At last we’ve finally made it to Day 1 of my Christmas Countdown! And for the pièce de résistance I’ve made a Watermelon & Citrus Punch for the big day. Living in the southern hemisphere, a summery Chrismas isn’t the same without lots of fresh fruit to eat and drink. Plus this punch can be served with or without the Vodka, if the kids want to have a taste. Equally good either way.
Well this is my last day posting for awhile, so I just wanted to say thanks for following along on my Christmas Countdown - it’s been a blast. I also wanted to say a big thank you to all my clients who made 2019 an epic year for my business. Looking forward to doing some more fantastic work in 2020.
Enjoy your Christmas break - and from me it’s over and out for 2019!
Read MoreOn Day 2 of my Christmas Countdown and we have a very chilled Mango & Coconut Daiquiri for you all to test drive. One of these is never enough, and if you’re like me trying to wrangle your Christmas To Do list a little Daiquiri definitely helps the process!
Enjoy!
Read MoreChristmas is just around the corner with only a few days to go of my christmas countdown, and today we have a recipe for a Peach & Elderflower Cooler. You know summer is definitely here when the stone fruit appears in the shops. Peaches are a favourite of mine and they’re fantastic cooked in savoury or sweet dishes, and of course drinks!
Enjoy!
Read MoreWe’re definitely getting into the holiday spirit on Day 4 of my christmas countdown with a recipe for Sparkling Rose with Cherry Granita. I can never say “no” to a glass of champagne or sparkling wine, and this one with the addition of a cherry granita is bellissimo! Christmas prep is stressful don’t ya know - I need a couple of these to make it to Christmas Day in one piece.
Enjoy!
Read MoreDay 5 of my christmas countdown is really getting into the Christmas spirit with a Harvest Apple Spritz. I love cocktail recipes like this where you can pre-prepare everything, and just throw it all in a jug ready to serve.
I’ve been doing a fair bit of quality taste testing this week just to make sure all the cocktails are as good as they look. Should probably think about a dry week or two after the holidays to recover!
Enjoy!
Read MoreDay 6 of my christmas countdown is for all those lemonade fanatics out there, with a fragrant Lavender Basil Lemonade. Being non alcoholic this recipe is perfect for the whole family, and hits the sweet spot on a hot summers day. You can play around with the quantities of lemon juice, lavender, basil and honey to find the combination you like. Some people like it tart, others a bit sweeter, or more fragrant with additional lavender and basil.
Enjoy!
Read MoreDay 7 of my christmas countdown is a recipe for a Strawberry Pomegranate Cocktail - talk about looking like Christmas in a Glass!
Such a simple recipe with only a few ingredients, but maximum impact for a Christmas tipple.
Enjoy!
Read MoreDay 8 of my christmas countdown is a bit healthier with this bright green Cucumber Elderflower Spritzer. The colour is fabulous and could almost be Kermit the Frog inspired!
It’s very refreshing on a hot summer’s day, and you can make it non alcoholic by replacing the wine with soda or tonic.
Enjoy!
Read MoreWell here we are for Day 9 of my Christmas Countdown. Today’s drink recipe is a Spiced Apple Cocktail, just the treat as a pre dinner aperitif.
The mix of juniper and star anise gives this cocktail a spicy hit, along with the alcohol of course. One is definitely enough. Two is downright dangerous!
Enjoy!
Read MoreApologies for the extended radio silence on the blog recently, work & life has been getting in the way of my personal work and blog. But I’m back now ready to rock n roll in the lead up to Christmas.
For everyone out there in blog land who are keen to partake of some Christmas cheer, I’m here to help. Repeating last year’s 10 day Christmas Countdown I’ve decide to put together a few of my favourite cocktail recipes in the run up to Christmas. So starting today at Day 10 we have a Blackberry Plum Margarita. Beautiful colour and the perfect tipple for those unexpected visitors.
Enjoy!
Read MoreWinter is nearly over, which means it’s coming to the end of the tamarillo season here in New Zealand. So this week I have another recipe from fellow foodie Jen Pomeroy (www.themodernmess.com), using roast tamarillos with a Lime & Coconut Rice Pudding. I love the combination of the smooth creamy rice pudding with the slight tartness of the tamarillos. A perfect combination for comfort food if you ask me, and a tasty winter dessert. I haven’t met anyone who doesn’t like this dish.
Enjoy!
Read MoreLoving the abundance of citrus at this time of year, with so many options for recipes - both sweet & savoury. Last weekend’s brunch is one of my favourites recipe for combining a few different citrus flavours together. You don’t have to stick with orange, grapefruit, and mandarin, but mix it up with what ever is available. I’ve also used blood oranges, limes, tangelos and cumquats in this recipe. But just make sure the syrup balances out the tartness of the citrus.
There’s only ever clean plates after serving this dish to the hungry hordes, so you can’t go wrong!
Enjoy!
Read MoreThe racket in the garden at present is getting ridiculous, with birdie visitors squabbling over the last of the figs on a daily basis. Anyone would think they were eating their last meal for awhile, as the Waxeyes, Thrush, Starlings and the occasional Fantail duke it out in my fig tree!
I managed to rescue a few figs that didn’t have any beak holes, and baked in this Fig Frangipane dessert. Great flavours in this autumn dessert and really quick to make.
No figs available, no probs. Just swop the figs with thinly sliced apples, pears or quince.
Enjoy!
Read MoreThis week I have another recipe from fellow foodie Jen Pomeroy (www.themodernmess.com).
This has become a favourite breakfast at my place after Jen introduced me to hemp hearts. It’s an easy recipe and great for busy mornings as there’s minimal prep. You can change the fruit topping, depending on what is around at different times of the year.
Jen tells me Hemp hearts are nutritious hulled heart of the hemp seed, that look a bit like sesame seeds. They taste nutty and are a high quality protein containing omega 3 and 6, plus an excellent source of good fats. They’re great sprinkled on breakfast dishes, salads and you can even add them to smoothies. Available at organic grocers, health shops and online direct from the grower. Just remember to keep them in the fridge so they don’t go rancid.
Enjoy!
Read MoreThe weather has definitely changed over the last few weeks, and the temperature dropped considerably with Autumn setting in. My pear trees are coming to the end of this years crop, so as per usual we have ended up with a pear overload. This means pears in everything, from desserts, baking, chutneys, to even tossing a few in salads and roasting with meat dishes. Pretty versatile fruit when you think about it.
So here’s one of my favourite pear based cakes with lots of nuts, and a topping of Mascarpone cream. Great with a cup of tea or even as a dessert.
Enjoy!
Read MoreThis week I have another recipe from fellow foodie Jen Pomeroy (www.themodernmess.com). She recently managed to score a 12kg box of peaches at a bargain price, so had to get creative in the kitchen cooking and preserving the peaches before they were past their best. This recipe Jen has developed is a very simple and light summer dessert, and a perfect finish to a BBQ or summer salad. The peaches went down a treat on our shoot day, and I definitely fulfilled my role as chief taste tester by having seconds and thirds! They’re also fantastic as leftovers the next day on your breakfast cereal. Any stone fruit would work well instead of the peaches, as well as fresh figs.
Start this recipe a day in advance as the labne needs time to hang.
Enjoy!
Read MoreWell it’s that time off year again - yup Valentines Day!. Have you got everything sorted for your special other half? Flowers/pressie, special dinner in or out, yummy cocktail to start the evening? Well I’m here to help you out with the last item on that list. Sorry can’t help you the other items, you’re on your own for those!
This Strawberry Basil & Gin Cocktail is pure summer in a glass, and perfect for Valentines Day in the southern hemisphere. Not so great for northern hemisphere peeps, it’s probably still snowing and freezing cold in your neck of the woods. Maybe try this cocktail at another time of the year.
Your challenge on Valentines Day is to try and stop at just one cocktail. They’re very addictive so it would be easy to drink 2 - 3 cocktails, and forget about that yummy dinner you’ve got in the oven!
Enjoy!
Read MoreThis week I have another recipe from fellow foodie Jen Pomeroy (www.themodernmess.com). As per usual at this time of year the courgettes take over the vege patch. Jen was telling me she had planted 4 courgette plants this year, which was one less than last summer, and she’s still trying to cope with them all ripening at the same time. Puts my single plant to shame, but I’ve still got the same problem.
If you aren’t picking almost daily, in the blink of an eye they turn into marrows! This rich moist cake is a nice way to use up any extra courgettes you have before they end up the size of a marrow football.
Enjoy!
Read MoreThis week I’m rolling out something a bit special, plus using up the last of my blackcurrant harvest. If you want an appetiser/canape to impress the neighbours when they drop in for drinks - then this is it! The rich ruby red colour of the Blackcurrant Salmon Gravlax is very striking and it tastes AMAZING!
The recipe takes a little preparation a few days in advance, but boy is it worth it. I served it with pickled vegetables and blinis, but it would be equally good with eggs at breakfast or over a salad with some crusty bread.
Enjoy!
Read MoreThis week I have another recipe from fellow foodie Jen Pomeroy (www.themodernmess.com). This time its a type of syrup called a fruit shrub, which is a concentrated syrup with a vinegar base, that’s used as a mixer in cocktails or with soda. It was popular during the American colonial era, and it’s making a come back with the recent interest in mixology. On a hot day it’s very refreshing served with soda, ice and extra fruit.
This recipe has a cold brew method where the ingredients are left to sit to concentrate the fruity flavour. Some fruit, like rhubarb require cooking with the sugar first. Jen tends to use the cold brew method when she can, as it produces a fresher flavour. You could also experiment using different types of sugar, matching it to the type of fruit.
In this recipe Jen used boysenberries, but raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, logan berries will all work well, in fact you can use just about any fruit to make a shrub. Try stone fruit, rhubarb, apples, pears, and even cucumber. Pair them with herbs/spices such as Pear & Ginger, or Strawberry & Basil for a fantastic base in a cocktail.
Enjoy!
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