Blackberry Pie

When I was in high school my best friend Reanne's, mum made the best pies! Generally, she seemed to cook more pies when her brothers came to visit (they were older and had already left home). So obviously I would go and stay at their place when they were around, also I wanted to hang out with Reanne :) For a while, I think her mum thought I had a crush on one of the brothers, but then quickly realised it was the pie! Last summer I was able to go back to Canada for a visit Reanne, while she was staying with her family, and her mom taught me how to make pie! I made this pie a few weeks after I left, I  even handpicked the blackberries for it!

Vinarterta

small 6 layer Vinarterta after filling added

This year I am going to Australia for Christmas, and am slightly bummed that I will not be able to eat Vinerterta on Christmas day, I actually was thinking of ringing up the Biosecurity people in Australia asking if I could bring it in. (you cannot bring most food into oz) But possibly that's a bit insane, I will just have to enjoy before I go and when I get back!

Gumdrop Cake

Gumdrop cake just out oven and raisin free!

Until recently I could not stand Christmas cake, actually, most people in my family don't like it either. (I can't understand why I sort of like it now) So as an alternative my family makes gumdrop cake every Christmas, which is kinda a kids version of Christmas cake. When I was little I used to make gumdrop cake with my grandmother. There are raisins in the recipe which I do not like, so every time we made it I would hide the raisins somewhere. (usually under a tea cosy) Then just after the cake went in the oven I would miraculously find them, which was way too late to add them :)

Recipe Books

I have a lot of cookbooks! I don't think I realised how many I had until I put them out on the table today 69! They are not all mine (some are my moms) but I think I have bought about 50 of them, and I don't think I am going to stop buying them anytime soon. The photos always look so good and I generally think it's better to buy a cookbook instead of a magazine because they last longer. (well that's my excuse anyway). I even have a double of The Australian Woman's Weekly "Tapas Bar" oops... And truthfully I don't really ever use the cookbooks, I like to look at the pictures... sometimes I get inspiration from the recipes but end up changing a lot of the ingredients so they don't really resemble the original recipe. The reason I got all my cookbooks out is, I am planning on starting to teach cooking lessons to kids and want to get some inspiration for healthy but tasty ideas that kids would enjoy cooking. So keep posted and see what I come up with. Naomi

RHKYC yacht race from Hong Kong to Hainan

Sailing on Ambush from Hong Kong to Hainan, China

I just got back to Hong Kong after racing in the 360nm downhill race from Hong Kong to Sanya which is on the south of Hainan Island in China. I did the race on Ambush a Mills 41, with 10 other sailors. We started the race on Thursday at 12:15 and finished at 5:15 am on Saturday morning. 12 boats competed in the race, all finished except one, which retired. The race was a lot of fun we started just outside of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club in Hong Kong harbour and raced out of the harbour and ended in Sanya at the southern end of Hainan Island.