Archives for December 2011

Breakfast Basil Eggs and…Stranger Than Fiction

This is a true story that you will have no trouble believing because, as you know, the truth is always stranger than fiction. This is the story of how I came to be, ‘Charlie Louie’. When I was born in Wellington, New Zealand, I already had an older sister whose arrival had displeased my grandmother.  […]

‘Deck the Halls’ – and the Walls and the Windows and the Mantle Piece and the …

When it comes to decorating our homes for Christmas it seems ‘less’ is definitely not ‘more’.  Not long now until the big day and little by little we are getting ready.  We have decorated the tree, hung the icicle lights, the stockings and the advent calendars, made the cake, sent the cards, and planned the […]

Spicy Hoisin Chicken Balls and…Gap Year Number Two

Archie applied for the course he wanted to do for 2012 but wasn’t accepted.  They still think he’s too young and still want him to gain more life experience before allowing him to do the three-year degree. Of course Archie was fine about it.  He said, ‘It’s okay mum, I’ll just go to Uni and […]

Walnut and Sage Stuffing and…Is Nothing Sacred?

My belt was missing.  I’m not yet completely mad so I do remember it was through the loopholes of my jeans the last time I saw it.  Now my jeans lay sprawled across my day bed, belt-less. A futile, time-consuming and waste of energy search through my drawers, my bedroom and then the entire house […]

Glazed Over

For me, reading through Cooking Magazines and deciding that the family Christmas Feast must have an eye-catching, conversation stopping and mouth-watering standout dish that typifies Christmas and is something unique to the season and perhaps something you don’t indulge in at other times of the year, is essential. To me that dish is a decorated […]

Unclean Archie and…Christmas Coconut Swirls

A terrific opportunity surfaced for Archie.  Still trying to break into the industry he would love to make his career, I applied, on his behalf (and on the quiet), to an organization offering training in Archie’s field of choice. It was a fabulous opportunity but Archie just wasn’t that interested.  Not because he didn’t like […]