Ten good things right now

OK, I'm picking up on this theme from Laura over at Our Wee Farm. It's pouring with rain today and D is sick so we're home and inside for the day, but I'm thinking of these 10 good things:-

Dilmah tea:

Yes we even have Dilmah cups!

Sorry but cheap quality teas do not cut it in this house! (Go ahead and call me a tea snob!)

And to go with that cup of tea, a nice piece of homemade banana cake:

Finding a bunch of lemons in hubby's lunch bag (he must have picked them from a tree):

Fresh lemons

D is watching Shaun the Sheep on DVD, he's so cool:

Shaun the Sheep

Maybe I'll get a quiet moment to practice my guitar today:

I love my dryer when it's raining, I'd accidentally left some towels on the washing line, so had to spin them and dry indoors. Actually I love my washing machine too! They're both made by Fisher & Paykel (NZ brand).

D and I had a nice soak in the bath!

Maybe I'll do a spot of knitting today too. I'm making D a scarf out of some used wool. I had almost finished knitting it into a baby suit for him when he was little, but unfortunately I didn't finish it in time!

Yay, the rain is topping up our watertank (we don't have town supply here).

Hot soup for lunch! Today I'm having curried kumara:

These are 10 good things today, what are yours?

Homemade sweet chilli sauce

As I mentioned in a recent post, I had Thai chillies in the fridge to use up. Today I made up some sweet chilli sauce with them.
It's very easy to do.
In a food processor chop up about 15 chillies (take off the stalks first obviously!), and then add 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of white vinegar and about 2 Tbsp chopped garlic. Whizz. Tip into pan and heat up stirring to dissolve sugar then boil for about 10 mins.

Add chopped coriander, about 1/2 cup:

Use funnel to fill a sterilised bottle with screw-cap lid.

These ingredients make just one 330ml bottle, but you can obviously increase to make more.
Store in the fridge.

Time for a new look

I felt the need to give the blog a bit of an overhaul, looks-wise. Wadda ya think?

Have been out and about round the property, making mental notes of all the jobs to be done...and there are lots!

Small steps and all!

A couple of photos of our place:

Our own little forest!

The view from one part of our land

Questions and answers - I've been tagged

Maa over at Maas Life Journal has tagged me. So here goes with the questions and answers:

1. If you could be any historical or current character who would you be?

I'm not sure I'd want to be anyone else but in terms of notable people Florence Nightingale would be up there, she really did amazing things to bring up the standards of care for the sick and also raised the status of nurses.


2. Name an interesting fact about yourself.

When I was young I found something. It was a hand grenade in our back garden at home...and Dad had to call the police and the bomb squad came to take it away! Exciting stuff!

3. If you could go back in time and change one thing, what would it be?

I wouldn't have wasted so much money buying 'stuff' I didn't need

4. Which character traits annoy you?

Overblown self importance and a tendency to patronise others


5. Name one thing that you would change in yourself?

I'd be less selfish and give more time to others


6. What do you consider your biggest achievement?


Can I give 2 answers? Giving birth would be up there, but I guess moving away from the UK too.

BIG fish and a few garden notes

The one that didn't get away...!

Hubby caught his biggest fish ever, 18lbs (8kgs)!

We had lovely fresh snapper for dinner with homemade chips, and we now have some more delicious fish in the freezer.

It was nearly 2 1/2 ft (75cm)long!

Weighing in

75cm from tip to tail

The biggie compared with a normal sized catch

Other things that have been happening are, getting the garden planned - garlic going in soon. Have just harvested the last of the Topepo Rosso capsicums:

We had some BBQ'd tonight along with some pork chops and homemade kumara fries.

Other garden notes:

I still have some chillies on my Thai chilli plant, although they are taking a while to ripen.

I will be planting my garlic soon, have it in the fridge at present.

I also have some tulips in the fridge, must plant those in my flower garden - I am planting out a bank with all sorts of flowering plants, will take a photo once it's done.

Coriander is coming up everywhere!

Weeds are coming up everywhere too!

G has dug up more potatoes, Rua and the Maori potato Urenika.

We've eaten the last of the raspberries but I squirrelled some away in the freezer.

Broccoli and cauliflowers are growing well.

Carrots are coming along albeit slowly!