The Month of May

May started with glorious blue skies, blossom appearing on the apple tree in our garden, green shoots appearing everywhere, wearing shoes without socks.
Painted toe nails - one of the advantages of being 30+ weeks pregnant is that I have to have a pedicure, there is no way I can reach my toes to paint them!
A delightful christening of godchild number six and catching up with dear friends.
Mother and Pops coming up for the day. First time cooking summer food, pottering in the garden together and enjoying the sunshine.
My last week at work before maternity leave - all happening at just the right time. The final day, cards from different classes and being sung to by the different classes in my team. Receiving some lovely gifts, including a nappy cake and then to Canary Wharf for pizza. Home very tired.
Off to Twin and the Blessings for a lovely day. A BBQ in the garden and practising putting on a baby sling with a doll.
Cooking Warmth the meal I cooked on the weekend we became engaged as a celebration for first day of maternity leave.
Mother and Pops coming up for what should have been a day of gardening, but the persistent rain meant we sorted out the linen for TT.
Meeting up with a dear friend for lunch at Peter Jones and then on to try to get ahead by buying cards and gifts for all the summer birthdays.
Days having a gentle rhythm of reading, eating, napping, preparing for TT, pottering in the garden, doing small jobs.
A very belated birthday pamper day with Twin and Mother at Eastwell Manor. So lovely to have a facial, laze in the rest room, float in the deserted pool, have a foot massage, chat and catch up.
Off into town for friend's birthday meal at Bambou. I was determined to stay for supper and not just the drinks part. This will probably be the last time we go out on a Saturday night together with no babysitter.
Meeting up with new NCT friends for lunch at The Station, then after a brief afternoon nap out to Dalys Wine Bar to catch up with old friends.
A very wet day in Sloane Square, hoping to enjoy looking at Chelsea in Bloom shop windows, instead hiding in Patisserie Valerie with a dear friend and then hopping to The Saatchi Gallery and stumbling across Festival des Metiers a Hermes exhibition.
A final pre baby hair cut and lunch with Mama and Papa Warmth.
Good friends for a takeaway curry - we've finally found a good local takeaway Indian.
Pops' 70th birthday celebrations. Nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, aunts and immediate family. Thirty in all and the sun shone so magnificently that we spent the whole day outside, suntan lotions necessary.
A lovely Bank Holiday Monday - eating supper outside. Then the next day it rained and rained...
Quickly, or as quickly as I move at the moment, popping to Lambs Conduit Street to Persephone to buy Twin's birthday gift and then deciding I did have time to pop in Ben Penreath, even though I was then late meeting up with dear old colleagues at our favourite restaurant The National Portrait Gallery Restaurant. Lovely to see the views of London in daylight.

Finally finished Restoration by Rose Tremain - quite unlike her other books I've read.  It was a long slow slog. Speeded through Cocktails under the tree of forgetfulness by Alexandra Fuller and The Rain before it Falls by Jonathon Coe. Baked this lemon drizzle cake for NCT ladies day, Hummingbird's Peanut butter and chocolate biscuits. A Ricotta and Lemon Cake, to use up left over ricotta, for Twin and Blessings.

The last day in May Twin and the blessings up and this also means the last month without a bundle of baby in our lives...

The Month of March

Started with Twin and The Blessings coming to visit. Giant meatballs were eaten, new magimix and  pie tin and cookery book used for Hummingbird Chocolate Pudding Pie, a visit to a newly discovered local park, hot cross buns for tea, delivery of more baby bits, much laughter and love.
Mama and Papa Warmth to lunch the next day and a repeat menu.
Off to supper with some dear friends and meet their two new adorable cats, Oskar and Bluebell. I attempted pistachio macarons, and apart from a sizing issue, they weren't too bad. Worth perfecting.
Then other great friends to lunch the next day. Lovely to catch up with them. Since we've moved to the other side of London it's harder to meet up with them, especially as we did used to live almost just round the corner.
The weather then regressed, well it hadn't ever reached spring. But minus eight and snow flurries are not what I wanted. At least there were blue skies and sunshine, even if it was cold. This sentence can be repeated at various intervals throughout the month of March, and looking at April through April too.
A quiet Saturday, just Warmth and me. So a cold brisk walk across the South Bank to see Lichtenstein at Tate Modern. We bought a print for TT's bedroom.
Sunday a high tea celebrating Mama Warmth's birthday with everyone.
A shall we/shan't we be going to Cardiff weekend. The postponed from the snow in January 40th had been rearranged. Yet at 9am it was snowing and settling with us. We thought we'd wait and see and thankfully it stopped so we started off much later. A lovely evening catching up with friends and we ended up leaving with a car seat. Then the drive home the next day. A lot of driving for a short time, but worth it.
A delightful. just because, gift from Warmth of a Kindle. I hope this will be the way for me to continue reading with a baby. I'm making the assumption that I will be up a lot in the night and hopefully this way I can read as well. I like the idea of re reading favourite books and reading good passages out to TT.
Managing through to the end of term. For a short term it most definitely was exhausting.
A lovely Easter weekend together. Preparing the room for TT, shopping, Mother and Pops coming
up to visit.
Today, Easter Sunday, we're off to Mortlake for Warmth Family Easter. Eating chocolate, cheering on the Boat Race and having a lovely family day.
Books read this month. a golden age by Tahmima Anam, Night Waking by Sarah Moss, one of my AOW bookswap books.
Baking - continuing with the loaf cakes. Banana, lemon or fruit. The above pistachio macarons and Nigella's Lemon Meringue Cake for Easter Saturday.

Wishing you all a Happy Easter x

a triumphantly plump chocolate hen

'We make the delicate liqueur chocolates, the rose-petal clusters, the gold-wrapped coins, the violet creams, the chocolate cherries and almond rolls in batches of fifty at a time, laying them out on greased tins to cool. Hollow eggs and animal figures are carefully split open and filled with these. Nests of spun caramel with hard-shelled eggs each topped with a triumphantly plump chocolate hen; piebald rabbits heavy with gilded almonds stand in rows, ready to be wrapped and boxed; marzipan creatures march across the shelves. The smells of vanilla essence and cognac and caramelized apple and bitter chocolate fill the house.' Joanne Harris Chocolat

window

Wishing you a happy Easter weekend. What will you be eating?

The Month of February

Warmth had the day off work to wait in for a new carpet to be laid. Now all we need for the front room is an over mantel mirror and some pictures.
The train to Canterbury to see Mother, a quiet and lovely weekend catching up and keeping warm.
Really enjoying going along to Pregnancy Pilates.
A quiet Friday evening mooching to the Tatty Devine shop to buy this and discovering it's in the online sale, wandering past MW Nails that I've read lots about, popping in on the off chance they had a space and having a lovely Friday night file and polish in their airport style salon. Still having time to pop to the MAC shop to buy a new eye shadow and then home. A very lovely Friday evening.
Meeting up with a dear friend to go to the Valentino exhibition at Somerset House followed by tea at Laduree. Perfect for a cold dreary Saturday.
Up early on Sunday as friends, with their four children, were coming to lunch and to very kindly drop off a whole load of baby bits and pieces.
A delicious Valentines Day meal cooked by Warmth of lamb shanks and chorizo.
Popping round to Mama and Papa Warmth expecting a cup of tea to be welcomed with afternoon tea of delicate sandwiches, scones, fruit loaf and lemon drizzle cake. Then off to meet Mother for a quick, and very light supper at Victoria, as she then went to meet Pops at the airport.
A wonderful family day on Sunday welcoming Pops back with a 'low key' turkey and trimmings. So lovely to see him, he to see bump, when he left three months ago there was nothing to see. Catching up on three months of our news and all he's experienced. Lovely to know that his stories will keep coming and being talked about.
Beginning the half term with my #bookswap delivery. I have so many wonderful books to read that I mustn't buy anymore.
Off to the Kings Road for a mooch and more importantly meet a dear friend for lunch, catch up and to learn more about babyhood at Pain Quotidian. It was almost like when we used to work together and would sometimes meet up there between visits.
Finally getting round to buying a food processor, so when I saw the latest Hummingbird Bakery book reduced in the shop it felt foolish to resist it.
Discovering a dainty patch of snowdrops, being able to hang out the washing and permanently having a vase of daffodils. Spring is coming and soon I'll be back out in the garden. I can't wait.
Then off to Poole Hotel du Vin for a few days rest. My it was cold. We wrapped up warm and the delicious soup at this deli warmed us. Gawping at the huge houses at Sandbanks, a brief and windy walk along the sandy shores, catching the chain ferry across the spit to Swanage for fish and chips, stopping off at a traditional sweet shop to buy iron rations for exploring Corfe Castle and each night being thankful that we were dining in the hotel's restaurant so we didn't need to venture out.
A lovely evening with Warmth's brother and wife at The Young Vic bar and supper at Ev.
Continuing with the Sunday bake, though the pear, raspberry and oat loaf was just too soggy, an apricot and marzipan loaf from The Great British Bake Off book and another lemon drizzle cake, with an extra lemon added for additional zing.
Reading The boy in striped pyjamas by John Boyne for my school course, finishing Diana Athill, Instead of a Book and really enjoying The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. Finishing off the month with The Parasites by Daphne du Maurier, one of my Mr B's Reading spa recommendations.

The Month of January

Started with seeing more than just a few inches of blue in the sky. Hurrah! Perfect weather cold, crisp. dry and blue for a New Year walk. Off to Oxleas Woods we went.
Having a lovely impromptu meet with a great friend along the Kings Road. A little sales mooching and a long sit and catch up in Grocer on Kings.
A day trip to Bath to Mr B's Delightful Reading Emporium for my reading spa, but you've read all about that.
A leisurely wake up and breakfast with mother and then a mooch to Blackheath together before saying goodbye.
A slow weekend - the most venturing to the cinema to see The Life of Pi. I'm sure I didn't jump that much when reading the book.
Then back to school after a lovely and relaxing holiday.
Ohh it began to get colder...
A lovely catch up supper at Rocket, and giving of the last Christmas gift.
Off to Mama and Papa Warmth's for a family gathering to celebrate Papa Warmth's birthday. This also is the occasion of the annual 'Card of the year'. Where we look at every card and firstly vote for the best and then the worst. Left over Christmas food is nibbled, the last of the mince pies eaten and then we read a Christmas section from Diary of a Nobody.
Catching up with a dear friend and our usual pizza, the final receiving of a Christmas gift
Our engagement anniversary and a hospital appointment for our 20 week scan. So, if all continues well there will be a mini Warmth or Joan born in early June. All is well and we're getting most excited, and a little bigger...
Then the snow came... and our weekend in Cardiff to celebrate a good friend's 40th birthday was postponed. So a weekend of wrapping up warm, walking to the shop to buy food, making soup, baking, re watching multiple West Wing, napping on the sofa. In fact it felt a little like the days just after Christmas - lazy and full of food.
Mama and Papa Warmth for Friday night supper, crumble felt like the only pudding to eat this week.
Saturday blue skies - oh what a welcome return.
Off to good friends for the night. Chinese takeaway, a lasagne for lunch, laughter and catching up together.
Baking loaf cakes in the cold weather. This Lemon Drizzle Cake - my it was tangy and delicious. Straight from the oven it would make a perfect pudding, then if any left as cake, trying to find the perfect flapjack recipe - do you have one? Lady Grey Fruit Loaf as the snow silently fell and one from the Great British Bake Off book an apricot and marzipan fruit loaf.

The month of December

Started with a visit to the where I used to live in London, in fact walking past the end of my old road, to visit a friend who is involved in an open studio there. It was a lovely chance to eat mince pies and more importantly catch up with her.
A wonderful crisp walk across Blackheath and Greenwich park and knowing that now it's December we can really feel Christmassy.
Eating too many delicious Ecchelfechan
Up and out early to try and finish our Christmas shopping, a successful trip we were back home having bought what was needed by midday.
Wrapping up and sending my Olive Dragonfly Secret Santa gift.
A mismatched week whilst the front room was being decorated - but my it was worth it. Sitting here all decorated and with our Christmas tree is December bliss.
Off to great friends' wedding. Delicious lunch in a local pub, a wonderful service, with the occasional bauble rolling off the Christmas tree, then the reception. Catching up with old friends, some whom I haven't seen for a few years. A lovely way to truly feel festive.
Finally the last week of term. End of term concerts, Reception class nativity complete with arguing Wise Men, class Christmas parties and finally the staff pantomime, Cinderella.
Discovering that what I thought was a book shop very near our home is the most delightful one with it's own reading room and complimentary tea. Ink and Folly I look forward to being a frequent customer.
Meeting dear friends for an annual Christmas meal at Loch Fyne and more importantly catch up.
Most thankful for the above book shop. We managed to find the book we needed for a Blessing in there so no need to go anywhere else.
A quiet day due to end of term exhaustion, sad to miss a dear friends Champagne and Shepherd's Pie party.
A lazy Sunday wrapping presents, Granny Warmth coming up and going out for a local lunch. Then Mama and Papa Warmth coming round for mince pies.
Christmas Eve spent listening to Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King's whilst baking sweets for Christmas day. Peppermint Bark a huge success, discovered from Papermash originally from here. Orange and Cranberry biscotti and Chocolate Kisses.
Christmas Eve supper of M&S turkey, bread sauce, red cabbage, roast potatoes, parsnips as an early Christmas gift to Warmth, we were having beef on Christmas day.
A wet drive down to Twin and the Blessings. Mother was already there. Opening of presents, a short walk in the few moments of dry weather, a delicious lunch, Skype call to Pops who was in Jerusalem, having been in Bethlehem for Christmas Eve and the service there. We sang to Pops and apparently the whole of the hotel lobby heard us. Boxing Day walk followed by delicious leftover lunch and then time for us to pack up and say our festive goodbyes.
Getting ready for hosting Warmth's family for our Christmas celebrations. We ate well and I continued my tradition of making a Chocolate Yule Log.
Having so much food left over that when dear friends came for supper the next day we ate leftovers and still have some leftover. As we hadn't had to cook supper breakfast was baked croque monsieur.
Loving reading Christmas at Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons, the perfect December read, even though most of the stories aren't about Christmas. Alys, always by Harriet Lane. Instead of a book by Diana Athill - a present for Christmas last year. Devouring Jerusalem by Ottolonghi, a happily received Christmas gift. Now to plan what to cook.

And for today we're going to see A Christmas Carol, then on for cocktails and home to snuggle up and welcome in 2013.

The month of November

Last day of the holidays and Warmth had the day off. A day of chores and beginning the paint choosing for the newly plastered front room. Will it be Lamp Room Gray, French Gray, Elephant's Breath or Old White?
A lovely afternoon/evening with Warmth's brother and wife. starting off with drinks in the Young Vic bar and then a carb fest of burgers, chips and mac cheese, the vegetables being onion rings, courgette fries and a slice of pickle at Byron Burger.
A very wet Sunday with a mooch at We Make London Fair and resting before returning back to school. What a lovely relaxing week it's been.
Back to school and Friday night supper with Mama and Papa Warmth who've just come back from some time in France.
Then off to my parents for a family weekend to say goodbye to Pops who is now in Palestine with EAPPI. A weekend of food. Arriving in time for tea and rock cakes, a Chinese takeaway, a delicious breakfast whilst Pops opened his Christmas gifts, then a glorious walk along the beach in Deal before home for roast pork, the choice of three puddings and a huge cheese board. Then a tearful au revoir.
Meeting up with my dear old colleagues at our favourite restaurant for chat, Early Years news and friendship. A very lovely belated birthday gift of vouchers for Anthropologie meant that I could buy the measuring cups I've been drooling over for the last month. So glad I resisted the other times.
Meeting up with a dear university friend at Tate Britain for the Pre-Raphaelite exhibition. How funny to read this as the opening line of my book on the train in.
'There is a certain room in the Tate Gallery which, in these unregenerate days is more a passage-way towards the French pictures...'
'He now observed that it was mostly hung with large with large and unpleasant works of the 'Every picture tells a story' school, interspersed with some rather inferior examples of pre-Raphaelitism...' Nancy Mitford Christmas Pudding
A very lovely Friday night in with mother and then a very cold, wet, grey mis Saturday beginning the Christmas shopping.
Lunch with Mama and Papa Warmth.
Suddenly feeling it getting much colder...

Reading The other side of truth by Beverley Ngaioo for the English course I'm on through school. A little troubling reading about refugees and trying to get into a country just as dad was flying to Israel and then onto Palestine in the midst of everything. Making a long waited for start on the first of my Christmas books - Christmas Pudding by Nancy Mitford. No baking, apart from the ubiquitous banana bread, I'm all ready for December baking though.

The month of October

The first Friday night and oh the rain. I've decided that rain on a Friday night should be banned. Meeting a dear friend who has just cycled LEJO'G for catch up drinks at Pix, resisting the tapas that are deliciously displayed there. Then on to meet with other friends at a bar on Dean Street. Oh this bar. I felt too old and as I had already thankfully caught up with friend I left to meet Warmth. Walking to where he was I passed Soho Joe, Burger & Lobster and DuckSoup three places that I really want to eat at. Joining Warmth in the rain at Cinnamon Soho for some food. The joys of small plate menus is joining late means everyone just gets to eat more.
Friday night supper with Mama and Papa Warmth.
A Saturday visit to Greenwich Auctions followed by a walk across Greenwich Park to Blackheath. collecting shining conkers on the way.
Twin and The Blessings to lunch. A roast dinner and another delightful autumnal walk in the local woods. Discussing which home Christmas will be celebrated in this year.
Baking Hot Chocolate Cup Cakes by the Hummingbird Bakery for the return from our autumnal walk.
Meeting up with dear friends that haven't gathered together for a while at Cork and Bottle in Leicester Square. How many times have I walked past this unassuming entrance right in the heart of Leicester Square. A cosy wine and food place perfect for an October evening.
Meeting up with friends for a lazy Saturday lunch at The Sun Inn and asked to be godmother. So Amity joins Toby, Oliver, Annabel, Amara and Juliette.
Sunday afternoon shopping in Anthropologie and Liberty's for two of the above godchildren's birthday gifts.
Celebrating the last day of half term by meeting a dear friend for pizza at favourite restaurant Rocket.
Celebrating an early start to half term because of Eid by meeting another dear friend and finally sampling the delicious food of Ottolenghi. I now want to buy, and cook from his new book Jerusalem.
A lazy Saturday and a late supper at Ganapati with friends. An even lazier Sunday with mother and Pops popping in for crumpets and cake.
Another lazy holiday day - though this was because the front room was being plastered so I just had to laze upstairs and read.
Finishing the month off with a trip to the V&A with Twin and the Blessings to see the Hollywood Costume exhibition.
Finally given up on JHD365 photo a day and a slight blogging lull.
Baking said Hot Chocolate Cup Cakes and the most delicious Cherry Marzipan cake.
Reading The Snow child by Eowyn Ivey and for a course at work The Garbage King by Elizabeth Laird. Finishing the month reading Someone at a Distance by Dorothy Whipple.

How was your October?

enchanting aromatic foods

'He lay back for a little while in his bed thinking about the smells of food, of the greasy horror of fried fish and the deeply moving smell that came from it; of the intoxicating breath of bakeries and the dullness of buns... He planned dinners of enchanting aromatic foods that should be carried under the nose, snuffed and thrown to the dogs... endless dinners in which one could alternate flavour with flavour from sunset to dawn without satiety, while one breathed great draughts of brandy' Evelyn Waugh Vile Bodies

eating

Whilst I'm typing this out the delightful scent of Julia Child's Coq au vin, as cooked by Warmth is enchantingly floating up the stairs.

Hope you had a weekend of eating delicious food.

The month of September

Started with a day trip to Worthing to see Granny Warmth. After lunch we went for a walk along the beach, played on the 2p slot machines and all the joys of a local museum.
London has just been alive this summer with so many surprises. Walking from Charing Cross we discovered a Paralympic live site at Trafalgar Square and then walking up Regents Street, which was closed for Piccadilly Circus Circus. We gazed, gawped and admired the amazing acrobatic feats.
Back to work, but the evenings were still filled with Paralympics.
Glorious sunshine and a sunny Saturday mooching at Maltby Street Market and then Borough Market. Buying delicious food for a weekend of final September BBQs.
An early start on Sunday and in to London to eek out the last of London 2012 with cheering on the marathon. The sun shone and London looked glorious.
Picking a few apples from our tree, not nearly as many as last year.
Easing into autumn with footless tights...
Going to Renegade Craft at Spitalfields and meeting fellow blogger Anna there. A new brooch was bought. Then a lovely autumnal shopping mooch, up Marylebone High Street popping into Oxfam Bookshop, Rococo for a small salted chocolate bar, then meeting Warmth and Brother Warmth and wife for drinks.
A Sunday afternoon at the cinema for Anna Karenina. It felt like we should have vodka and caviar rather than popcorn to munch on.
A quiet weekend sharing food with Ma and Pa Warmth on Saturday and Mother and Pops on Sunday. Suddenly autumn has arrived, as did the rain.
Catching up with a dear friend at Pain Quotidian.
Another gorgeous sunny Saturday and off to Sevenoaks to visit some friends this evening.
Books read - very dismal I started Such a Long Journey by Rohinton Mistry but just couldn't get into it so 200 pages in we departed company.
Baking an apple streusal cake - not the most interesting but it's always lovely to have a cheeky slice of cake. Some more bananas so another banana cake. Julia Child's Coq au vin - the perfect recipe so much so that we've already planned who we're cooking it for next.

mixing, grating, melting, infusing

A little like the excitement of returning to my autumn clothes after a summer of lighter clothes, even though I was longing to wear them in May. My thoughts for cooking are turning autumnal now. I've loved the summer salads, but now I want warm and comforting.

''There is a kind of sorcery in all cooking: in the choosing of ingredients, the process of mixing, grating, melting, infusing and flavouring, the recipes taken from ancient books, the traditional utensils - the pestle and mortar with which my mother made her incense turned to a more homely purpose, her spices and aromatics giving up their subtleties to a baser, more sensual magic. And it is partly the transience of it that delights me; so much loving preparation, so much art and experience put into a pleasure which can last only a moment, and which only a few will ever fully appreciate." Joanne Harris Chocolat

bake

What have you been cooking up recently?

The Month of August

Continued with watching the Olympics. A lot.
With the news that the window restorers were not starting meeting up with a dear friend for a mooch and then lunch at Cocomaya on the Kings Road.
Quiet, as in not doing much, noisy as in lots of banging, days around the house as the downstairs windows were restored.
Meeting dear print making friends for our annual visit to the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. This time we discussed the Olympics as well as art and life.
A weekend of Olympics. Watching it on television, going to Potters Field to watch it on a big screen and the next day cheering the Women's marathon in the rain.
A lovely week of friends to lunch, visiting school friends and university friends in Sevenoaks, meeting friends for lunch out on the Southbank, pottering in the house, reading all sandwiched in between watching the Olympics.
Meeting a friend for Monday night tapas and rose at Jose. Then the next day meeting a dear friend for lunch at Mishkins a mooch through Covent Garden including Kate Spade and the Chanel pop up then to Laduree for macarons and tea.
Off to France to stay chez Mama and Papa Warmth. Drinking delightful wine, a Sunday mooch at a local brocante, a return visit to La Borne a favourite pottery place, the book town of La Charite, a paddle in La Loire as it was so hot. On to Amboise to view the chateau and Clos Luce where Leonardo de Vinci lived. An anniversary drive back through France - that included sat nav taking us along the Boulevard Peripherique.
Productive days around the house. Destroying the bamboo, clearing the pond and stripping the wallpaper in the front room. Interspersed with drinks at The Railway, learning alot more about Edward Munch at the Tate Modern and meeting The Brothers Warmth, plus wives, at PropStore for drinks and Wahaca for much needed food.
The final days of school holidays going into school for the morning to prepare for September.
Really feeling that autumn is coming - socks on!
And we finish the month of August at the Olympic Park cheering on the ParaOlympics.

Baking that Banana Bread again.
Reading Mrs Bridge by Evan S. Connell - oh the ending. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie, The Report by Jessica Francis Kane, A World of Love by Elizabeth Bowen, A Favourite of the Gods by Sybille Bedford.

a holiday

'In the radiance and the silence, she ran on the vast expanse of hard, smooth sand, beside herself with joy. Ah, when you only have a holiday once in a while, what a happiness it is! Each golden minute had to be held and perfected before it was let go.' Dorothy Whipple High Wages

journey

The bags are packed, the car is piled high and we're off to France for our summer holiday.

See you soon x

faded penciled notes

One of the books I've enjoyed having the time to read this holiday is Mrs Bridge. But oh my the ending. This passage has been me this week enjoying preparing for aunt Violet and my parents for lunch today and then friends for supper this evening.

"...she went to the cupboard where the old recipe books were stored.... Mrs Bridge began looking through them, seeing pencil notations in her own handwriting, scarcely legible anymore. Her husband liked more pepper in this, no bay leaves in that - whatever he wanted and whatever he did not like was expertly registered in the margins, and as she turned through these recipes she thought how strangely intimate the faded penciled notes remained; they brought back many scenes, many sweet and private memories; they brought back youth." Evan S. Connell Mrs Bridge

kitchen

My recipes books do have faded and splattered pencil notes in them, about who they've been cooked for, whether they were adapted, how they turned out. They do not have any comments about how Warmth likes his food though!

The Month of July

Mama and Papa Warmth to lunch, a walk around the garden and a lovely catch up.
Meeting a friend and having the opportunity of seeing the Olympic rings over Tower Bridge whilst eating a pizza at Strada.
Friday night mooching in Selfridges with a dear friend, exploring the beauty halls, the fashion, the home ware and then resting with a beautiful glass of rose and some snacks on the roof garden. Somehow it did stay dry though the blankets in buckets were most welcome by the end of the evening.
Celebrating Warmth's birthday with friends to stay. A BBQ with so much meat that the only pudding was Warmth's Birthday cake - all he wanted was a Gingernut loaf from his childhood.
Watching Murray in the Wimbledon final.
Meeting a friend on a soggy Thursday for drinks at The National Theatre at Propstore pop up bar. The Southbank is looking so wonderful it just needs dry weather for everyone to be able to stand out and enjoy.
A sad Saturday of meeting a dear friend for a farewell afternoon tea at Fortnum&Mason, then a slow mooch up Bond Street window gazing before going to leaving drinks for another friend. Both lovely times but I do wish they weren't leaving.
Hurrah the last day of term, an end of year social in the hall with huge vats of curry from a local restaurant.
My birthday gift to Warmth was a Eurostar trip to Paris.
An earlyish start the next day to cheer on the Olympic Torch as it went down both ends of our road. Then off to dear friends of Warmth's for a BBQ and catch up.
A lovely, lazy sunny Sunday ending with a BBQ in the garden.
First day of the summer holidays and the sun in all its glory shone. Popping into school and meeting a dear friend for her birthday. I'd suggested Inn the Park but alas Beach Volleyball scuppered those plans. So we found a great lunch deal at Maze where we had a cooling glass of fizz, a four course taster, coffee and then a tour of the kitchen. A delicious and lovely way to start the holidays.
Off to Kew to cheer on a friend who'd been nominated to for the Torch Relay. Oh it was hot but what fun it was. Spending a lazy day in Kew. Cooling lime and sodas in a shady pub garden and then to Ask pizza a whole group of us, plus the Olympic Torch.
Sitting in the shade by Blackheath pond meeting Rachel for lunch, book mooching and gentle chatting.
And then to watch the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games. It was amazing. The whole Olympics are amazing and in fact I felt like just writing this sentence for The Month of July as it surpasses everything else this month, yes even Paris.
A family party with fun games in the garden, lots of delicious food but not quite enough Olympic watching.
Sunday lunch with mama and papa Warmth the Olympics were on all the time.
The month finished with Mother coming up for a day of gardening.
Lots of cakes baked for school Fun Day and the cake stall. Lemon Drizzle and iced star biscuits were the biggest success. Lots of fairy cakes baked and a banana loaf. A different banana loaf with added seeds - hoping this one doesn't sink.
Books read Illyrian Spring by Ann Bridge, Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard. The first of my new birthday Vogue subscription and The Mirador, dreamed memories of Irene Nemirovsky by her daughter, by Elisabeth Gille.

Are you enjoying the Olympics?

The Month of June

The month started with the last day of half term and a fish and chip supper with Mother and Pops before a very early start the next day for our family holiday in Mallorca.
Celebrating our birthday there with lovely gifts, two cakes, being twins there has to be two cakes, being transported out there and easy to pack gifts. Swimming in the pool and then Twin and I took everyone out for supper at Stay restaurant.
The rest of the week was glorious. Swimming, reading, sunbathing, a daily cafe con leche, a mooch in a town, a return to the villa for more swimming and sunbathing. Ending the day with beers, rose wine, communal meals, Scrabble and days filled with happy memories.
Returning to work but made more pleasurable by meeting a friend for Monday evening cocktails at Lounge Lover and then supper at Boundary.
Catching up with dear printmaking friends at Waterstones and deciding that our IRL bookclub has come to an end but long live meeting up for friendship.
Meeting a dear friend who is about to leave for Singapore for Friday night drinks at Dalla Terra  and then supper at Dishoom.
A much needed weekend around the house - somehow being in the garden doesn't feel like a chore. Is this how some people view house work
Party weekend... Pink lanterns hanging in the tree, fizz chilling, amazing cakes, home made lasagne, dear friends, including one friend coming over from New York for it. How wonderful friends are. Re wearing my wedding dress - red nails, barefoot. 
Wandering to Tudor Barn Art weekend on the Sunday, eating cake, left over lasagne, toast and crisps.
Cakes baked started off with ones to take into work for my birthday. Nigella's Lemon Drizzle, Bill Granger's Chocolate Brownie, though I forgot to add the chocolate but it was still delicious, Eat Me! Farmhouse biscuits and Hummingbird Orange and Almond cake.
Books read finally finished Jane Eyre, I'm back in love it on this third read. The Paris Wife a perfect holiday book, Florence Finds Book Club book this month. Cheerful weather for a Wedding in the most uncheerful weather. Starting to try and read some of Warmth's books - Evelyn Waugh Vile Bodies.
Book giftings Persephone Cheerful weather for a wedding by Julia Strachey, a gift voucher to be spent on Daunt Books Ilyrian Spring and a delightful book of photographs of me from birth to now from Mother and Pops. A delightful book London A History in Verse, a bibliotherapy session at Mr B's Emporium.

Tomorrow we're off to a wedding at The Horniman Museum. June has been a truly wonderful month.

The Month of May

Began with meeting Lula from The Golden Afternoon Tea Company to discuss my birthday cakes.
Discovering a new restaurant for midweek suppers with friends. The Riding House Cafe. I am still dreaming about the chocolate sundae with honeycomb and macarons.
A surprise Thursday tweet from Gudrun Sjorden saying I was the lucky winner of their retweet to win a scarf. Home on Friday to discover it on our doorstep. A bright and lovely addition to my wardrobe. Thank you.
A lovely Saturday with Twin. Exploring the V&A British Design 1948-2012 exhibition. I'm looking forward to going again with Warmth later on in the summer.
A thorough thorough spring clean of our house. How does it get so dirty?
Off to my hairdresser's pop up shop a new brooch and some cocktail glasses then meeting Warmth for Bank Holiday Sunday drinks at The Railway, our new favourite pub.
A day trip to Brighton. A delightful read of Jane Eyre, mooching in the different jewellery shops and then the most delicious lunch in Terre a Terre.
Enjoying sunshine, venturing out without socks or tights and wearing bright varnish on my toes at last.
A girls' night out on Saturday night to Cocochan.
A glorious Sunday and finally buying the Whistles summer dress.
Meeting mother and pops for a wet and cold Tuesday evening supper at Waterloo Bar and Kitchen then a Thursday supper out with dear friends at Sofra.
A Saturday mooch in Exmouth market - continuing, and ending the birthday jewellery searching. Then to Mama and Papa Warmth for supper.
The family weekend continued with my cousin and her gorgeous family coming for lunch.
The weather turned to glorious, wonderful sunshine. The garden looks amazing. The foxgloves are peeping, the roses budding and the rhododendron resplendent in it's purple glory.
A beautiful sunny Saturday. Meeting dear friend to go to the Christian Louboutin Exhibition at the Design Museum. Then a first time explore of Maltby Street Market. Glorious on a sunny lunchtime. We ate brunch at Bea's Diner and took home the much read about St. John Bakery's custard donuts. Home to rest before going out to friend's annual Eurovision Party.
A sunny Sunday cleaning, gardening and getting ready for our holiday.
Nails painted in Essie Clam Bake means I keep wanting to sing "We had a real good clam bake, we're mighty glad you came" from Carousel all the time.
And today a visit to Mudchute Farm with 120 three to five year olds and the anticipation of our holiday.

Baking my first attempt at Millionaire's Shortbread - I shall make it again. A favourite Hummingbird Bakery Summer Fruit Cheesecake. And a disaster. I attempted to make up my own recipe using stewed rhubarb and left over condensed milk for a loaf cake. It was all a bit dense, soggy and not to be repeated. Nigella's Cappucino Cupcakes for Eurovision.
Reading The wartime stories of Mollie Panter-Downes, the perfect bedtime reading. Two short stories before I close my eyes. Getting started early for the Victorian Reading challenge with a third re read of Jane Eyre.

Pastry was made with your hands

There are lots of times in our house when I think of the women before who lived here. Often when reading books I wonder about who lived here when the character I'm reading was alive. There are a few times when I feel more connected to these women of yesterday, one when I'm scrubbing the tiles on our kitchen floor and another when I'm making pastry, by hand. These seem to be tasks that haven't changed through the ages.

'...she knew where the jam was kept and how to tie it down. She knew that bread was kept in the earthenware pan, smelling rather like a flower-pot, in the larder, cake in a tin in the cupboard. She knew that salt and eggs both made silver go a queer colour, that pastry was made with your hands and cake with a wooden spoon. She liked the hot smell of the oven, part grease, part warm metal, when the door was opened to put the pastry in. She loved the smell of rising bread, and of bread hot out of the oven, the queer, ether smell of steaming potatoes and the flat wash day smell of boiled pudding.' Elizabeth Cambridge Hostages of Fortune

kitchen

Whom do you imagine having lived in your home before?

The Month of April

Somehow the whole of my month of April has disappeared... It could almost be summed up with rain, chocolate, friends, family and gardening.

It started waking up in dear friend's newly decorated spare bedroom having had a lovely Saturday supper together and the knowledge that the Easter holidays had commenced.
Deciding I have another favourite place to add to London Mooching, Seven Dials. A glorious walk in the sunshine along these streets, gazing at the brooch I'm coveting and exploring a new shop that I'd read lots about.
Meeting a dear friend for a long lunch at Rocket.
Godson, his siblings and mother coming for a lovely relaxed lunch. Good to see children enjoying our garden, eating the creme egg cakes I'd baked.
Our curtains for the dining room have been delivered and are lovely. Phew we made the right choice.
A supper of bellinis, friendship and laughter with dear colleagues at the National Portrait Gallery Restaurant.
A cold and most pleasant day watching The Boat Race at Brother Warmth's flat in Mortlake. Then drinks in the Hare and Hounds, surely a pub Hugh Grant should frequent.
An Easter Sunday at our home. It was lovely to have every one around the table. Delicious lamb, cake, Simnel Cake and chocolate, Easter Egg hunt Easter Egg races in the garden, in between the rain.  Warmth received his life sized Easter bunny and was very happy and it was very delicious.
Meeting a friend for supper at Vinoteca. Hearing about her plans.
Warmth had the week off work which was lovely. Lots of pottering in the garden, seeing how new plants have sprouted shoots, bulbs planted are coming through, planting sweet pea seeds and hoping they haven't been washed away in the rain.
Tate Britain to see Picasso and Modern British Art then to Tate Modern to see Damien Hirst.

Lemon and Jar

A mooch to Greenwich Auctions then to see the most delcious film - Delicacy, a walk over Greenwich and Blackheath. A wonderful rainbow and drinks at The Railway.
A Friday night at The Royal Academy London Original Print Fair.
To The Rocket to celebrate a friend's 40th birthday lunch.
In amongst all the rain the first glimpse of peonies at Liberty's. Surely summer is on its way?
Ma and Pa Warmth to supper. A lovely evening and even better to have left over food to munch on the next day.
Baked Creme Egg Cakes, Nigella's Easter Chocolate Nest, Sunday evening baking restarted biscuits, banana bread, Bakewell Tart baked for the first time.
Books read - oh very slow with The Finkler Question.

The month ended with a beautiful, sunny spring day.

The Month of March

World Book Day at school. One of those warm fuzzy moments. A lovely warm afternoon, 500 three-eleven year olds dressed up, parading around the playground in their classes cheering everyone on. all the teachers and support teachers dressed up too.
Discovering a new bar, Eleanor Bar at The Charing Cross Hotel. The friend who chose it knew nothing about it but decided that because they'd chosen to name it after the original cross that Edward 1 erected as a memorial to his wife Eleanor of Castile, it couldn't be that bad. For it's location this bar is a fantastic find.
A feeling that spring had sprung one day and then the next day back to grey skies.
A sunny afternoon mooch in Blackheath and onto supper with friends.
Twin and the blessings up for lunch. Alas the weather meant we ended up playing games, making things and going for a very brief walk to the local park rather than to the woods.
The rebranding of AnyOtherWedding to AnyOtherWoman.
Off to Canterbury to see my parents. Twin and the Blessings were there so we had a delightful spring walk. Then in the evening to the cathedral to hear dad sing (Hayden's Creation) in his choir. It's the first time I've been for years, as a teenager I used to take a cushion and a book as I found it so boring. In places I would still have liked my book to read. I realised how fortunate I am to have this amazing building on my doorstep and how I just take it for granted.
A first spring afternoon in the garden. Amazed at the shoots of new life coming through, relieved that I don't seem to have killed off the plants - yet and excited for what will unfurl in the coming months.
discovering that I really do need to be more careful with my money. So striking things off my wish list. a £29 pair of Zara boots instead of these Ash ones.
A blog meet up with Rachel at Canteen. A really lovely evening talking about books and everything else.
Thursday Late at The National Portrait Gallery to see Lucian Freud. Then a cocktail in the bar afterwards. This was my favourite painting, imagine it in a bedroom, how restful.

Sleeping Nude by Lucian Freud

Warmth has done an amazing job searching for a new dining room table, our current one I inherited when I bought my flat. Finally ebay ended the quest and our new table was delivered. Time to now buy new table linen.
A busy weekend. Looking for dining room curtain material in Peter Jones. A walk to Battersea Park to The Affordable Art Fair. It was busy but good. We didn't buy anything but have found some new, affordable artists that we both like. Then to Shad Thames to meet some friends and have supper at Cantina del Ponte.
The next day up early for an early lunch at Mama Warmth's and then to Ham House for her birthday and Mother's Day celebration. It was a cold spring day, I dressed for a warm spring day.
A delightful evening spring mooch in town. Liberty's and Selfridges all in one night.
another potter in the garden. I am finding spring so wonderful this year having a garden. The way the dead branches come to life with tender new leaves is miraculous.
Florence Finds Afternoon tea at Drink Shop Do. It was a wonderful afternoon/evening. Putting faces and voices to internet names.
To finish the beautiful spring weekend. A walk through central London to order new curtains for finishing off the dining room. Then to Somerset House for Pick Me Up. Warmth had been speaking to my mother the day before who'd been there as the boyfriend of a relative is exhibiting. We did buy a print for our home, in fact we were spoiled for choice.
A family funeral. Tears, laughter, sunshine and lovely to be together as a family.
This weekend I'm mooching around Notting Hill and then we're off to friends.
A baking extravaganza. The Hummingbird Bakery chocolate cheesecake (delicious but huge quantities), Jaffa Cakes (a need to perfect them) my first Florence Finds recipe try out and a re bake of Bea's of Bloomsbury Snickerdoodles. Flapjacks - the idea is to bake something easy so I can have a snack at work and not resort to buying croissants, crisps etc. So a healthier option and the money saved can buy a new eye shadow or such like each month.
Books read The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh for Florence Finds Book Club. Penelope Fitzgerald The beginning of spring. Miles Franklin My Brilliant Career - the last two opportune charity shop finds.