There are two things I truly love- eating out for dinner and my toddler.

​Sadly, both of those things don’t always go hand-in-hand. Nothing strikes fear into the heart of someone standing behind a white table cloth as the sight of small sticky fingers.  

As such, I’ve become a little bit obsessed with finding kid-friendly restaurants so that my mini-me and I can both enjoy an (early) night out.

Luckily for us, Italian Street Kitchen has migrated from Sydney to Brisbane, bringing with it ridiculously tasty food, an affordable menu, and a fun family-friendly atmosphere.

Does it really feel like a little slice of Italy in the inner-city burbs?

Let’s find out. 

The warmer weather has brought along with it flowers in bloom, comfy t-shirts, and the obligatory question: "what on earth happened to our diets over the colder months?" 

Two Brissy ladies keen to help out with health habits city-wide are Emma and Alicia from Genki Milk Co.

I happened upon them during their first week at the Jan Powers Markets in Newfarm, and was instantly drawn to their thoughtfully crafted array of almond milks.

Genki almond milk tastes completely different to the almond milk you buy in a longlife carton in the store, mainly because store-bought almond milk contains an embarrassing 2% almonds, while Genki Milk is comprised of a whopping 20% almonds.

That means more delicious creamy almond goodness, less chemical nasties.

​Actually in Genki Milk's case there are no chemical nasties at all, with the girls ensuring no non-food fillers, stabilisers or additives make their way into their artisanal milk creations. This does mean you have to drink your almond milk within a few days, but good luck keeping these tasty drinks in your fridge for that long!

We had a chat with Alicia and Emma to find out why they're nuts about the humble almond. 

Small, dark, nondescript doors that lead to a staircase are generally mysterious in either an exciting or a foreboding kind of way. 

Maybe it was all the black paint, or maybe it was because it was next to a topless bar (you know the one), but when I got to the entrance of Greenglass, I felt a little apprehensive. 

There was the promise of good food though, so upstairs I went. 

Let's see what was inside. 

Coffee is like a liquid hug for your brain.

So my brain was feeling very loved indeed when it (and the rest of me) was invited to be Campos Coffee's guest taster this month, for some single origin beans from Papua New Guinea's Barioda Estate.

I was lucky enough to try these special beans before they hit the shelves, and I also got schooled on what it takes to make a macchiato more moreish. 

Does this grind really deserve its own 30 days of fame? Let's find out. 

City views, great food, strong coffee, kids' playground, jumping castle, mini golf... no I haven't just made a parents' wish-list of somewhere to go on a Saturday morning (well, ok I did).

These things can all be found at one venue: Victoria Park.

Located in Brisbane's inner-north, Victoria Park is an awesome place to hang with your brood, ensuring everyone has a bit of fun.

Oh yeah- and there's some sort of golf course too here apparently. But let's take a look at all those other reasons to visit instead.

The Queen St Mall at night can be a bit of a quiet pedestrian strip, with all of the shops shut until the next day's hustle and bustle.

There is however, a relatively new restaurant there that is worth a visit, turning the Queen St Mall into a destination in itself, rather than just a glorified nighttime footpath to Irish Murphy's.

Lennons Restaurant is attached to Next Hotel, but is quickly making a name for itself in its own right, as a place to bunker down for the night and enjoy some decadent food.  

Just how good can the food be at a local hotel? Let's find out.

With the current move towards healthy eating comes its natural successor: healthy drinking.

I don't mean browny-green smoothies and quinoa chia water; I'm talking about fun drinking. The alcoholic kind.

Esprit De Figues is the first fig liqueur to hit the Australian market, and in just a few months it has proven popular among cocktail aficionados nationwide.

I say it's health-conscious because of all the liqueurs out there, Esprit De Figues has one of the lowest levels of sugar. This provides the double benefits of allowing the natural flavours of handpicked Violette de Bordeaux figs to shine, as well as being kind to your insulin levels. 

In keeping its sugar levels down, is this drink something you'd still like to sip on during a night out? Let's find out.  

Since my recent foray to the Golden Pig Cooking School to try my hand at one of its cooking classes (my cupcakes rocked- Hummingbird Bakery eat your heart out), I've had a number of you lovely people interested in rolling up your own sleeves in the Golden Pig kitchen.

To yule-tide you all over, Golden Pig creator and chef Katrina Ryan has sent me a brand new Christmas recipe which makes the most of seasonal produce for the festive season. 

​Her Grilled Prawns with Miso Butter and Charred Corn Salad is both special and easy at the same time for a bit of a wow factor on your dining table. Apart from the santa-themed candlesticks I mean. 

Fire up the barbecue- let's get cooking!

Life in general is a little bit harder with a newborn. Doing the groceries is harder. Cooking is harder. Loosing weight- pfft, don't even talk to me about that. 

So I was pretty stoked to be able to try the latest offering from the guys at Aussie Farmers Direct- their home delivered WW Freshbox which comes complete with recipes from Weight Watchers. Given that my brain space is currently filled with nap schedules and feeding times, not having to think about what to cook for dinner is an absolute god-send right now. 

It's also great to not feel guilty for running out of food at home and serving up a dinner of chips (guilty as charged). 

So how does the WW Freshbox stack up? Let's find out.

​Being a food-lover does mean that I'm not too shabby in the kitchen. I'm not exactly creating croquembouches every fortnight, but I can churn out the basics quite nicely.

Need someone to get that pasta dish done? I'm your girl.  

Whether you're the executive chef at home or more in charge of the sponge and scourer, there's always room to learn something new in the kitchen. That's exactly what you can do at The Golden Pig Cooking School in Brisbane's Newstead. 

What's the benefit of actually going to a cooking class instead just rifling through "Woman's Weekly Easy Dinners"? Read on to find out.