Amos Awesomeness

If you were to only buy 1 children's book this year I think it would have to be this one. It is beautiful. The story of Amos the zoo keeper is adorable and the illustration to die for. Lenny absolutely loves it - he can recite every word..... although I tell everyone he can read, obviously.....

I'm forever blowing bubbles.....

The sun is out. We cheered. We decided to celebrate with the bubble wand.

(Slightly random post but I like the pics!)

Snapshots

This week has been a bit whirlwind. Half term meant our usual routine went out the window and we filled our days road tripping. We went to see the boats in Topsham, the seaside in Exmouth, the pub in Exmouth as the seafront was a bit too blowy (?!), a stately home and the zoo. We had a visit from old friends moving to Devon, Maurice has had a tummy bug (when, oh when will illness leave us alone?!) and Lenny ate enough chocolate and haribo to sink a battleship at a birthday party. Early nights all round here and looking forward to return of normality - is it only me who loves a routine?!

drizzle

transporting cabbage harvest

uh oh. wait for it.....

sugar HIGH

the best way to start Sunday - eggs, chorizo, tomatoes, avocado, coriander, sour cream, sweet chilli and lime

ello

the biggest box of cereal in the world- gotta love online food shopping

Lenny loves to try and make the Mo bot laugh!

Daddy the hero

hide and seek

like father like son

winter lettuces

me

reflection

birthday parties - exhausting!!

Topsham boats 

current obsession Toy Story

smiley chops

wait for me

hot choccy and custard creams in the woods

Green Minestrone with Watercress Pesto

This soup is a winner. It's from Lindsey Bareham's One Pot Wonder (yes, I know... I'm obsessed). It is packed full of green goodies which I am insisting on in this house at the moment as we have been plagued, yes plagued with coughs and colds! Plus is yummy.

- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 400g podded broad beans (I used frozen)
- 2 shallots
- 25g butter
- 1 fennel bulb
- 125g spring onions
- 100g asparagus tips
- 150g courgettes
- 1 vegetable or chicken stock cube
- 150g podded peas or frozen petit pois
- 400g tin of flageolet beans
- a handful of spinach
- a handful of flat parsley
- grated parmesan to serve

for the pesto:
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- 90g watercress
- 3 cloves garlic
- 9 tablespoons of the best olive oil
- 3 tablespoons parmesan

Bring a litre of salted water to the boil in a spacious saucepan and add the broad beans. The minute the rise to the surface scoop them into a colander and reserve the cooking water in a jug. Peel and finely chop the shallots and soften them in the pan with the butter. Quarter the fennel lengthways cut out the solid core and slice very thinly along the quarters. Trim and slice the spring onions chunkily. Stir the fennel into the shallots and cook gently while you cut up the asparagus. Trim and quarter the courgettes lengthways and dice them. Add the spring onions to the fennel and shallots and soften for a minute. Add the reserved water and crumble in the stock cube. Add the peas, courgettes, and asparagus. Bring to the boil and add the drained flageolets, broad beans and spinach. Adjust the seasoning to taste and stir in the parsley.

To make the pesto add all the ingredients to the blender and whizz.

Serve the soup with a dollop of the pesto and grated parmesan.

Eat Them Up

These plates by Ingela Arrhenius are so darned cute I simply must have them. Non toxic melamine so breakages not a problem and dishwasher safe so eeeezy peeezy - surely even the fussy eaters couldn't refuse anything presented on such prettiness?!!?

£6.50 from The Kid Who

Pretty Pages Petunia

Our current go to read. Beautifully illustrated story about a goose who gets too big for her boots until......

Snapshots

Last week was mostly spent at home indoors - quiet time with tea and toys. The rain continues, but we saw a glimpse of sun this weekend at Granny and Grandpa's house - it is amazing how much more jolly and positive you feel with a few rays..... but, it's still light at 5.30pm so we're on the home straight marching towards Spring. Rain, rain go away and dont come back any day we have had enough of you for a lifetime.

my chilled out chum

hoorah blue sky!

GREAT new cookbook

no prettier dog than a whippet

catching a lift

meeting of wills

onion storage

damp

a cracking quiche if I do say so myself - Hugh F-W's little gem lettuce, spring onion and cheese

Annie dog

pretty snow drops

mummy I'm going to get some petrol

the perfect ride on

"and he sailed back over a year, in and out of weeks, and through a day....."