happy birthday hubsta

This post is dedicated to my fella...aka Hubsta...aka...My love. 

I had a brilliant idea to break into his office and birthday bomb* his desk space. He was feeling a little depressed about having to work on his birthday so I thought this would be a fun surprise for him to walk in to. We both work for the same company so when I went to work yesterday (Sunday) I  could get it all ready for a Monday morning surprise. 

I bought him a cake to share with his workmates and their favourite plunger coffee to have for morning tea. 

In our line of work where people our age are sick or are dying, I have now come to the realization that every birthday is a blessing and  is worth celebrating... the more extravagant the better!

Birthday celebrations will continue later when he comes home from work today...as he left a bit too early for the usual morning pressies in bed this morning. So a favourite meal and our traditional goofy birthday dance will be on the cards later on tonight.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY LOVE!

*Birthday Bomb....we should make that new thing! Im keen to birthday bomb some more loved ones...make sure you let me know if you birthday bomb someone!

bullet point ponderings

Time for a catch up bullet point post.

• Im a tired grumpy cow today. Two night shifts and few more late nights including another work night tonight has gotten to me. And so when this morning I could hear two boys bouncing off the walls far too early in the morning for my liking..I almost lost the plot. I decided not to. I took my self of to the shower and calmed myself with the warm waters... and  came up with a better idea...I did not yell. I told them in no uncertain terms that if the same thing happens tomorrow morning...a game they have been saving up for will have a one day delay for every morning I am woken up too early...that'll learn them.  

• Yep...I'm  not a morning person. 

• I planted some three plants three weeks ago and they are not dead!

• Friday Fun-day continues to be weekly event unless I have to work that afternoon. I try not to use it as a way to enforce good behavior...as in "we wont have Friday fun-day if you don't behave". In fact we do it anyway...just because. And so my kids don't think I'm a dragon mumma. It Friday fun-day...just because its Friday. That's all. Favorite things we do are...visit a park, go to McDonald's, go to the town basin and have an ice cream, go to the DVD store. Just anything fun rather than just coming straight home from school. A good way to start the weekend.
  
  

  

  Friday Fun-day

  
  

  

  {The furthest Zak zak has made it up the web. Super proud of himself} 

  
  
  
  

  

  Me and my lovely Miss Joy.
  Knocked out tooth healing well.
  Thanks for the concerns and prayers for her  a few weeks ago

  
  

• I finally watched all the Star wars Movies. They were okay. I could see how they would have been a huge hit in the 70's and 80's. New ground breaking special effects and animations...of which they won awards for. Good stuff George Lucus. Who knows maybe this Sci-fi snob might actually watch the 7th installment at the movies when it comes out in few years time. 



source

• He he....funny mash up of the "Ain't nobody got time for that" meme and Yoda. Yep I now know who Yoda is!

• Having a rare mid week coffee with Dadda while he was having a lunch break from Jury service

• Cocktail time??

Hope your week is going splendid. 

Cheesy Blessing

If you know me you know I like food. I like making it...I like experimenting with it...I like trying new cuisines and new experiences. This week we tried fondue.

So the background on this one was that I offered to make a lovely friend and her family dinner as they were grieving with a major loss to their family. This lovely friend has made me and my family dinner (like really nice dinners) before, I knew a frozen lasagna wouldn't cut it.
They are a little bit Swiss... so I thought I would try and make some sort of "swiss cuisine". I remembered her talking about a special type of thing called "Raclette" that was her favourite and they would have it for birthdays etc.

I had no idea what it was so of course I googled it. Cue the wikipedia!

Raclette /rəˈklɛt/ is both a type of cheese and a Swiss dish based on heating the cheese and scraping off (racler) the melted part.

{Pretty Fancy contraption!}

So I went to the super market and headed for the cheese section looking for "Raclette" cheese . I had never heard of it. It wasn't in the the mainstream cheese section...but I had some ideas to substitute it with. Thankfully my local New World has a killer deli section..and lo and behold...the exact cheese I needed! One big massive wheel of it! I literally did a dance!

I put together a platter of cured meats, and pickled veges as well. I also added parboiled new potatoes and good ol' broccoli and cauliflower. And I cannot forget the french baguette. I made enough for our dinner too...in the hopes of trying a fondue type thing. So our dinner was half prepared too. 

I arrived at their place...and looked forward to the reaction. Had I really pulled off a cuisine I had never tried my self before?? They assured me I had! The special Raclette cheese was a winner...because they hadn't had any in years.  Yay! So good to be a blessing. 

I told them my plans to use the same ingredients I had left over at home to try and make a fondue. I had really no idea how to make it. I was just going to put a bit of cheese in my chocolate fondue set. They insisted that I took home their Swiss fondue set all the way from Switzerland ..and my lovely friend gave me the recipe and some of  the ingredients to make it as authentic to the Swiss way as possible!

Heres the recipe if you want to try it at home.

300g  Grated Cheese. We used Gruyere cheese and Mild. You can use Colby too.  

2 cloves of garlic cut finely

1 small dash of "Kirsh" cherry liquor

75 mls of white wine

and 1 teaspoon cornflour to thicken sauce. 

pinch each of pepper, paprika and nutmeg

Adjust your quantities depending on your family/party size. This was enough for the five of us

Before cutting the garlic clove, rub it all over the inside of the pan.

Stir cornflour in to the kirsh set aside.

Melt the cheese and wine and stir in the pot for a while then add the kirsh and keep stirring until fondue is smooth and bubbling. Stir in pepper, paprika and nutmeg. 

Transfer to fondue stand if you have one. 

And dip in some baguette that has been cut into squares.  

This was such a fun thing to do for dinner. Lucky for us we are cheese heads...so this is right up our alley. A BIG note is that in order to ward off the constipation that will occur after this meal...is that the grown ups need to pair this meal with some white wine...and the kids need some other acidic drink...they had to have orange juice.

I love those times when you decide to bless someone and then you get blessed your self! Such a fun treat!

Spontaneous trip to Russell

These days being spontaneous and towing along a small brood for the ride is a rarity. An oxymoron even. Usually trips out of town need to be planned...at least a day in advance. And don't even talk to me about holidays with kids...that takes months...or in our case years worth of saving and planning.

So last Saturday I had the day off, and decided to see what my mum and dad were up to for the day. They were going to Russell (Bay of Islands)  for an art and craft show that was a Fundraiser for the old church. It was already 10am, we gave ourselves 15 minutes to get our A into G in the car and on our 1 hour trip out of town. 

I told her we would meet her there. Blow me down we caught them on the car ferry from Opua to Russell  just in time. Lucky...since we were having difficulty with her phone.  

{Car Ferry Opua to Russell}

{Art and Crafts fair}

{A clever man carving.} 

{Russell Waterfront}

{Teaching the kids to Skim stones.} 

{Fish and Chips....
with vinegar for the pommy fella}

{So hard to get a good selfie with the SLR...my arms aren't long enough with the lens.} 

{New Zealands oldest church}

{Flagstaff Hill}

 Ah the kids must be growing up if we can make it out the door with the bare essentials for the day (a nappy bag, wallet and keys, and few snacks)....Roll on future spontaneous trips on rare days off together. 

time for a catch up.

• well good morning ya'll.I finally have moment to myself...yes there is washing to do...and last nights dishes...but they can wait. Because its time for a bullet point pondering post. 

• The tummy is full...hubby and I had a rare breakfast out together this morning...alone. BC-before children... we used to have breakfast out ALL the time. It was our thing. We had our favourite spot...which is still my favourite coffee house all these years later. Today we tried somewhere new..and both had a 'ARF English breakfast. Half=Arf in British. So good. 

• My poor wee poppet of a 9 year old had an accident at school last week. Participating in school fitness she and her friend were trying to tag  the same person and her face smacked into her friends forehead and her permanent front tooth fell out. I was called on my cell phone straight away by a very worried sounding school secretary (Paisley Jade). I high tailed it there and made it in under 5 minutes. I knew exactly what to do! I had within the last few months googled "what to do if  your permanent tooth is knocked out"...I cannot even even remember why I had googled it! I read that it was an emergency to get it back in there ASAP. Thankfully the school nurse had placed it in milk and in a bag which was the other essential thing to do.  I rang the hospital dental service and they would see her straight away. We managed to get there within the magic hour. Time is critical. My girl is brave. Like really she is. She was crying I got there...I calmed her down and she stopped crying and hasn't cried about it since. Even when  the dentist shoved it back in the socket...and after the subsequent bleeding a few days later. She really is a trooper. The dentists say that there will be a lot on ongoing care and procedures with it all and it will probably never last forever requiring a falsie...but she assured us they will make it look good again. ARGHH! Kids and the silly things they do to themselves! 

• I have been working a day or two extra than usual, which is good. The other day, I had a nursing student working with me...my first one in YEARS! Because I usually work such unsociable hours like nights and weekends..I usually avoid them. But it felt good to pass on some knowledge. Having to explain everything you do is probably quite good to do once in while...because you can get into a rut and just do things because that's the way you've always done it and not really think anymore. I should do it more often. 

• A new house is being built behind our section . BOO! The neighbours had subdivided their land and the section had been on the market for years. But alas...someone finally bought it...and it looks like their lounge window will look right down the hill and  into our kitchen and dining window. We'll have to pull the blinds down now. No more quick dashes to get a glass of water in my undies in the morning now! TMI?

• Master Zak Zak has started Play Gym. I have tried the library fun-time and mainly music with this little guy...but so far this preschool activity has been the most suited to his personality. He really just needs a place to run and get rid of energy. He usually hates following directions and action songs so I was pleasantly surprised when I caught him actually following along with the teacher. Perhaps its an age thing too. They start off with a few songs then have a circuit set up for the rest of it. Up and over and jumps...all great learning for the little chap. But following directions...waiting your turn...are the big things that this little spoilt-yougest-child needs a good dose of! Only one tanty that particular morning and it was right at the end...so that is already an improvement after three times going. The teacher is a lovely lady too!

• Hubby and I have October off on holiday together. We were hoping to take the kids to Wellington...but with all the shaking down there at the moment...maybe we better stay in Northland....where it never shakes...Maybe you guys should move up here...Just saying?! 

• Home renovations maybe on the to do list in October instead. We have one room left in the house that desperately needs a makeover....our bathroom.  I hate it. The shower was installed wrong by the previous owners and leaks through the floor boards sometimes. We'll have to save up some more for that job...bathrooms are expensive! AND we need a wall retained in the back yard. Goodness....the joys of being a home owner! 
• Speaking of home renos... we are a little obsessed with the show  House Rules. I didn't want to like it because Im not a fan of the auzzie show "the block". But I have really enjoyed the show and  the contestants.It looks like it is in its last week of programming..so I wonder who will win. No spoilers please!
• SPRING IS AROUND THE CORNER!! just a little but excited about that! Winter I will not miss you. Although I am glad I bought myself a puffer jacket this year... Why didn't someone tell me about these wonderful creations sooner. It's like hanging out in a sleeping bag...instantly warm! Winter fashion is not my favourite season. I can't wait for jandals, shorts and a tee shirt. I would totally rock living on a tropical island.  
• So it seems as though some of my favourite bloggers are dropping the blogging thing...boo. I miss you guys...Widge...Gail... Stacey... Weza... Liz. I'm looking at you gals.   Darn you Instragram....*waves fist*. Just kidding. Kind of. 
• Aint this the truth!

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods. 

Jacksta  

A pretty Tree

I loved this photo that my hubby took a few years ago of the kids in front of a very cool tree.

 Instantly the greenness of it reminded me of this scripture in the bible.  

This tree is right next to a pretty secluded river...at the bottom of our city mountain.

And the words ring true. 

May you be blessed too. 

New Food Friday -Calzone

Calzone

Have you ever tried it? This was my first time making the Italian dish.  Its basically a homemade pizza crossed with a Cornish pasty.

How to make Calzone.

Make a batch of home  pizza dough. I made mine in the bread maker using the dough setting. Make the dough according to your manufacturers instructions.

Once the dough has proved...roll it out into a circle shape.

Fill one side of the dough with what ever you feel like or whats in the fridge. I went for a layer of ham...then a layer of spinach (for some green to make it healthier), a layer of bolognaise mince, lots of mozzarella and   Parmesan cheese.
Fold over the unfilled side of dough over the filling. Pinch together the dough so that it creates a tight seal all the way along.
Slice a couple of air vent on the top of the dough parcel. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with course sea salt.
Bake for 20-30 minutes

Sick of pizza. Try this!
It tasted delicious!