First BBQ of the Summer

Linda's Kitchen Tea & Hen's Night

Mare and Marie organised a fun day at Linda's place. Lots of homemade food: chicken wings, fried wontons, panfried wontons, pastry puffs and fried rice as well as lots of cakes and desserts.



Lots of games to be played, including Design a bridal gown out of toilet paper, Name that product in my shopping bag, What kind of tea is that? and Do you know your kitchen ingredients?
A makeup session for 4 lucky girls was organised. The 4 girls being, Janet, Christine, Mandi and Silvia.


After most of the older ladies had disappeared, the adult entertainment arrived at 7pm under the guise of "limo driver". Linda was not expecting this at all. Not a stripper, but a Puppetry of the Penis performer. So what can you do with your penis? Make a parachute, a pelican, a submarine, put a champagne ring around it and ride like the greyhounds, make a hamburger, or KFC chicken skin. Didn't realise there were so many things one could do with it.


After the adult entertainment, our real limo drivers arrived to chauffeur us to Mancini's at Belfield. A pizza, pasta place for dinner. So much food, we had to takeaway. Anyway...Linda and some of the younger girls partied on after..taking it to the town and ending up at the Verandah Bar, where Nathan had just finished his set and shouted them to some drinks.

Christmas Day & Boxing Day 2008

Christmas Day was spent at the Simon's, Carl, Joy, Matthew and Renee were playing host this year.

We had a BBQ lunch, where we supplied the Caesar Salad. There was potato noodles, fried rice, bbq chicken wings, ham, and so much more that I forget. After which they held Kris Kringle, not around the tree but outside where it was cooler. The some of the kids took off to the beach, while some of us played scrabble and gossiped.

On Boxing Day, the Seetos came over and we had a belated Christmas, opening presents and more eating.

High School Musical

As an early Christmas present, I took Kaylene to see High School Musical the Musical at the Capitol Theatre. We caught the train out to Central and walked to the theatre to pick up our tickets which I had booked online. It didn't start till 3.30pm, so we went for a walk to Market City to take a look at the shops, especially Smiggles, and also had a look in Supre...where I bought a T-shirk (bright pink K) for Kaylene. We then walked back to the theatre to take our seats before the show started which was promptly at 3.30pm. Lots of kids with parents...the theatre was packed.

No photos allowed in the theatre..not even when there was no show, but we managed to sneak this one.

Alice found a very small cake, on which the words `EAT ME' were beautifully marked in currants...

Dear friends

To celebrate all things wonderful and sweet, I hereby invite you to join Steve and I on our dessert adventure on Sunday 14th December 2008 at a secret location (details to be disclosed closer to the date).

The only catch:- it will be in on the morning of the 14th as these sweet delights sell out quickly to other Alices and Wonderland friends...

Hopefully the foggy eyes and 'sweets in the morning?!' exclamation will not deter you as we would love to share our indulgence in some little sugary treats with you. For those worried about the waistline - fear not, tis the holiday season to be enjoyed and our weekly tennis romp will keep you fit; for those worried about the bottom line - these morsels plus a drink should not exceed $20 at the most...

Please RSVP by COB Monday 8 December 2008 so I can make a booking. Unfortunately numbers are limited to 10, so get in quick!

This was the invitation that Marisa sent out to a select few. Not knowing where we were going until the last minute..we ended up at Adriano Zumbo's pastisserie and Cafe. Steve and Marisa swung by to give me a lift. We met up with Mandi and Dan and Julie and Bevan at the cake shop where we bought our goodies to share and went to the Cafe to eat our desserts with coffee, tea, hot chocolate and frappes.

Picannini Tennis Ministry of Food Xmas 08

Quan suggested we do a Ministry of Food. If you haven't heard of it by now, it is based on Jamie Oliver's show Jamie's Ministry of Food. Which is all about a new food movement, called Pass It On http://www.jamieoliver.com/jamies-ministry-of-food

Based on this concept, all you need to do is come along with your basic ingredients and show us how to make your quick and simple dish which we can then all sample.

So I kindly donated our place at 36 Swan Avenue, Strathfield, to host this get together.

The following attended and this is what they made:

Quan & Wendy: Viet pork mince Quan Style

Marisa & Steve: Chicken Pie - casserole style/Moomba Cup Cakes

Megan: Sweet Chicken Corn Soup (+ will provide rice to go with all dishes)

Linda & Tones: Char Siu Gnar Choy Hokkien Noodles

Roy & Diana: Tomato and Tofu
Jessica: Stir Fried Vegetarian Noodles
Casey & Shirley: Microwaved Silken Tofu with thousand year old egg

It was all very yummy...but because we all had to take turns cooking the afternoon stretched and there wasn't time to play pass the parcel...so we got to play that at Tennis on Monday night.

My Poor Car!!!

Today was wet and rainy and we'd already told Justin to be very careful. He was on his way into the city with his friend Arnold..to attend a concert. He never made it. Instead he somehow managed to rear end a lady driving a Lexus. This is what my poor car looked liked when they towed it home prior to towing it to the junkyard.

Burwood Library Christmas Luncheon

We had our work xmas luncheon out at Mimmo's Place, Five Dock, an Italian Cafe/Restaurant. For $45 we had a set menu of Garlic bread, Salad, Pizza and Pasta as well as a mains. Seated out the back...the day was hot and sticky, but managed to cool down a little when a passing shower/storm came and went.

Paul & Trudie's Housewarming

Peoples

You are cordially (fave word) invited to our HOUSEWARMING PARTY ACCA HIGH SCHOOL REUNION

Time and Place: Saturday 6th December. From 3.30pm onwards (so little kiddies can make it) till whenever.

Bring your own alcohol and nappies.

Theme: Retro ACCA. You must wear your least fashionable piece of ACCA gear. The worse the better. An effigy will be burned in tribute to the winner of the worst piece of clothing. The prize will be its ashes.

Sausage Sandwiches, Soft Drinks and Salad to be provided. Guaranteed to be as tasty as the hotdogs from Bunnings or Ikea.

If you want any special meat such as Kangaroo, Ox Tongue or any sort of foreign penis delicacy please BYO.

Address is: 13 Napoleon Street, Rozelle. Parking aint too bad with a stroke of luck. Car pool if you can then you can not watch what you drink.

Hope to see ya there. Paul

Tony and Linda were kind enough to give Steve, Marisa and myself a lift to Paul & Trudi's housewarming. Evan and Ken couldn't go as their Grandma had passed away and they were in mourning.
Who was there: Paul, Trudi, Maria (baby Tiago) + hubby, Casey, Shirley (baby Matty), Nick, Chris, Jim, Linda, Tony, Steve, Marisa, Mandi, Dan, Donkey (Dan) & Kim (baby Karina).
Everyone dragged out whatever ACCA gear they could find. Even Matty was dressed in an ACCA race top.
Only a few of us stayed for dinner, the rest left before Paul had cooked the last kebab.