Just a blog for blogging's sake

I have had a wondefully floaty summer, hanging out with my love, playing endless games of tennis and basketball, cooking many delicious meals to enjoy in our garden during the brief sunny spells, cycling in France and camping in Cornwall - what an absolutely indulgent time! But now the summer is drawing to a close and I have that wonderful sense of a new term coming. I begin my teacher training in a couple of weeks, and having had the luxury of all this time off, am completely refreshed and ready to go - I can't wait!

I had my first morning in the library yesterday, and then treated myself to a brand new lever-arch file and some narrow-ruled A4 paper - oh it is lovely! There is nothing better than passing the time sorting out nice stationary, labelling books and collecting together my favourite pens - all this gives me the secure feeling that the work load will be manageable and ordered..... I don't think I want to consider an alternative right now-I am enjoying this moment too much!

Our last treat before this next adventure begins, on our way back from camping near the boy's childhood home in Cornwall, was a DELICIOUS lunch at the field kitchen at Riverford Organics. As J is a chef, and I am surrounded by foodies in my family life, we both have great interest in production and preparation of food. Riverford had been recommended by my ma, who works for a similar company in Oxfordshire, and the occasion fully lived up to our expectations. The format is simple, turn up and be fed whatever they have in season at large refectory tables in the architecturally impressive kitchen, which sits in the hllls just north of Totnes in Devon. We ate an absolute feast of wild salmon with puy lentils, roasted fennel gratin, baked carrots with beetroot, spinach and sweetcorn with chilli, new potatoes which tasted as though they had been dug from the ground that morning (which they probably had).....the list went on and on and on... all was washed down with Luscombe's Hot Ginger Beer - and followed by the stickiest sticky toffee pudding that I have ever had! AMAZING! Happy Days!

A xx

Oh, before I forget...

I am back from France, and am hoping to settle into a bit of blogging tomorrow, but in the meantime, I wanted to show you these cakes.... Yes, they have Cliff Richard on, and yes, I know that they are a little odd - but there was reason behind the madness! I have a wonderful housemate and longtime friend, Mr B, who is currently performing at the Edinburgh Festival. We dearly hope that he is not too exhausted and is thriving amongst all the creativity and craziness...

Well, to send him off at the beginning of the month, we threw a little barbecue, while the sun was shining and the sky was clear of clouds (do you remember that little window of summer that we had?!) - and I found this fantastic website which puts photos onto icing for cakes. Why Cliff? simply because the play is called Why we ate Cliff Richard.... for more explanation check out the website www.weatecliff.com. Or go and see the play at the Pleasance Theatre.

The cakes went down a storm, and I am about to make some more for my granpa's 80th, with a beaming photo of the man himself on each one - hopefully my extended family won't think I have lost the plot!

A xx