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In the two years since the proficiently self-sufficient Vinbrux family of Oamaru first captured the hearts of NZ Life & Leisure readers, for their ability to live well on food expenditure of $90 a week, the family has branched out and taken Oamaru food retailing by storm.

We share the apple and date cake recipe which appears on the cover of NZ Life & Leisure.

Amazing Spaces host George Clarke is in New Zealand to build a tiny house with Mitre 10. He weighs in on two innovative tiny homes recently featured on thisNZlife.

This week in the water cooler: Rosemarie catches on to the kombucha craze, Cheree gets warmed up for the Auckland Arts Festival and Nadene and Rhianna explores the backroads.

This week in the water cooler: we discuss the great school-term debate, gander at the moon, explore Gandalf’s beautiful New Zealand and take a walk on the wildside.

Reader responses: should we change the school term dates?

In the February Kate Coughlan made a case for shifting the school holidays until February. We had an overwhelming response.

Kate Coughlan shares her great-great-grandmother Elizabeth Parsons'  tomato recipes (converted from pounds and ounces, of course).

An Anglo-American couple find their adventurous spirit by swapping international careers for a Golden Bay distillery and its stock of barrel-aged rum.

If you are looking for the next perfect edition to your backyard, then tagasaste is the one you've been searching for.

Do you have borage growing in your garden? Try using the petals in this refreshing summer soup.

Cashew cream is an easy to make dairy-free alternative to whipped cream.

Cat lover Miranda Spary finds herself turning to the 'dog side' after reading Monty Don's memoir.

This week in the water cooler: K' Road openings, Christmas biscuits and an urbanite kereru.

These tips will help you to reduce the amount of packaging you use, and get you into DIY cleaning products.

E. coli is generally thought of as baddie in your water that makes you sick, but it’s actually doing you a favour.

Livestock being moved around a property can become unsettled, and that can be dangerous. Here's five ways you can keep things under control.

This is a gorgeous and simple alternative to the traditional after-dinner cheese board.

In this weeks water cooler, we dream of flying through the jungle and high-fashion couture, make coconut yoghurt and test restaurants with unpronounceable names.

To be truly self-sufficient, especially in colder climates, you may think you have to give up sugar, but that’s not the case.

This week in the water cooler: Rebecca discovers a cool walk for the kids - and we check in on Serita the lamb.

It's not easy being an organic beekeeper when bees can forage as far as 5km for their food.

The wind-up to spring planting is starting, and one big decision is going to have year-long repercussions.

This week in the water cooler, we savour the new season grapefruit, say hello to Talking Tom and make the best crackers EVER

Searching for forebears takes an exciting turn for two NZ Life & Leisure writers.

One of the hardest things to deal with after the death of large animal is disposing of the carcass.

Winter is a great time to plant your future fruiting trees, but do you know how to do it so you give a tree the optimal start?

What makes some people great? The documentary Chasing Great, featuring one of our best All Black captains ever, promises some answers.

Laser technology might be the next big driver of economic growth in New Zealand according to an Auckland University scientist.

This week thisNZlife office we were talking about greyhound couture, cake culture, popcorn for breakfast.

From weird face masks to smart skin patches, there are plenty of beauty trends to help you face the future.

Kombucha. Kimchi. Kefir. Fermenting food is all the rage for humans, and now it turns out it can be of great nutritional benefit to your flock too.

What happens to your body when you eat chilli and how do you put out a chilli fire in your mouth? Jenny Somervell answers these burning questions.

Busy bees, balls of bliss and a country bumpkin and her pumpkins - things that got us talking this week.

Aquatic weeds can be a major problem in lowland farming areas, but there are a few ways to tackle these pesky and persistent plants.