Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Pa Pa Paleo Recipe: Lamb and Bacon Dumplings

title


I essentially gave up on Paleo just before Christmas
I kept the basic principles as much as possible but there were just too many sweets, so many refined carbohydrates, a lot of smooth peanut butter on whole grain toast. I started feeling bloated after almost every meal. My jeans started getting just a little bit tight. But mainly, I felt unhealthy after I was finished with a meal.

So I'm heading back to the caveman life, back on the Paleo diet.

With that in mind, I give you one of our favourite all time Paleo meals*.

Lamb and Bacon Dumplings

Ingredients


Meatball ingredients
6 rashers bacon
1 small onion
1 tbs olive oil
2 tsp sage
1 tsp ground paprika
1 egg
salt and pepper
500g minced lamb

Sauce ingredients
400g canned diced tomatoes
2 tsp basil
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 spring onion
salt and pepper

Method

Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180 celsius/350 fahrenheit.

1


Finely chop the onion and bacon

2


In a pan on medium/high heat fry the bacon and onion for 5 minutes or until the onion is tender

3


Add the sage, paprika, salt, and pepper and cook for a further two minutes. Remove pan from the heat and leave to cool.

4


In a large bowl combine the bacon mixture, egg, and minced lamb. Mix well.

5 7


Roll the lamb mixture into balls and place in a tray lined with baking paper. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until well cooked.

6 8


To make the sauce, place the tomatoes, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a medium sized pan** and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the spring onion and simmer for a further minute.

9


Add the cooked meatballs and simmer for a further 10 minutes. Serve with a sprig of basil.
Note: if you are not on the Paleo diet I'm sure this would be a good spaghetti and meatballs recipe. I would just double the tomatoes, basil, and garlic for the sauce.

10 - plated




* Adapted just a smidge from the free pdf book "Recipes for the 21st Century Hunter Gatherer" by Nikki Young
** I just use the pan the bacon mixture was cooked in, so you get all the excess spices and whatnot

Monday, January 23, 2012

366 in 2012

366 in 2012

Sunday: Civic Square in a bit of a mood
Sunday
I was in a bit of a mood. Not even the blue blue sky at Civic Square could fix it. I think it was end-of-holiday blues.

Monday: mint green tiles in my new work bathroom
Monday
My new job is in a very old part of the Parliamentary complex. I love the vintage mint-green tiles in the bathroom.

Tuesday: new id card, hallelujah
Tuesday
Thankfully I was allowed to get a new ID photo taken. My last one ended up looking nothing like me.

Wednesday: died fetching keys. Terrifying.
Wednesday
He died fetching keys he'd dropped down a drain. That's a nightmare right there.

Thursday: photos for my Irish passport
Thursday
Black & white photos for my Irish passport application. Despite having to pin my fringe back? I didn't mind these so much.

Friday: walking to the Waterfront
Friday
Walking by the waterfront. It's still only January but the wind is getting increasingly chill.

Saturday: popped in to work, gave Craig a tour
Saturday
I had to go back to the office to send an email (it slipped my mind on Friday) so Craig came to see my new office. Turns out that he'd never seen around Parliament in the three years I'd been working there. So I took him on an impromptu tour.


&


Blue and Chartreuse

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Thoughts become things

It feels like a million but it was only two years and nine months ago that I posted my 2009 birthday wish list. I came across this by accident and I realised something surprising.

I was hoping for:

2009 Birthday Wishlist

This beautiful copy of The Bell Jar, Protea charm & Protea ring by Meadowlark, Cupcakes (!), Peonies, the permission for Craig and I to live in the UK for as long as we like, beautiful underwear, a Kodak Duaflex vintage camera, St Paul's Cathedral back in my life, a traditional peony tattoo, a black retro-style scooter, Chloe Sevigny for Open Ceremony Wedges, Meadowlark pyramid stud bangles, a Marc by Marc Jacobs bag in a berry berry hue.


And two years, nine months later? honest to anything, it would be easier to list the items I do not have.
I do not own that copy of The Bell Jar, I do not have a black retro-style scooter, my Chloe Sevigny for Open Ceremony Wedges are Jeffrey Campbell knock-offs but besides that?
The permission to live in the UK was really just the best.

I was surprised. I am a fortunate fortunate person.

It was nice to remember that.

(It hasn't been two years nine months of presents, it has been two years, nine months of working hard and saving harder. And a couple of presents)

Monday, January 16, 2012

I got 99 problems but a trip ain't one

... Not Quite.


So. Europe!

Forever and a day ago I met Aly. We became friends when I lived in London and, thanks to the wonder of the internet, we are still in touch (HI ALY!). One of my memories from when I was last in London (2008! SO LONG AGO) was telling her that she really should reply to Arthur, maybe even go out with him.
Now they are married. I am essentially psychic.

Their wedding was in Canada. Craig and I were invited but, you know, life and money and whatnot. We couldn't go.

THEN! In a fantastic confluence of events, I found out that I was coming into a little bit of money. THEN! I received a "Save the Date" email from Aly. She and Arthur are having a second ceremony*. In London.
Where do I ALWAYS want to go? London. Where do I not have the money to go? London.

WHERE ARE WE NOW GOING? LONDON!

99 days from today Craig and I leave Wellington. 100 days from now we land in London. I am so excited I might die.

And since it is SO very very far from this little corner of the world, we kind of decided to make the most of it. To make up for the two years we lived in London and didn't manage to travel. To see (a small portion) those cities we have wanted to visit for years.

We are spending a MONTH in Europe**.

The plan is, at the moment, to spend a week in London, 3-4 nights in Edinburgh (to see my favourite Kat), then fly to Berlin and, via train, spend the next 20 days travelling from Berlin to Munich, Prague, Florence, and ending up in Rome.
We fly out of Rome, spent 12 hours in Singapore, and land back in New Zealand at midday on a Sunday.

I predict that following Monday will be a fun day at the office.



* Yes! Well remembered. This WILL be my second second ceremony of the year.
** Seriously, SO excited. It's ridiculous.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

366 in 2012

366 in 2012

Sunday: Sodden sisters
Sunday
It was raining so hard when we left Napier that this is what my sisters looked like after less than two minutes outside.

Monday: TRIKE is everywhere
Monday
Heading home after coffee with Andy.

Tuesday: barely left the house
Tuesday
At 3:30pm I realised I hadn't left the house at all so dragged myself down to the waterfront on my way to the supermarket.

Wednesday: a trip to Te Papa after booking flights
Wednesday
After a morning spent in Flight Centre booking flights* I went to Te Papa to see the Unveiled exhibition from the V&A

Thursday: coffee dates along Lambton
Thursday
Two coffee dates. Opposite ends of town.

Friday: headed home, officially employed
Friday
Headed home along the waterfront after signing my new contract.

Saturday: anniversary picnic
Saturday
The annual Burke wedding anniversary picnic at Bolton Street Cemetery


&


Anniversary photo 2012


* Yes!! I will tell all soon enough. I am so excited I might die.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Presented without comment

<3


An email from the inimitable Kat:

Oh! Btw, last night’s dream we were all on a cruise together and you had brought 5 Craig lookalikes on with you. I asked you why you needed 5 men and Craig just sighed and said, “I get tired.”
And there was a ceilidh on the boat.

Monday, January 09, 2012

366 in 2012

366 in 2012

Sunday: Courtenay Place
Sunday
The new year started (again) rather late in the morning. Walking down Courtenay Place was surprisingly pristine.

Monday: Cue sale
Monday
Shopping the Cue sale. With a gift voucher from Christmas, the regular sale, and an extra 20 per cent off for Cue Club members, I got that skirt at the front for SIX dollars. Six.

Tuesday: a better day
Tuesday
Coffee in the sun. Only Mojo Bank Arcade was open.

Wednesday: Moss cliff face
Wednesday
Bush walking in Percy Scenic Reserve.

Thursday: Oriental Bay ... and employed!
Thursday
Ropes along Oriental Parade. I had just left a successful coffee meeting with my new boss (!).

Friday: Sometimes this country looks quite big
Friday
Sometimes this little country can look quite big.
We were headed to Napier.

Saturday: We found hats!
Saturday
In Napier we visited an antique store and tried on all the amazing hats.
I almost bought that fuzzy white turban. I only stopped because, well, because it is a fuzzy white turban,


&


Wedding outfit

Sunday, January 08, 2012

366 in 2012?

Oh Darling 365


Oh how I did not want to start my fifth (FIFTH!) year of taking a photo every-damn-day* by posting a day late. But I am sleepy. So very sleepy.

The past three days have been somewhat hectic. 

My lovely family travelled to Napier for my oldest** friend's New Zealand wedding reception***. A round trip of 770km punctuated with minigolf, swimming pools, brunch, a farmers market, and of course a night of drinking and dancing. 

 Just outside Hastings
 .@craigburke lining up his shot
Almost bought a fuzzy white turban
Day 7: favourite (colour, jewellery, tattoo) #janphotoaday #photoaday At an NZ/Japanese wedding reception
Pretty sisters. @jayne_iris & Charlotte <3
Day 8: Sky Windmills in the mist

instagram
wind farm / sunny Hawkes Bay / Pania of the reef / Craig lines up his shot / I almost bought a fuzzy white turban / I wore lavender / Kenjiro & his family barely speak English / pretty sisters / I was quite drunk / rainy Hawkes Bay / windfarm


But tomorrow! Tomorrow I will post the first week of 2012.


* in 2008 I only took 23 photos before giving up. In 2009 I missed one day (agony!). In 2010 & 2011 I took the full 365. This year I get to take 366.

** the story is thus: when I was two (three?) years old my family moved into a little house. Another family was moving in right next door. Each family had a Ford Laser. All parents were high school teachers. Each family had a daughter of few years and the name Sara(h). The stuff that, if not legends, lifelong family friendships are made of.

*** her husband is Japanese, they live in Japan and had their wedding there last April. Now she's five months pregnant! But she still got back into that beautiful dress. It was just laced a lot looser.