. . . with diamonds

Off to Melbourne today for Derby Day with three of my besties. Was beside myself with excitement until BK rang with the weather forecast for the weekend - Melbourne is expecting its month worth of rain in the NEXT 48 HOURS!

That was not in my 'pale pink strapless Carla Zampatti frock' plan. No, not at all, no siree. And this new fringe I'm sporting is not partial to moisture in the air. A wavy fringe is never cool. Oh no no no.

So I've packed three dresses and while waiting for my tan to develop last night, I discovered what could possibly be my new favey blog - and that's after only three posts so far! Lucy in the Sky comes from the fabulous sister of none other than the sublime Miss Emma Clements of White and Wander fame. What a talented family, I tell you!

Lucy's latest post was right on the money - I was in a frazzle about what to pack for Melbourne but she took away the mystery and explained all the rules so that I, too, can look as fabulous as Elle McPherson strolling through the arrivals lounge. Well, that's the plan.

The above pic from Miss Lucy's blog is pure class and surely worthy of an upgrade. 'Upgrade'. Who am I kidding? I'm flying Tiger, for goodness sake!

Happy Derby Day - stay dry!

Girls night in

There's nothing better than a hearty meal that really gets you involved - juice dripping up your wrist, sauce stains on your cheeks and an aching jaw from stretching too much to jam it all in at once.


The fabulous Ad emailed me the link to a taste.com.au burger recipe last week and when dear old friends JB and Bree came round for a lazy night on the couch, I knew just what to cook them.


I set up a DIY bar for the girls to load up with their own toppings and finished off with a serve of sweet potato fries. YUM! I was desperate for some gourmet burger rolls or ciabatta or turkish bread or something but when you head to the shops in Adelaide after work, most doors are closed except for mainstream supermarkets. I settled for French continental rolls from Bakers Delight which were actually really good and hit the spot.


We had such a lovely night in - JB and I have been friends for 15 years now and Bree's been on the scene for 12 so there was a lot of catching up to do . . . boys, country adventures, scandals from school and our dreams for the future. So many laughs - I thought I'd actually have to offer Bree a paper bag at one stage to catch her breath for all that giggling!


The mini mint Magnums were a perfect end to the night.


So, next time the girls pop around, give these a whirl! They were just the ticket for a night on the couch with The Block!


Best Burgers

Ingredients
1kg beef mince
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 egg
1/2 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3 tbs grated parmesan cheese
Pinch of grated nutmeg
2 tbs olive oil
4 ciabatta buns, toasted
4 tbs hummus
1 cup baby rocket leaves
2 vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced
Roasted capsicum (optional) and aioli or mayonnaise, to serve

Method
Place mince, onion, chilli, egg, breadcrumbs, mustard, parmesan and nutmeg in a bowl, and season. Use your hands to shape into 4 patties. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Heat oil in a non-stick frypan over medium-high heat, then cook patties for 2-3 minutes each side or until cooked to taste. Spread bun bases with hummus, add rocket, tomato, a pattie, some capsicum, aioli and top of bun.


My only hot tip would be to use less mince - I made nine burgers from the 1kg mince so can only imagine how big they'd be if you stuck to the recommended four serves!


I also threw in some avocado for good measure - just love it in a burger, but anything goes really. Sliced beetroot would be yum . . . albeit very messy!

Recipe from here.

Wedding waltz . . .

Today celebrates the one year anniversary of my awesome brother Sam and his beautiful wife Ange.

Such a gorgeous day last year, how time flies when you're having fun! They are now expecting a little bubs in February next year which has the family over the moon. So exciting.

Won't the little one have the shock of her life when she sees her parents in full swing on their wedding day?

Classic!





(Please let me know if the video doesn't work)

Blooming fabulous

It's been decades since I last posted and I just haven't felt myself! Lots going on, but yay, the weather's finally on the up!

My camera is officially dead so during my housesitting stint at Mum and Dad's this weekend, I took the opportunity to download some pics from their camera that I've 'borrowed'.

Found this gorge pic from my visit to the Parap markets with the gorgeous Bree in Darwin a few weeks (eek, months now!) back. Loved the markets - paw paw salad, best laksa and fabulous fresh juices.

Am committing to indulging in fresh flowers at least once a fortnight - and for those in between burts of colours - there's always budget-friendly daisies. Nothing better to brighten up your life!

Masterclass Dinner

Sometimes you just have those moments that make you smile til your cheeks hurt. Your belly aches from overindulging and your head spins with giddiness.

I had one of those last week. With the divine Pete and Michelle - aka, my better halves.

We treated ourselves to an opulent night at Penfold's Magill Estate Restaurant. OMG.

Where do I start?

Gourmet Traveller hosted a fabulous reader's night and we snapped up the hottest tickets in town at the very last minute.

As a single girl who dreams of fine dining and romantic dates, it doesn't get much better than this*

* (Can we just pretend Dr Chris from Offspring was my gorgeous, attentive partner on this occasion, please!?)

So, I'll let the food speak for itself - out of this world. I'm no food critic, so consider this the review for the everyday gal!

Salinger sparkling on arrival

Hello! Gorgeous views over the city on arrival. It was all a bit dreamlike!

Pristine Coffin Bay oyster, pomelo fibres and Avruga

Beautiful, so fresh and YUM!

Kangaroo Island marron, liquid ham and pea, leek terrine and shellfish foam

Penfolds Reserve Bin 05A Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2005

Wow. Talk about clever - the liquid ham and pea was so surprising

Squab, gingerbread, rhubarb, aniseed and pineapple caramel

Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

OMG. Like nothing I've ever tasted. Such an interesting mix of textures and flavours. Who would've thought I'd ever try pigeon!?

Mayura Station wagyu beef, salsa verde, fermented aioli and shallot rings

Penfolds RWT Barossa Valley Shiraz 2003

Cooked to perfection. Like marshmallows. The fermented aioli was so unique

Textures of blood orange, fennel, orange powder

Gorgeous

Amedei Single Origin chocolae, honey crumble, cocoa husk and vanilla
Penfolds Bluestone Grand Tawny

So rich and so ah-mazing. The perfect finish

And to top it all off, I tried my first ever drop of Grange. Yay! I never thought this day would come. It's just as good as everyone says.

Yes, cheeks still hurting! Just try and wipe the smile from my face!

Pic from here

Life's a BREEze!

The gorgeous BREE is in town! Yay!

Nothing better than one of your besty's flying in for some quality girly time.

We've got a busy few days - movie fundraiser on Thursday (hence the popcorn reference above!) and school reunion on Sunday, will be a hoot!

Need to get as much time with the little lady before she heads back up to Darwin xo