2019-08-06 08:59
It’s cold and wet – it’s winter! And that alone calls for a hearty, tasty dinner.
If you love the flavours of Chorizo sausage, but not the cost of buying the sausage, you w… Read More
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Lessonstodate – Lots Of Good Recipes, My Life Lessons, Family Stories And More! Blog
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Lots of good recipes, my life lessons, family stories and more!
2019-05-14 03:17
A low carb pasta bake with no pasta? How is that possible?
Simple, really, replace the pasta with zucchini rounds – and if you add the zucchini at the last minute it holds its shape an… Read More
2018-02-25 00:58
Here’s a variation of pizza that is great for the grown-ups on a Friday night, featuring peanut sauce, broccoli, and sweet mango.
I know, what a combination!
You will have to trust me… Read More
2018-02-18 00:03
As a household of just two now, I have learnt to cook enough for a meal without having a load of leftovers.
But when it comes to potatoes, I still work with the ‘one for the pot… Read More
2018-02-10 03:30
Mac ‘N Cheese
If you mention you had Mac ‘n’ cheese for dinner amongst my work colleagues there would be gasps of horror! “oh my goodness, so much cheese”,&rdqu&hell…Read More
2018-02-04 04:53
Ratatouille is a fancy (and hard name to say) French provincial stewed vegetable dish, originating in Nice.
This vegetable stew is tasty and substantial, and carefully seasoned just be… Read More
2018-02-02 03:46
Kai Si Ming – an old family dish!
Kai Si Ming is an Asian-inspired one-pan mince and rice dinner and something that I have not had since a kid (and that is some years ago now!)
I was r… Read More
2018-01-29 03:14
2018-01-26 15:34
If you are looking for a new cookie recipe, look no further. This is an oldie but a goodie, packed with flavour, and perfect with a coffee.
Similar to an New Zealand favourite, the ANZAC, th… Read More
2018-01-20 03:00
French Toast Waffles
Okay, my latest burning question in the world of cooking was “could my waffle machine make quick work of French toast?”.
I very pleased to report the answer… Read More
2018-01-17 02:54
Prosciutto wrapped Prawns with Fresh Salad and a Pimento Mayo
This delicious lunch or entreé consists of 3 parts: the prawns, the salad and the dressing.
Let’s start with the pr… Read More
2018-01-14 03:58
Fresh Fish with Chargrilled Eggplant & Zucchini and a Red Pepper Dressing
I’m not really a big fish eater which means I don’t spend much time thinking about cooking it either… Read More
2018-01-10 04:24
Every salad needs a good dressing, and personally I like a variety of dressings on hand to spice up a plate.
This dressing makes use of the seasonal blueberry, and is really delicious. A sma… Read More
2018-01-05 02:45
The weather is too warm for hot vegetables with the evening meal but after a few months of salads you start craving them regardless of the heat!
I have to say that a lettuce salad can get a… Read More
2018-01-04 03:35
Do you have leftover Christmas Mincemeat from making a batch of tarts? Or did you just grab a jar of Anatoth’s Berry Christmas Mincemeat this week on special?
Either way, if your favou… Read More
2018-01-03 04:09
Now I know that Christmas is all but over; except I’m on a well-deserved break from work and felt like baking some tarts!
To be honest, I had bought a packet of shop-made tarts before… Read More
2018-01-02 04:00
Summertime, and the livin’ is easy – and so is the wonderful summer fruit at this time of year. Apologies to my friends overseas who are slogging it out in the snow and cold of w… Read More
2018-01-01 03:26
It is summer which means strawberry season and whilst the are delicious ‘au natural’ they are quite yummy in a muffin too!
Here is my ‘go-to’ recipe for a nice aftern… Read More
2017-10-02 05:00
I heard my favourite radio DJ’s talking about how great Cauliflower Rice was; I nodded in agreement as I drove to work. Polly had not heard of this and asked “How do you make ric… Read More
2017-10-01 04:40
I discovered eggplant last year, and when it is not so ridiculously priced ($5.00 each!) I make sure to pick one up with my fruit & vegetable shopping. I have found them to be a vegetabl… Read More
2017-08-06 05:30
Cheesy Cauliflower Waffles
Last weekend I ventured into the exciting new world of waffles after purchasing my very first waffle maker. Blueberry Waffles were my first attempt and they w… Read More
2017-08-02 07:16
Quick Apple Strudel
Is it just me or does the winter season make you think of a warm pudding too?
At our house we have really tried hard to eliminate those dreadful carbs during the we… Read More
2017-08-02 02:00
Blueberry Waffles 30th July 2017
I have hankered after a waffle maker for some time now – and this weekend I finally bought one!
I did my due diligence online before heading to a stor… Read More
2017-06-13 17:57
I shared with you a recipe from a young friend who had lived in a student flat on a meagre income while he was studying. It was a delicious and heartwarming chicken stew made from the leftov… Read More
2017-06-11 05:14
The household numbers just the two of us these days with the children all grown and living away from home. So the days of cooking a roast chicken and making sausage meat balls to make… Read More
2017-06-11 04:14
Last weekend I met my girlfriend at La Cigale Market in Parnell – she lives out South and I live on the North Shore, so nearly a half-way point, and a great place for a nice weekend br… Read More
2017-06-10 16:54
Does your letterbox get flooded with loads of retail brochures, and real estate flyers? Ours too – and after the long weekend of Queens Birthday there were even more than normal!  &hell…Read More
2017-04-23 05:32
Willingness – the state of being prepared to do something Read More
2017-04-22 05:23
You can’t best a good roast pork belly. The lovely thick layer of fat on pork belly keeps the meat moist as it roasts and also gives you an incredible even layer of delicious crackling… Read More
2017-04-17 06:45
2017-04-17 04:33
I love winter root vegetables – especially parsnip! The parsnip is a root vegetable related to the carrot and parsley. It was interesting to learn that parsnip contains more suga… Read More
2017-04-16 02:50
‘Quark?’ I hear you say – what on earth is that? Quark means ‘curd’ in German and is thought to have originated in Central Europe–in fact it has been made… Read More
2017-03-22 08:19
I cook without meat at least once a week: as I have got older I find red meat especially less agreeable with my tummy. At the same time it is often quicker to put together a nice tasty veget… Read More
2017-03-18 05:33
Serendipity – the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way. Let me explain more…
I posted a photo of some gorgeous yellow lilies I had taken a… Read More
2017-03-13 01:12
The weather was not great over the weekend with thunderous rain that just covered the country – so like lots of others I chose to stay indoors and do a little baking!
Now I have… Read More
2017-03-12 05:10
Are you looking for something a little different to do with the humble carrot? Then do I have the answer for you!
This yummy salad is actually a warm one-you roast the vegetables and then to… Read More
2017-03-08 01:09
Fresh baked cookies are a big hit at my house, and a great way of drawing attention to the kitchen!
Now if you are like me you have a few standby recipes that you use over and over agai… Read More
2017-03-04 20:15
What on earth is ‘Confetti Couscous” I hear you say! What it is not is small pieces of coloured paper tossed in couscous!
This is a fabulously quick & easy side dish fo… Read More
2017-02-26 09:04
I have been caught out! The ‘chief tester’ has just worked out that I ‘bake to blog’….. he thought I baked for him! Oh dear
The truth is that with no teenage… Read More
2017-02-26 07:38
Last Wednesday we did something we rarely do these days; we ate out at a restaurant! One salary means that eating out is a luxury; the side benefit of which has been that I have learnt to co… Read More
2017-02-19 03:43
2017-02-14 08:14
2017-02-13 00:58
Often times we get bogged down in life with all the pressures of paying bills, stress at our jobs or just life obstacles. We forget to enjoy and embrace the present time and the current sta… Read More
2017-02-12 05:53
Yesterday the ‘chief tester’ and I went to the French markets in Parnell, Auckland – La Cigale. I love strolling around this market and tasting different foods… Read More
2017-02-09 09:08
I spotted a couple of banana’s in the fruit bowl that needed some magic to bring them back to life – closer inspection told me that there was nothing left for these brown-skinned… Read More
2017-02-06 06:05
Late last year I expelled the virtue of the pork tenderloin fillet – well I have to say I am on the same band-wagon tonight!
Juicy tender slices of Moroccan rubbed pork with… Read More
2017-02-05 01:53
Warm Roasted Pear, Fennel & Blue Cheese Salad
One of our favourite salad combinations is Pear and Blue Cheese – sometimes I roast walnuts and add these delicious nuts for some crun… Read More
2017-02-04 07:50
We have been blessed with another long weekend in New Zealand – Waitangi Day falling on Monday creating this welcome three day break from work
Now for those of you reading from outsid… Read More
2017-01-30 08:09
I lay in bed pondering what the day ahead looked like and decided it should start with a nice cooked brunch! Auckland Anniversary weekend giving most Aucklanders a sleep-in today and a… Read More
2016-12-14 07:23
Looking for something easy to make for a Sunday lunch? This little tasty tart is so simple it is embarassing!
Take one sheet of ready rolled flaky pastry and place it on a lined baking tray… Read More
2016-12-06 08:23
Beetroot & Goat’s Cheese Gnocchi – December 2016
If you are like me and working outside of the home all day, and then coming home looking for something quick & easy for d… Read More
2016-10-26 09:05
Creamy Pesto Chicken Spaghetti & Zucchini Noodles
Combining spaghetti with zucchini noodles reduces the carbs with deliciously quick & easy weeknight dinner – a sauce made with… Read More
2016-10-24 06:48
Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Poached Pear and Blue Cheese sounds much fancier than it really is!
Now I have to tell you that I do not cook pork often at all – unless it is bacon of cou… Read More
2016-10-22 19:31
A weekend on the Coromandel Peninsula, New ZealandLabour Weekend 2016
We decided to be tourist’s today and headed up the coast to Hahei – home of Cathedral Cove, Hot Water Beach… Read More
2016-10-22 19:31
Labour Weekend Travels – A weekend by the sea!
We decided to be tourist’s today and headed up the coast to Hahei – home of Cathedral Cove, Hot Water Beach and the Hahei Ma… Read More
2016-10-20 03:19
Book Review: The Memory Keepers Daughter – Kim Edwards
The ‘chief tester’ and I have snuck away for a few days R & R to a rented beach house on the Coromandel. When you… Read More
2016-10-02 03:57
Bali – has it really been a year since we were there?
Facebook kindly reminded me of what I was doing this time last year – tripping off to Bali.
My eldest son and his partner de… Read More
2016-09-25 05:27
Hello fellow foodies and bloggers – long time no see, or in my case cook!
It has been a little while since I stopped to chat to you all – with my chief tester away in South Afric… Read More
2016-08-28 00:36
lessonstodate
Salads de Roquette au Chèvre, aux Noix aux Oignons Rouge, et á la Courge Butternut!
Remember that book from my 2016 Reading Challenge? – Picnic in Pr… Read More
2016-08-07 06:13
Stop and Recalibrate Yourself, August 2016
We live in such a fast-paced world where technology allows us to work day and night – my boss told me off gently earlier this week for sendi… Read More
2016-08-07 03:45
Lemon & Olive Roast Lamb, 6th August 2016
The ‘chief tester’ is away at the moment and I have to confess to eating quite badly for the first few days – today I thought… Read More
2016-08-07 03:09
One-Pot Smoked Paprika Chicken, August 2016
One-Pot Smoked Paprika Chicken with carrots, potatoes & mushrooms is full of flavour, healthy and so easily put together! Try it with rice, qu… Read More
2016-07-31 05:59
Slow-cooked Massaman Beef Curry – winter = curry & slow cooking!
I love a good curry and have wanted to make a Massaman Beef curry for ages now. I put this together in the slow-coo… Read More
2016-07-31 05:34
Home-Made Alfredo Chicken & Spinach Pizza, last day of July 2016!
We often have a home-made Pizza and a glass of wine on a Friday night – you know how it is? TGIF! I d… Read More
2016-07-24 06:35
Rich Chocolate Cake
I woke up this morning and felt like chocolate – now I don’t have a really sweet tooth so I figured this was a call to action!
There was my baking chocolate… Read More
2016-07-24 03:07
Slow cooked Lamb with Winter Root vegetables – perfect for a winter’s night dinnerLamb with Winter Root Vegetables – Slow Cooked
Don’t you just love a meal made in on… Read More
2016-07-23 05:11
Last Saturday I had a craving for something spicy for dinner – and after looking in the freezer I landed on chicken thighs. What to do with them was the next question?
I am a big fan o… Read More
2016-07-23 04:15
Baking a batch or two of cookies was something our mothers and grandmothers thought nothing of. They didn’t mind creaming the butter and sugar by hand, or for the lucky ones, in the mi… Read More
2016-07-17 10:52
This is a no-cook bake which is super delicious and something I normally make in the summer. I don’t really know why I only make it in the summer? Silly really, as it has to be stored… Read More
2016-07-17 06:08
Freshly baked cookies are a household favourite and my ‘chief tester’ can’t often resist the cookie dough before it is baked!
These cookies are lovely, with the crunch of t… Read More
2016-07-17 06:00
It’s Sunday afternoon and I have just finished baking a baking a Blueberry, Orange & Coconut cake – super delicious warm from the oven!
The cake base is topped with blueberri… Read More
2016-07-16 23:48
We have been getting 4 of our weekly dinner’s delivered for the last couple of months – not cooked meals, but the ingredients with recipe cards to make the meals.
Initially I fel… Read More
2016-07-16 04:23
I was rummaging around in the freezer for something to defrost for dinner later in the day – it’s the weekend so I try to make an effort to prepare a nice meal for us.
Lamb… Read More
2016-07-10 18:52
A quick and easy recipe for white chocolate and cranberry cookies – we love the chewiness of the cranberries with the crunch of the cookie!
Ingredients
125g unsalted butter, room tempe… Read More
2016-07-10 04:48
Following on from my Rhubarb Tart last week, that we enjoyed so much, I wanted to share this rhubarb cake recipe with you all.
It was honestly really good…warm from the oven… Read More
2016-07-10 04:06
I haven’t baked for a little while now, and today seemed like a good day for it. I find that unless I am ‘in the mood’ my baking can be a disaster! you know what I mean? Ca… Read More
2016-07-03 10:01
I bought a bag of frozen cut rhubarb last week and threw it in the freezer for that ‘rainy day’. You know that late afternoon or early evening when you think…I feel like a… Read More
2016-07-03 10:01
I bought a bag of frozen cut rhubarb last week and threw it in the freezer for that ‘rainy day’. You know that late afternoon or early evening when you think…I feel like a… Read More
2016-06-29 01:36
I was pondering this topic while observing my new team working. It’s an interesting concept and one that I need to explore further as I begin the somewhat daunting task of pullin… Read More
2016-06-29 01:36
I was pondering this topic while observing my new team working. It’s an interesting concept and one that I need to explore further as I begin the somewhat daunting task of pullin… Read More
2016-06-28 08:30
‘Butterflied’ chickens became quite a popular addition to the supermarket line-up a couple of years ago – and with a price-tag that was a little outrageous.
Buy a fro… Read More
2016-06-26 06:16
Feeling a little house-bound? Need to get out and about for a change of environment? A quick trip to Ponsonby Central this afternoon where everything is under cover did the trick for us toda… Read More
2016-06-25 20:12
If you love the taste of a Christmas Ham – but the cost puts you off, then try this recipe for a mid-year Christmas Ham at the fraction of the cost. But with that same delicious flavou… Read More
2016-06-25 06:11
Something different to tease your palate! A delicious selection of veggie’s spiced up and baked in the oven with crispy finish to the rice – finished with a dollop of natur… Read More
2016-06-19 09:54
Winter as arrived with a bang – and for me this signals a big bowl of warm soup, buttered toast in front of the fire for a Sunday night supper!
Hopefully you have invested in a slow co… Read More
2016-06-19 03:46
I have discovered the joy of a hot bowl of fruit crumble with a dollop of yoghurt for breakfast! To my tastebuds so much yummier than weetbix and cold milk – and even though I am start… Read More
2016-06-12 06:04
Simple things are the best! Read More
2016-06-12 05:34
My daughter and her husband were flying in from a holiday Malaysia last Monday night – their first wedding anniversary celebrated with this overseas destination. And judging by the lug… Read More
2016-06-12 04:49
I discovered a new fruit for our family over the past couple of weeks – ‘Persimmons’. We got a fruit box delivered to the house which contained several of these inter… Read More
2016-06-01 18:28
Delicious as an appetiser for a crowd..I first ate this at a friend’s house a few years ago – it was so delicious and was consumed by the crowd quickly!
The ‘crowd’ w… Read More
2016-06-01 18:26
An early lesson in my life as a young married mum with 3 children and a mortgage was learning to cook a nutritious meal on a budget.
This is a recipe I have used and adapted over the years … Read More
2016-06-01 18:26
An early lesson in my life as a young married mum with 3 children and a mortgage was learning to cook a nutritious meal on a budget.
This is a recipe I have used and adapted over the years … Read More
2016-05-29 03:44
2016-05-29 03:23
Stuffed Italian Bread is a great addition to the table if you are having a nice soup for a weekend lunch or dinner.
Take one Italian loaf of bread ( a crusty loaf essentially!) and cut… Read More
2016-05-28 06:02
Sure to be a winner with the kids – crunch churro’s & chocolate sauceSure to be a winner with the kids..crunchy churros & chocolate sauce!
Sure to be a winner with the ki… Read More
2016-05-28 03:43
Winter Dessert – the ‘Queen of Puddings’!
This is another delicious option for a winter desert – what makes it a little different is the custard is inside the pudding… Read More
2016-05-28 01:52
Hot Apple Sponge – just like mum made it
A NZ Classic CookbookThere is nothing like a change in the weather to make me head for the Edmonds cookbook and an old favourite recipe to war… Read More
2016-05-23 18:43
Opportunity: a time or set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something – a chance for employment or promotion.
Back in January I wrote a blog I named: An Update … Read More
2016-05-23 18:43
Opportunity: a time or set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something – a chance for employment or promotion.
Back in January I wrote a blog I named: An Update … Read More
2016-05-22 02:46
Thai Pumpkin & Kumara Soup, slow cooked for an easy meal.
This filling and colourful soup is great as a main meal with a crusty bread. And now with the weather cooling down, it&rsq&hell…Read More
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