Wishing everyone a safe and delicious Easter! Here is a round up of some of the loveliest chocolate Easter bunnies via Pinterest. For those in Auckland, don’t forget to enter The Zomato Easter Egg Hunt! Competition ends this Wednesday, so get your entries in. Also, like this blog on Facebook to keep up to date with my news and giveaways.
Every time I see a rabbit that looks like Tofu, something weird happens to my ticker. I want to squeal and cry at the same time. It plays tricks with my heart. From Wiki “In fiction and folklore, a doppelgänger is a paranormal double of a living person. A doppelgänger is often perceived as a sinister form of bilocation and is regarded by some to be a harbinger of bad luck. In some traditions, a doppelgänger seen by a person’s relative or friend portends illness or danger while seeing one’s own doppelgänger is said to be an omen of death.” Here is a collection photos I have seen on the internet of Tofu bunny lookalikes.
Loving these bunny place card holders from BHLDN. Stoneware with magnets to hold cards in place, white with gold feet. $28 for a set of 6. While you are there, check out their Rabbit Rabbit Cake Topper. A bit steep for $158…which was what we spent on our entire wedding cake with cupcakes!
A couple of years ago I tried to conquer my most loathed vegetable: the eggplant. The slimy fruit of nobody, I never thought I could like it. I grilled it and paired it with orzo salad and we ate it for dinner one night. The Koala left most of his eggplant on his plate. He wasn’t a fan either. I thought I had cooked it correctly but the evidence was clear. Eggplant 1, Genie 0. Your comments told me that I should give eggplant another chance (at some stage). Let’s call that experiment Part 1. Two years later, I have a different view on eggplant. Let’s call this Part 2. A few weeks ago, a group of us dined at Nishiki in Freeman’s Bay. I was delagated the pleasure of ordering for all (one of my favourite pastimes). One of Nishiki’s best dishes is the Bei-naso Misocheese (eggplant miso cheese) and I ordered 3 for the table. $9NZ for half an eggplant may seem steep but if you’ve ever tasted it, you’ll agree that it is …
The diagnosis I have Graves’ Disease. It sounds ominous and is characterised by hyperthyroidism. Since being diagnosed with Graves’ Disease a month ago, I’ve been reviewing my eating habits. I’ve lost around 7kg (15lb) due to illness, most of this is muscle so I’ve been super hungry and craving protein like a mofo. I’m on medication but I feel there is more that I can do than just popping a bunch of pills. I’m not going to get into my other symptoms here (I am a textbook case) but I’m focusing on improving my overall health through diet. In the last month… I’ve been focussing on eating whole foods with specific nutritional benefits. I’ve cut out pasta completely and have only had bread a couple of times. I bought a gluten free loaf which a few slices remain. I haven’t eaten much rice or rice noodles but have them once or twice a week. I’ve had 1 coffee since I have been diagnosed and an average of 2 alcoholic beverages a week. I was surprised at myself …
We gained an hour over the weekend and now there is less daylight when I come home from work. Tofu the bunny came inside all on his own shortly after this photoshoot. I suppose he figured it was getting late. What difference does daylight savings make to a blind rabbit?
The Forgotten Rabbit logo re-design by Jorgen Grotdal via Behance. Jorgen is a 17 year old logo designer based in Norway. Retro, vintage, hipster logos galore, he is a bit of a one trick pony, but he does the one trick very well. See this and more of his works on his website jorgengrotdal.com
Medha from Mimi’s Mommy Blog has just posted the round up for last month’s Our Growing Edge. With 14 great entries this month, it was nice to see the synchronicity of food bloggers around the world. Check out her post here.
I’m not much of a baker so we feast on store-bought hot cross buns every Easter. No shame. If you’re itching for something a little fancy this Easter, I recommend trying this version of bread and butter pudding. This recipe serves six adults (or two giant gluttons with regret). Bread & Butter Pudding Hot Cross Buns with Custard and Cognac (adapted from jamieoliver.com) Serves 6 Ingredients 2 cups milk 2 cups cream 1 vanilla pod or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla paste 4 eggs 3/4 cups white sugar 6 hot cross buns, cut in half and smeared with butter butter for buns 1 handful of sultanas soaked in 2 tablespoons Cognac overnight 1 tablespoon Cognac Icing sugar for dusting 1-2 cups cream for serving Preparation Pre-heat oven to 170°C / 325°F. In a large pot, bring the milk and cream to just before simmering point. Cut the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the seeds into the pan. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with sugar until pale, then pour egg and sugar mix into the …
In conjunction with restaurant review website Zomato and Tofu the Easter bunny, we are running an Easter Egg hunt on Zomato with a prize of $100 in restaurant vouchers. Zomato has a powerful search engine which you can use to search specific ingredients, dishes or even ambience notes. To enter this competition, visit Zomato.com and have a nosey in the Auckland category. Search for the keywords “boiled egg” and view all the restaurants that have a boiled egg mentioned in their reviews. Name 4 of these restaurants in the contact form below to be in to win. Entries close Wednesday 23 April 2014 and winner will be drawn by Zomato, contacted by email and announced here and on social networks. Terms and conditions 1 entry per person. Only correct entries will be accepted to the draw. This competition is open to Auckland residents only. The winner will receive $100 in restaurant vouchers: $50 Tatsumi, $30 Nickie’s Thai, $20 Mission Bay Cafe. Prizes may not be exchanged for cash and no change will be given. Entries close Wednesday …
I’m rather fond of the cover of a very new novel called The Stud Book by Monica Drake. Designed by Megan McLaughlin, Photography by Howard Sokol via Getty Images. More bunnies in the book trailer.
Fritters are a New Zealand summer icon. Any neighborhood fish and chip shop sells mussel fritters, paua (abalone) fritters, even pineapple fritters. These are usually deep fried, but at home, most kiwis pan fry or bbq (grill) fritters. I had never tried making a fritter. It was one of those simple iconic New Zealand foods that had somehow escaped me. A few weeks ago, with sweetcorn the cheapest it will ever get, 5 ears for 2 bucks, it was time to fritter. Sweetcorn fritters with salsa cream Makes 4 giant fritters or about 20 to 30 fun size fritters Recipe adapted from Lifestylefood.com.au Ingredients for fritters Sweetcorn kernals cut from 2 cobs 1/4 cup sliced spring onion A handful of coriander, chopped 1 cup grated cheese 1 1/4 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder paprika salt freshly ground black pepper 2 eggs, beaten 3/4 cups milk vegetable oil Preparation In a large bowl, combine corn, spring onion, coriander, grated cheese, flour, baking powder, salt, paprika and pepper. Stir to distribute ingredients evenly. Add beaten eggs and milk and …
There was a double rainbow over our way last week. The strong proud one in the centre and a fainter one up on the right. At times there was even a third underneath the main arc.
I’ve often been described as cute. Being cute means you can get away with things, though it also means that people expect you to be patient. Well, not anymore! Not with this shirt on. Also available as a cushion or various prints. Get them from Human here, here or here.
The Koala plays Street Fighter and he has been trying to teach Tofu how to play. Tofu mostly just mashes the buttons, but boy does he have a good game face.
A varmint is a troublesome wild animal. The total opposite of Tofu the bunny who is a sweet domesticated confidant. This Little Varmints identity design by Ashley Dugan caught my eye the other day. Little Varmints is a clothing brand based in Big Spring, Texas. Ashley’s graphic design style is beautiful typography and whimsical vector illustrations although she also dabbles in fine art. Check out this and more of her graphic design work on her Behance portfolio here: https://www.behance.net/ashleydugan or her website here: http://www.ashleydugan.com/ Without sounding stalkerish She also has impeccable taste. Find out just how impeccable over on her Pinterest page here.
The Food I thought I would do a separate post for the meal I enjoyed with ten other bloggers at The Paddington, Parnell. There were 9 dishes (10 if you include the fries) and I ate every single one of them. I started with a glass of Rabbit Ranch (of course) pinot noir and stuck with the reds for the evening. Even though it was pretty much an open bar, everyone was on their best behavior. It was a school night afterall. From The Paddington’s Finger Food Menu Hoegaarden cured salmon in cucumber ribbons Confit vine tomato bruschetta From The Paddington’s Appetisers Menu Homemade mushroom wontons with chili dipping sauce Honey soy beef skewers with a chili lime dressing The Paddington’s Signature Dishes Mini portions of Seafood chowder Caesar salad to share with options, chicken and calamari to taste From The Paddington’s Mains Menu Slice of Pizza: Salami chicken and caramelised red onion with bbq sauce Sliders: Pork Belly Burger with Japanese mayonnaise slaw and fries From The Paddington’s Functions Menu Guinness & Baileys Cheesecake …
Last night, tucked away in a pub in Parnell, ten Auckland bloggers gathered and feasted upon a nine dish tasting menu. Hosted by restaurant review website Zomato and The Paddington, this was an opportunity to show off the venue and a new menu. Zomato Zomato (rhymes with tomoto) launched here mid 2013 and is the newest review website in New Zealand. Zomato are gaining a good market share of reviews with their easy to navigate, clean design. As a graphic designer, I love a sleek website and I’m sure you do too. Their data collecting technique is mind boggling. Their data collectors have included over 3000 Auckland restaurants with more added weekly. I signed up to Zomato earlier this year and use it to get a feel for unfamiliar restaurants. With a tiered points system, reviewers on Zomato gain social status based on their activity. Almost any activity on Zomato will gain points and you can choose to follow reviewers with similar tastes. For those that love sharing and looking at food porn, you upload photos to restaurant listings and …
Tofu the bunny has been more active. We thought that he didn’t jump up onto the couch and bed because he was getting old, but after surgery, he has been jumping up onto the couch. On Friday we returned to the vet for a follow-up visit. They were pleased with his progress. One vet thought she recognised a picture of Tofu on the internet. She showed me the picture of this bok choy monster and yep, that’s him. The team at Lynfield Vets practice rabbit sorcery. They do amazing work and we are comforted by the fact there are always other rabbits in the waiting room when we visit. Want to see more bunny shaming? See here.
I love this branding by Sophia Georgopoulou for U.S. dessert company Nutty Bunny. Once upon a time, in the not too distant past, a little girl developed some serious allergies including dairy products. Her mother, who has a culinary background, developed a healthy non-dairy ice cream for her and Nutty Bunny was born. The handrawn, doodles that Sophia Georgopoulou has come up with look really suits the natural characteristics of the product. All ingredients are 100% organic, vegan, non-GMO and are naturally gluten-free. Nutty Bunny products do not use any artificial sweeteners and there are no funky, unpronouncable substances. They simply use nature’s purest ingredients and local sources whenever possible. See more of Sophia’s work on her Behance portfolio here or her website http://www.sophiag.com.
Travel, Food, Photography, Writing, Motorsports
Recipes so Good no-one will know you're Cheap!
A beauty and lifestyle blog
Life, Family, Food and Fun!
Low histamine recipes
Bunny Eats Design 