0630 was a good time to go the gym on a Sunday morning. Only one other person there so I didn't have to wait for any of the machines.
Back to Waipū Cove today for lunch with other friends. I really enjoyed my fish of the day: snapper, with crushed potatoes and broccolini. Very delicious.
My first experiment with my new cast iron frypan was Rosa Parks' Heirloom Recipe "Featherlite Pancakes" | The Ironclad Co.. The recipe made about 6 American-style (thick) pancakes which tasted pretty good.
News from the Northern Advocate today:
Meridian Energy's first solar farm is underway in Ruakākā, with panels being installed on mounts. Project manager Robert Batters says about 27,000 metal piles for the mounting structures have been driven into the ground, with 60,000 to go. Weed removal in the wetland habitat restoration area is also in progress, preparing for native planting over winter. The solar farm is expected to start generating power later this year and be fully finished in 2027.
Lunch view today at Waipū Cove.
Our street has an older part, a newer part (where we are) and presumably more newer parts in years to come as planned subdivisions come into being.
One thing I love about the older part is these palms on the berm.
Now I have fancy cast iron pans here's a series I'll be watching more of — Cast Iron Technique:
Heat Control - Part 1 of 10. I am sharing my 50 years of cooking in Lodge Cast Iron. Many struggles early on:
- sticking food
- sticky pans
- burnt food in cast iron
A couple of days ago my breakfast frittata turned into a cooked-egg mess as I 'slid' it from the no longer non-stick (recommended) pan onto a plate.
I'm trying to move away from non-stick anyway and this was the final straw. A review I read included a recommendation for Ironclad from a restaurant where I've enjoyed the food:
Schnappa Rock Tutukaka chef Dean Thompson is also a cast-iron supporter. He recommends Ironclad.
And so it's come to pass that I now own 1 small and two tiny cast iron pans that will work on our induction cooktop. 🤞🏼
I arrived at the beach about 10 minutes before sunrise.
Half an hour later …
Happy to start the day with good news — Otago sea lion colony hits major population milestone - with 38 new pups | RNZ News:
For the first time in more than a century the Otago Pakake/sea lion population has delivered more than 35 pups.
If there were five consecutive seasons of at least 35 new pups it would gain official breeding colony status.
Pakake were the rarest sea lions in the world and until the early 1990's they were effectively extinct on the mainland.
Grrr, why did I let the electrician get away with saying he should be able to do the work on Tuesday or Wednesday this week? Two days I've stayed at home and not done errands I wanted to do in case he turned up.
I've now suggested a 3 hour slot next week and asked him to confirm.
This snail was smaller than you'd think on looking at the photo — perhaps just a baby. It was making good headway up the window though.
Life happened so it's been a few days longer than usual since I last went to the gym. My muscles are begging to get back on the (metaphorical) bike.
Half a cup of Da Hong Pao oolong tea to drink then I'm off!
Da Hong Pao comes from the well-known mountainous area of Wuji Rock, in Fujian, China. It is one of the famous ‘rock oolongs’. The leaves for this tea can only be plucked from a few select tea bushes that are thought to have lived for hundreds of years. Da Hong Pao means ‘Big Red Robe’, named after red robes that were draped over specific tea bushes said to have cured an Emperor’s ill mother in the 1300s.
I've been putting off making this Sexy Lentil Salad because somehow I was scared of it.
This afternoon I've made the salad!
Actually the monumental task was pretty straightforward. 😆
Pairing the salad with 5 Ingredient Sticky Stove Top Balsamic Chicken Drumsticks that I made recently.
I don't like shopping. Searched out 4 potential pairs of bike pants to consider at The Outlet Store in Whangārei while Deb worked with a client for a couple of hours.
But I forgot the crucial check: are they available in that store? Nope, nope, nope, nope. Sigh.
From the bridge over Raumanga Stream in central Whangārei.
Not far from home are the Piroa Falls. The drive includes 6 Km of fairly narrow shingle road.
A lot of rain recently made the falls impressive, but the 350 metre track was muddy and tricky to navigate.
I'll go back in midsummer when the footing will be easier.
Deb lent me this book from her library of Zen books, but the backlight's defective so I couldn't read it in bed! 🤣
Note: nothing's falling apart round here, I just watched some videos yesterday of Pema Chödrön speaking and wanted to learn more.
After making a pot of green tea I realised that if I hurried I could walk to the beach to watch the sun rise.
Equipped with thermos of tea, a handful of cashews and my iPhone I made it to the beach with 3 minutes to spare.
One person was there fishing off the beach.
A fantastic start to the day!
Hmmm, pouring rain and chilly out. It's been a good day to get out the winter clothes and knee rugs.
