Over the Christmas period we discovered that The Boyfriend, DC is actually really lactose intolerant, and not in a it's-currently-trendy-to-be-allergic-to-something way, he writhes in agony for at least 24 hours after ingesting dairy! So my challenge has been to find lactose replacements (while secretly snacking on the odd chocolate that falls my way when he's not looking!) that are both appetising and lactose free, which is not as simple as it should be! Last weekend I was asked to bring dessert, so went off to scour the shelves of M&S... DC had said that I could get two options, fruit for him and something creamy for the rest of us. But, for me, this is just unfair. If I couldn't eat something and everyone else could, I really wouldn't want them to be having that in front of me! After 20 minutes scouring the shelves, I hit on jelly, albeit with fruit in it, and sorbet, finished with a sprinkling of blueberries. About 15 min into this search it finally hit me t...

Give them two or four little hours… Well Dinah Washington , I’ve just bought a pair of heels and am yet to wear them for either two OR four hours. That may be because they’re slightly too small (although a 6)… I’m optimistic that they’ll stretch soon, hence have been wearing them on a daily basis since the beginning of the week in the hope that soon, ideally by the time I go for dinner this evening, they’ll be perfect (read: my toes won’t be numb after 30 minutes.) They look even better in real life! In the same purchase I acquired a pair of snakeskin pumps. Now my tendency is to wear flats, but I’m a lady and so love a pair of pretty heels! So how could I resist a metallic bronze pair, on sale! They were calling out to me, they needed a home, it would have been cruel to leave them on the website. So I housed them, both. The flats will get me to and from the party, the heels are to be worn while everyone can remember their shiny beauty (at the beginning of the night)! ...

Okay, so I'm a little late to this party, but as they say, better late than never. I'm kinda 'old school' I like my protein in meat form, ideally a steak cooked on the rare side of medium-rare (in particular, one from Roxie's , who do a most fantastic 250g fillet steak, for a very reasonable £14.45...) So to eat quinoa, pronounced 'keen-wa', just feels a bit odd!  A tantalising steak from Roxie's, who wouldn't want one? However, I'm told that great things can be done with it (quinoa, not steak). A particularly loved and often visited website in our office, is that of nutritional life-stylist, Madeleine Shaw (and yet this is still the first time I'm eating quinoa!) I've made her sweet-potato bread before (add rosemary and extra baking powder and it's delish!) Reasonably tasty, but probably vegetarian! But I digress! Today I have had my first bowl of M&S's super green soup with quinoa and some other ingredients (b...

A few weeks ago three of us set off on our first of fifty walks. The idea behind all these walks was ‘developed’ one evening over dinner and a bottle of wine with Miss Benbow. We were making the most of the last warm evenings of the summer – dining alfresco – and the fresh air got to our heads. A few years back Amy had come across The Guardian’s Guide to Britain’s 50 Best Walks. And we were going to do them. All. It was the perfect opportunity to see more of the beautiful country that we live in. We could take pictures, visit local coffee shops, pubs and restaurants and discover nature’s delights along the way. As the evening continued the idea branched off onto further tangents. But the crux remained the same: to complete the walks together. It was also decided that friends would be welcome and that we’d aim to complete them all in three years. So with that in mind, a few weeks later we poured over our diaries to find a suitable date for our first walk. As expected this wasn...

I was sent this last week and have watched it a good few times since then. Actually it's pretty much a fact that if you want to laugh, you should watch this: Hope it makes your Monday a little more amusing! Lucky

Fact: first BBQ of the year took place today! Lucky

Fact: drinking wine in the UK makes housework more fun! And while unloading the dishwasher I like to play a little game called: "where's the wine-glass!" Lucky

Are having a laugh - fact! For the third time this week I missed my early bus, and today, despite leaving a few minutes earlier and running to the bus stop, the early bus ignored my frantically flailing arms, indicated himself back into the traffic, and headed to the next stop. Well I thought two could play this game - I ran after the bus, to the next bus stop, where it proceeded to drive off again! I drew the line at two bus stops, and decided to cut my losses. I'm in two minds about going for the early bus tomorrow - I guess it will depend on how many times I hit snooze... But if you see a half-awake body trailing behind a bus, it could be me! Lucky

Fact: traditional British food includes boiled cabbage and custard made from water and powder. I know because I just had some! Lucky

The largest Lake  in England is Lake Windermere in the English Lake District and the largest lake in Great Britain is Loch Lomond in Scotland. Lucky