50th Year Project - Finished!

Finished! on the last day of lockdown. It's only taken 20 months. A huge thank you to everyone who made me a heart for my 50th year. While stitching this in the past few weeks, I thought about each heart, and who made it. You felt close, even though we are apart.

Perfect day to finish the quilt.

Detail of some of the hearts.

I just love everyones interpretation of a yellow, orange, or green heart.

So many family members and friends contributed towards this creation.

 I took the quilt for a walk, and got some photos of this lovely creation in the wild.

 I put dandelion fleece on the back.

Feeling the Love.

 All folded up and waiting for winter for me to snuggle under.

Covid-19 Pandemic

At midnight on 25 March 2020, New Zealand households entered a period of quarantine in a national effort to fight the spread of the Covid-19 virus.

From our privileged life in New Zealand, we have isolated ourselves from the rest of the community. We shelter in place. The government is paying a wage subsidy so I don't have to go to work. We stay in our own bubble, and don't burst anyone else's bubble.  It's a scary time, and the number of cases keep climbing.

 I go for walks in the tree trust, and found a chestnut tree.  The walks provide a balm for my soul, and the fresh air helps my mental state.

 Some of the children in the street fly their kites, and I can see the fluttering from the deck. It makes me smile.

 This tree has red berries, and in the late afternoon sun, they are vivid against the green of the leaves.

 I have been watching chrysalis and wait for butterflies to hatch. This one will probably hatch tomorrow. The colour changed to black yesterday.

I spend most of my days stitching on my various projects. This keeps me busy, and stops me thinking about the craziness in the world, and all the deaths.  The situation in the USA concerns me, and I expect that 100,000 Americans will be dead by July, and 1 million by Christmas.

Shopping for supplies is the only time I go into town.  I try to get to the supermarket between 745 and 8am, as we have to distance 2 metres apart.  This way, the first shoppers of the day have entered and there is no queue.  Flour, yeast, chocolate chips, and cinnamon are absent from the shelves. There is plenty of toilet paper (there was a mad rush on that in Australia and panic buying). I wear disposable gloves, but no mask. At this stage, there are clusters of cover-19 identified to overseas travel, and not community spread.

I have been following Sam Neill on Twitter, and he has provided light relief during this surreal time.  He has conversations with gnomes (Sir Gerald), plays the ukulele badly, and makes short films (2mins or less) with other actors in lockdown around the world.  Cinema Quarantine is the highlight of my week.

A family in Wellington created an original song and dance routine dedicated to being 'locked down' with his nearest and dearest.

https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/family-lockdown-boogie-2020

Hangi in the Crockpot

Put  a layer of clean stones or marbles in the bottom of the crockpot. Add 1/2 cup of water. (The stones/marbles will support the cabbage leaves, and the water will become steam).

 Add a layer of outer cabbage leave. Put down a spice/flavour laver. Dried mixed herbs, pepper, rosemary.

Add the meat layer.  I sliced up some NZ beef topside roast.  Season the meat before putting in the crockpot. I used smoked paprika, smoked chipolte, salt and pepper.  

 Add a layer of root vegetables. Put the potato on the outside, as it cooks better there. Put the kumera in the middle. I didn't have room to put a pumpkin layer on top.

 Season with salt and pepper. Put a flavour layer on now. Kale leaves, watercress, rocket, bokchoy.

 Cover with cabbage leaves. Wet a tea towel, and put under the lid.  Cook 2 hours on High, or alternatively, 4 hours on Low. I did 4 hours on Low.  The kitchen smelled fantastic.

 After removing the tea towel, the rest of the Hangi is good to eat.  The cabbage was not soggy, just how I like it.

 Put the vegetables in their serving containers, and slice up the meat.

 The meat could be "pulled" it was beautifully cooked.

 I drained the cooking juices into a pot, added a little cornflour for thickening.  This made a tasty gravy. I cut up the cabbage and put it with the gravy. Yum!

Autumn in Rotorua

Jackson Park

 Everyday in lockdown, I have gone for a walk. I try to vary the route.

Lake Rotorua from the Tree Trust

Autumn is in full force.

Mt Ngongotaha in the distance. Taken by the chestnut tree at the Tree Trust.

The orange and yellow are vivid this year.

Looking down towards the Japanese garden at the Tree Trust

Gingko tree

The trees at the Peace Garden, at the Tree Trust

Maple trees at the Tree Trust

Maple trees at the Tree Trust

 My favourite place to walk at the moment, the Maple grove at the Tree Trust

Reflections at the pond

 Looking back up the valley to Tihiotonga

Dessert Dinner

 Enjoying the red kiwifruit. I prefer them over the gold kiwifruit. The green kiwifruit is still nice though. The urchins decided the dinner theme tonight is "Dessert".

Chocolate mousse with chocolate fish

Waffles - with chocolate sauce, and caramel sauce and whipped cream

Pancakes with lemon, and maple syrup

My waffle, with fruit salad and cream

Jelly

Feijoa Ice-cream

Feijoa Ice-cream Recipe
4 eggs
1 cup Caster Sugar
300 ml Cream
2 Cups Feijoa Pulp - mashed
Separate the eggs.
Whisk egg whites until Stiff
Gradually add the sugar, keep beating until stiff and glossy (just like making meringues).
Beat in the yolks
Whip the cream until thick
Fold into the egg mixture with the feijoa pulp.
Spoon into an plastic container and freeze. Put a layer of baking paper on the top to stop any ice particles forming.