Mushroom Season

We are well and truly into the autumn season and my garden is starting to change.  The leaves on the trees are changing colour and starting to fall, and the grass is turning from brown to green which is making our cows happy.

One great thing about the start of autumn is the rainy warm weather which means one thing on the Ponderosa - Mushrooms!  They are everywhere and soon it will be difficult to find a spot in some of the paddocks where you aren't walking on them.

My mum was so happy last night that she went out and picked a whole bunch for dinner.  In fact, she picked so many that we couldn't eat half of them so she ended up taking the rest home.  Now she has begun sending her friends over to the house to collect them - which freaked my daughter out when she opened her blind this morning to find strange cars up the driveway and voices coming from the paddocks :-)  Got to love my mum!

Happy living peeps!

Chilli Scallops

This is a recipe I cooked at a family function years ago and it truly was a hit.  In fact I found people standing around the dish practically licking the bowl :-)

As always, this is quick and easy to make and tastes wonderful.  If you don't have scallops, then replace them with raw prawns, squid, crab or whatever else your heart desires, just use your imagination.   The recipe is pretty versatile.

Ingredients
24 scallops
1/3 cup of fresh coriander, chopped
2 tablesppons fresh basil, chopped
50 grames of butter
1 clove of garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce

Method
Heat the butter in a pan big enough to take all the ingredients.  Add garlic, juice, coriander, basil and sweet chilli sause, mixing well for about a minute. 

Toss in the scallops, then cook over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until the scallops are nice a tender.

Enjoy with some nice crusty bread to mop up all the juices.

Serves 6.

Happy living peeps!

Candle Stick Makeover

So I have this set of candlesticks that I've had for years and go really well with my collection with tapa cloths, but I needed a quick decor fix for Aaliyah's room.

Enter a sheet of music, glue, scissors, existing candle, some annie sloan paint, sandpaper and annie sloan wax.

Candle sticks - BEFORE

DIY candle makeover

Finished candle makeover .. of course, never to be lit ...

Candlestick painted with a shabby chic finish

All 3 all together

Candlesticks with the new candles

The colour of choice is Paris Grey and think the finished product looks great.  Aaliyah wasn't convinced of the music sheet over the candles, but once put in place, she agreed they look fabulous!  Of course, these candles are only for decorative purposes therefore won't be lit in any way.

Happy living peeps!

Prawn & Avocado Nori Wrap

Over the summer season I stumbled across this delicious and simple paleo dish.  It's super easy to throw together and the prawn can be replaced with fish, crab or even crayfish if you're feeling adventurous.

It's a dish that has to be served immediately or else the nori sheets will go soft, so whether you are serving it as a snack or an appetiser, it's definitely something that can be interactive even at a dinner party.

Ingredients
300 grams of cooked, chopped prawns
1 medium red onion finely diced
1/2 diced green capsicum
1/2 diced red capsicum
1 diced avocado
Juice of 1 small lemon
Cracked Pepper
Himalayan Salt
2 tablespoons of PALEO MAYONNAISE
1/2 fresh red chilli, diced
1 small diced cucumber
6-8 nori sheets

Method
Place all the ingredients, except the nori sheets, in a bowl and combine until you are happy with the seasoning.

Lay a sheet of nori on a board and fill with 1-2 tablespoons of mixture.  Roll nicely into a nice parcel and seal the nori by slightly wetting the joins.

Serve immediately!!

Happy living peeps!

Headboard Gets Makeover

Last year, me and my whanau decided to take a detour back from Auckland via Pukekohe.  The day was beautiful and I found a cool secondhand shop.  My daughter Aaliyah rapidly tried to steer me away from going in, but to no avail.  Just as I was looking around, an old headboard arrived, so I grabbed it at a bargain.  $20 to be exact.  I couldn't believe it.

We had to seriously think about how we were going to get it home.  This thing was huge.  Solution - electrical tape, roof racks and a very slow drive home.

The piece itself was pretty funky and Aaliyah wasn't feeling it at all to begin with.  "What are you going to do with it" she said.  My imagination ran wild.  I originally had ideas of reupholstering it, but finally decided to simply paint it.   In fact, Aaliyah liked my idea so much, the headboard has gone into her room.

Her colour of choice, annie sloan pure white and paris grey.

 

I would've liked to shabby chic the headboard to show the detail more, but Aaliyah wasn't having a bar of it.  She likes it just how it is.

The photo's really don't give it justice as it looks stunning in the room.  I am pretty happy with this piece and my husband is glad too as it's cleared some space in his shed.

Happy living peeps!!

Paleo Mayonnaise

Homemade mayonaise has always scared me because I thought it was such a drama ensuring you got the right consistency.  That was until I found this recipe, or should I say, my husband found it.  Not only is it quick and easy, but it's delicious, healthy and extremely versatile.  Once this basic mayonnaise is done, you can add any additional herbs or spices to match whats on your menu.  

Ingredients

1 large egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon of dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon of white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 cup of olive oil

Method
Place all the ingredients except the olive oil, into a small glass bowl and whisk until nicely combined and the egg yolk has thickened slightly.

Add the olive oil in a steady slow stream whilst whisking continuously until the oil is combined and the mayonnaise is thick and creamy.

Makes approximately 1 cup of mayonnaise.

Happy living people!

Jayden's Room - Before

Now that we have finished Aaliyah's room, it's time to focus on getting Jayden's room completed.  I know Aaliyah's room took a lot longer than anticipated, so Jayden is keen to get it done as quickly as possible.

This room has views to the eastern side of the Ponderosa but with only one window it can be dark once the sun reaches north.  There's a a lot of mismatched furniture in the room as it is today, so the plan is to minimise.

Jayden has some great ideas about colours in her room so lets see what creative  solutions we can come up with.

Happy living people!

Kia Ora Kai Ora

Today is the first time since the 16th February 2015 that I've logged into my blog with a view to post something.  Upon reflection, time has flown by, but I wanted to share a great experience I had working alongside one of my favourite NZ chefs/cook - Anne Thorpe.

I blogged about Anne in January in TOFFEE FRUIT SALAD.  Within a week of posting that blog I was presented with an opportunity to work with Anne on a very special project.  A fundraiser for Te Whakaruruhau - Maori Womens Refuge.  I couldn't believe it! 

I have worked with Te Whakaruruhau for a couple of years now.  They provide such a wonderful and beneficial service to the community by providing guidance and help on domestic violence and abusive environments for maori women, families and children so couldn't turn a blind eye by not getting involved.

Te Whakaruruhau had asked Anne to showcase her talents at the fundraiser and she accepted.    The fundraiser was a huge success and working with Anne and her team was such an honour.  We have kept in contact ever since the event and I hope that we have another opportunity to work with each other in the near future.

My dear cousin and collegue Mereaina Herangi, Anne Thorpe and myself

In regard to Te Whakaruruhau?  Whether society wants to acknowledge it or not, I believe everyone knows someone who has been placed is an abusive situation therefore it's a topic that can not be dismissed.   If you know someone that needs help, and you don't quite know how to go about it, then simply contact Te Whakaruruahu.  You could save their life.  

Happy living people!