Travel Thursday - Girls weekend - Rotorua 10k, desertgasm, friendly kitty visitor, excellent coffee and a nice scenic stroll

1. Rotorua, known for its geothermal activity and traditional Maori village settlement, it's a major tourist trap hence the helipad and multiple sea plans waiting for rich sight seers. Rotorua is also known for stinking of rotten eggs from all the sulfur!
2. Check out this sweet bicycle tree: made from bicycles gifted from residents in Rotorua it's designed to highlight the city's growing reputation as the southern hemisphere's mountain biking capital. Plus it just looks cool.
3. The garden outside the restaurant Atticus Finch is next level awesome.
4. the INSANE deserts at Ciccio

Us four girls were in Rotorua for the Half Marathon (Angela did the 21k walk, Michelle and I the 10k run and Gillian the 4k walk) but we only enter events for the deserts. These pictures don't show how RIDICULOUSLY MASSIVE the slices of cake are, like 5 inches tall!

Apple and custard doughnut - it tasted a billion times better than it looks and it looks GOOD!

They do cake orders too - I had to take a picture of these cute sugar paste shoes.

We stayed at a Holiday park and received a visit from this little friend (left) He kept walking away and making me follow along to pat him, he looks just like our pusscat Norman on the left.

After the event Michelle had to go but Angela, Gillian and I went BACK to Ciccio for one of their fabulous Freakshakes. The 3 of us shared this cookies and cream one and it was still too much, imagine having one to yourself!

After our shakes we headed back to Tauranga, the girls stayed another night at my place. We got delicious coffees from the food van along the boardwalk and then headed out around the base track of Mauao - a big hill at the end of town that forms a natural harbour with an adjoining island Matakana - Mauao means "caught by the rising sun" read the legend here.

Look at those views!

We got medals but forgot to take a selfie with all of us! Never mind, we have our memories.

Happy travels everyone.

♥ Paula Shoe Fiend.

Shoesday Tuesday - shopping list for someone who is NOT shopping

So I have put myself on a serious shopping diet. I've unsubscribed from all the shopping emails and when I think I want to buy something - I just tell myself I don't need it!

However I am only human and some things have caught my eye.

1. We went to see Baby Driver at the movies Sunday and I walked past these divine blue velvet over the knee boots... Don't know how practical they are but they're SUPER pretty.

2. I saw these shoes first in a catalog and as I'm a fan of the Stella McCartney originals I really liked the dupe, but with the added blush pink and rose gold stars. However in store they seem a lot higher than maybe is practical.

3. I already own black velvet ankle boots but they were cheapies and these are better made... 

4. This divine leather backpack by Deadly Ponies - a New Zealand based leather bag company. They've collaborated with 'My Little Ponies' - I may have to snap one of those up.

It was only launched last Thursday and it's already SOLD OUT.

What are you guys lusting after?

Every blogger and their mums are rocking straw bags - I want one but I cant tell whether that's a real emotion or if it's just their ubiquity that's tantalized me

How about you guys? Anything on your lists?

♥ Paula Shoe Fiend

Sunday Baking - Peanut butter choc chunk cookies - inspired by the ice cream sandwich at Brooklyn bar & restaurant

We had dinner at Brooklyn Bar and eatery - which was AMAZING - but then desert came and we were in HEAVEN - Peanut butter choc chip cookies sandwiched with ice cream and a peanutty caramel sauce. I knew I had to try and make my own...

Ingredients:

115gms butter
70gms white sugar
70gms brown sugar
1 egg
1t Vanilla extract
100gms peanut butter
150gms All purpose flour
1t baking powder
200gms chocolate chopped into chunks

Method:

pre-heat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg until well combined. beat in vanilla and peanut butter. Sift flour and baking powder onto butter mixture and stir until mixed through. Mix in chocolate. Drop spoonfuls onto baking-parchment lined trays (the bigger the spoonful the bigger the cookie) and bake until golden and smelling delicious!

This recipe is so easy you cannot go wrong!

I was out for the night with my sister and father for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Tchaikovsky's 6th symphony with cello solo. What an amazing performance! YouTube it, you may recognize parts if you've ever seen The Witches of Eastwick ;-)

Will you be attempting these cookies? 

They are insanely good.

Yesterday I made a Lemon & White chocolate blondies, I have to share with you all... AMAZING.

Happy Baking

♥ Paula Shoe Fiend.