If you have not yet managed to get onboard with the buzz that is Magnolia Kitchen, maybe your living under a rock, or just outside of NZ.

I can’t remember how or why I came across the magical instagram account, I’m guessing due to my love of baking and all things sugar coated along with a dash of sass and bucket loads of creativity. Bernadette (bets) is just so straight up spade is a spade kinda girl and I love the way she has written this cook book.

These are my first attempt at the Brioche Hot X Bun recipe out of the Magnolia Kitchen cook book.

Lemon Poppy seed loaf – this loaf is seriously so easy and very quick to get mixed up and in the oven.

 

this is the kinda thing I’m talking about that I love about this cook book.

Written in language that we all understand and can relate to.

Theres no doubt you’ll be hearing more from me on this cookbook and amazing lady.

I kinda want to be friends with Bets, she sounds like someone I’d get along with.

happy baking y’all

Cupcake x

 

 

Well…so much for  working on my blog more and keeping you all up to date.

Safe to say thats still a work in progress!

I’m now back in NZ after 6 fabulous weeks in India, I LOVED every minute of it…ok maybe not the really sweaty yoga classes at sunrise, but almost all of it!

There was not one moment where I thought to myself what the heck are you doing here.

The food the people and the places I went to were all amazing and I will definitely be back.

I feel I saw 1% of Goa and there is some much more to see.

I spent 4 weeks doing Yoga Teacher training in Ashtanga Vinyasa with Sampoorna yoga in agonda beach.

Given I had done about 3 Ashtanga classes before going to say I was in shock and pain after my first class would be an understatement. However…. now I plan to make ashtanga my personal practice as I feel its going to be great for when I’m at work.

lets talk about Garlic Naan and how I feel that I probably ate my body weight of this delicious snack while I was there, seriously its that good!

The flowers at the fire ceremony at the end of our training, so beautiful.

 

 

These are the garlands of flowers we got given to wear for the opening and closing ceremony.

 

ASHTANGA FOR LIFE…this group LOTUS so many amazing, caring, beautiful people. Who would have thought we showed up as strangers and left as the best of friends wondering how we would survive back in our worlds without each other.

 

Sunset beach walks and pictures after our graduation, we walked in as strangers, we’ve laughed, cried and spent hours flowing through vinyasa together to get to where we are today. Massive thank you to all the fellow students and all the amazing teachers that we had along the way, Sampoorna in Agonda you really are such a magical place.

Namaste.

 

 

SO as some of you have figured I’m currently in NZ making the most of the beautiful summer weather we are having and spending time with family and friends.

Whats also exciting is when some of your best friends all meet up in one place and you can finally all hang out together!

Working all over the place has its amazing perks but also the difficulties of missing friends or not being present for those milestone moments…

The last time I went to Waiheke Island I was probably about 12 years old and it was a holiday adventure with the family, Waiheke is quite a different place now to what is was back then it all started with the long line to board the ferry which shocked me! How could it be that so many people are heading out to this island for the day, I’m talking like 100’s of people! and that was just one ferry!  There was a rather large concert on and some big names attracting the crowds.

Waiheke is a much larger island than I first thought as the ferry from coromandel town stops at  Orapiu and getting to the fun part where the shops and winery’s are is quite a long way, theres no public transport provided  from Orapiu, unless you book a taxi or shuttle bus.

I was lucky enough to spend the day at Mudbrick Winery for a delicious lunch with some of my favourite people….thats the whole point really of this post to share with you the amazing feast we had!

There were crispy agria roasted potatoes, which I’ve only ever found in Nz. If anyone else knows where to find agria potatoes in the world please let me know!

Slow roasted lamb with a cucumber minty dip and roasted egg plant.

there was also a simple yet delicious carrot salad with hummus.

the Mezze platter to start with all sorts of delicious bites on it.

I’m just going to load the pics up so you all can see for yourselves how amazing the place is and make sure that if you ever have the chance to get out and explore, even if it is in your own back yard with some of your best mates.

 

It really is such a TREAT! to be at home and able to just wonder out to the garden and pick whatever is there and ready for me to consume!

 

Rhubarb is the flavour this month…well for a few weeks until I manage to use it all up!

this cake is a perfect mix of delicious buttery cake with custard then the slightly tart flavour of the rhubarb in there too! I found this recipe on eatlittlebird.com so take a look over there and maybe you’ll  be inspired by a few of her other delicious recipes!

Make the most of that Rhubarb while its around.

Happy Baking. Cupcake x

 

TRAVEL…

As much as you can

As far as you can

As long as you can

Life’s not meant to lived in one place.

 

I LOVE this quote and Ottolenghi the restaurant in London where this food pic came from.

I stop by London all the time, well,  whenever I get the chance and I normally always make some time to swing by and just be inspired and sit amongst the other diners at the Notting hill table… theres something about being amongst other travellers or maybe just some business people out to lunch that just provoke thought about all sorts of topics.

 

On my recent visit to Ottolenghi while enjoying a delicious cheesecake with a flat white an elderly gentle man came in, he looked a bit flushed and lost,  he was in a suit and carrying a handful of letters and newspapers.

He asked the lady behind the counter if he could speak to her as she seemed to have a warmth about her he claimed, he explained that he had dementia and was meant to be meeting some friends for lunch but couldn’t see them, he showed her the envelopes explaining that he lived around the corner and would be back soon, if she saw this man and his son to tell them he would be right back………….. I never saw this man with the son or the man in the suit come back in again in the time I was sitting there, maybe it was just the way he was thinking that day. I hope one of them at least enjoyed some coffee and cake as I feel they are missing out other wise!

 

So if your ever in London Town and have yourself some extra time, get to Ottolenghi and enjoy some of the deliciousness they have on offer and see what tales you pick up while sat amongst the daily newspapers and other punters.

 

Enjoy. Cupcake. x

 

This year instead of the usual one big ol pavlova I went with the individual ones…they turned out rather large so it was kinda a sharing kinda thing unless you felt like all that sugar! Safe to say they were delicious and all demolished before too long!

This recipe I found via Instagram Georgia Barnes from Masterchef Australia.

 

Georgias were more Mojitos Meringues than the mini pavlova that I created, but hey same same but slightly different!!

 

If you go to georgiabarnes.com.au you’ll find the recipe under the “sweet things”

once again my technical capabilities leave me unable to work out the linking bit but maybe thats something  I should plan for the new year to work on…I’ll add it to the list!

Have a fab day whatever it is your doing.

Cupcake. x

 

 

Well given its been the longest time since I posted here I’ve got quite a bit of work to do to catch up….where did 2018 go? it seems to have just flown by, loads of new ideas recipes and just random info on my travels that I have to update you all on!

So make sure you’ve got a cuppa tea close by and I’ll try get these posts happening more regularly before I take off on the next adventure and forget all about this once again!

most of the recipes I post I’ve found and I’m just sharing they are not my own and I’ve not been that clever to write them!

I’m currently in the sunny beautiful Coromandel in New Zealand enjoying the summer buzz with my family, there are also lots of zucchinis growing in the garden hence the recipes will be zucchini based!

Today were having a moist delicious Zucchini chocolate cake that I found on Pinterest…I’ll try in my technically challenged state to link it to this post…

if you go to http://www.greatgrubdelicioustreats.com and search for Chocolate lovers zucchini cake you’ll find the recipe that I’m talking about here…the challenge of linking the recipe was all too much after all the sugar I have consumed in the last few days!

 

 

 

 

This gluten free chocolate cake is super easy and very quick to prepare.

I have been using some DoTerra essential oils and the wild orange one to flavour this works very well. The peppermint would also add good flavour to this also.

you don’t have to ice this cake, I did as a treat, but you can just leave it plain and add some fresh fruit.

I found this recipe on http://www.chelsea.co.nz website.

 

I hope that you enjoy baking and eating  this cake as much as I did!!

 

Happy baking

Cupcake. x

These are delicious little bites of goodness that are  good for you!

The Raw pecan Caramel Slice was found on http://www.foodmatters.com

so moorish this one, just one piece is never enough!

 

The Chocolate Matcha superfood mint slice is also so addictive I can’t stop eating it.

you will find the recipe for this one on http://www.thekitchenmccabe.com

you do need to soak cashews with this one, the recipe says overnight but I did it over 4hrs and seemed to get the same result as overnight.

Hope you enjoy both of these bite size treats as much as I do.

 

Cupcake. x

This recipe is a favourite of mine originally from the Australian womens weekly cookbook HOME BAKED.

I use this as a base recipe and then mix up the flavours like banana chocolate chip, or raspberry white chocolate, lemon poppy seed and raspberry with lemon curd.

you will need:

2 cups Self Raising Flour

3/4 cup soft brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup milk/buttermilk – I just use normal milk.

1 egg

1 cup fruit – can be fresh or frozen berries, grated apple, lemon zest poppy seeds.

 

Mix all ingredients together gently folding adding the fruit options last.

place tablespoon full lots in greased muffin pans.

Bake in a moderate oven for 15-20mins till cooked.

Enjoy.

 

Cupcake. x