Home made Mayonnaise - happy days!

It's good to share success with your friends I think.  I like being happy for you when things go right and a good friend will stick around and share the suffering moments too. So, let me share some good news with you...

I have learnt how to make mayonnaise. All by myself, without additives, without stabilizers, the real stuff. Simple I know, but oh how it tastes so good!

Heart Biscuits

I know that Valentine's Day was on Sunday and that it's a bit late to make heart shaped biscuits for the precious people in your life. But - life doesn't always happen in order.
Sometimes I wake up before my alarm.
Sometimes my tea goes cold before I drink it.
Sometimes your birthday present from me might arrive late.
I watched Ice Age 3 before I watched Ice Age 2.


So, you can make heart shaped biscuits for someone after Valentine's Day. Heck, you can even make heart-shaped biscuits just for yourself if you want. Everyone needs a little love.

Cranberry and cereal biscuits

Me and biscuits, we're back together. And I love them. And I think they love me.
Biscuits are coming back into fashion in my kitchen.  Many years ago I decided that making biscuits was too time consuming and it was far better return-for-effort to make a cake or a tray slice. You are able to cook the whole thing at once and then cut it into pieces. Easy, fast. Biscuits however, require individual attention at the making stage and I was often in a hurry to get it in the oven. I also have had a very small oven for the past several years which when making a batch of biscuits would require at least 3 separate baking trays cooked separately equalling three times the cooking time. 

Fish Pie recipe + your imagination = good food

Sometimes it's easy to imagine - there are monsters in the dark, everyone is looking at me when I walk into a room (for the wrong reasons), 

And sometimes it's hard to imagine; that I'll ever get a promotion, that my hair will ever grow back fast enough, that fluro is back in fashion, and how these next two dishes taste so good without a photo to show me.

But have a little faith. 

Lemon Broccoli Soup

Here is the second recipe to inspire your weekly meals. It's delicious. Trust me. The fish pie turned out ok didn't it?
And without any further ado (drum roll please) here is your ticket to broccoli heaven (and because Lydia asked for it!)

A perfect union - Pumpkin and Bacon Pie

At this time of year the markets in Paris are full of pumpkins, pears and apples. I love how this city follows the seasons. It adds a certain rhythm to life that you can depend on. The appearance of pears signals cold weather, and what better way to announce summer than the arrival of cherries and strawberries. Having lived nearly 5 years in the U.K. I found that English supermarkets have lost some sense of this and you can buy fruit and vegetable out of season, all year round.

If you want to keep in touch with the seasons this month this is a perfect marriage of vegetables, flavours and seasons. Pumpkin, bacon and a touch of nutmeg always compliment each other and the simple fact that it is a pie makes any cold day instantly warmer and comforting.

A trip to L.A.

We were lucky enough to spend 5 days in Los Angeles just before Christmas. We found it a spacious city, at least compared to Paris. It seems that nobody walks, rather they drive. Hence the roads are mildy busy (if you discount the freeways. We happened to get stuck in 2 hours of freeway jam) and the lovely wide pavements are void of people. Starbucks is EVERYWHERE, as are neon signs and advertising.