An Aussie Breakfast

Once upon a time we had the time to cook ourselves a scrumptious breakfast on a lazy weekend morning. These days are we are super busy and prefer to get eat brunch out at one of the many foodie spots in this city before we leave for good - this way we can avoid washing dishes, get out of the house, save some time, and enjoy the increasingly pleasant/warm weather. 

Blood oranges have been in season lately and they are my favorite, Juiced by hand. One day we'll get a proper juicing contraption.

I found this recipe through another Melbourne foodie blog Wotsfortea for homemade Crumpets online and wanted to try them. The crumpets you can buy in the shops are cheapo and this recipe seemed really easy only requiring flour, yeast and milk. Here in Australia you can buy both English Muffins and Crumpets, but the English Muffins are nothing like in the states, they don't have very many nooks and crannies, while the Crumpets are light and full of holes - they kind of look like American style English muffins, but more spongy if bought in the store. This was my first attempt at making Crumpets and was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. They are like really holey pancakes. You have to have a bit of time and patience in the morning hours to be able to let the yeast work its magic for an hour. (Which doesn't usually work for me because I sleep in so late, that by the time I am up I am starving and can't wait for the cooking process.) They cook up fast once the batter has bubbled up. You are instructed to use egg rings to make the round shape, which are kind of tricky so I might look for other, more manageable alternatives. Serve hot with butter and jam.

Sudan

He got the Job!!! Working with Dan Church Aid. And is headed to Sudan sometime in November maybe. BIG Changes, I mean Huge. And all of a sudden, but hey, isn't this what we wanted? More on this later when I know more.

Blog is going to be about America and all the travels based out of there.

Revised topics:
New City, Suburbia
Family Life
Americanisms
Food (of Course)
Travel excursions (in the US and internationally for work and play)
Etc.

Ramblings

The theme of this month seems to be food, this is apparent as I scroll down through the recent posts and peek down at my expanding waistline. I am feeling the extra poundage, which I have been ignoring as simple "winter weight", but I can't stand it any longer! (I say this after I made the trip to the local chocolaterie for a tasty treat yet again - these trips are my excuses to leave the house and provide a destination/purpose for an exercise outing). I'm off bread and sugar for the time being as of now. I don't think this declaration will do much good in time for Bali next week, but it will make me feel better to be doing something, taking control. And I am glad that bread is not a staple in Indonesia.

To change things up, I'll try to post something other than food here:

Melbourne is turning into spring making the air so floral and fragrant! I am very grateful that I do not have allergies as I see the pollen float around in the breeze.

Richard is exploring the possibility of working in Sudan, he is in Copenhagen now for his final interview. Finger-crossed. But this means big changes will take place sooner rather than later. So I am almost in packing mode, trying to restrain myself until I know more definitive details. Regardless, we are gonna move soon, and time is running out to enjoy things here. I will have to revise this blog and focus on experiences in my next new home. Anticipating a whole new life chapter, apprehensive, nervous, excited, all those feelings in more running around in my head creating wrinkles and premature aging. ARgh!

I am enjoying my current solitude uncharacteristically - hence the trips to the chocolaterie, yesterday it was the fancy bakery. I make it a long brisk walk to get some exercise into my routine. I write lists of things to do, tidy, organize shit, bask in the cleanliness of the house now that there is only me to mess things up. And I am knitting like a crazy woman. In anticipation of packing up, I want to use up all my yarn - everyone is getting something knitted for Xmas. Maybe not, but I'm trying.

And I am waiting..... security clearance...... still pending....... Still a lady of leisure........ "Enjoy it while you can", I keep saying to myself.

Waiting some more.....

Images of Melbourne:

Also of note:
Grand Finale (kinda like the Super Bowl for Aussie Footy) was last Saturday, Collingwood Magpies and St. Kilda, which ended in a draw (tie)! What sporting event organization lets that happen? They have to play again this Saturday!

Hardware Societe

Down a little laneway in Melbourne CBD, this little hidden gem of a cafe was a surprisingly delightful treat one Saturday morning. We ventured here after a Saturday morning dentist visit looking for a light and creative brunch meal. I had come once before during the weekday and though R would appreciate the mixed ambiance of modern/french/vintage and we are always suckers for a place that makes their own macaroons. 

I love the mismatched teacups and saucers that they serve their tea in and I deliberately ordered tea to experience the tea service. I especially love the little doughnut that they serve with every cuppa. I could eat a whole plate of those, but I guess the whole charm is that your taste buds are teased with that little burst of fried sugary dough and you don't have to feel guilty about indulging in a whole one. So you are left with room for another tasty treat. For breakfast I opted for the simple scrambled eggs which were perfect, creammy, not overdone or too runny. And R got the special duck omelet. I loved the simplicity, yet gourmet aspect of the whole meal, and of the place. We walked away with two of the macaroons, which we've rated the best in town so far. 

Its a tiny place, and increasing in popularity so be prepared to get cosy with the other patrons and maybe wait for a table. We sat outside, hanging out into the sidewalk, which isn't so picturesque (or tranquil), makes for a very urban experience, which isn't terrible. I would also say, its nice to stop into during the week for a quick gourmet bite, note - the menu is different on Saturdays. Not open on Sundays.

The Hardware Societe on Urbanspoon

Weekend antics

Man, Time is just flying by and it is already the middle of September. What have I been doing with myself. I keep myself pretty busy during the week with mundane household chores and the odd lazy hour splurge at my favorite cafe for a Chai (mostly just to get out of the freezing house). Now that the days are warming up, its nice to catch some real sunshine in the blooming neighborhood.

We had a visit from Lindy a few weekends back. It was nice to have some company. We took the opportunity to have a night on the town during Melbourne's Spring Fashion Week. First stop was a brief meal at a new favorite restaurant "Cookie" with friends. Very hip and trendy, right in downtown CBD. Again, its one of those places you need to book in advance (more than a day), but we did end up getting a table for a quick hour. Though we didn't get the chance to leisurely peruse the menu or eat a big meal, we sampled something small and promised to come back again. On recommendation from another food blog that had sparked my original interest in the place, I tried the betel leaves with some spicy chicken filling. Very tasty and the combination of tangy flavors really complemented each other. Its on my list of places to go again to really get the full experience. On this night, it was just nice to feel trendy for once. 

Then we caught a very strange launch party and showcase as part of Melbourne's Spring Fashion Week, and here we learned the true meaning of "low-brow". Poor Lindy, I think we've scarred her for life, with the cross-dressing/male models and their indecent exposure runway show, a wailing 80's band, outlandish low-brow fashions, and underground emo/hipster scene at the event. It was actually very hilarious. A little taste of some Melbourne culture. I'll post more pictures. 

More pics from the weekend

And I had to share these additional images that didn't fit in the other posts.

Chili soup at Hutong, Oh so spicy!

Look at this cute little guy in suspenders mixing up those cocktails

Taste of Melbourne

Whew! What a weekend. We were unusually busy and cultured this weekend taking in a few different events in the City while enjoying the first hints of Spring. Friday night a delightful late night dinner at Hutong Dumpling Bar with our Melbourne friends, fellow expats, Lisa and hubby. I will emphasize how you have to grab a booking quick at this place, which remains one of the top rated restaurants in the city on Urbanspoon, and weekend dinner spots go fast. I was lucky to get a table at 930pm, a bit late for me so we first stopped at Riverland, a picturesque spot for a pint by the Yarra River. And then gobbled down our favorite dumplings - Xao Long Bao - and ate the most amazingly spicy Szechuan Beef, basically a bowl of beef, drowning in chili. I hear Dainty Sechuan in South Yarra is must try for spicy chinese. I'm game!

HuTong Dumpling Bar on Urbanspoon

Saturday we had a strict schedule: First Collingwood vs. Hawthorne at the MCG arena. Only my second time to witness true Australian sporting culture. It was an exciting game, but I just couldn't watch as Hawthorne only just beat Collingwood by three points in the last 10 minutes of the game. You can see by Richard's colors below, that we were rooting for the other guys. Boo.

Then we raced to the Exhibition Centre over in Carlton to catch the Taste of Melbourne event featuring Melbourne Restaurants, foodies, wine tasting, food & alcohol sellers. We opted to attend the Beer and Cheese Matching event, which was worth the $12. My favorite was the King Island Dairy Ash Brie and James Squire Porter Beer, though they are not meant to go together. I think we saw everything there was to see at the event and tried our best to sample every taste available. Though I will comment that the tasting plates at the restaurant stalls were way overpriced and not worth the money, the event is meant to promote those restaurants and not provide an opportunity for them to profit after we already pay a hefty entry fee. We stayed til the very end having sampled the following:

Stokehouse Restaurant, Wagyu Cigars with Artichoke tapenade and horseradish, Yum! (Thanks for the free ones at the end of the night)

Esposito, Oyster tempura - a paltry single oyster, pretty boring. 

I loved the Vanilla Pannacotta with Blood Orange Jelly from Melbourne Wine Room & Mr. Wolf, just the right balance of creaminess, mixture of textures, and tangy orange jelly and raspberries.

Wallaby tataki from Charcoal Lane was nothing to write home about. 

And I don't know why everyone was lining up to try the Palance Wagyu Burger. It was just a $12 mini-burger. Lame. 

There was lots more to try, but we moved onto booze. Australian Wine, Australian/Fiji Rum, Absinthe finally caught a taste of the very fancy Patron Tequila (extremely smooth, I want my own bottle - but maybe from the states where it will definitely be much cheaper), Sagatiba's rum in a tasty Caiparinha. Mix all that together and you end up with a hangover like the one I enjoyed the next day.

Sagatiba Capairinha

Vanilla Pannacotta  and blood orange jelly

Stokehouse bar's Espresso Martini

Mm, Melbourne Wine Room & Mr. Wolf stall

Beer and cheese matching

At the Taste of Melboure

King Island Dairy Cheese and James Squire Beer.

Not a fan of the moldy blue cheese

Wanted to take home the brie but sadly they were out

Who's that handsome man?

My new favorite beer, surprisingly its a dark, sweet, chocalatey one

Almost Spring in Melbourne

Yarra River, Melbourne

Finally dowloaded the Hipstamatic App for iPhone. I love it!

Catching sights of Melbourne on this beautiful day.

Thats where we are going for the footy

Aussie footy

Despite being so high up, we had a good view of everything

Collingwood Magpie fan

MCG Arena

pre-game

Mini-wrangers. The opposition

Home for an Interview

Back from a whirlwind 2 week trip home to the States to take part in an interview for a USG Foreign Service position, for which I have since been rejected. That was a quick decision, guess I didn't do so well in the interview, as I suspected. USG - You have made a serious mistake in rejecting me and I really do wonder how you are able to let the fools that you do accept into your bureaucracy. Because I have seen, met and worked with some of the people that get through the vetting process. Makes me very scared for the future of this world that the most powerful nation in this world is staffed by some very naive, incompetent youngsters. Ah well, it was a trip home on the government's dime!

It was nice to catch some of the last vestiges of summer. I enjoyed experiencing all the familiar sensations of being home, the smell of the dirt, sound of the cicadas, dry summer heat mixed with summer thunder storms - all with the idea in mind that this will be my home once again in the near future. All my feelings were mixed up in a jumble and I hoped that I would be able to just enjoy feeling something other than dread and despair, which has been the theme of this year so far.

As usual I took the opportunity to do some American shopping. GAP and Anthropologie and JCrew are my first stops. SOOOo much cheaper in the US than Australia, and I appreciate the clean-cut, classic styles that will last a long time. Oh and don't forget DSW, for good deals on fun shoes. I bought 2 pairs of impractical shoes (total retail therapy) that will do me no good in current Melbourne temperatures. Will have to wait til next summer to bring them out again. I'm so silly, but thats how I got over a gruelling, disappointing FS interview day.

Caught up with friends and family with a busy social schedule once the stupid interview was out of the way. Only Richard was missing at the family dinner. A crab feast just like old times when Bunca was alive. Something we can look forward to repeating during our next few years based in DC. In addition to Girl's Night Out with the cousins, romping around in B'more watching chic flicks like "Eat, Pray, Love" - I hope you guys enjoyed that movie, I got a bit squirmy towards the end. And exploring DC with old and new friends that I've met during my studies and travels. Can't wait!

With the end of the Melbourne chapter looming, I reflect on some of the things of my Australian home that I have come to value: Great coffee, cafe's, foodie places, markets, neighborhood villages, quirky european vibe, modern fashion flare, relaxed atmosphere, convenient public transportation, proximity to city life... There are also plenty of things that I will be glad to escape. I can tell you already as well that I am not excited about replacing these things with the commercialization, crazy, traffic, hugeness, suburbia, Only-Starbucks-on-every-corner America. But with everything there is a trade off. I look forward to family, familiarity, career, wholefoods, ....

MJD Foundation

Latest Newsletter from the MJD Foundation

http://www.mjd.org.au/cms/file_library/Other/Other_300.pdf

I continue to work with the MJD Foundation on the Medical Protocols Project. The project team has been preparing for the online discussions that will commence in September where ideas and information will be bounced around amongst the Medical Reference Group Members, these are interested and knowledgeable medical and industry professionals that will have important insight into the control and management of the common symptoms and complications associated with this disease, ultimately developing a peer-reviewed protocol document that will streamline treatment and services for those affected by Machado Joseph Disease in Australia and worldwide.

Seven Seeds coffee

 Fabulous coffee just on the south side of Melbourne uni. I wandered over one day that I spent at the nossal institute and just had to return with Richard in tow. They roast the coffee on the premesis. Amazing aromas wafting around the warehouse structure. They do tastings on thursday mornings, only 8 ppl max, so you gotta book. The entrance is hidden, looks like just another warehouse on a street lined with them. But equipped with my handy iPhone google maps it was easy to find.

Good atmosphere, good food, though limited menu (no bacon ) it's an interesting menu nonetheless. We were seated pretty quickly, though it was hopping on a Saturday morning. Be prepared to get cost with other patrons if you get seated at the larger tables. Thumbs up from me. Too bad it's a bit too far. If I venture that way again I want to try the new "Pope Joan".

Melbourne quilt and craft

I have a friend, here in this new city. Hi Lisa, Dilly Dally Shilly Shally. And we have the same interests: international development and crafting. Yup, I'm a crafty person with all that knitting I get up to. I hope to have more time one day to expand my crafting abilities. After attending Melbourne's quilt and craft fair a few weeks ago at Lisa's suggestion, I am inspired. Inspired to felt (and quilt after seeing all those beautiful creations, but I don't think I'll be up for any of that anytime soon). At the fair we took a felting workshop to make these lovely flowers which was super fun. I bought a few materials to make another creation at home (which remains pending).
The fair was a huge events with tons of old ladies and fellow crafters pushing and shoving, vying for access to the vendor stalls. It wasn't that bad, but we didn't last long after the venue started to fill up.

I was naughty and bought a few fun items. I don't know when I'll be able to start any new projects. This thread yarn made out of silk and steel which allows the shape of the garment to be malleable. I'll make a skinny/long scarf with that. And I found some bag handles at a good price so I can expand my bag-making skills. Knitted bags. And I just couldn't resist the gorgeous japanese prints, maybe line the knitted bags with them.

Now if only I had some time to do this. You might wonder how I could be so busy while I am in between jobs. Let me tell you. .. Job seeking is hard work (could almost write a phd at this rate) as is keeping house and staying sane. But I foresee a break in on the horizon as progress in these areas occur. More on that later.

Learning how to felt

Another trip to Yarra Valley

Took the parents for some wine tasting Yarra Valley because it's always so fun to go there. It was another beautiful day, though a bit brisk now that we are fully into winter. All the vines are trimmed down. The views of the mountains remain gorgeous. First stop was De Bortoli cellar door. I always see this wine in restaurants so I presume that it's a good sample of the region' better wines. I would say that they are pretty good. and We got a good deal on half dozen bottles of the 2008 Shiraz viognier for $50. Its a lighter version of the normally sharp Shiraz. We are stocked, but not for long.

I think the parents enjoyed themselves. Didn't indulge too much. Mom was only into the whites and dad tried a few sweet versions of a reisling. Found some yummy cheeses at the awesome dairy. And then ate more cheese at Domain Chandon restaurant. Not so crazy about the meals there. So if you go, just get the cheese and charcuterie platters with a hefty glass of something tasty. The views and the grounds are amazing. I've already planned my next wedding.

Now that I'm comfortable with the yarra valley, I want to check out the mornington peninsula vines next.