My 50th Birthday

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I suppose the highlight of this week has been my 50th birthday, which was on Wednesday. After giving much thought to the question "how would I like to celebrate my birthday?" I decided I would like to cook dinner for a group of people who reflect the range of people who I have got to know since moving to NZ. Family were of course bound to be present in the form of Nicky, Claire and Ryan. Jan and John Clearwater I have met through the friendships Nicky has made at Church. Talia came with her Alex (Talia was my boss at Ubertec) and Janet with her Mike (Janet was a fellow massage student). So, there were 10 of us in total, which we just managed to squeeze round the dining room table with the help of 4 dinning chairs borrowed from our neighbours/landpersons.

We greeted the visitors with mulled wine, supplied at Christmas by Moira & Peter. This is a NZ product which just requires hot water to be added, and tastes fantastic. Each bottle makes over 2 litres of wine. It went very well with the fist course of Yorkshire Pudding and French onion gravy (though the onions came from Fruit World not France).

Main course was a range of dishes. Aged roast beef (we got a 2.64kg sirloin joint for under $40, about £15) which when roasted and sliced thickly was gorgeous. I haven't tasted beef like it for years. Potato and lentil curry, with basmati rice and tomato relish (which was quite dangerous). A selection of sautéed vegetables and cashew and Brie stuffed mushrooms, which I haven't made before but were really tasty, and the mushroom flavour wasn't overpowering.

Then after a wee break we ploughed on into dessert of Winter Pudding (which looks very much like Christmas Pudding), lemon cheesecake topped with my home made lemon curd, and chocolate and kahlua birthday cake which Nicky had made for me.

The best bit: the company of people which I enjoy without there being so many that you don't get to talk to some of them. After tea and coffee I finally got round to opening my birthday presents. Nicky and Claire gave me four Kevin Kilsby Pukekos (who now occupy Top Gear corner), wellies for Prunela the pukeko, and the DVD of the recent Sherlock Holmes movie. My sister sent me a couple of great books, and I had a new wallet from my mum which is very handy as the one I have been using for the past years is falling apart.





The rest of the week has been pretty routine with work, though Claire has been on study leave. She is still coughing a bit but is largely over her bug now. We have had a mixture of wet days and sunny days, the weekend being more of the former. Nicky went to a quilting day yesterday and is continuing to work on her creation today, while I enjoyed pottering round the house. Claire was over at Ryan's this afternoon, along with doing some studying. She starts exams next week.

Tomorrow is our last public holiday for four and a half months, as we mark the Queens Birthday. Looks like it is going to be wet.

Bye for now,
Rick

Comments

Martin said…
It's still Wednesday over here so happy 50th to you! Sounds like you had a really chilled time, which is as it should be. I'm going to have to google pukekos...

We've just had a fab half term holiday in the Peak district - lots of sun, stunning scenery, empty roads and (mostly) happy kids doing lots of walks (mostly) without moaning. Got back to Lboro and it lashed down! Just as it should be.

Anyway, here's wishing you many more happy NZ birthdays in the company of people who make you happy.

Take care
Martin
June 8, 2010 at 9:47 PM
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