This week I have been unable to think about anything else but cakes. And muffins. And macarons. And icings, frostings, sprinkles, chocolate, fillings. And my sugar levels had gone through the roof.

A couple of weeks ago I received an amazing email. I was invited to join one of the sweetest and most extravagant cake events that has been ever held: The Big Cake Show. It was only a week before and I had lots and lots to prepare. I started working like mad, and I involved almost anyone who was around in cutting, peeling, labeling, sticking and packing. Family and friends worked really hard to make The Tiny Marmalade stall look amazing (special thanks to Fran, Isa, Ana, Cecile, Juanma and of course my unconditional other half!). And I must admit it was exhausting… More than 700 tiny jars canned in just 4 days. A burn on my arm. A lot less hair. An average of 3 hours sleep per day. Tons of chocolate. Litres of tea. A bit of sobbing and weeping. A lot of fun and hysterics.

Roasted Pears with Cottage Cheese, Raspberries and Dark Chocolate

I’m sure most of you would have already realized I’m an oven cooking fanatic. Magic things happen in an oven. Food can changes its colour, taste, appearance, texture. Food can raises, melts, gets soft or crunchy.  

When I cook I feel like a scientist. Because cooking is all about chemistry. Quantities, temperatures, times. I love to try out new things and watch what’s going on inside the oven sat in the kitchen floor. Enjoying with the roasted aroma getting stronger while the oven heat keeps me warm and cosy.

We normally do our weekly shopping over the weekend. That means me running through the aisles chasing 2 toddlers while pushing a really heavy trolley in a busy supermarket. But even so, I must admit I love to do my grocery shopping. I have an awkward obsession when I’m in a supermarket.

King Prawns, Emmental and Avocado Pasties

Can you believe it’s 21^st March already?!?

The weather has been so amazingly warm lately, so we had an incredibly busy weekend last week: playing in the park, riding our bikes, walking across the river side, enjoying the sunshine and the summer-like days. Making dinner wasn't so much of a priority.

Have I mentioned before that I love pastries? Yes? Well, I'll say it again. I love pastries! So quick and easy to make, can be filled with almost anything, you can prepare them in advance and then eat them any time. Or you can fill them, put them in the freezer and cook straight from frozen!

And they don’t need to be unhealthy. Everything depends on what you put inside.

Goat Cheese Balls with Tomato Jam and Poppy Seeds

Since I moved to the UK I have been thinking about all the people that have been part of my life. People that used to play a really important role in a particular moment, but whose presence gets blurred with time. Or the most unexpected encounters that stay with you through the test of time.

Apricot and Ginger Trifle

I have been asked several times why are we so keen in supporting Faritrade.

Fairtrade is a simple yet incredibly important idea – it’s all about giving the people who produce the things you buy a fair price for their work. This may seem obvious, but lots of people in have to sell their goods at prices so low that they can’t make a decent living. Often, only a tiny bit of the money you pay for something goes to the person who actually made it.  This happens a lot when we import things from poorer countries. But is also happening more and more to our own farmers and producers, as markets are getting extremely competitive.

French Toast Rollups

This week I've faced one of my most big fears.

It was half term and we went with the kids to Crealy Adventure Park. It is a great place to be, riding in the wonderful merry go round, visiting the rabbits and the goats, playing in the gardens.

But then suddenly, all that fun stops when you get into the indoor play area. There, surrounded by harmless ball pools, loud mouthed children, smelly dirty socks, and soft drinks, the most high, superfast and scariest slide ever can be found: the Red Devil Drop Slide.

Popcorn Lollipops

Last weekend, my 4 years old decided he wanted to make a machine. He was absolutely committed to it. He spent three days designing the superstructure, planning how the inner mechanism was going to work and how we should ensemble each piece. And he did a list of which materials we were going to need.

He has been completely excited about it the whole week. We had to put all the designs in a poly pocket to avoid biscuits, milk or chocolate stains causing a major incident. And he has left them  in a "super secure place" whilst in school so nobody can copy or steal anything.

He has had lunch with them, slept with them and you won’t believe how tricky it was to make him understand that it was not possible to go into the bath with them.