House full of blokes

Summer seems to be missing - so, we needed a hot lunch today.  This is a quick, easy and satisfying lunch meal - makes enough for 8 decent sized slices.  Depending on the appetites and whether or not you throw a salad on the side it feeds 4-8 people. Kumara and bacon frittata  Ingredients 1 large or 2 small-medium golden kumara (sweet potato) 1 onion finely chopped 4 - 6 mushrooms diced 1 bell pepper - colour of your choice - I used yellow 4 rashers bacon - diced 2 Tablespoons olive oil 6 eggs 3/4 cup milk 1 cup fresh bread crumbs (2 slices toast bread in a food processor or grated) 1/2 cup grated cheese handful of fresh or teaspoon dried herbs of your choice salt and pepper to taste Method Boil the peeled and chopped Kumara until just tender - drain and set aside Fry the onions, bacon, mushrooms and peppers in a large pan (choose a pan that can also go in the oven) until the onions are soft and translucent Add the kumara and stir to coat with oil and pan juice

Many of you will have seen that my fellow Cromwell Community Board (CCB) member Robin Dicey posed some questions for our community in The Bulletin last week.  Like all of us on the CCB Robin is looking for ways to engage and connect with the community.  We all want to be doing the best for those that we represent and to be making decisions that reflect what the residents and ratepayers of Cromwell actually want to see in our great wee town.  So, well done to Robin for trying to get the conversation going on a range of issues.  I've popped an image of Robin's questions below - you can also find them on page 12 of The Bulletin dated 12 January 2017.  Robin has included his contact details for anyone interested in contributing to the discussion.  I would be very happy to be contacted too - anna.harrison@codc.govt.nz or via my Facebook page Anna Harrison Cromwell Community Board. One of the questions Robin asks is in regard to the level of community consultation undertaken

We have 1/2 a cattle beast in our freezer - that means there is a lot of mince to get through and there is only so much spaghetti bolognaise you can eat.  The lovely bloke has diversified into epic meat patties.  These are not your average patty - no, no, no - these are much, much more than that. Girl version with lots of green stuff in it Ingredients - makes 8-10 large patties 800g - 1kg beef mince 1 onion finely chopped 4 rashers streaky bacon - finely chopped 2 cloves garlic - crushed 1 cup fresh bread crumbs 1 egg 1 tsp chilli flakes 1 tsp smoked paprika 1/4 cup chilli relish or other really tasty relish We like this chilli relish to add a kick to our burgers (large handful of fresh herbs if you have them, a shake of mixed herbs if you don't) Method Place all ingredients in a bowl together and mix thoroughly - hands work best.  If the mixture is too wet add a couple of tablespoons of wholemeal flour or more breadcrumbs.  Make sure to season the mixture re

"Are you that Anna Harrison?" "Yes, that's me.  Nice to meet you." "I didn't vote for you, but this is what I want you to do for me..."  This was my greeting when I popped into the Vic for a quick drink after an anniversary dinner with my family at Armando's.  The lovely lady who confronted me went on to tell me about the issue of dogs wandering and too much dog poo - her solution, more rubbish bins in the greenways.  That might work for dogs being walked by owners - but I've never seen a dog pick up it's own poo, so not sure how this will help with problem of dogs allowed to roam free.  Maybe I just didn't put in enough effort into poop scoop training when my dog was a pup. Ringo - Age 9 and still unable to scoop her own poop! Now don't get me wrong - I am more than happy with being approached by people who want to talk about issues facing Cromwell and I will of course offer a listening ear, as I did on Friday night.  Th

While we were away celebrating at a surprise 60th birthday party for the lovely bloke's big sister Lummoxes 2 and 3 were cooking up a storm.  They decided on onigiri (rice balls) made filled with teriyaki chicken.  They enjoyed it so much there was a repeat performance when we were back in town the next day.  We've since used the recipe again to make teriyaki chicken sushi.  It was delicious.  This chicken recipe would also be great served on jasmine rice with a fresh green vegetable or in a stir fry.  The marinade could be used with beef, pork or salmon too. Teriyaki chicken served three different ways

This simple advice from Grandma is worth heeding.  A basic recipe that easily makes a delicious meal for 4-6 people.  A bit of grated cheese to top it off - bellisimo