New year, new blog!

Back home and I can't shake this habit so I decided to do one about my hometown Perth, Western Australia.

http://perthundiscovered.blogspot.com.au/

~JBomb

Gobble gobble gobble

So here it is my final days in the US of A! and guess what we have come full circle because

it's turkey time!

This year I contributed to the dessert portion with a delicious aussie pavlova, recipe courtesy of the lovely Antoinette. That right there is my first ever attempt at a meringue base...some might say perfection!

My cousin Zoe was in charge of side dishes and slappetizers!

Roasted Butternut Squash with Butter and Sage

Bbbbbird bird bird bird is the word prepared and stuffed by the lovely Aunty M

An amazing stuffing of pears, cranberries, herbs and breadcrumbs if memory serves...Turkey sold separately

The Slapsgiving (How I Met Your Mother reference) Cocktail of 2011

Pilgrims Progress

Pureed ginger

Honey

Spiced Rum

Lime 

topped with Prosecco

= HEAVEN!

One of my favourite dips of all time created by one of my favourite people of all time!

Zoe's Goat Cheese & Date Dip

Goat Cheese

Dates (soaked in hot water)

Caramelised Onions

Rosemary

Roasted Pine nuts

Roll it together and you have yourself a baller dip, creamy salty cheese with the crunch of pinenuts and sweetness of dates and the aroma of rosemary, oh so goooood!

My Unci Herb and G-dawg prepared the other slappetizer (How I Met Your Mother Reference) 

My Aunty M has had this AMAZING recipe since she graduated high school, it has a killer tangy taste with a kick of mustard and the bread taste amazing dipped in the sauce!

Canal Street Shrimp

Shrimp/Prawns

Wine Vinegar

Garlic

Olive Oil

Scallions/Spring Onions

Cayenne Pepper

Dry Mustard

Salt & Pepper

Ready to carve!

The butternut squash was pureed with the butter and sage essence from above, the bird was carved, the collard greens were steamed, the roasted cauliflower and raisins were crisp, the cranberries were moist and the bird and non bird stuffing were plated, TIME TO EAT!

The family/chefs

My pride and joy PAVLOVA! with strawberries and blueberries OM NOM NOM

1950s housewife, holla!

G-dawgs famous pecan pie!

and of course one last java at the HPC

and there it is my full year of blogging in the USA!

~JBomb

First, lasts & favourites

So after the crazy adventures of the West coast and the Grand Southern - Contiki we were back in the NY sizzle and I finally got to take Stacey on my awesome tour of my favourite & FREE NY spots.

Starting in Brooklyn we crossed the Brooklyn Bridge

Landing us in Tribeca working our way down to the Financial District to the 9/11 Memorial where we met up with Eliza!

Then we headed all the way to bottom tip of Manhattan to catch the Staten Island Ferry to go past the Statue of Liberty

Then it was time for lunch so we headed to the Thai place in Chelsea we went to for my cousin Zoe's birthday and it was divine!

Then we quickly headed back to our old apartment and found this joint on the Upper West Side with $5 cocktails that right there is a delicious Mango daiquiri!

Eliza, Stacey and I

Buffalo wings to compliment the drinks of course!

Then we headed to one of my favourite bars in Chinatown 169!

For a new cocktail called the Hurricane which is basically a mojito with ginger beer om nom nom!

The next day I squeezed in a few more of the best places to see.

The Whisper Wall at Grand Central Station

Grand Central Terminal

Serendipity 3 the home of the world's best Frozen Hot Chocolate

and of course a delicious Turkey club on Rye to compliment the drank

Then we hit up Union Square

Christmas markets

Then we found the Australian coffee bean company Toby's Estate booth and to my delight they were serving flat white's (Aussie coffee type unheard of in the US) and Tim Tam's! (choc coated biscuits with a creamy chocolate filling) There is no place like home!!!!

Then I wanted to feel rich so we cashed in my pennies 1c, nickels 5c, dimes 10c and quarters 25c

walked out with $17.21 boo ya!

Then we hit up the Washington Arch at Washington Square

The West Village to check out the Magnolia Bakery (from SATC)

Stoop love in Chelsea

The High Line from the Meatpacking district end

Meatpacking District

love those cobble streets

The High Line

An old railway raised over the city turned into a garden path walkway

Then we ended at Chelsea. This is just for you Eliza

And so concludes my tour of almost all my favourite stops in NYC and then it was time to head to Philly for Thanksgiving!

~JBomb