Things indoors: Alberton house

Alberton house is one of many historical homesteads around Auckland, and takes us back to a simpler time when Auckland was just finding its place in the world. It looks fantastically gothic and victorian and is furnished in traditional victorian era decor. It's a building that few people have even heard of, let alone been to in Auckland despite it belonging to NZ's historic places trust.

The timber building began life as a farmhouse in 1863 in present-day Mt. Albert, and was later expanded into the 18 room villa that you see today. It has been expanded into a house that you could only imagine of in fairy tales, with an elaborately decorated verandah and tower.
It was originally owned by the Kerr Taylors family, until it was left to the trust in 1972. Allan Kerr Taylor was a prominent landowner and politician, while his second wife, Sophia, was an outspoken women's vote advocate and mother of ten children. The family retained the property for another 80 years after his death until it was given to the trust.

Although Alberton is not well-known today, it was relatively famous in the 19th Century for its balls, parties, musical entertainment, and hunts. Today, it retains a lot of its original 19th Century wallpaper and possessions which are available for public viewing.

Alberton Hall is still open to the public and can even be hired out for special events.
It is open every wednesday to sunday 10:30am-4:30pm, and is closed on Christmas and Good Friday.
Children are free and Adults are $10. You can buy an $18 Auckland passport which allows you to enter Highwic, Alberton and Ewelme for one year just by bringing your pass along with you.
It is also free to enter if you are member of the NZ historic places trust or the national trusts of a number of current and former commonwealth nations.
It is advised when you visit the hall that you do not wear stilettos as they can scuff the wooden flooring.

You can drive here and park on Mt albert road, or you could take the train to Mt. Albert train station and walk, or you could take any of the buses that go down mt albert road.

100 Mount Albert Road
Mount Albert
Auckland 1025

Kiwiana treats: Pavlova

The Pavlova is a sweet treat that the Kiwis and the Australians have been trying to take claim for since it became popular over 90 years ago. Though, as we have adopted NZ as our home here at Liv in Auckland we think of it as a kiwi icon.
Topped off with cream and a few slices of kiwi fruit on it's pearly white crunchy exterior, it can be a great option if you need to bring something over as a dessert.
This recipe has been tried and tested by our team, and we love the taste of the marshmallow-like centre melting in our mouth.
Check it out:

A Small Pavlova 

Ingredients (double to make a large pavlova):

4 eggs

1 cup of sugar

3 heaped dessert spoons of Cornflour

1 tsp of Vanilla essence 

1.   Beat 4 egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff
2. Then add 1 cup of sugar. Beat again till dissolved into the mixture.
3. Add 3 dessert spoons of Cornflour and 1 teaspoons of vanilla. Beat till the mixture is stiff.
4. Pre-Heat oven to 110 degrees celcius (105 degrees if oven is particularly unreliant) 
5. Lay baking paper upon a flat metal tray. Leave it to cover the whole tray.
6. Put mixture onto the tray and mould into a cake like shape. Bake for 2 hrs.
7. Leave to cool and top with beaten cream and fruit.

      Tips: *Do not let any water be present in the bowl*If any yolk gets into the bowl start from scratch*Look up or ask someone how to separate egg whites beforehand if you're not sure*

-

Make your own Maori Poi!

We came across these easy step by step instructions on how to make your very own poi!!!!!

This is a simple easy to make Maori practice Poi.

To make you will require : 

• Newspaper or Tennis Balls
• Colour paper or fabric,
• String/Cord
• And Scissors

1. The cords should be about 800mm long, so you can also tie around the paper ball.

2. # You can if you wish plait different coloured wool together to make a nicer looking Poi cord. 

 

3. Push the newspaper into a ball (or use tennis ball) and tie one end of the cord around the ball.

4. Cut the coloured paper into a square about 400mm x 400mm. 

5. Place the ball in the middle of the paper and gather the material over the ball. 

6. Cut another piece of cord to tie the opening in the material up.


7. You can also add a layer of plastic over the Bag Poi and tie as before. This will make them last longer when used outside.

8. Trim the gathered paper with the scissors. 

9. Tie loops or knots in the ends of the cord to hold onto as handles.

10. Make another one and you have your first set of Poi.


This is a very basic bag Poi. You can easily add to and decorate as you wish. 

Maori Kapa Haka (performance) Poi are fairly light and you may want to use seeds or rice to make them heavier. Be aware that if you hit yourself you may want it to be soft and light enough not to bruise. 

The heavier you make it the slower you can spin and the less likely the Poi will be effected by any wind.

NZ recipes: with locally sourced ingredients: Anzac biscuits

Although these biscuits usually are only seen around Anzac day on April 25, they can be baked all year round with locally grown ingredients. Traditionally these biscuits were sent during the war by the wives of army personel, and were sent overseas because they don't spoil. So they are great if you want a treat to nibble on along the week.
This because it lacks eggs (which was scarce during the war), so if you're allergic to eggs this is perfect for you!


Anzac biscuits

• Serving size: Serves 10 or more
• Cooking time: Less than 60 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup plain flour, sifted
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 cup desiccated coconut
• 125g butter, chopped
• 1 tablespoon golden syrup
• 2 tablespoons boiling water
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Method

1. Preheat oven to moderately slow, 160°C. Lightly grease 4 baking trays.
2. In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, sugar and coconut.
3. In a small pan, combine butter and golden syrup. Stir over low heat for 2-3 minutes until melted.
4. In a small jug, combine water and bicarbonate of soda. Stir into butter mixture. Pour into dry ingredients. Mix well.
5. Roll walnut-sized pieces of mixture into balls. Arrange on prepared trays, leaving a 4cm space between each biscuit to allow for spreading. Press lightly to flatten.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Recipes with NZ ingredients: Feijoa biscuits

Now that it's getting cold and miserable out on the weekends, you may be finding yourself with nothing to do but curl up under the blankets. Sounds great, but it would be even greater with something nice and sweet to watch those movies in front of the TV on the freezing grey day. How about a feijoa biscuit recipe that we came across on the internet. It would be a great way too, to use up the rest of those feijoas on the feijoa trees at the end of your garden. YUM! Here's the recipe:

• Feijoa Biscuits

• Serving size: Serves 8
• Cooking time: Less than 30 minutes

• 
  
• 100g Butter
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 4 feijoas
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour

Cream butter and sugar, beat in egg, then add sifted flour, baking powder alternatively with peeled, mashed feijoas and vanilla.

Drop spoonsful onto a cold tray and bake at 180C for 15-20 mins.

Leave to cool, and serve!