Saying Hello to 2012 With Some Key Buys.


Hello and Happy 2012!  Aren’t New Year’s Days that fall on Sundays the greatest thing?  What is not to love about a public holiday Monday to kick of the new year?

It isn’t just the arrival of a new year that’s telling me I’m old, it was how I spent New Year’s Eve.  Quietly and at home with floating candles for the dining table centrepiece rather than fireworks and a picnic  dinner down at the park.  I was actually in bed just after the children’s fireworks and saw the main event in the morning paper today.

What I couldn’t muster up in dazzle for the fireworks, I made up for with this maxi dress from Asos.

Dinner featured these lamb cutlets and many other good things from Costco.  Thanks to Mr SSG for his expert handling of the lamb on the hot plate last night.

I’m going to be straight with you.  I’m incapable of mentioning Costco just once in a post.  You know how it is, I tell you about one thing and that leads on to practically everything else I came home with.  Hope the rest of today’s Ode to Costco is somewhat amusing.

New Years is all about a bit of fun and trying new things.  Which was all the excuse we needed to get these classy party starters from Costco.  Yes, that is a Heineken mini keg.  For less $30 you can have the equivalent of 20 beers poured with a perfect head all in the comfort of your own home.  What’s more, the beer is guaranteed to stay fresh for 30 days from opening (assuming the beer sticks around for 30 days).  It is a bit of an awkward size for your average fridge to ours found a home in the spare mop bucket and was bathed in ice.  It was a huge hit with everyone who was over for dinner last night.  

Moving on to the Golden Margarita mix.  Apparently this is a classic Costco product.  Thanks to everyone on twitter last night who gave me tips on how to get the salt rim on my glass.  That hefty bottle has around 17 standard drinks in it.  I only managed one – they pack quite a punch. And a very tiny pour it was too, a little goes a long way.

Perhaps I should have taken one of these Coke party tubs home with me instead of the margarita mix.

Mr SSG always makes a junk food impulse purchase when we go to Costco.  This weekend, it was a 500g bag of Cheezels.  I haven’t eaten these since I was in year 10.  Is it just me, but is junk food tasting healthier these days?  More refined artificial favours and colouring?  Despite our best efforts, we barely made a dent into those Cheezels so out came my trusty zip lock bags and air tight plastic food containers….

I’m big on procrastinating at the moment (I didn’t even bother to make this the subject of a New Year’s resolution, in fact I don’t actually have any resolutions at all).  I was meant to be tackling my wardrobe this long weekend but instead I picked an easier target, the fruit bowl(s).  They used to occupy a bench top and the middle of the dining table.  Now we have these hanging baskets instead.  Erm from Costco and full of Costco fruit.  Just looking at that corner of the room convinces me that I’ve been eating healthily all weekend.

I picked up these Calvin Klein crew neck T shirts as well.  They’re $23 a pair and are super soft.  They’re also quite long so they won’t ride up during the day.  I think the time has now come to bin those old Target Ts of mine.  That counts as a step towards decluttering my wardrobe, in my book.

The New Year is also a time to face facts.  Like how my black skinnies are just a bit too skinny for some situations.  Which is why these black Gloria Vanderbilt jeans also made it into the trolley.  It’s their aim to slim rather than skinny-fy that sold me.  They’ll be good for casual / crazy long days at work, I think.

Donna Hay hasn’t graced the posts of this blog for a while.  At first it was Mr SSG doing the cooking, then it was Mr SSG’s ‘Team Gosling no carbs after 5’ eating plan and then it was Mr SSG taking me to Wolgan Valley.  I’ve now run out of Mr SSG excuses and have now resumed ownership of dinners.  I managed to get a copy of Donna’s Simple Dinners as well so I’ll be reading it tonight and getting some ideas for when we have to go back to 5 day working weeks…

In the mean time, I’m easing back into this cooking business.

A large pot of spag bol has been simmering on the stove this afternoon and the veggies are washed for a salad to go with.

I’ve also worked my upper body by grating this wedge of top grade Costco (where else) parmesan.  Pasta, salad dressings, any cooking situation that calls for some zingy hard cheese – the SSG Manor kitchen is now more than ready to take up the challenge.

Hope you’re having a lovely first day of 2012, wherever you may be.


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