Pages

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Why is a raven like a writing desk?

I just googled greatest novels of all time.

Number 24: Alice's adventures in Wonderland.  For those that know me well, will know that I am somewhat obsessed with this story.  I own books of it, watch the movie often and sometimes think of six impossible things before breakfast.  Like, my kids will sleep in til 7.30am or Mary Poppins has magically re-arranged the house after the party we had last night.....  I had a Alice in Wonderland inspired 21st, and am now creating an Alice in Wonderland inspired wedding.  Stay tuned for the Alice in Wonderland inspired 30th, 50th and funeral.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Introducing...... my garden. Garden, you, you garden

Last October I joined the growing movement of Lets get growing..Tauranga's allotment style community gardens.  I rent a plot and plant and grow to my hearts content.  Since then we've had fresh everything! tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchinis, more than I would know what to do with, but the beauty of community style gardening is that you share and swap vegetables.  I have learnt to grow things I'd only tasted in restaurants, sorrell, celeriac and yellow beetroot.  My experience has even inspired me to grow most of the produce for our upcoming wedding...I'm planting potatoes, I have celeriac growing and next week I'll be putting down peas and broad beans.

It's a little worse for wear at the moment thanks to my busy life and the changing seasons but heres a pic...currently stocked with silverbeet, sorrell, romanesco brocoli, red cabbage, leeks and pak choi.

Lets get growing




Friday, April 15, 2011

A thought for Planet Earth

 A lot of people think "Whats the use" and are ignorant towards littering, recycling etc......broad topic I know but according to Dr Seuss, the answer is rather simple.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Ginger + Honey

Shots from a job I did recently....(excuse the crap photography)

Pistachio lamb balls with fattoush salad                    

Rosemary foccaie with goats cheese + thyme butter, proscuitto and roasted olive

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

figs goats and autumn leaves

If I was a season I'd be Autumn.  Theres something to be said about this time of the year, so emotive and calming...the dark signals the end of the day, we close the blinds, light the fire (well not for us yet anyway), don our slippers, get our warm pink children fresh out of a hot bath to snuggle into a fluffy robe and have stories with knitted blankies.  I love the changing of the leaves, red and gold but above all I love the seasonal food.....figs, walnuts, pumpkin, brassicas, apples and pears.  Autumn makes me want to eat my last meal - goats cheese and fig brushetta.  But tonight, instead we are having pumpkin and prawn curry with pear and ginger pudding for dessert...yum

Monday, April 4, 2011

My son woke up yesterday from his midday sleep, Dad asks " Did you have any dreams mate? "
"Yeah, there was a lion, a flying lion and it made no sound"

Mute flying lions. Now thats a new one.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

From garden to table

One of the key reasons why farmers markets are so popular is the fact that customers know who has grown what they are buying.  In our modern world there is a big issue of eating out of season, food that has traveled from one continent to another and ripened on the way.  This takes out most of the flavour and it is certainly not the way mother nature intended it to taste.  So take a good look next time you shop in a supermarket, look for the stickers - if it's not from your country don't buy it, instead go to your local farmers market and put your money into the pockets of your community.

A sample of what I bought today from the Tauranga Farmers Market;   organic bananas, limes, tomatoes, baby yellow carrots, avocadoes, homemade bhuja mix and a venison, mushroom and parmesan mash pie from Heavenly pies (best tequila hangover cure I should mention..)

Tauranga Farmers Market

http://www.farmersmarkets.org.nz/

Friday, April 1, 2011

Nectar of the gods

My grandmother used to make us this "special" beverage when we were kids..she named it "Nectar of the Gods".  It was just raro drink with a few borage leaves sprinkled with caster sugar.  So simple but we thought it was AMAZING.  Nowadays my nectar of the gods is a gin and tonic, hold the borage, with lemon please.  Thank goodness my best friend is back from Mexico to share the sun and fizzy goodness with me! Love you Miss Cleland xx

Oh and also, guess what I got for my birthday? A Dear Colleen tea towel...when life hands you lemons, make a gin and tonic.  Smiles all round.