Corner View – Market

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Eliza 2 Comments

Market Stall at the Oamaru Heritage Week Fete Day

Market Stall - Oamaru Heritage Week Fete Day

I’m afraid I am being a bit slack for this Corner View – today is the anniversary of our big earthquake (as I mentioned in a post I did earlier this morning) and I haven’t had the time or the inclination to scout out more recent photographs of markets around Christchurch. The two pictures I have put up here are from the market that ran during the Oamaru Heritage Week Fete Day – an event I blogged about in this post.  Christchurch does have a fabulous selection of markets though – Farmers’ markets, craft markets, bric-a-brac markets, all sorts of markets – I need to make the time to visit at least some of them before winter closes in.

By the way – the stall in the second photograph was run by friends of mine – Lynda Brown and Rohan Bell – and the lovely paintings you can see in the photo were painted by Lynda – a very talented lady indeed. We are off to their steampunk-themed wedding this weekend – looking very forward to it :-)

Corner View is a weekly appointment – each Wednesday – created by Jane and currently curated by Francesca, where bloggers from all corners of the world share their view on a pre-arranged theme. If you’d like to join in, please leave a link to your Corner View post in the comments at www.fuoriborgo.com, and be sure to visit other participants too. This week’s Corner View is ‘Market’.

Corner View ,

February 22nd

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Eliza 1 Comment

Front page of today's Press

Today is the anniversary of our dreadful earthquake. I thought I would manage OK but I have been very emotional for the last couple of days. I keep thinking about it. This time last year we were doing this, or that, or the other thing. This time last year everything was normal. This time last year we never dreamed anything so cataclysmic could happen here in quiet little Christchurch. We went about our business entirely oblivious to the huge forces marshalling themselves beneath our feet.

Up until that day I had been spending most of my time at school with Brianna – helping out as they went out and about around the town. We picnicked in Latimer Square, we swam in Centennial Pool, we walked the streets of Christchurch beneath facades and verandahs that on February 22nd would be reduced to rubble. On February 22nd I decided it was time to leave her at school by herself. I had things to do – places to be. She cried when I left – a little dot, not yet really used to being a big school girl. I tried to convince myself it was for the best. She needed to learn to stand on her own two feet. What a day to choose to leave my little girl to stand on her own two feet. My biggest regret about that day is that I wasn’t there with her. But thank God other children’s parents and the wonderful teachers of Discovery 1 School – located in the heart of Christchurch – were there with her. And it is to them that I owe a debt of gratitude that I have no way of paying – for being so calm, for helping the children out of their shattered school, out of their shattered city in a way which left – on Brianna at least – very few scars.

It was a long walk into town for me that day – but I found my little girl when so many other people lost their loved ones. And I am just so very, very, very grateful.

A section of today's Press dedicated to the 185 people who died in the earthquake

Earthquake Reflections , ,

Corner View – Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Eliza 10 Comments

Something Old

Not only is this bear old (nearly antique in fact – I got him when I was two!) but the photo is quite old too. I did a series of studio still-lifes during my photography course which I called ‘Childhood Preserves’ – and this teddy was the one of them.

Something New

My latest creation for my Etsy shop (a shameless plug!)

Something borrowed

This beautiful cup, saucer and side-plate set was actually given to me by a good friend but to me it is still borrowed because I want her to be able to take it back if she ever wants to. It is old, and quite valuable, and it doesn’t really feel like it should be mine – so it is just living with me for a while.

Something blue

I love the shades of blue in this photograph of Brianna playing on the beach with a friends’ dogs.

 

Corner View is a weekly appointment – each Wednesday – created by Jane and currently curated by Francesca, where bloggers from all corners of the world share their view on a pre-arranged theme. If you’d like to join in, please leave a link to your Corner View post in the comments at www.fuoriborgo.com, and be sure to visit other participants too. This week’s Corner View theme is ‘Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue’.

Corner View, New stuff for my Etsy Shop, Photography

Coleslaw with Asian Flavours – Thanks Nigella!

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Eliza 1 Comment

Coleslaw with Asian Flavours

The following is one of my all-time favourite recipes. We eat it with chicken. We eat it with tinned tuna. I take it to pot-luck dinners and BBQs. I make it as a salad accompaniment for family dinners. It’s always lovely. It’s always popular. Try it!

All the yummy fresh ingredients for the coleslaw

Coleslaw with Asian Flavours – Adapted from a recipe by Nigella Lawson

  • 1 small red chilli, chopped finely
  • 1 fat clove of garlic, chopped finely
  • 1 TB brown sugar
  • 3 TB white wine vinegar
  • 3 TB lemon juice
  • 2 TB Thai fish sauce
  • 2 TB sunflower oil
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 small onion, finely sliced
  • black pepper
  • salt
  • 250g white cabbage, finely chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, grated
  • a fat bunch of fresh mint, finely chopped
In a bowl combine the chilli, garlic, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, fish sauce, oil, onion and black pepper to taste. Put to one side for half an hour so the onions can steep in the dressing and become soft and sweet.

Onions steeping in the spicy dressing

Now, in a big plate or bowl, mix the cabbage, carrot and mint. Pour over the dressing and toss – slowly and patiently (says Nigella) – so that everything is combined and covered.

Note: Nigella leaves the seeds out of her chilli but I often leave mine in for extra heat if just grown-ups will be eating the coleslaw. Nigella also uses lime juice while I use lemon juice – this is mainly because limes are INCREDIBLY expensive in New Zealand. And Nigella uses rice wine vinegar instead of white wine vinegar. I prefer white wine vinegar and always have it on hand. I also use larger quantities of vinegar, lemon juice and fish sauce. And I add sesame seed oil for an extra flavour boost.  Also, if I haven’t got any fresh chillies on hand I leave out the sugar and add a big dollop of Thai chilli sauce. Yum!

See Nigella Bites (page 232) for the original recipe. A fabulous book!

Nigella Bites

 

 

Recipes , , ,

Work in progress . . . Eliza’s Dream Photo Pendants

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Eliza 1 Comment

An attempt at a photo pendant - note the air bubbles - bother!

I am currently trying to create photo pendants using some of the photocollage images from my cards and bookmarks. I have seen countless such pendants – all looking perfect and pristine – on Etsy and in shops around Christchurch. None of them seem to suffer from the air-bubble problem that mine do! What am I doing wrong? If any of you out there have ever tried anything like this and know what the problem might be please let me know! I’d really like to try to get this right.  Sooooo frustrating!

New stuff for my Etsy Shop , , ,

Corner View – Light

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Eliza 16 Comments

Evening Light and Apricot Jam

I was so proud of myself the other day! I actually made some jam! Apricot Jam! Without burning it!  I took a photo of my efforts and loved the way the golden light shone through the golden jam making the jars look like little lanterns.

It was a fabulous recipe – the apricots had to be left to macerate in sugar overnight and when I got them out again the next morning they were swimming in juice which had been drawn out of them by the sugar. Amazing!  Here’s the recipe – though those of you in the Northern Hemisphere will have to file it away for later use :-)

Apricot Jam

  • 1.5 kg ripe apricots, halved and stoned
  • 6 apricot stones
  • 1.5 kg sugar
  • 1 – 2 small, pale-skinned lemons
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 fresh figs (optional)

Place apricots and sugar in large non-reactive bowl. Use a hammer to open the apricot stones (don’t bash too hard or you’ll smash the kernel). Spilt the kernels in half and add to bowl, discarding hard shells. Slice most of each lemon very thinly, reserving the unsliced sections for later. Add lemon slices and any pips to the bowl, and mix the contents of the bowl together. Then cover and set aside overnight.

By morning the juices will have come out of the fruit. Add figs, if using, and stir mixture then pour it all into a large saucepan with the water. Place over a medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring to prevent mixture sticking, while sugar dissolves. Increase heat to fairly high and boil for about 25 – 30 minutes until mixture just starts to thicken (see Cooks Tip in Notes Section). Skim off any yellowy foam and remove pan from heat. Squeeze in the juice from reserved sections of the lemon and stir.

Carefully transfer jam to hot sterilised jars and seal. Alternatively store in a covered container in the fridge if only keeping for a month.

I didn’t add any figs – ‘cos I didn’t have any – but the jam is absolutely divine anyway. Just like bottled sunshine!  Even Brianna loves it – and she’s not usually a big jam fan.

Corner View, Recipes , ,

Wildflowers and other good things . . .

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Eliza 4 Comments

A vacant lot becomes a field of wildflowers

I was driving down Worcester Street the other day – on my way to have lunch with my husband at our favourite cafe (Under the Red Verandah) and I saw this little patch of wildflowers growing in what was previously a vacant lot. We have too many empty spaces in Christchurch right now but it was just so heartening to see these flowers. Someone had taken the time to go out and buy a packet of wildflower seeds – a month or two later – magic!

And speaking of Under the Red Verandah – they have been another inspirational Christchurch story. Their gorgeous old building had been destroyed in the earthquake and only a matter of days later they had started business again in the small cottage next door. They could only serve coffee and snacks but I can’t tell you how it cheered us up to sit there – surrounded by friendly staff and fellow Christchurchians – doing something normal when everything else seemed to be broken. They have now renovated an old building that was at the back of the original restaurant – and are back in business serving their usual fabulous food. I had a roast pumpkin, feta and rocket salad when I was there the other day and it was divine!

Roast Pumpkin, Feta & Rocket Salad - Under the Red Verandah

Under the Red Verandah - Viewed from the street

Earthquake Reflections , , ,

Corner View – January

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Eliza 12 Comments

January is a lovely month here in New Zealand. It’s our big summer holidays for the year so for the first half of January Kevin has been off work and Brianna is on school holidays for the whole month. So here is a little taste of our January . . .

January means lots of time to help Mummy in the kitchen

And swimming with Daddy at local beaches

January means making lovely meals to share with friends

And visiting lots of cafes

It means playing with friends on long summer evenings . . .

January is for baking . . .

And lots of lovely salads

January means staying overnight with friends who grow lilies and berries

And having pancakes on the BBQ with them the next morning

I hope your Januarys have been good to you too :-)

Corner View is a weekly appointment – each Wednesday – created by Jane and currently curated by Francesca, where bloggers from all corners of the world share their view on a pre-arranged theme. If you’d like to join in, please leave a link to your Corner View post in the comments at www.fuoriborgo.com, and be sure to visit other participants too. This week’s Corner View theme is ‘January’.

 

 

Corner View

Life in Christchurch

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Eliza 1 Comment

A recent front-page spread from our local paper

This front-page spread in our local paper recently really brought it home to me how living in Christchurch right now is quite a strange experience. We are a city of two halves in all sorts of ways. A large number of people have had their lives turned completely upside down – their houses have been completely ruined and they are unable to live in them, everything is in limbo while they wait to see if their home will be demolished or fixed. These decisions are taking months and months – many are still far from resolved. A sizeable number of people are still living in essentially unliveable houses because they simply cannot afford to do anything else.

There are large swathes of our city out to the east – the areas now called ‘Red Zones’ – where houses stand empty and previously lovingly tended gardens run wild. In these areas the decision has been made from on high that the whole suburb will be abandoned. Even those whose homes seem OK have to go. Eventually the bulldozers will come in and completely erase all traces of the homes and gardens that once stood there, the lives that were once lived there.

Then there are large numbers of people who  have been hardly affected – their houses are still fine, their suburbs still viable – most people in the affluent North-West of the city fall into this camp. We – in our little working-class suburb of Addington –  are also lucky enough to be part of this largely unaffected group. For us, while we may miss our central city terribly and mourn the loss of our previous way of life, it’s pretty much business as usual. Work, school, keeping house, tending our gardens, worrying about the silly things we all worry about.

Indeed, if there has been a period of time without any discernible aftershocks life almost starts to feel normal. And then – seemingly out of the blue – there’ll be another big shake and it all comes rushing back. We’ll remember that we live in an earthquake zone. We’ll remember those poor people out in the east who we should never have forgotten, we’ll remember that awful day when the earth shook for 20 seconds and changed our city, and our lives, forever.

 

Earthquake Reflections

Corner View – Black and White

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Eliza 12 Comments

Sophie

Mother & Child

Comfort

When I saw the theme for this Corner View my thoughts immediately went to photography. I have always loved black and white photos. For some reason they seem to go to the heart of things – perhaps because all the distractions introduced by colour are stripped away and you just have the bare essence of the thing. I used to love photographing in black and white back in the olden days before digital photography. I found the whole process entrancing – from first to last. Learning to look at the world in black and white, thinking carefully about how best to expose the image to capture the full range of tones, developing the film in those mysterious black canisters and hanging the long tape of negatives up to dry – full of possibilities. The darkroom was a place where magic happened – where those tiny little squares in shades of black and grey were transformed into images – magically appearing before you in a tray of liquid.

I love digital photography – the immediacy of it, the ability to check your images before you leave your subject and take more if you need to, the ease of sharing – but I can’t help but think something has been lost. I certainly know that I have not yet managed to create black and white images that match those I used to take on film. I can’t seem to get the amazing range of tones – from blackest black to palest grey or the incredible detail. Perhaps if I get Adobe Photoshop and learn to drive it . . . who knows. Anyway – I’ve shared a few black and white images – sadly I was only able to put digital images in this post as I haven’t scanned the work I used to do while I was at Polytech studying photography. Ah well . . .

Beauty

There's a witch in my garden

Corner View is a weekly appointment – each Wednesday – created by Jane and currently curated by Francesca, where bloggers from all corners of the world share their view on a pre-arranged theme. If you’d like to join in, please leave a link to your Corner View post in the comments at www.fuoriborgo.com, and be sure to visit other participants too. This week’s Corner View theme is ‘Black and White’. .

Corner View, Photography ,