What a week its been

This past week I had lost the writing vibe... oh no!! Its only a temporary glitch, but writing about coffee had been the last thing on my mind. The joy that is my daily dose seems frivolous in the midst of tragedy unfolding around the world and closer to home. Maybe though this is the time to be enjoying the things  that bring  joy to my life, you just never know how quickly worlds  are going to be turned upside down.  This week I am praying for peace for people suffering and hope for those whose lives will never be the same.  So my thoughts for the day are: Savour the people in your life, enjoy the the things no matter how big ... or little that make you happy. Live every day like its your last, laugh a gallon ,  enjoy enjoy enjoy  whatever tickles your fancy!!!! 

 This blog even though about my "Great Coffee Journey"  is also beginning to heal the wound   that a year of pain and change has brought to my life. Day by Day, coffee shop by coffee shop I am slowly feeling as though I am being sewn up again. At times the thread comes loose and I start to unravel a little, but I feel a sense that I am coming back together (hopefully as a better person, albeit a more coffee knowledgeable one!)  Who knew coffee was such a potent drug for life change?!?! (Ill keep it as my little secret, if you will?!)

On to the  coffee run down for the last week ! Ill try and keep it short, but I'm covering alot of ground! ....

I have had an up and down week of coffee tasting - my coffee tasting is definitely in sync with whats going on around me!!

I finished last week on a high going to Broadsheet cafe. http://www.broadsheet.com.au/melbourne/food-and-drink/article/broadsheet-cafe-coffee-operator-schedule

The cafe was organised through Broadsheet paper  and had some of their favorite roasters and cafes churning out the coffee, the scrummy food was from Earl canteen and the delectable macaroons and sweets from Lux Bite ... yummy!!! Janine and I caught the train up on Friday lunch time of a glorious Autumn Day! I had desperately wanted to get there when it opened and as it only had 11 days  (chances in my book was I would never get there)! But alas I saw Proud Mary on the schedule and I just had to go!

I loved my coffee even though it was made as a latte... and a dash of choc put on top when they realised Id ordered a cap! Id forgive them....
I'm loving these collaborative approaches to coffee - sharing the love between all the best coffee places in Melbourne has gotta be a good thing! (They would make nice babies he he!) 

There is a harmonious sense of community between them all... Yay!!!

We couldn't snag our self a seat.. they were packed.... would have been great as they were using their signatory blue coffee cups.. and I am yet to sip a coffee out of one! Hopefully we see the Broadsheet cafe brought back to life in the coming months! (please!!)

Di Bella coffee

On Saturday morning I felt a little rusty.....  The culprit was only 2 bubbles and 3 G&T's the night  - god I am soft!! I needed coffee to be able to face the long drive up to Bendigo!  I hit Di Bella Roasting house in North Melbourne with Laura . I think I will set a pattern in place that I come here when I am hungover!

It took alot of will for me to not order eggs & bacon  and maybe even a hash brown!! mmm  alas I shared a boringly healthy fruit salad... actually it was quite nice and probably did help me out more than the Eggs and bacon would have.

The coffee was good, but really I should stick to good old H20 when I'm feeling under the weather.  I needed the caffeine purely to for my drive to Bendigo (3 Panadols and a coffee and I was laughing)

I was so excited to see Darby, although pretty excited to now be ordering some long overdue bacon and eggs. When it came I was sure the bacon on the plate could serve a small army... or at least do a good job at clotting some major arteries! I may have been feeling self indulgent but eating all of this would take it to a new undiscovered level. Luckily  I felt saintly and left alot on my plate.  Siesta time .. after all i had deserved it!

Next day I was in serious need of a coffee fix. In Bendigo I have a place I always frequent, I think when I am there I feel a sense of familiarity like I am back in Melbourne, seems strange when I am actually on a getaway from Melbourne. Anyway I made a deal with Darby that I would take him to the movies but coffee first was mandatory! The coffee did help me get through a torturous 90 minutes of Mickey and Minnie Mouse..(whats with Mickeys voice??) Bless Darbs .. he loved it!

On the way home to Melbourne on Monday, I thought I may tackle the very random cafe in Glenroy (certainly not the cafe capital of Melbourne). The map had me following all of these back streets - ironic that the cafe is called Liaison. If I was have a secret Liaison this would be a place where no one would find you!! I entered the street the cafe was supposed to be on , full of  old 60's suburban house and old ladies sweeping their driveways. I came to the "cafe" address only to find a red brick house with no sign of a cafe inside. I wasn't sure I wanted to continue my secret Liaison by knocking on the door, but from my guess I wasn't going to find them churning out Soy lattes and long blacks ahhhh

My map reading was either really off the radar, or the application has made an error!!

I googled Liaison cafe and the address and found a cafe with same name and address located in the top end of the city. damn damn damn!! MCR have made a mistake, so I hope no one makes the same trip that I did to find out!

Until Next time xx

Stepping outside my comfort zone! (and forgetting my limits!!)



Elegant Soy Cappuccino

 





Darby's wonderful photography...

me sipping my first Piccolo latte

After my first night riding solo, I was so excited to pick up Darby from his dads and tackle another  Thursday together...Firstly we both needed food and of course I needed a coffee. On a wet and muggy Melbourne morning I wanted to venture close to home. My decision making is poor at the best of times and without coffee helping my brain it is near impossible. I gave Darby three choices - Seddon, Yarraville or North Melbourne. He chose the latter so we headed to Auction Rooms http://www.auctionroomscafe.com.au/ in Errol Street



I have been here before, quite a number of times, discovering it (and becoming quite excited) when Darby was just a baby and have always been a fan of the coffee and the food!

Its normally noisy and crowded on the weekend with urbanites trying to get a latte and something a little bit different for brunch.. Today we are easily  able to get a prime table overlooking the street and with a good view of the rest of rustic looking cafe. The old Auction rooms have been stripped out and it is a light and breezy building with hardwood floors and exposed brick walls. 



Darby contemplating his first ever
hot chocolate!
Quite an upgrade from a babycino!



Our waiter is cheeky and fun with Darby, letting him order his own drink! His first Hot Chocolate (didn't go so well, as he only drank a quarter!)  I order my usual and it comes pronto, made with precision by a Ned Kelly type barista. They use their own beans here under the name of Small Batch http://www.smallbatch.com.au/blog/.  We order some sourdough toast, it is also  simple with Vegemite but no less delicious with that gorgeous sour taste to the crusty bread.



Piccolo Latte

My coffee had delightful  chocolate undertones and was a single origin Ethiopian (from memory), it was first rate so I decided it was now or never to try something a little different! I summoned the waitress over asked with hesitation for a Piccolo Latte (soy) ... I was hoping when she went back to tell Ned to make it he wouldn't smirk at me either... but alas neither did and my little Piccolo arrived exceptionally fast and looking soo splendid. I almost clapped my hands in delight (or maybe I did.. how embarrassing ) .  After all my research I'm happy to report it is a mini latte,  it looked and tasted strong but in a  more subtle way, not like a Macchiato, which I find too in my face.

 I sipped it for ages, immersing myself in the taste , texture, extensive crema and everything about it whilst  Darby enjoyed taking some photos of me in coffee heaven!

Stepping outside my comfort zone had never been soo good! ( I will be ordering Piccolos more often now!)

I was on a coffee high (and it was all before 10am!!)







Piccolo Soy Latte, next to a regular Latte glass

 After my coffee filled morning I needed to go home and sit! Although sitting still is a little hard after demolishing two coffees in a row!  It was probably the last thing I could do! After a few buzzing hours at home cleaning and cooking my mum arrived and it was coffee time again! This time we went across to Salford Lads Club, the cafe I tried to get to on Sunday but was closed. Luckily today it was open. It really does stick out amongst the rest of the Industrial area. Lucky we had our Lad with us today in Darby....


Out the front!





 Inside the former workshop , with brick floors and high ceilings , and not many boys in site. It seemed to be a very girly cafe with fresh pink flowers on all the tables and quirky vintage pictures on the wall. I feel under dressed in my sweat top, this place needs me in my  bold red lipstick, hair coiffed back and something a little more glamorous on! Ill remember that for next time! 



Girly sign adds some oestrogen!



 We grab a booth and settle in for our coffees. They use Coffee Supreme beans ( a favorite of mine for a long time) and my coffee is strong and and caramelly. The also serve the coffees with cute little collectable spoons! So lady like! I'm glad I live so close by, I will visit here again! The food looked great too, so maybe a lunch or breakfast try out.

I was feeling very heady when we left.. 3 coffees for the day and I knew I had reached well over my maximum! My head was thumping (and not in a good way!), I was shaky and I needed to eat otherwise I was going to pass out! And as for sleeping that night?!? I can just say I tossed and turned for quite some time! I should have known better! tut tut tut!

Until Next time xx

My coffee

Darbs and I

Drinking up







25 down - 75 to go!!!!!



Today was a huge milestone on my coffee journey! I have completed a quarter of my challenge.. and what a way to do it and I still have almost 10 months to go.. so I'm definitely  staying on track !!!



The sign to reveal the location .... its quite tricky to find...
but soooo worth it!



I realise the challenge I have set for  myself is so easy. The cafes that I am visiting have already been judged, critiqued and compared against the 1000s of cafes Melbourne has to offer. I just get to sit back, relax, enjoy the company, the atmosphere and most importantly the coffee ! The hard bit has been done for me!

Thinking about it some more  I realise this is what I should be doing - to finally feel pleasure and happiness again (even if its to do with that heavenly drink), to have purpose, and to take me to meet different people and open my eyes to parts of Melbourne and of myself I haven't seen before! And so far  I like what I see!

The more challenging part of this is going to be getting myself around to the parts of Melbourne that are not familiar to me and ultimately improve that skill that has always been lacking: map reading!!!

So today I was heading south to see a friend so it  made perfect sense I  try some coffee on her side of the city! I don't  go out there much....

My coffee - ahhhh zen

First stop for Darby and I was Market Lane Cafe http://www.marketlane.com.au/ in the Prahran market. Silly Jane did not investigate her coffee tasting very well today. We arrived there, paid for parking,  only to find the market closed and deserted and the cafe closed on Mondays! (I put that in my memory bank in case down the track I decide to visit  it on a Monday, which could most likely happen!!)I was looking forward to the highly regarded coffee here too, so I will have to come back on a Thursday!

I couldn't decide where to go as my next stop for coffee.. I was curious abut a place so decided to give it a go I could never remember or pronounce its name correctly: Monk Bodhi Dharma http://www.monkbodhidharma.com.au/  http://www.monkbodhidharma.com.au/blog/in Carlisle st. I managed to get a great park in front on the St Kilda Police station and wandered with Darby around the corner. My MCR application said I was right at 202 Carlisle St where MBD was meant to be but all I could see was a women's dress shop and a dentist,  certainly not a hip vegetarian cafe,(if it was here it  was certainly a convincing disguise) I wandered up and down Carlisle street tearing out my hair and getting stressed. It was then when I saw a sign on a lane way and I hit the jackpot! Hooray I wasn't going crazy after all.  We wandered up the lane to the rear of the dress shop and dentist to  Monk Bodhi Dharma. Being so well tucked away I didn't expect there would be anyone inside. To my surprise the place was packed ..Darby and  I managed to get a bench seat overlooking the coffee machine, ! Perfect for watching the wonderful and eccentric Barista (loved his  hat) work his magic on the Synesso machine. I took a deep breath  and I felt instantly calm ahhhhh



Darbys babycino - how cute!!!



Darby's Babycino arrived with a happy smiley face, and that summed up the visit we had here, the wonderful karma of this place has stayed with me so it makes such sense that the Buddist monk BodhiDharma is credited with introducing Zen to parts of the world! I certainly felt it here! The staff were friendly and chilled out, they knew how to make a great coffee (mine was blissful), they rotate  their coffee beans  from other speciality roasters  and they serve healing and sustainable vegan and vegetarian cruelty free foods. (I quickly phoned Laura as she would love it!)

The decor is bohemian and has a woody and earthy feel, and they have a retro Tin poster I just have to find! (Im on the hunt for one now!) An elegant 50's housewife sipping her coffee with eyebrows raised - In bold letters next to her COFFEE! The most necessary of all Evils!!  - email me if you know where to get one!!!!!



The masterful coffee machine



On the way out I picked up a business card (part of my next challenge!) and also another bookmark on the bench, I turned it over and it was all the places in Melbourne MBD like  to have coffee! Talk about good Karma.. I hope Ill do a good thing and spread the word about how fabulous you are ....



Coffee blends - which one shall I have!

My elegant coffee

After my lunchtime visit to Laura and Steve (and little Georgia)- The cue to leave was little Georgia's cry. I had forgotten how high pitched a newborns first crys are!

On our way home, I thought we could duck (pardon the pun to come!) into a cafe on our way home! Darby was only a few moments off nodding off, (how cruel am I) when we pulled over to visit another mouthful: Omar and the marvellous coffee bird! http://www.coffeebird.com.au/ in Gardenvale. The cafe was quiet (we were the only ones in there)  , but I imagine it is all hustle and bustle on weekends and lunch times! My coffee has a lovely earthy taste, with an elegant  hazelnut crema - I'm sounding more coffee expert every day ; ) 

The staff were very interested in Darby's rubber ducky http://www.rubbaducks.com/rubba.asp... and his awesome catalogue of 50 or more  different ducks... they were soooo enthralled and why wouldn't they be... they are the coolest things ever!! OK, I'm off the coffee track now, but after a long coffee tasting day I was exhausted! Today there were certainly places worth coming back to...

Until next time xx

- My next little challenge as mentioned above - I am now collecting business cards of all the places I go to, so at the end of the year I can frame them somehow of how far I have come in 2011!



Darby and his Baseball Duck!



Dead man Espresso and Leroy - an awesome sunday in the sun!



My Dead Man espresso with
 the sunday sun streaming in

I woke up this morning with the realisation I was having a whole day to myself (wow) and the weather was being extra kind by offering me a mid 20s autumn day! First off I needed to get a coffee! I wanted to try somewhere new, but I wanted to stay local! Tricky you may ask as I have already saturated the area with my coffee tripping! My handy MCR app came out and I found a place in Port Melbourne that was only a 5 minute drive over the Westgate bridge! I dared to face the bridge on a Sunday morning.. hoping for non of the usual peak hour chaos or roadworks! Thank goodness, my trip over the bridge only took a couple of minutes and I was in Port Melbourne. I was heading towards the Salford Lads club ( no I don't think its a guys only cafe?!!?)  tucked in the back of an industrial estate. I was a little worried when I arrived and there was not another soul to be seen! Eeeekk The App did say it was open on Sundays so I made my way over to the cafe, only to find a big bolt and lock over the front door! Damn! Well least I know where it is  for next time. I liked the look of the pale pink coffee machine, so look forward to see what kind of magic it can produce!  Where to now!?!?!?  

Coffee being made at Dead man Espresso



I decided on another newbie, Dead Man Espresso, in South Melbourne. When I arrive there it doesn't look too open either ! Oh oh... was I going to have one of those days!  To my relief it was open!!It was just rather quiet, it hadn't yet succumbed to the craziness that is Sunday breakfast time at cafes, which was quite refreshing to see! I sat in a corner with the warm morning sun streaming through the window and I ordered my coffee pronto, while I  perused the menu. Everything looked so tasty! I couldn't resist ordering, I deep down wanted to order the fresh scones with Jam and cream but I opted for  saintly and ordered the fruit salad with tapioca and coconut tuile... I was a little unsure about the tapioca as I haven't really experienced it at all... to my surprise it worked really well with the fresh fruit, adding a different texture and sensation in my mouth!

My coffee had fruity undertones as well, and was very easy to drink! I hesitated ordering another, but didn't want to limit any coffee I had later in the day! Will be back here to try more from there menu, and I hope (not for their sake, but mine) that it is as calming and relaxing as it was! A nice change for an urban cafe!

Later in the day I caught up with Elisha and we decided to hit St Kilda for our catch up.  I've  never been  much of a fan, always thought it was too cool for school , but must admit when I am there, I do get that touristy vibe and it is quite relaxing! The people spotting is fun too! We lazily walked up and down Acland Street, before deciding upon Leroy Espresso (funny its also on my list too!! What a surprise!) 



Leroy has a very funky 70's decor, with Vinyl Orange booth seats, one that we managed to snag! Loads of Posters covered the walls of bands and events coming soon. It also had a decent menu, the kind of place you would go if you are ridiculously hungover! I opted for  Poached eggs with mushroom.... it was good! The coffee was good.. not the best I have had, but definitely  hit the spot...

After lunch , we headed back down Acland street to treat ourselves to some ice cream at Trampoline  http://www.trampolinegelato.com.au/  on this lovely warm day! All in all a pretty nice day off, spent drinking superb coffee and great company!

Until next time xx



My coffee at Leroy (Thanks Elisha!)

Baby its cold outside!

 To get started on a very very cold  Friday morning a girl needs her coffee!! This is also helpful to get the brain ticking and start thinking about the work day ahead.. although procrastinating about the weekend is not too far out of the question!

Janine and I decided to head local today, it was too cold to go very far from the office and the chance of rain without umbrella was quite high. (forgot my Buzz Light year!)  We headed to Cafenatics http://www.cafenatics.com.au/ which is only a short work from our Docklands office! Before my "coffee blog obsession/ New Year resolution" began, this was the cafe I went to every working day!

Busy Cafenatics!! Love the funky design

The frenetic pace of this cafe is unbelievable often with a line out the door, generally a sign good coffee is made here!!  Its  not a very relaxing cafe to have a chit chat over your mid morning latte... unless you don't mind yelling, but it does have a very funky vibe to it ! Its better once it calms down although the pace quickly picks up again around lunch time and they do a roaring trade! The Ham & Swiss Cheese flat bread is a staple for me when lunch is forgotten (or often left at home on the bench!!).Its simple yet delicious, its hard for me to order anything else! A creature of habit I call it!

My coffee today however was not showing the usual richness that it normally does. My expectations have also gone up a notch of late, so I'm not sure if this played a factor as well! I will be back.... hoping for a better coffee next time.

For lunch I wanted to go far far away from work ! Well to the other end of the city,  which feels so far away. I have been talking about my desire to go  65 degrees http://www.65degreescafe.blogspot.com/ for a long time.. so today being the coldest day, and  still battling a cold it wasn't the most sensible thing to do! These days I would do anything for coffee! How sad!

Janine and I met Laura there for some lunch and another hit of caffeine! I was hoping for a great coffee after this mornings disappointment! I have been reading great things about award winning  65 degrees... When I looked into why name a cafe 65 degrees I found out that this is the  perfect temperature milk should be in a coffee (hope that's right, someone please correct me if I'm wrong!!!) See I am learning something about coffee making every day!


Gorgeous red coffee machine!



 I asked an obviously new waitress for a Piccolo latte, I had heard about them but had always been reluctant to  try.... I had in my mind that it was a half espresso half milk, a mini latte so to speak, she told me it was a long black, so to chicken I didn't order... I now know it is a mini latte! Ah next time I will order it! I'm moving more and more out of my comfort zone everyday.

My coffee, however did not disappoint, it had very strong nutty flavour, enhanced by the soy milk.  They use Gridlock coffee here  and I can see why they have won many coffee making  championships! They  have so much pride in their coffee and their cafe.   Another one to add to my faves! (Pity its up the wrong end of town!)

Nice and Strong Soy Cappuccino

Until next time xx

PS - As part of my Blog journey, I have started to collect the business cards from these cafes so I can make myself a framed picture of my journey for 2011! Hopefully it doesn't get too big, I have no wall space in my place left!

Royal Treatment

Surely Thursday was going to get better.... A day off with Darbs,  A catch up with Aunty Corrie and our car back to do or go anywhere we wanted!

 It was slightly better , although I have decided that  this week is a write off.. my cold is still lingering (go away already) and the slight tightness in my head in the morning turned into a full blown splitting headache later in the day! Maybe my caffeine addiction is taking its toll on my body !! (I really hope not.. or there goes my entire  blog!!)

I'm looking at it like a small bump in the road and Ill be back firing to go next week!

Anyway today I tried to achieve some balance in my life ... this is my little goal for the month of March! ! It may be the Holy Grail but I will try and get it!

A wise person said to me today that it was time that I take it upon myself to  reach out for help, allow people in my life that want to help, and take those offers no matter how big or small. (Basically say yes to everything!)

I'm a very resilient person and I can take alot of baggage on board.... but from time to time its ok to seek assistance! Now I'm sounding like the shrink!!!

Okay psychology lesson aside and onto the stuff of importance.... did I get to the Duchess of Spotswood after my last 2 failed attempts! The answer is yes! Was it worth it?? Yes Yes Yes..... 

Corrie, Darby and I headed here on Thursday morning for a coffee hit! I adore the posh  English feel of the  place, with a gorgeous chandelier hanging from the ceiling , the very clean white walls to the hardwood floors and antique furniture! ! It is a very friendly and inviting cafe. The menu also looks amazing.... White anchovies with Scrambled eggs... mmmm . Next time we will leave ourselves more time so we can eat!

Darby did order himself  a delicious Vanilla bean and chocolate centred biscuit! I only had a few crumbs, but they tasted just how I like (very vanilla).

The coffee we ordered  showed  no signs of the sick coffee machine earlier in the week. Our cappuccinos were  served in pretty green and blue pastel cups! The coffee was lovely and smooth, very easy to drink... Although our visit was short... I know I will be back again soon. The 3 minute drive from home will always be worth it.



Out the front of Nabiha! How cool!



With our new found freedom with our car back, the world feels like our oyster! Asking darbs where he wants to go! The first thing that comes out of his mouth is K-MART!!!! (followed closely by BIG W!)

So Darbs and i did a deal (and shook on it!) We would go to Kmart and then to get a coffee!! It worked a treat... he was phenomenal!!! The persuasive bargaining worked. In a normal world this never happens, so I am grateful!

After our little trip to Kmart, we headed next door to what will become a new little favorite- Nabiha in Moonee Ponds. I had a takeaway from here a few weeks ago and it was divine!



My coffee with Maisy watching over!



We sat down as I was starving.. i thought i was going to pass out!! Coffees and babycino ordered super fast... now on to teh menu. Everything looked so good, I had trouble deciding what i wanted! I cant believe they create all this food in a tiny makeshift kitchen. I settled on Fruit toast, with Ricotta, flaked almonds, cinnamon and drizzled with honey. It was just what I needed to bring me back to life and send my headache packing!

I also loved Darby's babycino cup! It was a tin cup designed by an African community.. just beautiful and unique! 

The girls who run this cafe are soo friendly and inviting, I felt like I was given royal treatment!  I will be recommending this place to everyone I know... it  was a wonderful cafe experience!  So glad its close to home as I have a growing list of places that are out of this world!!! 

(better than having none at all!)

Until Next time xxxx



PS - Congrats to Laura and Steve on little Georgia! I cant wait to meet her!! Go away Cold!!!

The coolest Babycino cups ever!!

Work, Life, Balance, and good Coffee!

Well its good news to start with today, a brand spanking new car back in my possession, 3 weeks to the day! Yay! Boy have I missed my wheels.. I can really recommence my coffee challenge and start hitting the burbs for some caffeine! Although on the flip side my body has really thanked me for this extra walking... so I am going to try and keep the activity levels up!

This week has been rather hit and miss on the coffee front .... Monday, Darby and I ventured to Spotswood by train in the freezing cold weather  (who knew it was the last day of Summer!!!!) to visit the Duchess of Spotswood. I have been here a couple of times and it was brilliant! Alas we arrived and their coffee machine was being taken away in a car, not a great sign! Another broken machine! Damn!!!

Coffee dilemma solved by catching the train back to Yarraville (luckily only 1 stop) and meeting up with  my aunty at an old fave:  The Corner Shop! I can never fault their coffee, it is always incredibly smooth and rich. (and no broken coffee machine in sight)

 I was back in Spotswood again on Tuesday to pick up  my car so thought I'd swing by the  Duchess again, but it closed at 3.30! (I arrived at 3.35!!!) Ill keep persisting and go tomorrow!  I have worked hard for this coffee,  I hope its a good one.

I have  also still battled on with my cold, I felt better over the weekend and then went severely downhill when I was back at work (mmm makes me wonder if work is the culprit for making me sick! Ill ponder that some more) .

Work  and home life have thrown me some challenges this week that normally wouldn't  phase me, but somehow I have found it to overwhelming, tears as well! Oh Jane!!!

Quite ironic though that a topic of  my team meeting on Tuesday was Work Life Balance - Is it a load of twaddle! 

 Who really has it??? Is it just a nice saying?? Does it exist in the real world??? This week I'm  certainly  not feeling any kind of balance in life or at work !  I'm completely out of whack!!

Lets hope tomorrow off will rejuvenate and revive me before the weekend!



Total Eclipse.. my magical coffee



Anyway enough of the serious stuff, lets talk about  the most important topic : coffee... I went to Elevenses this morning and was a little concerned when a man was tinkering around with the coffee machine. Oh no not another broken coffee machine, I just couldn't bare it..not this week ...Thank god it was fine and I actually think today's cup was the best I have had from the guys here and that is saying ALOT.... Thank you Elevenses! You made my day!!

I needed to get out of the office for  Lunch, So headed to Eclipse for Lunch with Janine. We both loved what we had.... it was very tasty with finesse, and  presented soo well (it also filled me up for the whole day). My fancy was Flat bread toasted with Chicken, Bacon, Avocado, and Aioli, with Rocket!  The coffee was beautiful as well ..



Highlight of the day: Catching the train home with Darby and using the Master Chef magazine as a picture book.  We read together pointing out all the obvious things , George, Gary, Matt, Curtis, Figs, Lemons, Pizza, Chilli, pasta etc etc! What a great purchase, we both get enjoyment out of it!! Classic moment when we got to   George and Gary's chocolate desserts and I told Darb's everything that was on the page! He piped up "mum I want to cook  a Jaffa Souffle with candy orange !" A few peak hour commuters smirked at that!  Bring it on Darb's!!! Ill drink to that!

Until next time xx

PS - Thanks Damien Rice... you have helped me get through a tough week!