Nutmeg and mace are two of those mysterious spices that are really, unusual in where they come from. They also have many strange stories attached to them - they used to be thought of as part of a cure for the plague and are reputed to be a key ingre...
Read moreMy blog posts about Dumfries and Galloway would not be complete without talking about Cream O'Galloway, an ice cream producer between Gatehouse of Fleet and Kirkcudbright. We seem to spend much of our family holiday centred around their farm at Rain...
Read moreFor many years, I shaved with a Gillette safety razor that used a classic plastic double-bladed Contour disposable blade until mid 2009. However, I did not find the shave particularly close or satisfying, and I didn't like having to chuck the blades...
Read moreFor someone with little spirituality, I spent much of last Sunday at religious events. Both of them were for Ripon Cathedral Choir School, which is celebrating 50 years since its foundation by Ripon Cathedral. Proof that little old Ripon can be a g...
Read moreOn Thursday 1 July 2010, I did one of Axel's Random Walks near Nosterfield and Thornborough in North Yorkshire. I recently bought myself an Ordnance Survey Explorer Map of Ripon & Boroughbridge (#299) and in the top left corner you can just find...
Read moreI am fascinated by Ocado and its upcoming flotation. Why you might ask? Well, it is because Steenbergs is having a go at becoming an online retailer, but obviously on a micro, mini scale compared to Ocado. But also, I just don't understand their b...
Read moreEngland's football team were abject last Sunday, but the Chocolate And Nutella Tart recipe from the French patisserie chef, Pierre Hermé, was the perfect compensation - sweet, rich and complex in taste that left you just wanting more. In one of my p...
Read moreSometimes you visit some people, who really are so good and wonderful that it shames you a bit. The people at Jennyruth Workshops are some of those unsung heroes that underpin every society in the world; they just get on with it, doing good work, da...
Read moreHaving been given a great sweet tart pastry recipe by Anthony Stern from Independent Foods, I have recently come across an even better Sweet Tart Dough in Pierre Hermé’s book “Chocolate Desserts”. I must admit to being given the heads up about the w...
Read moreSaturday evening saw the roads quieten off as everyone hunkered down to watch England in their first match at the South African World Cup. The constant background noise from the A1 disappeared as it only ever does on Christmas Day - England hoping f...
Read moreWe are always looking for ways to liven up chicken to feed the kids - simple, tasty and quick & easy family food. This recipe is something I devised for Sweet Barbecue Style Chicken Legs is so quick to make that our children both love to help to...
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