Phew. Long time.

I really suck arse at this consistency thing. I've never been great at it - diaries always commenced enthusiastically but petered off, study was the best thing ever in the earlier part of the semester and clearly blogs fall into the same category. At least I am consistent in my inconsistency. But anyhoo, it's a stormy Sydney night (after the hottest day, oh, ever), I've had the day off so all my chores have been done (except the ones I hate) so I thought I'd pull up a pew and say howdy. So, howdy.

It's been a fun, em, few months! The annual girls' holiday to Phillip Island for the MotoGP came through with the goods in October. I thought about putting some photos up, but I look too terribly bogan in all of them. Of course that is the charm of the weekend however back in civilisation, well, you know. Suffice to say it's always a blast, and that I'll be back next year.

Other fun things have included this night:



Tim and I went to an opening at the Botanic Gardens one early Spring evening. Free wine! Free canapes! Hideous crafty craft! We did, surprisingly, find some lovely handblown glasses - a cross between vases and glasses really. The artist saw us coming and said they were ideal for gin and tonics...well she sold us, and they sure are. Large gin and tonics. Hurrah!

It's spring time so there have been a world of berries which I have been unable to resist - I bashed up these strawberry and mulberry tarts for an afternoon tea recently. I think they were made with a light lemon cream base. They were pretty good. I am currently on a detox, though, so everything other than fish and greens seems pretty good.



And look! Some more sideways flowers! My specialty.



These snapdragons harboured a colony of caterpillars. They stayed hidden for about a week, but during a dinner party (Tim's old housemates. Very drunk. Possibly partial cause of detox) we noticed the odd caterpillar here and there. They were quite cute. And then we saw about five more. And ten more after that. And then it seemed the entire bunch was a crawling mass of caterpillars, so I removed them outside (far from my window boxes). But they are pretty though, huh? And sideways.

And finally, for some reason I have taken photos of green pasta. We made David Tanis' Green Lasagne with Greens. It was heavenly - really light and freshly flavoured. The lasagne sheets here are made with pureed spinach mixed through the dough, and the lasagne itself has a mix of a whole range of greens. I suspect I had vague plans to snap the entire progress but the chances are strong my good friend Wine got in the way of that plan. Again, detox.



So. Other than sounding like a roaring alcoholic, not loads of other news. Christmas and the Silly Season are looming, summer is hitting down on Sydney and we've just bought new pushbikes to make the most of it all. Hurrah!

Wollemi National Park Annualversary Hike

To celebrate our anniversary, Tim and I decided to take a few days off and hit the great outdoors. We decided on a three day hike through the Wollemi National Park, starting at Newnes and going to Annie Rowan Creek, with two nights camping along the way.

We headed up on Friday night to stay at Newnes, which was a former mining township but now exists of one pub which is in the process of being done up, and some holiday cabins. Oh, and some spectacular scenery. We stayed at the Newnes Holiday Cabins which are the only option other than camping - but what an option. All sustainable, eco-friendly and boasting solar panels and a help-yourself vegetable garden, the cabins are set in a valley and wrapped by wattle which happened to be flowering during our visit. I almost didn't want to start the hike.



But start we did, the following frosty morning. We'd secured topographic maps and looked up all the track notes we could find and were planning on leaving Newnes and walking 13k to Rocky Creek to camp for the night. On advice from the proprieter, we decided to add an extra 5k to camp at the national park ranger's campsite further into the park. We'd then do a day trip to Annie Rowan Creek before heading back.

The first day of walking was lovely. The track left Newnes and crossed a river into the national park. The first 3k or so took us up to historic ruins - this area used to be a shale mine, and there was extensive and overgrown ruins, the likes of which you rarely see in Australia. We passed old chimneys, retaining walls, and a series of coke ovens which blistered out of the side of a hill. The track then went on to Rocky Creek - a relatively easy up and downish walk. We stopped next to the Wolgan river for morning tea and continued the walk on to Rocky Creek for lunch. This was a little more difficult - had to cross the river and I, ahem, slipped in. But the sun was shining, my shoes dried while we ate, and then went on our merry way (to find only a few metres down the track a second river crossing - but shoes came off for this one!).

A guide book I'd read had recommended doing the walk in August as that was when the wattle is in bloom. It was and it was glorious. Walking through grey green valleys with cliffs looming on either side, the entire canopy was haloed with the beautiful blossom. My eyes couldn't have been happier to see it.



The walk to the national park campsite was also easy, although Tim and I had both invested in new hiking packs (and hadn't been hiking in a million years) so we were feeling a little sore and sorry. One more river crossing and there was the camp - complete with a sink and a chopping board in an otherwise remote and isolated area.



We had a lovely evening - setting up camp, cooking (chorizo pasta) and drinking (whorts. Whisky and port mixed together. Trust me, better than it sounds).

The next morning we packed a day pack and headed off along the track to find Annie Rowan Creek. After about 1k the track petered out as we hit a rocky outlook. We skirted around the river bed and climbed up it...and from there, my memory tends to be a little blank. All I can say is there was no proper track (we since learned that there isn't one as such - it is more or a scramble and see sort of thing) and we got somewhat lost. Tim did really well orienteering - he had the map and is experienced however I got a little freaked out in the absence of street signs! We scrambled over rocks, rushed through glades where we could, saw lots of animal tracks but never managed to find Annie Rowan Creek. By Tim's estimates it was another 30 mins or so ahead - but I'd had enough and we agreed to turn back. At which stage we promptly got lost. It wasn't a lost forever sort of lost - the track was between two mountains and next to a river, however finding our way back across the rocks was very difficult. We are now both nettle-stun and bramble-scratched and I am not prepared to disclose whether there were or were not tears.



Either way, the sun it was a shining and we made our way with much relief to our camp for lunch. We then packed up and walked back to Rocky Creek - my favourite part of the trip. The walk (after our lostness) was simple, there was a warm breeze, the wattle smelled like honey and the light dappled down. Can confirm that there were no tears during this section. We were wise to the double creek trick and took our shoes off for the walk over. The first crossing was fine - all sandy banks - but the second enlightened us as to why the creek is called rocky. Ouch ouch bloody ouch. On the plus side the water was so cold that feet were somewhat numb...actually, no plus side, it bloody killed.

We set up in a covered glade by the river and enjoyed the evening. Tim had snuck in an extra bottle of wine, which we enjoyed with an indian meal. Some little bits of rain started falling, which made us batten down the hatches, but it never actually took off. That night was surprisingly hot - I was ROASTING in the tent (which for me is the most unusual thing, I'd freeze in a sauna). We could hear the wind blowing above and the river running next to us, and it was just lovely. I was convinced the rain was going to come and that we would have to walk out in the middle of the night (cos of course the river was going to rise and kill us) so I was pleasantly surprised that we managed to stay put and dry the whole night.

We walked out the next morning - we'd forgotten that there was as much uphill as there was. Not bad uphill, just continuous for the first section of the walk. But like the rest of it, beautiful glades with wattle and the gentle trickle of the river to keep you company. Dreamy.



(Incidentally - the Blue Mountains police stations loan out Personal Locater Beacons. We borrowed one Just In Case. Didn't need it but was wonderful to have the peace of mind it brought).

Possibly one of the nicest things about this walk - not another soul along the way. From the moment we left Newnes until we returned, there was nobody. No bloody Annie Rowan, noone. Tops.

Mega Egg Carbonara

Tripping around the Fox Studio markets a few weeks ago we went to buy some eggs. Sitting next to the Usual Size Eggs was the Mother of All Eggs. Well, maybe not the mother, as an emu egg would be bigger. But it was still a Big Egg. A Big Goose Egg.


Note: I do not have lady hands. I have large man hands so please remember this when judging the size of the egg.

We bought it, having been convinced by the stall lady that they were just starting and we would be back for more, guaranteed. She recommended cooking it in place of four usual eggs, and said it was quite rich and made a great carbonara sauce. So the next night, that's what we made.



No photos of the actual pasta, but it was heavenly. Slight scary having to virtually saw open the goose egg, and separating the yolk and white was equally weird. But once done, it made a delicious, rich and creamy sauce over homemade pasta with smoky bacon. We yummed it up. With Mega Appetites.

The Great Nuriootpa Fiasco

As recently mentioned, Tim and I have bought my grandparent's house in the town of Nuriootpa, in the beautiful Barossa Valley. We settled in May, and decided prior to getting tenants we'd head over, do a bit of work around the place and help my grandparents move out the last of their things.

We decided to drive there, so got to spend a (rather late and boozy) night in Wagga at my sister's new place. We then hit the ten hour drive across south western NSW, across Victoria and to the Barossa. A huge storm hit for the last few hours and it was some rather scary travelling. For cry babies like me, anyway.

We'd heard from the real estate agent who will be managing the property that a bit of work was needed. We weren't sure what this meant and didn't want to make any plans prior to seeing it, so the night of the arrival was also inspection night. In the middle of the night, with tired travel eyes, it was hard to know what to think. Lots of the rooms had bad walls (never actually finished, in one case) and due to the type of board they were made of, looked a lot like one would imagine scary asbestos to look like. As it happens, the internal walls weren't asbestos - that's just the entire outside.

So come daylight, we got working. Three rooms, three sandbacks, re-plaster and fill, paint and in one room, stain the floors.





It may look like Tim did all the work, but I would like to point out that the staining he appears to be doing is token only. I did that room. Stain is all over my iPhone as proof.

We worked super mega hard (not just physically - the trauma of my grandparents moving out for the first time ever is a whole other story). After the fifth day we looked around and were happy - the rooms looked fresh and not dicey and with a good clean we thought it'd be AOK. So much so we took ourselves out to a local winery for dinner and got liquored. Well and truly, soused, liqoured.

The next morning the real estate agent turned up and through the blaze of our hangovers inspected the house. She was very happy with the inside but then, calmly, advised us to paint the outside because although not dangerous, it 'looked too much like asbestos'. Sigh. We tossed it up and (through my gritted teeth and only a few tantrums) decided to paint the outside.

In deference to my grandparents, I asked my grandfather what colour he thought we should paint it. 'Asbestos colour' was the gruff reply. Sigh.





Man oh man. We got the front of the house done that afternoon, and had no choice but to finish it the next day as we had to drive all the way back to Sydney for work on Monday. It got done although I don't think I have ever been so sore or tired. The quality of the outside job was also, ahem, slightly dubious. Especially by the last side. Sadly exhaustion and time poverty had turned us into shonky landlords.

Anyhoo, it was a week of ups and downs. Mainly downs. Downs and pain. But it is done; and the great news is we got a tenant in a few weeks later. My grandparents wasted no time in dropping in to pick up 'something they forgot' (they are the sweetest looking people in the world - for years I had no idea how wily they are!) and it turns out he is a relative. Insert yet another sigh.

The Annual Pumpkin Festival

Leaving Our Nation's Capital, we headed back towards Sydney and passed a small town, Collector. A small town with a big event - the annual pumpkin festival. Driving into the tiny town, cars lined the road and people were flocking towards what I could only assume was the Pumpkin Fun (or a horrific train wreck). Locals had made pumpkin men and pumpkin posters and pumpkin signs - there was pumpkin celebration aplenty!



Excitedly, we wondered what things there could possibly be. Biggest pumpkin, pumpkin scones and pies, pumpkin carving were all ideas we wagered on. All that and more! My favourite was probably the 'make a scarecrow with a pumpkin head' competition. There were about a dozen men stuck on sticks in various states of dress and expression, stretching down the side of a field (a field that had the obligatory vintage car show, baby farm animals and metal work displays).

The main hall held the pumpkin competition - and the winner of largest
pumpkin:


Not to mention the weirdest looking pumpkin:



And the smallest edible pumpkin:



It seemed that Gary Poile and only about 3 other people submitted any entries to any of the comps. I noticed Gary had also busted out the pumpkin pie and scone entry as well as several other pumpkin entries. Go Gaz. I guess Collector doesn't have a huge population to draw entrants from. But huge thumbs up to the efforts of the few that did!

Capital Take 2

We then trekked on to Parliament House for more snaps. I would have included them in the last post however for some reason my computer hates multiple snaps. Perhaps I should take heed.






Tim and I. Even my shadow looks champagne thirsty.

Following all this hard work, we headed out for breaky with J and GSquared. They had found a wee cafe in Belconnen that served a two course champagne breakfast and rightly thought I may be interested. J and I both ordered it - eggs benedict with a chocolate and strawberry crepe and dreamy bubbles. Dreamy bubbles that made me very snoozy all the way home.

Our Nation's Capital

This weekend we had a short sojourn to Canberra. It was my brother's 30th and also my sister would be in town. She'd given my The Best Job Ever a fortnight ago - a wad of cash, a list and basically let me go nuts furnishing her new house! So I shopped, I crammed the car full of homeware goodies, and we headed to Canberra to have some fun.

Our 'one show only' night in town was fun - cold, but fun. The following morning Tim wanted to get up early to get some snaps prior to breakfast so I went along too to get used to the new camera.

The trees this time of year are spectacular and it was a cold, crisp and sunny morning.


Old Parliament House, from across the lake.


A bridge. I was attempting Art.


A cycle rack, and more attempted Art.


This was the underside of one of the buildings. I think Canberra council may have been attempting Art.


Ah pretty trees!

Next stop was new Parliament House...

Tim found this at work. Snigger.

Many mushies pasta

For my birthday, Tim bought me a pasta maker. It is heavenly. It's stainless steel, shiny, solid and a beautiful piece of machinery. It also requires levels of patience that I do not have and sadly were not included in the box. I can stand and stare at it for ages, but when it comes to neatly rolling pasta...aaarrrgggggh!!!! So my job has become to make the dough and patient, calm Tim is the roller of pasta. I have managed lasagne sheets (not without cussing) but to be honest anything more is probably not feasible if a) we want home made nice looking pasta and b) we want to keep the machine in one piece.

So. Following a trip to my new best markets, we had a mountain of mushies (wild pine, those long little ones, swiss brown, those weird white ones, oysters and a few others) with which to make a delicious feast. These little guys are my fave. I reckon you could live under these. But only if they were pink and spotted.



The mushies we cooked really simply, with butter, garlic and thyme from the herb garden, and some stock right at the end. The pasta making happened thanks to Tim:







Isn't it dreamy? There was actually enough pasta for 18 people (I love carbs, but even I have my limits) so the mushies were slightly lost, but the ample wine consumed during the evening of preparation made me completely unconcerned.

Nesting

Recently, I went on a weekend jaunt to Our Nation's Capital with Tim and his folks to see the Degas exhibition at the National Gallery. It was a great weekend - I really enjoyed the exhibition (once Degas got over the awkward portraiture phase!) and also got a chance to catch up with both my brothers as well as J and GSquared (who lives in Canberra).

On our second day there, trapped in a suburb that we seemed to keep winding up in, Tim and I walked into a Chinese antique shop and found some coolie old Mao propaganda posters. As not-very-wealthy decorators, the 25 clams a pop was the right price and the crazy old propaganda cartoons tickled our fancy (particularly the one about the Korean war, with China supporting Korea with money and food, and American planes being shot down in the background). Just before going to Wagga we had them framed, thus ruining the cheap as chips appeal:



Crap photo. I took it.

They are going to be living in the study (which is currently a dumping ground as we're in the middle of merging possessions and finding places for things in the tiny apartment). I had a horrible (but environmentally friendly) light in the study (a 'daylight' energy saver. Do not buy. Go for any other colour), which we have since covered with a Chinese patterned lantern. Go Maz shopping!



Finally here is a picture of some flowers (a better photo, I'm learning!) that we bought at my new number one markets, the Everleigh Markets at The Carriage Works in Redfern. Farmer's markets a few suburbs away with amazing flowers, produce and, well, everything! Hurrah! If I actually ever ride my pushbike there I will be living the dream!

Two weddings and a grad!

The Congraduations went well, as far as these things do. The ceremony could not have been more dull, especially as I was quite early on. If I wasn't sitting right at the front next to the security guards I would have legged it after walking across the stage. As it was I stuck it out to the bitter end, to find afterwards that the refreshments I was dreaming of were sadly of the non alcoholic variety.

To remedy this, we (Tim, J and her squeeze GSquared) went for a boozy lunch at the Three Chefs (maybe it was called that? Some number of chefs, anyway), one of Wagga's better restaurants. I can't remember what I ate but I did drink adequately. We then followed a boozy lunch with a boozy dinner at the Magpie's Nest - another lovely Wagga restaurant set a wee bit out of town. It overlooks the city and we were there at sunset to watch the sun go down and the lights come up.



I remember what I ate here cos we'd joked about ordering the most elaborately named dish on the menu (while the food is great the descriptions are rather preposterous). I had the duck, and while I can't remember exactly how it was written about I seem to recall it taking four lines. It was heavenly though. I also remember some rather lovely flavoured bread.

Next stop was Bowral, for a wedding of a friend from school. Tim took some rather lovely snaps on his camera - this is just one of the night before the wedding in the misty highlands. The venue was phenomenal - gorgeous old estate with manicured gardens, lots of which would surprise you as you turned a corner. Just breathtaking.



The other wedding was a beach number at Balmoral and was just as lovely but completely different. I actually have no snaps of that one at all - once again Tim was mega photographer and I held the job of Chief Wine Drinker (actually that's not true; Tim took that one too!).

After Easter I've just been taking it easy and trying to catch up on work, sleep and play. We went for an autumn walk around The Bay last week - although it resulted in blisters for both of us (stupid old converse trainers) it was lovely.





Naturally Tim took these. Punk.

Once again it's been ten million years. Busy times, super happy times. Although I did get a bloody driving offence ticket today, so not that happy. Operating a hand-held mobile while driving (it was on speaker phone), 243 clams. Ouch.

Synopsis of last two months, in ranking order of funness:
1. Tim has moved in, bought in, and buying in to number 2;
2. buying my grandparent's property in the heavenly Barossa. Words can't express how much this means to me;
3. a few dreamy holidays, in particular said Barossa, where we sat of an evening after harvesting the fig tree making bottles of '5 year figs', fig jam and stewed apples while drinking local grenache; and
4. that's it - everything else fits in to the work category, really!

We also had the post-Vanuatu-theft insurance claim come through, which resulted in lots of post-Vanuatu-theft purchasing. One of these includes a new camera, which is water and shock proof, as I am a rather clumsy lady. It does this:


Panorama photos, if you do the 'hold camera and rotate while snapping' move. As you can see on the right it doesn't align that well on the first attempt!

It also does an 'indoor' setting, which shows a whole lot of very preppy looking people having a very lame party (I love streamers and party hats, but only in conjunction with ample champers, and the picture on the camera setting only shows the first two. I don't trust them sans the latter). However it did make me get sentimental and attempt to take indoor style photos of the house now Tim's in it. The main features he brings (coffee machine, record player and ample vinyl) and the skills he has (built-in making and general rearranging) aren't captured, but you get the drift!



What is still bloody doesn't do is just turn my photos around! Gah!







This week is a bit of a big 'un. My congraduations on Thursday, which means a road trip to Wagga. There is an option called 'Town and Gown' - graduands can opt to continue wearing their capes, travel from the uni to the town centre, and walk down the main street in full regalia with 'local dignitaries'. I think this means anyone from the council who isn't liquored already. I'm not taking part, but I am looking forward to watching from the sidelines from the safety of a pub! Then two weddings - one on Saturday, one the following Thursday...so busy times continue. Tim is also super unwell post Singapore work trip this week (I had forgotten how dreadfully funny sick men are. Like, nobody ever before. Heavens.), so hopefully that'll be taken care of prior to the trip.

Big storm brewing outside (apparently Sydney has loads of blackouts) so I am going to take my wine glass and sit on my stoop and watch it roll in. Night!

200Fine?

Well.
So far, it's been quite the year. 200great was fab, so perhaps I shouldn't complain. But really.

First up, just after new years, Tim and I hit the road camping. It was a great trip - we left on a Friday afternoon and made our way to the previously unknown (to us) Dewar River National Park. Basically, leave Sydney, head to Goulburn and take a left. We headed through some rough dirt roads before pulling in at about 10pm at a campground just made for, well, campers! Each site had about 6 tent spots, each with a fire pit and a grill and billy pole. It was fairly quiet - we had neighbours but everyone was out for a lovely time (well, except the four-wheel-drivers who blew into town on Saturday night wanting to party, but left when they realised there was no room at the inn - to a communal sigh of relief from the rest of us!). The trip was as all good camping trips should be - hiking, exploring, nature watching (although I wasn't overly enamoured with the 6 goannas that circled us the morning we left trying to get our food. Like, goannas the size of my leg. And some of my torso. Scary, scary goannas), eating, drinking and generally having a great time. Upon leaving though we had to drive a rather narrow dirt road, with many blind corners, around which came a ute going at just the wrong speed to miss. So we had a collision - there was a choice of us running into solid rock, the ute going off the cliff, or us both taking it on the chin. Or, more accurately, on Tim's car's chin. Which is what we did. I've never been in a big accident before and while we were really lucky - only shock and some very minor whiplash - the car was pretty much totalled. It was scary - I nearly burst into tears (about fourteen times) but really, it was an absolute miracle it wasn't worse.

Disaster number two occurred in Vanuatu, where we travelled just after new year to go to one of Tim's uni mates' wedding. First up - the wedding was dreamy. I tend to liken beach weddings to, well, white American trash (yup, Pammy). However this was everything opposite to my imagination. We were on a beach, white sand and sunset, nobody around for miles and a gorgeous restaurant looking out across the ocean. The speeches were done as the sun set and all the people there were lovely. All the people except the punks that broke into our hotel room and stole, well, everything of value. Which, as it happens, wasn't too much (although I am still angry about the cold carton of beer they took from our fridge!). Tim lost more important things than I did; and nothing was gone that can't be replaced. The plus is we got to see the inside of a Vanuatu police station (think BargeArse in tropical shirt) and write our own statement (which the police then copied and reworded slightly for their own report!). We also got Vanuatu Belly (a nasty cousin of Bali Belly) which is never pleasant, but overall an island holiday is an island holiday!

Back home now, and just celebrated my (gulp) 31st. Had a great weekend - lots of fun and friends - and surprisingly, home renos! We (well, Tim) replaced my skanky light in the living area with some lovely spot lights and the difference is amazing. I've also just painted the second coat on my blackboard door - basically I put blackboard paint with a red border on the back of the front door to use for fun lists and the like. I was given a pasta maker for my birthday from Tim, so made fresh lasagne sheets and replanted the herb garden (word on the street is that rosemary and basil do not good housemates make). So I am feeling totally inspired to do more fun things around my wee house. I'd take some snaps to show the fun new look, but no can do as the Vanuatu thieves stole my bloody camera. However, I suck at taking pictures so I guess it doesn't actually matter!

Happy 200Fine!

Man the silly season goes quickly. It's all one long hangover, really. First you're having a sip of champagne for the Melbourne Cup and the next thing you know it's January 1st.

There have been many memorable moments of the last few months but more importantly last night I made a Discovery. This was the unexpected guest of honour at a new year's dinner last night, and goes by the name of Gordon's Cup. Originally I thought I'd give it a bash cos it sounded fun, but holey dooley it was delicious! Summer in a glass! Perfect for warm weather, subtle enough for a taste sensation and ginny enough to get you liquored, new year's style.

Basically this magical drink is gin (Plymouth was recommended and used, and was so light and lovely), tossed in a shaker with muddled lime and skinless cucumber and a dash of sugar syrup. That's it. But heavens, the flavours are refreshing and complex at the same time, and I felt dreadfully elegant drinking them. Until the third, after which I was just plain pissy.

Anyhoo, Gordon was a lovely new friend to help me see out 200Great (which has been quite a momentous year for me - 2 new jobs, finishing the masters, a lovely new squeeze) and usher in 200Fine. Which I hope is just as tops. But maybe a little more stable!

Said squeeze is on his way over post new year's day golf (worst idea ever, apparently!) and we're going to make gin and tonics to relax (with frozen tonic ice cubes. We're not into watering down drinks in any way, shape or form obviously!).

So cheers, especially to you Gordon, and happy new year!

Holiday project number one - herb garden

The silly season - my best time of year - has just kicked off in earnest and as a result I am constantly hung over, tired and wondering what to wear. This week is the start of my official Christmas parties - I've my work one on Friday (a local dinner), one with the Marrickvillains on Sunday and some other event every other night this week. I suspect up until late January (post Vanuatu holiday, hurrah!) my holiday projects will all have to be on hold.

All except this one! Finally, after banging on for 18 months about wanting a wee garden, I have finally pulled out my (green) thumb. Last weekend at the markets we came across a herb seller, and really there was no excuse but to invest. I picked out some window boxes and up they went!



They make my rather prison like house a bit more homely...or maybe they just emphasise the bars! (incidentally I am delighted that it's prison like. I am super terrified of being kidnapped - because of my fabulous wealth and influence, you know - and this way I feel a bit more secure about miscellaneous Marrickville thugs breaking in.)





I've gone with tarragon, parsley, thyme, two lots of basil and rosemary. I actually get no sun whatsoever on my stoop (word on the street is herbs are all about the sun) but so far and no deaths (touch wood). I rather fancy myself quite the Jamie Durie. I'm not entirely sure this counts as a reno but it's definitely home improvement (until said Marrickville thugs snack on them all out of frustration at my impenetrable fortress).

Average 30

Just back from afternoonies (or matinee drinks, my preferred term!) at Jimbo's house - a friend who has recently returned from a stint in Darwin. During it we were lamenting the lack of fancy dress parties in our lives (one of the guys there, Evan, is going to a 'Come as You Were' party. You have to get a picture of yourself from the past and reenact it - and bring the picture along to compare your success!).

Evan and I share the same birthday - February 1st - so we have decided to celebrate it this year with a fancy dress affair. I'll be turning 31 and he 29 - so we're calling it an 'Average 30th'. The theme jury is still out although it's looking like 'Heroes and Villains' will be the most likely (although Jacs, for some reason, seems obsessed with having an 'Australian Icons' party, which we may go with due to our birthday's proximity to Australia Day).

Anyhoo home now, and looking forward to my first weekend in after finishing school (I had to go home two weekends ago and then hit the mountains last week). I have a Hot Date lined up with the couch, a bottle of wine, and the quarterly essay which I will feel no guilt whatsoever reading as I have no outstanding uni work ever again!

Off to a Spanish themed (flamenco dancing, tapas and cervesas) engagement party tomorrow - it's a harbour cruise affair so hopefully the weather won't replicate today's. We'd wind, hail, sun, overcast, rain, you name it all day. But then, if I'm liquored Spanish style, I don't suppose it matters what the weather is like.

The first internet

I spent last weekend in the Blue Mountains with Tim's family - it was a lovely leech filled getaway (OK, far nicer than a leechy getaway but a leech filled walk was the cause of much panic and therefore sticks in my mind!).

His folks had been sent a telegram which was rather fun. The top of it proudly stated 'Telegraph - The First Internet'. Hmmmm. Is this where the marketing of telegrams has gone - latching onto the success of the world wide web? I told my sister and she has requested that she only be addressed in morse code from now on (anther dying art - morse code. I'm making s summer to do list and it crossed my mind that perhaps learning morse code should be on it...but nah, I'll stick with learning proper grammar).

Congraduations!

I have just submitted my final essay of my Masters degree. Like, half an hour ago I hit 'send'. It feels a little surreal - I have spent the last five years studying (first my undergrad in social work and now the masters). I am not entirely sure why I am still sitting near a computer and typing because for the last few weeks I have been swearing that the second I am done my mac is getting thrown on a celebration bonfire, along with all my text books, notes and papers. Hurrah!

And now...a whole summer of freedom! No, wait - a whole forever of freedom! (although I am considering studying next year but unsure exactly about the finer details as yet). I hardly know what to do with myself, although I am fairly sure it will involve lots of reading of trash, lots of afternoon wines, lots of cooking and eating outdoors summer picnic style, hopefully some swimming, some home renos (painting, I think, and perhaps some gardening), and...well...anything I darn well like!

My first dream, though, and the thing I am going to do right now, is to scrub my house from top to bottom. That, and then get liquored. Hurrah!

And now I think I rock.

So I won the 'Best Cake' award! But not, as anticipated, for the chocolate cointreau cake - but for the rhubarb crumb cake (which I'd actually had to call Pre-Loved Rhubarb Crumb Cake as Tim and I had sampled a piece the night before the bake off) (well, you try sitting and looking at two whole cakes on your sideboard, with their scent wafting deliciously towards you, and your sweets stomach so so empty). There were some great entries - the Occupational Therapy team walked away with 'Best in Show' and 'Best Decorated'. They'd made a chocolate cake shaped in the letters O and T, and covered it with white marzipan. Then they'd fashioned four little figures representing the four aspects of OT - rest (a little guy sleeping), work (a Bob-the-Builder-esque tradie), leisure (someone playing) and self-care (a nudie dude putting his clothing on). It was truly tops and totally unexpected, and well deserved the prestigious awards it won!

So now I reckon I'm the best cake maker ever. I am off to dinner tonight (to meet Tim's folks for the first time, eek! J helpfully said I should wear a titty halter top so I look like a Nice Young Lady, ha ha!) and I have made dessert. In a cocky manner befitting my recent victory, I (foolishly) decided not to follow a recipe but to combine several. So here is my balsamic caramel glazed mango sour cream cake. Too many flavours, anyone?! The cake batter was great news (I licked the beaters, then the wooden spoon and then the bowl) but it rose a lot more than expected so I am not sure if it's going to be too dry and cakey. But nothing a good dose of nice cream won't fix, I guess!



Rest of the weekend has been nice - finally I burrowed my head in some readings. My final uni papers are due in just over a week and I got quite a lot of work out of the way which is, well, overdue. Went to a night picnic last night (Tim made a Passata Fritatta - while tring to make a roast spring garlic fritatta he accidentally started following the recipe next to it, which required an addition of tomato passata. The end result was a pinkish fritatta that was actually pretty tasty, and hilarious), played some night frisbee, and that's been about it.

Righto, off to go get my cleavage out before this dinner lark!

2008 Bake Off!

So sadly I have been having way too much fun to be doing any lamo blogging! I've had the Girl's Annual Holiday to MotoGP (it was our 5 year annualversary and also the first year my sister came) (it was, as always, tops. My husband AntWest did poorly but what's not to like about camping, breakfast beers, old mates, an island and loud loud motorbikes?!), school work that I've been shunning, a last minute idyllic camping trip to the Kangaroo Valley (idyllic if you minus the leech that secretly attached itself to my hip, ugh) and a fairly busy time at work. And speaking of work, tomorrow is the Inaugral DADHC Bake Off!

There are several categories - best cake in show, best looking cake, best non-edible cake and best non cake item. Punters can enter as many as they like, and people can pay $10 to be a judge. All spectators and eaters make a gold coin donation. The bake off has been led mainly by my team, as I suspect we're the greediest department there could possibly be! Some entrants include: a marscapone and nutella tart, a baked cheesecake, 'the best scones in the world' a vegan mud cake, and two types of rhubarb cakes (Ricky loves rhubarb apparently!).

I was thinking of entering 36 hour choc chip cookies (which I've been talking up for ages) and this big crumb coffee cake, but a chat with Phil at the noodle markets last week changed my mind. Phil declared that the secret to winning a bake off is liquor. Apparently it doesn't matter how much effort everyone else has gone to, or how gorgeous the cake is - if it's got alcohol in it, you're practically guaranteed to win!

So...I stayed with the coffee cake (only cos the crumbs looked divine, and I also am partial to rhubarb) but decided to also make a drink fused one just to hedge my bets. I found a recipe for a chocolate cake called 'Winning Hearts and Minds Cake', added a healthy dose of cointreau, and renamed it 'Winning Heart and Minds and Hopefully Bake Offs Cake'.

Either way it's win win - I'm paying my tenner to be a judge - not so I can be biased but so that I'm guaranteed to get a taste of all the goodies!