Happy New Year

I will return on the 5th of January with some beautiful pictures from Pukenui.

Have a wonderful New Year.

xox

Summer Trifle

Now, I'm always honest with my readers, so I feel it's my duty to tell you that I hate trifle. I'm one of these people that always eats what's on my plate one thing at a time rather than putting it altogether in one spoonful and trifles always made this difficult for me. Where there's something I don't like I want to pull it out or not eat and definitely not be able to taste it. The nature of a trifle made this not so. Also, trifles made things I generally liked, like pineapple, not so likeable. Euck.

So I've crafted a trifle that has everything I like in it so that I don't need to pick, and after multiple attempts I've found that the fruits (only two of them) that I use don't seem to lose their appeal when put together with the other ingredients.

So, without further ado, here is my Summer Trifle for people that don't really like trifle.

PS:  Americans, down here in the wonderful southern hemisphere, we have Christmas in Summer... and it's awesome!

Summer Trifle
Strawberries (I like to cute and sugar these prior so that you get some yummy strawberry juice for the sponge to soak up).
Peaches
Custard 
Sponge 
Boysenberry (or whatever flavour floats your boat) jam
Cream

NB: I have not put quantities here. It depends how big and for how many people you want to make the trifle as to how much you use, as well as how big your bowl is!

1. Spread the sponge with Jam and cut into cubes.

2. Make a layer of sponge at the bottom of the bowl. Top with about 1/2 - 1 cup of strawberries/peaches and their juices, cover with custard and repeat as many times as you need to finishing with a layer of sponge.

3. Whip cream and cover the top layer.

Boom. Trifle goodness right there.

Enjoy.
Merry Christmas xox
 

Gingerbread House

I wanted to do this one all year, but how would it look, me making a gingerbread house in July?

I was a very clever little chicken though; and let me tell you, if you'd like a cheap, quick and easy way to make a Gingerbread house you've come to the right place.

If you've got $19 you can get yourself on of these little pretties.....

...which in it has....

That's right! No baking, no mixing up icing. It's all rearing to go. Woo hoo.

Here is my creation and a little Christmas elf stealing lollies.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Have a safe holiday.

xox

The Quiz to end all Quizzes and some other fun times.

In anticipation of these two things I've organised a quiz night for our holiday up north this year. Every day up north at Pukenui and surrounding areas on our holidays is packed with fun fun fun in the sun and every night is packed with big competition cards - last card battles, poker, ku and kan... it's a clash of big time card sharks, not. Oh and we often throw in a game or two of scatergories to mix things up. Scattergories often ends in arguments... as I'm sure this quiz will also. But all in good fun, I assure you.

I thought a nice New Years Eve quiz with a dress up element and some yummy nibbles will do the trick. Here are the round draws and answer cards. It's all very official!

Here are the element of 'dress up'. I was planning on getting 10 sets of novelty glasses to help select teams, but it was waaaay too pricey. Instead of opted for matching coloured pens to select random teams, glasses for the teams to wear for a round when they score the highest in the previous round, and also some other items to be worn for those doing the most moaning about questions, toilet breaks... anything (not pictured).

I'm excited - it's going to be fun. The first time since I was a wee whipper snapper that all of us will be up there together. Fun times.

In anticipation I'm about to go and cross #s 7 and 21 off my list with a wee 'to be completed' note. It's not exactly the fancy dress party I dreamed of, I'll have to keep this idea up my sleeve for something else.... hmmmm.

Sewing!

The plan at some point is to be able to use the sewing machine to make a dress for Leah. I think I might make it a secret goal next year so I don't feel too bad if I fail!

Here are my (very basic) creations this year;

I started with cheap shirts and pants from 'Baby Factory' and just personalised them a bit. Good for a beginner I reckon!

I'm also making a simple game of little bean bags to be thrown into buckets. I'll make enough for Leah and some others for a friend to cover the giving away part as this was another challenge.

And just so I can cross this off, I'm going to take the term 'sewing' very loosely and decide that personalising 3 shirts with skull and crossbones motifs in conjunction with these other things as my 5 things :D

This is love

I had to make it short...my memory isn't all it used to be post baby!

This Is Love

Life is beautiful
When you find love
When you find the place
You’re meant to be

“The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature.”

Many people have been very excited about 12/12/12. Me, not so much. This date marks 5 years since dad passed away. 5 years? Can't believe it. Feels like yesterday.

I've actually written about Dad  quite a lot;
"I've seen fire and I've seen rain"
A joke that always made me laugh
"He didn't tell me how to live. He lived, and let me watch him do it"
6 word memoir

I think you write best about where your heart lies and where your fondest memories are. A lot of mine are with dad. Which is why I think I write about him often. So today I wanted to not dwell on the sadness of him not being here but the happiness, laughter and joy he brought to us all when he was here.

Things I remember about my dad;

• Watching Bill Hohepa fishing shows on the couch with him when I was a kid, watching the water drip down his can of Rheineck.
• Taking multiple weekends shopping around to find the best deal on any big purchase.
• Master of popcorn popping.
• That stupid mustache he grew up north one year.
• Fishing at Henderson and Spirits Bay.
• Watching Warriors games lying on the lounge floor.
• How well he told a story.
• Silly Dad jokes.
• His laugh.
• Our lengthy teenage 'talks' (read: telling off, but not in the growly way, more in the 'I'm disappointed in you Kate' way)
• Showing off his stupid folding chair.
• Being 'growly bear' for my nieces when he got home from work.
• How he was always ready to help and was always happy to do so.
• Vacumming to Enrique Iglasias.
• Talking on the phone for hours....to Uncle Kev, Nana, Aunty Sheryl, Andrea....anyone really!
• Listening to 'America's Greatest Hits' over and over and OVER again. (Great album by the way!).
• Being a genuine silly bugger all the time.
• Hearing stories about cowboys and 'knife man' with Uncle Trev. I still LOL at the thought of 'knife man'.
• "Don't be too late!"

I'm sure there's lots of things others can remember about him too. I definitely know my friend Nicola will always talk about the obsessive, compulsive emergency brake behaviour. Lol.

I love you dad. I miss you every single day so very, very much. Thank you for all the things you did for all of us. You were an amazing man that will never be forgotten. <3

"Kudos my hero
Leaving all the best
You got my hero
One that's on

There goes my hero
Watch him as he goes
There goes my hero
He's ordinary"

"All you need is a library and a garden...."

....well I've always had a library. One that may be getting somewhat culled next year. Watch this (52 things in 52 weeks) space. But since I can remember I've killed everything I've tried to grow. Here's hoping this doesn't happen this time!

You remember my wonderful tomato plant right? I blogged about it in a Things I'm loving a few weeks back as it was growing. Shock horror! But, as things like doing when I try to grow them, it went kaput... see exhibit A. Yellowing leaves, sad looking once again.

Step in PINTEREST to save the day. When has it not, right?
We're hopefully moving soon, putting our place on the market in January of February. So I didn't want to plant anything that I couldn't take with me. What better way to do this that with a pallet garden.

TA DA!

Thank you to my wonderful husband for finding me a pallet and then nailing in the side thingees.

On and because I've planted tomatoes, chives, basil, Rosemary and Thyme I guess I can do this. Boom!

Baker's Delight was a delight

I was lucky enough Some teachers at school today were lucky enough to get to try some free Christmas cake courtesy of Baker's Delight. Just with a wee proviso that they needed to tell me how it was.

See the thing is, I was offered to sample some lovely Christmas delights and review them on my blog. Only problem? I don't do Christmas cake or mince tarts, but I did really want to do the review, so said I would definitely be able to find some people keen on being guinea pigs. Enter school staff! Hungry, ravenous creatures who will devour anything offered up on the staff room bench.

We were delivered 3 little Traditional Christmas cakes. One slightly larger which would serve around 6-8 people and two teeny weenys which I think are a great size for giving as Christmas presents...so that's what I'm doing!

They were beautifully decorated on top with nuts, cherries and a glaze. The cake was very moist (which got points) but really fell apart when we cut it up, almost like it was undercooked. Luckily for our close knit staff we didn't mind picking at bits and pieces of the cake as picking up a whole nicely cut piece was impossible.

Free edibles go down a treat at school and the reaction to the cake overall was a good one. Apart from the cake being very 'crumbly' from the undercooked nature of the mixture everyone loved it - it was moist, sweet and delicious! Our lovely local reliever said that it was nice that it was a Christmas cake without the yucky almond and marzipan icing and I couldn't help but to agree... ew, how 80s. Good work Baker's Delight.

Inside the cake itself were only currents - which got mixed reviews, "I would have liked more variety of fruit in the cake" to "it's great that it only has raisins because I hate all that other rubbish". Another critisism was that it wasn't really very Christmassy and lacked a teensy bit of spice.

One cheeky colleague did comment there was no booze in the cake, or not that she could detect...and she's good at detecting those sorts of things. Lol

But the big feat was that I tasted some and actually liked it. So if you're not really into fruit cake like me then give this one a go. A few staff commented that, like me, they weren't really fruit cake people but thought it was the bees knees!

Kia Ora Baker's Delight. Thanks for the opportunity.

Merry Christmas all xox

"Never mistake activity for acievement"

1. I completed high school.
2. I completed my bachelor of education.
3. I got married to the love of my life.
4. I bought a house.
5. I scored more than 200 in a bowling game.
6. I make effective programmes for my classes.
7. I have been a teacher for over 6 years.
8. I am successful in my career.
9. I completed school c english and maths a year early.
10. I gave birth to a beautiful daughter...fairly naturally.
11. I had a successful first day at school - as a student.
12. had a successful first day at school - as a teacher.
13. I keep a neat and tidy household - most of the time....
14. I have a signature desert that is delicious.
15. I got through the ‘newborn’ months of Leah’s life fairly unscathed.
16. I got through Leah’s first sickness bout (not unscathed).
17. I keep my blog up and running and did not let it flop.
18. I’ve kept my 365 photo taking and am about to start another next year.
19. I completed my Leah 365.
20. I’ve kept up Leah’s monthly photos.
21. I (pretty much single handedly) planned a wedding.
22. I got through the first year of marriage...and have PLENTY more to come.
23. I looked after dad while he was sick.
24. I spoke at dad’s funeral.
25. I looked after myself and my family after my dad died.
26. I managed to get my family together for monthly dinners for 6 months.
27. I have kept a friend for over 10 years.
28. I kicked the habit of smoking.
29. I survived a serious car accident.
30. People like me.....mostly. :D

“The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you've got to have a what-the-hell attitude.”

This was a cool challenge on many many levels. It got me to look through and assess the value of all my cookbooks (which as subsequently created a new challenge for the 52 in 52 challenges for next year), it's made me actually use some of my physical cooking books when I usually just search the internet and most importantly, it's added heaps of new recipes to my repertoire.

I haven't blogged about all of them, mostly only the ones I want to use again. Here are the ones I have blogged about;

Lemon and herb stuffed chicken
Chicken Maryland
Dark and Saucy BBQ Ribs
Chicken Parmigiana
Morrocan Beef Salad Wraps
Crisp Chicken
Chilli Con Carne
Chicken Dippers
Chicken Supreme
Easy Peasy Chicken Pasta
Thai Chicken Meatballs
Black Forest Cake
Red Salmon Dip

I've now completed all the recipes in the book bar one - a fruit salad mix which I want to try over the warmer summer months. Yummy!

“...no one is born a great cook, one learns by doing.”

I can't say hand over heart that I've completed this challenge down to a tee, that every single week I've tried something new. What I can say is that I've put in a pretty magical effort to endeavour to try one new recipe each week and I think I've had a pretty good stab at it! Out of 52 weeks in the last year I would say at least 40 new dishes were tried.

If you click here, you can see all the new recipes that I tried and decided to share. There are some new challenges in my 52 to 52 that are about cooking too. So keep your eyes peeled for more recipe sharing and cooking and baking ideas :)

My Failures :(

It saddens me that I have to do this...but, in wanting to complete the 101 Challenge in just over a year (I couldn't help but start some of the challenges before January 1st once I have made the list!) I have had to resign myself to the fact that some of the challenges will be failures :(

4/101 that I have to claim as failures are a pretty good effort I reckon! Especially considering that at least 2 of these were just out of my hands time and space wise and I will be putting them onto my 52 in 52 List for 2013 - so not failed, just rain checked. It's also taught me a few things about making a list that is challenging, but doable with a full time job and a full time husband and toddler.

Failure #1;

I started this off with a hiss and a roar. Over the whole year I managed to do this with around 5 artists, a few albums, but nothing close to 1 album every week. I've also done a really crap job of learning about the artists. I did try, but with everything else going on, this was impossible.
What I've learnt from the failure of this challenge? Not to set challenges where I'm having to do something out of the ordinary every week. If I do have an 'every week' challenge it will need to be something I'm doing anyway, but in a new and improved way - like cooking dinner, but trying something new each week, a challenge I did complete this year. Woo hoo!

The albums I did manage to do this with were;
Ed Sheeran - +
Paramore - Brand New Eyes
Paramore - Riot
Led Zepplin Greatest Hits
Queens of the Stoneage - Songs for the Deaf
Queens of the Stoneage - Self Titled
Nirvana - Bleach

Failure #2;

This one came down to a space issue and the fact that we're planning on moving house in the next little while. It also came down to cost. Large pots cost heaps! It's still something I would like to do in future., but maybe when we get into our new house. I'll then be able to shape everything around that outdoor space, rather than fit something in that I really made to fit our current place.
What I've learnt from the failure of this challenge? Think about the space I'm working in. Think about what I've got to work with, both money wise and space wise.

Failure #3;

It's really sad that I didn't make this one. It's also completely my fault. I've fallen off the horse so many times I don't even know where it is anymore! I have lost 4kg which is almost half way.

What I've learnt from the failure of this challenge? Not pin everything on a number? I know I want to fit into clothes better and be happier with how I look but I am somewhat - why pin my happiness of this onto a number? A couple of weeks ago I had a few compliments at work about how I was going but I didn't take the compliments well complaining that the numbers on the scales weren't showing the same. I did although notice my clothes were easier to fit into. So had I put more muscle on and taken off some fat? Don't know and really.... don't care. I know if I've been eating well and exercising well and when I haven't been. I don't need to define that with a number.

Failure #4;

This one makes me the saddest I think. I tried to make this happen - twice. Weather did not want to play ball. One of the times I'd even made a whole picnic for the day and got everything ready, only to have the happiness sucked out of us with wind and rain. Booo.

But don't fret! To Waiheke we will go. I thought the January school holidays would be a good time to do this. We'll have some extra money floating around as Leah won't be at daycare for 2 weeks (which means no ripping out of my soul by having to pay them) and we'll have time when we're both off. So it has gone onto my list for next year.

So those are my 4 shameful failures for the year. It's made me a bit wiser I suppose, and for others I just needed to be a bit lenient with my time. They shall be done... and then I will say HAH! to the 101 list. But for now, I bow in defeat.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”

Out of all the 101 challenges I think this is the one that has bought me the most satisfaction and the one I have enjoyed the most. Being able to give myself the permission to read, to take the time to sit down and read because it was on my list - excellent.

Here are the books I read;
4 ology books
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins
The Land of Painted Caves - Jean M Auel
50 Shades of Grey - EL James
50 Shades Darker  - EL James
50 Shades Freed -  - EL James
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - Baum L Frank
Bared to You - Silvia Day
Reflected in You - Silvia Day
Storm Born - Richelle Mead
Thorn Queen -  - Richelle Mead
Iron Crowned  - Richelle Mead
Shadow Heir  - Richelle Mead
Fallen - Lauren Kate
Bloodlines: The Golden Lily - Richelle Mead
Adrian's lost chapter (Bloodlines #0.5) - Richelle Mead
Boy - Roald Dahl
The Help - Kathryn Sockett

And I'll probably get through 1 more before the end of the year. Another Richelle Mead book - The first from the Georgina Kincaid series.

Big Backyard

This challenge has been really easy. I've loved it and I will effortlessly continue it in the future.

Monte Cecelia Park
Tapapakanga Beach and Reserve
Botanical Gardens (a reoccurring local)
Children's Garden Papakura
Avocado Orchard

Other great places we've also visited over the last year but I haven't blogged about specifically are...

Clark's Beach(also a reoccurring local)

Children's Garden at the Botanical Gardens

Omana Beach

Cornwall Park

Western Springs

Wynyard Quarter (Park? I dunno)

Black Forest Cake

I was initially very worried about this recipe as it called for baking using the microwave, but it turned out just fine. I was amazed!

Black Forest Cake

The mix of your favourite chocolate cake mixture

750ml cream, whipped

1 punnet of fresh strawberries or other in season berries

Small quantity of liqueur 

1. Prepare the cake mix - make sure you don't over beat.

2. Place sheets of baking paper over three dinner plates. Divide the mixture into three equal portions and put on dinner plates. Cook each portion individually on high in the microwave for 3-4 minutes. Allow them to cool completely.

They will look like this when they come out - amazing huh?

While you're waiting for the cakes to cool it's a good idea to whip the cream... and let your little helper lick the beaters.

Once the layers of cake are cools layer the cakes with cream and berries in between then cover the whole lot in whipped cream and decorate with berries.

The end result. Place a large bowl over the cake and refrigerate overnight. Make sure the bowl foes not touch the cake top.

The end result of my little friend after licking the whipped cream bowl.