With the night’s drawing in as we move further into autumn the weather is certainly changeable. It was hot and sunny on Sunday and then down to a chilly 10°c on Monday. I love having the fire on to warm up the home and then a tasty aromatic casserole to fill the tummy and keep the family happy and contented.
Casseroles are very easy to put together although they do take time to cook, Read the rest of this entry »
My favourite season is summer, perhaps because my body reacts poorly to the cold weather, numb fingers that never function properly. There is something relaxing about the sun shining in through the window and knowing that it is going to be a hot day so light clothing rather than layers will be the order of the day. Alas summer has just again left our shore and winter is looming around the corner. However we are still lucky to have such a great selection of vegetables available that have been grown locally. I don’t like to buy vegetables from Read the rest of this entry »
Friday the last day of the school holidays and I wanted to spend the day playing so I took some mince out of the freezer in the morning to defrost. Over the summer our home has expanded as the Welshman’s mother is visiting from Wales and my daughter is living with us with her newborn son.
Throughout the day they kept asking me what I was going to do with the mince and could they do anything to help me. Each time they asked I replied that I wasn’t sure yet and it was too early to worry about it.
After a fun filled day of playing it was suddenly 5.00pm and I still hadn’t decided what I would do with the mince. I checked out the fridge and found eggplant, zucchini and Read the rest of this entry »
Sausages are versatile and very tasty. They are an easy meal to prepare, and kids love them. In the summer they are great on a BBQ, a good kiwi tradition, wrapped in a thick slice of bread with tomato sauce!
Sausages have really come into their own, gone are the days of the plain sausage with plenty of fillers, now there are so many varieties and flavours that eating a sausage has become a gourmet meal in itself.
I like to eat the real meat sausages but they Read the rest of this entry »
Sunday morning, it’s cold and wet outside, another dismal winter’s day. On go the walking shoes, wooly hat, gloves and raincoat and I set off on my five kilometre journey up into Martinborough to purchase my fish. Yes I do have a car but I love to walk. Trudging through mud and puddles I march past sheep, cattle, horses and even ducks that are nicely nestled on lifestyle properties interspersed with olive groves and vineyards.
Martinborough is a small rural town with a population of around 1400 fulltime inhabitants situated 1½ hours drive from Wellington, so we are very fortunate to have our very own fish vendor.
Splashzone is a family owned business, that have their own fishing boat and a number of contract Fisherman who fish off the coast of the Wairarapa at Ngawi , Flatpoint and Tora. Throughout the week they sell their fish Read the rest of this entry »
Food shopping, love it or hate it, as a Mother this is a very necessary chore. There is nothing worse than the kids bouncing in after an active day at school and bursting into the pantry only to find that the cupboard is bare. Sometimes I enjoy the journey around the supermarket but on other occasions it is just a job that has to be done. I prefer to shop alone. Taking the kids food shopping results in a monotonous series of “No’s” especially Read the rest of this entry »
With winter fast approaching my style of cooking changes to provide warm easy meals the family will eat. Putting all the ingredients into one dish is easy and this can hide individual foods so less likely to be rejected by the fussy kids. It’s amazing how mixing the veges and flavours can fool them.
Chicken legs are often on special in the supermarket and the kids love them. Did I tell you that I only buy chicken Read the rest of this entry »
I love chicken, it is such a yummy food, and very easy to prepare. It is a food that all the family enjoy and in my house it is a rare treat to get agreement on a meal that pleases everyone. Most friends like chicken too, so if I’m having people to dinner it is usually a good option.
I am really paranoid about preparing chicken, all my friends will vouch for this! Chicken has to be prepared well and cooked really well. Unlike steak chicken cannot have any blood running out of it, the juices must be clear.
Many years ago one night travelling home from work Read the rest of this entry »
Feeding and entertaining kids can be a challenge ! If they are not eating they want to be entertained and vice versa. Trying to find easy fast foods that are tasty and quick to make can be a chore. When the kids are young they will eat what you give them but as they age they want a multitude of foods Read the rest of this entry »
