Monday, October 1, 2012

How to make early season strawberries taste--well---sweet

Sometimes in my haste to get a taste of the season I buy early season strawberries. I reckon one takes a bit if a risk in doing that because they are a bit flat, tasteless and somewhat sour.
But I purchased them anyway, for a good some of money. After my healthy stir-fry, I cut the tops off the strawberries and snuck a ‘preview.’ Yip--- my suspicions were correct---they definitely needed a lift. I searched the fridge and my eyes set upon a bottle of rhubarb/strawberry syrup.
I added a generous portion of the said fluid to some sliced bananas to the new season strawberries.  Surely that would be enough but no--- I decided to ‘lift’ them further.’
Oh---right next to the bench top oven I noticed a bottle of Yeigermaster. I know—that’s not the correct spelling--- the reason for my laziness in not going and checking the correct spelling will become apparent later. In went a slosh of the 38% alcohol---getting the picture yet.
Not enough I thought. It just so happened that there was a bottle of Baileys next to the other ‘untypable’ fluid. Why not--- I love that tasty ‘B’ drink. I generously added some of that.
OK--- the taste? I’m not sure but the fumes nearly knocked me for six. (That’s a cricket term folks) The appearance--- well, I doubt that the mixture would make any recipe book for either cocktails or desserts.
The taste was interesting, but I don’t think the strawberries dominated in the slightest. I think the Baileys sort of ‘split’ too. I suspect a doubtful chemical reaction, but now, ---I kinda feel quite relaxed. Would I recommend my concoction?  Hehehhe ---ask me tomorrow.

Charter Schools, National Standards, League Tables

The list goes on and includes the privatisation of the education system. It seems that what we have built up in NZ over more than century is going to be taken down in the short space of a decade or less.
When are we going to learn that not everything that comes out of the USA is good for us? Indeed there are many Americans who doubt the legitimacy of much of what they now have posing as a healthy education system.
Charter Schools are just part of the slow eroding of the Public system of education. Just throw in National Standards, an increasingly large amount of Government and State money going into private schools and you start to see the picture that is now being mirrored in NZ.
Let’s shove it right back at the Government and make sure that opposition parties take note of our collective unease at the new direction the Government is taking.
Actually folks, they are going back to the past. Such experiments have been tried way back in our history. Such policies didn’t work then and they won’t work now. All they achieve is to exacerbate the gap between the rich and poorer segments of our society. Is not that a recipe for a fractionated and unhealthy society?
 I do not want to end with the statement---‘time will tell,’ because we do not need to continue down this path to a very different and horribly unequal NZ.

There are two worlds within New Zealand!

Most of us live in the decent world that makes New Zealand a great place to live. There is however another world, inhabited by a group of people who prey not only on one another, but also on those at the edge of the ‘nice’ world.’
These underworld inhabitants do their best to drag the vulnerable into their dark and nasty world. The news that yet another drug making hole has been uncovered in the Waikato, just exemplifies what may be so close to many of us----maybe next door.
The police are doing a fantastic job in dealing to these parasites on our society. The damage they cause to families, especially our young people cannot be overestimated. I hope that with technological advances, the police make further inroads into this twilight world. Yesterday’s announcement that crime figures are down is encouraging, highlighting the need to not cut policing resources. If that happens, the ‘beasts’ will rise again.
Keep our families and kids safe.

Avondale's big secret is out--Salvation Kitchen

Next time you are passing through Avondale----Don’t!  Stop at the newish café, Salvation Kitchen. It is easy to find and parking is OK, right across from the big police station. I have put this retro café on my list of favourite places. The food is different, beautifully presented and just something a little different. The service is friendly and the young guy serving us knew his stuff. I took the picture of the barista. He made us a lovely richly crema’d (new word?) coffee. He even let me take his picture.
Not only is the food good, but the décor takes you back. While we waited for our food we read a 1975 Women’s Weekly. Oh, I wish the prices were like that now. I didn’t try the home-made pies, but they looked incredible. I settled for a hash/bacon and salad meal. No brown bits in this salad. Next time I want to try one of their mini Pavlova deserts. Just couldn’t manage this time, but I did sneak a tiny bit of my mate’s Brownie----yummy.
This café has won awards and I am not surprised. It is a good use of an old petrol station. That big overhang is perfect for getting out of the weather.

We will be back! b
Good one guys!