 We're live, we're live Yeah, so why am I going live all the time? Well, let me tell you because It's just easier I'm sorry that I did not do a baking class last week For if you don't know we've been raising money all of December for the local food bank And I've been baking and then bringing all the baked goods to them and I always buy groceries on my way for them and we've just been raising money for them and yesterday I was Or last week I was tired Like oh my gosh, and then I have like all my own baking that I need to do for family and parties and So yeah, so I've brought food over there, but no baking last week, but That's okay. People have still been giving so watching these videos All the money goes to the food bank just watching the commercials when they come up. There should have be too many Go ahead and watch the previous lives all of that counts the link in the description before giving or you can just give during this chat is fine Yeah, to the local food bank here or just give to your own doesn't matter easy Last day last day to get the cookbook if you want it in time for Christmas in New Zealand So I feel like if you wanted it, you would have got it. I've sold quite a few Not maybe as many as I hope but it's always a case But if you want it by Christmas, you don't have to have it by Christmas if you want to order it later, it's fine and I think like I talked about last time like I have it in like we're like bookstores and libraries can pick it up And so let's get me picked up around the world. That's weird to me. I Mean, it's weird because the intention is for American cooking in New Zealand in Australia. So Why does Germany want so many of these? I don't know Anyway, how's everyone? Where are you joining me from? What is this? Is this like heart just going off? You guys aren't hitting this heart. Are you anyway? Okay, I love it when my work just beeps. I just had lunch I decided to like shove it in before I came on here because it's like I'm noticing. It's a bit weird to be chewing I just had yogurt not too exciting With some, you know what I put in I put in skippies like they're like little corn flakes and some nuts whatever I have Just for the crunch. So good. Just try any protein. We have a big Christmas party tonight So don't eat too much, but they also don't want to die it to like Because I'm starving and I haven't had any protein. So what I thought we would do in the sense. I didn't bake for you I Did bake like all weekend for all the parties that I'm going to I like to bake and then I freeze it and then I bring It for Christmas Day because we're heading out of town this weekend So then it's all done and it's hard for me Like there's only four of us this year because two a minor out of the country To just like decide what to make and not make all of it. So of course I had to make all of it So I brought in a little plate of everything that I made and I'm going to show it to you and I'm going to describe to you what it is and I'm just going to preface this by saying sorry if you have a peanut allergy because there's a lot of peanut butter Welcome to America and peanut butter just peanut butter. So Sorry, it's really like when I see the angle of my phone. Oh Okay What put in the chat while I'm doing this like what it is that you love to make or you're definitely going to have Obviously pevlova is a big one in New Zealand and if you've never tried that Google it or message me All the Americans that come here always make that for them and that's their favorite and people they so it's starting to spread in the US through me So you're welcome and then they have like a trifle which I barely know what that is and They eat these like Christmas puddings, which I also barely know what that is and you guys like it's weird but like Fruit cake is a thing like it's like Apparently you get like the good one at New World. I don't really know. I'm not eating fruit cake. It's never happening I Would say never I guess I would try it Maybe I would try like a homemade one, but I'm not gonna buy it at New World But like in America you should know that it's like a joke gift If you don't like somebody you give them a fruit cake or like we make fun of people that get fruit cakes It's so funny. Is there can you I think you can buy I'm like you can definitely buy I'm like you definitely buy it at Costco. I think so comment below if you're in the US, but Yeah, so are you dying for this plate and I'm talking okay Here we go Let's start with this. So this is what is called a Scotcher rule and it's rice krispies sugar peanut butter with melted chocolate on tap and I made a ton of these now if You're in New Zealand. Let's not make these because they don't have corn syrup in New Zealand If you have croon sort corn syrup in New Zealand, please comment below because I have not found any So I have used glucose syrup glucose. Yeah syrup. Yeah glucose syrup And it doesn't work. It's okay, but look it doesn't stay together and it just it's It's delicious But like it's not gonna come out pretty so it's fine If it's just for you and your family So that's the first thing I made another peanut butter item the Classic peanut butter cookie with the chocolate in the middle and this is this is like a Hershey's. Oh This is in my cookbook if you want this one. This one actually is I wasn't even think I didn't think any of these were But this actually is This is amazing because you like can you see like a little crystallized sugar? Oh, yeah, this is so good I wasn't gonna eat any of these because I've ate enough yesterday. I just had yogurt, but And then so this is my grandmother's recipe from Ohio Those always turn out nice so that's recipes in there and they will turn out nice in New Zealand This is my grandmother's sugar cookie. So sorry it kind of They go so fast in my house This is the last one so I would have liked to have a prettier one But this is it besides the stuff that I froze for Christmas But they're like it's like a sugar cookie, but it's puffy Do you like that and then this is not the prettiest one? But like and then I just make a royal icing for the front actually have not had one of these yet But they're really good because they're like this soft It's my grandmother's recipe It's a little bit complicated, but here's the trick on these recipes not butter, but shortening So you use that Cremelta is that what it's called here Cremelta instead now The last piece the best one. Oh, and it's melting. So this may have to be eaten So this is what's called a buckeye and This is a chocolate. This is chocolate covered peanut butter ball. So like the peanut butter has sugar in it and some butter so good for you and And you dip it and you kind of freeze it and then hello and then you dip it in chocolate. I Haven't had one of these either yet Okay, so now I have it all over my mmm. So good mmm So I brought these to a little party yesterday kind of like a whole beautiful tray of All of this and it's a huge hit and specifically the peanut butter balls Oh, I do like kiwi barbecues. I am having a real kiwi Christmas this year We are barbecuing on the beach Because I've never done that because it feels weird to be on the beach at Christmas But I'm over it and we're doing it this year and Yeah, I love kiwi barbecues. I mean split less cuz kind of how we all summer, right? Just make a salad and grill some meat. So Do I think more Americans will move here once Trump is reelected? Yes, I do. There was a huge surge last time he was And that was around the time I came back Well, I wasn't planning on eating this and I'll just put it in my mouth Oh my gosh, it's good. So yeah, so that's my Christmas baking from this weekend. Mmm. Mmm. I Really wish you guys would try it Like it's just look at that I don't want to eat while I'm talking New Americans know much about New Zealand at all. No, I Mean, it's just my experience. Obviously, there's 300 million people. So My experience though has been Oh, how is Australia? Oh, I bet you miss being home How is down under how are the Australians this is what I get people don't even know Like I've been here for eight years and you can't Google it for one second like I can understand if like You know, it was the 90s and you had to go to the library to figure out where something is or to look at a map so Oh my gosh, so yeah, do they know? Some do the educated do every case. So this was a very common thing every time I went when I moved back to the US every time I went to the doctor they were like I Couldn't even get them to focus on what it is I was there to see them for because they just wanted to talk about New Zealand because I guess People that have more disposable income and then travel more they knew everything about New Zealand and just were picking my brain constantly See, I'm it'd be helpful to know if you are you American because then I can tell her my answer is a little bit different He's you need to crack it out on deep. Yes, New Zealand did well with Lord of the Rings, obviously Okay, thanks What made me choose New Zealand originally now I did a whole video on this so you can watch it where I tell the whole story but Basically We were going this is true story we were going to travel the country the US and amen My gosh, sorry. I'm tired in a camper van for a year and take our kids out of school and we were literally looking at camper vans like at the sales office and With is what we're going to do and then we were like we've kind of been everywhere in the US minus a couple spots and we're like, oh Then my my husband says to me. What do you think about New Zealand? And I was like I wasn't even Thinking international I'm like, I don't know think about New Zealand. It's a black hole like nothing zero couldn't even tell you so he is so we're in a car 13 hours from Florida to Milwaukee and so he's like, well, it's nighttime. It's dark. Why don't you Google it? so I did I literally spent hours googling it and It literally Based on my research, which I'm good at research, you know, not everybody is is Was like, what is this like the Garden of Eden like the most perfect place like I number one I can't find anything bad about it. Everybody just raving about it as the best place on earth and I was like, oh, so that definitely piqued my interest but really what got me to come here was Somebody saying that I couldn't It's true So I had a friend who runs like an international business who helps people move and transition And I told her that what we were thinking about moving to New Zealand and she was like, yeah, you're not gonna be able to get into that country It's the hardest one to get in which it is so and Then that's all I needed. Oh Really just give me a challenge and it's happening. So that's what happened Hi from Nelson Oh Thank you. So yeah, so that's what happened and then we came for two years we moved back for two years and now we've been here for six years and Yeah, didn't expect to love it as much as I do. So that's what happened So now those goodies are just staring at me over here Okay, do you have questions? I'm happy to answer questions Tell me what you're doing for the holidays Can't believe Christmas is in a couple days. Are you guys ready? I'm actually ready because I only had two kids and I had one day of panic and just went out and just got everything I needed and was done and then wrapped it and was done That's what I did. I Have so much to do like I'm manic at work right now like I have been on I had a two and a half hour meeting that I was leading a training and then I had another I've been up since five. So this is why I look like oh I've been up since five because I had to prepare for that and then I kind of had a panic because I forgot about a contract that I had on something that needs to get finished in two days and I'm just like so I just had lunch and I'm taking a break and talking with you and then I'll get back to it but Yeah, so just a lot to get done before we go but It's okay crank it out go on holiday. It'll be fine Okay, how different is America to New Zealand or is it similar in some ways? I've been to Los Angeles Too big for its own It's totally different if there's one thing that I've learned through this community Through the research I've done on New Zealand compared to the rest of the world Doing videos and just building like a huge audience of people sharing their experience is that Basically, everyone's relatively similar and then America's the odd one out That's what I found didn't expect that didn't think that that was true going into it, but It's like because I'll do something to be like this is what's different about New Zealand than everybody was like Well, it's the same in Japan. It's the same in the UK. It's the same in France. It's the same, you know And it's like, okay, so we're the ones that are weird So I'm like, okay, so I would say it's very different when you come here as an American You're not gonna feel like it's that different, but when you get integrated into the culture, it's very different So this is why I have a whole consulting business that helps people move here. I'm really just kind of preparing them to get set up on life but also just like Understanding the culture how to thrive and do well at work how to get you know Kids schools and how they do things because when you go to a new country, it's not like there's like this Orientation Where people just tell you what everything is you're just literally kind of stumbling along trying to find it and trying to figure out Things like where to buy things like, you know, you got all these stores. You've got Harvey Norman You've got Noah Leeming. You've got Bunnings. Nobody knows what the hell is sold at any of these places I don't know, you know, so like I gotta do that actually I told my community I was gonna do that where I want to come up with like everything that you need to buy and where to get it and where to Get the best price. So I'm coming up with that. It's coming So That's So that's why I have that so if you're interested join my membership It's you get access to me you get access to other people moving here You get access to all the training on how to move here thrive here live here or whatever. It's great Link is in the description. I believe it normally is so Okay Nelson and all sunshine. Yes The gold This is a goal. Are you okay? So are you on the west coast of the South Island because I did gold panning Greg Did you know this I spent a whole Christmas two years ago panning for gold If I could remember exactly where I should it was so much fun. I Want to do it in the court. I want to keep doing it. I said bring the stuff. It's really really fun It's just like that that digging for something and we found it We found like a you know, I got one of those little things and we filled it up with little teeny bits It's just so exciting Oh Thank you. Yes, I'm having time off. I'm welcome from Australia We are going to the Coromandel region kind of closer to Mount Manganui actually so the far south of it and for like I Don't know five days and then we're going to Rua for a couple days over New Year's and then we are going to the South Island We're gonna we're gonna do backpacking. I'm sorry tramping I'm Mount Cook and a mountain in Queen's Town And then we're gonna go kind of down on the east coast of the South Island down by the Catlins because I haven't been there Are you surprised how much American influence we have though too? Okay? I want to comment on the same Good question. Thank you for bringing it up I've been here for eight years total and The growing American influence is very noticeable to me It's way behind where other places I've seen so New Zealand is still pretty good But man, I could definitely see what you're saying and I could definitely see the influence I mean just to think about in 2013 how little you could get in in in ways of Mexican food at the grocery store or even restaurants like it didn't exist I Mean I'm not just talking about that. I'm talking about there's a lot of influence, but that's just something that just popped in my mind, but I'm at Boxing Day of the big sales. Yeah, I've never I've done one I did one year of Boxing Day sales and I didn't think they were really on sale. Have you guys had better experience of me? Was driving on the opposite. Yeah, that was what I was most nervous about and when I help people move here That's what their biggest concern is is driving on the opposite side, but honestly people in New Zealand drive so slow It's easy And the roads are straightforward The fact that you have roundabouts makes everything really easy because you just kind of go with the flow You know, it's like not the stopping and starting and knowing where I can turn in the four-way stops. It was pretty easy Oh Okay, so somebody commented they walked along on a beach with a dog yesterday and there's nobody around and that's true If you this is what I tell people If you go to a beach in New Zealand and there's some people there just go the next one Like that's how it is like there's nobody there like in the US when I used to do beach holidays I used to go down we would go down at 9 a.m. And put our chairs and our and our towels down and Then go back out probably around 11 and otherwise you wouldn't have a spot on the beach like that's the difference Oh, it's hot Nelson it looks beautiful out in Wellington I haven't been out there because I like I said Manic day and I've been working since 5 Do I have heaps of Americans contacting me about moving not as many as I would have hoped But there's definitely been an influx really since the immigration has changed You know has been updated in July, so it's really kind of just taken a little bit of time Kia ora hi. Yeah, so I'm like, oh what the heck so yeah, they drive slower here and everybody just I think the biggest thing to get used to as an American driving besides stupid parking tickets and speeding tickets anyway, don't get me started our Yes, I know you should just drive slower. Okay You don't understand that driving 10 over in the u.s. Is like normal and so like it's an adjustment is The fact that people stop for people everywhere like in the US nobody stopping for anybody nobody stopping so That is where you get the possibility of a lot of fender benders Because like somebody suddenly stopping for a cross because they'll put like a crosswalk like in the middle of a roundabout like what are we doing? Americans are ready to keep their Yeah currency rate. That's true People weren't very nice in LA. Yeah, I would believe that and the accent. Yeah, so certain Accents in New Zealand. I still struggle with actually still really hard for me to understand and can't believe how like almost every day I'm still learning things even after being here for eight years So there's that but So, yeah well, I hope you guys have a great Blenheim has a train through Blenheim has a train through a roundabout. I've been to Blenheim a couple times. Oh my gosh All I think about is that chocolate place when I think about Blenheim What's the name of it? Makana. Oh my gosh. Oh They dropped the speed limits. Oh, I better pay attention to that. What if they did that by me? You know, I would be the one in trouble Mm-hmm, mm-hmm So, yeah So if you're in New Zealand, this is the last day to get my cookbook by Christmas otherwise, I don't care order it whenever but I can ship it worldwide So you don't need to be in New Zealand and if you missed it watch it earlier where I showed you my baking that I made this weekend four different things If you're not impressed you should be Um What else is going on? Oh my gosh, okay, so I had this did you guys see the video of mine that were in viral? It was about basically menopause and being drafted for the For the war. Oh my gosh It literally went viral everywhere And I'm just like and I key and I've reached out to the person that made the video because I always feel bad Like I did it's not even my video I just do edit it if you don't know what that means. That just means like reacting to a video And so I don't mean to be getting all I wasn't the creator and so anyway, I've reached out to her and we talk and We're actually combining efforts because I have some really good product ideas for this so keep your eyes out It's gonna be good But anyway, I gotta get going. I got so much work to do but I just wanted to come on and say happy Monday and it's almost Christmas and You guys are the best so and if you're interested in giving the food bank the Details are in the description. I'll see you later