Happy September and Welcome to Spring everybody!
I'm slowly on the mend from my various bits and pieces, just starting to feel well enough to resent the hay fever that strikes about this time of year :)
Luckily I was able to escape a little of the Winter Woes with a trip away to the Tropic Isles with my family. We had a wonderful time celebrating my parents 50th and our 25th Wedding Anniversaries and the pampering we received while cruising was just what the doctor ordered
A new season and a new month is also the time for sweet Celia's series In My Kitchen. A roundup of all that's new and exciting in many kitchens around the world. Check out the rest of the links hereand enjoy a virtual holiday of your own
In My Kitchen...
is a Recipe Book from New Caledonia. Lots of delicious recipes in here to keep the holiday vibe going
Unfortunately it's written in French. My high school language classes sure come in handy sometimes :)
In My Kitchen...
are these oh-so-pretty shells that have been encased in wood to create little bowls and shell tipped serving ware to go with them. These were also from Noumea
In My Kitchen...
is another polished shell to use as a small plate and some shell butter/pate/cheese knives to match. These were picked up at a little market stall in Fiji for only $5 the set
In My Kitchen...
is some cutlery from Vanuatu. Ever since BigJ bought me home some Korean eating utensils from Korea I've liked the idea of collecting a set from each new country we visit. A practical present indeed
In My Kitchen...
is a lovely shell handled set from Port Villa, Vanuatu
In My Kitchen...
are yet more shell serving ware from Port Villa. I just couldn't resist the gorgeous, pearly sheen
In My Kitchen...
has got to be the weirdest eating utensil that exists- a Brain Fork. Used by certain Fijian cannibal tribes to dig the brains out of their enemies skulls in order to consume them. This is littlej's souvenir, she likes oddities. I think I'll make her a big pasta dish for dinner, the four prongs at the end look like they'd be great at swirling up the spaghetti!
In My Kitchen...
is yet more coconut shell and shell utensils. Another great find in Fiji
In My Kitchen...
are some Vanilla Pods. I missed out on the one tour I really wanted to take, a visit to a Vanilla Farm. I was so disappointed, but cheered up when a local bus driver gave me the lovely, plump pod on top from his own little plantation. He also smeared some seeds all over our faces to perfume us- very nice but the tiny black seeds stuck like crazy and I was still finding them in my hairline for a couple of days. The bottom phial has some locally grown pods from New Caledonia and the farm that we missed out on
In My Kitchen...
is some absolutely delicious coffee from a small island in Vanuatu. We visited the factory in Port Vila and were served by an Aussie behind the counter. He was the son-in-law of the owner, and was in the process of moving there from Canberra. He actually lives not more than 10 minutes from us back here at home- what a co inkydink! If you'd like to try some of this yumminess, you can find it at Oxfam Shops or you can order it online here: http://www.tannacoffee.com/
In My Kitchen...
is a lovely little Asian-style Soup Spoon made from Buffalo Horn. Picked up in our travels somewhere, but I'm afraid I can't remember which island it was from
In My Kitchen...
is the official Cookbook from our cruise line, Princess Cruises. The food on board was A-MA-ZING and great care was taken to ensure all was safe for my food InTolerances. I was totally blown away, and certainly didn't expect the quality (or quantity!) that was available. Everything from lobster, crab, duck, venison, pheasant and even guinea fowl- yummy, yummy, yummy!
So many recipes to choose from!
In My Kitchen...
is a very cheeky Tea Towel bought for me at a market stall. The islanders seem to be quite comfortable with their colourful past and luckily seem to have a good sense of humour to go with it as well :)
So Dear Readers, what's the weirdest kitchen utensil you've come across and have you ever tried cruise line food?
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Hello there lovely Rebecca... glad to hear that you are on the mend. Some interesting things in your kitchen this month! And how wonderful that you managed a getaway! xxx
ReplyDeleteI have such envy for all your treasures! I don't think I have a weird utensil in the house. They're all wonderful and ordinary.
ReplyDeleteI have hay fever too and now that I have stuff I squirt up my nose once a day, no more (or only a few) sneezies. Not 16 in a row any more. It's expensive but totally worth it.
Those shell bowls are just gorgeous! And that's great that the cruise line was so accommodating and the food was good too!
ReplyDeleteIt's lovely to see you around in the ether again Bec - and what a lovely haul. I especially like all of your shell cutlery. Is the brain fork new or used? Just wondering ....
ReplyDeleteIt's so lovely to hear from you again, Rebecca. I've been thinking of you and wondering how you are. How fantastic to go on a Princess Cruise to the South Pacific! I do love touring the Islands of Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. I remember that vanilla plantation well but like you, I missed the tour! You certainly picked up some lovely things and I've heard of those tongs they used to pick out the brains - horrifying! xx
ReplyDeleteHow fantastic Bec, you went on a cruise!. They are such beautiful islands aren't they? Happy wedding anniversaryx
ReplyDeleteoh my lord. a brain fork? eek! love the shell ware and cutlery.
ReplyDeleteThose bowls made of shells are simply gorgeous! (And I know this was posted in September, but hope all is well with you!)
ReplyDeletenice blog. thanks for sharing
ReplyDelete