SUNDAY MORNING CHIMNEYS

A little tradition has developed in our family over the past few months which has been rather lovely.  Well actually rather delicious also.  Every Sunday morning my parents go to the Takapuna Sunday markets.  They bring these Hungarian delicacies to us from the markets and we absolutely love them! Here is a little information about them….

The worldwide famous Kürtöskalács is a traditional Hungarian pastry originated from Transylvania. A very funny renaming of the Kürtöskalács,  is on the web: the "Barbecued Chimney Cake".

Kürt is Hungarian for horn and kalács means milk bread.

These tasty Transylvanian treats are giant rolls made of dough covered with caramelized sugar and walnut, coconut and many other toppings. Kürtöskalács is made in smaller rolls too (the first two photos), so people can taste more flavors.

Here are some photos of them making them at the markets.

We love the cinnamon and sugar coated ones but they come in all different flavours.  The kids like the hundreds and thousands sprinkled ones also.

Our kids call them chimneys (much to the Hungarian’s disgrace I am sure).  It is so cute I am starting to get early Sunday morning texts asking “what flavour Chimneys do you want today?” 

So here are some photos of our latest ‘Chimney’ deliveries.

We love you Mum and Dad for all you do!  Our kids will never forget little things like these!

THE HOUSE WE MISSED OUT ON.

I can't believe I am doing this but I just have to!   These are pics of the house we missed out on Yesterday that I had my heart so set on at an auction.  We were neck and neck with this other lady all the way but when it went totally out of what I think was a reasonable price range,  we stopped bidding. It was so horrible to see the other lady jumping with joy that she had won it but I am very glad that we didn't pay the price that it went for as I just don't think it would be worth much more than  that in 5 - 10 year time.  The reasons I loved this house were....  it was huge,  it had an amazing garage and basement which we had already planned out (workshop, art studio, home theatre etc etc),  it had lovely wood floors and was structurally so solid, it was close to the kids school,  lovely street, neighbours,  it has only been owned by one family eva since 1954,  I could just see its potential, it was so dated but I could imagine the fun we could have modernising it,  the views were amazing way out to Rangitoto etc,  I just loved it the moment I walked in and could see our family living there forever.  I quicky pasted these photos on my blog before it went off line.  Oh well as everyone has said to me,  there will be another one,  well acutally if I hear that comment again I will roll my eyes but thats okay because it is probably true,  we are usually so so looked after and we have learnt much from this exercise.  I actually know the person who won it too which made me not want to know her anymore  LOL.  Just being honest for today!!!  Now its time to let it go but here are some photos to remember out 'luck out'.  But hey I can't wait to load photos of our cool as home when we find it. Sure its not on the market yet though!  We have only been looking all year  LOL.





Check out the yard,  every fruit tree you can imagine.


The workshop/garage,  260 square m of house altogether MATE its huge!


More of the down stairs area, which would be perfect for a home theatre.



The kitchen, dinning and lounge,  which you could modernise so creatively.  The views are lovely.


The Beautiful formica bathroom  LOL (Yuck)


An example of one of the dated bedrooms.


The amazing view out over The Barrier as well as Rangitoto to the right.


The amazing sunroom it was huge and the deck off that which is huge too,  see the lounge below also which leads out onto the sunroom and deck.



The deck just huge!

From the front of 13 Beatrice.  Real cool place.  Okay I have done this blog entry now I am moving on!  Close that book!

FIJI MEMORIES

Last week we arrived home from Fiji.  We were there for 7 nights and we had a blast!  We all loved it so so much.  Mum and dad were at the resort too (but in separate rooms) when we got there and so we spent the week with them.  We stayed at the Worldmark resort in Denarau Island,  it was beautiful!   We all got lots of sun and lived in the water and really relaxed and enjoyed spending time with mum and dad and the kids.  Here are a few photos of some of our favourite memories while we were there.  We already want to start planning another trip back there sometime in the near future.  It was just magical and feels like a dream now!  Does anyone know if we were really there?

THE FOLLOWING PHOTOS ARE OF SHOTS AT THE RESORT

SHOTS AT THE POOL BAR -TERINA MADE BEST FRIENDS WITH THE BAR MAN.  LOL!

THE BAR MAN BELOW (HE CRIED WHEN WE LEFT LOL)

FUN AT THE POOL AND IN THE POOL

POPPA PLAYING IN THE POOL WITH THE KIDS

AMAZING SUNSETS

BELOW OUTSIDE OUR APARTMENT

TERINA IN HER BULA DRESS HOLDING A LITTLE COCONUT SHE FOUND.

DAD AND THE BOYS!

TERINA WALKING ALONG THE PATH AT THE RESORT.

LOVELY GARDENS.

NIWA ON THE BEACH WITH JO WHO MADE SURE KEITH GOT ONTO
HIS KAYAK SAFELY AND OUT TO SEA TO MEET THE 'BLACK TIPS'  LOL!
(thats another story)

BELOW:  POPPA TAKING NIWA OUT DURING FISH FEEDING TIME.  EVERY MORN AT THE BEACH RESORT THEY BEAT THE DRUMS AND ALL GO DOWN TO THE BEACH TO FEED THE FISH THE LEFT OVER BREAD.

BELOW:  US  ALL GOING ON THE BULA BUS TO PORT DENARAU

WE WENT ON A DAY TRIP ON THIS BOAT TO AN AMAZING ISLAND CALLED BOUNTY ISLAND.

PHOTOS OF THE KIDS STEERING  THE BOAT

ARRIVING AT BEAUTIFUL BOUNTY ISLAND!

WE GOT OFF THE WELLESLY BOAT AND ONTO A LITLTE GLASS BOTTOM
BOAT AND THEN WE THREW BREAD OVERBOARD AND FED THE FISH.

FEEDING THE FISH - AMAZING!  MASSES OF FISH SWIMMING AROUND.
THE WATER WAS SO SO CLEAR JUST LIKE YOU SEE ON TRAVEL DESTINATION ADS.

MUM AND DAD ADMIRING THE VIEW.

BIG MOMMA - THE LADY WHO WELCOMED US ONTO THE ISLAND!  THIS WAS SO FUNNY.  THE GUYS DRIVING OUR BOAT SAID, THIS IS BIG MOMMA, WHEN SHE SAYS 'BULA' I WANT YOU TO ALL YELL BACK 'BULA BIG MOMMA'.  IT WAS SO FUNNY!  HER CHARACTER REALLY SUITED THE NAME!

A CLOSE UP OF 'BIG MOMMA!'

BOUNTY ISLAND WAS SO BEAUTIFUL.  THE GUIDES TOOK US ON A BUSH WALK/TOUR AROUND THE ISLAND AND THEN WE CAME BACK FOR LUNCH. 

THE THING I LIKED ABOUT THE ISLAND WAS ALTHOUGH IT WAS ALL STILL

FULL OF TOURISTS,  IT WAS SO MUCH MORE AUTHENTIC AND NO FRILLS BUT TOTAL PARADISE IN A DIFFERENT WAY.  I DON'T THINK I HAVE SEEN ANY PLACE MORE BEAUTIFUL IN MY LIFE, THE SCENERY WAS PERFECT!

I LOVE THIS PHOTO OF DAD AND ARAMA ON OUR WAY BACK FROM THE ISLAND.

DAD AND ARAMA SHARE A VERY SPECIAL BOND THAT WILL NEVER BE BROKEN!

I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR THAT!

ON THE BOAT ON THE WAY HOME THEY DID A WEAVING/COCONUT DEMO FOR US ALL.  THE KIDS GOT SOME AMAZING THINGS TO KEEP THAT THEY WOVE FOR THEM.    BELOW IS NIWA HOLDING HIS WINDMILL.

BELOW IS A WAKA WITH PADDLES, SO CUTE.

AT THE RESORT, JOSIAH, THIS MAN, WOVE TERINA BEAUTIFUL HAT WHICH WE MANAGED TO DRY IN TIME AND BRING HOME.  WE JUST LOVED IT AND THEY ALSO MADE ON ON THE BOAT FOR HER, SO WE BOUGHT TWO HOME.  SEE THE PHOTOS OF TERINA BELOW MODELLING IT!

OUT FAMILY OUTING TO NADI, A MUCH DIFFERENT PLACE TO OUR SHOPPING STREETS!  GOOD FOR US ALL TO SEE ESPECIALLY THE KIDS.

ON OUR LAST NIGHT WE HAD A KINDA FAMILY HOME EVENING WHERE WE ALL WENT AROUND AND SAID WHAT OUR FAVOURITE MEMORY OF OUR TRIP WAS.  WE ALSO SAID A BIG THANKS TO NANNY AND POPPA FOR MAKING OUR TRIP POSSIBLE.  WHAT A TRIP FULL OF TREASURED MEMORIES!

OUR AIR PACIFIC PLANE THAT WE FLEW HOME IN.  BOO HOO! SAD TO BE LEAVING.

THE BOYS BUCKLING INTO THEIR AEROPLANE SEATS.

TERINA IN HER SEAT!

7PM ON THE AFTERNOON WE ARRIVED HOME.  ZONKED OUT.  ACTUALLY KEITH WAS ALSO ZONKED OUT BUT AS I TOOK THIS PHOTO HE OPENED HIS EYES.  BUMMER.  BUT YOU CAN IMAGINE THE SCENE.  LOL

NOW ITS BACK TO LIFE, BACK TO REALITY.