Mrs Spacer's Musings.

Reflections of 2012.

2012-12-31T05:11:00.003-08:00

Well as another year draws to a close, I like to sit and muse over whats passed by over the 12 months. Here's a bit of a summary:

Snowwww!

Frozen Margheritas
on Buy one Get one Free!

Seaking at Families Day

We've been lucky this year. It's included a film premier, drinks and dinner in The Savoy (blogged about here), snow, birthdays, hen parties, weddings, trips away, Florida, times with good friends, getting my brother home from a tour away, celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary, a wedding blessing and a Christmas with my family. Admittedly the later was minus Mr S, but you can't have everything in life!

My brother spent almost 7 months out in Afghanistan and my family and I are all very thankful to have him back safe and in one piece. Many other families are not so lucky and my thoughts go out to them. The forces charities, including the RAF Benevolent Fund, Help for Heroes and The Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal, all have their work cut out for them. They help to pick up the pieces, provide emotional as well as financial support to families torn asunder by war. Kudos to them and thanks for the work they do.

Saving a seat for my brother.

The wonderful cake by Fondant Fountain.

Mr S and I both celebrated our 30th birthdays. I took Mr S for a surprise visit home, champers in a fancy hotel and dinner in a wonderful jazz bar with his dad, Mr J, and his dad's partner Ms W. It was a wonderful night. He then had a party in York with friends and my friend Dave over at Fondant Fountain made him an amazing cake.

Mr S took me home to Wales to spend the time with my family - Minus my brother who was in Afghanistan. I got to spend the time with my family, drinks out - I saved a space for my brother at the table! And had a nice dinner out at Jamie's Italian in Cardiff. Great birthday treats all round!

The Beautiful Bride!

The fireworks at
Disney's Magic Kingdom.

I got to have a wonderful night in York at my friend Becca's hen party - the day after my 30th! We had a fab night with plenty of laughs and drinks. I'm very happy to have such great friends. I was honoured to be asked to do a reading at Becca and Jim's wedding. The bride was beautiful of course!

Mr S and I had saved for a whole year and went to Florida for 2 weeks for our holidays. It was totally magical. Dinner in Cinderella's Castle in the Magic Kingdom, a trip to NASA at Cape Kennedy, hiring a Mustang, and an upgraded flight on the way home! Phew!

The Mighty Mustang.

Mr S entered the National Lottery Olympic Park run, making his way around the park and a final lap of the stadium in great time! My father and law and I went along for the day, sitting freezing in the bleachers cheering Mr S along. It was a memorable day for sure.

Delicious Desert.

My husband and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary with a wonderful meal at Whites in Beverley. The food here is unique, tasty, memorable and made by a chef who has such passion for food it's amazing. Mr S treated me to some fizz too, which made me very happy! Highlight of the night had to be the chef's take on a snickers bar for desert. Chocolatey and moreish!

Fizzy!!!

Moving into November, we had organised our Wedding Blessing at Beverley Minster. An impressive building, steeped in history and love, I felt very honoured to hold our event in such a place. Reverend Jeremy Fletcher took the ceremony, with wonderful music from Robert Poyser on the organ. Family and friends, both old and new, joined together to help us celebrate our marriage and watch over us as we reaffirmed our vows to one another. We married in Italy and the vows were a little 'vague' to say the least! So it was very special to be able to say 'proper' vows in such a holy place.

Magical Moments in the Minster.

I want to thank all our family and friends for coming and making the day so wonderful. The featured image was taken by the wonderful Neil Thompson - freelance photographer extraordinaire. There are also thanks to be extended to Emma Barr for the other wonderful pictures of the day. You can follow them on Twitter by clicking the links, or go to Emma's flickr page here and Neil's blog and images here.

Surprising my brother on his
return from Afghanistan.

Christmas Jammas!

I have rounded this year off by going home for a bit of a family reunion with my brother and sister Stephanie. As the 'big sister' I love to get together with my siblings. We've been through alot as a family and it's great to all be together over the festive period. Christmas eve was very special as my mum, dad and the three siblings all managed to be in our childhood home at the same time! We relived an old tradition of putting on our Christmas jammas too!

Families day in a Huskey.

The gang get together at Christmas.

So, in round up, I'd like to say a huge thank you to my family for the unconditional love and support you have shown me. Thank you to my husband for putting up with me! I am grateful that after all our years of hard work, we are finally getting somewhere! Here's to Florida in 2013!

And finally to my friends both old, new and virtual! You are all wonderful. Thanks for the laughs, memories and for keeping me sane (isn) and drunk throughout

2012.

2012 has taught me to be thankful for what I have, to count my blessings and not those of others. To be grateful for the small things in life, because as we look back we realise that those little things were actually the big things!

Here's to 2013, I hope it brings you and yours love, luck and happiness.

Love from The Spacers xxx

T'is the season...

2012-12-16T07:30:00.000-08:00

So it's the typical festive frenzy in the run up to Christmas. The shops are heaving, people forgetting their manners, buying food like the shops will be closed for a month and not one day. People running mad cleaning, preparing the house for the influx of visitors. Kids asking for huge lists of toys, pressure on families to spend spend spend.

Lets take a step back. Lets look at this from another view.

The view of the Military family first of all. Mum or dad is away on deployment, working over the holidays. Or have made the Ultimate sacrifice and will never come home. Families scattered across the UK and the rest of the world, unable to sit together round the table to celebrate Christmas together. Some are lucky and get leave, time together. Others make the most of it and travel miles to other family, or the ones "left behind" have a gathering to celebrate together. The key theme - we're all in it together.

Next view from a homeless person. No warming themselves in front of the fire watching crappy Christmas telly there, no mulled wine and carols. Nothing. There are charities who are supportive, offer a hot meal and a place to stay.people who give up their Christmases and time with their families to offer a bit of human kindness to those in need. But then it's back out in the cold, wet, miserable outdoors trying to scrape a living.

Third view from the family scraping by. Kids asking for huge lists of presents, social expectations, huge pressure from society to spend money you haven't got. People forced into feeling they need to take out payday loans, getting into debt. Supermarkets all clamouring with people looking for a bargain, trying to save where you can. Trying to provide what you can, to who you can, with what you have.

My last view from an elderly person without family. Lonely, days roll into one another. Taking any sort of kindness they can from others. Home help are a welcome sight, as are meals on wheels which may be the only decent meal they get. Pension money doesn't stretch all that far, especially after you pay for heating, water, bills. Putting on an extra cardigan, using a blanket because the bills are too much to keep the house heated. Others rally round each other in sheltered housing complexes, having Christmas parties, enjoying the company.

So, it makes me wonder what's happened to the real spirit of Christmas? It's turned into a spending free for all with people forgetting its the people, family and friends who make everything worth while.

I'll be spending Christmas without Mr S this year. As an RAF Search and Rescue pilot they do a detachment to the Falkland Islands every year. We're lucky, it's not a six month deployment to Afghanistan, but it still hurts to be apart, especially at this time of year. I'm extra lucky, I have a loving and supportive family and a strong network of friends who will be there for me during his detachment. I'm one of the lucky ones, and I am very grateful for it.

So please just spare a thought for the families who are apart, those less fortunate, those who's family have passed and raise a glass to them this festive season.

Merry Christmas from The Spacers xxx

Tasty Truffles...

2012-09-25T13:49:00.001-07:00

I love to make truffles. All kinds! All handmade with luxurious textures of cream and good quality chocolate. I also like to flavour them with different things... mint, orange, rose water, vanilla... you name it!

Truffles are tasty, morish, rich, creamy, chocolatey nuggets of delight. Or at least thats my opinion! They are the top selling item from Mrs Spacers this year. Now, I feel quite embarassed about this next bit, they are not all that hard to make at all. They're a little fiddly and require some patience but I don't doubt anyone could have a bash at making them.

I sell them in bags, mugs, cups and saucers, boxes. Any way the buyer would like! Thats the joy of making things to peoples own specifications, they aren't limited to what comes off a shelf in a shop. I also like to try and use good quality ingredients and local cream, butter and eggs where I can. That way, the buyer is getting the best quality possible without paying a fortune for the benefit.

Now, I like to do my bit for charity. Cancer charities or Forces charities in particular hold a very special place in my heart having too much experience of cancer in our family and close friends and my husband and brother both being in the forces. So, when I heard that ones of the ladies on the Leconfield 'patch' was taking part in the Macmillan Big Coffee morning, I wanted to donate something towards her raffle. I thought for a while about what to offer and came up with truffles! They have kept me going through the 6 months my brother has been deployed (my backside can prove it!!) so I thought they may bring a smile to the face of the winner!

I took 300g of 70% dark chocolate and 100g of milk chocolate, melted in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Once it was melted to a molten, gooey chocolatey lake, I added in a teaspoon of vanilla extract stirring continuously. I then beat in 160mls of double cream. You need to work quite fast here and off the heat to make the cream incorporate into the chocolate without the chocolate going grainy. Put it to one side to cool then allow to set in the bottom of the fridge covered with geaseproof.

Once it's set, take it out and using a small spoon make small balls with the mix. I roll them in my hands but wear gloves as they make your hands caked in chocolate and it makes them hard to keep hold of and roll!

Drop each ball into some finely sieved good quality cocoa - I used Green and Blacks. Put them onto a plate and allow to cool and set in the fridge before devouring them all in one sitting. Alternatively, serve them with a coffee after dinner or make someone smile by giving them as a gift.

See...easy peasy! Go on, give them a go but let me know how you get on, and send some pictures too.

Want to know more about the charities I support? Head along to the links featured below.

Welsh Guards Appeal

www.nihospicecare.com

Macmillan

Help for Heroes

Wonderful Wine Nights...

2012-09-25T13:22:00.001-07:00

Last Thursday saw me making my way into Beverley to take part in a Roberts & Speight wine tasting night along with my friend Michelle. Now, as you know, drinking on a school night is not big and it certainly isn't clever but I just couldn't help myself! I know the wines from R&S to be superb and I was very keen to introduce my friend (who is new to the locality) to the wonderful array of products available.

At £10, a ticket is an absolute bargain. The venue at St Mary's wasn't too busy, so we were able to discuss and ask plenty of questions on the night and draw on the expert knowledge of Andrew Tierney the guest speaker from Torbreck wines in Australia. Andrew was knowledgeable, charismatic, enthusiastic and above all engaging and funny. It made learning about the wine and tasting them a pleasurable experience. Now, I know what you'll say - it's not exactly a hardship. But I find I take in information easier if you feel you can connect with the speaker.

The wines available to sample on the night were some outstanding whites, deep reds and one sweet desert wine.

My favourite white was the Woodcutters Semillon 2008 which was citrusy, light and crisp. Andrew advised us that this would be an excellent pairing with Asian foods, with Asian or Thai salads in particular due to it's light nature. A box of 6 is a very competitive £15.81 per bottle, which for the world of fine wine is very competitive!

It was very nice to meet with the good people of Roberts & Speight, being able to draw on their experience and discuss with them their enthusiasm for the wine and food they supply from their speciality food and wine store.

They brought along with them some very nice cheese, olives and bread sticks to pair up with the selection of wines. My choice was the smoked jarlsburg cheese, which despite having a punchy flavour has a nice creamy texture to it. In my opinion, this cheese was a great pairing with The Steading 2008 wine.

The Steading 2008 is a very rich and full bodied wine. I was taught to look for the 'legs' on the wine, and this had very fine legs indeed! Andrew explained that this wine was 'oaked' for 2 years to give it it's definitive taste and character. Ideally this would be paired with a lamb dish. I think I'd go with a lamb chop and a redcurrant jus and serve it with buttery mashed potato.

Now, as you can guess by this blog, I am not a fine wine expert. I don't pretend to be. But I do know what kinds of wine I enjoy. My husband, Spacer, would probably say most wines! But I am very pleased to say that my evening with the experts was an eye opener. It had me trying wines I wouldn't usually be choosing myself and encouraged me to ask plenty of questions to build upon my experience and knowledge without being made to feel daft at all.

I would like to say a huge thanks to everyone from Roberts & Speight for putting on a very informative and enjoyable night. I know I, for one, am very much looking forward to the next tasting session. And this time, I will be bringing a few more of my friends to be educated!

Do you like to be taken out of your comfort zone with wine? Want to know more? Head along to Roberts & Speight Purveyors of Fine Wine and Food or follow them on twitter - @robertsspeight.

Michelle Smithson - as featured in this blog - is the owner of Totally Cherished Online Boutique for handcrafted silver jewellery. Head on over there and grab yourself a beautiful piece of jewellery and help out a fabulous charity as well!

Baking Childhood Memories

2012-09-16T08:59:00.000-07:00

Today has been a day of kitchen nostalgia at Chez Spacer. I decided to dust off my nana's old cook book and make some things that bring back the kid in me. I know, it doesn't take much, but I find food very evocative. The smells, feel and taste of the food all bring the memories and feelings of the past rushing back.

Bringing back memories of being a kid!

So, I opted for coconut buns and caramel shortbread (more often than not referred to as Millionaire's Shortbread), both of which were favourites of mine as a child and which my nana used to make me often. I'll 'fess' up here and admit that my caramel has gone a little past the right consistency and is a fair bit more like toffee, but it still tastes good even if you do have to have all your own teeth to eat it!

I started off with the shortbread base for the caramel shortbread....

I took 175g unsalted butter, 225g plain flour, 75g of caster sugar and some vanilla paste and whizzed it in the food mixer until it all combined together smoothly, then spread it out in my rectangular pan which I had already lined with parchment paper. I baked it in the oven at 160 degrees celsius for about 15 minutes until it reached a nice golden colour.

Whilst this was cooling, I set about making my coconut buns. These are gorgeous cut in half like a scone and eaten with blackcurrant jam. Try it, I swear you will love it!

I added 125g self raising flour, 125g desiccated coconut, 75g caster sugar, 1 large beaten egg and a little vanilla paste and mixed it all on low speed in my food mixer. I then put dollops of the mixture into cake cases and baked in the oven on the middle shelf for about 15 minutes at 190 degrees celcius.

Once they're cooked, take them out and let them cool on a wire rack. Put them in an air tight container and they should last (if you can resist) about 5 days.

So....back to the shortbread. I moved on to the cooking of the caramel for the next layer of the shortbread. I added 225g caster sugar, 25g unsalted butter and 145ml of double cream to a non stick pan.

Over a medium heat, stir the mixture until the sugar is dissolved and then bring the mix to a boil. Boil this until a drop of the mix holds itself together (soft ball) in water. Pour this mixture over the top of the shortbread (still in the tin!) and allow this to cool and set. As I said, I let mine go a little too far - hard crack and now it's more like toffee which is a shame but I'm sure the guys at work will still give it a go. I am adding in a disclaimer here - I will not be responsible for any dental works needed after consumption!!

Once all of this is cooled and set, melt 200g of dark chocolate - I used 70% cocoa solids Lindt as this is my favourite chocolate and 85g of butter in a bain marie, once smooth and melted cover the caramel layer with the chocolate mixture.

Allow this to cool before cutting into chunks and serving with a cuppa. You can lick the bowl and spoon whilst it cools and sets!

What food evokes happy memories for you? Please share them!

Finished Article! Yummers :)

Comforting Cook Books In Times Of Need.

2012-08-15T03:40:00.001-07:00

I find sitting and leafing through my cook books and food magazines very comforting. Looking at the glossy pages of tasty food (despite making my tummy rumble!) calms me. When I'm feeling lonely, homesick or just in need of some inspiration I like to sit and lose myself in the articles, ingredient lists, methods and pictures.

I seem to have amassed a huge amount of cook books over the years. They range from my nana's old books and notes right up to include the celebrity chefs like Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsey. There seems to be a real random selection on close inspection, but I love them all!

I posed a question on Twitter the other day to see what other cook books people 'go to' in times of need. And by 'need' I mean dinner party, ideas, change of taste or just because you want something soothing to eat. I got a real mix of ideas back including Delia, Nigella, River Cottage, Simon Hopkinson, Good Housekeeping, Rachel Allen and The BBC Good Food Website. I am always interested in other peoples cooking inspirations and I have added a few of the suggestions to my 'Wish List' for future purchase.

So to answer my 'go to' book question myself - at the moment (they change as the seasons change!) they have to be:

1. Nigella Lawson - Kitchen.

This book is more a kitchen bible! Gives you real advice, tips and handy information on ingredients and kitchen equipment. I can read this book as a book and not just a binder of recipes. Ms Lawson has a real turn of phrase when it comes to food writing. I also love her ability to update old fashioned British recipes and her leanings to Italian food (having got married there I love it and it holds a special place in my foodie heart). You can find Nigella on Twitter - @Nigella_Lawson.

2. Masterchef - Kitchen Bible

My hubby bought me this book as a gift last year and I really like its diversity. It has such a wide selection of recipes which, despite being submitted by some seriously talented amateur cooks, are surprisingly straightforward!

3. The Good Food Cook Book.

If you are in need of a reliable recipe - look no further! This book contains hints, tips and tried and tested recipes for every ability. It's a good selection of recipes from all kinds of cuisines, one pots, diner party worthy and meals for two. I use the website too, as it gives you the ability to build up a binder with recipes and make up menus online - saves on space! The Good Food team tweet some great recipes too. You can find them here - @bbcgoodfood.

What are your favourite cook books? Do you go for recipes that challenge you? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

Links.

Nigella Lawson Website

Masterchef Recipes

BBC Good Food Website

Lets all Meet and Eat!

2012-07-17T11:10:00.002-07:00

I've been thinking about starting a Supper Club for a while. Well, perhaps more of a 'Meet and Eat' group is more accurate. I love the idea of eating and talking about food with people, over a glass of whatever takes your fancy.

When I lived in Northumberland, there was a group of us who regularly got together to share food, recipes, chat, laughs and some nice wines. We generally used themes for the recipes to centre around, each of us cooking a different element to the 'meal' or just deciding to go pot luck. Much fun was had and I tried some beautiful food that I may not have cooked for myself. All in all, it was great fun!

I long to try and set one up in this area, but don't seem to be getting much interest from others to get one off the ground. So...C'mon people! Lets get this started eh?!

Are you interested in getting involved? Do you know someone who might fancy it? It's open to all, novice or experienced, old or young, from near or far!

Food is the language of friendship and fun...lets all join in!

Nana's Spiced Squidgy Apple and Sultana Cake

2012-04-29T10:30:00.000-07:00

I've been sitting dredging through my nana's old cook books and handwritten recipes today. I do this frequently when I'm feeling a bit homesick and missing my family, or when I need inspiration.

Running my fingers over the familiar writing makes me feel very close to my nana and reminds me of all the times I spent helping her in the kitchen or generally being allowed to make a mess making cakes! I've said it before, but my nana really was my cooking inspiration from such a young age. Making home cooked cakes, stews, pies and other hearty dishes. Good, old fashioned cooking.

It was an emotional time for my family when she died. She was the archetypical matriarch. Think Ma from Bread and cross her with the Queen and you're about right!! She was the larger than life woman that we all adored and kept the family on a steady course. We all miss her every day. But I like to think she still lives on through her cooking.

So, I'm going to share with you one of her recipes in the hopes what you will enjoy eating it and maybe spare a thought for my nana whilst you're at it! :)

Spiced Squidgy Apple and Sultana Cake

Recipe - Rita Chester.

Ingredients:

130g butter - unsalted

230g dark muscovado sugar

3 medium eggs - lightly beaten

My nana! :)

230g plain flour

2.5tsp baking powder

70g sultanas

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lemon

2tsp ground nutmeg

1tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

325g cored, peeled and diced brambly apples

100g sliced apples

2 tbsp runny honey

2 tbsp demarera sugar

Baking the cake:

Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees celsius.

Cream the butter and muscovado sugar in your mixer/by hand.

Beat the three eggs together and set to one side.

Sift the flour, spices and baking powder together and set to one side.

Zest the lemon.

Juice the lemon and put the zest and half of the juice in a bowl along with the sultanas and allow to macerate.

Slice some of the apples and cover with the remaining juice of the lemon to prevent the slices discolouring. Set these slices to one side for the top of the cake.

Add the eggs and dry mixture to the creamed butter and sugar little by little until fully incorporated. Add in the zest/juice/sultana mixture. Mix in the apples - the diced ones only - into the mixture.

Pour the mixture into a buttered and floured cake tin and put into the oven on the middle shelf for about an 50mins.

Remove from the oven but keep in the tin. Use the sliced apples and fan them out over the top of the cake (see photo), sprinkle the demarara sugar over the apples and drizzle over the honey. Put back into the oven until the apples caramelise a little (about 15 mins) Check the cake with a skewer to ensure its cooked the whole way through.

Allow to cook in the tin a little before removing and allowing to cool completely on a cooling rack.

EAT!! :)

The finished article....before it gets demolished!

Smug Saturdays...

2012-04-28T12:21:00.000-07:00

I am feeling a bit smug at the moment. I had a really nice Saturday off last week which included bumbling about in Beverley, visiting the library, bookshops, clothes shops and a visit to a great local restaurant.

I don't usually get Saturday's off in my full time job but at the moment we're doing pretty well as a team and a depot so we've managed to 'win' Saturdays! I'm not just smug about that, although I am pretty happy about it!!

Now, the smugness isn't from the day off alone, it's from finding a gem of a local restaurant in my local town - Dine on the Rowe. I'd never been in before, and was pleasantly surprised by what I found. Well appointed, cozy atmosphere, great menu and welcoming staff. It's a nice feeling to walk into a restaurant for lunch as a lone diner and be made to feel welcome and not like you're taking up a table where a group could be! I took a seat at the window and ordered an open salmon sandwich with rocket salad and some sparkling water and just sat and looked around me, taking in the decor and warm wood of the tables whilst sitting on the comfy black and white damask covered chairs, gazing out of the window.

When my lunch arrived it was beautifully presented, well proportioned, generous and tasty! The salmon was plentiful, which is a nice surprise in a sandwich. The salsa underneath the salmon topped a thick and toasted piece of soda bread which was a great vessel to convey the food from fork to mouth!

Jason Rowe who owns Dine on the Rowe is a self taught chef with oodles of passion for local produce, fine food and delicious wines. He has a great eye for the presentation of food, making you want to get stuck into the food in front of you with your hands, the cutlery be damned! It's great to meet a restaurant owner so willing to stand and chat with the customer, explaining his thoughts behind his restaurant, sharing his enthusiasm for the food. Jason also runs Brownie Heaven, making some seriously chocolately dense squares of deliciousness! Having tried one, I am a definite convert to the brownie.

So all in all, a very successful smug Saturday off! I can recommend the DOTR for a girlie lunch. In fact, its so good - it's even good enough to take your mum or mum in law! I can't give higher praise than that.

To find out more about Jason, Dine on the Rowe and Brownie Heaven - head over to the link below.

Dine on the Rowe

Or just salivate over these gorgeous dishes.....

Blackpudding and potato hash with poached duck egg.

Marinated Chicken on Patatas Bravas.

Yummy fish cakes with wedges.

Minute steak with triple cooked home cooked wedges.

Sticky toffee sundae with vanilla ice cream.

Fruity bread and butter pudding.

Mrs Spacer seeks out Skipsea Sunday Scones on the Sabbath.

2012-04-15T02:31:00.001-07:00

Easter this year was a fairly busy time for us. Work, shopping, cooking, Confirmations, scones, driving and dinner out with friends! I need a break to get over my break :)

Good Friday brought me a day on my own, bimbling around in the pretty market town of Beverley. I very rarely get week days off to myself as I work full time, so this was a very special day for me! I managed to grab a coffee in Cafe Nero, wander through the book shops, scour the local charity shops for some china, picked up some cards in Paperchase and popped into the wonderful deli of Roberts and Speight on Norwood. If you live in the vicinity and have never been there - GO! Delicious olives, antipasti, local produce, homemade tarts and a vast and complex selection of wines are set in a well established shop run by knowledgeable people. I selected a bottle of Chablis and some olives to enjoy on Easter Sunday and made my way home a happy foodie.

I had my Confirmation on the Saturday in the beautiful setting of Beverley Minster by the Bishop of Hull. It was a very important day for me and the Easter Vigil service was magical. I really felt the faith and the support of the people. Huge thanks and appreciation go to the Reverend Jeremy Fletcher and Reverend Fiona Mayer-Jones for organising such an amazing service.

Easter Sunday saw Mr S and I heading for a drive out to Skipsea to visit the wonderful Village Farm B&B in Skipsea which is run by Chrysta and Tony Newman. They also run a tea room and feature a Supper Club there once a month. Busy people! Chrysta makes the cakes and scones herself and they look and taste amazing! Sticky apple cake, fruit cake and scones are just some of the delights which featured on the menu. They also serve a selection of sandwiches, traditional afternoon tea which you can choose to have with a cheeky glass of fizz, tea and coffee and other beverages. At Village Farm they champion local produce which is important for local producers and suppliers and helps you get a taste for the local area. All of this and really nice people in a great setting! Mr S and I really enjoyed our visit and I plan on getting my bum over there for a Supper Club in the future!

My dinner on Easter Sunday was goooooooood! I know thats a 'little' big headed, but I don't care :) I made a seafood medley of scallops, king prawns, squid and mussels in a parsley vinaigrette as a starter followed by roast chicken with lemon, garlic and thyme served with french beans, petit pois and roasties. Pudding? None other than a chocolate fondant! The Chablis from Roberts and Speight was a great pairing and complimented the chicken beautifully.

Bank Holiday Monday brought a visit to Beverley with our friends Becky and Michael for a 'double date' to the Ask Italian restaurant. Great company, constant chatter, fun conversation and great food. I can highly recommend their Spring set menu which is varied and tasty, featuring some great seasonal produce including asparagus. It's somewhere I would go again, perhaps to sample their lunch menu. I was impressed with the ambiance in the restaurant, the waitress was attentive and pleasant and the food hot and flavourful. I enjoyed my Insalata Caprese with its hunks of buffalo mozzarella and peppery rocket. I did have to add some balsamic vinegar to it, but thats just my preference. I then dug into their Lasagne Spinaci e Formaggio di Capra, which was essentially a spinach, mushroom and goats cheese lasagne! Lots of flavour, the mushrooms still had texture and bite. Washed down with a Peroni! Nice. Becky also has a blog here - Mrs BeBe_ and on twitter as @MrsBeBe_ .

All in all, a very full and satisfying weekend filled with faith, love, food, fun and friends. Everything I love and hold dear to me.

Please head over to see these lovely people and establishments and see just how great they are for yourselves!

Roberts and Speight - Beverley also follow them on twitter - @RobertsSpeight.

Beverley Minster - Beverley - Rev J Fletcher can also be found on twitter - @RevJFletcher.

Village Farm - B&B, Tea Rooms and Supper Club - Skipsea - head over to twitter and follow @villagefarmskip for all the info.

Ask Italian - Beverley

So, did you all have a good Easter? Been anywhere good? Let me know, I'm always looking for new Food Adventures!

Thanks for reading guys! :) Please subscribe to my blog for more updates and recipes which are underdevelopment!

My husband, my friend.

2012-04-06T10:17:00.000-07:00

Mr S and I don't really get all that much time together, just us. We're both busy people and it's tough to make the time for each other. But, as you know, you need to make the effort for each other and put some time aside to remember why you love each other, why you are together and why you are married.

I'm lucky, I married my best friend. We've known each other a long time, know each others habits - good and bad! We are comfortable in each others company whether it be talking or sitting in silence. It's nice to know he's there when I need him and its a real comfort to me to know I can vent and he'll just let me get it all off my chest! And with everything going on at the moment, thats fairly frequently. He does a challenging job, but I sometimes think being my husband is double the challenge at times - I bet he'd agree!

We managed to steal some time together for a rare night out on our own. I booked a table at Mirchi's Indian Restaurant in Beverley. Rushing home from work, we got ready and grabbed a taxi and prepared to enjoy a night of talking, laughing, eating and drinking.

Now, I can't recommend Mirchi's enough to you. The staff are friendly, knowledgeable and unobtrusive. The food is varied, tasty, fragrant and beautiful to look at. The restaurant is well laid out, with comfy chairs and a nice atmosphere. I had fish pakora to start which was soooooo nice. Crispy, hot, tasty. Then a chef's special Boolani, with tomatoes, peppers and a lovely spicy sauce. It had a great kick without being too hot to be able to taste all the spices. Mr S had the spicy chicken wings to start - the clean bones indicated that he enjoyed it! Followed by his 'usual' chicken shashlik. We aired our bad week chat early on in the night, brushing off the stresses of the week. Reassured each other that next week would be better. Drank and chatted about our up coming holiday and other daft things. It was a great 'date' and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Getting the taxi home, I climbed in relaxed and happy. I was full of yummy food, my heart full of happiness and love. I felt blessed. My husband knows just how to keep me happy - ply me with wine, fill my tummy with food and make me laugh til I snort! Ladylike...! He managed to make me forget how much I miss my family, forget how much my heart aches that my brother is away and forget how lonely I feel being so far away. I went to bed happy and for the first night in months, without any nightmares.

So, this blog is dedicated to the man I love. My soul mate, confidant, partner in crime and best friend. Thank you for the food and the fun times!

My kitchen, my haven, my sanity!

2012-04-04T12:54:00.001-07:00

It's been a very strange month for me. I've had a whole lot going on, not all of it good either!
I've had Mr S's 30th to organise which included a trip to Belfast, visitors and a party in York. Then there was a trip home to Wales for a 'See You Later' party for my little brother who has now departed for Afghanistan, then onto a trip to London to see my brother for the last time for 7 months, and for Mr S to do the National Lottery Olympic Park Run - which he did in a great time may I add! There is also the fact of my mum having to go into hospital for a complete hip replacement!

Phew......Let me just stop to take a breath!

Add on to this a full time job, my 'side line' job of Mrs Spacer's and trying to fit everything else in with it and you have a very very tired and emotional Mrs S!

So with all of this going on, I sometimes wonder how I don't go into melt down and I think I've figured it out...My kitchen. It's my comfort. It's my 'out'. My way of running away from everything and just losing myself in the smells, tastes, colours and flavours of the food.

I love to potter in the kitchen. It's my safe haven and it gets me through some challenging times. I can stand in the kitchen, staring into the larder and know that I'll be ok. That I can deal with anything as long as I've got something to focus on. I can chop, slice, beat, peel and sing away in the kitchen whilst talking away to myself, reasoning things out or just making some decisions in relative solitude. I've had some of my best (and yes, worst!) ideas whilst pottering in the kitchen. I believe that the kitchen has saved my sanity on many occasions - although some of you who know me may refute this!

My brother is a long way away and I worry constantly, suffer nightmares and pray that he'll be safe.
So I cook.
My mum is in constant pain, struggles to walk. I can't be with her to help.
So I bake.
I work long hours and miss Mr S as he works shifts so I don't see him as often as I'd like.
So I eat.
I live miles away from my family and friends and I get lonely.
So I read about food.

Food is my escape. It's the hug I need when I feel down. My kitchen is warm, safe, secure and reliable.

My kitchen is part of me.

Cake a difference – Bliss fundraiser

2012-02-10T10:21:00.000-08:00

I have asked my friend Becky, who owns Miss Poppy's Tea Party, to write a guest blog about a wonderful charity event she is co-organising with Helen of Croft's Cakes. Read on and support them if you can!

When Helen from Crofts Cakes approached me to co-host this fundraiser it took me all of a second to accept. Bliss is a great charity, their mission statement says it all...

“Bliss, the special care baby charity, provides vital support and care to premature and sick babies across the UK. We offer guidance and information at a critical time in families' lives. We also fund ground-breaking research and campaign for babies to receive the best possible level of care regardless of when and where they are born.”

And in these hard times, where front line NHS funding is getting cut, our baby care units need as much support as possible.

I was very lucky in the fact the my beautiful daughter was born healthy and was in fact overdue, but Helen wasn’t so lucky, her son Joshua was born premature, and had to spend some time in a special baby care unit, its there that Helen saw the tireless work of the nurses and doctors and first became aware of Bliss. I am pleased to say though that Joshua is now a healthy, happy and very cheeky nearly 1 year old!!

Bliss have been holding Cake a Difference week for 3 years now, spanning across a week, its an opportunity for people to bake and sell cakes to raise money for Bliss. And what 2 better businesses to get involved than a Specialist Cake business and a Tea Party business!

The Chari-tea party is taking place on this Saturday, 11^th February at the Toll Gavel Church Hall right in the centre of Beverley.

As well as Helen’s delicious cupcakes (of which I’ve eaten many, occupational hazard) there will also be a bevy of home baked cakes to purchase at the bake sale or to have with your cuppa at the pop-up tea room. Helen has been busy baking flapjacks, lemon cake and gingerbread men, and I’m going to run up some almond and apricot cakes and scones (although I fear, not as well as the qualified cake maker!!)

Over the last few weeks we’ve been busy delivering posters all over the town, having our photograph taken for the paper, and waging a war on twitter and facebook trying to drum up support and get some raffle prizes, and it looks like its paid off, we have some great prizes donated by some very generous local and national businesses, including, Hull City Tickets, a ride on childrens car, manicure vouchers, jewellery, toys and much more!!

We’re hoping lots of local folk can make it down, but fear not if you’re not local, but you should wish to contribute, we’ve also set up a Just Giving page which can be found at http://www.justgiving.com/chariteaparty

Well, now you've read about this exciting event - head on over to see the ladies and enjoy a cuppa and a cake to support a very worth while cause!

Pauline x

London Baby!

2012-02-05T09:58:00.000-08:00

I love London. It's such a miss mash of cultures, tastes, smells, people, architecture and more importantly for me, FOOD. I take the opportunity, whenever I get to visit, to get myself into a good restaurant for dinner. This most recent trip was certainly no exception!

Mr S and I were very lucky to have been given some tickets to attend the UK premier of War Horse in January with some of our friends from the RAF. Now, this in it's self was a feat, but Mr S came up mega trumps in terms of hotel and dining arrangements. We got an awesome room in the Executive Apartments at the Marriott West India Quay and made arrangements for pre cinema drinks with all our friends in the American Bar at The Savoy. Pretty swanky! I was impressed with this, as you can imagine. But then he went one better....dinner in the River Restaurant in The Savoy after the show! So off we trotted down to the Big Smoke, ready to enjoy a night to remember.

It was certainly that! Our apartment was amazing, with great views over Canary Wharf and had a small kitchenette armed with Neff appliances, Villeroy and Boch tea set and crockery and beautiful furniture. I could happily have moved in as it was ideal for entertaining friends. We enjoyed our bubbly, looking out over London and thought to ourselves just how lucky we were!

On arrival at the The Savoy, I couldn't help but be amazed by the beautiful, historical hotel. It really was breath taking. Moving into the American Bar, we ordered some Moonwalker cocktails (Champagne cocktails) and settled back to wait for our friends. The waiter brought our drinks with some delicious nibbles which included marinated olives, honey coated nuts and some smoked pistachios. Now, I know most hotel bars give you snacks with your drinks. But trust me when I tell you these were 'special' treats!

We headed round to Leicester Square, watched the movie and then got ourselves back round to The Savoy in good time for dinner. (Can you tell the bits of this trip which were important to me?!)

Again, Lady Luck was on our side as Mr S, our friends and I were ushered through the breath taking dining room, towards the rear to... THE PRIVATE DINING ROOM! I had a huge grin and couldn't help thinking 'Get in!'.

The food....well, where do I start here! There was warm sun dried tomato or soda bread to choose from which was paired with a soft, salty butter. Then an amouse bouche of fois gras (not ethical I know...) with an orange jelly which was divine. I ordered pan roasted scollops to start which were sweet and plump, followed by salmon with braised mussels and saffron potatoes. I can not describe to you the joy I got from smelling the wonderful aromas coming at me from my plate! Pudding for me, was the cheese plate served with marinated cherries and crisp breads. Heaven!

I simply can not recommend The River Restaurant highly enough to you. Was it expensive? Yes. Was it worth it? Damn right! The service, food and drinks were second to none. For a special treat, birthday or anniversary, a visit should be high on your list!

Many thanks to Tweet A London Cab for their outstanding service on the night, ferrying a load of RAF people around. I suggest using this service whenever you are in need of a cab in London. They are friendly, reliable and an absolute God send! @tweetalondoncab.

Do you visit nice restaurants? Where's the nicest place you've eaten? Let me know, I am always looking for new places to go.

Thanks for reading :)

Photos:

Enjoying my bubbly before heading out to walk the Red Carpet... I know, I couldn't believe it either!

Our Champagne Cocktails and Posh Nibbles. It's easy to recreate the cocktail. See below for the recipe.

The Executive Apartments at The Marriott West India Quay. Well worth a visit!

The small, but very well devised kitchenette. I could just see myself here...!

The River Restaurant at The Savoy Hotel in London.

Room service for breakfast.... don't mind if I do!! :)

Champagne Cocktail Recipe:

Now, this is my variation on this recipe. I am sure there will be some of you who disagree with it, but this is how I like mine! There are many other variations of it out there, so find the one you like and go with it.

Champagne Flute - chilled.

1 white sugar cube

2 dashes of angostura bitters

25 ml of cognac - I use Remy Martin

Enough of your favourite champagne to top up the flute

A twist of orange peel for decoration

Enjoy! :)

Useful Links :

Executive Apartments Marriott West India Quay - London

The Savoy - London

Tweet A London Cab

Disclaimer: I have, in no way, been paid to write this blog by any of the people or businesses featured. The views are that of myself and me alone!

Thank you Nana...

2012-02-05T09:03:00.002-08:00

This blog is a little 'thank you' to my Nana who, despite having past away several years ago, still influences me every day. From cooking and baking to my taste in music and the nose on my face, she had a huge hand in my life and how I am today.

I found myself sitting and looking through her old cook books and notes the other night, stroking her handwriting and her recipe amendments and reminiscing about the days spent in her kitchen making cakes, sweets, biscuits, stews, pies and her famous 'Nana's Soup' which is renowned amongst our family. I remembered the fun and the laughs but also all the tips she passed on to me which I still use today.

I found myself wanting to honour her memory and share her wonderful recipes with others. So I decided to start a small business. This might sound crackers to some, but I have always wanted to work in food although our lifestyle prohibits this to a big scale at the moment. I thought, "this is my chance to try it out for size!"

So here is it - Mrs Spacer's Sweet Treats! The name suggested by a friend, but the ingredients all my nana and I!
I plan to do ready to go cake mixes - 'Rita's Cake Mixes', some biscuits, sweets and other edible treats such as Christmas tree decorations and other stocking fillers etc. I will also touch on my heritage and use some recipes from my history such as an old Scottish favourite which I will name after my Great Granny Agnes - 'Auld Aggie's Clootie Dumpling'. There will be some items in a local shop and the rest make to order sales from the internet. I've cracked on with my 'crack pot' plan, passed my Level 2 Food Safety and Hygiene course, registered with the council and negotiated with some suppliers! So, it's all coming together nicely. My plan is to be open for business on the 1st November, so fingers crossed for me please!!

It'll be my Nana's birthday on the 30th of this month and I plan to celebrate and remember her life in my own way, baking a cake, drinking a gin and tonic and dancing and singing in my kitchen to Patsy Cline, Foster and Allen and Sydney Divine!

"Tiny bubbles. in the wine......"

So a huge thank you to my Nana, for the love, the laughter and the memories. She was truly an awesome woman!

Try a little Thai Tastebud Tickler!

2012-02-05T09:03:00.001-08:00

I write this blog fresh from the success of my latest 'feat' in the kitchen! Now, I must stress that I am trying not to over egg this pudding! But it was goooooood! I even got the thumbs up from Mr S, so it can't have been bad! :)

I have a raging cold at the moment, so I decided that some chilli and a bowl of something comforting was called for! I found a recipe for a Thai noodle broth that I decided to adapt to include some chunky mushrooms, broccoli, plenty of chilli and big bits of chicken (to appease Mr S!). It was easy, tasty and heart warming, not to mention the chilli inducing tingle on the lips! I scoffed it so quick I realised I hadn't taken a picture!

Now Mr S and I both enjoy Thai food, him preferring the pad king with its gingery lemony-ness and slick noodles and I prefer to have something a bit spicier in the form of a pad thai with extra chilli's, savouring its peanuty crunch, juicy prawns and pungent chilli flavour. I knew trying a new Thai recipe with him would be a shoe in! :)

I found that the broth was warming, comforting and tasty without being overly taxing after a long day at work.

There isn't really a recipe required for this one, here are the ingredients - fine egg noodles, chicken stock (fresh or cube), pan choi, fresh red chilli - finely chopped, one clove of garlic- minced, mushrooms, broccoli, soy sauce, honey, pepper, spring onions - chopped, sprinkle of mint for the top! Just add the stock first, poach the chicken then remove with a slotted spoon, cook the noodles in the stock, add all the other items including the chicken again, simmer for 3-4 minutes and serve.

Now slurp away until your hearts content! I'm sure it would be good with prawns or pork too or you could even make it with vegetable stock, adding in green beans, baby sweetcorn and some sugar snap peas to replace the meat/fish element.

I am buoyed from the success of providing a new recipe to add to the spectrum of food that I have managed to convert Mr S to, my main aim when I cook is to give him something tasty to eat! After all, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and it's our anniversary next week so I have to butter him up somehow!

Happy eating! :)

Corking Curries and an Amazing Airshow...

2012-02-05T09:03:00.000-08:00

Mr S and I have just got back from an awesome weekend away with friends which involved a very tasty curry, full bodied red wine, an amazing air show and lots of raucous laughter with our friends. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can recommend a day out at an air show as fun for all.

So since this blog is primarily about food, lets talk about my curry!

I am a huge fan of curries. The way the cook can take a selection of spices and seeds, toasting them to release their flavour, mixing them together like a chemist to produce an intoxicating elixir which will entice your senses and make your lips tingle with both heat and flavours. It amazes me just how much flavour you can inject into food by adding just a pinch of spice. You can jazz up potatoes, squash, carrots, chicken, lamb or fish with a clever mix of spices. No more boring, taste free food!

I opted for the prawn dhansak and I enjoyed the great blend of turmeric, chilli, garlic and lentils teamed with some juicy prawns which made for a very tasty curry. Matched with a very garlicky garlic naan bread and a big full bodied red wine I was in curry heaven! It was one of the best curries I have had for a very long time. Mr S opted for the hotter garlic chilli chicken curry, which surprised me as he is not the biggest 'hot' curry man so this was a brave (read as stupid!) move, although he did seem to enjoy it. I tried it and it was very nice! Lots of garlic infused with hot green finger chillies and onion. Yummy!

So I am now inspired to look for some great curry recipes to try out!

Poor Mr S... He's about to be a guinea pig again!

Testing, Testing!

2012-02-05T09:02:00.002-08:00

I know I may be mad, but nothing makes me happier than arriving home from work knowing I have a fridge full of tasty things to experiment with and create that nights dinner from.

Tonight, it was the turn of the much ignored butternut squash!

I came across this recipe on the BBC Good Food website, which is one of my favourite recipe engines on the internet. The recipes are fool proof (even Mr Spacer cooked from one and succeeded!) and they leave you room to experiment on your own with them too, which I love.

Butternut Squash can be quite bland without some help, be it with cumin or curry powder in a tasty soup, roasted with your Sunday lunch carrots or as I found tonight with sage, cream and parmesan in a rather lovely risotto.

I am a huge fan of Italian food, having fallen in love with the place, people and cuisine in September 2007 when we were married in Sorrento. I know that there are many ways to make a risotto and every Italian Mama has her own version. This particular Scottish-wannabe-Italian Mama's is the simple stir and absorb method. It results in a beautifully creamy and moreish risotto! You will find my adaptation of the afore mentioned BBC Good Food recipe on the recipes page of my site. You will also find a picture of my dinner (before I scoffed it!) on the pictures page.

I managed to convince Mr S to try the final result of my 35 minutes of stirring, he said 'nice, tasty but where is the meat??' Charming! I assured him that some chicken would be lovely flaked through it too. He then retuned to his steak pie!! There's just no pleasing some people you know!

I hope that reading the recipe and the sight of my tasty dinner will encourage you to try to make a risotto, they are heart warming, cosy and I find relaxing to make. Lots of stirring whilst drinking a nice glass of chilled Pinot Grigio should help ease your work woes a treat!

Happy eating!
Pauline x

Recipe:

Roasted Butternut Squash and
Sage Risotto.

Serves 4,
Prep time 10 mins,
Cooks in 40 mins.

Ingredients:

1kilo butternut squash - peeled and cut up into 1 cm-ish cubes.
3tbsp olive oil.
Bunch of sage - pick off the leaves, saving some for decoration, roughly chop the remaining.
1.5ltr of vegetable stock.
50g of butter.
70 ml single cream.
1 white onion - finely chopped.
300g of arborio risotto rice.
225ml white wine - one you'll drink with dinner.
small bunch of thyme - leaves picked.
black pepper corns - crushed (approx 10).
75g parmesan cheese.
Seasoning to taste.

Method:

Before you start to make the risotto, prepare the butternut squash. Heat the oven to 220c/fan 200c/gas 7. Toss your prepares squash with a little pepper and the chopped sage and some oil to coat. Spread out evenly on a baking sheet and roast for about 30 mins, until it's golden, cooked through but not charred!!
While thats cooking, move onto making the risotto. Bring your stock to the boil, reducing it to a simmer and keep it there. In a separate heavy bottomed pan (I used my le crueset) melt half of the butter and a little oil over a medium heat. Stir in your onions with a little salt to bring out the moisture, and sweat gently for about 8 mins until they are turning translucent but not colouring. Stir in your rice, stirring it thoroughly until coated in the butter, then stir it continuously until the rice becomes shiny and the edges of the grain start to look transparent.
Pour in the wine and simmer this until it is completely absorbed. Ass in the stock, a ladleful at a time, all the while stirring the rice over a low heat for 25-30 minutes until the rice is al dente. It should be creamy and a little 'soupy' in texture. Stir in your cream and add your parmesan, leaving a little to sprinkle on top.
At the same time, use a small frying pan and gently fry the sage leaves in a little olive oil until crisp, then set them aside on some kitchen paper. When the squash is cooked, mash half of it to a rough puree and leave half whole. When the risotto is just done, stir through the puree, then add the whole pieces. When you dish up the risotto, sprinkle over the crisp sage leaves and the remaining parmesan.
Scoff until your heart is content!! :)

Recipe used from the BBC Good Food site - adapted by me but owned by them.

Welcome to my crazy, hungry world! A brief introduction...

2012-02-05T09:02:00.001-08:00

I'm new to this whole blogging thing, so please bare with me! I don't know what to write, if any of you will want to read it or find anything interesting, but here goes nothing!

I'm 29 and an avid food lover. I adore cooking, baking and above all feeding my friends and seeing the enjoyment they get from what I have created. I love to try new cuisines and challenge myself with new recipes. I work full time as a Sales Rep for a kitchen and joinery firm, spending hours driving around East Yorkshire, mainly scoping out butchers, fishmongers, greengrocers etc. Although if my boss asks, I'm looking for new business of course!!

I've recently moved from Northumberland with my husband who is an RAF Search and Rescue pilot to live near Beverley in East Yorkshire. I moved from a close nit, friendly area with an active social life and was a member of a Supper Club there. Not in the same sense of the style of the food movement, but more women getting together to share recipes, food and wine. I made some good friends there through the monthly gatherings so was sad when the time came for us to move away.

Life here is very different. I work fairly long hours and the 'camp' where we live is Army instead of RAF, which presents it's own differences. There are very few people who live 'on camp', so the social scene is quiet. My work colleagues all live in Hull and my other friends are scattered all across the UK. I miss the close nature of my old area.

However, I'm not one to wallow in my own misery (!) so I decided to see if I could get some people together here to form another supper group. I met some lovely people on Twitter including @MrsBeBe_, a friendly mum of one and an avid fashionista blogger, who also has @poppysteaparty. These people have helped to keep me sane whilst I've been trying to adjust to being on my own whilst my husband was in the Falklands (He went just before our move date, so I moved by myself), starting a new job and getting to know a new area. I'm hoping we can gather some more people to our little group as we go.

We live in Married Quarters here, so the pipedream of having my own Supper Club is on hold for now, so I'll just content myself to practice and feed my friends for the time being!

I'll pop back from time to time so I can share my progress in building my recipe repertoire, maybe adding some pics (my hubby is a keen photographer in his spare time) and maybe trying to gather some additional people for my supper group!

Bye for now :)

Pauline x

Baking, Running and Tea Drinking! All in the name of Chari-Tea!

2012-02-05T09:02:00.000-08:00

Charity. Everyone seems to think it begins at home. But with cancer and other nasty illnesses and diseases striking at the hear of our families with alarming frequency, more and more of us are feeling the need to 'do' something to help. Be it fund raising, a stunt to raise money, a charity fund raiser or a marathon we are all trying to do our bit or 'pay it forward' as the film said.

On Wednesday Miss Poppy's Tea Party and Garton's of Yorkshire held a Macmillan Big coffee Morning to raise much needed funds for a very worth while cause.

Macmillan offer much needed support to those who are unfortunate to be struck down by cancer and the funds are put the excellent use, so it's always nice to help out where you can!

Many people baked lovely goodies, donated tea, and other items for the raffle all to raise money in aid of chari-tea (pun borrowed from @MrsBeBe_ owner of Miss Poppy's Tea Party)! I baked my Nana's lemon drizzle cake which is one of my favourite recipes and is always a crowd pleaser so I was glad that I was able to make a small donation to the event. It's lemony sharp with the soft and biscuity undertones of almonds and a sugary sweet icing dribbled all over the top. It's lovely warm with a cup of tea :)

They raised an awesome £200 to date with more being confirmed as I type! A HUGE Well Done to the team of Miss Poppy's and Garton's! You guys did an amazing job!

Now moving onto the running bit....not me of course, don't be silly! I only run if there is a big dog chasing me or there is a fire! (or maybe a sale on cake at a push...)

My hubby Andrew, his brother Michael and dad Stewart are - Johnston's on the Run! All in aid of the Northern Ireland Hospice. The three amigos will be running the Bupa Edinburgh 10k next Sunday in memory of Paddy Johnston, the boys mum and Stewart's wife who sadly lost her battle with brain cancer in August last year.

The hospice helped to support Paddy and offered much needed support to Stewart through very testing times and they would like to raise some much needed money for them to try and say thank you. They have a Just Giving page and I would be very grateful if you could donate towards their run, even 50p as every little helps :)

http://www.justgiving.com/johnstonsontherun

I hope that you will all join me in raising a glass for the charity fund raisers and applauding them for their efforts. Well done guys and good luck to my Three Amigos!

So a question, what will YOU be doing to 'pay it forward'??

Raise a Glass!

Nana's Lemon Drizzle Cake.

Andrew, Stewart and Mike are running in memory of Paddy Johnston.

I'm back!

2012-02-05T05:10:00.000-08:00

So, after a break from blogging, I am back baby!

I have moved the blog away from the Weebly site and promise to pay it a little more attention than I have been of late. Work, family life, festivities, trips away and Mrs Spacer's have kept me very busy indeed and I have a few items stored up to blog about.

I will move all the other blogs across and then add some new ones as I go.

So, watch this space....!

Pauline :)