a mended heart and a cheeky lunch date

I realised this afternoon that one year ago today I grabbed heartbreak by the balls and started writing about my sorry state on the internet, by publishing my very first blog post. I had made my friend Jimmy a batch of afghans, watched a Northern Mystics game, and was freezing my butt off living with strangers in a little flat in Mt Victoria, where 1990s limited edition sports star coke cans lined the mantle (they weren't mine, by the way) and the kitchen window looked directly into the lounge of the neighbours, like a giant fishbowl. I was marginally happier than I had been, but I had no idea that 12 months later I would be here (mentally, emotionally and sitting on my sister's bed in Auckland, obviously).

So what changed? Well, I went and got myself happy, that's what. I baked. I cooked. I got drunk and spewed at bars. I met guys at parties and they pashed my friends. I went on the most awkwardly tragic blind date that I was too embarrassed to blog about. I made a crepe cake, I hung out with my Gran, I had a lot of fun, I moved house, got a front fringe, went to Asia, surrounded myself with wonderful friends, cooked on TV, met a ton of new awesome people, got mocked, laughed at, telephoned for baking advice, had photography/dating/writing/recipe feedback thrust upon me over gins and all in all it has been awesome. Well, it hasn't all been great, in fact some of it was quite shit. But 2011 has been awesome, and right now is awesome and amongst all the shit, awesome stuff still happened.

It dawned on me this afternoon that a lunch date was a highly appropriate way to celebrate, and I didn't even realise it at the time! Lunch was spent in my favourite cafe in Auckland's CBD and I was highly entertained over delicious bruschetta with field mushrooms, feta and spinach, and a beautifully made kokako flat white. I then cooked my family dinner, and channelling my chef-friend Theo I made a breadcrumb mixture with fresh basil and parsley, lemon zest and salt and rubbed it into fresh tarakihi and lightly panfried it. We had a roasted Mediterranean vege and couscous salad, alongside a roast brocolli, baby spinach and feta salad too. I am currently looking at ways of curing my addiction to roasting brocolli, but coming up blank. Last night catching up with all but a couple of my favourite girlfriends we had it atop homemade pizzas with blue cheese and good gracious they were good.

So, enough reflecting. From heartbreak to hot dates happiness, thanks for reading. And (to be totally self-indulgent) don't worry, this does not mean it's over. To quote Happy Gilmore, It's only just begun.