BIRTHDAY

It is Doug's Birthday on Thursday  (9/11).  He originally said he didn't want any celebration i.e. party or anything else.  He eventually agreed to a get-together similar to the one we had for the family photoshoot recently.  That is taking place on Sunday and I think there will be 23 people - daughters, grandchildren, partners, great-grandchildren and four first cousins.

Yesterday, however, after a very pleasant walk to the Whangarei Falls, one of the ladies in the Walking Group made a cake and another a special card.  We had our coffee at our favourite restaurant where they are always most obliging.

Tomorrow, we have appointments in town and will go out for lunch and on the day itself some friends are coming here.

  

KAMO BUTCHER AND PEA AND HAM SOUP

 Yesterday we went to Omak Butchers in Kamo as I wanted to buy one of their bacon hocks to make soup.  They are so much nicer than the supermarket ones.  While I was there I bought some bacon, lambs fry and a small boned lamb leg roast.  I then noticed that their whole eye fillet steaks were on special and I knew we had very little left so bought one of them as well.

Today, after doing a couple of loads of washing and making a loaf of gf bread I sliced the fillet and packed it up getting enough for 13 meals for the two of us.  We had some for lunch and the rest went in the deep freeze. ( I was surprised to see that it is actually Australian beef.)

I also made a large pot of Pea and Ham Soup.  As well as the peas and bacon hock were lentils, carrots, kumara and celery.  When it was cooked I removed the meat from the bone and then used a stick mixer to puree the soup.  I will store the soup and meat separately and put some meat in each serving.  

It is delicious and we will have some for our meal tonight.  There are two large bowls of soup.

It was delicious. 

WAIMAHANGA TRACK WALK

 Yesterday we had a lovely walk along the Waimahanga Track.  The weather was fine but chilly (not as cold as at the weekend).  It was my first walk for three weeks as I have had a cough/cold that kept lingering so it was lovely to get out.  Walk was a bit shorter than usual as the leaders decided that the bridge we usually walk to had been moved and they had walked far enough (half an hour each way) and the cafe was calling.  

There is a large Puriri tree with little fairy houses.

and just past that a younger (but mature) Puriri 

The two "tail enders" apart from me taking photos.

Today I went to pick some Swiss Chard for lunch and was pleased to see how well my Romanesco cauliflowers are doing. There are six of them, luckily all in different stages.  My favourite.

The Pieris is doing well this year.  It seemed to take ages before it started to grow to any height.

SIXTY YEARS

 It is sixty years since I arrived in Auckland.  I was working in Knightsbridge and after talking to someone who was emigrating I booked my passage.  Didn't really think it through, just booked.  My mother came up to London with me to see me off and, in her usual fashion, encouraged me to keep buying things.  Polaroid cameras were the new thing and there were salespeople in the street taking photos and trying to persuade people to buy.  Of course, my mother wanted me to buy one as well as a cine camera.  I did buy the cine camera but stood up to her on the polaroid.  I was worried about arriving in New Zealand on my own with no money.  It didn't seem to worry her. 

My brother also came to see me off.  Somewhere I have one of the polaroid photos taken to tempt me and one of my father as I was leaving home in Worthing.  

We sailed to Bilbao, then through the Panama Canal stopping in Tahiti. After Tahiti we hit severe storms.  Every car on board was a write off and the bow had a great chunk of heavy steel ripped.  All entertainment and the final ball were cancelled and very few people were going to the Dining Room for meals.  Luckily I was fine.  I can remember you had to hold on to your meal to stop it sliding off the table.  Max could remember seeing it on the nightly News.

So it is sixty years since I arrived in Auckland and my new life began.  A pretty good life.

ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER

 A few weeks ago Doug suggested that we could do with a few of our kitchen cupboard doors replaced.  We looked up various companies and Kamo Kitchens came around.  They had the match for the board but we also asked for a quote to replace all the doors and decided this was the better option so they came back with colour samples.

This morning they were here at 8 a.m. and removed all the old doors taking them back to the workshop to drill the holes for the new ones.  It is now 1.35 p.m. and they have just come back and are installing the new doors.  Unfortunately,  they were not able to get enough of the new handles we chose so some of the old handles are going up. The new ones imported from Austria and should be here in September.

This morning after the cupboard doors had been taken away.

and now at 3 p.m. All finished and we are very pleased with the result.

SWEETCORN

When it is available at the Growers' Market I buy 6 - 10 corn on the cob at a time and process them freezing the kernels in large ice cube trays.  I then freeze each tray lot in a vacuum sealed bag.  They are useful for so many things from adding to soups to having them creamed on toast for our evening meal. 

One meal we are particularly fond of we have just eaten for lunch.  It is my version of a Lasagne.  I cook large pots of ragu and freeze them in 2 portion packs so I put a thawed one in the bottom of a dish then some gluten free lasagne sheets and top it with a cheese sauce I make with a sliced leek and one cube of sweetcorn .  I top it with cheese and paprika and cook for 30 minutes. 

                                          

                                                            an open pack of corn

                                                                  one frozen corn cube

                                                              Still plenty in the freezer

                                         The finished meal.  It was delicious.

 

PHOTO SHOOT

 It is three weeks since we had the photo shoot.  Have just got the photos. We got 27 after they had been checked first by granddaughter.  I must say there are some lovely ones.

The only one I will post is of the two of us.