What a dismal Sunday!

Faced with some quite extreme June weather in the middle of December, The Daddy, Tabitha, Amy, Amy's friend Will (visiting from Europe) and I all gathered at Claypots in St Kilda for some really spicy, garlic-laden seafood and wine.  Which turned a dismal day into quite a brilliant one!

We shared loads of food, including obscenely large king prawns sizzling in a cast iron bowl, doused in chili/garlic/shallot oil; a massive platter of shellfish stir-fried in spices with sticky rice and Asian greens doused in spicy sauce; a large Malaysian claypot of stingray, mussels, grenadier, more sticky rice and greens, in a laksa-style soupy sauce; piles of oysters and lots of hot crusty flatbread for mopping up the sauces.  Pinot Gris - lots for them, a splash for me.

We sat inside against the window in a cosy booth (converted former tram seats apparently!) and watched sheets of rain bucket down and batter the streets outside.  Tabitha ate some bread and kept trying to grab pawfulls of sauce which was declared Far Too Spicy.  Amy held Tabby while The Daddy and I picked apart crabs.  The Daddy managed to get a big squirt of chili in his eye.  Lots of fun!

Here is Amy cuddling Tabitha.  Tabitha is wearing her baby pink 3/4 sleeve cardigan with white stripes which I completely adore and want in my size.  Amy is wearing Karen Millen top which I want in my colour (e.g. blue, or anything that is NOT red):

Here is Amy and Will with the remains of our delicious shellfish stirfry:

After the weather eased slightly, we all trekked down Acland St for cakes (pausing to view each of the four cake shops, naturally - I always insist on doing this, despite knowing that the last one at the far end closest to Luna Park never has anything I want).  The Daddy had something called a Chocolate Tunnel, I had a very large vanilla slice (and inhaled loads of powdered sugar *cough cough*), Will had an eclair and Amy had ice cream - yes, even in this weather!

Will and Amy went on to Vineyard for drinks but we said good-bye and schlepped to Chadstone where we were fortunate enough to score a decent car-park (I know!  In the rain AND the last Sunday before Christmas!).  Ran our shopping errands, then came home.  The Daddy and Tabitha played together for a couple of hours while I had a read / nap in bed.

Tomorrow morning The Daddy is going away interstate to play golf for two days at Barnbougle!  Tabitha and I will miss him.  I told him that he was welcome to take one of the cats with him in his bag (the cats are stir-crazy because of the rain and bouncing off the walls).  He politely declined.