I stepped out of routine last weekend. After packing my handbag with necessities, including my camera, I went off to be a Cheesemaker for a day at the New Zealand Cheese School. There were about ten of us on the Dairy course, and we learned how to make milk ricotta,...
It’s definitely summer here in New Zealand with higher than normal temperatures scorching the country. Bella has taken to cooling off by lying on her back with all her feet in the air. I call it her hot, hot, hot! pose. Later today I’m visiting Not Your Usual Suspects...
This is one of our native trees – the pohutukawa tree. It’s an evergreen and bears these gorgeous scarlet flowers around Christmas. Our local council has planted these trees all down our street and in some of the neighboring reserves. They make for a pretty picture. I...
A report from the home front today. Bella, our puppy, continues to challenge and delight us. She’s an active wee thing and loves to help out with jobs around the house. We’ve trained her to carry some of the recycling out to the bin, and she also enjoys toting the...
I love my jeans. During summer I enjoy wearing shorts. Unfortunately most of my jeans and shorts end up with the same problem—a zip that keeps falling down. The last thing anyone needs is to walk into a room with their zip at low mast. Who knows what people will see?...
Mr. Munro planted a tub of Mesclun salad not long ago. The tub sat outside our kitchen in a nice sunny spot. I even remembered to water it each day, and we’d started harvesting the leaves, eating them for dinner. Then I arrived home to find this… Flat Mesclun salad!...
During the last few months I’ve been attempting to complete three different manuscripts. When I’m at home it’s easy to become distracted. Too easy! There’s all the housework, the Internet, my email, the puppy wanting to play and the phone, just to mention a few things...
“Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts.” ~ James Beard (1903-1985) About a month ago I watched a River Cottage cooking episode featuring Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. The entire show was...
Recently my husband took me to a traditional afternoon tea at Cornwell Park in Central Auckland. It’s always fun setting aside the jeans for something a little dressier and enjoying the occasion. Our afternoon tea inspired my TT this week. Thirteen Things About...
