Interview & Rich Chocolate Mud Cupcakes

I was recently contacted by BlogExpat.com, a part of EasyExpat.com part of the for an interview on my experiences as an Expat. If you would like to see the link, click here. Below is the interview

My name is Susan Minihane. I grew up in New York state, lived in Manhattan and Silicon Valley California and now I live in Sydney, Australia.

1. Why did you move abroad?
My husband and I moved abroad for some adventure and to live outside the box. When we first were married we almost took a year off to travel the world. Instead we did the practical thing - bought a house and had children. Ten years later, when my husband was considering switching jobs, we decided he'd look for work overseas. Initially our goal was to move to mainland Europe. However, a great job came up in Sydney, Australia and we moved there (here). Many expats get transferred to countries by their jobs. We chose to move abroad consciously and willingly.

2. How do you make a living?
My background is in Human Resources and Recruiting. I have been a headhunter and corporate Recruiter. My favorite job was working for Google in both their California headquarters and Sydney office. They are all that and a bag of chips! It's really a worker's utopia there and a wonderful environment to work in. One of Google's motto's is 'instead of asking why, ask why not?' I love this creed and it helps guide me in my decision making. In 2013, I started a small baking business, Suzy Q's Cupcakes, because I love baking and couldn't find a decent cupcake locally. It was one of my many "crazy" ideas that I actually followed through on. I doubt I would've started this business in the US. However, living overseas I've gained confidence. Anytime I am struggling or feeling shy about something, I think to myself that I moved overseas not knowing anyone or anything and I've survived and thrived - I can do it.

3. How often do you communicate with home and how?
I usually speak with my parents every week via the phone or Skype. My sister is on Facebook and we speak on the phone as well.

4. What's your favorite thing about being an expat in Australia?
My favourite thing about being an expat in Australia is living on the coast. You can use the ocean 9 months a year here. We're water people and enjoy going swimming, snorkelling, boogie boarding, surfing, and boating. The beaches here are gorgeous and the water is very blue and clean. It is surprising that the water is so nice and that I can snorkel right off the beach and see amazing fish and yet a 20-minute ferry ride away from downtown Sydney, a major city. There is great shopping, food, culture, etc. there. It is the best of both worlds. 

I also think it is a great place for my daughters to live. They can have a childhood similar to the one I had growing up. It is quite safe, there are no guns, education is more well rounded, sports are part of life, etc. Australia has less people and less problems. Australians also work hard but they work to live. They enjoy their time off and seem generally happy, pleasant people. 

5. What's the worst thing about being an expat in Australia?
The worst thing about being an expat is that you never feel like you completely fit it. That saying, 'stranger in a strange land' is quite true. There are social nuances, traditions, holidays, language, food and much more that will always be foreign to you. You don't realise until you move away from everything you know what is ingrained in you from your home country.

6. What do you miss most?
Originally it was food and shopping but now after 5 years of living abroad, it's family and friends, hands down. They are irreplaceable and it is a long, expensive flight back to the US to visit.

7. What did you do to meet people and integrate in your new home?
I am quite social and have children so it was easier to meet people through my daughters' schools. I also started playing competitive tennis again and joined a book club. As an expat, you really have to be assertive, friendly, and put yourself out there. I have found it interesting in my area of northern Sydney. People are big travellers, they go all over the world on holidays. However, when they are home, they are quite provincial. Most have family nearby and friends from when they were in preschool. They are busy with their families, life and old friends. Some are wary of expats as many move back home. I had to make a concerted effort to meet and find Australian friends. We also were fortunate to move to a suburb where there were other expats. I would encourage anyone who moves overseas, to try and find local friends but also other expats from their home country. It is very comforting to have those friends, especially it you are feeling lonely. We have a group of American expats that we celebrate holidays w ith which is great as Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and it's not celebrated down under.

8. What custom/ habits do you find most strange about your adopted culture?
What is most strange to me in Australia is their language. While it is English, it is full of slang. My most read blog is on this topic. After 5 years here, I still learn new slang sayings and different ways of saying things every week. I also find it bizarre how orderly people are - you walk on the left side at all times, you wait nicely in the queue for the ferry/bus, you don't jaywalk, you wait for the light. You don't honk your horn, only if it's very necessary, you use your manners. There seems to be a moral code and high level of social decency which is nice to see. 

I also find Australia's relationship with England and the monarchy quite strange. While the government is officially a constitutional monarchy, the Queen of England is a figure head. She lives on the other side of the world and rarely visits. Yet, she is on most of the money here, her birthday is celebrated, there are more Range Rovers than you have ever seen, and the royals are all over the tabloids. There are also some of British expats living here who think they own the country, like it's still colonial times. Yet from my perspective, I don't get it at all. England was awful to Australia. The country was founded on England trying to get rid of their convicts by sending them to the other side of the world to an unsettled, uncivilised country....not very nice. I am very surprised that Australia hasn't broken away from the Queen and become a republic.  

9. What is a myth about your adopted country?
Australians are lazy and drink beer all day. All men are like Crocodile Dundee or hot lifeguards. Kangaroos bounce around in the street. Australia is backward and people are in constant threat of getting killed by a shark, spider, snake, etc. None of these are true except perhaps a lot of hot lifeguards :).

10. Is the cost of living higher or lower than the last country you lived in and how has that made a difference in your life?
The cost of living is very high in Sydney. It is crazy! In the US, there is the Dollar Store while in Sydney there is the 2 Dollar Store - no kidding. That's about right - everything is 2x the price of the US. This has made a difference in my shopping habits. In the US, I loved to shop and was quite a consumer. In Australia, with prices so high, I now think twice before buying things and ask myself more, 'do I really need this?' With energy costs, I hang my clothes out in the sun to dry (like the rest of the country) and also will put a sweater on before putting the heat on.

11. What advice would you give other expats?

• Go for it! It is great to live overseas and see a different part of the world.

• The first year is hard; know that going in. In fact, anytime you move to another city, place (even in your home country) it is hard. Go gentle on yourself and know that it'll take some time to make friends, figure out where to shop, find a doctor, etc. There are lots of big things and little things to learn and it will be more challenging in a different country. Keep your chin up and persevere. See what I've learnt as an expat.

• Living abroad is a great time to start a clean slate. You can be whomever you want to be. No one knows your past life. (That sounds like a convict comment but just encouraging people that it is alright to try new things personally and professionally)

• When in Rome be a Roman - enjoy your new country and immerse yourself in its' culture, customs, food, etc.

12. When and why did you start your blog?
I started a blog a few years ago when I was talking with an Australian friend. I would ask questions and make comments about Australia. She encouraged me to try writing a blog. I had always thought of writing a cooking blog as that is one of my hobbies, but there are already thousands of cooking blogs so I thought I could combine an expat and cooking blog together. It is a lot of work but I enjoy it and it's the closest thing I'll have to a travel diary.

Well hopefully that answers some questions about me in case you are wondering. Now onto the best part - food! I mentioned above how I started Suzy Q's Cupcakes 2 years ago after not being able to find good cupcakes locally. I love my little business and I am passionate about it despite earning peanuts! Besides occasionally writing this obscure blog, it keeps me creatively challenged and very happy. My family is most happy with my newish line of work because they get to be taste testers and get to eat all the leftovers. Recently, my husband celebrated his birthday. Unlike a woman he said he didn't "need" anything for his birthday but wanted a rack of lamb and chocolate cupcakes. Easy peasy. Save all those gifts for Mother's Day!

Like their name says, these cupcakes are rich....very rich. They have espresso and 200g of chocolate. They are dense and moist but also have some crumble to them. The lolly girls, my daughters, ate them of course but told me later that they were too strong for them. So baker beware! These Rich Chocolate Cupcakes may be best served to chocoholics, adults, and those who like to eat strong delicious desserts. And if you want more rich chocolate cupcake recipes, look at my blog that has Red Wine Chocolate Cupcakes.

Rich Chocolate Mud Cupcakes

Makes 16

Prep 30 mins

Cook 25 mins

Bakers Notes: With any cooking, the quality of your ingredients have a huge affect on the outcome and taste. In this recipe, using high quality *unsalted* butter, high quality chocolate, and strong coffee will greatly improve the taste of this cupcake.

MUD CUPCAKES 

(original recipe from taste.com.au, this cook made several changes):

3/4 cup (around 200g) *unsalted* butter 

1 cup (215g) sugar

1 cup (around 200g) chocolate, chopped (I used dark, milk chocolate is fine too)

1/4 cup (30g) cocoa powder

1/3 cup (80ml) espresso or strong coffee

1 cup flour (150g) Plain Flour

1.5 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Salt

3 eggs, lightly beaten (room temperature is best)

FUDGE FROSTING:

adapted recipe from Hershey's Cocoa

1/2 cup (110g) *unsalted* butter, melted

2/3 cup (65g) cocoa powder

3 cups (375g) powdered/icing sugar

1/4 cup (62ml) whole milk

1. Preheat oven to 325F or 160C fan forced. 

2. Combine butter, sugar, chocolate, cocoa powder, coffee in a saucepan. Heat slowly (you don't want to burn butter nor chocolate = bad cupcakes). Stay at stove and stir constantly until fully melted. REMOVE from burner.

shiny and smooth, no lumps and not too hot

3. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk to combine. 

shiny and smooth and now thicker

5. In a separate bowl, lightly hand whisk/mix 3 eggs. Make sure the chocolate mixture is not too hot as you will end up with egg drop cupcakes and will have to start all over. Add eggs and hand beat quickly.

make sure the chocolate batter is not too hot; fold eggs in quickly

6. Pour or spoon mixture into baking cups and cook for 25 mins. Use toothpick or grill kebab metal stick to make sure cupcakes are baked through. To start the cooling process, you can turn them 1/2 way (see below).

Cupcakes will cool faster on their side

7. While cupcakes are cooling, make the Fudge Frosting. Melt butter in a saucepan or microwave and pour into mixing bowl. Add cocoa and beat through. 

make sure any lumps of cocoa are gone; should be smooth

8. Add powdered/icing sugar and milk slowly in 3 lots and beat after each addition. When finished, beat on high for 4 minutes. You must beat the frosting for a long time to add air and "fluffen" it up.

frosting is fluffy, light and has increased in size due to 4 mins of mixing

9. Icing the cupcakes: make sure cupcakes are completely cool before frosting them. If they are at all warm, the frosting, which is high in butter, will melt. You can use a spoon to spread frosting OR cut the side of a plastic sandwich bag on the diagonal and frosting cupcakes that way. Or alternatively, you can buy decorated baking cups, sprinkles and tips from a crafts store, grocery store, even Big W and create fancy cupcakes like the bottom photo. 

Another use for a plastic bag; better than a sandwich :)

much prettier than using a knife, heh?

"Fancy Nancy" cupcakes; easy for me to make as I have all the supplies.
They are now easier to find locally at craft store, grocery stores and BigW.

Coffee down under and Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hello. I haven't written a blog in over 1 month....where does the time go? Most of the past month has been taken up by the arduous task of moving. After living in the same house since we arrived in Australia 4+ years ago, we moved to a smaller (town)house. I think I am destined to live in towns with terrible names. I grew up in Poughkeepsie, NY a place that is hard to pronounce, hard to spell and has been the butt of jokes for years. On the older popluar show, Ally McBeal, the stuttering lawyer was told by his therapist to say, 'Poughkeepsie,' when he started stuttering. More recently Sex and the City 2 movie had Charlotte 'Poughkeepsie' in her pants - yikes! Clontarf is an equally bad name but in a bad ass way. It makes me think it would be a place in the TV show, Game of Thrones as I could imagine someone saying, 'You are hereby banished to Clontarf forever!" or "Don't behave like that or the evil dwarves from Clontarf will punish you." And now we live in Manly an equally bad name for a town and one that always gets laughs from my friends abroad. It actually conjures up the macho stereotypes that Australia has of rugged, handsome men - "Hey, you smell manly." "Boy you are looking manly tonight...the girls are gonna like you." I'd forgotten how much work moving is - selling, trashing, donating, packing, unpacking, organising, settling in, etc. It has been almost 1 month and I still don't feel settled nor are all the boxes completely unpacked. I will say it is great to live in Manly where it is more urban, eclectic, and full of great restaurants/bars/cafes. There is a great vibe here and also more ex-pats and backpackers passing through. I wrote a blog on Manly before. I do love my old neighbourhood but it was time to venture out (so far away - only 10 minutes:)) and try living in a new area of Sydney. With beaches all around, I can't wait to spend the summer here although summer doesn't seem to be coming anytime soon.

Spring started on September 1 and it was a glorious warm day but now it is bloody freezing. I am all "rugged up" as I type this as most homes here do not have central heating and the fan heater we have doesn't seem to do the job. There is also a southerly gale that has been blowing for the past day that made it hard to sleep last night with the house howling. My daughter even came into my bed last night as she was scared of the wind and needed earplugs which we keep in the house for these windy nights. I wasn't concerned or even knew much about wind patterns when we lived in California. A 'southerly' - do you mean south in San Jose? Out my window, I can see the large ferries, that shuttle people back and forth to Sydney's CBD,  and big white caps waves. The ferries are bobbing up and down like a speed boat. I'm wondering how many people have thrown up? Are babies flying in the air? Perhaps the captain is enjoying this joyride through the waves?  It's weather like this that you just want to stay inside, unpack boxes, pay bills and take care of things around the house. Wait, who wrote that? That's too sensible. No, for me today is about taking care of a sick daughter, baking, blogging, and drinking coffee.

www.heraldsun.com.au

You might think tea is very popular due to the pervasive British influence in Australia. Think again...it's coffee.While Paris has pastries, Italy has pasta, Belgium has chocolate, Australia has coffee. There are many other things Australia has but who knew one of them would be coffee? Coffee and the cafes are a big part of the social life in Australia.  Like Europe, people drink coffees and meet at cafes all times of the day. The local cafe becomes a community center, a place to meet friends and possibly bump into the neighbours.

While coffee and tea have been consumed in Australia for hundreds of years, the influx of European immigrants from Italy, Greece, Turkey and Eastern Europe in the 1950's brought espresso beans and a demand for high quality coffee. From those influences, high quality espressos and cafes grew. According to a recent report by IBISWorld market research, the Australian coffee industry has $4 billion in revenue, 5.3% growth the past 5 years, employs almost 85,000 people and over 6,600 businesses. Considering that there are only 23 million people in Australia, these are big numbers. There are even barista schools, a barista bootcamp, and Australian baristas who compete and have won international competitions. With a multitude of cafes and steep competition, the quality of coffee beans and the baristas can make or break a cafe.

When I travel back to the US, I miss my Australian coffee. The main option on my travels is Starbucks which I now find so generic, like a McDonalds. While Starbucks is a household name in the US and other parts of the world, it has been a flop in Australia. Starbucks came to Australia in 2000 opening around 100+ stores which probably doesn't sound like a lot of store but remember, Australia has a small population. They charged higher prices and brought America styles of coffee - drip coffee, frappacinos and other mainly American flavours. Today, there about 20 Starbucks cafes left, mostly in urban tourist areas. What went wrong? In the several articles I read, it was summed up best in the Australasian Marketing Journal 18 (2010) : "For Australians, coffee is as much about relationships as it is about the product. An impersonal global chain experience would have trouble replicating the intimacy, personalisation and familiarity of a popular suburban boutique cafe. Also, from many years of espresso coffee drinking, Australia has a developed a more sophisticated palate, enjoying coffee stronger and straighter, without the need to disguise the taste with flavoured, syrupy shots." Most articles also mentioned how Starbucks underestimated that Australia had a sophisticated coffee palate and well established cafe lifestyle.

I have visited a few of the Starbucks in Sydney and found them very out of place. I'd forgotten how generic they are, how big the cups are and how there are so many different types of coffees and drinks. It is ironic as it pretty much sums up my views when I return to the US - there are lots of chain stores, servings are much bigger and there are too many choices.  I also think it is weird after living here for a few years, that Starbucks still mostly serves American style coffees and flavours. Australian cafes don't sell drip coffee, frappacinos nor seasonal sugary coffee drinks. It's harder to find a drip coffee maker in Australia. In fact, I've never had a drip coffee in Australia, only when I go overseas. The coffee menu here is simpler and all based on variations of espresso:

australia.ifsa-butler.org

I think Flat Whites are probably the most popular flavour. There is a little coffee lingo too - 'skinny' means with skim milk and 'strong' means an extra shot. There are probably even more terms but since I usually order a skinny strong cappuccino, this is what I know best. 

New York City is starting to take notice of Australian coffee and cafe life down under. The New York Times  just had an article in their Dining & Wine section about Australian cafes opening up in New York City in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The article highlighted their desire to serve both excellent coffee with excellent food and sit down service so people can have more of a cafe, neighbourhood  experience. I look forward to visiting one on my next trip to New York City.

Besides dark chocolate, what tastes great with a coffee? For me, it is a big tasty cookie that is crunchy on the outside and chewy in the center. The recipe below is excellent and came out of a need to get some food into my sick daughter, who likes peanut butter, while at the same time trying to find something flourless as I am trying to eat less wheat. I was also excited to make it as I don't think Ive ever had a peanut butter cookie in Australia. Peanut butter in not popular here; it is a very American food. Most people would have a vegemite or butter and honey sandwich before they'd have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. These cookies are great! I made flourless cakes before but never flourless cookies. The batter texture is different and at one point I thought it was all wrong and was going to toss it. Don't that! It may seem weird and different, but they are delicious, especially if you like peanut butter and the combination of peanut butter and chocolate. 

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

adapted from Martha's Flourless Peanut Chocolate Cookies

PREP TIME: < 5mins

Cook TIME: 15 mins

COOL TIME: 10 mins

Makes 24 medium sized cookies

1 cup smooth or crunchy Peanut Butter

3/4 cup Sugar

1 Egg

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract/essence

1 teaspoon Baking Soda/bicarbonate of soda

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1 cup Chocolate Chips

1) Preheat oven to 375F or 170 fan forced. Take out 2 regular sized cookie sheets/baking trays.

2) Combine all ingredients except for chocolate chips and beat well with an electric or hand held mixer. 

*Note - batter will look like coarse sand. Because it doesn't have flour, it doesn't bind as well. You may think that you made a mistake and want to throw it out. Don't throw it out.*

3) Mix chocolate chips in by hand.

4) Gather up batter into balls. Place balls on cookie sheet and flatten cookie with the back of a fork. While doing this you will need to use one hand to hold the cookie ball on either side while the other hand uses the fork to flatten the cookie.

5) Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown and puffed. Cool for 10 minutes on the tray to set cookies. Enjoy! 

VIVID and Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Stew

This blog is long overdue, way long overdue. It has been sitting in my Drafts folder, 75% done for about 3 weeks. I blame the couch - the couch made me do it. I like to write at night and unfortunately, the couch has gotten the best of me. Time to finish that blog but let me have a glass of wine and enjoy the fireplace first - snore, snore. Time to finish that blog but let me catch up on 'The Good Wife' episode I missed and another and another. Time to finish that blog but let me read a little more of my book and then fall asleep with the book on my face. So it is all the couch's fault and my procrastination. So what has been going on that is uniquely Australian while I have been sitting and sleeping on the couch? It's bright, it's funky, and it only comes out in the dark - VIVID.....

From May 23-June 9, Vivid came to Sydney. Vivid is an annual event of light, music, and creative industry forums. For Sydneysiders, the big excitement is a free exhibition of outdoor lighting sculptures and installations that are lit up on the Harbour every night from 6pm-12am. Thousands of people flock to the city to walk along Circular Quay, see all the lights and especially see the changing displays on the sails of Sydney Opera House.

VIVID was started 5 years ago by the NSW government to increase tourism to Sydney during the cooler, wetter months. Each year, the event continues to grow, drawing tourists and modern artists from around the world. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Vivid Sydney attracted a record 1.43 million, an increase of 79 per cent from the 2013 festival. There isn't much investigative reporting here to do, just lots to see. The best I can do is share a video of this annual event.

Back inside, I have been trying new recipes trying to make weeknight dinners a bit more enticing. Some of my new found recipes have come from magazines.  I use to like look at the rag magazines, ones with little content but lots of gossip and photos of famous people. Now I like magazines that have recipes that look good and look relatively quick, easy and wholesome to make. 

In the June edition of Australian Women's Weekly, there was a recipe for slow cooker Shredded Mexican Chicken. They had me at  Mexican.  Generally speaking Mexican food is lacking  in Australia. Having moved here from California where there is a large Mexican population and Mexican cantinas all around, I just can't find that level of quality or choice down under. It would be akin to finding a good pie and sausage roll shop in the US. This should come as no surprise though as there is not a large, if any, Mexican presence here. I must confess, my usual Mexican cooking is not authentic either. I like to make tacos, quesadillas, chilli and enchiladas ( see recipe on past blog) - quick, easy, rich Mexican food. 

I liked that this recipe was for the slow cooker. I don't know who invented the slow cooker but it is genius for an everyday cook.  I love my slow cooker, especially in the cooler months. How easy it is to chuck a lot of healthy ingredients into one big pot, let it cook all day with little fuss, and come home to a house that smells great and eat a good dinner that usually has lots of leftovers. This is a win-win. So give this dish, which I have re-named Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Stew a go and enjoy. It was easy, tasty and feed my family of 4 for 2+ dinners. Also, do not skim on the seasonings, you need them to flavour the stew.

Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Stew

adapted from Shredded Mexican Chicken

Australian Women's Weekly magazine, June 2014 

1.5 kilos (3lbs) chicken breast, preferably frozen

1 regular can kidney beans, drained

1 medium brown onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 medium red AND green pepper/capsicum, chopped

1 regular can corn, drained

1 regular can diced tomatos

1 cup chicken stock

2 teaspoons each - ground cumin, dried oregano, sweet paprika

1 teaspoon dried red chilli flakes (optional but I think necessary)

OPTIONAL ADD-INS when serving: chopped fresh cilantro/corriander, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips

1)Combine Beans, onion, garlic, peppers/capsicums, tomatoes, chicken stock and spices in 5-liter slow cooker. 

2) Stir the stew and add and submerge frozen chicken breasts. Cook on low for 8 hours.

 (chickens are low in fat so they cook faster and can become tough & dry in the slow cooker. Frozen chicken cook slower and is moister in the end). Mine were slightly thawed in this picture.

3) Remove chicken from cooker and using a knife, cut and shred the chicken into small pieces

4) Return chicken to the slow cooker, cover, and cook on Low for 20 more minutes.

5) Serve with rice or alone. Serve with additional add ons to suit your taste. 

Prince William, Kate, George...the Monarchy down under and Sour Cream Coffee Cake

We just celebrated Easter, autumn is in the air and I had  visitors! This is very exciting! After 4 years of living in Australia, a member from my side of the family visited and she brought my niece too. It is so nice to see my sister and niece and get to show them Sydney and our life down under. As an ex-pat, living far away from family is one of the hardest parts of being abroad. A crazy long 20-hour flight from New York plus expensive airfares makes it hard for friends and family to visit. Oh and did I mention jet lag?! That is the worst. So I am very thankful, grateful and happy that I was able to see some of my family.

I tried to be a good host by showing her the Opera House, city, Harbour Bridge, Manly Beach, art gallery, etc. I've made her try a flat white coffee, Tim Tams, lamingtons, passionfruit, mangoes, turkish bread, Shiraz wine, Aussie sausages, etc. I really hit it out of the park when we got to see Prince William, Kate, the Prime Minister and new State Premier up close and personal and all in one go. The royals were in Australia and the hoopla was huge! I can no longer say that I don't follow the royals as I was very excited to see Kate, checking out her hair, makeup, dress, shoes like someone on MTV's Fashion Police. She was lovely, gorgeous and genuinely seemed happy to speak with the Nippers (click on red link to read blog about Nippers) and people in the crowd. Prince William was very tall, gracious, and more handsome then he appears in photos. He too seemed down to earth and not as stiff as I had expected. The Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, looked thrilled to be there with them and thankfully, he was fully dressed and not in his usual beach attire, budgie smugglers (see blog with Mr. Abbott). There was also the very new State Premier (aka Governor), Mike Baird, who only a few days before landed in this role as the former Premier lied about receiving a $3000 bottle of wine and resigned. I couldn't believe this happened. Compared to the lobbyists in the US and the politicians, a $3k bottle of wine is peanuts. I wonder if the former Premier's resignation was about ethics or was there much more brewing behind closed doors. 

Kate talking to Nippers on Manly Beach,  source: Manly Daily newspaper

Two Aussies in their budgie smugglers. source: aussiedailynews.com

Of course, the main draw for this royal visit was Kate and everyone was hoping to get a glimpse of baby George. Unfortunately, we didn't see baby George at the beach. I had hoped he would come, Kate would take off her wedges for once and they'd both get their feet wet in the ocean. No such luck. Silly American me, royals don't so that....it's too casual. The excitement over their visit to Manly was crazy - people lined up (me, my sister and thousands of others), helicopters, a naval ship, police all over, police dogs, security guards, tons of press, the royal handlers. It was a zoo and I actually felt sorry for them, as they probably experience this often, living in such a fish bowl. No wonder Prince Harry once said he enjoyed being stationed in Afghanistan because he could live much more freely.

So many people lined up to see the royals at Manly beach source: dailymail.co.uk

After seeing all this madness firsthand, I started to wonder - would it be this manic if the royals

visited the US? I don't think so. Yes, everyone would want to see them, especially Kate and baby George. But there would not be the same pride and excitement and dare I say patriotism as in the US. They would be seen more as celebrities as opposed to royalty. This made me wonder - what role does Britain play down under? 

According to the ABS, 50% of Australia's 23+ million people are of Anglo-Celtic origins: English, Scottish, Welsh or Irish. The Guardian newspaper ranks Australia as the #1 country where British ex-pats live. British influences can be seen throughout Australian society - the predominant language is English (including the British sayings, spellings and pronunciation of words), the parliamentary system of government, the Church of England, (Anglicanism)is the dominant religion, and British sports like cricket and rugby are very popular down under. In addition the Queen is present in daily life - she is on money, annual stamps and her birthday is a national holiday, although it is celebrated on a different date to her actual birth date).

In terms of a very tiny and very brief history of Australian government and its' political relationship with Britain, from The Monarchy Today , Australia was founded by England and became a penal colony in 1788. In 1901, the six separate British colonies of Australia joined to form the Commonwealth of Australia. In 1926, an Imperial Conference in London declared the fully autonomous status of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the other British dominions overseas, while stating that they remained united by a common allegiance to the Crown. From that point on the Governor-General became solely the representative of the Sovereign in Australia. So, today, Australia is a constitutional monarchy where the Queen is not involved in the day-to-day business of the Australian Government, but she plays important ceremonial and symbolic roles. On paper she is actually considered the Queen of Australia although I had never heard this spoken before. However, just this past Saturday night I was at an awards dinner with my husband and the speaker opened up the event and asked that we all hail the Queen of Australia. The Governor-General is her representative in Australia. There are also Governor Generals in each state. They are constitutionally empowered to make decisions that could have significant impact on government and laws, such as refusing assent to bills and dismissing ministers. In practice, however, the Governor-General and State governors play a largely ceremonial role. 

Given that the Queen plays a largely ceremonial role in Australia, there is an on again off again national debate about breaking ties to England and having Australia become a Republic where there is a President. In 1999, there was a referendum to amend the Constitution so Australia could become a republic. The republic referendum was defeated due to sustained opposition from monarchist groups and to division among republicans on how to select the president. I have mixed feelings on this topic. As an outsider born in the US, a country of rugged individualists where citizens have so many rights and freedoms, I don't agree with people being rich, famous, powerful and influential because of your family bloodlines. On the other hand, the Royals have a largely ceremonial role here so what's the fuss? Don't we enjoy the pomp and circumstance and the idea of fairytale Kings, Queens, Princesses? Most of us grew up being read stories about monarchies and watching princess movies. Also, having lived in the US and Australia, both very young countries, I do enjoy the history that the English monarchy has given to the world over many centuries. I definitely see both sides of the coin.

When trying to come up with a everyday recipe somehow connected with this blog, I had to think hard. So, for me, when I think of England, I think of tea. Hmm, what goes with tea? Scones? Yes but a bit boring without lots of jam and cream. Instead, I used a tried and true recipe, Sour Cream Coffee Cake. My mother made this recipe a lot growing up and it is a favourite. My family loves it and it doesn't last long in our house. It is probably one of the best cakes I make. Give it a go....you'll be happy.

Classic Sour Cream Coffee Cake

adapted from Betty Crocker cookbook

Cake

3 cups Flour

1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda

3/4 teaspoon Salt

1 1/2 cups Sugar

3/4  cup Butter, softened

1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla

3 Eggs

1 1/2 cups Sour Cream

Filling

1

/2 cup packed Brown Sugar

1/2 cup chopped Pecans

1.5 teaspoons ground Cinnamon

1) Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease 12-cup fluted tube cake pan or 10-inch angel food (tube) cake pan.

2) In small bowl, mix all Filling ingredients; set aside.
3) In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

4) In large bowl, beat granulated sugar, 3/4 cup butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and the eggs with electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in flour mixture alternately with sour cream on low speed. NOTE: batter will be quite thick and heavy. Don't worry or add milk. 

 

5) Spread 1/3 of the batter (about 2 cups) in pan; sprinkle with 1/3 of the Filling (about 6 tablespoons). Repeat twice. NOTE: batter will be quite thick and heavy. It'll be hard to spread. Don't worry, it'll have a fabulous texture and taste very moist.

 
Bake about 1 hour or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack.