Bye bye Blogspot

Hello and goodbye!

I have decided to continue blogging elsewhere on the interweb.  For those of you who have enjoyed looking at my blog, you can find me on Just Dabbling

#52 Lists - List 10

* some notes on some, but not all, of the above:

• Mum's chicken soup recipe is so easy, and what's great is, it always tastes as good as she made, even when I've cooked it!
• By custard, I mean any type, including packet custard, but Faye's ice-cream custard recipe is fab and if you've got an egg in the house you can make it!
• I inherited my dad's lazy-boy chair and it's under a good light and perfect spot to read a good book.
• When I win lotto, I'm getting the bath put back in this house ... or buying a new house with a HUGE bath in it!
• I mean cashmere wool
• A duvet is the 'correct' term for a duna ;-)
• My sister-in-law bought me some yoga pants in the States and they have a gorgeous velvet feel to them - yet are just a knit fabric. They feel gorgeous, thanks Ali x
• My friend Della does the best roast dinner, which I am always grateful for, as living by yourself, you don't tend to cook a leg of lamb, or a whole chicken.

and finally, (not matching the above list) NOTHING beats a good hug.

Nomm Nomm... Chocolate

I have been busy in the kitchen today, trialling some Easter treats

#52Lists - List 9

An OLD list.

I just discovered a List I drew up 14 years ago, in 1999.  I was backpacking around Europe, had been living in Dublin and was on my last few weeks before flying home to New Zealand.

The list says:

I want to:

• do a varsity paper on something interesting
• do a photography course
• get a better car
• buy a house, or an apartment that I can decorate
• read some excellent books
• get back into piano
• be in a musical
• go to a ball!

I think that last one was because I was leaving Dell Computers just before the Christmas Ball which was due to be a pretty flash affair, black tie event in one of the posh hotels in Dublin.  I missed out on a Christmas Bonus of around 700 Irish pounds too.

But that list... well, I can say 14 years later...

I have:

• completed not just a varsity paper but a postgraduate degree... in HR.  I guess that's up to you whether you think that's interesting!
• completed a photography course
• bought a brand new car
• bought a house ... that I kind of didn't get around to decorating - I did paint the bedroom!  I'm currently decorating a different house, slowly, thanks to EQC.
• read some pretty excellent books ... don't ask me to name 14 years worth of reading
• not quite got back into piano - but I do now have one in the house
• haven't been in a musical... but I did form a very short-lived band for a one-off appearance at a work do!
• haven't gone to a ball.

So now, in 2013 I want to... well, I'm still working on that one, so it will show up in another blog!

They're back!

Back last week to co-incide with Ellerslie, another bunch of plant-animals have arrived in City Mall.  Elly my elephant made a return, along with giraffe and penguin friends!

They provide a little bit of extra vibrancy and fun to the colourful container mall.

52 Lists - List 8

Favourite Words

This is a hard one.  I do enjoy watching "Miranda" and love it when she gets a word she likes and has a play with it ... a recent episode had the word "plunge".   I don't know that I have favourite words.  I enjoy words.  I like a good word play and I love a bad pun... but these are some words I love to hear, so I'll settle on the following:-


Summery

Delicious

Salubrious

Pinot Noir

Stylish

Stunning

Mystical

and one from a colleague at work "GlamORRus".  I agree, the word glamorous doesn't sound as cool when it's pronounced correctly.  Sometimes you just have to play with the english language!

Chutney Time!

Final product - 3.5 jars (I've hidden the half empty one!)

I'm a novice when it comes to preserving, having only done one lot of chutney last year (with slightly disastrous results when I burnt the bottom of the pot!)  But with the amount of tomatoes my one plant has suddenly started to give me it was time to get out the recipe book again.

I used Aunt Daisy's recipe (today I just did a half recipe as I don't really own preserving jars... you can see I'm recycling from the photo!) and the resulting tomato chutney has a caramelised onion type of taste to it, so it makes it perfect to have as a pizza base for gourmet pizzas.  In fact, this is pretty much the reason I have made it.  Although I can confirm it does also taste good with brie and crackers!

Anyway I wasn't organised taking photos of the process today ... it was a bit messy in my little kitchen. One day, when EQC have been and I finally get my new kitchen, I'll be happy to take photos of my works in progress.  Today, however, it's just the final result.

Bring on the home-made pizza next week - I see spinach, feta, capsicum, cashews and either chorizo or pepperoni making an appearance!