Pancakes are political Would you like to know your neighbours better? Do you like delicious food? Do you want to change the world, one small action of kindness at a time? Well, do I have the festival for you: Shrove Tuesday! When I was a little girl, our elderly neighbours had spare keys to our […]
An earlier version of this article appeared in my column at Kiwi Families. What are mealtimes like at your place? Do you have family ways of serving, eating or talking together? Would you like some fresh ideas to make the most of the gift of family meals? Here are some ideas for giving thanks at […]
Every so often I pretend I’m a food blogger, because I’ve done some rare magic in the kitchen. I’ll be super honest, since we’re friends: I blog about baking about as often as I bake. I’m no kind of expert, but I’m a brave experimenter when it comes to adapting recipes to fill the niches […]
There is a special kind of heartbreak a parent feels when the meal they have cooked is described as ‘yucky,’ or refused altogether. If you are struggling with the stress, sadness and discouragement of battling with picky eaters (of whatever age!), this post is here to reassure you and help you and your family relax and […]
‘Ten minutes’ as in that’s how long these bliss balls will last before you’ve scoffed the whole batch. Oh, and also they take about that long to make. Very occasionally I write up a recipe on this blog, mostly because I’m feeling so flipping proud of myself for having developed something. I don’t loooooove […]
One of my very favourite churches is Ponsonby Baptist in Auckland, where there is always much food for the mind and soul. The Sunday before last, I was lucky enough to visit once again, and several parts of the service were so profound and helpful that I wanted to share them with you too. The church […]
They do NOT contain breastmilk. I’m a fan of science, as you know, so I’ve been reluctant to write about lactation cookies, even though it’s a cool topic. The problem is that there is a very strange lack of scientific research on many aspects of breastfeeding. We’re left to self-evaluate traditional knowledge which could either be […]
It seems that Jamie Oliver – cheeky television chef with the ‘beestung lips’ and the Essex accent – and I aren’t on the same page when it comes to our attitude to children. To put the differences between us starkly and bluntly, I’m not into assault, or punishment, or treating children as lesser humans. I […]
Delicious, easy, fast, frugal, healthyish, and friendly to your special-diet friends: these may be the only chocolate-chip cookies you ever need to make! This really, truly isn’t a recipe blog, and I have no special expertise, but I got so excited about these biscuits I had to write about it somewhere. Frank posted this recipe […]
How can something as (potentially) shallow as Christmas gift shopping be a great way to make a difference in the world? Easy 🙂 If we aspire to living a life where our actions reflect our values, then how we spend our time and money on Christmas gifts can make a real impact on people beyond […]