What a week! Playing catch up!

Huntly Power Station

Howdy folks, bet you all thought I'd dropped off the planet, I haven't, I'm still here but have had a busy week and no real time quality computer time. Joe had the last week off as he is changing jobs within the power station at Huntly. Up until today he has been on the maintenance team, an often gruelling and tiring job. But as of today after all his working life on the 'tools' he has now shifted to operations. The next 5 or 6 years or so will involve training to learn the whole plant so that in time he will be part of a team that 'operates' Huntly power station. Or summat like that, I dunno about you but when the hubby starts talking about his job my eyes tend to glaze over!! He will be doing 12 hour shifts, 2 nights, rest day, 2 days and then 4 days off, which will give him a lot more time at home. This hopefully will suit our lifestyle so much better, it's hard work keeping on top of everything sometimes so having more time at home will mean more will get done. I've already made a 'list' which Joe is rapt about and can't wait to get started on, so excited in fact that I've started volume 2!

I have quite a bit to fill you in on so I best get on with it, I'll start here first and then do separate posts for other stuff.

Party time!
A week last Saturday we were at a friends 50th birthday party, there was a 70s theme to it, it was a great night and nice to see so many people dressed up, here are a few photos from the evening...........

Joe

Me

Kartene & Michael

The Band

Us

Me & City Sue
Don't go away more to come!

A**holes on the net - a bit of a rant! Come back Frugal Queen!

I like blogging, I ramble on a bit I know and there's no set pattern but I've had 1000's of visitors and I have over 80 followers to my humble little blog. It's nice to know that what I blather on about some people actually like! For that I am very, very grateful. I am also grateful for every one who has ever left a comment, comments are always welcome and are always friendly and encouraging. So all in all my blogging experience has been positive.

There are blogs that I like follow and I try to read them regularly. It's always nice to read what other people are getting up to. Some of those blogs reflect our own lifestyle, some are craft blogs, and some inspiring. Whatever their content they are an interesting insight into other peoples lives, which they very kindly share on the internet with anyone who wants to read.

Today I am saddened to learn that one very inspiring lady, Frugal Queen has felt the need to delete her blog because of some very hurtful comments. So hurtful that she has withdrawn from the blogging world. Not only am I saddened by this but I'm bloody angry about it too. What gives people the right to be such effing arseholes to behave in such a way.
Her friend over at My Beautiful Life has blogged about it today, leave a comment if you feel like I do, and send some support to Frugal Queen.

Rhonda over at Down to Earth has had the same problem recently and has felt the need to vent.

If people don't like what they read it's pretty damned easy to delete the page, just move the cursor to the little cross at the top right of the page, click and it's gone! Once they have done that they perhaps should go get a life!

Arseholes!

Rant over! As you were! :-D

A little bit of this and a little bit of that...

I'm still preserving and adding to the stockpile, 7 jars of pickled red cabbage, some more Ferkin Gherkins and probably more! I'm in such a pickle I can't rightly remember!

Courgette and cardomom cake, courtesy of Sue Jayne at Down to Earth

Just look at that, that slice didn't last long. If you bake, you have to try this!

And I've started knitting for my sister-in-law's baby due later in the year, had a bit of a nightmare trying to print off the pattern, don't ask! And then I needed a translator for the knitting gobbledegook! But I had help from the lovely ladies at Down To Earth, especially Shelagh who was emailing me like a mad thing in the US and Sue (coffee) for being on Facebook just when I needed her!
Pattern here

And that's been the week so far!

ETA the recipe as requested:

Quick and easy courgette and cardamom cake

Time: 1.5hrs mins
Serves: 8

Shopping list
1 large zucchini grated - then spread out on handle towel and excess moisture squeezed out.
100g caster sugar
100g butter and extra to grease baking tin
100g runny honey
3 large eggs - beaten
1 heaped tsp cardamom powder
Zest and juice of 1 limes
325g self rising flour
75g ground almonds
3 tbsp Greek yoghurt

For icing
100g icing sugar
100g cream cheese
Zest and juice of lime
75g butter - softened

For garnish
2 tbsp finely chopped pistachio nuts
Zest of 1 lime

Method

Preset oven to 180degC.
Cooking time 1 hour and around 20 minutes

Line with baking paper a large loaf tin.
Cream sugar and butter until pale, then beat in honey and eggs. Fold in ground cardamom, zest and juice of 1 lime, flour, zucchini, and almonds. Stir in yoghurt.
Pour into loaf tin and bake 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into middle of cake comes out clean.

Cool cake in tin.

Beat icing sugar and remaining butter until smooth. Mix in cream cheese, and juice of lime. Ice cake then garnish with lime zest and pistachio nuts.

Enjoy!

A great start to the New Year

****Happy New Year****

The first week of 2011 isn't quite over and yet we have packed in quite a lot in a week, here's how we've spent our time in pictures. Hope you've all had a great start to the New Year too.

New Year in Whangamata, we stayed with friends at their new bach (pronounced batch), it's just lovely. We arrived about 9 in the evening as we'd had to pick up 100 bales of hay before could leave. Oh the joys of owning a lifestyleblock!!

Me and Joe who was feeling very jolly at this point. We saw in the New Year singing Auld Lang Syne, although we weren't too sure about the words.

Pauline and Martin

Lilly and Arnie, Paulines mum and dad over from Liverpool in the UK

New years day
A walk along Moana Anu Anu reserve, just a short distance from Pauline and Martins bach

Heading out for a spot of fishing

Enjoying the view

We have other friends that have recently bought a new launch, we thought we were filmstars when we hopped on board for a cuppa

Not too much luck today with the fish sadly, this parrot fish was far too small to keep so it went back into the water

Although Martins was a definate keeper, just stunning

Pauline caught this Kingfish by trawling a lure behind a moving boat. Sadly much too small so he had to go back in too!

Not a lot of fish caught that day and we were feeling worse for the wear after the New Years celebrations and a very late night. So maybe next time we'll be a bit luckier and a lot more sober!!

Tuesday 4th January
We headed down to Raglan this morning for a spot of fishing off the jetty, we took Matt our neighbour and his lovely son James with us. Matt had bought James a fishing rod for Christmas and so he was keen to try it out.

James

I pulled a snapper out but it was undersize, so we threw it back. There are very strict rules regarding keeping undersize fish. And besides if it were legal size it still probably wouldn't have yielded much meat. That was the total catch this morning, no-one had much luck that day

Wednesday 5th January
Bowentown, near Waihi Beach
Heading out for a spot of fishing for the afternoon in Bowentown harbour, with friends Pete and Kerry

Joe pulls out a rather lovely snapper, this one was a keeper

Then it was my turn

The first of 4 stingrays! Definately not keepers

Then Pete not to be outdone by the Webbers and their run of luck, spent nearly 20 minutes bringing this to the surface! A rather large, 6 foot, sand shark!!

Heading back, Joe and Kerry

Our skipper Pete

A view of Anzac bay, our favourite bay

***Yoohoo***

Joe takes the wheel...Man the lifeboats everyone!

Waiting for Pete to bring the boat trailer back
The boat, 'Men at Work' Yeah right!

Kerry

Our catch, Joe caught one snapper, I caught two snapper and a trevally

All filleted

Yum yum!!

There is nothing quite like the taste of fresh fish and especially when you have caught it yourself!

Had an Op shop fest today

Op shop as in Opportunity/Charity or thrift shop. I never realised what treasures were to be found in these places. Today I've been out and about with my mate Sue who is the Op shop Queen. She pretty much takes care of Michaels entire wardrobe, he often would come home with a great t-shirt, and I would say, 'Where did you get that?' He would reply 'Sue'... ah say no more. :D

My main aim today was to buy Joe a present for his birthday tomorrow and find a Christmas garland that I could decorate and hang on the staircase. I was also meant to buy a gazebo/party tent for a party here on Saturday. I did manage to complete part of the mission, I found a garland and I got Joe's present. But I had spent too much time browsing in the Op shops and with good company. I did find the party tent and was looking right at it but it would have meant finding someone to get it down off some very high shelving. So I've left that for another day, probably Friday.

So here is what I found:-

In one op shop I got 10 craft magazines for 50c each

... two beautiful embroidered mats and a part finished quilted block, each item $1.50 each

In another shop I found these lovely sheets, not sure if they are vintage or not, but over at Down to Earth they recently had a Vintage sheet swap unfortunately I wasn't able to take part, but now there is a Vintage sheet picnic/beach rug tutorial going and I would like to have a go at this in the new year. I have at least made a start collecting for my stash, I think that there are one or two here would make nice quilt backings

At the local tip they have a recycling centre, a lot of it is just junk really but there are treasures to be found, such as this Christmas Garland, it has lights and it's in working order and cost me $10.00, I'm really pleased with this, it looks like new. Just what I wanted.

After a visit to a fabric store...well fabric Heaven really, for a quick look we made our way to Spotlight where I picked up a few Christmas decorations for the garland that were reduced to half price..

And last but not least I bought some lace and ribbon so that I can finish my boobs!

What a great day, we're already planning our next trip!