Archives for April 2012

Dark Choc Chip Cookies and…The Sheep Farm

The prelude to this story is on Unaccompanied Minors My sister and I took the NAC flight as unaccompanied minors from Wellington to Christchurch for our two-week holiday on our cousin’s farm.  It’s probably best if I don’t mention that going on a plane was the one thing we were most looking forward to. We […]

Chicken Pesto Salad and…Critically Fed

There’s a lot of criticism around here at the moment and it’s all to do with lunch boxes. I try and I try and I try but the children are proving difficult to please and I don’t think I’m alone because I know so many mums who are like me and dread the daily chore […]

Massaman Lamb Curry and…Unaccompanied Minors

It was the August school holidays and I was 12 years old.  My mother told Em and I that in a few days the two of us were going on a plane to Christchurch to stay on our cousins sheep farm for the holidays.  I didn’t hear anything after the word ‘plane’.  It was all […]

Vegetable Tagine and…Dinner is Served – On a Shoe!

The sleeping arrangements weren’t to either of our satisfaction.  My father said she had to sleep downstairs in her basket in the kitchen and not upstairs with all of us because she was a ‘guard dog’.  But Sophie didn’t like sleeping downstairs, she wanted to sleep in my bed.  So under the cover of darkness […]

Konnichi Wa, Ogenki Desu Ka

When I was a teenager I attended the local high school that was only a short level walk from home.  There was nothing terribly remarkable about this school however it did become known for having educated a girl named Elanor McPherson who for many years has been better known as ‘Elle’ or ‘The Body’. Besides […]

Maeva!

One night Carl was drunk. We were at Taronga Zoo’s annual fundraising event sitting at a table of 10 and while I was admiring the Dinosaur Designs beautifully boxed gifts we received, Carl was wandering around the room knocking back a few reds. Just before Guy Sebastian came on to sing it was announced that […]

Stalag Luft 111

It’s nearly April 25 and that date is an extremely significant day in the calendars of all Australians and New Zealanders as this is ANZAC Day, the day we remember those who served our country in war and in particular the many thousands who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. At the outbreak of […]

Green Olive Dip and…Do You Like Biscuits?

(This post will make more sense if you have read my previous post, Hangi Time).  So the neighbours with the six children and the dirt bikes and the chickens and the rooster and the cigarettes and the long-neck bottles of beer and the bricks, tiles and concrete and the offensive language that landed one of […]

Pork Belly with Caramel Vinegar and…Hangi Time

When I was very young the house next door to us was sold and we had high levels of anticipation as to who would be our new neighbours. One day they arrived.  And it wasn’t a subtle arrival either.  They were a family of six children, three boys and three girls.  They were very loud […]

Dark Chocolate Brownies

Sponsored by Kellogg’s and Nuffnang Recently I was asked by the good people at Kellogg’s to take part in a seven-day trial of their new product, All-Bran Fibre Toppers.  In my post a few days ago I created a recipe using All-Bran Fibre Toppers called Apple and Raspberry Crumble.  That recipe is now available on […]