Successful Food & Failure Dunes

Travels

On Monday I finally made it out to the Peninsula. Unfortunately, the penguins didn't [often titled, 'elusive wee fuckers']. I'd like to say that the sea lions made it out as well, but it's probably more just that they were too sloth to go anywhere else. Sand dunes here are massive, and though I'm too much of a physical failure to run down them excitedly, or jump off of them for that reason [e.g. had one 'epic' eyes-closed leap onto my ass], they were pretty awesome. The day was perfect, so the water was only slightly frigid.

Dune Jump      &        The Beach

My previous mentioning of the seaweed being weird here has been confirmed, and though it's not really edible [way too chewy/hard to bite], it's a very strange rubbery, almost man-made feeling stringy object.

After the beach we went to Lovers Leap, which is a cliff that two lovers who couldn't be together went to to kill themselves. I thought the shape of the structure had many sexual undertones, which was seconded by pen graffiti on the banister.

Sheep                   &         Lover's Leap

In preparation for World War 2 there are also a bunch of old bunkers down by this area which never got used. Walked around the pitch-black creepiness of these halls was really wild, and had a crazy feel after being decorated with graffiti of the years.

Bunkers

Soon the exploration should span beyond Dunedin, as a car purchase is impending.

Food

The other day I looked in the fridge and saw that the excessive amount of kiwis I purchased weren't going to make it much longer, and traveled the internet until finding a recipe for kiwifruit cupcakes. [made with 100% pure kiwi host extract] Welp, the cupcakes didn't rise, the melted butter made the buttercream frosting lose its necessary fluffy form, and the kiwis on top slid off the frosting weirdly-- let's just say the cupcakes were way more cookies with slimy vanilla on top than anything else. Albeit the failures were plenty, they disappeared in minutes into the bellies of my flatmates and were both adorable and delicious. Major success out of failure. 

Kiwi Cupcake Cookie Dessert

Though baking has been much of a guessing game, the burgers made last night were undoubtedly the best burgers I've had. Mince, blue cheese, havarti, garlic, mustard, steak sauce, and various other pantry randomness, burger-ified with sautéed mushrooms, mesclun, avocado, and citrus yogurt sauce on a mixed grain bun… making my mouth water thinking about it.

Another food win here has been $3 lunches. Every weekday there's $3 lunch [usually indian food mixes] with various <$3 side purchase choices in the clubs and socs building. It's definitely more sustainable than delicious, but a great cheap option. Bliss balls, a dessert that they sometimes have for 50 cents are dank. Post consumption, you must wash your plate, which is way less an annoyance than it is a damn good idea.

Food loss? no vegetable shortening. at all. I mean, I didn't really know what it was, but kept seeing it in recipes. Many forums confirmed that New Zealand straight-up doesn't get this. 

School

So far school is going alright-- already found a freshman in my chem class to latch onto, now that I've been left to fend for my self in class [cough, curse you kevin, cough].

I also have to write up the first paper I've written in years. gonna be weird.