The Great Australian Dream 'House' Party

Australia Day Picnic, at my half finished house, for my birthday!  A gorgeous day, a chance for my tassie friends to visit and see the work in progress for the first time and lots of yummy food that Mum and I baked. Oh and the Hottest 100, was pretty perfect.

I didn't get the camera out until late in the day, so not many peeps in the photos, but my sweet "niece and nephews", being aunty Julie to a crew of my friends children is awesome.

 Aidan, Marty and Olivia exploring

 never to young to play the 'game' - and don't you just love that dress!

(yes one of mine)

 'look Mum, aunty Julie has a drain!  I love drains'

 picnic vista backdrop

 frame up, tours of the house were had

 the party is over

 standing in the kitchen pantry doorway, looking through kitchen, dining/living and out to the view

 from the living room looking back through to the kitchen

 

a peak at the master bedroom!

I had a fabulous birthday with old and new tassie friends and can't wait to invite them all back for the housewarming once I'm in.  Next the deck is being put on, then the roof, windows and cladding - will look very different very soon.....

Food for a city

The last few weeks have completely been about my latest and last big production for RYT - BigSmoke, a play made with and for 5-9 year olds in the Riverland.  Everything else has been put on hold, pretty much, as we rehearsed, teched, toured and performed 8 performances across four venues for 14 schools.  BigSmoke was a wonderful production, it was amazing fun to work on and i got to play with a fabulous creative team and 5 very talented and inspiring young RYT members.

our audience sat in the middle as the story unfolded 

around them on three sides and through the centre.

The lovely emma and hew who played Bethany and Jimmy

we discovered so much by having them in the team.

With long days of rehearsals and shows we needed much food to keep up energy, concentration and the creative juices flowing.  Lots of lunches were sandwiches but I made the most of having a crowd to bake for to add to the mix.  I went back to many recipes I hadn't made in years, made up a few new ones and tackled a few allergy issues in the mix. The evening cooking extravagance included: corn bread, pumpkin scones, banana and blueberry muffins, gluten & dairy free anzac biscuits, tomato, chorizo, capsicum and pumpkin pasta bake, tuna and mushroom pasta bake, gluten, dairy and egg free chocolate birthday cake, chocolate slice, & scone scrolls - cheese, pizza & blue cheese, apple & walnut.  I also had some of the crew for dinner and we had a pastry extravaganza including my favourite lentil and spinach en croute, beef, halomi and sweet potato pies and apple & honey tarte tatin. Finally last night was apple crumble for a celebratory dessert with my friend and stage manager Jess on her last night.

In the midst of the season we had a public gala performance with lots of guests and friends from the Riverland and Adelaide.  My lovely friend Alice, 'the biggest maker of special occasion cakes in the Riverland' helped me out by taking care of most of the party catering.  we had her famous sausage rolls, fabulous cupcakes authentically decorated by 8 year old Lucy and 10 year old Sally, plus a very special BigSmoke cake.  in the play it is described as being a mixture of smoked salmon and smoked almonds and when you bite into it smoke comes out of your nose.....

The cupcakes went fast, so bright and sugary they were very popular!

The BigSmoke

this version was strawberry cream with flaked almonds and so so sinfully good to eat

The BigSmoke Season is over and I am exhausted but happy.  I have no flour left in the house and have used up many other ingredients out of the pantry which is good.  I have two & a half weeks left in the house, 10 days until the removalist comes and three & a half weeks until I leave this job and there is so much to do.  I better start.

Melbourne Round Up

Since I got back it has been crazy at work and i've been feeling less than fabulous so there has been a bleep in the blog.

The rest of my Melbourne trip was busy, challenging and thought provoking.  Plus some fun.  Most of my friends had lots of life stuff going on so not much socialising around the conference but I did get to have breakfast with Ben on his Birthday - AMAZING french toast with caramelised banana at Gas Eateries & Supply Cafe in South Melbourne and then of course Ben's 30th party where I got to catch up with Andrew and some old faces.

Ben had a Bonn Voyage party so I trimmed up a tee-shirt for a sailor girl look.  wearing it made me feel very anime, sailor moon.....

ahoy- thanks costume store for inspiration

On Sunday the lovely Louris and I went and checked out the Rose Street Artist Market which was filled with lovely things.  nothing I had to buy - luck because i had my suitcase with me and there was NO room in it.  But lots of inspiration!  Then we went to The Vegie Bar for coffee (and juice for me as a bit seedy fro the 30th!) I haven't been there for so long - not surprising since i don't live in Melbourne but I was reminded of the amazing menu they have, I wish I'd been hungry.

With time to kill and nothing to do but wonder before I headed to the airport I found myself at the Sustainable Living Festival at Fed Square.  I was tired and hot but I found a lovely vege buger (finally hungry) and some shade and chilled out on the river front.  Melbourne really has a lot going for it, that i didn't always make the most of when I lived there.

The flight home involved a mid air delay and diversion around a storm and I landed in Mildura very tired.  Dinner with Thom turned into a an overnight stay thanks to a spare room with inviting new1000 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets, bit not before I was introduce to the PlayStation and war games - not really my thing but insightful watching the boys all the same...

Treat One - from Craft Victoria shop

Material Treats from Clear It on Brunswick - Dangerfield and Alana Hill

 

Alana Hill Ribbon treat - pretty

Food for Thought

I found this apron at my local op shop and paid 50 cents.  While I was in Melbourne I checked out Hunter Gatherer on Brunswick St - they had a suitcase full of vintage aprons - most at $20.00  

No more trips for me (at least nothing interstate) until I head back to Tas.  But I think I have plenty to keep me busy......