super clever food serving dish
S and I LOVE to entertain, and there’s nothing I like better than cooking up a feast of multiple dishes for a whole bunch of people. Watching people feed hungrily on things you’ve spent the day whipping up seems like such a great way to spend an evening to me.
When we moved, we bought a square dining table. Great for dinner party conversations and very good for the kind of many-plates-of-shared-food banquet I tend towards. Not so great for when you want a second helping from a serving bowl all the way across the table.
The last time I was in Singapore, I saw these brilliant things.
Basically they’re extremely large (about a metre across) rotating lazy susans with dish serving bowls BUILT RIGHT IN. All you do is fill the serving sections with food, and plonk the entire thing in the middle of your table. And then rotate merrily between your guests. No standing up and pretending you want to offer everyone else food when all you really want to do is start stuffing your face. No awkward “pass the plate” moments. And definitely no more elbowing someone accidentally in a bid to reach eagerly for the sweet potato mash.
My heart stopped, and I would have just bought one on the spot if not for the slightly hideous designs they had and the inability to cart them to Australia.
My question to you – have you seen these anywhere here, and do they come in prettier designs? I NEED to know!
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friendly competition, my culo.
To usher in the new year, we had a few friends come over for a “friendly” games night. Brilliantly organised by Anita, and hosted by me and S. Who says we don’t use our complementary skills (where skills in our case, involved having a large coffee table to play boardgames on)!
We started off sedately, though, with 11 of us squashing good-naturedly around our 8-seater table, in the ONLY complete room of the house, decor-wise. (sigh).
squishing in for dinner
It was a potluck, and I rather creatively, provided cheese and crackers (what a host!) Everyone else though, surpassed themselves bringing exotic tastes to the table.
the joys of having a multi-cultural friendship group
Dinner was soooooo nice. I think everyone was playing NOICE until the board games started, and the real competitive backstabbing could begin. Or maybe I’m just paranoid.
But anyways, as I was saying, dinner was VERY nice.
Marcus is pleased with his quip-making skills.
'twas nice that O-bomb was in town!
the newly engaged couple need to find a room!
liz made scrumptious rocky road!
the CWs!
omg. porn for women? hell yeah. the best co-host ever.
After all the dinner niceties, we headed to the loungeroom for some goodnatured, old fashioned fun with board games. Except – put 11 people in a room with about 20 academic degrees between them playing cognitively interesting games and what happens? Friendly competition is NOT quite the word for it!
some real emotion in the room.
the tension...
so tense no one has bothered to fill the champers glasses?!
when my eyes are closed, gemma is honest about her opinion on my skillz.
Ok, no, I lie. It was EXTRAORDINARILY fun. We were all in fine form, and belted out tunes, played charades, carved artistic works out of play-doh, drew accurate depictions with our eyes closed, had boys vs girls play-offs, and giggled and cackled a WHOLE LOT.
closed-eyed depictions of fly spray (i rawked, ha Gemma.)
i swear they were doing something naughty with the cards.
Marcus, that's not what an anteater does!
who says latin dancers aren't into team sports?
All in all, it was almost sinful, how enjoyable the night was. It’s wonderful to have evenings filled with incredible fun, and remind me that I am lucky to be surrounded not just by friends, but amazing friends who are at once diverse yet similar, eloquent, intelligent, fun-loving, high-spirited, feisty and more. We always have so much fun when we come together, and thankfully, we do so a lot. What a great bunch.
aww.
When’s the last time you had a boardgame night?
Read Morea special day for a special man
Today is the birthday of my very special man. It’s a day when I get to write him soppy cards, spoil him with a few presents, cook whatever he likes, and generally be good to him. The incredible thing about S is that he spends every day of the year spoiling me, and being generally wonderful, and he almost doesn’t know what to do when he’s the recipient of the niceties! It’s been wonderful watching him today, excited and happy, and being showered with love and presents from his family.
We had his family over for dinner, and I spent the day cooking one of his favourite meals – slow cooked roast lamb (6 hours in the oven, baby!). This simple thing had this man raving about it for 2 hours after the meal – how could you NOT love that? The house was filled with chatter of a happy family, the smells of good food, and afterward, the satisfied silence of full-bellied lolling about in the loungeroom. It was perfection, and I hope, wondrous for the birthday boy.
To end off what has been a lovely evening, S and I are doing what we love best – sitting on the couch with each other and savouring the last few moments of the day. And what did I get him? Well a few odds and ends he needed in his clothing repertoire, an apt cologne by D&G called “a perfect gentleman” (apt, right?!) annnnnd a few vouchers. Like 4 vouchers for bonafide dance lessons from me (I’ve been neglecting him!), a voucher for a long walk around our new neighbourhood, a voucher for spending the rest of his life with me, and oh yes, most importantly, a voucher for him to be allowed to give me a massage. I am nothing, if not generous, people.
Stephen, if you’re reading this – I love you. Happy birthday, darling, and here’s to many more birthdays I can celebrate with you. Don’t ever forget how incredible you are – today, on your birthday – and every other day.
PS. You’re really handsome. I mean, look at that smile on my guy. REALLY HANDSOME. *swoon*
Read Moreentertaining
Recently we hosted S’s family here for dinner, the first time I’ve done a proper sit down dinner at our place and had the dining table actually filled. S’s mum cooked the bulk of the meal, and all I had to do was the roast vegetables! Spoilt!
What quickly became glaringly obvious though, is that 8 years of apartment living and “buffet” style entertaining have left me with plenty of cooking tools but sightly inadequate in the face of proper servingware for dinner parties.
The thing is, all the missing things weren’t necessities, nor things you’d actively think to buy. They were nice-to-haves, all little items that you only feel the absence of in the face of needing-them-right-now moments. I’ve compiled a little list so that the next time S and I go shawping, we can grab and go as we find the perfect little objects (we like to entertain!). I want things with little gold accents on them to suit the dining room – injecting a little bit of glamour with the mundane! 
1. Gravy boat
2. Cake cutting knife for birthday cakes
3. Olive oil/balsamic drizzling bottle for salads/breads
4. Butter dish
5. Ice bucket & tongs
6. Spare dining table seats that aren’t white & foldable!
7. Enough placemats for the whole dining table *shame*
8. Bread side-plates that fit on the table *more shame*
Read Morehappiness is…
Friends gathered on your deck on a sunny day, supping on glasses of wine, with yummy food scattered around. Hands reach for treats, glasses clinking, giggles and sounds of happy conversation for hours on end, as we lounge, relax and enjoy the wonderment of our diverse crew, and how we all come together so effortlessly. So much happiness, so much to celebrate, we are such lucky people.
merriment!
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