Fourteen Years

That's how long we've lived in New Zealand. Sorry the photo is so small. Look how little the boys were - they're now great big hulking teenagers who eat everything in sight!

It's also 14 years since Diana died

My new camera

I have been eyeing this one for months - an Olympus XZ-1! And what makes it so special? Well, look at that lens! The i.Zuiko lens is F1.8 at the 28mm equivalent end and it's still a very impressive F2.5 at the 112mm setting. (That last sentence is from dpreview). For me, the beauty is it has no lag! It is 10mp with a 4x optical zoom

This is a photo I took of the proteas on my desk just before 6pm with no flash.

It's a very beautiful camera and I can see myself using it a lot. My other Olympus is also a great camera but they will both have different functions in my life

My Creme Brulee

So what do I do with mine?

Instead of vanilla beans I found this vanilla paste - works even better than beans!

Then I have so far served them a bit warm but I had two left over the other night so put them in the fridge. Oh my word - they are wonderful cold! And if you don't have a blow torch, caramelise the sugar under the grill in an ice bain marie so the custards don't get hot

And then what to do with the left over egg whites? Make meringues of course! My recipe uses three egg whites and one-and-three-quarter cups of castor sugar. But I had four egg whites. Just as well I can do Maths: divide by 3 multiply by 4 and there I had it - 2 and 1/3 cups of sugar - easy!

And then serve with strawberries, melted chocolate and cream! Yum

And I still have more egg whites left so tomorrow night we will have Baked Alaska

Creme Brulee - a new favourite

We love Creme Brulee but only ever have it when we are out as I always thought it was so hard to make. No more. I found this Alison Holst recipe and while it looks complicated, it's really easy. It is nicer when it has been chilled in the fridge

For 4-6 servings:
2 cups cream (or 1 cup cream and 1 cup milk)
2 vanilla pods (optional)
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/8 tsp (pinch) salt
4-8 tsp caster sugar

Pour the cream (or milk and cream) into a small pot or microwave bowl. Add the vanilla pods (if using) and heat gently until it just boils.

Place the egg yolks, first measure of sugar, vanilla essence and salt in another bowl and whisk together.

Remove the vanilla pods (if used) then pour the hot cream mixture into the bowl and whisk again. (If you did use the vanilla pods, you can split them lengthways, gently scrape out the tiny black seeds and add these to the mixture, too.) Pour the mixture through a sieve to remove any lumps, then carefully pour into the four to six ramekins, leaving a few millimetres at the top of each.

Arrange the ramekins in a sponge roll tin or roasting pan and carefully pour in enough hot water to fill to about halfway up the outsides of the ramekins.

Place the tin or pan in a preheated oven and bake at 150degC for 25 to 30 minutes or until the custard has just set (it will still appear a little jiggly, but not runny), then remove them from the oven.

Brulees are versatile and can be served while still quite warm in cool weather, or in warmer weather (or if you are working in advance) cool to room temperature or even refrigerate until required. Just before serving, sprinkle the top of each ramekin evenly with 1 to 2 teaspoons of caster sugar (the smaller quantity for small ramekins or more for larger ones).

Arrange the ramekins on a tray and place under a very hot grill (3cm to 5cm from the heat) for 2 to 3 minutes until the sugar melts and browns. (Alternatively, you can do this with a blowtorch if you have one.) Remove from the heat and let the caramelised sugar cool and harden to form a crisp layer, then serve immediately.

Variations: If you like coffee, try adding 1/4 cup whole roasted coffee beans instead of (or as well as) the vanilla pods. The beans will be removed when the mixture is sieved, but you can add two or three of the collected beans to each ramekin before baking. The just-baked custard has a mild coffee flavour, but this intensifies on standing.

Happy Birthday!

To Ross - 17 years old today. Here he is a few days after he was worn

and my gorgeous teenager

He's been a typical teenager and has been up and down; but we're coming out the other end and developing into a really nice person

22nd August 1992

Thought this was poignant for today but it's not to be. I suppose at least I got nineteen years and two wonderful sons

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KLPAMo5QTc

And yes the story is complicated. For now I am single parenting

She

She held her head high and looked the world straight in the eye. Celebrate her strength.

Kobi Yamada

I think this is my quote for this year - do you agree? What shall I do to celebrate?

Edit: I am going to WOW on Wednesday night and I have negotiated to buy my camera!

Snow!!

Well, I have no idea when last it snowed in Wellington but if I find out I will update. Update: it last snowed in Wellington 40 years ago! It started at about 4.15pm and it was very very light. We took a few photos and thought it was all over but then it came down quite hard

Colin with a light sprinkling of snow on him

Me with a few flakes in my hair and on my arms

A light dusting on the protea tree

Then it snowed harder. This is with the outside light on and the snow in the light

The Mitsy covered in snow - and this was after the boys had already swept a lot off it

Me outside in the light before it came down really hard and I decided I needed a warm jacket on

Looking over the back garden across the suburb

The branch of the tree that fell down

Braedon (a friend of the boy's) making a snow angel

All three boys having a snow fight

Colin in shorts!

Looking up to the main road

My footprints next to the path to the front door

And the power went out about 20 minutes after it started snowing! I had put a meal into the slow cooker much earlier today so we had a hot meal. The power did come back on just before 6pm

The kids loved it and went to the primary school with some of their friends to play in it. They came home around 6.30pm and headed straight for a warm shower then had dinner.

It was fun but I'm glad it won't last for too long