Doughnut Panic, We Are Back

We have been horrendous bloggers.

But doughnut worry, this post may just make you forgive us.

That’s right, we went to a hole in the wall establishment that sells doughnuts, doughnuts and more doughnuts.

Doughnuts are a funny topic between the two of us. On one hand you have me, who is a closeted doughnut fan who allows myself one doughnut every 5 years, otherwise I would go on a calorific rampage across the state of QLD consuming every sugarcoated morsel in existence.

Then you have Annie, who had never had a single doughnut in her life. Her entire life.

There was only one solution to this issue. The time had come for doughnuts. It was doughnut time.

Since opening up as a spin off to the well-established Chester Street Bakery, Doughnut Time has become an obsession for Brisbane residents. You would think that we would get sick of our Instagram feeds being filled with their goodies, but it is quite the contrary. Brisbaner’s cannot get enough. And who could blame us; these are not your average doughnuts.

Source: Doughtnut Time’s Instagram (@doughnut_time)

We started with drinks. We opted for a root beer float, which was quite nice but paled in comparison to our other monstrosity of a drink. The Strawberry doughnut think shake. This is basically the greatest thing you will ever put into your mouth. Thick vanilla ice cream blended with a strawberry doughnut and topped with strawberries, cream and fairy floss. When ordering the drink we prepared ourselves for an onslaught of sugar, however much to our surprise the thick shake wasn’t overly sweet. We doughnut know how you managed it, but we applaud you doughnut time.

Then the moment you have all been waiting for. The doughnuts. Oh my, the doughnuts. We could tell you that we ordered so many because it was more photographic, but we would be lying. Prepare yourselves, there are some funny names… we ordered; Ya Bacon me Crazy, Planting the Seed, The Butternut, The Crème De Le Crème, At the Drive-In and Cast-Away.

We tucked into the Ya Bacon Me Crazy, The Butternut and the Crème De Le Crème. The Butternut, filled with pistachio flavored goodness was a firm favorite. But they were all pretty darn good.

I think our faces say it all.

Doughnut mess around, if you are in Brisbane do yourself a favorite and go this weekend. If you aren’t, give their instagram (@doughnut_time) a follow and torment yourself while scrolling through their luscious photos. I dare you.

P.S- we really are truly sorry for our lack of posting lately. We hope you forgive us!

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Tapas and Sangria

One of the most difficult things about having a small budget in the city is that it makes it so much more difficult to travel around. Oh how we wish we could afford the skyrocketing fuel prices and the exuberant cost of car parks. But we can’t. So for the time being we are spending a lot of time on buses.

Don’t get us wrong, we are all for public transport. It’s cost-effective and easy. But when you’re dressed to the nines, it’s human nature to wish you were in something a little fancier. To add to that the final destination is never where the bus stops, leaving you with no option but to hike to wherever it is you are going. Suffice to say, we were definitely thirsty and in need of a drink when we reached Melbourne Street Wine and Tapas Bar.

This cute little eatery, just out of the hub that is Southbank, is an up and coming restaurant in the Brisbane food scene. Situated along Melbourne Street, it is ideal place for dinner and drinks.

We had barely sat down before we ordered our must for the night. A jug of Sangria.

Now we have both ‘done’ Spain. So we have had our fair share of Sangria. But nothing, and we mean nothing, compares to this one.(This may be due to the fact that our previous experiences with Sangria was only sourced from Spanish grocery stores…)

We spent a bit more time working out what we wanted as dinner. This was an exceptionally hard choice, as we wanted everything. We finally settled on five items, at the waitress’s recommendation.

The risotto balls stuffed with pumpkin and coriander with a saffron aioli ($9) came out with the three cheese button mushrooms with bacon, garlic, parsley and honey balsamic ($10).

Then came the tempura zucchini flowers, stuffed with feta, sundried tomatoes and romesco ($10). Anna had been dreaming about this dish for the past couple of weeks so, obviously, we had high expectations. It didn’t disappoint.

Just when we thought the food couldn’t get any better, the showstoppers arrived.

We devoured the pistachio and herb crusted lamb cutlets and kipfler potatoes ($15).

While the sesame seed soft shell crab with orange chili and mint ($12) was cooked to utter perfection.

For dessert, more cocktails.

To be honest we got a bit too silly for a Wednesday night…

All in all, our budgets won’t allow us to come hurrying back. But Melbourne Street Wine and Tapas Bar is the perfect place for a special meal and amazing drinks. Though you might be able to rock up without a reservation for the time being, word will spread and soon a table at this bar will be hard to come by. So take our advice. Grab a group of good friends and spend a night at the Melbourne Street Wine and Tapas Bar ASAP.

p.s. This. Place. Does. Breakfast.

We are wearing:

Anna

Skirt – H&M, Shoes – Topshop, Top – Country Road, Clutch – LGC Designs, Watch – The Fifth, Earrings – Bought in Paris

Annie

Dress – Seed, Belt – Vintage, Shoes – Bought in Madrid, Clutch – The Iconic, Watch – The Horse

Lunch over Lectures

The reality of going to uni is very different from what our high schools selves imagined it to be.

After watching countless Hollywood movies on university life we expected to spend our semesters locked up in the library. Realistically this is what we should be doing. But you know what is so much more fun? Eating out.

The fact that our university is in the middle of the city, doesn’t make it much easier for us. Or our bank accounts. Don’t even get us started on shopping.

So on Monday we had a tough decision to make. Where on earth do we spend our two-hour break?

We knew we fancied lunch with a view. So we wandered down to the river where we stopped at the notorious River Bar and Kitchen.

It was a hot day. So the waterfront breeze that Riverbar captures was incredibly pleasant. The calm, cool and collected atmosphere was enjoyed by an eclectic group of customers.

Since our lecture finished early we arrived before the lunch menu was available. To pass the time and to shake off the humidity (why is it still so hot?!) we settled down to a freshly squeezed juice. Beetroot, pink grapefruit and carrot ($6.50), this juice was refreshing, earthy and left you feeling like you’d done you’re body a favour.

Midday soon came around and the lunch menu became available. Much to the delight of our ravenous selves. River bar offers an exciting lunchtime menu and it was difficult to choose what we wanted. It was an even harder deliberation when our neighboring tables began ordering an array of delicious looking plates. From the typical Australian fare of burgers to items with more Asian influences, everything looked delectable.

After much tossing and turning (and consideration of our dwindling funds).
Anna decided on the wood fired root vegetables. Which was flavorful and light. Definitely a guilt-free option.

Annie went a little heavier with crispy chicken tacos. The beautifully presented plate was tangy and indulgent, with the fried chicken cooked to utter perfection.

Our foodie friend had the calamari, she enjoyed it but felt it was missing a little something-something. Maybe a little extra spice next time?

We felt like Riverbar was the perfect place to get an effortlessly cool blogger shot.

We failed miserably.

We don’t think we will ever master it.

Overall Riverbar was a great way to break the tediousness of our 8-hour uni day.

We will definitely be back! We hear it is a great place for Saturday night drinks. And there is always a reason for that!

 

Cocktails on the Cheap

We all love a cheeky cocktail now and then, but at $18 a glass it’s just not feasible on a university budget. Don’t you worry though, we have got you covered!

As experienced broke girls who love to drink, cheap cocktails are our specialty.

Whip up this cocktail recipe, invite some friends round and get ready for a fantastic night!

Here is is what you will need:

1 cup of frozen berries

3 tablespoons pimms*

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 bottle lemonade

1 bottle dry ginger ale

1 bottle cheap champagne

*if you don’t want to buy a whole bottle of spirits you can also buy brandy or rum in the mini bar sized bottles.

Mix the berries, sugar and pimms in a food processor. If you are super organised and doing this step ahead of time, the mixture can be thrown straight into the freezer. If you are like us and want to get straight into the drinking, combine the berry mixture, ginger ale, lemonade and champagne in a jug and serve in fancy champagne flutes.

Drink!

The best bit, with all of that money saved on expensive drinks, you can make a kick ass cheese platter. And let’s be honest, that’s always the best part!

Go on, try the recipe, we know you want to!

Munchies at the Markets

Stuck on what to do on a Saturday morning?

Well we have the perfect suggestion and you’ll love it!

A walk along the Brisbane River and a special brekky at the New Farm Jan Powers Markets is up there with one of the best ways to kick start a wonderful weekend.

Our morning started early. 6am to be exact. And to be honest we were kinda ready to skip our morning’s activities in favour of another couple of hours of sleep. But we persevered and god it was worth it.

The long walk along the river from Hamilton to New Farm went quickly, with cool breezes, lovely views, good conversation and an energetic dog (Frankie) to pass the time. The river walk passing through the suburbs of Teneriffe, Newstead and New Farm is a Brisbane must do.

We got to the Markets just as they were kicking off. We would love to have seen what all the stalls had to offer, but by bringing a dog along it was a tad difficult.

The stalls we did see though were eye-catching and offered amazing products.

After our long walk in 30 degree heat an Iced Tea ($6) from the “Iced Tea Man” was the only way to quench our thirst. We shared a jar of mojito iced tea.

Just what we needed.

With copious stalls offering the most delectable breakfast options we were stuffed for choice. However with Frankie fading fast, we quickly chose a bagel and Dutch-pancakes to share.

The rye bagel ($7) was served with a schmear of cream cheese, sundried tomato, pesto, pine nuts and rocket. Though yummy, we don’t think we will choose it again. It was a bit heavy for a humid Brisbane morning.

The Dutch-pancakes ($9) were the showstopper. Airy, sweet, fluffy, scrumptious and delectable, suffice to say they didn’t last long. Accompanied with strawberries, cream and icing sugar, this meal did everything right.

We ate our breakfast in the park overlooking the river, basking in the morning light.

A delightful way to enjoy our first meal of the day.

Our walk back along the river was just as lovely, despite Frankie giving up halfway.

So have we convinced you yet? Trust us you’ll love it.

Avo and Smoothies

Treating ourselves to smoothies on Sunday morning was definitely the smooth start we both needed (pun intended).

We decided to tick Liquefy Juice Co. off our never-ending bucket list of things to eat in Brisbane. This little health cafe squeezed in amongst the busy restaurants and eclectic boutiques that make up the hub of Latrobe Terrace was just what we imagined.

To be honest with you all, we are not particularly adventurous with our drink choices. It was something we were determined to change. And Liquefy was the best place to finally have an excuse to branch out.

Known for their incredibly unique menu of pressed juices and smoothies we knew we would let ourselves down if we didn’t try some of the funny combinations. 

Anna had the ‘Liquefy’, a combination of coconut water, apple, coconut meat, pineapple, agave, lemon, mint, avocado and e3live (a type of blue-green algae). But don’t be put of by ingredients that you would usually see in a salad. This smoothie was tangy but sweet and had the distinctive taste of being good for you. 

No wonder its Liquefy’s signature drink.

Annie played it safe in comparison. But trust us, here ‘safe’ is by no means ‘boring’. She ordered the ‘Sail Away’. Made with coconut water, banana, pineapple, aloe-vera juice, ginger, mint and cinnamon, this drink was both comforting and refreshing. Though made with ingredients that are quite typical, this smoothie will by no means leave you disappointed. 

Goodness gracious were both of these satisfying. Is there really anything better than a guilt-free but mouth-watering brekky? Nope. Nothing. 

The food we had to accompany these thirst-quenchers was definitely just as amazing. We both ordered what we thought was a classic avocado on sourdough, however weren’t we surprised to find Liquefy’s great twist on the original.

Served with grilled haloumi and a mixture of spices and dukkah, it’s definitely close to being amongst the best avocado dishes in town. And let’s be honest guys, that’s saying something isn’t it!

Just take a closer look at this lip-smacking goodness…

With its budget friendly menu and unique but oh-so-delicious drinks we have fallen in love with this joint. Definitely a breakfast spot of choice from now on! Our bank accounts might not like it, but we like to tell ourselves that its an investment into our health. 

With a variety of locations around the city there is no reason why this distinctive café shouldn’t become your local spot as well.

Secret in the Suburbs

Is it just us or is the stress of uni life already weighing you down?

Not even a week into our academic year and we both were in desperate need of a serious mood booster. Well that is what we told ourselves to feel better about eating out once again. Our bank accounts may disagree.

We thought the Lewin Street Store in Bardon was the absolute perfect place to wind down. Not that expensive, but oh so yummy. This adorable coffee spot takes the concept of the local corner store to a whole new level. From chocolate paddle pops to Barambah yogurt, Lewin St Store has got you covered. As if the café couldn’t get any better, they make a point to use locally produced goods. Whether it’s the honey coming from hives two streets away or the herbs and vegies supplied by an assortment of locals.

It also makes a great spot to get a happy snap or two.

Soon after we took our seats, our coffee order was taken and we were able to look over the eclectic menu with gusto.

Served in vintage cups, the Genovise coffee was spectacular. No wonder the Bardon locals have been keeping this a secret for awhile.

And now to the food.

Muesli, fruit and Barambah yogurt ($9) for Anna

Banana loaf with hand-churned butter ($6) for Annie

Avocado, feta, lemon, dukkah and herbs on organic sourdough ($12) for our foodie friend.

The meals were the perfect start to an early weekend. Making Lewin Street Store rank high on our lists of breakfast hotspots.

WARNING.. get in quick, because Lewin Street Store will not be kept a secret for much longer.

Annie wears:

• Jumpsuit- Urban Outfiters
• Shoes- Jeffery Campbell
• Sunglasses- Le Specs

Anna wears:

•  Shirt- Zara
• Shorts- Premonition
• Shoes- Rubi Shoes
• Sunglasses- Supa Sundays
• Watch- The Fifth
• Clutch- Mimco

Monday Pick-Me-Ups

Monday mornings are always tough, however with uni starting up again, our’s was especially bad.

There was only one thing to do.

Go out for breakfast.

We choose Brisbane CBD as our destination, with cold drip coffees being a necessity. We needed the energy to make it through our 10am lecture. Bonsai Botanika on Elizabeth Street was where we found the caffeine hit we needed and a decadent brekky to go with it. This cafe is known for its Japanese cuisine, but its location, trendy interior and unique fusion menu make it ideal for a Monday morning pick me up.

We started with the much needed cold drip coffee which was far superior to our usual soy capps. Essentially a deconstructed iced coffee, the drink was served in separate beakers. We became our own personal baristas, making the coffee exactly to our tastes. Certainly a theatrical way to start our breakfast.

Just check out that brew!

Our meals were just as great.

It was the perfect place to opt out of our usual avo on toast and instead pick something a little more fancy, and goodness didn’t we. Between us we choose the Sourdough French Toast ($12) and the Rice Pudding ($12). Both dishes were beautifully presented and great value, perfect for our uni student budget.

The rice pudding was a great consistency, with the poached pear being the perfect accompaniment to break through the sweetness of the dish. It was a warm and heartening dish, a perfect comfort meal.

The french toast was a refreshing take on the traditional. Not nearly as sweet or heavy, the choice to serve it with fresh fruit and yogurt was incredibly well-received. Despite being a touch burnt, the dish was beautifully presented.

Just take a look for yourself.

A-mazing.

Bonsai Botanika cured our Monday-itis and we would recommend it as the perfect place to start a busy week.