I live in Tasmania with my husband Nick, our little ones Poppy and James and dog Maisy.
Our life is full of family, friends and spending time on our boat and enjoying life.
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I have finally found my Christmas groove! After the chaos of Christmas shopping last week, I loaded the kids in the car nice and early on Saturday morning and caught the 9:30am ferry to Bruny Island. My sister’s and brother-in-law were camping at Jetty Beach on South Bruny which provided a perfect day trip. Nick decided to stay at home and have a ‘sleep-in’ after his work drinks on Friday night.
I love day trips! The anticipation of getting out of the house, packing up all your bits and bobs that you need for travelling with wee ones and selecting the perfect driving tunes. My music genre has changed somewhat since I have two backseat drivers now and find Playschool and Frozen are often on high rotation!
We had a perfect drive to South Bruny, marvelling at the beautiful landscape and belting out a few nursery rhymes! We got into camp, had a cuppa and then ventured to the superb beach where Pops and James played for hours. A long walk and more cups of tea, I was back on the 5:30pm ferry with two sun-kissed, exhausted kids. It was a perfect escape from the pre-Christmas craziness.
On Sunday we had lunch with Nick’s parents on their boat at Triworks – a quick trip from Hobart. Nick and Poppy jumped in for a swim, we ate beautiful food and enjoyed the balmy conditions. xx
Monday, 22 December 2014
Short URLBoating in Tasmania, Bruny Island, Jetty Beach, South Bruny, TasmaniaPoppy : James
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One of my favourite things to do on a Saturday is to experience the Salamanca Market. As Poppy and James are early risers (yawn) we scoot down after breakfast, which has the added benefit of avoiding the crowds and ease of parking.
We go to my favourite flower stall and pick out a bunch of the long stem lilies; have a baby chino/cuppa at Tricycle and are entertained by a range of buskers or bands depending on the week. Last week we were lucky enough to have a visiting ‘balloon artist’ from Taiwan, who whipped up a fab butterfly for Pops. We then had a little ‘highland fling’ with the bagpipes playing Christmas carols.
I love this time of year in Hobart – there is such vibrancy and cheer! x
Friday, 19 December 2014
Short URLBuskers, Hobart, Salamanca MarketPoppy : James
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Nick and I love entertaining but unfortunately haven’t found our hosting groove much this year. Last weekend however, we broke out from our boring Saturday-night routine of watching Scott & Bailey and had friends over for several nights in succession. We are on a roll now … just in time for the festive season!
I made this Giant Pavlova which is one of my favourite desserts for a dinner party. It is out of my go-to recipe book at the moment Delicious. Love to Cook.
The dessert is called ‘divine chaos’. The idea is to put the pavlova in the centre of the table, give everyone a spoon and let them go for it! It works a treat every time.
Giant Pavlova with Berries & Salted Caramel
6 egg whites
350g caster sugar
1tbs white balsamic vinegar
1tbs cornflour, sifted
1/3 cup (50g) icing sugar, sifted
600ml thickened cream
500g mixed berries
1 quantity of salted caramel sauce (see below)
- Preheat oven to 150°C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
- Place egg whites in the clean, dry bowl of an electric mixer and whisk for 3-4 minutes on high-speed to soft peaks.
- Add caster sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, allowing each to be incorporated before adding the next, whisking until mixture is glossy.
- Reduce speed to low, then add balsamic, cornflour and icing sugar, beating to combine.
- Spread mixture over the baking paper in a round or oblong shape, making a slight indent in the centre.
- Reduce oven to 130°C and bake meringue for 1 hour. Turn off oven and leave for 1-2 hours until cooled completely.
- Remove from oven and place on a platter or serving board.
- To serve, whisk cream to soft peaks, then spread over the centre of the meringue base. Scatter over the berries and drizzle with salted caramel.
Salted Caramel Sauce
2.5 cups (330g) of caster sugar
1/2 cup (125ml) water
- Combine sugar and water in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
- Increase heat to medium and cook, without stirring, occasionally brushing down the sides of the pan with a damp pastry brush, for 10 minutes until a golden caramel forms.
- Remove from heat, then immediately pour in cream (be careful, as mixture will bubble then seize).
- Return pan to stove over a low heat, add sea salt and cook sauce, stirring, for 1-2 minutes until smooth.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Monday, 15 December 2014
Short URLcaramel sauce, Christmas, Dessert, Entertaining, Giant Pavlova, PavlovaPoppy : James
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I’m back! Poppy and I have just had a girls trip to Melbourne for a mini-break. It was so special spending time with just her … and so easy!
I finished up work for the year last Thursday and have been looking forward to ‘getting off the island‘ and immersing in a big city with my big girl. After the excitement of the plane ride we wandered around the city on arrival where I visited all my faves – Hunt Leather, Bassike, Zomp and Emporium Melbourne. I’m like a homing pigeon when I get to Melbourne – I am released and return back to the same old haunts!
We then met Bron and her boys for a play in Federation Square and that night we stayed with my sister/brother-in-law where Poppy loved playing with her cousins, Maggie and Lily.
On Wednesday morning Tup and I had a sneaky peek in the new Jardan showroom and ogled over all the beautiful furniture. I met my old friend Sarah at the National Gallery of Victoria where we were immersed in The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier. Oh my – what a fabulous exhibition – such intricate details.
Poppy and I had a little more shopping in the afternoon where she became the proud new owner of a pink pair of Birkenstocks and then a flight back home to our boys in Hobart! Lovely. Xx
Friday, 12 December 2014
Short URL#jpgngv, @NGVMelbourne, Girls Trip, Hunt Leather, Jardan, Melbourne, National Gallery of VictoriaPoppy : James
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I am yet to find my Christmas cheer but have enjoyed seeing Poppy and James find theirs, with festive balloons from the hardware store.
Drawing, wanderings around the botanical gardens, oysters and a ‘virgin’ baby chino enjoyed over the weekend. Xx
Wednesday, 3 December 2014
Short URLChristmas CheerPoppy : James
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I have been really unwell for the past four months with symptoms including stomach cramping, nausea, lethargy and other lovelies which I will refrain from explaining. I have lost 8/10 kilos and carrying James up our stairs became a feat in itself.
After numerous doctors appointments, blood and stool samples, a Colonoscopy and a Gastroscopy, I was becoming quite fearful of the results I would be faced with. Was I looking down the barrel of Chrons, Coeliac Disease or worse??
It turns out I was harbouring a pesky parasite – a rare strain of Giardia that I may have picked up on the Mountain (Mt. Wellington) or from not washing my greens! I have had Giardia before whilst hiking through the Himalaya in Nepal, but the telltale signs from that experience (sulphur anyone?) were remarkably different in this case.
So, with a diagnosis confirmed and a round of antibiotics in hand I am feeling back to my normal self. Man, Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers should package up those pesky parasites for guaranteed results – I wouldn’t recommend the side effects though.
Time to fatten up for the festive season! Xx
Wednesday, 26 November 2014
Short URLGiardia, ParasiteSneaky Peek
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Open House Hobart invites you to be a tourist in your own city. Get out your camera and photograph the buildings and spaces you walk past every day; take a peek at how others live, work and play; and see how the city’s infrastructure works. Look up, look inside, climb a belltower or a rubber tree, and take in the incredible views from different vantage points around town.
This is exactly what we did on Saturday with my parents, who were visiting for the weekend – we had a little peek into a few of Hobart’s amazing buildings … old and new. With Dad in his wheelchair and James in his pram, we wheeled along to Gibson’s City Flour Mill; IMAS (Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies), The Ordnance Store (Jaws Architects) and Mawson’s Hut.
I loved having a poke around these amazing buildings, to witness a glimpse inside – giving you a whole new appreciation for our fabulous city.
Ah Hobart – I love you more and more! ♥
Monday, 24 November 2014
Short URLDiscover Tasmania, IMAS, oh_hobart, Open House HobartTravel
Sunday was an absolutely glorious day in Hobart and with my parents still in town, we got out and enjoyed the sunshine. We visited 
The Poppy Files 