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My Year in Books Part 3

For some reason I feel like my reading has slowed down a little lately but hopefully as we head in to summer I'll be back on track. My Sweet Revenge - Jane Fallon Jane Fallon is a new author to me and this is the first of her works I've read.  It's the story of Paula who decides after finding out her husband is cheating on her to make him fall back in love with her so that she can then break his heart. I liked Paula, she was fun relatable and strong in ways which at first were not obvious.  Her journey is one of rediscovery of herself, what she wants in life and how to live it. This is a fun frolic with a few twists and turns to keep you going till the end. Agatha Raisin and the Curious Curate - MC Beaton I like Agatha she's and fun, she's a strong flawed woman who stumbles in to cases and while she can figure out a murder she can't figure out her love life for toffee. Although she's sworn off men, again, she is enraptured when the new c

My Top Five Favourite Movie Quotes

Words are a massive part of my life, in every way, sometimes there are words that hit home, that make you laugh, cry and that push you forward.  They inspire your life help you when you are down and help you express the happiness you feel at the best of times. Sometime some words just resonate with you and these are the top five movie quotes that have inspired me; 1.  Love Actually - The Prime Minister "Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there – fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge

Tried and Tested Bake at Home Dog Biscuits

If you follow any of my social media accounts (thank you by the way) you will have seen an inordinate number of photos of my large, fluffy, Golden Retriever Hero. My Boy Hero  Now Hero is a real character, he loves playing with his toys and going on long walks.  He also loves his food but he's a little picky. Since he was a puppy he has always had a sensitive stomach, a bit like me really.  Anyway, I always try different foods that help me with my sensitivities so why wouldn't I do the same with my dog when he means the world to me. It took me a long time to find the right dry dog food for Hero, and sometimes he has reactions to treats.  So recently I've been looking for alternatives to shop bought biscuits and treats. I have so far tried Dehydrated Courgette in place of a rawhide chew - he wasn't so keen.  Peanut Butter drop biscuits which he likes and today I made Cheddar Cheese and Parmesan Pillows. Hero - his attempt at sunbathing  Hero love

This Weeks Entertainment

People say it's like waiting for a bus, you wait ages for one then two come together. This week I had two fantastic evenings entertainment. The first was a trip to the theatre to see All or Nothing, the musical based on the 1960's Mod band the Small faces.   A friend gifted me the tickets and I'm glad she did it was a brilliant show.  It reminded me in its structure of Buddy, the Buddy Holly Story.  It follows the rise and fall of the band and then deals with the tragedy of the lead singer Steve Marriott.   The show starts with the infamous performance at New Years when Marriott sensationally quit the band, the narrator an older Steve Marriott then takes the audience back to the beginning when the band met.  With live performances of the bands greatest hits including the title song All or Nothing, Itchycoo Park and She La La La Lee, the audience is taken along for the roller coaster ride that was the bands life.   The ending leaves you with a lump in y

My Year In Books Part 2

I write books, I love writing books and the flip side to that is I love reading books.  So here's the second update on the books I've read so far this year;  1. Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts  - Lucy Dillon  Rachel has inherited her aunt's house and attached Rescue Kennel as well as Gem her aunt's beloved border collie.  It's come at a bad time in Rachel's life as she's also just lost her job, her boyfriend and her London apartment.  While trying to come to terms with all her losses and decide what to do with her life Rachel also has the added pressure of sorting out the probate on her aunt's property and find homes for the abandoned dogs.   Matching dogs to potential new parents was a skill her aunt had and after a while it seems maybe Rachel does too, if she can just let go of her past and decide on her  future.   I love dogs, I have a huge cuddly Golden Retriever so any books about dogs pulls at my heart strings.  I liked Rachel and felt for her,

Sound Track to my Life 2017

Music is one of those things in life it's always there whether we realise it or not.  From the sweet song of the birds in the trees to the musical score of the latest movie.  It draws on your emotions lifting you up or making you cry. I think everyone has a soundtrack to their life, songs that have an impact, that stay with them maybe just for a day or maybe for a lifetime but they each have a place in your story. So far this year, these are the songs that are forming the soundtrack of my 2017: 1. I love my Life - Robbie Williams This was the first song I heard this year (well after Auld Lang Syne).  I'm not a huge party person on New Years Eve, I tend to be a home body celebrating with family anyway I was watching Robbie Williams Rocks Big Ben and this was the first song that stuck with me moving in to the new year. It's a song that has meaning to me - I think we can go through life not being happy, not being satisfied and sometimes our own inner voice plays a p

On this Day

On this day, the 24 March 1944 my Grandfather Joseph Robinson climbed in to the small and cramped tail gunner post of his Lancaster Bomber with his crew. The Wedding of Joseph Robinson to Irene Baum  Joining the RAF when war broke out and worked his way up for Flgt. Sgt.  He had been flying for a year by this point.  Married one day shy of six weeks he lift his wife at home in his native Sunderland and returned to his squadron at Elsham Wood. Joe was ideal as a tail gunner, a strong man, a confident man but he was short enough and small enough to fit in to the plexi-glass turrets of Lancaster Bomber.  The problem with being a Tail-end Charlie, wasn't just the cramped conditions where many couldn't wear the parachutes or even boots if they wanted to fit in, neither was it the loneliness of being so far removed from the rest of the crew, but the real kicker would be if you needed to escape. The tail turrets while the most important defensive position carrying the heav

Tried and Tested - Carbonara Cake

I love comfort food, there are certain meals that are just so homely and warming that they just make you feel at home. Carbonara is one of my go to comfort foods, I love the richness of the cream sauce and the saltiness of the ham.  I also love to add vegetables to my dishes in any way I can.  Usually in carbonara I add mushrooms, garden pea, seasonal veg such as asparagus and so on. So the other week I was watching Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night with top chef Jamie Oliver.  One of his recipes was taking traditional carbonara and turning it in to a cake.  once cooked it looked delicious and I remember seeing something similar before done with spaghetti Bolognese. I had some time this week so I thought I'd give this recipe a shot, Jamies Recipe can be found on his website here: www.jamieoliver.com I adapted it slightly to suit my taste - you will need a loose bottom cake tin and set your oven to 180c (fan) Ingredients olive oil to line the tin 90g of mixed cheese

Something for the weekend - Girls Night In

The world is a busy place so sometimes it's nice to slow things down and catch up with the important people in your life Every month or two I get together with my closest friends and have a girls night in.  Going out is great, I love going to restaurants, to the theatre, to the movies but sometimes being out socially doesn't give us a lot of time to catch up fully on what's going on in everyone's lives. So we will do things like; Have Afternoon Tea A 'formal' meal A buffet with board games This Saturday we had decided on a Games Night, so this is how I prepare; Generally cleaning my house  Setting the table  Preparing the food  - baking cakes, cooking pastry etc.   As we use the evening to catch up and relax I tend not to cook a formal meal, I create more of a buffet that we can snack on throughout the night as we talk.   I love cooking and baking so this gives me a chance to try out new recipes and relax in my kitchen I make sure I

Shrove Tuesday - My Top Five Pancake Toppings

It's shrove Tuesday this week, the start of the run up to Easter. Time to use up all the things that are traditionally not eaten as part of Lent. So pancakes are the traditional food of the day, in my family, we have pancakes as the evening meal on Shrove Tuesday. The recipe we use to make our pancakes is; 100g Flour 2 Eggs 300ml Milk  a pinch of salt Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together, let stand for thirty minutes.  When you are ready grease a frying pan and heat spoon in the batter and move round the pan until you have a circular shape  Cook for around 1 minute flip to the other side and cook for 1 minute until golden brown.  Keep them warm on a tray in the oven until you have all your pancakes cooked.  Part of the fun of pancake day is the assortment of toppings you can have.  These are my top five.  Top Five Pancake Toppings; 1. Traditional Lemon and Sugar A squeeze of fresh lemon and a dusting of sugar is a simple, delious and

My Year in Books Part 1

I write books, I love writing books and the flip side to that is I love reading books.  So I thought I'd do a little post on the books I've read so far this year and what I thought of them; 1. The Stylist - Rosie Nixon  Follow Amber Green as she is catapulted from her designer retail store job in to the world of celebrity stylists.  Hired to assist Mona Armstrong the top celebrity stylist through a jam packed awards season.  The ultimate dream job becomes more of a roller coaster drama with designer wardrobe.   This book is at its heart a finding yourself story.  Not unhappy with her life but not truly satisfied Amber's luck is in when she makes a slight mistake which brings her to the attention of Hollywood's go to stylist, whose life on the outside is nothing short of amazing.  It's the ultimate look at a the greener grass and finding out all is not what it seems.   Amber grows as a person and becomes more confident in her ability and who she is.  She