We are very fortunate to be in the Southern Hemisphere right now, enjoying warm summer days, long evenings and an abundance of fresh produce right when we feel like a bit of light relief after the excesses of Christmas.

In October this year, I packed my suitcase and popped across the ditch to be bridesmaid at my best friend’s wedding on Queensland’s Gold Coast.  A few days before the wedding, we travelled south-west along the Pacific Highway

Last year I took a Christmas time-out.  I am not ashamed to admit that I sulked, plotted and stayed at home in Dunedin rather than making the journey up to Christchurch to visit both of our families.  I was just so looking forward to having a selfishly solitary Christmas.

I am very fortunate to have a green-thumbed partner.  This spring he has been tirelessly toiling away in our glass house; tidying and trimming, composting and mulching, possibly talking to the plants, whispering a few words of encouragement – whatever he is doing it is working.

The final ‘black and white’ post and the Rugby World Cup is over! The All Blacks were triumphant (as if there was ever any doubt), New Zealand having played host to teams and tourists from 20 nations in stadiums around the country. I am a little sad the party is over, and thought a sweet [...]

There are many perks associated with being a member of the Our Kitchen team. Of course, we are lucky enough to take time out from our various roles in design, marketing and product development to write recipes, cook delicious food and take beautiful photographs, but this is the second year we have been privileged to [...]

Feeling particularly patriotic with all the Rugby World Cup fever around the place, I got to thinking about what makes us New Zealanders. The thing about New Zealand is that you are never more than a few hours drive from water.  Being an island nation, we are surrounded by coastline, dotted with lakes large and [...]

We are thrilled to share with you a little info on a competition happening right now in Washington, D.C. that the Our Kitchen team has been involved with. The US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011 features 20 international teams charged with designing and building energy-efficient houses powered exclusively by the sun. Victoria University of [...]

Being the only girl of four children, and working in an office where we are sorely outnumbered almost 10 to 1 by male colleagues; I think I am qualified to make some sweeping generalisations about what men like to eat: bold, robust flavours, protein-rich, nourishing, hearty fare. Best eaten in front of a large flat [...]

What better way to welcome your guests than with carefully assembled, delicate (and delicious) canapés. For our dinner party this month we served up three bite-sized treats to start the evening in the manner in which we intended to carry on.

I don’t like the cold, but I am becoming a big fan of winter. I’m not one for snowboarding, skiing, cold ears or toes (or generally being outdoors at this time of year to be perfectly honest!), but I am a big fan of roaring fires, long knitted scarves, curling up on the couch with [...]

Chicken soup is just plain good for the soul. I make the effort to use free range chicken where possible – I think the flavour is much deeper, and it shines through in this warming soup. I love clear soups; a nourishing broth to cure what ails you. This one is particularly tasty