No pain, no gain

My poor Adelaide Oval.

It looks like a bomb's hit it!

But you know what they say, short term pain for long term gain.

What a fun few days we've had, old friend . . .

Pic here

Eastbound

Hello dear Readers

I'd love for you to meet Nicole. The gorgeous one on the left.

Nic and I used to work together - we yoga'ed, we shared lunches, we drank (lots) and we laughed (even more).

This Thursday, we're heading to Melbourne for four days of Spring Racing craziness.

The Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on Saturday is the highlight of our little getaway but we're fitting in lots of other adventures along the way.

Just to name a few . . . dinner at MoVida, shopping at Chadstone, drinks at Trunk, breakfast at St Ali, recovery at Riverland, Sunday Session at Little Creatures, lemon tart at Laurent on Little Collins, boy spotting at the Collins Quarter, dumplings in Chinatown. 

Hmm, and that's just a start!

I've got my hat all sorted but still swinging between two different dresses. And I can't find my black shoes or clutch.

Lucky we can fit in a spot of shopping before Saturday!

PS. Pic from the cricket a few years back. Bring it.

Bowl me over

Only Matthew Le Nevez (aka Dr Patrick from Offspring) could make a moustache look this good. 

I feel slightly wrong perving on 'Dennis Lillee' like this. He's like, my Dad's age!

Who else is loving Howzat?

Pic

Birthday beers

Happy birthday Big John {aka Dad}

Can you believe this was us nearly seven years ago?

With The Ashes. Yep. Gush. One of the best days of my life.

Tour of Lords with Dad in the morning, High Tea at The Ritz with Mum in the afternoon.

What's even harder to believe is it's the big 6-0 next year, old man!

Suffice to say, you're a bit greyer (and dare I say portlier!) than you were in this pic!

xo

Adelaide icon

I ummed and ahhed over whether I should post this story, but Andy and Kristie's appreciation of the subject at large got me over the line. 

Please look away now if you have a weak stomach.

Let me introduce you to the infamous 'AB'.

The AB is an Adelaide icon. 

To put it simply, it's a layer of hot chips, covered in yiros meat then smothered in yiros sauce (garlic yoghurty type), tomato sauce and chilli sauce.

Despicable, I know.

But it's your best friend at 3am in the morning after a big day at the cricket or in North Adelaide! 

Kristie has even admitted to getting one sober. She was in hospital with appendicitis last year and upon her release back into the real world, having not eaten for three days, her then fiance asked her what she felt like eating . . . and her first response was an AB.

Unbelievable.

So I was mortified to find myself sitting at an outside table on O'Connell Street, out the front of the 'Red and White' (as opposed to the 'Blue and White' cafe two shops down), digging into a plate of AB for two at 7pm on Friday night - it was still light! It's safe to say I was sober enough to know better, but Kristie and Andy are persuasive types and how could I call myself a proud South Aussie food enthusiast if I left our NSW visitors to tackle the plate on their own?

I won't get into the politics of explaining what AB stands for - it's controversial to say the least, but it's as much a part of drunken Adelaide culture as pie floaters, Vili's meat pies and Farmers Union Iced Coffees.

For a wonderfully descriptive explanation of the steps involved in devouring an AB, please read this piece. It hits the nail on the head!

I think I've had my quota for 2012 . . . until next year's cricket season!

It's the most wonderful time of the year . . .

If only this photo was better.

Today was the first day of the Adelaide Test Match and my most favourite day of the year.

I love love love love the cricket - the Pimms tent, the sprawling lawns, the picket fence, the baggy green, the boys in loafers . . . I digress.

Unless you've experienced the back of the Members for yourself, you can't even start to imagine how much fun it is. As a friend's Dad once said in reference to her membership payment "it's the most expensive entry fee you'll ever pay to a pub".

But oh, it's worth it!

Today I went with my Dad and actually watched most of the afternoon session. As much as I love the fun and frivolity out the back, I do insist that I watch some live action out the front on the first day.

Australia Day on Thursday though . . . that's a whole other story!

Pimms anyone?!

What time is it?

Someone in the office just mentioned Pimms.

And now I have a sudden craving for the festive beverage in a tall glass filled with ice and lots of yummy garnish - especially cucumber.

Reminds me of Sunday afternoons at the pub in London.

And sun soaked days at the cricket.

Bottoms up!

Dinner in a dash

I love the cricket.

I look forward to it so much every year - and with the introduction of Twenty20 to our great game, I'm even enjoying State level cricket!

Pete, Michelle and I packed a picnic dinner and headed to Adelaide Oval last week for a gorgeous Summer night on the sidelines.

I made marinaded chicken lovely legs and repeated the yummy salads I did last year, topped off with picnic rolls. Michelle finished us off with brown sugar yoghurt cream with raspberries and strawberries. Yum.

Nights like these help you forget you're back at work and the holidays are over. I love Summer!

PS. Don't you love Pete's expression? Mere mention of the word 'blog' has him recoiling in fear!

Sticky Sesame Chicken Drumsticks

Preparation Time
5 minutes

Cooking Time
55 minutes

Ingredients (serves 6)
80ml (1/3 cup) tomato sauce
60ml (1/4 cup) soy sauce
60ml (1/4 cup) honey
12 (about 1.8kg) chicken drumsticks (I used lovely legs - they're just a bit more elegant!)
1 tbs sesame seeds
Sweet chilli sauce, to serve

Method
Combine the tomato sauce, soy sauce and honey in a glass or ceramic bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to marinate.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Place the chicken on the tray and bake in oven, turning once, for 40 minutes. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and bake for a further 15 minutes or until the chicken is golden and cooked through. Place on a serving platter and serve with sweet chilli sauce.

Just as good served cold.

Recipe from here