Author Archives: Olivia

Make your own golden syrup

My sister lives in France and her list of requests when someone visits goes like this… self-raising flour, teabags (of course), stock cubes, porridge oats, Dorset muesli, golden syrup. But now I’ve discovered from The Woks of Life that you … Continue reading

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Slow-cooked topside beef

Two friends came for supper. We sat at the kitchen table with the garden doors wide open. This is ‘allowed’, indeed we could have had the doors closed but it’s still warm enough not to. Apart from that short discussion … Continue reading

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End of Lockdown?

So lockdown is over, for now. We celebrated with a wonderful delivery of fish from The Upper Scale. Four very fresh mackeral and a whole seabass, gutted and scaled, arrived at the door in a cardboard box. Unlike many fish … Continue reading

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Lockdown Day 60 (Friday 22 May)

Lovely article by Fay Maschler about her lockdown recipes, and how she started cooking at the age of 12 using Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management. She starts her new weekly column of her own recipes with her sister Beth’s … Continue reading

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Sunday – Lockdown Day ? (Lost track)

SUPPERQuick vegetable curry – see recipe belowBasmati ricePlain yoghurt and pickles Butternut squash, carrot, and lentil vegetable curry – recipe (serves 4) This curry base is incredibly versatile as you can add anything – vegetables, meat or fish, lentils, chickpeas … Continue reading

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Lockdown Day 34 (Monday)

SUPPERSteak with pepper sauce – see recipe belowNew potatoes from Riverford Steak with pepper sauce This has to be the best supper for one, or two, and as I don’t often eat red meat it feels like a treat (and … Continue reading

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Lockdown Day 32 (Saturday)

LUNCHBrown rice and courgette salad Cook a batch of brown rice – this will keep for a few days in the fridge and provide the basis of lunch or supper. Fry a courgette in butter. Make a salad dressing with … Continue reading

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Lockdown Day 27 (Monday)

LUNCH Scrambled eggs and toast I discovered the final series of The Good Place on Netflix and bingewatched. Homeschooling starts again today for many people. For younger children (aged 2-4) this is a fantastic website started since lockdown by a … Continue reading

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Lockdown Day 16 (Thursday)

LUNCHHoumous and toast SUPPERLeftover lasagne Barely worth posting today as our eating has been so unadventurous.Boris Johnson has come out of intensive care. Great relief for everyone as now they can pretend he’s working and avoid having to work out … Continue reading

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Lockdown Day 15 (Wednesday)

LUNCH boiled eggs and toastleftover chips from last night (not very nice) SUPPER Lasagne – see RECIPE belowGreens, roughly chopped and cooked in a little water with a lump of butter. Sprinkle with sea salt. Lasagne – RECIPE I hardly … Continue reading

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