Sunday Explorations

On Saturday we spent the day exploring around our new district. We wandered coastlines, picked up treasures, ate hot chips, dipped our feet in the water and listened to the water flow at a nearby waterfall. Perfect.



Some of the scenery


Tree Dwelling


Explorers


Water play


Us - Pic by Kyla.

Lemon Shortbread Love

Today Kyla and Sienna made Lemon Shortbread. These two are really into baking right now, and we wanted to use up some of the lemons nana gave us.

Kyla chopped the butter


While Sienna mixed the sugar, flour and lemon zest.


They needed my help to whip the butter and sugar.


Then some teamwork was required to mix it all together.


Then the part they both liked the best, cutting out the shapes.




Eventually they were ready for the oven.


And before we knew it, ready for the tummies...


And yes, a few even made it to nana....just a few!

On Thursday it was time for Denver's biannual hospital visit, at Greenlane Hospital in Auckland. Since we were in the neighbourhood, we decided to follow our appointment up with a visit to One Tree Hill and Mt Eden. Kyla has been keen on checking out the volcanic craters ever since we read Under the Mountain last month.


Denver got freaked out looking up at the sculpture atop One Tree Hill, thought it was going to fall on her and went and sat in the car. I managed to coax her out when we got to Mt Eden.
Eventually.



After that Rog surprised us all with a trip to Kelly Tarltons Underwater World. It's been a few years since we went last, and the girls all had a blast. Kyla loved the snowcat ride through the penguin enclosure, and kept dragging us all back through it. Here's some pics.

White Chocolate Puddings

Today Madi decided to put into practice some culinary inspiration that hit her in the middle of our weekly grocery shopping.

"Mum, what would white chocolate puddings taste like?" So we armed ourselves with some good quality white chocolate and the next day, she set to work.



We used the same quantities that were in the warm chocolate puddings.



She thought it was weird that the mixture was yellow, she expected it to be white.





I asked her what she thought, and she said they were okay, but not as nice as the milk chocolate version (not that it stopped her eating two!). Kyla on the other hand LOVED them, and said next time she wants white and dark, lol.

After Madi had finished, Kyla and Sienna decided they wanted to bake too, so we broke out the Betty Crocker Strawberry Babycakes.



I'm rather glad I cannot eat any of these wonderful things, else the only thing I could fit would be a mumu.