Post-Party Photos and Lots of Pressies!!!

Oh, what a PARTY!!!! 

Where do I begin?  It was a truly aweseome day.  Despite a couple of hiccups and sources of stress (mainly from the $%^^&#*@! rented big rice cooker that didn't work - and it ain't a Filipino feast without rice!) the party went truly off. 

I received lots of compliments on the food, and it certainly was a bountiful feast. 

Buffet from the top end 

Photo by Yan

Spot me peeking next to Wayne who helped chop up one of the lechons - thanks Wayne!

Photo by Neil

I was so proud of my Filipino heritage, and that people's first experience of the food of my homeland was a positive one - we didn't have one child burst into tears at the sight of the piggies, or a vegetarian who ran screaming from the room (or maybe I just didn't notice).  In fact, I was told stories of some of the littlies specifically asking for the pork, and my nephew was all smiles to be right next to one of the piggy poos.

Jesse and the lechon.

Photo by Chris

Adrian attacking the lechon with the big cleaver.

Photo by Claire

Pansit bison (sautéed noodles) in the foreground and lumpiang sariwa (fresh spring rolls) in the background.  Thank you Lamesa!

Photo by Yan

My Mom's embutido (Filipino style meatloaf).

Photo by Yan

The gorgeous floral centrepiece of the hummingbird cake from Simmone Logue.

Photo by Yan

The weather cooperated for the most part - the rain stayed away although the wind was pretty cold and bitey.  The kids on the jumping castle didn't seem to mind though - they were generating enough heat from all that energetic jumping and climbing!  And many thanks to Bethanie's Jumping Castles, who very generously allowed the adults a few precious minutes to re-live their childhoods.  We had a few green faces, but no upchuckers - thank goodness! 

Photo by Yan

We also had face painting by the absolutely fabulous Tash - check out just one sample of her work!

The Twins!

Photo by Claire

It was so wonderful to see so many of my and Adrian's friends together.  I had quite a few people say to me - "Gee, you have really nice friends!" I tend to agree.

The McCosker Lunch Gang.

Photo by Neil

The Macquarie Uni/Microsoft Fellowship Gang.

Photo by Yan

The Can Too Gals!

Photos by Claire

And so many said they had an amazing time - considering that we had a full dance floor at 3:00 in the afternoon, we can safely say that Peter P-Elvis and the Flat Cats band were responsible for getting people up and boogie-ing!

Peter Pelvis is big with the ladies!

Photo by Claire

They say all good things come to an end, but I have to say that it didn't quite end for us when everyone left - there was the wonderful, wonderful task of opening up the literal MOUNTAIN of pressies that we received! I could hardly see out the back of our car (and it ain't a little car!) with your many, many gifts. Your generosity to me and Cashew, and Adrian too, has really left me speechless.  All I can say is thank you, thank you, THANK YOU so much.

It's 10:45 pm, and I'm still going...  

Photo by Adrian

Your beautiful gorgeous cards!

Photo by Rachelle

It took me three whole hours to unwrap all the pressies and read all your beautiful cards.  I don't think any other celebration in my life will top this!   Once again, thank you for coming to my 40th Shower - it just wouldn't have been the same without you.

Next bit of the journey - PARENTHOOD!  Only 5 to 7 weeks to go now...

The Menu - Pigs and More...

With the party shaping up to be "bigger than Ben Hur", we certainly need to have a massive menu to match!

But don't worry - you'll get to burn off the calories on the dance floor with Peter Pelvis and his band, plus the kids will be wildly entertained and distracted by a jumping castle (fingers crossed we don't have rain!), face painting by Tash and unlimited popcorn!  There will also be an open bar with beers and wines, and a non-alcoholic fruit punch for kids and adults alike.

As this may well be the first experience of Filipino feasting for many of you, I thought it would be good to give you a preview of what we are going to have with a bit of a description of the various dishes.  These descriptions will also be available on the day so you know exactly what you are eating (apart from the fact that it's yummy stuff) so don't feel you have to memorise all this.

And yes, there will be LOTS of food so please do come hungry!  Here's what's in store for you:

Appetisers: Pulutan or pica-pica
Filipinos love to snack, specially if there's a bit of alcohol involved.  The operative words for these snacks are spicy, salty, and yes, a bit fatty! A few items for you to sample include:

• Garlic nuts 
• Salty green peas (like Wasabi peas but not that spicy)
• Chicharon - deep fried crispy pork skin to dip in chilli garlic vinegar. Because you can't have too much pork in life.  

Buffet:

The main event. The tables will be groaning with the following:

• Lechon - whole roasted pig covered in crisp mahogany-coloured crackling, served with a lechon sauce - a sweet and spicy gravy cooked from pork juices and other good bits of the pig.  And we have not just one, but TWO of these piggies!  Yum, yum. Special thanks to Talavera Lechon who will be delivering all the way from the hinterlands of Blacktown. 

• Beef caldereta - slow cooked and tender beef casserole cooked in a rich and hearty tomato sauce with pate, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, olives and red capsicum.  Originally adapted from the Spanish from when they colonised our country for 300 years, the word "caldereta" comes from the word "caldera" meaning cauldron.  This is from our favourite Filipino restaurant in Dee Why (possibly moving to the City very soon!) - Lamesa

• Chicken adobo - chicken pieces marinated and cooked in soy sauce, vinegar, lashings of garlic, peppercorns and bay leaf, topped with caramelised onions and with optional side dish of fresh tomato, garlic and basil salad (see below).  Considered by many as our national dish, the cooking method "adobo" is apparently indigenous to the Philippines.  Typically, it is said there are as many versions of cooking adobo as there are cooks, so this is my special version, which Adrian only gets when he's very very good. 

• Ginataang sitaw at kalabasa - one for the vegetarians, this translates to pumpkin and long beans simmered in coconut milk.  I did mention Filipinos love their meat, and vegetable dishes are often NOT vegetarian - there's always a little bit of meat, seafood, fish sauce or shrimp paste tucked in there somewhere!  So this is my vegetarian version, to ensure that my vegosaurus friends don't go hungry at the party.  Carnivores also welcome to partake of this dish.

• Ginisang talong - another adapted vegetarian dish, this is a Chinese-style sauteed eggplant simmered in a complex sauce with soy sauce, shaoshing wine, chilli, garlic and ginger among other ingredients.  This dish is a nod to the Chinese heritage that Filipinos also have - pretty much all Filipinos are some mix of Chinese-Spanish blood - we are one of the original Eurasian cultures!

• Pansit bihon - another nod to my Chinese side, this is sautéed rice vermicelli noodles topped with chicken pieces and lots of vegetables.  Another dish from Lamesa and specially cooked by Raquel and Ray.

• Lumpiang sariwa - our version of fresh spring rolls, this is made from handmade crepes instead of rice paper. We will have two versions - a vegetarian one filled with just veggies, and one with veggies and chicken, and both served with its distinctive sweet sauce with peanuts and garlic.  This is again courtesy of Lamesa, because I don't have the skills to make these fiddly crepes! The term "lumpia" came from the Hokkien "lunpia" and the dish was brought to the Philippines by Chinese immigrants. 

• Embutido - best described as a Filipino style meatloaf, it's a log of minced pork, vegetables (carrots, capsicums, onions), spices, sausage and hard boiled egg.  Steamed or baked, it's usually served cold or slightly warmed through, and dipped in a sawsawan (sauce) of banana ketchup - a unique Filipino condiment - or sweet chill sauce. An absolute favourite for special occasions, and loved by kids, this is made from my own Mother's recipe, so lots of good memories are tied in with this dish.

• Ensaladang kamatis, bawang at balanoy - meaning, salad of tomatoes, garlic and basil drizzled with olive oil, this is the optional side dish for the chicken adobo.  Very similar to a salsa, it's my own little touch to make adobo even nicer!

• Kanin - very simply, steamed long grain rice to go with everything!  It ain't a Filipino buffet without fluffy white rice.

Dessert - Panghimagas:

And of course, we can't not have dessert!

• Fruit salad, Filipino style - a bit of a retro dessert, this is a very rich Filipino dessert made from canned fruits, maraschino cherries, condensed milk, thick cream, young coconut flesh (buko) and nata de coco (a multicoloured, jelly-like, chewy sweet product made from coconut milk). I've Westernised it by adding a few fresh fruits in season.

• Hummingbird cake - courtesy of Simmone Logue (because my baking skills aren't that flash!!), this is my absolute favourite cake, with tropical fruits including fresh mango, and made even more luscious with cream cheese.  

So there you have it - a feast that I hope will be worth the wait.  See you all on Sunday!!!

Pressies for Rachey

Yay!  It's my turn to put together my wish list.  Now I have kept on saying I an shameless about asking for pressies, but I have to admit I found it difficult putting this together because I really have everything I need - specially a wonderful loving husband, and hopefully a gentle, placid, non-screaming child very soon.

But then again, it's always nice to get pressies.  :)

Again, please use this list as a guide only.  You may know a side of me that only you know about, so feel free to surprise me.  Just try not to make me laugh so much that my waters will break at my party!

The Ultimate Foodie Pressie - Contribute to my Thermomix Fund!

You all know I LOVE to cook.  I never thought I would lust after a Thermomix - thought it was for lazy people, too expensive, surely cannot do what it says it can do, bla-bla-bla.

Until I saw it in action in a demo.  And now, I feel like I can't live without it!  It really does need to be seen to be believed, and I personally think it is worth it's almost $2,000 price tag.  Yep, that's not a typo.

Google Thermomix or look up this review from Gourmet Traveller.  And no, the Thermochef doesn't hold a candle to it!

So if you can't decide what to give me, or if you're feeling particularly generous, will you please, please, please contribute to my Thermomix Fund?  The lovely Samantha Needle, consultant extraordinaire, will take care of your contribution - please email her if you're in!

Gift vouchers 
For my favourite stores and favourite people (click on the hyperlinks to get taken to their websites or email addresses):

• West Street Wellbeing - for massages and acupuncture with Siegrid
• Sally Coverdale - for fabulous facials
• Michelle Poy - my wonder massage therapist
• Belle Brows - for beautiful brows and eyelashes with Ashling
• Yoganic - Mum and Bubs yoga classes, post-pregnancy yoga and workshops - class passes or membership
• Secret Women's Business - in Crows Nest for the best bras and lingerie in Sydney with Pauline
• Desa - for the most beautiful bags, with Tanya and her team
• Kikki K - my favourite stationery store! Anything for baby or food-related.
• Gino Nalini - a family photo portrait session with photographer extraordinaire, Gino Nalini
• To any day spa that I can escape to for half or a full day!!!

Food related pressies:

• A voucher from Kitchen Kapers - for the best kitchenware. Ask for Michelle or anyone in her team. 
• Magazine subscription - delicious or Gourmet Traveller
• Gift certificates from:
• Hudson Meats
• FineFish
• Sydney Seafood School
• The Essential Ingredient

For entertainment and to keep me sane post-birth:

• AppleStore gift cards - for audio books, iTunes, apps and movie downloads
• Movie vouchers - for Mums with prams sessions!
• Amazon gift vouchers and Kobo eBook vouchers - for eBooks
• A "vice" gift basket - with anything I haven't been able to have while I've been pregnant!  Alcohol, sushi, soft cheeses, salami, all the coffee I can drink, etc.  Bring it on!!! For delivery post-birth.
• Babysitting vouchers from you!  From an hour, a few hours (so I can catch up on sleep) or a full day.
• A cup of tea and some cake and a few hours to visit me to keep me and Cashew company.

And that's about it!  Thanks so much for your generosity, and hope to see you at the party!!!

Gift Ideas for Cashew

Here are some gift ideas for our little girl, Cashew.

I am more than happy to receive pre-loved items from your own kids. I have already received so many lovely items for her and I treasure it more that I know you have tried and tested it on those you love the most and want to give it a new lease of life.  And it's all about recycling and re-using!

And to those of you who have already give me pressies for Cashew - you know who you are! - then please don't feel you have to give her any more stuff.  Save your pressie for me (and you can see what's on my wish list here). Didn't I tell you I am shameless?

And please don't feel you have to stick to this list - these are ideas only.  We have been given quite a lot of the large items we need - prams, cot, feeding chair, change table, bath, etc., so feel free to check with me if you have something you would like to give that's not on the list.

Cashew thanks you for her pressies - she's tumbling around in my tummy as I type this out!

Clothing:

• Onesies, sleep suits, bodysuits (from newborn to 1 year old)
• Muslin wraps - I heard we need lots of these!
• Bathing suits - Cashew will be a swimmer like Mummy!
• Shoes, sneakers, anything for the feet - so she can run like Daddy!
• Anything cute and gorgeous - and yes, I am fine with pink (I seem to not be able to help myself buying her pink stuff) but other colours are most welcome. 

Bed time:

• Cot bedsheets/sheet sets
• Cot mattress protector
• Cot doona cover
• Swaddling blankets
• Mobiles to entertain Cashew
• Anything to help Cashew sleep - books ("Save our Sleep" - Tizzie Hall,  "Go the F**k to Sleep", a book on calculus; music CDs, drugs...

For Cashew's room:

• Toys
• Anything educational - from newborn to 5 years old - books, DVDs, etc.
• Play mats and baby gyms
• Play pen
• Plush and stuffed toys
• A nightlight
• Room thermometer (eg. Grobag Egg thermometer)
• Baby monitor - long range and works through double brick walls  (possible brands: Oricom Secure 500 digital or the 700 digital video model; Luvion Grand Elite or Prestige Touch Digital Video monitors) 
• Cashew's own iPod and speakers for her music

Feeding time:

• Breastfeeding pillow
• Baby bottles
• Breastfeeding accessories - Mums who have breasfted: you know what I need for this!
• Bottle steriliser (electric or microwave)
• Baby bowls, plates, cutlery, sippee cups, etc.
• Baby food and breast milk containers for the freezer
• Bibs, placemats, etc.
• Bumbo play tray (we already have the Bumbo seat)

Bath time:

• Bath towels and face towels
• Bath toys
• Bath products (any brand)
• Bath mats to fit standard baby bathtub
• Baby grooming set
• Potty training items - yup, I'm thinking ahead!

On the go:

• A Baby Bjorn carrier
• A really good nappy bag
• Disposable nappy change mats
• A car seat - for Cashew as a newborn and as she grows up
• An Bob Ironman running pram (for Daddy to run with Cashew when she's a bit bigger) - from Amazon, eBay, or second hand

Gift certificates:

• For nappies and other consumables - Woolworths, Coles, Kmart, Target, Myer, Aldi
• For anything else for Cashew 
• Minimee, Crows Nest - http://www.minimee.com.au/ 
• MeganKate Emporium, Willoughby - http://www.megankateemporium.com.au/ 
• Mothercare, Chatswood - http://www.mothercare.com.au/

That's about it.  And to ensure no duplications on particular pressies (like the expensive ones!), you can tick them off on this Google spreadsheet.  It will save automatically after a few seconds - just follow the instructions.

Cashew thanks you and looks forward to you patting her (through my belly) at the party! 

You're Invited!

Who would have thought that I would be celebrating my 40th birthday while 32 weeks pregnant?

Please join me in my "40th Shower" - my 40th birthday combined with a baby shower for our daughter, "Cashew". (It might still be a boy, but there's a 97% chance it's going to be a little Princess!)

So the details:

Date:                      29 April - Sunday Lunch
Time:                      12:30 to 5:00-ish pm
Where:                   North Sydney Oval Function Centre, Miller Street (entry Carlow Street)
Parking:                  On street parking available or in parking station on Ridge Street.
Transport:             Buses on Miller Street; North Sydney train station 15-20 minute walk
What's on:              Band, a few games, kids' entertainment (yes, kids are welcome). 
Theme:                   Filipino Feast!* (see note below) Drinks provided.
Bring:                      One pressie for me, one pressie for the baby - I am shameless!!! 
                              
RSVP:                  Yes only, by 18 April please - and this is my actual birthday!

A note on Filipino food - for those of you not familiar with the cuisine, it's a cross between Spanish and Chinese food.  And for the record, Filipinos LOVE meat.  We specially love pork. So there will be a whole roasted pig called a "lechon"  (you can view my other blog on this).  It is a very festive dish reserved for special occasions - it is tender, juicy, and covered in crispy crackling.  There will be other dishes - chicken, beef, fish, some vegetables (vegetarian friendly) and of course dessert. 

There will be lots of food, so please come hungry. And if you are squeamish about seeing whole animals, then you may have to approach the buffet blindfolded.  You have been given fair warning!

But whole animals aside, I really hope you can be there to share our - mine and Cashew's - special day.

I look forward to your RSVP - to rachelle@reyes-tulloch.com or 0414 426 046.

And here are some gift ideas - for Cashew and for me!