Matt Dobson 
The Little Brewing Company Wicked Elf -Witbier With the change of season why not freshen your palate with the little brewing company’s, Wicked Elf Witbier. Perfect for the summer months, this style of beer makes a great thirst quencher and will go along nicely with your weekend picnic or BBQing menu. Witbier is a recently … Read more
I love the warmer weather we have been having; I am a summer girl through and through! The sun is up early and the day last longer. I am back to eating healthy salads, and I am even thinking about a run on the beach… when it is warm enough to get out of bed … Read more
Japan is another one of my very favourite countries to visit. Each trip I am sure I eat my body weight at least twice over in delicious Japanese food… but some how I manage to return slimmer than ever! I am not sure if this is due to the pure diet of rice, soy and … Read more
I am traveling with the lovely Lorraine Elliot from Not Quite Nigella. We have already completed a Bush Tukka Tour and the next stop on our Coffs Coast itinerary is the Cheesemaking Workshop at Emerald Beach. Here we will be given an introduction to the cheese making process. As regular readers would know, I have … Read more
What a glorious day for a stroll through the North Coast Regional Botanic Gardens! I am meeting my friend and fellow food writer Lorraine Elliott from Not Quite Nigella to participate in an indigenous bush tukka tour. The tour is being held at the Coffs Harbour Botanic gardens and conducted by Mark Flanders from National … Read more
The Ship that Never Was! Whenever I am on a plane I use the iPad “downtime” to catch up on my inflight reading courtesy of the travel magazines provided by the various airlines. During a recent trip I was surprised to see a few very familiar images. Images that immediately took me back to … Read more
What is “The Higher Being,”… LOL! I wouldn’t know, and I am not going to get philosophical with you, that is definitely not my department! In the context of this story the “Higher Being” is my baby brother. He is absolutely everything I am not! We started calling him HB very tongue in cheek. :0 … Read more
What glorious, glorious weather we have been having!!! I am already in love with the feeling of Summer on the way, and we aren’t even in Spring yet! My shoulders are already sun kissed, the children have been swimming and we are about to have our first BBQ of the season. In honour of the … Read more
Cassegrain 2010 Edition Noir Pinot Noir With the weather warming up, my taste in red wine tends to move towards the Pinot Noir variety. It is perfectly suited to this time of year and the foods which come along with this season. The wine itself is a lighter shade of red with the aroma of … Read more
Have you ever had a secret that you were just dying to tell? I had a surprise phone call on Friday and I would love to tell you all about it! Unfortunately I am not sure if I am allowed to share… so I am going to have to settle for a slice of strawberry … Read more
Oh and looky where we are again… The Bridge Rd Brewery! Who could resist this gorgeous boutique brewery with its 10 sampler of beer and delicious gourmet pizza, definitely not us! After all, we are on holidays. Bridge Rd Brewery is located in the picturesque town of Beechworth hidden behind the Tanswells Commercial Hotel on … Read more
I have always romantisied the idea of living in Paris for a year or so, perfecting my high school French and eating out with my lovely husband. I would be sipping red wine in sophisticated wine bars, indulging my sweet tooth in all the chic French Patisseries and immerse myself in “La vie française” … Read more
“Whipping up a storm!” is the Stormie D’s Cupcakery catch phrase! That is certainly what was happening at the cupcake mini masterclass I attended with my two small children. It is a certain kind of person who is prepared to open up their kitchen to a group of children in the school holidays, let alone … Read more
I will let you in on a secret… if you promise not to tell anyone? I am a very lazy cook! It is true! I love to create gorgeous dishes but I also just want to get in and out of the kitchen as quick as I can. I need shortcuts, and recipes which are … Read more
“Stop, Stop, Stop… oh too late… hmm maybe tomorrow.” I say. “I can turn around, in a minute… I just have to change lanes, and wait for a right hand turn?” says Mr GG. “No, its okay, we will stop in on the way back” I, oh so dejected … “We don’t go passed this … Read more
As readers may be aware I have been traveling around the Rutherglen and Beechworth area sampling the local food and wine and visiting with friends. Tonight I was my turn to prepare a meal for everyone. I wanted to make something fairly light and healthy as we have been eating very rich, stodgy comfort foods. … Read more
Wine is like a woman. It tempts you; it comforts you; it confuses you and can even turn on you when you least expect it. It can be your friend one day and your enemy the next. ~Alton Brown Vineyard number two on our Rutherglen wine tour is Stanton & Killeen. The weather is quite dreary … Read more
We are all well fed after our lunch at Parkers Pies Rutherglen (see part 1) The first vineyard on our wine tasting tour is Campbell’s Vineyard. It’s a rather apt choice as Parkers Pies uses the Bobby Burns Shiraz in their RUTHERGLEN RED Pie –Tender chunks of beef, slowly cooked in a rich mushroom and the … Read more
Heading out of Albury and toward Rutherglen for our first wine tour I am surprised by the sparse alpine terrain we are encountering. The trip will take approximately 40 minutes and we have crossed the Victorian border inside of the first ten minutes. We continue along the Murray Valley highway and I note the road … Read more
I am officially not a lover of winter. Perhaps I don’t have enough meat on my bones, but for whatever reason I freeze from the first signs of a chill in the air. I would happily hibernate all winter in a warm bed given half the chance. The one thing that I do like about … Read more