Inspiration Behind "A Wife's Charmed Life"

Three years ago, I started blogging regularly because it was the only way for my parents to be updated on my Aussie life.  My mom was the inspiration for "A Wife's Charmed Life".  If not for her, I wouldn't be blogging and sharing thoughts with the blogosphere.  Without her, I wouldn't have the inspiration to live a charmed life.  Without her, there won't be a "A Wife's Charmed Life" and I wouldn't have met so many beautiful, great people thru this medium. 

She says she always, always read my blog.  She says she's my number 1 fan.  What she didn't know is that I am her fan and she's one of the three people I dedicate my writing and photographs to. 

To the idol of my heart, the one who gave me life and lessons I will always remember, the one who love me in so many ways, the one whose quiet grace and strength I hope that one day I would emanate, one of the persons responsible for the sunshine in my life...happy birthday Mommy! I love you always.

Restaurant: Grill'd Healthy Burgers

Their brochure couldn't have said it better--- "Welcome back to burgers".

Must be destiny because just when I was on the lookout for the best burgers in Sydney, I found delicious, indulgent and yet healthy burgers at Grill'd.

Once upon a time, I was a burger monster.  Way back when I was young and had fast metabolism, I ate a burger once or twice a week.  When I moved here in Sydney, I had a changed of lifestyle and that included "no burgers for the longest time".  For the past three years, my burger indulgences were very minimal, about 3-4 times a year and that was it. 

So one day, I asked around on where to find the yummiest burgers in Sydney so at least when I eat one of my favorite food in the world, I'll be eating the best.  And one of my mates answered, "Grill'd".  At that time, the nearest "Grill'd" to me was Crows Nest.  Then I got news that Grill'd will open a branch in Darling Harbour---such luck! That's where my Husband works and where we usually hang out.

As soon as their Darling Harbour branch opened, off we went to Grill'd in Harbourside Mall to have a taste of their handmade burgers.

I love the classy, neat and cozy atmostphere at Grill'd.  As soon as we entered, we were greeted by their friendly staff.

Being the burger fiend that I am, I ordered the Almighty Burger. 

What's inside the Almighty Burger? 

Grilled 100% lean beef, tasty cheese, crispy trim bacon, free-range egg, slices of beetroot with salad, relish and herbed mayo.

I was in burger heaven when I had a bite of this massive burger.  Full of flavor and very juicy.

The Husband ordered a simpler burger, Crispy Bacon and Cheese.

What's inside the Crispy Bacon and Cheese Burger?

Grilled 100% lean beef, crispy trim bacon, tasty cheese, salad, relish and herbed mayo.

A simple and yet very tasty burger.   

The Grill'd burgers are big.  If you have a small appetite, you might need to share it with someone.  The first time we ate here, we ordered a burger each but nowadays, we just order one burger and we just share.

One time when I went out with friends, I ordered their Mini Moo burger.  I expected a small burger but this was what they brought me.

I really had a funny look when the waitress served this.  I thought it was a mistake.  Their Mini Moo burger is bigger than a fastfood chain's cheeseburger. 

What's inside a Mini Moo Burger?

Grilled 100% lean beef and relish.  You can add tasty cheese and salad for additional cost.

Other stuff I've tried at Grill'd:

Mushroom and Feta Salad

It had mushroom, rocket, roasted peppers and feta (one of my favorite cheeses).

Salad was fresh.  Servings are very generous.

Hot Chips
Why it's healthy?  It is cooked in high-quality cholesterol-free oil, contains no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives.

I love their chips especially when dipped in Herbed Mayo.

What we love about Grill'd:

They use 100% lean beef.  More protein, less fat, less cholesterol.

Their buns are to-die-for!!!!  According to them, their buns are baked daily and contain no added sugar and no artificial preservatives.  And they toast them so it's crispy when served.  You also have the option to choose between a normal bun or a gluten-free bun.

Their crunchy Hot Chips and flavourful Herbed Mayo dip. 

Their friendly staff who even accommodated our request to take home our leftovers.  You can ask them to cut the burgers in half so if you cannot finish them, you can bring your leftover food to them at the counter and they will wrapped them up for you.

Affordable and reasonable prices.

They have options for those who want healthier food like Gluten-free options and Vegan burgers.

Now that I found Grill'd, I welcome myself back to burgers---healthy burgers.

Grill'd Darling Harbour

Level 2, Harbourside Shopping Centre

To find the nearest Grill'd, click here.

All photos by Chris and Ivy Sanchez, Copyright 2010.

Please do not use our photos without our permission.

Thank God It's Monday!

"The only difference between a good day and a bad day is your attitude!"

- Dennis S. Brown

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At the end of the week, we always say "Thank God it's Friday", right?

For a change, why not say "Thank God it's Monday!!!!!"?

I'm at work today, nursing a very bad runny nose and I've been sneezing left and right since yesterday.  My head feels like it weighs a ton.  I have a feeling that I will have a bad case of the flu in the nearest future possible.  Never mind that I would love to just rest at home and stay in bed.

To make my Monday less worse than what I'm physically feeling, I focus on happy thoughts, on work that I love and the blessing that is today, a Monday, a new day, a beginning to another great week.

Happy Monday everyone!  May we all have a blessed, great week!  Smile!!!! :)

Related Posts:

How To Get Along with "Monday"

Five Blessings On A Monday Morning

A Cupcake Tower for an 18th Birthday

My Husband and I are still glowing with joy from the success of my cousin's 18th birthday bash.  Last night was the culmination of two weeks of hard work.  My Husband and I were asked to cook Menudo and bake cupcakes for the party.  Other than helping out in the food, we were also in-charged of creating an AVP for the debutant and to officially cover the event.

I will share my story and photos of the event on another time.  I still haven't shared two events we have covered: a wedding in May and a christening a week ago.  I believe I should share them first before jumping to another event.  Our photography journey is becoming exciting by the day and I really would love to document everything as I know in the future, I will be coming back to my writings for learning and inspiration.

In the meantime, let me share with you the cupcakes we especially made for my cousin's debut. 
Since this is a debut, we decided to create a simple, sweet and classic design. 

We bought these cute little rose icing decors and pink & white fairy bitz.  The rose icing decors came in three different colours: pink, white and yellow.  We made two cupcake flavours this time: vanilla and chocolate.  We only used silver foils with white paper inside to hold our cupcakes.  Since this was for a debut we wanted our cupcakes to have a more classy look.

We invested in a 6-tier cupcake stand for better presentation.  Our stand can hold up to 22 cupcakes.

 

On the topmost cupcake, I put the rose icing decor on the side and placed one silver candle.

My cousin had two blowing-of-cake portions during the party.  One was solely with her friends and so we used the Cupcake Tower for that.  The second blowing-of-cake portion was with her big tradional cake as she was surrounded by all the guests.

We made 3 batches of cupcakes which equaled to 36 pieces.  We were told by guests that they loved our cupcakes and we can't be happier. 

To our dear cousin Rachel, we hope you had a great time on your 18th birthday. We are so happy to be a part of it.  We love you!