June 7th, 2012
There’s been a lot of debate in the news recently about childcare and government’s role in supporting it. While it's a complex issue, there’s one point that everyone can agree on - kids can be a real handful, and require a great deal of attention and care. One method some stay at home mums (and dads!) use to look after their kids and manage their housework at ... Read more
June 7th, 2012
So, you're a free-wheeling bachelor about town. It doesn't matter why - maybe you're stuck in a permanent state of arrested development, maybe your ex left you for a therapist called Alan or Elaine or something, maybe they found you in bed with a small scotch terrier - whatever. Relax, it's all good news, my friend, 'cos you have control of the kitchen. You've no one to ... Read more
June 6th, 2012
Stainless steel is a virtually indestructible surface, unlikely to stain, scratch badly or corrode, it's easy to maintain, to clean and is aesthetically pleasing. In other words it's great for kitchens. Now scientists have developed a stainless steel coating that steralises itself, no chemicals or scrubbing required. Ordinary stainless steel won't exactly absorb bacteria, but it if it's not properly cleaned it may harbour colonies of germs that lead to ... Read more
June 6th, 2012
Artistry is important when preparing food. The contestants over on Masterchef are judged on the presentation of their meals as much as their taste - probably more so, as great-looking food makes for great television. And we’ve previously explored the art (or science) of great sandwiches. But what role can food play in creating art for art's sake? Christchurch-born and New York-based photographer, Henry Hargreaves, may have recently ... Read more
June 6th, 2012
In 1952 the average middle aged women's waist measured 28 inches and the average calorific intake was 1818 a day, at least 1,000 of which were burned off doing the housework. Today, a middle-aged women's waistline measures 34 inches, she consumes an average of 2,178 calories a day and instead of lugging around a heavy vacuum a robot does the hard work for her. So says a survey ... Read more
June 6th, 2012
Yesterday's blitzkrieg-like storm in Sydney and up the Central Coast has served as a slap-in-the-face to many of who may have been in any denial that yes, it is definitely winter. A drop in the mercury and howling winds encouraged many a Sydneysider to don scarves, Ugg boots, rummage in cupboards for hot water bottles and crank up the heater. At the same time, the NSW Fair Trading Commissioner Rod ... Read more
June 6th, 2012
We know all about rangehoods, right? They extract smoke, steam, grease and cooking aromas from the air in your kitchen, to help keep the area clean and pleasant to inhabit. Some rangehoods are ducted and exhaust the kitchen gases outside of your home, while others recirculate air back into your kitchen after cleaning it with a carbon filter. Pretty straightforward, right? Can't be much room for improvement... Well, ... Read more
June 6th, 2012
Anthony Bourdain – author of New York Times best-seller Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly and host of the Travel Channel's No Reservations – was in the news recently with the announcement that he will join the US news network CNN to produce a new TV show. The new show will air next year and is part of CNN's bid to distinguish itself as a network ... Read more
June 5th, 2012
Anna's daughter Mackenzie already has her talk on - she's babbling away as I chat to her mother on the phone. This means that Mackenzie definitely has her walk on and at least three times during the conversation I'm told to "hang on" as Anna looks to see where her daughter has got to. Speaking on an old land line with a cord Anna and I also get ... Read more
June 5th, 2012
Hot on the heels of the United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDCP) remarkable statement that "there is no zombie apocalypse" and following on from our highly successful blog, Appliances for surviving a zombie apocalypse, we bring to you a set of knives for fighting zombies. With the catch phrase "Blades don't run out of ammo" and blade names such as 'pestilence chopper', 'death dagger' and ... Read more
June 5th, 2012
It can be a tricky decision, to repair or to replace an appliance? New appliances may be more affordable to run, be better for the environment and have time saving features convenient for modern living. On the other hand, repairing an appliance may pinch the wallet less painfully. Now, an appliance parts company in the US has revealed its ideas on when it's best to chuck an ... Read more
June 5th, 2012
Have you ever slept in through your alarm? Have you ever run so late in the morning that you’ve had to skip breakfast altogether? Do you find it difficult to find the motivation to leave the toasty warmth of your bed’s covers each morning? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then you may need the Wake n’ Bacon! Combining an alarm clock with a baking ... Read more
June 4th, 2012
A new USA system called Leafully aims to measure how much energy household appliances are using so that home owners can work out their carbon footprint. Got an energy intensive fridge? Plant more trees! Leafully is a Seattle start up and it has the backing of the US Department of Energy. It is based on an application that measures power use by accessing information from a houshold's energy provider. ... Read more
June 4th, 2012
If you're drinking a Bloody Mary in the morning the thought of tiny, salty fish swirling around in it will surely be enough to tip that hangover from barely bearable to lurching for the loo. What in the world am I talking about? I'm talking about the Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce commonly added to cocktails such as a Bloody Mary or meals like Welsh Rabbit, Caesar Salad, Oysters Kirkpatrick, chili con ... Read more
June 4th, 2012
Over the weekend, we all got to experience the pomp and ceremony of the diamond jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We can only speculate on the protocols regarding appropriate gifts for such an occasion, but we do know that Her Majesty is rather tech-savvy, having accepted the gift of an iPod from US President Obama, and is reportedly interested in the iPad 2. With this in ... Read more
