Cooking -

Frosé Recipe with Akarua RUA Pinot Rosé

February 2, 2017
By: Melissa

#YesWayRosé, it’s the second annual NZ Rosé Day on February 5th – a ‘National Holiday’ I’m totally on board with FYI.

Celebrate at home and enjoy this gorgeous Frosé (frozen rosé) recipe with Akarua’s RUA Pinot Rosé RRP $24. This would be a perfect pairing with a classic Waitangi weekend BBQ with crayfish, salmon or lamb, a rich cheese or a decadent pudding recommends Akarua Winemaker Andrew Keenleyside.

p.s NOT just for ladies – lads call it Brosé.

INGREDIENTS

1 bottle of Akarua RUA Pinot Rosé

Juice of 1 lemon

4-5 strawberries OR a handful of raspberries

¼ cup sugar

1 cup of water

INSTRUCTIONS

Place RUA Pinot Rosé, lemon juice, strawberries or raspberries, sugar and half the water in a blender, blend until smooth

Pour into ice cube moulds and freeze for approximately 4–6 hours

When you are ready to serve, place cubes into blender and add the remaining half cup of water.

Whizz to a smooth slushy-like consistency (more water may be required to loosen the mixture).

Garnish and serve with a straw!

For more information on New Zealand Rosé Day 2017, head to sipnzrose.com and become part of the conversation using #sipnzrose

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Creamy Avocado Basil Zoodles Recipe

January 30, 2017
By: Melissa

Oh. My. Lord.

Never made zoodles before, preeeety sure I’ve never created OR made a whole foods recipe before either.

First time for everything – including using New Hemisphere Hemp Seed Oil – and let me tell you, I will be making this again, and again and again. The nutty taste of the Hemp Seed Oil is the perfect complement to the smooth, creamy avocado blend (especially as I forgot to buy pine nuts for the pesto!).

I read a lot about zoodles before I began, it seems the key to making them is not to overcook them, you don’t want a pile of courgette / zucchini mush on your plate. Use the same principles as cooking regular pasta – firm, al dente noodles are your goal.

Creamy Avocado Basil Zoodle Recipe

2017-01-30 10:24:49

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For the Zoodles

2 x zuchinni
1 x carrot
1 x garlic glove
1/4 red onion
1/4 red capsicum
1 x tblsp olive oil

For the Sauce

2 x ripe avocados
2 x garlic cloves
18-ish basil leaves
3 1/2 tblsp Hemp Seed Oil
Squeeze of lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

- Spiralize your zucchini and carrot (I use the amaze OXO Hand Spiralizer from Stevens).
- Chop garlic, onion and capsicum, saute in olive oil
- Add carrot zoodles to pan about a minute ahead of zucchini
- Cook for approx 5 minutes, stirring constantly
- Remove from heat as soon as zoodles begin to soften, but still firm.
- Add avocado, chopped garlic cloves, basil leaves, lemon and hemp seed oil to blender bowl.
- Whizz it all up and add salt and pepper to taste.
Gently stir sauce through zoodles, add olives, chopped tomatoes and grated parmesan to serve.

By Melissa Jack

https://www.thebestnest.co.nz/

New Zealand's Top Mummy Blogger Parenting Travel Blog Family Zoodles Recipe

If you would like to win an OXO Good Grips Spiralizer (which is what I used to whip up this dish!), just leave a comment below, it’s that easy!

I’ll draw a winner 22/2/17, NZ residents only.

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Back to School Lunches: 4 Ways with Wraps

January 27, 2017
By: Melissa

Kids and lunchboxes.

Here we go again for another year!

My kids start off the school year quite enthused about lunches but, as each term draws to a close, we find more and more food coming home uneaten. Which makes me cringe for two reasons;

Both of the boys are huge, hungry eaters. If they’re leaving food in the lunchboxes they will be hungry. Not an ideal situation when they need fuel to stay focused at school and kindy.
The wasted food!!!! Throwing lunchbox rejects away just hurts, plain and simple.

After 12 years of making lunch for Ethan, I’m fairly sure that the secret to an empty lunchbox is variety. Peanut butter sandwiches day after day doesn’t cut it and ‘lunchbox fatigue’ quickly sets in.

Farrah’s Snack Wraps are a delicious school lunch solution. I’ve partnered with them to show you how we use their range to give the boys some yummy lunchbox variations that are super easy to make. Available in White (totally dairy free!) and the new Cheesy variety (made from REAL cheese!), the size is perfect for little hands and as you’ll see in my video, they never crack or split when you roll them!

Look out for Farrah’s wraps and little monsters in a supermarket near you, RRP $5.50.

Lunchbox Ideas: 4 Ways with Farrah’s Snack Wraps

Pizza Quesadillas

Spread open wrap with tomato sauce and mayonnaise.
Add yummy pizza fillings; we used salami and cheese.
Fold in half and heat in a pan until cheese is melted and both sides are golden brown.

Peanut Butter Banana Roll-Ups

Spread open wrap with peanut butter.
Peel a banana and lay it down on one side of the wrap.
Add raisins or a little honey, then roll everything up.
Cut into rounds for little hands or leave as is.

Hot Dog Roll-Ups

Pre-cook hot-dogs, sausages or cheerios.
Cut straight edges on 2 sides of the wrap.
Spread open wrap with tomato sauce and mustard.
Place hot-dog along one of the straight edges.
Add cheese and any other toppings.
Roll up.
Spray some oil in a pan
Carefully place hot-dog in pan, turning so it’s golden brown all over.
Remove from pan and cut into rounds for little hands or leave whole.

Classic Filled Wraps

Spread open wrap with hummus
Add fillings of choice to one side of wrap. We used chicken, carrots, lettuce, capsicum and cheese
Fold the bottom of wrap up towards the middle.
Roll the wrap, filled side first.
Use toothpicks to hold wrap together as an alternative to plastic wrap.

Win with Farrah’s!

I have 5 prize packs to giveaway, each containing a Farrah’s Lunchbox and packs of Farrah’s Snack Wraps.

To enter just comment below with your favourite way to use Farrah’s wraps.

Competition closes 5/2/17 NZ residents only.

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The Best One Pan Macaroni Cheese Recipe

January 8, 2017
By: Melissa

Forget everything you thought you knew about Macaroni Cheese. This is the easiest, quickest, most delicious Macaroni recipe you will ever make. One pan. One step. Forget about boiling pasta, making a sauce, draining the pasta, combining the ingredients, baking……………this is too easy! Dave and I whipped this up in 20 minutes, seriously.
Press play to watch the 1 min video and check out the recipe below.

Enjoy!

The Best One Pan Macaroni Cheese Recipe

2017-01-08 19:43:32

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Ingredients

1 x 500gm bag macaroni elbows
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup warm water (if needed)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1.5 cups grated cheddar or mild cheese
2-3 slices of cooked bacon
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook bacon in the pan you intend to use for the macaroni. Remove bacon from pan, add chopped onions and garlic. Sautee in bacon grease until soft.
Return chopped bacon to pan.
Add macaroni elbows. Stir to combine.
Add chicken stock. Stir to combine.
Place lid on pan. Simmer on low heat for 10-12 minutes until stock has reduced (not completely) and pasta is cooked but still firm.
Add cheeses, stir to combine. Add additional water at this time if you need more liquid to form the cheese sauce.
Remove from heat.
Garnish with chives and serve.

https://www.thebestnest.co.nz/

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Recipe | Shortbread Christmas Tree Stacks

December 12, 2016
By: Melissa

Baking with kids is awesome at any time of year but the mess is exponentially MORE enjoyable when you get the littlies in the kitchen at Christmas time.

I bake shortbread every Christmas to gift to our neighbours, my Scottish Pop, kindy teachers and anyone else who needs a little sweetening up after putting up with us for the past year. It’s easy, inexpensive and, let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a recipe with four ingredients?

Shortbread is my kind of cookie.

Last year I really stepped up my Christmas Shortbread game with the addition of a set of star-shaped cookie cutters I found at a large retailer whose name starts with K – I can’t remember which store it was so good luck with your search ok?

Once baked and cooled, stack your shortbread into the most delicious Christmas tree ever, tie with baker’s twine and wrap with cellophane if necessary. Stack two or 3 of each size shortbread for an impressively simple centerpiece on your Christmas dessert table (this would also work with a set of square or round cookie cutters if you have those instead).

Aren’t you clever?! Here’s how to make it happen;

Shortbread Recipe

Originally published online at www.chelsea.co.nz

250g butter, softened
3/4 cup Chelsea Icing Sugar
1/2 cup cornflour
1 1/2 cups standard flour
Chelsea Coffee Sugar Crystals for decoration

Preheat oven to 150°C bake (140°C fan forced). Grease oven tray or line with baking paper.

1. Beat butter and icing sugar until pale and fluffy.

2. Mix in cornflour and flour until the mixture comes together and forms a dough.

3. On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1 cm thick and cut into shapes using biscuit cutters.

Alternatively, roll dough into a log and slice into rounds, using a floured knife to prevent sticking. Sprinkle with coffee sugar crystals if desired and press down gently.

4. Place on prepared tray and bake 25 – 30 minutes, until shortbread is pale but crisp. Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.

OR

Make a Shortbread Christmas Tree!

Win with #ChelseaSugar this Christmas!

Whipping up treats to enjoy and share over Christmas is so much fun and something you can easily get the kids on board with. To help get you and your family in the kitchen over the holidays, I have a $50 Chelsea Sugar Prize Pack to give away to one reader!

To enter, just comment below with your favourite, homemade Christmas treat.

Competition closes 22/12/16 residents only.

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That Retail Life – What’s Hot this Week + Win!

December 12, 2016
By: Melissa

I’m seeing a lot of awesome new products each week so thought it was about time I curated these new releases into a regular ‘Hot List’ that’s short and snappy, giving you guys the lowdown on the latest and greatest from brands we love.

What’s New – December #1

Farrah’s Super Duo – Chia and Quinoa and Sprouted Grain wraps RRP $5.49

Many of us try to lighten up our menus over summer and some brands are just the perfect partners for a pantry makeover. Farrah’s is one such brand, one our family LOVES as we go through multiple packs of their amaze, no-split, no-crack wraps each week. Made using super grains and sprouted grain flour with the addition of chia seeds and quinoa, the latest two varieties to join the Farrah’s wrap family are indeed a Super Duo.

WIN with Farrah’s!

I have 3 Prize Packs to give away each containing;

Farrah’s tote bag
Farrah’s Chia & Quinoa wraps
Farrah’s Sprouted Grain wraps

To enter just leave a comment below and tell me how you’d get creative with your delicious wraps. Comp closes 16/12/16, NZ residents only.

Tararua Dairy Co. Dips with Bits RRP $4.49

I wasn’t sure that classic Kiwi Onion Dip could get any better but the proof is in the pot. Dip is better with bits. FACT.

Tararua Dairy Co. have kicked summer off with three new delicious dips that will take the average pack of ready salted chips to new heights as we hit the entertaining season. Find the tasty trio of Dips with bits in stores now; The Classic Kiwi Onion, The Smokey Cheddar & Red Pepper, and The Mexican Chipotle & Lime. Yum!

Old El Paso Whole Grain Stand n Stuff Tortillas RRP $5.99

Our family is bananas about tacos and in particular we LOVE soft tacos. Old El Paso has added preservative free Whole Grain Stand n Stuff Tortillas to their range of Mexican flavours and they are just as soft and delicious as we’ve all come to expect from this brand. We couldn’t wait to try these and whipped up some tacos as soon as they arrived. Ethan, in particular, loves these as he struggles with the mess of regular tacos, I love them because they are just so damn tasty!

In supermarkets nationwide.

Good George Scarlett Cider RRP $14.99 946ml Squealer (and on tap in selected bars)

Summer + cider = winning. The good peeps at Good George Brewing have bottled summer in their limited edition Scarlett – apple cider and juicy Scarlett O’Hara peaches combine without any creepy fur ::::shiver::::: peach fur itching your chin is the worst!

Don’t miss out on this babe-town drink as it’s only available over summer. Squealer too big? Don’t fret, the bottle is resealable so you can share with friends or enjoy it over a couple of days.

Available in selected bars, good liquor stores, and specialty outlets.

Ice Age 5: Collision Course

Just in time for Christmas (and those rainy summer days we always get around New Years!), our favourite prehistoric heroes are back for another adventure. The 5th chronical in the famous franchise sees Scrat kick off a chain of events that put everyone in jeopardy. Teamwork is required in this hilarious adventure that introduces new characters and reunites us with our old pals Buck, Manny, Ellie, Sid and Diego.

Available on Blu-Ray, 3D Blu-Ray and DVD.

Kindness, Courage, and more Uplifting Stories RRP $20

A Christmas gift with a meaning and a message is a rare thing indeed and this delightful compilation of stories might just provide some context for many of us during this holiday season.

Written by the winners of the Barfoot & Thompson Young Authors Challenge and illustrated by some real kiwi icons (Keven Mealamu, Otis Frizzell, Benny Tipene and more), all proceeds from book sales go to the Starship foundation.

Nixon has had numerous stays in Starship and the support services offered by the Foundation to families and patients is invaluable. This gorgeous book of short stories is gifted to children who spend a night in Starship or Whangarei Children’s Hospital and is available for purchase here.

Lonvitalite 24K Gold & Collagen Eye Mask RRP $31.95 per 6 pack

Much beloved salon brand Lonvitalite is available in NZ so we can all get closer to those amaze gold eye masks than the many #LonSelfie shots on Instagram!

Targeting dark circles and fine lines under the eye, Lonvitalite 24K Gold and Collagen eye mask is a mummy must-have receiving rave reviews and I can’t wait to try it out this morning. Available in selected salons and spas or online here.

Mellow Cosmetics Treasure Chest Eye Palette RRP $34

Seriously, this palette is a thing of beauty! I’m slowly building up my Mellow collection and love the brand more with each new addition. Including 12 shades, Treasure Chest is the perfect addition to any beauty-lover’s Christmas stocking.

Like the entire Mellow range, Treasure Chest was designed in New Zealand and is vegan and paraben free.

Pro Tip – try the Liquid Lip Paints, they are amaze! Shop Mellow here x

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Thai Chicken Pies – Dinner is served!

December 2, 2016
By: Melissa

I came to the realisation this week that, despite being a born-and-raised Kiwi mummy, there was something that was missing from my life. Something so quintessentially ‘New Zealand’ that I’m pretty embarrassed to have been overlooking it for so long.

I couldn’t remember the last time I had eaten a pie.

Truth.

There are few things we hold dear as a nation, but our collective love of pies has to be one of them. Specifically, in recent times, Kiwis love chucking curry in a pie.

Look, I may be ridiculously good at many things – such as online shopping and liking stranger’s photos on Instagram – but I have never in my life made a curry from scratch and I’m not about to start at age 37.

That’s for the experts, and the experts are My Main Course.

Last night we whipped up these delicious pies as per the suggestion on the back of the Thai Chicken Curry pouch. Grab these in the supermarket, flip the pack over and all the ingredients you need to create a kick-ass dinner are right there for you to pick up with your shopping.

When you get home, jump online at www.mymaincourse.co.nz for assembly instructions.

Easy-peasy.

We recreated My Main course’s Pot Pie recipe (find it here) using our new piemaker (I may have impulsively bought because PIES!), and it was a perfect family meal that made 4 pies from one pack of Thai Chicken Curry + some added ingredients.

Check out the ingredients – nothing fancy or complicated here!

Into the piemaker after minimal prep,

And check out the end result!

Don’t pooh-pooh this dinner idea because you think pies are ghetto. This chicken curry is an elegant, light filling that’s so full of flavour and is perfectly complemented by the fresh coriander.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!

New family fave right there.

The My Main Course range (Thai Green Curry, Mexican Chicken, Pulled Pork, Savoury Mince, Baked Beans, Green Lentil Dahl) is perfect for helping busy families whip up great tasting meals with minimal prep time. Your meal base is all done, you just choose your sides and get creative – or not lol, totally up to you.

WIN > I have ANOTHER $50 supermarket voucher to give away thanks to My Main Course! (Make sure you’ve entered the first comp here!) Just comment below and let me know which variety you and your family would love to try first.

Competition closes 16/12/16 NZ residents only.

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Summer Fruit: Get smoothie ready…..for an entire year + WIN!

November 29, 2016
By: Melissa

It’s warming up here in New Zealand. Spring’s been doing it’s thing and out in my neck of the woods – North West Auckland – the berry farms are in full swing as they prepare for the picking season to begin. One of my favourite summer traditions is a throwback from when I was little; I LOVE taking the boys berry picking at one of our local farms. To me fruit picking is synonymous with summer, but as a Mum, it’s also totally economical. Last season we picked 5kg of strawberries in 30 minutes one day and paid just $20! For those of us that whip up smoothies each morning, just one kilogram of frozen berries will cost you around $10, sometimes more. Picking and preserving what’s in season makes so much sense.

Making the Most of Summer Fruit

This year I plan on stocking the freezer with berries and stonefruit that we have picked ourselves from farms in our local area. We’ll be cutting down our food miles, cutting down our food costs and also benefitting from actually knowing the origin of at least some of what we consume as a family – all great lessons for the kids.

I’m going to either, free-flow freeze and then vacuum seal, or vacuum seal then freeze (depending upon the fruit) around 90% of the summer fruit we pick this year using the Sunbeam FoodSaver.

That’s my long-term plan lol – YES, this gadget is that amazing that I’m actually planning out how I’m going to use it in the kitchen for the whole growing season ahead! There’s a myriad of other, non-food related ways you can use the FoodSaver too but that’s a whole post in itself.

On a day-to-day basis you’ll find the FoodSaver at home on our bench helping us keep our pantry and standard fruit and vege fresher for longer. Produce previously lasting only days can last weeks and the freezer life of meat can be extended to 1-3 years when sealed with the FoodSaver!

Right now there is an awesome Gift with Purchase running, receive Bonus FoodSaver accessories with any purchase of a FoodSaver machine! Check out the full range here and find the Sunbeam FoodSaver in all leading appliance stores, including Farmers, JB HiFi, Smiths City, Heathcotes, 100% Your Electric Store, and Harvey Normans.

How to Use the Sunbeam FoodSaver

In the video below I’m going to show you two super easy ways to use the Sunbeam FoodSaver.

Extend the fridge life of fresh berries by using a FoodSaver canister. This is a great every-day solution as we want access to fresh berries daily for breakfast and lunchboxes etc but want to avoid those smooshed, mouldy berries that often go to waste at the bottom of punnets.
Freeze cheap, summer berries and other fruit for freezer storage and use throughout the year – in season prices during the off-season LOVE it!

I love the canisters for use in the pantry for crackers and for storing leftovers, fruit, salad mixes and cheese in the fridge. You’ll notice in the video we popped a paper towel in the vacuum bag before sealing it. If the berries had been slightly melted, the vacuum action would have sucked moisture out of the berries and up the sides of the bag, preventing a good seal. The paper towel absorbs the water and creates an airtight package ready for the freezer.

WIN A SUNBEAM FOODSAVER!

I am SO excited about being able to giveaway one of these amazing machines! I know you will love the Sunbeam FoodSaver as much as we do so make sure your entry is valid by telling me in the comments below how you would use your new FoodSaver VS5000 Seal + Store RRP $369.99.

Comp closes 18/12/16 NZ residents only.

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Pulled Pork Tacos Recipe – In 10 Minutes!

November 24, 2016
By: Melissa

New Zealand's Top Mummy Blogger Parenting Travel Blog Pulled Pork Recipe Imagine, as a Mum, if every time you said – ok SCREAMED – “Dinner is in ONE minute!”, you were actually telling the truth. What if the ravenous hordes could literally smell dinner cooking within moments of you opening the fridge to begin dinner prep?

Like, really, are you imagining this because it’s a sweet, sweet dream ya’ll. A dream of mums everywhere and, the best part is, you can BUY this dream for yourself. Anytime you want.

Like magic.

From………..the supermarket.

My Main Course has just launched in New Zealand so Dave and I ran the Pulled Pork variety through the Jack Family Dinner Gauntlet with baited breath;

If we had left the dinner run too late, and the prep took longer than expected all efforts would be wasted; Nix would be overtired and won’t eat. He would be late getting to bed and make our lives a misery the next day.
If it was gross? See above.

Stressy! Going rogue at dinner time with our two bottomless pits is a major risk! Luckily our gamble paid off, dinner time was amaze and we all loved the Pulled Pork in Smokey BBQ Sauce from My Main Course – and by loved, I mean inhaled, same same.

10 Minute Pulled Pork Tacos

You will need;

1 pack of My Main Course Pulled Pork

Tortillas

Shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, avocado etc

Sour cream, corn chips and hot sauce or salsa to serve.

Optional – try rice and black/refried beans on the side!

How to:

Heat pork via pack instructions (stovetop or microwave)
Chop fresh veges
Gently warm tortillas to prevent splitting when you roll them, 15-20 seconds in the microwave or splash some water on each side and warm in a pan.
Layer the pork, veges, sour cream and salsa or hot sauce on your tortillas (don’t overfill!), add some corn chips on the side (and rice and beans if you made them)
Enjoy!

You just smashed out an amazingly delicious dinner, using quality ingredients that (I’m sure!) your family loved! You just won parenting today, take a bow!

The My Main Course range (Thai Green Curry, Mexican Chicken, Pulled Pork, Savoury Mince, Baked Beans, Green Lentil Dahl) is perfect for helping busy families whip up great tasting meals with minimal prep time. Your meal base is all done, you just choose your sides and get creative – or not lol, totally up to you.

WIN > I have a $50 supermarket voucher to give away thanks to My Main Course! Just comment below and let me know which variety you and your family would love to try first. Check out another awesome recipe using My Main Course and enter to win ANOTHER $50 voucher here > Thai Chicken Pies

Competition closes 9/12/16, NZ residents only. This post was sponsored by My Main Course – thanks guys!

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That Retail Life – What’s Hot This Week + Win!

November 13, 2016
By: Melissa

I’m seeing a lot of awesome new products each week so thought it was about time I curated these new releases into a weekly ‘Hot List’ that’s short and snappy, giving you guys the lowdown on the latest and greatest from brands we love.

What’s New – November #1

Marcel’s Happy Pancakes – Gluten Free RRP $4.99

Marcel’s have rebranded and launched Happy Pancakes – Gluten Free this month, perfect timing for our family as Nixon and I are gluten free right now as we try a diet modification to get our asthma under control. The entire freezer range, Happy Pancakes, Ooh La La Crepes and Fancy Blinis, are sporting the cute new packaging so make sure you keep an eye out for the fun imagery in good supermarkets and specialty food stores nationwide.

Mac’s Brewhouse Non-Alcoholic Soda 4 Pack RRP $6.99

I attended the launch for these new, low sugar, zero alcohol adult sodas this week and they are sooooo good! This is brewed soda with a malt base combined with juices, spices and natural flavours and the result is freaking delicious! My faves are the Citrus & Vanilla and the Lime and Coconut and these two are joined by Ginger Root and Lemon & Barley, perfect summer flavours for the season ahead. I’m already dreaming up cocktail recipes using these as mixers, yum!

Available in a four-pack in supermarkets and single bottles at Z and BP stations.

Donovan’s Seasonal Collection RRP $8.99

I lOVE Donovan’s Seasonal Collection for Christmas gifts! These beautiful, limited edition treats are perfect presents for teachers, tutors, neighbours or are lovely to add to the dessert table on Christmas Day. The kiwi flavours are what makes this range totally special; Fruit and Nut Chocolate Bark, Chocolate Gingerbread Clusters, Coconut Ice Squares, Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels, Double Chocolate Fudge and Almond and Cranberry Clusters will leave you wanting to try every variety in the range.

Available in leading supermarkets and specialty stores nationwide.

How to Catch Santa by Jean Reagan RRP 19.99

A new Christmas story each year has always been a tradition in our house and this Christmas Eve How-To guide is soooo cute! How to Catch Santa is a super fun story but it’s also choc full of great ideas for ramping up the magic for your littles this Christmas! This is a story your family will love and pretty much use as a roadmap to a festive Christmas Eve, this year and well into the future.

Manuka Doctor Cashmere Touch Cream RRP $49.95

The third product to complete the Drops of Crystal range from Manuka Doctor has just launched and Cashmere Touch Cream is just as luxe and gorgeous as you would expect. Tested over 10 minute and 28 day periods, the combination of Purified Bee Venom and Manuka Honey with crystal tears – oil extracted from the Pistacia Lentiscus tree is delivering 97% of respondents wrinkle reduction and increased firmness with 90% reporting increased skin elasticity after 28 days.

The sensation of applying this cream will have you converted after a single use, it’s absolutely gorgeous!

Smirnoff Pure Pre-Mixed Vodkas RRP $12.99 for a four-pack

YAY. I’m a BIG fan of vodka cocktails but can’t stomach the sugary sweet overload of many pre-mixed offerings. Smirnoff have nailed these four flavours, I found it very hard trying to decide my fave but they’re are all delish. Choose between my pick, Ginger, Lime & Soda and Classic Lime & Soda, Cranberry Apple & Soda and Passionfruit, Lime & Soda,

Available from all good stockists this month.

Ernest Adams Slices, loaves, Cakes and Cookies RRP $4.99

One of NZ’s fave brands has been baking up sweet treats for over 80 years and now the good bakers at Ernest Adams have revamped their slices, loaves and cookies adding better quality ingredients, new recipes and bigger slices and cookies. New additions like Rocky Road Slice and Salted Caramel and Pecan Slice are sure to make a big impression this kiwi summer.

I have two amazing Ernest Adams prize packs to giveaway, to enter just leave a comment below!

Competition closes Sunday 20th 10pm. NZ residents only.

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#YesWayRosé, it’s the second annual NZ Rosé Day on February 5th – a ‘National Holiday’ I’m totally on board with FYI.

If you would like to win an OXO Good Grips Spiralizer (which is what I used to whip up this dish!), just leave a comment below, it’s that easy!

Look out for Farrah’s wraps and little monsters in a supermarket near you, RRP $5.50. Lunchbox Ideas: 4 Ways with Farrah’s Snack Wraps

Win with Farrah’s!

Enjoy!

Shortbread Recipe

Win with #ChelseaSugar this Christmas!

I’m seeing a lot of awesome new products each week so thought it was about time I curated these new releases into a regular ‘Hot List’ that’s short and snappy, giving you guys the lowdown on the latest and greatest from brands we love.

What’s New – December #1

WIN with Farrah’s!

Making the Most of Summer Fruit

How to Use the Sunbeam FoodSaver

WIN A SUNBEAM FOODSAVER!

10 Minute Pulled Pork Tacos

How to:

I’m seeing a lot of awesome new products each week so thought it was about time I curated these new releases into a weekly ‘Hot List’ that’s short and snappy, giving you guys the lowdown on the latest and greatest from brands we love.

What’s New – November #1

I have two amazing Ernest Adams prize packs to giveaway, to enter just leave a comment below!

Look out for Farrah’s wraps and little monsters in a supermarket near you, RRP $5.50.

Lunchbox Ideas: 4 Ways with Farrah’s Snack Wraps