This month the OurKitchen team are bringing you ‘Lazy Sunday’s’. We have carefully selected those recipes, which for us, epitomise a lazy Sunday. From French toast to pickled vegetables and a whole heap of deliciousness in-between; we are looking forward to sharing them with you in the coming weeks.

I had some unexpected time off last week….. The Sunday before last started off as a perfectly normal day. I got up and met a friend at the beach for a dog walk, before returning home around 10am. I came in through the front door (with my friend who had come back for morning tea) and I could hear my little girl chatting away to herself, so I went in search of her to give her a big hug. I came back to close the door as my mum popped around the corner and shouted ‘surprise!’.

This month’s theme conjures up memories of delicious sandwiches with their crusts cut off, scones piled high with clotted cream and jam, and tiny morsels of cake; served on delicate, tiered cake stands which stand proudly upon lace covered tables,

A celebration of light is at the heart of Dunedin’s Midwinter Carnival. I had been really looking forward to the festival for weeks as we had planned such an evening of great food and cheer.  We were but a few of the many faces gathering to celebrate the shortest day and longest night of the year. It was a special thing to be part of.

As winter graces New Zealand with her presence, my thoughts are beginning to turn towards the mid-winter carnival here in Dunedin. By the time this month is up, the iconic festival will have been and gone, leaving lovely memories of being outside, but wrapped up warm, watching our community gather to celebrate this cold, bleak season.