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  • recipes-pressure-cooker

    9 Spring 2024 Spring 2024 ISSUE 9 BUY PDF CONTENTS Click on image for full view and caption Spicy casserole ready to serve ©2024 Margaret Earle & Graham Leslie Beans in the pressure cooker ©2024 Margaret Earle & Graham Leslie Beans cooking in pressure cooker ©2024 Margaret Earle & Graham Leslie Modern stove top pressure cooker Product photo The New Zealand Pressure Cooker Cookbook My favourite recipes are adapted from Lisa Loveday’s book — The New Zealand Pressure Cooker Cookbook. © remains with the author publisher. Cooked risotto in pressure cooker ©2024 Margaret Earle & Graham Leslie Risotto ready to serve ©2024 Margaret Earle & Graham Leslie Risotto ©2024 Margaret Earle & Graham Leslie Spicy casserole ready to serve ©2024 Margaret Earle & Graham Leslie Spicy casserole plated ©2024 Margaret Earle & Graham Leslie A few of my favourite recipes Making the most of your pressure cooker Margaret Earle When I left home one of the things my parents gave me was their old pressure cooker. I mostly used it to cook beans and pulses, as in those days you couldn’t buy tinned chickpeas or kidney beans. Sometimes I used it to cook corned beef or a stew. The pressure cooker was useful, but a pain because its seals didn’t work properly and it sometimes felt like there was a noisy time bomb on my stove. In recent years I have discovered the joy of electric pressure cookers. Mine is a combo slow cooker and pressure cooker. I’ve also discovered that you can cook much more than beans, corned beef and stew in a pressure cooker. If you have room for a pressure cooker when you are camping it provides a quick and efficient way to cook. Stove-top pressure cookers come in a range of sizes and if you have access to electricity then you can use a multifunction cooker that has a pressure cooker function. Here’s a few of my favourite recipes. They are adapted from Lisa Loveday’s book — The New Zealand Pressure Cooker Cookbook. ckw.nz/pressure-cooker Minestrone Soup This soup provides a hearty meal for up to 6 people . If you want to make a smaller quantity of soup, then reduce the quantities of each ingredient. Depending on your preferences and what you have available you can leave out or add ingredients. For instance, you can leave out the bacon if you want a vegetarian meal or add peas instead of green beans. Ingredients 1 Tbsp olive oil 150g streaky bacon, diced 2 large onions, peeled and diced 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 2 celery stalks, sliced 3 Tbsp tomato paste 2 carrots peeled and diced 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced 2 bay leaves A sprig each of fresh parsley, thyme and oregano, tied together with kitchen string (or a mix of dried herbs) 2 litres vegetable or chicken stock (or 4 tsp powered stock in 2 litres of water) 400g tin chickpeas, drained (or 2 cups cooked chickpeas) 400g tin cannellini beans, drained (or 2c cooked cannellini beans) ½ cup small pasta shapes (uncooked) 1 cup of green beans (fresh or frozen) 1 zucchini, diced Method ◗ Heat pressure cooker. Add oil and fry the bacon until browned. Add onion, garlic and celery. Cook until onion is starting to brown. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute . Add all ingredients, except any frozen vegetables, into the pressure cooker. ◗ Put lid on top of pressure cooker and set to high pressure. Bring the cooker up to pressure and maintain this pressure for 5 minutes . Remove from heat. Once the pressure has reduced naturally , open pressure cooker and discard the bundle of fresh herbs. ◗ If using frozen vegetables add these and put lid back on for 5 minutes . Reopen the pressure cooker. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with fresh bread or toast. Mushroom Risotto Since getting an electric pressure cooker I have cooked all my risottos in it. The basic rule of thumb is one cup of arborio (or other risotto) rice to three cups of fluid. This makes a moist risotto that is ready to eat when the pressure cooking is completed. The recipe below serves 6 . Ingredients 2 Tbsp butter 1 onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 300g mushrooms, sliced 2 cups arborio rice ½ tsp dried or fresh thyme 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock (or 2–3 tsps powered stock in 6cups of water) 250 g chopped chicken, ham or bacon 1 cup fresh or frozen peas ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 Tbsp chopped parsley Method ◗ Heat pressure cooker. Add butter and fry onion and garlic until soft. Add sliced mushrooms. If using chicken or bacon add this as well and fry until the outside colour of the meat changes. Add rice and stir for 2 minutes . Add stock and ham (if using). Fresh peas can be added now but frozen peas are best added after the risotto has been cooked. ◗ Set pressure cooker to high and bring the cooker up to pressure. Maintain this pressure for 6 minutes . Remove from heat. Once the pressure has reduced naturally , open pressure cooker. ◗ If using frozen beans add these and put lid back on for 5 minutes . Reopen the pressure cooker. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir through the Parmesan cheese and parsley before serving. Parmesan cheese, chopped tomato and/or sprouted mung beans can be sprinkled on the top of each serving. Spicy casserole with pork or chicken This recipe is based on the French dish known as cassoulet. It can be served with crusty bread or brown rice. It serves 6 and don’t worry if there are left-overs as these will make a tasty lunch or dinner the next day. Ingredients 1 Tbsp olive oil 350g chorizo or other spicy sausages, sliced 500g diced uncooked pork or chicken 150g streaky bacon, sliced 1 onion, sliced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 celery stalks, sliced 1–2 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or ½ tsp dried thyme) 1 bay leaf 1 sprig rosemary 400g tin chopped tomatoes in juice ½ cup stock or water 1 cup frozen green beans 400g tin cannellini beans (or 2c cooked beans) Method ◗ Heat pressure cooker. Add oil and brown sliced sausages. Remove sausages from cooker. Add diced meat and bacon and cook until outside changes colour. Remove meat from cooker. Add onion, garlic, celery and carrot and cook for 2–3 minutes . Stir in herbs, tinned tomato in juice and stock. Return sausages, meat and bacon to cooker. Do not add the beans at this stage. ◗ Set pressure cooker to high and bring the cooker up to pressure. Maintain this pressure for 15 minutes . Remove from heat. Once the pressure has reduced naturally, open the pressure cooker. ◗ Add frozen green beans and cannellini beans and put lid back on for 5 minutes . Reopen pressure cooker. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprouted mung beans can be sprinkled on the top of each serving. ◼️ Images: ©2024 Margaret Earle & Graham Leslie. Book cover: © remains with the author/publisher. Up Up 9 Spring 2024 , p 30

  • cassette-tips

    2 Summer 2022 2 Summer 2022 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption A dump mate Use our Dump Mate! Emptying the cassette with a Dump Mate, is a very quick and clean operation. Silicone grease CRC silicon grease for the rubber seals. A DIY tool for opening the cassette You can take the top right out of the cassette to give it a really good clean inside. Dont leave it behind Leave the Dump Mate bag in your cassette locker to remind you not to leave your Dump Mate behind. Hints and tips on toilet cassettes Heather McMurdo Through our own experience, and also from talking to many people while demonstrating and selling our Dump Mates, we have picked up a few ideas to make things easier and cleaner. Empty often When we first started motorhoming, we tried to use every public toilet we could, because this would make our cassette last longer before we had to empty it, a job that John did not look forward to. This just seemed silly to me, when we had our own nice bathroom to use, but then I wasn’t the one emptying the cassette. Anyway, once we had our Dump Mate, this was no longer a problem, and we now empty every second day. We have noticed that this alone keeps the cassette much fresher, rather than trying to make it last four or five days. After-trip care When we get home from a trip away, John always half fills the cassette with warm water and a scoop of Napisan (or equivalent) and keeps it in the garage, giving it a shake every time he walks past it. Then he rinses it out, puts a dash of chemical in it and small amount of water. A ventilation kit We don’t really need to use a chemical, as we have fitted a Thetford Ventilation kit (similar to a SOG unit). This has a fan that ventilates through the floor, so we have no nasty smells in our motorhome any more. I can highly recommend it. We must have tried every toilet chemical on the market, and none really worked, (although to be fair, they probably lost their effectiveness after a couple of days). We still put a dash in the cassette as we have a few bottles to use up. Clean the inside of the cassette Every now and then, John takes the top right out of the cassette and gives it a really good clean inside. He has even designed a small tool to unscrew the top so as not to put too much pressure on the plastic. See sidebar. He also uses CRC silicon grease on the rubber seals. Use our Dump Mate! Emptying the cassette with a Dump Mate, is a very quick and clean operation. If we are emptying our grey water as well, we start this running first, and then do the cassette. Because we are putting the Dump Mate in the sewer pipe, and there is no spillage, there is no risk of contaminating your grey water hose. By the time you have emptied your cassette and rinsed it a few times, the Dump Mate is clean, and you just shake the water off, and pop it back in it’s bag. Then you can pack up your grey water hose, and both jobs are done. There is no mess, and the dump station (and your feet) are clean. This is a real bonus if the water pressure at the dump station is poor, or there is no hose. Use the cassette air-lock release button We have been surprised to hear, when demonstrating, that many people do not realise that their cassette has a button on the top, at the back to allow air flow. As you raise the back of the cassette to empty, hold the button in: you will find it empties much more smoothly. How not to forget to take your Dump Mate with you Another little tip is to leave the bag for the Dump Mate in your cassette locker when you take your cassette out. This will mean when you put the cassette back, you will see the bag and it will remind you to make sure you have your Dump Mate with you. You don’t want to leave it at the dump station. Up Up 2 Summer 2022 , p 29

  • disc-gold

    10 summer 2024 Summer 2024 ISSUE 10 BUY PDF ToC Click on image for full view and caption Going for the putt throw, Hanmer Domain ©2024 Marty Ireland Tee off, Taylor River, Blenheim ©2024 Marty Ireland Dual set of golf discs ©2024 Marty Ireland Going for the putt throw, Hanmer Domain ©2024 Marty Ireland GO TO Springing Keeps you healthy, in shape and moving HOBBIES: Disc golf Marty Ireland This is an ideal interest to have as campers for individuals, groups and families as its cheap to purchase a set of individual discs and many councils have set up Disc Golf courses in existing reserves where you can already walk, bike or exercise your dog. The discs are lightweight and take up little space and best of all its free to play. I was introduced to it in Hanmer Springs earlier this year in a forest reserve, 9-hole course and later found we have a local 18-hole course along the Taylor river in Blenheim. After checking our local sports shop and retailers I purchased online an entry-level dual player pack in a carry bag with cleaning cloth and marker pucks for around $50. There is an app that lists many courses around New Zealand and lets you keep track of your score during a game. The name of the game is to get your disc, in the least amount of throws, into the chain basket. It has similar drop shots and out-of-bounds penalties as the game of golf. Its a therapeutic, scenic, active walk, with gentle upper body movements to keep you healthy, in shape and moving. Give it go. ◊ Images: ©2024 Marty Ireland Up Up 10 Summer 2024 , p 41

  • ride-tomorrow

    2 Summer 2022 2 Summer 2022 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Rotorua-bike-1_w_m.webp Ready for tomorrow’s ride Andrew Morton I’m in Rotorua today (MTB Mecca) ready for tomorrow’s ride, the Whakarewarewa Forest Loop: 33km, 3hr. Another one of the 23 Great Rides of NZ. ckw.nz/great-rides ©2022 Andrew Morton Up Up 2 Summer 2022 , p 35

  • toilet-tent

    9 Spring 2024 9 Spring 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption There is the toilet tent Toilet and shower tent. ©2024 Gary Hitchcock Toilet and shower tent. ©2024 Gary Hitchcock Toilet and shower tent Gary Hitchcock Toilet and shower tent. ©2024 Gary Hitchcock Up Up 9 Spring 2024 , p 25

  • fortrose

    3 Autumn 2023 3 Autumn 2023 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Away with the dog Heather Auckram We grab any chance to pack the Toyota Estima and the dog and just go. Here we are freedom camping beside the sea at Fortrose, Southland. Heather Auckram Photos ©2023 Heather Auckram Up Up 3 Autumn 2023 , p 29

  • watts-amps

    8 Winter 2024 8 Winter 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption campers need really fat cables going the shortest possible distances Watts & Amps Some basic science behind using electricity when camping Graham Leslie Using electricity safely while camping requires some basic knowledge to avoid electrocuting yourself or burning your caravan/camper down. This article explains some of the science behind this. Electricity at its most basic is the flow of electrons along a wire. Electric power is a combination of two things: how many electrons are going along the wire — Amps; and how much force is pushing the electrons along — Volts. It is a bit like using a water blaster, where the power comes from how much water comes out and what pressure it comes out at. Electric power it is measured in Watts. For example, a LED light bulb might use about 8 Watts, a laptop 30 to 70 Watts and an electric kettle uses 2,000 Watts. The power consumption is normally written somewhere on the appliance. The power or Watts is calculated by multiplying Volts by Amps. So if you run a 240 Watt appliance on mains power of 240 Volts, you will only need 1 Amp of electricity. But when you run the same appliance on a 12 Volt system you will need 20 Amps of electricity. 240 Watts = 240 Volts x 1 Amps or240 Watts = 12 Volts x 20 Amps In simple terms, when you have lots of Volts (240 Volts at home) you don’t need many Amps and when you don’t have many Volts (12 Volts camping) you will need heaps of Amps. So, when camping with a 12 Volt system you use heaps of Amps to get the same amount of power as you would at home. The more Amps you use, the quicker you use up the electricity stored in your battery. Look at the Watts on your device and if you are using a 12 Volt battery divide it by 12; this is the Amps the device uses each hour it is on. For a 150 Watt appliance: 150 Watts divided by 12 Volts: 150÷12= 12.5 Amps Remember Amps are the number of electrons flowing down the wire. Using the water blaster analogy, Amps are similar to the amount of water flowing. If you need more water to go down a hose then you will need a thicker hose. So, if you need more Amps to flow down a wire you will then need a thicker wire. Typical cross section of wires 240 Volt home wire needs more insulation. Lots of insulation to avoid electrocution from high Volts. Not much copper wire because not many Amps. (Using a water hose analogy; not much water but under lots of pressure.) 12 Volt camper wire needs more copper wire. Not so much insulation because Volts are low. Lots of copper wire to carry lots of Amps and avoid power loss and fire risk. (Using a water hose analogy; lots of water but not much pressure.) Big enough wire If the wire in your camper is not big enough then you can lose power as it goes down the wire. At the battery you may have 12.5 Volts, but at other end of the wire where the appliance is you may only have 11.5 Volts. The power drop increases with large loads. The power drop along the wire means there is less power available to run your appliance and it may not run properly. The power lost along the wire turns into heat and sometimes this generates enough heat to melt the insulation off the wires and start a fire. See arrows in the photo. To reduce these issues and the fire risk, in 12 Volt RV wiring, you need really fat cables going the shortest possible distances because you are using heaps more Amps than you would with 240 Volt mains power. For instance: A 2,000 Watt kettle draws 8 Amps at home, but in your camper, with an inverter, it would draw 167 Amps (2000 ÷ 12). For that many Amps your cables need to be huge. What might seem like not much power at home could be very different when you are off the grid. 240 Volt mains power and 12 Volt battery systems are both dangerous but in different ways. Why is 240 Volt mains power dangerous? Compared with 12 Volts from your battery, 240 Volts mains power is a bit like a high-pressure hose and the electricity really wants to get out and escape through whatever is close or touching it, including us (which would electrocute us). So electrical equipment with higher voltages (240 Volts) has more insulation around it to keep the electricity in the wire. Why are 12 Volts battery systems dangerous? 12 Volts does not have as much force to push electricity to escape. It is more like very, very low water pressure. So there is less chance of electricity being forced to flow through us and give us an electric shock. However, to get enough power and make up for the lack of pressure (Volts) we increase Amps or current flow. If the wires are not big enough to carry that much current, they can heat up and become a fire risk. Tips for installing a 12 Volt to 240 Volt inverter Set the inverter up as close as possible (short fat cables) to the battery and if need be run an extension cord from the inverter to the appliance. If you are buying an inverter with a big power capacity (anything over 150 Watts) get it professionally installed. Up Up 8 Winter 2024 , p 28

  • summer-23, fc-reefton

    It was a winter stay by the river in Reefton, on The West Coast. We are allowed 2 consecutive nights (certified self-contained). Summer 2023 ISSUE 6 BUY PDF CONTENTS Up Reefton Up Miriam Richardson STOP and STAY It was a winter stay by the river in Reefton, on The West Coast. We are allowed 2 consecutive nights (certified self-contained). Right next door is the hotel which is a free pop (if you buy something in the hotel), so you can swap between these two if you want a longer stay in Reefton. There’s a lovely walk along the river, past the summer pool to the camping ground. Return via the main street, Broadway, which has a number of cafes each with food worth a try. (Image, Broadway, Stewart Nimmo, CC BY-SA 4.0) There’s lots of historical interest here. The visitors’ centre has engaging historical work on the coal mines which gave us this town, including a replica underground mine. Reefton was the first town in NZ to get electric street lights, powered by the Reefton Power Station on the Inangahua River, way back in 1888. There are several walking tracks, including one to the site of the power station, a tramping track, and track for experienced off-road cyclists. Snow on the hills behind Reefton. ©2023 M Richardson Uncredited photos ©2023 M Richardson STOP and STAY Where to stop when travelling and camping in NZ — use it, share it, add to it. Stop and Stay is a free resource for NZ campers and travellers, brought to you by campers for campers. It might be a country pub for a meal, a rural property, a council reserve, a DOC camp; it might be a commercial campground or a unique day-stop or cafe. Please add your recommendations to the list. Anyone one can access the list or make recommendations. It’s free, too, for property owners to be on the list. Remember to always check with hosts first — phone numbers are provided on most listings, and keep in mind that some properties have restrictions. Dog-friendly properties are indicated on each listing, as are wheelchair accessible properties. STOP and STAY | Add a place to Stop and Stay Up Up SStay-Reefton2-MNR_mw.webp SStay-Reefton-MNR4_mw.webp SStay-Reefton_Stewart_Nimmo_CC_mw.webp SStay-Reefton2-MNR_mw.webp 1/4

  • toc

    9 Spring 2024 Spring 2024 ISSUE 9 BUY PDF CONTENTS Click on image for full view and caption ©2024 Camping the Kiwi Way Table of contents, Spring, issue 9 Editor 2 Self-containment warrant cards: which ones are valid? 2 Freedom camping and self-containment: where are we at? 2 More for councils and government 3 Featured in the Spring issue 4 Editorial 5 Steampunk— from north to south and back again 7 The re-build of my Toyota van 8 The West Coast in winter 9 Solar basics for dummies 11 Converting your camper van: The Cruzar Campervan story 13 Towing your caravan — tips, tricks and weights 15 A night in an arboretum 16 Cautionary tyre tale 17 A winter day on Farewell Spit 19 On the shoulder of a god 19 It was freezing 20 Buying used caravans: What you need to look for 21 Buyer beware 22 HOBBIES Home roasted coffee beans 23 Developing an innovative camping toilet solution: Fix-a-Potty™ 24 Kiwi ingenuity & insults 24 Fix’n’Rail 25 A new cassette toilet for small spaces: The making of the BlackMOA™ 26 Challenges for local councils 27 North Island hot pool safari 30 RECIPES Making the most of your pressure cooker 31 RECIPES Girdle scones (aka griddle scones) 32 GAME DOC campsites 3: Central NI Fill in the spaces 33 The Aratiatia Dam 34 Stop and Stay City dwellers: your first camp away Stop and Stay 35 Stop and Stay Parua Bay 35 Stop and Stay Waikawa Bay 36 EVENTS Come camping 37 EVENTS Festivals 38 DOC update 39 Getting your camping vehicle certified 40 All Points Camping Club of NZ Self Containment and freedom camping 2 Self-containment warrant cards: which ones are valid? 2 Freedom camping and self-containment: where are we at? 23 Developing an innovative camping toilet solution: Fix-a-Potty™ 24 Kiwi ingenuity & insults 24 Fix’n’Rail 25 A new cassette toilet for small spaces: The making of the BlackMOA™ 26 Challenges for local councils Up Up 9 Spring 2024 , p 3

  • luxury

    11 autumn 2025 Autumn 2025 ISSUE 11 BUY PDF ToC Click on image for full view and caption At CampFest 2025 ©2025 Jo Ward At CampFest 2025 ©2025 Jo Ward GO TO Here & there last summer Luxury camping Jo Ward CampFest ©2025 Jo Ward More Up Up 11 Autumn 2025 , p 8

  • lifestyle-camping

    11 autumn 2025 11 autumn 2025 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Camping ©2025 Gary Stoneley Getting your camping vehicle certified Gary Stoneley NZ’s independent national network for self-containment certification NZ Lifestyle Camping operates as an independent national network for self-containment certification to support the NZ vehicle camping industry. You do not need to be a member of a club or organisation to get your self-containment certification through NZLC but must have a vehicle that is fit for the purpose of habitation. NZ Lifestyle Camping’s network of more than 150 testing officers continues to offer self-containment in accordance with the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers, self-containment regulations. We are committed to supporting all types of campers We also offer alternative certification (low cost option) for those who do not freedom camp or for staying at host properties and events. This is suitable for vehicles with portable toilets and tiny homes as evidence of self-containment. FYI: We do not recommend freedom camping while you await your final documentation and window card. Without these you are at risk being fined. NZLC Fees $63: Green (for ‘freedom camping’) warrant and certificate. ✚ Testing officers charge for their time. ✚ $120 government freedom camping levy. $48: Blue ( not for ‘freedom camping’) warrant and certificate. ✚ Testing officers charge for their time. $20: reissue of lost warrant card. Free: an email copy of a certificate. To find or arrange a self-containment check please contact a testing officer near you: nzlifestylecamping.com North Is: ckw.nz/cert-north South Is: ckw.nz/cert-south NZLC provides both blue and green self-containment warrant cards and documentation through our national network of testing officers. New blue warrant cards remain recognised throughout NZ but not for ‘freedom camping’ ( see the detail ). We wish everyone safe travels l We encourage you to ‘Leave no Trace’ when camping. Kind regards, Gary Stoneley, NZ Lifestyle Camping Ltd 027 246 9778 4 For further information check our website NZ  LifestyleCamping.com ◼️ Choose from an independent national network of more than 150 self-containment testing officers ©2024 NZ Lifestyle Camping Up Up 11 autumn 2025 , p 39

  • summer-23, go-everywhere

    This trip is the adventure I’ve dreamed of my whole life. Something different that will challenge me and possibly the closest I can get to Timbuktu for now, so I’m super excited. Summer 2023 ISSUE 6 BUY PDF CONTENTS Up NZers go everywhere to camp Up Cheryl Tyler “This trip is the adventure I’ve dreamed of my whole life. Something different that will challenge me and possibly the closest I can get to Timbuktu for now, so I’m super excited. Over the next 3 months I’ll be travelling from Dakar in Senegal, West Africa to Cape Town in South Africa on a motor scooter.” “Etosha National Park: the guard at the gate started his spiel with ‘there are lions around so stay in your vehicle…’ Then looks at us on our bikes and says ‘go that way and don’t stop until you get to the end’.” © 2023 Cheryl Tyler Up Up tiny-Cheryll-guinea_mw.webp tiny-Cheryll-trip-map_mw.webp tiny-cheryl-posed_mw.webp tiny-Cheryll-guinea_mw.webp 1/3

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