CATHS HAYMAN HIATUS...SUMMER TULIPS IMPOSSIBLE TO KILL...THE BRUNCH MARTINI WITH APRICOT JAM!!??...GEORGE MICHAEL...EASY BACK TO SCHOOL BAGUETTE RECIPE AND MUCH MORE!

CATHS HAYMAN ISLAND HIATUS 

Well, with all the flood 'goings-on' here in Brisbane, Cath ran screaming with arms flailing in the air to the nearest major airport and took herself off to the tranquility of a place of perfection and peace...Hayman Island.  Actually, she wasnt really screaming and arms a-flailing..but you get the picture..she was in need of a sweet sojourn, and Hayman fit all the criteria.

  Cath says the best thing about Hayman was the Pool, the Sunsets and the Service. The most strenuous activity she participated in for the week, was that of reeeelaxing...tough gig but someone has to do it!  She has come back to work brown as a berry and looking like a movie star just out of a top Health Retreat...I may have to kill her....

  Sometimes, you just have to take yourself off somewhere special and take time out just for you.... 

NEW ARRIVALS

Regulars to our showroom will know that every time they step through the doors there is something new to inspire.  We try to inspire our customers every single time they walk in.  This week is no exception with our latest 'We Love' additions.

We LOVE....our huge arched Feature Mirror

Also LOVING our Oversized Feature Clock

And how about starting the year with a new dining table to gather around and create lasting memories?  We just LOVE this latest table arrival into the showroom...completely custom made and also very affordable.  Our craftsman is second to none and we can create a special table just for you, to your dimensions and design specifications...just ask us for more details.

Bring the blooming delights of Spring into your home in the hotter Summer months with one of our beautiful and top quality Tulip Bunches.  They look real and last and last and last...no watering required and already attractively bunched and tied together they look great 'as is' on the dining table or as an added bit of colour and interest to a nook that needs just that little bit of 'something'.  Also available in Reed Bunches.

BRING IT ON!....COCKTAIL FRIDAY

Introducing for your Imbibing Pleasure...The Brunch Martini

Brunch Martini

Serves 1

45 ml	Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum
15 ml	Cointreau
1 tsp	apricot jam
15 ml	ruby grapefruit juice

1

Add all ingredients to a shaker half-filled with ice. Shake hard and fast, pour through a fine strainer into a chilled martini glass and serve.

BACK TO SCHOOL EASY FAMILY RECIPE

This week, we should have had George Michaels song 'Freedom' on the itunes to play full blast as the hoards of women sans children floated through the showroom. 

Hard as it is to pack the little sweethearts back to school for another year, considering all of the 'inside' time that Brisbane parents have had to experience with their children over the holidays, we do believe that an easy, yet delicious Friday recipe is warranted.

EASY SUMMER-FRESH BEEF BAGUETTES TOPPED WITH MUSTARD AND CRANBERRY

This recipe is super easy and wont hurt the wallet too much either.  I prepared all the fresh ingredients first and put it on a platter in the fridge, then sat out on the back deck with the whole family, while Pete the Greek cooked up the steaks. We then just assembled the baguettes out on the deck, cut the baguettes into 4 or 6 each, depending on the size of the bread stick and then everyone helped themselves.  Its a really easy, stress free meal that will literally take you 15 minutes from the time you start to finished product....enjoy!

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 4 x 90g lean beef minute steaks
• Olive oil spray
• 1 large baguette, cut into four, split
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• 2 cups (50g) watercress sprigs
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

MUSTARD AND CRANBERRY DRESSING

• 1 1/2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 tbs cranberry sauce

Method

1. Pound the steaks with a meat mallet until about 2mm thick. Spray with oil and season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a frypan over high heat. Cook the steaks, 2 at a time, for 30 seconds each side for medium or until cooked to your liking. Rest for 3 minutes, then slice.
3. Meanwhile, for the dressing, whisk ingredients with 1 tablespoon boiling water until combined. Season to taste.
4. Fill the baguette pieces with tomato, watercress, onion, sliced steaks and any beef juices. Drizzle over the mustard dressing and serve immediately.

Notes

• To make this dish even quicker, use 350g lean rare roast beef slices from the deli in place of the steaks.

....Until next week!  Have a wonderful weekend.

xxx

HAPPY NEW YEAR!..WE ARE ON THE MOVE!!...OUR RELOCATION SALE, OUR CHRISTMAS FAMILY TABLE, AUSTRALIA DAY FARE..TOSS ANOTHER PIRI PIRI PRAWN ON THE BARBY!...AND OUR EXCLUSIVE BEER COCKTAIL...CHEERS!

HAPPY NEW YEAR...FRESH STARTS...

Firstly, a great big belated Happy New Year to you all.  We just know that 2011 is going to be a fantastic year for all...and what better way to start afresh, than to announce that we are moving premises.  We are going to be setting off into 2011 with a fresh, more intimate showroom, still focussing on our beautiful furniture, custom made range and most importantly our design business.  We look forward to sharing with you all the details in the coming weeks.

With every big move comes a big cleanse and we are having a Huge Relocation Sale, starting mid next week.  Our discounts will vary, and there will be some big savings to be had.  I am sure that over time there has been certain pieces that you have admired...well this could be your opportunity to purchase that item that you have only dreamed of having as your own!  More info to come next week.  Do not hesitate to contact us for pricing on anything on our website.

http://www.charcoalinteriors.com.au/

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

It seems like months ago, but Christmas is now a very distant memory, after the dramas of the rest flooding in Queensland, New South Wales and now Victoria.  Our hearts go out to those who were affected and most importantly to those who lost family members.  We were extremely lucky to have been spared from any water inundation during this time.  Every care was taken to protect our furniture as a precaution.  All items were taken to our Mezzanine level, so we are now very skilled at lifting using our legs and not our backs.  The next holiday will be spent sleeping for a week!

We did promise in our last blog for the 2010 year, to send on some pics of our Christmas Table Setting.  We had a great Christmas Dinner together as a family and Cathie spent hours preparing the table.  It really looked magnificent, resplendent with towering candelabras and our cute wicker reindeer to keep the little ones happy.

Cathie admiring her handiwork

Our Family Christmas Table

AUSTRALIA DAY

Nothing says Australia Day more than throwing a bunch of prawns on the Barbie!  This Australia Day we are celebrating with a beer and a barbecue out on the back deck.  I found this amazing prawn recipe that I wanted to share.  Its just too easy and the flavours are fantastic. This dish goes well with a green salad with mango and dill tossed through and a nice cold beer with a wedge of lime...preferably Fourex...because we have to keep it local cobbas!

PIRI PIRI PRAWNS ON THE BARBECUE

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 6 long red chillies
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tbs paprika
• 3 tbs cider or white wine vinegar
• 100ml sunflower oil
• 24 green prawns, peeled (tails intact), deveined
• 2 tbs shredded mint or basil leaves
• Lime or lemon wedges, to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Roast chillies on a tray for 8-10 minutes until soft and lightly browned. Chop (removing seeds for less heat if desired) and add to a small pan over medium-low heat with garlic, paprika, vinegar, 1/3 cup (80ml) oil and 2 tsp salt. Simmer 2 minutes. Cool slightly, then blend in a processor until smooth and cool completely. Toss prawns with 2-3 tbs sauce (leftover sauce will keep for 1 month, covered, in the fridge). Heat remaining 1 tbs oil on a barbecue hotplate or in a wok on high heat. Cook prawns, turning, for 4 minutes until cooked, then toss with herbs and serve with lime.

COCKTAIL FRIDAY....WE'RE BACK!

Not being a fan of beer on its own, I still do like the idea of sitting with a cold malted bevvy in the pool on a hot summers afternoon after work.  So, I was fortunate enough to have a friend make me this refreshing concoction recently...its a beer cocktail and it certainly hits the spot and is a twist on the old staple 'Shandy' that my Dad used to let me sip when I was a little girl.

AUSTRALIA DAY BEER COCKTAIL

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups ice cubes
• 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur
• 10 tablespoons (5 ounces) light lager, such as Fourex Light Bitter
• 1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) fresh lemon juice
• 5 (1-inch) pieces peeled fresh ginger cut into thin matchsticks

METHOD

Fill Highball glass with ice cubes. Add ginger liqueur, beer, and lemon juice and stir until combined. Garnish with ginger sticks....we like it without the ginger sticks as it can be a tad overpowering, but each to his or her own. 

HAPPY WEEKEND

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.  We certainly have had a lot to be grateful for over the past couple of weeks.  Be sure to pop into the showroom and say hi as we are open Saturday and Sunday.  Ask us about our discounts on all items.  We are always happy to help and answer any questions you may have.

Cheers...Cathie, Colette and Jen