Life

A blast from the past. I had not eaten or even seen a chocolate ripple cake since my teenage years. But at my brother’s party for his 70th birthday his charming neighbour Carina volunteered to make a collection of sweet dishes.

Food waste is a hot topic, especially as billions of dollars worth of edibles disappear into the world’s landfills each year. Some food is wasted because restaurants and caterers over-order; some is thrown into big bins by supermarkets as ‘best-by’ dates reach their deadlines. But a vast amount of food is wasted in our own homes

Preparing simple dishes like this in advance keeps me organised during a busy week, and I can pre-track the recipe the night before. This loaf is generously portioned for a hearty breakfast, and also makes a great addition to a lunch box.

Christmas is coming, and there’s no better way to prepare for it than with gorgeous plantings of red, white and green. Plant in narrow beds along the path, or in pots on the deck where your living festive colour will receive the attention it deserves.

This is such a good recipe. I love this yeasted dough, which includes lard, the traditional shortening for many pastries and raised pies from the north of England. Long-time readers of my books will remember my grandmother’s wonderful bramble pie recipe that uses Lard Pastry.

Tracing your ancestry is not only fascinating, it’s also hard work, so once you’ve completed the task (not that tracing ancestry is ever quite completed!) why not enjoy sharing it with others. Here are 8 special ways to do just that

I’m often asked how I maintain my weight, and my answer is simple – not much changes from the weight-loss phase!

Heartland is New Zealand’s leading provider of reverse mortgages, having helped over 19,000 customers across the country release equity from their homes to fund their dream retirement. As part of our GrownUps partnership, we conducted a survey last month which revealed how important it is for GrownUps members to retire from the comfort of their home.

I cannot express how much I love ginger cake, especially when it’s as delicious and simple to make as this recipe.

You want your home to look at its best. You want it to have a relaxing, inspiring atmosphere you can't find anywhere else. Such an atmosphere can be achieved by placing flowers in your home