Do you struggle to get your kids eating vegetables? The answer might be to stop trying to persuade them, and have fun with the food instead! You could start by visiting a food market like this one we explored in France; it’s Les Halles indoor market, Pau. When you go to a market, can…
Food
Hygge, and how we recreated it at home
I first heard of the Danish word “hygge” last winter, but this winter it’s all over the place in the UK and helping to sell lots of Christmas decorations and gifts. Candles, thick brightly-coloured socks, books, pastries, coffee, hot chocolate….The closest translation is “Gemuetlichkeit” in German. We don’t have an equivalent in English but the…
The Great French Bake-Off
The BBC final final of the Bake Off was on 26th October 2016, when we were in France, but on that same evening we came across the French version on TV there: “Le Meilleur Pâtissier”. Apparently the Bake-Off has taken off in 20 other countries including Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and Italy. That snappy name…
“Love Crêpe” – We love pancakes in Cheam, Surrey
We don’t need the excuse of Pancake Day to enjoy delicious pancakes at Love Crêpe in Cheam. Any day of the year will do! It’s open weekdays 8 am to 5 pm, and Saturdays 9.30 am to 4.30 pm. The address is 26 High Street (near to the crossroads in the centre of Cheam). The…
“Victorian Bakers” – and Victorian Butchers
Victorian bakers My daughter and I watched the recent “Victorian Bakers” programmes on BB2 and were shocked at what a hard life the Victorians had. The series showed what arduous work it was in the Victorian bakery, with huge manual hand cranks, progressing to steam-driven machines, and no electric machines until around 1900. We didn’t…
Galette des Rois, or Three Kings cake
Today is one of our special Galette des Rois cake days. We always feel a bit “flat” when we’ve taken down our Christmas decorations. Most people go back to school or work this week and it’s the end of all that special Christmas food. The Easter eggs are in the shops already. Hardly anyone waits…
French chocolate nuns: how to make them at home
My introduction to French chocolate nuns Pau is a lovely town at the foot of the Pyrenees in southwest France. Years ago, as a student of French and German, I spent several months at the university there as part of my degree course. There was a lot to explore in the area, and that…
