This week in the garden ...

After living in Mauritius, I was on a mission to plant my own Shu Shu (Chayote) but just couldn't find it here. So imagine my excitement when I saw them growing in New Zealand and saw the seeds in their catalogies.... only to find out they have discontinued it as they were becoming invasive. And then I managed to order some from Mountain Herb Estate.... so I got all excited all over again. So here they are in a box, you just leave them whole and then they start sprouting...It is still a bit chilly to plant them out, so I will plant them in pots and keep them indoors until the chill leaves and the sun comes out to play again...

Tiggy in the garden

Pak Choi! and here is one of our old girls....

The new girls....

and the first egg from the newbies ... let's hope they get bigger!

Spinach and Cheese Muffins

If there is one thing that always grows well and abundantly in our patch, it is spinach! And so I am on a mission to find yummy spinach recipes .... Honestly spinach just doesn't do it for my lot, unless I hide it ...

A generous bunch of spinach, washed, stems removed, dried and sliced thinly

1 egg

about 1/2 cup cheddar or feta

2 cups flour

about 1 cup milk

2 and 1.2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt if using cheddar

black pepper

Place all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix.

Beat egg and milk together and then add to your dry ingredients.

Mix till lumpy.

Add more milk if need be, you want it sticky.

Add cheese, black pepper and spinach.

Mix and bake at 180C for 20 minutes.

Shopping in New Zealand!

Did I mention Kiwis love their sheep? I wasn't aware that NZ has more sheep than Oz!!

But its a fact!

Classic!!

North Shore

The island you see here is Rangitoto Island.......

What boys will do for a dare !!!

and that was New Zealand.

Would I go back?

Answer true Kiwi style " Shit yeah"

Rangitoto ...

.......means Bloody Sky in Maori...and is a volcanic island in the Hauraki Gulf. The most recent and largest of the volcanoes in the Auckland region...

The lighthouse keeper used to row his kids to school and back everyday...

no doubt he was very fit ....

Volcanic rock .... I thought it would have been heavier ...

It was quite a hike up ... but the views from the top were absolutely breathtaking!

Everywhere you look there are islands and waterways and yachts and sailboats and kayaks.......

And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. Genesis 1: 10

These holiday cottages are called Baches in NZ, pronounced batches,

really small and cute...typical beachstyle!

Mangroves



Te Puia! Where the earth trembles .....

It's quite freaky walking along and seeing steam and gas escaping from openings in the ground.... fumaroles they call it ... and geysers erupting ... and mud bubbling away....

...the smell of sulphur lingering in the air!

All the pillars were carved differently...their carving work is amazing...

Pataka

Taketake ki te whenua....

in this land ....

For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else. Isaiah 45:18