Excuse my lazy brain… I seriously couldn't think of anything better to describe today's activities.

I definitely couldn't think of anything worse.

Mr K's been working weekends a lot lately and today was the first chance we've had in a while to go out for breakfast, which is one of our favourite weekend activities.

We like to try new places, and I'd read about a new cafe in Prahran in the Melbourne Agenda newsletter called Is It Cafe, so we headed to Greville Street to find it.

Except I couldn't remember its name.

So, we ended up at Babble instead. And I looked out the window and saw Is It Cafe across the road.

But we'd already ordered, and the poached eggs were runny and the coffee was good, so it wasn't a bad move.

And they were kind enough to let me take my leftover baked beans home in a coffee cup! I thought that was rather cute… and very accommodating.

I absentmindedly lifted it to my lips while walking around afterward… funny how the brain only half operates sometimes

I love their pretty duck egg blue takeaway cups.

Did you know Babble have a list you can put yourself on to get a free dinner on your birthday? So drop in, have a yummy brekky and put yourself on the list.

***

After breakfast, I saw a gorgeous boutique, A Shop Called Milton, with the cutest cat on the front counter (which was sitting so still that I thought it was taxidermy for a second…) and of course had to go in for a pat.

And saw the most adorable bouquet of flowers by The Flower Girl (whose fabrics I'm totally in love with too…)

It's so prettily vintage-looking with white daisies and red carnations, and I knew I had the perfect vase for it… a vintage milk glass vase my sister bought for me.

Isn't it just gorgeous?

And yes, that's parsley and rosemary in the posy. These truly look like I wandered out into the garden and plucked them myself. If I actually had a flower and herb garden.

But, it's an idea for the future, for when I do

***

So then I suggested we head a couple of hundred metres down the road to the Prahran market, where Mr K's never visited before. I just knew he'd love it, especially all the amazing cooking related stuff at The Essential Ingredient.

Where we picked up some Italian truffles on sale. From $37 down to $15. For two.

Mr K's going to put these in an omlette. Apparently they taste like mushrooms. But better. Y'know… being fungus and all.

I know it sounds extravagant, but if you think about it, it wouldn't be unusual to pay around $15 for an omlette at a cafe. Without truffles.

So, will be interesting to see what it's like.

I also picked up a teeny tiny little bottle of Italian soda, called Sanbitter, for a wee $1.95.

Boy, bitter wasn't wrong. This stuff is…. strange. I can't even really put my finger on the flavour.

Maybe like a blend of chinotto and very bitter grapefruit?

I gave it to Mr K to sip, and from his (prolonged) spluttering and gagging, and conviction that I was trying to poison him (I didn't think it was that bitter… sooky la la), I would say it's an…. acquired taste

But the bottle's cute. I like to use these little soda bottles for bud vases. They look lovely on window sills.

And the other thing I bought at The Essential Ingredient was this nifty teapot spout cleaner.

Not because I have a teapot to clean (I use teabags or teaball thingys), but because I cannot stand dirty drain holes.

Now, Mr K is horrified that I'm going to post photos of our dirty sink drain, but I assured him that we're definitely not the only one to have them. Because they're almost impossible to clean!

Without one of these.

Okay, so yucky, icky, embarrassing drain before.

A bit of bleach and teapot spout cleaner… and nice, shiny, proud-as-punch drain after

You have to get one. I'm pretty sure you could get them at most kitchen supply stores. If you care about drains like me, of course. I'm sure many people could think of few things less important than cleaning kitchen drains!

I get a kick out of it though. I'm one of those strange people who goes to sleep with a smile on her face because the kitchen sink is clean.

***

Unfortunately, by the time we dragged ourselves away from The Essential Ingredient, the market part was almost all packed up.

We should have gone there first, and The Essential Ingredient afterward, since it closes later.

We did have time to pick up the world's cutest bananas though. With the world's most adorable name.

These are Monkey Bananas.

The shopkeeper said they'll ripen and go yellow in 2-3 days. How much do you want to eat these itsy bitsy bananas??

I look forward to visiting again because it's honestly the best market in Melbourne for very high quality, wide variety of produce for very reasonable prices.

I also loved the jazz trio in the quad who performed Bing Crosby's feelgood hit, Accentuate the Positive.

You cannot not smile from ear to ear hearing this…

It was the highlight of my day

xx Kiki

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