Cape Byron

We watched the sun rise over the South Pacific Ocean at the most Easterly point in mainland Australia....

Pretty groovy, huh?

Ricotta Cakes and Sticky Dates

Yesterday was a big day. A big food day.

Justine told us last week about Virginia's famous Sticky Date Pudding as well as her to-die-for Ricotta Hotcakes. We asked her to make them for us, expecting that they might come a couple days after one another. Instead we put all the eggs in one basket and had them both yesterday. It was Alex's 20th birthday and we had a breakfast with the fam. We had eggs, bacon, tomatoes and mushrooms for the first course, and then out came the ricotta cakes.

OK, let me just explain to you that this dish is perhaps the best thing I have ever had for breakfast (outside anything eaten at Soundbites). The cakes are fluffy and light, yet terribly filling and moist! We topped them with this special chocolate honey butter Virginia makes:

One chunk of butter
2-3 Violet Crumbles chocolate bars, crumbled
3-4 TBSPs honey

mix all ingredients. freeze. serve.

So that butter was the first layer. Then some fresh berries. Then a scoop of ice cream. Then some Canadian maple syrup. Then more berries. Then more syrup. This was the second best meal of the trip, hands down (the first was the burgers). I had seconds.

Then later that night we had the sticky date pudding, which was topped with the most insane toffee, buttery, sugary sauce in the world! Serves with vanilla ice cream I couldn't pass up a second helping.

What does all this mean? Well, first of all it means I have some killer recipes to bring back to the Northern Hemisphere. It also means our diet's gone to shit and we'll have to get back on track with Natalia as soon as we hit Melbourne.

It also means I still love fatty foods!

SINGLETS!!!!!

After so long we've finally purchased some bona fide Aussie singlets! We've been searching high and low for some funny ones, but whenever we find them they are like $60, which is ridiculous to pay for a piece of clothing that is made of literally the minimal amount of fabric you can have for a top! We even saw one that was $100!! Believe it.

But today we walked in to General Pants for about the seventh time to find they were having a 2 for $30 sale on all selected men's tops!!!

Once I told him about the crazy singlet style here my friend Greg, the King of Tanks, asked that I acquire some for him. This was perfect because they were SO CHEAP (relatively) and all in crazy flouro (neon) colors! I got him three and me one because, let's be real, only one looked even remotely flattering on me. Patrick bought two.

Mine is purple gingham with a drawstring along the bottom hem, Patrick bought a drawstring one that's red and also one with these crazy neon paint bursts on black. Its totally ferocious!

Here's to bringing back some true Aussie style!

We Are Famous!

OMG OMG OMG!!! This is perhaps the best thing that's ever happened!!

Apparently there was some sort of video crew filming the crowds at V-Festival and they FILMED ME AND PATRICK DOING A ROBOT DANCE OFF!!!! I came across it in the middle of the night on some website and I feel soo famous right now.

Here's the link. Enjoy!!

Strikes and Gutters

Tennis Tuesday didn't work out for us because of the rain. We had cocktails and watched La Vie En Rose instead. OMG it was beautiful. I loved it!

Pat's making a plate of roasted vegetables to snack on. The weather outside is what he describes as strikes and gutters - sunny and warm one moment, cloudy and rainy the next. Boys can't get a break out here in Wahroonga.

I wrote, addressed and stamped my first round of postcards today. If you want one from me (or pat, but i don't think pat is sending any out, but by request I'm sure he would) send me your address and you can expect something in the next couple months.

I don't know if I mentioned it but we booked our flights south and north. We're going to Melbourne on the 17th and then to Byron Bay on the 22nd. None other than Tommy "Showdog" Wong will be joining us up north. It'll be a blast. Can't wait to see his stinkin' mug!

I think I am going to start a Mansing Manifesto (a Mansifesto if you will). If anyone has any fond memories of the Manse or ideas send them my way.

Here's to another lazy day in the suburbs!

Tennis Tuesday

Today is Tennis Tuesday. I don't play tennis, and whenever I have it's usually a joke because i have no control. But I love the idea of it, as I love the idea of all things WASPy. Sophie has a tennis court at her house down the road, so we're going to play and then have cocktails.

Except its raining. On and off. And I am not impressed. It may just turn out that we'll have to go over there and break right into the cocktails without playing. I guess that's pretty waspy too!

The Beautiful People Eat Honeycomb

We have arrived at the wonderful Cobb family's wonderful home in Wahroonga. It's surprising to me how generous this family has been with us and I am very very grateful for that. Nick's sis Justine will be taking us to the nearest mall as we are in the market for some singlets (aka tanks) of various bright colours and patterns. We haven't had a lot of luck, but hopefully we'll come across some choice pieces.

I went on a bit of a candy binge yesterday. I bought gobstoppers and I couldn't really stop. Then we met up with Soph and Nick and Soph had bought all this candy this weekend too and she gave me a pile of taffy and some COCONUT FUDGE!!! And I s0rta couldn't stop. It was rough. I still have 3 gobstoppers left and I don't know what to do. Like do I get rid of them all right now or do I have like one a day or just save them for next week? I DON'T KNOW! I think I am going to have one now.

But seriously, Pat's new nickname is Pooh-Bear and this is mainly because he has become obsessed with honey. We bough actual honeycomb this weekend and it is SO GOOD. I mean who eats honeycomb really? The answer, simply, is The Beautiful People. It's so good. It's like wax candy covered in honey, but better. It's reeeeal! I love it. Try it!