Once Upon A Brunch...

When you put on your authentic self - the happiness in your being radiates, they can almost see a halo.

I rarely have breakfast and very rarely have brunch unless I am on a holiday with Rich and we had some sleep-ins.

This weekend however I went out to meet some girlfriends for a brunch in a café not far from where we live. One is following a gluten-free diet and she is always on a look out on a good place to eat. She highly recommended this place.

Common Galaxia, Victoria St. Seddon ღ



Soy hot chocolate is my drink of choice on brekkies out.




Eggs Benny with crunchy bacon on toast. The hollandaise sauce
is so good. I chose it to see if it's worth recommending to Rich next time.
I am no fan of eggs, but he is! This one is so delicious!

I got a text and the details on our big brunch. It is a place in Seddon. I think it is new because it still has that vibe of newness :-) We sat facing the quiet street and my view was straight right at a lazing black Labrador loosely tied to a tree, patiently waiting for its master who went for a quick take away coffee.



Where I was seating, the windows are open and cool breeze
made the stay even more relaxing. I was ready to join the doggy nap.
Hi Puppy!

It was a good place to eat, to chat and chill. I had the best time. We were there for close to 3 hours! Talk about lazy weekend! :-)








One Sunday...

Rich and I are blessed with lovely friends who invite us to their homes all the time for a meal! We have tight schedules so whenever we can make it we jump to it!

Wilma, Nessa and Eugene invited us over for Sunday lunch we had to squeeze this in our hectic schedule and we are so glad we did! It was also our first time in Nessa & Eugene's new home. Beautiful house you guys! They made us Filipino delicious fare of Adobo, Kare-kare and Biko! Nessa even asked Rich if he want Fried Chicken as well, but we were so full already. It was so good!

Thanks so much lovely friends!



Pork Adobo ♥ (Pork pieces braised in sweet/salty/sour soy sauce & garlic jus)

Kare Kare - oxtail simmered in thick peanut based savoury sauce
topped with string beans, greens & eggplant

Biko is a traditional dessert of sticky rice cooked in Coconut milk

and served with coconut & palm sugar caramelized sauce

My Saturday Lunch ♥

I met up with the girls from work and had a lunch feast at PappaRich. It has been a restaurant of choice especially since I have a few Muslim Friends and PappaRich serves Halal meat.

Our main visit was for the famous Fried Chicken Skin! Ayayay but we are good we did not finish it all. We did order a few more Malaysian Dishes and they are all delish.

Then afterwards, Tuta took us to an Indonesian Food Shopping Tour, we went to a shop just on top of the Restaurant where they sell all these condiments from all parts of Asia! Wow I have never seen so much variation of curry paste! It was fun and we will do this again!

Thanks Ladies!




Char kwai teow, Fried Chicken, Mee Seafood soup, Chicken Curry with Roti,
Nasi Goreng, Bun with Kaya and fried Chicken skin :-)

 




Sago pudding with coconut milk. I like this dessert!

 

Food Trips this Past Week or so... ♨

I have been good with my no red meat diet even after the holidays. I broke my meat fast by eating Ham on Chrissy and NYE dinners. I always have ham during holidays ever since I could chew! Not gonna change that!☺But start of January I ate mostly Japanese sushi. The tame ones - none of the raw raw ones. My fave are the Seafood Inari, Grilled salmon, grilled scallops and tempura sushi prawns. I think I have outgrown my love for cali rolls haha ☺

I made some progress with having a go at being a Vegetarian for 6 months but after Christmas I made some changes - I will eat some meat IF it is a special occasion and public holiday :-). Also because my iron dropped and I get so fatigued easily.

Here are some of the yummies we had recently...



This is a Food Court treat on weekends. Vegetables and Salted Fish on mixed rice is love ♥

 



By my Masterchef Richard - sliced and diced red & green bell peppers, organic radish with dash of balsamic oil dressing. It is so yum!



This little thing poking out a bag is a trio of fish ball in a skewer. Takes me back when I was a teenager and no cares in the world... I try to fry some at home but just not the same as the bought ones! This is from the same Food court we got the rice and fish :-)



Rich loved to cook European dishes to my Asian Dishes...this is actually more yummy than it looks! Our mid night din din of Beef Steak Schnitzel with rustic mash and mixed veggies! Yumm-O!

Homemade gourmet sausage rolls with tomato and mango salsa! Google the recipe and they do not fail!



Monday Dinner is Greek in the Williamstown Suburb of Melbourne. The Trio Dips of Tzaziki, Caviar and Capsicum/pinenuts plus freshly baked bread is just so delicious!



This is our entrée Saganaki my fave esp with Arugula (rocket) salad and lots of lemons! Yummmm...

 








I am not a fan of lamb. Not even when it is juicy, melts in the mouth tenderness, and chargrilled to perfection souvlaki like this. Rich tho is another story :-) ♥



Warm Pita bread to scoop all the juices of the mussels hmmmm (check out the next photo!)



This is my main meal order. Good for two people so we shared but still unable to finish it all...I blame the breads and dips hahaha. The mussels are cooked to perfection with tomato based sauce with hint of paprika ♥ The huge King prawns were a tad overdone and the Morton bay bugs were not as succulent as expected, but the pan fried fish and the strips of fresh calamari battered and fried made up for the shellfish's lack of juiciness... Over all it was a yummy dinner...

 

****

Fast Forward next Night...♥☺

Meet Sang Choy Bow. A lettuce ball with chicken mince cooked with hoisin sauce and spring onions...This is my entrée just the day after our Greek Dinner. We went to a new Chinese Restaurant in the same suburb of Williamstown for joint birthdays of friends.



We ordered fave dishes each and then shared! Yum! This is tender beef strips with vegetables!

 



Succulent King prawns with vegetables in Garlic sauce!

 




What Chinese meal is complete without this oh so yummy crunchy in the outside and tender in the inside battered sweet and sour pork!
♥☺



We also had some vegetarian spring rolls with sweet chili sauce,  sweet corn soup, Pork Spare ribs in Peking Sauce - ( Richard's favourite!!! ) and Chicken and vegetables.

I really enjoyed the Chinese night out in terms of food and company. Greek Food was okay esp since it is a Date Night but both Rich and I decided if we wanna venture back in Willy we will definitely choose Chinese Dinner!

 

 

After 3 straight nights of eating out I needed a little break...just a little I'd still go out if asked hahaha...but today with the help of my new trusted Ninja Blender (a super blender!)  made my first FRO YO! Yo! The ingredients are just this:

Yoghurt and frozen mixed berries!I also added bit of honey because the tartness might turn me off and it did the trick! The best Froyo ever!!!

 

 

 

*****

 

 Oh and did I tell you I loved the sang choy bow I went home with the taste lingering on my mouth so I googled the recipe and made it the next day! It is so delish!!!

 

And today the iceberg lettuce is really ICEBERG lettuce ...

This was also my lunch today... 30/1/14



Mission Nostalgia

June 12, 2012

I came across this line that makes sense especially it's almost winter. Melbourne's weather is known to chill hearts and cause them to be blue.

What makes me happy are mostly moments not things.

Serving a mission for my church made me the happiest. 18 months of 1993-1995. Lessons of life are learned from being Christ-like, kind, compassionate, cheerful, patient and strong. To be budget-savvy, alert and resourceful. I even learned tolerance when much divine attributes proved hard to practice.

I deserve a medal because if those circumstances happened now, toleration would be the last in my mind. That is why Ecclesiastes was right. There is the right time and place for everything. I cannot serve a mission now. Not only am I older but Patience and unconditional love no longer hold a big place in my heart. I am still patient but I have them for a chosen few. My family, special friends and kids at my work. Just them. That is why they are chosen.

But those short 18 months in the Visayas area of the Philippines was the happiest and most worthwhile time of my life. It was great.

Today, I was browsing my large mission journal and the faces that jumped out of the pages made me stop and smile. I didn't even know that I have missed them this much! I wonder how they are now.

I developed special bond with my first companion (trainer) Sister Rose. She is a stunning, gorgeous young lady that literally made all the cars, trucks, tricycles, bikes, carabaos stop when we walk together along the streets of Bohol. If she is beautiful in the outside she is even more so inside. She helped me develop more Christ-like attributes. One thing that made it even more special is she is not boring at all. She was fun and we were happy.

I will tell you how it started.

When I finished my training at the MTC in Manila, we were flown in to CEBU. I had a late night meeting with my Mission President. The wonderful Lawrence Haines in Mission Home Office.

I have this habit that I developed years ago. I like to scan the rooms I am in without being too obvious. Though I don't have 20/20 vision and needs contacts/glasses - my peripheral vision is fantastic.

President Haines as a wall of photos in his office of the missionaries serving in his care. Side by side with their companions.

That's when I saw my photo next to a sister assigned to Capitol. I said to myself okay then this lady is going to be my Trainer. I'll be assigned in the CBD. Cool. Then I glanced at another photo. She looks happier and mestiza.

It was a lovely interview. President Haines and I started our friendship then. Until now we are in touch and have visited their home in Utah, USA with Rich a couple of years ago.


In that interview, President Haines felt the prompting to send me to Bohol. A small island just off Cebu. He's sending me off to another Trainer. Early the next morning his assistants (AP) took me and other missionaries to the airport. One handed me a ticket.

Being a lawyer's daughter and vocal whinger I said: "You gave me a wrong ticket. My name is not M. Buhay." The tall elder was surprised to hear a greenie complain out loud. I think he was a bit embarrassed but it was pre-9/11 so he just ignored me, proceeded to instruct all of us to be on the plane in a few minutes and have fun with our missions.

I dragged my overweight hand carry luggage of books and sat on the smallest plane ever invented in the planet. I counted less than 20 people on it. I was a bit nervous but I know God won't take down this plane of valiant servants.♥☀☺

I arrived in Tagbilaran, Bohol Airport that balmy day of August 1993. Someone came to drape me a lei. I said: ”Please don’t. I have allergies.” Her smile became a straight line. Not a good first impression Sister T. I told myself. But all good, she turned out to be one of the best stake missionaries of my mission life.


Then I met Sister Rose. She looked like the mestiza in the Mission Home Board. She smiled and gave me a hug. (Mestiza is commonly used to women of mixed heritage, like half-Filipino, half-American.)

She was everything you’d ask for a trainer. She made the first few months of my mission bearable and fantastic. We did really well on that companionship. I am glad President Haines felt and acted upon the promptings of the Spirit. That I am to be sent to Bohol to be with Sister Rose. Not in Capitol with another sister. It turned out Sister Rose needed me at that time too. She was getting frustrated and almost giving up. When she met me she and I clicked like castanets and we rocked!

Unfortunately a short few weeks later I learned that the sister who's ticket I used was not able to endure the hardships of her mission in Capitol and decided to go home early.

The 18 months serving 24/7 made me appreciate more the truthfulness of the gospel message we are sharing to the people. In that short time I have gained eternal friendships, too. I love the people we taught and led to the waters of baptism. I love my companions and also those who serve along side us in Districts and Zones. I have my favourites and we are in touch.

I wish one day we can meet up again. They’ve made me happy I wish I can relive the feeling and do it over and over again.

One day I will thank April Rose again in person. I hope to see her again even just one more time. Thank you Apes! I’ll catch ya in Salt Lake!

*********
More about my other mission adventures in coming blog entries...

Lunch Date ♥

A couple of weeks ago I had a special rare time out with 2 of my most favourite people of all time. My BFF Lia and my hubby Rich. Rare because it was on a weekday. My ADO to be exact.

Lia and I had some catching up to do and what better way to do it than over food. And more food. Feast in fact. Rich volunteered to tag along as our designated driver. It was one of those mental health days off from work. Stress can be a pain but it is also curable by a good relaxing time over one's favourite comfort food. And great company.

Rich is not a fan of Buffet, he likes to order and wait for his food. But he is impressed with this one. It is different from the rest because of its 5 star quality.

Thank you Conservatory for a lavish feast and excellent Service. Conservatory is newly renovated to cater more to the foodie in all of us. It is located in The Crown Towers, Southbank, Melbourne.

The photos are taken on the day of our visit and some from their  website. I want to promote them the best I could. The least I can do for a wonderful time.

See you another time Conservatory. Bon apetit my friends. Enjoy the photographs, and better yet, enjoy the food and get there pronto!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If this post is not making you hungry I don't know what will! Thanks everyone and have a great day! ♨ ☺ ♥