Pistachio, Cranberry and White Chocolate Biscotti

SAMSUNG CSCI love biscotti and, thinking ahead to Christmas foodie presents, I figured biscotti with cranberry, pistachio and white chocolate would give it a little bit of Christmas cheer (OK, and look pretty). Biscotti is surprisingly easy to make, the only tricky bit is making sure you have enough time to let the biscotti logs cool completely before slicing them up into little pieces and baking them again to crisp them up. Once cooled, package these up in a cellophane bag with a bit of ribbon – you’ve got a nice gift for a foodie. If you’re a complete beginner in the baking world, you might find these a little difficult I have to admit. However, you could always look at some baking classes on a website like Fboi.in to improve your culinary expertise. See how you get on!

This recipe is a little bit Donna Hay and a little bit Beauty Foodie as I just couldn’t find the perfect recipe! Just quietly, I’m pretty chuffed with how this turned out! They taste delicious, I love the texture and the slightly salty contrast of the pistachio with the sweetness of the cranberry and white chocolate. Don’t tell my favourite cafe… But this biscotti is nicer than theirs… (more…)

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Asparagus and Feta Quiche

imageI thought I’d better get in quick with this recipe before asparagus season in NZ winds up for the year! I’ve made this on and off over the years and it’s a recipe I always come back to because it’s straightforward and I don’t have to look up a recipe,  I can mix-up the recipe based on what’s in the fridge, it’s filling (as you’d expect with a dozen eggs) and therefore, it feeds the masses (or, in the case of my small family, we can dine on this for days!). (more…)

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Setting Spray – Face Hairspray!

Setting spray face hairspray
Exec summary: UD De Slick is awesome. Max Fix + is not a setting spray! And skip the Australis one… [Thumbs down]
I discovered setting spray earlier this year.  I’ve renamed it hairspray for your face.  As you know, I’m a big fan of products that help with increasing the staying power of my makeup… Remember how obsessed I am with eye primer?! Anyhow, I was already impressed with setting spray but it was the reaction of a number of friends and clients who have had makeovers/makeup by me recently that prompted this blog post. Here’s what one friend said:

“I woke up the next morning and my makeup was so perfect, I could have worn it again!”

Now, I will never advocate wearing your makeup to bed (no matter how pissed you get – this is a no no) but, I’m proud that my makeup application and setting spray got such a vigorous road test!  I had done Nicky’s makeup for an event on a Friday nigh and then, as it happened, we had coffee the next afternoon.  As background, Nicky doesn’t usually wear makeup, so when she rocked up to my house sporting a gorgeous smokey eye I got a bit excited thinking, maybe, just maybe, I’d inspired her to start dabbling in makeup! Anyhoo,  when I complimented her on her great handiwork, she cracked up and explained it was my handiwork, she was still sporting last night’s face! She went to bed with it all on, woke up, thought it still looked great, so she kept it on! If this story isn’t the best advert for setting spray, I don’t know what is! (more…)

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Spinach and Bacon Cobb Loaf Dip

SAMSUNG CSC
OK, strictly speaking this isn’t a Cobb Loaf: I wanted to take a new photo and after looking at three supermarkets: I gave up. I guess this is a ‘loaf dip’. Oh well.

I’ve been making this hot dip for years and it’s always a hit. Some of my friends have been known to invite me around for dinner on the proviso I bring this with me for nibbles! It’s simple to make and it has serious WOW factor (the photo of the finished product here hasn’t really done it justice…). It’s a dish that’s especially popular with the boys.  My boss tried it under duress (it doesn’t look particularly pretty, lets be honest) and he raved and raved about how good it was.  I’ve also made just the filling as a pasta sauce, it’s absolutely delicious folded through penne or bog-standard macaroni (even my fussy kid eats it). (more…)

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Rose Gold Eyeshadow Tutorial (easy!)

imageI’ve worn this rose gold eye a bit lately and received quite a few compliments.  It’s an easy and quick look to do (honest!) and looks particularly pretty on brown or blue eyes. Mac’s Cranberry eyeshadow is a stunning colour that freaked me out when I first got it, but it’s surprisingly easy to work with and goes with a variety of other colours. I especially love using it to create ‘rose gold’ looks.   (more…)

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Dukkah Recipe

Dukkah recipe
I love giving homemade foodie gifts at Christmas and I absolutely love receiving them.  Gift giving doesn’t have to be expensive,  yet, more than ever, society puts an emphasis on giving big extravagant gifts… Just think of all the marketing campaigns you see leading up to Christmas! This makes me sad as I just don’t think this what Christmas should be about.  Giving and receiving something thoughtful, made with love, time and effort – now that’s what makes people feel special… And when you make a foodie gift for a fellow foodie and they come back and ask for the recipe, as happened to me last year with this dukkah recipe, then you know you hit the gift giving jackpot!  Package this dukkah up in a nice jar, tie some ribbon around the lid, maybe make a homemade label – done.

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A few of my favourite things – October

I guess it’s no secret I buy a lot of beauty products (and try a lot of food!). Frequently I use an awesome product, or consume something amazing and I think to myself “I must blog about this so other people know about it…” So, starting now, I thought at the start of each month I’ll do a quick and dirty round up of my favourite Beauty Foodie things for the previous month. Here we go… 🙂

9400571744920Health Basics Shower Gel: These are Kiwi made with lots of goodies: Soap free, paraben free, hypo-allergenic fragrances and if you are a neat freak, you’ll like that these can hang upside down in the shower and they have a drip free nozzle (I’m definitely getting old appreciating things like this!). I liked how this product cleansed yet is gentle on the skin. The great price point also gets the thumbs up. All up, a great family shower gel. NZ$5 from all supermarkets. (more…)

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