It’s Beginning to Feel a lot Like Christmas! December is here again, and lurking temptingly around the corner is Christmas. For the foodies amongst us this spells a time of intense activity – cakes, puddings and preserves to be made, meats to be sourced, food orders to be placed; and, on top of that all [...]
Melt in to the Months of Mist & Mellow Fruitfulness With yet another overflowing bowl of apples gracing my kitchen table I had to come up with some way of using them up. I didn’t really want to make a pie or a crumble, though I couldn’t exactly say why – sure we’ve had cold [...]
My first Fresh From the Oven challenge was hosted by Wendy, and we made Chelsea Buns. Chelsea buns were created at The Chelsea Bun House, an establishment which was situated on the borders of Chelsea and Pimlico, London. The Chelsea Bun House was in business for the best part of a century; eventually closing it’s [...]
This week is National Cupcake Week here in the UK. It runs from 13th – 19th September. It’s only the second year of this event organised by the British Baker Magazine to highlight the joys and delights of all things cupcake. Truth be told I’m not really a cupcake fan. I’d rather munch on a [...]
“Whilst August yet wears her golden crown, Ripening fields lush- bright with promise; Summer waxes long, then wanes, quietly passing Her fading green glory on to riotous Autumn.” Michelle L. Thieme, August’s Crown Cherries are at their peek in July, but still a tremendous find in August. One of the delights of the summer, cherries [...]
Deep Purple The other evening I had a huge desire to bake something, no surprises there then, with the lovely punnet of blackcurrants I had sitting in the fruit bowl. Blackcurrants (ribes nigrum) have grown in the British Isles for over five hundred years and this year they have been grown in my garden! Now, [...]
I recently set up a weekly order with Abel & Cole (I wasn’t very happy with my old delivery scheme and had previously tested some of Abel & Cole’s produce with fabulous results). I plumed for the Deluxe Organic Fruit Box and Seasonal Salad Box. Abel & Cole also, very kindly, sent me a Mixed [...]
Bush Tea Beginnings Cake, of course, goes so terribly well with tea and has a universality that straddles the bush/China divide. Mma Ramotswe’s Cookbook (Stuart Brown) With a couple of overripe bananas sitting in my fruit bowl, what could I do but bake banana bread? I was about to trawl through my vast collection of [...]
Hazy Days On Saturday I invited a few friends round for a back garden picnic, – you know the sort that were common in childhood – to assist me in reviewing a Picnic Hamper from Interflora (RRP £60.00). There first response was one of shock – Interflora? Really? Aren’t they all about flowers? Interflora actually [...]
Vegetables For Dessert Don’t mistake rhubarb for a fruit; although it is often cooked to eat as a dessert and commonly combined with other sweet fruits, rhubarb is technically a vegetable, it’s a member of the polygonaceae family and related to sorrel. Rhubarb is an excellent crop to grow in Britain, enjoying cool climates and [...]
A Total Delight I love Greek yogurt. Other thinner bio type yogurts I could easily pass up but not the thick, creamy Greek yogurts. They make the perfect breakfast or light, healthy pudding. My favourite way to eat it is topped with a generous portion of summer fruits, cold fruit crumbles or even with a [...]
