Family Food Friday - Labneh

Well my family food tip is this - make the most of the reduced price items as you can. Our supermarket puts most of them in one area for meat and another area for dairy products. I buy them all the time after checking the date. If it has a day to go I can freeze it or like yogurt, turn it into something gorgeous. Often for half the price.

 

Labneh is just a strained yoghurt. But it goes super thick and creamy and don't forget to keep the whey as it makes the most amazing pikelets or pancakes. Then I use it with fresh strawberries for breakfast as my protein. Or on souvlaki when making wraps and the list goes on. What I like about this is it saves money and gives variety.

Linking the these places

I am going to say it... I love my garden

8 Months ago we moved into a new house with a garden that had been neglected for more than a year. We know that because it was empty for more than a year before we purchased it. I knew when we looked around that we had some Peony's, Roses, a nectarine and two apple trees. The rest was a mystery. 

But what a fantastic mystery it has been. As each season has passed and we have added things into the garden, watered and pruned, slowly it is being revealed. The hellebores had me the moment they flowered in the middle of winter, peonies are amazing, the iris's stunning, the rhododendrons were spectacular and more things are just popping up.  

Every day I walk around and admire the garden and what is springing from it. I love the surprise, I love seeing what we are planting come to life and grow well.

I feel very fortunate to have such a stunning garden. 

Victorian Festival and a weekend in Dunedin

Last weekend we took advantage of the Public Holiday to head off to Dunedin. This weekend always coincides with The Oamaru Victorian Fete. A great chance to roll out the costumes we made several years ago. (I know my costume is the wrong era but it is a costume I have so not point making another one).

In the gardens at Riverstone Kitchen

Not only were over half the people attending in costume, but Oamaru claims itself to be the Steam Punk capital of the world with Steam Punk HQ an amazing place to visit. So not only were there people properly dressed in Period Wear but there were amazing twists with the steam punk theme. A lady in a wheelchair had converted her whole chair into Steam Punk, with fake smoke coming out. It was fantastic.

Some of the crowd and the can can girls.

We spent the weekend with my sister and had a great walk down to Tunnel Beach in Dunedin. I was very worried about getting up the hill. But Aaron used that umbrella to tow me up. Could not have done it without him. Super Man!!

took a bit longer than that

The top of the tunnel

When we were there we found my niece's name carved in the sandstone from years ago. The boys spent a lot of time carving their names in too. 

The first night in Dunedin was spent at the brand new Distinction Hotel in Dunedin. The boys really enjoyed being posh. Within five minutes of being in the room they had the dressing gowns and slippers on and were clicking their fingers for service!!