Day 8.

 Thanks for your comments it is encouraging me to post every day. I forgot to say yesterday that we have now lived in Bay of Plenty for 42 years. We moved here from Taranaki on April 1 1978.

 Today's flower is Alyssum. Not a showy one but great as a ground cover around other plants. It self seeds well too. This was a packet of mixed pastel colours.

I got to these feijoas before anything else chewed them.They were warm lying in the sun when I picked them up. Yum.

 I did some baking today.

Chewy Fruit Slice.

 Here it is in the sponge roll tin . It needs pressing down flat but is quite a sticky mixture.

 This is my trick for doing that without wasting any stuck to your hand. Wrap a small piece of glad wrap around your fingers and it doesn't stick at all.

 It is seriously yummy. Here's the recipe.

1 1/2 cups of flour ;  1 tsp of baking powder. ; 2 cups  dried fruit ( apricots sultanas etc ) ;

1 egg; 1 cup of sugar; 150 grams of butter; 1 tblsp of golden syrup ; 1 cup of coconut.

 Method: Melt butter and sugar and golden syrup. Let cool. Add egg and beat in. Mix into dried ingredients . Press into a greased or lined flat tin ( sponge roll tin )   

 Bake 20 -30 minutes at 180 degrees C.         Watch the first time you make it as ovens are all different. ( mine took less time ) 

 Cool then cut into slices. Keep refrigerated or better still freeze some of it as it's very tempting.

8 Days of January Gone.

If I haven't already greeted You, " I hope 2017 is a Good Year for You All."

 These lovely fresh green peas missed Christmas but are ready this last week. R is doing all the picking as I have strained my back ( lifting Grandson).

 We both worked together on the podding

 and blanching and freezing.

 This lot are now in small meal sized bags in the freezer.

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 Over the last few weeks 2 Blackbirds built a very untidy nest in the grape vine, right outside the lounge window. 

We have been able to observe the comings and goings of the parents feeding just one greedy fledgling.

( It wasn't really that way up )

 Yesterday the young bird was sitting on a wire just above the nest so must be almost ready to take it's first flight.

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Back in the vege garden we are now getting the first ripe tomatoes, cucumbers and lots of courgettes .

 For lunch yesterday I made Courgette fritters. ( I love all sorts of  fritters )

 The oil needs to be quite hot and the mixture is best with lots of rough poking out bits that crisp up.

 I adapted another recipe. The quantities don't have to be exact.

 In a large bowl grate 4 medium sized courgettes. 

3/4 cup of tasty cheese grated

 1/2 cup of instant polenta.

 1 teaspoon of cumin seed.

 1 tsp of ground cumin.

 1 tsp of smokey paprika.

 2     large eggs.

 Salt and pepper to taste.

 Fry till golden and crisp on the outside.

 ( spices may be altered to taste - more is best )