Sprog's Baking Day

Sprog has had enough of Biscotti, as she is not allowed to be involved it, and decided that it was her turn at the weekend so she opted for a lovely carrot cake with with cream cheese frosting, and "some pretty sparkly toppings, please". The result- a pretty cake that tasted delicious, recipe called "Frosted carrot Squares" from BBC Good Food magazine.

.Meanwhile, in the background, I worked on Rocky Rollercoaster

and Load Your Marbles for Tetbury.Bursting with marshmallows, fudge chunks, white and dark chocolate...all sold out too!

Lunch, Oxford Castle Foodie and more!

I'm back!

So, my crazy week started with lunch dates. On Saturday morning, Sprog and set off to see my good friend, Sharon, as Sprog is part of her daughters' child development project. That means FREE time!

So, Sharon and I set off for lunch, and after a a first bungled attempt to visit a pub which had closed down, we were recommended another one by the local farm shop in Watlington. We met up with Tricia of www.missgracie.co.uk , and settled down to a long, lazy lunch at The Half Moon in Cuxham, Oxfordshire.

Readers, the pub is easy to miss and difficult to get into the car park- but this should not deter you! The food is delicious, the service excellent, the ambience just right. Between us we ordered the local pigeon pate, Brixham mussels and beetroot-marinated smoked salmon for starters (not to mention the pre-lunch nibbles...yummy), and then the mussels (again- although not the same person!!!), tomato and beef salad, and pearl barley risotto...all devoured.

As if that was not enough, we then had the Autumn Crumble and Brownie with Orange Liquer ice-cream- last one was mine (you might by now have picked up that orange and alcohol is a favourite combination of mine. All washed down with delicious wine, and a few hours later we nearly rolled out the door.

Unbelievably, there were then more brownies and cheese served at the kitchen table at Auntie Sharons! Meanwhile, Sprog had totally worn out the two 15 year olds and they were all crumbled on the floor under a heap of duvets and pillows...

Sunday- an opportunity to visit the Oxford Castle Food Festival and wander around the stalls, great to see friends having a good time Steve and Heather http://www.wicked-bakery.co.uk/icked-bakery.co.uk/, Chris at www.fabulousvodka.co.uk , http://www.gdesserts.com/ and the boys at http://www.cotswoldgold.co.uk/ . Bought some lovely Rapeseed Oil from them after hearing about it locally!

Lunch at La Tasca with Sharon (again!), and I knew it was time for the diet to start again.

The rest of the week went in a blur, recruiting and preparing for Tetbury Food and Drink Festival, which was a success. Met the lovely Sophie and Zoe from Dottie and Belle there, http://www.dottieandbelle.co.uk/ displaying their gorgeous cake-making kits, http://www.theangelbakery.co.uk/ with her yummy cupcakes and bought a Sizzling Cinammon candle from http://www.rubybee.co.uk/. Stall with amazing flower displays too.

A great day out in Tetbury, and another trade enquiry from it.

Ooops...forgot to mention a really big bit of news, The Biscotti Kitchen was awarded a bursary from The BBC Good Food Show http://www.bbcgoodfoodshow.com/, which means that we will have a stand in the Small producers Village at the show in Glasgow in October...yay! Very excited to be there.

Off to plan and prepare, and immerse myself in work...The Chefette

The Rest of the Week

Hello again!

After recovering from visiting yet another trade fair, I got back to work pronto and buried myself in recruitment and flour.

Friday came- meeting in London so off I trotted on the long drive and tube journey to Victoria. Morning meeting came and went, deposited Biscotti with the the lovely web team at Mountain Warehouse http://www.mountainwarehouse.com/, new Head Office is lovely, brilliantly branded, and the Rocky RollerCoaster was a hit!

An opportunity to meet up with Marcus Carter http://www.vfmuk.com/ and hand over the next order, as well as take along samples of new products was too good to miss, so off we went to Pret. Great to hear exciting updates from Marcus, and get some advice...love VFM, if you don't know it, you need to- so get online! An excellent way of shopping and meeting the producers as well as getting the personal touch. PS- I am under 'Bakery'!!!


What to do next? Well, so close, would be rude not to go to Fortnum and Mason http://www.fortnumandmason.com/ and have a look, also-

Twitter colleague Laura Amos of http://www.thedessertdeli.co.uk/ sells there and I was dying to see her products- look just as delicious as on her website! I visited the The Fountain, where I was served a very nice glass of Chablis, and ordered a Chocolate Panacotta with Caramelised Orange Syrup...mmm, divine.

Fortnums is all set for Halloween, reflected in their windows and instore displays, tables full of orange and black goodies.

Following on, I walked up Regent St, visiting all of my old haunts, wistfully remembering how it was when I worked there in my teens. Stop-Anthroplogie http://www.anthropologie.com/!!! My very talented friend Jo Jo, and her partner Tanya, with very successful http://www.bettyandbetts.com/ are due to launch some of their Betty books there on Saturday 2nd October, so in I went to have a look...beautiful store. Mostly fascinated by their rainforest-like wall and colourful chandeliers.

A bit of shopping, all for Sprog, and I set off home.

Top Drawer!

Hi all

So, finally I got to Top Drawer, and my friend at Miss Gracie, http://www.missgracie.co.uk/ tells me that I was like a kid in a candy shop...because I was SO EXCITED!!!

All the pretty stands, especially REX right at the front entrance with the beautiful decorations, pretty packaging and special gifts- I could have spent all day there. Found some lovely packaging for Christmas for The Biscotti Kitchen.

Lovely room sets done up, made me think it might be time for an overhaul in Sprog's room...after all, you all know she is desperate for that new bed.

Thankfully, it wasn't that busy so we were able to wander around at our (okay, MY leisure- Miss Gracie tells me now that she planned to be out in 35 minutes- hee hee- doesn't know me that well yet!!!), and enjoy the pretty sights.



Next- Scandi-chic, my new friend...gorgeous stuff for Christmas, I fell in love with so many things...beautiful Scandinavian homewares and gifts that make me want to rent a log cabin and curl up in an armchair by the fire with a lovely blanket from them. (Sigh, wistful...)

Also, Mice In A Box...Sprog has now seen these and is already asking when her birthday and Christmas is coming, and if she is a really good little girl...can she have one?

Great ideas for Christmas hampers, and Kiddie events.

Lots of other wonderful stands, such as Rosie Flo's colouring books...www.rosieflo.co.uk...I was so excited about this place, and then Miss Gracie tells me she already shops and stocks them sometimes...

am I blind, I have never seen them before! They sell amazing colouring books for kiddies, and my favourite, the wall-sized posters. They have a Christmas House poster, that unfolds into
a great magical house to colour in, complete with Christmas Tree and everything!

Lovely gift mini-books to go with my Biscotti at http://www.copperbeechpublishing.co.uk/, could have real fun with Clothes Plasters from http://www.jenniemaizels.com/, a great way of decorating and adorning clothes amongst other items.

Talking Tables http://www.talkingtables.co.uk/ had a fantastic flower-or-something rotating plastic candle that Mummy Gracie is desperate to get her hands on for Boo, and http://www.babies-go.co.uk/ had a great selection for CDs for babies (have to find someone having a baby!).

http://www.stitchdesignsworks.co.uk/ featured the doodle duvet...what a fun idea for the older kid, or the big kid in you,

and http://www.sneakart.com/ was there with their interesting ways of gracing your sneakers with...art!

Lots of great stands there, nice to see my friend Andy with http://www.slimbridgesoaps.com/, looking forward to finding out how he got on.

A great day out, finished with a late lunch at Whole Foods in Kensington http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/, with a yummy Schwarma Wrap, and some shopping. Then home with Miss Gracie and a chance to raid the stockroom and make a purchase for Sprog who loves her bows.

I might have even picked up a trade customer myself!

Leamington Spa Food and Drink Festival

The Cheffete below- much happier than I look, but sun was in my eyes!

Hi all, it's been a mad few days...Stow Farmers Market whilst trying to prepare for Leamington was perhaps not such a good idea, especially as I lost a day at The Speciality and Fine Food Show. The Kitchen has been busy every waking minute!

Please note that Sprog is busy destroying Playdo whilst Mummy is baking like a lunatic, and look at all the pretty packets laid out on the table!

A great weekend at the Festival http://www.leamingtonfoodfestival.co.uk/, started off a bit quiet and rainy but turned very hot very quickly (see stall below)

Lots of new flavours to try...all the fruit ones sold really well, and the competition to name the new flavour went down a treat. It contains cranberries, dates, mixed seeds, coconut and cardomom, and nearly half the usual sugar quantity- great as a breakfast bar. So far, many new names have flooded the website in the hope of winning the mini-hamper! Enter via website by Friday 17th September http://www.thebiscottikitchen.co.uk/ for a chance!

The new singles in jars have gone really well with over 40 having sold at the festival, as did the Mixed Flavour bags (thanks, BF Ray for the idea!)

Met some lovely traders, including the Aloe Vera girls who I bought some healthy juice from, and Fiona from http://www.schioltichocolates.com/ who gave me lots of lovely samples to try.

Exciting news...Levi Roots was demonstrating at The Cookery Theatre and drew a large crowd (nearly all of Leamington Spa, I think!) with his cooking and Reggae, Reagge song. He had us all joining in for a sing-a-long too!

Exhausting, but as always, good fun- 3 trade enquiries too.

Monday has meant getting back to normal, dealing with customer orders, samples to send out, following up enquiries and getting Sprog ready for a new term of ballet...where I got conned into buying a lovely new Ballet case and matching purse to hold hair clips "Pleeeeeeaaaase, Mummy"- thank you very much to the Sheila Price School of Dance for that!

Off to Top Drawer tomorrow with my lovely Miss Gracie friend www.missgracie.co.uk- and a great opportunity to raid her little stockroom!

The Chefette, Goodnight.

Speciality and Fine Food Fair

At last- so excited to be visiting this...excitement waned when realised tube strike would cause chaos. 2 hours later, I was in! http://www.specialityandfinefoodfairs.co.uk/

Lovely stand with some great Christmas ideas...gingerbread, candy canes and the like...

...

...a quiet spot within the Spanish section for a glass of wine...

...fantastic smelling cheeses from an Irish producer...

...thinking ahead to packaging, some great examples to see...

...a beautiful goodie stand from Heavenly Cakes http://www.heavenlycakes.co.uk/...

...and a parting shot of the Grand Hall from up above...

Whilst there I sampled, met some Twitter colleagues, enjoyed a well-deserved cup of tea and a Power Breakfast cookie from http://www.artisanbiscuits.co.uk/, and finally met The Virtual Farmer, Marcus and his trusty side-kick Nick ( I have been selling through them for 2 months and this has been the first opportunity to meet up!!!) www.vfmuk.com/the-biscotti-kitchen/the-biscotti-kitchen.html. Watch this space, as we filmed a mini-interview too!

Met with my lovely Dad after and off we went for lunch to have some Pierogi in Posk, Hammermith.

When I finally got home, I had all of these goodies to open up and look at!

Delightful Christmas Pudding, from http://www.puddinglane.uk.com/, macadamia and brandy flavoured, yummy chocolate covered pretzels from www.thebigyum.com , amaretti biscuits from Rippa, healthy Pumpkin and Raisin Huddle from www.naturespath.co.uk , Hope and Greenwood sweeties, Mr Stanley's Toffees (last 3 from http://www.cotswold-fayre.co.uk/),

a delicious box of chocs from Danucci with my favourite salted-caramel, and for purposes of research of course, I have just tried the Almond and Cardomom...out of this world!!!

Above is the product of one of my fellow Twitter colleagues...www.gdesserts.com, nice to meet and they look yummy...

A great day out, with lots of ideas for Christmas gifts and hampers for The Biscotti Kitchen!

A Few Days Away

We are back!
Sprog and I went off to Glasgow to stay with friends for a few days, weather was good, company fab, and we had a great time! Flew out of T5 and enjoyed lunching at Giraffe http://www.giraffe.net/ - see Sprog! Visited the City Centre, Sprog and friends loved Hamleys http://www.hamleys.com/ and went to new Jamie's restaurant www.jamieoliver.com/italian ...yummy calamari, arancini and pasta, followed by dangerous desserts...

Also visited Blair Drummond Safari Park...felt like depositing some more animals at the end of the visit, but all in all a good day. Mr Sprog and Sprog barely slept, opting to play in bed until around 10pm when the literally FELL asleep- exhausted, Mummies used matchsticks in their eyes the next day. Oh, and Baby Sprog- mastered the art of climbing out of her cot in a very controlled manner and would appear at 4am!!! Not bad for under-2!

On Sunday, we visited Loch Lomond- so pretty, the Sprogs found treasure on the beach, we visited their Farmers Market and bought goodies, had lunch and Sprogs took part in activity-making of crowns.

A pledge to get them to bed early, and the Mummies enjoyed a BBQ and a few drinks in the sun.

What a lovely time, and sad to say goodbye the next day as we headed home for Heathrow...Speciality and Fine Food Fair the following day...