My first terrarium

In less than 24 hours, I went from not even considering it to planning and building out a full terrarium. I don’t even remember what triggered it. A photo, some moment in a movie, something I saw out of the corner of my eye? I laid in bed this morning, surfing sites on the tablet,…

Pork n’ beans beyond belief

The Pioneer Woman’s cult following is justified. She has no time for snooty, precious, calorie-cutting, gluten-free blah blah blah. Every now and then, especially in winter, I’ll scour her site for something delicious. I was in the mood for pork n’ beans, but not just ordinary pork n’ beans. I wanted something a bit different….

My 48th birthday

Today was very special. So many things came together, so many loved ones involved either before or during the day. When my sister was here months ago, she left behind a large gift-wrapped box, which I would open on my birthday. Jeremy has been working on a charf* for me, which he completed just two…

Christmas in New Zealand

Last year’s Christmas was characterized by the most awful weather ever. This year is the flip side of that coin. On Christmas Eve, we had the entire house open, every door and every window. It wasn’t sunny beach weather, but it was exquisitely comfortable and balmy. Christmas Eve’s feast consisted of cider-braised turkey legs from…

Vegges in full swing

I had grown carrots last year, but I’m never shy about growing them again. This year’s harvest of baby finger carrots is a small one so far, but I’m going to sow heaps more in three or four pots to keep producing throughout the rest of spring and summer. This year, we’re doing potatoes (three…

Drop seed

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been on a seed-sowing frenzy. Last year – my first full-on foray into vegetable and flower gardening – was a great boot camp. This year, after more research and guidance from Jedi Masters, I’ve taken a far more aggressive approach. No tentative Andrew this year. It’s all about…