I've been busy moving from the North to the South Island and working two jobs as well as teaching adults at nightschools, so I'm really flat tack and had no time to think of what to have for tea myself, let alone for everybody else. Frightfully sorry, but next week I'll be back on track.

I always thought they were exaggerating when friends told me about people who will only eat fatty fried slop, such as hash browns, plasticky-looking sausages, soggy bacon, battery eggs and tons of oil-dripping chips – all washed down with gallons of fizzy drinks like coke or energy fiz, half a teaspoon of which would make me look as if I’d slept with my fingers plugged into a power socket.

Deciding what's for tea is almost as trying as the cooking process itself. That's why every Sunday I'll post a list of suggestions for the week following. Pick and choose, be adventurous and try something new. If you don't know how to cook something or have a suggestion just drop me a line.

Down-to-earth and rustic

Deciding what's for tea is almost as trying as the cooking process itself. That's why every Sunday I'll post a list of suggestions for the week following. Pick and choose, be adventurous and try something new. If you don't know how to cook something or have a suggestion just drop me a line.

Here's a quick weekend rant about people who wear $300 watches, but grizzle about the price of food.

Continuing the series of apple cake recipes I've hopped over the border of my native Germany to neighbouring Belgium. They do wicked cakes, those Flemings! And don't miss my little rant about vanilla at the end of the recipe.

Deciding what's for tea is almost as trying as the cooking process itself. That's why every Sunday I'll post a list of suggestions for the week following. Pick and choose, be adventurous and try something new. If you don't know how to cook something just drop me a line.

I do hope you've been able to find some cooking apples - look out for Gravenstein. It's an excellent choice for tarts, if you can find it. Once upon a time there used to be hundreds of different kinds. Today, there are only about a dozen varieties widely grown in New Zealand.

I was driving home from town the other day and was not too far behind another car when suddenly something crashed into my windscreen. Bang!!! And another thing came tumbling. And yet another thing narrowly missed my car. When I'd recovered from the shock I realised that the missiles were empty burger cartons and drink cans. Wow, I thought, that's such a good idea!