Junior Chefette

So, we follow on...the Sand Cookies bucket from John Lewis has been put to good use. Sprog is busy rolling out her dough, wearing a junior The Biscotti Kitchen apron (thanks, Mum!).

As you can see- Sprog is not helping with Biscotti!!!

Bank Holiday Weekend

Wow- a BH weekend that was not a downpour!!!

Off I went on a trip to London to see some lovely Food Halls and Markets, whilst Sprog had quality time with Daddy.

Started with Union Market on Fulham Broadway http://www.union/market.co.uk

Love the vintage look, store smaller than I thought, but great! Lots of lovely foods, but no Biscotti in sight!!! Hmmm...

Nice, Greenwich Village feel to the store, friendly staff, and plenty of original features to blow you away. See detail above bar area;

The smell of fresh bread as I walked around the store...mmm, delicious, and the displays of fruit and veg were so colourful.

Next, a trip to my favourite food market, outside Partridges in Sloane Square, I always love this place, and am waiting to book in! See everyone enjoying lunch below- I had a fabulous garlic wrap from Arancini Brothers http://www.arancinibrothers.com/, sat in the sunshine, far better at that moment than a restaurant meal.

A short, or maybe not, walk to Marylebone to people-watch with a super Berry smoothie from my favourite eating place; http://www.thenaturalkitchen.com/, and visit the lovely La Fromagerie http://www.lafromagerie.co.uk/ on Moxon St...the smells from the cheese room are out of this world! The window at Daunts attracted me in- love the sign that goes with this book...hoping to get a few minutes to start reading it later!!!

Selfridges! I love this foodhall- check out the fish!

Next, a visit to South Kensington to eat at Daquise http://www.gesslerlondon.com/ who have recently taken over this Polish restaurant and smartened it up, for some delicious herring and pierogi- I have been coming here since I was 6, and whilst the decor has been perpetually changing, the food has always been of a great standard, made just like my PraBabcia used to(Great Grandmother)...mmm, want more now. Where is the Krakowianka?

Of course, I couldn't do all of this and not bring home a treat for Sprog, so off I trotted to The Hummingbird Bakery and picked up a cupcake for her , completely forgetting that I had already bought her a cakepop from Selfridges...will be peeling her off the ceiling now!

John Lewis provided me with another opportunity to treat Sprog, and I bought 2 cookie-making kits (apalling really, as I have a rule to never buy these as everything is always home-made and I'm sure mine taste much better!!!), as we are visiting Auntie Raylin, Luke and Baby Addie up in Glasgow later this week, and no doubt it will rain.

A great weekend- now looking forward to our flight to Glasgow from T5 on Thursday.

The Biscotti Chefette signing out!

Is it all over???

Has Summer really finished?

I look outside and want to put my winter boots on, Sprog has gone to pre-school in a cute skirt, tights and wellies, and in the evenings, the winter PJs come out and the blanket gets pulled just that little bit higher up!

Every year we get promised that yes, THIS August will be great, no need to go away, we will have our BBQ season...and every year, WE GET LET DOWN!!! Now, just waiting for our little river to overflow as the rain rushes down the Rissington Road...

The weekend was spent buying Sprog Autumn clothes, lovely tights from Next, lots of new trousers, and the best pair of Autumn boots ever from Scuffs in Abingdon http://www.scuffs.ox14.com/, by the lovely people at Pom D' Api...how much? If only I could justify spending the same on myself at the moment. Nevertheless, Madam STILL is desperate for a pair of Lelli Kelly's http://www.lellikelly.it/ and wants not only the canvas, but has now seen the new School Dolly Straps with interchangeable straps...very nice.

The little one is also going through one of her not-sleeping-through-the-night stages at the moment, but apparently she would "if I could have a nicer bed, Mama", so we have been looking at a new bed as she is about to outgrow her cotbed anyway. The nice people at http://www.littledreamers.co.uk/ have one that we BOTH like, anything to get her away from the awful pink Carriage bed .

Anything for a bit of sleep too, as I am exhausted from the broken nights...like having a newborn again!

Meanwhile, still busy recruiting, and trying to grow The Biscotti Kitchen. I am now preparing for the Leamington Spa Food and Drink Festival http://www.leamingtonfoodfestival.co.uk/ , thinking that I must order new ribbon TODAY, and unbelievably, my 16kg Organic White flour from Shipton Mill is nearly finished already so must do that too.

Busy booking food markets and festivals for the remainder of the year too, planning Christmas ideas and picked up some lovely items from Whittards of Chelsea http://www.whittard.co.uk/ to go with my Biscotti and make up gifts and hampers.

Anxiously awaiting for news from BBC Good Food Show http://www.bbcgoodfoodshow.com/ to see if my application for the small producer's bursary has made it through to the next round...hoping to be preparing samples soon.

Finally- Twitter...I could sit on here all day, so am really trying not to, but I have made lots of lovely new contacts, and have seen fab websites that have given me more ideas for The Biscotti Kitchen http://www.thebiscottikitchen.co.uk/ , especially for Wedding Favours and new labelling.

Just freshly baked yummy Chocolate Chip and Orange, and off to trial a new Autumn Plum flavour!

Bye from The Chefette, for now...