After the brilliant Store Metaphor I’ve struggled to find something to top it. There are so many inspiring things out there, but for me The Store Metaphor made so much sense, topping it was feeling impossible. I wanted to find out more about happiness, and where other people think happiness steams from, so where else do you turn to for profound answers and brilliant video content…. TED of course! And that’s where I stumbled across David. David Steindl-Rast is a Catholic- Benedictine Monk, born in between World War One and World War Two in Vienna in 1926. After receiving his MA from the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts and a PhD from the University of Vienna, David emigrated to the United States in 1953, where he joined Mount Saviour Monastery. After twelve years of monastic training and studies in philosophy and theology, Brother David was chosen to participate in Buddhist-Christian dialogue, and co-founded the Center for Spiritual Studies with Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu and Sufi teachers. So it’s fair to say that this man is attuned with spiritually from more than just a catholic perspective, in 1975, Brother David was awarded the Martin Buber Award for his achievements in building bridges between […]
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These sticky little morsels are delicious when dipped in the fragrant crushed nuts and chilli, and can be easily made with chicken rather than pork if you wish. We served these up as a BBQ entrée and our guests LOVED them. I took some liberties with the ingredient measurements based purely on how they came at the supermarket… and it didn’t affect the taste. (Makes about 30) Meatball Ingredients 400g – 500g Pork mince 500g Sausage meat 1-2 tsp garlic, crushed 1-2 tsp ginger, minced 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder 2-3 tbsp peanut butter (add more if you want to really nutty) ¼ – ½ cup satay sauce 2-3 tbsp oil Crust Ingredients ½ cup peanuts, finely chopped 1 tbsp mint or coriander, finely chopped ( I tend to use both as I find mint can be overpowering) 1 red chilli, finally chopped ¼ small red onion, very finely diced In a large bowl combine mince, sausage meat, garlic, ginger, spice powder and peanut butter. Mix well (I found it easier to use my hands rather than a spoon) and leave to marinate for 2-3 hours or longer if you can. Roll into balls and chill until cooking. The meatballs […]
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Salads should only ever be simple…I personally feel that a complicated salad flies in the face of what it means to be a salad. This salad is ridiculously easy to make AND it tastes a little bit fancy. Ingredients: Salad 6 cups fresh baby spinach. 2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced. 1 Avocado (not too ripe) diced. Gorgonzola or blue cheese… I never have rules regarding cheese, go with what feels right to you 🙂 1/4 sliced almonds. Toasted or raw depending on your tastes (and time). 1/2 a small red onion * For a slight variation you can add shredded coconut & chunks of orange too. Dressing 1/2 cup Avocado oil (or olive oil if that’s what you’ve got on hand) 3 tablespoons cider vinegar 2 tablespoons honey (I use Manuka honey) 1 tablespoon poppy seeds Pinch of mustard powder Salt & Pepper Note – you don’t need to be too stringent regarding measurements, I generally wing it. The Assembly Don’t prep this too far in advance, the spinach can end up looking a little sad after sitting too long outside of your vegetable crisper in the fridge. A little squeeze of lemon juice over the spinach will help it last […]
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I’ve not yet been to the Globe Theatre London, but that’s okay…having seen Shakespeare’s Globe in London isn’t a prerequisite for enjoying the Pop Up Globe in Auckland. In fact there’s little in the way of pre-viewing homework, hell you don’t even need to know the famous stories. After a popular first season set up in a carpark near Auckland Town Hall, the Pop Up Globe returned for a second season on the ground of Ellerslie Race Course AND a short season in Melbourne. Four hundred years dead is a strange anniversary to mark, but the 2016 launch of the Pop Up Globe marked just that, the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare and what better way to celebrate one of the worlds most famous writers, than with a pop-up, full scale, working replica of the Globe Theatre, and two seasons of Bill Shakespeare’s best known works. I’m crossing my fingers for a 2018 season, and contemplating a trip to Melbourne to see it all one more time. The mark of a truly brilliant Shakespearian performance is whether it can engage an audience that don’t quite speak the language and aren’t familiar with the often told and well-known […]
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