Shai Coggins

‘been meaning to share the story behind my girl’s first birthday. You see, ever since I shared the photo of the cake on Flickr, I’ve had a few questions about it. So, I thought why not make a blog post about the whole party?

After all, I did turn to the web a lot when I did my research. And, I found a lot of useful information and tips in other people’s blogs and websites. Maybe someone will find some ideas in this post.

Under The Sea Birthday Theme

When I was brainstorming for a birthday theme, I ended up choosing “Under the Sea” because the girl loves water. And when I say love, I mean, crazy about it. She just enjoys baths and showers. She’s nuts about the beach. Even tries to go in to the sea on her own. And, when she started swimming lessons a couple of months ago, she took to it like… well, like a fish. So, I thought “Under the Sea” was the right theme. I’m really all for choosing birthday themes that say something about the celebrant.

Anyway, in order to keep with the theme, I bought an “Under the Sea” craft box from The Reject Shop ($2). Used all the bits and pieces from it to create a frieze and other party decor. And, even a mini pull piñata.

Also bought an assortment of Under The Sea theme-related stuff from TRS and Cheap as Chips: serviettes, paper plates, books (for prizes), sea creature toys (to be used for the cake + goody bag stuffers).

We also ordered Under the Sea-themed helium balloons from a nearby party shop.

Party Food and Games:

Since it was also pretty much a grown-up party, I catered for over 20 adults and over 10 kids. The menu included: Pakistani Chicken Curry, Basmati Rice, Plain Steamed Jasmine Rice, Chicken & Beef Kebabs, Beef Party Pies, Sausage Rolls, Vege Salad, Mini Pizzas, Bread Rolls + an assortment of drinks. Oh, and yeah, I also made a platter of chocolate-dipped fruits (strawberries, grapes, apples, bananas), with tiny sea creatures-shaped sprinkles.

There were 3 games: Pass the Parcel (with a twist), Pin the Tail on the Fish (my version of Pin the Tail on the Donkey), and the Mini Pull Piñata. All the games were handmade by me.

For Pass the Parcel, I used an old nappy box and decorated it. Then, put little prizes inside that kids picked when the music stopped. This way, everyone had a gift and no one left empty handed.

For Pin the Tail on the Fish (pictured), I used an old cardboard as the base, drew a picture of a fish with a Sharpie, then pasted half circles as scales. The half circles were made by using a circle punch with coloured scrap papers, then cutting them in half. For the tails, I punched circles in red cardstock, then cut a small bit, to make them look like tails. I numbered all the ‘tails’ and put tape at the back. I also used an elastic headband as blindfold.

For the Mini Pull Piñata, I used the main Under The Sea cardboard from the $2 craft kit as my base. I basically just taped the two edges to create a cylinder. Then, I used a small paper plate as a top and added a string for hanging later. I then filled the piñata with small toys and recycled confetti. I sealed the bottom with layers of coloured tissue paper, with ribbons (for pulling it open). There was a bit snafu with this pulling thing, so the kids ended up bashing the piñata with a toy racket in the end. It was fun.

Under the Sea Cake:

Ah. The cake. My (supposedly) Pièce de résistance. Why supposedly? Well, more on that later.

Anyway, I didn’t actually “make” this cake, truth be told. I got the idea from somewhere (not sure where now), that one way to save some time in coming up with a birthday cake is to order a cake pre-iced from a bakery. My husband remembered an acquaintance recommending a local baker, Twisted Treats, for a good sponge cake with fresh cream. So, that was where we got the base for the birthday cake.

I collected the following things to use as decorations: M&Ms (both the regular and mini sizes), candy rocks, sour belts (2 colours/flavours), Jelly beans (a regular sized one and a mini sized one), sea creature shaped chocolates, and toy sea creatures.

On the day of the party, I just took out all these things and started decorating. Pretty much using the M&Ms, jelly beans, and candy rocks as the bottom of the sea. I used the sour belts as sea weeds (2 complimentary colours are good to provide visual depth). And, arranged the sea creatures randomly around the cake to complete the picture.

Also added a small Happy Birthday sign + a musical candle in the middle.

So, now comes the supposed part. You see… after I decorated the whole thing, my husband took it out of the fridge to put some party food and drinks in. And, well, the four-year-old didn’t see the cake box on the floor and ended up stamping on the box… 5 minutes before the guests arrived. The bottom bit was ruined. Arrrgggh. I can’t tell you how devastated I was. I was in tears. But, ah well… I had to shake it off quickly. And, I was just happy that the party turned out well. All the food disappeared. Really. Every last bit. People went back for seconds, thirds… or more. Everyone loved the cake. Even if it didn’t look at its best. Folks devoured the whole thing anyway.

So yeah, never mind the mini disaster that will surely go down as part of the family lore. We had a fab time.

Oh, and yes, The Invitation:

I actually blogged about this Under the Sea invite at Chrysalis Creativity. So, I won’t do it here in full.

But, the general idea is: This was handmade using gocco printing + gouache painting + stamping + embellishing.

Check out the other blog post if you want to see a step-by-step description.

When we chatted about each other’s collections, I was really fascinated with people’s stories - and personal tidbits. So, I thought I’d continue with threads like that here. Like friends, talking and sharing.

And since, I’m off preparing for my baby girl’s first birthday today, I thought maybe we can talk about ice cream. Especially since I seem to be loving them lately.

My all-time favourite ice cream is Rocky Road. But, I don’t get them here in Australia. At least, not in the shops I buy from. If I want Rocky Road, I have to make it myself - with chocolate ice cream, mini marshmallows, and crushed unsalted nuts or cashew.

Anyway, lately, I’ve been craving for Cornetto ice cream. I think I ate one a day for about a week recently.

And, the photo you see here is my own version of a banana split sundae - Neopolitan + whipped cream + crushed cashews + banana + chocolate syrup.

Other ice cream flavours I’ve enjoyed include: Almost anything Chocolate (of course), Strawberry, Mango, Avocado (I only ever had them in Manila, though), and Macadamia (especially Haagen Dazs).

What about you? Do you like ice cream? Which flavours do you like best?

I’m writing and sharing this recipe here because I need a way to remember this meal. You see, I cooked this a few days ago for the very first time. And, I wasn’t really following a particular recipe. I basically read a half a dozen or so recipes for lemon butter sauce. And, I picked out different things from different places - and added my own twist to the whole thing. For whatever reason, it came out yummy. At least to me and my family anyway. So I know that I’ll want to repeat this some time. Let me know if you try it out too.

Ingredients:

• Fish fillets (You can substitute chicken fillet here, I believe; if you’re not in to fish)
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 tsp grated lemon rind
• 5-6 tbsps butter
• 1 tsp flour
• 2 tbsp warm water
• 1.5 tbsp fresh parsley
• salt and pepper to taste, for fish and sauce
• Approx. 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 1.5 tbsp soy sauce

How To Cook:

Drizzle soy sauce and olive oil on fish. Add salt and pepper. Grill. Put in a serving dish when ready.

Dissolve flour in warm water. Set aside.

Melt butter in a sauce pan under low heat. Add lemon juice and lemon rind. Stir. Add flour + water mixture. Stir continuously until they all mix. Add salt, pepper and parsley (leave some for garnish later). Mix.

Drizzle lemon butter sauce on the grilled fish. Garnish with leftover parsley. Serve immediately while hot.

Possible accompaniments: salad, grilled or steamed vegetables, steamed white rice, potatoes.

Writing of quick meals and unplanned dinners, here are a couple of souvenirs from Friday night’s Chinese takeaway dinner:

Fortune reads: You have an unusual equipment for success make sure to use it wisely.

Heh. That cracked me up. Seriously? An unusual equipment for success? Hmmm… And, I wonder how on earth I’d ever use it wisely if I get to figure out what it is?

Ah, well… This other one, I like -

Reads: New experiences and new friends will enrich your life.

Not so much a fortune for me but a reminder. New experiences and new friends are things I wish to have and long for. And, right now, I really am enjoying the process of creating these experiences and friendships.

This year has already opened a lot of new relationships for me, both online and off… And, I’m really enjoying it. And I’m very grateful. That’s why I know I should continue to be open to all sorts of experiences and people. Not to get used to too many ’same ol’, same ol” stuff.

Anyway, is it just me - or do folks really order fortune cookies because they love their taste? Or, is it just for the sayings and/or experience? I don’t know about you, but I do enjoy eating ‘em. The ‘fortunes’ are just funny sayings to me. Something to have fun with and all. But the cookies themselves… mmmmmm… yum!

Hope you’re all having a fabulous weekend!

One of the things that I don’t plan in advance most of the time are dinners. I keep telling myself I should write down a family menu for the week to help organise domestic life and all that. But, I never do. I just find it difficult to plan meals. I’m more of the “What do I feel like eating right now?” kind of person.

So, you can imagine that everyday is a bit of a challenge when it comes to preparing dinners. Especially when I’m too tired/busy/preoccupied to even think about dinner. Let alone, cook it.

Some days are better than others. When I know exactly what I want to eat and all that, it’s easy.

On days when we have no clue, we have a list of back-up plans. There are the usual take-away suspects: Domino’s Pizza, KFC, or local shops where we get Fish & Chips + Calamari Rings, Indian food, or Chinese meals. Sometimes, we head off to nearby Maccas or Hungry Jack’s.

But, when we don’t feel like eating fast food or take-away, we also have simple meal back-ups. On this list are:

1) Tacos - We just buy a taco kit, cook the mince with the taco sauce from the kit, heat the taco shells in the oven, slice some fresh veggies (iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, onions), put them all in a multi-area serving dish, serve with the additional sauce from the kit, grated cheddar cheese and sour cream. Easy peasy.

2) Macaroni & Cheese - Buy a Mac and Cheese packet. Cook it according to instructions. Sometimes, we add peas and ham or cooked bacon, to give it a bit more oomph. Toast some bread and put butter - or garlic butter mix. Or maybe, cook some garlic bread.

3) Pre-cooked meals from Coles or Woolworths - Not our favourite option, but yeah, we occasionally get pre-cooked lasagna, stews, etc from the grocery. Then, finish the cooking at home.

4) Toasted or Grilled Bacon Sandwiches - Or bacon and egg. Or ham & cheese. Yep… you get the picture.

We also have a “do your own dinner” policy between us. Well, my husband and I anyway. He can prepare some of his favourite quick meals like baked beans on toast, tomato soup and toast, tinned spaghetti on toast, etc.

I’m not a big fan of those meals, so I have my own list of quick and easy meals like tuna and rice, instant noodles, and corned beef and rice, among others.

What about you? Do you plan your dinners? Do you have a list of simple meals that you prepare whenever you don’t feel like cooking much? Any favourite takeaway or fast food meals?

Looks like it’s recipe time again. You see, I’ve been invited by Kai of Sweet Bucaio to participate in Lasang Pinoy 24: Loco Over Coco, a Filipino foodie carnival. Seeing as I’ve been meaning to join these wonderful folks who love Pinoy food like I do for a while now, I thought I’d finally give it a go.

I know I already shared my Tuna in Coconut Cream Recipe early this month. So now, I thought I’d share with you my Blue Crabs and Vegetables in Coconut Sauce Recipe next.

Yes, I am crazy over coconuts. And seafood.

Just read on to see how I prepare this dish…

OK. Don’t be surprised. This may seem totally out of place here. But, as I’ve mentioned some time ago, I used to have a side food blog here at ShaiCoggins.com. It was called “Dash Food”. I started it as a way to write down my recipes, share some restaurant reviews, and post my growing collection of food-related photos. Yes, I LOVE taking pictures of food.

Anyway, since I was really finding it difficult to maintain, I decided to integrate Dash Food in to this blog when I moved back to Wordpress. Hence, the addition of the Food + Dining category.

And, now that I promised I’d share my recipe for this quick and easy meal with some folks, I know I have to do it. And, since cooking and food are very much a part of me… Well…. Here ‘ya go.

What do you do if you made reservations in a restaurant, get there, then feel unhappy about the service and the prices on the menu? Do you go right ahead and just stay on, even if you know that it will all cost you a lot of money? Even when the staff have been making you feel uncomfortable?

If you did stay on, ignored the fact that you’ll be faced with a massive bill and just eeny-meeny-miney-moed through the horrible menu. And then, the food arrived and it all was just so bland. The meat came medium rare, even if you specifically asked for medium well. You were given half a small potato, a stick of broccoli, and tiny bits of morsels to accompany the already small portion of meat.

Do you just nod, smile, and swallow the whole experience - for fear of being called ‘uncouth’ in this fancy restaurant? Then, do you just pay the bill begrudgingly? Will you even leave a tip?

How do you handle similar situations? Is there a good way to deal with this?

I miss writing down my recipes. So, here I go with my latest attempt. This is for a Vegetarian Chop Suey (which I like to have with Soy Sauce and Chillis Dip):

Ingredients:
1 small or medium sized red onion, sliced
2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 carrot, sliced
6 button mushrooms, sliced
1-1.5 cup Chinese cabbage, sliced
1/2 cup celery, sliced
Snow peas, deveined
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp cooking oil
1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1-1.5 cup water

Instructions:
Heat a pan or wok with cooking oil. Then, saute onions and garlic until lightly brown. Add carrots and mushrooms. Saute for about 1 minute. Then, add celery and cabbage. Saute for another 1 minute. Add cornstarch with water mixture. Mix well. Then, add snow peas. Add salt and pepper to taste. Allow vegetables to cook for a few minutes. Don’t leave it too long (depending on the heat, amount of vegetables you use, etc. - 5-15 minutes should do), as you don’t want it all to be soggy.

So, there you go. An easy, yummy meal that’s best served with white jasmine rice.

Over the last few months, I’ve noticed a lot of changes when I visited Caffe Primo (Café Primo). I resisted updating my review until I had a definitive experience. So, as of today (28th April 2008), I decided it’s time to update this post.

Updated Review:
I’m withdrawing my verdict. I believe that Café Primo no longer deserves the title “best cafe chain in Adelaide”. At least, not in my book.

My two main reasons for this:

• Prices have definitely gone up. Minimum price per meal now is around AU$15. The old deals have all disappeared. For that kind of price, I’ve got a lot more options. And, Caffe Primo won’t be topping my list.
• While prices have gone up, quality of the food and the service have gone down. I’ve experienced wait staff trying to rush me off to finish my meal. And, management staff being less than friendly. The garlic bread that I used to love so much has now became dry and tasteless. Really not impressive.

And no, the lame TV commercials definitely don’t help either: “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Gah. Seriously?

Well, Caffe Primo folks, the answer to that question now is: Obviously not.

The only positive change I’ve seen in Cafe Primo is that they’ve increased their food offerings in their menu. But, even with more choices, my desire to go and eat there has definitely decreased. And, I’ve stopped raving about the place.

It really saddens me when I see something like this happen to what started out to be a good thing.

OLD REVIEW:
Café Primo is probably one of the best café chains in Adelaide, Australia. I’m not sure if there are other Café Primos elsewhere. Anyway, this is a great place to eat some good food for affordable prices. They have set menus that are divided in to AU$9.95, $14.95 and $19.95 meals.

I definitely recommend the garlic bread. They’re absolutely yum!

Down sides of the place: It can get really noisy and crowded. So, sometimes, you must allow for some waiting time. And, to avoid getting disappointed, you might want to book seats in advance, especially if you’re going out on a busy night in a popular location.

The thing with Café Primo though is that because of its success and popularity, you can find one nearly anywhere in Adelaide. Just check the phone book for locations and contact information.