Two days before Christmas...

...we celebrated MrL's birthday.  My in-laws had arrived the day previously for a handful of nights so it was nice to have them here to help celebrate.  It was also nice of them to have the girls for the afternoon.  *heehee*

I was actually pretty organised this year and MrL scored well with pressies.  

The six of us headed to Palm Cove for lunch.  We had decided (after deliberation) to eat at the Far Horizon's Restaurant, located within the Angsana Resort of the Palm Cove foreshore.  It was actually the same restaurant that MrL and I had our little wedding celebration at, back in 2008.  

With hesitation we ordered off the menu but no one could fault their food.  I must note that the kid's menu was great and different from everywhere else which offer the same thing.  Monet had chosen a platter of bread, ham, cheese, cucumber, ham and lettuce and Lily had a toasted cheese sandwich with apple slices on the side.  Mine was Peri-peri chicken on a light salad.  Washed down with a James Boag beers or two, was lovely....

After lunch Nanna and Poppy took the girls home....ahh....

After another drink we made our way along the Esplanade and ended up at a bar we had wanted to visit but never had.  The Rising Sun.  It didn't feel like Palm Cove, had a very Mediterranean feel about it.  Was lovely.  And as a bonus we spied a kid's corner located under one of the stain glassed windows.  I'd love a nook like this in my dream home...

We should have stayed there for the remainder of the afternoon but instead we moved on to a couple more places.

MrL's dad picked us up and back to the apartment they were staying at.  They were happy to look after the girls a little longer so we went to Lunico's for dinner.

A lovely way to end a birthday.

Happy Birthday MrL xx

MrL's meal - those sweet potato chips were to die for.

A Market Visit Along La Rambla

One thing we noticed was how nice it was to have a city full of beautiful, big, green trees. They lined the main shopping streets and covered over the main tourist mecca, called La Rambla.

 La Rambla was about a 15-20 minute walk from our apartment. The first time we saw it, we were amazed and soaked it all in. Even at 9am in the morning it was getting busy. We learnt that day though,  to try and avoid the strip, due to what seemed like a million people who pounded that section of the city. Kind of our idea of hell on earth.  But without the hoards of people, it was beautiful...

There was a lot of little stalls dotted along La Rambla - selling everything from souvenirs, to sweets, to pet budgies.  There was also annoying men, trying to sell these stoopid annoying bird whistles - why anyone would want one is beyond me...

We're not really into buying a lot of souvenirs (nor sending postcards for that matter)...

We were keen to see a famous fresh food market we were told about, La Boqueria.

Located along La Rambla, I have never seen a market quite like this in all my life.  I have seen a variety of fresh food markets across certain sections of the world, but never had I seen row after row of fresh, air-dried Jamon hanging like this...  In Barcelona, you get quite used to it - it is everywhere!  I guess the market wasn't really one for die-hard vegetarians...

But the fresh fruit, ohh the fresh fruit displays were, in a word, AWESOME!

The girls selected a little platter of fresh fruit each and then we chose a fresh fruit juice each.  At 1.5 Euro, it was pretty good value.  The juices were all made on site and the varieties were irresistible.  I think Monet raved about hers for at least two hours afterwards (she chose Strawberry and Pineapple) and Lily seemed to enjoy the drink I chose for her, Strawberry and Coconut.  Yummoh.

You must visit the market if you ever find yourself in Barcelona.  No doubt you will find yourself there anyway, you don't need to me to tell you.

Not Sharing, But I'll Share Berlin With You.

I reckon if MrL was offered a job tomorrow in Berlin, we'd take it with both hands. Hopefully you can tell over the past couple of weeks posts, how much we enjoyed the city, and yeah I know it is different to live in a foreign city rather than visiting but still!

I quite like the fact that it is acceptable that drinking places are child accepting.  Drinking beer seems to be a part of German life, with what we saw.  Berlin is very different from Munich, which we visited with Monet three years previously, which is all Beer Halls and Breweries.  Berlin is more than that.  They're not into the big Beer Halls and values itself in being a city of modern history, with modern eateries and cafe culture.  Mind you, I think we sniffed out the (small) Beer Halls, more 'pubish', but still quite pleasing for us.

Monet was rather pleased to having picked out the below Ice-Cream Sundae in one we had sniffed out, whilst her baby sister napped in her stroller.


"Bewdy - no sharing required!"

I think that's what MrL and I both thought of our beers too; though they were always big enough to share, it's not the done thing!

Menus are always quite a read, no matter where you are in the world.

In this particular place we decided on a couple of share dishes which were quite delicious and enjoyed by us all...  Since being home, I have tried to recreate these two platters, but they will never be as tasty as they were on that cool, rainy Thursday.

It may seem that all MrL and I did during our 'foodie' time was drink.  Well, maybe we did - only the one or two mind you - but we were on holiday and justification isn't needed! Lol.  Living in an Arab country where drinking is severely frowned upon, you can probably understand the next photo a little better.   Where's the big black plastic bag to hide what you're holding MrL?

Berlin was awesome and I hope you enjoyed reading about our six days spent there.  Part of us did not want to leave but we knew we had another country destination to head to.  We did return back to Berlin for a night in a different part of the city, before heading back to Abu Dhabi the following week, but we still had Barcelona, Spain to explore and for me to blog about.

We traveled to Barcelona via the fabulous Air Berlin.  It is a 'cheap' airline but it is German so we knew it was trustworthy and would run smoothly.  We were right.  Kids were treated like Royalty - always brownie points with me.  If you travel with an infant, you don't have to pay extra for seat reservation and we got to board the plane both times before everyone else.  Such a bonus when traveling with kids.  Monet loved the little loot bag she got on both trips, both girls got Air Berlin beach balls and caps (*so cute*) and it was the first flight I had ever been on which the infant of the family got a special goodie bag consisting of a special rattle, a nappy, wipes, baby bottle, pacifier.  So keep Air Berlin in mind if you're ever trying to get from A to B in Europe. =) - This is NOT a sponsored post!! Lol

Bierkrug

Bierkrug, it is German for 'beer mug'.

We've recently booked our plane tickets to Germany come July. I am really looking forward to 'getting away' from the madness of this country.

It will have been a year since we went to London for a week break, and as we're going for two weeks this time, I am actually really looking forward to getting on that plane!

We're headed to Berlin, a city full of well known history and I am really looking forward to learning more about it's dark past and seeing famous sites for myself.  But most importantly, at this point of time, I am really looking forward to doing this again...

...downing one (or two) steins of German beer.

And getting to enjoy these, but this time with another daughter in tow... (I'm sure Miss Lily will enjoy Giant Pretzels as much as Miss 3-year-old Monet did)

Pretty sure I'll be getting another photo of MrL doing the same thing... (but hopefully without that guy in the background!)

And as Germany is the home of the Birkenstock, I'm looking forward to gaining another pair of those. *wink wink*

Pimm's? Oooo yes please!

As we've decided not to visit London this summer, (the first time in three years), I know one thing MrL and I will miss is Pimm's and Lemonade.

There is nothing quite like sitting outside one of our favourite London pubs (actually, there are a couple!) drinking the refreshing flavoured Gin with a tonne of fruit (including cucumber - it must have cucumber) and lemonade mixed in for good measure.  The drink screams England.

Photo taken in London last summer.

When MrL announced that he felt like a Pimm's and Lemonade on Friday (being our weekend, don't forget), well I'm not one to refuse.  You know me!

I used this recipe as a guide, not that I needed it as I can make this with my eyes closed.

So simple, 1 litre Lemonade to 250mls Pimm's - add fruit (strawberries are a must), cut up half a cucumber and a small handful of fresh mint leaves.  Serve over ice.  *glug glug*

And here's a photo of the result of mine.

So refreshing and so tasty.  If you've never tasted this 'cocktail' I suggest you do, but you Aussie folk, best you wait until the weather warms up a bit now.... ;p

I Haven't Forgotten This Blog (in case you were wondering!)

It has been a while hasn't it?

I have a few recipes up my sleeve to post here. I'll get around to posting them soon enough.

I presume you've all made that delicious cake in my previous post by now! Still one of my favourite cake recipes which I will be making again for my father's birthday in a couple of weeks time.

Thanks for visiting and stay tuned....

Sometimes I Just Love The Photos of Food I Have Made...

...Do you agree with me?...

A Leave of Absence

I am going away for a couple of weeks so I won't be posting here at cakes, cookies and an odd roast dinner.

So, I will leave you to discuss amongst yourselves your favourite cookbooks. Can you recommend to me a recipe book that I would use a lot, like I did with Karen Martini? (There are over 20 of her recipes from the 1 book in this blog!) Are there particular books you use all the time or are there books that you want to cook out of but just haven't yet? I look forward to reading what you write.


Thank you and happy baking and cooking in the next few weeks!!

Food For Thought...

...now I feel hungry!...

Makes Me Hungry Just Looking At My Photos...

Kitchen Appliances (part II)

I'm in love with a few things in my kitchen today.

First thing. My new measuring cup. (Thanks Marianne!)

Can you see how clever it is? You can read it from the side AND the top. I love that.

My Mixmaster. How easy is one of these things to operate to mix ingredients? And lastly, my dishwasher.Do I have to explain why? I love the fact that now when I bake, it doesn't matter how many utensils, bowls, cups etc., I use, because I don't have to wash them.

I'm in love with those items today.

How about you?

A Post About Take Away Food

We feel as if we have hit the jackpot at our new home. In the group of shops up the road is a 'Kebab/Fish'n'Chip' shop, a 'Thai' takeaway and a 'Pizza joint'. We've tasted all three and all three are very delicious! No regrets. No awful pizza, no terrible thai, nor no soggy chips...
How delicious do they look? We had some the other night and trust me, they taste better than they look!!!

In Cairns City we had a lousy choice of good takeaway food. We had to drive to a 'fish'n'chip' shop and were always disappoointed with some aspect of the food. Our local Thai place was nice though and there was a good pizza joint down the road but it was really pricey.

We love good (inexpensive) takeaway that is within walking distance of our home.

Do you like take away food? If so, what?

Food Photos

I got some food photos I have taken, enlarged yesterday to 6x8s and I might get a few more done. I figure I will frame them and put them on a wall in my new kitchen (which we move into in 3 weeks time today!)

I got these ones enlarged...


Do you like them? Do you think there are other food photos I have on this blog worthy of blowing up and framing? Or do you think it is altogether a silly idea?

Food Obsession?

I think I might be getting a little too food obsessed.

If you read my other blog, you would know that I am after a pair of these shoes...

...yes, they are little strawberries on them. They are very adorable. You can get ones with cherries on them, but then, my daughter has a cherry dress....

...and a strawberry one too for that matter...



Both of those dresses were made by yours truly.

Surfing the net the other day I found some other items that seem too irresistible for someone like me.

A Cupcake t-shirt to begin with...

And a shopping bag, also complete with a cupcake on the front...


And then these gorgeous kitchen tiles that would not look out of place in my new kitchen...


No, I haven't ordered any because I know a shop in Cairns that actually sells the t-shirt, I doubt they have the tiles though...