Baking Brownies

I realised that over a year ago I said I was going to make and review WI (Women's Institute) recipes from the Home & Country magazine and while I have been making some I haven't been putting them up here... whoops.  Pretty sure none of you missed them though so that's all good lol.  In the wknd I made the Brownie that is in the latest Home & Garden though so thought I would review it for you all, then that will make 2 recipes, which is almost a thing lol.

The Brownie was super easy to make, like even easier than I was expecting easy.  Pretty much a mix all together, dump in a tin and bake, then enjoy eating lol.  The recipe was for a non-gf version but I just swapped out the flour etc to gf and it was all good.  Would say it was a bit crumbly but that is normal for gf baking so wasn't really worried.  And it just means that you get it eat it with a cake fork which is awesome hehe.  And it tastes real good, well so long as you like brownie it does nom nom.

My negatives with the recipe is that it uses 4 eggs which is all I had and so I am now out of eggs :( mostly cos I don't like going to stupidmarkets (they just take more money than I want to give them) so aint got any more yet lol.  It also makes quite a lot of brownie, so have frozen half, with fingers crossed it freezes well though I can't see why it wouldn't.  Spose neither of those are really negatives are they... lol.

The Recipe...

Brownie:
200g melted butter

4 beaten eggs
2 cups sugar (I used brown sugar)

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

8 Tbsp cocoa

1 packet chocolate melts

Combine wet and dry ingredients.  Press into lined 20x30cm tin.  Bake at 180C for 35 mins.  Leave to cool and sprinkle with icing sugar.

Note:  I didn't do the icing sugar part, as you will notice in the photos lol

Actually pretty tidy baking for me lol, and about to go into the oven

nom nom enjoying it time xxx

Vinyl and a biplane

Finally got some vinyl for my kitchen and bathroom/laundry areas.  Was thinking for ages that it is just a stupid cost and not worth it, then something happened late-ish last year and I decided to go for it, can't member what it was now and it doesn't really matter.  I did have to wait about 3 and a bit months from accepting the quote to getting it laid which gave me time to think oh do I really need it, can I be bothered getting it.  But the part of me that doesn't like talking on the phone decided it was easier to go ahead with it than to call and try and cancel and gotta say its a good thing that part of me won out.  Didn't realise till it was there how awesome it would look and how much it would feel like such an improvement from carpet offcuts on concrete.  It's also rather surprising how quickly I have gotten used to it and now it feels like it was just always there lol.  As I am sure you will agree it looks pretty awesome :)

Now I know some of you think I am a tad spoiled... soooooo this next part might not help with that but just so you know in advance I am more than happy to be spoiled if it gets me things like this :D

A while back, not sure how long ago now, I asked Doffy (aka dad) if he would be able to make a biplane for Glenny, with room for Fishy to be the gunner at the back.  There were of course other requirements, as I am me and it wouldn't be a me request if it was totally simple lol.  And Dof has done an amazing job, and not only my bear loves it but so do I.  

In the pics Big Ted is the gunner, but right now he is on the couch with me and Little Ted is winging it as the gunner (he can't actually see over the walls so he is shooting blindly lol) and Smudge is wing-walking/'helping' Glenny pilot.

Bro is going to paint it for me at some stage, would say its cos he also loves me but is probably more cos I haven't really given him much of a choice lol.  Hey what can I say, I'm a little sister, its what we do hehe :)

note: sorry bout the bad lighting in the photos, I took them the night we put it together and haven't got round to taking any more, mostly cos have been either playing with it or chatting to Glenny instead lol.  The last photo is for size reference, obviously being for my bear it aint a tiny plane...

Last week....

As many of you are aware last week was a bit surreal over here in Hawke's Bay.  We had a cyclone come through (Cyclone Gabrielle if you are keeping track) and it definitely left its mark.  While I was one of the lucky ones who still has a place to call home with nothing in it water damaged there are many out there who are not so lucky.  I also lucked out with the power situation and only lost mine for 6 hours or so.  We did ponder if this was cos I live so close to the hospital but turns out I am not quite that close as I know some people who only lost theirs for 1.5 hours, which is how long the hospital lost theirs for.

Now even though I am lucky, and I might have been playing it cool when people asked how I was, I just thought I would let you all know a few things (don't worry I am still all good).  For starters, Monday night was no fun, AT ALL!!  That wind and rain, just wow!!  I never want to experience anything like that again.  Each time I got up to check stuff I was honestly expecting that my feet were going to touch down on wet carpet.  And the experience of having your concrete house shaking and rattling is not a fun one.  Concrete is meant to be sturdy and not shaky.  Am very surprised the tiles on my roof are still all there (technically actually haven't checked cos not sure I wanna know if they aren't, but there were none on the ground and there are no leaks so I'm assuming they all there still lol).  There was a moment when I thought it couldn't get any worse, then the next gust of wind made me think it was giving up moving just my place and wanted to take the two units somewhere new.  Even if I had been allowed to work Tuesday I'm not sure I would have been any good as was shattered from the lack of sleep.  

I know I am lucky cos I could (and did) go to work from Wednesday.  But there were still the mental side of things to deal with, such as how your friends are.  I knew most my friends were ok, but there were some I weren't sure about as I hadn't heard from them. And I knew it was probably cos they had no reception but it still stresses you out a bit, the not knowing, esp as each day passes.  Finally heard from the last one I was waiting to hear from on Friday evening and it lifted a weight I hadn't realised had been there.  It is also rather surreal and weird going to work like everything is fine when you know that just over there its not, and that quite a few of your friends don't have power, and then work is a bit of a ghost town and there are people on your floor sleeping at work as they can't get home and are pulling crazy shifts to help out cos doctors can't get over, and you know, just stuff like that.

Now for those of you wondering, my lemon tree is fine.  That sucker will survive anything I have decided.  It lost two lemons, that's it.  No branches down, no leaves missing, just two lemons on the ground, and they were two older lemons that were probably just ready to go anyhow.  Typical.

The only item of mine I know of that got damaged is a book I had loaned to David.  It was on his nightstand right underneath the hole in his ceiling that formed when a tree branch fell through his roof/ceiling bringing loads of water and tree debris with it.  So the book is now a bit waterlogged but I figure that just means it has a story to tell hehe.  And no it is not in my place which is why the statement up the top about nothing in my house being water damaged is true :)

But just to reiterate I am fine, I am annoyed mum and dad are temporarily (it better be temporarily) further away now than when they lived in Inglewood but thats a very minor problem.  
Glenny would like me to add that he is fine as well, and that he wasn't scared Monday night, he was just clingy to me cos he was worried I was scared.... (believe him if you like, but I know the truth hehe).

A gluten free update you didn't know you needed

Late last year I went to see a celiac specialist, figured why not since no one else seems to have any idea why things are so wonky with me health wise, what's one more persons lack of ideas to add to the list, or wishful thinking maybe someone does have an idea, and how awesome would that be if that happened. 

Well she had an idea yet it was one I didn't really like the sound of... and that was to go back onto a strict gluten free diet.  Now I am sure some of you are sitting there thinking but you are good at being gluten free.  Haha yeah not so much sadly.  I am good at it for someone who is intolerant but not for someone with celiacs, as I learnt from Ana (the specialist).  Zero cross contamination is allowed so that means no eating out anywhere that doesn't have a seperate prep area and seperate cooking implements (pots, pans, bowls, stirring stuff, chopping boards etc) for my stuff.  And that includes friends and families places.  So big thanks to those family and friends that I told about this and went and got me my own set of stuff so they can cook for me, and bro who cooks for me at mine sometimes cos its just easier.  Gotta say it is weird basically saying to friends that they can't cook for you unless they buy this extra stuff and then don't use it for anything else but cooking for you.  Does make one feel loved when they don't even blink and just go of course and no you don't have to pay me back.

I didn't start this strict gluten free thing till this year, but I did start doing it a bit last year, kinda lol.  Now though I am about 3 weeks into the strict thing and just gotta say that I miss Jarks, and am over cooking so much.  It is hard work cooking most nights, and the hardest part is the what shall I have part I think.  So don't care what I eat most nights but still have to figure something out to cook.  

It will take about 3 months for any changes to really take effect (that's how long even trace amounts of gluten stay in your system), so still have a ways to go before I know if its working but my fingers are crossed.  Ana is pretty positive it will fix the energy issues and thinks it might even fix the hands issue (I did not know this till she sent me the info to read but constantly having small/trace amounts of gluten over a long period of time for a celiac can lead to arthritis like symptoms which when tested for that the tests come back negative, cos its not arthritis).  So fingers are def crossed for something to happen in the positive.

While I would love this to fix everything I am going to be a tad pissed if it does, but mostly cos in the last 5 odd years that I have been having these issues not one single doctor has asked how my gluten free diet is going and how strict it is.  In fact in the last decade of me being gluten free no one has asked me that in a medical sense.  If this could have been stopped sooner and with less stress on my part (waiting to see specialists with all the what-ifs going round your mind is not fun in my experience) that will be a bit annoying.  It will also be annoying to find out that I have been the one causing myself to not be able to do things I love... that will just be sucky as.

So yeah, the HB Gluten Free Fish & Chip Adventure has been called to a premature halt.  But on the bright note there are a couple places I can eat out so it's not a total end of the world.  And I've discovered that I can actually make a pretty good steak, and my wedges are pretty amazing (and will be even more so when I am patient enough to let the potatoes cook properly lol).  I can even make pretty good mashed potato these days (stop laughing ppl who have known me for ages and ages), so I guess its not all that bad... lol

2022 in books

As has become a thing in the last few years here is my last year in books (as according to GoodReads anyhow lol) 

Total books read - 70

Total pages read - 22,976

Shortest book - 71 pages (it was a play)

Longest book - 672 pages (surprisingly enough it wasn't either of the Wilbur Smith books I read)

Average Length of book - 328 pages

Here is the breakdown by genre (my genre grouping, not GoodReads so some might be grouped diff to how others would do it lol):

Fantasy - 24

Chick-Lit - 14

Non-Fic - 7

Sci-Fi - 6

Historic Fic - 6

Thriller - 5

Child/Gen Lit - 5

Classic - 3

A surprise contestant in the HBGFF&CA

Our book group (the library one) went out for our Christmas dinner the other night and this is where the surprise contestant comes into the HBGFF&CA.  We went to The Loading Ramp which is a pub in Havelock North, and on their website is no menu and when you get there the menu doesn't list what is gluten free and what isn't so I had to go and ask, oh the effort I go to sometimes lol.  I was super tempted by the pizzas they had on offer, but then I thought hmmm prob won't be back here so why not get the gf fish and chips and add to the adventure, after all that is what it is all about really :)

So the gf fish and chips I got, and once again too much salad in my opinion.  Did I eat it all this time?  Ummm no cos Julie offered me a piece of her gf pizza pork belly pizza and pizza totally wins over salad every time :D hehe.  The fish was dry and meh, but the chips... oh wow the chips.  No idea what they did to them but Julie, Michelle and I all agreed they were next level and possibly magical.  So very delicious.  And there was a nice huge helping of them so def can't complain about that :)

Everyone agreed that the food was good and rather generous portions for us all.  There were a few doggy bags taken home, never a bad sign I don't think.  Though the service did leave something to be desired, Mya did have to go and tell them we were ready to order when they still hadn't come back and some of our drinks were almost gone.  We had also had to go and ask for a drinks menu as didn't get one at the table.  The lighting was rather dark, I think it was meant to be moody or atmospheric or something but it didn't really work for us.

Score time (remember all are out of 5, total out of 15):
Presentation and Service - 2 (sorry Loading Ramp)
Atmosphere and Drink Selection - 2 (sorry again)
Taste and Quantity - 4 (pretty purely on chips alone lol)
Total - 8

The HB GF Fish & Chips Adventure continues

So in my last post I said it had been a busy couple weeks, and it was which is why this review is a little late in coming.  And please remember when you read it that the author is absolutely, totally, completely biased lol :)

The next place on my HB GF Fish & Chip Adventure was Jarks.  Mum, Bro and I went there last Saturday night for dinner and I thought why not get the Fish & Chips and continue my adventure with where I know will win (remember how I said the author is super biased.... well you were warned lol).  The surprise might come in that Jarks is not getting a perfect score though, I know I am as shocked as you are!!  And what did they do to deserve less than a perfect score I hear you ask, well it is only a small thing, and some people I am sure wouldn't mind (like dad for example) but for me it was a boo moment.  They gave me too much salad :O (ps that's a shocked face for those who don't know), it was like lots of lettuce and stuff, so they got some points deducted for that.  Ok so not many points, but hey who ever said this was a logical scoring system lol.  And yes I did eat all my salad, cos I'm a good girl.

Jarks' score (remember all are out of 5, total of 15) - 5 for presentation and service, 5 for atmosphere and drink selection, 4.75 for taste and quantity.  Total of 14.75

Again no photos as this was part of my holiday... and I also couldn't be bothered, I just wanted to tuck in hehe.

There are things growing in my vege garden

It has been a busy last few weeks for me.  I had last week of wandered up to Auckland to go see The Killers (a rock band for those wondering) with some friends, well 1 friend and one of his friends who I think is now my friend so I think I can say with some friends hehe.  It was a brilliant concert, so energetic and entertaining, and just awesome.  Thanks to Eoin's weirdness of needing to be there early, far to early in mine and Reece's minds, we were only a few rows back from the stage so could see pretty much everything without the big screens.  So guess its thanks Eoin for that lol.

After the concert I stuck around Auckland for a few days, went to the museum (also very good I felt), caught up with most of my Auckland rellies (thanks for making the time for me guys <3 much appreciated.  ps that is a heart, the weird symbol thing, if you weren't sure lol).  Did some shopping as well, got me some more jewellery cos I couldn't resist.

And then I trained to Hamilton on the Auckland to Hamilton train.  Highly recommend this by the way, if you get the chance.  Did some chilling in Hamilton, met up with mum there and then my Hamilton rellies as well (thanks to you guys too for making the time to see me <3 ).  

Then I headed home and you might think I would take it easy as it was a pretty busy holiday, well you would be wrong.  I was planning on taking it easy but then the show I am helping with at Aubyn Live (the theatre just down the road from my place) decided to have rehearsal on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  Then I had book group on Thursday (I may've fudged a little in what I thought of the book as the author is in my book group so I was slightly more positive than I really felt lol.  Didn't lie though, so I don't think its bad, I just mentioned the bits I liked and glossed over the bits I didn't haha).  And then on Friday the show opened, and we also had shows ystdy and today.  It is going quite well I think :) its called Bah Humbug and is A Christmas Carol but as a musical, kinda.  Well there are musical numbers in it.  Some very catchy songs which I have had going round my head my nights while trying to go to sleep lol.

For those that don't know, Bro moved to Hastings a few weeks back.  I think this is cool, obviously lol.  Anyhow I have given over my vege garden to him and now there are plants in it, for the first time in ages, like years ages.  I do hope they grow well, and I love the fact that I don't have to weed cos that is the responsibility of the gardener I believe hehe.

Oh and for those wondering where the photos are of my trip away, they are not taken in the first place.  I decided to have a holiday where I took no photos and just paid attn to where I was and what was going on and what I was seeing instead of going oh take a photo of that and that and that.  And I only broke my plan once and that was to take a photo of the Spitfire in the museum for dad :) not a bad reason to break it I don't think hehe.

Anyhow hope the above all makes sense, I don't feel like proof reading it this time so if it doesn't just ask and I can clarify.  No nitpicking over typos/autocorrects or grammar issues though (unless it makes it un-understandable) cos that's just mean and I know you aren't mean else we wouldn't be friends :)

The HB GF Fish & Chip Adventure begins

This summer I have decided to find the best gluten free fish and chips in Hawke's Bay, well in Napier and Hastings but Hawke's Bay sounds better lol.  The scoring will be out of 15 and this is what it will be made up of: 5 for presentation and service, 5 for atmosphere and drink selection and 5 for taste and quantity.

So that is a the boring part out of the way, well the semi boring part anyhow.  I am sure I won't get to everywhere that does gf fish and chips, mostly cos I am sure I don't know everywhere that does them lol.  But the main places will def be gone to I am sure.  And my favs of course, which means that Jarks will have to be tried and rated as well, oh how sad that will be lol.

And yes I am aware that my scoring is not likely to be consistent cos that is life, but oh well, it'll still be fun I believe.

Ystdy Jenny and I went to The Gin Trap for round number one.  I do like The Gin Trap, it has gorgeous views of the harbour and a nice atmosphere.  The only downside, I think anyhow, is that it is in Ahuriri, Napier so is a bit of a drive.  The first point to note is they have a 47 page Gin Bible, aka gin menu, and I don't know how you are meant to pick one sensibly, or even if you are meant to.  I normally just pick by randomness lol.  I had a Day Off something or other feijoa one which was beautiful, and Jenny had a strawberry one (or a raspberry one, a berry one anyhow).  Here's was also nice she said.

The fish and chips were amazing as well, for starters mine came battered, I know very surprising.  I normally end up with pan fried fish which is also yum I think.  Had forgotten how filling the batter can make them though.  And the chips were yummy, and so was the salad.  Not sure what dressing the salad had on it but it was good, and they came with aioli not tomato sauce which I appreciated as prefer aioli anyhow.  Jenny got the normal fish and chips so we could compare and said that they were also very good, for those non-gf ppl out there who were wondering :)

I have given the following ratings: 4 for presentation and service, 5 for atmosphere and drink selection and 4.5 for taste and quantity.  So a total of 13.5.  Not a bad start to my adventure at all :)