I've been Linuxed!

Laptop #2 is unwell on its Windows side, so it will be heading up to Tauranga to dear Dad for him to mutter over and also check its Linux operating system too. In the meantime I'm back on my original PC, fully rebuilt, souped up and running on Linux.

This had been a massive learning curve which is good for my brain*. Tonight I finally managed to upload and save photos from my camera (woohoo) so am back in full-on blogging mode.

Above is a shot of my darling Zebster from Summer. Right now he is snuggled under his quilty and dreaming of Summer and raw lamb for dinner, bless the lad.

So, next on offer will be Mickle style Ginger Beer - now I can post the photos.

(* the little grey brain cells are already ticking over with the system data issues I have to solve at work - Linux will keep them running at the same rate when I'm at home!)

The Bagel recipe

Hello all, here is a link to the bagel recipe . It makes 6 bagels however it can easily be doubled, tripled etc...

Rather than rolling the piece of dough into a snake and joining the ends, like in the recipe, I used my dear Dad's method - form it into a bun shape then poke a hole through the middle with your thumb and index finger.

These bagels freeze very well, tasting fresh when thawed, and good spilt and toasted. And I'm thinking little mini bagels with a yummy filling would make great finger food.

I'll be making more soon to have for lunch at work. Happy Baking and Eating!

A few steps forward, a sideways lurch then a leap back....

Now I'm having problems with this newer laptop. I stopped with it on Friday so the swearing didn't happen until Saturday. I will do my best with blogging but all is currently only running in "safe mode" for the windows operating system. Will find an experienced, reliable and safe service here to fix it all.

I also have a Linux system on this laptop which is working fine - only it doesn't have all the apps that Dad had set up in Windows, knowing that I was trying to stay compatible with Work while enjoying the best of of the (far better) freeware that he uses.

Will do my best and avoid swearing at the beast now it is Easter Sunday.

On the plus side I have a boned and butterflied (by self) leg of local, grass fed spring* lamb in the fridge marinating in a mix of garlic, fresh rosemary, lemon zest, freshly ground black pepper, olive oil and a little lemon juice that I rubbed into the outer and inner surfaces. * I bought it back in September and have kept it frozen until now. This wont take long at all to roast for Sunday night dinner for myself and for Zebby - he loves lamb!

Happy Easter to you all, Mickle and Zebby - xxxxxx and zzz zzz zzz zzz zzz zzz zz zzzzzzzzzz

I'm still here, Folks

I have been busy with things like making ginger beer (the photo below is of a Mickle ginger beer "bug"). But also with some changes - I'm back working part time at the job I love as it really tests my brain, and keeps the grey cells ticking over.




I became well enough to work again late last year but unfortunately my workplace had truely nowhere to put me as they had a team in processing claims for the Earthquake Commission from the September 2010 Christchurch quake.

So I did some baking .....


These are sante biscuits (cookies), basically a chocolate chip biscuit but made using chocolate chopped from a block (the recipe originally used chocolate from sante bars, hence the biscuit's name).

Poor Christchurch had another rumble on December 26th, and then the really damaging aftershock on February 20th. In March I tentatively approached that place I had worked in previously ...... well ....... I'm back there.

In between times I also came across a very easy recipe for plain bagels. These are super delicious both warm from the oven and munched upon the next day.




And, of course, I continued to share my life with Zebby Cat, tending to his needs that include covering him up fully coz of his inability to get all of himself beneath his battered quilty.



The recipes will follow in later posts but, you know, I didn't have to share the any of the results with meat-eater Zebby at all!

Equinox Looms

Sun & Moon hours 23 March 2011
Sunrise - 7:26am
Sunset - 7:29pm

Ah well, you get a bit of that every year!

While I find my way.....

.... around this newer laptop here is a pic of "his rotundity" enjoying the late Summer sunshine (ssshhhhhh, we haven't noticed his generous tummy surplus resting to the right of his lion-style self, honest!).

This is Zebby's "Elsa - Born Free" moment.

All fixed

I just needed to tweak a server name. So I'm back in full-on blog and email mode at last!

As if Zebby cares - he's happy just as long as he is fed and watered,
cosily warm, loved and cuddled,
and has clean kitty litter.