Top of the Props….and my first GIVEAWAY!

Hey Houston, we have a PROPLEM…

Too much of a…For when it comes to the acquisition of props…..I am shameless.

As the Bible says ‘Confess your sins, one before another, that you might find forgiveness and healing’ and so brothers and sisters, I stand before you today, baring my soul and saying….I have a serious addiction.

Dear LordDo you?

Now if I had to describe my philosophy (if you can call it that) to acquiring things to take pretty pictures, it is essentially BEG. BORROW (COLLECT). STEAL. BUY

And since the ‘Beg’ front is the one with the highest potential for embarrassment, I’ll start with that.

I BEG for props.

See this cookie tin? Before I arrived, it was destined for a bin at Copenhagen airport. Thanks to me, it was rescued from that horrible fate and now lives at ours…. Doesn’t it look good in pink?

Well, I thought so, right from the start. Hmmm, the lid however was long discarded by the shop……further convincing that it was truly meant for me (especially since they were going to throw it away…anyway).

IMG_6434The acquisition – I walked into the shop, saw the tin and loved it. However, I didn’t want to buy a whole tin of cookies cause I would have had to eat them and so spotting an almost empty one, I explained to the lady my purpose in life – all things food, gave her a card and took it, lidless.

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And see those bottles? Well I also have one of them :

IMG_3458Requested rather nicely from the gentleman who was going to throw away the empty ones.

IMG_3464These cute serving plates, I collected, rather voraciously (as did others mind you).

IMG_2617I shouldn’t have bothered for by the following morning, after a wash the nice silver layer had stripped off, leaving rather ugly, patchy petit four dishes.

IMG_2642This one on the other hand, bearing a delicious quail’s leg (which I did consume) still resides in my kitchen cupboard. Granted, it hasn’t been used….yet but it will come in handy soon!

IMG_7933Or this box – also from Copenhagen, filled with Clementines at my friend’s. She’s also a foodie so she quite understood – one of my very few shame-free begging ventures.

IMG_5666Finally on this front are these leaf plates. The minute I spotted them at a function, I KNEW I had to have them, but common sense pulled me away.

*Spoiler – I did get them in the end* – find out how!

IMG_2093Anyhow, feeling desperate and speaking to a friend on the phone at the same time, I told her about my irrational desire for the plates and we both agreed it was quite silly. But I couldn’t sit still and so I went again towards the object of my affections (at that time at least) and on the way, encountered a lady. The minute I saw her I broke out into the largest smile I’d had in a longgggggggggg time, for in her hand, she stood bearing a stack of the exact same plates I was after. Of course, I stopped her for a short interview, which went ‘Why do you have those plates?’ and the response was ‘I like them!’

Talk about ♪♫ to my ears! (I am really into emoticons…♥)

After sharing my proplem with her, I headed with renewed confidence to acquire mine…and that I did – the gracious hosts bid me take what I wanted! Needless to say my shawl came in handy, shielding and protecting my newly acquired props from the glaring eyes of the public. Destination – my handbag! Oh…along with some wooden forks too.

The plates are quite special……

IMG_2088They are:

  • Single-use disposable plates
  • Biodegradable
  • Compostable
  • 100% chemical free
  • Light weight
  • Strong enough to withstand forks and knives
  • Can be used to serve hot food and soup.
  • Can be used in an oven up to 200 degrees C. for 3 mins
  • Can be used to store food in a refrigerator
  • Liquid food like Soups and ketchup can be served

I absolutely ♥ them….watch me use them….soon!

On the BORROW side, well, I have Daughter #1 to thank for her Monkey, which provided a gracious prop for some delicious Banana bread.

Monkey sideTo share

As do I have A to thanks, for granting me use of her beautiful wallpaper – which I stripped off the walls in my new weekend role as ‘building helper’. I guess this could very well go in the buy category since I didn’t get paid for stripping the walls but humour me, ok?

IMG_2100I also ‘collected’ some marble slabs from a quarry in Germany…a few months ago!

IMG_2101

And the last category of ‘BUY’…is the one fast becoming a major issue and not because of the money involved ( I am a CAREFUL shopper – so much so that I miss out on some sale goods, due to my constant thinking/planning before buying philosophy!) but because of space!

IMG_1691These days, I give serious consideration to what my husband’s reactions are likely to be as well, before I purchase something. Take this mini glasses for instance, Arroz con Leche looked mighty good in them…and they hardly take any space, stacked!

IMG_1692

I also highly prize my collection of curios, picked up at all manners of sales and shops.

IMG_0667 IMG_0661

And there you have it, the word is OUT. You all know my secrets……but I know, I’m SOOOOOOOOOO not alone.

And since sharing is one of my favourite things to do, I’d like to share this with you. As in….give this away! And EVERYONE, regardless of where you live is allowed to participate!

IMG_1876And no, it’s not empty.

IMG_1919Inside you will find all manners of ‘gifts’, which would be great in the kitchen…and also in photos. Your choice to use them as you will….. They’are all NEW.

IMG_1892In the box, you’ll find:

  • 2 mini-woks, which I love to use as servers
  • 2 silver candle bowls,….which I will use as bowls for olives or nuts….especially for a Middle Eastern meal
  • Some disposable leaf plates
  • Some cutlery – wooden, transparent
  • White egg spoons
  • Pieces of Fabric
  • Some coloured paper
  • Beaded coasters
  • And of course, the lovely box they all come in.

IMG_1926 So here, you have your props….

IMG_1899 IMG_1904IMG_1893 IMG_1895

….And some chops (word for ‘food’ in Nigeria), including Tonka  Beans, Aleppo pepper (used in Middle Eastern delights like Muhammara), Some Dutch mints, which I like, and anything else I can think off before I mail the box off!

IMG_1907That’s my first giveaway, which begins today and is open to everyone, everywhere.

Note that country restrictions may prevent me from sending some items.

e.g If the winner lives in Australia, I won’t be able to include the ‘tree’ products. I’ve watched enough episodes of the ‘Airport’ to know better! And I would think twice about sending the Tonka beans to the States too but everything else should be fine……

The Rules

Leave 1 comment: tell me something about props – a story, a tip, a joke, anything.

For 2 comments: Tweet about it…and encourage others to do so please and leave another comment to let me know you’ve done this, that will count as a second entry.

A winner will be selected, using the Random Number Generator at Random.org and will be announced on Sunday evening.

SPREAD THE WORD, PLEASE!!!!!!IMG_0433

[wpurp-searchable-recipe]Top of the Props….and my first GIVEAWAY! – – – [/wpurp-searchable-recipe]

83 Comments

  1. I love seeing all your props – wish mine were so organised – I just look around for whatever I can find – but I did take a tray from a raffle prize that my sister was about to throw away and it made a great way to display food esp on chinese new years

  2. Hey hon! i wish I could see what’s going on but as i’m in dubai and you’re pics are on flickr- it’s forbidden here and I can’t see anything! BLEH!

    Congrats Aiofe!

  3. Wonderful give away from a wonderful person.

    What can I say about Props? Girl, rubbing two pennies together and making a dollar is my specialty. I can take any leftover and make a meal or two from it for the next day. My dear you have taught me that not to throw my roast potatoes out but to fry them with onions and serve them with eggs and bacon at breakfast. I use my junk and have learned to recycle with the best.

    Hugs and Kisses to the family. Miss y’all like a fat girl misses her cake.

  4. What a FANTASTIC giveaway!! If I see a great prop at the store, all I have to do is think about what fabulous dessert would I make to go with the prop, then I have given myself the rationalization to BUY the prop, once I have a mental plan to go with it. 🙂

  5. Loved this post because all food bloggers are forever looking for props. You gave us lots of ideas. I tend to fall back on the same old ones (I am not as creative as you are) but I do look for things in flea markets and antique malls. My friends get very annoyed with me.
    I’ve seen (and bought) the hemp plates and loved them. The thing is, we all probably have tons of props right under our noses, in our homes. It just takes a creative mind to find them.
    I used a cranberry glass collection one year on the dining room table for a Valentines Day luncheon. I had been looking at it for years and it suddenly struck me how pretty it would look with flowers in some of the bottles. Everyone loved it. That’s about as creative as I get- table settings.

  6. That’s so kind of you! Well, of course I need to know first if any typically Dutch props are included in the set – aardappelstamper, pannenlikker, theelepeltje, etc. (LOL!)

  7. Well, I’ve recently been dubbed “P the Baker” as I’ve started to bake and cook up a storm. I haven’t gotten around to taking pics as you’re right props do make a difference. Well, here’s my entry hoping to win. Ok, I’m off to spot for props 🙂

  8. You generous girl!!!! OH MY GOD i would want those things ! would it help if i told u I read every word? NO? well I did. ur so funny!

    Im just like u…prop crazy…i have even considered using my handbag one time n when m out shopping I think ‘PROPS”

    Ive collected dried leaves and twigs from the park too.they made costless props.

    have a good day Oz. this was a great post!:)

  9. Me! Choose me!

    When I started my blog, I knew that I was in serious danger of buying props. I promised myself that I wouldn’t buy anything just for my blog. So far, I haven’t. Well, unless you count the scallop shells. But I wanted them anyway…

    Great post, Oz.

  10. Nice, would love to be in the competition but don’t have a twitter account. I can see myself doing stuff with that basket that has nothing to do with food or props but very useful nevertheless. Your blog is a joy to visit. Keep the blogs coming.

    Lol.
    Biola

  11. What an amazing assortment of photo goodies! I am still fairly fresh to the food blog world and rapidly have learned the importance of props. I find myself unconsciously cruising the aisles of stores just looking for… something… never sure quite what it will be, but you know it when you find it! Super cool giveaway, great pics and love the blog!

    Regards from sunny California
    Laura @socalsustenance

  12. You are crazy generous, girlfriend! And all your photos are amazing, as always!

    Please don’t enter me in the contest – the shipping to the other side of the world would be bonkers, and Australian quarantine are temperamental at the best of times. Plus my house is exploding with stuff already! 🙂 But I couldn’t resist commenting – you’re such a creative soul. Your photos seem to get better with every post!

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