nursingnotes3

Coal Cellar + Grill

The Doctor and I decided to head over here as a last minute decision the other weekend. The name made it sound warm and inviting, which was just what we wanted for a cold and stormy winter night. So, we arrived there at 19:30, and were seated towards the entrance of the half-full restaurant. Ten or so minutes pass, and not a waiter to be seen, and then finally one shows up and asks us if we are ready to order, despite not noticing the lack of any menus at our table. I feel like this is probably an important aspect of us being able to order anything. He returns a couple of minutes later and left the menus on our table. Then passes another ten minutes until finally someone came and took our order. Fast forward to 22:30, and we have only just finished our mains. So, we ultimately decided to forgo dessert, which I’m sure you know by now, is my favourite course.

It is really hard for me to give this restaurant a fair review because the service was just so bad, and I think that kind of ruined it for us. To be fair though, the food was amazing. The Doctor and I decided to skip entrées as we were both very hungry. We ended up settling for a steak each, and a couple of sides. I choose the Clare Valley Gold Beef Fillet that was cooked to a perfect medium, which came with green beans, red wine jus and Béarnaise. The Doctor decided on the Wagyu Rump Marble Score 9 that was cooked to a perfect medium-rare, which came with malted grains, sorrel leaves and mushroom sauce. Brussels Sprouts have been one of my favourite winter foods for practically as long as I can remember, which meant that it was pretty much a no brainer to order the Crispy Fried Sprouts that consisted of market sprouts, free range bacon, caramelised chilli and onions. Since we were both having steak, it was obvious that we would need the Duck Fat Chips with Texan seasoning and ranch dressing.

I really would have loved dessert, but it was just too late. Like I said before, we were both really disappointed with the service, however, the food was faultless. I have heard really good things from some of my friends about this restaurant since we have been there, so I guess it would be worth another go.

Natura Siberica Oblepikha & Honey Body Scrub

Posted on August 4 by nursingnotes3

I was quite excited to try this body scrub, because I had seen some of the Natura Siberica products on Instagram, and I love their packaging. I know that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, so to speak, but the packaging is just so pretty. Ok, enough about the pretty things, lets get down to the nitty gritty. The first thing I noticed when I opened the scrub was its smell. It has this very unusual, synthetic mango/tropical scent that was completely unexpected considering the Oblepikha is, as far as I understand, a berry. Personally, I am not a fan of that smell, so I think it could be something that people either love or hate. I would have to say that I was most surprised with its texture. It had this really thick, honey like texture which, I thought stuck quite well to the skin, leaving very little mess in the shower, especially when compared to my favourite home-made coffee scrub.

I ended up using this scrub every second day for just over a week. It was super easy to use, and like I said before, left the shower pretty clean, which is a massive positive. At first, I liked the grainy-ness of the scrub, but I thought that it felt like it dissolved quite quickly in water. I like my scrubs to work hard, and still be able to scrub as I am rinsing it off, so that was a bit of a negative point for me.

All in all, I actually didn’t mind this scrub, so much so, that I will give it a 4 out of 5. I definitely think that I would buy it again if it was around the $20 mark, because it has that whole “spa in a jar” type thing going for it, with its pretty packaging and unusual ingredients.

VS Sassoon

Posted on August 4 by nursingnotes3

Picture this; I was sitting at my computer with freshly washed, frizzy and quite curly hair…probably more frizzy at that point, as I had run out of curl cream. So, I opened an email that hints at a hair straightener trial. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity, and I immediately replied with a picture, this picture: of my absolutely unmanageable mane. Fast forward a couple of weeks, and here I am during a rare quiet day (#nurselife), on my lunch break at work, writing about this straightener that I used on the weekend, the VS Sassoon Goddess Ultimate Protect and Shine.

Now, lets time-jump, and I promise this will be the last time. There is nothing like receiving a parcel in the post. My favourite part of getting something new is always the un-boxing. If we slow down for a second or so, we notice that the box proudly proclaims that the Goddess Ultimate will result in more shine, faster straightening, and longer lasting results. Compared to what one might ask? Oh wait, there is it written in very tiny writing on the other side of the box: “…than a GHD”. The trusty GHD IV Styler has up until, now been my straightner of choice.

All the key features detailed on the box appear to be alluding to the idea that you are essentially steaming “your way to straight hair.” The back of the box highlights these features with succinct, little explanations as to how and why. I quite like this method, as it is effective and easy to understand. I also really liked the fact that it came with a heatproof mat and a little carry pouch. However, the one thing I am not all that fond of, is the picture of the girl on the front of the box. If my hair was that perfectly curled, I don’t think I would bother straightening it. That is just my one little gripe.

Ok, enough about the packaging, lets begin exploring the pièce de résistance. First impressions of the Goddess Ultimate are that all the settings and buttons seem pretty self-explanatory. The little steam compartment on the other hand, well that’s something that I am not used to. Like most people, I have never been super good at actually reading the instructions before I start to use a new product. However, due to my sheer laziness, I got my boyfriend, who is not in the slightest mechanically minded, to do it for me. He managed to remove, fill and replace the water reservoir in a matter of minutes. So, considering that he did it and this is the first time he has ever seen a hair straightener, then I am pretty sure anyone could do it.

Once, it was all set up, I turned it on and chose my desired heat setting (210˚C, which is recommended for normal or coloured hair), and let it heat for about 2 minutes, as suggested in the instructions. To use with steam, you are instructed to start up the steam function, and essentially prime it by closing and opening the straightener 7 times, in a pumping action. I decided on the low steam setting, as I am used to my old GHD IV Styler, which operates at around 185˚C with no steam. All up, I would have to say that the heating process took less time than my old GHD does, so that was a good thing, as I always leave getting ready to the very last minute.

The actual straightening process itself was pretty much the same as what I was used to. The instructions said it could only be used on clean, dry hair, so I guess it was a good thing that I had washed my hair that morning. The instructions also highlighted the importance of combing through the hair to prevent knots, a task that is much easier said than done. From there, the style tips say to divided the hair into equal sections and to go over each section only once, but this is where I had a bit of a problem. My hair has quit a stubborn curl to it, so I found that once, was just not enough, even with the steam element. I decided to do the other half of my hair on the “thick, wavy, very curly” setting that was at a 230˚C with a high steam output. I found this configuration was a lot more effective and efficient at straightening my hair. It took less time than the left side, and it was only at the back and the middle sections, where my hair is quite curly, that I had to go over it more than once.

Overall, I found the results of the VS Vidal Sassoon Goddess Ultimate Straightener to be very efficient and effective, espically for the price (I think it retails for around $140). I was very happy with the results that I was able to achieve with the Goddess Ultimate. My hair was super shiny, and surprisingly straight, despite the rain that Saturday night. I think it might even be time to retire my very old GHD in favour of this one…maybe it is just the purple, but I think it might be the better choice for me at this point in time.

Kin Kin Thai Eatery

Posted on May 15, 2016 by nursingnotes3

I have been so bad at keeping up this blogging hobby of mine, despite not stopping the eating out. I guess I will blame work for keeping me too busy. I have at least 5 that I have started, but haven’t got around to finishing. However, once in a while, I discover something that I decide people need to hear about immediately. Kin Kin Thai Eatery is one of those things. I have driven past it on the way to work, almost everyday for the past month, and have finally crossed it off the list of places that I want to try.

As you walk in you are greeted by lovely wait staff, who are more than happy help a painful diner, like myself, navigate the menu. As I have said before, having a nut and a shellfish allergy means that venturing into the flavour explosions that are Asian cuisines, can often be somewhat of a gamble. When it comes to eating at an Asian restaurant, the Doctor and I decide that not sharing is the safest option. Bearing that in mind, he ordered the Tord Mun Pla, which actually looked really nice, despite the fact that it would have killed me with all the seafood-ness, oh and lets not forget the peanuts. I opted for the very safe, but incredibly delicious Po Pia Tord, because in my opinion, you can never go wrong with spring rolls, and Kin Kin’s were definitely on point. We also ordered a serve of Thai Wafer each, but let me tell you, one was definitely not enough of these absolutely delicious little “First Bite” options. I would have been so very happy with an entire plateful of these tasty, crispy rice wafers stuffed with shredded chicken breast, coconut and Thai herb salad.

Thai Wafer

tord Mun Pla

Po Pia Tord

When it comes to mains, the Doctor and I had absolutely conflicting opinions on what type of food we would like. He was keen for a wok dish and I was more interested in one of the noodle dishes. The doctor likened his order of Phrik Khing Moo Grob to that of a dry curry, which he said was amazing. For him, it is usually a toss up between duck and pork belly when ordering at an Asian restaurant, today the wok fried crispy pork belly, green beans, kaffir lime leaf and homemade chili past took the cake, so to speak. I, however, was in the mood for something considerably milder, meat free, and of course, noodle based. The Pad Si Ew fit that bill quite well. The wok fried flat rice noodles, as a vegetarian option, were light and fresh, exactly what I was hoping for. In fact, all of the food had great clean and fresh flavours throughout.

Phrik Khing Moo Grob

Pad Si Ew Vegetarian

After we had finished out mains, the waiter came over to us, and said that he had been looking at my Instagram, because it is practically impossible for me to eat anything with out taking a picture of it first, and said that we, or I at least, should order the Khanom Co. He said that it was pretty and I would like it. I hate to admit it, but he was true to his word. The smoked jasmine infused caramelized coconut dumplings (wow, that’s a bit of a mouthful) were served in warm coconut cream, which perfectly complemented the sweetness of the little green dumplings. Plus, like he said, they were pretty, but that was not what I liked best about them. If you bit into a whole one, you got this really interesting hit of smoky tea flavour. I love a good surprise, so I thought that was a very clever little theatrical element to an otherwise, very plain, but delicious dessert.

Khanom Co

I really hope that this little place will do well. I do not have one bad thing to say about it. I can see that this place will become a favourite of the Doctor’s and I. Being in such a convenient location for the two of us, walking distance from work and very close to home, I’m sure it will become a regular dinner location for the two of us, especially since they offer take away. I can’t wait for an entire plate of those super yummy Thai Wafers to get in my belly; they will make the perfect after work snack on the way home from an early shift.

The Rice Den

Posted on March 14, 2016 by nursingnotes3

Recently, my partner and I ventured to Sydney for the weekend. The main reason for the trip was because my partner had a course/conference, so I figured that I would tag along for the ride. I really don’t need much of an excuse for an adventure that could possibly involve shopping. Now, let me set the scene for you. It is about six o’clock in the evening, and I have had a long and tiring day catching up with an old school friend and of course, shopping. The doctor returns from the course only to ask what we should do for dinner, and should we go into the city. I had already done enough adventuring around for the day, so I decided we should find something local. We had both eaten breakfast at the hotel that morning, but were not at all impressed with the food, or even the coffees.

If we were back in Adelaide, we would have consulted the trusty list. Alas, I have no interstate options on there, so a quick Google of things in the area returned a bunch of results, the most interesting being The Rice Den. We ended up making a reservation for a bit later on in the evening, which turned out to be a good idea because it was packed!

The weather for the duration of our time in Sydney was quite unpleasant, being hot and humid every day. The nights were slightly better, but it still was fairly unpleasant sitting in a restaurant without the best air circulation. Although, all was quickly forgotten when we saw the food that was brought out to neighbouring tables. It smelt amazing, and looked just as good. So, I know what you’re thinking, why would I, a nurse with a fairly bad nut and shellfish allergy, willingly choose to go to a modern Cantonese fusion restaurant…well I am lazy, and it was close by, it of course it had nothing to do with the really interesting looking website.

Ok, so now to the all-important part of this story; the food! So, you all now know of my aforementioned allergies, therefore, because of this I usually find it necessary to tell the wait staff in order to live through my meal. They had a quick chat to the chef after they took our orders to make sure everything would be ok, and it was. I guess there is no better place to start than the starters. The doctor and I thought that we would share, that way we could try more. The first dish to come out was the mushroom pancakes, which was followed by the lamb spring rolls. So, another little fact about me is that I do not at all like mushrooms, so what I am about to say next will seem like I am being coerced by the doctor, who loves mushrooms, but I would totally have been able to and actually wanted to eat another serving or so of those amazing mushroom pancakes. The lamb spring rolls on the other hand, reminded me of tacos, which in itself is not a bad thing, it’s just a strange flavour to encounter at a modern Cantonese restaurant.

The mains were a little harder for me to navigate, so I ended up ordering a super yummy plate of vegetarian Singapore noodles, of which I was disinclined to share with the doctor, as I don’t eat duck, so I’m sure you can guess what he ordered…the roast duck breast. However, we did share the sides of snake beans and broccolini, which were both really tasty. As delicious as all these dishes were, they do not compare to how amazing my dessert was. So, I’ll start with the doctor’s, he chose to have the ‘Vanilla coconut cream sago, fresh passionfruit pulp, macadamia almond meal crumble’. It was very nice, with clean, fresh flavours. I guess you could say that it was exactly what you would want to have on a hot and humid summer evening. Well, now we can get to the pièce de résistance of the entire meal, the dessert that I ordered; ‘Hong Kong milk tea crème brûlée with lemon zest wafer crisps’. You could just tell that when it came out that it would be amazing. It had the perfect crack to it, and it was just really yummy. I definitely won the dessert ordering this round (Doc: Nope).

I think the moral of the story, or the recommendation of the handover, would be that sometimes you can judge a book by it’s cover, which is exactly what we did. I think that if we were ever in the St Lenoards area of Sydney again, that we would definitely go back to this surprising little restaurant…well, only if I can have the crème brûlée again.

The Loose Caboose

Posted on February 27, 2016 by nursingnotes3

The Loose Caboose has become somewhat of a default breakfast destination when my partner and I can’t decide where to go. It’s in a great little side street location, with plenty of parking around, not to mention, centrally located barely 10 minutes from the CBD in Hindmarsh. I had heard such great things about The Loose Caboose from friends, so it was no surprise that it made its way onto my “Places to Eat” list. Let me set the scene, it’s Australia Day and most of our regular breakfast places are closed…so, what do we do, we consult the trusty list.

So, a little known fact about my breakfasting preferences; if there are eggs benedict on the menu in any shape or form, I will order them. We were lucky enough to pretty much walk straight in and get a table. Our coffee orders were taken as the waitress handed us some menus. She returned with our coffees in hand, ready to take our orders. We ordered our respective breakfasts, so, it was no surprise that I decided on the…you guessed it…benedict style eggs. My partner eventually decided on the equally as interesting sounding smashed avocado, with the obvious, yet obligatory side of smoked bacon.

We are finally up to the assessment part of the ISBAR handover mnemonic, just in case you have lost track, so here comes the most important part. No, not eating the food…although that, which we will explore in greater detail, was quite satisfying…the obs and assessment of the patient, wait, I mean food. First up is the all important morning coffee. My partner had a long black, which he said was good, he is a man of few…very few words. It was essentially deconstructed, so he was able to make it as “long” as he liked, I guess to make up for other things (Partner- I have very short hair ok?). Too harsh? Mine on the other hand just needed transferring from one vessel to a more suitable vessel for ease of use, and of course to remove the crunchy bits of actual chai spices. Even after all that, I still like my chai dirty.

I guess we should start with the smashed avocado, not what I would have chosen for breakfast, but each to their own and all that jazz. What can I say, it’s no eggs benedict, but it did look really very appetising and fresh. I personally, cannot comment on it, as I refrained from tainting my palate with any flavours that weren’t my beloved eggs benedict, however, he did devour it all, so it must have been good. So, here we finally are, the benedict style eggs. First off, let me share with you the actual menu description: “braised smoked ham hock with poached eggs and chipotle hollandaise”. By now, you should be salivating. There is nothing about that description that doesn’t sound gloriously divine in all it’s breakfasty glory and let me tell you, it did not disappoint in real life! The toasted bread was perfectly crunchy; the ham evoked memories of Nanna’s pea and ham soup and the tasty morsels of chunky and perfectly salted ham bits that would be left at the bottom of the soup bowl like a hidden treasure. Perfectly gooey eggs, and the sauce, well, it was warm, but not too warm, with a slight smokiness that effectively tied the whole dish together.

Bottom line was, it was amazing, probably my all time favourite eggs benedict. I will definitely be returning here in the near future. So there, that is my recommendation…in case it wasn’t clear, have the benedict style eggs, they are amazing. Ok, any questions? Well then, I believe that handover is complete and the accountability and responsibility of your breakfasts is all yours.

So, a quick update. You remember how I said before that I would definitely be returning to The Loose Caboose for breakfast in the near future, well, my partner and I did. I bet you can’t guess what I ended up ordering? Yep, you’re right, benedict style eggs, and they were just as amazing as I remembered them the first time. However, my partner, always the adventurous one, opted for the jam berliner. I mean, what self-respecting medical professional wouldn’t order something that came with a syringe in it? So, let me tempt you with the menu’s description: “brioche french toast coated in cinnamon sugar with pineapple gel, vanilla mascarpone and raspberry jam”. Can you guess how the syringe is involved in all of that?