bills and ben

This weekend was a busy one... Starting with a night out with the girls on Friday to see Dave - a really good local band who do the BEST covers. We planned to eat out first, then meet other family and friends at the gig. Unfortunately we then got a call to say that the band had had to cancel as the lead singer, Paul, had pleurisy... So we enjoyed our meal out and had an early night instead! We wish Paul a really speedy recovery, hopefully in time for our next girls' night out!

Saturday was a day out with the girls, this time my mum, two sisters and sister-in-law. I am blessed with a fantastic family, and like nothing more than spending time with them. Now and again, we manage to have a girls' day out having coffees and lunch, with a bit of shopping thrown in. Brighton is our usual destination and Food for Friends is a favourite for lunch.

What really made the day was the addition of my almost 5-month old nephew, Ben. He is THE most gorgeous baby ever (ok, so i may be a little biased...) and he delighted us with his smiles and baby noises all day.

The other delight was managing to get a table at Bill's for afternoon tea, and my first ever Lamington - raspberry if you will. It was made from the softest sponge cake, covered in a light rasberry jam and coconut, and topped with a white chocolate dipped strawberry. Yum!

Sunday brought the loss of an hour in bed (but yay for the lighter evenings!) and a 10-mile walk, getting into training for the London MoonWalk. I have done this fantastic 26-mile walk twice before, and am really looking forward to taking part again for this very good cause. More details to follow.

And then the weekend was nearly over, leaving just enough time for a flick through the Sunday papers, and finding a few recipes for the week ahead...

happy mother's day!

Remember me?? Apologies for my extended absence... life's been hectic. It started with my parents moving house after two years of trying to downsize. From agreeing a sale to moving house, it all happened in under six weeks and i was tasked with selling furniture on ebay and helping on move day. I've only just recovered...

Then i had to go to France for work and in between i've been catching up with friends and family...

Long story short, i've been neglecting my blog and my lovely readers so i now need to make amends!

To kick off with, i thought i'd share some sweet treats from our Mother's Day afternoon tea.

My sister Claire made this delicious cake from a Domestic Goddess recipe:

Cherry Almond Loaf Cake - recipe can be found here.




And i made these yummy gluten-free brownies, also courtesy of Nigella, which has got to be the easiest brownie recipe ever:

Flourless Chocolate Brownies - recipe can be found here.

feel the love

I'm not one of those cynical singletons who rejects the notion of love and romance... but what's a girl to do when she finds herself home alone on february 14th?

Sorry? What was that? Drink cocktails and eat crisps? Oh, ok then...

Especially for the lovely Cottage Cheese, here is my Valentine cocktail:

Misty Bitch (taken from "the cocktail - 200 fabulous drinks" by Jane Rocca)
30ml vodka
30 ml Campari
1 lime
splash of pink grapefruit juice

Mix vodka and campari in a highball glass. Add fresh lime to taste and top with pink grapefruit juice. Oh how i love thee...

And how wonderful of the clever people at Tyrrells to bring back their "lovely chips" in time for this special day. Their "strawberry, sweet chilli and white wine potato chips" are the most heavenly creation and i'm almost through a whole bag already...

For each case sold, 10 % of the sales price will be donated to Breast Cancer Haven, so get them at Waitrose while you can!

And my final treat of the day will be a cup of "love" tea from Pukka. I couldn't resist the packaging... With a relaxing blend of rose, chamomile and lavender in an "organic blend to warm your heart", i'm looking forward to a night filled with sweet dreams...