Holidays with a 1 1/2 year old

..Or possibly a non-holiday.

Jellybean went on a holiday-conference trip with us recently and good-golly is she a chase?! 

The lovely bunch in Holiday Inn gave us a great upgrade. So good - that Jellybean decided it would be her new home and she lurved staying in there, sitting on the sofa and closing the doors on us.

Exhibit A: Oooh slippers!!!Why don't I get these at home?! ...Note the holiday tummy she got from eating everything too!

Exhibit B: Now you see me now you dont...

Exhibit C: Look at the view mummy...

Exhibit D: Ooh space mummy, space!! Mind you, this was our second hotel stay which she hearted.

On occasions when she liked being out...we spent alot of times on cars. Car rides. Alot. Her photos were all in cars and the hotel. Very exciting. 

...Or..she would be doing her exploring and we'd need to hunt her down.

...And for 2 weeks- we chased her. A great diet scheme I tell you.

Our First Family Road Trip

I was reading back on old posts and realised how much I miss blogging. It also made me realise why I started blogging in the first place- to pen (well, type) down snippets of my life. ..so here I am, letting you know about our first road trip- with Jellybean.

These photos don't do justice to how much we enjoyed it. They don't even document many of the places we went to. It just registers a brief description of our trip.

It was basically a 3 days 2 nights getaway to Margaret river with one of my bestie and her family- The Chongs. They were such great company!- It was H's first ever real road trip in Australia and The C's were not only great guides but really accommodating- making sure H got to see, taste and experience the highlights of Margaret River and things 'Down South'. We wouldn't of done the trip any differently-thank you! 


Margaret River is well known as a wine region and a surfers paradise in Western Australia. With thanks to the tourism industry, it now also boasts some gourmet eats and annual events. I personally love it for its cooler weather and lushy greenery (as compared to other Australian counterparts). Using Bussell Highway, it's around a 3 hour trip away from Perth.

We used around 5 1/2 hours to get there- stopping in between Bunbury and Busselton for meals and breaks- mainly to accommodate our little bubs- getting their tooshies off the car seats and letting them wriggle a bit.

I love watching H and Jellybean play- it just makes me go all warm and fuzzy inside. Naww. H has been away for a tremendous amount of time for the past few weeks and this break really just let them bond. I also missed the mass blues and vast greens- *deep breath in* *exhale*.

Jellybean loved the trip. I don't know whether it was just being out or doing something different, but I have to admit she was very well behaved- sleeping in the car, doing her own things and letting us disturbed her routine-constantly.

Could this be any more Australian?! H's first Margaret River wineyard stop- the first of many many....at Voyager Estate.

One of my favourite photos ...of their backsides. Yes, I perve, but I think it's cute. More importantly, I like seeing Jellybean being piggybacked.

Isn't this a nice stop? Geez I forgot the wineyard's name- someone remind me!! All I remember is that Mrs C. told me they had awesome toilets- which they did...oh! Lauren!!!!!....thats it! And just between you and me, I took photos of the toilet, but I shan't degress from the main objectives of this trip.

Gnarabup Beach-White Elephant. Breakfast by the beach before our trip back. I made the whole crew come here just so I could kill two birds with one stone- letting H see the beach- and eat a decent breaky.

Another sight I loved watching. Jellybean and Miss C just frolicking in the open greens. Coincidentally, we brought similar outfits for our girls to the trip!

..And this is truly one shot I love of H and Jellybean- at Yallingup...I don't know why. They both weren't smiling...but it makes me want to go on a road trip already.

Holiday encore...anyone?!

H's THREE O!

H and my birthdate is exactly one week apart. So, a week later..we had more celebrations. I had this big plan- at the stroke of midnight, I'd appear with a candle on his cake to surprise him. Later that day I would surprise him by driving him to lunch and his present. But...err.. it didn't quite work that way. All of us fell sick a few days beforehand- I had spent the previous nights holding Jellybean to sleep as she had a bad fever..and the rest is history. So by the time it was H's actual birthday, we were all pretty tired and just wanted good rest.

This is how it was spent...

At the stroke of midnight, all weary eyed and just minutes after putting bub in her cot, I presented H with his ice cream cake. He blew the candle, didn't even cut the cake..and we went to sleep. Yes, pretty anti-climax aren't we.

But I do have to stress I made a cake. Despite it being a no-bake, just combine an freeze..I made it k. I made it! ...With a sick hubby, sick baby and viral me! ...Here's presenting a Connoissseur ice cream cake dolloped with Lindt chocolate and berries.

Oh..I did present my hubby with a card and present too. It was all aeroplane themed this year..in conjunction with his birthday present.

Another take on a easy 3D card. Told you I had a thing for these. Again, pretty good effort for a ill-feeling family k. Please clap. [I'm very encouraging aren't I?]

Lunch was spent in Nobu. Superb. A post about this another time but here's a peek to get your taste buds going...

Even Jellybean wanted to steal some!

H has a obsession with planes. Seriously. He can tell you which seat numbers are next to emergency exits, the seat configuration of different planes, which airline just bought how many planes and so fourth. ..So, I got him a flight simulation package and if I must say so myself- It was so cool!! He got to be a pilot for a day, got a real co pilot and flew Jellybean and myself as his passengers. Jellybean wasn't too chuffed though- she wanted to push all the buttons and destroy the headsets. Hmm.

And here it was- his first flight ever and he delayed it. Ahem.

..And here's the entrance to his plan of the day- uber cool!

He loved it...totally loved it! Yesss!!

And err...saving the best for last- we ate cheap takeout that night and went to bed. I'm a good wife aren't I?

Hope you had a lovely day love... 

The chef-struck housewife... And other corny tales.

Cooking has really become a balancing act in the last few months. Anything that has to do with food has to be done pronto. Eat fast. Cook promptly. Bubba doesn't really wait for me to savor the tastes or take my own sweet time in preparing food. Heck, I don't even take much photos now (hence the huge lag in posts)! To Jellybean, life is about her, her and more her.

I've learnt to do things fast, or wait until i have a Jelly-sitter: H or my parents.

Im starting to wonder if I'm normal. Cos come night time I'm usually exhausted. Entertaining and looking after Jellybean is one tiring job. Whoever thought playing with a 7 month old can take up that much energy?! Or maybe I'm just plain unhealthy.

This brings me to my next point: 'me' time. In my exhaustion, I will also crave 'me' time. Which in the last few months, meant watching cooking shows. It makes me feel like I haven't lost contact with the rest of the world or that I'm living on Planet Zombie. It makes me feel somewhat 'normal', or maybe more aptly, sane.

My Kitchen Rules and Masterchef have so far dominated my housewife life. What's not to love? Food and good looking blokes!

So come Good Food and Wine Show...guess who went beserk over Manu? ...oh Maaaaanuuuu!! He's tall, handsome and can cook. Luckily H understood the qualities he's lacking, and happily obliged to

A) que up with me to meet Manu,
B) take a photograph of his wife with Manu
C) look after Jellybean while his wife was going nuts over a celebrity chef
D) hear his wife go on and on a out how Manu's so charmingly handsome, smells good and said her name with a sexy French accent.

Uh huh, it's hard being my husband.

Chocolate cravings

When I was preggers, I craved sweet things. Anything sweet. But maybe what I missed most was chocolate. Rich chocolate! So I made H promise me that once I gave birth he'd bring me to San Churro.

...Well, it didn't quite work that way. 'Cos he got all strict about confinement- let's not go there, and then I guess Jellybean just took up every single moment of our time. I do, however give him credit for bringing me there eventually, albeit six weeks late.

Chocolate does what chocolate does! Serotonin surge!! Whoopee! Here we have a Hot Cold Spanish Chocolate which has the texture of yoghurt, not as sweet as chocolate sauce, but still oozing with cocoa flavours.

...And here's one of their Premium Chocolate Shakes though I forgot which flavour I ordered. You rule!

Last but not least, Churro!!! Churro Churro Churro! Need I say more?

I definitely had my chocolate fix for the day.

Date Night

H and I were determined to fit in one date night before Jellybean arrives- in the advice of former non-parents. We thought we'd celebrate our anniversary early as we presume Jellybean will totally occupy our time [and possibly our sanity and hence forget events] on our actual wedding anniversary.

We chose Tsunami. A quaint Japanese restaurant tucked in Mosman Park- fully occupied on a weeknight! Mental note: Good food sign but bad preggers squeeze situation.

I would of chosen more sushi options if it wasn't for the food limitations during pregnancy. But ahwell, it gives me an excuse to go back next time.

Between us, we ordered Ebi as the entree. The prawns were succulent and crunchy, wrapped in filo pastry and paired with tomato salsa.
 

Ikura sushi. H orders this in basically any Japanese restaurant from sushi chains to up market dining. This was definitely not the frozen and defrosted sushi chain low-grade caviar.

Mains: We both decided to have Ishiyaki Teppanyaki Wagyu and Scallops. Copy cat! The Ishiyaki is a 400C rock which meals are placed on and subsequently cooked before your eyes. From this...

...to this.

And who could resist a little indulgence at the end? Don't ask me why- but after telling H I wanted the Kuro Goma [Black Sesame] Ice cream, he decided to change my order into a Ice cream sampler, a scoop each of green tea, black sesame and ginger ice creams. While he stayed with the traditional green tea ice cream. Huh?! I figured it was because he wanted to try the flavours but wasn't game enough to try it himself. Luckily I was delighted with the sampler- but a bit unsure if my palette really enjoys ginger ice cream.

To finish the night off? A stroll at Kings Park. Ahhh..... Ps. H wanted a note crediting he took this photo after several minutes fidgeting with the camera.

Ok Jellybean, you can come now.

Jus Burgers

 
I'm craving burgers just from writing this post. Darn!

H and I stumbled across this burger joint in Leederville just a few days ago- I've heard about Jus Burgers before and was eager to try. I lurve it when I stumble across a food joint and end up loving their food!

Both our burgers were juicy with just the right amount of sauce and toppings. What I also lurved was that they used quality local suppliers and products. They're also pretty renowned in the local scene too with several awards and achievements. You don't get a 'Best Hamburger in Australia' award for nothing!

So here's my Cheeseburger [left], and H's Half-n-Half lamb burger. His Half meal was so cute- it was a mini burger and mini fries but just enough for one- I should of ordered what he ordered!

I'm definitely going back! The bonus?- The Leederville store is near my Ob's place and the Subi store is near my soon to be hospital! Woo hoo!!

Cioccolato Espresso

I think I've found a great coffee and hot chocolate place! I haven't had such nice hot chocolate for a long time. It's actually called Cioccolatte- which was like a big mug of hot chocolate served with chocolate flakes and marshmallows. I'm talking about the real deal too- not just milk with some measely cocoa- this is good stuff!

I had their BLT bagel which was done with the right blend of oven tomatoes and avocado. Yums!

H had New Norcia toast with a serve of fresh mushrooms.

I'm definitely going back! What a lovely start to the day.

Cioccolato Espresso
31 Ardross Street
Applecross Perth Australia

Ooh..ahh..Just a Little Bit

..ooh ...ahh..just a little bit more!


I had enough of this and this- I was in for a treat- big time! I got fed up of dreaming about the same things over and over..and over again I decided to indulge. Yes, I'm really determined and persistent aren't I? 


One fine day I decided I'd 'balance' my food routine with..lets say... dietary needs on the other side of the food triangle. 


I've been obsessed with this green tea cake for a while. I even thought about it when I moved overseas. It's cotton soft and quite delicate.. I never did quite find another...

I also became equally obsessed with this mango strudel: topped with fresh mango slices, light sponge, custard cream and a pastry base.

So on that fine day, I decided to buy both slices. Then..I had a hard time figuring out which one to have. By night time, I finished both of them. Bless me!


Don't you like my posts? They always have a happy ending.


Cakes Delight
893 Canning Hwy
Mt. Pleasant
W. Australia

Rewind A Few Years

When I was in uni awhile ago, I use to meet my friends regularly at this Asian-Hong Kong-Cafe-Restaurant for lunches. Thinking back, I'm not sure whether it was because it was a convenient location or it was the food, but somehow we dined over baked pork chop rice quite often.


If you're familiar with Hong Kong-Macau cafe style foods, you'll find they have some Western-Portuguese influenced Asian foods due to their history. 


I don't know why I've started reminiscing, but I've recently started going back again- the record has pretty much been once a week for the past 3 weeks- I think. Though the owner of James Street Kitchen has changed quite a few times, their lunch menu has pretty much remained the same. 

For the record, I still eat their Baked Pork Chop Rice. It comes as a set-with a drink and borsch/corn soup. If you squint your eyes you'd also notice we ordered spring onion pancake and you tiao (fried dough). We just had nasty eyes and wanted everything on the menu.

They now also serve a assortment of entree style dishes. Although I do presume the takoyaki here was not made in their own kitchen.

They also have Xiao Long Bao. 

Cream Corn Fish & Rice

Roast Duck & Preserved Vegetable Rice Noodle Soup.


I'd say the food tastes pretty much the same as university times- either that or it's been too long! It just takes me back to yester-years and the cafes in Hong Kong. Slurp!




James Street Kitchen
Shop 7a/109 James Street
Northbridge
Perth. Australia