Bridal Expo

 

If you've recently become engaged or have set the date or are even thinking of getting hitched I really hope you made it to the Pure Bride Expo last Sunday at the Princes Wharf in Hobart.

There was such a great array of exhibitors; from invitations to make up, luxury accommodation and venues, amazing wedding dresses, jewellery and lovely lingerie, themeing and of course our Lotus Child bomboniere and pamper packs.

We are so happy to have been a part of this great event, there were so many creative ideas on display.

At the Lotus Child booth we were offering the chance to win a Luxury Pamper Pack. We had such a great response to the offer with so many brides and bridesmaids-to-be eagerly filling out entry forms!

The lucky bride-to-be that won is Kylie Fitzpatrick of Snug. Kylie and fiancee Dallas are set to tie the knot at the end of November. Congratulations Kylie!!! We'll be sending you lots of peaceful, calming vibes during your planning stages. ♥

If you didn't make it to the expo don't despair the Pure Bride magazine is full of amazing ideas and helpful planners - it's available at newsagents.

 

© Copyright 2013 Lotus Child

Rocket, Spinach & Cashew Pesto

There is so much spinach and rocket in the garden at the moment that I thought I have better make one of my favourite foods, pesto!

 

Pesto originates from Italy and translated it literally means paste. Many Italian dishes start with a pesto, usually of garlic and or onion and fresh parsley to start a soffritto for a pasta sauce or seafood dish or the more commonly known Pesto al Genovese which is the basil, pine nut and parmesan version that most of us would have tried with pasta. This recipe is a variation on the Genovese style and without the parmesan cheese it is completely vegan. I like to call this my 'all-purpose pesto' as it can be used at any meal in a variety of ways; as a dip with crudités or crackers, to jazz up a panino, as a sauce with homemade gnocchi, on top of corn and zucchini fritters, on poached eggs with oven roasted tomato, the uses are endless.

 

As with most Mediterranean food the key is in the produce; fresh, organic and preferably home-grown will make the tastiest and most nutritious offerings.

 

 It's tricky for me to actually write down this recipe because I adjust my pesto according to taste and appearance as I'm making it. It was how I learnt to make it from my then boyfriend's mother when I lived in Italy. My boyfriend’s mum made the traditional version. Here's my recipe;

 

Rocket, Spinach & Cashew Pesto

2 cups rocket (roughly chopped)

1 cup spinach (roughly chopped)

2 large cloves Australian garlic

1 small red chill

200 grams raw cashews

100 grams grated good quality parmesan cheese (optional)

125 ml extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons salt

pepper as needed

Place the garlic and chilli in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until evenly chopped. Scrape down the sides of your food processor bowl after each addition. Add your leafy greens in batches until well processed. Add half of the cashews, and the seasoning and process until your pesto is the consistency of almond meal. You may need to add some of the oil at this point if the pesto is too dry to processing properly. Add the parmesan, followed by half of the olive oil and process. When well combined remove from the food processor and place in a large mixing bowl. Place the rest of the cashews into the processor and pulse lightly, keeping the nuts quite coarse, this will give your pesto a good texture. Add the cashews to the mixing bowl with the remaining oil and mix until combined. Check the seasoning, and place into glass jars or containers. Top with a little extra oil as this will help seal and preserve the pesto. Store in the fridge and use as needed.

“Buon appetito”.

 

Happy Festive Feasting!

It's been a little too long between posts I think, but with good reason. December has been full of  activity so far including Christmas preparations, special orders, stock production for lots of markets (including MoMa on the 22nd!!) moving house, phew... and to top it off plans and council applications for our very own outlet!! So I'm not going to be too hard on myself for not posting sooner!

Our first appearance at MoMa will be this Saturday 22nd December, we are very excited! The first market was last Saturday and of course I went along to have a look. It was pretty cool, the space is brilliant, it was like being at a food and wine festival/music festival/market and despite yucky weather there were stacks of people.

Stay tuned for lots of pics from Saturday, I'll post as soon as I can. Did I mention we're also hosting the family Christmas lunch at our place on the 25th and that I still have a few presents to buy, including one for a 14 year old boy and have absolutely no idea what to get him!!!

Happy festive season and may the new year bring peace, love, good health and joy to all. xxx

 

Persian Milk Bath 50gm $9.00

NEW SIZE!!

PRODUCT INFO

Throughout history Milk Baths have always been associated with pure indulgence, luxury and beauty. Milk baths were the secret of Cleopatra’s beautiful skin!

The lactic acid in milk works as a natural gentle skin exfoliant and the high fat

content is nourishing for dry skin. Add to this the rich moisturising effects of coconut milk and almonds and the anti-inflammatory and exfoliating properties of oatmeal and you have a recipe for soft smooth and beautifully fragrant skin.

TO USE

Place 2-3 tablespoons of Persian Love Bath into a warm bath while the water is still running. When ready lower yourself into the water and remain for 20 minutes. Gently rub the skin with a soft cloth to remove the dead skin cells. Rinse thoroughly. Do not use soap or salt if you are having a Milk Bath. Always remember to sip a glass of water whilst having a bath to avoid dehydration.

INGREDIENTS

Contains all natural ingredients: milk, coconut milk ground almonds, oatmeal, dried blossoms essential/botanical oils; vanilla, cinnamon.

PACKAGING

50 grams in square glass canister with black lid

CAUTION

Do not use milk baths if allergic to milk or lactose intolerant. It is not recommended to have a hot bath if suffering from high blood pressure or after strenuous physical activity. We suggest only warm water with all our bath preparations.

Wedding Bomboniere

During my twenty plus years as an event manager, I've seen such a huge array of bomboniere, corporate gifts and event favours. Many were beautiful, well thought out and appreciated by guests and others were left behind to be collected with the table scatters that ended up in the bin!

Experience has shown me that there's nothing nicer than a personalised handmade gift to thank your guests for sharing one of the most special occasions in your life, but with all of the organising and re-organising ahead of most couples it's probably not an option for many people to turn their hand to craft at this stage. That's where we can help. Many items from the Lotus Child range make beautiful bomboniere and most of them can be personalised, we can even create a special blend just for you!

Here's an example:

The specialty bath salts come in a recycled paper handmade box filled with Lotus Child's all natural bath preparation "Love". The Love Bath is a special combination of salts, herbs and botanicals blended together specifically for love. It's filled with rose petals and chamomile flowers and has essential oils of vanilla, cinnamon, orange and rose. Contained in the box is a short meditation to help promote relaxation which is the first step to self-love and nurturing.

This item is custom made and available in a series of colours to match the theme and feel of your special day. Your personalised message can be included in many fonts or designs.

A minimum order of 20 pieces is required for personalisation. Please contact me at least 2 weeks in advance for orders of 20-60 pieces and at least 4-8 weeks ahead for any orders over 60 pieces.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions. If you don't have 4-8 weeks before your big day, but would still like a handmade gift for your guests, please drop me a line and I'll do my best to help.

Please note postage will vary depending on the order size. I will quote postage on an order by order basis.

Happy planning!

Peace & Love

Peisha x

Flower Bounty

"for flower - flower love
you are my flower
and you are my love "

juahta sitepu

 

 

There is an explosion of colour in the garden at the moment! It seems that every little bush and shrub is in competition to produce the prettiest and most colourful bloom. The soundtrack to this rainbow of colour is of course the hypnotic humming of bees. The bees don't seem to be the only ones to appreciate the feast of flowers. Luna, one of our cats, made herself comfortable in a soft fragrant spot surrounded by honey bees.

 

 

MoMa at MONA

I'm very excited to have been included in the selection for MoMa! Yay!

 http://mona.net.au/what's-on/events.aspx

 Here's MONA's blurb about the market:

 “MoMa is a produce and art-based market held on the lawn at MONA every Saturday 11.00am – 4.00pm, from December 15 — March 30, incorporating growers, suppliers and ideas from the Derwent Valley, greater Hobart area and beyond. MoMa is the meeting of

food and art, incorporating elements of the unexpected. We believe in locally grown, organic, sustainable produce (but we do love posh, smelly, French cheese too). We bring together the best well known and hidden gem producers, fresh produce to take home, ravishingly good food to eat on site, art installations, nick nacks and anything else we find inspiring.”