Do you still have summer squash / zucchini lurking in the garden? Mine went dormant about a week ago. There were at least 5 days when I didn’t pick a single squash. Things are back to normal for the squashes now but this morning I only picked 5 tomatoes and there are very few starting to color. Their fall hiatus is about to start. It usually lasts about 2 weeks. … Continue reading →
I’ve been doing pork chops in the slow cooker every week all winter long. As is usual, this time of year, I start to get bored and want something new. I was doing them differently every week, but still….. We finally stopped eating winter squashes and I was able to buy a cauliflower…. Exciting times. So….. I had a cauliflower and some pork chops and I didn’t feel like cooking … Continue reading →
This is a simple dish with just a few ingredients (as usual). If, like me, you have an abundance of chard, this is a great combo dish. The slight bitterness of the chard works well with the creamy potatoes and cheese Use a deep dish and pile it high. The chard wilts and compacts as it bakes. Add the cheese at the end or it all ends up on the … Continue reading →
Remember the Two Fat Ladies? Clarissa Dickson Wright and Jennifer Paterson were gregarious, joyful cooks that rode around the the UK on a motorcycle (with a sidecar), taking over kitchens and cooking feasts. They only used fresh, local ingredients but, with a liberal use of lard, butter and heavy cream, their dishes rarely qualified as healthy. The Two Fat Ladies cooking show started the year we lived in Ireland and … Continue reading →
We have a floor. Mostly. The bit at the top of the stairs isn’t finished yet, but I suggested, and mon mari agreed, that perhaps the railing could be next…. For obvious reasons… But the rest is done, with two coats of varnish on it, so far. I’m so pleased with it I thought I’d post lots of views. Remember my complaining about the dust? This is the gap between … Continue reading →
While I take a break visiting family, step back with me in time to 3 years ago, when we were homeless, to the beginning of this project…. And all of our frustrations: I have read that major house restoration projects can cause permanent rifts in an, otherwise stable, relationship. Divorce, in other words. I now understand how this happens. Last Thursday we went to Bordeaux (a bit over an hour's … Continue reading →
There are 2 kinds of people in this world: Those of you who are always prepared, had your homework done before you played and are always early for appointments. Those of us who put on make-up, make meeting notes and talk on the phone whilst speeding done the motorway, late, yet again. I am not the one in my seat 15 minutes before the curtain rises; I'm the one running … Continue reading →
