Parenting
Finding time for yourself as a parent
I've recently got a job writing for Natural Parent Magazine. Thinking back on when my son was a pre-schooler has been great fun (and a bit nostalgic!) Here's the first of the articles I've written, which I hope you enjoy. Having young children is all-consuming… every...
According to most restaurants, children will only eat six things
Over the last few years, my family’s experience has been that from the most humble café to the most prestigious restaurant, the menu for children has been depressingly the same: chicken nuggets, burgers, fried fish, pizza, pasta and chips (with...
Eat your greens
I am recipe-testing for my new cookbook at the moment, and I've just reached smoothies. Browsing old library books outside our Coromandel library, I came across one called Green for Life by Victoria Boutenko. It had a load of smoothie recipes in it so I...
The essence of summer
When we were down in Christchurch the other day, it was so hot that we had the windows of the car down. Wafts of warm air kept coming into the car with a subtle floral scent… elderflowers! What a beautiful smell… the epitomy of summer. We pulled up on the side of the...
Children’s birthday cakes – rise to the challenge
Children’s birthdays in general can be a bit of a minefield... expectations are so high on behalf of both the child and the parents and one of the biggest challenges is how to make a birthday cake that will compare favourably with those that have come before… We go...
Bees, births and builds
I am quite scared of bees and wasps… nasty things that fly too close to your face and get in your ice-cream when you are trying to eat it… But I have a friend, Oksana who is a beekeeper and sells the most wonderful honey. You can see what Oksana’s honey looks like...
