Frankiies Hungry Tummy

Happy new year, guys!

I hope you have all started your new year well after the year we had last. I’m sure some of you were grateful to be working from home instead of having to go into the office everyday as well as re-evaluating life and taking more time to spend with your loved ones.

So what did you guys get up to for new years eve? Hubby and I took the fam out to Illuminate at Fairfield Showground. Having lived here pretty much all of my life, I like to stay local and support the community. It was such a fun few hours, kicking off at 5pm and closing the fireworks at close to 10pm so the kiddos could still get home at a decent hour for some sleep. Although the rides and games area did stay on until after that time for those who wanted to stay up longer.

Now I do apologise that there aren’t any food photos in this post as I took them all on my phone. I wanted to get the word out asap on Instagram so if you’re interested in seeing what we ate, visit me @frankiieshungrytummy on IG. We had hot dogs from The Hot Dog Bite, chips on a stick from Mr Kernel, dessert from Ugly J’s Food Truck and some bubble tea.

There were quite a few places to eat at and also free rides for the kids. There was even some face painting which wasn’t limited to only the little ones. But the highlight of the day? Getting up on stage and dancing around to score free Aquatopia tickets (next to the fireworks of course)!

For those who aren’t familiar with Fairfield Showground it’s quite a big area so kids were able to utilise the grass field and run around like crazy. The stage with the entertainment was also very kid friendly, blowing mass amounts of bubbles for tots alike to chase.

As the night went on and got darker, the light show got more traction. Kids and adults were dancing around like crazy, not caring who was watching. My two year old was having a blast – she was waving her glow stick around, dancing to the music like she was at a baby rave. I can honestly say she parties harder than me.

There were even some fire blowers who definitely caught the attention of the crowd! And I have to say that the weather also wasn’t too bad. I was dreading the heat but it was actually quite cool in the spot that they chose to have the event.

When it was time for the fireworks, our lovely Mayor, Frank Carbone took to the stage with his trusty sidekick, Dai Le and counted us in. From then on it was around 20 minutes or so of gorgeous pops of colour and sound.

After that it was home time for us. Trying to get out of the car park wasn’t as much of a nightmare, which was good.

I hope you guys get to come along to the next one! I would love to hear what you did for the countdown.

Frankiie xX

New kids on the block, Secret Sender know how to create an awesome snack box of goodies to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Their boxes are literally jam packed with everything you could ever want to stuff your face with – perfect for when you have 3:30-itis and are craving something sweet to get you through the rest of the arvo.

I was lucky enough to win the I’m Gucci box, which is fitting with my love for designer but this baby housed full sized chocolate bars (not meant for sharing) as well as snack sized chocolates – it’s your best friend for the week if you can make it last that long.

It also has your childhood faves like Skittles, Wizz Fizz Serbert, Trolli gummies and Chup a Chups, which are my fave of all time.

Secretly hiding under all of these childhood goodies are full sized bags of lollies! Sour Patch Kids and the Confectionery Company Party Mix, which are the perfect pieces for hiding in your desk drawer for a sneaky snack.

There’s also not one but TWO packs of Tim Tams slotted in there – woOoo hoOoo!!! Now if that doesn’t get you excited, I don’t know what will. Bite one corner off and you’re ready, set, go with your tea or coffee.

Also forgot to mention the popper. If you have kids this will be such a novelty for them. Or if you’re a big kid yourself which, let’s face it, most of us are, then you’ll feel like it’s your birthday Paris Hilton style so do yourself a favour and head on over to their website and order a box (or two or three…) for your loved one or yourself because you won’t be disappointed.

xX Frankiie

If you love high tea as much as I do, look no further than Alice in Wonderland Cupcakes for all of your high tea needs!

Their cupcakes are insanely out of this world not to mention the most prettiest things you’ve ever laid eyes on. It’s almost a shame to eat them but of course, one look and temptation takes over.

Which would you choose first?

For me, it would definitely be Snickers as it’s my fave chocolate next to Cadbury’s Marble! All of that gooey caramel and the peanuts are enough to send you into overdrive and this cupcake definitely didn’t disappoint. The icing was definitely on point and hit the spot.

The Ferrerro was the one I chose to have second as that is another chocolate which I love and can’t stop eating. This also didn’t disappoint. The only thing that did was when my toddler stole the chocolate on top.

Next in line was the Birthday Cake Batter Cupcake.

I didn’t get much of this one as it was the one my toddler claimed because she liked the look of the sprinkles and rightfully so as how cute would this one look on your high tea stand?! She obviously enjoyed it as all of the icing was gone (lucky I got my finger in and managed a lick) and only a few fallen bits of cake were left, which my nine month old quickly went in for the grab and ate.

Breaking the chain, I went for strawberry next and have to say it’s quite a refreshing flavour. It’s definitely one you need to have on your high tea stand as it is just like you see in pictures where there’s that cute cupcake with the strawberry on top.

Caramel was hubby’s favourite. He thought it reminded him of sticky date pudding and basically put the whole thing in his mouth (minus the bite I took because you know, I need to be able to write about how it tastes on my blog!) and loved every bit.

Last but not least was the Maltesers Cupcake. I don’t think a lot of people name Maltesers as one of their favourite chocolates as they seem to get forgotten about most of the time but when they’re in a dessert or milkshake it’s dead good! This one’s definitely a banger. As you can see, the icing has bits of chocolate in it, which makes it taste heavenly.

With such beautiful cupcakes, who wouldn’t want these on show when hosting your own high tea?! Plus, how good would they look on social media? When people comment you can rave on about how good they also taste but what I especially love about them is that the icing on each one is decorated differently, from a swirl to ripples to a dollop. Most places do the icing the same way and just make the toppings different so you’ve gotta give these guys some brownie points.

Hope you get to try some soon!

Frankiie xX

Sugar Whipped Cakes may not be a name you’re familiar with but once you have a taste of their desserts, you’ll never forget the name.

Hailing from Sydney’s area of Liverpool, you’ll be making time for the drive to pick up your glorious box of sweet treats if you don’t want to wait for a delivery.

I was lucky enough to be given a generous amount of samples to try and boy oh boy did I eat my heart out.

The flavours on the block which have everyone buzzing are Biscoff and Caramilk. Between Biscoff and Caramilk, it’s a bit of a war as to which one is more popular but Sugar Whipped Cakes took it to another level and created their own version of a Caramelised Biscoff flavour which, in my opinion, they nailed.

The Kinder Bueno is another fave. I personally prefer Buenos to Kinder Surprises so it wasn’t questionable as to why I had an affinity to this flavour. It is definitely a chocolate lovers dream.

The Fairy Floss Swirl was one of my absolute faves as for those who have been following me for awhile would know that fairy floss is one of my most favoured things in the world. I also love the colours used with this one, making it an absolute stand out! Insert heart eyes here ______.

The Cookies n Cream flavour is another which will knock your socks off. The use of Oreos in the cupcake itself make it super tasty and is guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser every time.

One thing I have failed to mention is that the icing on these cupcakes are so light and delicious, such a perfect match for the cupcakes themselves. But there is also a little surprise! Hiding under the icing is a dollop of flavour in the middle before you hit that cupcake – amazing!!! It’s just a little thing to add that something something.

Moving onto their signature Biscoff cake, which has layer upon layer of Biscoff goodness. From the outside you wonder how many layers it has and once you slice that baby open, you’re graced with five layers of moist sponge held together with Biscoff cream, not to mention the top being decorated nicely with those addictive biscuits.

So there you have it. If I haven’t persuaded you to go and order from Sugar Whipped Cakes then I’ve failed as a food blogger.

Frankiie xX

When you think of amazing cookies what brand comes to your mind first? For me, it’s Crumbs.

Having won an Instagram competition to celebrate 500 followers, Crumbs. literally are newbies on the scene but not to the wonderful world of baking sweet treats and making you want more. Clearly, the world is yet to discover them but that’s what I’m here for, to let you all know.

With being able to try all of their cookie flavours, I was eating cookie after cookie after cookie and not feeling guilty about it because let’s face it, who doesn’t want to try every single flavour of something you love to eat?!

Being the lovely person that I am, I let my hubby and mum try some without feeling too bitter about having to share but it was when they wanted more that the claws came out because let’s be truthful – I’m not one to share my dessert. If I had my way I wouldn’t have posted about them on Instagram and hidden away the evidence in a dark place where only I could find that special box housing these cookies but that wouldn’t be fair on the guys working behind the scenes to bake such delicious treats.

In any event, what I’m trying to say is these guys make a knock out cookie if I’ve ever tasted one and the fact that my family were asking for more means I’m not being biased just because I won and having to pick a favourite flavour just isn’t a thing because they’re all so on par with each other, I just can’t pick.

Let’s start with the Caramilk flavour because apart from Biscoff this is another trending flavour in the dessert world at the moment. This flavour definitely gives you the best of both worlds with white choc and caramel and this cookie does just that.

Macadamia and Milky Bar is the cookie flavour I always choose when I go to subway and this is giving them a run for their money. Being twice as soft and with bigger chunks, I definitely choose this over Subway.

S’mores is a flavour that has only really gained traction in Australia recently having been such a big thing in the US for years. It’s a flavour which I absolutely love but is super hard to make yourself here as we don’t have Graham crackers and substitutes just won’t do because there’s nothing even remotely similar on our shelves but Crumbs. have nailed it with this one.

The Sugar Cookie… Now this is the one that got away (but not completely). My toddler got her little hands on this one and took a bite before I did which made me see red but I kept my cool and traded her for a lollipop after five minutes of bartering.

If you’re a fan of that caramel and nougat bar, this is definitely one for you. I love how this one gives a bit of a chewy consistency to the cookie.

Who doesn’t love a classic Dairy Milk?! You definitely can’t go wrong with this one. It’s plain and simple but still delish!

Total 90s vibes with this one! I remember getting Caramellos in my lunch box and being so excited. Definitely not one to miss out on.

Which ones will you choose? Would love to know if you get to try any of these bad boys. I’m definitively getting another order in soon!

Frankiie xX

Fairfield City Council are constantly looking for ways in which to get the local community out and about and supporting local businesses.

This year, Culinary Carnivals main focus was to help small businesses recover from what happened during COVID. It was full of food, entertainment and fun for the whole family.

Participating local businesses were mapped out on the Fairfield City Council website and were also giving out samples of food and drink for people to try. There was cultural entertainment, balloon twisting, workshops, face painting and rides for the kids and even a pop up from Wise Employment helping to encourage those with a disability to talk to experts about getting into the workplace.

As soon as you walk out of the Station you have Mykababayan Filipino who were handing out samples of their beef caldereta which is a tomato based beef stew, perfect for the cold weather. Their store specialises in Filipino cuisine and groceries so if you’re looking for somewhere low key to have your first taste then this is the place for you.

On Civic Arcade you can find Baraka Bakery who were giving out samples of their Iraqi bread called Samoon. They specialise in Iraqi breads and sweets.

On Barbara Street you can find Bondeno Cafe who gave out samples of their cevapi and ajvar which is a capsicum relish. These guys specialise in Bosnian food but also have a regular breakfast and lunch menu.

There was also some cultural dancing and kids activities in the old Bing Lee store. The Capoeira Topazio Team put on an amazing, crowd gathering show! We have followed these guys for awhile now and they are a super friendly bunch so it was nice to see them perform in the area.

The Mayor, Frank Carbone also came along to welcome everyone and outlined the day ahead. There were also some showbags given out containing a bag of Lebanese bread and a bread brochure outlining the different types of bread.

Away from the main strip you can find a cake store called Gateaux Di Roi who make amazing cakes and desserts. The owner, Ashoor, is one who is always hard at work creating delicious treats for his customers.

Also veering towards the other side of the main strip is Tasic Hot Burek, which is a European store that has been around for years. Their deep fried donuts are amazing and a must try!

La Torre Cake Shop is another one that has been around since I can remember and have the best caramel out. They use it in their Caramel Rolls and Chilenitos as well as having it as a sauce on the side to either eat by itself or use as a dipping sauce.

Frank’s Lebanese Restaurant is over on Smart Street and is always jam packed no matter what time you visit. They are the leaders of charcoal chicken and chips in the area.

Star Sweet Patisserie is also up a bit further on Smart Street and first opened their doors to Fairfield in August of 2019 and have been going strong ever since. Their desserts and cakes definitely make it hard to make a decision when only picking one.

Closer to the end of station you can find Green Peppercorn, which is located inside Fairfield Hotel. This too has become one of Fairfield’s star attractions and brings in crowds from all different suburbs.

Ritz Cafe is also another eatery that has been around since I can remember. It’s located in Civic Plaza on Ware Street.

Fairfield Fruitland is another establishment going strong over the years and they were giving out pieces of watermelon.

Baalbek Bakery was also a participating business and were the ones who supplied the Lebanese bread in the showbags.

I have to say that Culinary Carnival 2021 was a hit. There were big crowds and people were coming in to help celebrate small businesses getting back into action. Thank you to Fairfield City Council for organising another family fun filled event and I’m looking forward to seeing what they have going next year.

Frankiie xX

#CulinaryCarnival #DiscoverFairfield

I was lucky enough to be asked to join in and become one of the 30 members to be part of the new Casa Barilla community and how could I say no?!

I’ve been using Barilla pastas for awhile now and when I saw the program the team at Casa Barilla had put together for the upcoming twelve weeks, I was super intrigued. Things like mushroom foraging, cheese and pasta making, an Italian culture night and the like were things I’d definitely be keen to participate in.

Come the night of the welcome event, we were greeted with a graze board and some wine. People were given tags to wear, one being the name of a pasta and the other, a sauce whereby they had to find their matching pair.

When it came time to sit down and enjoy a meal together there were goodie bags on each chair containing pastas, an apron, notebook, pasta sauces, tea towel, and cookies.

The first dish we were served was a rigatoni with basil and zucchini pesto, potatoes and green beans. I loved the pesto, it was such a great sauce and the addition of the potatoes were quite nice too as I’ve never had a pasta dish with potatoes in it before (not including gnocchi). They added a really nice touch to the dish, I think I’ll have to try this in the very near future!

The second dish was the spaghettoni, which had king prawns, tomato, lemon zest and squid ink pangrattato. This dish was absolutely incredible! I didn’t think I would like it as much as I did but it was such a hit that Chef Marcello posted the recipe for it on the Facebook group by demand.

Third, we had the casarecce, which had slow cooked pork neck, Pecorino Romano and eschalot braised in balsamic vinegar. Another super tasty dish! The pork was juicy and flavourful, it was hard to stop eating but I needed room for dessert.

The first dessert we had was a Panna Cotta with mandarins and a crumb. It was divine! I honestly wanted to keep eating more but I was so full.

The last bit of dessert was a sorbet. Such a good end to the night as it was creamy and refreshing at the same time.

The welcome event was such a great night and I’m looking forward to seeing what the other events will be show casing.

Thank you to Barilla and the team for having me on board this epic food journey!

xX Frankiie

Culinary Carnival – the celebration of our City’s international flavours and cuisines – is back to tantalise your tastebuds on Saturday, 29 May.

This year’s event will be different than previous years to ensure the health and wellbeing of all visitors. Instead of one centralised location, the festival will be spread throughout the Fairfield City Centre, encouraging visitors to explore the array of cuisines on offer and support local businesses.

The main hub of activity will be a food tasting extravaganza, with FREE sample dishes provided by participating restaurants and food vendors in the city centre from 11am-2pm or until stocks last. From there, visitors are encouraged to explore nearby streets and visit the businesses to satisfy their appetites, enjoy the roaming street performances, check out the kids cooking workshops and enjoy free family activities in Epoch and Thomas Ware Plazas.

Kids will be taught to make tabouli, tortilla, and dessert fruit donuts at the FREE kids cooking workshops. Kids will pick fresh ingredients from the garden and be shown how to prepare the ingredients for a tasty meal or snack. Registration to the workshops is required – visit Fairfield City Council web page for updates on registrations closer to the date.

Fairfield City Mayor Frank Carbone said Fairfield City Centre is famous for its rich variety of flavours from around the world.

“Everywhere you turn in Fairfield City Centre, you can find an exciting meal or delicious snack to enjoy,” Mayor Carbone said.

“More than 107,000 people currently living in Fairfield City were born overseas, with residents hailing from more than 104 different nations. We are privileged that so many brought with them the authentic tastes and flavours to share with our City.

“As one of the most multicultural cities in Australia, I look forward to celebrating our rich heritage with each other and all of Sydney.

“I encourage everyone to come down and discover a whole world of flavours available from restaurants and businesses in Fairfield City Centre on Saturday, 29 May.”

Follow us on Facebook or visit http://www.fairfieldcity.nsw.gov.au/culinarycarnival for updates and details.

Culinary Carnival

When: Saturday, 29 May 2021, 11am-3pm

Where: Fairfield City Centre Details: http://www.fairfieldcity.nsw.gov.au/culinarycarnival

@discoverfairfield #CulinaryCarnival

Frankiie xX

Our first high tea of the year was at the Fullerton Hotel which was previously The Westin. We had a lot of fond memories of The Westin as one of our favourite high teas was there – Alice in Wonderland, so we were excited to see how this one would compare.

As you enter the hotel and head towards The Bar, you are greeted with a gorgeous Christmas tree made up of over 500 Santa bears.

We had the Festive High Tea which was $78.00 per person and it came with bottomless tea and coffee.

The savoury tier consisted of Tasmanian salmon with tsuyu and ginger flakes, roasted beetroot and goats cheese tartlets, salted butter and cucumber sandwiches, chicken and lemon myrtle in charcoal buns, Singapore chilli crab rillettes with sourdough crostini, and last but not least, free range egg and chive sandwiches.

My favourite out of the savoury pieces would have to have been the Singapore chilli crab rillettes. It was super flavoursome and not as chilli as I expected but the salted butter and cucumber sandwich came in at a very close second.

The sweet tier had a Christmas wreath made of pistachio savarin and yuzu pistachio rocher, a toadstool made of chestnut cremeux and almond financier, a snowman macaron made of speculoos ganache and cranberry chutney, a bauble made of blueberry mousse and passionfruit crunch, a Christmas stamp made of bergamot and raspberry tart, and then a black forest verrine.

My favourite piece out of the sweets was definitely the toadstool! The chestnut creme reminded me of a delicious flavoured spread I used to be able to buy from Haigh’s.

After you finish your two tiers, you’re presented with some plain and date scones. These are just the perfect size so as to not tip you over the edge of fullness.

Another great thing about this high tea is that you get unlimited tea so you can try all of the flavours!

We only managed to try two flavours each because we didn’t want to fill up on tea but that was more than enough. They have quite a nice selection so if you go with a couple of people each person can order something different and share.

Hope you guys get to visit and try it out.

Frankiie xX

When you hear the name Lazy Bakr you wouldn’t think of baked goods that look like they’ve taken hours to make but in fact, it’s the total opposite!

Fresh out of high school and straight into the competitive world of baking and cake decorating, Catherine sets herself apart from the rest of the pack by creating edible masterpieces.

The layered choc cake consist of 12 layers of delicious goodness – chocolate sponge and chocolate ganache frosting topped with fresh strawberries, raspberry hazelnut chocolate and gold leaf.

As you can see, hours of love and time has been put into this cake. Delicate intricacies create such a beautiful end result.

It’s only a small portion so won’t last long but it definitely keeps well in the fridge. I kept it for around two days before it was eaten – mainly because I had two other desserts which I had received beforehand and were getting through but also because I wanted to share it with some visitors I had on the weekend.

I was expecting it to be a bit stale by the time it was eaten but it was still moist and flavoursome. It also kept its shape and none of strawberries had wrinkled yet which was a good sign considering it had been continuous days of scorching heat.

So go out and grab yourself a cake from the Lazy Bakr!

xX Frankiie