Author: Bunny Eats Design

Just a quick meal plan

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I apologise for the rushed photos this week but as it gets closer to winter, the time between when I arrive home to sunset gets smaller and smaller. Soon there will be no more photos to accompany these posts because I can’t bear to use flash. This week, The Honesty Box delivered: Vegetables 20 mushrooms A bag of baby spinach 1 avocado 5 tomatoes 1 broccoli 2 capsicums 2 carrots 2 potatoes Pungents 1 garlic 1 lemon 2 onions (red and white) 1 spring onion A bag of herbs (rosemary and basil) Fruit 2 pears 4 apples 6 bananas 6 mandarins Here’s a guide to what we’re eating this week: BREAKFAST Omelette with parmesan, basil and tomato Banana smoothie with peanut butter and chia Lemon sugar pancakes Buttery mushrooms with scrambled eggs and grilled tomato and toast Chinese tea eggs LUNCH Kimchi fried rice with egg, tomato, garlic and spring onion Chicken wrap with baby spinach, avocado and lemon yogurt sauce Quinoa salad with roasted carrot, broccoli and toasted sunflower seeds Cheese and tomato toastie …

Monday Bunday: Schipper’s Beer

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    Schipper’s beer is a tiny brewery based in my neck of the woods. The brewer is a local photographer with a passion for food and beer. Schippers have delightful branding including this armed and dapper magician for Schipper’s Herr X Vienna Lager. A complex but elegant lager with subtle cherry and raisin aromas. 80’s music nerds will be interested to note that Herr X is the B-side of Ultravox’s Vienna. Illustrations by Paul Densem at Teaspoon Films and design by Gunroom. You can see more work by Gunroom and Paul Densem here and here. Find out more about Schipper’s Beer on their Facebook page. All images property of Schipper’s Beer.  

The Last Summer Barbecue

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I have been meaning to share this post for a while. When I was first diagnosed with Graves’ Disease at the end of summer, I did a lot of reading about what to eat. Being able to take control of something, even if it’s just diet made me feel less helpless about my health issues. Eating whole foods has been one positive change I’ve been making, dining out I usually make an exception but at festivals, where things like hot dog on a stick and greasy chips rule, it can be difficult to find something suitable to eat. A bunch of friends and I went to see The Opensouls reunion show mid-March at Phoenix Fest at Nixon Park, Kingsland. Back in 2007 and 2008, Phoenix Fest was just around the corner from our flat and a group of us would shake our asses off at the park and return home for further festivities. Phoenix Fest was on hiatus for 6 or so years and came back this year with a reunion show. How fitting! A …

Do you read labels?

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I actually enjoy grocery shopping because I don’t spend a long time reading labels. Shopping would take longer and be more of a chore if I had to read the label of every item. I generally have products I know and trust and those I never read the ingredients list on, things like steak, bananas, butter etc. A bargain…? We usually buy our meat at the butchers because of the price and quality. Our local supermarket more expensive and the quality is not as good, but we recently shopped at a discount supermarket (the yellow and black kind) and I was amazed that the meat was half price or less. That should have been a warning, but the bargain hunter in me said, “Woohoo! A meaty bargain!!!”. I bought a package of “steak” at the discount supermarket. The “sirloin” was on special at $10 per kg, so thinking I had eyed up a fantastic deal, I bought a pack. Sirloin steak at our local butchery is $25.95 per kg, so that should have triggered alarm bells. …

More mushrooms!

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Another lovely box from The Honesty Box this week. It’s inspiring to get this bounty delivered to our door each week. I figure it’s not laziness, it’s making sure there’s plenty of nutritious stuff to eat each week. This is a better variety than I could have picked myself. The Koala and I were both impressed at the thoughtfully paper-bagged mushrooms. They arrived in perfect condition. We had two of them with dinner on the first night. Seasonal things come in fours, apparently: 4 portobello mushrooms 4 tamarillo 4 feijoa Delighted with yet another avocado. These things are having a long season this year and these tomatoes are still as good as in summer. Still, I’m finally carrying a jacket most days so soup weather is upon us. Here’s a guide to what we’re eating this week: BREAKFAST Porridge with sliced banana, chia and maple Fejioa and banana muffins and a steaming mug of tea Breakfast burrito with beans, scrambled egg, mushroom and guacamole Banana yogurt smoothie Turmeric and herb tomatoes on toast   LUNCH Chickpea, tomato …

Tofu Tuesday: Early morning snooze

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Tofu the bunny runs to the back door most mornings, eager to be let out and greet the sunshine. We receive a lot of sun on our deck so if it is a bright day, Tofu might flop over for an early morning nap. I have seen him asleep on the deck a thousand times and it still pleases me how content he looks. Another Tuesday, another photo of the rabbit basking in the sunshine. Doesn’t he look positively blissed out?

Monday Bunday: Bunny Backpack

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The Koala and I share a backpack. The Kathmandu backpack came free with my first student bank account, which means it has given a good 12 years of service. It has travelled with me to Hong Kong, Malaysia, Borneo, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. Probably due to the countless beach missions, one zipper is calcified. I’m in no rush, but I’ve been on the lookout for a new backpack. Too bad this bag from ASOS is out of stock.    

Our Growing Edge April Round Up

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Dana from I’ve Got Cake has posted her round up of Our Growing Edge April. Perhaps the most colourful commentary in Our Growing Edge history and you can check out out here. 16 submissions with huge contrasts. Coconut & Lemongrass Tofu Soup vs Seal Flipper Stew. Never seen before udon bundles vs nostalgic Pastafrola (quince jam pie from Argentina). April also saw many Easter and spring time dishes. So inspiring and drool-worthy! May’s edition of Our Growing Edge is now open and you can join us via the button below.

YouTube round up

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Here are some videos of my favourite foodies on Youtube guaranteed brighten your day. Too cute! Too clever. Too greedy! Too well behaved. I hope you enjoyed these foodie videos as much I do. Please share your favourite foodie videos in the comments below!

Breaking Bread

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Look Good Feel Better is the only international cancer support charity that provides practical, effective and free services for people going through cancer treatment. You can find out more about them here. Bakers Delight bakeries across New Zealand will be donating $1 from every Cape Seed Loaf and Chia & Fruit Loaf to Look Good Feel Better from 24 April – 14 May 2014. “Bakers Delight Cape Seed Loaves are made with 100 per cent wholegrain flour. With the goodness of whole grains and seeds it is rich in antioxidants and low GI. Bakers Delight Chia & Fruit Loaves are made with wholemeal dough, juicy dates, sultanas and a hint of mixed spice. It is a great source of omega-3 ALA and also contains magnesium, iron and thiamine.” Shared bread Bread is best shared with friends and I have two x $10 Bakers Delight NZ vouchers to give away to one of you and a friend. All you have to do is visit the Bunny Eats Design Facebook page, find the contest photo and tag your friend in the …

May Day

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Happy first of May! For those celebrating May Day, I hope your day is filled with freshness and warmer weather. For us in the southern hemisphere, we have a gorgeously crisp Autumn day. A new month brings a new edition of Our Growing Edge. If you plan on cooking or eating something new this month, please join us via the submission link below. More info about the event on the Our Growing Edge page here.  

Goodbye April, Hello Meal Plan

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The Honesty Box delivers again! We’re most excited about the two tamarillo and two portobello. The Koala ate a tamarillo (ahem, his tamarillo) immediately after I took this photo. Quite likely, he’ start eyeing up my tamarillo and I’ll either split it with him or let him have it. I am an older sister and he is a younger brother and it was like that in both our families. The Koala’s big brother and I would save and The Koala and my little sister would feast. Then start eyeing up their older sibling’s uneaten bounty. Was it like that in your family? Tamarillo are still a like bit finger guts to me, but I admit the intense savoury flavour is exciting and unique. They’re still too rare for me to to cook with but I’ll work up to that when the novelty wears off. Feijoa season is intense and short here in Auckland. Our landlord had our feijoa tree removed (for reasons that baffle me). So we’re grateful for any feijoa that come our way. For those …

Tofu Tuesday: Head and Butt

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It’s getting cooler here in Auckland’s autumn. Last night we turned the heater on for the first time (real low). Tofu the fluffy rabbit can still be found outside every day. He runs outside on his own and some days he even comes inside on his own. Not bad for a blind rabbit. On rainy days he insists he’ll be good and once outside, he usually finds shelter. He loves routine and being outside during the day is his life. One of his favourite spots to lounge is under the stairs. I have to commend the rabbit. He sure knows how to sunbathe. Head and butt perfectly positioned in the sunshine. Can you imagine how good that feels? *Bliss*

We have a winner!

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Congratulations to Chris (SimpleLifeOfChris) who has won the $100 worth of Auckland restaurant vouchers courtesy of the restaurant review website Zomato. A big thank you to all who entered and better luck next time! If you would like to keep up to date with news including future competitions, you can subscribe to this blog (link on the right) or to my Facebook page here. For those in Australia and New Zealand, we are celebrating a special year with consecutive Easter and ANZAC holidays. For the price of 3 annual leaves days, we can receive 10 consecutive days off work. Naturally, the last 3 days have been really quiet in the city. Wishing you all a safe holiday season. Please be extra safe if you are driving home this weekend.

Off The Grid

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Without sounding spoilt, The Koala and I love to have long holiday outside of New Zealand once a year. But over the last few years, we have not left New Zealand, instead we have taken small holidays within New Zealand. I still yearn for foreign lands for new perspective and culinary delights, but there are world-class destinations within an hour from home. This is a story about one of them. Hidden in the remote hills behind Waiuku on the southernmost west tip of Auckland, is a secluded glamping gem. For the uninitiated, glamping is short for glamorous camping. Will and Kate (of the royal variety) went glamping in Uluru, Australia this week, so I think it is fair to say that glamping has reached the mainstream. The Koala and I stayed at Castaway’s glamping last Friday to celebrate our 5 year wedding anniversary. Expensive for camping, inexpensive for luxury, glamping is a careful balance. Our stay was paid for in full with real cash so this is an honest review, not an advertisement. Saying that, I must warn you I …

Cumin Hash Browns

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The Koala’s favourite brunch spot in Auckland is a local cafe in Sandringham called Okra. Even though they have changed hands (staff bought out the owners), much of their menu is the same and their big breakfast which includes a cumin spiced hash brown has been consistently good for a decade. Okra’s hash brown is a mashed and fried variety but I have grated these as it is quicker than mashing. Hash browns are a great gluten-free toast alternative for breakfast and since I’m watching my gluten intake, we had these babies instead of toast. This is my interpretation of Okra’s cumin hash browns. This recipe makes 2 good sized hash browns but can easily be double or tripled if you have more hungry mouths. Cumin Hash Browns Makes 2 Ingredients 1 egg 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (Parmigiano-Reggiano) 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 medium potato 2 tablespoons oil for frying   Preparation In a bowl, beat egg and add the cumin, parmesan and seasonings. Peel and grate …

A Healthier Meal Plan

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We are getting this The Honesty Box delivered every week now. For $39.40 including delivery to Auckland central, our F&V small is 8kg (sometimes 10kg) of fresh fruit and vegetables. Shared between The Koala and I, this needs careful planning to eat everything before the next box arrives. I’ve been testing out gluten-free recipes and I think avoiding processed food is good practice regardless of my health concerns. I’m seeing an Endocrinologist (for the first time) today and hopefully there will be time to discuss diet and Graves Disease with him. I’m fairly adamant at this stage I want to try medication and diet only before than permanent options like surgery or radiation. If possible, I’d like to stay away from radiation. It’s starting to get cooler but since we’re still receiving salad ingredients, we shall eat salad this week. Here’s a guide to what we’re eating this week: BREAKFAST Avocado and tomato on toast Banana and peanut butter smoothie Cumin hash brown with a fried egg and grilled tomatoes Fruit and vege juice and soft boiled eggs Rice noodle soup …