Another Extraordinary Day In Paradise...

When I do a big shop to re-stock my fridge...
I trim and wash my fruit and veges before storing them.
(Soak for 1/2 hour in 1/4 cup of malt vinegar in a sink of water
I have a small sink. This helps to neutralize and remove toxic sprays.)
Leave in a rack or I put them on a tea towel on the bench, to dry.
They are then ready to eat and cook with and take less room in my fridge.
This week I was horrified at the price of fresh veges...
So decided I would keep all the bits I would usually throw away...
The very tops of the celery stalks, the bottom of the asparagus spears, the dark green tops of the leeks,
the thick stalks from the broccoli... I did  peel these!
I thought nothing would be lost if I tried making them into a soup...
So I added a chopped onion, grated carrot and 1/2 cup brown lentils...

Put them all in the pot with some gluten free chicken stock...
And boiled them up for a couple of hours.
I then added a tin of tomatoes, some chilli, fish sauce, cumin...
Whizzed it up with my stick - that I have told you before
I can now run through my recently installed 2000watt inverter.

And... Delicious fresh vege soup...
Garnished with flat leaf parsley...
From my garden pots on the back of my bus...
And lunch was served

 

After lunch I went gathering firewood with a friend 

who has a tiny 'Little Cracker' 

 wood burning fire in his house-bus.

I am thinking about installing one before next winter...

So want to consider what is involved in... 

Finding, chopping and storing wood.

 
There is plenty of dry wood to be found at Uretiti...
A  lot of Pine trees were cut down
and left to rot away in the sand dunes.
Big wood, small branches and pine cones... Lots of them all.


We walked back to the bus with our haul...
My friend has an outside workbench and small device for
holding the branches against...
While he cuts them up with his amazing sharp little saw.
I have concluded I could do all this...
To have the ambience, warmth, comfort, and cooking facility
of a 'Little Cracker'.



This was the end result... Tubs of kindling...

 

And tubs of bigger wood and cones.

I put these in my bus to transport... To see if they would fit somewhere.

They did, one in an outside locker... The other inside in front of the passenger seat.

So with a few alterations... 

I think a fossil fuel fire is going to happen in my little home.

 

My last job for the day... 

Apart from sitting in the sun and trying to catch up 

on  reading last Saturday's newspaper...

Was to water and feed my basil.

I have shown you photos before so you will see how much is has grown.

I have given away about 12 little plants... 

There were too many in my basket!

And I'm starting to harvest and eat it now.

As I pick the tops off it will bush and the 6-8 plants I leave to grow 

will be nice and big.

I love the smell and taste.

So that was my day... Tomorrow I am moving on...

To the next adventure... Around the next corner... Whatever it might be...

My First House-Bus Dinner Party...

It was my friend's birthday a few days ago... We often park our Bedford house buses together.
So I invited him to share his birthday with me and offered to feed him some birthday 'treats'.
Mid morning was coffee and croissants - doubling as the birthday cake... A candle for each decade!

Lunch... Was a platter of this and that...
I knew,  as a boy he loved little saveloys,
 in New Zealand called 'Cheerios'.
So I surprised him with some... He thought that was so funny...

But ate them all and refrained from complaining
of stomach ache all afternoon!

For dinner I cooked home-made Kentucky Fried Chicken
with Scallopped Potatoes
and steamed fresh new season Asparagus.
All the recipies are below...

We ate and drank and had pressies...

And then dessert - In my recipe book called Parfait
but you might know it as Ambrosia.
I made it with berry yoghurt, frozen berries, gingernuts and marshmallows.
I did serve it in red wine glasses... Divine!
He asked when he could have another birhday... But not for another year.
I have made the dessert again... But it too is all gone.

HOMEMADE KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN
Chicken pieces - fresh or frozen - as many as you need
Combine: 2 tabs flour, 1 large teasp gr ginger, paprika, curry, mixed spice.
Salt & pepper as liked. Can double or treble if needed.
If you love other spices - use those
Put all in plastic bag add chicken and shake around till all coated.
Place in roasting dish, cook till tender & crisp (no more than 40 mins)

SCALLOPED POTATOES
Slice nice potatoes about 1cm thick (I don't peel them)
Par boil till cooked but still firm.
Drain and layer into a casserole or flatish baking dish
with lots of chopped garlic.
Just cover with cream. Cover and bake slowly

BOYSENBERRY GINGER PARFAIT
500gr good quality fruity yoghurt (for those in NZ I used Cyclops or Puhoi)
Can add 1/2 or 1 cup whipped cream
2 cups frozen or fresh berries (I used frozen, makes it lovely & cold)
1/2 pkt gingernut biscuits broken into chunky pieces
1/2 pkt small marshmallows (or large ones cut  up)
Carefully stir together. Keep chilled.
Serve in little dishes or lovely glasses.
Vary the yoghurt favour with fruit available -
Fresh Strawberries or dried apricots soaked overnight... anything!

An Ordinary Day... Back At The Beach...

Well... We are 'Happy Chappies'... Me and my Bedford...
We set forth poste haste... Back to the beach at Uretiti.
I haven't been here for a few weeks... And things have changed.
The hills are alight... With these purple blossoms.
They are probably noxious weeds... But they are the prettiest...
Self sown... For me to enjoy.

The camp has repaired itself from the summer onslaught
and the winter floods.
The grass is growing...
The the tracks worn in the grass by feet walking here and there...
Have grown over and somehow the whole place has a 
new spring feel and look to it.

As you can see not many campers yet... It's school holidays...
So a few families here. It's a great place for children to run wild...
Shout and yell...
Use up some of their energy... And have fun outdoors.

The sand dunes are covered in these purple flowers...
They look stunning...

The wind has moved and sculpted new sandhills...
The track through to the beach now has a big hill in the middle...


 
I'ts quite high and up the top is where I took the flower and camp photos...


 
Over the top and...

 
Down the other side to the sea...

 
Even the beach looks freshly laundered... Still quite deserted...

But we were going fishing...It was a good westerly wind.

It took the longline balloon out really fast....

The sun came out...

 

Don't know if you see the balloon about 1 kilometer out...
We did't catch anything but it's fun... And we live in hope of course.
The sun changed the colours of the sea... Beautiful!


The standard of fishing has been raised... We now take chairs... Coffee...
It makes waiting for the fish very pleasant!
It was sunny but a cold wind... I'm wrapped up in two merino jumpers,
a fleecy jacket and on top a wind breaker jacket.
I'm  very happy.

Wheel Alignment... A Foot Massage For My Bedford!

I spent a day pampering me...
Then it was my Bedford's turn.
Last time I got a COF (Certificate of Fitness)...
They passed me but pointed out a couple of things that woud stop me getting the next one in six months...
One was my front left tyre was wearing on the inside but still road legal.
So I went to Beaurepairs... Always have to go to the 'truck' department...
And had the tyre turned round on the rim.  

It was very quick... Wheel off... Wheel on... Nuts torqued...
When it came to paying... I asked them what new fangled idea that was...
Didn't they know we now live in a cashless society...
They thought that was hilarious... so didn't charge me!

Then I was off to All Trucks to get the front wheels aligned...
And deal with the 'tow-in'
that was causing the tyres to wear unevenly...

I was amongst some big rigs...

I felt quite small and insignificant!

Over the pit we went...

Looking and feeling quite serene...

 
Electronic machinery is attached to each wheel....
  
Back and front... 

 
 All the details read into the computer
  
There was quite a tow-in, so that seemed to be fixed with a few twists of this huge wrench...
And a few screws round the wheels adjusted...






 
All being checked... The 'bottle' thing in the middle underneath...
Is a jack... lifting up the vehicle from the air pump in his hand...
No physical energy or exertion reauired!
In fact he had enough breath and energy to sing gospel songs the whole time he was working...
About God giving him a Mercedes!


  
Something to do with balancing...

 

When he was happy with the computer read-out - we were all done.

Apparently the front wheels are aligned to point slightly outwards as when driving they naturally gravitate inwards... So that means I am driving evenly straight ahead.

I learned a lot... But won't be doing it my self next time!

And off we went, both happy chappies...

My Favourite Place... And Favourite Things To Do...

After a week at Ahipara having building things done and living with mess and upheaval...
Much as I loved getting the work done and lots more storage space...
I was very glad to go to probably my favourite
freedom parking spot... Ramp Road...
And get things back in order...
Put things on the new shelves...
Sit in the sun... Read...  And do nothing much.
I had a perfect day but woke the next morning to low grey cloud...
And  drizzle showers

At this time of the year it is deserted...
I don't know where everybody goes during the winter...
But not here! There's just me and the birds and the grass growing.
It's very different in the summer time... Which is slowly coming!

I did my morning things... Had breakfast... Took these photos...

Nothing and nobody as far as I could see..
I

And was on my way to Kerikeri...
It's a pretty place,  sub-tropical...
Some nice shops...
I was on my way here... to Body Divine... For a Thai Massage.
I absolutely love having a massage...
I haven't had a Thai massage before... The masseuse was Japanese...
It was wonderful... Pummelled and pushed... All the tender spots uneeringly found.
I didn't want it to end... But it did.


My next stop was Living Nature...
Also in Kerikeri.
I parked here overnight. 
This is the shop... There is a factory behind where the most wonderful...
Natural beauty products and make-up are made.
Upstairs is the therapy clinic...
The skin care range... The make-up... And the treatments...
Are second to none.
Their products are sold globally...
And only made with genuinely natural, New Zealand ingredients.
Have a browse  here...
I have been visiting here for years...
I have weaned myself off cheap, toxic, endocrine disrupting products
 and those I don't make myself I buy here...
Or online and have it delivered.
Their make-up is one of two or three organic and natural brands I use.



Upstairs is the clinic waiting room...
Beautifully lit... Lovely displays...


And information...


And the therapy room... So relaxing...
This was me...
Where I come to have all the bits of me that I want to be hairless...
Waxed and beautified.