*Sponsored GIVEaway* and *Recipe*

I've been watching Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's River Cottage to the Core, in which Hugh "wants to sow the seeds of change and revolutionise the way [people] use fruit in Britain." He reckons that Brits have a fairly solitary view on the use of fruits, and wants to shake things up a bit. 

Watching these episodes has got me to thinking how my own tastebuds have changed of late, and in the past few months (especially in this hot Summery weather), I find myself craving fruit and savoury pairings.

A slice of Italian smoked provolone cheese on a bed of peppery wild rocket with slices of juicy, tangy nectarines.

Roast chicken with sweet, fresh mango pieces.

Salads with salty feta cheese, radishes, bell peppers and golden delicious apples.

I do so love a good apple. 

Sadly, apples are a Winter fruit, and are a little past their freshest and crispiest best at the moment. However, they are still available to buy and are still fantastic for cooking with!

Favouring the sweet and salty, I prepared this recipe based on what I was craving for lunch.

Enjoy.

Apple-licious sautéed Onions with 

wilted Baby Spinach on

Basmati Rice, served with

fresh Radish slices and

home made Yoghurt

Steps to follow:

Step 1: Pick your cooking apple of choice. For savoury dishes, I prefer Granny Smith apples, as their tart acidity and subtle sweetness holds up admirably against stronger savoury flavours such as cooked onions.

Step 2: Sauté three small onions and one large Granny Smith apple, chopped, on medium heat in some fruity olive oil until the onions are soft and transparent. Sprinkle lightly with salt and set aside to cool.

Step 3: Wilt some baby spinach in a pan (with a lid) over high heat. Season with a little salt and set aside to cool.

Step 4a: Simmer some Basmati rice with some coarse sea salt and a fresh bay leaf until ready (follow the instructions on the packet as cooking times vary according to brand).

Step 4b: Dish up some Basmati rice in an individual serving bowl.

Step 5: Add some wilted baby spinach leaves.

Step 6: Spoon on some sautéed Granny Smith apple and onions.

Step 7: Garnish with a few thin slices of fresh radish.

Step 8a: Serve with some fresh plain yoghurt (buy your favourite or try making it at home - it's a manageable and rewarding experience)...

Step 8b: ...and a sprinkle of black pepper.

* All fresh produce used in my recipe courtesy of Spar's Freshline range of produce, and all ingredients were bought with a two-hundred rand (R200-) voucher kindly provided by Spar.

Voucher giveaway:

Spar have generously donated a three-hundred rand (R300-) voucher which one lucky South African reader can win and enjoy in any of the many, many branches of Spar spread across our country.

To enter, simply leave a comment (or a simple "me too" if you don't feel like being verbose) in the comments section below. Please include your e-mail address so that I have a way of contacting you should you be the lucky winner!

Entries close at midnight on 30 November 2013. 

The winner will be drawn on 1 December 2013.

Good luck! 

Update: And the winner is...

Congratulations to commenter Yoga ist Toll on winning the Spar voucher. I'll be in touch to organise your prize getting to you.

Bloggy Birthdays and Paper Gifts

UPDATE: 7 Sep - Giveaway mentioned below is now live! See here.

As of yesterday, Sunday the fourth of September, two years have passed since the inception of this blog.

I was watching Julie and Julia for the x-th time the other day (I think Meryl Streep's performance is so striking in that movie...I mean, talk about channelling someone from beyond the grave). Simeon walked into the room at the part of the movie where Julie has just listened to a gazillion messages about people wanting to turn her blog into a book, when he remarked: "Isn't that the dream of every food blogger?"

Perhaps.
Probably.
What do you think?
If you're a blogger, why do YOU do what you do?

The lovely Rebecca over at [oomph.], who is also celebrating her blogaversary this month, is running a giveaway later this week. There are a couple of heartfelt stuff items to be won, so head on over to check out the sponsored goods line-up and enter the draw.

I was the lucky recipient of a very cool stationery hamper which I won in a giveaway from Becky the snail mailer from Leaving a Paper Trail. Check out the ooh-la-la black and white Paris greetings cards.

The Trekkie in me was absolutely delighted to receive Spock dog cards. Thanks Becky!

I received a surprise present from Lou of Lou La La. She makes pretty and super useful fridge-magnet-peg-holders which she sells in her Etsy shop, and she sent me some (along with a delightful letter and postcard). Thank you Lou!

This cool paper crafting book and calligraphy how-to box came from my Mom and Dad, who have always encouraged my creative side. Thanks Parents!

Remember the gigantic pile of dishes I was talking about in this post?
Well, it got tackled on Friday evening...half by me and half by my hubby.
During his time at the sink, he turned to me and said: "This is the last load of gigantic dishes we'll be washing like this."
Et voila, the very next day, we became the proud owners of a dishwasher....YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! Thanks Schmee :-)

So, in summary, a GREAT BIG THANK YOU:
to Sim, my Parents, Becky and Lou for my gifts
AND
to my readers for reading!

As Julia said: Bon Appetit!

Giveaway Winner

Thanks to all of you who commented with encouraging words and/or well wishes. Each one was much appreciated!

Thanks also to those of you who made the time to go check out heart.felt stuff.

Congratulations to Commenter # 11 (chosen by random.org), Carolyn from All Day I Dream About Food.

Your owl pin will be flying its way over to you soonest. I hope you, or someone else you know, will enjoy this little hand made clothes/purse accessory!  :)

Shop Launch and Giveaway

"If you never try, you'll never know what you are capable of."

~ John Barrow ~

I sat down to re-watch Julie & Julia yesterday after burning the back of my hand on the oven. I wish I could say I was cooking something, but the only thing cooking in the kitchen was (literally), me!

So after running my hand under the cold water tap and trying not to cry while my husband went to the pharmacy to get some burn cream, I sat down on the couch to watch the movie for the second time. The first time I watched it last year, I remember the 'blogging' theme being what I noticed the most. This time, however, it was Julia Child's character and her stubborn refusal to give-up on finding something she would enjoy doing while in France that jumped off the screen at me. And then I realised why.

I've been on sabbatical from teaching for a few months now, a profession that I ultimately love, but that I find physically and emotionally draining every few years and need to take a rest from (or risk giving it up for good, which I don't want to do). I've been fortunate enough to have the time to look around and, like Julia ask: "What is it I really want to do?"

For the first time in my life, I found my hands (literally) turning to needlework. I've never been an able needleworker....a piano player, a bad cellist, a chef, a mosaic maker, a gardener, a hugger, yes...but never a person adept at sewing. Then one day recently, with time on my hands, I picked up a needle, some thread and material...and I created something as a gift for someone which they actually liked...and so kept going.

At the suggestion of my bu and parents, I decided to launch my own online shop featuring my hand crafts. Lord knows, in the current economic climate, it's a risky and idealistic choice...I'm aware. But even so, heart.felt stuff was born! A little dream made real. 

Will it work? I don't know. 

But I know I need to try! 

Because if you never try, you'll never know, right? :)

Please celebrate with me by: 

1. taking a look at my shop, and 
2. by entering my giveaway for yourself or someone else, in which you can win a version of this little hand sewn stuffed felt owl brooch - perfect for adding a little quirkiness to an outfit, or a little bling to a purse! Just leave a comment below saying: "Hi" or something of the sorts, and make sure that I can get hold of you (either through your profile, or by leaving an e-mail address).

Comments will close on Monday, 13 June 2011 at midnight (UTC -12), which would make it 14:00 in South Africa on Tuesday, 14 June (UTC +2). 

The winner will be announced here shortly thereafter (using random.org), along with a post featuring a gluten-free pizza (and the flour mix it was made from) I discovered which will change your home made pizza life forever...I promise! :-)

Thanks for reading and good luck!

The Fat Dog Cafe

An e-mail from my brother-in-law's wife arrived today, announcing their imminent departure from their home in New Zealand on a round-the-world tour before settling in Australia.
It got me to reminiscing about our visit to NZ last year, and a wonderful cafe they recommended to us while in Rotorua.

The Fat Dog Cafe and Bar sits off one of the main streets in Rotorua, a stinky little town due to all it's sulphurous hot springs with a wonderful forest, lake and Polynesian spa that makes up for the smell!

The place is wildly popular with the locals, which is always a very good sign. But while the lines are long, the service is quick and friendly, and there is always more than enough to be looking at. 


I mean, just take a look at the menu, scribbled delightfully on the wall in a multi-coloured profusion of options!

Table numbers aren't used there. Instead, it's a mish-mash of kitsch paraphernalia like turning flowers and plastic red duck tea-pots which take the place of drab old numbers! 

The array of dishes on offer is truly astounding, and yet labelling and knowledge is excellent in terms of what dishes contain/don't contain on the allergy front.
We treated ourselves to the Butter Chicken Curry served with a very unusual side salad (yay for people using root vegetables like beets raw and spiralised!)
We also tried the Kumara Wedges (like roast sweet potatoes), served sprinkled with spring onions (unusual) and with a sour cream dipping sauce (no tomato sauce/ketchup here!)

There is no part of this cafe that is boring....the wall, tables, chairs, roof....they're ALL fodder for artistic inclinations. And the end result is just one of sheer and utter fun!

For more photos, please visit my Flickr Set for the Fat Dog Cafe! Their cool water branding is truly something to behold. :)


P.S. If you're feeling shoppish, or giftish, please mosey on down to my new Etsy shop for some good deals...I'd sure appreciate it y'all!


P.P.S. I'll be back later this week for a giveaway, so keep your eyes peeled (which if you take it literally, could be terribly uncomfortable!)