A new eatery, baking, and living with the seasons

 

 

Hello chic friends!

 

We found a great new bar/eatery in Napier, the town I live near, and have been twice so far since it was so good.

 

 

Gorgeous fitout, very glam. Nice staff, yummy food and who can resist a glass of local bubbles. The glasses are actually really nice too.

 

 

I'm happy that businesses are investing in Hawke's Bay and doing well also.

 

 

Cheers to a warm, sunny day too!

Have you been out anywhere good lately?

 

 

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My friend Tanya came around for lunch last week, so as usual I took the opportunity to bake something. I made Tan Square, from this recipe here.

 

Yum!

 

 

As I was leaving a review of my recipe on their site, I discovered I had used double the amount of condensed milk. And it turned out perfectly! I only realised this when other reviews said the caramel wasn’t quite plentiful enough and they would use the whole can of condensed milk next time.

What a lucky mistake!

I would make it the same way next time, but would probably cut the sugar in the base from 1/2C to ¼C. I usually halve the sugar in any baking recipe but since this only used ½C I didn’t. Next time I will! I used gluten free flour too, like I always do.

I made it the day before, which worked out well, because it was very soft and pudding-y that night (yes we had to taste test it :), but leaving it overnight in the fridge allowed me slice it into lovely neat pieces.

My husband Paul said ‘Do not make that again, it’s TOO nice’ and I agree! It’s not something I’d make every week, but it was a nice treat which I will make for entertaining occasions.

Oh, and I also used dark chocolate sharded with a sharp knife instead of chocolate chips. I like to use what I have, and I think proper chocolate is nicer anyway (Whittaker’s all the way! If you have tasted it, you will know.)

Plus, I used honey instead of golden syrup. Also using what I have. I wonder if there was anything left of the original recipe now that I think about it!

 

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🍇🍇🍇 Winter vines in our street 🍇🍇🍇

 

It's so cool to see the changes of season as we drive or walk past these grapevines. Here they are all pruned back and have been hunkering down, bare, over the winter.

And just in the past week or two there are little green shoots popping out (it's called 'bud burst'). Of course in the next month or two over spring there will be an explosion of green.

There is something relaxing and magical about the changing of the seasons. We can forget that human beings are part of nature too - I do. Springtime really does feel like a time of 'waking up'.

In the northern hemisphere you will be looking forward to slowing down and snuggling into autumn and winter :)

I love thinking about the changing seasons. Do you? What fun things do you have planned for your spring or autumn?

Mine are to write another book after the one I've just finished (which will be out soon!), keep my office admin in check (it feels SO nice to have everything completed and filed or binned), and enjoy fresh fruits of the season.

 

Let me know yours, and if you've found anywhere new to visit lately.

 

xx Fiona

 

 

PS. If you need something inspiring to read over the weekend, my latest book '100 Ways to Live a Soft, Calm Life' is still available on Kindle Unlimited, for only for another week or so. You can see it here on Kindle, in paperback, and on Audible.

 

(My Amazon links are affiliate but the price doesn’t change for you, thank you if you choose to use my links!)choose to use my links!)