Sydney Food Bloggers Picnic 2014

I have a massive treat for you guys today. Take a guess? Come on, I know you can do it! A box of cookies for whoever can do it? 😉

No takers?
Oh alright, fine, mes cheris, I will tell you. I am collaborating today!!! Why, yes, yes I am! 😀

Instead of reading a post with my mediocre, boring photos, my classic tangential style of writing will be punctuated by amazing photos by the very popular Sydney blogger (and my blogging husband) Vanny from Nessy Eater! Everyone give her a warm go bake yourself welcome s’il vous plait!

And just a reminder – enter my giveaway if you are an Aussie 😛

Now continue reading 😉

Go Bake Yourself-Nessy Eater 1

It would be a week ago now that Vanny and I were invited to attend the annual Sydney Food Bloggers Picnic! This was actually the 6th one (though honestly, my first one because of previous commitments each year) and was, as always, organised by Sydney’s leading foodies –> the rainbow coloured fabulous ChocolateSuze and reviewing genius Helen from Grab Your Fork! Thanks guys! 🙂

My reprieve from the amount of heavy eating I did :P Keep reading, you'll see!

My reprieve from the amount of heavy eating I did 😛 Keep reading, you’ll see!

Now, as always, I am going to paint you a picture, set the mood before we get into some serious foodie-ing. Imagine over 80 people obsessed with food. If you imagine a pack of hyenas with better manners, it is basically the same thing. Now imagine that group, amongst an assortment of presents, tables, cameras and selfie sticks. Now, keep those wheels turning, and imagine a 44 degree day.

For Foods Sake Donuts

For Foods Sake Donuts

Now, dear Fahrenheitees – that is 44 degrees Celsius. Yes. It really can happen down under that we almost reach mid-way to boiling point. #straya
44 degree heat feels like someone took your air, and replaced it with the air that comes out of an operating oven. But without the glorious pie or cookie smell. And including mosquitoes. Hmm… interesting no? That air also has some kind of human bending ability or something because it has a knack for clogging your throat as well.

Ugh.

Go Bake Yourself-Nessy Eater 8

But moving on, moving on, because the heat was so worth it when you got to meet old blogging friends, while bumping into new people that you virtually knew or meeting complete strangers and making friends. We even had name tags, so pretty sure the system was based on the first day of kindergarten – score! 😀

Crystal Noir

Crystal Noir

Since we were all being food lovers, this picnic had one super unique element – there was a time limit till which we weren’t allowed to eat the food. We could set up the copious amounts of dishes, we could model them if you could find the space and I think we could touch the drinks (maybe not the handmade ones) but we could. not. eat. them.

Go Bake Yourself-Nessy Eater 13

Why?

Because of course, everyone needed time to label their creation, but more importantly photograph them! Classic.

Go Bake Yourself-Nessy Eater 2

Continuing on with my love for animal comparisons, it was like seeing a giant herd of bisons (NOT that we are as big as bisons, mind you!) all gathered around a lake, jostling for a spot to lap up water. Photography, in blogging, is as important as water.

Oh, Burger Me!

Oh, Burger Me!

It’s called survival guys.

And that just managed to heat the pavilion up a little more 😛 Thanks Vanny for jostling away, while I casually enjoyed myself in the mini hits of breeze pockets 😛

See, we had savoury too! - Irene's Getting Fat (so were we)

See, we had savoury too! – Irene’s Getting Fat (so were we)

But the real showdown came when Helen announced a lovely little welcome and that in 5 minutes, the food would be ready to be devoured. I swear, when she set that time limit, every blogger’s eyes narrowed, and they shifted lightly on their feet, eyes darting to see which dish they wanted to be sure to get.

The wind was alive with the sound of telepathic thoughts and threats and people were so ready to pounce.

Yum!

Yum! And please ignore the text box around my name, guess I screenshotted a wee bit early 😛

‘I’m sorry, don’t you think you’re a bit close to my macarons?’

“I’m sorry, do they have your name on it?’

“Well, yes, I made them..”

“Oh… well I will fight you for them!”

Ramen Raff

Ramen Raff

That really was the case, Ramen Raff knows how to stir up the masses 😛

I may be exaggerating a lot when I say we were like the bulls charging around like in a Spanish Arena, and that sunglasses were flying everywhere, hair being pulled back, t-shirts being shredded, but it makes for a much more comic image though, no? And you are all foodies, surely you have felt the desperation to eat akin to such a physical manifestation of it right?

I LOVED this one - The Sweet Lab

I LOVED this one – The Sweet Lab

Ugh, societal rules. Why?

Anyways, so as we ate and we ate, and did manage to eventually fill the seemingly bottomless pit that doctors seem to call a ‘stomach’, the atmosphere went from happy to super happy.

Go Bake Yourself-Nessy Eater 23

Is it possible to be drunk on good food and oodles of sugary iced tea?

Maybe sugary is the imperative word here… 😛 A drug in its own right and definitely a stimulant!

Healthy eating. Not that I participated but I should have because this looks so good!

Healthy eating. Not that I participated but I should have because this looks so good!

But everyone grew more and more relaxed, rubbing shoulders with one another and complimenting each other on their dishes! If I didn’t know any better, I would go a bit hippy on you and say that despite the heat of summer (jokes… spring… oh god), there was a lot of positive energy in the air 🙂

Go Bake Yourself-Nessy Eater 20

After a while, the constant eating dissipated and the food comas started anew, with the casual groan being heard from one side of the pavilion. This was when we started doing the Kris Kringle portion of the picnic. And boy, what a system that is!!!

Go Bake Yourself-Nessy Eater 19

Basically, everyone is given a number – the later the number, the better it is (I got 84) 😛

The first person is called up and they introduce themselves (though by the end, it was so over haha), and they choose a present from the giant stack sitting to the side. Ok cool, congrats you have a present.

Go Bake Yourself-Nessy Eater 6

Now, cue person number 2. They go over, unwrap another but WAIT. HERE’S THE TWIST! If they like person number 1’s BETTER, they can take it. Say whaaaaat? Now person number 1 has to open another present.

Now cue person number 3. They can take person number 2s. Person number 2 can take person number 1’s again or open a new one.

Eat Your Teacup

Eat Your Teacup

And so the system continues.

Can you imagine when it got to around person number 50? The swap over rate of presents was definitely massive 😛

Go Bake Yourself-Nessy Eater 21

It was initially a mind-boggling operation of epic proportions but after I finally understood it? It was damn funny.

Everyone wanted:

  • The intricate, delicate teapots
  • The mason jars
    Go Bake Yourself-Nessy Eater 11
  • The cheeseboard (I have never seen the beauty but you know… whatever classy adult people)
  • The Hestonology book
    Go Bake Yourself-Nessy Eater 25
  • The animal waffle maker (I was so rooting to get this)
  • The sake cups
  • The ‘Chip’ Bag

Go Bake Yourself-Nessy Eater 24

You can imagine just how long this went on for 😛

Now, in case you were wondering, I went home with a six set of Mason Jars (I know right, the wait was SO worth it!) and Vanny went home with a cute ice-cream fan and nacho chip shaped notepad stickers 🙂

Recipe coming soon!

Recipe coming soon!

But now the question is of course, what did we bring to the picnic? Well, blogging husband and I happily decided that since I was a baking maniac and Vanny was a shopping queen, she would buy the presents while I baked up a double batch of something extra special.

Recipe coming soon!

Recipe coming soon!

You know… like Brownie Sandwich Cookies w/ Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting. 😀

Recipe coming soon!

But it was worth all that batter eating and frosting eating… I mean baking… since Vanny bought some pretty awesome presents for those who were lucky enough to get them!

Go Bake Yourself-Nessy Eater 18

Overall, the event was a boatload of fun (though you can probably tell that) – Everyday should be picnic day (though then, we really would be the size of bulls and bisons!) 😛
Thanks again Helen and Suze for organising it!!! And I know you guys all enjoyed Vanny’s photos so be sure to check out her blog (though I am pretty sure we will be collaborating again sometime soon!)

Aren't we cute? :P

Aren’t we cute? 😛

Till next time mes cheris, enjoy your virtual food coma!

Blog Sig

|| Follow my foodie adventures ||

Instagram

Facebook

 

59 Comments

    • Choc Chip Uru says:

      Thank you so much my friend! Yes I am safe as are my family and friends, though I was meant to be in the city at the time it started. Everyone is so scared, it is absolutely awful – my thoughts are with them, though I wish I could do more!

      Hugs
      Uru

      Like

      « Reply
  14. Liz says:

    crimeny–that’s nuts! So much good and amazing food in one place. How could you even stand it? You are totally cute in the picture, yes! Thanks for sharing. Am going to lie down for a while now to calm myself 😉

    Like

    « Reply

  16. Pingback: Marathoning | Go Bake Yourself

  43. Three Well Beings says:

    Yes! You are both adorable! And what a fun time! You are two very talented bakers and food photographers–a definite skill. I love those little cupcake burgers! What a fun post to read. I envy the experience. 🙂

    Like

    « Reply
  44. kitchenriffs says:

    Sounds like a blast! One with loads of good food and friends. Loved the pictures, although I wouldn’t have loved having to wait for the food. 🙂 That 5 minutes must have seemed like forever!

    Like

    « Reply
  46. thehungrymum says:

    oooh, what a great post! I have never been able to make the picnic as my both my daughters’ bdays are in Nov, and their party always manages to fall on the date of the picnic #sadFace. It looks like uber-fun and by hook or by crook I WILL get there one day 🙂

    Like

    « Reply

Sweet Comments Welcome!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.