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Food, Conversation, Inspiration {Canberra Bloggers Meetup}

March 16, 2013

So as much as I love Canberra , there isn’t a major blogger community presence here. And unfortunately, whenever there has been an event, I haven’t been able to go along due to personal commitments. I decided that was going to change this year. Partly because  as a blogger or any other craft for that matter,  not everyone “gets” blogging and therefore  meeting fellow bloggers is kind of good for your blogging soul. It gives you the reassurance that you aren’t the only crazy one doing crazy things! And partly because I am totally envious of those cool blogger meetups that always happen in the bigger cities  followed by pictures all over social media.

Over the past couple of months, I have been lucky enough to get to know two lovely Canberran bloggers Vanisha from Vanisha’s Life In Australia and Maddy from the newly launched Mummawoosah . Having our own Canberra social was inevitable , so last weekend we met for brunch .

Here is  what followed over the course of the morning in pictures and words.. Enjoy :)

Where there are bloggers, there is food.

foodies

And foodie pictures galore !

Resolutions

blogger resolutions

 Maddy had been tossing up about going live for the past few days, she went away  on the day saying she would. And she did ! Well done Maddy – Read her first post here :)

Conversation and Inspiration

blogger conversations

Great food, amazing coffee and fabulous company. 

One of the things we discussed was how important it was to keep it real when you are blogging. That no one has a perfect life. Vanisha went away and wrote a heart warming post about how she has been feeling these past few weeks. You can read it here :)

Happy Snaps

canberra bloggers

The Spoils

the spoils

Maddy brought along some uber gorgeous Nigerian jewellery to show us.

Instant Sharing

sharing instagram

You Facebook it, I’ll instagram it.

And that’s how we roll!

Inspiring stories, Brand new friendships

canberra bloggers 1

It was so refreshing to meet these beautiful, like minded girls and learn more about their life stories. Food, conversation and inspiration, does it get any better ?

Do you ever feel like normal people don’t “get” your blogging ? What has been your best blogger meet up experience?

Image credits : Thankyou Vanisha for sharing your pictures from the day.

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Scary Dinosaurs at taronga

Dinosaurs Found!!!! Alive And Well At Taronga Zoo {Our Big Sydney Adventure Trip}

January 13, 2013

Ah great! I have managed to catch your attention? Good! Now tell me, do you follow Mumchic on Facebook and Twitter? No? Ok follow now {hint : click on links above}

Done? Yay!

Aren’t you wonderful?!

So for those of you who have been following us on Facebook and Twitter, you might have read the stream and seen the pictures floating around from our big adventure trip to Sydney last weekend courtesy of the uber awesome folks at Countrylink. Oh what a trip it was !

As promised, here is a full wrap of the trip in words and pictures. Enjoy!

Day 1 

We took the Sydney Xplorer train from Canberra’s Kingston railway station – grandpa and grandma visiting from Pakistan in tow! It is a pretty comfy ride especially when you are travelling with the little ones with a lot of room to move around. No getting crammed into little seats. It was a hot day so the cooling helped considerably as we made our way to Sydney! We checked into the very centrally positioned Citigate Central and were greeted with smiles and drinks at the bistro while our room was being prepared.

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With a big day planned for the next day, we had an easy night strolling around the Sydney CBD , Chinatown and the Darling Harbour precinct. If you are looking for a great asian meal in the Sydney CBD area, I wouldn’t look past the Golden Century Restaurant with their live seafood and delightful meals, this one can’t be missed! For dessert, we headed to the Lindt Cafe at Darling Harbour. A slice of their St.Moritz cake is absolutely divine {featured}

Night out in Sydney

Day 2

We started off with a yummy buffet breakfast at our hotel in the morning, all set for a big day ahead.{Look out for the picture where FS2 decided to have chocolate sauce with a small drizzle of pancakes for breakfast!}

The ferry ride from Darling Harbour to Taronga Zoo was spectacular taking in all of Sydney harbour’s landmark sights! We were fortunate enough to get up,close and personal with the Voyager Of The Seas – what a grand cruise liner, it was like a mini-city on it’s own -Ah to go on a cruise someday…

Ferry Ride from Circular Quay to Taronga Zoo

After being ferried to Taronga , we took the sky lift up to the Zoo. Truly a wild and unforgettable experience, the zoo is a must-see Sydney attraction. My personal favourites were the Gorillas, you could just watch them for hours , so fascinating they are! The Dinosaurs In The Wild exhibition currently running at the zoo got a massive tick from the boys. We even got to meet T-Rex, does it get any better?! {Look out for the pictures}

Taronga Zoo

Along with the display, there is a lot to learn about these brilliant life-like, life-size creatures and I would highly recommend spending a few minutes at each display getting to know a bit more about the dinos. You can often find zoo staff near the displays who are more than happy to have a little chat about the dinosaurs’ special features.

Dinosaurs In The Wild - Taronga Zoo

That night the boys were only too happy to cool off at the hotel pool – perfect way to relax after a long day. If heading to the Zoo these summer school holidays, I would highly recommend packing plenty of cool drinks, nibblies , hats, lots of sun screen and big smiles! Then you’re all set for your big day out!

Day 3

Like all good things, our wonderful Sydney trip too came to an end and we headed back to a still steaming Canberra with countless special moments tucked safely in our memories. A big thankyou to Countrylink for presenting us with this fantastic opportunity!

If you too would like to take a fun and adventurous family trip to Sydney, contact Countylink Holidays online or by phone on 132829. 

The Dinosaurs In The Wild Exhibition runs until February 3rd 2012 and is a must visit attraction! For more information , you can find the brochure here.

{This is not a paid endorsement for Countrylink, however an all expenses paid trip to Sydney was provided to the writer and all her guests for review purposes}

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Beautiful Sunsets And Pink Ribbon Skies.

December 23, 2012

Come watch with me the shaft of fire that glows in yonder west: the fair, frail palaces, the fading alps and archipelagoes, And great cloud-continents of sunset-seas.

- Thomas Bailey Aldrich

This is a follow up post from yesterday’s photo session at  the Red Hill Lookout here in Canberra, for anyone who visits the capital, this is a beautiful hidden gem.  I snuck a  picture of my truly adorable and still very romantic parents enjoying the setting sun, turns out it is one of my favourite shots from yesterday.

Camera : Iphone 4s

No filters have been used to edit these photos.

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Moments.

November 18, 2012

Brothers. 

Saturday morning. 7 am.

Fabulous son 2 sneaks out to Fab Son 1′s bed. There is an animated exchange about games, secret moves and other boy stuff. There are no fights.This is rare.

But there is a bond and a banter that you can only share with a sibling. And then unbeknownst to them, there is me, quietly capturing what are not mere pictures, but very special moments.

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May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

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Cinnamon Scrolls – Warm, Delightful, Divine -To Die For.

October 28, 2012

Have you always wanted to try those complex start from scratch cinnamon scroll recipes but find the entire process too daunting? Well I was the same. Yes , me of all people can you believe it? I LOVE cooking and even I found it all a bit overwhelming. So all this time I have resorted to a rather simpler and quicker recipe (read : cheated). The result good but nothing extraordinary. Then I chanced upon this brilliantly explained recipe by The Pioneer Woman.  She is amazing and makes it all sound so easy! I knew I HAD to try these and thus began my mission to brave cinnamon scrolls right from scratch. I can tell you this, if the process overwhelms you a bit , it might be worth preparing the dough a day in advance and maybe halving the recipe to start off with. That way, on baking day, the process is a lot simpler and there’s not a lot of waiting around for the dough to rest and rise and sweat and all that other complex baking stuff. The results though are so divine and worth every second of that waiting time. If you are feeling generous and end up sharing these with people, you might find that over time you have developed a cult of devout followers who will lap up every expert tip you dish out. Achieving cinnamon scrolls from scratch to perfection is an esteemed status you and kind of makes you look and feel like a Martha Stewart in the making.

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Without further adieu, here’s the link ;

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/cinammon_rolls_/

Warm, delightful and oozing with a yummy buttery,sugary cinnamon centre drizzled with a generous dose of maple frosting, these cinnamon scrolls truly are to-die-for :)

Happy Baking!

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The Pancake Recipe You Can’t Afford To Miss!

September 22, 2012

Happy Weekend Everyone !

It is going to be a hectic one for us with a house move around the corner and a LOT of packing and culling to do still but we will get there, somehow … I might end up looking like a worn out zombie in the process but we will get there ! Affirmative… (Fine so I like to humour myself, what’s wrong with that?)

But a daunting and impending house move isn’t going to stop me from cooking fancy food here at Mumchic HQ is it. Heck, if anything, the cooking distracts me from what lies ahead in terms of the mountains of clothes I have to sort in “To Give Away” or “Not To Give Away” piles and that’s just the clothes…

Anyway, I won’t rant on about this house move as I am sure you will hear more over the week ahead. Moving on to the recipe, I have tried MANY different pancake recipes over the years, original style, buttermilk, sweetened, unsweetened, you name it. And though most have been decent enough, I cannot say I have found the ONE until this morning. So a few tiny tweaks to my original batter and we have a very easy and impressive keeper that will have you wondering why you ever bothered with a pancake mix. Thick, fluffy and borderline sinful, just the way pancakes were meant to be!

Mumchic’s Very Own Best Pancakes Ever

Serves 3

You will need ;

  • 1 cup self raising flour
  • 1 cup light milk (not skim)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • Butter or margarine for cooking

Preparation ;

  • Pre-heat a non stick fry pan.
  • Add self raising flour and sugar to a medium sized bowl and make a deep well in the centre.
  • Add milk, egg and vanilla essence.
  • Using a fork mix the flour with the wet ingredients until just combined and all the lumps are removed.The key here is not to over mix your batter.
  • Add a small coin sized dollop of butter to the preheated frying pan.
  • Add just less than 1/2 cup of batter to the pan and let it cook on medium heat until bubbles appear on the surface and the sides begin to dry.
  • Flip over to the other side, adding a little butter on the sides, cook until the pancake turns a rich golden brown.
  • Repeat for the rest of the batter

Serving Suggestion (pictured):

Serve with chopped up strawberries, chocolate shavings and a generous drizzle of maple syrup.

Blueberries, bananas, rasperries go well too. And if you like nuts, some toasted pecans and walnuts are delightful!

Do you have a favourite pancake recipe? If you do get around to trying this recipe , please pop back to review it :)

That is all from me for now, I best return to that dreaded mountain of clothes I need to sort, have a wonderful weekend won’t you ?

~ Sabeen

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Rough And Tumble

September 16, 2012

Today I am linking up with a wonderful blog I have only started reading recently. My Mummy Daze hosts a special segment every Sunday called “Windows Of Happiness” where we recollect a moment, a photograph or a thought that has made us happy in the past week. Here’s mine;

Last Saturday was the first weekend of spring and with the temperature looming around 18-20 mark the Fab 2 were thrilled to be able to wear their shorts and short sleeved tees after a winter of multi-layering although with our holiday, we did get away with spending the worst of Canberran winter in Pakistan’s warm July!

Give a pair of brothers a soccer ball and let them go, the result … a lot of brotherly rough and tumble and heaps of photography practice for mum.

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My precious sons, happy, smiling :) I cannot think of a better highlight for my week.

What has been the highlight in your life in the past week ?

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Friday Night In – Home Made Popcorn And The Movies!

September 7, 2012

Home-made popcorn reminds me of my childhood, back when microwave popcorn was a luxury we couldn’t afford, let alone a microwave. My mum would make us freshly popped corn, lightly salted and so delicious. There were three of us siblings so the popcorn would be carefully and equally divided into three bowls as a post school afternoon snack, any extra in any one person’s bowl was like a free ticket to fightsville! I now wonder if mum ever had any for herself, I don’t remember a bowl for her. To this day, home popped corn is a tradition in my family home back in Karachi, Pakistan. You will find mum’s pantry stocked with the microwaveable kind but everyone still prefers the freshness and flavour of home popped. Old habits die hard I suppose.

Speaking of traditions, we love our Friday nights in! Time to break out of the mundane routine, no swimming or tae kwon do to race to, no uniforms to iron, no missing sock to find, no homework to complete and no lunches to pack. An evening to do exactly as we please. Over the years, the Fab 2 and I have established a Friday night family tradition of sorts to mark the end of what is usually a grueling week. Dinner is usually scrumptious Nachos with the works ( recipe and pictures here) followed by a dvd(or two) and big bowls of home made popcorn to go around .Tonight was no different !

These healthy, beautiful, fluffy kernels can be yours and once mastered, you will never buy microwave popcorn again. It takes a few gos but the results are YUM, the best part is, you know exactly what you are putting in ! Read on to find out how:

Home Made Popcorn

You will need :

  • 1 large sized heavy pot/dutch oven with a lid
  • 1/2 cup of corn kernels
  • 1 tsp salt levelled
  • 1/4 cup canola oil ( add a tbsp of pure butter for a richer, buttery taste)

Next :

  • You will need your pot to be well heated before you add the oil.
  • Add salt and corn kernels, stir with a wooden spoon so the kernels are well coated with oil and salt.
  • Cover with a heavy lid allowing just a little steam to escape and the kernels start to turn brown.
  • Cover fully once  kernels begin to pop.
  • Periodically shake the pot bewteen pops.
  • Once the popping slows down, turn heat off and slowly remove the lid to allow excessive steam to escape.
  • Season (if needed) and serve .

Witness your popcorns vanish right before your eyes.

Over to you

Did/Does your family have a Friday night tradition you love?

Which type of popcorn do you prefer? Home popped or microwaveable?

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Semolina….Simply!

June 16, 2012

semolina - Semolina is the coarse, purified wheat middlings of durum wheat used in making pasta, breakfast cereals, puddings and couscous. Semolina is also used to designate coarse middlings from other varieties of wheat, and from other grains such as rice and corn.

Halva - (or halawa, xalwo, haleweh, ħelwa, halvah, halava, helava, helva, halwa, halua, aluva, chalva, chałwa) refers to many types of dense, sweet confections, served across the Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia, West Asia, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Malta and the Jewish world.

With its origins possibly in Abyssinia or southern parts of the Mediterranean ocean, semolina is a wonderful, hearty, protein rich grain that has been around for a very long time. Also known in many parts of the world as “cream of wheat”, semolina is used to make popular products such as breads, pasta, couscous, tabbouleh and noodles to name a few.

What I find very fascinating is how the grain has found its way into many cultures and is used extensively is so many cuisines.In the Indian sub-continent, lightly sweetened semolina  porridge is one of the first solids introduced to a baby’s diet. It is considered nourishing and rich in nutrients the same.

If I were to pick my top 5 favourite comfort foods, Sooji Ka Halwa,a popular Pakistani dessert prepared with semolina, would definitely rate very high. A rich sweet when cooked perfectly, embodies the density and wonderful texture of semolina. Sooji ka halwa is also a   much loved Pakistani breakfast dish often served with freshly friend pooris (and ofcourse, perfectly acceptable all other times of the day as well!). It might look deliciously complex and elaborate but Sooji Ka Halwa is, in effect, deceptively simple. Read below to find out how!

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Sooji Ka Halwa (Semolina Dessert)

You will need:

  • 4 tbsp clarified butter(ghee) or plain butter
  • 1 cup semolina or cream of wheat (sooji)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 4-6 green cardamom pods lightly cracked
  • 3 tsp sultanas/green raisins
  • 2 tsp powdered almonds,pistachios and cardamoms
  • 2 cups water
  • A pinch of orange or yellow food coloring

Preparation:

  • Combine the water, sugar and food coloring and bring to a boil until sugar has fully dissolved and forms a light syrup. Set aside.
  • Heat ghee/butter in a heavy based wok , add cardamom pods and 1 tsp of the powdered nuts, reserve the second tsp for later.This step infuses the butter with a lovely nutty, cardamom flavour.
  • As the cardamom and nuts release a light fragrance, add the semolina and green raisins and fry for about 5-8 minutes on medium heat. Allow the semolina to become a nice, roasted brown taking care not to burn it.
  • Once the ghee begins to separate from the semolina, add the sugar syrup, stir well and then cover to cook on medium-low heat for about 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until most of the moisture has evaporated.
  • The halwa is now ready, the texture should feel soft and moist. If there are still some semolina grains that feel raw , add a bit of water and simmer until the halwa is cooked through.
  • Sprinkle remaining powdered nuts as garnishing and serve warm – ideally with freshly made pooris  or just plain.

Mmm who needs restaurants when you can whip up delicious comfort food in your own kitchen.

Over to you, what are your favourite comfort foods and why?

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Nostalgia For Naashta.

June 10, 2012

naashta – commonly used term for breakfast in the Indian sub-continent.

doodh patti chaai – a sweet and strong brew of milky tea made in homes and served at roadside corner cafes all over Pakistan.

roti/chappati – flat bread cooked with ground wholemeal flour and cooked on a flat griddle or even an open fire. Served with curries, yogurt and pickles.

bazaar - local market usually lined with hawker stalls selling food, spices, clothing, accessories.

30 years ago, the joint family system was rampant in Pakistan. It still exists but with a great flux in values, traditions, lifestyle, parenting, the trend is moving fast towards being a nuclear family. Those families that are still part of a joint system set-up must display a great degree of patience and respect for each other if they are to keep harmony and balance within the system. It is not easy and certainly not everyone’s cup of tea but it is doable.

The best part about growing up in a joint family for the first 6-7 years of my life was that I spent a lot of time with my Mamma (that is what I call my paternal grandmother). She would buy me little cooking utensils from the local market near our house and I would play in the kitchen while mamma and mummy(my mum) would bustle in and out cooking, cleaning and bantering. I have faint memories of a little belan and patla (rolling pin and a mini rolling table used to roll rotis and parathas) she had once bought me. On Saturday mornings, Mamma would go out to do the week’s groceries. There were many hawker stalls down the street from where we lived but sometimes she would venture further to the more popular Soldier Bazaar or Machli Bazaar for better variety and prices.

She would return home bearing all sorts of fruits, vegetables, lentils,spices and meats for the week ahead. Mamma was(and is) a tea addict. On those Saturday mornings, exhausted after her long shopping spree, Mamma would refresh herself with a strong cup of steaming hot tea. For naashta(breakfast), she would deep fry day-old chappatis till they were crisp and then dip a piece or luqma into the steaming hot, milky sweet tea. I, only 4 or 5 at the time shared this delicious naashta with Mamma often. You don’t often remember much from when you were 4 but this is one of my strongest and fondest childhood memories.

Today, I felt nostalgic and decided to make a breakfast exactly like the one I have shared with my Mamma many times over. And so here it is, a steaming hot cup of doodh patti chaai and a crispy fried chappati. Simple goodness and timeless memories.

nostalgia for naashta

Do you have a favourite childhood memory of times shared with grandparents?

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