Food: the good, the bad, the ugly!

This past week has seen a bit of a food focus here (what's new? huh!), however there were three main occasions that come immediately to mind.  I've classified them accordingly...

 

The Good

Last Saturday the family all popped over for dinner.  When they arrived, my wonderful mum brought with her a container of homemade chocolate and pistachio fudge.  Trust me when I say this stuff is better than... well anyway, it's damn good.  As one does, I duly posted a photo on Instagram and Facebook.  I've since been bombarded with requests for the recipe, so my dear mum has kindly shared the recipe which she tells me came from her hairdresser Jane.  Thanks Jane!

Les Ingrédients

250g MILK choc melts

250g DARK choc melts

60g butter

1 can condensed milk

1 cup chopped pistachio nuts

 

Le Procédé

Roast pistachios, melt butter, add all other ingrédients & mix.

Pour into a lined slice tin, refrigerate over night.

Makes approx. 64 small squares.

 

 

And as is my way, I just wanted to posh it up a bit by using the french for ingredients and method (no I don't speak french, Google translate is my friend!).

The Bad

During the week, the lovely Wayne and I ventured to a pub we visit from time to time which has a fantastic outlook across Lake Macquarie due to its position across the road from the lake.  There's nothing better than a glass of wine on the deck admiring the view.

 

On this visit we decided to have dinner at said venue, something we have only done a handful of times in the last few years due to the meals and service being pretty ordinary to say the least.  Knowing this history we thought it time to revisit as we hadn't eaten there in almost a year.  Sadly, nothing has changed.  A 40 minute wait for a schnitzel with vegetables when there was no more than 15 patrons in the place wasn't a good start.  Our schnitties were over cooked and had been cut into to check they were cooked through!  The vegies were of the frozen kind and some were still close to that state when the meals did finally arrive.

 

Suffice to say we won't be back there for a meal.  It's such a shame as this venue is in an amazing location and like I said, is fantastic to have a relaxing drink at - especially on Sunday afternoons as they often have a jazz or reggae band playing.  So we'll be back, but only for a drink (or 2 or 3!).

 

 

The Ugly

I mentioned a while back that I was undertaking Weight Watchers to shed a few extra kilos, well this week was the first Weigh-In since before Christmas.  Eeeewww, talk about ugly - you may remember how pleased I was at dropping 5 kilos leading up to Christmas, well I've successfully(?) managed to pop almost 2 kilos of that back on!!  It really wasn't a surprise as I felt as though I had found some of that weight that I'd lost, and I mean really, with what I consumed over Christmas I think I got off lightly (pardon the lame pun).  Anyhoo, it's a new year and a fresh start so I'm back to being good!

 

 

Have you had any good, bad, or just plain ugly food moments?  I'd love to hear about them so leave a comment below.

G. xx

The birthday boy

Today is Day Fourteen of the November Photo A Day Challenge and it's also my birthday!  The prompt for today is Man made (You can read here about my self imposed twist to this month's challenge).

 

 

Let me get to the photo first then I'll fill you in on my birthday.  Today's diptych composition consists of a large wall clock which I bought from a fabbo little boutique in Leura in the Blue Mountains, and a chocolate bouquet.  Both are man made and both are loved by yours truly!

 

Okay enough about the photos, lets talk about my birthday (coz it's all about me today, right?!).  Lets start at the beginning.  A few weeks ago I mentioned a routine visit to my doctor and how he wanted me to have all manner of tests undertaken.  Well due to my procrastination with the barrage of blood tests, I needed to have them done TODAY, my birthday!  So this morning we (yes I made the lovely Wayne accompany me) toddled off to the pathologist so they could take what seemed like 90% of the blood out of my body - happy bloody birthday!  At least the pathology nurse wished me happy birthday.  Speaking of said nurse, it turns out that we worked together 25 years ago so had a great little catch-up chat whilst I was drained of almost all my blood (I am sooo not a drama queen).

 

Following this, the lovely Wayne took me out for breakfast to a fave cafe with gorgeous lake views not far from home.  Whilst there, the cafe proprietor advised us that it was the cafe's first birthday today and as such, all patrons could have a free slice of celebratory birthday cake, so we did!  What made this extra special was that unbeknownst to me, the lovely Wayne had advised the proprietor that it was also my birthday.  My slice of cake arrived with a candle on it ;-)

 

 

We didn't do lunch as we were both still too full from our breakfast grazing.  Dinner however necessitated food, and of course wine.  As a starter we enjoyed large juicy pacific ocean oysters naturale with a glass or two of champagne.  This was followed by a large amount of king prawns enjoyed with a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.  The evening feast concluded with a serve of cookies and cream ice cream - yummmm.

 

 

 

Presents.  Yes I know that's what you really want to know about.  Let me just say CD's, clothes, champagne, chocolates and a washing machine!  Yes, a washing machine.  No, the lovely Wayne isn't an unromantic man, it was all about timing.  A new washing machine was required and just happened to be purchased on my birthday!

 

As I sit here this evening enjoying (another) glass of wine, I'm very thankful that I've again had a wonderful birthday and have received lots of wonderful birthday wishes from lots of lovely people.  Thank you.

 

G. xx

 

 

Thirst quencher

Today is Day Twelve of the November Photo A Day Challenge - the prompt for which is Drink (Read here about my self imposed twist to this month's challenge).

My diptych composition for today was shot whilst out on a long walk this afternoon with the lovely Wayne.  As we walked through the local park we noiced a bright yellow water bubbler.  It truly was bright and was screaming out to be photographed - so what's a guy to do?  As luck would have it, the lovely Wayne was also in need of a quick sip of water.  The end result is the photo of the lovely Wayne having a drink (edited to black and white) and the bubbler itself in all its colourful glory.

 

As an aside, I must say that there is no way I would drink out of a bubbler like that (we have differing opinions on this matter).  I mean who knows what has graced the surface of the water outlet!!!

 

Would you, or do you, drink out of a public bubbler?  No judgements will be made, I'm just curious!

G. xx

Food on my mind

Today is Day Nine of the November Photo A Day Challenge - the prompt for which is Small (Read here about my self imposed twist to this month's challenge).

 

 

What can I say about this diptych composition - food was definitely on my mind!  I know it's pretty obvious, but I'll tell you that the photos are of a punnet of blueberries and a punnet of grape tomatoes.  Both are small and absolutely delish (though not necessarily together!).  I've always loved both and will often grab a small handful of either as a snack (even before Weight Watchers).

 

Do you have a fave healthy snack?  Please share below as I'm after any/all suggestions.

 

G. xx

 

 

The Loser

Today is Day Eight of the November Photo A Day Challenge - the prompt for which is Something you do everyday (Read here about my self imposed twist to this month's challenge).

As I've mentioned previously, I'm currently undertaking the Weight Watchers 13 week program to create a healthier me.  As part of that, I fill out what is known as a points tracker - it's a kind of food diary.  This has been quite an eye-opener.  Go on give it a go and keep a diary of everything that passes your lips for a week - I guarantee you'll be surprised.  Anyhoo, I digress.  Back to today's diptych composition. It's a shot of a page out of my points tracker and part of the front cover. I'm currently filling this out religiously every day.

 

Something that struck me today (weigh-in day) is that there's now one day a week when I want to be a loser!  Who would have thought?!  FYI, I've now lost 3.5kg and I'm only 2 weeks in!  I'm a loser and I'm loving it! 

 

Note that I may or may not have indulged in a glass of wine this evening to celebrate being a loser!

G. xx

Just Peachy

Well here we are at Day Three of the November Photo A Day Challenge - the prompt for which is Breakfast.   Read here about my self imposed twist to this month's challenge.

 

 

As I've mentioned previously here, I've embarked on a weight-loss/healthier-me journey.  One of the ways I'm doing this is by undertaking the Weight Watchers program.  I'm learning heaps about food and sensible food choices and how little changes can contribute towards a healthier me.

 

What's this have to do with today's photo you ask?  Well it's a photo of one of the little changes that I've made.  I have weetbix for breakfast most days (ever the creature of habit) and previously always drizzled a little honey on them - only a little!  Now I have fruit on them.  Some days it's strawberries, others it's banana and others, like today, it's peaches.  So there you have my diptych for today - my bowl of weetbix with peaches, and a close up of the peaches.

 

Note that I usually have half that amount of peaches but the shot needed the additional pieces of peach to work.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

 

What do you have for breakfast?  And are you a (brekkie) creature of habit?

 

G. xx

 

 

Into the pantry

June Photo A Day - Day 28:  On the shelf

There's lots and lots of options for taking a photo for today's prompt of on the shelf.  I had a plan - I would take a creative shot of a shelf at the shops on my way home from work this afternoon.  Unfortunately I had a seniors moment and forgot completely!  What to do?  The first shelf I saw when I arrived home was in the pantry, so here's my photo - a shelf in our pantry.

Shoes, shanks and sun

Today's post is a bit of a catch-up kinda post as I haven't posted my photos for a few days - no excuse other than I've been a slacker!  ;-)   Ok, here goes...

June Photo A Day - Day 22:  From a high angle

I had planned on a spectacular shot for day 22's prompt of from a high angle.  It was going to be a shot from the roof of the 9 story building where I work (I have connections!) however the day got away on me and I sadly missed the opportunity.  Instead, I took a photo looking down at my feet!  Well it is from a high-ish angle as I'm almost 6 feet 2 inches tall!

June Photo A Day - Day 23:  Movement

The photo prompt for day 23 was movement.  This was easy.  Yesterday was a gorgeous sunny day and so I went for a leisurely walk along the shore of the lake to soak up some of the winter sun.  While I was gazing at the water a group of people paddled past standing up in canoe thingys (technical term, trust me) offering up a perfect photo opportunity, so I clicked!  Here's the result.

June Photo A Day - Day 24:  On your mind

Today's photo prompt was on your mind.  Well now what was on my mind when I realised I hadn't taken today's photo was what to prepare for dinner this evening.  You'll be pleased to know that whilst I'm sitting here typing away, Lamb shanks are cooking away and will be served on mashed potato and accompanied by steamed greens.  Anyhoo, here's some of the ingredients that were on my mind!

Lunch time

June Photo A Day - Day 14:  Time

Today's photo prompt was time.  Now I considered taking a photo of an actual time however I had already done that for Day 8 (six o'clock), so I thought I'd take today's photo of something associated with a time of the day.  As luck would have it I had an impromptu luncheon date with a dear friend today which provided a perfect photo opportunity.  So here you have lunch time...

Breakfast view

June Photo A Day - Day 9:  Your view today

The photo prompt for today was your view today.  This morning I took myself out for breakfast at a fave local cafe.  Yes you read that correctly, I went on my own.  The lovely Wayne headed off to work early today and as it was such a beautiful sunny morning I took myself out for breakfast.  It was lovely - I sat in the morning sun reading the paper whilst enjoying a delish breakfast and a coffee and admiring the gorgeous view of the park and the lake.  The only thing missing was the lovely Wayne - we'll both go there on Monday for breakfast if the weather is good.  Anyhoo here's my photo, my view at breakfast this morning!

Coffee time

June Photo A Day - Day 7:  Drink

Today's photo prompt is drink, and before you all jump to conclusions, my photo is not of a glass of wine!  There's really not a lot I can say about this photo other than here's a photo of my skim decaf latte with obligatory cookie (or 2).  And before you say 'why bother' regarding it being decaf, it's evening here and if I have a full strength coffee I'll be buzzing for hours, and a sleep deprived Gawee is not pretty - trust me!  Anyhoo, here's the pic.

Eggs on toast

My take on the classic eggs on toast.

June Photo A Day - Day 3: On your plate

Today's photo prompt is on your plate.  Now I had cereal in a bowl for breakfast and soup in a mug for lunch so was getting worried that I wouldn't have something on a plate to photograph.  Well I needn't have worried as dinner this evening was indeed served on a plate - see I do have kulcha!  Anyhoo here's my photo for today.  On my plate for a lazy Sunday night dinner is poached eggs on toast with pan fried mushrooms, cooked cherry tomatoes and steamed broccolini and peas.  Simple but delicious if I do say so myself.

Do you tend to have a lazy dinner on a Sunday evening dear reader?  Please share if you do as I'm a big fan of the lazy Sunday evening dinner (the healthier the better of course!).

Ice & an outdoor breakfast

Time for me to catch up the last six days of photos taken as part of the April Photo A Day Challenge.  I'll spread them over a few posts just to break them up a bit.

April Photo a Day - Day 10:  Cold

Last Tuesday's photo prompt was cold.  The coldest thing around here on the day was the freezer but that doesn't really conjure up feelings of cold now does it?  So how about something from inside the freezer like ice!  So here you have it, a tray of ice cubes.

April Photo a Day - Day 11:  Where you ate breakfast

The photo prompt for last Wednesday was where you ate breakfast.  This was an easy one.  I eat my cereal in one of two places depending on the weather.  If it's not wet or cold, the lovely Wayne and I like to eat our breakfast outside in our courtyard in the early morning sun.  If however the weather isn't favourable, it's inside.  Either way, it usually coincides with me indulging my Instagram addiction by checking the latest photos posted by the Instagramers that I follow.  Anyhoo, here's where we eat breakfast outside.

A baby, a bug, a fish & an idiot

It's been a couple of days since I last posted and shared photos so lets have a catch-up.  Thursday saw the end of the working week and the start of a delightful 4 day weekend.  It also saw the arrival of a new baby daughter for two of my dearest friends, Pru* and her husband G.  Needless to say, I'm a very excited Guncle* and will be heading out later this morning to shop for cute baby stuff before popping up to the hospital later today for a visit.

The other great thing to happen was the lovely Wayne and I enjoyed a day off together yesterday.  They are not as common as they once were so are highly cherished and spent doing something.  As yesterday was such a gorgeous day it was deemed appropriate that the top go down on the Jeep and we head out for a picnic by the lake.  More about this later.

I'm still participating in the April Photo A Day Challenge and have been diligently clicking away.  Here's the latest photos...

April Photo a Day - Day 5:  Tiny

Thursday's photo prompt was tiny.  Something tiny I have here at home is a miniature VW Beetle.  I've had it for years and is one of those little things that evokes great memories.  My very first car was a VW and this tiny one was a gift from the lovely Wayne many years ago after I had been reminiscing about my first car and what it meant.  At 18 years of age, my family and I lived in a an outer suburb and this car meant freedom and independence - it was the start of a whole new era in my life.  It was great.  And that little car (mine was actually fluro orange - aka BOB*) created many great memories.  Anyhoo, enough of the old-man-reminiscing, here's the photo...

April Photo a Day - Day 6:  Lunch

As I mentioned earlier, the lovely Wayne and I headed out for a drive to a picnic spot on the shores of Lake Macquarie yesterday.  It was a gorgeous day - sunny, but not hot, and a gentle breeze to keep the flies away.  Our picnic lunch consisted of a yummy tossed salad and barramundi fish fillets cooked on the barbeque.  We sat under the shade of a big old tree soaking up the ambience and chatting.  Oh yes, and in keeping with his persona of being a big kid, the lovely Wayne also brought along his remote controlled helicopter which we played with (oh alright, he flew it well and I crash landed it!).  Anyhoo, the photo.  Yesterday's prompt was lunch, so here's barbequed barramundi fillet with salad...

Acknowledging an idiot

Like I said we had a delighful day yesterday, however I must vent about a motorist we encountered on our drive.  To the woman in the white sedan who ran the give way sign causing us to screech to a halt to avoid you, the hand gestures and swearing at us because I dared to honk the horn were amazing - what a great role model you are to those 2 children you had in your car!  End of rant!

What's he on about?

Pru - My bff's name isn't actually Pru, it's a pet name.  Our pet names for each other are Pru and Trude (from Kath & Kim) as we can be a bit Pru & Trude-ish when on a shopping expedition! (And yes, we do the accent too).

Guncle - Oh come on people, where have you been?  Gay + uncle = Guncle!

BOB - Bright Orange Beetle.  My first car.

Back in business!

I'm finally back in business as the saying goes.  Technology almost beat me this week, but I won out in the end!  My laptop decided to get attitude at the start of the week - the clasp thingys (technical term, trust me!) that lock it shut when you close it decided to fail whilst it was shut.  The result was that I was unable to open my laptop - hmmm, not happy Jan!  Anyhoo, it is all sorted now and I'm back in the land of the online again.

All this mucking about meant that I didn't post my final photos for the February Photo A Day Challenge - this was an annoyance to say the least.  So despite being 3 days into March, I'll finally post the remainder of last month's photos...

#FebPhotoADay - Day 26: Night

This seems like an eternity ago!  Last Sunday's theme was night.  Unfortunately it was a very overcast evening here so my intended photo of the moon and the stars wasn't possible.  Now the lovely Wayne did offer to drop 'em, but I politely declined his offer as that wasn't quite the kind of moon I was looking for!  I settled on a photo of the cloudy night sky.

#FebPhotoADay - Day 27: Something you ate

Monday's photo prompt was something you ate.  I took this photo at work of my lunch.  I wanted to capture a before and after shot so that you could indeed see that I ate the food.  I also wanted this pic to show not just ate but also the number 8 (something I 8), hence the arrangement of the plate (pl-8!!).

#FebPhotoADay - Day 28: Money

The photo prompt for Tuesday was money.  I have to confess that I was having an incredibly lazy day on Tuesday and simply re-edited a photo taken for a photo challenge I particpated in last August.  Yes I know, dreadful.  I'm hanging my head in shame as I type this (well I'm not really, how would I see the screen and be able to type if I was?!).  Here you go, the grand sum of 4 dollars - the extent of my wealth is truly amazing!  LOL.

#FebPhotoADay - Day 29: Something you're listening to

The photo prompt for the final day of the February Photo A Day Challenge was something you're listening to.  This was a no-brainier.  Back in January I mentioned a new music discovery I had made (see here).  Well the singer mentioned (Lana Del Ray) has recently released an album which is receiving a lot of air time in our home at the moment.  So here you have a screen shot from my iPhone of the cover of Lana Del Rey's new album, Born To Die.

That brings me to the end of the February Photo A Day Challenge and I must say that I've enjoyed it.  I'd like to say thanks to Chantelle over at Fat Mum Slim for this great idea.  I again found (and started following) some wonderful blogs as a result of this challenge.  Chantelle has also come up with another challenge for March, the March Photo A Day Challenge.  Now I'm going to have a break from the challenge this month but will randomly participate some days via Instagram.  To see what I'm up to, you can view my Instagram feed online or if you're an Instagram addict like myself, follow me.  Search for @gawee.

#FebPhotoADay - Day 7: Button

Today's theme for the February Photo A Day Challenge was Button.  Now I had decided early on that I wasn't going to take a photo of a clothing type button.  I also decided it couldn't be a mechanical or electrical type button.  I came up with two options - either a belly button or a button mushroom. Ok, the problem with option one is that in order to not make my dear readers sick, the belly button would ideally need to be attached to someone with rock hard abs.  Sadly, my abs aren't quite rock hard enough - close I know, but I wasn't comfortable with the idea that my svelte physique might over-excite any of you out there.  As a consequence, option two was adopted.  So here is my photo for today's theme - a fresh button mushroom!

The Comment

Woo hoo - I'm a wee bit excited this evening.  I've had my very first comment on a blog post and I have to say that I'm quite chuffed.  Yes I know - simple things!  Now I didn't start this blog to gain readers, followers or comments - it was done for me.  It is about making me take stock of life, the world around me and the everyday things that so often are overlooked.  That said however, I challenge any blogger to not get a little satisfaction/pride at knowing that your blog is being read by others and further, that it has provoked a comment or response from a reader.  Well I received my first comment today on a blog post.  It was from a lady by the name of Catherine who coincidently is a new blogger too - follow the link to view her blog Hello, New Day.  The amazing thing for me was not just that she posted a lovely comment about my blog post, but that she was a total stranger who decided to comment on my post about the Feb Photo Challenge I'm participating in - thanks heaps Catherine, you made my day.

#FebPhotoADay - Day 6: Dinner

Ok, time to post my photo for today's theme in the February Photo A Day Challenge.  The theme today is Dinner.  Now I had designs on creating a gastronomic wonder for dinner this evening so that I could show off with my photo - yes I know, shameless!  The sad reality was that after a very busy day I just didn't have the time (or the inclination) so the lovely Wayne and I stopped by the local pub and ordered a quick meal.  So here you have it dear reader, a photo of my pub dinner this evening - Steak with mushroom sauce accompanied by chips and veges.  Oh yes, and in an effort to avoid disappointing any of my readers, I did have a glass of wine with said meal ;-)  And it was delish too (the food and the wine)!

Pork and 'Puter

The Pork!

It seems that we are destined to eat well in 2012!  On Friday I decided that I felt like roast pork and so it was that the wheels were set in motion for a roast dinner.  My favourite way to do this is to cook a nice rolled boned pork roast on the rotisserie in the barbeque.  It always turns out super delicious with perfect crackling thanks to my special trick - and this dear reader is something that if I told you, I would have to kill you!  ;-)  This was accompanied by a selection of vegetables baked inside in the oven.  During all this our neighbour Helen commented over the fence that the smells coming from the barbeque were divine so I insisted she pop over and help us eat it.  We had a great evening feasting on the roast dinner and washing it down with a few good wines.  We always have fun with Helen, she's a hoot.

The (com)Puter.

My dear dad has decided to leap headlong into modernity by buying himself a laptop (the days of his old 'clunker' were numbered).  So today I spent the day at mum and dad's helping dad set up his new router and laptop - who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?  You just have to be very patient!  Anyhow, the day was a success with dad quite chuffed with his new high-tech world.  It was also great to spend the day with him just doing stuff.

The day ended with the lovely Wayne and I heading down to our local to relax and share a bottle of Semillon Sauvignon Blanc whilst enjoying the great view.  Life's good :-)



The View



PS:  I'm aware that this is yet another food post and this blog is seriously at risk of becoming a blog about the lovely Wayne and I gourmandising our way through the year - I will endeavour to expand the subject matter! (but we just enjoy good food & wine!).

Twenty Twelve

It has begun....2012 that is :-)  And it is known as twenty twelve, not two thousand and twelve.  Here's a little something for you to ponder.  It was posted by my dear cousin Linz on facebook and I have to say I agree entirely....

"OK. Let's clear this up. It's 2012 - twenty-twelve, NOT two thousand and twelve. Precedent is the Battle of Hastings 1066 - ten sixty-six, NOT one thousand and sixty-six."

Anyhoo, courtesy of cousin Linz, we've now established the correct pronunciation for this year so I urge you dear reader to go forth and share this info.

How did you see in the new year?  The lovely Wayne and I had a quiet night at home that started with Barramundi fillets cooked on the barbeque accompanied with salad and a bottle of Semillon Sauvignon Blanc - delish!  Throughout the evening we grazed on all manner of fare including stuffed olives, stuffed peppers, duck pate and brie.  This was consumed with assorted accompaniments and washed down with a steady flow of good wine whilst listening to music.  It doesn't get any better than this ;-)  The only downside was that we had to keep ourselves nice as the lovely Wayne had to work on new years day.

I guess our new year celebrations have set the tone of the year so far.  After the lovely Wayne arrived home from work on new years day, we put the top down on the Jeep and headed off for a drive around the lake.  We organised to meet my parents on the waterfront reserve at Swansea where we all sat under a tree in the late afternoon sun whilst enjoying prawns, champagne and various other nibblies - great food, great wine, great view and most of all, great company.

 

Our view while enjoying prawns and champas



Day 2 of twenty twelve saw us chilling out at home - it was a lazy kinda day that still ended in the same kind of manner as the previous two days.  Late afternoon found us driving around the waterfront with the top down to buy pizza.  We then headed to a favourite spot not far from home where we sat on the grass at the water's edge indulging in pizza and beers - I had a light beer as driver and the lovely Wayne enjoyed one the chocolate stout beers he received for christmas.  Again a lovely way to end the day taking in the great view that is so close by. 



The beer & pizza view



Topless @ the waterfront

 

Today is day 3 - I wonder what it will bring...

Good morning world!

Well the lovely Wayne had the day off today so I organised to start work late today.  This meant we could have a lazy morning enjoying a late breakfast outside in our courtyard.

Today I decided that I wanted to whip up something for brekky that I recently enjoyed at a fave cafe, The Depot.  They do a wonderful breakfast trifle which I love.  It consists of seasonal fruit, muesli, honey and vanilla yoghurt all layered in a large glass - it is devine.  My version was a little different in that I didn't have suitable glassware so it was constructed in a large bowl instead.  According to the lovely Wayne, it was every bit as good as the cafe version - he has already requested it for tomorrow!  Enjoyed with a latte, what better start is there to the day!