this post is sponsored By Nuffnang
On a recent sunny Saturday I went bright and early to a brunch at Collingwood Children’s Farm by Dairy Farmers Thick & Creamy. Dairy Farmers were launching their new Thick & Creamy everyday gourmet yoghurt and we were going to try it in style.
Collingwood Children’s Farm is a beautiful green and leafy oasis in Melbourne’s inner city. With the Abbotsford Convent on one side, and the Yarra Scenic Drive on the other, it is one of my favourite spots here and I think we are lucky to still have it.
There are animals everywhere, with chickens wandering around among the visitors, and goats with their kids frolicking for us visitors and happy to be patted.
Well, except for this one, who was intent on eating the flowers in the next paddock and wasn’t about to let a little detail like a fence get in the way.
We all had coffees in the morning sunshine, and tried to get the peacock to fan his tail. He appreciated his fans watching him strut about but did not care to do the big display for us.
The chickens were so big and round and not at all shy.
Then I got to do something I’ve always, always wanted to do: I got to milk a cow! I was the first to offer to try – the small children were too shy to go first so I did some great community service – and, sitting on the tiny stool clearly made for a tinier behind than mine, I milked Biddy the cow. Biddy was surprisingly hot to the touch, and I am proud to say I got milk out, and even got it into the bucket and not on the floor or myself. The secret’s out – maybe I’m a country girl at heart!
On a milkmaid high, we walked through the gardens to the back paddock where brunch was being held.
It was beautiful! Long tables set up, dazzling among the green, heavy with flowers and food. And: I finally got to satisfy a month-long croissant craving! There was also, obviously, plenty of Dairy Farmers Thick & Creamy yoghurt to try. It is, as the name suggests, thick and, yes, creamy, and not too sweet – which suits me as I don’t like overly sweet things. It tastes hearty – no low fat artificially sweet watery-ness here – and, my favourite bit, does NOT have any gelatine! It can be really hard to find dairy products here in Australia such as yoghurts, creams and sour cream without gelatine – they like it hoofy here, apparently – so this really is a boon. It also doesn’t have any artificial colours, flavours or preservatives – that’s such a familiar line! – which is of course a good thing too.
There was a great 1963 Datsun – three on the tree – fixed up with a coffee machine on the back, which was pretty cool. To its left, under the stable’s roof, was a smoothie bar, and I tried the berry one with caramelised fig yoghurt. I love figs so this was my favourite, but I really like the Lemon Cream and the Yellow Box Honey ones too.
With Trish at the table. Note to self: better posture when sitting down. Jeeeez.
I took photos of beautiful Joyce in the blinding sun – and it’s only early spring!
Cintia and Rachel had some very nice looking boards...
After all the feasting some of us did a turn talking to a video camera, hoping we didn’t have yoghurt in our hair and crumbs on our faces.
And then it was over, the two hours flying by so fast. We all got to take goody bags home, and as we left I asked if we could take some of the table flowers with us – and yes we could! They looked great in the blue and white stripe vases in the bags.
As you’d expect, there were lots of yoghurts in the goody bags, and I made a couple of treats with them. Now, you could hardly call these recipes, as it’s just putting things together, and you hardly need a description along with the photos, but it was very, very good.
Smoothie
Too simple to need explaining, I added my first strawberries and blueberries of the season – so good – to the Raspberry and Coconut yoghurt (the little tub was the perfect amount for this) along with a banana and a splash of milk. Too easy.
Bircher muesli
Again, far from taxing, and simply mixing a granola (with dried fig, yum) with some milk, fresh berries, and Lemon Cream yoghurt, and leaving in the fridge overnight to soak. Except I ate half before it got to the fridge. Making Bircher can be hungry work!
Now, can we have outdoor brunch like this more often, please? It was SUCH a good start to the weekend!