It was Danny’s turn to buy the Balsamic vinegar last weekend. Someone had put an expensive bottle of Balsamic beside the cheap ones in Tesco and he ended up paying five times more than he could have....
We’ve had a secret challenge at the cottage this past year. In the old days when oil was cheap we were wanton with our central heating. Our 900 litre tank was filled up four times a year. In October...
“I bet we’re the first in the world to be having broccoli soup and flash fried squid for breakfast.” Danny dunked a chunk of crusty bread in his soup. With me still at home we tend to have a late...
One of the best cakes that I’ve ever tasted is my mum’s sponge cake with a wicked filling of strawberries and whipped cream. In fact when she was making this filling she discovered how to make butter...
One of the things that I’ve always longed for is to spend time with someone who can teach me about foraging in depth. There are courses but rarely local to me. Also some of the best ones can be...
Sometimes we need a hefty meat fix. For years it was steak every Friday night, then it was an occasional steak when we found them on sale. Now it will be skirt of beef. Not only is it economical at...
“I usually shop at Sainsbury’s.” Sam confided. He likes good food. He’s a great chef. But was it really worth motoring over to Cambridge or Bury to shop? “Oh no I don’t have time to do that. I buy...
Yesterday our network started to get very creaky and then suddenly I couldn’t connect to the internet. Panic. My window on the world was suddenly blank. Danny fiddled about for hours while I...
Last year my friend Jo mentioned skirt of beef. I’d never even heard of the cut before let alone spotted it in the butchers. “If you slice it very fine, it’s wonderful in a stir fry. And even better...
John was horrified when I decided to turn half of one of our vegetable beds into a raspberry and soft fruit cage. “It’s taking up so much space!” Close questioning revealed he didn’t like...
