WOW - The NZ gift fair - Auckland 2010

Ingrid and I managed to blag our way in to the NZ Gift fair - wow what an amazing set up! If you liked the food show multiply that x10! The effort people went to to promote their products was unbelievable...

We were lucky to meet Helen from Livewires Publishing, what an inspiration. A real bubbly and motivated lady that has faith in our cards - Thank you so much - we are so grateful!

There was everything there from cards, baby gear, home furnishing, kitchen stuff, art work, stationery, bath products and general gifty stuff - there are a lot of talented people in out world! Competition for us yet inspiring at the same time!

We also met the team at Affirmations who were very generous in offering their time to catch up this Saturday. They produce cards with inspirational messages. Ingrid and I are looking forward to sharing our cards with you and learning from your experience in the business...

After the gift fair we popped into IVY in Kingsland for a chat, vino and a bite.

It was a perfect and surprising Sunday afternoon!

Vanessa

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One of the delights of life is eating with friends, second to that is talking about eating. And, for an unsurpassed double whammy, there is talking about eating while you are eating with friends. —Laurie Colwin

Photoshoot for new range

Photos taken whilst collecting lemons for the lemon curd and lemon meringue pie...

So after a busy day of work and looking after baby Rhys, Ingrid and I enjoyed our usual Friday night family night.

However the following day was our big shoot and neither of us had prepared any food!
So after baths, stories, battles and bed, we both hit the kitchen for a night of cooking.
I LOVE cooking but after a busy day and time ticking on - it was the last thing I felt like doing! Positive thoughts and self motivation directed me in the right direction...

Meringues again for our prize winner, lemon curd made with home grown lemons from next door, lemon meringue pie as well as crepes was the hit list for the evening.

Disaster numero uno - the meringues. What was I thinking. I know better than to rush! I didn't whip the egg whites enough and wasn't pedantic and careful enough when adding the sugar so ended up with a mixture that didn't hold its own when pipped and had sugar crystals through it. I cooked it anyway knowing it wasn't right and plodded on to the lemon curd.

I love real zesty lemon curd, its so creamy, delicious and has a homely old-fashioned nostalgic feel to it. Its the second time I have cooked it and both times perfect!

All it takes is a bit of time stirring over a double boiler. Perfect solution to waiting out the stirring time - hook up the lap top and watch TV on demand - yeahhha lemon curd and the mentalist - PERFECT combination!

Check out the recipe below and give it ago - delicious on crepes, toast, ice cream or just spooned straight from the fridge to your mouth!!!!

Lemon curd my way...

3 large eggs
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest

3/4 cup white sugar

60 grams butter

In a double boiler or microwave (bowl on top of a pan with boiling water) melt the butter.

Mix everything together in a bowl and add to the butter - mix well.

Put back onto the double boiler and stir pretty much constantly until the mixture thickens. This may take about 15 mins, if nothing seems to be happening turn up the heat. Keep stirring...

When thick, pour in to containers, cool and refrigerate.

Remember - it will thicken further in the fridge.

Tip - Taste Taste Taste - add more sugar or lemon depending on your tastes.

If life throws you a lemon - make lemonade.

Joan Collins

Photoshoot - hopefully the last in our backyard studio!

Come back soon -the post of our last photo shoot in all its glory, dramas and hiccups will be revealed...

In the meantime the pics will give you a taster

Vanessa

Wedding Banquet!

OK hold your horses no ones getting married...
So last night whilst putting Jake to sleep clearly I had too much time to think so thought I would be productive and design a menu for a wedding!
I have no idea why but here goes, its my idea of a perfect feast!

To begin...
Bluff oysters Au natural of course served on ice whilst sipping champers and cold beer.

Entree
SEAFOOD - Japanese sashimi platters with the freshest salmon and snapper served with the usual as well as Japanese seaweed. For the non raw-fish brigade BBQ ed garlic prawns and scallops (of course with the roe!!!) Finger bowls provided!

Main
On the BBQ - the best eye fillet (MR) served with Bearnaise sauce, Caesar salad with anchovies, spinach/beetroot/red onion salad with a sweet berry dressing, a bean salad reminiscent of KFC and either dauphinoise potatoes or hand cut crunchy fries. Good job Ingrid is now a meat eater HUH!

Dessert
Lemon tart - very zesty with berries and creme fraiche. maybe something chocolaty - haven't got that far...

The cake
A profiterole tower. chocolate dipped and filled with the most luscious creme patisserie stacked up in a tower and enforced with spun sugar.

Cheese board with dessert wine and port
A really delicious Blue, Feta, gooey Bri and a strong tasty hard cheese.

Coffee - REAL coffee made by a barista served with a square of russian fudge.

Midnight snack
Bacon butties with tomato relish.

Delicious - anyone keen for a wedding???

and with one can of tomatoes, a cookbook can be made

Vanessa and I are always talking about what sort of cookbook we would like to do when we get our 'lucky' break. Our ideas are very different, probably because my big sis holds the better gourmet genes whilst I'm discovering a whole new set of tastes after pregnancy turned me back to a hearty meat-eater after 20 years as a vegetarian.

I always liked the idea of recipes based around one can of tomatoes, a staple in most kiwi kitchens and a great base for a multitude of dishes. I know Vanessa, will be thinking 'BORING! SIS' and the next time we hook up she will add her little bit of fancy dust and wa la she will turn my can of tomatoes into something super saucy, but before she does, I'll share with you my dinner for two that I made tonight - (the bloke rated it a 8.5 out of ten - not bad!)

Indian spiced chicken in tomatoes

1 onion - diced

2 tsp garlic - crushed

1 chicken breast - diced

Spices

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp chilli

1 tsp tumeric

2 Tbsp tomato paste

half can of chopped tomatoes

handful of frozen peas

squeeze of lime or lemon juice

In a pan, add oil, and fry onions and garlic. Add spices, fry for a minute. Add chicken and brown. Add tomato paste. Mix. Add half a can of chopped tomatoes, simmer for a few mins and then add frozen peas, squeeze of lime or lemon and simmer for two mins. Serve on rice, or with Naan bread

Delicious. Ingrid

Best comment WINS a box of meringues!

Promotion - hmmmm why have a blog if no one visits...
So, sitting in the Neighbourhood bar in Kingsland, free wifi, delicious chardonnays and hand cut fries we brainstorm ways to promote our foodie photo blog.
Obvious choice - Facebook - between us we have quite a few contacts so we sent out the group message in the hope you will all support and "like" our first range of recipe gift cards that we have managed to sell already!!! Whoop whoop. They will be in gift and food shops around NZ from September! Check out range to the right via flickr.

We would love to hear your comments - and yes you will seriously receive a box of Vanessa's famous on the North Shore meringues - although if your not in Auckland we might have a challenge on our hands.

We are on a mission to get a cookbook deal so our next step is Range #2 and its all about Kids and Food so we want your kids! We will be in touch with details of the casting call soon. But it promises to be a fun (and very messy) day.

Vanessa and Ingrid

The Food Show

Ingrid and I left the boys with the kids and escaped early to check out Auckland's "Food Show".
We arrived at 9am to beat the queues but didn't realise it opened at 10am! There was NO-WAY we were going to wait for an hour so headed to the Cornwall Park cafe for breakie.
I know we aren't a "review blog" but sorry Cornwall Park, very average food...

The Food Show - we had been many times in the past but had been out of the loop for a couple of years so were excited to see what was new and innovative.

We queued to get in, and had to queue to get money out after discovering not everyone had eftpos. We ended up buying a $3.00 Food Show bag for all our goodies to beat the queue and get cash out at the same time. PHEW mission and we hadn't even stepped foot inside.

Hmmmm same old same old - and it was too early to hit the wine stalls!

We felt that we had paid money ($22 from memory) for foodie places to bombard us with advertising. Samples seemed less and our goodie bags were pretty much empty!
One place insisted on opening the packet for us rather than it going in our goodie bag for later!
It felt like a "double dipping" convention combined with "get what you can for free".
We even had to ask if they gave away samples at the cat food stall - LOL we took away 2 tubs of food for the kitty cat and that was the most generous sample!

So what was good about it?
Fair trade bananas - WOW they froze the bananas and squeezed them through a professional looking juicer and out the other end was the most amazing frozen banana ice cream - TOTALLY fat free - just bananas. This is to be tried to believe!
Vanilla paste - beautiful vanilla products that smelt truly nostalgic and romantic. it makes me want get creating.
NZ produced peanut butter made with Aussie nuts - delicious!
Cute honey pots with different blends of honey - they looked and tasted divine especially the VIPER Gloss!
The sealed section of DISH magazine - a great and innovative idea from the team as well as a lovely chat with the editor! KUDOS to you!
The packaging of an American soda pop range - recently imported to NZ, interesting old fashioned taste but the packaging appealed to me more not being a fizzy drink girl!

Would I go again?
Not next year - food for thought!
V

Breakfast for the busy working mums!

I struggle every morning with breakfast. I usually don't feel like it for at least an hour after waking BUT I am usually en route to daycare - in the car.
I LOVE stopping at my local cafe but its becoming a habit that is affecting my pocket and waist! So time to think up solutions....
I am a savoury person, I don't do cereal and I love my coffee - oh yeah I also try to eat reasonably healthy (He He)

Solution...
Buy the best rolls/bread you can find - ie Ciabatta, Pane Di Casa (bakers delight) - I don't like the doughy and airy bread so I hunt out something with a bit of guts to it!
Also buy ham, a nice cheese like Jalsberg, mustard and/or mayo.
Sunday evening - make up your buns. Wrap them first in baking paper and then tin foil and throw them into the freezer.
I found if you just do tin foil the cheese sticks and if you just do paking paper, you end up with spillage!
Keep one out for breakfast/lunch the next day though...

Now in the morning all I do is put it into my panini/toasted sandwich maker fresh or frozen and throw it into my handbag and eat it whilst on the way or when I arrive at work.
I often end up sharing it with Jake!

Coffee - after trying many plastic takeaway cups and having leaks, cold coffee, burnt my mouth or spilt it in the car, I discovered "keepcups" They are about $20, look cool and you can choose your own colours. The coffee doesn't seem to stay as hot as a cafe takeaway flat white BUT does the trick as I drink it pretty fast! Roll on Friday when I am kid less and will stop at the cafe!

V

We have a publisher!!!

OMG!!! We love you Helen from www.livewires.co.nz for being 'delighted' with our creations and willing to take a punt on us and print and distribute our first range of cards all over NZ.

She tells us they will be featured in an upcoming gift fair in Auckland on 29-31 August at ASB Showgrounds www.giftfairs.co.nz/christmas/ and will be in shops around September.

Check out our first range on flickr

www.flickr.com/photos/52439375@N02/