidays.

One neighbour is an old single Greek guy, the other a Dutch couple.

Our Greek neighbour likes to grow things. Last summer he had corn in the front yard and grapes out the back.

I was hanging some washing out this afternoon and noticed he was pruning back some kind of vine plant thing.

We said our hellos and he asked if I like passionfruit. Um, yes, yes I do very much so love passionfruit! He came bag with a massive bag full for us. I love neighbours!

This is where 3 of them went.

Tea, Scones and All That Jazz....

Last Saturday Mum and I went of to the city to see Chicago the musical at Starcity. Not before a lovely morning tea at Harrogate Tea House in Pyrmont.

Sydney was also hosting the boatshow, and didn't she turn on the good weather!

I could watch the fudge maker guys all day. I don't actually like to eat fudge, but I like to watch it being made.

So, do you put cream first, or jam?

Lead cast of Chicago (which was brilliant brilliant brilliant!)





Act 2 about to start.

It's just not a day in the city without a visit to the Lindt Cafe.

Lindt Macaroons (top l-r: coconut and vanilla, bottom l-r dark choc and milk choc)

The Classic Lindt Balls (l-r peanut butter, raspberry and cookies and cream)

Tomorrow is Friday, are you excited? I am. I hope you all have a great day.

xoxoxo

DC

Weekend away - Bathurst Part 3

Dinner was at what I think was the only restaurant that wasn’t in a pub or Chinese take away. Cobblestone Lane was just beautiful. So filling, oh my goodness I think I could have rolled out of the place.

Entree - Hazlenut & chive souffle

Main - Spinach & Ricotta gnocchi with swiss chard

Chocolate fondant. To. Die. For.

The next day we woke to a not great day, weather wise. All the more fun I think, I was prepared for cold, I didn’t get cold on Saturday, but boy, did I get cold on Sunday! Another good thing about Bathurst is that everywhere is adequately heated. You actually need to take a layer off when you go into a shop/cafe/where ever.

We found a cafe (that was in the pub) open early so we ate a hearty breakfast (me the toasted muesli, him the omelette with bacon, mushroom and shallots) and head up to “the Mountain” to do some car things.

On the starting grid, pole position, of course!

At the very very top of the Mountain, the view is breathtaking.

Oh, there is a Museum on cars too.

A few hours and some rumbling tummy’s later it was lunch time. We had spotted a steak house place so we’d thought we’d give it a go. Wish we hadn’t. We had no luck with lunches in Bathurst! Oh well, we will try a pub lunch next time.

My steak sandwich was ok, not sure it tasted Angus-y though.

Oh and did you think we could leave without another trip to Annies? I think not.

Husband didn't really have 2 ice creams, he was trying mine.

Thanks for reading my epic tale of our little trip to Bathurst.

Weekend away - Bathurst Part 2

I had seen Annies Ice Cream Palour on the big map I bought and thought it was one of those typical ye’ olde parlours you see in every other touristy town (you the ones that just have the massive tubs of Streets of Peters, and you hoped that the milk maids were out back churning the ice cream by hand). Well yet another gem found in Bathurst. Its ALL homemade!

Bathurst is big on War Memorials.

In the other park, more of a garden.

Lovely little cafe, unfortunately was closed :(

But! We got Annies!

Oh it was as a kitsch as I'd hoped!

In the little Bathurst Museum, $4 well spent I think.

By 5pm it was starting to get pretty chilly. We headed back to the unit to have some coffee to warm up and quick back before dinner.

We had foxtel in the room too which was a bonus. Only because we had the sport channel and the 5.30 game was about to kick off. Ask me who was playing, go on. You guessed it, the Eels! I couldn’t believe our luck. And I had made a 7.30 reservation for dinner too, so that meant we could watch the entire game. Usually I make dinner for 7pm, someone was looking over us that day! Oh and yes, we won too.