Road Trippin'

On Sat afternoon Kyla and I packed our bags and headed off on a spur of the moment adventure to Rotorua.She took some pics along the way.

She turns ten tomorrow (16th), and she really wanted to do the Freefall.
After arriving and having dinner we meet Excalibur the horse, a friend of Nana Jens, and Kyla fell in love instantly.

Then Nana Carol took us up the Gondolas, to drink in the sights of Rotorua and dusk fell. We even got to ride in gondola number 10, which made the birthday girl happy.

Then it was back to nana's house for some sleep. Up early the next morning for a wander around the markets, and to feed the gulls lakeside.

Then it was the main event, the freefall! She was a bundle of nerves pre-flight, as she suited up and listened to the instructors.

She then went out and got familiar with the flight area.

And then...

She was amazing up there, and totally LOVED it. She is already saving for her next flight :)
We headed back to Auckland, making one last stop, at CANDYLAND! Yum :)

In the kitchen last week.

Madi made four desserts last week. After the pavlova, we attempted profiteroles, which ended up pancakerolls (frowns), but tasted scrummy neverless if the fact that there were no leftovers is anything to go by! Maybe the homemade caramel sauce helped.


Then we broke out the chocolate and made Rachael Rays Black and White Parfait, which was Rogers fave.

(The oreos were our idea )

Finally she turned her hand to Chocolate Pistachio kisses, from Jo Seagars cookbook.


These were SO cute, and though the Mr found them a little chocolatey, they were a BIG hit with the girls.
Madi had fun in the kitchen, but she was happy enough to go back to her books :)

Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Raspberry Pavlova

Madi's turn in the kitchen this week and no prizes for guessing what's on the menu...DESSERTS!

Spaghetti with Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs by Rachael Ray

Sorry for the delay in posting, my Picnik decided to play up for a few days, so I've been unable to edit the pics. But here we go, the final meal.



Spaghetti with Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs by Rachael Ray
Ingredients:


1/4 cup plain bread crumbs

1/2 cup milk or water

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, 2 smashed and 1 chopped

Two 400g cans crushed tomatoes

Salt

500g minced beef

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley



1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving

1 large egg

mozzarella cheese, cut into 20 (1/2-inch) cubes

500g spaghetti



Directions:


1.In a medium bowl, soak the bread crumbs in the milk.

2.In a large, wide saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the smashed garlic and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, season to taste with salt and let the sauce simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally.




3.Add the beef, chopped garlic, parsley, Parmigiano-Reggiano, egg and 1 teaspoon of salt to the soaked bread crumbs and stir with a fork until combined. Place about 2 tablespoons of the mixture in your hand and press a mozzarella cube into the center. Shape the meat around the cheese, forming a ball. Repeat with the remaining meat and mozzarella.



4.Stir the sauce and raise the heat to medium- low. Carefully place the meatballs in the sauce, submerging them completely. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook without stirring for 20 minutes.



5.Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti, cook until al dente, about 8 minutes, and drain. Toss the spaghetti with the tomato sauce and meatballs, sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano and serve.



So, the boss was a bit...'meh' about this one, as he's not the biggest pasta fan. But he did appreciate the flavours and it filled him up. Frankly, I would have eaten it...YUM.

So here is his line up, 1 being his fave.

1. Ramsay's steak and hollandaise (we cooked it again for him on the weekend)
2. Jamie's *posh* ham chicken
3. Nigella's pork and mustard sauce...(he would have liked better if the meat was off the bone)
4. Rachael Ray's meatballs
5. Jo Seagar's chicken wraps.