Pretty Pretty Pretty!!!

You have to check out the Rose Farm! It is so cool!!! :) Honestly, it's fantastic... such an eye opener for me - thanks Eehui!!!

It's what every weekend should be like - some time out, relaxation, something different, away from the city, just something different! This place is just 30mins from Perth, and not too far at all, just in the Perth Hills. I felt like I was on my way to camp or the country side... it is another world... and imagine, only 30mins from the City!

We got there about 2pm yesterday and we were probably the only non-asians and non-mothers :P hahahhaa! They have this outdoor and indoor cafe/restaurant. Lovely outside as you're really in the open, and you overlook the roses, but inside was just as lovely as it feels really country-like, with pretty bunches of roses on each table (see photo above). We had a lovely lunch, which was worth the wait...see photos below... all their dishes come with rose petals... ahh so pretty!

The chicken caesar salad was lovely, they mashed the boiled eggs and mixed it with the salad, with crispy tasty bacon bits and slices of slightly marinated chicken. $17.50

Ciabatta... yummm... perfectly toasted, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside... filled with slightly marinated chicken breat, avocado, garlic butter, swiss cheese, roasted peppers and a light gourmet salad on the side. $14

After all of that, we further indulged ourselves (and it wasn't even our Day! Haha!) How could you not have the Devonshire feast - 2 scones (we chose a rose scone and fruit scone... it was lovely! it really did taste like rose... very subtle, very pretty tasting!) which came with cream, jam and a cup of tea $7.70

They have a funny looking animal - who was called Roby... Eehui thought it was a giant Aussie rat... not sure what it was... anyway it added to the fun! Free.

This brings back fond camp memories... but much nicer of course... it is apparently a lot prettier in Spring when the roses are in full bloom!



Me and my new found love - roses! I am holding the Flamingo range of roses - bought 3 different shades of roses for my Mum... they are such pretty shades of pink! :) The Flamingo Hybrid Tea Rose range is perfect for cutting - beautiful long stem roses!

Front entrance... the big rose at the back is apparently the world's biggest man made rose!

Eehui and Peace :) It apparently will change its colour with age! We can't wait!

Flamingo (pink) and some other breed... I can't remember the name...

Melville Nurseries
40 Masonmill Rd, Carmel
Western Australia 6076

http://www.melvillenurseries.com.au/the_roses.php

Sensational....... :)

It has been years since we had the Attrium Buffet at the Burswood Hotel... but tonight we decided we would have a family dinner there, since it was Mum and James' Birthdays this week and also Mother's Day on Sunday.

It was sensational!!! The last time we went there, which was quite awhile back, it wasn't good - so we always ended up going to the Hyatt or the Sheraton. But tonight changed our minds. Not only was the food pretty good, there was a good atmosphere - pretty crowded, live jazz music and quite a buzz in the air! There was lots of variety with the food! There was really nice ice-cream, fresh seafood, oysters were really fresh, good hot food, like beef, lamb, even the sweet asian buns!

All in all, a great time and great food!

I wasn't sure if I would be allowed to take many snaps, so I only took a few..... but boy dont they look just yummy!!!

Burswood Attrium
Cost: $47.50 per adult

This is such a beautiful sight, giant choc fondue, with seamless flowing chocolate... rivers of joy...... with the fresh flowers in the back... talk about picture perfect!
(I forgot to try it, but heard it was nice!)

I think this was an Opera cake? Really yum! Coffee layers... so delicate, will be so good to bake it! But a lot a lot of work I can tell!!!

P.S. More food photos this weekend... cooking lunch for a few friends tomorrow... :)))

Here comes the bride....

All dressed in white... :)

No, it's not me - not yet :) Last weekend was Abby and Arthur's wedding and it was a lovely celebration! Congratulations guys and wishing you every happiness! You guys are a great couple and so happy to see you both sharing your lives together.

Abby's favourite colour is pink - this is something we both have in common! Unfortunately, I didnt get to take many pictures of all the pink stuff that was in the wedding, even the cake was decorated with pink roses... awww so sweet.... check out the few photos that I did manage to take though!

Jelly that Eehui and I made the night before... a night we shall not forget! :P

Left: Refreshments team
Right: (from left) Felicia, Liz and the Bride!

Blossoms!

Camelias

Photos of some of the flowers in my garden... Eehui pruned my rose bushes for me so apparently we might be seeing more roses in the next couple of weeks! Yay!

I was extremely excited to see the first blossom of the Camelias yesterday... isn't the pink just perfect???!!! :P

The Simple Things in Life...

Are the best.... :)

Maybe it is the onset of age, maybe it is just how it is, but really, it is the simple things in life that are the best, that bring a lot of joy and good moments! Like tonight, I was thinking, to eat a piece of chocolate cake (which was freshly baked by my mum) and to watch episodes of Grey's Anatomy would be utterly satisfying. A bit sad on one hand, yet really, the small moments, the small pieces make a really really satisfying picture! Really, maybe it is the onset of age.... or maybe the post trauma effects of having to study and read thousands and thousands of words... :)

Reading a new recipe book or a new food magazine is honestly so joyous... what is it about the kitchen that one can be so passionate about - I think it's the creation of wonderful scents, satisfied "customers" (hopefully!), the ability to create something... honestly, there is just no stopping with what you can create with food!!! The dinner parties, the colours, the yuuuummmy moments with friends!

So what are your favourite simple things in life?

For example... (in no particular order)
1. A good conversation with a friend
2. An excellent cup of coffee, in prefably a nice cup :)
3. An excellent piece of cake - last night the craving was cheesecake... btw, Cakes Delight at Canning Hwy, Applecross does an excellent cheesecake :)
4. Grey's Anatomy & Gilmore Girls
5. A good night's sleep
6. An excellent meal with great friends
7. A trip to the hairdressers
8. Being with a friend, being with family
9. Loving your job
10. Being able to cook and cook loads too, an even better challenge! :)
11. Just having time on your hands to do what you want - whether it be to flip through a magazine, listen to a sermon, read a book, just not needing to rush :)

And the list goes on...

I am so excited that I now honestly, will have some time to bake and cook and do all these fabulous things that I couldnt do guilt-free for months, thanks to the pending exam, assignments.... pages of readings.. etc etc.. blah blah blah!

This weekend is my friend's wedding, and she loves pink (YIPPPPEEE!!!) so I'm making pink layered jelly - it will be different shades of pink... thank God for pink! :)

So watch this space for pictures... and there will be more food pictures... truly there will be this time! :)

The Joy of Gardening and Fruits of your Labour?!

For those who know me, this is a very bizarre topic! Whilst I still very much love my kitchen and anything to do with a kitchen, I have to admit that the concept of gardens and plants are beginning to create some interest... read on... I dedicate this topic to my friend Eehui, who is an inspiration to me with her fondness of gardening! *grin* and who introduced me to the world of Waldeck and all the flowers!

I never really understood why my parents and esp my Mum found so much delight in growing fruit trees, roses and herbs... to me, they were just green things in the garden with some colour. But now I do. I have these roses in my garden that I practically stare at every opportunity and I even bother to go and smell them... and I do feel disappointed when they do fade, and become quite hopeful and delighted at the sight of the budding new roses! I even find myself comparing the colour of my lawn... to check that the time spent putting the lawn fertilizer and the soil wetter was worth it, so far, it has worked... the lawn has still got green in it! I have these pink flowered plants, that are seriously such a gorgeous pink... they are camelias, and I cannot wait till they blossom! Honestly, I can't get over what an excellent shade of pink they are! :)

My mum has planted 2 chilli plants in the garden and much to my delight, it is growing and producing chillis, and apparently they are very hot! And trying to grow laksa leaves which is so incredibly hard, they have a higher death than survival rate! Whilst it will be quite awhile before the fruit trees actually do bear fruit, and whilst I have so much more to learn, like I am wondering why the leaves are turning brown on some plants (and yes, I do water them!), it sure is going to be an interesting "journey" and worth the wait... :)

In the meantime, alongside John Howard and the rest of the farmers, I am praying for rain. And tonnes of it, please :)

(ps Will post some pics sometime! I forgot to take the photos!)

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone! Hope you all had a very nice and blessed Easter! :)

Had a few friends over to my place last weekend for a Housewarming and also an Easter Dinner! It was SO good to cook... so much fun...!!! :) (Below are some pictures, unfortunately didnt get time to take pictures of the other food.... :P)

Dinner was Nasi Lamak, so there was Otak (spicy fishcake sorta thing), Coconut rice, made sambal pumpkin coconut rice too, which was interesting, not too bad! Layered jelly (which was time consuming but it turned out well and everyone enjoyed it, so definitely worth it!!!), curry chicken (without coconut milk, less fat and tastes just as good!!!), sushi, ikan billis, 2 varities of eggs, lovely kuehs from Singapore, chocolate fountain, fresh fruits!

Sambal fishballs and nasi lamak chilli... *note: ramekins are from Wheel and Barrow! Arent they cute!!!*

Sushi and chocolate fondue... *yum*

Eulynn trying to save my chocolate fountain... thank you! It was a very heart stopped moment when the choc didnt seem to ermm... melt and flow... :P

A very Strange thing...

Hi all!

I'm sorry, been rather MIA lately... I havent even done much cooking except for a batch of instant brownies the other weekend, which hardly constitutes as cooking, but it was nice to hold the handymix, smell the chocolate mixture and turn on the oven and smell the wonderful baking delights!

Anyhow, something really strange happened on my blog... maybe someone out there will know the answer, and maybe it isnt really that strange after all! 2 entries ago, I blogged on my new cooking books and inserted photos on it... and guess what, yes it has disappeared!!! No joke! Gone!!! I checked on my dashboard and it is meant to be there, but now it has gone! Disappeared off the face of the blog!

Are there blog police out there??? Have I violated or committed some sorta crime? Maybe the Nigella publishers have come and managed to somehow take it off the site... oh dear.... this is real weird!!!

Take care all............ I hope to post some food stuff up sometime!!!

Love, Liz :)

Poker Championship Night!

Had a lovely loooong weekend! The way a long weekend should be! Plenty of food, fun & friends!!! :) Eulynn and Terence hosted a "Poker Night" and provided loads of food, drink and atmosphere!!! Hehehe! (Will this be an annual/half yearly event???!!!) Thank you heaps guys, always such a blessing to receive such warm fellowship and good food!

In celebration of this event, and with a set of new Nigella cookie cutters that I got for my birthday, I made the agar jelly and used the tiny alphabet cookie cutters to mark the event! The top layer is made with coconut milk and the bottom layer was clear with green pandan essence! Refreshing on a hot summer's day! :)

Hope you all (in Perth) had a lovely long weekend too! Cant wait for Easter now!!! :)

2 New Friends!!! :)

Honestly, there is something just so very very exciting about cookbooks! It's unexplainable - perhaps it is an obsession? I know my friend, Eulynn will totally understand what I mean! It's like there are these wonderful, creative secrets hidden in the glossy, mouth watering, ever so tempting pictures, pages with food that can send your senses wild!!! Truly, a very nice afternoon would be a nice cuppa tea or coffee and a brand new cookbook or magazine on my lap!

So the above 2 books are new additions to my cookbook family - WELCOME WELCOME! I have heard so much about Nigella, and her Snow flecked brownies are THE best, no calories are spared, but hey if you're going to be eating calories, make sure you make it worth your while! But her books are always on the pricey side, and I find that her ingredients are weird... some weird animal or vegetable..... BUT.... this time, her book "Feast" seemed to well, really look like a feast! So yes, I decided to treat myself with some birthday money from my aunty and bought it!

And then the other book, "Dinner with friends" has some awesome recipes as well... it has different cuisines and geez, it all looks so darn yummy!!! Ahhhh these two "friends" sit faithfully by my bed, pages and pages of glorious food, ready to get to work! Really it should be called inspiration.

Stay tuned............. hopefully I shall get some time to try them out!

For those in Perth, have a happy long weekend!!! :)

(p.s. I've been SO busy lately, I havent had a chance to try out new recipes or even use my friend's bday gift to me yet! Looks like Vday month and flavour has come and gone... o dear...! Ahh - ha today I got another very nice birthday present that shall be put to use in the not too far future.....!:))