Slow Cooker Sundays: Bacon, Chard, and Shallot Risotto

4 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 pound bacon, cut into 1 inch slices

2 large shallots, peeled and chopped

1 bunch rainbow chard, washed and coarsely chopped

1/2 cup dry apple cider

2 cups arborio rice

3/4 cup manchego cheese, grated

2 tbsp butter

In a medium pot, bring the broth to a simmer with the lid on, set aside and keep warm.

In a large pan, cook the bacon. Be careful not to burn it and transfer the pieces to the slow cooker.

Pour the majority of the bacon grease out of the pan, leaving only about 1 tbsp.

Add the chopped shallots and chard, cook until shallots are translucent and chard is soft.

Add the dry apple cider and stir until the cider has reduced by half.

Stir in the rice and cook until most of the cider has been absorbed.

Scrape the mixture into the slow cooker.

Add the hot broth and cover.

Set on high for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes or so.

The risotto is done with the rice is soft and most of the liquid has been absorbed.

Stir in the 2 tbsp of butter and the cheese until melted.

Spring Blooms

All of the tree's in Seattle are starting to bloom as Spring slowly slowly slowly makes it's way to the Northwest.  When we moved here we had this kind of ugly and scrawny looking bush in our front yard with green leaves, turns out in the spring it blooms with these beautiful and vibrant yellow flowers.  

We've also got oodles of hyacinth flowers coming up in our front yard along with some tulips!

Long drive down the south island

Over the last three days we drove from Abel Tasman, at the north end of the island, to Te Anau, at the south end.

On the first day we stopped at the 'pancake rocks'

Then spent the night in Hokitika

We hiked to the Fox Glacier on our way to Haast

And got lunch in Queenstown before making it to Te Anau

This is a pretty amazingly beautiful country all the way around and the few pictures we've posted definitely don't do it justice.

South on the North Island and North on the South Island

Well, we headed down to Wellington to for a brief stay before taking the ferry to the South Island. It was a beautiful city which we really wished we had more time in.

After relaxing in Kaiteriteri Beach amongst a garden of fruit trees we then took a water taxi to Awaroa Lodge in Abel Tasman National Park, where we'll be staying for a few days.  Thanks to my dad & step mom for the wonderful surprise we got when we arrived :-).

More of the Central North Island

We've hiked to a beautiful waterfall.

And completed the Tongariro Alpine Crossing...

(that's Adina in the picture)

Central North Island

Since leaving Auckland we've dipped our toes in the Tasman Sea near Raglan.

And spent a couple of hours underground in Ruakuri cave in Waitomo abseiling, zip lining, jumping off ledges, and climbing up waterfalls.

Around Auckand

We've lounged on a beach...

And hiked up a volcano...