The Hour

I’m really excited about this – The Hour returns to ABC1 on January 13 next year.  Get a glass of Scotch and a packet of Benson and Hedges and enjoy.

This Week I Will Be....

Watching:  Pillars of the Earth on ABC iView

Reading:  Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence

Making:  These Pistachio Shortbread

Going to:  The Workshop on Saturday for a Christmas party with some very dear friends

Listening to:  Ed Sheeran +

Our Town - Iris DeMent

I keep hearing this song - on the radio, not in my head - well, now it's in my head.  And I remembered how much I use to love this show.

Meal Plan Monday

No Jamie Oliver this week I'm afraid. Too hot for indoors cooking so the Weber will be taking centre stage. And as the Weber is only able to be used by the owner of the Weber, it's an easy week for me.

• Monday - Beef and Red Wine Sausages with Oven Wedges and Asian Noodle Salad
  Tuesday - Marinated Butterflied Chicken with Salad and Potato & Onion Gratin (it's a little bit fancy - well not really, but sounds better than Potato Bake)
• Wednesday - Lemon and Rosemary Lamb Chops with Greek Salad and Smashed Potatoes
• Thursday - Homemade Burgers and Wedges
• Friday - Leftovers
• Saturday - Takeaway
• Sunday - Maybe a roast and veges

An Italian Food Safari

A Good Set of Knockers...

Friday Favourites

• An interesting article in the Sydney Morning Herald this week about the public service and the type of language used by the government to describe job cuts -  In Defence of Public Servants

• Jamie Oliver's Swedish Meatballs were a big hit at our house this week - a little bit of Ikea at home

• I'd really like my laundry to look like this

• This looks sensational - Hard to Find Magazine

• It's going to be 40C here tomorrow, so I'd rather be here:

Enjoy the weekend!!

And We're Back....

Time to actually get back and do this blogging thing properly. Another year has nearly passed me by, and what a year it has been.

So, what do I have to talk about? 

I love travel - armchair and in real life
I enjoy cooking, but I enjoy cookbooks more
I like writing super lists about everything
I love reading about other people's fabulous lives in beautiful places
I really want to learn a foreign language, but so far my efforts have been "meh"
I would love to live overseas for 12 months - Italy, France, New Zealand, Tasmania...
And I have loads more holiday snaps to bore everyone with

So, to begin...

I like to plan meals - religiously every Saturday I sit with a cookbook, my trusty Kikki-K Weekly Meal Planner and my i-Pad for online grocery shopping.  And, of course, a glass of wine for sustenance.

My favourites lately have been anything from Jamie Oliver 15 Minute Meals or 30 Minute Meals.  I have no illusions - I can't get food on the table within those time limits - but Mr O's recipes are easy, tasty, generally healthy and budget friendly.

So this week's menu plan from 15 Minute Meals is:

Monday - Tasty Daal Curry, Warm Tomato Salad and Naan
Tuesday - Sausage Fusilli with Creamy Garden Salad
Wednesday - Golden Chicken, Braised Greens and Potato Gratin
Thursday - Swedish Meatballs, Celeriac and Spinach Rice
Friday - takeaway night
Saturday - someone else's turn to cook
Sunday -  Roast chicken and vege

Cinque Terre

Bellagio

Day trip to the Bellagio, about the halfway point of Lake Como. No George Clooney sightings but did manage to arrive at the same time as Israeli President Shimon Peres. Fortunately we avoided an international incident, though the Polizia did provide an armed guard for us during lunch.

Bernina Express

Day trip through the Swiss Alps on the Bernina Express train to St Moritz. Beautiful scenery along the way - snow capped mountains, cute little alpine chalets and some bratwurst and rosti to finish the day

Como

Arrived in Como this morning by train from Milan. Como is on the southern end of Lake Como, one of Italy's largest lakes. The water's edge is dotted with many beautiful villas, once the homes of the many wealthy families and the old walled city is perfect for strolling.
Sam and Larry have arrived from Paris to join us. I have quickly introduced Sam to the ritual of aperitivo - especially my new favourite drink Aperol Spritz.

Milan

Finally here. Arrived in Milan in the early hours of Sunday morning after nearly 21 hours in a plane, feeling tired but excited.
Just a quick wander around Milan though - suffering badly from blistered feet and jet lag.
Strolled through the very cute Brera neighbourhood - narrow streets, cafes and little boutiques.
The Galleria and Duomo were just spectacular - though the queue to get into the cathedral stretched from one of the piazza to the other.