Last entry....

I realise that I have been the worst blogger EVER! I haven't made an entry for a while and this will probably be my last *tear.

I am dedicating myself entirely to my obsession, hair care. I have created another blog called 'The Mane Loves...' this is pretty much a blog dedicated entirely to hair care products. I'll be testing them out some new products and some good ol' favourites.

Anyways, I hope that you have enjoyed 'Kat did whaaat' and I appreciate your visits.

Exposed brick and polenta chips!

I’m talkin’ Bloodwood in Newtown, a modern Australian restaurant which reminds me of Melbourne, but with brighter lighting. It’s a come-as-you-are, no bookings and tapas-style food with great service. I am told that on some nights there is a bit of a wait after 7pm, especially on a Thurs, Fri or Sat so be prepared!

When you walk in, you start to notice the incredible detail that local designer Matt Woods, has put into the place creating a welcoming space that exudes a warm and friendly atmosphere making digestion fun!

Speaking of digestion, here is what we ordered;

For entree
- Polenta chips with a gorgonzola dipping sauce: Seriously delicious and a definitely must-try for this establishment.
- Sourdough bread with dipping oil: The bread was soft and rustic at the same time, DELICIOUS!

For mains
- BF had the special, Steak with a side of kipler potatoes- When this was served to us the whole room could smell the impending eruption of flavour which was about to occur, it was a mixture of garlic, chives and grill time.
- I had the baked king fish with miso flavour, seaweed and radish salad with some snow peas- This was INCREDIBLE and my new favourite all time dish! The fish was moist and you could taste the subtle miso flavour in the fish. I almost cried it was THAT intensely flavoursome.

With all this food (which we pretty much shared) and 2 glasses of white wine, I was the epitome of full, I’m talkin’ a very noticeable food baby!

Now, many reviewers have said that it’s pricey, but maybe only compared to the $7 Thai/Indian/Vietnamese meals you can get down the road. For a place with a great atmosphere and amazing food, it is absolutely worth it!


Photo credit: From the designer man's blog http://mattwoodsdesign.blogspot.com/

Where is it? 416 King St, Newtown NSW
Phone number? 02 9557 7699

Cold and hungry?

So now that the weather has turned on us and we take out our winter blankets, it's time for warm winter dinners. Tuesday night was the night I tried a new potato bake recipe. It was a cold rainy night and it went down like a treat! The recipe is from the Australian Women's Weekly's Cooking on a Shoestring.

Here is what you need;
1kg sebago potatoes, cut into 5mm slices
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium brown onion (150g) sliced thinly
3 thin rindless bacon rashers (90g), chopped coarsely
1 cup (250mL) cream- I use Devondale's thickening cream just because the bf is a little dairy sensitive so it's the only cream he can consume safely
Half a cup (120g) sour cream
2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh chives
1 cup (120 g) coarsely grated cheddar cheese

Here is what you need to do;
1. Preheat oven to 200/180 degrees celsius fan-forced. Grease 2 litre (8 cup) ovenproof dish.
2. Boil/Steam/Microwave potato slices until tender
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in medium frying pan' cook onion and bacon, stirring until onion softens and bacon is crisp.
4. Combine cream, sour cream and chives in medium jug.
5. Layer a third of the potato slices over base of dish; sprinkle with half the bacon mixture. Pour a third of the cream mixture over bacon mixture; sprinkle with a third of the cheese. Repeat layering and finish with cheese.
6. Bake uncovered, in oven, about 30 mins or until browned. Stand for 10 mins before serving. Goes well with any grilled meat of your choice and steamed green vegetables.

TIP: Prepare the ingredients before you start cooking, it makes the whole process a lot easier and it also allows you to focus on one thing at a time, cooking can be overwhelming sometimes!

Best gift with purchase EVER!

I’ll admit that I am a sucker for a gift with purchase and until 23rd of May (or while stocks last), Clinique have an awesome pack (only available at David Jones and only when you spend $60 or more in one transaction).

How did I come across this adorable deal? It was during my search for a new foundation, since the cold weather has hit, my foundation and my skin decided not to get along anymore. So I hit the Clinique counter since they have affordable foundations which are of great quality. My friend Elise recommended the Even Better Foundation from Clinique new Even Better range, so I thought, why not! It is ideal for dry to combination skin (which is exactly what’s happening with my face right now) and it also had medium coverage, which is surprising for a light weight liquid foundation.

It also comes in a plastic bottle, which ideal for those clumsy bottle breakers out there (like me). There are 12 available shades and the benefits of using this foundation include covering and treating uneven skin tone, long wearing, natural skin-perfecting look and its mineral enriched.

The foundation cost me $49, so to be eligible for the free gift (spend $60 or more) I decided buy some lip gloss (gal always needs some gloss). So I bought the Full potential Lips Plump and Shine, because I figured sexy name, sexy lips! It does plump your lips and provided a lovely gloss, but it also very sticky. If you wait for the gloss to settle on your lips, it doesn’t feel that bad. I do appreciate the packaging as it comes with a lip wand (I am not a big fan of lip tubes).

So what was included in my free gift? Bottles of skin care awesomeness! This included Clinique's...
- Rinse-off foaming cleanser mousse 75mL
- 7 Day scrub cream 30mL
- Dramatically different moisturizing lotion 30mL
- Moisture Surge 30mL
- Aromatics Elixir 4mL
- Long last lipstick
- Blushing blush 3.1g
- High impact curling mascara in black
AND a super cute beauty bag!

Want to get fresh?

Fresh fruit and vegetables that is! I am very anti-supermarket when it comes to my fruit and veg, especially after a friend revealed to me that supermarket produce is often frozen for up to 2 years, before it is on display. Talk about outrageous and not-so-fresh! So I have been committed to finding fresh produce at a reasonable price.

Marrickville Organic Food market is the answer! Held every Sunday from 8:30-3pm, it is very vegan and vegetarian friendly. This place also has great market food. My vegetarian friends bought a vegie stack which looked delicious (I am a proud meat-eater so that says something). I had a spinach and beef gozleme which was perfect on a sunny day.

We also bought a massive bag full of organic fruit and veg for just $40! Which is how much I spend at the grocery store anyways. The markets also ended up being an educational experience as I learned that supermarket apples are covered in wax which helps keep the moisture within the apples. Although this wax is safe for consumption, I just don't like the idea of eating wax covered fruit... So I bought a bought a bag of un-waxed apples and boy were they crunchy!

So if you're in the area and have a hankering for fresh fruit and vegies, hit Marrickville's Organic Food Market.

When? Every Sunday from 8:30-3pm
Where? Addison Road Community Centre, 142 Addison Road, Marrickville

Ruby Smallbone. More like Ruby Big-Inspiration!

Yes I realise that Smallbone is more practical, but when I saw her models strut their stuff last night, there was a massive 'wow factor'.

I'm talking awesome hair and cool threads. I was actually thinking about cutting my hair and adopting the blunt bob look, but when I saw the wispy high buns on her models, I was mesmerised and inspired. The models looked casual yet appropriate for a black tie event. Even though the buns were high, they were also loose, which is great as they probably won't cause headaches (I have thick hair and a lot of it, so I am definitely a hair-ache sufferer).

The clothes were just as gorgeous. I mean pastels, prints and wearable fashion, OH MY! The pastels were creamy and seemed to compliment all skin tons (the seemingly Asian model and Samantha Harris assisted me with this conclusion). Ruby Smallbone made silk shorts look fun and flirty, she also had an incredible white dress which I fell in love with.

The show was no doubt a parade of inspiration.

A big thank you to Elise who let me be her plus one and Renee from Stellar PR for inviting us along.

Cold Wednesday= Bamboo Dumpling Bar= Warm Kat

As it was freezing on Wednesday, so BF and I decided to try out the Bamboo Dumpling Bar in Surry Hills (there is also one at Potts Point). It was just the perfect weather for steamed food.

As soon as we walked in, we were greeted by the very friendly chef and the most adorable buddha statue wearing a fedora (don't blame him, his head must have been freezing). The dumpling bar itself is decorated with a bike on the wall, a pop art print with Chairman Mao and my favourite; a blowfish in a bird cage (about time someone put a blowfish in a cage). I love places such as this, where you can spot the little touches of care and thought.

So what about the food? Well, here is what we ordered and what we told about it...

Duck pancakes- They were served hot and were delicious, with just the right amount of sauce and duck.

Pork and chive dumplings- These were my favourite because they tasted exactly like my dad's. It was really creepy. I actually tried to see if my dad was cooking in the kitchen... suspicious if you ask me.

My main was the special for Wednesday night, braised beef with noodles- The beef had soaked up a lot of flavour and the noodles were great, but I did feel like the bowl needed a little more soup.

BF's main was the beef pho- They were ok, it was a great comfort dish.

Beef and lemongrass skewers- Usually I find the lemongrass over powers the beef, but this was not the case. There was a delicious balance of spices and beef.

Overall it was a good Wednesday night, the dinner for 2 cost us less than $50 (inc. tip), the service was good and the placed looked great. What more can a hungry person want on a cold night! I mean a hug would've been nice, but it wasn't on the menu....

Address: 140 Commonwealth Street Surry Hills

Phone:02 9281 1372

Hours: Mon-Sun, 12-10pm