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"Our Idiot Brother" The DVD Release
Have you ever noticed that the Easter holidays are usually a wet affair? The temptation is always to take advantage of the waning warmer season’s weather, and plan one final BBQ or camping weekend. Inevitably this event is nearly always washed out. I now know better, I embrace the approaching winter and plan activities which rely on the gloomy weather to make them completely guilt free.
One of my favourite wet weather activities is curling up on the lounge with a blanket, eating chocolate fondant cake and watching a funny movie. If the sun was shining I’d never contemplate such an activity, but wet weather is my permission to hibernate with comfort food and mindless entertainment.
So with Easter approaching and the opportunity for some serious rest and recreation, Village Roadshow have released a bunch of great movies on DVD for your school holidays viewing pleasure.
When it comes to entertaining children nothing can beat a trip to the cinemas, but sometimes you just want to watch a couple of good new releases, in the comfort of your own lounge.
I recently had the opportunity to attend a private screening of “Our Idiot Brother,” courtesy of Nuffnang & Village Roadshow. Given my love of a good comedy, I jumped at the chance! That is how I came to be wandering across the city, admiring the lights near Darling Harbour.
The screening was being held to celebrate the release of “My Idiot Brother “on DVD and Blue Ray. Whilst it had already been shown in cinema’s I hadn’t managed to make time to see it yet.
Once at Village Roadshow’s Pyrmont theatrettes Mr GG and I made ourselves comfortable in the bar.
We ordered a drink and made ourselves comfortable in the lounge until movie time. Fairly soon we were ushered into the intimate thearte with popcorn and drinks in hand.
We were primed and ready to be entertained by funny man Paul Rudd. The movie did not disappoint! I was in stitches at the quirky humour throughout. I am not going to spoil the movie but sharing too much but take a look at this preview.
This is definitely a movie to add to the collection ready for some warming winter laughs.
After the movie we went to get a bite to eat in the city, over our meal I asked Mr GG for a comment on the movie. He thought about it for a few seconds, laughed a little to himself as he remembered various scenes and said, “well, it’s not quite an “I love you man” (one of hubbies favourite Paul Rudd movies) but the laughs just keep coming. It will be a movie which keeps me amused for a long time to come.
Granted Mr GG has a bit of a “man crush” on Paul, but it is a movie which is funny for both guys and girls. There are scenes to amuse all.
So consider grabbing a copy of “Our Idiot Brother” on DVD or Blue Ray ready for some serious Easter laughs.
Gourmet Getaways was a guest of Nuffnang and Village Roadshow.
"My Idiot Brother"
I love a good laugh, and comedies are always at their best when you can relate to the story line. At the risk of offending my dear brother, I have to say I know “Our Idiot Brother” is going to be a side splitter for me.
Does anyone else have a sibling who defies reason, who is loveable, adorable, completely cruisey and laid back, but will drive any normal “Type A” personality absolutely crazy in about two seconds flat.
“Our Idiot Brother” tells the story of Ned a happy go lucky sibling who manages to get “tricked” into selling pot to a uniformed police officer. Ned’s situation begins to take a downward spiral when he is released from jail only to find his girlfriend has left with their dog “Willie Nelson” (there is a joke or two there I am sure!)
Ned moves back in with the family, and naturally there is friction!
I think for an added laugh I will be taking my own dear brother, “AKA The Higher Being” to see this movie with me.
“Our Idiot Brother” will be out on DVD and Blue-ray on the 15th March 2012.
Take a look at this trailer and tell me what you think. Can you relate to this scenario too? Who would you choose to watch “Our Idiot Brother” with?
Thank you to Nuffnang for providing a private screening of this movie for Nuffnang bloggers in Sydney on the 14th March. This is a sponsored post.
Imam Baylidi w Herb Pistachio Couscous -courtesty of Campbell's Real Stock
If there is one item I always have in my pantry it is Campbell’s Real Stock. So when I was asked if I would like to write a feature story on the product naturally I jumped at the opportunity. The difficulty for me was in choosing only one recipe. I use Campbell’s Real Stock in just about every savoury dish I cook. Rather than re-make a dish I always cook, I decided I would head to the Campbell’s website for a few suggestions, and try something new. Have a look at some of the other great dishes on the Campbell’s site!
The dish which caught my eye was a Date & Pistachio Couscous Salad.
After scanning the recipe I couldn’t help “tinker” with it. I make couscous with Campbell’s Vegetable stock regularly and I love adding a little apple juice for sweetness. I also prefer currants in my couscous so I made that minor change too. The herbs and lemon juice give the couscous a delicious fresh, healthy flavour and the stock adds a delicious depth to the dish. This is such a quick dish to make it would be perfect to throw together after work, especially if you are like me and always have the couscous and stock in the pantry.
Naturally I couldn’t stop at just one dish. I decided I needed a vegetarian main to finish the meal. Eggplant is one of my favourite vegetarian choices when it comes to a meatless centrepiece. A dish which I had not very long ago at Matee’s in Newtown came to mind. Imam Baylidi a traditional Turkish Eggplant dish, stuffed with vegetables, herbs, spices and tomato, which is then baked in stock until it is deliciously soft and melting in the mouth.
I hope you enjoy both recipes!
Herb & Pistachio Couscous
Ingredients:
500ml Campbell's Real Stock- Vegetable
250ml apple juice
1 x 500g pack couscous
1 cup currants
1 cup pistachio nuts
1/2 cup fresh continental parsley leaves,
chopped
1 bunch fresh mint leaves, chopped
1 bunch fresh coriander leaves, chopped
4 green spring onions, finely chopped
2 lemons, rind grated and juiced
1 pce fresh ginger grated
Method:
Heat the stock and apple juice in a saucepan.
Add the couscous and turn off the heat. Stir with a fork then cover and stand for 5 minutes or until all the stock is absorbed. Use a fork to separate the grains then set aside to cool down.
Transfer the couscous to a large bowl, add currants, pistachio nuts, parsley, coriander, green spring onions, lemon rind and ginger. Combine the mix and continue to separate any couscous lumps as required.
Pour lemon juice over couscous salad and toss gently.
Imam Baylidi
Ingredients:
3 medium sized eggplants
50ml extra virgin olive oil
2 brown onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
440gm crushed tomato
3 tbsp parsley chopped
300ml Campbell's vegetable stock
Method:
Slice eggplant lengthways and score. Rub flesh with olive oil and grill until ¾ cooked. Scoop out the flesh and reserve the shells.
In a pan, sauté onion, garlic, cumin and oregano in olive oil until the onion is tender. Add reserved eggplant flesh and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the canned tomato slowly and continue to cook for five minutes.
Remove the eggplant mixture from the heat and stir through the parsley. Spoon the mixture into eggplant shells. Place shells into pan with vegetable stock.
Bake at 180°C covered for 10 minutes.
Remove foil and cook for a further 20minutes uncovered.
Spoon the stock over the Imam Baylidi as a sauce and serve with couscous.
So thanks to Campbell’s Real stock for a quick and delicious Vegetarian meal, full of flavour.
I have one last tip for readers! As a mum, and a healthy eater… (hmm, mostly healthy eater…) I discovered a great use for Campbell’s stock… If you use equal parts Campbell’s Stock and 5% fat cream cheese you have a flavoursome, low fat cream substitute for all your creamy savoury dishes, for example, my Creamy Garlic & Dill Prawns below.
Check out all the great Campbell’s products available!
In case you are still looking for something to make for dinner tonight I have included a few more links to delicious dishes I have made previously featuring Campbell’s Real Stock.
A Prunetastic Giveaway
I am wondering how many of my readers made New Years resolutions this year. At the start of the year I set myself a few goals. As with any goals I think that it is always good to review my success or failure and perhaps look at ways I can improve my success. I also like to look at the relevance of the goals down the track. Is this still what I want? If the answer is yes then I need to make an added commitment to the goal.
In January the cancer council advertised on my website. Part of the advertisement was a survey to assess your risk of cancer. I decided to participate in the survey because good health is important to me. My last birthday was the big 40 so I am more conscience of maintaining what is left of a youthful appearance and not declining in health or vitality.
After completing the survey I was sent an email recommending the changes I should make to my lifestyle. On the whole I did very well. It did however highlight to me the big deficit in my diet. I don’t get time to eat fruit and drink water. So these are the goals I set myself for the year.
My Goals at the start of the year
Eat 2 serves of fruit per day
Increase my consumption of water to at least 2 glasses
Exercise 3 times per week
Wear sunscreen in Summer
I have to admit that I still struggle with my two serves of fruit per day. I enjoy fruit but I am always on the run and don’t get time to snack through the day. Thanks to my awareness of the need to eat more fruit I have increased my consumption, but I hadn’t reached my goal yet.
Recently I was offered a sample of Sunraysia Prune Juice. Sunraysia are running a “Makeover Promotion” challenging consumers to discover the health benefits of drinking just one shot per day of their juice. I read the nutritional information provided and found that this could be the answer to my fruit dilemma. 200ml of Prune juice is equivalent to one of the national recommended 5 fruit and veg serving. So why not try a shot of Sunraysia Prune Juice today.
It seems that grandma did know best… but what does it taste like?
Prune juice has borne the brunt of many jokes so it is easy to have a preconceived idea about the taste. Realistically I love all dried fruits, prunes included so I was looking forward to sampling the juice. Naturally it was sweet and delicious and I could easily drink a whole glass full as part of a new morning ritual.
While I was trialing the product I read the following research to Mr GG “Just a shot of Sunraysia Prune Juice every day can reduce the effects of ageing, help maintain healthy skin and give you a visible glow that can only come from feeling ‘squeaky clean’ and healthy on the inside… Sunraysia Prune Juice has three times the antioxidants packed into it than your average pomegranate juice drink. These powerful antioxidants tackle ageing head-on by neutralising the toxic free radicals we encounter in everyday that attack skin cells and ultimately cause unsightly wrinkles”. WOW just what I was looking for!
Mr GG couldn’t believe that a single shot of juice could be
so good for you and nor could I. So we
are now both taking part in the “Sunraysia Makeover” and loving it!
Sunraysia are offering two lucky readers the chance to sample the health benefits for themselves. The winners will be receiving a sample of Sunraysia Juice, shot glass and a set of loofah gloves.
All you need to do is let me know how Sunraysia Juice can
help you to achieve your health goals and make sure you “like” Gourmet Getaways
on Facebook. Winners will be announced on Monday 29th August 2011.
When I find a great product, packed with nutritional value I tend to experiment in the kitchen for more uses. Prunes, like figs, and rhubarb seem to have been a bit of a forgotten hero. They were used and enjoyed by the previous generation and are now coming back into favour due to the new found health benefits of the food.
I have devised some delicious recipes using Sunraysia Prune Juice. I will feature these in the coming week but here is a sneak peek.
White Chocolate & Prune Juice Jelly Panna cotta w Brandied Fruit Compote
Prunetastic Slow Cooked Beef Spare Ribs
Thanks to Sunraysia I am now one step closer to making my New Years resolutions a success!
So tell me readers, what were your New Years resolutions? Have you succeeded in achieving your goals? How can Sunraysia help you to achieve your health goals?
A subscription is the perfect Father’s Day gift!
Father’s Day is just a few short weeks away, so I thought I should remind everyone about about the great Magshop promotion.
Visit
the Magshop Father’s Day promotion page to receive a discount on selected titles for dad!
Then enter the competition to win a Volkswagen Golf Wagon valued at over $40,000! (see bottom of story for details).
So while we are talking about dad, I would like to take the opportunity to reflect on my father, and what he has taught me.
Firstly he taught my sister and I to ride motor bikes flat out through the bush! Growing up this was a useful skill to have, as it definitely threw the boys off guard, especially given we were both petite little blonds.
Dad also taught my husband to ride, and hubby and dad together have taught our kids. My dad is the fittest 65 year old you will ever meet. I still can’t catch him on a dirt bike, although now my 16 year is working on that challenge for me.
As I have mentioned in previous stories my dad has also given me a great appreciation for food, travel and wine. When we were younger we were always going on “driving holidays” even if it was just for the weekend. We would pack up the car and head off in a different direction each time, exploring every detail of the area we were visiting. If we saw a vineyard, a produce stand or market we would be sure to stop in and sample the local wares. Nature walks, picnics and barbeques in the bush were also very high on the list of regular family activities.
Now my dad travels much further a field, and he has been on many international holidays. The most recent trip was a family holiday to Fiji for my brothers wedding. Dad still enjoys sampling everything a country has to offer, which has landed him in a spot of trouble with Bali belly at times. True to dads nature though, the plane has barely landed back in Australia before he was planning the next trip away.
Inevitable when I am thinking of gifts for my dad, be it birthday, Christmas or Fathers Day, I look to the pastimes we have enjoyed together to come up with an ideal gift. The Gourmet Traveller – Wine subscription hit the mark for me. I know that each month my dad will receive a magazine and he will share the information with me. We might even try a bottle or two suggested by the magazine, or visit a vineyard that catches our interest.
So what do you have in mind for your father on his special day? Why not surprise dad with a travel magazine from Magshop.
Don't forget about the Fathers Day promotion. If you subscribe online before 4th October and you could win a Volkswagen Golf Wagon
118TSI Comfortline valued at over $40,000!! Now wouldn’t that be a
great father’s day surprise! Subscribe now!
My dad gave me the love of gourmet food and wine, and it is something that we are still sharing today!
Gourmet Traveller –WINE for Father’s Day
Enter the competition to win a Volkswagen Golf Wagon valued at over $40,000!
Visit the Father’s Day promotion page to receive a discount in selected titles!
As a child there are some moments and memories which just stick in your mind no matter how many years pass. Naturally these memories are based around the most important people in our life, namely our family. With fathers day coming up the memories which still give me great joy are the picnics my sister and I used to have with my dad. I was about 8 and my sister was 6, periodically dad would take us on a special picnic to give mum some time to herself. These were so much fun; we would go somewhere different each time. Dad would buy food along the way which was completely foreign to us. My sister and I would feel so sophisticated trying these “grown up” food items. Since then we have always shared a love of food and wine, for this reason I will be giving my father a wine magazine subscription for father’s day.
I remember the first time my sister and I tried pickled onion. It may seem a little strange for this to be such a fond memory but that was when I first realized what a Gourmet dad I had. Please remember readers that this memory is straight out of the late 1970’s. I had my first taste of REAL cheese on one of these picnics. Real cheese, which didn’t come out of the cupboard, but out of the fridge! Dad would buy sparkling mineral water and my sister and I would pretend that it was champagne.
After our picnic my sister and I would sit in the back of the car and sing at the top of our voices to the radio.
As the years go by, nothing much has changed, my father still loves the finer things in life, although we have progressed a little further than cheese and pickles. We still enjoy a quiet picnic, but more times than not we have my children and extended family joining us. Instead of sparkling mineral water we enjoy a bottle or two of wine. A subscription to Australian Traveller Wine would make the ideal gift for my dad.
On father’s day he will be notified of the Gourmet Traveller Wine subscription and I will bring dad a beautiful picnic hamper, and bottle of Pinot for our family picnic.
After all, my best memories are centered around food, wine and family.
So what do you have in mind for your father on his special day? Why not surprise dad with a travel magazine from Magshop’s
Magshop is running a Fathers Day promotion. Check out the discounted subscription prices and order before the 4th October! You could also win a Volkswagen Golf Wagon 118TSI Comfortline valued at over $40,000!!
Now wouldn’t that be a great father’s day surprise!
My dad gave me the love of gourmet food and wine, and it is something that we are still sharing today!
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3 TOURS DEPARTING 2012
Have Your Say
I wish I had you for my mum when I was 5!
That cake would have been the talk of the town for the rest of the year - fantastic job.
A lot of your blogs will be interactively design and style that visitor share data to read your blog.
Thank you so much, it is going to be a wonderful surprise for my Mum, I wish everyone a great day with your own special people, those who helped you become who you are today.
Mum definitely deserves the hamper, because she is an amazing woman that has brought up 3 kids through tough times. She is the best mum a son could ask for.
She's had it tough, working hard
deserving much more than just a card
So let's raise a glass and toast her true
The best person in the world - Mum, that's you!
Thanks for the info on Rasa Malaysia's book. I used to visit her website for recipes but some time ago, igot a new PC and forgot to bookmark it!
You're too modest Julie! You did a great job with the cake! :D
Yellow strawberries and cream is just perfect for mum as a reward for putting up with two kids who were a pain in the bum.
I would have loved to have seen those martini glasses! Hope Miss A had a lovely time celebrating turning 5 :D
It shouldn't. It should go to me as whilst trying to make sure my mum, step-mum, MIL, Step-MIL, 3 x Grandmas are spoilt on Mother's Day, I always seem to get forgotten!
My poor old mum is battling to care for my step dad who has advanced Parkinsons. My real dad who has had a stroke still expects her to be there for him, my bro is going bankrupt and she lives two states away from her only gransdon. Her life has little joy- JUst wish for one thing nice to happen to her. We all love our mums, good luck to you all!
Perfect place to relax and forget about all the troubles we have in the city and just unwind ~ can't wait to go to somewhere like this hehe
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