Happy New Year

January 31st, 2010

Hi Everyone- January 15th, Christmas has gone for another year - the fairy lights and decorations are packed away, and we have begun a new decade full of fun and adventure. The weather, well - One minute I'm in my togs with factor 50 sunblock and it's temperatures in the 30's, the next day it is out with the sweaters and the electric blanket on. Hard to work out your clothing plan for the day and difficult to be pushing the seriousness of global warming strategies. Here in Oxford it's been business at a frantic pace with loads of visitors from all over New Zealand and Overseas to the Cafe and Kitchen Store. We seem to have a permanent line up of Campervans and touring Motorcycles outside, some stopping for a night in the B&B's, we fill water bottles, handle recycled rubbish for travelers and draw dotted lines on maps of best routes, local attractions and camp sites. Of course with the crazy weather we have been a wee oasis on the journey where you know you'll get great coffee, home baking and a warm welcome and sometimes even the fire on.

Seagars B&B's ( photo ) are so now ready with new frontage, veranda railings up, new windows in, painters finished!!!. Trish has been very busy with the Interior design comfort, gorgeous duvets, superior beds, quality sheets, new curtains, carpets, right down to delicious shampoo & shower gels in the new gas water heated showers. Topped off with just the right amount of new glossy magazines by the beds. She & I stayed a night so we can really check everything out - heated flooring in the bathrooms - mirrors that don't fog up and of course that fabulous breakfast & great coffee at Seagars cafe in the morning when your ready. We loved it and so will you!!!!

Cook Classes for 2010 The B&B renovation will mean we can "house" a whole Cook Class group or even a small conference or work party 'thinktank' session. Get in touch with us if this would suit an event for you. Cook Classes are filling rapidly, we will have more new dates available online for the second half of the year in february. If you have any special classes you'd like me to consider, drop us an email - we have started brainstorming new ideas ourselves of 2 day classes - watch this space!!!! We have a couple of places left on the popular 2 day Cheese making course with Dave Milner - 6th and 7th March. Emily's Gluten Free & baking classes have been posted on website as well so check this out.

Jo's Cook School trip to Italy was a great success, we have done a couple of special interest Italian classes with me showing off my newly learned skills from Mamma's lessons in Umbria. The return to Italy trips are filling up for September this year. If you are interested ( you can read more in Jo's Journal ) and please contact Pam Young of House of Travel direct.

New Product with "easypeasy" Recipe For the last 6 months we have been busily testing a few new products and the winner by miles is the new Wiltshire Flexipro Muffin and mini Muffin Trays. They are an excellent product and I made loads of Whitebait mini bites and frittata nibbles in the little ones plus the Pecan pies and nice Haymaker Pies in the standard size muffin tins - and of course they are just fabulous for Muffins too!!!. The metal frame not only supports the silicone cups but also evenly distributes the heat over the tray for even cooking plus good colouring of baked goods. Removing the baking is a dream - wash up is easy peasy as they go in the dishwasher. An exceptional product that means you can biff out any old rusty muffin pans that you curse away and struggle with stuck on mixture. I have put a wonderful little Recipe for the Lime Kelp Whitebait Bites on the website to make in your Flexipro Mini Muffin Trays. Lime Kelp from Pacific Harvest is a fabulous product ( listed under Cookware ) which we have also been trialling with great success. Also Cherry Season is here and the crops are great, anyone who has more than 3 Cherries to "pit" will just love this new "Cherry Pitter". Easy to use and gets all those stones out with ease so you can make up all your favourite Cherry recipes. i.e Pies, Chutney, Stoneless Jam and Cherries in Brandy. All of these products are available "Online shopping".

Next Few Months!!!! Comming up at the end of January I have my knee replacement, can't wait for the new titanium to get me back up to speed, obviously a little time off has been scheduled however there is a food writing award to judge and recipes to test and write and a gorgeous pile of new cookbooks to read so don't think I'll be twiddling my thumbs doing nothing ( and Trish & others have assured me there is leg physio & exercises to be done ).

Also comming up in February I'm in the supporters crew for my nephew Nicholas competing in the Coast to Coast. After much research I've chosen and booked a KEA Campervan - the big luxury model with all the extra's boxes ticked. The reliability of the KEA Campervan company was a big issue, we'll be travelling the wop wops of the South Island and we need not only a superior vehicle but a great customer support team so the choice about Kea was easy. Same company values as us here at Seagars With the furnishing and design of a great holiday apartment, KEA's fleet of Campervans and motor homes are the most comfortable way to explore. Famous for many extra features include flat screen TV's and DVD players, fully equipped kitchens, air conditioning and ample storage. - watch this space because I'm going to do a diary of the trip and share some cooking in Campervan tips!

So until next time, Happy Cooking, enjoy the weather, and have FUN. Love Jo xx