Saturday, September 29, 2012

Rhubarb Friands

From Allyson Goftons Blog 
http://www.ecook.co.nz/recipe/Mango-Almond-And-Lime-Friands/?r=1777&fs=1

I used Rhubarb(cooked) in mine and unfortunately they were delicious and I ate two.
Not sure why I had never made them before, but I can highly recommend.
A good day had Journalling,cooking a bit of gardening and housekeeping.
Gaz went and got wood for the deck..beautiful Macrocarpa.



Serves: 4
½ cup flour
1½ cups icing sugar
1 cup ground almonds
1 fresh mango
6 egg whites, lightly beaten
175 grams butter, melted
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 tblsp grated lime rind
1 tblsp lime juice

1.  Sift the flour and icing sugar into a bowl. Stir in the ground almonds and make a well in the centre.
2.  Cut the sides from the mango and peel. Slice one half and dice the other. Set aside.
3.  Beat the egg whites lightly until they begin to foam. Pour into the well with the butter, vanilla essence, lime rind, juice and diced mango and fold together gently.
4.  Three quarters fill 8 well-greased and paper lined muffin tins or friand moulds and garnish each with the remaining mango slices.
5.  Bake at 190°C in the centre of the oven for 20-25 minutes until the friands are firm to the touch and have shrunk from the sides of the tin. Cool in the tins for 2-3 minutes before turning out onto a cake rack to cool.
6.  Serve warm dusted with icing sugar and accompanied with mascarpone or sweetened whipped cream.


in place of a fresh mango use canned, well-drained mangoes or try sliced fresh or canned peaches or apricots.






I

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

What good is God

Is Philip Yancy's book I am currently reading.   http://www.philipyancey.com/writing
It is grounding and enlivening..trying to find the right words here. It makes me feel pleased to have found it. He is a solid clever writer and brings the extra-ordinaryness of God and spiritual matters to life in real terms. I just finished the chapter on C.S. LEWIS and found it very inspiring and a relief actually.
We have a few people in our life at present, who are in the what we would call the more extreme arena of faith. These are good people with good hearts and good intentions but who are also somewhat 'fire-engineish'.
They rush in or come with a sense of urgency and tell us what we need to do to cure Gary, I get targeted first (as if gary cant make up his own mind). And then proceed to tell us what we need to do cure Gaz. We need to pray in this way and attend this meeting, read this scripture.
What I am left this after these visits is the feeling that I am failing. I am not praying the right way, Its my fault Gary has tumours because I think differently to these people and don't do what they do. I logically know this is not the case but it is hard when faced with people who are ' experienced christians '
At every second I ask my self..what are my motivations, what else can I do. I pray in my way every day..maybe it isn't scripturally correct..but it says in scripture that God knows what is in our hearts before we pray it he just wants us to know it.  Love and faith like a child seem important. And trust; All things happen to bring us closer to God if we let them.
So while I try to soothe my anxiety in relation to these visits by seeking my own answers through prayer, I am also starting(very tentatively) to find an articulate voice that can answer to them also. Getting firm in my own beliefs...shaky ground and pitfalls abound when you have a loved one who is very sick. I cannot imagine where I would be without God in my life, this process would have torn Gary and I apart. I wasn't strong enough before.

Ayrlies at Whitford. http://www.ayrlies.co.nz/
I have also just read a lovely article in the latest Life and Leisure Magazine about a Garden and its maker. http://nzlifeandleisure.co.nz/ayrliesvideo
It was beautifully written and stitched together. Garden faith life and intent. What to do and how to do it. Made me feel better about where I was. Made me want to Garden and made me want to write. Pretty good really.
The writer (Kate Coughlin ) writes about the owner's (Bev McConnell) faith at the end of article.
Included is  some awe-inspiring photography (Tessa Chrisp).  What I particularly liked was the practical integration of faith at the end of the article and a reminder that Love is the most important principal of all..she provides an explanation.
'Love is the accurate estimate and supply of someone else's needs'
and of course if unsure' take it to god in prayer' . Made me feel I was doing something right because I can and am doing that.
The line I am left with from the article is

God will not give you anything you cannot handle.

leaf walk Otematata


Sunday, September 16, 2012

Towards Summer

Gary is tucked up in bed after this last round of Chemo. So so sick this time..his body has had enough of chemicals and resilient as it has been, it is letting him know that there is a limit. I was working today and Sue Carr bought him home with Macker..they did well between them. Its the first time I havnt been there to look after him and I experienced separation anxiety at work today. I have called in sick tomorrow as he asked and cant be left. He is pleased, and work hopefully is fine about it. A good team up there. I always feel guilty about calling in sick but cant be helped.

I bought two pieces of popcorn by Madeline Child http://www.whitespace.co.nz/artists/madeleine-child.aspx and put them on my wall to remind Gaz and I to be playful and enjoy life in the next few months. Its been a hard slog lately and while I feel pleased to see the lovely things like blossom and friends..some of Joy has been missing and my thinking is a bit negative..time to spring clean my brain and a bit more God time. Maybe a lot more..hard to fit everything in..I tend to pray in small bites these days..lots of gratitude and relief and 'Lord help me's'. Good but a bit like eating lots of healthy snacks and not sitting down to a well prepared meal.
Tonight I have lit the fire and am about to have a bath. Zach has exams this week
This week holds some more work for me, recovery for Gaz, family visits. Wishing you all an awesome week.
And one of my favourite songs by Jon Foreman.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEErZTSHpbw


Tuesday, September 4, 2012

A good week

The sun has made a few appearances, spring is definitely here.
I went to the gardens in the week and was momentarily stunned by the magnolias..the size and colour and form are something to see and wonder at.
I took Gary back with Macker and Zach on Sunday(after church) and we wandered. Gary and Mac in one direction Zach and I in the other. Zac and I ended up at the bird cage with Zach informing me about the habits of the parrots he identified.
And then a yummy lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant down town. Needless to say gary and I were exhausted by all this goodness and did some serious napping when we got home. Great to be out and about thou. Gary is feeling so much better and has made a decision to pop his head up above water.

We are enjoying Rick steins far Eastern Odessy on tele and I have bought the cook book to inspire some yummy dishes. So far have made Redang curry, delicious!
Achievement around the house this week;
- Studio finally sorted and tidied
- Chicken coop strengthened; to stop the wee dog pushing thru for snacks and the annoying brown chooky escaping into my vege garden. Gaz made a gate and put up tin. :-). We are both feeling good for the activity.
- Glasshouse and surrounding area prepared and ready for tomatoes
- Stuff stuck into my art projects book, so I can find and refer to it when drifting around wondering what to do to occupy myself..those times when housework just doesnt cut it!

Off for three days study tomorrow. I have to say the SDHB are good employers. The new Grad programme is a gift.