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Chocolate Baileys Cupcakes with Mint Frosting

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Celebrate St Patrick's Day with Chocolate Baileys Cupcakes with Mint Frosting - moist chocolate Baileys cupcakes, Baileys ganache and mint green frosting!

Celebrate St Patrick's Day with Chocolate Baileys Cupcakes with Mint Frosting - moist chocolate Baileys cupcakes, Baileys ganache and mint green frosting! | thekiwicountrygirl.com

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Even though this year I won't be celebrating with an Irish coffee first thing or Guinness for breakfast you can bet I will be wearing green & eating Chocolate Baileys Cupcakes with Mint Frosting. It's tough, but replacing beer with cupcakes is something I'm ok with. And I knew I needed to bring you an epic green recipe in case you had a sudden desire to make something festive!

Being the super responsible pregnant person that I am, I've steered clear of anything super boozy this year but I still couldn't help myself and put Baileys in the cupcakes. Aaaaand in the ganache. Sorry! It's St Patrick's Day!

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Baby Mac Update - 30 Weeks

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30 weeks....3-0. Stop please. When did this even happen??? 7 weeks of work left, 10 weeks (hopefully!) until we have a tiny human being moving into our house...it's definitely starting to feel a bit more real now!

Update on Baby Mac - 30 weeks pregnant and starting to feel like an actual pregnant person! All the things I'm feeling, eating and being excited about!

Bump size: HUGE! Well, people still tell me it's tiny but it feels pretty big to me!

Size of baby: Baby is as big as a cabbage, about 40cm long and weighs about 1.3kg…getting big!

Weight gain? About another 1.5kg since last time which over 4 weeks probably isn't that bad... I did have a moment and have to Google the "healthy weight gain for pregnancy" and I'm still 100% in the ballpark. Just for my peace of mind!

Boy or girl? Still no ideas/thoughts/inklings. Just excited to find out! [Read more...]

Mini Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

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Mini Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins - perfect for lunchboxes and little hands, these mini muffins are packed full of banana chocolate goodness!

I have no idea if it's the internet or the laptop,

Oh my gosh, frustrations of country living at their finest have happened this week.

Our internet, which is bad at the best of times has for some reason just decided to stop working on my laptop. My phone is fine, my tablet is fine, just not my computer. I have no idea if it's the internet or the laptop, but it's super frustrating, because I rely on my laptop for so many things! So I'm stealing Josh's when he's not here, editing the photos on mine because that's where Photoshop is, putting them on a USB!!! and plugging it into Josh's again.

Also, the power went off the other night (yay summer) which meant that the alarm clock didn't go off because we are super old school and have a plug in alarm clock (omg who are we?) Luckily this baby carrying body woke up to go to the bathroom 10 minutes before I usually leave for work. Seriously.  [Read more...]

No Bake Snickers Cheesecake Bars

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No Bake Snickers Cheesecake Bars - a new flavour of our favourite dessert, easy no bake cheesecake bars. Caramel, peanuts & cheesecake...dessert perfection!

No Bake Snickers Cheesecake Bars - a new flavour of our favourite dessert, easy no bake cheesecake bars. Caramel, peanuts & cheesecake...dessert perfection! | thekiwicountrygirl.com

We are back from a 3 night escape to the beach and it feels good! My aunty, uncle & cousins are visiting all the way from Switzerland at the moment so the whole family packed up and moved to our beach house in Whangamata for the week. Josh & I managed to sneak an extra day off work so had a long weekend and we made the most of sleeping in, eating breakfast out, reading, beach swimming, relaxing and generally just doing what we wanted as it's getting closer to the time that our holidays are going to revolve around a tiny human being instead of us! It was such a great thing to do, we came back feeling super relaxed and ready to start now getting ready for this baby! And eat cheesecake...:) [Read more...]

Tomato & Basil Bruschetta

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Tomato & basil bruschetta - THE easiest summer appetizer you could possibly make! 10 minutes to prepare and it goes perfectly with a summer platter!

This tomato & basil bruschetta is THE easiest, best summer appetizer you could possibly make! And eat.

Our summer garden is pathetic this year. I had really high hopes for it, but about the time I should have been getting organised & planting things was when our little baby became a thing and I suddenly had zero energy & motivation for um...anything! Luckily I did manage to get a few tomato plants & basil plants in the polytunnel so at least we have something growing in there! And nothing says summer like tomato & basil together - especially when it's on toasty bread! Pluuuus if you use red & yellow tomatoes it's even prettier...look at them! [Read more...]

Baby Mac Update - 26 Weeks

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Hey check it out, I'm all caught up! I am actually 26 weeks now (well, almost 27) so we're in real time! Yay! I can't believe that I am almost in the third trimester...the first 12 weeks seemed to take forever and I feel like I've blinked & missed the last 14! It's starting to seem a bit more real now that we are making couple trips to baby shops to test drive prams and look at cots...eeek! Here's the 26 week update on Baby Mac! [Read more...]

Valentine's Day Heart Sugar Cookies

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Valentine's Day Heart Sugar Cookies - the perfect basic cut out sugar cookies recipe and easy icing. Great for Valentine's Day, or any other day!

So we're not really ones for Valentine's Day but when it's a rainy summer day and Josh is away for the night, clearly making and decorating heart shaped sugar cookies is top of my priority list.

Along with finally 6 months later finishing painting the lounge! YAY! I've even managed in my ever increasing pregnant state to move the couch and coffee table back to their rightful spot in front of the TV so that I have somewhere to sit and eat my breakfast again! Yippee! All that's left to do is put down some new carpet and then we have a brand new room! The only downside to how awesome our lounge looks now, is how terrible it makes our kitchen look in comparison. Gah! It's never ending! But now we can actually get onto the most important room of the house currently...the soon to be baby room! Cue extreme panic. [Read more...]

Small Batch Vanilla Cupcakes

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Another quick and easy small batch recipe - small batch vanilla cupcakes! Makes 4 cupcakes in less than 30 minutes - perfect for celebrations!

Another quick and easy small batch recipe - small batch vanilla cupcakes! Makes 4 cupcakes in less than 30 minutes - perfect for celebrations! | thekiwicountrygirl.com

Yuuuuuuus, it's the return of the small batch cupcake recipe...this time, the vanilla edition! Small batch vanilla cupcakes!

So guess what? It was our 1 year wedding anniversary over the weekend! Amazing! I can't believe this magical day was a whole year ago already. And what a year it has been! We obviously went to the Guns'n'Roses concert, because what better place for a pregnant woman and her best friend with a 10 week old baby (who didn't come to the concert BTW, but we did see 1 mumma rocking her bub in the front pack...parenting win!) to go on a Saturday night! Seemed like a great idea when we booked tickets 6 months ago!! Oh yea, our husbands did come too! But seriously, it was an epic concert - such a fun way to celebrate a year of marriage!

You know what else is a great way to celebrate an anniversary? Cupcakes! [Read more...]

Baby Mac Update - 22 Weeks

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Update on Baby Mac - 22 weeks pregnant and starting to look like there's a baby in there! All the things I'm feeling, eating and being excited about!

How far along? 22 weeks

Bump size: There is definitely a baby in there. For people who know me it's now very obvious but I am still getting questioning looks from people who don't know me too well, especially if I'm wearing a loose top or dress.

Size of baby: Baby is as big as a banana, about  28cm long and weighs about 430g…lots of growing since 18 weeks!

Weight gain? Still not sure but I'm guessing it's at least a few kilos.

Boy or girl? We had our 20 week anatomy scan and Josh had barely shut the door when I pretty much shouted to the ulstrasound tech "we don't want to know if we're having a boy or girl!" I think she got the idea. We both still have absolutely no desire to know much to the dismay of some of my friends...I'm looking at you Tyler 😉

Cravings/aversions: Still eating summer fruit like it's going to be taken away from me at any moment and the need for juice is still strong.

General feelings: It was super exciting seeing the baby on the scan but it still doesn't feel real! It's kind of like I'm looking at someone else's pictures!

Looking forward to: Looking really obviously pregnant. And buying cute things! We got a couple of really sweet things for Christmas which was pretty exciting.

Missing anything? Fitting some of my clothes and again with the beer over summer. But I found non-alcoholic beer which actually tastes like real beer so I can pretend!

Movement: So much! This kid can kick! I seem to be growing either the next 1st V for the All Blacks or a dancer in there because there are some seriously strong movements happening. It's amazing! Josh has been able to feel them too which is awesome. He's super into it for the first couple of movements, and then he thinks about it too much and it kind of freaks him out a little which is understandable! It's kind of alien like really!

What I’ve been loving: The kicks are definitely the coolest part - it's pretty amazing really. And also *warning, possibly TMI* I can no longer fit any of my bras which is a situation I'm very happy about 😉

What I’ve not been loving: The only small issue I'm having is that I've been getting blocked ears. They will randomly just block up for a couple of minutes and then come right which is kind of happening throughout the day. A little bit annoying, but in comparison to what some women have to deal with, I am not complaining.

Maternity clothes? Still not into maternity clothes yet but I've had to buy a couple of new outfits for work, just in stretchy material. Over the Christmas break was great as I just lived in elastic waistband shorts and singlets but having to look nice for work is a bit more of a challenge. At least I don't have to dress super corporate for work, so nice summer dresses and all the clothes from Kmart are fitting the bill right now!

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Greek Yoghurt, Honey & Granola Breakfast Bowls

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My all time favourite breakfast - Greek yoghurt, honey & granola breakfast bowls with all sorts of extra goodies....it's the only way to start the day!

My all time favourite breakfact - Greek yoghurt, honey & granola breakfast bowls with all sorts of extra goodies....it's the only way to start the day! | thekiwicountrygirl.com

Yay for summery long weekends!! 3 whole days of perfect weather. And we spent it inside painting our lounge. But it was perfect painting weather - we could have all the doors and windows open and there was a little breeze so it doesn't smell like the inside of a paint can. Phew. So clearly as a result of the spending the entire weekend painting, I have no actual new recipes for you so I thought I would share my favourite breakfast in the world, the one that I eat every single day in summer pluuuus sometimes for lunch. It's that good. It's all you need for a bit of breakfast inspiration. Greek yoghurt, honey & granola breakfast bowls with all sorts of extra goodies....it's the only way to start the day!

Ask anyone I work with...I get kinda mad when people don't eat breakfast. I just think it's so important to start the day with a food in your belly. Which might just be because I get mad if I don't eat breakfast, but actual hangry mad so I assume other people must too. Ask my husband, 30 minutes is about all I have before the hangry takes effect. So lucky for everyone, I make time to get a good breakfast bowl in my belly before I go anywhere. And this is the breakfast that makes getting out of bed worth it! [Read more...]

Soft & Chewy Snickerdoodles

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Soft & chewy snickerdoodles rolled in cinnamon sugar. They're sweet, a little bit spicy, soft and pillowy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Easy to make and they're ready in 30 minutes! 

Soft & chewy snickerdoodles rolled in cinnamon sugar. They're sweet, a little bit spicy, soft and pillowy on the inside and crunchy on the outside | thekiwicountrygirl.com

I cannot BELIEVE I haven't shared this recipe on here until now. I had a sudden hankering for my favourite soft & chewy snickerdoodles over the weekend (oh hiiii in there baby), clicked through to find the recipe and it wasn't there! Eggnog snickerdoodles for the festive season but not the regular old everyday ones! It's a travesty. So here they are...one of my favourite cookie recipes ever. The simple but super delicious snickerdoodle! [Read more...]

Baby Mac Update - 18 Weeks

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So I'm playing a bit of catch up here...I'm 23 weeks now, but we're just about caught up...this whole thing is going so fast! But here is the 18 week update for our little nugget!

Baby Mac Update - 18 Weeks | thekiwicountrygirl.com

How far along? 18 weeks

Bump size: Starting to look like an actual baby bump rather than a food baby. Baby is as big as a sweet potato, about 14.2 cm long and weighs about 190g...so tiny!

Weight gain? Not sure. We don’t own scales and I’m pretty happy about this at the moment. At this point, ignorance is bliss!

Boy or girl? Still not planning on finding out! [Read more...]

Summer Pasta Salad

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Summer Pasta Salad with fresh summer veges and balsamic vinaigrette, the perfect salad for lunches, as a side dish or to take to a summer BBQ or picnic!

Summer Pasta Salad with fresh summer veges and balsamic vinaigrette, the perfect salad for lunches, as a side dish or to take to a summer BBQ or picnic!

In case you hadn't noticed there are a couple of trends happening around here at the moment. 1. Ice-cream. It's summer and we are ice-cream lovers around here. So much that when I order iced coffee from my favourite cafe and they ask at 9am if I'm ok with the fact that they use ice-cream in their iced coffee instead of ice cubes, I just give them the look. You know, the "I'm pregnant, do I look like I'm worried that you are force feeding me ice-cream at 9am?" look. It's great. And 2. Easy but substantial salads that are perfect as side dishes but also hold up perfectly as a main meal. So this summer pasta salad fits right into that category. [Read more...]

Strawberry Sorbet

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Quick and easy homemade strawberry sorbet made with only 3 ingredients - fresh strawberries, sugar syrup and lemon juice. It's the perfect summertime treat! | thekiwicountrygirl.com

This summer is so confusing!!! Saturday was the most perfect day, spent sitting on the front deck of Josh's cousins house, playing on the slip'n'slide with their kids, baking in the hot sun while the boys played cricket, followed by a lazy dinner after dark, still sitting on the deck without needing extra layers because we were still super toasty from the sun. Also known as a perfect summer day.

Sunday, and we have done a total 180°. I spent all day inside because it was howling with wind and pouring with rain! The dogs slept on the back doorstep all day and I put test colours of paint on the walls because the long and tedious job of stripping wallpaper is finally done and now we can prep and paint!! So even though the weather didn't co-operate and give me one more nice day before I spend the week sitting at a computer inside, I ignored the fact and made sorbet! Strawberry sorbet! [Read more...]

Super Green Summer Salad with Quinoa

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Ok team, it's that time of year when we have eaten way too much over the holidays, are heading back to work and trying to reset a little. Some of us have food babies on board and if like me, you have a food baby + actual baby situation occurring, it's starting to freak you out a little we're thinking that maybe it's time to start eating better than we did in that first carb-loaded, covered in cheese trimester. So let's talk salad! But not your average boring wilty work lunch salad that you dread. This here is the perfect super green summer salad with all the delicious summer veges, quinoa, feta and an amazing lemony balsamic vinaigrette. [Read more...]

The First Trimester

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The first trimester of my pregnancy! | thekiwicountrygirl.com

Now that we've shared our extremely well kept secret I can tell you all about it! I have tossed up over how much I wanted to share on the blog, especially considering we mostly talk about food, but I know how much I love reading about other people's life stories and kids and fun stuff like that, so decision made - I have started a "family" section so if you're only here for the food you can skip over these posts! Plus, this isn't just a food blog - it's where I tell you all about Josh, our farm, Sage and all that's in between. And from now on, we are going to have a tiny human in our lives that is going to be front and centre and I know there is no way I will be able to not share all about him/her!

So here we go - the first trimester!

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3 Fruit Flavoured Water Recipes

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3 Fruit Flavoured Water Recipes - the perfect way to stay hydrated this summer with quick, easy and delicious fruit and herb flavoured water! | thekiwicountrygirl.com

It's finally summer!! Seriously, I have been off work for almost 2 weeks and we have had approximately ½ a nice sunny day in that time. But finally the sun is out, it's starting to warm up and it's kind of feeling like summer. About time...back to work in 4 days and I can bet the weather will only get better from then!

One of the most important things in summer, and I'll be the first to admit, it's something I am terrible at, is staying hydrated. It's something that especially now with a baby on board and the weather warming up I really need to be doing a better job at. So to combat the boring old water situation, let's make it interesting with 3 fruit flavoured water recipes! [Read more...]

Top 10 Recipes of 2016

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Top 10 Recipes from 2016 | thekiwicountrygirl.com

I thought I would try something new this year and find out what your favourite recipes were from the year! There were some that surprised me, but others that are our favourites too - I was super excited to see number 7 on the list - that's a family recipe that's been around for as long as I can remember and you guys must love it too!

So here they are - the Top 10 recipes of 2016! [Read more...]

Guess what...

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Sometimes the best gifts don't come under the tree...

merry-christmas-baby-announcemnet

Merry Christmas from our soon to be family of three!

Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

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An easy recipe for the night before Christmas - Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies - the perfect Christmas cookie to leave out for Santa!

An easy recipe for the night before Christmas - Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies - the perfect Christmas cookie to leave out for Santa! | thekiwicountrygirl.com

Merry Christmas Eve!! One more sleep to go! Is everyone ready? I'm officially on holiday for 2 weeks - so exciting! I'll be spending today making trifle, Christmas Fruit Mince Pies and listening to as many Christmas carols as I can stand. We've watched Love Actually, the presents are all wrapped and it's starting to feel a lot like Christmas!

So just in case you suddenly need something new to make, here is one last Christmas recipe before the big day. It was supposed to be with you yesterday but we live in the country and one of the cute little quirks that comes with that is that our internet quite often just decides to stop working. It's so fun!

Anyway, it's a super easy recipe and really, not even something that has to be saved for Christmas. Double chocolate peppermint cookies! [Read more...]

Easy Homemade Pavlova

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How to make the perfect pavlova, a Kiwi Christmas classic! Once you master easy homemade pavlova, you will never buy one again! Covered in whipped cream and fresh summer berries it's the perfect dessert.

A Kiwi Christmas classic - this easy homemade pavlova will make you never want to buy one again! Covered in fresh summer berries it's the perfect dessert | thekiwicountrygirl.com

Well this is embarassing. Can you believe I have never made a pavlova before?! I have no idea why, because I looooove pavlova but I guess it's because my Granny or my mum always made them. So today, we tackle and win with easy homemade pavlova!

For some reason I had the idea in my head that pavlova was this totally technical and really scary thing to make. Um, it's not. Seriously. Not even a little bit. And they're so much fun to make! Really simple ingredients, simple method and cooking is a breeze. The hardest part about it is choosing how to decorate it! Which obviously, because it's summer and Christmas time, berries are the only option. [Read more...]

Christmas Fruit Mince Pies

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The dessert no Christmas table should be without - Christmas fruit mince pies! Made with homemade Christmas fruit mince and sweet shortcrust pastry.

The dessert no Christmas table should be without - Christmas fruit mince pies! Made with homemade Christmas fruit mince and sweet shortcrust pastry | thekiwicountrygirl.com

Oh my god guys, it's 13 sleeps until Christmas! Ahhhh! I mean, it's not like I wasn't expecting it to be Christmas soon, but I am so disorganised this year! I have bought 1 present, have only just finished decorating and it just doesn't quite feel like Christmas is in 2 weeks. Maybe because I've been laid up with a terrible cold this week....it's summer! What's the deal??

At least I have the food sorted. We've made a menu and split it between the whole family which makes it nice and easy. And of course the first thing on my list is Christmas fruit mince pies aka my FAVOURITE, it wouldn't be Christmas without them, treat. [Read more...]

Christmas Fruit Mince

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The perfect make ahead recipe for Christmas mince pies on the day. My Christmas Fruit Mince recipe is quick, easy & perfectly fruity and spiced!

The perfect make ahead recipe for Christmas mince pies on the day. My Christmas Fruit Mince recipe is quick, easy & perfectly fruity and spiced! | thekiwicountrygirl.com

Out of all my favourite Christmas treats (and there are a lot!) Christmas fruit mince pies are my favourite. They're sweet, spicy and smell amazing coming out of the oven. Plus, no treat plate left out for Santa is complete without them! But before we jump right into the whole pie thing, let's start with a super important step...homemade Christmas fruit mince!

Up until a few years ago, I didn't even know you could buy Christmas fruit mince. I used to spend a day before Christmas every year with my Granny, sitting over a gigantic plastic tub on the floor of her kitchen with rubber gloves on, getting in there with my little hands and making it.  I have total confidence that this is why I love it so much. I remember the first time I ate a Christmas mince pie made using bought fruit mince and it was GROSS!! So please, do me a favour this Christmas. I don't care if you buy the pastry for the pies, but please please please use this recipe to make the fruit mince! [Read more...]

Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Glaze

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The perfect breakfast for Christmas morning - or any other time of year - soft, fluffy and sticky homemade cinnamon rolls with maple glaze! | thekiwicountrygirl.com

Happy HOLIDAYS!!!!!

Ohhhh my gosh I cannot even contain my excitement. It's DECEMBER!!! This is the time of year that excitable summer loving Southern Hemisphere dwelling people like me thrive on. First we get Josh's birthday (see, Christmas doesn't get in the way!) then Christmas, New Year and then 3 beautiful months of summer weather! YAYYYYYY!!!

But firstly, Christmas. And now I finally don't look like the total weirdo that I do tend to look like when I'm baking Christmas cookies in October. The actual time has come. Finally! [Read more...]