When everyone's on holiday--it's not a holiday!

Perhaps I am being a sanctimonious twit (now that should get you going), bit I am happily ensconced in my sunny lounge, with ‘Miranda’ playing in the background, quite unusual for a male, I am multitasking---that is writing this blog at the same time.

I wrote a blog a few weeks ago asking, ‘Who had stolen New Zealand’s summer?’ Well, it appears that who it was, has decided to stop the suffering and given us some sort of summer back, even if it is only for a few weeks, before plunging into a late autumn and winter. So far, the Easter break has been a succession of glorious days, with temperatures reaching into the 20’sC and blue skies to complete the perfection.

Joining New Zealand’s version of a British Bank Holiday Weekend is not my cup of tea. No—I do not fancy, sitting in a long line of cars, trucks, caravans and near ‘road rage,’ occupied vehicles in general. OK, that means one would be delayed about an hour, then the traffic flows normally. Still---- the very thought is enough to keep me nearer home at these times. The benefit is that Auckland’s traffic is bearable. The only logjams are in and around shopping malls when they open for their Easter sales. Avoid the malls, and trips across Auckland to beaches parks or friends are actually quite pleasant. During the Christmas Holidays this peaceful time extends to several weeks--- take the hint, would-be tourists and come at those times.

Mind you, I did choose to travel to Hamilton yesterday, but that was in the middle of the Easter break, a day before the hordes return home. Now I am looking at Perdy, twisting her head in that endearing way, trying to understand my ramblings. I just asked her what she would like to do today. I mention the word ‘beach’ and her tail wags. If you haven’t figured out who Perdy is by now, then I shall leave you wondering who I keep for company--- should raise a few questions eh.

The Title sucks---I know -- I shall change it!

OK-- I know---the title to the book I formerly called The River Always Flows, sucks big time. This is where you come in. Read the first chapter and give me some ideas. No--- or maybe yes--- Perhaps I could call it 'Dead Cat Pie For Lunch.'  I was amazed at the hits that little blog got (but not clicked on in the adsence). Have a read of the first chapter and get back to me. Those of you reading my blogs via Facebook and Twitter--- please do the same.


A word about the Adds. It seems that Google has put some on about online dating and meeting Russian Women. (Hell--- if you are gonna do that--- stick on the complete spectrum).  That may explain why I have so many hits from Russia. Sorry dears,  I'm not in the market. Mind you, I may also be very wrong and soon some of my friends in Mother Russia will repsond and enter into a dialogue, just like my increadibly stimulating new USA friends. I am not getting away with any ioncorrect statements with them. God---- they are such a refreshing group--- the experience has renewed my faith in humanity. They can even read my terrible typing. I have self-diagnised my condition. It is 'Technological Dyslexia'.

Dead Cat Pie for lunch--- a family tradition

Dead Cat Pie for lunch---Am I finally losing it? All families have traditions--- things that are part of their history--- in my family’s case, one that has lasted for about 50 years. Before you go running to the toilet or the phone to ring the SPCA, read on.

Mum used to cook this dish and one of my brothers labelled it ‘Dead Cat Pie.’ Initially Mum was adamant that she wouldn’t cook it as we insisted in copying our brother in has crassly described favourite, but eventually she gave up, simply giving us a wry smile and getting on with it.

Now that we are all grown up, today we decided to resurrect this cheap and easy dessert--- yes it’s not made from road kill or from a poor trapped pussycat. Why families don’t go back to basics and cook these old ‘yesteryear’ recipes, flies in the face of common sense. Why pay for a ready-made, packet or frozen preparation, when you can make a delicious pudding, using very basic ingredients. One only has to exercise a little patience while it bakes. Indeed, it cooked away in the heated oven we had used to roast the chicken and veggies while we ate the first course.

OKAY--- time to divulge what is hardly a secret. Don’t feel you have to stick to this--- do your own thing and call it what you wish.

Dead Cat Pie for lunch---Am I finally losing it? All families have traditions--- things that are part of their history--- in my family’s case, one that has lasted for about 50 years. Before you go running to the toilet or the phone to ring the SPCA, read on.

Mum used to cook this dish and one of my brothers labelled it ‘Dead Cat Pie.’ Initially Mum was adamant that she wouldn’t cook it as we insisted in copying our brother in has crassly described favourite, but eventually she gave up, simply giving us a wry smile and getting on with it.

Now that we are all grown up, today we decided to resurrect this cheap and easy dessert--- yes it’s not made from road kill or from a poor trapped pussycat. Why families don’t go back to basics and cook these old ‘yesteryear’ recipes, flies in the face of common sense. Why pay for a ready-made, packet or frozen preparation, when you can make a delicious pudding, using very basic ingredients. One only has to exercise a little patience while it bakes. Indeed, it cooked away in the heated oven we had used to roast the chicken and veggies while we ate the first course.

OKAY--- time to divulge what is hardly a secret. Don’t feel you have to stick to this--- do your own thing and call it what you wish.

Mix up scone dough (I think you call it biscuit dough in the USA and Canada). Just in case you don’t know--- here it is.

      Mix up some self-rising flour (or use plain flour with baking powder---two cups of flour and two teaspoons of BP) with chopped butter---maybe 3 tablespoons----- work it with your finger-tips until it is evenly mixed. Then add a little milk, and make firm dough. Shape it into an oblong shape to fit a medium sized dish. Butter the bottom of the dish. Use as much plum jam (or any other flavour—this is where you can use your imagination) as you wish and spread it over the dough before gently rolling it up and placing it in the centre of the oblong dish. Make a few cuts into the top for a pattern. Now mix up about one and a half cups of boiling water with roughly three tablespoons of butter (OK if you don’t want butter--- be boring and healthy and use low-fat margarine or any other crappy spread) and pour it over the dough. Bake it in the oven at about 180C for about 50 minutes or until it looks just golden. You may baste some of the sauce over it halfway through cooking.

Go eat it with ice-cream, and or custard. Seconds are compulsory but in the spirit of healthy eating, I only had one helping--- because my friend and family ate the lot.

Note--- my measurements are not exact--- it’s pretty hard to stuff-up this recipe. Even a dead cat could do it!

Ready to bake-- the cat got away so we used jam!

Me first--- yum.

Mix up scone dough (I think you call it biscuit dough in the USA and Canada). Just in case you don’t know--- here it is.

      Mix up some self-rising flour (or use plain flour with baking powder---two cups of flour and two teaspoons of BP) with chopped butter---maybe 3 tablespoons----- work it with your finger-tips until it is evenly mixed. Then add a little milk, and make firm dough. Shape it into an oblong shape to fit a medium sized dish. Butter the bottom of the dish. Use as much plum jam (or any other flavour—this is where you can use your imagination) as you wish and spread it over the dough before gently rolling it up and placing it in the centre of the oblong dish. Make a few cuts into the top for a pattern. Now mix up about one and a half cups of boiling water with roughly three tablespoons of butter (OK if you don’t want butter--- be boring and healthy and use low-fat margarine or any other crappy spread) and pour it over the dough. Bake it in the oven at about 180C for about 50 minutes or until it looks just golden. You may baste some of the sauce over it halfway through cooking.

My lovley friend, Pat mixing the dough

Go eat it with ice-cream, and or custard. Seconds are compulsory but in the spirit of healthy eating, I only had one helping--- because my friend and family ate the lot.

Note--- my measurements are not exact--- it’s pretty hard to stuff-up this recipe. Even a dead cat could do it!

I'm over the moon but?

4136 hits but not enough on my book--  Damn I'm a broken record but if I don't spin it, who will.
Still looking for 'direction.' Lerts make it a film  lol-- but to do that you need to truin off your adds bar so that the adds shopw-- then--- who knows I may get more than $2.85 a month 

Where am I going to take my story?

Have you read the first chapterf of 'The River Always Runs?' I have finished ther second chapter but I am waiting for more hits and for some ideas form you. I can take it in any directio----. All ideas concidered. I know the first chapter ends rather tragically, but such is life--- and death. Famillies all over the world have thier skeletons. I better not give too much away--- so go to the blogg where the books starts-- I'm sure you can find it. (There's only about 130 plus other to sort through).

Ragazzi Cafe --Takapuna

Some areas of NZ have it all. Imagine a beautiful whitish-sanded beach with a drop-dead backdrop of an ex volcanic island rising from the sea in the distance; a place where there is safe swimming and dogs are allowed to roam off the leash with the friendly beach goers. Well that place is Takapuna beach; only about ten minutes drive from the Auckland CBD. Takapuna was a city in its own right decades ago, then merges with the North Shore City and finally it is now part of the Auckland Super city of 1.5 million people, large for us in NZ.

The old fashioned shopping precinct directly behind the beach, with a backdrop of modern high- rise, is home to a multitude of cafes and eateries, Ragazzi Café amongst them. I would put it at the lower to mid-priced ones, so I was curious to see what we would get for our money. There were four of us, including of course, Perdy. To make surer she had expended some of her pent up energy, we let her loose on the kilometre long beach first. Dogs are allowed at all times once daylight savings has ended, but even in the height of summer, they are allowed on the morning and evenings. I think that the large expat British dog loving segment of the population of this area has been able to retain that precious right, through their political aptitude. Great--- Perdy was welcome and she immediately made her presence felt. She rushed away off the lead and chased the ball I had carefully thrown, narrowly missing the heads of the hundreds of other walkers and their dogs.

Perdy chased the ball, but was quickly distracted by the choice of other dogs to sniff and chase. It was doggie heaven for her. Back to the café. The waiter made Perdy welcome and brought her a huge bowl of water. She settled down under the table and watched the people and waited patiently for our orders to come, knowing full well that my hand would be slipping down under the table with little titbits for her.

We had to wait a while, figuring that they may have been a bit short staffed, but it didn’t matter. The coffee was superb—double shots of course. My sister’s omelette with gluten free bread (the fruity sort—maybe for Easter) was very generously filled and she commented that it was amongst the best she had had, especially given the very reasonable price. I had the big breakfast, with all the trimmings. My excuse was that Perdy would help me eat it. We sent back the eggs that Rio had asked to be well done. We did warn them that when he says well done--- that means they should be able to bounce. I guess the cook didn’t want to send something past other diners that resembled something that came from the bin. To their credit, they said that next time we came—just warn them, so that they could be emotionally prepared--- because even the retuned eggs were still not as he likes them--- he’s weird though---shit--- I hope he doesn’t read this.

 I have to say that the service was excellent and very friendly. I think that the area must somehow rub off on the staff--- it must feel like they are on perpetual holiday. People who go there look happy and on a day like today, when the sun is shining--- well--- it would be hard to be a grumpy bugger.

We will go back again. Good value for money.

Ragazzi Cafe and bar.                                                   

Takapuna Beach with Rangitoto Island in the background

Hi India---nice to see you

It is always great to see yet another country checking out my blogs. Go for it India. Feel free to reply.

 cheers
 Neil