A Birthday Lunch at The Potting Shed

A Birthday Lunch at The Potting Shed. 41/43 Bourke Road, Alexandria, NSW 2051. Photos taken with Canon D70 DSLR and Google Pixel 3XL.

So, the other week I was sad that I couldn't take my friend out for her birthday like I did every year as our little tradition. I considered cancelling it due to Covid-19. It has really put a damper on everyone's 2020.

But at the last minute, I asked my friend for permission to take her out anyway.  I tried to find some joy in 2020. Making sure we weren't sick and practising social distancing guides, I booked lunch at The Potting Shed. We are currently lucky in NSW Australia that we have loosened the strict lockdown because our cases have slowed down.

Life is not always made up of grand gestures or the big milestones. It's the little moments really, like spending some one on one time with your bestie and getting excited over some delicious food. And being in lockdown for months now, it's something we both needed. 

When me and Betty are together, we share our thoughts on everything going on in our lives, even when we think its mundane it's surprisingly nice to know when someone cares. We are both genuinely interested in the little details, especially when we get the time to share them in person.

I learnt that Jasmine (Betty's first daughter) has sweaty feet exactly like her father, which Betty probably can't understand, but finds funny anyway. She constantly takes Jasmine's socks at the end of the day drenched in sweat. I reminded Betty that I don't have that problem because I don't sweat (which is true) and Betty teased that I was weird (which is also true). 

Hai has been calling me way too 'cool' for him lately and that he likes to playfully beg me not to leave him. I tell Betty I don't know what is with him lately as I haven't done anything different but Betty just declared that I've ALWAYS been really cool and then we have a laugh about it and I tease that it might be true.

I've been into BTS lately so I've been watching alot of their variety shows where the members feed each other food with spoons or their fingers and putting it straight into someone else's mouths. In Korean culture I understand it's a way to show they are looking each other well and a good sign of close friendship which is really sweet. But in Australia, we just don't do that, we never grew up with it and I can also understand its an intimate thing we are not used to. We show affection by teasing and giving each other shit. Or shouting each other food or drinks. Betty and I talked about these cultural differences in awe. And then I attempted to feed Betty some cake with my spoon - and the spoon wasn't even halfway across the table before we shrieked "no we can't do it!" and had a good fit of laughter about it. Since then, I haven't attempted it again. Not even to my own husband.

Lastly, we wondered what our lives would've been like if we had not met each other. We did not want to think about it! We've been friends for so long and my 20s and now 30s have been influenced by Betty's everlasting friendship. We talk about the extension of our friendships, like how I would've not met Jaye and Erin if it weren't for Betty. Or if I would've turned out just as strong as Betty is. What our weddings would've been like without each other by our sides or even our birthdays.

I didn't even want to think about, instead just be grateful for what I have today with Betty.

Let's remember to be grateful and appreciate the little moments that make up our lives. It also helps to have good food to fawn over as well. The Potting Shed's menu, ambience and service really help make Betty's birthday lunch one of the highlights of the year.

A Year Ago Today at Acre Eatery

Lunch at: Acre Eatery, 31A Mallett street, Camperdown NSW 2050. Photos taken by me with my Canon D70 DSLR

So I had no intention of posting these photos to my blog. It was a day I took out my best friend Betty for her annual birthday lunch, one year ago. Our tradition is to 'surprise' each other with a restaurant we know we both enjoy to show how much we care and love one another. <3

But this year, with the Covid-19 pandemic, Australia has been in lock down and I think me and Betty quietly knew we couldn't celebrate our birthdays in our traditional way.

But these photos came up as part of my 'Facebook Memories' as Betty's birthday was a few days ago and I realised how much I missed our old lives before lock-down.

Everyone, please do your part and wear a mask, sanitise, isolate if you feel sick and practice social distancing so that next year I would not need to experience the same frustrations. Hoping I am lucky enough to take my best friend out for her birthday in 2021. I hope everyone else does too. We all deserve to be safe and happy.

Reflecting back, I picked Acre Eatery because of the cosy farm-to-table feeling I felt when I saw the website photos. When we arrived, the eatery was surrounded by a garden where you can see that they grew their own foods where they can. The menu is seasonal so unfortunately it changes all the time so I couldn't find what I ate a year ago on the menu today. But everything was delicious and our favourite was the garlic topped baked Camembert with rosemary crackers.

My favourite thing was that I could order a special in-house baked birthday cake for Betty to be served at the end of our meal. I pre-ordered before I arrived to the restaurant when I was made my booking. It was beautiful vanilla sponge cake topped with cream and fresh colourful fruit from the gardens. I remember the look of glee on Betty's face when it came out and the sinking embarrassed feeling I had when I realised I had to sing the birthday song to Betty solo, but I love her so much I would do anything for her.

That's the beauty of our friendship <3

Stay safe everyone x

Winter High Tea at Petal Met Sugar

Winter High Tea at Petal Met Sugar (available from May to August)
Photos taken by me with my Canon 70D DSLR

After the crazy ups and downs of planning a wedding, I felt really fortunate that the only thing to plan was a lunch for Betty's Birthday.
I've wanted to visit this place for more then a year but was unlucky with my booking. I managed to secure one this year. When I arrived, I could see why you had to book early - there were only about five tables available and all of it was outdoors. Still, it was a beautiful setting, with the Petal Met Sugar floral shop behind us and the Kitchen to the side of us.

We opted with the Sweet & Savoury High Tea Menu, I ordered the English Breakfast tea (a must for me) and Betty the Iced Chocolate infused with Earl Grey tea. The Earl Grey drink came with a giant circular ice cube and it was so refreshing. I was jealous of Betty's choice.
The first things to come out were the Brie & Parmesan Croissant and Potato Bun with scrambled egg. Both very filling and the croissant was melt in your mouth delicious. It was nice to not get the usual salmon and cream cheese sandwiches with crusts cut off.

The Hero of the High Tea then arrived: a four by four perspex box that housed our desserts and some beautiful flowers. The scones' cream and jam came in its own perspex box and just tied everything together nicely. My top pick was the Nuts about Figs dessert, topped with 24k gold leaf.

The company was just as good as it has always been - we talked about family, friends and the little things in life that tie our days together - like discovering that a new filter can really bring our old vacuum to life, what life is like after the wedding, our intention of going back to the gym but never following through, Facebook memes, our hairstyle plans and how annoying it is to meal prep for more than one person.

Unlike the Barbie High Tea I attended, I wouldn't normally go out to have such a luxurious brunch these days. But with Betty just having her baby and it being her birthday, I felt we needed to treat ourselves and embrace the weekend. It was nice to talk about our lives uninterrupted and enjoy such a delicious and photogenic High Tea.

And don't worry if you miss out on this year's Winter High Tea, Petal Met Sugar offer different high tea menus throughout the year, keep an eye out on their Facebook and Instagram. However ensure to book it early, the staff are very responsive and helpful.