Jenny’s ducks have laid their first eggs. Spot the giant one:

And here are the cute little duckies responsible:

I did a curry night – which involved preparing nine dishes – a task I will never ever do again.

Starters

Samosa Sausage Rolls
Baked Onion Bhajis
Tandoori Chicken/Tofu

Main

Lentil Curry
Dahl Makhani
Chicken Makhanwala
Lamb Rogan Josh
Spiced Potatoes

Dessert

Feijoa Sorbet

Apart from missing a part for the ice-cream maker and a couple of badly behaved guests who insisted on watching Americal Idol (A program I despise) – The evening wasn’t too disastrous – I think – I can’t really remember.

The day went something like this:

8am

Make the syrup for my Feijoa sorbet and chop some Feijoas.

Then I made the tandoori marinade for the chicken and tofu.

I had a tearful time chopping the onions – so in traditional Come Dine With Me style, I tried the spoon in the mouth trick and it really worked! (contact lenses usually work well too – but I happened to be wearing glasses for the prep)

Then I fried some onions, spices, browned the lamb, added tomatoes – then chucked it all in the crockpot and ignored it for the rest of the day.

Then I made my onion bhaji mix – ready to be cooked when the guests arrive.

Then I made a samosa mix, fried it up and rolled it into sausage rolls

Then I made the Makhanwala sauce and put it aside for later.

Then I looked at my mess and decided I needed a nap.

Nap over I worked on the last bits and pieces before the guests arrived. The Theme was Black and Red which is why everyone is wearing black and red.

The guests have arrived…..

Mike – in his fancy $2 tie and a pair of Lynda’s socks

Lynda and Me

Jenny and the Hula Hoop

For some reason our camera man didn’t get a photo of Barry.

Time to check the oven contents

Dishing up the starter – bloody bhaji moved when Mike took the photo. grrrr

Then the mains arrive:

Spiced Potatoes

Lentil Curry

Pappadams

Our photographer let us down again and didn’t get photos of all the mains – so here is the lot from a distance.

And a little of each on a plate

Then I chopped some kiwifruit to decorate my sorbet – using my trusty lit

With only two more weeks to go on the liver cleansing diet, and the focus being on natural and healthy, we decided to treat ourselves to a home brewer. We figured if we start it now, our beer will be nice and naturally brewed, ready for us when we finish the diet.

We mixed it all up in a big tub last Thursday and it was just a matter of waiting until it farts. We were hoping to watch the farting process, but alas, this happened while we were away in Banbury for the weekend and we missed it! We came home on Sunday night and the beer hadn’t just farted, it had well and truely shit itself. There is brown gunk sprayed all around the edges and on the lid of the tub.

Anyway, this is a good sign as it means it has hopefully finished its primary fermentation phase and will soon be ready for bottling. It is very important to be sure it has finished farting before we bottle it. If we bottle it too soon, the gas will continue to build up and may cause an explosion, or worse, it may taste like shit!

Mike took a hydrometer reading today, and will take another one tomorrow. If the two readings are the same, then this means that the beer has stopped farting and is ready to bottle.

Or does he just have a melon fetish?

As part of our liver cleansing diet we are having fresh fruit for breakfast.

Mike chopped up our melon this morning and I thought it was sweet how he presented it, so I took a photo.

We are still not back in our flat. We are waiting for them to do a condition report, inventory and a clean, and until they do we cant move back in. Its starting to get really annoying (especially for Mich who is putting up with us).

We have started our liver cleansing anyway, and have managed to get through one day without alcohol. Only 55 days to go!

Other than that, all is well, the weather has been lovely. It looks like we brought summer back with us. Its not exactly shorts and T-shirt weather though, more 3/4 length trousers and light fleece type weather.

I’m supposed to be boozing in London this Thursday, but unlesss I fall off the wagon before then, I think I will give it a miss.

It will be a week or two before we get broadband, so you are skype-safe from me until then. But we will have unlimited free weekend calls to landlines anywhere in the world – yay!

The food was prepared by professional caterers

although it was difficult to keep Sue from telling them what to do.

In the end she got her own way and helped roll the sandwiches.

We lined the family up for balcony photos

Kate and Josh:

AFter the semi formal photos on the balcony it was time for a quick cuddle and kiss.(disturbed by Sue!)

Sue says its time to party!

Cathedral Cove
Hot Water Beach
Sailors Grave
Puketui

By Mike:

Waiting in the lounge before our departure, Jo returned from a trip to the refreshment bar furnishing gifts of cheese and biscuits.

‘Take these’ she says adding that New Zealand airlines food is not all that good at times.

How wrong was she.

On boarding the aircraft and taking our seats we are greeted with a glass of sparkling wine, and a menu befitting any fine restaurant in London.

The meals were all served on china crockery and there was real knives and forks to eat with.

Starters:

Poached prawns with asparagus, red radish and preserved lemon aioli

Main Course

choice from:

NZ beef with oxtail ravioli, swiss chard and roasted cipoline onions.
NZ snapper with olive oil braised potatoes, brocolini, crushed roma tomatoes and rocket pesto.
Duck leg confit with braebirn apple, braised savoy cabbage and glazed chestnuts.

Dessert

Chocolate pot de creme with caramel sauce, flourless chocolate biscuit and whipped cream

Cheese

A selection of fine NZ cheese with a glass of port

The wine served was Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc and the sparkling wine was Jo’s favourite champagne – Veuve Cliquot.

By Mike:

Always take your MP3 player. When that child starts crying, turn up the volume.

When the cry turns to a scream, higher the volume.

When you have reached the maximum volume and you can still hear it crying, find where it is and throttle it.

After all you’re flying over international waters so who will care.

Well we are getting organised for Christmas yet again. Usually at this time of year we are packing up Jo’s things yet again as her contract terminates and we prepare to return to NZ for Christmas.

This will be the third time for us but we have been through these steps several times before.

Well this year to make it a little more interesting I am selling my house as well as trying to get Jo packed.

This last week has consisted of many late nights packing up bits in both places and then arranging storage.

Initially we were just going to put a few household items into store, but being unable to sell our motorbikes we had to upgrade the storage. So having carefully stacked boxes upon boxes, upon tents we had to unstack boxes upon boxes to move to a new location and then re-pack.

Before we moved the boxes we had to get the bikes in. My bike should be no problem getting to the storage depot, but Jo’s had a record for not wanting to start after some time of inactivity. We decided to move mine first. We removed it from the shed ready, just as the rain started. We were on a tight schedule so we couldn’t wait for it to pass. All togged up I turned the key. “Click”. I checked to ensure I hadn’t left the engine switch in the off position. And I re-tried. “Click”. My battery was completely flat. Running round the neighbours I managed to borrow some jump leads. The bike started on the second attempt. Now all I had to do was get it into storage. I pulled out of the drive and promptly stall it.

In the pouring rain we decided to change tact. Mine goes back into the shed, we remove the battery and put it on charge.

Jo’s bike starts first time and I ride it to the depot. The only problem was my glasses steaming up inside my helmet.

Manoeuvring into the lock up takes several 30 point turns but we get there in the end. My bike will have to wait.

What else did I have to do now? Thank goodness for lists, Jo has one for the tasks in her house & Michelle has her list for the jobs to be done on my house. Thank goodness for women!

Returning to my bike the next day it still refused to start, perhaps it doesn’t want to leave its private shed and share its space with a Triumph.

Well it must be taught to do as it’s told and we give it another quick, sharp shock from the jump leads. This time I manage to keep it keep it going until it too is at the storage depot. Yet again in the pouring rain I have to remove the battery and siphon the petrol out before putting it away into storage.

Nothing is a simple as it first seems. We had measured the dimensions of the storage, measured the bikes and then re-measured the storage. According to the piece of paper they should fit, so why don’t they. It’s gets to be like the hockie Kockie. In, out, in, out, you shake them all about.

Eventually we take Jo’s bike out, put mine in, turn Jo’s bike round and put it in. Well it’s nearly like the dance.

All the boxes are then stacked around and over the bikes, until they eventually disappear from sight.

Now all that is left is clear my house, tidy the garden, get the keys to the agent, finish the decoration of Jo’s house, remove all traces of us and clean and hoover. Oh and chase the agents for a completion date and time.

After any early start and late finish Sunday all is complete except the completion and oh boy do I need that holiday now. Just one more early morning tomorrow but that will be the start of a new adventure and will have to wait for our next posting.