Aldi’s organic butter gets two thumbs up from all of at SSG Manor 2.0.  Melted butter, an extra egg and milk instead of water in with a cake mix really does help the result taste home made.

We went out for dinner to China Diner which has recently opened an out post down the road.

I’ll have to return again soon to review the cocktails but in the mean time, here’s a report on the food.

Basically, I loved it all.  The duck pancakes are a little different to the traditional Chinese method of serving them with just the layer of crispy duck skin.  China Diner serves slices of duck meat in theirs with some delicately pickled cucumber.

For our mains, we shared some poached chicken with ginger and shallots, some steamed greens and a serve of fried rice.  It was all served Bondi style (and hence true to China Diner’s origins) – light, lean and full of flavour.

Thanks to my mum and aunty, I found myself with a few child free hours over the weekend.  I could have used them to rest up and totally knock my cold on its head or to catch up on the housework but no, temptation beckoned and I attempted to go perfume shopping with my cold.  I had to abandon my mission after about the fifth perfume tester because nothing smelled right through my dodgy sinuses.  So all I had to show for my effort in the Myer beauty hall was a back up tube of my favourite MAC concealer.

Do you bring your nearly empties in with you when make up shopping?  I do it in the vain hope it makes things easier for the make up artist serving me because all they need to do is squint at the base of the tube to try and make out what shade I am rather than having to re swatch me on a busy Saturday afternoon.  Fortunately, he could read which NC shade I was and double fortunately, MAC still make this particular concealer (Mineralize, FYI).  Can you imagine the panic if it had been discontinued and I might have had to try something new?

I did go home with a few other things…  I’ve had my eye on this Japanese made Benriner Turning Slicer for ages and found it for an excellent price at Victoria Basement.  It looks easier to use than my current mini plastic one and less clunky than the Aldi electric version I tried a few months back.

And yes, that is a Doughnut Time box nestled away in the shopping bag too…..

Kind-Er A Big Deal is a special edition doughnut currently on sale at D Time and I just had to buy one for Preschooler SSG because Kinder eggs are his favourite thing right now,