BBM - Indulge Me

2009 ended with another round of Blogging by Mail organised but the wonderful Stephanie of Dispensing Happiness. My apologies for the late post but my camera had a hissy fit and is only working intermittently. Time for a new one I think.

My package didn't arrive until the New Year which was fine by me because I knew it was on its way. Belated gifts are like IOUs which my mother always told me are good for your soul because they give you hope. I was delighted to find out that my swap partner was none other than Breadchick from The Sour Dough. Our paths have crossed in the blogosphere but this was the first time we'd really connected.

I was thrilled with my box of goodies which contained some items I'd hinted that I would like to receive. So what did I get?

Montreal Chicken Seasoning - I like to use it on hamburger patties on the grill - yeah I know - chicken seasoning on beef - what's up with that? It's also nice on skillet fried potatoes.

Good Seasonings Italian Dressing - we don't have anything like it in NZ. I like it as a salad dressing and also as a marinade for grilled veggies.

Strawberry & kiwi flavoured lip gloss. Just what a girly girl needs.

Pretty pink decorating sugar. I see some frosted cupcakes in my baking future.

A cute little mini whisk - so useful for sauces and dressings.

A fantastic book called The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry. It's about an American woman's experiences at the Cordon Bleu Cooking School in Paris. It was an easy read and made me realise that French Cooking a la Cordon Bleu is definitely not my style.

Any finally a pretty little magnet with images of wildflowers on it.

Thank you dear Breadchick for a very indulgent treat and thank you Stephanie for hosting this great event.

Blogging by Mail - Indulge Me Package Shipped

A teaser but hopefully not a spoiler. I shipped my package today and it's on its way to someone who, like me, has a cat, or maybe two. Come on now - you didn't really think I'd spill all the beans did you?

Here's another clue or at the very least another adorable picture of my girls.

Blogging By Mail - Indulge Me

The wonderful Stephanie of Dispensing Happiness has gone a little nuts and organised another round of Blogging by Mail. Yes, I KNOW, at this time of year - what IS she thinking! I couldn't be more delighted. I love these events because they are a great way to meet new bloggers and of course you get good mail. Because I lived in the US for 3 years and I feel that I have a special connection with the place, I always ask Stephanie, very nicely of course, if she will match me up with someone in the US. That's all I'm sayin' - y'all 34 other participants will just have to wait and see who I am sending to.

The hard part about sending stuff overseas is that all the really cool things like candy and books are expensive to send. My BFF lives in the US and our birthday and Christmas packages to each other usually put us back about $35-$50 for postage alone. For once or twice a year we just suck it up. So, dear BBM partner, if you are reading this, keep things light and small - please.

Oh and just so I don't have a photo-less post and this blog isn't called Food Art and Random Thoughts for nothing, I thought I'd share some photos of Smudge and Sticky.

How cute and adorable am I?


It wasn't me who did this


No really it wasn't.


OK so maybe it was but look at what my sister is up to...

Blogging By Mail - 10 Things or Less

Stephanie, from Dispensing Happiness organised another round of her highly popular Blogging by Mail. Blogging by Mail brings back good memories for me because it was a BBM event which was the kick in the pants for me to start blogging. I'll always be thankful to Stephanie for that. This time the brief was "10 items or less". Can you believe that 116 participants signed up for this round?

The wonderful Allison of Sushi Day sent me a box of goodies. She wasn’t sure what she could send from California to New Zealand so opted to fill my box with some of her favourite things. If you are a fan of sushi you really need to check out Allison's blog - it's awesome.

Candy corn: In honour of Halloween. We don’t celebrate it in a big way in New Zealand but the retailers are starting to catch on.

Green tea: Allison packed her favourite brand – Numi Gunpowder Green.

Mochiko: Allison suggested making this into a pudding which you can do in the microwave. I did a bit of googling and came up with a recipe for Mochiko Chicken on the Allrecipes site which sounds mighty tasty.

Inari: I had no idea that these little tofu wrappers came in a canned form and will be keen to try them out.

Coconut water: A favourite of Allison’s boyfriend Son.

Dry roasted edamame: I’ve only ever had fresh edamame before and these little slightly salty snacks are a delicious treat.

Honey Maid Graham Crackers: Allison wasn’t sure if we got these in NZ and she’s right, we don’t. The closest thing would be a digestive biscuit or a superwine. I think these are destined to become a pie crust and I’ll have to pick a typically American pie filling to go on top.

Quadratini Wafers: Made in Italy. Allison warned me that these little not too sweet vanilla flavoured wafers are addictive. She wasn’t wrong. I shared some with my co-workers at afternoon tea time but the rest were all mine and there aren’t any left!

Mixed rice crackers: The perfect snack to have with drinks for a Japanese themed dinner party.

Candy wipes: You might miss these in the photo as they look like a roll of candy but actually it’s little individual wipes which you moisten to use. A great thing to have in my handbag for emergencies.


Thank you Allison for a thoughtful package and of course a big shout out to Stephanie for organising yet another fantastic round of blogging by mail.

If you want to check out what I sent to my swap partner go and visit Melody at The Trap Door.

When’s the next one!

Blogging by Mail - the Little Things Edition

I love it when Stephanie Dispensing Happiness announces another Blogging by Mail event. The idea of getting mail that is not a bill is even more fun when it contains foodie treats.

The package I sent went to Lisa of Pittsburgh Needs Eated and the package that I received came from Sara of Heaven on Earth. It took a wee while getting to me because of an addressing glitch but as they say, better late that never. The upside of the delay was that Sara and I have gotten to know each other through a few emails and we've shared some recipes such as her wonderful ginger and pumpkin bread. Because the word "spices" was on the customs declaration the folk at our border control decided they needed to open my package. Fortunately there was no note in there telling me that anything had been removed for destruction as was the case one year when a friend sent me some fresh mistletoe at Christmas.

What did I receive?

To set the scene, a CD by Maria Muldaur.

Violet mints - a very interesting candy that tastes like the smell of violets.

Old Bay Seasoning was on my wish-list and I was very happy to find it in my package. Now I must try some crab cakes - it's a pity I'll have to make them with canned crab. We actually not really a pity because the idea of dealing with de-fleshing a crab squicks me out more than a little bit.

Some chicken seasoning - smells delicious and I can't wait to use it on my next roast chicken. I've not heard of Bell's Seasonings before.

The cutest little individual foil baking cups I've ever seen. Little star shapes by Reynolds. These will be getting recycled I can tell you! Check out a review of them here.

I'd indicated on my wish list that I wanted to expand my repertoire of Mexican cooking. Sara obliged by sending me some Ancho Chillies which I will certainly try in her recipe for chicken with peanut sauce.

Sara also sent a lovely selection of Celestial Seaonings tea. I love their products, particularly the zinger ones.

A big thank you to Stephanie for organising another great event and thanks to my new blog friend Sara for putting together such an interesting package.

A Random Act of Blogging By Mail

OK so this isn't a recipe post as I promised but look at what I got recently!!

Have you ever participated in a Blogging by Mail aka BBM? The idea of getting a package full of goodies was one of the spurs that got me started with my blog and I have the wonderful Stephanie of Dispensing Happiness to thank for that. Then from my first BBM I became friends with the lovely Lis of La Mia Cucina who talked me into becoming a Daring Baker and the rest, they say, is history.

Seriously though back to the package. Stephanie and I have gotten to know each other a little since then and I've sent her a random package here and there - some Turkish Delight after she mentioned it in a post referring to The Chronicles of Narnia (wow hard to believe that was over a year ago); and a Donna Hay magazine. Well the randomness was reciprocated with a fantastic selection of goodies which Stephanie selected to try and give me a taste of Americana.

What did she send?
A box of Jiffy corn muffin mix - I love corn muffins and cornbread in any way shape or form; sweet or savoury
A selection of indivual servings of the kind of sugary cereal you always look at on the shelves but know you really should pick the low fat, high fibre granola instead
A contanier of Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookies which says it's 4 servings but looks like just one to me! What's up with manufacturers and their inconsistent serving sizes?
A bottle of Annie's naturals organic yellow mustard
Some BBQ sauce - not her favourite kind she said but it was one she found in a plastic bottle rather than glass. It's Dinosaur brand from Syracuse NY and is described as "sensuous slathering sauce"
Some Chef Boyardee Ravioli - I'll keep this in my drawer at work for a winter lunch
San Marcos chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - Stephanie must have read my mind as my supply is almost out and they're only available by mail order in NZ. I use it for Rachel Ray's Park City Chicken
Some candy - Necco wafers, Nerds and orange flavoured TicTacs - mmmmmm sugar
and of course what package would be complete without chocolate - it's the good stuff, some Belgian milk chocolate and some Paul Newman brand peanut butter cups and and two kinds of Paul Newman brand milk chocolate bars. Their comment on the package which says "To find out how eating this chocolate helps the planet..." somehow makes you feel completely justified doesn't it!
Lastly a little personal indulgence - a travel sized selection of Burt's Bees products - they smell gooooooood.

Thank you Stephanie you really spoiled me.

I've signed up for the latest round of BBM and my package is winging its way to .... yeah I know it's a secret but I'll give you a clue......Pittsburgh. Is it destined for you??

Blogging By Mail - The Easter Edition

A big thank you to Emma of The Laughing Gastronome for organising another round of Blogging By Mail.


I was delighted to receive a box of Easter inspired treats from Barbara of Winos and Foodies. Beautifully wrapped in pastel coloured tissue paper were all the fixin’s to make Easter biscuits. Barbara sent me cocoa, icing sugar, a set of food colourings, some silver cachous (AKA dragees or non pareils), the cutest little bunny shaped cookie cutter and a pretty tin to keep the finished biscuits in. To top it all off a tiny, gold wrapped, Lindt chocolate bunny. Thank you Barbara for a very thoughtful box of goodies.

I don’t have a tried and tested recipe for cut out cookies so I sent an SOS to my friends The Daring Bakers and received a very prompt reply from Quellia at All Things Edible. I couldn't find the recipe on her blog so I've reproduced it here. Hope that's OK Quellia?

Quellia's Sugar Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup butter at room temp (1/2 pound or 227 grams)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 2/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Method
Preheat oven to 350F
In a large bowl, mix butter and sugar together until fluffy (I used a wooden spoon)
Beat in egg and vanilla
In a small bowl, sift flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg and add to butter, sugar and egg mixture
Mix well until a ball forms
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently for 1 minute
With a rolling pin, roll dough out to a thickness of about 1/4 inch
Cut with cookie cutters (you can sprinkle with colored sugars here if you want)
Bake on a non-stick cookie sheet for 9-12 minutes
Let cookies cool slightly on a baking sheet, then move to a rack to cool completely

I chilled my cookie dough for an hour but two would have been better as it's a softish dough.

Quellia's recipe was for cookies with a hint of nutmeg but because Barbara had sent cocoa powder and I wanted to make chocolate bunnies I substituted 1/3 of a cup of the flour with 1/3 cup of cocoa and I added a teaspoon of cinnamon to the mix. The combination of brown and white sugar in the cookie mixture gives a really good flavour. I love their texture - crisp but not hard. I will definitely add this recipe to my collection.

A friend needed to give her husband some quiet time to study so she came to my house to help me bake and decorate the cookies. Because the cookies spread a little and also because I only have two cookie sheets we had to bake them in several batches. It's a wonder we didn't burn more of them because we were so distracted with our decorating and chatting that most of the time I forgot to set the timer. Our decorating skills leave something to be desired and I was a bit generous with the food colouring but hey I'm a bright kinda gal. We experimented with some coloured sugar, 100s and 1000s (jimmies or sprinkles) and the silver cachous, but we didn't care for the look very much so they didn't make it to the photo shoot. It was a lot of fun and I can see why kids enjoy this kind of baking. How cute are these bunnies?

Blogging by Mail - the Holiday Edition

I have been blogged by mail by Catherine from Tours et Tartines; and what a delightful package I received.

Little pink piggie shaped marzipan candies. Catherine tells me that at this time of year you can find these little almond shapes everywhere – potatoes, fruit and animals
Guylian Belgian seashells. Catherine said not to share these – I won’t!
Belgian Apricot chocolate with the interesting name of “Bikini”. Since there was no warning on the package that if you eat them you will no longer fit into your bikini I have decided that they must be calorie free!
Morrocan Mint and Spice herbal tea – “Long leaves of plants – Real & big ingredients” - gotta love a product with a description like that
Speculaas – typical Belgian cookies in the shape of St Nicholas
Crema di Balsamico – Catherine must know about my current addiction to insalata caprese. I think I may even try it on my strawberries
And last but not least a little something personal - a ball of bath fizzies in my favourite colours; turquoise and lime green.

Hmmmm – I’ve just had a brilliant idea. I could run a nice bath, toss in a bath fizzie and then enjoy a good long soak while sipping mint tea and eating chocolates. Sounds like a grand plan to me.

Thank you Catherine for the beautiful Belgian bounty and thanks again to Stephanie from Dispensing Happiness, the hostess with the mostess, for organising this round of Blogging by Mail.

New Zealand Blogging by Post

YUM! Look what I received from Tim of Take 3 Eggs. The picture doesn't do his baking skills justice but I was trying to crop out overhanging Christmas decorations and crumbs on the plate. I won't tell you how many I've eaten already!!

Tim tells me that he sourced the recipe from Smitten Kitchen and I think I may have to try this recipe myself. There's scope for lots of variation in the ingredients. Tim used choc chips ½ cup of milk choc and ½ cup of white choc, ½ cup of cranberries and ½ cup of toasted walnuts. I'm imagining a Christmas version with red and green cherries and chocolate chips.

Thanks Tim - the blondies were much appreciated.

Also thank you to Emma at The Laughing Gastronome for organising this round of Blogging by Post.

A Good Mail Day

I received my Blogging By Mail package from Heather in Kansas. Heather very thoughtfully put together a sampling of Kansas products.

I received: A beautiful scented candle, a sunflower cup, a big bag of tiny sunflower seed cookies (they're good), a sunflower candy on a stick, some honey sticks, a fascinating corn on the cob that you stick in the microwave and it makes popcorn! How cool is that? Finally there was aa cute notepad with a wine/drink motif. The corn on the cob package had been opened by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries but they must have deemed it acceptable because they just resealed the package. Can't wait to try the popcorn.

Thank you Heather for a fun package and thanks also to Stephanie for hosting this event.