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Do you think food can make you happy? I think so. But have you ever been to “dessert heaven”? During my childhood I loved when mum was doing some baking – my sister and I used to be there just in time to make sure we won’t miss out on some cookie dough or cake batter. I had the pleasure to meet a chef at the Retreat and one day she decided to do some baking. When I came into the kitchen on that special day, a sweet, warm and buttery smell of baking was in the air. Tina was behind the kitchen counter and bowls & muffin trays in front of her. I couldn’t wait to find out what she was doing and where this delicious smell came from. Until this day I have never heard of “Brookies”. And I bet my face must have been full of question marks when Tina was talking about them. Now I know Brookies are a mix of brownie and cookie. After finding out that a combination like this actually exists, I got even more excited as I do LOVE cookies and would potentially never say “No” to a brownie either. Thank god that some of these Brookies were already in the oven so the promised tasting part wasn’t far away 😊. The whole place smelled soooooo good. But besides that, it was great to see what food does – It creates memories and connections. And I also realised once again you can always learn something new every day – if you want to. You just need to be curious and open. The tasting of my first ever Brookie: The freshly baked and still warm Brookie looked very similar to a muffin. The base & the outside part was made out of cookie dough so it isn’t as soft as a muffin and more like a crispy cookie. The inside/middle part of the Brookie was made out of a lemon brownie and was soft, creamy and mouth-watering. I was enjoying every single bite of it and far far away in “dessert heaven”. Fortunately, Tina made heaps of them so everyone was very lucky to get to try a Brookie. But to be honest I’m glad my sister wasn’t around so I didn’t have to share. But I will happily make them for her at some point as Tina has kindly shared her recipe! Tina’s BROOKIES COOKIE BASE 200g butter (melted) 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup white sugar 2 eggs 1 T vanilla essence 3 cups plain flour 1 tsp baking powder Grease muffin tray. Beat butter and sugar for 1 minute. Add eggs and vanilla, beat for 1 minute. Stir in flour and baking powder. Dough should look and feel soft. But not sticky. Roll into 30g (or Table spoon size) balls and press into muffin trays, dough should come up at least 3/4s to the top. CREAM CHEESE FILLING 1 packet of cream cheese (250g) 4 T sugar Mix sugar through cream cheese. Spoon into cookie cases. (1 big teaspoon) LEMON BROWNIE 250g butter (melted) 2 cups white sugar 1 tsp vanilla 4 eggs (I use size 6) 1 1/2 cups plain flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt Zest of 4 lemons Juice of 2 lemons (You will use the other 2 lemons to juice for the lemon glaze.) Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Combine butter, sugar, vanilla, eggs, flour, baking powder, salt until smooth. Stir in lemon zest and juice. Spoon over cookie cases. Just to the top. Try not to over fill. Bake for 15 – 20mins. LEMON GLAZE 3/4 cup of icing sugar Juice of 2 lemons Hot water if needed. Add lemon juice to icing sugar. Stir until smooth. Add a teaspoon of hot water if glaze is too thick. Glaze should be thin enough to drizzle over the BROOKIES with a fork.  AuthorMichele Reiher, Christchurch
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Kindness My mum used to say “Be kind to others” and as a child I had no idea that kindness will be so important to me one day. Being kind is the hug you give a friend who is going through a difficult time; the message you send to check in on your sister who is sick or the cookie you put on the desk of your colleague who seems to be having bad day. You don’t even need to know the person to be kind. A simple act of kindness can be the smile you give a stranger in the supermarket; holding the door open for someone or the “Good morning” to the bus driver. It doesn’t take much to be kind and you can literally start straight away. Little and bigger acts of kindness can make such a difference in people’s life. It makes them feel noticed, cared for and valued. But it will also make a difference to you. It will fill you with warmth; joy and will most likely put a smile on your face - because you did something good for someone else. Kindness is limitless. Kindness is free. Kindness is magic.   AuthorMichele Reiher, Christchurch Do you ever feel somehow blindfolded in your life and have no idea where to go next? Why am I here? What's my purpose? Is my life meaningful? Before I went to the Retreat and during the time there, I thought I will leave with a set plan or goal and know exactly where to go next. I got quite worried at the end realising that I still haven't got this plan. But then someone said "how about focusing on being curious rather than a set plan?" Changing my focus made me feel so much lighter. Yes, I do not have my exact plan (yet) but I'm feeling okay about it. It’s almost like being an artist and starting with a blank canvas and enjoying using all sorts of bright colours. I am the creator of the next chapter of my life.  Guest BlogMichele Reiher, Christchurch If you have the chance to go there, please do so. Visiting Back Beach was very special to me and I will never forget how it made me feel. I do love the beach and immediately agreed when a friend suggested to take me to Back Beach for a little walk. Just knowing that I will go to the beach filled me with lots of excitement – a feeling I haven’t really felt for a long time. And I was VERY excited. A 35-year old was literally feeling like a little girl before Christmas. But I guess that’s what happens at the Retreat – It brings you back to your inner child who might got a little bit lost on the way of getting older or by experiences in life. During the drive to the beach we – or I might need to say I – was talking a LOT. Full of excitement, joy and just being happy to see & spend time with my new friend. After arriving we had an amazing view just standing there on the top of the sand dune overlooking Back Beach. Even though I had the WOW moment and was full of joy seeing the ocean, I wasn’t 100% there. You know I was still talking, concentrating on my story, and having all these thoughts in my head. I started to walk down the sand dune – still talking. Fortunately, my dear friend said suddenly: “I’m sorry, but...” and I finished her sentence saying “... I should just shut up.”. She laughed (but agreed!) and said: “I just want you to really enjoy the moment when you walk or run down this sand dune.” I smiled – because I knew she was right. I concentrated – and this time not on all my thoughts and things which were going on in my head about the past and the future. I concentrated on the now. I felt fully in the present. Me standing on the top of the dune. First, I walked slowly but then I started to run. I felt the ground, the light breeze on my face, I could smell the ocean and hear the waves. I felt alive and right there – at Back Beach.   Guest BlogMichele Reiher, Christchurch. |
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