Today’s Lunch

Good Mental Health Day

Well, this week’s foodie, good mental health day post will be different again!

Merry Christmas for yesterday and today is Boxing Day so I’m not actually out at my regular haunt. I’m in the country where I visit at this time of year for a week.

Our standard Christmas celebrations this year was to meet the girls from the Peninsula somewhere central for a nice lady’s lunch. My mum and younger sister drive 3.5 hours south to scoop me up and we drove into the city. This year we went to the Chocolate Buddha at Federation Square.

I meant to take photos, I swear I did again, reasons why I shouldn’t be on Instagram! Just picture it like this. 5 ladies. 7 entrees shared, I shared my main with my mum and I shared dessert with my older sisters’ partner. It is always debated that my older sister has big eyes but a little tummy. So much teasing in her direction, hence, by sharing my desert with her partner, she actually got a fair share. I did get a photo of that!

We had a lovely chick as our waitstaff who was from New Zealand who we wanted to adopt. Her name is Bianca and when we were selecting the entree’s, she told us she understood our making a serious effort to make sure we had enough. She told us she was one of eight kids. she very quickly followed this announcement by explaining it was very cold in New Zealand and they are very fertile. We had dumplings, tempura pumpkin and capsicum, and other yummy things. My younger sister is very keen on ramen right now as she was overseas eating tasty goodness all of September.

Went back to my home to pack and headed north to be informed only 20 minutes from home I was told there was no turkey to be had. (we usually do a turkey roll stuffed with fruit and nuts and such) prompting me to call out “Take me back home!”  I think the last time we had an actual turkey, my mum stated we wouldn’t do another until one of us had a husband! (The pressure, right?) And my sister has a partner of the fairer sex so that’s no help what’s so ever! Haven’t had turkey since…………

Skip Monday as it was spent in PJ’s, and sleeping, so on Christmas Day lunch was had at 4pm, with baked ham, roasted pork with crackling and yummy roasted vegetables. Both cranberry jelly and gravy.  After a break, some TV and a kip, we had dessert, which was this gingerbread pudding with caramel and Connoisseur ice cream, followed by a second course of dessert which is traditionally trifle in this house.

Big thanks to my mum and younger sister for all the yummy food. They wouldn’t let me help. I’ll make up for it, in clean-up duty. Promise.

I don’t yet have photos of just how country I am just now but to say I do NOT have mobile reception here. Like, seriously first world problem!

But another perfect example of just how country I am, within 30 minutes of arriving here and mum rummaging around in the hallway cupboard to get some bedding out I found the first huntsman. It was about a 50 cms in diameter. It was still pink, meaning it was still a baby and where there’s one there’s more. Mum came with a glass and a card to implement catch and release. Cringe. It should be mentioned huntsman spiders are rather friendly spiders, they just like to hang around on your ceiling………but in Queensland I’m told they can be as big as dinner plates. #Never living in Queensland. They won’t kill you just frighten you to death……….

So, doing this post late Tuesday night I’m finishing the evening with my once-yearly alcoholic drink, in the form of a little Muscat. It’s really all I drink at this time of the year. I still have a bottle of baileys in my fridge at home from two Christmas’s ago. Must finish that!

Catching up on Thursday with some high school friends. Will remember to get some foodie photos then. Or I will try.

Hope you are all well fed and safe with family.

Cheers,
H