If I were a journalist: Archive

10 tags

Black Forest Gâteau Yule Log

When I was 9 years old I took cookery lessons, one of the things we had to make was Chocolate Swiss Roll and herein started a sporadic trend. I can’t remember how many swiss rolls I’ve made since the age of 9, but it’s a few. Success varied a little but generally my efforts were edible, and surprisingly they rolled well with few cracks. I remember even my very first attempt in...

Jan 15th

2 notes

6 tags

Darwin to Cairns

A fairly nondescript train ride to Darwin, I treated myself to a ham and cheese croissant - that was a highlight, I suppose. We got into Darwin in the early evening, and just before we pulled into the station they informed us we could get a shuttle for the stinking price of $15 because the train station they arrive into is 10km away from town. Great. Sometimes I hate Great Southern Rail, they...

Nov 10th

11 notes

4 tags

Adelaide to Alice

From Perth I made my way to Adelaide for a quick stop over. Arriving just past 7am, I headed straight for my hostel and let myself into the hostel, to make a cup of tea. By 9am I had booked my flights to the USA and home to the UK - exciting stuff. Then it was time for exploring. Priority was breakfast from the central markets. Oh how I wish every home had one of these markets on its doorstep. I...

Sep 24th

5 notes

10 tags

Exploring WA

From Perth I took the bus to the town of Albany. My first break through to somewhere random. It was a good 5 hour drive, which these days feels like a mere cat nap, and cap nap I did, whilst admiring some of the lush green scenery that WA is graced with at the moment. Just before I arrived into Albany I befriended the Chinese lady next to me and she saved me a walk (and getting lost) by giving...

Sep 3rd

11 tags

Pretty old Perth

I arrive into Perth, it’s warm, sunny and welcoming after the 3 days/nights on the train. The journey across the Nullarbor Plain was actually quite plain. Out towards a remote place called Broken Hill the scenery began to get a little more of the famous “desert red” style, and we got some fog. Then empty plains for a good while and then finally some true and exciting red...

Aug 23rd

12 tags

1 week of Sydney

Well, on my first day I got greeted at the window by these amazing parrots. I thought this was pretty damn cool and a good reason to love Sydney. Especially as they tried to eat my fingers through the glass - awesome. Whilst in Sydney I did a lot of walking, I ripped my feet in impractical sandals and I wandered through the changing vibes of each Sydney suburb. During my visit to the small...

Aug 15th

6 tags

Casita Miro - Waiheke

On Saturday I ventured to Waiheke for the very first time. For those who aren’t familiar with New Zealand geography; Waiheke is an island west of Auckland, about 35 minutes by ferry from the CBD and has a population of around 7,000 people. A curious geographical setting creates an interesting vibe. Waiheke is well known for vineyards and so gathers a large tourist market who do wine tours...

May 29th

5 tags

Blueberry Muffins 1#

I’ve had an interesting 2 days of protracted baking experiments. I have been trying to make two things; Cinnamon sugar pull-apart bread and blueberry muffins. The bread was numerous levels of fail. First of all, anyone who has made homemade before will know that it can be quite a lengthy process in that you need to do a lot of waiting around for it to rise and such. This recipe required me...

Mar 26th

7 tags

The Grove Restaurant, Auckland

Fine dining is high up on my list of favourite ways to spend an evening, as truly awesome food excites me no end. As you can imagine, I was extremely chuffed to discover my surprise birthday dinner, to celebrate 21 one years, would be eaten at The Grove, Auckland. Rated Metro’s Restaurant of the Year 2010, we decided to go and see what the fuss was about! Here’s a rundown of our...

Jan 31st

7 tags

Mangawhai was really very cool. Award for most awesome restaurants per capita, outside of Auckland. Quality was high, competition tough, but the most highly regarded meal of the trip (and possibly the year, if I’m honest) was at Bennetts. I was blown away by their beef shin, slow cooked in a tomatoey sauce. However, even the shin paled in comparison to the outstanding gnocchi it was...

Jan 4th

5 tags

Bananananana

I made an utterly delicious banana bread the other day. Foolishly I didn’t take a picture of this beautiful sight. However, I figured the recipe was worth sharing regardless. I’m not sure where I originally got the recipe, I found it in my ‘Recipe Box’ folder, on my desktop. Naturally I modified it a little and made it up as I went along, here’s my final take: ...

Dec 7th

6 tags

Tuesday, a rare week day off

I remember arriving November 2009 and dressing inappropriately for the weather, because Auckland is so damn unpredictable. Today was exactly the sort of day that would have caught me out last year. The skies were grey, with a few patches of blue and as I walked out the door I saw drizzle blur my glasses. Today , as I correctly predicted, it would rain for a little while (motorbike trousers to be...

Nov 9th

10 tags

Maryland Adventures 2010 - Pt 1

For a season that has been reasonably dry, with hoards of people visiting the farm on a daily basis, I have managed to break out of the animal pens and see some of the sights in the surrounding area. Really it is pathetic I haven’t had more opportunity to explore, with Washington DC less than an hour away and Baltimore a mere 20 minutes, I have little excuse (except a serious lack of...

Oct 27th

5 tags

Hi ho, it's back to Maryland we go..

Three items purchased since arriving in Maryland. 1) Beautiful gold leaf necklace, from Etsy 2) Beautiful turquoise pendant, from Etsy 3) Cheeseburger Last night I arrived at 10PM, at BWI airport. Madison, Sammy and Nora came running into the airport to greet me, there was screaming and lots of group hugs. We decided to eat dinner at Ruby Tuesdays, despite the late hour. I got ribs...

Oct 3rd

Sep 20th

14 tags

Museums & Galleries: Around The World - Highlights

Favourite Natural History Museum ~ Oxford University Museum of Natural History Aside from the fact that the museum is in Oxford, which by its self wins it triple brownie points for the sheer history that the place seeps from every crevice, this natural history museum has a charm that exceeds most others. For one, the building is old, 1850 to be exact - that just makes it feel more authentic....

Sep 19th

4 tags

Museums & Galleries: Around The World - Visited by...

Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Oxford Natural History Museum, London American Museum of Natural History, New York New York International Center of Photography, New York MoMA (The Museum of Modern Art), New York Nairobi Railway Museum, Nairobi Museo de la Revolución, Havana National Museums of Kenya, Kenya Pergamon Museum, Berlin Musee Du Louvre, Paris Tate Britain, London ...

Sep 18th

Our weekend in The Kune

Ohakune: 358km/222 miles south of Auckland and a popular skiing destination due to the awesome Mount Ruapehu, it’s probably most famously known as being Mount Doom in Lord of the Rings. We took the long and expensive route down there; train. It was glorious. I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve been on a train in New Zealand, which is depressing considering I used to...

Sep 9th

I heard this last night in a Japanese bar and...

Aug 29th

Fry my rice

I think I have a new addiction: fried rice. It started because the Chinese slash Fish & Chip shop, down the road from my work, makes a mean chicken fried rice. It’s a little on the expensive side (for a lunch anyway), so I save it for special occasions when I really need a treat. That’s just how I roll. However, the best thing is, I’ve discovered it’s easy to make...

Jul 21st

6 tags

New York

I’ve been loving Photoshop lately. Frequently spending a little while each evening having a play around. Motivated by my new photography lessons, which are awesome by the way, to take my photos onto a new level. Sometimes I just can’t resist a “photoshop as fuck” moment.

Jul 1st

7 tags

Beef stew to keep the rain away

Winter has arrived in Auckland. I have bought myself a vat of Cadburys hot chocolate, a $20 heater and donned my thermal hoody to keep me warm during the cold that has descended on the city. Relatively speaking winters in Auckland are, quite frankly, mild. Nobody has central heating here in the traditional sense, if you’re lucky you might have a heat pump - a device similar to air...

Jun 14th

4 tags

Jun 11th

6 tags

The Great Fish and Chip Travesty

So you’d think the much hyped* fish and chips of New Zealand would be something to write home about. I can’t deny that, like with most foods, I set my standards high. Fish and chips are no exception. The family unit has been known to drive extra mileage just to visit particular, much worshipped, fish and chip shops back in Britain. Upon trying a fair amount of fish and chip shops in...

May 23rd

4 Months in Auckland

It’s just shy of 18 weeks since I arrived in Auckland, New Zealand. One hundred and twenty eight days. In that time I have obtained.. Full time position at well respected local music shop - head of stringed musical instruments. Hyper intelligent boyfriend. Bright, spacious room in flat share with 6 amusing housemates (plus various guests), who love food. Passed my motorbike handling...

Mar 8th

5 tags

The Half Eaten Burger™

As I sat on the bar stool, eating my burger in New Zealand’s renowned burger joint “Burger Fuel”, I watched a curious spectacle. As I munched away on my flamed chicken burger (delicious, by the way), I watched through the window as a man in a blue t-shirt with a long greasy ponytail ate a solitary lunch at the table outside. Distracted by precious lettuce and tomato falling out...

Jan 23rd

2 tags

When I'm cleaning windows

I first saw Sky when I was working at the beauty parlour. Helen, one of my co-workers, was giggling as she stared out the window. There was a man cleaning the shop opposites window, wearing a cowboy hat, vest and the most miniscule shorts unimaginable. He wore a window cleaners belt, shammy casually draped over the side, though it wasn’t much bigger than the shorts. Meanwhile I get another...

Jan 7th

5 tags

Festive Period

This Christmas I did something I have never done before. I applied SPF 30 sunblock on Christmas Day. Regardless I still got burnt because I am typically useless at being thorough when it comes to application. The sun is fierce here. Less than an hour at the beach leaves faint tan lines. Popping into town without a layer of sun protection is leaving my nose redder and redder. New Year saw another...

Jan 2nd

Auckland's Homeless

There’s another new supposedly homeless guy in town. I say supposedly homeless because I’m not entirely convinced of his story. He sits drawing in doorways, though he isn’t badly dressed, he looks relatively clean and I saw him sipping a bottle of Lipton Iced Tea the other day. His sign reads something along the lines of “I’m homeless and I’ve hit rock bottom,...

Dec 30th

4 tags

One month in New Zealand

I know my little patch now. The buses, the familiar homeless people; the man with the beard and backpack who scavenges in rubbish bins, the lady who feeds the pigeons and reads her book whilst sitting on a piece of cardboard, Margaret (or so I’m told is her name) that sits on one of K’roads many benches chain-smoking, the familiar transvestites who can turn any normal sounding outfit...

Dec 19th

Auckland Arrival

Now a temporary resident of New Zealand! As of Tuesday lunch time. I’m still settling in and trying to find a job, rather than spending money and having adventures. That’s to come later. I managed to sneak in some rock climbing and a gig, on Wednesday. I haven’t been rock climbing for ages, but had a jolly old time trying to scale the heights with Tracey at the local rock...

Nov 19th

10 tags

Maryland - 9#

Monday marked the start of my week away from the farm - away from working and my final week in Maryland. The ever fabulous Madison plotted a week full of fun for us to pursue on a mini road trip to 4 states. Meaning by the end of today I will have visited 20% of the United States! Our first stop was Lancaster, to see the Amish. We were going to attempt to get some fresh Amish produce though...

Nov 5th

5 tags

Maryland - 8#

Alas, I have been captured by the snot monster. It’s my own fault for having such a hectic week last week. Aside from my usual work schedule I attended: the farmers dinner on Tuesday, a girly slumber party on Wednesday, dinner at Mi Rancho on Thursday and by Friday, I was done in. It was all tremendous fun, of course, and thankfully my illness has only manifested its self in exhaustion, a...

Nov 1st

6 tags

Shepherds Pie

I love making shepherds pie at home, it’s a favourite winter comfort food of mine. It therefore felt only right I share the joy of this classic British dish with my fine American friends. Especially since “shepherds pie” over here tends to mean beef not lamb! Even Cheesecake Factory make this fatal mistake on their menu. Guys, that makes it cottage pie not shepherds! Have you...

Oct 29th

Watch

My first visit to Chipotle. I got a barbacoa beef burrito with hot sauce, sour cream, rice, salsa, cheese, black beans. It was delicious!

Oct 29th

Oct 28th

Maryland - 7#

Yesterday was one of the most hectic days the farm has ever experienced. Over 3,000 pairs of feet through the door, traipsing round the petting farm. We had 19 scheduled birthday parties and hoards of public - the line for admission went across the parking lot and nearly to the main road (we’re talking 80ft long, at least) for most of the day. I coordinated 2 birthday parties. The first of...

Oct 26th

Maryland - 6#

Well, the last week has been somewhat crazy. From Thursday to Sunday we endured soggy weather and I was stomping around the farm in ridiculous overalls for the duration. Bar Saturday when I was graced with another day off and poor Sammy and Nora got drenched instead. Thursday’s washout was particularly hilarious. The children and adults who arrived for their tour, despite the downpour and...

Oct 20th

After rediscovering the vacuum cleaner

Nora: I really like vacuuming.
Phoebe: Me too! This is why we live together. 
Nora: I know, right. And vacuuming really brings a room together, don't you think?
Phoebe: Absolutely!!!

Oct 20th

Oct 14th

Maryland - 5#

Yesterday I spent most of my day sat on the mower, mowing Nora’s grass. It was an insane amount of fun, though I am paying for it today in the form of back ache. The vibration of the mower really does you in - I felt like I was still vibrating for a good 20 minutes afterwards. I then cooked a dinner of roasted vegetable pasta for Martha & I. I also roasted a whole pumpkin which ended...

Oct 13th

7 tags

Maryland - 4#

I was graced with another day off today. Nora promised she’d come back to the house to pick me up if they needed me and despite 1,800 people tramping around the farm - they didn’t! Everyone turned up to work who was meant to meaning the place ran smoothly. Instead I set about making a dinner in the crockpot that I left simmering for many hours, cleaning the kitchen, taking an extra...

Oct 11th

4 tags

Maryland - 3#

I have done quite a lot of fun things over the past couple of days! Here’s a list. Shopped at the “grocery store” for crockpot (/slow cooker) ingredients. Was disgusted and appalled by amount of sugar, salt, general junk, etc. added to the most basic foods. Made it to Columbia Mall, failed to buy anything but generally excited at the cheapness of Forever21 and the vast array...

Oct 11th

3 tags

Maryland - 2#

Today I did my morning feed routine for the animals. I’ve pretty much got who needs how much down to a T. I then had to lead the horses around and Sean showed me how to saddle up the pony. The horses are behaving for me a bit more now and I’m nearly starting to like them a little bit. After that it was time to do my morning shift in the pumpkin patch. No sunbathing for me in the field...

Oct 6th

Oct 5th

2 tags

So little time..

I’m utterly exhausted which deems me useless at writing much. It’s been busy, busy, busy and it’s only going to get worse as the season really kicks in! Right now I can’t even begin to imagine what it is going to be like. All I have is some photos of odd shaped veg, with a sweater (I’m so American) thrown over them. Yesterday was a blur of manicness, running all...

Oct 3rd

4 tags

Pumpkins in Maryland

So this whole pumpkin picking on the farm thing is kind of hilarious. They grow some here but nowhere near enough to cover demand and it turns out pumpkins aren’t very easy to grow either. So they ship in crate loads of pumpkins (only from down the road, might I add) to then toss across a field. Then the kids come round on the hay ride truck and hop out to choose a pumpkin. This afternoon we...

Oct 1st

Get out the way? Yeah, I am! I booked my flight to...

Sep 23rd

6 tags

Improvisation

I wasn’t sure what to make for dinner today. I’ve been attempting to make a frittata for over a week now but to no avail, due to not owning the right pan - that has been an ordeal in its self. In the end I settled on improvising a quiche, roughly based on a Googled recipe. I wanted to make something eggy with butternut squash and goats cheese, so as not to stray too far from the...

Sep 22nd