Tuesday 17th November



The day started with afternoon where no tea was consumed at the school cafeteria, not officially but the closest source of food that gives us a student discount. #coffee is the name. With macrame pots and cronuts it aims to be a trendy place, though is only busy for lunch. 


We had the white hot chocolate which was very good! I'd get it again and recommend it, it's almost on par with Gloria Jeans across the street (literally). Oh and we also have Starbucks and 7/11 around the corner. On the same block we have Mad Mex, McD and KFC is across the street. HJs is a block away. Coles is across the street and Safeway around it. Edit: Since then another Safeway has opened within site of Coles, two on the block, one within metres of Coles. It used to be hard to snack healthy, but with the supermarkets there's fruit within sight! Unlike in these pictures...


The Nutella Choc Muffin was good but bit dry, if I get it again I'd ask for a serving of cream to go with it. Service was good, we're regulars and it's always consistent.


Onto Review. Belts at Review have changed. These days things aren't built to last. Depreciation in quality, not just Review but AH too. I bought a belt last year and it was great. This year it's flimsy. Belts aren't meant to be like that. The quality has gone down but the price certainly has not. I'd like to be told when they're changing suppliers or ending certain models.

Up to Telstra to buy my phone plan. Est wait 15mins, but 46mins+ in reality. Nope, I got to go. 

An hour and a bit later we're at Chadstone. For the biannual shopping festival, one day of sales! And this time the DFO has joined in and our local-ish shops too! The first one is Chadstone. We had a game plan, but ended up waiting 2hrs for jas and missed out on a lot of stuff...

Random asian shops, these should be a franchise since they all sell the same stuff. No black headbands so I got some silvery blue ones instead. There's a certain brand that does the best ones, satin lined in school approved colours and not. The perfect base for my headpieces.


Iskha, I like but it's a hippy strange kinda place that's a rip off. Even at 50% off somethings are still expensive. We picked up another music box, and a wax melt. Lychee & Black Tea, at $2.50 that's the price it ought to be. No wonder they're going down. Madame Librarian's a fan of the design of their clothes though said they fall apart quite fast!


The art shop had 50% off! This has never happened before! We got a few things for $32 which was a very good deal. Spray paint and ink. Though they were out of gold. Do I really have to always wear a mask mask when spray painting something?  

We found another Telstra. This guy was very quick and eager to move onto the next customer. Slight regret not waiting to see the one I like, but I did need more credit today. 

Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn and West Elm are all connected, and beautifully styled! The middle one. I don't actually remember which was West Elm... there were free drinks. Pimm's Lemonade and the drinks cart was unattended. After 3 glasses it turned out to be a bad idea. Oh gawd I think I got drunk at Pottery Barn! Loving the snow globes, but they're pricey!

Bought some Peppermint Bark, but they forgot to give me the 20% off :( I'm not going back for $1. But I think I do have the receipt. Can they paypal it to me?

I felt flushed, a bit dizzy and disorientated. That slowed us down a bit. 


Typo! 40% off!! I have an MC gift card so I put off most of the purchases till early Dec. I'm after a shower cap and fun pillow cases. But we did get a mouse pad, as there was only one and I haven't seen it anywhere else. Our local shops are small, but we do have a Typo.

Dinner. Bland rice paper rolls, best with hoisin sauce from Roll'd $10.20. Healthy choice, though my mother makes them much better, also there was too much noodles. We also had a $3.50 mango lassi, delicious as always, and the price was good for the size.




Bought some more stuff. Tired some vanilla slice at the start of the night and went back for more. $5 slice or $6 with coffee. Average hot choc (yes it is my 2nd today) but great service! And vanilla slice, I enjoyed that too, and the size was perfect to share for two. 

We forgot to go to Kmart... I do like their quilt covers.



Thursday

"You know you are doing it right when they re-write the rules because of you. "

Another store to change their return on sale items policies because they said it verbally but I can't find it written anywhere on their site. Causing them to accept my return and not be cool with it.


Showbags! One of the things I'm obsessed with, due to a lack of in my childhood, though something I really don't need. The day started with a gingerbread deco and styling for your mom workshop, two separate workshops that weren't eventful/interesting enough to talk about, we were there for the showbag.


Priceline had 40% off cosmetics, so we bought some brushes. Typo had an extra 30% off sale items. Sportsgirl had 50% off sale items, and we bought a top for $20 to be wore under corsets and for Edwardian outfits. Bought my first frying pan, which didn't come with instructions or what to do and what not to do... OW didn't have what I needed. Edit - That pan doesn't work with the induction stoves at the boarding house.



Went modern dancing. Didn't like it. It was awks. I do not groove to the beat. I can hear it, identify it but not follow it. My specialization is the dip and drop.


This week's food adventure was a trip to Big Huey's Diner. Tastes like what you'd expect his cooking would be like. Causal guy food, from his tv shows I always thought it was things you could make it home yourself, it was the era of cooking shows before Masterchef and all the drama.




Friday night was spent in the rain at the Melbourne Night Noodle Markets. This is a good thing as it meant there were short lines. :P Though the organizers should have provided cover/shade and not just for the VIPs.

Sunday 15th Nov




But first the train was canceled so we waited 20mins for the next one, +20mins later than it was meant to be on top of that first 20mins, so now we're 40mins late. Some punks stole some cables from the signal so the trains were canceled/extra slow, causing me to be late. How Lola is always early, that's a skill.

It look me 2hrs to get to the event, but we made it! Unfortunately due to travel delays we didn't have time to check out the butterfly house again, as right after the event I had class.


Somehow we missed Maggie Beer's stall the other day, free mini magnums! There's affragato/strong coffee, and choc. I was hoping for her more unique flavours, namely the burnt fig. The magnums were good but nothing amazing, other than the fact that magnum doesn't do coffee, not that I've seen/tasted.





Movida's Helando de yogur - sheep's milk yoghurt ice cream, beetroot jam, barberries, walnuts & cocoa ($6). After the unique soft serve from Supernormal the other day this paled in comparison as it was highlighting the subtle flavours of the sheep's milk yoghurt ice cream. This was suppose to be in the last post...






The only food purchased and consumed on the spot was SAKÉ RESTAURANT's Toasted Raspberry Bomb - umeshu caramel, broken raspberries $10. It's a meringue with a cookie base and raspberry in the middle. Good but nothing amazing, I prefer Gazi's choc/meringue ice cream which was the same price. 



The highlight of the day was an exclusive session with Sat Bains, with George Calombaris in the background (Masterchef George, and in person, not a cardboard cutout :P).


Sat Bains is from the UK and is one of the top chefs in Europe and known throughout the world. He has a two star Michelin restaurant serving modern British cuisine; Restaurant 'Sat Bains with Rooms', Nottingham (2.6-3hrs away from London).




And something beautiful was created! Chicken Liver Parfait Muesli. It's something very different that you'd never expect. It was a bit creamy and savory, as expected, but all the textures were pretty cool.


Sunday was busier than Friday night! All workshops booked out with long lines. Not sure why some people got on the wait list when we didn't, is it because of my accent?!

Best day to get a great deal is the last day of the show, where you can ask for deals like 7 for the price of 5, depending on the item. I had to get to class but managed to score BOGOF on Cobs Popcorn $4 for 2 bags. At $4 I wouldn't buy one.







We had a fun but rushed time. The stalls in the middle were mainly wine, I would have liked to see more coconut water stalls like last year :P Also more samples and promos. 

Friday 13th November


The annual Taste of Melbourne at Albert Park, Stop 130. Wear boots if you play on chasing swans/ducks through the (tall) grass. Or if it rains, because it gets very muddy. Don't be those people who wears flip flops, which are only ok beach/pool side. 


As usual we went to Lupak to book the workshop as soon as we got in. While the lines are still long I feel like there's less people and it feels smaller? Something's different this year. 



This is the smallest/most $$$ dish I've ever had, a couple bites of lamb with fennel, and olives. It was good but nothing amazing. Notes for next time - check size before purchase.


Next we  went to a demo at the Beef & Lamb stage, where there was a demo to create 'Masterstock Braised Shoulder Gao Bao Buns' featuring lamb. Paired with some red wine that jas enjoyed.

Movida was near the next place on my list. The 'Pinchitos Morunos' - Flinders Island lamb
marinated in moorish spices and cooked over charcoal ($10) was hot though good and I was still very hungry, so caved into temptation.

What I was actually there for was more ice cream (no not the one below, the one in the next post, part 2).

A stop by Mamasita, always popular, for their chargrilled corn, chipotle mayo,
queso & lime (Elote Callejero) $6, always consistent and delicious. The line was long but moved faster than expected.


Yum! It's sweet but not too sweet, and the miso contrast makes it a bit salty and adds something unique. And the classic salted caramel topping is perfect! This is something I'd recommend and get again. As to size it's in a regular fancy cupcake wrapper.

Supernormal is just two big blocks away from the office though I have yet to stop by for their lobster burger.  At the event it was $14 and canape sized. As we already bought something tiny that $$$ I gave it a pass. Though did get their their ice cream, as seen above.



Meanwhile jas headed straight to the back, for the Royal Mail Hotel's iconic dish, Duck Phat Sundays - duck fat ice cream, angelica syrup (it's a herb), orange cream, nuts $6. I had a teaspoon of it, and it was creamy but didn't taste like ice cream, and leaned towards think cream that wasn't that sweet. Duck fat sounds kinda scary and so I wasn't keen on it. He also ran off and had a pear & ice smoothie and soft shelled crab burger. No he doesn't want to talk about it. 




This year Lupak's interactive workshop is a simple one, DIY open face sandwich using bread + butter + 4 ingredients of your choice.

Hosted by Sammy & Bella (MKR) we made well, sandwiches but with only one slice of bread. In the fridge there were four shelves: protein/cheese, fruit (?), leaves and garnish.



On the table on a lazy Susan there was sauces you could use, and honey too. Jas says as soon as he saw the honey he knew my dish was a winner, something I didn't (he cooks, I just make it pretty and take photos). 

As the workshop was very rushed I didn't get a chance to clean up the plate. I also generally don't decorate the plate as dessert/white cloth places do, because I don't intend to lick the plate. :P


Sammy & Bella selected a couple pictures to win prizes, and I was one! I won the food porn prize! But first for those who don't know what food porn is Sammy explain it. :P Absolutely delighted. Just wait till I tell morman, he's going to be mortified I used the p word XD Pehaps we should rename him Vanilla?

I won a whisk, my second whisk! My first I never actually used and only purchased with Jas's reccomendation. I still don't know what I'd need it for, those I once did use it as the main feature in a photoshoot.

As it was sponsored by Lurpak we all got to take a tub home, as well as a bag. It was the same bag the bread was in, I was told there were burgers and crossiants avaliable, not just light rye bread. Being little I struggled a little, the tables were too high! I prefer kitchen bench height. 

I wonder if extra tall (half giant) people get custom height furniture and houses? Can I ask morman or no? It's not him who's half giant. He comes from a family of tall people.


To conclude the night, cheese was prefect. I've always wanted to visit the 'Milk the Cow' but it's very expensive! And here at the event it was no different. This is a picture of the crowd after we had ordered.



We had four artisan cheeses accompanied by MTC lavosh & quince, which was $25! There was a hard cheese, Camembert but less salty, la vache but more salty and blue cheese, with crackers and fruit jelly. Like cranberry jelly served with turkey.


On the way out we stopped by the 'Butterfly House' where we got to have butterflies on us, it was pretty cool unlike any of the pictures I took. The butterflies were pretty mellow, being tired at the end of the day. I'm amazed they stayed on us, as they don't normally land on people.

Arriving at 6pm and leaving a bit after 9pm I felt that we didn't have enough time to see everything. We explored all the main restaurants but not many other vendors. Luckily we'll be back on Sunday for lunch.

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