I tentatively write this recipe up as a ‘mother’s day’ blog post. But I won’t lecture how we should all be thankful for our mothers. The thing is, mothering is an act. It’s not a giving-birth right. Not in my opinion anyway. READ MORE
I hear a cold snap is coming. So the first thing that springs to mind when contemplating shiver inducing weather is soup. Warming; an injection of vegetables and a hit of nostalgia. Not that soup featured heavily in my childhood. More that it was the first thing I ‘cooked’ in Home Ec lessons. A classic winter vegetable soup. The smell of swede, onions, celery and carrot sweating away takes me back to 1991 in a snap. READ MORE
This is a version of a frangipane tart or Bakewell tart for all those readers who are allergic to nuts. This uses coconut instead of almonds and I promise does not suffer for it whatsoever. You may find the coconut sponge cooks a little unevenly. I certainly found this the second time (out of three) I made it, but worry not, it’s still a winner. READ MORE
I asked if you wanted the recipe and it turns out you did. So here she is. READ MORE
Okay, hands up. Here I am posting another recipe with coconut in. It’s a problem I have. I can only apologise. I can’t promise I won’t do it again though.
Well January is done and, dare I say it, I am sure it felt a little warmer this week. Maybe just wishful thinking?
One of the things I look forward to most about the summer is all of us sitting outside together and eating with our hands. Sausage rolls, pasties, chips, crudités, fresh fruit, dips… anything that’s easy to eat and quick to prepare. READ MORE
For years I have proclaimed I don’t care for Valentine’s Day. It wasn’t a lie. I didn’t need extra romance. My life was pretty darned exciting. Adding flowers and sparkly jewellery and fizz and special meals was surplus to requirements. But I have noticed, as I age, indeed, as my life has become steadily more domesticated, that I do want to be shown a little extra special affection once a year. And I don’t care that Valentine’s Day is contrived. Really I don’t. READ MORE
It’s Bramley Apple Week! I am very proud to be one of the bloggers chosen to create a recipe to celebrate this home grown gem of ours; the great British Bramley apple. And given it’s also pancake week it felt right and fitting to make a delicious crepe cake – layers and layers of pancakes sandwiched together with a spiced cinnamon Bramley apple sauce and a cream cheese icing. Topped of course with yet more Bramley apples, gently cooked in a little sugar. READ MORE
I like to think I am pretty honest with you. Not in a take a photo of my stretchmarks and post it to Instagram kind of a way. I’d have to be paid a lot to do that. (I do have a price for this kind of thing… don’t we all? Oh, okay, just me). Anyway, I digress. I am honest with you in that I don’t pretend making macarons is easy. I don’t try and profess that making homemade soup brings you closer to God (whichever one you worship… even the God that is blue cheese). I’m also not going to pretend these meatballs are speedy. READ MORE
Holly Bell 