Guzman y Gomez - free burrito day

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a Canberran in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a free meal.  Yes, in this city where the average salaries are the highest in the country the population seems acutely attuned to anything they can get for free.  I've seen events massively over subscribed, people walking for miles owing to not enough parking and queues of hundreds for a free event.  So when Canberra's newest Mexican restaurant Guzman y Gomez announced they would be serving free burritos from 11am till 8pm today, I knew that the citizens of the 'Berra would be out in force.

One might think the freezing weather, bitter wind and icy rain would deter the crowds, but they had obviously never contended with the Canberran love of anything free.  Throughout the day I heard reports of long lines but the reports also indicated the lines moved quickly, so straight after work S and I headed over to check it out - hey we are as fond of a free thing as the next Canberran.

The line was long but true to the rumours it moved quickly and it really didn't take much time till we were inside being serenaded by the mariachi band and were considering burrito options.  There was a crack team on in the kitchen, I reckon they were turning out an order every 15 or so seconds.  We ended up trying the Spicy chicken guerrero, the steak chipotle, the pork chipotle and the barramundi burritos.  Given it was only one burrito per person and there were two of us, I will leave it up to your imagination to work out how we managed that.

All of them were very tasty, although in general I felt they could have done with more sauce.  There are sides of sauces you can serve yourself but given the crowds they were hard to get to and I'm not quite sure how you are then meant to get the sauce etc into the wrapped up burrito.  I don't know which was my favourite, probably either the barrumundi or the pork - which probably means the pork is awesome given that I'm not usually a huge pork fan.  What I can tell you was that after eating that much I ended up so full that I've been sitting blob like ever since.

Only time will tell how Guzman y Gomez will go when people actually have to pay for their food but I can say it certainly was a hit with the Canberra freebie seeking public. 

Blackberries

Every February in Canberra, the wild blackberries start to ripen.  Every year in the months leading up to February, I anxiously scan my favourite blackberry patches hoping that this won't be the year that the government finally decides to poison them.  We lost a few good patches this year and yes do I know they are a noxious pest, but they are also such a delicious one.

Last weekend was our first blackberrying trip for 2012 and it appears that this year will be one that we will talk about for years to come.  There are not only an extraordinary number of berries (with plenty still red or green, so there will be picking for weeks to come) but the berries that have ripened are particularly large and juicy.

They are of course wild berries, so they are not the size of ones you would buy in the shops, but they are full of flavour and of course are free!  I estimate S and I picked in the vicinity of 5kg, with only some fairly mangled hands as payment.

Our haul is being put to good use.  The best berries have been frozen for the months to come.  Almost a kilo has been made into sorbet.  We have two large glass bottles full, shortly to become blackberry vodka and there is another large container in the fridge yet to be be assigned to a delicious treat.

If you are new to blackberrying, here are a few tips:

• Only pick from healthy looking plants.  If it seems to be dying, it has probably been poisoned.  The ACT Government has a list on the TAMS website of places that are being sprayed, check your local government site or better still find a friend with a farm!
• Wear long pants and long sleeves of clothes that you don't mind being pulled by thorns and stained with blackberry. juice.
• Wear good sturdy shoes - you are tramping in the bush in summer, there are plenty of spiders, you are stepping on blackberry canes and there is always the possibility of snakes.
• Be prepared for scratches - my hands look appalling right now
• If you are freezing them, freeze them in a single layer on a tray, then transfer them to a bag.  That way you end up with a bag of individual berries rather than a giant clump frozen together.

You never know till you ask...

There is that old saying, you never know till you ask.  Well the last few weeks have certainly proved that to me.

As I've written about before, this October I'm organising a charity dance event, Rock your Frock to raise funds for ovarian cancer research.  I'm hoping it is going to be a great night, there will be plenty of good music, lots of dancing, I'm planning a fun activity or two, plus there is the chance that there will be men in dresses.  And you always know that the minute a man puts on a skirt, it is going to be a good night.

As the weeks have passed, the planning has gone on and it has started to come together.

However the most amazing thing has happened - free stuff has started rolling in.  I just asked people and the next thing I knew, I got the venue for free, the sound and lighting equipment for free, and all of a sudden it meant that every dollar that comes in the door can go straight to charity.

But the generosity that has really knocked my socks off has been the prizes, oh my goodness the prizes.  I was hoping to be able to gather a few prizes together so that I could have a raffle, or maybe even a silent auction.  I really hoped that some of the dance schools who were attending would donate a prize, and they sure did - at last count 4 dance schools have confirmed prizes and I think there might be one or two more still to come.  Spurred on I started asking around ... and then the prizes really started rolling in!

There is the gorgeous handbag, the flowers, the jewellery, chocolates from Koko Black, a massage, tickets to The Stomp, HP donated 2 (!!!) photo printers and an X-box!  To be honest, it is all slightly overwhelming and completely humbling.

A month out from the event, I'm getting so excited, surely with this much goodwill we are guaranteed a fantastic night.

If you are Canberra based, or will be in Canberra that weekend, do come along.  The details are:

Rock your Frock - the Frocktober Dance Party
Saturday 15 October 2011
7pm - late
German Harmonie Club, Jerrabomberra Avenue, Narrabundah
Cost $10, tickets at the door with all proceeds to the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation.

Back of the drawer

So possibly this indicates that I have too many clothes, but every now and then I find something tucked in the back of a drawer or the cupboard that I had completely forgotten I owned. This morning was one of those days. I was looking for a black top and grabbed a random bit of black fabric only to pull out a surpise! I honestly cannot remember when I got this top, but I really like it - which is probably why I bought it in the first place.

Finding something like that is the best kind of surprise, a bit like finding money under the car seat, it is manna from heaven. While it has always been yours, was hard earned and carefully considered, finding it again after your brain has so effectively wiped the memory of it is just like getting something for free.

It was a very pleasant way to start the day.

Surprise - it is a free scarf!

We all know that I love something free, I also love surprises and I am slightly obsessed with scarves - so what could be better that a free surprise scarf! I know, really, does life get much better?

This is an original Larry Kazmerski design. If you are are struggling to remember a designer by that name, shift your thinking from fashion to solar power. That's right, Larry is one of the solar power industry's luminaries but every year for something like 30 years he has designed a scarf and tie that he gives away as gifts. People apparently hoard them and they are a real collectible for solar geeks.

And now I have one. Aren't the colours brilliant? It really looks fabulous on, several people not in the know about its solar significance have commented on its fashion worthiness. Now I just need to work on my strategy to continue to receive one each year!