articles, recipes, ideas and tips for entertaining at home

This impressive yet dead easy dish is equally good served at a casual barbeque with salad, or a more formal affair with all the trimmings. Use a selection of whatever herbs you have on hand, such as thyme, rosemary, flat-leaf parsley, oregano and basil, or use coriander, lemongrass, grated lime rind and ginger for an Asian twist.  The success of this dish is in the quality of ingredients, so make sure the herbs are fresh and the beef is grade one. By all means make your own Aioli from scratch, but as this blog is about making entertaining easy, we do like to offer a few acceptable shortcuts from time to time! A Shiraz is the perfect wine accompaniment.

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Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful festive season and start to 2012. I’m sure, like many, you have taken on goals and resolutions and chances are that one of them is to eat more healthily. Seasonal eating is the best way to go, and if you need convincing here are 10 reasons why:

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The winner of our Singing Bread Bin competition is…. (drumroll) – Melissa Stanton. The winner was chosen from the most creative answer to the question: “how do you like to recognise Mum for the important role that she plays in your family?”  Melissa’s answer was “sometimes I write thank you and some special message to her on her white board on her fridge as i leave so she doesnt forget that we always appreciate her and ALL the things she does”. Well done Melissa, great answer! Melissa has won a limited edition singing bread bin from Tip Top®.

Thank you to all that took the time to enter our competition.

The winners of our Jacob’s Creek Cool Harvest wine competition are Amy Mitchell and Elisha Salkeld. Congratulations Amy and Elisha – you have won a prize pack of  the Jacob’s Creek Cool Harvest range, comprising one bottle of each of the following wines: Sauvignon Blanc 2011, Pinot Grigio 2011, Shiraz Rosé 2011, Sauvignon Blanc Cuvée NV.

Thank you to everyone that entered our competition. We received  a great response with some very creative entries, however our friends at Jacob’s Creek felt that Amy and Elisha’s were the clear winners on this occasion.

Enjoy your prizes Amy and Elisha!

Being an avid cook and foodie, quality kitchenware is very important to me. Years of cooking and trying different kitchen products has resulted in me being very selective about which brands I use for different kitchen tasks. For example, I wouldn’t use anything but a Microplane Grater to zest citrus fruit, nor would I use any other garlic press than Zyliss. When it comes to cookware, my number one choice is The Chefs Toolbox Como AdvanceTM range of pots and pans.

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Entertaining Made Easy blog is thrilled to anounce a competition where you can win a limited edition singing bread bin.  Celebrity Aussie mums Anna Gare and Fiona O’Loughlin have helped Tip Top®to design the world’s first singing bread bins, which play the Tip Top® “Good on ya Mum” jingle when opened.  The unique bread bins celebrate the return of this iconic jingle, praising mums for the role they play.  Check out the cute and quirky breadbins designed by Anna and Fiona:

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There’s nothing nicer than a cold, crisp glass of wine when the weather is warm, and just in time for summer Jacob’s Creek has launched a new range of wines called Cool Harvest.  Iconic Australian wine brand, Jacob’s Creek, is proud to team up with Australian actress Naomi Watts, to launch Cool Harvest – a new range of wines perfect for those precious moments with true friends.

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Get more bang for your buck and eat more healthily, tastily and responsibly by choosing in-season fruit and vegetables. In season for the month of November are:

Fruit
Bananas
Berries
Cherries
Cumquats
Grapefruit
Lychees
Mangoes
Melons
Oranges
Paw paw & papaya
Pineapple
Starfruit

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With the festive season fast approaching, it’s that time of the year to catch up with friends and family before Christmas. Whether you are hosting a party, or have been asked to bring a plate of nibblies along to a someone’s else’s gathering, these tasty morsels will be a hit. Quick, easy and elegant, the spread can be made ahead of time and only needs to be spooned into the pre-bought pastry cups when ready to serve. Perfect with a glass of bubbles!

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We’re well into spring now, and the warmer weather brings with it a delicious selection of fruit and vegetables. This month, you will find the best value, quality and taste by cooking with:

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