Spinach, Lemon & Feta Filo Pie and To Do Lists

Do what you need to do, so that you can do what you want to do. ~ Denzel Washington in The Great Debaters

Much easier said than done though, no?

It's a funny rule of the universe that big jobs on the To Do List that have to be done are always the hardest to get round to.

I always find myself getting the little easy jobs out of the way and leaving the big intense job to sit in the corner, sulking moodily.  I'll tidy the house, vaccuum, rearrange the pantry, update contacts on my phone, trawl the web for jobs, sofas, anything.  You know, little niggly things that really should get done but aren't exactly urgent, all the while the hefty HAVE to do pile sits there.  Waiting.  Looming.

It's the story of my life at the mo and of this post.  I have a big back log of baking posts from ages ago to write up but instead I will post about this delicious Spinach, Lemon and Feta Filo Pie I made for a picnic last week.

{a perfect wellington day for a picnic}

Crazy bout choux: Pink Ribbon Mini Eclairs for Breast Cancer Awareness

If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere.  ~Frank A. Clark

I wish I had exciting stories to tell you about what I did in the last month, like that I had travelled to tropical climes sampling exotic cuisine, or that I'd been whisked away on a baking boot camp run by a cantankerous celebrity chef but, alas, reality is far less delicious.  I've had exams which basically means I've spent the last four weeks huddled over a desk cramming info into my brain and coffee down my throat.  Boo.

And how I've missed you, dear readers!  I thought about you often and wished constantly that I could be back in the happy world of blogging where there are no neural pathways to decipher or anatomical tomes to memorise. 

But we are now finally on the other side of exams and I am back on the blogging bandwagon!

Ok, it wasn't all doom and gloom over the exam period, I do have one piece of exciting news - I am now a Wellingtonian!  Moved up last week and Capital City has been as windy as it has been wonderful.  This weekend I got to celebrate the end of exams, my birthday, and the end of our long distance days.  Lots to be stoked about!  Although now the long process of hunting for a summer job begins...

What have you been up to?  How are your summers going?  It has been far too long!

I've got loads of posts on the back log to catch up on but I thought I'd start with these Pink Ribbon Mini Eclairs.

Sneaky peeky: pink eclairs, ginger kisses, & baby brandy baskets

{pink ribbon eclairs for breast cancer awareness month}

So very sorry lovely people for the utter lack of updates.  Exams are next week and am in full blown ohmygodtheressomuchtodosolittletimepanicmeltdown mode!

So to whet your appetite while I flounder my way through the next few weeks, here is a sneaky peeky of some posts in the pipeline, coming soon to a screen near you...

{soft ginger kisses revisted}

{baby brandy baskets with lemon cream and homemade passionfruit curd}

It's that time again: Bacon and Egg Pie with Kumara and Caramelized Onions

Lisa: I'm going to become a vegetarian. 

Homer: Does that mean you're not going to eat any pork? 

Lisa: Yes 

Homer: Bacon? 

Lisa: Yes, Dad. 

Homer: Ham? 

Lisa: Dad, all those meats come from the same animal. 

Homer: Right Lisa, some wonderful, magical animal. 

~ The Simpsons

It is that dreaded time of the year again...exam time.  Time for long late nights trying to cram pages and pages of info into a sleep-deprived, caffeine-fuelled, very over-it brain.  Oh the joys of being a student!

It is batten down the hatches time, which also means I'm going to be a wee bit slacker with posting and replying in the next little bit.

So I'm going to apologize in advance, with bacon.  Wonderful magical bacon.

'Cause every little thing scone be alright: Cinnamon Currant Scones with Mascarpone & Quick Berry Jam

Some called for ale, and some for porter, and one for coffee, and all of them for cakes; so the hobbit was kept very busy for a while. 

A big jug of coffee had just been set in the hearth, the seed-cakes were gone, and the dwarves were starting on a round of buttered scones, when there came - a loud knock. 

~ JRR Tolkein,  The Hobbit.

I don't know what it is about this year but it seems like too many amazing people that I know are going through heart-breakingly horrendous times.  Just want you to know, you're constantly in my thoughts and prayers and you will always be welcome in my wee hobbit hole for a big jug of coffee and a round of buttered scones.

I guess if I'm gonna be offering scones, I better make sure I can whip up a decent enough batch!  While I can't say I've had a heck of a lot of experience making scones, I do have plenty of experience eating them.

For me, the best scones are fluffy and tender, still warm from the oven, with a big dollop of whipped cream and raspberry jam, served with a strong cup of tea.  Devonshire tea at it's best.

However, unbeknownst to me, there appears to be a great debate as to what the 'proper' way of assembling ones scone is.  Move over chicken vs egg dilemma, in the world of scones, the million dollar question is: cream first or jam?

According to those far more proper than I, the Devon way of preparing the scone is to butter the scone, then add cream, and then the jam.   However the way to do it in the rival county of Cornwall, is to put the jam on before the cream.

Not being the most proper person in the world, I had no idea there was a proper way of having a scone though it looks like I've inadvertently ended up going the Cornish jam-first method.  Whichever way you like to assemble your scone, it really makes little difference 'cause after all once you eat it, it's scone.

When brûlée goes bad: Lemon Coconut Cheesecake Bars

Amélie Poulain cultive un goût particulier pour les tous petits plaisirs. Elle aime plonger sa main au plus profond d’un sac de grain... briser la croûte des crèmes brûlées avec la pointe de la petite cuillère... et faire des ricochets sur le Canal Saint-Martin. ~ Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain.

Amelie cultivates a taste for small pleasures. She likes dipping her hand into sacks of grain, cracking crème brûlée with a teaspoon and skipping stones at St. Martin's Canal ~ Amelie

These were meant to be brûlée bars.  I wanted them so much to be brûlée bars.

Like Amélie (my fav movie of all time!) that first crack through the caramel sugar layer on a crème brûlée never fails to give me tingles down my spine.  It's magical.   Truly one of life's little pleasures.

But despite what people tell you, you just can't brûlée properly in the oven.   Instead of getting that perfectly golden brown, snap crackle caramel coating on the top, you end up with burned edges, melted sugar, and gooey melted cheesecake.  Boo.  One does not simply brûlée without a blow torch.

{is it kinda pyro asking for a blow torch for christmas?}

So I just topped the rest of the Lemon Cheesecake Slices I made for our Baking for Hospice Fifty Shades of Yellow round with crunchy toasted coconut making them Lemon Coconut Cheesecake Slices.  But don't get me wrong, the dud first brûlée attempts may not have looked that flash, they tasted amazing.  That caramel crunchy top was perfect with the creamy tangy cheesecake filling.  Mark my words, once I get my hands on a sweet blow torch, I'm definitely gonna go brûlée crazy with these puppies.  Watch this space. 

Wellington, Wellingtons, and Masterchef Melting Moments

The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain ~ Dolly Parton

What a wet and windy but wickedly wonderful week!  Have had it all: the good, the bad, and the delicious.

The bad: It has been absolutely bucketing down for ages.  Really gave me new appreciation of just how great owning a pair of gumboots is.   One should not underestimate the utter miserableness that is cold wet socks and the corresponding amazingness that is getting to splash in puddles and retain warm dry toes.

{i heart my hunters}

The good:  I've just found out that I got my clinical placement in Wellington!! Woooohoooo!!  For our final three years of med school, the class is getting scattered to the four winds.  Well, three winds to be precise: Wellington, Christchurch or Dunedin and based on the numbers you may not get to go to the place you nominate.  So it's been hanging over us all for two years now but finally, this week it's all confirmed...whew!  So very excited about living in the Capital City.  Wellywood here we come!!  

And finally, the delicious: I recently made these Much-hyped Masterchef Melting Moments.  They are from pastry queen of Masterchef Australia, Julia Taylor, and were raved about by the judges.  While I don't want to rain on her parade, I wasn't terribly impressed.  Having said that they did go down a treat at my Mum's work!

Olympic Obsession and Sweet Cherry Pie

Only if you have been in the deepest valley, can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain ~ 2012 Mens Double Sculls Olympic Gold Medalist Eric Murray quoting Richard M. Nixon.

How good are the Olympics?!

I've stayed up late and got up early just to catch a glimpse of the rowing, swimming, athletics, you name it.  I've found myself playing the armchair 3rd umpire, tsk-tsking at the officials making rubbish calls on sports I'd never even watched before in my life.  Who knew weightlifting, synchronized diving, gymnastic trampolining and canoe slalom made such great television?

The tears, the controversy, the drama.  Gah. Cannot. Stop. Watching.

And in amongst the sporting juggernauts of China, USA and GB, little old New Zealand has had a golden run.  Three golds and four bronzes.  We are even beating the Aussies. It has been magical to watch these amazing athletes who have dedicated more than a decade of their lives, finally achieving their dreams.

Eric Murray, aged 30, half of the golden double sculls pair with Hamish Bond, spoke about all the set backs and knock downs they had had along the way.  He quoted Richard Nixon's "Deepest Valley" quote as giving him inspiration in races.  It is truly inspirational the sacrifice these athletes have made.  Years of dedication, of unwavering support from their families, of grueling hard work and disappointments, financial setbacks and pressure to deliver.

And it gives me courage.  At the ripe old age of 27 and only halfway into a medical degree, having walked away from a career in law, lived apart from my husband for almost two years, fended disbelief and disapproval and struggled with a gargantuan student loan, I've often questioned my sanity and whether I've made the right choice.  But these incredibly brave and talented athletes have shown me that sacrifice and belief in oneself does pay off and dreams really do come true.

You could say they are oar-inspiring.

The greatness comes not when things go always good for you.  But the greatness comes when you're really tested when you take some knocks, some disappointments, when sadness comes. ~ Richard M. Nixon.

This Sweet Cherry Pie, whilst gorgeous and delicious, really has nothing to do with the Olympics.  Unless you count the golden pastry crust or that it's a winner of a recipe.