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Crusty No-Knead Bread

August 2, 2018 By Laura 18 Comments

Kicking off the Monthly Bread Baking Challenge with this super easy, 4 ingredient, crusty No-Knead Bread recipe! Mix the ingredients, leave overnight, shape and bake the next day! You'll all be bread makers in no time!

Welcome to the first Monthly Bread Baking Challenge!

In case you missed the intro post yesterday, here's a recap:

Monthly Bread Baking Challenge:

At the beginning of each month I will post a new recipe for a different type of bread. We will start slowly, and work out way up to more complicated recipes. Each recipe post will be accompanied by step by step photos and instructions, tips and tricks and a video showing you exactly how to do it.
I want you to bake the same recipe that month and share it with me! Comment on the post letting me know how you got on, email me, or share a picture on Instagram (and if you do, tag it #thekiwicountrygirl)

So let's get right into it! Homemade, crusty no-knead bread!...

Monthly Bread Baking Challenge

August 1, 2018 By Laura 4 Comments

If you've been following along for a while, you may remember that way back in the dark ages of this blog, I did a Homemade Challenge. I had just started the blog, was starting to grow an interest in cooking and making food from scratch at home and I wanted to challenge myself to make something entirely from scratch, once a week that I would normally buy from the supermarket.

So many awesome recipes came out of that year, and so many that I still use all the time now. Burrito Spice Mix, Chicken Stock, Vanilla Ice-Cream, Vanilla Extract and more. I even have an ebook with 14 of my favourite recipes that I send when you sign up for my email list!

I've been thinking for a while about another similar type of challenge I could take on, I asked on my Instagram and in my Facebook group and the answer was clear...you guys want to know how to bake bread! This makes me SO happy, as bread baking is something I've recently started getting really into and is an area that I would love to learn more about. ...

Cheesy One Pan Mince Pasta

July 27, 2018 By Laura 70 Comments

This easy, cheesy one pan mince pasta is going to be your new go-to quick weeknight meal. 30 minutes from start to finish and everything (including the pasta) is cooked in one pan!

Close up of scoop of cheesy mince pasta with herbs on top

I have to tell you, I am seriously considering not ever posting another dinner recipe on this blog ever again. We are so outright obsessed with this cheesy one pan mince pasta that I am struggling to think how I am going to top this.

Not only is it the ultimate comfort food situation, it also wins ALL the prizes for being speedy, cost efficient, easy to cook and ONE PAN!! We have been eating this at least once a week for the last couple of months and it's got to the point where I don't even erase it from the blackboard meal planner because it has well and truly earned a permanent spot there.

This recipe was originally going to be a mince pasta bake - it's such a classic family meal. But then I remembered that I hate doing dishes and knew that there had to be a way to avoid the frying pan + pasta pot + baked on cheese in the oven dish situation. Lightbulb. Throw the uncooked pasta into the mince when you add the sauce ingredients, cover up and let it do it's thing.

It's a miracle. The pasta cooks PERFECTLY in the sauce. I am never cooking pasta in a pot ever again.

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Mocha Energy Bites

July 24, 2018 By Laura 4 Comments

Healthy Mocha Energy Bites - a quick easy & healthy snack made with walnuts, rolled oats and coffee and without dates! Easy to make, easier to eat and the perfect afternoon pick me up!

Can I admit something to you? I'm a bit sick of dates. I love the idea of recipes being made healthy but I find that a lot of the time, the dates totally take over and actually leave you feeling like you've eaten something way more sickly than a real life salted caramel cupcake and wishing you'd just gone for that option. Anyone else?

And while we're having a bit of a rant session (just me?) I am still a little lost on the whole bliss ball thing. Not the concept, just the name. It's very deceptive! I mean, no offense to bliss balls but my idea of bliss certainly isn't a mixture of nuts and dried fruit masquerading as dessert. Bliss is a piece of creamy no bake peanut butter cup cheesecake bars and a glass of wine with the kids at the grandparents, am I right??...

How To Grow Strawberries

July 20, 2018 By Laura 17 Comments

If you want fresh strawberries in your garden this summer it's time to plant! Here is my easy guide with 5 quick tips, plus answers to some common questions to help you grow the best strawberries this season!

Is there anything better than strawberries in summer? We love strawberries in our house - they're delicious on granola for breakfast, with ice cream for dessert or as a quick snack at any time of day and nothing beats a strawberry picked straight off the plant. And I want you to experience the joy that is freshly picked strawberries so I've put together a guide that covers everything you need to know about how to grow strawberries!

The great thing about growing strawberries is that they are really easy! You can pretty well just plant them and let them do their thing but to ensure you get the most out of your strawberry plants I've got 5 quick tips for success and I've also answered some common questions that you may have when it comes to growing strawberries.

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10 Tips For An Epic 1st Birthday Cake Smash

July 16, 2018 By Laura Leave a Comment

Is it even a 1st birthday without a cake smash? Before you jump in, here are my 10 tips for an epic 1st birthday cake smash so that goes well and is fun for everyone!

Way before Sadie turned 1 I saw these 1st birthday cake smashes popping up all over the place and I knew we would do one for her birthday! It was a lot of fun and something I would highly recommend - the photos are so cute and are definitely something we will love looking back on!

We did learn a bit along the way, so here are the 10 tips to help you create an epic 1st birthday cake smash for your little one!...

Sadie turns one!

July 10, 2018 By Laura Leave a Comment

Yeeeees I know it's been over a month since Sadie turned one but maybe I'm in denial ok?? But this milestone felt like a really big deal...it is a really big deal! 1 whole year! Parenting is so much harder but also so much more rewarding that I ever imagined it would be and even though we were of course celebrating Sadie turning one, we were also celebrating our first year as parents and the fact that we survived...and kept her alive too!

Sadie has been SO busy since the last update....

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Slice

July 5, 2018 By Laura 12 Comments

You only need 5 ingredients and 25 minutes to make this epic No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Slice - it tastes just like peanut butter cups!

This post was originally published in August 2015 – it has been retested, rephotographed, rewritten, and republished (to make it better for you!) in July 2018

For how much of a sweet tooth I have, I am one of those really annoying people who can keep chocolate in the house and not touch it. I was that kid who still had her Christmas chocolate at Easter. I know!! I don’t mean to brag, but my willpower is pretty strong.

But guys...this No-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Slice has been my undoing. I cannot be in the same house, let alone room as this creamy, chocolatey pan of peanut butter cup goodness without inhaling the entire slice. And it’s not just a one off, current favourite either. I first made this slice back in 2015 and it’s been calling my name ever since.

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DIY Ruler Growth Chart

July 2, 2018 By Laura 1 Comment

A step by step tutorial to show you how to make your own DIY Ruler Growth Chart, that can move with you from house to house! No more writing on the door frame!

Do you remember how exciting it was as a kid when it came time to see how much you had grown? As a lifelong shorty I would hang out to see where I was on the chart because any extra height I could get was a huge deal! Like most families, we marked our height on the door frame, and when my parents moved out of our childhood home, that was left behind. I'm definitely not sentimental about it but it did make me think that it would be nice to have a height chart for Sadie (and future kids) that can move with us when that happens.

There are plenty of options to buy some pretty amazing wooden growth charts but they can come with a hefty price tag, so rather than shell out close to $100 for one, I decided to spend around $30 and make one!...

Easy Butter Chicken Recipe

June 25, 2018 By Laura 19 Comments

Have you always wanted to know how to make Indian butter chicken at home? Well now you can with my super easy Butter Chicken recipe. Ready in 30 minutes, and delicious served on white rice with garlic naan on the side. Plus, prepare the spice mix in advance and it's even quicker!

You know that amazing feeling at the end of a long week, when you are sitting at home on the couch with the whole weekend ahead of you and the biggest decision you are faced with is what to order in for dinner? Well, when you live in the middle of nowhere with no possibility of having any sort of takeout delivered, you've gotta get a bit creative. Because we miss the luxury of takeaways on a Friday night, I'm slowly working my way through the list of our favourite takeout meals and recreating them at home. It's not quite the same, but that's what you get for living in the boonies!

This is my version of the Indian takeaway classic, and one of our favourites - butter chicken. You are going to LOVE it!! While it may not be totally authentic, it's a super simplified recipe and is so quick to make! And both Josh & I think it's as good as any we've had from an Indian place and so much better than any sauce that comes from a jar. There is no marinating involved - mostly because I always get mad when I'm frantically looking for inspiration at 5...ok 6pm and come across a recipe that looks perfect except that I needed to start it 4 hours ago....

Spinach Blueberry Smoothie {Toddler Approved)

June 20, 2018 By Laura 4 Comments

A 5 minute recipe for a healthy and delicious spinach blueberry smoothie packed with superfood ingredients that is toddler approved!

It took me 5 minutes to make this spinach blueberry smoothie, 10 minutes to take photos of it and 2 minutes to drink it. And then I spent close to an hour stuck on writing this post and trying to figure out how to sell you on this epic spinach blueberry smoothie.

Do I list the health benefits of the powerhouse ingredients? Do I tell you that you won't even notice there is spinach in it? (You won't) Or do I go for the obvious quick, easy and nutritious breakfast/snack angle. And then I realised that I could write one sentence and you would be running for the blender faster than you can say green smoothie.

My one year old will drink this.

The end.

But actually. So if you like the idea of green smoothies for your kids (or for you) but the thought of an actual green coloured drink doesn't appeal, let's talk....

Chicken Burrito Bowls with Cilantro Yoghurt Dressing

June 9, 2018 By Laura 4 Comments

These super easy, 30 minute Chicken Burrito Bowls with Cilantro Yoghurt Dressing are healthy, colourful and packed full of flavour! Perfect for a lazy dinner or meal prep for lunches!

This is the part where you guys say "um, Laura, burrito bowls are sooooo 2015" and the part where I reply "yes I know I'm extremely late to the party as per usual but guuuys!!!"

You need these Chicken Burrito Bowls in your life, today and tomorrow and probably 3 times this week for dinner because they will be the best thing you've eaten in ages. Well, at least since those blondies last week. And not to mention they are so quick and easy you won't actually believe it. But mostly because the chicken in these bowls that is generously coated in my favourite Homemade Burrito Spice Mix is out of this world! And did I mention the dressing? All the drooly and heart eyed emojis.

I don't know about you guys but I'm always a little bit skeptical about recipes that claim they are 30 minute meals. Because do you mean 30 minutes if I'm a trained professional in a shiny stainless steel commercial kitchen with a helper (NOT a toddler "helper") and all of my ingredients prepped and ready for me and also someone reading the recipe to me as I make it, or 30 minutes in my real life kitchen with said toddler hanging off my leg at 5pm HANGRY and nothing ready to go with just a few boring things in the fridge looking out at me as I search for inspiration like "what are you looking at??"...

Raspberry and White Chocolate Blondies

June 3, 2018 By Laura 5 Comments

These easy raspberry and white chocolate blondies with coconut will become a new favourite recipe for your family. Chewy, fudgy blondies studded with tart raspberries, white chocolate chips and coconut!

Do you know what kind of recipes are my favourite kind? The ones that are ready in under an hour, made in 1 bowl and taste good enough that they would be right at home in a fancy bakery. These raspberry and white chocolate blondies with coconut are EXACTLY that!

But first up, what is a blondie?

Simple! A blondie is pretty much the blonde version of a brownie. It's the vanilla to brownie's chocolate! The main difference between a brownie and a blondie is that instead of cocoa powder, there is just vanilla and brown sugar. It's almost like a butterscotch brownie!

They have the same crispy top, the same fudgy and chewy centre, a pretty similar list of basic ingredients and the exact same ability to coerce you into eating way too many pieces in one sitting!

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Healthy Banana Oatmeal Muffins (Blender Recipe)

May 22, 2018 By Laura 5 Comments

Healthy Banana Oatmeal Muffins made in the blender! These sugar free healthy banana muffins are perfect for breakfast on the go and for babies & toddlers! 5 minutes prep time, so easy and delicious!

Something terrible has happened. My baby is ONE!!! Somehow, 1 whole year has just completely disappeared and my squishy little newborn is now a proper little person and not a baby anymore (cue tears streaming down my face)

Ok so that was a little dramatic. It's not terrible - she had to turn 1 eventually. I just can't believe how fast it has come around! And actually, this age is amazing. Sadie is understanding us, using more words (we finally got Mama yesterday!!) and is such a little character. Way more interesting than the little squish that she was a year ago. But still...where has my baby gone?!!!

So way back when she was a teeny tiny little thing and wasn't even eating food I decided that I would hold off giving her sugar until she was 1. Mostly because she's my first child. Clearly, this isn't going to be a long term thing because 1. I don't want her to hate me and 2. I love cupcakes so there's probably only so long I can sneakily eat them without her finding out. So age 1 seemed like a really long time away and she would be such a big kid by then that she could definitely have cake on her birthday....

Homemade Squiggles Biscuits

May 19, 2018 By Laura 7 Comments

Homemade Squiggles Biscuits! Let me show you how to make a Kiwi classic, the Hokey Pokey Squiggles biscuit at home! Crispy cookie base topped with hokey pokey buttercream, hokey pokey pieces, covered in chocolate and squiggled on!

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.

I just KNOW you guys are going to be as excited about these homemade squiggles biscuits as I am! A few weeks back I asked on my Facebook page which store bought biscuit you wanted me to try and recreate next after how much you all loved Homemade 100's & 1000's Biscuits and Homemade Mint Slices. I was so happy when people asked for Hokey Pokey Squiggles!

If you're not from New Zealand you probably have never heard of these, so let me tell you a little bit about them. I don't buy a lot of biscuits but if I do, squiggles are pretty much the top contender for the spot in the trolley. So when I set out to make them at home, I knew I wouldn't stop until they were just right. Hokey Pokey Squiggles are a plain biscuit (sugar cookie) topped with hokey pokey buttercream, crushed hokey pokey pieces, covered in a milk chocolate shell and topped with a yellow white chocolate squiggle! Even if you're not familiar with them, you will still LOVE these cookies. They're pretty awesome. And so fun!...

DIY Reusable Produce Bags

May 10, 2018 By Laura Leave a Comment

A quick tutorial for DIY Reusable Produce Bags. How to make them, what material to use and simple instructions for a great way to use less plastic bags and reduce waste in your home!

Where do you sit on the waste free living scale? Do you recycle your milk bottles? Do you compost? Do you just throw everything in the rubbish? Or are you like me and own ALL the reusable supermarket bags because leave them in your car so that you're prepared and still forget to actually take them into the supermarket so end up buying more at the checkout?

I've definitely got much better - especially now that a couple of our big supermarkets are planning on getting rid of single use plastic bags....yay! But one thing that isn't quite so easy to get your hands on is reusable produce bags. There are more places now that sell them but I figured, why not make some!...

Feijoa Crumble Slice

April 21, 2018 By Laura 26 Comments

This Feijoa Crumble Slice is the perfect way to celebrate feijoa season! It's a quick easy slice with an oaty base, feijoa filling and a crumble topping that's perfect served as a warm dessert or as a lunchbox snack!

So, I don't know what the weather is like where you are, but the last few days here have felt like we skipped autumn and jumped straight into winter. Not kidding, we went from having the fan on one night, to the heater on in the hallway the next! It literally got freezing overnight! It seems to have eased a bit now but it really has me dreading winter. Over summer I actually forget what it's like to be cold and that little icy blast has me searching for mid-winter flights to tropical locations.

Luckily, now that autumn seems to have returned (for now) I am happy to embrace it, and what better way than with a cosy warm dessert that can also be served up as a lunchbox slice! This Feijoa Crumble Slice is autumn perfection, and is a great way to use up all the tiny feijoas that are too small for bottling. Or eating!...

Life with Sadie - 9-10 months

April 19, 2018 By Laura 4 Comments

It's taking me so long to get around to writing these posts - life with Sadie is so busy, especially now that she's on the move. I always have to keep one eye on her. So many people commented about how little you can get done with a newborn...showering, cooking dinner and general jobs but I honestly couldn't disagree more...I get WAY less done now! When she was tiny I could either wear her in the carrier and she would fall asleep, or I could leave her lying on the floor and she would still be there when I got back 15 minutes later. Not in the bathroom with her hands in the toilet, or in our bedroom putting my phone charging cord in her mouth, or outside letting the dog who actually rolls in poop rub up all against her...you get it. She's trouble!

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Granny's Zucchini Bread Recipe

April 10, 2018 By Laura 9 Comments

My Granny's easy zucchini bread recipe - the only zucchini bread I will ever make! Crunchy on the outside with a super tender crumb and flavour that is out of this world, you won't ever need another zucchini bread recipe!

Sometimes I get super freaked out about how conversations I have in my mind seem to occur at almost the exact same moment with my sisters. Over the last couple of months I've started collecting the recipes from my Granny that I love, thinking that it would be a great idea to get them all up on the blog so that our family has them all in one place. Then the other day, my youngest sister (hey, Claire!) who is at university in Dunedin messaged me asking if I had a recipe for one of Granny's desserts that she used to make for our birthdays. I didn't have that one, so Claire then suggested that maybe we should get all of her recipes, plus my other Grandma's and make a collection of them. Ding!

We've decided that it will be our summer project when she is home but until then, I just HAD to share this one for Granny's zucchini bread. Mostly because we are still working our way through an outrageous amount of zucchini this year. I've frozen some too, so that I can make this zucchini bread all year!

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Sheet Pan Sausage & Veggies with Satay Sauce

April 3, 2018 By Laura Leave a Comment

Sheet Pan Sausage & Veggies with Satay Sauce - a quick, easy and super tasty sheet pan dinner with colourful veggies, tasty sausages and a killer satay sauce! Great for weeknights and meal prep.

Out of all the things I cook and we eat THIS is our favourite. Ok...one of our favourites up there with Spaghetti Bolognese & anything Mexican. But we probably eat this Sheet Pan Sausage & Veggies with Satay Sauce once a week. Why? It's so super quick and easy!!

This sheet pan dinner has it all - flavourful sausages, colourful veggies and an epic sauce. Plus, dinner is on the table in 45 minutes of which 30 minutes is waiting for it to cook in the oven. Hands free! That's what I call a weeknight meal. And if you're out all day, you can even cut up the sausages & veggies in the morning and keep them in the fridge until you're ready to cook them. ...

My Favourite Carrot Cake Recipe

March 31, 2018 By Laura 37 Comments

My all time favourite Carrot Cake recipe - loaded with grated carrot, crushed pineapple, crunchy walnuts and smothered in cream cheese frosting, this will become your favourite carrot cake recipe too!

Hands up if you love carrot cake?! Carrot cake seems to be synonymous with Easter and spring, but there's just one problem with that. Down under it's autumn! And while I can make up the connection with carrot cake and Easter (Easter bunnies eat carrots I guess?) the spring thing has me thrown. If you ask me, carrot cake with all the cosy warm spicy flavours just screams autumn to me, which actually works out much better!...

Our Easter Brunch Menu

March 29, 2018 By Laura 2 Comments

Here is your Easter Brunch Menu inspiration! Tips for hosting an Easter Brunch as well as what we are having, plus all recipes!

It's nearly Easter! I have not been this excited about Easter since I was a kid. Christmas gets me every time but Easter doesn't quite have the same build up or excitement for me...until now! Because clearly in my world, having a kid makes everything more exciting! I mean, she's not even walking and I have little egg shaped maracas to hide in the garden for her so that we can have an Easter egg hunt but so that I can still hold onto the "no sugar until she's one" ideal. Come on, she's my first kid!...

15 Minute Ham, Cheese & Tomato Croissants

March 22, 2018 By Laura 1 Comment

The easiest and tastiest 15 Minute Ham, Cheese & Tomato Croissants - they come together and are ready to eat in only 15 minutes! Perfect for Easter brunch or just any old weekend breakfast!

Popping in with a super quick and easy Easter brunch idea for you today! I'm definitely not going to go as far as calling this a recipe - think of it as more inspiration!

These Ham, Cheese & Tomato Croissants are one of our favourite things to eat for weekend breakfasts. Now that our mornings revolve around feeding, changing and entertaining Sadie we are much shorter on time to put together fancy brunch in the weekends. The best thing about these is that they take 5 minutes prep work and 10 minutes cook time so they can be made, eaten and cleaned up all while Sadie takes her morning nap. Perfect!...

Homemade Burrito Spice Mix (with free printable labels)

March 18, 2018 By Laura 17 Comments

If you love this recipe, you will love the Burrito Spice E-cookbook! The ultimate collection of recipes that use Homemade Burrito Spice Mix including beef burritos, nachos, chicken strips for tacos, refried beans and everything Mexican!

This post was originally published in July 2015 - it has been retested, rephotographed, rewritten, and republished (to make it better for you!) in March 2018. I've also made labels for you to put on your spice mix jars - download the free PDF here

Homemade Burrito Spice Mix (or taco seasoning) - the perfect blend of spices to make your favourite Mexican meal in minutes! Perfect for beef burritos, nachos, chicken strips for tacos, refried beans or anything Mexican! | thekiwicountrygirl.com

This shouldn't come as a surprise to you (um, hi - I have a food blog), but I love to cook. The thing is though, cooking is something that didn't come naturally to me. I've always been a good baker but cooking has taken some practice. I think it's because I'm a methodical, rule follower type - the specifics of baking are my jam, but throwing ingredients into a pan and making an amazing meal - not so much. But way back in 2015 something changed for me when I discovered herbs and spices! I know (insert eye roll here) they've been around forever, but learning about and understanding what herbs and spices go together and with other ingredients changed my life!

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