Christmas Countdown 2018: As the big day hurtles towards us, I’m pulling together some of those last minute essentials that you just can’t manage without! Things to eat that make Christmas special, gift ideas for when you’ve run out of times to get to the shops and for people who really don’t need anything more and […]
Christmas comes to Carluccio’s with their Menu Festivo
Carluccio’s – Menu Festivo With one vegetarian and one gluten-free/dairy free diner in the family, we were thrilled to be invited to Carluccio’s to try their Christmas Festivo Menu. The menu has been designed with a real recognition of vegetarian and gluten-free diners and is a real treat for us with all the food is labelled […]
Festive Champagne Afternoon Tea at The Dorchester Hotel
Decked Halls and a Festive Tea at The Dorchester, Park Lane: Of the hotels which run along Park Lane, The Dorchester is one of the best known. Originally the site of Dorchester House, a mansion built in 1853 which was demolished to allow The Dorchester Hotel to be built from scratch, it opened in 1931 […]
The Perfect Christmas 2018 Gift from Buyagift
Buyagift for great Christmas 2018 gift experiences: Imagine receiving a surprise gift that you ‘live’. It’s so much better to have an experience rather than more ‘stuff’ you probably don’t want and have to pack away to store! With the festive season approaching fast, I was lucky enough to be offered the chance to […]
Rhubarb and Custard Cocktail with Jawbox Rhubarb and Ginger:
Rhubarb and Custard – an easy and delicious cocktail: There was a time in this city when the front door was left unlocked. When the kitchen was the scullery. And in the tiny scullery stood this big sink. Clothes and dishes and weans got washed there. A lot of craic was heard around a jawbox. […]
CARLUCCIO’S CHRISTMAS 2018
Carluccio’s Christmas 2018 – Preview: Last year Deborah went along to the Carluccio’s Christmas in July and got to try all the new Christmas collection before it hit the shops. This year, we somehow missed the preview, but despite that, I was pleased to discover that the Christmas Pixies (Italian Division) have been hard at […]
5:2 Diet Frugal Fasting – Turkey Leftovers
5:2 Diet Frugal Fast Days – Spicy Turkey Meatballs These low-calorie spicy turkey meatballs are a result of looking for healthy ways to use turkey leftovers. One of the biggest challenges of the 5:2 diet for me has been how to cope with family Christmas. To some extent, I haven’t tried too hard. An advantage […]
The 5-2 Diet and Me
The 5-2 Diet – a Lifestyle Choice? When Michael Mosley’s Horizon TV programme about the 5-2 Diet first aired, some months ago now I watched, fascinated. Many of the diet and nutrition ideas I’d grown up with, like eating three balanced meals a day and never eating less than 1000 calories a day, seemed to […]
The Magical Lantern Festival, Chiswick
London lights up with magical lanterns at Christmas: One of my favourite West London haunts is in the grounds of Chiswick House Gardens. I am a regular visitor, be it for a summer’s picnic or an autumnal walk, so I was delighted to be invited to a very wintery event to experience the delights of […]
White Chocolate and Vanilla Fudge
Fudge for Let’s Make Christmas Gift Swap: Earlier this year, Vanessa, fresh back from a trip to Uganda asked us all if we’d like to take part in a gift swap for Ndali Vanilla. She’d been learning about vanilla and specifically about the Ndali estate in Uganda. And, to raise awareness of Fair Trade and […]