Shopping

 I'll just begin with I get nothing out of the companies I'm about to plug and I paid for everything - they are just things I thought were good so am spreading the word...

During lockdown, there has been a bit of online shopping done here, a lot of which is to do with food....so the first few are specifically for Sydneysiders. I need to apologise as I've discovered I apparently only take photos of cocktails, not the actual food. Will try to do better in future...

1 Fat Noodle - this dinner box is $70 for two and we ate the first few courses for dinner one night and had the main and dessert for dinner the next. The course before the main was a rich seafood laksa so I can't guarantee this every time, but it's a generous and tasty offering by Luke Nguyen. You might want to throw in a couple of Coconut Martini's because they were delicious!

2. Long Chim's Curry Night - Again a lot of courses for the price, great for two. Otherwise, add some extra dishes for feed the family. Pick up only, so make sure it's in your 10 kms (or 5km/LGA depending on the rules). You park in the laneway and they pop it in your car. Thursdays to Saturdays only and they sell out due to timed pick up. We did it last Friday and doing it with the new menu this Friday as it was a real crowd pleaser.

3. Tea Cosy - They are delivering all over Sydney again (check your suburbs day) and the special flavours change all the time. We got Butterscotch scones with butterscotch cream this week as a special treat, after I saw another blogger's Insta pic of them!

Clearly, I'm not a food stylist.

4. Din Tai Fung - Fill up your freezer with frozen goodies. $50 off orders of $200 or $20 off orders of $100. We have been getting $200 a fortnight, and that does one banquet dinner, one normal dinner and one lunch of soups or noodles for 5 of us. Easy and a real crowd pleaser in this house.

5. Shout out to the Oxford Tavern who has been offering free feeds to Hospo workers who have lost their jobs since this whole thing began last year. Order lunch, dinner or drinks. They're canning some interesting cocktails now too. They also have a Vegan smokehouse platter every Thursday.

6. Lotus has 20% off, so as long as you can pick up at one of their restaurants then you can have a lovely meal at a discount, including drinks. I picked up from Madame Shanghai and could park right next to it. Very Covid safe set up on the terrace. The 20% applied to cocktails that made them great value.

7. Holy Duck - They currently have $1 dumplings (in little bags of 6) so you can bulk up a meal with them without blowing the budget (or in our case, get them for the vegetarians when we have the other dishes.)

In other shopping news:

1. Zero Co is now branching into Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Lotion and Deodorant. So more ways to reduce the plastic consumption in your life are on the way. (See previous post on Zero and other recycling options here).

2. This is an expensive luxury, but it is a mood lifter for me in the shower each morning. I got it online here, I'm not sure if it is sold elsewhere. The smell is strong and uplifting (and I think for me triggers memories of faraway places I've been lucky enough to visit.

3. TwoGood Sanitiser - both the gel and the alcohol rub are great. Two Good also works on a buy one, gift one model. So your purchase also sends one to a woman in need in a shelter. They also have great lunches in a jar. Well know chefs help design the ever changing menu.

4. Seeds and potting mix.  I'm not much of a gardener, but I found some old pots and decided to fill them. I am getting great joy watching the seeds sprout - as our Premier would say 'the green shoots'. It's a small thing, and with no purpose other than to bring me a little joy.

5. I've been buying these little books to try out authors. They are $2.50-$7, depending on where you buy them. They are also handy if you need to bulk up an order to get free postage. I have also been posting them to friends as a lockdown surprise,. as they posts as a more expensive letter. See titles here and then buy from your favourite bookseller. Penguin Black Classics, Faber Stories and Penguin Modern Classics.  

6. This is reverse shopping. I am trying to use up all my half used toiletries and keep coming across a pile of unused hotel soaps/ They are sealed in their original packaging, so I put them on the fence and they are always gone by the end of the day.  (Always sanitise before putting stuff out and picking it up).

I actually thought I'd have more in the general shopping, but apparently I'm not buying much otherwise. I'm just spending a small fortune of food once a week....

 

What have been your lockdown discoveries?

Linking with #MakroTex on a plate.