Majo's Casual Italian Dining, New Farm

Last weekend, my brother, my partner and I tried Majo's at New Farm. I discovered it via urbanspoon.com (possibly the best website ever), so we decided to try it out because of its many positive reviews. We arrived at around 6.30pm, and were shown to our table promptly. The restaurant is quite spacious and comfortable. We decided to order a pizza from their authentic Italian pizza menu (apparently they are made according to Italian pizza regulations...). We ordered the 'Mamma Teresa' pizza - Tomato sauce, Italian pork sausage, roasted onion, oregano - to share. We each ordered an entree size main (they were still huge). I ordered creamy chicken and mushroom penne and my partner and brother both ordered chianti beef and mushroom ragu (brother had fettuccine and bf had gnocchi).

We received our meals quickly, but unfortunately I was served creamy chicken and avocado penne instead. Not being a fan of avocado, I told the waitress about the mix up and my meal was quickly replaced and 10% taken from the price of my main. We all dug into the pizza which was delicious - thick puffy base, mouth-watering topping. My main was nice... but nothing spectacular. I probably could have made it at home with just some chicken, mushrooms and some cream... The boys' mains, however, were delicious. That ragu was very impressive, great flavours. My partner was in love with the gnocchi, even stating that it was the best he'd ever had. I tried some and he's right, it was sooo good - light and fluffy without that overpowering potato taste. My brother was also impressed with the ragu and his fresh pasta - although he had not expected to receive multi-coloured fettuccine (not that it affected the taste in any way).

With big full bellies we then wandered across the road to Re Del Gelato for dessert.

All up, one pizza, three entree sized mains and three drinks cost around $90. We will definitely be returning. Next time I will order the ragu, and without a doubt my partner will order the gnocchi.

The Spaghetti House, West End

Gnocchi in butter sauce and pappardelle ragu

A few weeks ago, my partner and I tried The Spaghetti House at West End, Brisbane. My partner is a huuuge lover of Italian food, so you can expect many of my reviews to be of Italian restaurants. The venue is quite small; the inside area is very narrow and other than that, there are just a few tables outside on the footpath. We made a booking for 8pm, and even by then people were still coming and going, the place was packed! We were shown to our table, which unfortunately was right in front of the kitchen. We had a lovely waiter who was very very Italian (he had a thick accent that we sometimes found hard to understand). He seemed to know the menu very well, and easily rattled off about eight different types of pizza that were the special of the night. We ordered a small potato and rosemary pizza for entree, I ordered pappardelle ragu and my partner ordered some sort of gnocchi in butter sauce. For dessert I ordered tiramisu and my partner ordered panna cotta with berry coulis.

Panna cotta with berry coulis and tiramisu

Entree was nice, but a little bland (I guess we should have expected that from a potato and rosemary pizza though). My main was beautiful; the meat was so tender it just fell apart, the tomatoey sauce was delicious and the pasta was fresh and lovely. My partner was not as impressed with his main, the butter sauce definitely needed something added to give a little more flavour. The gnocchi was okay, but quickly to be surpassed by the gnocchi at Majo's Casual Italian Dining. Dessert was a great experience - we both loved our choices. I had expected the tiramisu to be served as a cake (due to past experiences), so I ordered a scoop of chocolate gelato to go with it. On the menu, gelato was served in portions of three scoops, so I asked our waiter if I could order just one scoop with my dessert. He was very accommodating, and when the desserts were brought to our table, he told us that he had included the gelato free of charge - how lovely! We were very thankful, and dug into our delicious treats enthusiastically.  Both were a delight and a great way to finish the meal. On our way out, my partner tipped our lovely waiter. All up, one entree, two mains, two desserts and two drinks cost us around $90. We will go back someday, but we have plenty of places to try before that. I do recommend this restaurant, and especially recommend the ragu, tiramisu, gelato and panna cotta.

Garnier Tanning Products

 9/10 overall rating 

I am reviewing two Garnier tanning products:

Garnier Ambre Solaire No Streaks Bronzer Self Tanning Mousse + Golden Shimmer

Garnier Summer Body Moisturising Lotion Sun-kissed Look in Medium to Dark Brown

The reason that I am reviewing them together is because I love using them together - they are a perfect match!

First of all, the mousse. First step is to exfoliate your whole body with special attention to ankles, knees, elbows and under the bust. To do this, I use an exfoliating glove with body wash in the shower. When I'm dry I apply moisturiser to the above mentioned areas (make sure it is a fairly plain, non-oily moisturiser). For best results, these two steps should be completed the day before the tan application. The next step is to shake the mousse bottle and apply it to either thin rubber gloves or a tanning mitt, one pump at a time. Rub the mousse into your skin in circular motions until it is all absorbed evenly (I usually begin with my lower leg). Continue this process, making sure you blend each new section into the last. When you've covered your whole body or just the desired areas, allow to dry by wearing loose fitting clothing (avoid bras!). I would usually do this at night and then wear a loose black night dress to bed. It usually doesn't colour my sheets, but if it does it always washes off in the washing machine. In the morning you will awake with a beautiful sun-kissed glow! If you find that you've missed a patch, or if any wears off from coming into contact with water, use the Summer Body Lotion to correct it. Also, you can use the Lotion to maintain your tan after the initial application (apply once per day).

As is to be expected with Garnier, these products smell fresh and fruity - none of that horrible chemical smell that is usually associated with tanning. The colour is great - natural looking, not orange.

Just as a side note, I would like to mention that I have very pale skin and these products still look natural on me. In regards to choosing a shade for the lotion, I chose medium to dark brown purely because it was recommended to me by someone who also has fairly pale skin. I am so glad I did not purchase the light shade - it would have taken so so many applications before it became visible! Don't be scared of the darker shade, it is lovely and still very gradual.

The mousse sells for around $13.95 and the lotion is around $6.95.

Sun Rice Multigrain Square Thin Cakes

Multigrain and Rice&Corn varieties

Introducing the newest product from Sun Rice: Multigrain Square Thin Cakes! I picked these up yesterday from my local Coles after searching the savoury snack isle for something remotely low in carbs and high in nutrients. This product's ingredient list was what sparked my interest - it even included puffed quinoa! (I will add the ingredient list when I can find a copy)
Here are the nutritional facts for one Thin Cake:

Calories	17	Sodium	0 mg
Total Fat	0 g	Potassium	0 mg
Saturated	0 g	Total Carbs	4 g
Polyunsaturated	0 g	Dietary Fiber	0 g
Monounsaturated	0 g	Sugars	0 g
Trans	0 g	Protein	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg
Vitamin A	0%	Calcium	0%
Vitamin C	0%	Iron	0%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Not too shabby I reckon. If you know of any crackers/thin cakes that are far superior to this, please let me know in the comments. My only concern is zero dietary fiber... It would be nice to see some digits there. In regards to taste, these aren't too different to normal puffed corn or rice thins, just a bit more crunch. I will be buying them again and I recommend them.

Coles Simply Less Dark Chocolate

Yum yum yum - you are about to hear about a delicious new product! You may have noticed that Coles has brought out a whole range of products as part of their Simply Less line, for the health conscious. I've tried a few products from the range, including their Low Fat Sour Cream and Spicy Roast Pumpkin and Harissa Hommus dip. All have been excellent products and certainly don't compromise on taste. Yesterday I was checking out the health foods section of my local Coles when I came across the Simply Less range of dark chocolate. There are four choices: Plain Dark Chocolate, Dark Chocolate with Peppermint, Dark Chocolate with Coffee Beans and Dark Chocolate with Sweet Orange flavour. I'm a huge sucker for chocolate, and mint is one of my favourite flavours, so I picked it up and had a look at the nutritional info. I then compared it with the Well, Naturally brand of Mint Dark Chocolate, and found that the Coles Simply Less brand came out on top (84 calories per serve). So I decided to give it a try.

The taste is great! Creamy chocolatey goodness with delicious green mint chips throughout. The texture is not quite as creamy as full fat chocolate but that is to be expected.

The product consists of 5 individually wrapped bars which are 20g each. Each bar consists of 4 squares. The box of 5 bars sells for $3.99.

BNRG Proto Whey

100% pure hydrolyzed whey protein
Rapid and complete absorption technology
Rich and creamy

This is the first protein powder that I have ever used, so I'm certainly no expert, but let me tell you about it. I purchased a 910g (2lb) jar of BNRG Proto Whey Vanilla Creme flavour for around $80. It was recommended to me for three main reasons:
1. It has the smallest protein molecules of all protein/whey powders on the market, making it quick and easy for your body to absorb.
2. It contains very low levels of sugar and carbohydrates compared to other powders.
3. It tastes incredible compared to other powders.

I have been told that the Double Chocolate flavour is delicious, however, I opted for vanilla for its versatility. I use this powder on its own with water and skim milk, in smoothies with fruit, in baking, and (my favourite) to make protein pancakes. For this, I mix 2-3 scoops with a few tablespoons of cacao powder, some granulated stevia, an egg white and a dash of almond milk. Beat it all together. While it's frying in the pan push some chocolate chips into it and voila - yum!

By itself as a protein shake, I find this to be quite enjoyable. I've never had it with water alone, only with skim milk or a mixture of both. It is very sweet despite its lack of sugar, and dissolves well in liquid. The only downfall to this product it the reaction it has when it is added to liquid - it fizzes slightly. I'm not sure if this type of reaction is common amongst protein/whey powders. The price is also a little disappointing, however, it is not unusually high compared to other powders on the market, and you are also paying for the absorption technology, so it's probably worth it.

I do recommend this product, and will repurchase (probably Double Chocolate next time).

Tetley Decaf Green Tea Range

Decaffeinated naturally & rich in antioxidants

I've never been a fan of tea - especially not green tea - but I have discovered this new range from Tetley that I absolutely love! The range includes plain decaf green tea, decaf green tea with mint and decaf green tea with pomegranate. The mint and pomegranate flavours soften the bitterness of the green tea, without overpowering the taste. Mint is my favourite!

Ingredients are:
Decaf Green Tea – Naturally decaffeinated pure green tea.
Decaf Mint Green Tea – Naturally decaffeinated pure green tea, natural mint flavour (12%).
Decaf Pomegranate Green Tea- Naturally decaffeinated pure green tea, natural pomegranate flavour (15%).

These are actually the only decaf green teas on the market in Australia, so they're certainly worth a try if you're looking to decrease your caffeine intake. If you're interested in the health benefits of caffeine (for weight loss) however, I would recommend Lipton Green Tea with Vanilla or Mint.

Pick up 10 teabags for $1.75 at most supermarkets.