Camping at Breezes Lake Eildon...Gouldburn River

 3-6/1/2025

We spent 2 nights at Breezes in Lake Eildon and had the best time!  I love the outdoors n wished I had starting camping ages ago!

Day One

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Checked in...set up our tents and chilled by the river...water is ice cold and I could only tippy toe in the water.  Managed to sit in it but could not last long.  It was absolutely ice cold.  Unbelievable!  I felt so defeated I could not swim in it.

Lillie prepped dinner and we had guests join us.  Curry chicken was delish and we had the fire 🔥  going later and we cooked sweet potatoes, corn and marshmallows in the campfire.

Drinking started when the stars came out.  We sat around the fire and just enjoyed the silence and flickering flames.

Breakfast

Mucking Around

Toe Dippers

There is only 5 of us on this trip so it was easy to cater our meals.  Our mornings we had cooked breakfast washed down by coffee/tea with a variety of eggs..bacon..mushrooms..brocolinni etc.  Better than some BnB.

Day 2

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We were invited over the river to Annette's for BBQ lunch in their beautiful backyard which backs onto the river.

Definitely a lunch with beautiful views.

Annette's beautiful backyard

John and Marilyn Lambert drove up for the day and joined us at Annette's.

Was hoping for lovely sunsets or sun rises but this trip I was quite disappointed.

2nd nite fire

Good Morning

Forgot to mention everyone  crashed for a nap when we were at Annette's.

After the recharge, we went back to camp to start dinner.

Tonight, it was roast pork! Yes LG can make roast pork even  without an oven!  

We had noddles with it and it was so yummy.

So we have been walking up and down the river and still tip toeing around... but when we went further down and found a spot that was more calm... I just  went in and tried to swim.  It was so so cold and after 4 strokes...I was frozen and had to admit defeat but at least I got my whole body wet!!! 

Breakfast Crew

We did not do much activities except with cooking utensils and the fork and knife.  

Everyone had some down time and we enjoyed each other's company so this short breakation did all of us a world of good!

On the way home we stopped by the Maroondah Dam to debrief and all of us agreed we should do it again!

Forest Hill Chase Cooking Demo

In conjunction with Chinese New Year celebrations. The Foodaffectionist aka Lillie Giang was demonstrating the following dishes at Forest Hill Chase Shopping Centre.

1)  The infamous Prosperity Toss

2) Dumplings workshop by public participation

3)  Longevity Noodles

It was a fun morning and Shoppers and passerbys were treated to a sample of the dishes demonstrated by Lillie.

It was "hard" work and when the "show" was over, we all gathered for dumplings for late lunch as a reward for ourselves!

Another great cooking demonstration by the Foodaffectionist aka Lillie Giang

 

Italian Chap Goh Meh

 7/2/2025

This year I did not bother to cook traditional Chinese chap goh meh food as its just us girlies at home.

The girls wanted Italian so we landed up at Scusa Mi for dinner.  Ray was out so we "partied" ourselves.

Actually, I did make the nian koe aka sticky cake battered with sweet potatoes for Eva as she wanted me to cook it days before!

This cake symbolises togetherness!  Eat to stick the family together.  Well, Ray wasn't here so let's see if the myth carries any truth down the track?!?)  I might not live to see the day but what will be will be!!!

Sticky Cake n Pomelo

Peeled pomelo (foreground)

I peeled the pomelo and had it for my Netflix snack later that night.  

Pomelo is a CNY thing and chap goh meh is the 15th day of CNY.  Some call it Chinese Valentine's Day.  

I am not very cultured so I only do what I know and recall what my mom did as I never took much notice back in the days as my mom did it all.  I reckon Becky is the same and what little she knows, I hope she will pass it on to the girls.

If everything fails, just Google it!!!