Week 31 – birthday celebrations at 9 months pregnant

Andrew celebrated his 41st birthday in the week, and it was a very different one from previous years what with me being less than a week from my pregnancy due date (18 July). Almost all of our NCT pals have had their little ones and that’s really brought it home for us that we don’t […]

Three ways with Tabasco in a #Funwithflavour challenge

A few years ago, if anyone had ever suggested to me that I would be using Tabasco in a starter, main course AND pudding I would have reminded them that I am weak around chilli, and when I was younger used to find tomato ketchup too spicy. However, times change, and although I am still […]

Cookbook challenge – The Magpie Cookbook: beer battered prawns, cod with an anchovy crust and dauphinoise potatoes

So much lovely food, so little time! Despite not posting about my Cookbook Challenge for a couple of weeks, rest assured I have been making a recipe (at least one!) from one of my cookbooks – chosen by Andrew – each week. A few weeks ago, that cookbook was The Magpie Cafe cookbook, which I […]

Christmas recipes: prawn cocktail, Charley’s red cabbage, and mulled pear trifle

We had some fabulous meals over the festive period (which is still continuing in our house, although I have tried to calm down … a little bit … on the piggy-ness) – we followed the plan which I shared with you in my last post. And in that post I promised you some festive recipes, […]

Meal planning Monday – 24 February 2014

What I discovered after doing my first ‘meal planning Monday’ post last week is that I am very good at planning my meals, but not always so good at sticking to them. That’s because life seems to conspire against me and I end up having to re-jig my plans – that’s life though I guess. […]

Homemade pasta

Two recipes for the price of one this week: homemade spaghetti with tomato and basil sauce, and homemade fusilli with squid and prawn sauce. Spaghetti and fusilli are two types of pasta which you wouldn’t normally associate with homemade pasta, but thanks to my fabulous new KitchenAid attachment, I can make those, macaroni and rigatoni […]

A comfort food: fish pie

One of my biggest restaurant disappointments was when I visited Richard Corrigan’s Bentleys for a much anticipated meal many years ago. I had come across him on the first series of Great British Menu and was immediately drawn to his simple style of cooking: using the best fresh and local ingredients, fussing with them as […]