Walking on Water

Matilda on a lake in Provence

The French Alps and Beyond .....

A snap from our summer camping trip in the French Alps. What this photo doesn't show is the sibling anguish and boredom of having to walk in such beautiful surrounding. Thankfully, the lure of yet another ice-cream got them to the submit. Every picture tells a story ...

The views around the small ski resort of Pralognan la Vanoise were breath taking. I wasn't prepared for other campers to spend 8 hours walking every day. How naive of me. There we were in our flip flops, not a spot of lycra or base layer garb between us, feeling just a little out of place sunbathing in our swimwear. 

We did take our cycles so we could look a little active but the only other bikes we saw were mountain bikes with thrill-seeking campers on them. Our one bike ride (other than the short trips into town) involved driving up hairpin bends, offloading the bikes and free-wheeling for 15 mins all the way back to camp. 

View from tent

The following week we headed for the sun. The location we decided on, just 30 minutes prior to leaving the Alps was Esparron De Verdon. After a 6 hour scorching hot ride in our ex AA, VW van with no rear opening windows, no air conditioning but two very hot and fed up daughters, we arrived to this. We smiled. Until we were shown to almost the worst pitch on the site. That said, after two days we decided not to move. The noisy early morning bottle collection and our immediate view of a mobile home was perfectly perfect. But we will defiantly book before arriving next time and there will be a next time. Camping Le Soleil is excellent. Talking as a happy camper, this site ticks the boxes especially if watersports are your thing. Perhaps not so good for the beach lizard, no real sand just terraced rock formations to lounge on but stunning scenery because of it.

The jetty and beach at Camping le Soleil  

Ridiculously beautiful Provencal town which I've forgotten the name of

Banana Cake

I like to hide a few bananas until the fruit flies remind me where I stashed them. This is what I make with the slimy re-discoveries.

• 150g unsalted butter 
• 150g soft or dark sugar 2 eggs 3 large brown squishy bananas, mashed 
• 170g Plain flour 
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1/2 tsp baking powder 
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 2 tbsp ground flax seed 
• 60g chopped high cocoa content chocolate 60g pecans or walnuts -slightly toasted
•  100g shredded coconut 

1. Melt butter 
2. Mix sugar and eggs in large bowl 
3. Add melted butter to eggs and sugar mix
4. In another bowl, add all dry ingredients and mix with a balloon whisk. 
5. Add nuts etc if you haven’t already
6. Pour into lined loaf tin
7. Bake for approx 1 hr at 160º
8. Cover with baking paper if it’s browning too fast.

Wiveton Cafe

Matilda with Badger

Evie with Rabbit

Asparagus hut

The girls and I headed to Wiveton Cafe earlier in the week to give birthday wishes to Ali. I found Ali with her head in the freezers sorting out all sorts of familiar foods from my Yetman's Restaurant days; pots of lobster coral mixed with butter, eggs whites in large containers, cakes, ice-creams and much more.

This winter the cafe has been extended. The seating capacity inside has doubled and they have fitted windows so you can now look over the marsh and out to sea making the best of the fabulous scenic situation the cafe is set. The kitchens have been also been extended again - a new wash-up area and additional cooking room and the outside has been landscaped to look the same as last year. You'd hardly know t was different.

Whilst we were there I bought freshly cut asparagus from the old shed with and the girls chased guinea fowl and played in the field with their fake-furry friends.

The cafe re-opens on Monday 18th April.

Duck eggs

Six duck eggs about to be beaten and made into an artichoke and Parmesan frittata.

With just picked wild garlic adding the flowers to the salad for maximum ponce value.

Ice-cream

The ice-cream season has started

Dear Blank Please Blank

 

Saw a link to these funny letterpress cards from Fubiz on Twitter. More letters here.

Submit your own or read more of other peoples Dear Blank Please Blank submissions by clicking on DBDB.

Buy the cards at Sapling Press Etsy shop.

Pink Blancmange

 

The girls made blancmange yesterday. A weird tasting, very sweet raspberry blancmange which I remember making as child too. As expected, they didn't really enjoy the eating part but loved the wobble and the patterns the old glass mould made. 

The picture's be given a bit of 70's look courtesy of Instagr.am.

Birthday blanket

Frantically trying to find time to complete a blanket for Evie's birthday next week.

Thick pancakes

Thick pancakes are a Sunday staple. The girls love them rolled up and eaten without holding back on the toppings; nutella, cinnamon sugar, apples, strawberries, bananas. You name it, they pile it on, roll them up and eat it them until they can eat no more.

I prefer them with rum soaked Chilean flame raisins mixed in the batter, topped with butter cinnamon sugar and thinly sliced crunchy apples. Poncy I know but somehow but dead tasty, like a breakfast bread and butter pudding.

The recipe I use varies weekly. They are really buttermilk pancakes but I rarely have buttermilk in my fridge so I either use cheap runny natural yogurt or curdle some milk by squeezing half a lemon in it and leaving for 10 mins.

Buttermilk Pancakes

• 230g self raising flour 
• 2 tsp baking flour
• 50g castor sugar
• 175g buttermilk/yogurt/milk with lemon juice
• 175g milk
• 2 eggs
• 30g melted butter
• pinch of salt
• dash of vanilla extract

1. Add flour, sugar, salt and baking powder to a bowl and mix together with balloon whisk to remove lumps. (Less messy than sieving).
2. Add eggs, buttermilk and milk and whisk until the lumps have gone. 
3. Melt butter in pan and add to mixture.
4. Cook on a medium heat for 3 mins then turn.