Weekend Long

Despite the miserable weather for the most part, the long weekend was a good one. Saturday night I had a birthday celebration for one of my best friends. I could have literally rolled out of The Tilbury Hotel, post dinner. The food was exceptional. Zucchini flowers for entree and baked snapper, baby beets and crispy roasted potatoes for the main. Followed by a superb meringue coated sponge for dessert. Absolutely delicious. A fun night was had, with lovely friends.

On Sunday, we took a drive down to Bowral for the day. The highlands air, crisp and fresh and wintery. A positively beautiful part of the world. Our lunch was a rather drawn out and amusing experience. After eventually finding a table in the busy Bowral Hotel, we promptly ordered our meals and settled in with a drink. Angus as happy as a pig in mud, with the kid's playroom, Felix snoozing soundly in his pram. It was chaotic in that little pub, patrons squeezing onto every last table and chair available. We waited eagerly for our food... and waited... and waited. One hour and twenty minutes went by, before the buzzer sounded. And when I went to retrieve our dishes... I was informed that mine had run out and I could either re-order an alternative or have my money back. But a hungry belly needs food, not refunds, so I chose another option... and we waited some more. Almost two hours after our initial order, we ate. I have never witnessed anything quite so bizarre as the disorganisation in that pub and there were many unhappy customers and stressed out staff members. We found it entertaining though, in a Fawlty Towers kind of way. The boys were content, Scott and I enjoyed the time to catch up properly and it was a good excuse to spend three lazy hours on a Sunday afternoon, all toasty and warm... and together.

All photos from The Tilbury Hotel... unfortunately no shots of our Bowral adventure.

Ups & Downs

Today was an unusual day. It opened my eyes and forced me to face a fact I have known, though not admitted, for a while now. My parents are getting old. As a child, I used to dread the thought of anything happening to them. Dread. As an adult, I am painfully aware that eventually, something will happen. In a rather surreal and frightening moment whilst shopping with my Mama this morning, I remained calm. Something I am not particularly good at doing, in a crisis. And whilst I surprised myself with this level of ease... my eyes stung, flesh burned prickly hot and throat constricted. I wonder if I will look back on this incident as the one when I finally accepted the reality of having parents in their seventies. Because I still don't see it when I look at them. But however conflicted I might be right now, they are elderly. And they are frail.

Yesterday, was such an easy day, by comparison. Fish and chips at the beach. Albeit in freezing cold wind and trying to keep a hoard of seagulls at bay... but still, as close to perfect as it gets. Felix ran a watchful eye over rogue birds who dared to get too close. Quite an amusing sight. Checking out the heavy machinery sand-scaping on the beach and a long play in the park rounded off the afternoon nicely. Definitely the 'up' of my week.

Nutty Meringue Sticks(?!)

I had an absolute shocker in the kitchen yesterday. Don't mind admitting. Thought I'd try my hand at a seemingly simple recipe for nutty meringues... and well, they turned out to be more of a nutty-cakey-biscuity ball. The flavour is still yummy, they just look and feel nothing like they're supposed to. Scott thinks I shouldn't have said anything about what they were meant to be and pass them off as is. Hmm, I'm actually just perplexed as to how I could go so wrong. Over-beating of the egg whites is possible. But these do prove that anything looks reasonable with chocolate slapped on top.

Nutty Meringue Sticks(?!) 

3 egg whites

3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar

1 1/4 cups (120g) hazelnut meal

1 1/2 cups (185g) almond meal

1/4 cup (35g) plain flour

100g dark eating chocolate

Preheat oven to 160 degrees (140 for fan-forced) 

Grease oven trays, line with baking paper

Beat egg whites in small bowl with electric mixer until foamy

Gradually beat in sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until dissolved between additions

Transfer mixture to large bowl

Fold in nut meals and sifted flour

**At this point it all went horribly wrong for me... mixture wouldn't pipe... so the balls were born!**

Spoon mixture into large piping bag fitted with 1.5cm plain tube

Pipe 8cm sticks onto trays

Bake about 15 minutes

Cool on trays 5 minutes

Drizzle sticks with melted chocolate

Y Tree

It is so cold at the moment. SO. cold. Yesterday, we had a weather warning for strong wind and rain... by mid-afternoon, it delivered. In the morning however, there was an almost eerie quiet around the place. The calm before the storm, I am thinking. After preschool drop-off, Felix and I walked to the shops for supplies. On our way back home I was mesmerised by how beautiful the spindly trees looked against the sunny sky. So while Felix slurped down a blueberry yoghurt pouch (his treat when we go shopping), I captured the beauty of a Winter's morning.

I'm joining in with Faith Hope & a whole lotta Love for 'Snap It' and this week's topic (which completely stumped me until I saw the shape of this 'Y' tree) of: Something that looks like a letter of the alphabet. 

Twenty Three Months

In less than a month, my baby will be two. I started this blog when he was just five months old and I feel like this has been the best possible record of his first two years that I could ever have. I can't quite believe how quickly the months have flown, but this only acts as a reminder to savour them, for everything they are. My lovely boy is becoming so independent of late. Putting things away, helping Scott and I around the house, making us laugh with his cheeky sense of humour. Sure, he is feisty and wild and downright frustrating. He can push me to the brink and back again at times. But on the whole, he's an absolute delight. And as I've always said with Angus... I could have a dozen boys like him and still want more. But I'm grateful for just one. He's so very special to us. For a long (jealous) time there, I thought I'd never be able to say this... but these two are now like two peas in a pod.

Looking very Incredible Hulk like, busting out of his SIZE 2 Charley Bear onesie... obviously a small make.

Give it away... NOW! Winners & Bonus

There was mild excitement this evening, as we drew the winners of my 'Give It Away... NOW!' packs. I love how seriously my four year old assistant took the task. Thank you so much to all the lovely readers who entered... I was overwhelmed by the kind, sweet words I received. It is always really difficult to only have a couple of winners, so this time I created a 'bonus' prize.

Typo are having their mid-year sale and I stumbled on a groovy three pack of pens and the cutest sticky notes. Naturally, I snapped up some for myself, but thought another set would go nicely with a pair of Marie Claire platters.

So the winners are:

The Women's Weekly COOK book & Set of two Marie Claire platters - Corinne @ Daze of my life

Kikki K Sketch Pad & Set of three matching pens + Typo Birdie Stamp & pad - At Number 32

BONUS prize - Shar @ Mum on the Run

Please email me with an address to send your winnings girls, thanks.

The Light Fantastic

It would seem that we picked the only fine weather window of the entire weekend to soak up the luminous wonder of Vivid. An incredible spectacle of light, art, imagination and sound. This event is fast becoming a well loved tradition for our little family. This year, we walked the brilliant stretch from The Opera House around to the Overseas Passenger Terminal. Stopping to admire, touch and in the case of the giant glowing hopscotch... jump on! A magical atmosphere for young and old. I love this city.