Gearing up for that Xmas rush season

I love this time of year. All of a sudden, the barbecues come out, the heaters go away, and we get a hint of the heat that summer will bring. And all across Hastings the summer buzz starts — F.A.W.C! Food and Wine Classic is in full swing, new summer menus are appearing in our favorite restaurants and those clever local brewers are unveiling their summer drops.

It’s the calm before the storm really, a chance for us all to take a collective breath before the holiday season is upon us and our spare time is taken up with end of year functions.

For me, it’s a reminder to start my Christmas shopping. It doesn’t really seem to matter how early I start, I’m always running around at the last minute trying to find those last-minute gifts, but every year I promise myself that I’ll start early and finish by mid-December. Oh, how I laugh.

I’ve decided to ease myself into it by shopping for some of my favorite things, cake supplies! For better or worse baking is my happy place, and I tend to go a little overboard at Christmas. I make festive chocolates, cookies, tiny little meringues shaped like Santa hats. There’s something wrong with me, honestly. But I love it, so every year I foist baskets of goodies onto my long-suffering friends.

But before I turn my kitchen upside down my first stop is always at Cake Stuff. I’ve been a fan of Cake Stuff long before I moved to Hawke’s Bay. They are simply the best way to get your baking supplies in New Zealand. If you haven’t been into their shop before you have to do it. They have one of the biggest cookie cutter supplies in NZ, every cake topper you could ever dream of, and so many gadgets and gizmos to make baking easier.

I have to say, I’m proud of myself this year, I managed to restrain myself and only buy three packets of holiday sprinkles, two new chocolate molds, three cookie cutters and some colored chocolate.

I’ll hold my supplies to ransom until I’ve done at least half my Christmas shopping!