Thursday 10 April 2014

I   adventure  my cooking  using New Zealand honey instead of using sugar and tried the New Zealand famous Cooking oil -Rice oil instead of Canola. To my surprise the dish was a hit with my family. It is healthier for the whole family.
 Asian pork pita pockets
(serves 4)
· 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
· 1 tbsp soy sauce
· 2 tbsp rewarewa honey
· 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
· 1 tbsp sesame seeds
· 400 g pork steaks, trimmed and thinly sliced
· 2 tsp Rice oil
· Dressing
· 2 tbsp peanut oil
· 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
· 2 tsp fish sauce
· 1 tbsp peanut butter
· 2 tbsp chopped coriander
· 2 cups bean sprouts
· 1 1/2 cups grated carrot
· 4 medium sized pita breads
1. Combine ginger, soy sauce, honey, lemon juice, sesame seeds, maggi garlic stock powder and maggi french onion soup mix in a bowl. Add sliced pork steak. Mix, cover and refrigerate 2-4 hours.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan. Add pork and cook over a high heat for 3-4 minutes.
Salad:
1. Whisk together dressing ingredients. Combine bean sprouts and carrot, toss with dressing.
2. Warm pita pockets, cut open and stuff with pork and salad. Garnish with sesame seeds if desired.
Preparation time: 
10 minutes plus 2-4 hours marinating time
Cooking time: 
5 minutes

Thursday 13 March 2014

Hand Cream Review: Royal Skin, Maraca, Trilogy



We're all very concerned about our face and body but our hands are quite often neglected. 
Our hands do all the work and I think they deserve some serious everyday pamperin'!
Especially if you're someone like me (with dry skin), a hand cream is a must-have because nothing feels more uncomfortable than having dry hands! 



If you're with me, then read on, 
I will give you my thoughts on the four different hand-creams I've tried. ♥♥





Rich Nourishing Hand Cream – Royal Skin – 75ml

Bloom Hand Cream – Maraca, 100 ml

Ultra Hydrating Hand Cream – Trilogy – 70ml

Rose Hand Cream - Trilogy - 100ml


Made in New Zealand! :-)






Click to purchase

I think the best thing about Royal Skin's Rich Nourishing Hand Cream is the scent. It is very fruity & candy-like and you'll just want to reapply and smell your hands all day. 
It can feel just a little bit oily when fully applied but nothing extreme.

Also, what's more amazing about it, is the fact it contains Active 15+ Manuka Honey and New Zealand Royal Jelly!

It comes in 75ml but the bottle doesn't seem that big so you can carry this in your bag/purse.




Click to purchase


Maraca's Bloom (probably 'cause it smells flowery) Hand Cream was very lotion-like (Even the bottle makes it feel like a moisturiser) and very watery. 
It was less oily than Royal Skin's and very quickly absorbed. - very ideal for everyday use because you really don't want to wait for your hand cream to be absorbed and be able to do nothing while you do!

As you can see in the photo the bottle is quite hard unlike traditional hand creams, so you might want to leave this one at home. - On your study desk or maybe just beside your other makeup products.





Click to purchase

Designed to deliver ultra-hydration with a sophisticated vanilla fragrance, Trilogy's Ultra Hydrating Hand Cream (please ignore the photo; it says Body Cream) was the thickest out of the four I've tried. (probably because this is made for dry skin)

This also contains Manuka honey like Royal Skin's and also contains Aloe Vera, Rosehip Oil, White tea extract, etc.

It did feel a little sticky after it was fully applied, but I loved how it was quickly absorbed and was close to not being greasy at all.





Click to purchase



Full of essential nutrients from jojoba, evening primrose and certified organic rosehip oils, Trilogy's Rose Hand Cream is designed to repaid and help reduce signs of ageing. - Now that sounds pretty awesome for a handcream!

Again, like the Ultra Hydrating Hand Cream this also felt just a tiny little bit sticky after it was fully applied but was non greasy.







Here are some photos I took of my hands 
with the four hand-creams on.

- for a visual comparison. :)












All four products are made in New Zealand and they are all available at Shop New Zealand to purchase. - Just click on the individual images and they will take you to the website!







Sunday 19 January 2014

Henrietta Soaps: Made For Sensitive Skin



Henrietta Soaps started when its founder Henrietta Rutherford Jones from Queenstown started to make her own soaps following an old and closely guarded French Polynesian recipe that was passed down to her through generations.

Using natural ingredients like Goats’ Milk, Lavender, Palm Oil, Jasmine, Sunflower Oil, Honey, and purified Lanolin, Henrietta's soaps are unique and beneficial for those with sensitive skin.


- It’s the All Natural Soaps you’ve been searching for! :-)


Thanks to Goat Milk, the pH is naturally lowered


Sweet-smelling and contains natural antibacterial enzymes to help with healing


Great for children's delicate skin


Tuesday 14 January 2014

It’s Always… Cookie Time!

Cookie Time is a New Zealand snack food manufacturer based in Christchurch, New Zealand. Famous for their large delectable cookies, Cookie Time’s story began in 1983, in the kitchen of a one-bedroom flat by Michael Mayell.

image from stuff.co.nz

Michael’s big Chocolate Chunk cookies were the first of their kind in the New Zealand market. After 6 months of promotion in America, Michael was ready to return home to set up his own business with $10,000 in his pocket. With the help of his family members, Cookie Time grew consistently and became an icon.

Still privately owned by the Mayell brothers, it is an iconic New Zealand company and home of most loved New Zealand food brands.
From 1996 to 2008 it held the Guinness Book of Records for making the world’s biggest cookie! :D





Original Chocolate Chunk Cookies - Cookie Time - 630g (9 Cookies)
The original Chocolate Chunk Cookies! What more is there to say?


Monday 6 January 2014

Family owned Happy Valley

Happy Valley was established in 1975 by the late Ben Rawnsley and his wife Dot. It started off as a hobby but quickly grew into a shop based on their farm in South Auckland. It has remained a family owned and operated business ever since. 

Due to the change in shareholding in 2011 Happy Valley is now run by two families; the Lipscombe’s and the Harvey’s. The Lipscombe family focus on Bee Keeping, bringing 5 generations of Bee Keeping expertise to the business. The Harvey family run Happy Valley, being in charge of marketing and sales to assist business growth.

If you’re interested in their overall company values and production of their delicious and beneficial honey products, you can view this video below.

One of the very special things about Happy Valley - The production of Fresh Royal Jelly began in 1990 in Happy Valley, and to this day they remain as the only commercial producers of New Zealand Royal Jelly. :-) 


Happy Valley is UMF certified!


Bee Pollens are rich in Vitamins and Minerals


Happy Valley is very proud of their New Zealand Royal Jelly!


Unique skin cream by Happy Valley formulated with antibacterial properties of Active Manuka honey and Propolis to fight a range of skin infections and ailments.                                            



Monday 30 December 2013


**PRODUCT OF THE MONTH DEAL**
Grab these sheepskin cushion covers at a specially discounted price!
Hurry, the deal is for 7 days only!

These sheepskin cushions are made with exquisite quality and materials.
They are sure to bring a touch of elegance to your tastefully designed room.

They measure approximately 40cm x 40cm and are single sided.
They can be easily removed for dry cleaning. :)

Available in Black/Chocolate Brown/Brown Tip/Jade/Grey/Honey/White/Midnight Blue or Hunter Green.

Grab these at a specially discounted price while you can!!!

Sunday 22 December 2013

Merry Christmas everyone!

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle All the Way~

Yay! it's Christmas D-2 here in New Zealand. 
The weather is looking good and we're all very excited.

We hope everyone has a very safe and joyful Christmas.

-The Shop New Zealand Team.-

Sunday 30 June 2013

Mouth Wateringly Good... Quite Literally!


Kaitaia Fire is one of New Zealand's favourite hot sauces. The company was established in 1989 on 5 acres of an organic farm in the north of New Zealand's North Island. Ever since its inception, the folks at Kaitaia Fire have striven to produce great quality and uniquely New Zealand hot sauces for both local and picky international palates! The fact that the company has grown from strength to strength and is now readily available on the shelves of most New Zealand supermarkets is a testament to the quality and delicious taste of their products. They source their unique ingredients from the organic farms in the Doubtless Bay region of New Zealand. Kaitaia Fire continues to favour growers who are certified organic and whom produce high quality chili peppers for a tongue tingling experience. A most delectable product for crazy chili lovers!

Some Kaitaia Fire products available at Shop New Zealand


Kiwifruit and Habanero Sauce


Combines Kiwifruit, Manuka Honey and red hot Habanero Chili Pepper (and winner of the 1996 Best Hot Fruit Sauce in the USA Fiery Food Challenge.)

Kaitaia Fire Chili Pepper Sauce

The original and made using Chili's at their optimal ripeness for optimal taste and deliciousness! These then undergo a fermentation process  for a couple of years before being bottled for your dining pleasure. 


Kaitaia Fire Chipotles - Manuka Smoked

Ripe, red organic jalapeno peppers smoked with native New Zealand Manuka Honey! Strong ingredients for a strong flavour!

For these and more, take a look at the Kaitaia Fire range at Shop New Zealand (link below) for a taste that you will not regret... or maybe you will (they are hot!).



Wednesday 1 May 2013

Love for mum!

It is probably unnecessary to explain the concept of Mother’s Day (since almost every culture and nation on earth now celebrates this day), but for readers who are unaware, Mother’s Day is a celebration honouring mothers and the crucial role that they play in our lives. Funnily enough, Mother’s day is unrelated to the older traditions that celebrate mothers and motherhood (such as the Christian Mothering Sunday).

Its founder was an American woman named Anna Jarvis who first celebrated this day in 1908 as a memorial service for her mother. Mother’s day became more ingrained within American society when she campaigned to make it a recognised holiday in the United States. By the 1920s, Mother’s Day was already becoming increasing popular, eventually becoming a legitimate day of honouring mothers all over the world.

A great Mother's Day Gift Option from New Zealand!
To assist you in selecting a unique gift for Mother’s Day, Shop New Zealand is currently running a special on the Rejuvenating Bee Venom Face Mask by Manuka Doctor. Purchasing this product will entitle the buyer to a free Manuka Doctor Intro Kit worth $NZD 49.90. Bee venom is the apitoxin released by honey bees when they sting a subject. Used in the Manuka Doctor Face Mask it tricks the body into thinking that it has been stung by a bee. This causes the body to direct blood flow to the area that assists in boosting collagen and elastin production to firm and improve the appearance of skin. It has been hailed as a natural alternative to botox and is widely used by many celebrities. The toxin from the honeybees is extracted using a glass pane that is electrified to encourage bees to sting it. Because honeybees do not detach their stingers when stinging, the honeybee is left unharmed and the toxin gathered.

If this special package doesn’t tickle your fancy, consider these:




Shop New Zealand has many more uniquely New Zealand Mother’sDay gifts that are itching for you to browse.

We hope that everyone stays safe and celebrate their mothers, moeder, ahm, mader, moer, mathair, mama, emak, mueter, (well you get the point!), on Mother’s Day.

Thursday 21 March 2013

Liquid gold!


True, honest honey doesn’t get any purer than the liquid gold that flows out of the apiaries of Arataki.  New Zealand was one of the last places on earth to be colonised by man and the environment is still relatively untouched, thanks to the country’s geographically isolation, small population and lack of heavy industries. It is in this landscape that the honeybees from Arataki forage and gather from. The result is a distinctively pure and untainted honey that is unlikely to be found anywhere else.

That is because Arataki not only produces conventional blend and clover honeys, but due to its geographic isolation, New Zealand has many unique flora and fauna that literally cannot be found anywhere else on earth. Arataki Honey has a large range of native honeys with exotic names, such as Manuka, Rewarewa, Tawari and Kamahi. Each with their own unique textures, aromas, taste and colour. From their range you will also find the famous medicinal Unique Manuka Honey (UMF) with antibacterial properties. UMF potency is available in 5+, 10+ and 15+ levels.

Since 1944 Arataki has been in the business of making not only quality New Zealand honeys, but also raising quality New Zealand honeybees (which also makes up a large proportion of their business). So for honey from a company that knows honey, its bees and its land, look no further than Arataki Honey.



Have a look at the wide range of Arataki Honey products available at Shop New Zealand