Whittakers Chocolates and Nigella

I just saw this post on Facebook and had to repost it!   I am a huge Nigella Lawson fan.  I will now have to go and try out Whittaker's new 5 Roll Refined Creamy Milk Chocolate.



http://m.youtube.com/#/user/WhittakersNZ?&desktop_uri=%2Fuser%2FWhittakersNZ

Keys to Successful Blogging

Apparently Google wont take any notice until I have at Least 50 posts.  So this post is to all The Small Businesses out there.



http://theselfemployed.com/content-marketing/5-keys-to-successful-small-business-blogging/

Re: Simple Lentil Curry Recipe.

 You may ask why have I written a Recipe about a Simple Lentil Curry.  The reasoning behind this is that the other day my mother said to me that I make a better Lentil Curry than her!  This was a great compliment so now I am sharing it with others .

Price Of Your Product

http://www.goodfood.com.au/good-food/food-news/croissanterie-ahead-of-the-curve-20130517-2jq9r.html


I came across this article in The Age.  It was interesting reading the comments about the price of a croissant being $4-5 compared to other countries namely France. 

If your an Artisan and your goods are not mass produced then obviously you cant sell your Croissant for $1.  Last time I checked I am sure that some bakeries in Melbourne price their croissants at $3-4.



 I have not tasted Kate's Croissants but I am now dying to! I love Croissants... as for the pricing this is Melbourne. For example if you run a food business from home you have to pay to register your kitchen, if you use a commercial kitchen you still have to pay the council to register it as well as the hiring of the commercial kitchen. If you have a shop then you pay rent. If you sell at a Market you have to pay for the Stall and then there's electricity, gas and Public Liability Insurance. This is without even considering the costs that go in to making your product So if anyone wants to whinge consider all these variables. oh and I forgot your labour!

Interesting Post Are Artisanal products more ethical?

Interesting Post :   http://www.good.is/posts/are-artisanal-products-more-ethical

Meaning of Ethical

I recently asked the question how big do you have to be to be listed in a particular Guide and got no response.  I believed that Ethical products were not meant to be mass produced.  I am now wondering whether these guides only want big businesses to make more money.   What does Ethical mean to you?

"Good is a product of the ethical and spiritual artistry of individuals it cannot be mass - produced"

Huxley Aldous

Paper Packaging

I have noticed that recently Paper Packaging is becoming popular with new Tea and Coffee businesses. I hope this becomes the norm...  I have been using paper packaging over the last four years.  During that time I was told that packaging was very important, more important than the quality of the product?  I should use tins for retail.  I like being unique lets see if the quality of the product becomes more important than the packaging....

Simple Lentil Curry

I cup Lentils
1 small Onion chopped
20-30 Curry leaves chopped
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds.
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1 teaspoon tumeric
3 Cups Water
3 teaspoons milk


Wash Lentils and then place 1 cup of water in to a pot with one teaspoon tumeric and salt to taste.
Cook for 10 mins or until water has evaporated then add another cup of water.  Continue cooking.
While this is cooking, fry the onions, curry leaves and mustard seeds as below.

In a small frypan add 3 tablespoons cooking oil, one chopped onion, chopped curry leaves and mustard seeds.  Fry until golden brown.

Add fried onion mix to lentils and to this 1 cup water and 3 teaspoons of milk.  Mix and continue cooking for 5 mins.


Variations:  You can add Spinach leaves to your Lentil curry after adding the Onion mix. You can omit the milk or add cream or yoghurt.