Uplifting update from Karma Sunday Team Leader. “A joyful morning. My favourite start to a Sunday. 80 guests warm & fed & set up for the morning against the chill outside. Everyone in great spirits, a fabulous team, some time to tidy & talk & generally be just excellent humans x”. Thank you Karma.

Catherine Phipps Citrus book is just unputdownable at this time of year. Rum & Marmalade Loaf Cake. I just didn’t need to line my @nethertonfoundry.bsky.social loaf tin , but old habits die hard x

You just died. The sixth picture in your gallery is what killed you. Not far wrong , it’ll be 50 years until I finish the last two 🤣

Getting very excited about cooking Christmas dinner already. 6 of us (including my mum & daughter 😁) , one a vegetarian (well Pescatarian) Rolled rib of beef & a big free range chicken for us meat eaters. Something superb for the veggie mother. It’s my favourite meal to plan & cook & faff for x

this is mesmerizing

Puttanesca in front of the fire. Roast toms & garlic in floods of olive oil. Pan seared Albacore Tuna then took out of the pan to rest. Added the roast toms , capers & olives , chilli flakes , parsley , lemon etc. Stirred in cooked pasta & some water. Topped with parsley , lemon zest & capers 🤩

Want a new dining table & chairs but also need new carpet (or flooring) etc. Getting a bit ‘nesty’ as Christmas approaches. So , £15 tin of chalk paint , staple gun from the local hardware shop , fabric from the local sewing/haberdashery shop. One down ,five to go 🙈 Max of £75 instead of £600 x

A superb double carb start to the week. Sourdough toast , a layer of homemade tomato chilli jam , bubble & squeak from last nights leftovers (well , a bit that I squirrelled away before serving) Crispy edged fried egg & a big old grind of pepper. Solid x

Lovely things ☺️☺️

A VERY Cotswolds Christmas Market.

I’m currently on the worst kind of Teams training , where for an hour the host reads out every bit of the PowerPoint. I could have just read it myself , in my own time.

Pumpkin earrings going away , Mince Pie earrings now deployed 🤣

Made some Mince Pie Chocolate Brownies for @bigbreakfastplus.bsky.social ‘s stall at Christchurch Charity Market tomorrow. They are gooood , get yourself down there if you’re in Swindon & want to try them 🤩

Too sad , genuinely gutted about this ☹️

Fab video of Lucy and her bus getting fruit and veg to under served Liverpool neighbourhoods. I live in the opposite of a food desert but I'd LOVE a van like this to appear on my road every week. Produce looks tip top. (also Lucy is a great follow if you don't already)

Back to volunteering at @bigbreakfastplus.bsky.social this morning ☺️

50 shades of brown & beige today 🤣

Little mate waiting in the Cherry Tree when I got home. I do love them so , even named my daughter Robyn.

Another #persianaeasy recipe. Punchy Herb Chicken. Just incredible , I used half fat crème fraiche as that’s what I had. Honestly the best supper 🤩

@bertsbooks.bsky.social I can’t seem to find a way to add a gift voucher to my shopping cart (using my iPhone) Just checking if it’s user error maybe ? x

Such a fab night with fab neighbours ☺️

Making my Reuben pickle canapés fancy 🤣 Vegan sausage rolls made with porcini, apple, leek , sage , kidney beans etc. Have a Spinach & Gruyère nut roast & a tomato feta tart to cut & serve too. With all the pickles & condiments 😁

It’s been snowing Acer leaves in the garden today. Very nearly done now. And I can stop rake , rake , raking 😁

Reuben Pickle Bites 🙌🏻 Going on the canapé menu for a Safari Supper on Saturday night. (Found the idea online) So good , with a small square of fried rye bread in the middle. Pickle on the ends , Emmental , Pastrami , Sauerkraut. Will make a dressing to drizzle them with. I could eat a million x

Me ‘Gosh my case is heavier than yesterday’ The contents of the complementary mini bar in my case ‘It meeeeee !’

Last night was GOOD 😁

It’s a bit grey in Liverpool. 4 hour drive (inc a stop) , & 30 minutes driving around & around the car park is booked a space in … to actually find a space. Still , here we are 😁

Gave on of our spare rooms a refresh & I might just ignore the pile of crumpled clothes in my own bedroom & move into this one 😁

Savernake Forest giving it all the textures & colours 🧡

Many funghi today 😁

Incredible Sunday Roast at The Silks pub , just a few miles away. I found out a couple of weeks ago that it had been taken over by Masterchef Champion Thomas Frake , so stalked his profile & its reviews , & it did not disappoint at all. Everything tasted as it should ,not drowned in goose/duck/ghee

Beauts charity shop purchase for one of our spare rooms 😁 Also painting a second hand mirror green , because there is no better colour 💚

Another shocking work night away next week , entertaining customers 🙄🙄😁

Ginger Broth with Chicken Koftas from @sabrinaghayour #persianaeasy So much ginger,garlic,turmeric,dill etc that you can feel it doing you good from the first taste ☺️ The Koftas have all the broth ingredients in plus Pul Bibir , an egg , white pepper. Honestly , the biggest hug in a bowl ☺️

My four favourite facts about the cockchafer beetle: 1. It's called a cockchafer beetle. 2. It’s also sometimes known as a “billywitch”. 3. It’s unusually loud and clumsy by beetle standards and bangs into lots of things when it flies into your house by mistake. 4. It looks like this, close up.

Mackerel in olive oil with pickled fennel & dill , on toast. Because I am , quite frankly , a breakfast person. (& this old brain needs all the help it can get 🤣)

This was definitely my best Halloween effort , for the Bristol Zombie Walk , which used to be incredible 😁

Christmas cake is in the oven , the fire is lit & I am SO cosy & happy to be at home ☺️

Got home to a lush gift of two boxes of gorgeous food from the absolute beaut that is Andi Oliver … what a darling ❤️

Cavita on Wigmore Street was just superb 🤩

The Producers at The Garrick… see it , absolutely side splitting x

Back from an epic adventure in China. Loved every minute of it & my fundraising total is £10,130 , plus £2,000 Gift Aid. Pretty damn chuffed with that ☺️

Every hotel should have an Egg topping bar , imo.

Had Pear Soup today. A Chinese tonic with white fungus & wolf berries etc. Had the most incredible evening in Beijing… more food posts to follow x

Breakfast stalls are a big thing in Xi’an. No time to go to the full breakfast market sadly , as we’re on our way to the train station now for the bullet train back to Beijing. Would return to Xi’an in a heartbeat though ☺️

Breakfast stalls in Xi’an , didn’t have time to visit the breakfast market sadly as we’re off back to Beijing on the bullet train. I’d return to Xi’an in a heartbeat though ❤️

Warriors

Zebra crossings in China tonight 🙈😳