What We Learned Today in Exeter

For a change of scenery we are out of the big smoke this weekend and have come all the way to the good ‘ol West Country, the land of pasties, cider and the best accent in all of Britain. We came to visit The BIG Cake Show, which is being held in Exeter at the Westpoint Exhibition Centre, and we’re writing this as we are sitting in the hotel, lapping up all that the South West hospitality has to offer.

We met organiser extraordinaire, Kim Vernon, at a special project recently (that we can reveal here soon, don’t worry) and couldn’t turn down the opportunity for a little weekend away to explore the awe-inspiring three-day event that Kim has put together! We’ve been to similar food events and shows before, and this one in particular can really compete with the best of them.

Afternoon Tea at Chateau Gastreau

As much as the title may want you to believe, we haven’t gone and reviewed a fancy hotel’s fairing, as much as we’d have enjoyed that. Basically, GastroMum Bernadette and GastroDad Jimmy (Russell’s side) visited us at the beginning of March for a weekend. As it happened, it was also Bernadette’s birthday on the same weekend. Obviously not wanting to miss a trick and not get a decent present from her emigrated son, the two booked a trip over and both of us got our thinking caps on for a nice birthday surprise.

Initially, the plan was to bring all four of us out for a nice afternoon tea in one of London’s most popular haunts. Then a little thing called “reality” set in, and we realised that we are not the billionaires we think we are, so had to scale it down a bit. But we didn’t mind. We relish a challenge…

Anti-Valenti

A.K.A An appreciation of Lemon; an ode to Liz; a Liz Lemon love letter.

A.K.A. Happy Anna Howard Shaw Day

Both of us are not ones for Hallmark sentiment. We’ve often forgone Christmas presents, we never remember, less celebrate, our anniversary and the two of us will sooner gift ourselves chocolate and wine before buying it for the other. Valentine’s Day is yet another example of our scarce sentimentality; we simply never celebrate it.

Snapshots: January 2014

It’s been another busy, busy month for us both since returning to London after a lengthy Christmas break back in Ireland. Unlike many others we didn’t partake in any New Year resolutions, and instead we upped our intake of wine, greasy food and treats – just to even out the balance in the world. You can thank us later for that.

But we’ve also been exploring our city and making blog plans for the year ahead. Here’s a visual representation of the past month… What would your January look like?

15 Kitchen Cupboard Essentials

For everyone it’s different. Everyone has their particular mix of what they keep within arm’s reach of the hob/oven in order to lift their dishes. At the front it’s often the ingredients you use the most – salt, pepper, some oils, spices maybe?

Traditions: Little Christmas

Patrick here, for a post close to my heart about one of my family traditions. You see, my family celebrates Christmas in early December…

Christmas is a big deal for us, and always has been. Like many other families in the UK and Ireland, it’s the biggest holiday in our calendar year. It fuels us all; being together, breaking bread as a large unit, we toast to the coming year ahead and reflect on the one gone by. These days, now us ‘kids’ (myself, my sisters and all my cousins) are mostly all adults, it’s often the sole time we get to see each other – the one time all year we’re all in the same room together to catch up and spend time together.