Reuben Hills, Surry Hills

It's cold and miserable in Sydney at the moment... the sort of weather the sniffles set in and all you want to do is crawl into your doonah cave and hibernate, only to emerge for necessities... or cosy breakfasts and nice coffee.

I've been a little under the weather of late and trying to get back to good health but it is taking time. Part of the problem is I don't really have time to stop and rest and recuperate, but I think any mother in the world doing things without much family support knows what that is like!

Anyway, between short sleeps, looking after my baby and working on my business, I recently headed to Surry Hills for breakfast with Mr Ladybird. This cafe has been the talk of Sydney recently as it was voted Best Cafe by The Sydney Morning Herald's Good Cafe Guide 2012. So, ignoring the imminent parking headache, we headed to Surry Hills to check it out for ourselves.

The cafe's look and feel is quite industrial, and the open kitchen is so small - I was amazed! Make's me think that I have no right to complain about my small apartment-sized kitchen!

The menu is South American inspired with lots of unusual breakfast options, such dishes with salted caramel ice cream, quinoa, dulce de leche, tortillas..! Check out the menu here and you'll see what I mean. And the only thing I need to tell you about the coffee is that it's good, very good...

And our breakfast for the morning... Soft baked eggs with goat's curd, wilted spinach, ranchero sauce and rye sourdough ($16).

For me, it was the Baleada - free range eggs, queso fresco and black beans ($11). The picture doesn't really do it justice, but the flavour really packed a punch - yummm!

Quick service and definitely a different menu to go with excellent coffee. Not my personal pick for best cafe, but good to check out!

Reuben Hills
61 Albion St
Surry Hills NSW
www.reubenhills.com.au

Win a $50 Byron Bay Cookie Company hamper!

While in Byron Bay recently, I had the pleasure of visiting the Byron Bay Cookie Company's headquarters and retail outlet to learn more about their range of products. I also had the pleasure of sampling some of their delicious baked goods - lucky me! :)

Many of you reading this post will already know about Byron Bay Cookie Company's cookies - they are avaialble in a vast range of flavours and there are plenty of gluten-free options. They can be seen in cafes and coffee carts around Australia, as well as on airlines and in selected department stores both in Australia and the UK. Their products are now also available for purchase through http://www.cookie.com.au/ and http://www.amazon.com/.

The Byron Bay Cookie Company has been around since 1990 and is probably best known for its large, iconic cookies. Nowadays though, there are also the smaller, delicious biscuits from Luken & May, and crispbreads from Byron Bay Gourmet Foods.

My personal favourites are the white choc chunk & macadamia nut cookie, the brand new muesli cookie, as well as the Byron Bay Gourmet Food's wonderful (and Sydney Royal Show gold medal winning) rosemary & sea salt crispbread - great served on a cheese platter. I'm also a big fan of the Luken & May range - great for sharing at home, or a lovely gift when visiting family/friends.

*** GIVEAWAY ***

Thanks to the good people at the Byron Bay Cookie Company, one lucky Diary of a Ladybird reader has the chance to win this wonderful hamper of delicious Byron Bay Cookie Company products, worth $50!

To enter:

1. Simply tell me what your favourite Byron Bay Cookie Company product is by commenting on this post.
2. Then, email me a copy of your comment along with your full name and delivery address to diaryofaladybird[at]gmail[dot]com.

Entries close at midnight AEST July 26 and the giveaway is restricted to Australian residents only (sorry!). The winning entry will be selected by random.

Good luck!

Ladybird x

*** This giveaway has now closed ***

Congratulations to Erin of Gravelly Beach in Tasmania!

The Cardamom Pod, Byron Bay

The one thing I have always loved about Byron Bay is that there are ample and delicious food options for vegetarians such as myself. For diners like me, it is not always easy to find satisfying vegetarian options when travelling, so when visiting Byron Bay I take great comfort in knowing that in just about every cafe and restaurant, there will be at least one item on the menu for me to enjoy. But a real highlight for me when visiting Byron is dining at The Cardamom Pod - a fantastic little vegetarian cafe tucked away in an arcade in the town centre.

The Cardamom Pod has played host to many happy diners (both vegetarian and non-vegetarian alike) for many years now, and is popular with visitors and locals. Their offering of traditional Indian dishes as well as modern fusion cuisine means that there is something for everyone here, so it's no surprise that this place remains so popular. Run by Hare Krishna devotees, the food at The Cardamom Pod is egg-free, as well as the vast majority of dishes also being onion and garlic free. The food on offer here (like at Govinda restaurants around the world) is 'sattvic'. In Ayurveda, a sattvic or yogic diet is one that is clean, pure and wholesome. The food is never too salty nor sweet, and it satisfies the body and soul.

Hot, comforting food is available, including an array of traditional Indian dishes such as dals, paneer dishes, kofta balls in gravy, and vegetable preparations to be enjoyed alongside rice, papadums and samosas. There are also more western dishes available such as vegetarian lasagne. Vibrant and freshly prepared salads and tempting desserts entice us from the chilled display upon our arrival, and I just know it's going to be hard deciding on what to order!

We are greeted and served by the lovely Drew, who guides us through the hot food and salads available for the day. He also tells us a bit about where the cafe sources their ingredients, much of which is locally grown and organic. I also learn that a local dairy supplies them with fresh milk from which they make their own paneer - a firm cottage cheese often used in Indian cuisine. Nothing beats freshly made paneer - it's delicious!

The great thing about dining with a group of family/friends is that you can sample a wide range of dishes, and there are no hard feelings about the occasional stolen taste test from your fellow diners' plates! For your viewing pleasure, here are some pictures of our sumptuous vegetarian feast...

I thoroughly enjoy my vegetarian lasagne served with side salad. The Moroccan inspired baby spinach, chickpea and tomato salad with tangy yoghurt dressing is really good...

To finish, we share a slice of lemon and vanilla bean baked cheesecake with poached pear and syrup - simply divine!

Ladybird and family dined as guests of The Cardamom Pod.

The Cardamom Pod
Shop 8, The Pier Arcade
7 Lawson St
Byron Bay, NSW

http://www.byronvegetariancafe.com.au/


Ladybird x

The Institute of Cute, Byron Bay (and a giveaway!)

I often get asked about the reasoning behind the name of my blog. People as: Why Diary of a Ladybird? My response is always pretty straightforward - I just love ladybirds.. I always have!

And so given my 'mild obsession', as I call it, it was only common sense that whilst in Byron Bay that I visited The Institute of Cute, often referred to as 'the ladybird shop' by those who have visited it previously. I had heard about this concept store and gallery from a friend last year and was very much looking forward to visiting during my recent trip.

The store and gallery opened in 2007 is the creation of Jane Davenport, a multi-award winning photographic artist and designer with a passion for ladybirds! As Chief Artomologist, Jane's mission is to "create cute and FUNctional design and artwork to make you dream". If you ask me, she is most certainly succeeding in her mission - I was simply blown away by the store!

The front of the store is filled with all sorts of ladybird and bug paraphenalia - clothing, jewellery, placemat sets, pens, toothbrush guards, you name it, it's there - and all designed by Jane herself. Without doubt, I was in ladybird heaven! I hope you can get an idea of what is what like by these pictures...

And towards the back of the store, a beautiful gallery feauturing Jane's latests works, prints and books, as well as art supplies.

So if you're ever in Byron Bay, do stop by and check out The Instiute of Cute - it's worth a visit! Until then, why not check out the website.

And without further delay, it's GIVEAWAY time!

Thanks to Jane Davenport and The Institute of Cute in Byron Bay, one lucky Diary of a Ladybird reader has the chance to win this lovely gift set from the store, including a fold away ladybird bag, ladybird monitor cleaner and signed copy of Jane's book Ladybird Ladybird.

To enter, all you had to do is leave a comment telling me why you love ladybirds (and I'm premusing you do of course!). Then, email me a copy of your comment along with your full name and postal address to: diaryofaladybird[at]gmail[dot]com.

Entries close on Sunday, July 10. This competition is restricted to Australian residents only (sorry!).

This competition has now closed. Congratulations to The InTolerant Chef!

Good luck!

Ladybird x

The Institute of Cute
58 Jonson St, Byron Bay
(02) 6880 8550
http://instituteofcute.com.au/

Harvest Café & The Byron at Byron Restaurant, Byron Bay

Last week I travelled to Byron Bay in northern New South Wales with Mr Ladybird and my in-laws for a short break. Byron Bay is located in northern New South Wales, and is only around 2 hours drive from Brisbane. A few years ago when we still lived in Brisbane, driving down to Byron Bay for a night or two was something I would look forward to tremendously, and since relocating to Sydney I have missed that convenience a lot. With recent flooding on the Pacific Highway, our drive from Sydney to Byron Bay ended up taking almost 13 hours... but it was worth it.

It was so lovely to visit Byron Bay again, and (don't tell anyone) but I think winter is the perfect time to visit the area. Blue skies, sunshine and warmer temperatures, less crowds, not to mention the beautiful landscape - stunning beaches, pristine forest and the breathtaking hinterland - there's a reason why you feel great after visiting such a pristine part of the world.

Byron Bay is also a great place for foodies to visit thanks to the great array of eateries offering the best of local produce. I'll be posting more on the food on offer at Byron Bay, but first here is a little look into two places I visited during my stay.

First, Harvest Café, which is located in Newrybar in the Byron Bay hinterland. This cafe is situated in a renovated house with sweeping balconies, and boasts a beautiful ambiance.

Sitting outside on the balcony under heaters was nice, and there is also seating available indoors.

I just loved the look of the sofas by the fireplace - so cosy...

We visited Harvest for breakfast on the weekend. We were keen to dine somewhere outside of town, and outside of Bangalow, so Harvest seemed like a good option. We started with coffees - a cappuccino ($3.85) and a latte ($3.85).

A weekend in Orange

Over the weekend, my hubby and I had the pleasure of visiting Orange for two nights. My two favourite things about Orange were the spectacular autumn colours, and the people - they were so friendly!

Unfortunately despite there being loads of visitors to the region over the weekend, there was very little open - including the Vegetarian Restuarant, which was closed all weekend! :( You will find the majority of eateries (esp the more popular places for foodies) do not cater for vegetarians. So if you are vego and visiting Orange, it pays to do your research and maybe bring some back-up meals as we did.

• For a wide selection of delicious wood-fired pizzas, try Provvista Woodfired Pizza. It's also BYO, so bring along a bottle of your favourite Orange wine.

• We had the pleasure of sampling Bills Beans coffee at our accommodation but, alas, the cafe was closed when we visited over the weekend... D'oh! http://www.billsbeans.com.au/

• We stayed at a great little place we found online called Serenity Studio. This little gem of a place was so lovely, and we'll definitely be back. http://www.serenitystudio.com.au/

Among many, some other food and drink places to visit include:

• A Slice of Orange - http://www.asliceoforange.com.au/
• Printhie Wines - http://www.printhiewines.com.au/ (open Saturdays)
• Huntley Berry Farm - http://www.sydney.com/town/Orange/Huntley_Berry_Farm/info.aspx (only open weekdays)

Other attractions/events include...
Orange F.O.O.D week in early-mid April
Orange Wine Week in October
Mt Canoblas and Lake Canoblas
Orange Botanical Gardens

For more information about visiting Orange in NSW, go to:
http://www.orange.nsw.gov.au/go/visiting
http://www.visitnsw.com/town/Orange.aspx

That's all from me for now :) Take care

Ladybird x