PSA: I did a spot of blog housekeeping yesterday, which may have caused a bunch of old posts to resurface in your RSS feed. Thanks for your patience!
As a Southern Hemisphere blogger, it’s hard watching basically everyone else bask in the sun through June, July and August and posting up delicious seasonal recipes.
NOW MY TIME HAS COME.
Mwahah.
Yes. Polished toes and regularly shaved pits are back in my life. So are other things … I’ve never done an explicit analysis, but I suspect summer is more expensive than winter. In winter, we hole up at home, put Sky Movies back on our package, cook plenty of root veges and beans and mince, and rarely go out to eat.
Summer means:
Fruit. Scrumptious, juicy melons and berries and grapes. Fruit that is almost all water, and therefore not filling or cost-effective at all, but so good on the palate.
Sunblock. ‘Nuff said. I’ve just discovered that the massive bottle we keep in the glovebox has expired and the one other tube we have (which I’m positive we bought on our trip to Waiheke back in 2010) has no best before date, which is probably a sign I should assume it’s no longer good.
Bug repellent. The critters flock to me like sand to the crevasses between your toes. Also, bug spray for inside the house. Oh, and anti-itch, anti-histamine type creams to dull the fiery itch post-bite.
Burning up the petrol. If there’s one thing I hate, it’s filling up the car. But it’s worth it for a good day trip.
Contacts. I haven’t worn ‘em in a year, but if we’re going to have a proper summer, it’s time they returned. Also, I need a pair for the wedding.
Higher power bills. Weirdly, T used the fan so much last summer that our electricity use actually fell once winter came around. At least we’ll save on oven usage – who wants to slave over a hot oven when it’s 20 degrees or more? Plus, I’ve been in a serious baking rut anyway. Those ingredients add up – chocolate, coconut, flavoured essences etc. I haven’t bought flour or sugar in months. You’ll probably spend more on gas for the BBQ, but if you have a gas heater for winter, it probably evens out.
