My G.R.L cocktail

With World Gin Day this week, I thought it would only be fitting I share with you my delicious G.R.L cocktail – a delicious mix of gin, with infused rosemary and fresh lemon juice. Perfect for winding down after a long day, or to serve to guests at your next party at home!

You’ll need:

60ml of Gin – a small batch gin like 78 degrees, Loch or Archie Rose is perfect for this

15ml of freshly squeezed lemon juice

10-15ml of rosemary infused simple syrup

Soda water

Large Rosemary sprig

And quite simply, shake the gin, syrup, lemon juice and a pinch of finely chopped rosemary until combined well. Pour into your favourite rocks glass, top with soda to taste and lastly, plunge in the rosemary sprig to garnish. Enjoy!

Planning parties for the kids.

These days, children’s birthday parties are becoming one of the most important events to plan for – from the entertainment, to the food and games! As a party planner and caterer with four kids, I’ve actually always dreaded when it came to planning each of their parties! The (self inflicted!) pressure of coming up with something amazing due to the industry I’m in, and secondly the effort required, made it such a task for me.

A unique idea, the costs involved, guest lists (who do you in invite – the whole class, grandparents, adults?!?) They are all a challenge in themselves let alone tackling the day!

So, how do you make sure your kid’s birthday goes to plan? And what can you to do make it fun for all (and a little easier for you!).

Lock in a theme. Whether it’s a colour theme or style. It gives you a good base and focus to work from for everything – the food, entertainment, decor, take home gifts for the kids, etc. If your child loves to cook, pair the invitations with a small whisk or wooden spoon. Then carry that through with all kids getting an apron on arrival. Make one of the games a cooking activity – and that becomes their take home gift. Colour themes are also a simple and effective way to theme a party – maybe it’s black and white with a pop of rainbow! Or if your daughter loves purple, make her birthday world purple tones for the day, and add a touch of silver in the decorations or on the cake for an extra special element. So as you can clearly see, a theme can make the whole party much more streamlined!

Have a solid running plan for the day.  This will give you an idea of how the day will run and help you get through it. Plan out everything from when the food will start to come out once all the kids arrive, to when the entertainment will begin, right through to when to serve the cake. It’ll give you a good idea of how the party will go and if you need to fill in any gaps or shuffle things around ahead of time.

Define your guest list and requirements. Make sure you define the age group who will be at the party, and make sure what you plan is appropriate for everyone. Will you be inviting the parents to be there the whole time? And if so, how are you going to look after them as well as the kids? It might be worth having a waiter there to serve refreshments so you’re not stretching yourself too thin. And if it’s a later afternoon/early evening party, do you think about serving alcohol? Also think about grandparents; they love to be there to celebrate but if the venue or general scene isn’t ideal for them, then think about having a separate afternoon tea. They’ll feel more comfortable and the kids can have their day to be kids!

Make sure you find out about any food allergies ahead of time. With so many kids having dietary requirements, make sure you find out with enough time to plan ahead. Perhaps include it on the invitation so when they RSVP, it’s noted.

Plan enough entertainment. Actually, over prepare if you can! An entertainer, whether it’s a clown, balloon twister, a face painter or someone who will simply run the games and reign in the kid troop, is a great idea and will take a little pressure of you! If you’re organising it yourself, then make sure you have enough planned, plus a few more up your sleeve. Kids get bored easily, so make sure you have more prepared than you think you’ll need. Boys are harder to wear out – think about more physical games which involve them keeping on the move like a sack race, basketball hoop challenge or even a mini game of touch football where each try scored means they get a small reward!

Avoid the sugar rush! And that’s not to say you need to deprive the kids of cake or yummy treats, just balance it out. Mix in some healthy options – a platter of vege skewers with dip, or fruit when the cake’s passed around won’t go astray! It’ll also go down well for any kids with allergies.

Have any other tips and tricks! Let us know in the comments below.

Gift registries with a twist

So it’s time to think about the types of gifts you would like from your guests. There are the traditional wedding registries, and of course the ever-popular wishing well. These days though, many couples have already lived together, long enough to collect their own pots and pans. And when it comes to money, a lot of people prefer to give a gift or other kind of contribution, so asking for money can sometimes be an uncomfortable option. I spoke to Tim Olsen from Olsen Irwin Gallery about the recent popularity of having an art gift registry, so I thought I’d share a handful of other unconventional ideas to ensure you aren’t stuck with 3 toasters!

Art Registry

Gorgeous pieces of art not only fill a space on the wall, but grows with your home and becomes part of your life. An art registry is a great idea for your guests to contribute to – and it will surely resonate with you through the years. Check out the Olsen Irwin Gallery website which has a registry section, or of course you can visit them at their stunning gallery in Paddington.

Honeymoon Registry

Who doesn’t want to go on a honeymoon! But after the costs of a wedding alone, finances can be tough! Having your guests gift a gesture of money towards your honeymoon is a great idea, and you’ll always be reminded of their generosity when you look through your photos and remember the experiences you had. Places like the Travel Registry offer a bunch of options your guests can contribute towards.

Charity Registry 

Feel strongly about a particular charity or not-for-profit? Well, why not ask your guests to gift towards something close to your heart. Check out Karma Currency.

Cellar Registry 

Yes, you can set up a registry of your beloved vino! Places like Wine Please have a registry section on their website, where you can select your drop(s!) of choice!

Online combination registry

So maybe you do need things for your home… But from more than one shop. Online combination registries like  Not Another Toaster offer you the choice of being able to select items from a range of different stores, so you can make sure all your wish items are on the list!

Approached the gift registry another way? Let us know in the comments below!

And make sure you take a listen to this week’s episode of Weddings, Parties, Celebrations on 2GB where I spoke to Tim Olsen from Olsen Irwin Gallery about how art makes an incredibly memorable wedding gift.

Long live the flowers

Blooms, glorious blooms!

The final touch that brings magic to your ceremony or reception, flowers are the heart and soul of wedding styling. And with such a focus on having the most beautiful blooms for your day, it usually comes with quite an investment attached. So after the wedding is done, it seems like such a shame to see the flowers binned or go to waste! I’ve got a few ideas on how you can make them live on a little longer.

Talk to your florist about buying a collection of small vases so you can give bunches to your guests to take home. Or perhaps something a little more cost effective, get a bunch of paper from your florist so bunches can be made and given out as bonbonnieres.

Traditionally, wedding bouquets are dried – but there are many ways they can live on in dried form! Hang them upside down and once dried, display them in a shadow box frame. Compress individual buds between the pages of a heavy book. Separate the petals, dry and add scent for a delicious smelling homemade potpourri . Or why not incorporate them into your thank you cards!

A lovely way to honour a loved one who couldn’t be there in your special day could be to lay them by their gravesite or scatter them across the ocean.

Hospitals, retirement villages and nursing homes alway love a bit of colour to brighten their patients’ day! So why not deliver them a few bunches so they can sit at the reception desks, in the kitchens, or even in individual rooms to add a splash of colour!

Other ideas becoming quite popular – turning them into pieces of jewellery or into the likes of a beautiful pashmina or silk scarf. The Wedding Scarf in Byron Bay can take your flowers and have them preserved forever in luxury fabrics or ceramics.

The limit is your imagination! Have another idea? Why not tell us about it below, or tag @Katering on Instagram so we can check it out.

Click here to listen to Sunday’s full episode of Weddings, Parties, Celebrations on 2GB – click hear for Sunday’s full episode.

Anzac Biscuits

Anzac Day – a solemn day where we remember the Australian & New Zealand Army Corps soldiers who fought in Gallipoli in 1915. Tomorrow’s marks the 101 year anniversary. We also offer our thoughts on this day to all the other servicemen and women, past and present, who protect our country.

And of course at this time of year, the Anzac biscuit is seen everywhere – across cafes and supermarkets. It was thought during the war, the wives’ soldiers used to send them the Anzac biscuit. Since, they are made of ingredients that don’t spoil easily, they were perfect to transport abroad. Fast forward to today, and it’s a popular commercial food, sometimes seen year-around!

Why not spend some of your Sunday making a batch! We’ve got our foolproof recipe below for the delicious biscuit… The traditional combination of oats, coconut and rich golden syrup makes for the perfect edition to your afternoon cuppa, or to pass around after Dawn service tomorrow morning.

You’ll need:

2 1/3 plain flour, sifted

1 2/3 cups rolled oats

1 ½ cups brown sugar

1 cup desiccated coconut

250g butter, chopped

80ml golden syrup

60ml water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda

Preheat oven to 170C, line 2 baking sheets with baking paper.

Place flour, oats, sugar and coconut in a bowl and stir to combine.

Place butter, golden syrup, water, vanilla and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil. Then add the bicarbonate soda, and stir into flour mixture until well combined. Spoon onto baking trays, allowing room to spread.

Cook for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 40 cookies – enough to pass around!

Caves House, Jenolan Caves

The iconic & fabulous Jenolan Caves in the Blue Mountains – we often associate it with being a popular destination for school excursions or tourists. However, just a few minutes walk away is the  beautifully Victorian Era styled Caves House – one of the most unique wedding venues I’ve seen! Built within natural cave formations, the site also has a long history of love, with it being a popular honeymoon spot in the early 1900’s and to this day, home to many proposals!

Within Caves House there are two fabulous room options – you can choose to have up to 100 guests underground, or up to 30 in the Temple of Baal, which their aboveground venue and has spectacular limestone wall formations. With fantastic acoustics and a 300-stair chamber entrance, it’s a venue worth checking out if you want an impressive setting for your special day. They also have a wide range of accommodation options for you and your guests.

To find out more about Caves House, click here. Or better yet, take a trip there for the day and explore one of the most spectacular caves systems in the world – a perfect day out these school holidays!

Click here to hear my chat with Carolyn from the Caves House on this week’s episode of Weddings, Parties, Celebrations on 2GB.

Photo credit to Instinctive Images

Leaving love in the hands of the experts

Last year, Channel 9 aired the first season of Married at First Sight – captivating the nation with such a ground-breaking, unconventional way of finding true love. If you watched it, I’m sure you were glued, and well, if you didn’t – Season 2 starts tonight for you!

I spoke to Mel Schilling, Psychologist and dating expert; part of a team on the show who carefully pair 4 new brides and 4 new grooms to marry upon sight. Well, it’s more of a commitment ceremony as it’s illegal to marry someone you don’t know in Australia – but still, what a brave and bold move to make!

So I can hear some of you ask why. … Well, can you believe that the percentage of Australian singles is the highest it’s ever been?!  And the participants on Married at First Sight,  have tried everything to find love. They’ve been through all the motions of dating life in Australia with unfortunately no success. So, they have passed on the task to find love, onto professional psychologists and dating experts.

And whilst yes, this idea may first sound quite ridiculous, it’s based on some strong findings. Mel explained that it’s been proven time and time again that arranged marriages are the most successful. So using the team’s expertise, they’ve matched up each couple based on the their values and family history – aligning them with those who share the same views, or perhaps even balance out some of their qualities – ying and yang!

Throughout the experiment, they are counselled by the team on how to handle and overcome conflicts, assessing their growing connection and attraction along the way. I’m sure those who watched Season 1 remember that Zoe couldn’t look Alex in the eye when she first saw him down the aisle – they however ended up being the most successful match and are still enjoying a wonderful relationship together!

Sure, I know what you might be thinking – but I recommend you tune in tonight regardless! It’s captivating, and puts the method of finding love into a whole new light for some singles who have genuinely tried it all!

And as for any insights on the show from Mel? Well, of course it’s all hush hush right now, but we know that there are smiles on the final episode – who doesn’t love a happy ending!

Click here to find out more and get a quick sneak peak!

To hear my chat with Mel as well as the full episode of Weddings, Parties, Celebrations, click here.

Wedding dresses throughout film history

Weddings in film – throughout the history of the movies we have seen our most beloved movie stars get married on-screen, and in the most inspirational gowns!

I spoke to movie expert from SCREEN-SPACE, Simon Foster, about our pick of the best wedding dresses in film.

The Father of the Bride (1950) – Elizabeth Taylor

This iconic gown was made by studio craftswoman Helen Rose, who went on to work on movies like Last Time I Saw Paris and High Society. This one-off piece was designed by Edith Head who won 8 Oscars in her career for costume design.

Funny Face (1957) – Audrey Hepburn

Although she didn’t play a bride in the film, but wore it for a photo shoot in Paris – this tea-length dress turned Audrey into a fashion icon and made this a timeless bridal style. It was designed by the actress’s personal and professional couturier Hubert de Givenchy.

Runaway Bride (1999) – Julia Roberts

Whilst she has worn many gorgeous wedding dresses in her film career, this one is a favourite. A gorgeous off-the-shoulder design by Amsale.

Sex and the City (2008) – Sarah Jessica Parker

A Vivien Westwood designed gown, it was just so very Carrie – but it was also available as a limited edition for $9,875! The dress was so popular that it sold out within a few hours of the film’s premiere and to this day, is one of the most sought after second-hand dresses.

Mamma Mia (2008) – Amanda Seyfried 

Almost ahead of it’s time, is this dreamy-boho ethereal inspired gown, designed by one of Hollywood’s most respected costume designers, Ann Roth. Despite the dress becoming so popular with the public, it was unfortunately never made available for sale!

Bride Wars (2009) – Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway

Both gowns were designed by Vera Wang, who we know as one of Hollywood’s most respected designers. Kate Hudson’s dress became a number 1 seller to the public for many years, being sold for just $6,000 – quite a steal really!

The Twilight Sage: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (2011)

This classic long-sleeve silk sheath gown with open lace back was made by Carolina Herrera. It did go onto sell to the public, but was pulled from the shelves shortly after when women would pretend they were engaged just to be able to try on the dress.

Did we leave out your favourite? Let us know your pick in the comments below.

Click here to listen to my chat with Simon, and Sunday’s full episode of Weddings, Parties, Celebrations.