NEWS

Last night I walked outside at about 8pm and was completely spellbound by the most beautiful full moon. I don't know if any of you saw it but it was amazing. Listening to the radio this morning I learnt that it was The Harvest Moon, which traditionally marks the time when farmers begin to gather their crops for the winter, using the extra bright light to extend their working day.  An interesting fact for the day, and it was pretty special to see too! On the theme of gathering crops, there is nothing better than "home grown" fruit and veg - sadly we don't grow any vegetables at home,...

SIMPLE THINGS ARE OFTEN THE BEST - AUGUST 2017 I have just returned from a charity trip to Kenya where I was one of a group running a week long summer camp for hundreds of children, in one of the many desperately poor communities around Kisumu, near Lake Victoria. I have been there before but even so I found it shocking seeing how they live – their homes are tiny mud huts, often dilapidated and with no electricity, hunger and dehydration are not uncommon, their clothes are generally threadbare, and many of the children have no shoes yet they often have to walk miles to get to school. Interestingly, and possibly because they...

Scorching weekend ahead - June 2017 I was amazed when I realized that it has been nearly three months since I last sent a mailshot, but I seem to have been very busy one way or another. Our building project at home has finally finished and it is so great – I am loving the new kitchen, and my Aga  - I thought I'd share a pic! When I last wrote we were just heading off to Cuba, the land of music, salsa and mangoes.  Then in May we had Lizi’s 21st, and a surprise trip to Morocco.  So spoiling!  High points of...

Spring Sunshine and New Single Estate Olive Oil - March 2017 This weather is incredible - Spring has arrived, and it feels fantastic.  Leaves are emerging, the trees are heavy with blossom, and little primroses are nestled in the undergrowth.  It is such a heavenly time of year. With the warmer weather here it seems appropriate that I have just taken delivery of Jose Maria’s single estate olive oil - produced from the hojiblanca olives grown on his finca near Casarabonela, it is deliciously "green" in flavour with a peppery kick - perfect for drizzling on salads, or for dipping with bread and Fino balsamic. It comes in 1 ltr and 500 ml bottles, and...

LOVE FOOD - FEBRUARY 2017 With Valentine’s Day round the corner there has to be a ‘Love’ theme, and what better to love than good food. Eating has always been high on my list, but I haven't always loved cooking, but that’s probably because when life is pulling you in lots of different directions, putting a meal on the table becomes just another thing on the list of “to do’s”.  I really love it now - with a bit more time it’s so much more enjoyable, and sitting down to a delicious meal is unquestionably one of the best parts of the day.  I love...