Specially nice dinner

The boss gave me an extra day off since it has not been very busy this week with the Shuttle, so I decided to cook up something really nice. This is what I decided upon.Turned out really nice after I had thickened the juices to a lovely gravy and its enough for 2 good meals for us. Give it a try, its very easy.

Crock-pot Orange Chicken

Ingredients:
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced about 1/2-inch thick
2 large red or green bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
8 ounces orange juice concentrate
2 cups Mandarin orange segments or fresh orange segments
2 Green onions, chopped
hot cooked rice
Directions:
Put carrots, peppers, garlic, then the chicken, ginger, salt, pepper & frozen orange juice in Crockpot. Cover and cook on LOW 4 to 6 hours. Serve chicken on hot cooked rice on platter. Top with orange segments and green onions. Serve chicken liquid in gravy boat, if desired.
http://www.darlakay.eatlessfeelfull.com/

Picton Escape Restaurant closing down Party.

Picton Escape restaurant  - Picton's most prestigious restaurant - dining is is or rather was a true gourmet experience, sadly Juliana has decided to close this great restaurant to concentrate on the boutique hotel side of the business. Life has become very full for her and she has not been very well, so ofcause this is the best option for her and I wish her well in her choice, but Picton will surely miss this restaurant. When customers in my Shuttle ask where is a good place to dine I tell them Picton Escape; not the cheapest option but the best dining experience.

 We, Erle and I were personally invited to attend the big closing down party by two quite different sources, although I should of been working on a busy Friday night I asked the boss for the night off to attend and I am so glad I did. We had a wonderful time.
The party was attended by most of the big business men of the town and surprisingly most of them knew me slightly as they have travelled in my Shuttle so right from the start we felt welcome, there was never a time we didn't have people around our table chatting and nibbling on the delicious gourmet food that keep coming out from. There was tiny filo chicken and Camembert pies, crayfish fondue, smoked salmon and many different special dips and breads, the treats just kept on coming out to our delight, all washed down with a fantastic sparkling wine. Then Eden, Juliana's Daughter sang a song that is very special to me - mainly for me as I asked her personally to do so, I was rapt.

 Erle enjoyed the evening as well but not as much as I did because he didn't really know many people there. I now am thinking when is the next party!

Happy Easter.

Happy Easter to you all.

A Blessed Day.

Perfect day in Picton.

 My day off and it couldn't be a better day, blue sky and golden sunshine sparkling on the waters. We sat and ate Easter eggs in the sunshine while we watched the little float plane go out and soar into the sky, while the Blue Bridge Ferry made its way to Wellington. We felt truly blessed, happiness welled up within,  all was well with our world, we hadn't a care anywhere. God was in his Heaven and all is well.
Silly; maybe to some, but a Blessed day to us.

Pink Rain Jacket

New Zealand has enjoyed the loveliest long hot sunner we have had for many years, we have grown used to the long lazy effortless days, until yesterday when the Heavens opened and the rain poured down upon us again. 
That was when I suddenly remembered I was meant to buy myself a good rain jacket at the end of Winter, it had conveniently slipped my mind. So when I went to work in the shuttle and had to get out and load people's luggage, I got soaked!

Today, on my day off we went into Blenheim; shopping. I managed to get myself a bright pink rain jacket from Rebel Sports, it has a hood and will fold-up and go into its own pocket,  so will not take much space in the shuttle and more importantly will not restrict me when I am driving the shuttle.
Actually I don't think I have ever had a rain jacket before, so bring on the rain I am ready.

My new Great Grand Daughter Charlotte

Dear little Charlotte, was born today in Cairns Australia, weighing 8lb 3oz. She is so beautiful. 
She is my third Great grand Child.

Wine trail with our Pastor and Husband.

Today is another lovely day off work for me; I decided it was high time I got to go on a wine trail with lots of lovely wine tastings, I get to take plenty of lucky people around the many wonderful Marlborough Vineyards  but am unable to drink myself because I am driving the Shuttle. This time I shall have Erle as a sober driver so will be able to indulge, asked our best friends Wayne and Judy, to join us.  Judy is actually the Pastor of our Church,  Picton AOG. so I am not likely to get into too much trouble! In fact we just had so much fun.

We picked them up at 11am on the dot and drove to Cloudy Bay vineyard, it was so nice there in the sunshine swinging in the basket hammocks we could easily of stayed there for the day, but after a great tasting of their wonderful award winning wines out in the sun, we meandered off to Allen Scott's 

Winery where we enjoyed more wonderful wine and bought some.
 Next stop was Drylands Estate where we just fell in love with the dry Riesling with its lovely citrusy flavours, we shall have to return here another day.

 Final wine stop was at Rock Ferry winery where we stopped for lunch and a bottle of good Sauvignon Blanc to go with the Steak Sandwiches and fritters, we enjoyed. Such a great day we had together and it wasn't finished yet, we stopped off on the way home to visit Eddy the Eel and his pal Tim the Rainbow Trout, a huge old fellow with pretty speckles of colour all
over him. I took along plenty of bread to feed them all and just as well as Eddy brought out all his old pals, the creek was just boiling with masses of eels, we took care not to fall in among them.