Precious Time

So I've had some precious time for myself this weekend, aswell as far too much vino blanco! But actually the novelty soon wears off, and now I'm really starting to miss my Wonderboy. He's coming home today and I can't wait...

Oh and by the way, can you believe Julianne Moore is fifty? FIFTY! If I look half as good as that when I'm fifty, I will be one happy lady.

A Tale of Two Breakfasts

So I made the most of having house guests this week, which was the perfect excuse to serve a proper breakfast-perhaps my favourite meal but definitely the most overlooked! There's nothing like sitting down at the start of the day, and taking a bit of time to get your head together.. The continental option!

Farewell Lunch

Before we knew it, it was time for Adam and Lucy to leave. We had a farewell lunch at One Beaufort in Bath. Very reasonably priced and beautiful decor inside, with a tastefully done gastro pub feel. My Mum and Auntie also came down for the day, and guess what? They've taken my darling Toby to stay with my Mum and Dad for the weekend, giving me a very welcome few days off! Hhmm it may be time for another case of When Good Mums Go Bad! Excellent fish and chips and a homemade tartare sauce that converted me one of my least favourite condiments...

..and a very excessive chocolate fondant with chocolate ice cream.

I think toby's going to miss his uncle!

Pesto and Goats Cheese Chicken Breasts Wrapped in Parma Ham

These wonderful people have been staying with us for a few days.... ...my brother and his girlfriend in case you were wondering, aka Uncle Adam and Auntie Lucy. So we made the most of a sunny day and drove to Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire. We took long walks through the trees (which mostly involved Adam and Toby playing hide and seek very noisily), had a spot of lunch, and did some crafting. Musn't forget the crafting. I think we enjoyed this way more than any sensible adult should have...

Then just enough sun left to chill in the garden with some tea.

And bubbles. Oh yeah, tea and bubbles. That's how we roll.

For dinner I prepared these chicken breasts. Simply slice through the middle so that they open out. Now spread with basil pesto:

Add some soft crumbly goats cheese and two fresh basil leaves per breast:

Wrap each breast in two slices of parma ham. Secure with a cocktail stick and place onto a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, then cook in an oven pre-heated to 180'C for 45 minutes.

Before putting the chicken in the oven, I par-boiled some new potatoes. Then roasted in the oven with some herbs, garlic and olive oil for about the same the time as the chicken.

Serve with some salad, wine, and happy faces!

First Picnic of the Summer

Just remembered these photos from a sunny day at the park last week. We had a little picnic-though certainly not in the grandest sense of the word...but for once Miss P was not so fussed about the food. Why? Because I was just happy to be out in the sun, barefoot in the grass, smelling of suncream.

Stay tuned for more al fresco adventures!

Another Day at the Office

Sometimes you have to be thankful for the good things in your life. Like the fact that I have a beautiful son. And live in a beautiful city. And work in a beautiful shop with the funniest and kindest women you could meet. Oh, and a boss who goes and buys a bottle of wine on a sunny Wednesday afternoon...

I think it's going to be a great Summer!

Raspberry Eton Mess with Lemon Butter Biscuits

Sorry guys, I've had blogger-block this week. It could be due to the hectic weekend I had, and in particular the amount of food (and drink) I consumed....is it possible to overdose on double cream? Yeah. Maybe that's it. Toby and I went to stay with my family for Mother's Day. My sister cooked an enormous beef roast, and I contributed this eton mess-what I thought would be a light end to the meal. I didn't follow a recipe, mostly went with my eyes and tastebuds, and here's what resulted: Whisk 2 large cartons of double cream until thickened but not stiff (I know it sounds like loads BUT this does make about 10 portions) Crush in about 10 ready made meringues (you can make your own if you're feeling fancy, but hey give me a break, it was a Sunday and I was hungover).

Now add some raspberry coulis. This, you do have to make yourself. It's a doddle and tastes way better than anything that comes in a bottle. Oh, I love it when I spontaneously rhyme.

Take two 150g punnets of raspberries. Add to a small saucepan with 4 tbsp caster sugar, and simmer for 2 minutes, crushing them with the back of a spoon as you do so. Now strain through a sieve to remove the pips. Yeah, this is probably the least fun part..

Add two thirds of this to the cream and meringue mix. Swirl through but do not mix in completely. It's also nice to add some fresh raspberries at this stage (you'll need a third punnet).

Serve in glasses if you have them-as you can see, we had to use rather an eclectic mix! Spoon in some of the mixture, add a drop of the coulis in the middle, then top with another layer of the creamy mixture.

I also served them with these awesome buttery, lemony little biscuits. I used a Rachel Allen recipe which you can find here.

In other Mother's Day related news, check out these beautiful chocolates...

...they inspired my little artiste to draw some himself, including a "happy mummy chocolate and a happy Toby chocolate". His adorableness knows no bounds.

Hope all you fellow Mummy followers had an equally gluttonous day! x