The Kiwi Country Girl logo

menu icon
subscribe
search icon
×

Blog

Simple Homemade Strawberry Jam

By 8 Comments

How to make simple homemade strawberry jam from scratch! Only 2 ingredients and easy to follow step by step instructions to help you master homemade jam!

Welcome to the first monthly made from scratch challenge! At the start of each month I will post a new recipe (or project) that you can make from scratch along with me! The whole point of this challenge is for me to learn something new to make from scratch and share it with you and for you to hopefully be encouraged to try something new. You can find all the details in this post.

This delicious strawberry jam is enough to convince any jam hater - and even if you have never made jam before, the step by step instructions should make what can seem like a daunting process, very simple!

...

Read More

Monthly Made From Scratch Challenge

By 5 Comments

When I first started sharing recipes on my website back in 2015, I set myself a challenge to take something I would normally buy from the supermarket and make it from scratch. One thing per week, for the whole year.

It was such a fun challenge to set myself and some of those recipes have become the most popular recipes on my website, so I thought I would bring back the challenge but with a few changes (one per month because I have kids now!) - and encourage you to participate too!

...

Read More

A Beginners Guide to Bottling/Canning Food

By 11 Comments

Do you want to start bottling/canning food but are not really sure where to start? No problem! This post covers all the basics you need to know and equipment you need to get started preserving food!

Jars of refrigerator pickles on a grey background

I have such fond memories of preserving food with my mum and Grandma when I was a kid. Mum would buy boxes and boxes of Golden Queen peaches, Grandma would come and stay and over the course of a few days, they would work together to put them all in jars, ready for us to enjoy all winter long. And yes, these days you can buy a tin of peaches for next to nothing, but they don't even compare to the homemade version!

...

Read More

Christmas Cheese Ball Wreath

By 1 Comment

A quick, easy & delicious Christmas appetizer that can be made in advance! Serve with crackers for the perfect way to feed a crowd!

Disclaimer: This post is a paid partnership with Countdown Supermarkets. All content and opinions are my own.

Christmas cheese ball wreath on serving plate with crackers and knife

There is nothing like Christmas Day for spending time with family and friends, especially after the year we have had!

But if you’ve just remembered that you’ve forgotten about a Christmas Day appetizer, don’t panic - my Christmas Cheese Ball Wreath is exactly what you need.

All of the ingredients can be bought from Countdown in advance and you can even make the wreath and store in the fridge for a few days before you need it, meaning more time on Christmas Day for eating and spending time with family and friends.

Ingredients for Christmas cheese ball

Not only does it look the part, it’s a real crowd pleaser and thanks to Countdown’s great range of own brand products, it is a very affordable and easy way of providing snacks for a big group of people. Perfect for Christmas!

The cheese ball mixture is cream cheese, feta, toasted pistachio nuts, dried cranberries, lemon juice & zest, balsamic vinegar, garlic and pepper.

Mix it all together and form into a wreath using a lined ring cake tin if you have one, or directly on the serving plate with a small bowl turned upside down in the center to create the middle. Chill it in the fridge for a few hours or for a couple of days until you are ready to serve it.

Christmas cheese ball wreath with cranberries and rosemary

I used chopped fresh parsley and chives, dried cranberries and rosemary sprigs to make it look just like a wreath, but use whatever you like to make it your own. You can also play around with what you add into the cheese ball - I have a sneaking suspicion that a bit of bacon wouldn't go astray!

Christmas cheese ball wreath on serving plate with crackers and knife
Christmas cheese ball wreath on serving plate with crackers and knife
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Christmas Cheese Ball Wreath

A quick, easy & delicious Christmas appetizer that can be made in advance! Serve with crackers for the perfect way to feed a crowd!
Prep Time30 minutes
Chilling time2 hours
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: New Zealand
Servings: 15
Calories: 217kcal
Author: Laura

Ingredients

  • ½ cup pistachio nuts
  • 450 grams cream cheese (2 x blocks at room temperature)
  • 400 grams feta
  • 4 teaspoons dijon mustard
  • 4 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • Ground black pepper to taste (be generous)

To decorate

  • ½ cup chopped fresh herbs (I used parsley & chives)
  • 2 Tablespoons dried cranberries (or red pepper, finely chopped)
  • Fresh rosemary sprigs

Instructions

  • Line a ring cake tin with glad wrap and set aside. If you don't have a ring tin, you can place a small bowl upside down in the middle of the serving platter you will use and create the wreath around the bowl.
  • Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F and place the pistachio nuts on a baking tray.
  • Bake for 8 minutes (keep a close eye on them around this time as they can burn quickly) and remove from the oven. Chop the nuts coarsely (or use a food processor) and set aside.
  • Using a stand or hand held mixer (or a bowl and wooden spoon) beat the softened cream cheese and feta until smooth. Add all remaining ingredients and combine.
  • Spoon the cheese ball mixture into the prepared tin. Spread into an even layer using light pressure to ensure the mixture holds together. Cover and place in the fridge for 3 hours (or longer) to chill.
  • Remove from the fridge, uncover and invert onto the serving plate. Use a spatula or knife to smooth the edges.
  • Sprinkle with the chopped fresh herbs and garnish with dried cranberries, red peppers or pomegranate arils (anything red) and fresh rosemary sprigs.
  • Serve with crackers or toasted bread. Cheese ball can be made 4 days in advance and stored in the fridge until needed.

Nutrition

Calories: 217kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 409mg | Potassium: 100mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 532IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 166mg | Iron: 1mg

DIY Santa Sack Tutorial

By 1 Comment

A simple step by step tutorial for how to make a DIY Santa Sack. An affordable way to create cute personalised stockings for your kids!

Full fabric Santa Sack

One of the things I love the most about having kids is getting to experience things like Christmas through the eyes of a child all over again. It truly is one of the most magical things, especially now that Sadie is old enough to understand and be as excited about Christmas as I am!

When Sadie was first born I bought stockings and named them - these were perfect for the first couple of years but last year we really struggled to fit much at all in them! Not that our kids get over the top spoilt at Christmas but bigger items such as balls and books just didn't fit. So this year, I decided to make life easier and make pillowcase sized Santa sacks for the girls.

...

Read More

Classic Eggnog Recipe

By 6 Comments

Classic homemade eggnog - the perfect festive drink! Cooked and uncooked versions of this simple recipe and the option to make it spiked for the grown ups!

This post was originally published in December 2015 – it has been retested, rephotographed, rewritten, and republished (to make it better for you!) in November 2020.

Glasses of eggnog on a tray with pine needles and snowflakes

Saturday was our end of year dance show. It was a whole week of dancing every night after work plus late night rehearsals Thursday and Friday and then the 2 shows on Saturday, so by Sunday I was well & truly tuckered out. Especially considering the dressing room FULL of teenage girls I was in! Phew! But after a big sleep in, cookies for breakfast, redecorating the tree because it fell over, catching up on a week's worth of advent calendar chocolate, cookies for lunch and then 1 glass of substantially spiked eggnog (it was the afternoon) I was feeling pretty festive!

...

Read More

Elf on the Shelf ideas for toddlers

By Leave a Comment

30 easy Elf on the Shelf ideas to do for your toddler or young kids. How to plan ahead, keep it simple, avoid stress and still have all the joy that comes with this magical Christmas tradition!

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting The Kiwi Country Girl.

Last year we started the elf on the shelf tradition in our house. I wasn't sure if Sadie would be old enough (she was 2 ½ years old) but I thought hard about it, made it age appropriate and she LOVED it! (As did we!) We bought the elf that came with the story book (affiliate link)

...

Read More

How to freeze spinach

By 4 Comments

Simple, step by step instructions for how to freeze spinach from the garden for use in soups, stews, quiches, muffins or smoothies!

Stack of frozen spinach cups

Over winter and in early spring, about the only thing I usually have growing in my garden is a few brassicas and an abundance of spinach. I tend to let it go wild over winter but come spring when I need the space for summer seedlings, it's time for it to go.

...

Read More

How to plan a garden

By 2 Comments

How to plan a garden and why you should do it to get the most out of your garden space this season!

Over the last few years I have started writing up a garden plan at the end of winter to help me plan exactly what I'm going to put in my garden - while I never usually stick exactly to the plan I find it really helpful in terms of knowing what seeds to start/seedlings to buy, planning for what we will be eating and hopefully preserving over summer and making sure I'm not planting the same crop in the same spot 2 years in a row (crop rotation) It's also great to look on to see what did well and what didn't.

Summer garden

Why should you plan a garden?

To save money - I get carried away with how many seeds and plants I buy anyway, but without a garden plan in place I am out of control! I like having a clear idea of how many seeds to start or how many plants to buy so that I don't end up with too many plants (or not enough!)

Makes planting easy - I used to buy a bunch of plants and then panic about where to put them! If you have pre-planned your garden space and have bought/planted the right number of plants for the space, when it comes to planting out there is no thought involved, just check the garden plan and put them in the ground!

Crop rotation - this probably deserves a whole post (I will write it one day!) but basically crop rotation is the practice of not planting the same type of crop in the same part of the garden the following year. There a couple of main reasons for this.

  1. Reduces pest and disease build up in the soil - crops in the same family are more likely to be affected by the same pests and diseases so rotating them helps keep the soil healthy.
  2. Reduces nutrient deficiencies in the soil - some crops remove certain nutrients out of the soil and others put nutrients back in, so crop rotation helps ensure that the soil is not deficient of the nutrients that particular plants need.

To keep it simple, I split my garden into sections and plant a different crop in each section and then shift that crop to the next section the following season eg. tomatoes and peppers in one section, cucumbers and zucchini in one, beans and peas in one and salad greens in one. Planning my garden means I can refer back to where things were planted last season and make sure I move them around.

Capsicum plant with green peppers on it

Companion planting - a goal of mine this year is to learn more about companion planting and do it more effectively, but this is the practice of planting certain plants together that help each other to grow and can also help deter certain pests. Here is a great article that explains it in more detail. Common companion plant combinations are basil with tomatoes, sweetcorn with beans, peas and squash and marigolds with anything that is affected by aphids or greenfly. Bee friendly flowers such as marigolds, sunflowers, borage, nasturtium and calendula (to name a few) are also helpful in assisting with pollination - and they look pretty!

How to plan a garden?

If you are tech savvy, you could draw up a plan on the computer, but I love the feeling of drawing up my gardens on paper and using colouring pencils to make it pretty! It's also handy to have it in a notebook to be able to refer easily to it when planting or buying seeds!

Here's how I do it.

  1. Measure up your garden - I measure my garden so that I can draw it mostly to scale. It seems overboard but it is really helpful in terms of making sure you are allowing enough room between plants!
  2. Draw it out on paper. I don't panic too much about exact measurements, just as long as it's the right shape and mostly to scale.
  3. Write a list of what you would like to grow - I group these into families - tomatoes, zucchinis, salad greens, beans & peas, cucumbers, pumpkins etc
  4. If possible, divide your garden space into sections - I split my main veggie garden into 4 squares and each section of garden is allocated one particular crop. This makes crop rotation (see above) very simple.
  5. Draw the plants where you will plant them. I work on drawing in the big plants and filling in the space with smaller plants like lettuces, herbs and flowers
  6. Write a list of the plants or seeds you will need to buy - if I am planting seeds, I also write a list of exactly how many of each type of seed I will need and plant the correct number of seeds, plus a few extras to be safe or to give to friends and family.
Notebook with garden plan drawn up
Notebook with seed planting plan written out

Tips for planning a garden:

  • Allow for extra plants - somehow I always end up with way too many tomato plants (but is there such a thing?!) so I always have a bit of garden spare where I know I can fit them in!
  • Don't panic if you don't follow the plan exactly! Gardens are very adaptable!
  • Keep hold of your garden plan to have handy the following year so that you know where things have previously been planted.
  • And don't forget, gardening is a long term hobby! Each year things will change, you will learn something new and sometimes certain crops just don't have a good year for no reason! My best advice is to take note of what works, what doesn't and you will be gardening like a pro in no time!
Seedlings in punnets

Other helpful garden posts

Basket of vegetables from the garden

Macey turns 1!

By Leave a Comment

And just like that, Macey has been in our family for a whole year!! And what a wonderful year it has been with her.

To my total surprise and excitement, Macey's first word was "Mum" or mamamamamama! She has started getting really chatty and babbles all the time now. She is also making lots of other sounds - Dad, moo and bok bok for the chickens. She will even say ta and pass you something now which is a fun game for her.

...

Read More

Sadie is 3!

By 2 Comments

Our baby girl is 3!! What a huge year for Sadie. Between 2 and 3 is such a huge change - she has gone from a toddler to a little girl!

...

Read More

Mince and Cheese Pie

By 51 Comments

An absolute Kiwi classic and such a delicious family friendly dinner! This mince and cheese pie recipe will be your new favourite.

Baked mince and cheese pie with tomato sauce and forks with a slice on a plate

For the longest time, if Josh requested a mince pie for dinner, I'd just cook up some mince, throw a few herbs in and put it in some pastry. Nothing wrong with that, but being a Kiwi (and after getting a few requests for pie recipes!) I thought it was time I upped my mince and cheese pie game.

So I got to work, and what I have come up with is probably going to be your new go to pie recipe!

...

Read More

Life with Macey - 9-10 months

By Leave a Comment

I remember so clearly with Sadie that everytime she got to a new age or stage I would declare that this one was my favourite - and I am most definitely finding that with Macey too. It's so fun being able to go through these amazing months where they learn so much, so quickly again!

The biggest thing for Macey at the moment is that she's finally found her voice! For 9 months she barely made a peep and all of a sudden, she has discovered that she can make sounds! It's so funny and she is definitely making herself heard now!

Macey is still commando crawling (4 months and counting!) but lately she has been starting to get up on her hands and knees and rock back and forward. I still think she's a while away from actually crawling (if she even does!) but why would you when you can get around super fast on your tummy anyway?! Although, she has realised that there are things above her eye level and is starting to look up and trying to pull herself up to them - still unsuccessfully at this stage but it won't be long!

Sleeping, breastfeeding and eating solids are all going really well for us. Macey has 2 sleeps during the day and goes down for the night at 7pm, usually sleeping through until 8am! I'm feeding her morning, afternoon and evening and she's eating 3 huge meals per day. Her favourite foods are mandarins, banana, pumpkin, avocado and veggie soup but she will eat absolutely anything. She has never turned her nose up at anything and she can put away huge quantities at a time for such a little dot!

The most positive thing is that Macey has FINALLY stopped spilling!! It's been 9 months of spews after every single feed (and in between!) but we have finally turned a corner and I couldn't be happier!!

Macey continues to be a cruiser - she will happily play on the floor anywhere we go or will sit in the front pack or in the buggy and just enjoy her surroundings! She definitely knows our close family and friends and is happy to go to them but still loves mum cuddles the best! She is definitely going to be pretty cheeky too - she has the most amazing, wicked grin and a twinkle in her eye that makes me think she is going to be trouble when she's a bit bigger!

And Macey can wave! It's the biggest wave, most enthusiastic wave in the world and is the cutest thing ever.

She is becoming more interactive each day and it's been really fun watching the friendship between her and Sadie develop. Sadie is really enjoying that Macey can do more with her now and Macey just loves doing anything Sadie is doing!

Polytunnel/Tunnelhouse 101

By 41 Comments

Something I get asked a lot about is our polytunnel. I am always happy to talk about it as we love it SO much so I thought it was time I answered a few common questions I get about our specific tunnel and about growing in a polytunnel in general so here it is: everything you need to know about building or buying and growing in a polytunnel or tunnel house!

...

Read More

Multi Cooker Rice (Instant Pot)

By 19 Comments

How to cook rice in your multi cooker or instant pot. Hands off, quick and perfect rice every time!

White rice in a bowl with Crock Pot Multi cooker

Out of all the things I use my multi cooker for, rice is one of my favourites (right up there with the best soup recipe!) Back in the day I had a rice cooker that I could never get the hang of so I stuck with my tried and true way of cooking it on the stove.

Once I got my multi cooker, I thought I'd give rice another try and I'm SO happy I did! Perfect rice everytime that can be put on and ignored.

...

Read More

Mixed Berry Baked Oatmeal

By 4 Comments

Mixed up in one bowl, this healthy and filling mixed berry baked oatmeal is perfect for make ahead breakfasts or slice and take as a bar in your lunchbox!

DISCLOSURE: This post is a paid partnership with Countdown Supermarkets. All content and opinions are my own.

I was challenged by Countdown NZ to come up with an easy winter recipe featuring 5x ingredients from their Great Price range. I was super excited, especially when I saw the list of ingredients:

...

Read More

How to Freeze Slow Cooker Prep Bags

By 4 Comments

A step by step guide to prepare meals that can be frozen ready for the slow cooker - perfect for busy days and having more time free in the evenings!

DISCLOSURE: This post is a paid partnership with GLAD. All content and opinions are my own.

After getting used to spending so much time at home over the last couple of months and being home to prepare meals as well as spend time with our family, I know it will be hard to adjust back to our new normal once work and school are back which I why I'm so excited to partner with GLAD to bring you this post!

...

Read More

The Best Homemade Garlic Bread (from scratch!)

By 3 Comments

How to turn soft homemade French bread into the most delicious homemade garlic bread plus how to freeze it!

Homemade garlic bread on a chopping board with garlic butter and fresh parsley

Who loves the delicious loaves of garlic bread that you buy from the fridge section of the supermarket? Me! But who doesn't love the price tag that often comes along with these "gourmet" type convenience foods? Also me!

So when I perfected the recipe for easy homemade French bread, I knew it was only a matter of time before it was turned into garlic bread. And I'm telling you, it's the best garlic bread I've ever made (and eaten!)

...

Read More

Guide to Baking with Yeast

By 9 Comments

Answers to commonly asked questions about baking with yeast. Reference this guide whenever you are baking bread or other dough recipes that require yeast and you will be a confident bread baker in no time!

Loaf of French bread wrapped in a bag

Baking bread with yeast can be very intimidating but once you have a basic understanding of how it works, it's actually quite simple!

So let's get into it - I want this guide to be the place you come when you have any yeast baking questions!

...

Read More

Life with Macey - 6 months

By Leave a Comment

Almost as soon as Macey turned 5 months old, a whole lot of new things started happening so there's lots to update since last month! And yes, she is actually almost 8 months already but I figure as long as I post this, it doesn't matter too much how late it is!

At 5 months she was just starting to roll and we were slowly starting the transition out of her swaddle and bassinet. Pretty much as soon as we got back from being away at the beach over summer, I unwrapped her completely as she really got the hang of rolling. We also moved her right into the cot as I was worried she would start hitting her arms into the sides of the bassinet and wake herself!

As soon as she was unwrapped and in the cot she started sleeping on her tummy! I'm super pleased to say she is still sleeping as well as she was, now she just moves around a lot more in her bed. It's taking me a while to get her to sleep at night - she often fusses when I put her in bed and sometimes needs an extra feed but once she's down she is out for the night so I'm happy to spend a bit more time getting her to sleep to begin with.

We are also in a pretty great routine all of a sudden - she wakes around 7.30am goes down for a nap about 9.30am for a couple of hours, another nap at 1/1.30pm and then the last one at about 4.30/5pm before bed between 7.30pm and 8pm. Pretty great if you ask me!

At 5 ½ months she also cut her first 2 teeth - the bottom two. Just like with Sadie she was slightly unsettled one night, I thought nothing of it and then Josh went in, came out and announced that she had cut 2 teeth! Typical! She handled it pretty well and was just a bit fussy for a couple of nights. Not bad at all!

Because of how much she is rolling and starting to try and push herself along the floor I know our days of her being in the same spot we left her are numbered, so I'm enjoying every last minute of this stage! But as always, moving means we enter into another new and exciting stage and I love it!

She is a super happy and content baby but you still have to work for smiles from her - unless you are Sadie who she is just obsessed with! She seems to warm up more as the day goes on and I usually get the best giggles and squeals out of her right before she goes to bed at night...perfect winding down!

Macey continues to be the sweetest, most chilled out baby I know and we are loving every day with her!

Chilli Con Carne

By 6 Comments

This comforting dish will become a firm favourite - easy to prepare and cook, made from pantry staples and multiple ways to serve it!

Bowl of chili with avocado, sour cream and pot in background

I really enjoy how the seasons change. It's always a little bit exciting when there are hints of what is to come in the air, but the season I really could leave behind is winter. It's cold, dark, usually rainy and just not my favourite. The only silver lining in what can be a pretty miserable time of year is that we replace BBQ's and outdoor eating with big bowls of comfort food - like this chilli con carne!

...

Read More

Easy French Bread Recipe

By 14 Comments

This easy recipe for homemade French bread will be a staple at your house. Soft and fluffy bread with a crispy crust, perfect for garlic bread, sandwiches or French bread pizzas!

Loaf of French bread wrapped in a bag

Time for another bread recipe! This French bread recipe is one of my favourite. I love making it just to snack on, it's the perfect addition to a cheese board or platter and makes the best ever garlic bread!

...

Read More