I have only been thinking about it for more than 4 years, but I have finally gotten around to getting an updated blog template! I had the same design for more than 14 years which is a long time! And whilst I loved it for a long time, it has become a bit tired and I have lost some of the background images. It was past time for a change. My husband even gave me a blog makeover as a gift a few years ago, but I have only just gotten around to it!
Thanks to Serena at PrettyWildDesigns, I now have a blog design which feels very clean and contemporary, a custom made header and some new custom made buttons for Weekend Cooking and Historical Fiction Reading Challenge.
One of the things I love in particular about this design is the dynamic header. The line of pictures above will change with every post, so one of the things that I will need to contemplate is the first picture in each post. I also love that the blog title now represents the fact that I predominantly blog about both books and baking! I think I will add in another category for travel...maybe.
You will notice that instead of a graphic you can now see my face, looking my very best. This photo was taken at the dinner we had on our wedding night. Just the two of us, in a romantic location on the lagoon in Vanuatu, eating our wedding dinner!
There are some links and things that I need to add in, and I need to figure out the images as they are all very large in the posts, especially in posts where I have multiple images
There are going to be some formatting issues in old posts, so I may go back and fix some of the more recent ones, but I won't be going back the more than 18 years to the beginning of my blog.
I do still need to decide what to do from a social media perspective. I have my blog Facebook page where I always post, but I need to get better at posting on my Instagram account, but then I wonder if I should have a separate IG account..
In other news, Emma at Words and Peace has announced that she is again hosting Paris in July this year! This is one of my favourite blog events each year. I already have a couple of posts written and several ideas! Even yesterday we spent the day in a country city and have two potential posts from just that one day.
I am sharing this post with Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz.
Before I start, just a quick note. You may have noticed that things look a bit different around here. I have finally done the blog makeover that I have been thinking about for years. The design literally went live overnight so things might look a bit odd while I sort things out!
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When Waltho Williams finishes renovating his chateau it is a bitter sweet moment. He bought the property, knowing that it needed a lot of work, with his partner, but he has had to finish the project himself. He decides to use his newly renovated spaces to run a cooking school. He recruits a semi-famous chef, Daniel, who needs the money spending a week teaching will give him, and a sous chef, not really knowing how the week will go.
Luckily the week becomes fully booked, and so the participants arrive. They come from all walks of life. There is uptight Caroline, larger than life Fran and unlucky in love journalist Sally, amongst other characters who come together to learn more about France and it's food.
When I was trying to think of a word to describe Caroline, at first I was thinking stand-offish, but I don't think that is a strong enough word. Just before her trip she has found out that not only has her husband been unfaithful and leaving her, but he has pretty much cleaned her out financially as well. She is therefore on the brink of losing everything - both professionally and personally. She is one of those people who always look perfectly put together, elegant. She is, however, distant, and she is constantly aware that she needs to watch every morsel that passes her lips so that she doesn't put on an ounce of weight.
Fran is at the cooking school to see if she has what it takes to help make her husband's dream of a fine dining restaurant come true. It will be a long way from their current business which is a successful fish and chip shop. She is exuberant, dresses in loud clothes - the very antithesis of Caroline. It's no wonder they clash.
And then there is journalist Sally. She has recently broken up with someone, and so she is focussing solely on work. She is spending the week getting material to write a series of stories about attending a cooking school. The last thing that she needs is to get distracted by a handsome chef.
There was so much to love about this book. I loved reading all about the lessons, where the chef put the class through their paces, each of them making something to contribute to the next meal. Some of the dishes sounded a-maz-ing. I also loved reading about the adventures the group went on in the nearby area, seeing the sites. I wasn't super keen on Caroline, but I guess you weren't meant to be.
I am sure that I am not alone in thinking that spending a week learning to cook at a beautiful French chateau sounds like the epitome of luxury. I am not sure it would ever happen as it is an expensive exercise, but a girl can dream right?
When we visited France early last year we stayed in what the owner called a chateau in a tiny town outside of Bloise. I couldn't help but think about that experience as I read this book, particularly the section which talked about the breakfasts! They were amazing.
This is my first Caroline James book, and I will definitely read more.
Be sure to check out other stops on the blog tour and see what they have to say about this book.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.
Rating 4.5
About the book
The French Cookery School
Mix together a group of mature students:
A culinary Sloane, a take-away cook and a food journalist.
Add in:
A handsome host
Season with:
A celebrity chef
Bring to the boil:
At a luxurious cookery school in France!
Waltho Williams has no idea what he’s letting himself in for when he opens the doors of La Maison du Paradis, his beautiful French home. But with dwindling funds, a cookery school seems like the ideal business plan.
Running away from an impending divorce, super-snob Caroline Carrington hopes a luxurious cookery holiday will put her back on her feet. Blackpool fish and chip café owner Fran Cartwright thinks she’s won the lottery when her husband Sid books her on a week working alongside a celebrity chef. Meanwhile, feeling she is fading at fifty, journalist Sally Parker-Brown hopes her press week covering the cookery course will enable her to boost her career.
But will the eclectic group be a recipe for success, or will the mismatched relationships sink like a souffle?
Whip out an apron, grab a wooden spoon and take a culinary trip to La Maison du Paradis, then sit back and enjoy The French Cookery School!
Caroline James
always wanted to write, but instead of taking a literary route, followed a
career in the hospitality industry, which included owning a pub and a beautiful
country house hotel. She was also a media agent representing celebrity chefs.
When she finally glued her rear to a chair and began to write, the words
flowed, and several novels later, she has gained many bestseller badges for her
books.
The
French Cookery School is Caroline’s tenth
novel. Previously, The
Cruise, described as: ‘Girl
power for the over sixties!’ was an Amazon Top Ten Best Seller. Caroline’s
hilarious novels include The
Spa Break and The Best Boomerville Hotel, depicted as ‘Britain’s answer to the Best Marigold Hotel’.
She likes to write
in Venus, her holiday home on wheels and in her spare time, walks with Fred,
her Westie, or swims in a local lake. Caroline is a member of the Romantic
Novelists Association, the SOA, ARRA and the Society of Women’s Writers &
Journalists. She is also a speaker with many amusing talks heard by a variety
of audiences, including cruise ship guests.
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page
I have read a number of Samantha Tonge's books now and the most recent ones are often interesting, issues based reads. This time, one of the issues was kind of close to home for me.
Tilda lives a very tidy, very organised life, and not just because she runs a cleaning business. Everything in her life is compartmentalized. She knows exactly what she is going to have for dinner on any given day of the week. Everything in her house has it's very specific place, at least in the public rooms. Her routine is very regimented
It is therefore out of character when she invites a homeless man named Milo to stay at her home, just for a couple of days, to recover from some injuries that he gained when he was mugged whilst living on the streets.
Milo has an unfortunate backstory as to exactly how he is on the streets. He has good job references, but to get a job you need an address so he is in a vicious cycle.
Having someone in her house other than her very distant cat Dettoll is actually very confronting for Tilda. She is very independent. She is estranged from her mother and brother (her mother is a real piece of work), and she doesn't seem to have any real interpersonal relationships. She focusses on her business and her routine, oh and a budding online relationship with a Frenchman named Yves. After being treated very badly by her last boyfriend, Tilda wants to prove that she can be loved. She has set herself a goal and she is determined to meet it. I was a bit worried about this aspect, about whether Tilda could see the red flags or if she is just so determined to meet her goal that she was blind to them.
The longer Milo stays, the more Tilda's routines are challenged, and she doesn't like it, because that routine is what has helped her stay on track over the years. It causes conflict, but it also brings positive change. For example, Milo has some business acumen and he really challenges her to think bigger when it comes to her business. He also challenges her to maybe let down some of the barriers that she has spent so long building, especially when it comes to her estranged brother.
If you are looking for light and fluffy, this is not that book. The way that Tilda feels she needs to protect herself comes from years of trauma, and for some of those years she used the bottle to help with coping, or at least masking the pain. You have to respect her commitment to her coping mechanisms, to knowing what works for her. And whether by changing those routines it might have unintended consequences to her sobriety.
I mentioned that one of these issues was a bit close to home for me. My dad was an alcoholic who managed to stay sober for more than 40 years before he passed last year, and yet he talked about still needing to actively work on making good decisions all that time. He definitely relied on AA to help get him through over those years and didn't like it when he could no longer go to meetings.There are also other family members who struggle with alcohol. I guess you could say that we definitely have addictive traits in our family. Mine relates to food.
Whilst this is a serious book, it still is uplifting. The idea that just one single act of kindness sets in motion a whole series of decisions and choices, and can lead to such fundamental changes for both parties is inspiring
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews and British Isles Friday hosted at Joy's Book Blog. Be sure to check out other stops on the blog tour and see what they have to say about this book.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.
Rating 4/5
About the Book
A Single Act of Kindness
Meet Tilda Wright…
Tilda has done everything she can to make her life neat, protected, tidy. No longer the girl who was scared of everything, whose family pushed her away, who hit rock bottom. Now she runs her life – as she does her successful business – with the utmost organization. As long as she keeps everyone at arm’s length, she will be fine. She will be safe.
But then a chance encounter with a man who’s fallen on hard times changes everything. Milo needs a break, and self-contained Tilda surprises herself by deciding she should help him. Just for a while. A few days at the most.
Maybe all he needs is someone to organize him, to help him clean up his act? She is sure she knows how to kick-start Milo into turning his life around.
What Tilda doesn’t know is that – with this single act of kindness – it might actually be her own life that’s about to change forever…
Samantha Tonge is the bestselling and award-winning author of over 15 romantic fiction titles published by HQ, and most recently Aria. Her first book for Boldwood, Under One Roof, was published in February 2022 and her move to Boldwood marks a broadening of her writing into multi-generational woman’s fiction. She lives in Manchester with her family.
Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme
Unread Books on My Shelves I Want to Read Soon (Bonus points if you tell us how long it’s been sitting on your shelf waiting for you.). I don't know about you, I could probably do this topic every week for a year and still have some books left to share about!
I thought I would go to my Kindle an see what books are the oldest on there however, there are a lot of books on their that I would have bought for a reason but now I have no idea. So these are the books that caught my eye as I scrolled through. Books that I would potentially still buy!
The War Bride Club by Soraya Lane - I have several Soraya Lane books on my Kindle but I have never actually read any of them
Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers by Sara Ackerman - I was reminded of this authors books when we visited Hawaii last year.
The Murmur of Bees by Sofia Segovia - I think I picked this one up as part of a World Book Day promotion or something like that!
The Tea Planters Daughter by Janet Macleod Trotter - I think I have all the books in this series.
The Little Cafe in Copenhagen by Julie Caplin - I have read another Julie Caplin now so I will read more from her. Maybe I will start from the beginning which is this book!
The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton - I have heard such good things about this book!
The Lady's Guide to Celestial Maintenance by Olivia Waite - I picked this book up after a session at Melbourne Writers Festival a few years ago.
The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis - Fiona Davis is one of those authors that I have been meaning to read for year!
The Cottage at Rosella Cove by Sandie Docker - Another author I own several books by but I haven't read yet
The Orphans Tale by Pam Jenoff - Pam Jenoff wrote WWII before it was cool. I have read a few of her books but it has been many years!
I could definitely do this topic a few more times without trying too hard.Do you recommend any of these books
I am quite sure how I had enough energy but I did finish a couple of books last week. Maybe it's the reading I am doing in the middle of the night when I can't sleep thanks to work issues.
This week I read two books that I am going to review later this week. The first was A Single Act of Kindness by Samantha Tonge. I have read a number of this author's books and this is up there with the best from her!
I also read The French Cooking School by Caroline James. It should be pretty obvious why I was attracted to this book. I mean France and foodie reads! My idea of a good read!!
Speaking of France and food, I started Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge. This is the current Cooking the Books selection and it features Julia Child as one of the characters!
I'm Watching
Masterchef Australia is back baby! I will be very interested to see how this season goes as there are three new judges this year.
Life
Whilst I am collapsing into bed each night and therefore not doing a lot, we did manage to have a fancy lunch. One of my step-daughters is moving to the UK for a while so we went to a lovely buffet restaurant in the city yesterday. There will be several other farewell events this weekend
I have been buying quite a few cookbooks over the last year, mainly thanks to the Jamie Oliver Cookbook Club. This is one of those books. Some of the books get used a lot, and others not so much but I still like having them all. When I first got this cookbook, I wasn't sure how much I would use it, but it has turned out quite a lot.
I have decided that I really like cookbooks that represent the people of a specific culture. In this case, the author is of Cypriot descent and so she is sharing stories of going fishing with her uncle or cooking with her aunts, of barbecuing on the mangal and more.
Now, I am pretty sure that I couldn't have named a single specifically Cypriot dish before getting this book, but it turns out that Cyprus, like so many of the islands in the Mediterranean is a bit of a crossroads for different cultures and this is well and truly represented in the food. Being in the Mediterranean we know that we can expect lots of tomatoes and seafood, but there is also reliance on herbs and spices such as cinnamon and mint which make it a bit different from other food in the region. There are also quite a few lamb dishes in the book. Unfortunately my husband doesn't love lamb so not sure we will get to make those but we'll see.
The author also points out that whilst she learnt many of these recipes from her mother and aunts, every family will have slightly different versions of the same dishes depending on which village or family they come from. She has also adapted them to reflect our modern lifestyles.
The book is broken up into several different sections including Breakfast, Dishes & Salads to Share, Easy One-pots and Slow Cooking, Quick Cooking for Busy Weeknights, Traditional Stove-top Dishes from Meatballs to Dolma, Hearty Dishes from the Oven, Barbecue Dishes & Accompaniments, Homemade Breads, Doughs and Pastries and finally Crowd-pleasing Sweets
We have really enjoyed the recipes we have tried from the book so far, which include
Dad's Tomato and Rice Soup
One-pot Halloumi and Tomato Pasta
Chicken, Tomato &Parsley Wraps
Mum's Chocolate & Coconut Cake (pictured)
There are still quite a few recipes that I am keen to try, and these vary from being very simple to much more complicated. An example of a really simple one is a toasted cheese and halloumi sandwich. I am intrigued to see how two different types of cheese along with some cinnamon and mint can really transform a normal toasted cheese sandwich.
At the other end of the scale, I am also really keen to try the Creamy Moussaka recipe. I love moussaka and would really love to have an amazing recipe for it! I have a Greek friend who gave me her recipe for both moussaka and pasticchio so I just need a weekend where we can have the time to make at least one of these recipes.
Other examples of recipes I am keen to try include a Cypriot-style Pasta & Chicken, Egg Halloumi and Sauteed Vegetables, Baked White Fish in Tomato Sauce, and Chicken, Potato & Tomato Roast. I am sure next time I flick through the book I will find others!
Given that the weather is cooling down here now, I thought I would share a recipe for a soup. We had this a couple of weeks ago and it was really, really good! I can see this getting made quite a few times over the coming months
Dad's Tomato & Rice Soup
BABA’S DOMATESLI PIRINÇ ÇORBASI
200 g (7 oz) short-grain white rice 6 large tomatoes 50 ml (2 fl oz) olive oil 1 large onion , finely chopped 1 vegetable stock cube 500 ml (18 fl oz) boiling water 1.5 litres (2½ pints) cold water 25 g (1 oz) fresh parsley , finely chopped ½ teaspoon paprika ½ teaspoon caster sugar ¾ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus extra to taste
Wash the rice in a sieve with cold water until the water runs clear. Leave to drain.
Place the tomatoes in a deep heatproof bowl. Pour over boiling water to cover and leave for a minute or two. Remove the tomatoes from the bowl, peel off the skins, discard, and then finely chop the flesh. Leave to one side.
Pour the olive oil into a large pan and place over a medium heat. Add the onion and soften for 10–12 minutes until lightly caramelised.
While the onion is cooking, dissolve the stock cube in the boiling water, then top up with the cold water.
Stir the parsley, paprika and tomatoes into the caramelised onions and let everything sizzle for a minute or two before adding the rice, giving the grains a good stir so that they get fully coated in the tomatoes and onion. Sprinkle in the sugar, then gently pour in the stock and season with the salt and pepper.
Allow the soup to simmer over a medium heat for around 10 minutes until the rice is cooked. Add the lemon juice a couple of minutes before you remove the pan from the heat and serve with crusty bread, adding a little more lemon juice to taste.
Weekly meals
Saturday - Roast pork with leeks and mushrooms
Sunday - Toasted ham and cheese sandwiches
Monday - Chicken Enchiladas
Tuesday - Beef and Broccoli Noodles
Wednesday - Spanish Tuna Pasta Bake
Thursday - French Onion casserole
Friday - Takeaway
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page
When I was thinking about how to start this review, I contemplated saying something along the lines of my destination not being as exotic as some of my recent reads which were set in Greece and Italy, but that probably isn't really fair. I mean, if I got offered a trip to Cornwall I wouldn't really say no!
This is the third book in the Cornish Cove series and this book stars Lydia, who is the mother of Meredith (aka Mere), the main character in the second book. Lydia has moved to Driftwood Bay from America after her fifth marriage failed. However, Lydia has spent quite a bit of time working on herself and so finally finds herself settled in the town and building on her relationship with her daughter.
She enjoys her routine in town, which includes yoga on the beach and spending time with her neighbour and other friends including Martin, who Mere's partner's father. What she knows is that she has no intention of getting romantically involved with anyone - five husbands is more than enough for her, thank you very much!
When she receives a box from her ex-husbands house in America, her memories of her younger life come flooding back. A life where dance was important but one she gave up when her life was turned upside down.
Parts of this book are like a mix between a show like Strictly Come Dancing and The Repair Shop.When Martin asks Lydia to be his partner in a dance competition, her competitive streak is revealed. Soon Martin and Lydia are spending time together practicing their dancing. They also work together in comfortable companionship as they repair several beloved items in Martin's workshop which is a converted church. We love the TV Show The Repair Shop so this part of the book was a real pleasure.
This book was interesting to me in some ways. One of the things that I really related to in the last book was the difficult relationship between Mere and her mother. This book is all about the repaired relationship between the two. Whilst there clearly still room for growth, great strides have been made in their relationship. It's not something I see happening in my own life really.
Once again, I have enjoyed my time in Driftwood Bay, and will read the next book from Kim Nash whenever it becomes available!!
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews and British Isles Friday hosted at Joy's Book Blog
Thank you to the publisher, Rachel Random's Resources and Netgalley for the review copy. Be sure to check out other reviews on the blog tour at the stops below.
Rating 4/5
Making Memories at the Cornish Cove
It’s never too late…
After five husbands and five broken hearts, Lydia feels like she’s always been chasing something. But now she’s found her purpose, and having moved to Driftwood Bay to spend more time with her daughter Meredith, she’s happier than ever.
But there’s still life in these old bones yet! With her newfound sense of identity, she’s keen to re-explore the things that made her happy as a younger person. Lydia’s passion was dancing – she used to compete in her younger years, and there’s no place she’s more at home than on the dancefloor.
So when widower and antiques restorer Martin tells her about a big dance competition, she’s ready and raring to bring more joy into her life. But while making memories with Martin, the more she realises that both of their hearts need restoring too...
Kim Nash is an author of uplifting, funny, heartwarming, romantic, feel-good fiction and has wanted to write books since she was a little girl. The Cornish Cove series is set in the fictional seaside village of Driftwood Bay in Cornwall and is published by Boldwood Books. She lives in Staffordshire with her son Ollie and English Setter rescue dog Roni, is Digital Publicity Director for publisher Bookouture (a division of Hachette UK) and is a book blogger.
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