Sunday sensations

Paper bag menus, flavoured water and fresh as fresh flowers. Heaven on a table.

I just can't get enough of the prettiness of newly discovered blog Sunday Suppers. Seriously, would you get a load of this? STUNNING. With a capital S.

Food styling and presentation is something I've always adored and these guys hit it spot on. What a fabulous concept - food, friends and fun. My kind of night out. I'd love to set up one of these studio/workshop/restaurants in Adelaide. I looked into cooking classes for my birthday this year, but they were just way expensive and even though lots of them pegged themselves as 'classes', they were more demonstrations.

This blog is just so right up my alley - fabulous recipes, beautiful colours and amazing theming and colour. They just do it oh-so-well in the States, don't they?

Check out more images and recipes from Sunday Suppers here.

H2-Oh

It's no secret. I like to drink. A lot. But not everyone has the same appreciation of alcohol that I do, and that's okay.

But I will not stand for my sober sisters settling for boring booze-free options (try saying that after a bottle of fizz!). There is no reason why non-alcoholic options can't be sexy, so I thought I'd put together a collection of some inspiring 'straight' drinks. These are great alternatives to lemon, lime and bitters. Serve them at your next do and your Desi Driver friends will thank you.

Donna Hay brilliance - jugs of water flavoured with ginger, lemongrass, and lots of fruit. Bring on Summer!

Spice up your Winter with an interesting take on a hot chocolate - put a skewer through a vanilla bean and then wrap it in a cinnamon quill to use it as a stirrer.

Mint tea, classic. Looks fab wrapped up in a bundle rather than hidden in a tea pot.

Make drinks fun for those not 'drinking'. These DIY mochas are kind of like the beverage version of an affogatto!

Add some zest to your water pitcher with slices of fruit, and your favourite herb. Here, Sunday Suppers has combined lemon, orange and lime with sprigs of fresh thyme. Best if left for a couple of hours for the flavour to intensify.

Flavoured mint water not only cleanses the palate but also serves as a stunning centrepiece.

From Sunday Suppers

Snaps for Carla

Hello people! I am still alive! My internet may not be, but I'm still kicking and screaming and full of enthusiasm!

A fun weekend up ahead and gosh, don't I need it after this draining week that's included the final Grey's for the season (sob - tears are NOT good on a fresh spray tan!), a week's worth of MasterChef tension and the launch of a new CRM at work. Someone hand this girl a champagne!

So this weekend, I'm indulging in some glamour at our mid-year ball. Glamour and charisma is the name of the game at this oo7 James Bond themed bash. Still haven't decided what I'm wearing, but I want some colour - like the stunning bridesmaid dresses above.

Speaking of which, big cheer for me. Have just bought my dress for my brother's wedding in October. So excited! I've got the big job of MC and am consumed by fear and concern that it's going to turn into a Bridget Jones comedy act. Please God, no!

So yay for me and yay for Carla who has come through with the goods and managed to give me a waist. Bless.

Oh, back to the photo above. Spotted it on Green Wedding Shoes - my new fave daily blog fix. JC and I religiously check it every morning - 'check out that hair piece Kate', or 'JC - love the photo booth. Ah-mazing'. Such a lovely start to the day. And this wedding in particular got the tall one and I tres excited.

So I encourage you all to stop by and soak up the love on GWS. Romance is alive and well. I can sleep easy.

Happy weekend xo

Computer says no

My internet is down at home. It's so frustrating, and I just haven't had the time to ring up and complain. And yes, for all you sceptics, I have paid my bills.

So there's no Polkadot Pantry for a while. Not happy jan. I've been cooking up some storms in the slow cooker lately. Good, hearty winter meals. And I have the winter gut to prove it. Ouch.

Anyway, let's get back to the fact last night's episode of Grey's was built up to be the season finale . . . and then they kept us hanging for next week! I had the girls over for 'naan and Hahn' last night - that's curry and beer for the uninitiated. Lots of fun! We each have our favourite Doc - mine is Alex. What a sweetheart. Bad guy turned good. Love him.

So happy weekends to you all! I'm off to Clare to play with babies and catch some country football action. Just have to dust off my RM's. Can't wait!

Engagement party perfection

The big engagement party has been and gone, and I had the hangover to prove it. Gosh, was I sick! But it was worth it - all the research, all the preparation, all the indulgence . . . all to celebrate the wonderful engagement of Pete and Michelle. Congrats you two! Can't wait for the big day xo

This is where my pathetic attempt at food photography falls flat on its face. I tried to capture the tiny perfection of our bite sized bundles, but the pics above just don't do it justice! First, we've got the classic smoked salmon blini, then goats cheese and caramelised onion tarts, then pumpernickel with camembert, caramelised onion and pistacchio, then roast lamb tartlets with sage and tzatziki, then smoked chicken, apple, wholegrain mustard, spring onion and mayo on wonton and dainty little pavs with fresh kiwi and cream. Heartbroken I didn't get a pic of my crowd pleasing tandoori curry cups - they were a hit! Oh, and the gorgeous little lemon tarts.

Take me away

I don't really like Winter. I wish I could hibernate like a bear and stay under the covers. But I think if I could wake up to this magic every day, I think I could - only just - get through the day. Can you BELIEVE how stunning this place is?

Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island has won bucket loads of awards since it opened last year. It's truly magical - and waaaay out of my price range. But oh, how a girl can dream! Every tiny little detail has been thought of - right through from the reception lounge to the outdoor dining terraces - the artwork to the mud wraps - the eco-friendliness to the uninterrupted views. STUNNING. And as a proud as punch South Aussie, I'm always thrilled to see local produce used with such glamour and decadence. Bit like Sunday night dinner at my place (ha!).

So now, I just have to save my pennies . . . or keep dreaming.

Sticky fingers . . .

Picture perfect sticky date pudding

Yes, I'm still obsessed with Masterchef. Have found myself rushing home from work to a) turn off the slow cooker (an ah-mazing aroma hit me this arvo when I walked through the front door - beef and red wine, yum!) and b) get settled in my jarmies before 7pm. I've had lots of things on after work lately, so have had to catch up on recipes via the Masterchef website. And it's fabulous!

Mum is hosting a Jingle Bells in June dinner party at her place this weekend (thank goodness there's no Boxing Day cricket on the next day, so Dad has no excuse not to help clean up!) and she was searching for an easy, warming winter dessert. Think classy affair - not something with red and blue tinsel and some tacky mistletoe by the front door! We're talking ivory crockery with gold edging and crystal champagne glasses. So ice cream sundaes are out!

We've all attempted sticky dates before, but this one takes decadence to a new level. OMG. Thank you Masterchef! Best caramel sauce I've EVER had - and even better the next day when you're scooping it out of the pan with your fingers. And yes, invest in the dariole moulds - we experimented with muffin tins and they just didn't have the same impact. Too dense or something.

Ingredients
180g dates, pitted and roughly chopped
1¼ cups (310ml) water
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
¾ cup (165g) firmly packed brown sugar
60g butter, softened chopped
2 eggs
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour

Almond praline
½ cup (110g) caster sugar
¼ cup (35g) slivered almonds

Butterscotch sauce
50g butter
1 cup (220g) brown sugar
1 cup (250ml) cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

Makes 8

1. Preheat oven to 180˚C (160˚C fan-forced). Lightly grease eight (½ cup capacity) metal dariole moulds.
2. Place dates and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil over a high heat. Remove from the heat. Add bicarbonate of soda, stir until dates start to break down, set aside to cool, stirring occasionally.
3. Beat butter and sugar in a bowl using a hand beater, gradually add eggs one at a time, beat until light and fluffy.
4. Add date mixture, stir to combine. Carefully fold through sifted flour, divide mixture evenly between the eight moulds, until 2/3 full.
5. Place moulds in a baking tray, carefully pour water in tray until it comes up 1/3 of the side of the moulds. Bake in oven for 40 minutes or until golden and skewer comes out clean.
6. Meanwhile, for the almond praline, combine sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a saucepan over medium heat and cook caramel without stirring, swirling pan, until deep golden. Scatter almonds onto a baking paper-lined oven tray, pour over caramel and cool until set. Break praline into pieces.
7. For the butterscotch sauce, combine butter, sugar, cream and vanilla in small saucepan over low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Bring sauce to the boil, reduce heat and cook for 5-6 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly.
8. To serve, invert the hot pudding onto a serving plate, top with butterscotch sauce and shards of praline.

And big sigh of relief for all those time-poor hostesses with the mostest out there - these freeze a treat xo