With the rush on to finish my baker’s dozen recipes this month, I chose these biscuits. They looked delicious and easy. I’m frightened I will use up all the “easy” recipes and get stuck with very complicated sweet pastries and cakes at the end, but never mind, must push on.
We have decided to go away this weekend as it is the last weekend of the school holidays and as we have been pretty much house bound due to the kids doing assignments and homework, it’ll be good for a change of scenery. My sister has a small beach house at Pt Wells near Matakana. Her husband has decided due to the weather forecast to cancel his fishing trip so we are in luck, bad weather or not, we are off, we don’t care. Not so great for our builder who has been going like the stink to finish the roof before the predicted gale force winds arrive mid Saturday! Good luck to him and us of course, its our house!
So I made the dough 
by folding the flour in with the mustard, the sundried tomato paste, (I just chopped up some sundried tomatoes!) pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chives and olive oil. This made a luscious soft dough that I rolled out thinly and then 
baked in the oven after using the cooky cutter 
to cut it into biscuits. They were very tasty, firm but still soft which went beautifully with hummus, cheese and any other savoury condiment you happen to have in the fridge. 
I packed these along with the Flapjack biscuits from the last bake, and the Chutney from this recipe which I made Thursday night, (see next blog), and on Friday afternoon we tootled off for our wee half weekend away. (It’s called a night) 
We had to be back by Saturday night for my daughter to work, shame. But it was great to get away, we achieved a lot despite the weather.
A nice game of scrabble, which I failed miserably at, just couldn’t get the right letters is what I told myself. 
We went out for dinner to a lovely looking restaurant, The Matakana. I had a fabulous smoked salmon salad with chickpeas and buck wheat.
During the day, despite the atrocious weather, we visited Matakana Farmer’s Market which is quite famous in these parts for their delicious and fresh produce. 
The weather had persisted down all morning so when we got there at midday, they were packing up.
But we still got to experience a few of their beautiful wares and produce.
Honey Bourbon warmed us up! 🙂
I didn’t blame them for packing up. There is nothing more miserable than being a marketer in the rain with no customers. Uhhhhhh, been there done that. Freezing cold, all you want is to be home and warm.
We also visited Morris & James handmade Pottery,
a store which I love. Several years ago we visited and did the tour which was fascinating. 
Seeing how they turn and fire and paint the pots and learning about their history. 
I would highly recommend a visit, let alone their beautiful pots. It’s inspiring to see so much craft and creativity in this region, people making their own olive oil, growing capsicums, fruit and veges, free range eggs, honey bourbon, and lots lots more. Its a good reminder that one should follow your passions and do what you are good at. You will be appreciated for it, because all of these things are made with love, love for the craft, love for what they are doing, growing and believe in.
On our way home we went to The Rusty Pelican for lunch. 
I had mussels in garlic cream sauce with garlic bread and yes I was like a fire breathing dragon afterwards, but it didn’t matter. 
Must try to make them at home, they are so delicious. We went to De Post in Mt Eden the other night and had the same. 
Grilled mussels with a number of toppings, including blue cheese, bacon and spinach!!! 
So simple and so delicious, and probably easy to make. I must try.
My sister’s beach house is a quiet little retreat away from the hustle and bustle of life, a place you can relax, put your feet up, read a book and enjoy time with family. It’s a recommended past time that we need to do more often, get away from our busy lives and take time out in new surroundings. It’s good for the soul.
