Hashtag It’s Not Gelato: Utopia Ice Is Back In Sumner

Mandy, Sebastian, (and we can’t forget Levin!)’s astonishingly good ice-cream (not gelato) is back in Sumner. Except this time, it’s housed in the most dreamiest location ever. At 15 Wakefield Avenue you’ll find a tranquil courtyard filled with happiness. Happiness being a large wooden swing chair, flamingo cushions, strawberry plants, Belgian waffles (yes, real Belgian waffles), of course ice-cream, and much more! With 16 ever-changing flavours to choose from, Cantabrians, this is the place to spend our ever glorious upcoming summer days.

Before you ask, my favourite is dark chocolate, coconut, and cacao nibs (gf, df, V) so see you there!

Hours:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 11 to 6
Wednesday: 11 to 6
Thursday: 11 to 6
Friday: 11 to 9
Saturday: 11 to 9
Sunday: 11 to 6

You Scream, I Scream, We All Scream For Dr. Feelgood Frozen Pops.

A mouthwatering popsicle guaranteed to impress your nutritionist AND your snobby food critic mate. After seeing Dr. Feelgood’s Facebook post last week about their products now available at New World Fendalton, I forced S to drop everything and to ASAP take me there. I had fallen in love with Dr. Feelgood some three years ago in Auckland and had missed their presence in Christchurch ever since. Simply unable to wait, we sampled two of their new popsicle range in the supermarket parking lot right there and then (wink wink). And the verdict? Oh mama mia. They were delicious. As far as I know, there is nothing quite like Dr. Feelgood on the NZ food market. Yes, there’s nice-creams for better-for-you ice-cream alternatives but seriously, there’s only so much coconut a gal can take. I love Dr. Feelgoods new premium range because their creamy pops are made with renowned Lewis Rd pure organic milk and all of their pops are of completely natural ingredients. So if you’re looking for a guilt-free treat (like I am always) look no further! More info HERE.

The Best Ice-cream in Christchurch!

Mandy’s baby: roasted plum (from their garden) and cinnamon oat crumble. 
Belgium milk chocolate and marshmallow.

Dark chocolate and sea-salt sorbet. Vegan and delishasssss!

Coconut and black sesame seed. It’s vegan everybody! And my new favorite. Life is so sweet.

I was so good you guys! Just look at these teeny tiny scoops. Plus, I think me eating the ice-cream is great advertisement, don’t you think? Here we have three vegan coconut-cream based ice-creams: coconut, blueberry and vanilla, coconut and dark chocolate, and coconut and black sesame seed. Send help!

Ask Yourself Kindly: What Do You Need?

I have started doing things a little differently and so far my tummy feels very light and happy. If you’ve talked to me about my eating habits, you’ll know that I don’t like to label them. This is because I personally find living life, gladdening hearts, and making memories just as important as saving the planet and being healthy. What I’m trying to say is, if my new Japanese friend invites me over with utmost glee and sits me down with a big plate of lovingly homemade pork yakitori, well, I’m not going to break her heart and request broccoli. Anyways, I have finally started listening to the digestion experts by eating fruit first thing, on an empty stomach, in the morning. This has something to do with fruit often “rotting” in the stomach and thus causing poor-digestion and stomach-bloating. So, I eat my little bowl of fruit… I wait 15 to 20 minutes then I eat my muesli. Now, to complicate things even further… I’ve gone gluten-free. Of course, becoming gluten-free isn’t for everybody but as I said, so far, my tummy feels very light and happy. Surprisingly, it’s been very easy. Almost everywhere have gluten-free options and at home, all I’ve had to change is my bread and muesli. Bread I bought from the supermarket – super easy. And muesli, I swapped the oats in my homemade recipe to buckwheat puffs. So I dry toast nuts, seeds, honey, coconut oil and cinnamon in a frying pan and once cool, mix with dried fruit and buckwheat puffs (basically popcorn for breakfast – can’t complain). Next I want to try quinoa puffs and buckwheat groats. I will keep you updated anyhow.

While you work from an office… (hehe).
Vanilla bean and gooseberries with rye crumble, blueberry, Greek yoghurt and mint and cherry, plum and Earl Grey, strawberry and rhubarb, coconut and passionfruit, coconut and dark chocolate. Mandy you a Genius! #UtopiaIce

Sea salt caramel and popcorn ice-cream. Heaven is real and it comes in a tub. Save me.

Easy snack idea for the 19 Day Bahai Feast – though I had trouble sticking the feta through the bamboo sticks without them falling apart so my momma suggested I end with the feta by simply pricking it a teeny tiny bit only. 
Physical feasting on snacks generously brought by friends after some serious soul-food! In the words of Abdu’l-Bahá, “My heart is in a constant state of thanksgiving.”

This Is How You Get Unstuck: You Reach.

“You are the finest, loveliest, tenderest, and most beautiful person I have ever known—and even that is an understatement.” (F. Scott Fitzgerald) Friends, I find nothing more romantic than these letters. I could easily quote these lovers for the remainder of this post but I’ll resist. A side note: often when I take such photos of my breakfast and things on this decaying picnic table in our backyard, my tootsies make an appearance forcing me to impatiently start over, this time standing in the most awkwardly unnatural position so as to hide them. 
Speaking of F. Scott and Zelda, four months ago, I had the absolute pleasure of visiting Hotel Belle Rives where the couple stayed in the year 1925. Unable to speak French and unaware of Antibes’ transportation systems, I decided to walk there from my accommodation. An hour later, I arrived sweaty and in my gym gear. To my surprise, I was welcomed by the gentleman porter with such hospitality as if I were Zelda herself!  This left me speechless. In a dream-like state, I walked around the bar, snapped a couple pictures and vowed to return again before my stay in Antibes was over.

Once back at my accommodation, I emailed the General Manager, expressing my gratitude to the incredibly hospitable porter. He, Lucas, replied by inviting me and a friend back for coffee, croissants and a private tour of the establishment. I don’t know if it was the ambience or what, but here Anita’s mom and I drank the best coffee we’ve ever drank ever.

The photo above and the photo below are of the views from the hotel’s best room (unbelievably dare in the summer). Lovely Lucas said I could honeymoon there on mate’s rates. I wonder if he’d also cover my plane ticket? (hehe).

Back to reality (below) which is pretty darn good with no room for complaints: I helped and will continue to help for the long weekend, my beautiful friend Mandy sell her handmade ice-cream and sorbets. It was a dream job and nothing less.


Some beetroot salad and avocado before eating sorry I mean selling ice-cream. 
“All these soft, warm nights going to waste when I ought to be lying in your arms under the moon – the dearest arms in all the world – darling arms that I love so to feel around me – How much longer – before they’ll be there to stay? When I get home again, you’ll certainly have a most awful time ever moving me one inch from you -”

Sea salt caramel and popcorn, vanilla bean, blueberry, mint, Greek yoghurt and cherry compote, peach and lemon sorbet (vegan), rhubarb and strawberry sorbet (vegan), coconut keffir raspberry (vegan), coconut and dark chocolate (vegan). 
Bliss.#UtopiaIce

Sister visit, day 3.

Matcha green tea soft-serve aka the shizz, Kinkaku-ji temple, tofu restaurant and Kiyomizu-dera.

the best fruit parfait in okayama

Okayama AKA the ‘Sunny Land’ is known for its delicious fruit and in particular, its white peaches. The folk tale of Momotaro, a boy born from a peach who became a warrior, originated in this region. Here, as well as actual whole fruits, an extensive variety of fruit (in particular peach and grape) products are on offer. These include, fruit jams, fruit chocolate, fruit jello-like desserts, fruit tea and even fruit curry! Not sure how I feel about the latter but hey! We ought to give everything a go, right? Perhaps most popular of all fruity products though, are Okayama’s fruit parfaits. These as you can imagine, can be seriously good and are often served with a combination of cream/ice-cream/sponge cake and oddly, corn-flakes – go figure? And range anywhere from 600YEN to a whopping 2200YEN.

So, where is the BEST fruit parfait in Okayama you say? Kurashiki Momoko is my answer (In Kurashiki – well, duh). Kurashiki Momoko is a farm direct outlet located in the Historical Quarter of Kurashiki, run by the Okayama Prefecture Vegetables and Fruits Sales Group. The two-story building is a retail space on the ground floor and an adorable wooden furniture fitted café, on the second. You know a place knows their shizzle when there’s a line out the door!

One of the most popular items on their menu is the fruit parfait, which is available only during the peach season. Fruit options include: peach (well, of course), grape, fig, pear and mixed fruit. They are generously proportioned (especially the 22000Yen one) and seriously GOOD – I mean look at that picture! The café also serves smoothies, gelatos and other cakes/sweets as well as a range of edible souvenirs, all made with locally grown Okayama fruit.

We ordered the fig and pear parfaits and ohhh boy.

However; I do have one tiny complaint though. When we finally reached the counter, after having waited our turn like civil folk, we were escorted all the way to the back of the line again! What had happened is that the shop assistant had assumed (as unfortunately often happens here – sorrynotsorry) that the foreigners had pushed in line. Thanks to a lovely Japanese woman (who with her family had been waiting behind us all along) speaking up, we were apologised to and escorted to the front again. Here’s hoping you won’t have the same experience – A minor glinch compared to the epic sequel, though!

gelato experts of hashimoto farm

A few weeks ago, as I was scrolling through pictures tagged with #gelato on instagram (as you do) I came across the most delicious looking (and probably tasting from the way it was looking) double scoop cone AND to my delight it was sold in Tottori which is only about 1 and half hours drive from my home in Ohara. Yesterday, my cousin (who was staying with me for a couple days) and me ventured to Hashimoto gelato farm – where there were no cows but definitely loads of gelato. Hashimoto gelateria is situated in a cute small cottage and served by an even more adorable elderly Japanese couple. Inside, directly above the gelato counter, a large frame proudly deems said husband and wife as successful graduates of Gelato University of Rome – what has life come to? Where is this University and WTH did I waste three years of my life studying a BA when I could have graduated from a life of gelato?! GELATO.

The labels were in Japanese leaving us to guess the gelato flavours which is harder than you think; when there are Japanese inspired flavours such as black soy bean (which looks like chocolate chip) and sour plum (which looks like strawberry). Nevertheless,  I chose Ferrero Rocher and white peach and my cousin copied by choosing Ferrero Rocher as well and grapefruit – which to his surprise tasted “just like grapefruit!”, well no shit sherlock. As we sat outside savouring every mouthful (the gelato was divine; not sickly sweet as some ice cream can be) overlooking the picturesque Japanese countryside, an elderly Japanese man (80s/90s) in a straw hat and denim overalls rode past on his bicycle.

dr feelgood frozen pops (a product review)

“The truth shall set you free”

Okay, I’ll admit; the principal motivation behind my mini holiday to the North Island last week was none other than Dr Feelgood’s Frozen Pops. I am dead serious. You may think it ludicrous that an adult (yes, believe it or not, 22 is considered adult age) plans an entire holiday merely based on the location a certain popsicle. But, you may retract your mean judgements after receiving further info on these stick beauties (not a “thinspo” reference but definitely a skinny product).

When I was younger, I always, as they say; “screamed for ice-cream”. At times I cried and on other occasions I even black-mailed (a story for later) but either way, my deliberate tactics always landed me a frozen treat or two (thanks mum). Nowadays, having grown older and apparently wiser, I have developed a love-hate relationship with the scrumptious semi-soft frozen dessert. The chief and honest reason being that excessive amounts of regular ice-cream eventually makes us fat and gives us diabetes and so on and so forth.

This is where Dr Feelgood come in. Flies in, to be specific; in a superman outfit bringing an end to my  ice-cream induced quarter life crisis with his or her saliva-inducing popsicles which he/she promises are “guaranteed to impress your trainer AND your snobby food critic mate”.

So, without further ado, like all professional journalism, let me begin this review with the cold, hard facts:

Double Caramel Magnum Ice Cream Bar is 320 calories.

Whereas;

Dr Feelgood’s Salted Caramel and Apple Frozen Pop is 149 calories (“in case you’re wondering, it’s about the same as a glass of whole milk”).

Or even better, their Lemon, Manuka Honey and Ginger Pop (a mere 57 calories) or their Granny Smith Lime and Mint pop (63 calories) are both “about the same as one very small apple” – meaning, the phrase ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ just got some mean as rivalry.

And yet, believe it or not, there is no catch. Dr Feelgood’s Frozen Pops are not only healthy and nutritious (“featuring only the good stuff, with absolutely no refined sugar”) but are also extremely moreish; living up to their name by making your tongue, mouth, stomach, heart, significant other, mother, the list goes on, feel good and by good they/I mean bloody wonderful. In short, these popsicles are freakin’ yum AND miraculously good for you unlike most regular ice-creams which sadly are the opposite.

Last but not least; dearest Dr Feelgood please treat this humble post as a pledge from the entire south island population to export your delicious popsicles our way. In specific: to Christchurch because that’s where I am.

Yours faithfully,
Anisa.

PS for more info and a list of their other beaut flavours click here where you’ll be transported to Ice-cream heaven (cue: salivation) where your browser magically transforms into an adorable popsicle and your eyes get the opportunity to feast on some seriously scrumptious ice-creamporn.

I walked 21.2km for this gelato

There are as many ice-cream/gelato places in Auckland as there are people and there are a lot of people here, especially in comparison to CHCH. Fortunately, Mother Nature has been in a delightful mood during my little Auckland adventure, kindly turning up the dial on ‘ice cream weather’ to maximum. Now, I’m not the type of gal to indulge in any old ice-cream. Yes, there’s several Kapiti joints around but I can get that back home from the supermarket and the same goes for the million Movenpick outlets. But the homemade gelato from St. Heliers Bay Cafe & Bistro, now that’s worth walking 21.2km for (round-trip). Yesterday, my best friend Natasha who resides in the City of Sails (Auckland) and I walked from the CBD to St Heliers Bay. The journey was tedious. Our legs were sore, our chests were sun-burnt and our throats were dry but we eventually made it and oh boy was it worth it. Sorry, I already said that didn’t I? Natasha ordered two scoops of coconut which for the life of me I.just.could.not.comprehend – I mean, who the hell orders two of the same flavour?! Nevertheless, she reasoned she had never come across coconut ice-cream, always sorbet and because it was just that delicious. I chose peanut butter gelato and berry sorbet after literally trialing every single flavour (I hope you accept my sincerest apologies dear lovely lady behind counter) which tasted exactly like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich except cold, creamy and smooth! Ahhh my mouth is watering just thinking about it. The Gelato at St Heliers Bay Cafe & Bistro is made daily from fresh and wholesome ingredients which completely reflects in the way it tastes. No other words are needed. Just go smoosh your faces into it! X