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Hot Cross Muffins

April 5, 2015 By Laura 9 Comments

Happy Easter!

You know how sometimes you just have one of those amazing thoughts that jumps into your head and you think - HOW did this not occur to me before now?

These were one of those things.

Hot Cross Muffins! Or Buffins if you like. Whatever floats your boat.

I love hot cross buns. They are my favourite thing about Easter. I like them even more than Easter Eggs. But they are pretty time consuming to make.

So I was eating a hot cross bun...wait, it was actually just a hot bun because someone, errrr, was too lazy to make the crosses...anyway, it made me wonder if I could somehow make something similar to a hot cross bun without the hours they take. So I thought, why not try to capture that spicy, fruity flavour in a muffin form. So much easier to throw together on a whim. And enjoy any time. Not even just at Easter (you rebel!)...

The Cutest Coop in the West

April 3, 2015 By Laura 4 Comments

Josh is one of those guys that can pretty much do anything. He changes the oil in my car, he cuts down trees, he kills spiders and cooks the best burger. He is also a ridiculously good builder.

A couple of years ago when we got our first chickens he built a coop out of old off-cuts. He had never built anything before in his life and made this.

About a year later we needed another coop to keep some of the chooks separate and he completely blew me away with the world's most adorable coop!

And a few months ago he decided to upgrade the original coop and build something straight out of the wild west....

Friday Favourites {even though it's already Saturday!}

March 28, 2015 By Laura Leave a Comment

I'm a big breakfast eater. During the week I go for quick and easy things like this muesli (or variations of this, more recipes coming soon) and coffee. But when Saturday morning rolls around I like to spend a little more time making something special.

Here are my 5 favourite weekend breakfast ideas {along with some recipes that I can't WAIT to try!}

1. Pancakes

I would eat pancakes every day if I had the time. Especially these pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes from Sally's Baking Addiction.

2. Breakfast shakes

Super easy, but something a little different. I LOVE the look of this chocolate peanut butter banana breakfast shake from Cooking Classy....

Kiwi speak volume 1

March 24, 2015 By Laura Leave a Comment

Time for a lesson in Kiwi Speak. Also known as the weird words I say. Useful if you are planning on visiting New Zealand or if you have ever read something I wrote and thought...whaaaaat? Alternatively, if you've just stumbled across this and realised that you're about to read a post about jandals I'm sorry. Please keep reading!

Lesson 1 - Jandals

These are jandals.

You may know them as thongs, flip flops or sandals. I hate to break it to you but they're not. They are jandals. And if you are ever in New Zealand, this is what you should call them. And what you should wear on your feet. In ALL weather. Trust me.

Did you know (and I did not know this) that the word jandals comes from an abbreviation of Japanese sandal?

I have a love/hate relationship with this photo of my jandals....

Slow Cooker Chicken Stock

March 22, 2015 By Laura 20 Comments

How to make homemade chicken stock in the slow cooker and freeze it! It's the perfect way to make the most of leftover chicken bones and vegetables that need to be used up.

If there is something I love, it's making something awesome out of nothing much. It's so fun! So chicken stock was a no-brainer. Since we started raising our own chickens to eat, we've been eating a whole lotta roast chicken. But you're left with the whole body and I'm starting to get all sorts of caught up in making sure it all goes to good use. A lot of work goes into raising those little chicks and I don't want it to go to waste! I've been freezing the carcasses and I made stock using 2 birds at once as my slow cooker is plenty big enough.

I was a bit skeptical about making my own chicken stock - it seemed like a lot of work when it's so convenient just buying the little powder cubes and using them when I need them. But making chicken stock is actually easier than getting into one of those fiddly foil wrapped cubes. I'm serious....

Friday Favourites

March 20, 2015 By Laura Leave a Comment

Happy World Happiness Day!

Yep apparently it's a thing. I have no idea who comes up with these "days" but every morning on the radio station I listen to they announce what particular day it is. Today is also ravioli day, world storytelling day and kiss your fiance day. Josh will be so excited. Ha.

Anyway let's focus on World Happiness Day with my 5 favourite quotes about being happy.

Now excuse me, I'm off to kiss Josh, tell him a story, eat some ravioli and be completely happy about it. With a glass of wine.

Have a great weekend!

Chocolate Peppermint Marshmallow Slice

March 17, 2015 By Laura 4 Comments

Happy St Paddy’s Day!

This time 3 years ago we were in Belfast, Ireland with a bunch of rowdy Kiwis and Aussies drinking Guinness with real live Irishmen (and women).

Today I'm going to work. ~sigh~ I do like my job. Really. But Belfast was better.

Just saying....

Friday Favourites

March 13, 2015 By Laura Leave a Comment

Woohoo we made it! Another week done & dusted.There is a Category 5 storm bearing down on NZ this weekend (hopefully it will have calmed down a little by the time it gets to us!) so I think that warrants a weekend inside, reading a book.

In honour of that I figured it was only appropriate to share with you my 5 favourite books of all time (list is subject to change!)

1) Harry Potter, J.K Rowling

You could probably say that this is 7 books but don't catch me out on a technicality. I was spellbound by these books from the first chapter, and I won't tell you how many times I have read them all. If you are unfamiliar with Harry Potter (if you have been living under a rock since 1999) it is the story of a boy who lives with his atrocious aunt, uncle and cousin after his parents are killed, finds out he is a wizard and spends the next 7 years (books) at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry learning magic and trying to overcome the powerful Voldemort who killed his parents when Harry was a baby. Phew. That does not even begin to explain the awesomeness of these books. They are so magical and transport you to a whole new world. These are also one of the very few book-to-movies I thought were really well done.

2) The Help, Kathryn Stockett

The only book I have ever read cover to cover, and then started again immediately. May have had something to do with the fact that at the time I had my life in a backpack and no room for more than 1 book, but this one was SO good! Set in Mississippi in 1962 it is the story of Skeeter, a young white girl who joins forces with 2 black maids to share their stories. It's sassy, hilarious and touching all in one. There's also a movie which was fantastic!

3) Little House on the Prairie, Laura Ingalls Wilder

I was 8 years old the first time my teacher handed me this book and I remember it so clearly. This book is the actually the third in the "Little House" series that chronicles the childhood and young adult life of Laura Ingalls, growing up on the Western frontier in the late 1800s and early 1900s. This whole series is my absolute all time favourite - there are enough covered wagons, Indians, sun-bonnets, mustangs and tin cups to make me wish I could go back in time and live in this time...just for a little while. Plus I think I may have been Laura in a past life. True story.

4) The Elephant Whisperer, Lawrence Anthony

The incredible story of a guy (Lawrence Anthony) who runs a game reserve in Zululand. Against his better judgement he took in a herd of rogue wild elephants that would otherwise have been killed and in this book he shares the lessons he learnt from this herd of elephants and the bond that developed between them. I love Africa, and elephants are my favourite animals so this book was a guaranteed winner!

5) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson

For someone who loves fantasy books I have a strange obsession with thriller/murder/mystery books. This book (and the 2 that follow) had me hooked - I could not put them down! They had just the right balance of suspense, drama and romance...they are too complex to summarise in a sentence so read this if you want a better idea. Or just get the book and read it. You won't regret it!

Happy Friday everyone! I'm off to bed with a book!

More reasons I love living in the country

March 10, 2015 By Laura Leave a Comment

Reason number 2 of seventeen thousand.

This is the rush hour traffic I deal with in town.

It's slow and loud and smelly and honky. And stressful.

Let's compare....

Pizza Dough {2 ingredients!}

March 8, 2015 By Laura 3 Comments

I used to buy pizza bases. They were fine. Absolutely nothing wrong with them. Until I made one. Suddenly, the bought bases tasted like cardboard!

I usually make pizza bases using yeast so that they are more bready but sometimes time (my hunger) doesn't permit waiting around for the dough to rise. So this week I thought I would try something new. In my hunt for a yeast free pizza base this kept popping up...2 ingredient pizza dough using only...wait for it...self-raising flour & greek yoghurt! It sounded too good to be true but I figured it was worth a shot.

It was worth it. It was totally worth it. Worth the whole 5 minutes of effort it took to throw it together. The base was thin & crispy and held up really well even with the ridiculous amount of toppings I put on it!

...

February Round-Up

March 5, 2015 By Laura Leave a Comment

February is one of my favourite months. It's by far the best weather wise and everyone is still in that really relaxed, "it's summer!" mood. It's usually a pretty sociable month too which is always fun.

I got to hang out with 2 of my favourite people, Josh & my friend Amy at another friend's wedding, and we crossed off the "1 year til our wedding day" mark on the calendar...YAY! The countdown is on...kind of!...

The trees are on fire!

March 3, 2015 By Laura Leave a Comment

Just kidding.

But this was the sun coming up this morning. It's going to be a good day.

Wait, red sky in the morning...maybe not.

At least it was pretty.

Sweet & Sour Sauce

March 1, 2015 By Laura Leave a Comment

We don't get takeaways that often, being an hour from town, but on the odd occasion that I pick it up on my way home from work on a Friday night when I really can't be bothered cooking, it's usually Chinese, and it's always sweet & sour pork. Seeing as we have a freezer full of pork, I figured it made sense to try and make the sauce that we love so much.

You can buy it in a jar which makes for a seriously easy and quick meal but as you know I am trying so hard to stop relying on jars and the nasties in them! Although the jars do come in super handy for bottling stuff.

This homemade sauce is a huge improvement on the sauce in the jars. And it is just as quick to make, considering the fact that I usually spend a good 10 minutes trying to get the lid off the jar. That's why I keep Josh around....

Friday Favourites - what's growing in my garden

February 27, 2015 By Laura Leave a Comment

Woohoo it's Friday! And to celebrate, here is the 1st edition of 5 Friday Favourites.

This week - my 5 favourite vegetables growing in my garden right now!...

Big girl camera!

February 24, 2015 By Laura Leave a Comment

I take a lot of photos. Not always good photos but I take them anyway.

I have a pretty fancy point & shoot camera. I can do fun stuff like this with it.

I'd been thinking about upgrading for a little while, so I borrowed the camera from my work thinking it would probably be too much for me/that I wouldn't be that impressed and would go off the idea.

So I took a few comparison shots using the same settings on both cameras. And this happened. ...

DIY Coffee Body Scrub

February 22, 2015 By Laura 2 Comments

A homemade body scrub that comes together in minutes - it smells amazing and makes a great DIY present!

But even though this DIY coffee body scrub is not something I would keep in the pantry, it's definitely something I would buy. Plus all the ingredients come from my pantry, so I figure it counts as part of the homemade challenge.

I first made this at Christmas for our mums. It smelt and looked SO good that I had to make a jar for myself. I also made little labels for the jars to add to the cute factor. I can't help it!

I found the recipe here and just adjusted it slightly. I used coconut oil instead of olive oil and added a little vanilla extract because it smells good!...

The best I'm going to get

February 20, 2015 By Laura 1 Comment

I've wanted a horse for as long as I remember. I think it is every country girl's dream. And for as long as I remember I was told the same thing. Variations of no. In fairness to my parents they were always happy to drive me down the road to ride with a friend, but it just wasn't the same. But it was ok, I knew that as soon as I moved out of home, I would get one.

Well let me tell you, 20 years later I am asking the same question, just to someone else but for some reason the answer is still the same! I'm certain my Dad has been secretly schooling Josh. He may even have a book. It would be called 1000 ways to say "no Laura, you can't have a horse."

I think this is the best I'm going to get. Anybody have a spare wine barrel and saddle I can borrow?

We built a swing

February 17, 2015 By Laura Leave a Comment

I've done it - the Kiwi Country Girl is officially in action...are you all still there?? I hope so!

This is my sister Rachel.

We had a cute sister day on Saturday. We made waffles and iced coffees and sat out on the deck in the sun.

Then we both looked at the big old oak tree in the paddock. At approximately the exact moment she was thinking "a swing would look really good in that tree" I said it.

We're kind of in tune. It's a sister thing....

Homemade Hummus

February 15, 2015 By Laura Leave a Comment

Before the recipe post...guess what? I've changed my name!

Not my actual name of course, just the blog name. Like it? I think it's more...well, me!

I'll be changing the URL (website address) in the next couple of days too - it will become www.kiwicountrygirl.wordpress.com - I will be posting on Tuesday about building a swing so if it doesn't come up please come and find me!

Recipe post time!

Today I made homemade hummus.

I want to dip carrots in it. I want to put it on crackers. I want it on toast. And I definitely ate some straight off the spoon.

It's that good....

Reasons I love living in the country

February 11, 2015 By Laura Leave a Comment

Reason # 1 (of about 6 million)

This is the view from my bedroom window...

Yep, I'm pretty happy waking up to this every morning!

Balsamic Dijon Vinaigrette

February 8, 2015 By Laura Leave a Comment

My mum is awesome. I'm sure most people can say that about their mum but mine really is. I am the oldest of 4 kids so I have had the advantage of childhood traditions carrying on for longer than most people to make sure my youngest sister (8 years younger) didn't miss out. Probably the longest standing tradition is our Santa stockings at Christmas.

A few years ago Mum laid down the law and we were told that Santa would not visit us anymore once we bought someone home for Christmas. Josh came to Christmas that year and what was waiting under the tree? My Santa sack. So Mum tried again...once you miss a Christmas, that's it. That year Josh & I were in London for Christmas and what turned up in the post? Not only my Santa sack, but also one for Josh! (I think Josh's mum was in on this one too!)

I promise there is a point to this...stick around, the recipe is coming!

...

January Round-up

February 4, 2015 By Laura Leave a Comment

I love summer. I love every single little thing about it. I love getting out of bed in the morning and not being cold. I love the beach. I love how many vegetables are growing in my garden. I love the sound of cicadas and the feeling of being so hot that you almost can't stand it. And I love the ice-cream and cold drinks that make it all better!

This month we've been busy around here.

I harvested my first ever crop of garlic.

We started to harvest our summer veges. Lots of beans, plenty of strawberries, the first new potatoes and the start of zucchinis, tomatoes and cucumbers....

Homemade Flour Tortillas

February 1, 2015 By Laura 6 Comments

We eat quite a lot of Mexican food but our all time favourite and Friday night go-to is burritos. The only thing that frustrates me is that the flour tortillas you buy can be so hit and miss - cardboardy tortillas that crack as soon as you roll them up...no thanks! For a while now I've been keen to try making my own but have never had the time/been bothered...until today when lunchtime rolled around and I had a hankering for a quesadilla and no tortillas in the house.

I found a recipe, in 30 minutes I had 8 tortillas and maaan were they good! I may or may not have slathered one in butter right out of the pan and eaten it hot. We don't judge around here....

Spice jar labels (with free printables!)

January 29, 2015 By Laura 12 Comments

My pantry is chock-a-block. We never even used to have a pantry and as soon as we got it, it was overflowing. Like, literally, that day. Where did all that food even come from?? I need another cupboard!

Something that has recently taken over in my cupboard is spice boxes. I had the usual suspects - cinnamon, ginger and maybe some mixed herbs but lately I have become addicted to spices, putting them in or on almost everything. Ask Josh how impressed he was when I made a spice mix to go on fresh fish fillets...I'll give you a clue. (He wasn't!) But they were delicious! Even he thought so once he got over the shock of me trying to mess with his fish....