Looking for some last minute Christmas presents? Not feeling brave enough to join the crowds and hit the shops? Or maybe your wallet is crying out ‘no more!’ Look no further than a super easy DIY body scrub! It’s bodylicious…. If you like scrubs from Lush, you’ll love these and they are a smidgen of the price! (more…)
Christmas Cranberry and Naked Palette Smokey Eye Look
I wanted to do a Christmas themed eyeshadow tutorial and it was a bit of a no-brainer which colour to pick.. It’s got to be Mac’s Cranberry eyeshadow… Could any other colour be the heroine of this look? (more…)
Crunchy Carrot, Date, Almond Salad
This is one of the salads that’s made it onto our Christmas Day menu this year! Every time I’ve taken this salad somewhere, I’ve left the recipe behind. It’s always a winner and it’s light, nutritious and utterly yum and it makes a great alternative to a leafy green salad. My friend Kitrina gave me this, recipe, she knows me well and knew she I’d love it. She got it from the Revive Café Cookbook. As usual, I can’t help myself: I’ve fiddled with it and given it a mini makeover…. (more…)
Eye Makeup Brushes – the Lowdown
“Do I need to get good makeup brushes?”… “Aren’t they really expensive?” These questions are two of the most frequently asked makeup-related questions I get! Yes is the answer to the first question. No is the answer (and the good news) to the second question! Keep reading, I’m here to help. (more…)
Tomato Chilli Jam
Here’s another DIY foodie gift idea just in time for Christmas (and just in time for tomatoes coming down in price!). This is a Peter Gordon recipe, which I got via Ruth Pretty (a Wellington caterer/chef who I adore – if you ever get the chance, I highly recommend Ruth’s cooking school on the Kapiti Coast).
Anyhow, I digress. If you asked me what you can always find in my pantry, this’d be on the list: It’s like sweet chilli sauce for grown ups. It’s super versatile and goes with nearly everything: All meats, poached/fried eggs, quiche, it’s gorgeous in a stir fry sauce (use it in the place of sweet chilli sauce)… It’s kick-butt delicious on a pizza base… I even have it on top of my cheese on toast.. Sometimes I use it as an Asian salad dressing for Thai Beef Salad (3 Tlb chilli jam, add a bit of rice wine vinegar and a half teaspoon of sesame oil – amazing). One of my favourite ways to serve it is as a dip: Get a big platter. Turn out a tub of Philadelphia Cream Cheese into the centre of the platter. Surround it with corn chips (don’t be shy, load them on). Cover the cream cheese with a generous amount of chilli jam. Get dippin’. Amazing. I usually package this up as a Christmas gift with a vintage knife or fork tied to the jar. Simple and stunning. (more…)
Chocolate Brownie with White Chocolate Icing
This chocolate brownie with white chocolate icing is the BEST brownie recipe, ever. I love making this, it’s really straight forward, it’s got serious wow factor and people usually groan with pleasure when they eat it. But, that’s no surprise really, cast your eye over the ingredients…. All the good stuff, or the bad stuff, depending on which way you look at it (I’m not going to try and pull the wool over your eyes!) But, I eat this so rarely, and it’s so scrummy, I just refuse to feel bad eating it: Life is TOO short to feel guilty about eating a piece of brownie! That said, I do chuckle to myself when people ask what’s in this brownie. I usually just smile and say “one packet of dark chocolate melts in the base. Oh and a packet of white chocolate melts in the icing, along with a tin of condensed milk and butter”. Eyes usually widen and then, with a mouth full of brownie, I hear murmurs of appreciation, and then, inevitably, they ask for another slice. (more…)
My favourite things – November
Here’s the goodies I was loving last month… (more…)
Damn Yummy Christmas Ham
Alrighty, not long to go till the Big Red Man comes! Time to think of Christmas Day’s menu. Well, think no further, I’ve taken the thinking out for you. If you asked me, or my family for my best ever recipes, this is IT. Easy. It makes me happy even writing this blog post – I just wish I could capture the smell of it cooking and share it with you! I always have a lot of ‘friends’ in the kitchen when I make this.
