BUSY?!

I was intending to try and blog twice a week, but its been a little hectic since my last post.  Hectic  is good though, I love to be busy.  I have worked it out that from Friday to Sunday night I fed something like 120 people through my kitchen...I hadn't actually thought about it until now and will sit down later and work the actual figure out.

So last Friday we had a phone call at 3.30 from some friends who wanted to come diving.  I had a bit of a giggle because the bloke is very "to the point" and when he phoned he just said "yeah, we're gonna come for a dive, that's cool aye.  Don't know what the girls are doing, some shit.  We'll see you later".  I was left knowing that some blokes were coming, but not how many and that maybe some girls and kids would come too, but not who or how many!! What really pleased me was that they felt they could do that...just ring up randomly and come on out.  So about 5.00 two ladies and some kids walk in the door with wine...love it.  The men and some of the other kids had gone down for a dive.  We proceeded to have a great evening.  Friends that can just rock on up and who don't care what you look like or what your house looks like are the best kind!!!  Unfortunately, I drank a little too much wine which did not show good foresight given that I had to host Lizzie's 8th birthday party the next day and had five extra little girls.  Its not like you can just shoot out to the supermarket or store where we live so we managed to scratch up some tucker for the 9 kids and 8 adults...it wasn't gourmet (sausages in bread and hot chips with paua for the adults) but it filled a gap.

In amongst the birthday party mayhem, on Saturday, Ian and Carolina from Chile were still with us and our three pig hunting mates (interlopers) were back as well.  I also had to think about the food for Sunday when we were having a pre-christmas family get together.  Managed to get the ham glazed on Saturday and everything else done ready for Sunday after feeding 11 for dinner and a similar amount at lunchti.me! Sunday lunch was 23 people.  I had fortunately had the foresight to decide on using paper plates so that we would have more time to go to the beach rather than washing up.  Had a brilliant day and really enjoyed spending time with the whanau.  I had made life easier for myself by deciding we would do "gourmet sandwiches" and I had cooked a beef fillet and ham leg and made two massive lettuce salads.  I got Mum to pick up fresh bread rolls and french bread sticks.  Fortunately my Uncle's wife is Chinese and so she brought some beautiful chinese pork buns, peking duck and butter chicken (which I realise is Indian).  Scott's Mum also brought some home made savoury pies and delicious slice.  Aunty Ro brought cake and nibbles.  What a feast!!!

Monday morning and it was time for Ian and Carolina to depart.  We had organised for them to go and stay with Scott's parents for a few days at Makaretu.  The first of our two german couples was supposed to turn up at lunchtime.  Of course, they got lost and arrived at 4pm!!  We had another german couple scheduled to arrive Wednesday, but of course they too got lost and as they were hitch hiking we had to go and pick them up from the side of the road in the middle of nowhere at 9.00pm on Tuesday!  In amongst all the comings and goings I've been flat out cooking for everyone, writing policies for the Pongaroa Community Buses, cleaning, washing, etc etc.  It has been very helpful having helpx exchange people here though to give me a hand.  Yesterday Markus took the chainsaw and sorted out a whole lot of shrubs in the garden while Jossi, Oggi and Sarah sugarsoaped the back corridor ready for painting.  They also went and helped Scott shift a mob of sheep.  This gave me some free time to mow the paddocks around the house on the little blue tractor.  I am a little bit obsessive and don't like the house paddocks looking untidy so I decided I would top them (mow) to get rid of the thistles.  We have a tiny little tractor that is used for mowing the olive groves which I thought would be perfect.  I did discover a little tip while I was mowing.  If you are overly endowed in the chest department and you are mowing on a tractor, you really should wear two bras.  I had to come inside and put a second one on to try and mitigate the movement.  You will be pleased to know I did not take a photo to share!!  So all in all its been really busy this week.  I have had to attend a couple of meetings, Scott's hardly been here at all and we are trying to shearing started.  I have already this morning cleaned the house, folded all the washing and made some scones. 

On the cooking front I did say I would share some of my large quantity recipes.  I have a cake one that is fantastic and isn't too fattening as it is made with oil.  You can use the mix to make two cakes, one oven dish sized cake, a zillion muffins or cake and muffins.  I am going to make cake and muffins later today and will freeze the muffins for next week when I have to "take a plate".

Here's the recipe:

2 cups Chelsea caster sugar
3 cups self-raising flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ cup cocoa

3 eggs, separated

2 cups milk
2 tablespoons malt vinegar
2 tablespoons Chelsea golden syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 ½ cups cooking oil
1 egg

Preheat oven to 180 celsius.  Separate the three eggs.  In one bowl beat the yolks, milk, vinegar, golden syrup, vanilla, oil and extra egg.  Add sifted dry ingredients and beat again.  In a separate bowl beat the egg whites until stiff.  Fold egg whites through the cake mix.  Put into prepared tins (oven dish, cake tins, muffin trays whatever) and bake for about 30 minutes.  The baking time will of course depend on your dish, muffins will take heaps less time, oven dish may take more.  Use your brain.  when I did it I didn't use SR flour, I used ordinary flour and baking powder and I didn't use caster sugar as I never have it, I just used ordinary.  It does come out better if you use one large baking tin and the rest for muffins rather than the oven dish.  I did the oven dish one for Lizzie's birthday and it was fine.  I think I reduced the oven temp too.  

Hope you all have a great week.  I am off to the school talent quest this afternoon where Madeleine is singing an acapella version of Adele's Rolling in the Deep...she's none to shabby so it will be great to watch.  I am really proud of her for getting up and doing it on her own, all her idea!!  Can't think where she gets her confidence from?!

PEE IN A CUP

So I thought I'd give you an insight into having HelpX helpers come and stay.  Ian and Carolina are our first helpers, and we are their first hosts.  Given that we live in the middle of nowhere, I told them I would meet them in Dannevirke and they could follow me out to the station.  Of course the evening they decided to arrive there was a gale force wind warning in place for Hawkes Bay/Wairarapa.  These poor Chileans were forced to drive out from Dannevirke through howling gales of 130 km/h with tree branches all across the road.  Between Weber and Pongaroa it looked like a tornado had passed by.  Of course given that we live in the middle of nowhere, I always use a trip to town to get lots of things done.  On this occasion I decided I would pick up a new farm dog for Scott while I was out.  The poor thing was on the back of the truck in the gale force winds.  I am sure Ian and Carolina thought I was cruel and heartless having him up there.  In the end, when it started to rain as well and the rain was driving in sideways, I decided I would stop and put the dog in the cab.  Again, given that I had used the opportunity of going to town to do other jobs, I had the three girls and a whole lot of groceries and farm supplies in the truck, along with school bags, swimming gear etc.  Madeleine was sitting in the front and ended up with this great big hairy smelly farm dog sitting on her knee.  It did cross my mind at this point to wonder what on earth the Chileans might be thinking and if they could hear the sound of duelling banjos as loudly as I could (if you have seen the movie Deliverance you will understand) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uzae_SqbmDE&noredirect=1.

Of course the wind created other problems.  I told the kids that they needed to use the toilet before we left town because there is nowhere to stop and I would not be stopping on the way home.  Halfway between Dannevirke and Weber Lizzie decided she needed to wee.  I asked her if she could hold on until Pongaroa, to which I got a very terse "NO, I WILL PEE MY PANTS".  Of course I am driving at 100km/h at this point (or thereabouts), have a dog on the back, the Chileans following me and there are bits of tree branch swirling around outside.  Thank goodness for McDonalds and my quick thinking.  I set Lizzie the challenge of peeing into an empty McDonald's drink cup in the back of the truck without taking her seatbelt off...thinking that she might then decide she could hold on.  Lizzie is always up for a challenge.  I handed her the cup, proceeded to drive normally while she peed in the cup.  She did really well, didn't spill a drop and showed an amazing level of dexterity.  She would not be pleased with me for telling this story and banned me from telling anyone including Scott.  However it is too funny not to share.  This left the problem of what to do with urine in a cup?  Why, you put it in the cup holder of course! 

So we finally arrive at the station where Carolina proceeds to ask "Where is the farm?".  We have teased her about it ever since.  Farming in NZ is quite different to farming in Chile.  Ian and Carolina have fitted in so well with our family unit, although it has been a bit of baptism of fire for them.  Scott got them up at 5.30am on their first morning to go for a pig hunt which I will share in the next instalment.

Perhaps the salient point that should be taken away from this blog episode is never ever EVER travel in a vehicle with me or you may find yourself with a dog on your lap and having to pee in a cup.