They say you can’t judge a book by its cover but I beg to differ on my newest addition to my cookbook shelf. Just before Christmas I passed a tempting a festive Nordic window display with ‘Scandinavian Baking – Loving Baking at Home’ by Trine Hahnemann placed centre stage. In a rush, I couldn’t buy […]
The Insiders’ Guide to the Joy of Baskets
Ok, I’ll come straight out with it……..my name is Sharon and I am a basket user! “So what’s all the fuss about?” you may ask. Well to be honest there is less fuss about it these days, but when I first started using a basket 15 years ago as a young mum in New Zealand, […]
The Earth Laughs in Flowers
…and so it does….Lovely thought for the day.. 🙂
Book Review: Vintage Flowers by Vic Brotherson
Vintage Flowers, Choosing, Arranging, Displaying by Vic Brotherson. The first phrase that comes to mind when describing this book is eye candy! For flower and vintage style lovers it will totally seduce you at first peep.….well it did me. Vintage Flowers is my kind of happy place book which induces a cosy session curled up […]
Dirge of the Dishwasher
While those of us who weren’t there can romanticise the lifestyle of our mothers and grandmothers; – the quieter, less hurried lifestyle, the homeliness of baking cakes, making jams and collecting eggs from the hens and the time to partake in handmade crafts, it does, from time to time, pay to think about the fact […]
Alice in Wonderland comes to life
When I was a child of 7, I was ill and off school for several months. It wasn’t anything life threatening but I was ill enough to need complete bed rest which, once I was convalescing and over the worst of my illness was terribly boring for a normally active, inquisitive child. I think this […]
6 Not so usual holiday reading picks
I started our Southern Hemisphere summer with a pile of reading that I thought I’d never get through. Amazing though how you find those bits of down time here and there that aren’t filled with general life busy-ness to take a bit of time out and curl up with a good book. If you’re looking […]
Book Review: “Architecture Uncooked” a response to the Kiwi bach.
Architect Pip Cheshire and photographer Patrick Reynolds join forces to create a love letter to the ‘Kiwi bach’ – a cherished building that lives on in the imagination and memories of every New Zealander and no doubt that of plenty of visitors to these shores. Seven New Zealand holiday homes are explored both visually and […]
Vintage Recipe Book: NZ Woman’s Weekly Favourite Recipes 1976
I love vintage recipe books. It’s a fascinating tour through our culinary history and is often a reminder of the thrift and resourcefulness of our mothers and grandmothers. Tui Flower was the Food Editor of the New Zealand Woman’s Weekly from 1965 to 1984 and this 1976 Edition of the NZ Woman’s Weekly Favourite Recipes […]
Civilisation by Steve Braunias
Harnessing his acute observational powers and wry wit, Steve Braunias traverses New Zealand over 3 years visiting random parts of the country and outposts beyond and crafts a rich and colourful essay on each place he visits recounting snippets of history and his encounters with the characters he finds there. The result is this gem […]