The Countdown

Twenty more days until departure.....it's seems amazing that in less than three weeks, I will be on American soil. Wow; I can't wait! The next few weeks will be full for us, right up until we leave. It will be a tricky balance between staying "present" here, while also preparing for the trip home.

Thanksgiving was a great success ~ I'll post some pictures as soon as I get them downloaded onto my computer. I love being able to prepare (and eat!) all the traditional foods and keep the tradition alive, not only for my sake, but especially for Taylor, too. Nevermind the fact it was the hottest Thanksgiving I've had in my life. It was about 86 degrees ~ the hottest day on record in Tauranga for whole month of November. Holidays in the southern hemisphere still seem strange to me. Gotta say, I'm going to be lovin' the cold winter Christmas!!

Marshmallows

We found' em. Marshmallows in New Zealand with the same texture as the American ones. Granted, the taste is slightly different, as is the shape, but they certainly pass. With flying colors. I have yet to roast them, but I have a hunch they'd be about as good as their American cousins.

This discovery, as grand as it is, unfortunately doesn't meet the need for American mini marshmallows, so a brief word to my personal importers (you know who you are!): there will still remain occasional orders for the goods you so faithfully send. :-)

With that said, now I can sleep. Goodnight.

Thanksgiving Countdown

Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching, and I can't wait. The holiday will be celebrated in full style this year, regardless of the fact that we live on the other side of the world. The good thing about Thanksgiving in New Zealand is that with the exception of a couple imported items, all the necessary ingredients can easily be found here, so no delicacies will be missing from the table. To be fair, I do have to confess that although most ingredients can be found here, they are not necessairly as inexpensive as their American counterparts. Take our $80 turkey, for example. Yes, my American friends. You read that right. $80 for a turkey. No exaggeration. Let's just pray I don't overcook the thing. I also have to say that Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix doesn't exist here, so I'll be making my own from scratch. Good thing I've made it a few times and have a bit of practice under my belt. Can't be ruining the stuffing on Thanksgiving. It's one of the most important parts. And all the other usuals will be present ~ mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potato casserole (with the imported mini marshmallows on top), homemade macaroni and cheese (an addition to the menu from our Canadian friend), green bean casserole, corn, rolls, and cranberry relish. Oh, and the making its debut to our Thanksgiving menu - baked brie and crackers as an appetizer. The dessert menu is just as good - pumpkin pie, apple pie, cheesecake with a gingersnap crust and cranberry sauce on top, and Watergate salad (affectionately known as the "green stuff" to the attendees of our occasional cookouts). Wow. It promises to be a good feed. Did I mention we are going to postpone the celebration a few days until Sunday? The unfortunate aspect of living in a foreign country is that life proceeds as normal even on American holidays, so we're waiting for our day off so we can enjoy a day-long celebration.

Another fun aspect of celebrating Thanksgiving in a foreign country is the opportunity to educate Taylor on the American tradition. It's always fun to get her Thanksgiving books out of storage this time of year and read about what the first Thanksgiving was all about, and how and why we celebrate it today. We've also had lots of fun this year doing Thanksgiving-related craft projects. We made hand-print Turkeys, and then moved on to making a big turkey to which we attached paper-cut-out feathers on which I wrote things that Taylor told me she was thankful for. And today, we started making a paper-plate pilgrim. Her attention span ran out mid-project, so I'm hoping we can finish it tomorrow. I'm also looking forward to starting the pre-Thanksgiving baking with her ~ ya know, all the seasonal goodies that have to be made this time of year, but are just too much to eat all on Thanksgiving: pumpkin cookies, cranberry muffins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cheesecake squares, and other yummy cranberry desserts. Okay, some of those will have to wait until after Thanksgiving, but hey, it sure is worth the wait!

In case you hadn't figured it out by now, we take our Thanksgiving seriously around here!!

Birthday celebration

Nic had a birthday this past week, and because Aaron was away in Christchurch, we had a "girls only" Mexican fiesta-themed party. It was lots of fun, great food and good times. Here are a few of the photos:

The five of us girls, with (virgin) pina coladas in hand.

Note: Photography by Miss Taylor Walsh. Pretty good with a camera for a 3-year old, eh?

What's a Mexican Fiesta without a pinata?

"Nicky Bear" and "Taylor Bear' Cakes....


...And Fondue for dessert

Okay, so the fondue isn't exactly Mexican, but that's beside the point. It sure did taste good.
Happy Birthday, Nixsy!

Strawberries and Asparagus

This is a great time of year in New Zealand when it comes to fresh produce. Two of my most favorite fruits/veggies abound this time of year, and we are eating in abundance before all too soon these delicacies will slowly vanish from the shelves as the summer progresses. I'm convinced that New Zealand strawberries are sweeter and tastier than their American counterparts. They certainly do make for some good strawberry and rhubarb crumble, strawberry shortcake, strawberries with waffles and whipped cream.....

This past week's adventures

What a week it has been! Aaron got back from Aussie last Friday night, and we've been enjoying the week together before he leaves tonighit to head to Oxford (Christchurch) for the week.

One of the big events of this past week was a family trip to Auckland for a very special reason ~ Aaron had lasik surgery on one of his eyes. Before heading up there, they weren't even 100% sure they would be able to do the surgery, so we were pleased to find out they were able to, and even more pleased that it went well with no complications. Now Aaron can almost see 20/20 with his eye that previously he was barely able to see anything out of at all. Pretty amazing, I have to admit.

This morning has dawned a bright and clear sunny day; it promises to be a nice day off with the family. On the menu for brunch today? Waffles with strawberries and whipped cream. Yummy!!!

Brooke Report

Brooke Fraser was incredible last night. That girl sure does have pipes, and her band was tight, too. One of the things I liked about it was that although she was not overtly religious in her speech, there was such an evident anointing of the Holy Spirit present. She has really done well to be so successful in the secular market when her songs and lifestyle are so evidently Christian. Another thing that I really, really enjoyed was listening to and watching her band. It's always fun to watch talented musicians play live; definitely brings musicial inspiration.

Tomorrow night I drive up to Auckland late, late, late to pick up my hubby, who's been in Australia this past week. Although I'm not necessairly looking forward to the late night drive, I am absolutely looking forward to seeing him again, so it's definitely worth it!