It's been a busy but relaxing fortnight and we've been up to various things. Last Saturday I had a spa date with Karly where we indulged in massages for our weary bodies. My masseuse asked me to leave my awareness outside the door during my treatment and when we finished she asked my awarenes to slowly return to me. I found that a little bit weird but other than that I enjoyed the session.
Prior to the treatment we had lunch together and also with Cam and Steve. Food was decent and at the end of the meal we were given little fudge squares. I commented they looked like wombat poo. What do you think?
Prior to the treatment we had lunch together and also with Cam and Steve. Food was decent and at the end of the meal we were given little fudge squares. I commented they looked like wombat poo. What do you think?
After the massage, Steve and I headed to East Doncaster to see Stefanie and her lovely parents. They very kindly invited us to dinner and we had steamboat which is where there is a pot of boiling water ad everyone cooks what they want to eat in it. My what a feast! Her parents had gone to so much trouble and they'd been to several different markets to make sure they bought the best quality ingredients for us.
It was really nice to have dinner Chinese family style and the Wongs were so welcoming. Stefanie's dad kept filling Steve's wineglass and had also bought lots of beer. They were firm friends by the end of the meal and they also watched some Wimbledon together. Steve's comment to me afterwards was that he'd drank so much he thought it was a doubles game they watched!
The next day (Sunday) was also a no cook day as we'd been invited (kind of) to Chris and Katherine's for dinner. Chris and Katherine are Steve's work colleagues and they're from Denver. I meet Katherine now and then for dinner after work. I say we were kind of invited in that at Friday night drinks, Andrew Demery (of Stacey and Andrew and one of the other PwC Senior Managers in Steve's team) verbally wrestled an invitation from Chris and we piggy backed on that! Stacey is currently in UK for 2 weeks so it was part of the keep Andrew company rally. Anway we enjoyed so homely baked chicken and some good company and conversation so great way to spend a rainy evening and end the weekend.
This last week has gone by quickly. Steve has been out with work on Thursday and Friday.
I was out with Tanya and Sherry from work for dinner on Tuesday which was lovely and relaxing. It was a wet and wintry evening and we were in a warm pub with a log fire eating steak and chips and drinking red wine - perfect! I also had a very impromptu and indulgent dinner at Nobu with Kim from work on Thursday. I was literally packing up ready to head home and we were saying bye when the conversation turned to dinner plans and neither of us had any so off we went together! Lots of laughter and it felt good to indulge.
The other significant happening this week was that I resigned from work on Tuesday as I have a new job! I'm going to be working in internal recruitment for a company called TRUenergy, a gas and electricity supplier. It's based one block up from where I currently work so that's an extra 3 minutes or so to my 7 minute commute! I'm sad to be leaving some great colleagues but at the same time looking forward to doing something slightly different in an environment and industry that is really new to me.
Whilst Steve was out on Friday night drinking and singing karaoke, I stayed in and watched three terrible teen movies back to back whilst making panna cotta! Rock and roll!
I woke early on Saturday and even though Steve was horribly hungover and tired from a late night he had to join me as he'd promised to help prepare for hosting a little gathering for 6 of our friends that night. That's why I spent Friday evening making panna cotta! Saturday was go go go and we chopped and prepped and cooked ready to feed Claire and Martyn, Charlotte and Nick and Steve and Lucy.
The next day (Sunday) was also a no cook day as we'd been invited (kind of) to Chris and Katherine's for dinner. Chris and Katherine are Steve's work colleagues and they're from Denver. I meet Katherine now and then for dinner after work. I say we were kind of invited in that at Friday night drinks, Andrew Demery (of Stacey and Andrew and one of the other PwC Senior Managers in Steve's team) verbally wrestled an invitation from Chris and we piggy backed on that! Stacey is currently in UK for 2 weeks so it was part of the keep Andrew company rally. Anway we enjoyed so homely baked chicken and some good company and conversation so great way to spend a rainy evening and end the weekend.
This last week has gone by quickly. Steve has been out with work on Thursday and Friday.
I was out with Tanya and Sherry from work for dinner on Tuesday which was lovely and relaxing. It was a wet and wintry evening and we were in a warm pub with a log fire eating steak and chips and drinking red wine - perfect! I also had a very impromptu and indulgent dinner at Nobu with Kim from work on Thursday. I was literally packing up ready to head home and we were saying bye when the conversation turned to dinner plans and neither of us had any so off we went together! Lots of laughter and it felt good to indulge.
The other significant happening this week was that I resigned from work on Tuesday as I have a new job! I'm going to be working in internal recruitment for a company called TRUenergy, a gas and electricity supplier. It's based one block up from where I currently work so that's an extra 3 minutes or so to my 7 minute commute! I'm sad to be leaving some great colleagues but at the same time looking forward to doing something slightly different in an environment and industry that is really new to me.
Whilst Steve was out on Friday night drinking and singing karaoke, I stayed in and watched three terrible teen movies back to back whilst making panna cotta! Rock and roll!
I woke early on Saturday and even though Steve was horribly hungover and tired from a late night he had to join me as he'd promised to help prepare for hosting a little gathering for 6 of our friends that night. That's why I spent Friday evening making panna cotta! Saturday was go go go and we chopped and prepped and cooked ready to feed Claire and Martyn, Charlotte and Nick and Steve and Lucy.
We decided to use our newly acquired Thai cooking skills and started off with a chicken tom yum soup. Main courses were a Penang pork curry, roast duck and a cucumber, cashew and chilli salad. We did cheat with the duck and ordered it from Pacific BBQ! I learnt that little trick from Jacqui who had previously served me this and it's such a great idea. Dessert was coconut and vanilla panna cotta with mixed berries.
We rounded off the meal with a very un Thai like cheese course. Steve and I provided a hard cheese called Prima Donna which is a Dutch Gouda cow's milk cheese which we had first tried at Claire and Martyn's place. We also had two Brie cheses one from cow's milk and the other from goat's milk.
We asked each couple to bring a cheese to add an element of surprise. The Worthingtons brought Roaring 40s blue cheese from the relatively local Tassie King Island. We had a the beautiful soft and creamy Meredith Dairy goats cheese and Steve and I love this one with a pumpkin, rocket and pine nut salad or just spread on a cracker! The most adventurous cheese came from Nick and Charlotte who brought a cheddar matured in a French cave with a mould rind. The cheesemonger told Nick that when it is eaten, care must be taken to avoid the rind because the mould is cave mould which can cause illness. Yes, we took care to avoid the rind with the braver amongst us getting close!
It was a fun evening as is always the case with this crowd and they were all so complimentary about our cooking which means it's always a pleasure to have them round.
This morning was not quite so pleasant though as Steve and I woke with raging thirst and pounding heads! We spent the morning clearing up and the rest of the day on the sofa before a walk along the river and a pleasant dinner out.
It's now bedtime, but Steve is naturally distracted by Wimbledon and the Grand Prix. He may well stay up but I will bid you good night!
We rounded off the meal with a very un Thai like cheese course. Steve and I provided a hard cheese called Prima Donna which is a Dutch Gouda cow's milk cheese which we had first tried at Claire and Martyn's place. We also had two Brie cheses one from cow's milk and the other from goat's milk.
We asked each couple to bring a cheese to add an element of surprise. The Worthingtons brought Roaring 40s blue cheese from the relatively local Tassie King Island. We had a the beautiful soft and creamy Meredith Dairy goats cheese and Steve and I love this one with a pumpkin, rocket and pine nut salad or just spread on a cracker! The most adventurous cheese came from Nick and Charlotte who brought a cheddar matured in a French cave with a mould rind. The cheesemonger told Nick that when it is eaten, care must be taken to avoid the rind because the mould is cave mould which can cause illness. Yes, we took care to avoid the rind with the braver amongst us getting close!
It was a fun evening as is always the case with this crowd and they were all so complimentary about our cooking which means it's always a pleasure to have them round.
This morning was not quite so pleasant though as Steve and I woke with raging thirst and pounding heads! We spent the morning clearing up and the rest of the day on the sofa before a walk along the river and a pleasant dinner out.
It's now bedtime, but Steve is naturally distracted by Wimbledon and the Grand Prix. He may well stay up but I will bid you good night!
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