For those Baking and Scorching in Australia

Please spare a thought, send a thought and/or a prayer or what ever you are comfortable with to those in Australia. Especially all in the States of Victoria and South Australia. The temperatures there are up over 40 degreesC.

To make things worse there have been powercuts in Melbourne, and no doubt in other centres and towns. Not only electrically powered cooling devices not working, but people stuck in lifts (US Trans: elevators).

The bush fires are "away" and now joining up.

We may be great rivals at sport, but when "push comes to shove" the NZ and Aussie cousinship comes in to play. I don't doubt that we will be sending some of our specialist Rural firefighters over to help out, just as NZ and Aussie combined to send a team of firefighters over to help in California recently.

Only there is little we can do here to help relieve the incredible heat. And I was complaining to myself about Wellington's predicted high of 26 degreesC for Saturday, and temp not dropping below 18 overnight tonight.

Parts of Australia (and it is a HUGE country) have been hit with many years of drought, then severe flooding. While we get the same here and it is also disasterous for those affected, it is on a smaller scale.

So send a thought to EnZed's cousin, Australia. Yes, even with a cricket series involving the 2 nations starting on Sunday.

How Digital Cameras Really Work

I had wondered......

80 Years On

The 23rd of January 2009 is the 80th Anniversary of my Paternal Grandparents' Marriage.

Hugh marrried Betty back on January the 23rd in 1929. Their first son (of three) was born on 16 December 1930. That Son is my most dearest Dad, Hugh Gordon, known as Gordon.

In January 1979 there was a wonderful family gathering and celebration of Hugh and Betty's 50th wedding anniversary. Dear Grandma (Betty) was concerned that there had to be enough food - there was heaps left over.

I am grateful to have inherited Betty's "is there enough" genes. Should I ever cater for you, you'd have yummy leftovers to feed you all for several days after.

Dearest Hugh and Betty were parents to three sons. They, most wonderfully, invited and included the parents of all their daughters-in-law in the celebrations. Yes, I very clearly remember the day. We celebrated on the 20th.

On the 21st I went out sailing with my Mum, Dad and Sister on Mum's brother's yacht. With that brother , my Uncle Roy, his wife( my Aunty Marilyn who was also my God Mother), their eldest 2 sons (cousins Keith and Chris), Roy's twin brother's daugther - my other cousin Chris, and Our Dear Nana (dear Grandpa Jim died back in Nov 1975).

Was the second and last time I've ever been sailing. Despite the family background from dear Mum's side, I just don't like it.

The 22nd of January 1979 was my 14th birthday. Our sadly sunburned selves (me, sister, and both parents) went to the Auckland Zoo - I really wanted to see all the big cats. Dear Dad and dear Sister took heaps of shots. Sadly I don't know what happened to the films. Never saw the results. Never mind....

I especially liked seeing the black panthers.......

Yes, I love all the cats. Such stroppy, contrary individuals - including the supposedly domesticated ones.

For Zebby and Henry:

With a dog You're the Master/Mistress

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With a Cat you're the servant

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Simple Really!

What Next?

Today, January the twenty second*, is my birthday. To celebrate turning fortyfour I've developed Sciatica. Thankfully paracetamol is effective. What next indeed!

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*hey, its the 22nd here in NZ, regardless of what day Blogger thinks it is.

My Folks Live Here

Yes, here

Not sure where they're going to put the Obamas.

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My goodness they are hardy souls in Washington D.C. - minus 11c yet an enormous crowd turned out. I felt guilty watching it all from Summer.

The Leftovers

On a huge oval platter, we had more in leftovers than we ate on the day. I suggested dear Mum freeze some of it for them to have later. So she froze the lot in 2 separate containers with the remaining cooking juices divided between the 2. A wonderful basis for a shepherd's pie or 2. Mmmmm, drool....

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Zebbycat who puts up with it all and still loves me, my new and canine friend Henry (coo - how did I achieve that?) and Matey John.G - I would have so liked to have shared the leftover lamby with you guys. Oh well, never mind. Next time????

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Next up I'll try dear darling Debs lesson on "links". Hhhmmmm - who shall I pick as my victim for this? It wont be Debs.......................

That 7 hour Lamb

The ingredients - leg of NZ (of course) lamb, onions, carrots. From the Folks' garden - celery thyme and bay leaves. Dry white wine - I used a Sauvignon Blanc (NZ too) and chicken stock. Okay so I cheated with a stock cube.

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Sear the lamb all over, remove from baking dish, pour off the accumulated fat and put the leggy back in the dish. Surround with with vegetables and herbs. Season well with salt and pepper. Pour the wine and stock around, but not over the lamb. Cover and place in 120c pre-heated oven............... Seven hours later - Ta da!

Carefully remove the lamb to a plate. with a couple of forks remove the meat from the bones - it just falls away. I removed the vegetables to a serving dish and poured the juices from the roasting pan into a jug to separate out the fat which I then drained off.

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Place meat onto serving plate, drizzle with some of the juices. I served it with more of the juices for pouring, new potatoes (Jersey Bennies), asparagus baked in a drizzle of olive oil with seasalt and lime juice (thanks for the idea, dear Antipo) and the veggies that had cook with the lamb.

Conclusion - very moreish. And easy - no carving, no last minute fancy or complicated stuff to do. Though next time I would use a dry red wine and add garlic and rosemary to the vegetables and herbs baked with the lamb. And real stock.

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I happily dedicate this post to John.G who really likes roast lamb - I'm sure this could be served
with mint sauce or mint jelly!

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Postscript: Yes, That's my dear Mum with me at the table. A great day for her coz I did (and loved doing) all the cooking. And, yes, dear Mum is about 5 inches taller than me. I finally got her to stop calling me her baby when I turned 30. My 44th looms soon, LOL.

Xmas Day, after much joyous cookery....

Chef Mickle, in her rotundity, is about to enjoy the remains of her long Gin and Tonic.

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Then serves up the 7 hour lamb plus sauce and veggies.

Will post 7 hour lamb prep and results soon

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(Dear Sister, note wearing of wonderful silk covered "I "Heart" Knitting" badge,

and new earrings from dear Mum)

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