Taranaki 3

Taranaki Taranaki Taranaki....


We headed down to Taranaki for the weekend on Thursday 30th June. Here are some snaps from the drive down. The weather was stunning the whole way. Great drive!

Loving the driving...

On the Pirongia bypass

Blue skies

Mokau - our favourite place to breast feed

Sunset Mokau

Ear Worm

It may be typical of all new parents I expect but I routinely have a song (usually a nursery rhyme) just going round and around in my head. Today it was the 'Taniwha' song. Sung to the tune of "You Are My Sunshine" Joel and I have decided the lyrics are as follows (we just make them up as we have poor memories..):

One day a Taniwha

Went swimming in the moana

He whispered in my taringa

Wont you come along with me

There's just so much to see

Underneath the deep blue sea

But I said 'no no no'

Taniwha you'd better go go go

Although I think we could be friends

My Mother's waiting for me

Underneath the Kowhai tree

Taniwha, Haere Ra

Then of course...

Tahi, Rua, Toru, Wha....HE!

Cockle Hunting

Our catch

Today we went out into Huia Bay at low tide and gathered some cockles to make Spaghetti Alla Vongole. It was good to put the gumboots to good use.  Vongole is my favourite dish.  It was easy to find enough cockles for dinner - although they weren't that big. We've decided this is definitely to be a once a week affair.  

We made a tomato-based vongole as we didn't have any white wine to do the 'blanco' kind

We took Elsie in the front pack all rugged up in a jumper and woolly hat. She loved it even when the torrential rain came down (don't worry I had an umbrella) eventually falling asleep in the front pack.

Vongole!

Sunshine, Wriggle and Rhyme

Passionfruit cupcake - served alfresco with sunshine and coffee

On Mondays we head to "Wriggle and Rhyme" at the Mount Albert Library with Charlotte and her daughter, Rosa. It's one of our twice weekly trips into 'town'. On a typical Monday we wriggle, we rhyme, we walk the babies, then Joel and I hit the supermarkets and scarper back to Huia.


This week Joel and I didn't have many jobs to do so after Wriggle and Rhyme we spent a really relaxing afternoon with Charlotte and Rosa. The sun came out and we had an excellent coffee at a local cafe sitting outside. I felt like one of those proper Coffee Mum's. We were all very happy to be right there in that moment. Good friends, lovely babies, great weather, not at work.  There was a lot of smugness all around....

Rosa and Charlotte McVicar

Rosa 5 Months

Ngahinapouri

Domesticated Monkeys

After seeing Bones off at the Airport Joel and I headed down to see Jonty and Rachel in Ngahinapouri. Rowan and Robyn headed down too and we had a Saturday night together - just like old times - but with five children between us. So, nothing like old times then really.

Elsie was an absolute gem all weekend. So relaxed it was almost weird! She loved seeing all the toddlers and big kids running around. She even had a turn in the spa pool

Bye Bye Bro

Cuddles with my Bro

Today we headed to the airport to farewell my Brother, Stephen (AKA Bones) who is moving to Brisbane with his wife Yvonne.  Mum and Dad also came up from Taranaki to see him off - they stayed with us last night in Huia. Dad and Joel were out until about 2am fishing (no luck). The next day we met Bones and Yvonne at the airport.


Yvonne was super organised, Stephen was as organised as he needed to be. I thought it was very cunning of him to teach Mum and Dad how to find their way around his accounts (in order to complete his pending tax return..?) at the airport. Clever lad.


Yvonne's family all came down from Paihia to see her off. Check out her cute little nephew in the above photo!  Joel and I shot off before they flew off as we were heading down to Ngahinepouri. I expect there would have been a few tears shed by Yvonne before they got on that plane.


It's pretty stink timing for Bones to be emigrating but that's just how life works out. Hopefully once they are established Joel, Elsie and I can head over for a visit to see them and catch some sunshine.


: (

Grandma with Elsie at the airport

The Baking Curse Continues....

Lemon drizzle cake

This week I tried to make Lemon Drizzle Cake. I used a recipe from BBC good food (Tana Ramsey) that was listed as the websites most popular recipe. I figured this must be fool proof. I had a good time baking, was feeling confident, and you know sometimes when your batter is just beautiful and you know it's going to be great? Well, that was the vibe. The instructions were to cook at it 160C fan for 40 - 50 minutes so, trying to make up for my nasty fast oven I set it to 150C and took it out at 35 mins. It was already a little too brown on the top (although not burnt) but a bit wet in the middle. So I turned the oven down to 140C and went to put it in for another 10min. Unfortunately this is the point where I dropped the entire cake face down on the floor. I managed to salvage a rather broken loaf and give it a bit more time. It tasted okay but I had lost the magic. I consider the baking curse still in force.

Jolly Jumper

Today we got Elsie her first Jolly Jumper!

We purchased it off Trade Me (we are proper Kiwis now!). We figured that as she so desperately wants to be upright (definitely not lying or sitting down) then we should embrace this and find some upright kinda toys. She was a bit of a slow starter (so of just hanging in it like a bit of a cabbage...) but she has quickly grasped the concept and just look at her go now. Like she is dancing a Sailor's Hornpipe!

Highlights from Huia: Week 4

Elsie Asleep on the Sand

This week we finally headed out to Whatipu. What an amazing place! Wild and expansive. It was incredible weather too - very still and lots of sun. Joel put out the surfcaster while I read a book with the sun on my back and Elsie asleep on the sand. Bliss.

I've posted loads of photos here because it was just so beautiful....

Tasman Sea in front of us

Whatipu

Manukau Harbour behind us...

Jo and Elsie

The Fisherman

Lighthouse at Whatipu

Waiting patiently for the fisherman

Stunning Whatipu

The moon over Little Huia on our way home

Over the weekend we headed down to Hamilton to celebrate Hinehoa's 13th Birthday. I really felt my age when trying to think of a birthday present for a 13 year old (Glassons Vouchers...). It was great to catch up with John, Carroll, Olly and Whets and to meet all the nieces and nephews. Joel and I just headed down for the day - we returned to Auckland at around 5pm when the others all headed off to a Rugby game in Hamilton. We drove through the biggest thunderstorm we have both ever seen on the way back (motorway at a stand still). Elsie doesn't like torrential rain (cue screaming!).

In the Kitchen

Leftovers for lunch

This week I tried to make Chocolate Chippy Cookies. I borrowed the recipe from Charlotte (a seasoned pro) and it was one of those one from an American website with around 5,000 positive reviews from people. If 5,000 people can make this recipe then surely I can too? Well I did actually - kind of. Being an American recipe it made a massive batch - 48 cookies. As I only had one baking tray I baked these in four batches of 12 each. Therefore, I got to have four different attempts at getting the temperature and timing right. By the fourth tray I got a decent biscuit - crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside. What I didnt like about the biscuits was that you could feel the sugar crystals in them. I noticed later in the week that Marcus Wareing has a recipe in his cookbook called 'How to Make the Perfect...' that uses castor sugar instead of granulated sugar. Perhaps I'll try this one next time.  Can I call this recipe a success if it took me four attempts to get it right? Hmm. Not convinced that the baking curse has lifted yet...

Cutest Laugh

Nothing more to say about this one really..

Highlights from Huia: Week 3

Oyster Catchers at Huia Bay

Elsie Bear

 Angel Child! This week someone stole our Elsie and replaced her with an angel child. Elsie is spending much more time relaxing on the floor which is great! Sometimes we're even getting smiles during tummy time - which is still very short-lived but getting longer all the time.

Elsie had her vaccines on the 7th of June and I managed to persuade the nurse to let me weigh her. I was so pleased to see that she was 6.625kg! Which is amazing as she was 6.1kg when weighed in New Plymouth only a few weeks ago. This would explain the crazy all night feeding frenzy over the last two weeks. Growth spurt!

This week I fed her some banana (as she had grown so much I thought perhaps she'd like some solids!). I was in the kitchen and she seemed really interested in the banana so I thought that I may as well take advantage. I cut a wedge and she held it and sucked it. She seemed to quite enjoy it - but then again she enjoys sucking wooden blocks - so it's hard to know if flavour has anything to do with it. She bit off a large piece and looked a bit shocked herself. I got all worried that she was choking (Joel is she breathing!) then when she started gurgling away again I got all excited and thought she had eaten it. But I found it a few minutes later more than a metre away on the floor. Obviously she's quite a good spitter. And stealth. I only cut off about 2cm of banana initially. Unbelievable how much mess it made! It kinda put me off pressing forward with weaning for the time being. Must buy more bibs.

Otherwise it's all about the drinks this week - well anything in a crockery cup or a glass. Elsie is fascinated by it - reaching for it and wanting to put it in her mouth. It's all lovely learning and development until it happens to be a glass of wine or a beer (see later). Are we bad parents for letting her 'explore' the top of the bottle of Pinot Noir..?


Day time naps are much improved. Well they are still only 40 mins but she's taking all of them in her bed and going down without it being too traumatic. We're counting this as a success.

Elsie with her Aunty Yvonne

Joel and I


Still busy catching up with folk this week. But we found time to enjoy another sunny day at Cornwallis beach. The light was really beautiful and the water was like a mill pond. I know we are in a sheltered bay in a harbour and all (as Joel impatiently pointed out) but I still can't believe how glassy and still the water was. Eerily quiet for a beach - no wind, no waves.

Sunsmart at Cornwallis Beach

Native Delights

Tasty Hand

A Strangely Flat Beach

Bones and Yvonne came to stay - Yvonne bringing half of the Paihia harbor with her; kina, oysters and smoked fish. Bones and Joel had some good luck fishing pulling in a few gurnard.

Joel's Gurnard (note this is a tabloid not a broadsheet!)

Seafood Feast with Bones and Yvonne

Yvonne brought her massage table so on the Friday when it POURED with rain Joel and I had a long soak in our huge bath followed by a lovely long massage. Yvonne gave me the best massage that I have ever had.  I spent a lot of the day in my bathrobe. Go the Huia Day Spa!

Loving the Glassware - Huia Day Spa

Bones and Yvonne headed off over the weekend so on Sunday Joel and I checked out the French Bay French Market. It wasn't particularly French with stalls selling Spanish paella, Greek sauces, Middle Eastern dips, Italian pasta, weird NZ silica and some bric-a-brac, sorry, brocante (none of it French). Okay, there was one crepe stall and a French bakery stall but it had absolutely no bread left - not even one baguette. What was authentic was that we were served the first bad coffee that we've had in New Zealand. Ooh la la burnt coffee on a Sunday morning. It made me nostalgic for Europe savouring the flavour of the scalded milk and wondering if underneath the plastic lid there was a skin formed on the milk...


Having said all that it is an absolutely beautiful spot and we had another(!) warm sunny morning. We made the most of it hanging out by the water drinking bad coffee. It was really enjoyable!


We're finding ourselves getting almost panicky to 'make the most of it' whenever the sun shines. Firstly because in NZ it's likely to be pouring with rain in another half hour and second because it's only about 10 days away from the shortest day so we feel sure that our luck must be about to run out and that proper Winter weather will set in soon. Fortunately it hasn't yet.

Elsie at the French Bay Market

Mmmm Bad Coffee

Nice Spot for a Market

Having been unsuccessful with bread at the French market we stopped in Titirangi on the way home to check out an Italian Bakery that I had noticed. I went in and asked for a loaf of ciabatta. 'What's that?' the lady behind the counter asked me.  Oh dear. I came out with a decent sour dough stick though I'm not sure that this is Italian. Look I'm trying really hard not to be a wanker but come on! Ciabatta! Italian Bakery!


We called on Kit and Lissa on the way home. I got to have my first cuddle with little Maia (I have been waiting very patiently..). Such a cherub. She is an amazing little thing - she is sharp as a tack - looking around, interacting, smiling. I swear she wanted to reach for a toy - if she could only control those arms!


Elsie continued her fascination with glassware by attacking this beer bottle

Bad Parenting 101

In the Kitchen

Gurnard of Course!

I jumped right back on the horse and made another carrot cake. I stuck with the recipe that I had thinking 'better the devil you know' but reduced the baking powder and baking soda down a bit. It came out like a steamed pudding. There's moist and then there is downright weird. I was tempted to serve it with custard! It tasted good though and the carrots weren't green. Sigh.

I'm thinking I must take photos of my baking. Perhaps when it's going a little more successfully...

Highlights from Huia: Week 2

Elsie Bear

Little Miss Beachman is really showing her personality now. She is very chatty, burbling away in her cot in the mornings. Unfortunately we are yet to work out what she is saying. Chuckles and giggles are still a rare treat! Here's some video of her doing her thing...

It's all about the mouth this week with everything going in it. We read her the story of the Very Hungry Caterpillar but she got a little too 'into character' attempting to eat the book.

So studious

Sausage....

Tasty

Fortunately she seems to have stopped her penchant for poking out her tongue like a lizard! Now it's dribble dribble drool. Her current nickname is Slobodan ...


She is getting much better at grabbing things and bringing them to her mouth (although it's a slow process as she often misses the first time) which is good because she is 'learning to express frustration'. That's a euphemism for whinging...


This video is of Elsie trying to eat her red tights and being a little bit of a spasmotron....

We are trying to encourage Elsie to see the benefits in sitting up, however, she seems intent on going straight to standing! This week she is flatly refusing to bend at the hips. We think she is just getting into the planking craze early.

Planking with Dad

We went down to playgroup at the Huia Hall this week. It was really busy with lots of kids and really cool toys. Elsie had a go in one of those exer-saucers (where the baby stands supported in a plastic circle of dreams). Elsie was probably too young for it but she seemed stoked to be upright and in planking position. Although she did a fair amount of lurching around and grunting she was staunch and didn't complain at all. Although to say she enjoyed it may be a bit of a stretch.


Elsie's sleeping has gone right out the window this week - waking twice in the night (what happened to our baby that sleeps for 12 hours each night???). We are busying ourselves intently discussing and musing over the many theories for this; such as whether she is cold or hungry or growing or perhaps starting to get teeth. We have quite a bit of time on our hands these days...Personally, the only problem I have with it is that it is limiting my Pinot Noir consumption which is probably not such a bad thing.


Food wise she has been simply ravenous this week with some quite disturbing truffle pig moments (use your imagination). She actually left marks on Joel's arm and my neck from when she was rooting around. Yes, we both had hickies. Quite embarassing down at play group.  I find it crazy (and a bit sad) to think she will be starting solids in a month. She is starting to show a glimmer of interest in food. This week she was staring at some cheddar (vintage darling!) so I mulched some up and she sucked it off my finger. She seemed to quite enjoy it but I think I get demerit parenting points - something about not having dairy until they are 12 months old blah blah blah.  I then offered her some pumpkin - just a tiny bit - she didn't really seem to either enjoy or dislike it - but she did swallow it which was promising!


She has grown a lot this week. When I look down at her when we are feeding I just can't believe how big she is. I can really see the child emerging. Othertimes I look at her and she seems such a tiny vulnerable baby still. I next get to weigh her hopefully when I take her to get her vaccines on the 6th of June.


Joel and I


We are starting to relax into Huia. We had a few visitors out this weekend which was awesome. It's lovely being able to host guests again after so many weeks of visiting. This house is great for entertaining because it is so well kitted out with lovely crockery and kitchen gadgets. And it's a lovely space to be in. Feng Shui baby!

Sam and Maia - a rainy afternoon in Huia

Hardware Cafe Titirangi

We have been diligently walking up to the Lower Huia Dam every day. This currently constitutes our daily exercise (still not running!) although the word 'Lower' is somewhat misleading because it's bl**dey steep.  The dam has this terrifying sink hole that you can walk out over (loving the Kiwi lack of any health and safety) and look down into. It reminds me of the final scene in Return of the Jedi where the goodies are trying not to be sucked down into Jabba the Hut's huge sand hole. It's seriously about the same dimensions thought. I find the spillway (that's the technical term for the freaky sink hole) really scary but strangely addictive. I find myself compelled to go there every day, stare over the edge, shudder, and quickly scuttle away.

Staring down at the sinkhole - Lower Huia Damn

Scary!

The walk up to the Damn is very pretty and terribly bucolic. We're go all jaunty and wholesome playing spot the animal and bird life (excellent kingfisher action!) on the way there and back. I figure we are quite annoying.

Huia Damn Road

Huia Damn Road

In the Kitchen

Pumpkin Soup

I am determined to hone my baking skills during this year off work. The plan is to find good recipes, practice and hopefully master the basics. For example a carrot cake, scones, a chocolate cake etc. I know it doesn't sound very ambitious but I don't think I've ever actually made scones!


This week I made my first ever carrot cake. I used the 'vanilla extract oil' that was in the cupboard in both the cake and the cream cheese icing. Unfortunately it smelled strongly and strangely of banana. The cake cooked well and had a good texture, however, it was definitely too bicarbonate-y for my taste. When I served it I noticed green flecks in my piece. It kinda freaked me out - I thought it was mould or something. This wasn't helped by the fact that I served it with a knife that had previously been used to cut chillies. So my mouth starting tingling and burning a bit. Meanwhile I'm staring at my plate noticing green mould-like flecks and wondering why it tastes of banana.  Not the best start to mastering the basics. They say you should never apologise for food you serve but I really think this may have been an exception. Jenni and maggie were very polite about it - but no one went back for seconds! Later on I googled 'green carrots' it turns out that this is a (fortunately harmless) reaction when there is too much baking soda. I bloodey knew it!