NZ

 I have just come back from the most amazing time in NZ visiting the fam.

Not much to say other than it was unreal.  Juanitz & Mark picked me up from the airport and cooked a beautiful dinner.  The next morning she drove me to Whitianga, stayed for lunch then drove back to Auckland.  So very generous of her.

I spent almost 2 weeks just pottering around with Joey and dad.  We had a couple of lovely get togethers with Juanita, Mark, Katya, Soph and Lily.

It was just fabulous.  

That's my dad.

Anyone would think it was solely based on the kitchen table.  Well yep it was really!  But a touch of gardening too.  Little Joey is a wee cutey pie in the garden.

Cammey had her cute on too with her new addition of a daffodil.  

Lily was anywhere the fam was, unless it was bedtime of course!

Beautiful lights in the garden.  Perfect on a late winter afternoon.

That's my Joey.

And I have a really cute video of my dad watching (yet again) Are You Being Served.  But it's too large to upload.  So once my pea head has worked out how to minimise that (ie Andy does it for me), it'll have to wait.  

10 Year visa ....

I got my 10 year visa here in France and I'm so proud!  It turned out to be super easy despite my nerves.  The language exam was good and I'm all set now for al long as we want to stay.

We had lunch to celebrate:

Salade de Chèvre Chaud.   Absolutely delicious and a very classic light French lunch.  It is typically made with Crottin de Chavignol (made traditionally since the 16th century, protected AOP status since 1976 and made in a small region around Chavignol (go figure) with unpasteurised goats milk.  They are cute wee cheeses, weighing 60gms.  Anyway, for me an easy way to do a chèvre chaud is using feuille de brick (brick pastry which is Moroccan but easily available everywhere in France).  Instead of using a flour, egg, breadcrumb mis then panfrying, it's so easy just using brick pastry then oven baking it.

Served with a simple salad, roasted dates and walnuts, a simple vinegarette, bread etc.  A gorgeous bottle of Burgundy.  Just lovely on a beautiful summers day here in the Haute Marne.  

A perfect way to celebrate my personal accomplishment.