Tamales!

I've never made a decent tamale but with all the ingredients in my freezer I thought it was about time I tried again.  Luckily I found this brilliant you tube channel.  After watching a few of her tamale making videos I cracked on to give it a go myself. 

masa dough made with oil instead of lard

soaked corn husks, cheese and salsa ready and waiting

a good smear of masa and a huge block of cheese (I should have used twice as much cheese)

Steaming away for hours

The result was so yummy.  I should have used as much cheese as she suggested but it looked like heaps.  She also put a big slice of jalapeno in hers which would have been divine.  Of course I never got around to taking any photos of the final product on the plate; we were way too busy feasting on them!

Before and After......(or just after)

I can't believe that nowhere in my photo folders is a picture of this before I had it reupholstered.  I love a good before and after photo montage (does that word make sense here).  But anyway, here it is AFTER:

It went from dull, off white and very stained to bright, colorful and modern.  We are lovin' it!!!

Leprechauns and Little People

After reading about all of my American friends whose children were building leprechaun traps in hopes of being taken to pots of gold at the end of rainbows, I decided that perhaps we should get into the St. Patrick's Day celebrations as well.  I asked around to a few friends to see if they would be doing anything for St. Paddy's Day and the usual response was a strange and questioning look on peoples faces.  There would be a very tiny percentage of people in our tiny population of New Zealand who actually acknowledge St. Patrick's Day.  I decided that we would be the first in our tiny town to do something "Irish" for the occasion.  Beef with Guinness, potatoes with parsley, sauteed cabbage and Baileys mousse with whipped cream and praline was my ode to the festivities.  9 adults and 10 children came over for our official St. Patrick's Day party and it was a huge success!  Wearing green and drinking an assortment of Irish stout, whiskey and baileys we enjoyed the first of hopefully many to come Leigh village St. Patrick's Day annual celebration dinners!

Of course because of all the action and little people running around that we had to tend to, the camera was shelved and completely forgotten about.  The food photos were taken the next day with the leftovers!!!!

At Long Last...

Not only has it been a long time since my last post but it's also been a very long time since I have finished a knitting or crocheting project.  I suppose in the summer that sort of craft is the last thing you want to be doing.  We've had many sunny summer days spent on the beach or outside in the garden instead of sitting quietly on the sofa knitting away.  I knew this project would take me ages even though it is big fat wool knitted on big fat needles which is why I started it in springtime knowing I would probably finish close to winter.  Just in time to need a warm shrug.  I finally sat myself down last week and MADE myself finish it once and for all.  And you know what?  I'm actually pretty pleased with it!  It is the softest cashmere/wool blend.  Debbie Bliss Como.  With all the leftover bits I am hoping to make a moss stitch patchwork cushion cover for the living room.  So without further ado, here it is....

Before and After

Entry Hall before with pale yellow walls

Stairwell in white with lots of little kid finger prints

Lots of butter yellow wall space to be covered

Looking up from stairwell (handmade glass sconce courtesy of sarah saso)

Awesome bright orange handrail with dirt hiding brown walls

Repainted shoe shelves and Pete's gorgeous photos proudly hung above

Revamped and practical as!

Loving my etsy rug!

Close ups of our local underwater sea life

Kiwi-isms

A few phenomenons, somewhat and sometimes irritating,  which I have noticed over the past 6 years that I finally must divulge:

1. When Kiwi's, particularly children, say No it is pronounced "nouuuy".  
2. When you "take" a class that means you are the instructor....weird.
3. Many Kiwi folk say brought instead of bought, as in I brought a new car.  Where did you bring it from?  Whatever!  As if brought is the past tense of purchase.
4. Also on that subject, sort after instead of sought after, draw instead of drawer..... the list goes on.  Where on earth did they learn that from, I hope not from school or else I am seriously worried for my children.
5. When passing an oncoming car on a country road, you give a little, few finger wave.  Actually you just kind of raise a finger or two off the steering wheel as a gesture.  Sometimes this means thanks and other times I'm not sure if you do it because you probably know them so you might as well wave hello or if it is a general "hey mate" kind of thing.  Still trying to figure that one out.  
6. Kiwi kids seriously do not, hardly ever, actually wear shoes.  Never, not even in the freezing cold winter.

I am sure there are plenty more Kiwi-isms and I will add them as they come to me.  For now I hope that gives you a good laugh for the day.

Photo Update

Baby sleeps; She loves her pillow pet.

Entry hall makeover.....stay tuned for the after photos.

Pet day at school.  Rex tried to start fights with all the other dogs; nice one!

Tui watches the action and tries to escape to the playground every 5 minutes keeping mama very busy.

Halloween Kiwi style.

Little big girl latching the gate after the trick or treaters leave.

New monkey bars!  An early birthday present for Rita.  Playing with the neighborhood boys.

Summer garden is starting to grow. Tomatoes galore.

Strawberries and corn.

Lemon meringue tart with Rita and Kororia.

Rex and his new friend,

Not much time around here to write blog posts so you'll have to settle for these photos instead.  They tell the story of what we've been up to this past month.  Weather is getting warmer around these parts....bring on the summer!!!