These crumbly, sweet and juicy blueberry crumble bars can be made any time of the year thanks to frozen berries! In this recipe, the buttery almond base combines well with a layer of juicy, sweet Sujon blueberries and the extra crumble and almonds on top give it a lovely crunch.   It looks pretty impressive and is fairly simple to make which is always a bonus!  Frozen berries are a staple in my house. They’re so versatile –  I add them to yoghurt, porridge, smoothies and I also use them in baking.  I used Sujon Blueberries for this recipe. Their blueberries originate ..read more

Blueberry and lemon muffins are on regular rotation in the snack department at the moment. This year one of my aims was to spend less at the grocery store.  It’s a work in progress, that’s for sure (I’m terrible at going back and buying extras I don’t really need!) but one thing I have been consistent with is making more snack foods. Not only does it cost less, you also avoid excess packaging and plastic.  I keep these muffins in the freezer and they store well.  My daughter and husband both enjoy these lemon and blueberry muffins.  They’re not overly sweet so the juicy b ..read more

Dessert is always my favourite part of a meal and I love to make them too.  Even though the weather is getting cooler,  you can still make the most of berries by buying frozen.  I created this yummy tart using Sujon blueberries.  The  Blueberry swirl tart is kind of a cross between a cheesecake (but with no cream cheese!) and a posett.  It looks impressive but is really simple to make. The filling is predominately thick greek yoghurt and coconut cream, together with blueberries. It’s light, creamy and delicious.    It could be made dairy free by substit ..read more

There’s something calming about baking.   Maybe it’s because you naturally slow down, or the rhythm of mixing and the magic of creating something delicious from scratch – like this yummy banana blueberry loaf.   Whatever it is, in these difficult times, baking is something I like to do to relax and unwind.  In a way, it’s almost a type of mindfulness. You’re paying full attention to the experience of measuring, mixing and noticing taste and smell of what you’re making.   The tasting bit is probably the best! When the team at Sujon asked if I’d like to create a recipe ..read more

Photo by Ella Olsson on Unsplash Plastic Free July has got me all inspired to look at ways to reduce plastic use. I have to confess, I’ve got a bit of work to do – like remembering to take my KeepCup with me for a start! I have made some changes – I’ve been on the re-usable bag buzz for a long time, I make my own yoghurt most weeks, and I’ve bought some beeswax wraps. But there’s still lots of places I know I could do better. Here’s a round up of some products that I’ve found useful or have got my eye on to get! What ways have you reduced your plastic use? I’d love to hear your ti ..read more

It’s national Organic Week here in New Zealand and it’s great to see more people becoming more aware of our impact on the environment, sustainability and wellbeing. As a result, it’s becoming more common to choose organic options over others. If you think organic food is super expensive, you might be surprised that it doesn’t always have to be.   Here’s a rundown on what organic food actually is, the benefits and how to include more organic food in your diet without it breaking the bank. What is organic food and it’s benefits?   ‘Organic’ refers to how food is produced. Organic ..read more

There’s nothing like soup to warm you on a cold winters day.  This Moroccan tomato and chickpea soup contains a warming mixture of spices, including the Tunisian chilli paste called harrisa.  This is made with chilli, garlic, caraway seeds and other herbs and spices.  It’s available at specialty food stores and many supermarkets.  I bought a tube for $2.50.  Using a little of this gives the soup a little kick, but it’s not super spicy.   Unlike some winter soups, this Moroccan tomato and chickpea soup is super quick to make as it uses canned tomatoes and chickpeas.  It’s also very budget fri ..read more

This feijoa and coconut loaf tastes amazing and is a nice way to use up feijoas . If you’ve got a tree no doubt you’ll have them in abundance and when you can’t eat any more as they are, then there are plenty of yummy ways to cook with them. I have to admit, I’m not a fan of moving into the cooler seasons, but one thing I do love is feijoas.  These green gems are only available for a few months a year which probably makes them even more appealing. While my feijoa trees have only just started fruiting, I was lucky enough to be given a big box from Old Road Estate.  I got creative in the kitche ..read more

What is kefir? Kefir is a probiotic rich milk drink that is simple to make yourself. While it’s traditionally made with milk, you can also make it with coconut water, coconut milk and rice milk. Kefir and yoghurt are both fermented milk products, but the difference is in the cultures used. Kefir contains a much wider variety of probiotic bacteria and yeasts. It’s also fermented at room temperature, whereas yoghurt fermentation is started at a higher heat. Taste wise, kefir is similar yet quite distinct to the taste of yoghurt. It’s slightly sour and can be a little tangy. I u ..read more

For a large proportion of my life, coffee has played a pretty significant part. Whether it be drinking it, making it, or simply breathing in the smells of freshly roasted beans, coffee is one of life’s simple pleasures for me. However, over the years that I have worked as a barista, I have noticed a shift in the way we drink our daily brew. Where once it was a choice between milk or no milk, we now have a multitude of milk alternatives filling the shelves, which can start making a simple coffee order fairly complicated. The array of choices we have can be exciting for some of us – new flavours ..read more