Happy Australia Day.....

Happy Australia Day everyone.....

Source: picasaweb.google.com via Whimsical on Pinterest

Tasty Tuesday - Best Ever Banana Bread

 The school year has started back again for another year. I have to say I hated going back to school each year, the nerves of wondering if your friends would still like you, had things changed terribly since I was last at school, would I know anyone in my classes, embarking on the pressures of a new school year... ergh!

 

Party In The Works.....

I really love to create, design, have a vision of a project and see it come to life. A few years ago I did and interior design course and as full on as it was I thoroughly enjoyed it and got a lot out of it. Not only being able to use the principles that I learnt in renovating and decorating my previous home and our current home but also utilising these principles in pulling together many parties, weddings, baby showers and hen's parties in the years following.

My wedding in 2006.

My sisters wedding in 2009

My sister-law's wedding in 2010

The latest project I'm working on is my mum's 50th Birthday Party. The main feature of the birthday party is a dessert table. It seems it's the latest fad at the moment (and maybe in the last few years) is to create a spectacular dessert table in a theme which is also emulated in the food, drinks, cutlery, napkins and platters. People have even created business doing these dessert tables for a living - such as Amy Atlas just to name one.

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Now I will say straight out there now - my table will be no where near as spectacular as Amy Atlas's - they have an unlimited budget it seems, however I hope that I can still create some thing pretty awesome with a reasonable budget.... time will tell! Dessert tables are very versitile and can be used for any occasion - birthdays, weddings, baby showers, bridal showers just to name a few.

Now I can't go into to much detail at the moment about what I'm planning because it will wreck the surprise for the guest's that are coming who read this blog.

Here is a bit of a peek at the main feature in the dessert table.... polka dots!  There is so many little bits and bobs that are available for purchase to make your dessert table a success. Think paper straws, cupcake toppers, matching napkins, bunting, favour bags, themed lollies etc. Just look at the dessert tables themselves and you can see the detail that goes into them. I think that is the success of a good dessert table.... an eye for detail. I will talk more about the table after the party but I thought I would leave you with some fabulous dessert tables that I came across in Pinterest!

"sigh" aren't they all just gorgeous......

Tasty Tuesday - Belated Anniversary Dinner

 I have been meaning to post about the anniversary dinner that I cooked for my husband and I last year in October. We were on a bit of a tight budget around the time our anniversary was on and I decided I would cook something special for our dinner at home. It was our 5 year wedding anniversary and I wanted to make sure we celebrated it and had a special evening. We were going to have it on our newly finished deck at sunset, which turned out to be a beautiful evening.

I even invested in a set of beautiful dinner plates and bowls for the occasion. The cost of the ingredients and the dinner set were marginally cheaper than us going out to a nice restaurant. It's all about trying creating a special mood or atmosphere when creating a memorable evening. Nice touches such as candles, flowers, special cutlery, centerpieces and table cloths all go about creating this dreamy and special atmosphere..

This is the menu that I planned a few weeks before the big day. A tip when planning your menu try and pick recipes that you can have prepared earlier in the day or even the day before and this will reduce the time you need to be at the stove over spending time with your hubby.

We started the evening off sipping chardonnay on the deck eating the tomato & basil bruschetta that I had prepared, watching the sunset. It was a wonderful way to start the evening. I just love the light in the evenings as the sunsets as it gets all soft and day dreamy streaming through the trees.

 

 While we were enjoying the bruschetta I had the citrus salad prepared earlier in the day resting in the fridge, the potato gallette was roasting and the duck was marinating ready to be pan fried. The duck was probably the most extravagant thing we bought for the whole evening. It was about $20.00 for two duck breasts but I will say it was well worth the money. It was absolutely delish. To the restaurant critic it probably would be over cooked but I just don't like my duck breast still quacking... if you know what I mean.

Dessert was next and I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into the Dairy Free Chocolate & Strawberry tart I had made earlier in the day. There is a secret ingredient in this tart and your wouldn't believe what it is...... Avacado! Yep the chocolate filling is made from blending avacade, cocoa powder, maple syrup and a few other ingredients together to create the most divine tasting thing ever. I promise you won't even recognise the avacado in it.

Thankfully I made two extra tarts so I could enjoy it again the next day.

Recipes:

Tomato & Basil Bruschetta

Chocolate Tart (Torte) Recipe

Potato Galette

I'm being a bit lazy today and showing you where I got the recipes from. I am also being naughty and not putting the duck recipe up because it's in a recipe book somewhere and I forgot to type it out.... so if your desparate for it I will put it up for you.

I hope that I have inspired you to attempt making a special anniversary dinner somewhere along the years you will share with your loved one!

Tasty Tuesday: Chicken Schnitzel - My Way!

 Summer has definately set in. The heat has hit pretty bad over the last few days and it has been hard to find respite from it when you don't have aircon in your house. I have slowly been raising the subject of maybe getting a air con unit with hubby with phrases like..."Air con would be good about now" and "Maybe we should consider putting air con in... where would you put it if we got it?".

 

Tasty Tuesday - Spiced Custard with Sweet Saffron Mango

Well we're into the third day of 2012... hoping that you have recovered well and truly from your New Years celebrations! How did your celebrations go? I kept it simple and went to bed early to be fresh for the next day as we had a New Years brunch planned at our house. To be honest I'd rather enjoy New Years day than stay up late the night before! Yes I believe I am what you call a "Party Pooper"!