Photo Friday - week 8

I must've been feeling whimsical this week. I noticed most of my photos had a dreamy cream look to them.

1: Selfie: Getting ready for a night out with bub or hub.

2: Good-luck charm: C'mon Dockers, let's get to the Grand Final (FYI - they did!).

3: Patiently waiting: Every time we visit my mum, Frankie sits by her bedroom door waiting for the cat to emerge.

4. Beef and corn tic-tac-toe: Playing with your food is fun while you cook dinner.

5: Treasure trove: The spoils of shopping during The Travelling Trunk party.

6: Good night all: To have a dreamless sleep like a baby would be a wish come true.

7: Under the stars: bringing the stars indoors.

The magic of the Travelling Trunk party

It's like Tupperware, but more fun and for young ladies.

That's how I described the Travelling Trunk party to my yummy mummy mother's group.

After hosting a party, I'd describe it more as a magic show.

Imagine a small townhouse lounge room with ten mums, 11 babies and an explosion of make-up, accessories, homewares and 80s music. Yes, it was bedlam. Yes, there was vomit. Yes, it was crazy fun.

I organised the Travelling Trunk party as something a bit different to break up our weekly chats about babies, sleeping and nappies. 

In whirled Cheri our host and the make-up magician Katie. 

Cheri's previous life was in television and she brings the same energy and showmanship when she greets you with her car trunk, filled with a vintage trunk, filled with goodies.

For the ladies there are bangles, necklaces, summer snoodies, rings, t-shirts, summer hats and one of a kind platforms and sandals made from vintage kimonos. For the home there are cushions, salad bowl and servers, natural mosquito repellant and banksia oil pods. The trunk is like Mary Poppins' magic carpet bag. You think you've discovered it all, but more keeps coming.

My treasure trove of finds

And as a mum of two toddlers, Cheri knows what little things help you feel more like a woman than a mum or make your mum life easier.

To continue making us feel special, Katie opened her bag of tricks. She has worked on many celebrities all over Australia and gave us the same star treatment with a how to look good in five minutes demonstration. One of the yummy mummy's was given a make over and she was on hand to find the colour to match your skin tone.

After a couple of hours, our wallets may have been a little lighter, our arms were laden with goodies but we were glowing from being made special and treating ourselves for an afternoon.

Once again I wished I took more photos, but I was too distracted by the shiny objects to remember.

For other mother's group looking for something different, to be made special or to shop from the comfort of a house, I can not recommend Travelling Trunk more strongly. It's fun, it's no obligation to buy and they bring 80s music.

And for non-mum ladies, don't despair. I'm so impressed I'm thinking of organising a girls night in with my non-mum friends. It's fun, it's no obligation to buy and they bring 80s music.  Enough said really!

The Travelling Truck
E: cheri@travellingtrunk.com
W: https://www.facebook.com/thetravellingtrunkcollection

Bake Test: Hummingbird Bakery chocolate muffins

When I lived in London Hummingbird Bakery was the must pit-stop at Portobello Market.

Those fluffy little cakes with an equal portion of sugary, cream cheese icing were the rush we needed after a sleepless night out.

So I was pretty excited when a friend brought me the recipe book for my birthday a few years.

I've tried time and time again to recreate their cupcakes, but I seem to always do something wrong. Maybe it is the drier, warmer weather in Perth that stops the cakes from rising? Maybe I'm making excuses.

Determined to get it right, number 69 (he he) on my 101 in 1001 is to cook every single cupcake and give them away to others (that second part was for my hips).

To treat my dad and say thank you to my sister for looking after him for the week, I made the chocolate cupcake.

One of the problems I have with every single recipe I've ever made from this cook book is I can only get six cupcakes. Without fail. The recipe clearly says you can make 12 normal cupcakes. No. I can make 12 mini cupcakes, but six normal sized cupcakes. Or is miniature normal in the UK?

I was once again consistent in getting only six cupcakes out of the mixture.

As I put them into the oven I realised I had a brain burp moment... I had forgotten the baking powder. But it didn't seem to change the end result. The cakes were still fluffy and rose ever so slightly. Go figure.

The hero of this recipe was the chocolate icing. I had never made it before and am kicking myself. It was sugary, it was chocolaty, it was damn good icing. I brought nice, fancy cocoa and I think it did the trick.

My bake test score... six cupcakes out of ten (since it is all I can create!)

Frocking around Perth: Frocktober 2013

When I first heard about Frocktober three years ago, I thought wearing a different dress every day would be a great challenge. Then when I started getting involved I learnt about how important it is.

Frocktober is a fundraiser thought up over drinks by some Victorian girls in 2007 to wear dresses to raise money for ovarian cancer research.

Some of my past frocking exploits.

Photo Friday - week 7

I don't see my dad often, since he born, bred and ingrained in Kununurra, so you have to make the most of when he comes to the big smoke.

The weather has been wooly but that hasn't dampened our spirits and it's been a great week. That says a lot because normally he drives me nuts! Try cramming a year of catch ups into a week. You rarely spend this much time with a parent.

But it's been fun, with some great memories, and no trucks, too.

1. Hitting the town: A very late Christmas outing (or is it an early Christmas outing) with my sister, her stud and Hubby.

2. The morning after: No, thank you 1907 for a fantastic eight-course degustation, hilarious service, free-flowing drinks, seedy hangover and breakfast. You spoil me!

3. Dog tired: I hear ya buddy. Weekends are intense.

4. It's wooly out there: But it's toasty in here with my uggs.

5. In front of me: Sure isn't easy baby.

6. Adventures of a mum: Today it is Salted Caramel Macaroons

7. At the hairdresser: Zia styling.

Bake test: Zumbo's Salted Caramel Macaroons

Australia was wowed by Adriano Zumbo's macaroon tower on Masterchef and since then the French biscuit has become the treat of choice when impressing guests.

So of course it featured in my 101 in 1001. Number 67 - learn to make macaroons.

Cooking something that requires attention, finesse and delicacy is impossible with a four month old who keeps you guessing - is this an hour nap or 15-minute cat nap? All I can manage is a 'throw it all in and hope for the best' slow cook meal or a 'throw food around and hope for the best' Jamie Oliver 15-min meal (my godsend).

During a sleep deprived stagger through Woolworths I thought I saw a mirage. Could it be true? Zumbo has created an equivalent to the pancake shake and bake for his famous French treat? And it's on sale? Sold!

Zumbo has a small range of add two ingredient packets and, hey presto Masterchef, you have an instant dessert. 

 

Photo Friday - week 6

This week I failed. On Thursday the day had the better of me and I forgot to take a photo.

It wasn't even a special day. I went to the chiro, then did my washing at nonna's house because our washing machine died that weekend. That's it. I'm putting it down to a mum blank moment.

1. Hands: Mini Me is forever holding her hands together, like she is scheming or praying. I never want to forget that.

2. Have your voice heard: It's election day, and the scandal of the day - sausage sizzles. Oh and the metre long voting paper.

3. Tied up: Rope installation at Peasant's Table.

4. It's coming up... spring has sprung and the blooms are blooming awesome.

5. Take me back: A snippet of our home, a list of awesome places in the one and only NYC.

6. TV buddies: A snuggle on the couch with her best friend.

A pleasant meal at Peasant's Table

It's been a while since Bruce the Pram has found a place that satisfies his wide stature. Pram friendly restaurants can be hard to find!

But just down the road are two roomy and delicious finds. One of them is the new Peasant's Table in Mt Hawthorn. 

Photo Friday - week 5

Half way through the week, I realised I was just getting slack and snap happy. So I lifted my game and tried to think of composition and making the photo interesting. This challenge is tougher than I thought!

 

1: Cherry ripe brownie: self titled gooey, sugary-ness.

2: Pizza baby: I think Mini Me enjoyed the chillies the most.

3. Dad's are special: Yep it was Father's Day and we needed the requisite daddy-daughter photo in bed.

4. Sky-gazing: Sometimes we forget to just stop and watch the clouds. So I did just that.

5. Hung dog: Poor Frank knackered after a big walk.

6. Ducky dive: Bath times are now my favourite part of the night. A good soak after a slippery miss gets out.

7. Snuggled: it's bed o'clock and I'm tired.

Benefit of being a mum #4

Nightly soaks in the bath.

Even if the first 10 minutes are with a slippery Mini Me.

All Fired Up!

Since every day seems to be about dads, Father's Day should mean they have to change every nappy, attend to every cry and get her down for every nap.

You see, kids are excited when daddy comes home. 'Da' is generally their first word. Dad is the 'fun one'. Dad is head of the household (well not in this house). 

That cynicism aside, Hubby is a pretty good and hands on dad. So we had to celebrate him a little bit for his first Father's Day.

Boy did he get spoilt. I made him a cherry ripe slice, breakfast, he got to open a new date envelope, received a West Coast Eagles  membership and drank coffee from his new mug, created at Fired Up in Joondalup.

1: My attempt at a hand print card (fail) 2: The rich cherry ripe slice (thanks Taste.com.au)
3: Hubby and Mini Me with the spoils.

 

Creating the personalised mug was a brilliant suggestion from one of my Yummy Mummy Group mums.

With a range including plates, coasters, mugs, cookie jars and ornaments, and most around $20 with a $5 per 'painter', Fired Up helps create a great DIY gift with none of the mess or effort.

Given the area is not big and probably holds 20 people, we booked a table, and I suggest it's the same for even small groups on weekends.

At home I had tired to capture Mini Me's hand and foot prints with little reward for all the smudging and hot pink paint that got everywhere. But Fired Up made it easy.

The finished product and Hubby's present wrapped in a brown paper package (one of my favourite things).

The staff are super friendly and helpful. They actually did the print for us, cleaned up any smudges and we just had to decorate the rest. And given they do this a lot, crying bubs is no worry for them and they can calm them down, or still manage to capture the print from a fussy bub.

You then leave your piece with them to 'fire up' and seven days later you can pick up your dishwasher, microwave proof ceramic.

Given it was a week before Fathers Day they were super busy we didn't expect to get our pieces in time, but I think they moved mountains to make sure as many dads had their own personalised hand and foot print mug, plate of piece of art.

I loved the outcome and think my Christmas presents are all sorted this year!

To top it all off, Fired Up makes a good little coffee and has a few snacks on offer as well.

To other Yummy Mummy Groups out there, Fired Up should be on your list of places to meet up to capture those little hands and feet before they start running around.

Fired Up!
29 Winton Road, Joondalup
P: 9300 1811
E: info@firedcafe.com.au
W: www.firedcafe.com.au