February 16, 2015By Linda Parker

Well… from the depths of a freezing spell, weather-wise, and the doldrums and post-Christmas self-loathing that come when you mentally add up how many mince-pies and turkey sandwiches have been scoffed, I am trying very hard to be enthusiastic and positive about a sprinkling of New Year resolutions. They are quite simple … cook healthily, […]

January 23, 2015By Linda Parker

The story: This former 17th century barn was built on a hillside location in Herefordshire with fabulous views. It’s now an open plan conversion, part of a wider restoration and rebuild project by architect Alex Coppock of communion design. The owners are a busy couple that wanted to fulfill their desire of living in the countryside, whilst still working in London. They chose Roundhouse, the multi-award winning British design and manufacturing company to create their bespoke kitchen. Kitchens are from £35,000.

December 23, 2014By Linda Parker

If you’re reading about Christmas now, it’s a bit too late to start making home-made Christmas puddings and cakes. So … unless you are one of the ultra-organised home chefs who have already marinated their dates, frozen the home-made bread sauce and laid down a few bottles of home-made sloe gin or raspberry vodka you will be going to do the last-minute run to the supermarket on the 23rd Dec like the rest of us…

December 2, 2014By Linda Parker

For writers and reviewers, Christmas starts in July, with a host of events to launch the festive season’s goodies. As always with seasonal celebrations, there’s a danger of peaking too soon and getting far too fed up with all the Christmas razzamatazz before the day itself even happens…

October 21, 2014By Linda Parker

It was only a few weeks ago that we were enjoying an early autumn hot-spell, & had got the barbecue equipment out again. It hardly seems possible that the nights are drawing in so quickly, & that I’m sweeping leaves off the lawn as well as collecting apples…

October 2, 2014By Linda Parker

After the latest patch of beautiful sunshine, and a surfeit of cakes’n’bakes, we strayed back into barbecue territory, using an old pot-bellied cast iron model we found in the garage, backed up with a few disposable bbq trays to take up the slack when needed…