2020 In pictures...

I live on the outskirts of a big city in the centre of the country.

My husband and I decided when we bought the house, many moons ago, that the garden was far too big for just a play area for the kids, or to maintain to look pretty, so we divided it up into bits so we could plant a few fruit trees, have a strawberry patch and to grow other soft fruits (We grow strawberries, blueberries, loganberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, plums, apples and cherries).

We also invested in a small greenhouse and grow tomatoes, cucumbers, squashes, chillies, herbs and I also indulge in an array of pretty spring flowers – I still like the patio overflowing with gorgeous colour!

2020 was a year that none of us would want to repeat in a hurry,  although, so far 2021 has had its challenges, but I have to say, being at home for most of the year really made me think about what I could achieve in the kitchen - and from that perspective, we had a blast!

I've always adored Nasturtiums and add the leaves and flowers to salads to make them a little more colourful and the peppery flavour is really something! I also grew some beetroot and the colours and flavours were incredible. I'm not a fan of pickled beets, I prefer to chop them up and bake them in the oven in a foil parcel with a little oil, white wine, salt and pepper - incredible flavours!

And those fruit trees I mentioned?  Well,  I'm not gonna lie, we only got the one pie off the cherry tree last year - but it was one delicious pie and really easy to make with Genius GF Puff pastry. 

Being Gluten free is something I've had to come to terms with over the last seven years or so. To begin with it was trial and error on many recipes and I've never managed to make a decent loaf of bread to this day!

Thank goodness for the well established GF bread makers out there that I rely on for my morning toast and occasional sandwich!