Despite a sometimes frustrating week in partition world, the days have been beautiful and blue, with daytime temperatures between 20-23C. Winter in Queensland certainly takes some beating.
Where we explored…
Last week’s Sunday drive was to the Glasshouse Mountains Lookout in the national park of the same name. There are plenty of places from which you can get a good view of the mountains, but this is said to be one of the better ones. If you know of any others, please let me know. I wrote something about it on the Sunny Coast page. You can find it here.
Where we barbecued…
By the beach. It’s such a treat to be able to take some sausages and bread rolls down to the beach. Despite being the middle of winter, the evenings are cool but not cold. It’s school holidays now, so I suspect we’ll be avoiding the beach for the next few weeks – it’s bedlam down there!
Where we lunched…
At Sum Yung Guys at Sunshine Beach. It’s a new restaurant by the runner-up of last year’s Masterchef and it’s pretty fabulous. I wrote about it here.
What I wrote…
Aside from the pieces on Glasshouse Mountains and Sum Yung Guys, I also popped a couple of other posts on this site: something about the Masterchef challenges I’d like to see – and they don’t involve desserts or fancy equipment; and something else about my winter bucket list.
Other than that, a lot of previously unscheduled partition work kept me desk bound, and not a lot of other writing got written. I’m now way behind where I’d hoped to be – and this week isn’t looking to be any better.
What I’m missing…
Miss 19 is in Sydney visiting her grandparents – and the house is soooooo quiet!
What I’m looking forward to…
Next weekend in Melbourne. Miss 19 is meeting me down there for a long weekend. I’m calling it a research trip #anyexcusewilldo
Market update…
I got the biggest bunch of curly endive in existence at the markets last weekend. All of this for $2.
It came with a small passenger – who didn’t eat much and who was released.
I’d never used endive before, but was planning an Italian style veal dish for dinner with a rich tomato sauce, so figured the bitterness would cut through it nicely. Anyways, I turned it into a salad with parmesan, prosciutto and hazelnuts. After throughly washing the endive leaves, I baked 6 slices of prosciutto in the oven for about 10 minutes until it was crisp, and roasted and chopped some hazelnuts – I used about half a cup. Once the prosciutto was cool, I broke it into pieces and mixed it through the salad with the hazelnuts and some shaved parmesan. The dressing? olive oil, lemon juice, finely chopped dill and some dijon mustard.
I’ve decided that I’m not a huge fam of curly endive – and won’t be rushing back for it – but the salad worked with the rich veal as I’d hoped it would.
What about your week? Any highlights?
And Anyways... 
My week? Well I got a lot done from an author point of view which included getting payment from Lending Rights Australia which was a good bonus I had forgotten about. No author writing but I did schedule a meeting with possible new distributor and a meeting with another children’s book author to shoot the breeze. Oh … and I had an author appearance at a local cheerleading event which was a lot of fun. Plus I sent my new children’s magazines to the National Library as part of the Legal Deposit thingo. So that was cool., So yeah, got a bit done ABOUT writing, but not a lot down by actually writing, If that makes sense. As for endive … I don’t use it and am not sure I need toads in my life right now either. In other news – I’m heading up your way in two weeks for a family junket. Can’t wait!
Oh that reminds me – I have to do the legal deposit thing for my last book. I’d better do so before I get another reminder.
I didn’t even know what endive was. Is that bad to admit?
The trip south sounds good and research is very important. And possibly tax deductible?
Off to check out your review of Sum Yung Guys which I half-read on my phone at my mum’s but will be easier to read on a real computer!
I knew it existed – endive, that is. I like leafy greens, but can’t say that I’ll be rushing back for this one.
What a lovely way to discover your new home and I’m so glad you linked up with the Winter Bucket List – at least there were two of us out of sync with the seasons. How lovely to spend the weekend with your daughter in Melbourne – treasured memories that is for sure. Enjoy your weekend away plus this beautiful sunshine we are having at the moment. The Gold Coast is perfect today!
Sue from Sizzling Towards 60 & Beyond.
It certainly doesn’t feel like winter – but I suspect Melbourne will!
My week? It is Eid here in India today, faithfuls celebrate it with great food and shopping for the loved one. It was the last week of Ramadan this week when Muslims abstain from food and water for the daytime. I went to the street food affair held in the city that do not make differences for unfaithfuls like me (:P) and relished their food spread. https://orangewayfarer.wordpress.com/2017/06/25/iftari-mosque-road-chapter/ this is a link to the blog post I wrote till midnight, overwhelmed with their spread. Have a look. I think you will like it.
What a special moment – and you’ve written about it beautifully.
My week..don’t ask. Eating is getting more and more challenging (it hurts!) so I think I need to stop looking at food pics! I am really enjoying how much you are embracing your new home. It’s lovely. Thank you for linking up for #lifethisweek. Next week will be the last link up for a while. My blog post of this week explains the reason.
This week has been about work, getting my little one on the road to recovery from a cold and getting used to the coldness of winter. Your holiday photos and memories were very welcome today!
SSG xxx
Sounds like a great wrap-up (especially that “research trip” with your daughter!) and I don’t think I’d be a big fan of endive salad either – give me a good old lettuce leaf any day!
It’s been a crazy week, here!! But I love endive, and I think it’s one of those foods, that the more you have it, the more you like it!!
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Yeah, I think it will be an acquired taste for me!