That, I know, is my cross to bear.

I hope you’re at peace and in peace Dad.

ACCOMODATION

Burnside Bungalows
287 Burnside Road
Margaret River
WA 6285
+61 (0)8 9757 2139
info@burnsideorganicfarm.com.au

We arrived at Margaret River when it was already pretty dark so it took us a little while and a quick call to Burnside Bungalows before we managed to locate this quaint farm. I sure wasn’t disappointed – just look at the pictures! The bungalows are immaculately clean (by my standards) and are equipped with everything you could possibly need for a short 2 night stay or even for a family vacation of 5 nights or more. I mean, you’ll need the stove tops to fry up those fresh eggs courtesy of Burnside’s chooks!

I love too that you’re encouraged to just wander around the farm, armed with the handy little map that is provided upon check-in. In any case, the walking paths are very well delineated so you’re good to go, map or no map! This is a great location if you have little ones in tow or are just in the market for out-of-the-ordinary accommodation.

You know we’re city slickers because we were BEYOND fascinated with the farm animals running free, especially those Angus cowwws……. Well, I was fascinated fo’sho. Or maybe I was just hungry

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS

Candy Cow
Shop 3, Botterill Street (off Bussell Highway)
Cowaramup WA 6284
+61 (0)8 9755 9155
Opens daily, 10am – 5pm

Anything PINK rates in my books! But really, Candy Cow is a sweet-tooth’s haven and a good pit-stop en route to Margaret River. Stretch your legs and stock up on candy of all flavours – you’d probably need a little sugar hit after all that driving anyways We bought lots of fudge that we haven’t yet finished… methinks I might have to throw them out already hahaha

Cape Lavender
Carter Road (off Metricup Road)
Wilyabrup
WA 6280
+61 (0)8 9755 7552
Opens daily, 10am – 5pm

Getting to Cape Lavender is quite the dry/sandy/dusty adventure since you’re travelling for the most part on dirt road. With that in mind, it would quite be lovely to be greeted at the end of this journey by the brilliant sight of purple lavender in full bloom and their sweet scent, yes? Alas, it was not to be for me on both occasions as it was faar from lavender season. They’re more spring flowers and my visits were in early autumn / late winter. Anyhow, I consoled myself with their homemade lavender honey and bottles of lavender body wash

The grounds are very well-maintained and I can just imagine, when the flowers really are in bloom, how wonderfully pretty a backdrop it would be for a wedding..

Lake Cave
Caves Rd
Margaret River
WA 6285
+61 (0)8 9757 7411
Daily tours – 9.30am, 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 1.30pm, 2.30pm, 3.30pm

Lake Cave is one of three caves at Margaret River and is not the largest. That honour belongs to Jewel Cave. Anyhow, we decided that Lake Cave would be the most “manageable” and boy, did we get a good workout climbing those 350+ steps up AND down the cave. It’s interesting enough and is a good distraction from all the winery visiting. There’s a little tea room/cafe located right next to Lake Cave’s visitors’ centre which served up some awesome hot chips and nachos! It was right about lunch time for us and the food sure hit the spot

Margaret River Chocolate Factory
Cnr Harman’s Mill Road and Tom Cullity Dr
Metricup
WA 6280
+61 (0)8 9755 6555
Opens daily, 9am – 5pm

I love my desserts but have never been much of a chocolate person. Still, being at the Margaret River Chocolate Factory was almost intoxicating! I spent so much time examining each chocolate bar/melt/chip/button/syrup/you-name-it-they-got-it, we just HAD to sit down for some hot chocolate… Well, that’s my excuse anyway. The hot chocolate was DELISH and that is exactly how I do my hot chocolate now – hot milk poured over chocolate buttons placed at the bottom of the mug. Stir.. and enjoy Thankfully there’s an outlet over at Swan River and although not the closest in terms of proximity, the drive there isn’t too crazy so if we need to stock up on choc chips, we don’t have to wait until we next head into Margaret River.

Simmo’s Ice Creamery
161 Commonage Road
Dunsborough
WA
+61 (0)8 9755 3745
Opens daily, 10.30am – 5pm

An ice-cream bar is every child – and my – favourite place ever, so I wasn’t about to pass up popping into Simmo’s on the way back into the city. It was a lovely, sweet and creamy way to round off the weekend There’s a Simmo’s located in the Margaret River town centre but again, this would be the perfect pit-stop en route to Perth. Simmo’s in Dunsborough also has a fun park – let the kids loose, expend some of that energy, pop them back into the car and listen to the beautiful sound of silence as they sleep the whole ride home…

The Berry Farm
43 Bessell Rd
Margaret River
WA 6285
+61 (0)8 9757 5054
Opens daily, 10am – 4.30pm

Pop by the Berry Farm to load up on jams, preserves and port but don’t be expecting a stroll amongst bushels of berries or whatnot While you’re there, reward yourself with a cake and coffee at their Cottage Cafe but beware of the flies – the location is THAT rustic.

* * * * * * * * * *

And that, my friends, concludes my two-part series on Margaret River. I’ll keep in mind to check out new places the next time I’m there but, like many others who have been to Margaret River, I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up returning to my favourite spots tried and tested and a creature of habit – what more can I say xx

Anyhow, my boyfriend – like me – has a Type A personality but his is very much prevalent in ALL aspects of his life and very much so even when he travels.. Me? I’m a super laid-back traveller – you’d love going on a group holiday with me because I’m quite happy to just do whatever it is the majority / minority wants to do. That being said, if I have to step up, I will, of course, especially if it’s somewhere I’m familiar with.

SO. Being meticulous meant that my dear bf planned our little weekend getaway to Margaret River to an absolute ‘T’ and it was a fab 2 nights 3 days in celebration of both our birthdays back then in March We wined, we dined and we “caved” – an “all-rounded” way to take in Margaret River which I wholly recommend! Because seriously, how many wineries can you visit before you start yawning, one, at the sight of yet another buncha grapes or two, from consuming too much wine, whichever hits home first… It helps too that Margaret River is really easy to navigate – the road signs are pretty much everywhere – so people, EXPLORE! We had so much fun driving around, making a few wrong turns here and there – oh the joys of road trips!

Ah… Reminiscing is bittersweet – I’m now itching for another road trip! I’ll just have to be contented with the memories for now Read on for my recs on wineries and eateries! Here’s Part Two on where we stayed and other Margaret River sights and sounds.

Friends, if you’re ever in WA to visit A and I, you know where you’re headed! xx

* * * * * * * * * *

WINE

Cape Mentelle
331 Wallcliffe Road
Margaret River
WA 6285
+61 (0)8 9757 0812
Opens daily, 10am – 4:30pm

Cape Mentelle holds a special SPECIAL place in my heart, considering how I’d worked with and/or for them much of my working life. We didn’t manage to experience the Degustation Tour and Tasting unfortunately as it was fully booked out but I’d highly recommend it nonetheless! PS – Do something different at each winery, if you can. It’ll make the visit much more interesting really. In any case, the sommeliers at Cape Mentelle’s cellar door are very knowledgeable so that in itself may be enough for you. It was for us

Leeuwin Estate
Stevens Road
Margaret River
WA 6285
+61 (0)8 9759 0000
Opens daily, 10am – 5pm

You have not visited a more well-manicured winery until you’ve been to Leeuwin Estate! So sooo pretty I got extremely trigger-happy while my stepfather was taking his time wine-tasting. The sommelier was extremely patient with us even though it was a little past the cellar door closing time so kudos to them for not turning us away Yet another estate with a restaurant that I would DEFINITELY want to visit the next time around.

Vasse Felix
Cnr Tom Cullity Drive & Caves Road
Cowaramup
WA 6284
+61 (0)8 9756 5000
Opens daily, 10am – 5pm

Vasse Felix is a SPRAWLING winery – sooo impressive, it’s no wonder the estate is an extremely popular venue for outdoor weddings. The food at the restaurant is amazing too, so pop by for lunch on your way back to Perth city. The foodie in me just HAD TO go once again when I was with my parents I mean, Vasse Felix isn’t just around the corner y’know? There’s a little art gallery at the winery too – perfect for killing a little time while waiting for your table at the restaurant. Remember to call ahead to make reservations!

Voyager Estate
Stevens Road
Margaret River
WA 6285
+61 (0)8 9757 6354
Opens daily, 10am – 5pm

Rows and rows of rose bushes line the driveway leading in to Voyager Estate and I can just imagine how pretty it must all be when in season! I didn’t get to experience the roses in its full glory either time but the winery still ranks high on my list of beautiful wineries Have a nice leisurely stroll and just amble around on the premises – you won’t regret it, I promise.

Xanadu
Boodjidup Road
Margaret River
WA 6285
+61 (0)8 9758 9500
Opens daily, 10am – 5pm

“Xanaduuuuuu…. Xanadauuuu…. Xanaduu-uu-uuu….” is what rings through my head EVERY TIME I just think of the word. It’s almost as if I can’t say the word without singing it. Gah. Anyhow, I especially loved the use of empty oak barrels in the winery’s cellar door. There’s a restaurant at Xanadu too but it was closed for a private function, so next time maybe!

DINE

Goodfellas Cafe
97 Bussell Highway
Margaret River
WA 6285
+61 (0)8 9757 3184
Opens daily, 6pm – 9.30pm

A great little pizza cafe that the bf and I happened to find on our first night in Margaret River. Wood-fired, thin crust pizzas… Perfection! Pop by for a casual dining experience but take note not to arrive too close to closing time – my parents, I and TWO other groups of customers were turned away almost ONE HOUR to closing time because the cafe didn’t think they were going to have anyone walking in just then. Well, that’s what you get in a sleepy little town like Margaret River.

Vasse Felix
Cnr Tom Cullity Drive & Caves Road
Cowaramup
WA 6284
+61 (0)8 9756 5050
Opens daily, 10am – 3pm

Helmed by Executive Chef Aaron Carr, the Vasse Felix restaurant is only opened for lunch. The food is fresh and ingredients seasonal – you know you’re in epicurean heaven. Nothing beats that amazing view of the estate you get too, so dine outdoors if the weather permits.

Voyager Estate
Stevens Road
Margaret River
WA 6285
+61 (0)8 9757 6354
Opens daily

Make reservations ahead of time like I did with my parents or you’d just have to look into the restaurant longingly and wistfully… The menu changes seasonally and each dish on the menu is accompanied by a wine recommendation. My stepfather and my mum opted instead for a flight of red wines each. I was designated driver so I was more than content with my feast of seared scallops mmm-yum-YUM!

Winos
85 Bussell Highway
Margaret River WA 6285
+61 (0)8 9758 7155
Opens daily, 3pm – late

Go communal and indulge in an extensive menu of tapas at Wino’s! The food is amaaazing and the service fab. I’m still dreaming of their pork crackling served with apple sauce… Soooo bad for you but SO SOOOOOO goooood… Staff will quickly run through with you Wino’s tapas dining style when you’re seated and the world is your oyster thereafter! Knock yourselves out ordering individual dishes that you fancy or do what the bf and I did and order the “Chef’s Feast” that comes complete with a menu of items which are served in a specific order for MAXIMUM gastronomical pleasure If only Wino’s is just a hop, skip and jump away from our apartment…..

Before I started going all bake-crazy, I thought those baking fanatics a little kooky, especially when I read that some of them had had sleepless nights just thinking about their unsuccessful cakes/cookies/muffins etc… But y’know what? I became – or have become – one of those kooks. And man, am I proud of it It was on one of those arvos when I just COULD NOT STOP obsessing about that last sunken almost-inedible orange chiffon cake that I decided to run with the latest recipe I’d found and put into practice some new-found techniques. I am SO HAPPY that I made that decision – and that the cake turned out wonderfully, of course – because my ego is now a little less bruised and I don’t feel like such a complete failure.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m not going to be hawking my baked goods any time soon but it would be nice to see someone other than my boyfriend eating and enjoying my cakes etc.. In any case, I still have a loonng way to go and lots more to learn!

Anyhow, I digress. In the course of my “research”, I chanced upon the following video by Pastry Friends and it was a lifesaver!

It really is VERY IMPORTANT to cream the eggs and sugar until they become light and fluffy. I didn’t cream until the mixture was all pale in colour but I definitely spent a little more time on the eggs and sugar than on all the other attempts.

Also, instead of using the same number of egg yolks as egg whites, I used only 5 yolks and 6 whites. Once again, it worked for me this time around, so methinks I’ll be sticking to this method/recipe.. Why fix something if it’s not broken right? The recipe and instructions have come from several different sources (namely Poh, The Cookbook Chronicles and Little Corner of Mine) and the result, like I said, is what worked for me, so here goes!

INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 cup all-purpose / plain flour (sifted)
1 tbsp dark cocoa powder
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable / canola oil
5 egg yolks
3/4 cup strong brewed coffee
6 egg whites
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar / white vinegar
3/4 cup sugar

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius.

1. Brew the coffee and allow it to cool.

2. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and 1/2 cup castor sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the vegetable oil, brewed coffee, flour, baking powder, vanilla essence and salt and whisk until well combined.

3. In a separate bowl, begin whisking the egg whites with an electric beater (or stand-mixer), until stiff peaks.

4. Gently fold 1/3 of the whipped egg whites into the egg yolk mixture until combined. Repeat process until egg whites are completely incorporated into egg yolk mixture. BE GENTLE and take care not to over-mix.

5. Pour batter into a baba cake tin / an ungreased angel food cake pan and bake for 45 minutes at 160 degrees celsius. Turn up the temperature up to 180 degrees celsius and continue to bake for another 10 minutes.

6. Invert the cake until cool. (I balanced my inverted cake tin on top of a mug so as to prevent the cake from being too close to the counter-top which could keep “cooking” the cake.)

Inverted and balanced on a mug so the cake doesn't keep "cooking" by being too close to any solid surface.

7. When cooled after an hour or so, slowly remove from the cake tin. Cut with a serated knife and ENJOY!

SUCCESS!! Sitting pretty, just waiting to be sliced and served

What a beaut, if I may say so myself!

Anyhow, I know I’ve been terribly errant and once again, I attribute my absence to our big move into the city. We’ve now officially settled into our little nook for one full month It’s not a big place – just a little one bedroom but it’s cosy enough for us both. Plus, I revel in the fact that I only have THISMUCH to vacuum and clean. And mind you, I can be quite the fiend when it comes to keeping the place clean, even if I didn’t, in the past, strike you as much of a – ahem – homemaker I believe that every little bit helps. If cleaning as I go along isn’t a part of the routine, I could very well end up on “How Clean Is Your House”! Not that I wouldn’t love for a team of people to come spring clean our apartment…

The apartment has all the basics we could possibly need for now – the white goods, a bed, WiFi, a TV and even a PS2! As boys will be, my bubby also indulged pre-move and hooked us up with a spiffy Samsung home entertainment system, complete with a Blu-Ray player We haven’t actually watched any Blu-Ray DVDs yet but the player – and my trusty external hard-drive – has served us very well indeed. Why this might be relevant to you escapes me but suffice to say, we could be watching 3D movies at home if we so decided to, one fine day

What pleases ME most is my cute little kitchen in which I have a fully-functioning oven that has, of course, been necessary in my production of home-made baked goods… Muffins, cakes, cookies – I’ve been baking the lot of ‘em! I’ve also been whipping up dinner EVERY NIGHT and neither A nor I have been sent to the ER yet. HEH. Other than a few hiccups – like cooking dinner much too early and serving up cold food – I’ve pretty much got the hang of preparing these evening meals. It’s been fun looking up recipes and trying them out on A He’s very vocal when it comes to his food which is good and that also means he WILL let me know if he likes the food or not. It’s been positive thus far – we haven’t had to chuck anything out and call for takeaway! I’ve even gotten a “This is nicer than my mum’s!” which is a HUGE compliment, yes?!

Other than cleaning, washing, cooking and GROCERY shopping, I haven’t gotten out very much. Will need to get back on that daily walks bandwagon and start exploring the apartment’s surrounds! Until then, keep well friends! Stay tuned for recipes and regular updates from me! I promise! xx

Just quickly, I did a bit of baking before moving in because I wanted to break in the new oven and have that lovely homemade cookies smell make the apartment feel more like home. The result was an awesome LARGE JAR filled to the brim with choc chip cookies – my housewarming present to A

The recipe for some “Irresistible Chocolate Chip Cookies” can be found HERE, courtesy of Real Simple! They are the perfect Milo / coffee accompaniment dunk and pop! mmmmm yumyum!

That being said, when it came time to think about accommodation, I was torn. As a young couple, living in the city would mean easy access to so much more. Plus, A wouldn’t have to travel almost 2 hours to and from work… And he would save on parking. In more ways than one, we would be saving. But out here in the ‘burbs, we’re close to family and we’re not subjected to the usual ruckus that comes with city living (read: noisy drunks and crazies screaming out of cars in the middle of the night because they have nothing better to do with their lives). Also, I will miss having beautiful sights – like the Simpsons cartoon-looking sky peppered with clouds – right at our doorstep:

Lush greenery though, isn’t a valid – nor practical enough – argument to remain in the suburbs. We know that our time for city living, so to speak, is now and that we’ll be back in the ‘burbs before we know it. I know too, that we will find our own little patch of serenity in the city and we don’t have to look very far beyond our own home =) I mean, there’s nothing blocking our view:

So yes, in no time at all, we’ll be receiving our keys to the apartment! With a little touching up here and there, we will be calling it our home =)

I never used to consider myself much of a baker but having, in recent years, developed quite the sweet tooth, I’ve harboured the idea of being able to recreate some of my favourite desserts at home. Ice-cream as you should or would know, REALLY GETS ME GOING. Durian ice-cream specifically but I’ll leave that story to another post. Since we’re holding off getting an ice-cream machine until we’ve procured all the home essentials, I probably will not be experimenting with ice-cream/sorbet recipes till much later… In any case, there are heaps on my “to bake” including Pandan Chiffon Cake, Creme Brulee, cheesecakes (of all shapes, colours and flavours) so I will be suitably occupied for months to come.

The first recipe I tried out was for chocolate chip cookies and even though the texture of the cookies aren’t exactly what I was after, A loves them so this has been stored in my vault of “go to” recipes. The original recipe can be found HERE and the following is my adaptation:

Ingredients: 
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups brown sugar (packed)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
3 cups plain flour (sifted)
Chocolate chips – as many as your heart desires! Mine are from the Margaret River Chocolate Factory =)

Directions:
1.   Preheat oven to 170 degrees celsius.
2.   Cream butter and sugars together for about 5 minutes, until light and creamy. Add vanilla extract and eggs.
3.   In a separate bowl mix salt, baking soda, baking powder, and sift flour.
4.   Add dry ingredients slowly to wet while mixing.  Do not over mix.
5.   Add chocolate chips.
6.   Place dough balls that are about the size of a golf ball on un-greased baking paper.
7.   Bake for approximately 10 minutes. Time will vary depending on ovens and the size of your dough balls but you want to take them out just as the tops and sides start to golden.
8.   Let cool on a sheet for 3 minutes. Once they set in about 15 minutes, they will be ready to eat.

This is a super easy recipe to follow and the cookies are similar to those sold at Subway! I used this recipe even before I realised that there’s an awesome food processor sitting in the store room… Which really means I didn’t actually have to cream the butter and sugars by hand. But I did. And the cookies still turned out fiiine. Except I didn’t space them out properly before I popped them into the oven and got this:

What a hoot! I mean, they were edible but dear lord, were they ugly or what?! It pays to learn from your mistakes in the kitchen and now, I produce batch after batch of these…

PS: If you decide not to bake every ounce of the cookie dough you’ve whipped up, just pack it away in an airtight container and freeze. I like it that I have some dough to play with on those odd afternoons I suddenly feel like baking!

My father and A’s parents had been friends for many MANY years – they grew up in the same kampung. When A’s parents got married, my father was their best man, so yes, we go back a lonnng way. I mean, A was at the hospital when I was first born! Growing up, we would always attend birthday parties together… go to the zoo or funfairs… Apparently, A thought I was a lot of fun to “hang” with and would always be excited if his parents mentioned a day out with my family =P For his sake (because my bubby’s shy like that), I will qualify that his parents didn’t have too many friends with children my age, which explains why A thought I was so much fun because he just didn’t have other play dates to choose from.

Alas, the young lovers were torn apart when A’s parents decided to migrate to Perth when he was only 8… Some 4 years later, we made a trip down under for a holiday and it was then I decided I had the BIGGEST crush on A – like, I would write entries in my diary about how he would never know I like him and siiggh, he’s sooo handsome and boohoohoo he liked some girl in school… I wish I still had that diary because it would be such a RIOT to read! Anyhoo, it was a lovely 2 weeks spent in Perth and aside from all the sightseeing we did together, the one thing I remember most vividly is sleeping on A’s shoulder every time we were in the car… Most times I was well and truly tired from the long rides but at other times, I was really just pretending to sleep =P

As life would have it, everyone eventually went their separate ways… Years later, I would return to Australia and in fact, have fleeting contact via SMS with A’s older brother who had just moved to Sydney but no meetings arose from those exchanges. I eventually moved back to Singapore and that was that really… Also I’d misplaced the SIM card with all my Aussie contacts, so it truly sucked to be me then. It didn’t help of course that I wasn’t on speaking terms with my father, thus all hopes of “reuniting” with A were SHOT.

This, of course, was before social media exploded into our lives… To cut the long story short, I would like to thank Facebook (or the creators of) for without which, A and I would not be together today. Life/Fate/Destiny/God sure works in mysterious ways… It wasn’t as if I’d never attempted trawling him out in the past… I mean, we had FRIENDSTER! And we all know how much of a successful voyeur I can be. It just didn’t make any sense at all that I couldn’t locate him any earlier… So I suppose it holds true that all the pieces just fall into place when the time is right.

Everything in His time, I say… Everything in His time.

I get asked ALOT about how I’m faring in Perth, what with A at work most of the day… As you probably already know, I can be quite the loner AKA a laaazzy muthaf*cker. Sitting around at home, not doing very much at all suits me just fine! Honestly. I will, of course, get busier in the months to come but for now, this is “me” time and I’m enjoying it perfectly, that is, simply being a couch potato and watching all the TV I possibly can. And trust me, I can watch ALOT of TV. But again, I’m sure you already know that.

Since I don’t get to see A all day, I like to at least be able to give him a kiss goodbye, before he heads off to work. My day essentially starts at approximately 6.30am every weekday morning when his alarm goes off. And friends, the alarm is LOUD. Anyhoo, being the Nazi that I can be, I would at intervals attempt to wake A up. He is, in reality, very good about waking up and getting to work on-time but who doesn’t like a little sleep-in right? I, on the other hand, am just a damn worrywart and would much prefer that he awakes at the crack of dawn, when his VERY LOUD alarm rings.

I then proceed to prepare his breakfast which the poor dear has to eat while battling peak hour traffic on his way to work =( He likes his jam and toast but I sometimes shake things up a bit (whoooo~ living on the edge I am!) and put together some chocolate croissants instead… Can I just add that chocolate spread comes from chocolate buttons which I lovingly melt over the stove =)

When A is finally dressed and ready to hit the road, he cannot just pass “Go”; he has to take his vitamins! I have become Sharon and Alana’s mothers *LOL*

If we’re “on schedule”, my boyfriend is out of the house by 7.30am at the latest which is also the time I, erm, head back to bed. By this time, I’m usually fairly awake and would read a little or watch an episode of my shows until I fall asleep.

Am I lazy? YES! Do I love it? YES YES!! Is it boring? Nooo… We’ve got a great little morning routine going for us and it pleases me to no end to be able to simply spread some jam on pieces of toast and pack it away for A everyday. My mummy used to tell me to cheer up and start the day on a good note… FINALLY mummy, here I am – right where and how you’ve always wanted me to be! Instead of having someone (read: my brother) bring me my school shoes, I’m now fussing over someone else =)

… and it sure feels good!