Welcome to The Lofthouse and our first newsletter for 2010! I hope it will be a fabulous year for us all.

As I write this we are having a super break at Waihi Beach with stunning weather. The hectic and exhausting build up to Christmas has been pushed to the back of my mind and I have books and magazines which now need me to focus on them, piles of leftovers and foodie gifts are in the fridge and the wine cabinet is looking healthy ... what more could a girl and her man want?!

In light of this mood of abundance and relaxation, I am not going to write my usual lengthy blurb, but am going to focus on my three lovely kids while I have them around me and get down to the sand and the surf.

I look forward to meeting lots of you this year either while you stay at The Lofthouse, or join us for a Two Tarts cooking class .... but especially those of you who have decided to combine both!

"Who was the first person to look at a cow and say 'I think I'll squeeze those dangly things and drink what comes out'?"