Yes, I quit sugar (mostly)

For quite some time, I've known that sugar is a bit of an evil substance. It lures you when feeling in need, takes you to a fun buzzy place and then leaves you high and dry, feeling shaky and weird. I know not everyone has this relationship with it, but with a low tolerance to anything with a high GI, I'm so much better without it.

When I was living in Sydney, I started to read the lovely Sarah Wilson's blog (don't even get me started on my girl crush, she's awesome) and I've been following her journey as she quit sugar and ended up writing about it. A lot. She now has a few books, all beautifully shot and written, about how to make the right changes to cut out the white stuff for good. I'm trying. It's SO hard at first, but as a friend said to me the other day, it's all in the preparation.

I was so excited when Sarah's book, "I Quit Sugar For Life" landed on my doorstep and I've been reading, changing and preparing myself since. It's brilliant. Really imaginative and actually not that difficult to adapt to. It's really exciting to read how food can be the answer to so many ills and how thinking differently can transform your relationship with it. Breakfast is absolutely the hardest thing for me. Especially when you're gluten, lactose, most grains and oats intolerant. Grrrr. So, this Paleo inside out bread from Sarah's book looked like a perfect solution. Courgettes, eggs, ham, parsley and cooking with arrowroot and almond meal to make bread was a first for me. But I like firsts and this one tastes pretty good too. I'm actually looking forward to brekky this week.

*by the way, the cheese picture is Arla's lactose free cheese. It's a poor imitation of the real stuff but for someone that misses cheese like crazy (like me), it's good enough :)

Back to baking

It's taken me a little while to find spare time in amongst a whirlwind of new things, not to mention the daily fun with the bundle of energy, otherwise known as 6-month old Maisy. So, some of the things I love to do have taken a back seat for a bit, but as things gradually fall into place, I'm finding time and space for them again, which feels great. To celebrate this, getting back to basics and to remember my brother, Josh, on what would have been his 17th birthday, I baked a cake and throughly enjoyed it. The dusting of flour, messy egg cracking, sprinkling of coconut and sticky cherry chopping. Even Maisy wanted in!

What made this even more soul nourishing was that I had my camera along for the ride too, snapping as I went (which, with my messy baking habits, is harder than it sounds). It's reawakened my love of food photography, nothing flash, nothing pro, just me messing about with food, utensils and my camera. Like this - just baking, snapping and hoping I don't get vanilla essence too close to the Canon. More food adventures to come, I think.

*thanks to Ju for the lovely recent additions to my baking collection :)

31 days: seven

When it came to date night with two of my dearest friends, I knew I had to find somewhere really special. A few months before, I had been taken to a fantastic place tucked away on Sydney's Clarence Street for a working lunch by the lovely Brent & Laurie at Designer Rice. And what a find it was. I knew I had to bring Sam and Hank here for a bit of indulgence. 

So to Arras we went. We were welcomed by slick design, quiet ambience and a very hospitable maitre d' called Michael. And so we spent the next 4 hours eating the most incredible food and enjoying beautiful wine - and laughing raucously, as we often do. We tucked into amuse bouche that looked like works of art and a starter of savoury porridge, chestnuts and almond cheese - yes, almond cheese. Amazing. Chicken, bones and stones - braised poussin, celtuce, black garlic, pear, followed by very swanky rhubarb 'crumble' with pears, lemon, hazelnut, caramel. 

And if that wasn't enough, once desert was chosen and ordered, we were surprised with 'pre-desert'. After desert, complimentary petit fours were brought out on the most extravagant bright orange tasting platter you've ever seen. Willy Wonka would be so very jealous. Just before we thought we would burst, Michael unveiled a special sweet congratulatory treat, written in chocolate, to celebrate Sam & Hank's recent engagement. We were over the moon when we were invited to personally thank Adam, the lovely Head Chef, in the kitchen (especially Sam, being a passionate and talented chef). 

It was such a brilliant night, and oh my goodness, Arras is just amazing. If you haven't gone yet, go. Yes, a little indulgent, but the quality of food and unique experience far outweighs the price tag.

belgrave cartel

There are a million and one cool places to hang out on a weekend, or even a lazy Thursday afternoon if you are lucky enough to have one not spent inside an office. But there are some hangouts more awesome than others and I am looking forward to checking them out. Soaking up the 'sphere. Drinking a bit of coffee. Eating a few eggs. Making some barista friends.

First up, Belgrave Cafe in Manly. A little bit hipster, lovely people serving the coffee, bursting at the seams with retro cool trinkets and decor and just when you think you've seen it all, it opens up into a gorgeous little courtyard complete with coloured lightbulbs and more cosy little corners to hide and enjoy your flat white.

mixing it up

Chocolate and blueberries. It works it's socks off. Unexpected but true.
*and maybe you can get away with all those amazing antioxidants offsetting the calories..? Yes.