The Joy of Christmas

There’s a lot to do with getting ready for Christmas and I know I’m not alone in feeling that at this time of year it would be handy to have an extra day in every week.  Adding to the mayhem is that things can and often do go wrong and I had no less than […]

In My Kitchen, December 2013

In my kitchen is a broken window.  Can you guess who did it?  Yes, it was Archie.  He’s lost three house keys since March and a few nights ago he came stumbling home in the early hours of the morning and realised (no surprise) that he didn’t have a key.  Rather than knock on the […]

In My Kitchen, October 2013

In my kitchen I have a pretty pink box.  It was given to me by my good friend Rach who is a midwife at one of Sydney’s private hospitals and this box had been given to her by the wife of a certain Sydney billionaire.  She had helped deliver their third child.  Everyone who helped […]

Bion Societe, Camperdown

Last week I met up with Lorraine, Celia and Tania at Bion Societe in Camperdown.  The reason for the get-together was for no good reason at all except that the four of us hadn’t spent time together since the launch of Lorraine’s book an entire season ago, (almost two). And due to demanding schedules (that […]

In My Kitchen, September 2013

September and Spring already!  It’s such a lovely feeling to see the back of winter. In my kitchen I have a very special balsamic vinegar given to me by Tania.  In Tania’s blog posts she often mentions different types of balsamic vinegars and I have often felt like a Philistine by comparison in that my […]

Slow-Cooked Beef Cheeks with Mushrooms and Red Wine

Since starting my blog I’ve become addicted to visiting blogs every morning.  I like this for the sense of community I feel from being invited into a part of your lives but also because I love the sneak peek into your kitchens and seeing what you’re putting on your table.  I find this inspiring and […]

Irene Gleeson, the ‘Lioness of Africa’

A few days ago I was enjoying a quick catch-up with Lorraine and Celia.  We were talking about what we’d been up to and I had to let them know that sadly, I’d been to another funeral.  ‘Another funeral?’ asked Celia, ‘Wasn’t there just one?’  And I said, ‘No, there’s been two’. And so I […]

Sydney Chocolate School – Coco Chocolate

When introducing myself at parties and events, it’s most likely I’ll then be asked, And what do you do?’  And I’ve always wanted to say, ‘I’m a Chocolatier’, because it just sounds so interesting and fabulous and I’m sure I would receive a very animated response compared with saying something like, ‘I’m an Auditor for […]

Balla at The Star

After our dastardly dining experience at an Italian Restaurant in Mittagong I was desperately yearning for some authentic Italian food that would give me that feeling of being transported to the very heart of Italy for a moment of time I would forever remember. By an unbelievable stroke of good fortune, I was invited to […]

A Holiday in Mittagong

When our friends very kindly asked us if we would like to have a holiday at their country retreat in Mittagong we eagerly accepted.  These school holidays, Carl could only have a few days off work so if we were to go away, somewhere fairly close to Sydney was the best option and Mittagong, on […]