My Mushroom Pate

I love the idea of pate, but really struggle to eat it because I can't stand offal. As such, I've played around with a few ingredients and come up with my own vegetarian one that's absolutely delicious and so, so easy to make!

Tasty Tomato & Red Pepper Soup

Winter is the perfect excuse to enjoy delicious homemade soups. I tend to make batches and freeze them in individual portions, so that I can defrost a different one each day for my lunch at work.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed mushrooms are quick and easy, but can look impressive. Serve them with dressed green leaves and they are the perfect starter or snack! Allow one mushroom per person.

L xx

Roasted Rhubarb

Rhubarb is technically in season in May here in the UK - but my plant is already flourishing in my back garden!

Proper Homemade Leek & Potato Soup

Between Christmas and New Year I was feeling really sorry for myself. As well as my children insisting on waking up at 5.45am every day, despite the fact that we all had two weeks off (yay..!), numerous delicate mornings following too much fun with friends the night before, and the usual Christmas mania, I had a nasty case of sinusitis.

Five easy starters/snacks/canapes

My other half does like to drop me in it where entertaining is concerned. I get home from work, get the dogs walked, children to bed, iron on ready to tackle the usual mountain range of school uniforms, work shirts, tshirts.... and he announces that friends will be here shortly. For dinner. For drinks. For something I am utterly unprepared for.

Salad. But good.

Every year starts with the intention to eat well, exercise more, and drink less. By January 2nd that's all gone out of the window and I'm snuggled up on the sofa in my comfies, stuffing my face with chocolate and glugging wine.

Recipe for disaster...

Valentine's is fast approaching, and I find myself in the usual quandry - not wanting to embrace the forced romanticism, still wanting to "make the effort", not wanting to fob my children off on someone else...