UPDATE: Review of Becco on The Parade

some of you may recall I did a scathing review of Becco on The Parade last year.

Well, it was time to get our tax done again (yes, I know, we are late), so we took the opportunity to return and see if Becco had improved.

If you want, you can have a quick read of my previous review HERE before you proceed :)

Are you back?  well that didn't take long did it?

here is my review for 2015:

The service has improved - with the staff being more on the ball, however, Mr Fixit's pizza was last again ............. arriving at our table 6 minutes after the other pizzas.

They got the drinks right for our table, but I observed some drinks being returned to the counter :(

The dessert I picked - German Apple Cheesecake - was absolutely beautiful, and yes, they remembered to take the plastic off before serving.

I was so pleasantly surprised, I actually forgot to take photos!

And just because I don't like a post without photos .............. here is a photo of a cappuccino made by yours truly!

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day.

Remember, any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-)

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

RedPawPaw | Box #1 - Review Part III

Here I am back with some more reviews :)

I made the Adriano Zumbo macarons on Thursday, in preparation for a sewing playdate on Friday (FNwF - Friday Night with Friends)

I must say, I don't like passionfruit and didn't like it even more after making these macarons :(

The packet mix was easy enough to use - my only criticism is the print on the back of the package was very small and very fine ........... made it very difficult to read, and the almond meal was difficult to sift :(

Anyway, I made up the macarons and found the smell so overpowering that I didn't even bother mixing up the filling in between, I just put them all in the bin.

but here is a pic of them just before I put them in the oven :)


So then, I really needed something nice for my FNwF, so I used my tried and true Triple Choc Brownie recipe - this one is made from scratch, and never fails me :)

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day.

Remember, any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-)

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

RedPawPaw | Box #1 |

I recently became aware of RedPawPaw.com.au  ....... what is RedPawPaw? I  hear you ask :)

I quote from their Facebook page:
Redpawpaw is Australia’s first grocery product sampling subscription box that allows consumers to try over $30 worth of the newest grocery products from some of the world's leading brands, every month.
Redpawpaw caters to consumers who love trying new household products and rediscovering some forgotten ones. 

It sounded like fun, so I registered to receive a box, and eagerly awaited it's arrival :)

My first box arrived on Thursday, 19th June 2014

here are the goodies I received in my first box

Since it was such a cold day on Thursday, I had the Taylor's Minestrone for lunch, along with some grilled cheese on multi-grain toast

let me say the photo does not do this beautiful Minestrone any justice - I think the lens got a bit fogged up :)  This was very yummy, and will be on my shopping list next time I go shopping, I may even see what other flavours they have.

Yesterday, I tried the Special K Cracker Crisps

These were quite yummy, and very satisfying to nibble on - a bit like a lightly seasonsed chicken crisp - I can imagine these would go down well when having some wine and cheese :)

That brings me to this morning .............. I just had to try the porridge :)

let me say ................. this IS how you make porridge  :)  this particular flavour - creamy honey - was yummy, with just a lovely hint of honey - a word of caution, it heats up quickly and is hotter than you think when it comes out of the microwave ...............  let it stand a bit before you dig in!

Stay tuned for more reviews during the week :)

All of the products reviewed to date can be found HERE

Disclaimer:  I pay $5.00 each month to receive a selection of products - the opinions expressed in relation to these products are purely my own and are based on what I tested at the time and may be influenced by personal preferences.

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day.

Remember, any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-)

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

Review: Becco on The Parade, The Parade, Norwood, SA

it is not very often we dine out, so when we do, I expect to be impressed with food quality and/or service - hopefully both!

We have eaten at this establishment many times since it was originally Mama Carmella's and Cafe Palazzo and was expecting the good standards to carry on with the new owners - dining at Becco on the Parade was a disappointing experience.

We met up with Mr Fixit's brother & wife for lunch at our usual haunt Cafe Palazzo, on The Parade at Norwood.  When we first walked in, we were pleasantly surprised to find it a bit quiet considering it was a Friday - we should have realised then something was amiss.

On selecting our table and perusing the menu (complete with ????? on some of the prices) we realised that our favourite restaurant had recently undergone a name change, and presumably a change of management.

We were all in the mood for pizza, so we ordered 4 pizzas, 3 soft drinks, and 1 glass of wine.  After about 10 minutes, the waitress came over to advise that they were out of Moscato, so I requested a Rose.  Another 4 minutes or so passed, where I could actually see our drinks on the counter, but no staff to bring them to us.  It was then I realised that there was only 3 staff on duty - 1 to take meal orders, 1 to make drinks and 1 to bring deliver food and drinks to the tables (and quite badly I might add).  I witnessed this obviously new waitress walk all around the cafe attempting to deliver an iced coffee whilst dribbling every where she went :(  When I did eventually get my drink, they also came over to offer a refund .......... as they had inadvertently charged Mr Fixit for a bottle and not a glass :(  Mr Fixit was quite relieved when they mentioned this, as he thought the charge was a little on the high side LOL

From where we were sitting, we could see the pizza maker madly making pizzas - they certainly seemed popular :) and the smells were wonderful, becoming almost painful as we waited for our meals.  In the end, we waited 30 minutes for our pizzas - the wait made even more frustrating when we could see our pizzas out of the oven and sitting on top ready for waiting staff to bring it to us :( (I timed it from the first moment I observed the pizza on top and it was a full 5 minutes before we got it - I have no idea how long it was out of the oven before I saw it)

Everyone agreed, the pizzas were very nice :)  but a bit dissatisfying for Mr Fixit as his was a bit cold :(


We ended our meal with desserts and coffees - the coffee was nice, but the dessert was a bit disappointing - I got the Snickers/Picnic Cheesecake - not very sweet, and not very cheesecakey :(  and I had to unwrap it myself!  they left the plastic protector on it when serving!


Surely this plastic protector is for transport and storage ............... shouldn't it be removed just before serving?

All in all, a bit of a disappointment really :(  looks like we will be on the hunt for another place to get a good pizza on The Parade.  Anyone have any suggestions?

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day.

Remember, any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-)

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

Tryout Tuesday.....

yeah, I know it is a little late  ;-)

I tried out a recipe from Best Recipes Chicken and Mushroom Pasta


This was a really quick and easy dish to make - ofcourse, I made it without garlic, but it was still very tasty without it - I think all the lovely bits from the bacon and mushrooms make it ;-)


Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day.
Remember, any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-)

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

Tryout Tuesday - Egg and Noodle Pie

It's been a bit hot here this last few days, and even hotter weather is predicted for the next few days

When it is this hot, I really don't feel like faffing about in the kitchen for too long.

I spied this little recipe on Best Recipes and since Mr Fixit is still on easy to chew foods from a tooth extraction and an ear infection, I thought it might fit the bill!  It also fits in with Tryout Tuesday ;-)

Egg and Noodle Pie -  recipe HERE

This is a great easy to make throw together meal - I used the Low Fat Chicken 2 Minute Noodles and next time I think I will add some bacon and a bit of onion ;-)

This is also part of 113 Pictures in 2013 - #96 A shot taken in your kitchen


Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day.
Remember, any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-)

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

REVIEW: Marinade in a bag!

I recently had the opportunity to try a new marinade by McCormick as part of the Best Recipes Test Team.



I used some chicken drumsticks and only marinated for about 3 hours and it was lovely ;-)  I imagine the flavours would be more intense the longer it marinated.  The packet was easy to open and insert the chicken.  Once sealed, it was easy to massage the marinade around the pieces.  The only negative I found was that the bag could have been a bit bigger - especially if it was to hold up to 1kg of meat as suggested.


Linking with 52 Photos Project - #35 What's Cookin - OOps - too late to submit photo, but still go visit, there are some great pics submitted ;-)

The Sticky BBQ certainly got a thumbs up from hubby and we will definitely be getting this one again.  I certainly suggest you try it when you see it in the shops.

I will keep you posted on the taste test of the Red Wine & Garlic marinade.

DISCLOSURE:  I received two free samples from McCormick via the Best Recipes Test Team.  

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day.
Remember, any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-)

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

REVIEW: Kikkoman Soy Sauce

As part of the Test Team on Best Recipes, I have had the opportunity to taste test Kikkoman Soy Sauce.

First up came a test as a dipping sauce with spring rolls - a favourite entertainment option in our house ;-)



More recently, I made up our favourite Chicken Satay dish, using the Kikkoman Soy Sauce in the marinade





Kikkoman Soy Sauce has always been first choice in my kitchen, and it will remain so in the future too ;-)

Disclaimer:  I received a voucher to purchase Kikkoman Soy Sauce at Coles.  As yet, I have not used this voucher as I had recently purchased a new bottle from Woolworths.  The opinions stated in this taste test are my own.


Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day.
Remember, any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-)

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

REVIEW: Sunbeam VersaCook Multi Cooker x 5

A few weeks ago, you may remember I won a Sunbeam VersaCook Multi Cooker x 5 courtesy of A Spoonful of Sugar

I thought you would appreciate some of my initial findings on the Multi Cooker :)

I have used it twice now - once as a slow cooker, where it performed well - barring a minor miscalculation on my part with the cooking time ;-) and once as a deep fryer :(

I used the deep fryer part on Thursday .......... I am afraid I was most disappointed in the Deep Fryer operation of this device :(

First up, it uses an ENORMOUS amount of oil (over 1.5 litres) to get to the MIN mark.

I wanted to do homemade chips, and on reading the manual, it recommends cooking chips in two stages – which I liked that idea, as I used to do that anyway :)

According to the manual on page 17
First cook at 140C 7-8 mins, then second cook at 190C 7-8 mins

This is where I encountered my first 'issue' the temperatures are SET - 130, 150, 170, 190 or 210 - I cannot find how I can select 140C

Second Issue - You CANNOT select any cooking time under 10 mins - it defaults to 2 hours, and you have to click the timer down in 5 minute intervals – very time consuming and annoying as it beeps at every click! 

I have since been contacted by Sunbeam and there appears to be a misprint in my Manual in relation to the 140C :-)  Newer manuals have been corrected.

I cooked at 130 for about 8 mins - first cook was successful - it reached the stage I would normally take them out in the time suggested :) 

after letting them cool down for a bit, I selected the temperature for the second cook – 190C and selected 10 mins, thinking I will just take them out at the 7-8 minute mark.

The chips browned very quickly and after about 3 mins I took them out – they were cooked, but bordered on looking burnt ;(

Next up - was the crumbed calamari - The recommended cooking for crumbed calamari was 170C for 5-7 mins – that seemed a bit too long for me, so I cooked for 4 mins – it was OK - if there was to be a next time, I would cook at 190C for about 3-4 mins. 

I was so disappointed with the end result, I forgot to take photos :(

On first impression, I won’t be using this machine as a deep fryer – I may just stick with the oven chips :)
or even revert to my Sunbeam Multicooker Deep Fryer (DF4400) purchased previously

Having said all the above, I am a Sunbeam girl from way back .......... I am not completely deterred ................... Next item to tackle ………. Butter Chicken (CCC) using the slow cooker option ;-)

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day.
Remember, any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-)




Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

Windy Peak - A Wine Review

I recently had an opportunity, via Best Recipes, to review a bottle of wine from DeBortoli Wines

I must confess, I was a little disappointed when I opened the box and found a bottle of red ..... a Windy Peak Cabernet Merlot .... I am a white wine drinker.   However, I knew we were going to have visitors who do drink red, and I knew they would give me an honest opinion ;-)

We had a family get together and BIL was the first to try the wine.  'Thin' was his first impression ;-)  SIL then tried hers and echoed his thoughts ;-)

After a few more sips, and a few more pieces of cheese and crackers and nibbles, the BIL revised his opinion ;-)  So much so, I was encouraged to try a glass.

Usually, on the rare occasions when I do drink red wine, I just have a few sips to taste and be polite - I really don't like red wine BUT ...... you guessed there was a but coming ;-)  ....... I really liked this one - I even had a second glass ;-)

So the verdict is ................ very drinkable - even for this diehard white wine drinker!

Check out the other reviews HERE

Check out their website for more on the other wines available - Windy Peak will definitely be going on my Christmas wine list ;-) http://windypeak.com.au/wines.html

New Fountain Tomato Sauce - My Review

I am a regular visitor to www.taste.com.au - the people taking part in the forums are great, and the variety of recipes available is wonderful.

I recently had the opportunity to try the new Fountain Tomato Sauce with lower salt & sugar ;-)

First up I must declare that I have received this sample for free and that I am a diehard Heinz Big Red fan!

I had just recently discovered that tomato sauce had much more salt & sugar in it than I realised and this new sauce has 40% lower sugar 70% lower salt.

I must say I am impressed.  It has a slightly different flavour than other tomato sauces - lighter in taste and texture - and the one big bonus for me - it doesn't give me reflux ;-)

So I can have as much sauce as I like - and I like tomato sauce ;-)

Thank you Fountain, you have a new customer for your Tomato Sauce.

I already love your Sweet Chili Sauce and the Mustard Sauce.

Thanks for visiting my blog today.