Review: The Wooden Elk, South Melbourne

Yesterday I went past a cafe that had opened recently on Park St in South Melbourne. What caught my eye was the advertising on the window for Paleo pizza. It took a while, but I eventually found it via Google, as they had no signwriting on the outside at all.

So, we went to The Wooden Elk for a Valentine's Day brunch this morning!

First thoughts- small inside. Only 4 or 5 tables inside, but a big bar wrapped around the back, perfect for evenings when they sell tapas and pizza. The decor was neat- lots of wood and stone. Some tables outside, which filled up quickly as the weather turned sunny.

We took a seat, and our menus were delivered to us. The menu looked pretty good, a lot of very popular Paleo options. Pancakes, eggs benedict, rosti, a big breakfast style plate, omelettes, and even Paleo granola- including a fruit free option! They also had a lot of juices, smoothies and even Bulletproof Coffee.

We ordered the pancakes (banana and walnut option; they also had pumpkin and pecan) ($15.50), and eggs benedict on Paleo toast ($16.50), plus an almond milk latte for me ($3.30 plus $1.20 extra for almond milk).

Banana and walnut pancakes, with coconut cream and fresh berries

Almond milk latte

Eggs benedict on Paleo toast

The pancakes were great- nice and fluffy, not too sweet, reminded me a lot of banana cake. The walnuts appeared to be ground, so there were no lumps of nut through out the pancake. It came as a stack of 2 big, fluffy pancakes, with a garnish of fresh berries and cinnamon. There was also some coconut cream, but as the plates were warm, it was melting by the time it was on the table. If anyone from the cafe reads this, maybe put it in a small bowl so it retains the texture.

Eggs benedict was really good. The eggs (free range, of course) were perfectly poached, with bright yellow yolks oozing. The sauce was delicious, and there was also a butter (maybe have been olive oil?) drizzle. The bacon was nice too, though I would personally would have preferred it crispier. The paleo toast was a real hit. It soaked up the egg yolks and sauce nicely. It was a little crumbly, but it was a fairly thick piece, and really filled me up.

I had probably the best almond milk latte ever! The milk was sweet and creamy, totally unlike the usually watery ones I've had previously. 

I would definitely recommend The Wooden Elk for a lazy weekend brunch. They have a good selection of options, even vegetarian ones!

Score: 8.5/10

The Wooden Elk

52 Park Street

South Melbourne, VIC 3025

03 9645 9006

thewoodenelk.com.au

Recipe - Chocolate Nut Slice

I was feeling a little peckish this afternoon. I really wanted somethign a bit sweet and chocolatey to snack on- I've had a lot of cheese for the past few days, so anything but that seemed attractive to me. 

I spied a bag of macadamia nuts that I needed to use up, and this recipe was born!

Ingredients:

130 grams (1 cup) of macadamia nuts

50 grams (1/2 cup) almonds 

30 grams (1/4 cup) sunflower seeds

20 grams (1/4 cup) ground flax

20 grams (1/4 cup) shredded coconut

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 tablepsoons peanut butter (I used Mayvers Peanut and Cacao spread)

2 T sugar free drinking chocolate ( I used Avalanche Sugar Free mix but you could substitute 1 tablespoon cocoa, and 1 tablespoon (or more) sweetener to taste)

Pulse macadamias and almonds in a food processor, the finer you grind them, the less chunky the bars will be. Add sunflower seeds, flax and coconut.

Melt coconut oil and peanut butter together, stir in chocolate powder and add it to the nuts. Pulse to combine.

Spread mixture in a lined baking dish, and refrigerate for half an hour until set. Cut into 12 equal pieces.

Nutrition Facts
Servings 12.0
Amount Per Serving
Calories 179
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 18 g	27 %
Saturated Fat 5 g	27 %
Monounsaturated Fat 9 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg	0 %
Sodium 4 mg	0 %
Potassium 59 mg	2 %
Total Carbohydrate 5g	2 %
Dietary Fiber 3 g	11 %
Sugars 1 g
Protein 4 g	7 %
Vitamin A	0 %
Vitamin C	0 %
Calcium	2 %
Iron	4 %

What I Bought - January 17

Apologies for my lack of blogging for the past few months. I had pretty much zero motivation to write anything, including a very failed attempt at Nanowrimo. But I'm back!

Grocery shopping today was awesome. I had a moment in the supermarket where I realised I had to buy food- REAL food- so I wouldn't be tempted to pop down to the store for an ice cream every time I was hungry. Which I admit had been happening sometimes, shame on me. Bad for my waistline and for my wallet.

I hadn't been very well prepared lately- I hadn't been making shopping lists or checking what I already had, so I would often get bored, or not have anything in the fridge I could eat. The last 3 days I had been eating whatever was keto that I could find in the fridge- a lot of snacks of celery and dip, ground beef made into patties, and macadamias I'd found stockpiled in the cupboard.

Today's list:
1 lettuce $1.99
Sour cream $1.19
Bunch of spring onions $1.79
Bunch of celery $1.99
500g mushrooms $3.49
Bag of baby spinach - $1.99
Pork leg roast - $14.27 - $4.99/kg
Thickened cream - $2.19
Lamb rump steak - $8.94
Scotch fillet steak - $14.91 (for 4 steaks!)
Rump steak - $6.09
Kransky sausages (3 pack) - $2.99
Turkey mince (500grams) - $3.99
Halloumi (250grams)- $4.99
Spinach dip - $2.49
Canned tomatoes x2 - $1.18
Greek Yogurt - $2.99
Sugar free energy drink x2 - $1.98
Tomato paste - $1.29
Broccolini x2 bunches - $3.98

Total - $87.00

And for him:
Pack of 6 hot dog buns: $1.89
1kg of peaches: $1.99
1.8kg of sausages (that I refuse to cook or even look at because they are so gross!):$6.89
Total = $10.77

Grand total - $97.77 - $22.23 under budget :)

Not bad considering how much meat I bought!
I have enough at least for 5 dinners- plus leftovers of the pork roast and kransky sausages for lunches and dinners. I also have plenty of ground beef and a whole chicken in the freezer to use up.

I might go to Coles during the week and get some different cheese with my last $22. All I have is a little smoked gouda and some regular cheddar, and Aldi doesn't have a great range of snacking cheese for me.

What I Bought: 4-5 October

My poor blog has been sadly neglected- the weather has been pretty good here, so I've been out! Outside enjoying the sun, seeing friends, you know, having fun! That means my blog has been on the back burner. But I'm back!

On Saturday, we went to Aldi. We tend to shop there more than the other supermarket, as they have less junk food, and more real food- and for better prices too.

We got:
- bag of baby spinach
- about 2kg of beef mince
- dozen free range eggs
- cream
- sour cream
- haloumi
- 4 sugar free energy drinks (Aldi's brand is identical to Red Bull!)
- diet ginger beer
- salami
- asparagus
- canned tomatoes
- broccolini
- red pesto

And for my husband:
- 2kg apples
- 3kg oranges
- 1kg pears
- 1kg of pasta (spaghetti)
- muesli
- swiss chocolate

Total spent: $66.23

Sunday, we decided to take a walk to the markets close to my house. Unfortunately, we missed them due to daylight savings change, but we went to the fruit and vege store that is near there instead. This week, I will definitely be trying to eat more vegetables! The variety that vegetables add to my diet really improve things, and my husband loves them too.

We got:

- a GIANT cabbage (it weighs around 4.8kg!)
- bunch of celery
- handful of snowpeas
- cauliflower
- zucchini
- giant head of fennel
- choy sum (an asian green)
- 3 bunches of bok choy (possibly my favourite vegetable!)
- spring onions

Total spent: $15.40

Then I went on a search for some Botanical Cuisine products I'd heard about on Facebook. I found some at Prahran Convenience, which is an awesome cross between a health food store and American imports!

I got some Cashew Mayonniase to try, because I'm out of mayo, and I'm super curious to try it. I also got some Mint Slice Pudding, and split it with my husband. So delicious! Very much a sometimes treat though.

I spent $18 for both of them, which is a little pricy, but if they are delicious, it's definitely worth it!

What I Ate - 4-10 August

I tidied up my pantry last week- I found 2 bottles of salad dressing (Ranch and Creamy Caesar) which need to be used this month- so I guess I will be eating a lot of salad!
I also got an order of low carb products from groceryrun.com.au so I have been using them as quick meals.

Monday
Breakfast: Coffee with cream
Lunch: Salmon pate with a packet of Fine Fettle Flats
Dinner: Chicken wings with my awesome dry spice rub for chicken wings, bok choy, zucchini and baby broccoli.

Tuesday
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, and a pack of Aussie Bodies Low Carb Apple and Raisin cookie bites
Lunch: A small steak with garlic butter. I had intended to make a salad, but I forgot!
Dinner: 2 salmon patties and salad (salad greens, romaine lettuce, smoked cheese and Caesar dressing)

Wednesday
Breakfast: Coffee with cream
Lunch: Salad with romaine lettuce, mixed salad greens, ham, smoked chicken, avocado, sunflower seeds and creamy Caesar dressing.
Dinner: Roasted lamb shoulder chop with roasted cauliflower

Thursday
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, a piece of smoked cheddar
Lunch: Got carried away with a project I was working on, so had a Vanilla Atkins shake and a pack of low carb cookies.
Dinner: 2 salmon burgers with peri-peri mayonnaise, and steamed broccoli and zucchini

Friday
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, smoked cheddar cheese (this is cheese was GOOD, and now it's all gone :( )
Lunch: Salad with chopped romaine lettuce, mixed salad greens, smoked chicken, ham, avocado, sunflower seeds and creamy Caesar dressing.
Dinner:

Saturday
Breakfast: Skipped because I slept in!
Lunch: Bunless burger from Grill'd (I had the Simon Says burger, which had grilled chicken breast, bacon, avocado, and herbed mayo on a nice big bed of salad), and a Pepsi Max
Dinner: I let my husband cook! Hot dogs with mustard and fried onions

Sunday
Breakfast: LC cookies, a vanilla protein shake.
Lunch: 8 chicken wings and garlic kelp salad at a Chinese restaurant
Dinner: Kassler steaks, cabbage with butter. An Atkins Cappuccino Nut Bar (to review for the blog) for dessert

My haul from Grocery Run

I am a sucker for a bargain, and I love online shopping, so I often find myself browsing GroceryRun looking for something to buy.

They have a lot of processed stuff- candy, cereal and snack foods. But I often find excellent deals on low carb products.

In my last order, I got:
2 boxes of 9 Aussie Bodies Lo Carb Protein Cookie Bites Apple & Raisin 50g for$4.79 each =$9.58
2 boxes of 6 Atkins Advantage Shakes Vanilla 325mL for $7.44 each = $14.88

I had seen the LC cookies for sale in stores for around $3 each, and the shakes are $3.86 each at my local supermarket, so I was excited to be able to buy them for such a good price.

They have a shipping cap of $9.99, so you can buy as much as you want and not pay more in shipping, so I added a few more things that I knew I'd use in the kitchen

2x Medallion Instant Mashed Potatoes 235g $3.98
(Great for thickening sauces if you're gluten free, I admit I have also used it to whip up a quick side dish for my husband)
2x Nando's Perinaise Peri-Peri Mayonnaise 265g $5.48
(So delicious! Has definitely spiced up my salmon burgers this week!)
Bic Razors Sensitive 15pk $3.99
(Cheaper than the supermarket!)
2x Patak's Rogan Josh Simmer Sauce Medium Spice 350g $4.98
(Useful for when I want to whip up a quick curry for dinner)

 Total = $52.88

They also have great deals on vitamins, and household items such as paper towels.

They often have $1 days- where some items are $1. Last time they ran this, I got 4 packs of Laksa instant noodles (I usually ditch the seasoning, and give the noodles to my husband as a side dish for stirfry), udon noodles, wraps, dental floss, a nail art pen and rolled oats- all very useful additions to my pantry as food for my husband. Apart from the nail art pen, which I've been using, and floss, which we use a lot of.

What I Ate - 28 July - 3rd August

Monday:
Breakfast: Leftover pork sausage and coffee with cream
Lunch: 2 hot dogs with mustard, glass of diet cola
Dinner: Bolognaise (made with ground beef, tomato paste, canned tomatoes, garlic, oregano) on zoodles, with fresh mozzarella. Dessert was a Chocolate Cream Pot (dark chocolate and cream melted together, then set in the fridge to make a very rich ganache). After dinner snack: handful of smokehouse almonds, cup of tea with cream, and a can of ham in mayo

Tuesday
Breakfast: Coffee with cream
Lunch: Half a jar of sauerkraut, 2 kassler steaks (German smoked pork, kind of like very thick cut bacon!)
Dinner: Chicken breast strips with Nando's hot sauce and bok choy. Some dark chocolate and a handful of macadamias for dessert.

Wednesday
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, leftover spaghetti squash from Monday's dinner.
Lunch: 2 hot dogs with mustard (last hot dogs for the week!)
Dinner: Roast beef, roasted brussels sprouts, and a couple of roasted yams (NOT SWEET POTATO!). Dessert was whipped cream, half a dozen frozen raspberries and some macadamias smushed together.

Thursday
Breakfast: Coffee with cream
Lunch: Leftover roast beef with mustard
Dinner: More leftover roast beef, this time thinly sliced and served with roasted cauliflower.

Friday
Breakfast: Coffee with cream
Lunch: Leftover roast cauliflower, sauerkraut, and 2 kassler steaks.
Dinner: Chicken breast with taco seasoning, cubed zucchini and lots of cheese. No sour cream, since my husband forgot to pick any up after work.

I forgot what I ate in the weekend, but I know it involved pork belly and broccoli for lunch on Saturday, along with a large helping of capsicum from my husbands plate- he hates them and his beef with black bean sauce was full of them! We ordered pizza on Saturday night for dinner, so I ate a LOT of pizza toppings for dinner and lunch on Sunday. We shared a fresh coconut at the Queen Victoria Markets when we picked up some vegetables for the week, and then shared a sugar free Slurpee on the way home, since I had a sore throat and felt like something cooling.