NZ Olive Oil

There are a few areas around New Zealand that are producing their own olive oil.

My favourite variety is the peppery Picual olive oil, but it can be difficult to find at times.

Which is why I was thrilled to find this online at Allpress Olive Groves on Waiheke Island (near Auckland).

The Free Fatty Acid rating shows the quality of the oil (it must be below 0.8 to be called Extra Virgin - this is 0.18).

Allpress state their locally grown olives are processed fresh without chemicals or excessive heat.

A thankyou card with my order showed a view of Verdale Grove on Waiheke Island.

I've read that including some quality fats in your diet helps to stop food cravings.

Hopefully using this oil will have that effect!

Margaret xx

Lifting Carpet

I stripped my room bare this morning so that the boys could move the furniture and lift up the old carpet.

Thankfully, underneath is varnished chipboard so it was easy to vacuum up the dust that had accumulated over the last forty years.  (So gross!)

I took advantage of the bare bedroom  by vacuuming clean my mattress.  I used to do this every 6-12 months, but it has been a couple of years now since it was last done.

For breakfast this morning I made up a Breakfast Bowl with a Middle Eastern flair.  Chopped egg, cucumber and  tomato were placed on a base of Greek yoghurt, some chickpeas were added, then a sprinkle of za'atar spice and a drizzle of olive oil to finish it off.

It tasted surprisingly good and kept me going until lunchtime. 

Wishing everyone a happy day,

Margaret xx 

Fabulous Fun

What a fabulously fun family outing we had today.

Daughter shouted myself and her siblings to a High Tea at the Zealong Tea Estate at Gordonton. 

It was fun right from the start, as we took silly photos of each other with the teapot/teacup dragon in the carpark. 

For my  tea, I chose a Lady Gatsby blend of Manuka leaf, rose petals and cinnamon.  It had a delicate lightly floral taste and was very easy to drink.

We were each given nine morsels of different items to eat.  The names made them sound quite exotic, but were, I admit, sometimes beyond my skill at being able to identify what I was eating!  Perhaps if I spoke French it may have helped?

First there was black truffle croque-monsieur, a duck rillette in carrot and black tea mousseline, and a mushrooms and parmesan tartelette.

Then came a tiger prawn roll, a roasted pumpkin and buffalo ricotta barbajuan, and smoked salmon on potato rosti.

Finally, we came to the sweet course, with a chestnut and blackcurrant profiterol with a dab of gold leaf, a chocolate hazelnut praline macaron, and an apple and cinnamon tart.

Eating such interesting (and delicious) food was a great experience, but what will remain with me will be the memory of how much fun we all had as we savoured our meal together. 

It was a precious and unforgettable time of being together.

Margaret xx 

More Food

There is something very decadent about a Cream Do-nut.  Unfortunately, I also find them quite irresistible!

Son bought us one each to have with our lunch today. 

The wind we have had recently has knocked several flowers over, so I picked some and brought them inside.

Our day began with fog, turned sunny, then came in and rained briefly, before settling down to cool and cloudy.

Hopefully the sun will shine for longer tomorrow. 

Margaret xx 

White Mint Slice Gelato

Three of us went out for lunch today, at Burger Burger in Made Market at Hamilton East.

Afterwards we wandered around the artisan shops, bought some Old Fashioned Beef sausages for tea, and a jar of Feijoa & Ginger jam.  'Foraged' focus their business on sustainability, preserving excess seasonal produce gathered from their local community at Raglan. 

Finally, we finished off with a Gelato each.  Many places sell Gelato but, believe it or not, I have never tried it before.  I chose White Mint Slice flavour - it was refreshingly delicious!

I think I will need to be careful now, or I may just become a Gelato addict!

Margaret xx 

Breakfast

My day usually begins with a cup of hot water, but today I started with a delicious juicy orange. 

Most of our commercial navel oranges are grown in sunny Northland, but these were grown in Gisborne. 

Muesli followed, soaked overnight in milk and then mixed with plain yoghurt and topped with fresh tamarillos. 

I don't normally have toast but I did this morning, just for giggles. 

One piece of Vogel's wholegrain toast with marmalade.

After all that, I felt quite replete!

It was a great start to a sunny day.  I even got to sit out in the garden for a while, watching goldfinches feeding on the lawn, a couple of plovers chasing away a hawk, and a large magpie chortling from the top of a tree.  

Margaret xx 

Herbs and Kiwifruit

ABOUT ONCE A WEEK, I LIKE TO GIVE MY HERB POTS A CLOCKWISE QUARTER TURN TO HELP THEM GROW MORE EVENLY.

AFTER SOME GARDEN POTTERING I BEGAN SORTING THROUGH SOME OLD PAPERS AND FOUND THIS 1950s PAMPHLET (the name Chinese gooseberries was changed to Kiwifruit in 1959).

TODAY WE HAVE GREEN KIWIFRUIT, GOLD KIWIFRUIT AND RED KIWIFRUIT, AND THE OLD NAME HAS BEEN FORGOTTEN BY MOST PEOPLE.

TIMES CHANGE.

MARGARET xx

Fruit

FRESH PINEAPPLE  - imported, but on special this week. I love it with natural unsweetened yoghurt (the stuff that's chock full of lots of gut-loving bacteria!)

MANDARINS - the first ones for the season, and they're sweet and juicy!

APPLE CRUMBLE  - stew up 4 large apples. Mix 1/2 cup sugar with 1 cup flour then rub in 2oz butter. Spread over apple. Bake 180 degC for 25 minutes. 

Sunrise, Feijoas & ANZAC Day

SUNRISE TODAY LOOKED LIKE IT WAS SETTING THE CLOUDS ON FIRE

FEIJOAS FOR BREAKFAST, GROWN IN OUR OWN BACKYARD 

MEMORIAL WREATHS LAID FOR THE ANZAC SERVICE IN HAMILTON TODAY

VICTORIA BRIDGE, HAMILTON