blogcatalog
Blogflux
Bloggernity
Bloghub
My ZikiHappy St David’s Day!!
Happy St David’s Day, today is the patron saint of Wales’ day and in order to celebrate I thought I would share a recipe for Welsh Cakes with you all:-
Welsh Cakes!!!
- 2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated white sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon to 3/4 teaspoon of mixed spice to taste (alternatively you can use half and half cinnamon and mace)
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) cold unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup (50 grams) currants or raisins
- 1/4 cup (40 grams) chopped mixed peel (optional)
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 – 4 tablespoons milk
1) Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl mix through with a whisk to ensure an even mix..
2) Cut butter into small cubes and rub into dry ingredients until crumbed in texture.
3) Add fruit (and peel if using) and evenly mix
4) Create a well into the middle and add lightly beaten egg.
5) mix until you have a dough (add milk only if mixture is too dry, and add more flour if mixture is too wet)
6) Welsh Cake dough has a distinguished spicy aroma and once you gain experience with them this is a good guide to the end result.
7) roll dough flat until it is approx. 10mm thick (not exact but use best judgement)
8 ) either use a round cutter or cut into small squares (small squares will require much less re-rolling of the dough.)
9) Heat a griddle or large flat frying pan to a medium hot heat (lightly greased).
10) depending on size of cut-outs can be cooked in 4-5 cake batches.
11) once places on griddle watch for the base of each cake to start to turn white this will give you an indication of when the cake has browned sufficiently, turn over using a fish-slice/spatula and keep turning at regular intervals until moderately browned on both sides.
12) remove onto cooking tray and dust with some caster sugar.
Topics: General | No Comments »
Muse has hit again!
Lamp lit prophecy
Stone damp;
Quill weilded as sword.
Words drip onto parchment.
Flowing as the flame gutters.
This done, in a secret place.
Knowledge of which nobody utters.
Comets fly past.
A waxen moon is cast –
Seventh son of a seventh son at last.
Into a cold world born
Stone damp;
Lamp lit prophecy.
A prize to the one who can guess my literary inspiration!!
Topics: General | No Comments »
Quote of the day!
This comes courtesy of “Twitter” originally but this is a cool quote that I had to share because it’s sooooo true!
Brent Spiner (aka Data from Star Trek) – “it’s only via mediocrity that brilliance emerges” I humbley support Brent in his search for mediocrity
Topics: General | No Comments »
Glandular Fever Maybe???
So I resumed work on the 22nd February almost a full month after being signed off work with severe swollen glands, fatigue and a temperature. Whilst I have never received a positive diagnosis from blood tests taken in A&E on the 5th February all the symptoms fit.
Taking each day as it comes.
I was unlawfully evicted last night just to add to my adventure ;p I won’t go into detail here, just in case legal proceedings are required to preserve the private rights of all parties concerned, although mainly me. I am still reeling in shock and I am extremely lucky I have such a caring pseudo-family nearby who have taken me in.
In other news thanks to my illness I have lost yet another 1/2 stone, putting me firmly under 85Kgs.
Topics: General | No Comments »
A Taste of Taupo
So – amidst getting over one of the most persistent viral bugs I have ever had the misfortune to suffer, I figured I would sort out a couple of my photo’s from recent travels, whilst it will take me a good while to upload them all I thought I would share this one –
There will be more to follow as time allows… gonna upload most to Facebook first though 
Topics: General | 1 Comment »
I is eggsited!!
So, this weekend I am trundling up through to Lake Taupo (the remains of one of the largest volcano eruptions in New Zealand) in order to watch a jousting/medeival festival which seems to be very popular in this part of the world!!
This isn’t the only reason I am eggsited though, in order to get to this lake I will have to pass by Mount Ruapehu…more popularly known to the rest of the world as Mount Doom from Lord of the Rings!!!! I am hoping for some clear weather with it being our summer and all, by the time I hit the desert road so that I can take some snaps on my camera.
Whilst in this neck of the woods I am going to take the opportunity to take in some of the geothermal attractions around the place, from 90 degree lakes, to bubbling mud pools and such….
This is the real New Zealand for me!!
Topics: General | 1 Comment »
Residency Medical
I completed the medical today, which involved reflexes, checking my pulse and the whole ‘cough please’ etc…
Long story short, despite having a high LDL cholesterol, and having higher than normal Haemoglobin count, I am well enough to proceed with my application. It’s seems my high blood-pressure the other day was not a consistent one, and my reading today was far more normal.
Yay for me
Just waiting on police reports now, and that’s me done.
Topics: General | No Comments »
HDL,LDL and other waxy substances…
I have received a letter from the doctor today as a result of the blood tests I had last week, and it would appear that the bad cholesterol (LDL) in my body is a little high at 3.8 ideally it should be less than 2.
Whilst I agree with this, what amazes me is that I already eat the right sort of food to reduce this and manage the level, my diet is predominantley vegetarian in nature, with lots of pulses and fibre and garlic, I could consume a little more in the way of Omega 3 maybe? Still I don’t consider myself to be dangerously over the recomended level, and lets face it, the science behind cholesterol studies is still in it’s infancy so… oh well.
Considering I was nearly 17 Stone (over 120kgs) when I first moved to New Zealand I would have thought my cholesterol would have been far higher along with my health risks; so in my view my results are on the decline particularly given my age, I think I am doing very well!
Moving forwards, I am thinking of taking a garlic suppliment, along with adding more fruit and veg and tuna into my weekly diet…
Topics: General | No Comments »
