Blog Portfolio - Page 4 of 8

Matamata to Hobbiton – New Zealand Part 14

Rained out of Hobbiton Rain. The next morning in Matamata we woke to glorious rain. Or, it would have been glorious had we not been planning to pay a visit to the Shire that very afternoon. After a bit of discussion we decided to venture into town and see if we could change our Hobbiton…

BySusanAugust 19, 20192Comments

Minimizing Minimalism

Last year we moved from a 3 bed, 2 bath, 1700 sq. ft. house in the mountains to a 1 bed, 1 bath, 700 sq. ft. apartment in Los Angeles. We had to make some difficult (and not so difficult) decisions about what to keep and what to get rid of. We have now been…

ByRyanAugust 15, 20192Comments

Blue Spring and the Te Waihou Walkway near Matamata. Putaruru, North Island, New Zealand.

New Zealand Travel

Taupo to Rotorua to Matamata – New Zealand (Part 13)

The next part of our tour of the North Island took us to a spot recommended to us by our overnights hosts. Sharon and Pete told us we should stop by a nearby dam before we left Taupo. The dam releases water every couple of hours. It used to have a purpose for the…

ByRyanAugust 12, 20190Comments

Food Healthy Recipe Savory

How to Cook Chicken

We've had some people ask how we make our chicken for our Cabbage Salads. So we decided to show you how to cook chicken. We do things a little differently... I think. Normally, I start out with either frozen or thawed chicken breast. We like the Foster's Farm Frozen Chicken breasts from Costco. Su and…

ByRyanAugust 7, 20192Comments

Tongariro National Park. One of the Lord of the Rings Filming Locations. North Island, New Zealand. Rivendell

New Zealand Travel

Lord of the Rings Filming Locations – New Zealand (Part 12)

One of the main things we learned while in New Zealand is that we liked the rural, mountainous regions. We couldn't wait to get out of the cities (so when we got home we moved to LA... go figure). We left Wellington after visiting one of the Lord of the Rings Filming Locations - Weta…

ByRyanAugust 5, 20192Comments

Food Recipe Sweet

Salted Brown Butter Rice Crispy Treats

Rice crispy treats were not my favorite thing as a kid... I know, I know. I was a strange one. If that threw you, brace your self for this bomb. I also did not like Lucky Charms, Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, or that pink, sugary milk that they left at the bottom of the bowl.…

BySusanAugust 3, 20190Comments

Ferry Crossing from Picton to Wellington New Zealand.

New Zealand Travel

Picton to Wellington – New Zealand (Part 11)

Our journey to the North Island had finally arrived. It was time to say goodbye to the South Island. It had treated us well. We were up early in Picton and made ourselves ready to make the crossing to Wellington. The little port town of Picton. The company that ferries from Picton to Wellington is Interislander.…

ByRyanJuly 29, 20190Comments

Food Healthy Recipe Savory

Yogurt Dressing: Two Ways!

I've never been a huge fan of salad dressing... Don't get me wrong I love a good onion dip with chips or a crudités plater served with a bowl of ranch dressing. And I have never been known to turn down one of those dipping pots with the aluminum tops that come with chicken strips…

BySusanJuly 25, 20190Comments

New Zealand Travel

From the South to the North – New Zealand (Part 10)

Our final few days on the South Island of New Zealand brought a lot of driving. We started our day off in Motueka a little slower. We needed to catch up on some laundry now that we had almost hit the two-week mark. Luckily, Eden's Edge had laundry facilities. We used eggs donated by…

ByRyanJuly 22, 20190Comments

Punakaiki Pancake Rocks and Blowholes Walk New Zealand

New Zealand Travel

Greymouth to Motueka New Zealand – (Part 9)

The kitchenette at the Ashely Hotel was well outfitted for breakfast. A typical kitchenette in New Zealand has a sink, a cooktop, a microwave and an electric kettle. I usually started my day by plugging in the kettle and preparing a mug of instant coffee. Ryan and I had become quite adept at an eggs,…

ByRyan & SuJuly 20, 20190Comments

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