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.

Butternut Squash, Cinnamon and Condensed Milk Pie

We all want to be normal. To be accepted. To reach a certain number of milestones in our life that will make our relatives feel proud of us. Since we were born, there are lots of people around us setting up plans for our entire life. Telling us what to do, and what not to do. And convincing us that the dreams we are following are genuinely ours.

This aim to make us seem all the same starts frustrating us when we are kids; making us feel angry and misunderstood later; and ends up with us becoming grey, sad, unsatisfied, normal adults in a permanent seek of happiness. This happens because the human being has an innate need to shine that is continuously dampened.

Root Vegetables and Red Kidney Beans Pie with White Wine Sauce

Drizzle, pour, shower, rainfall, rainstorm, flood, mist. There are around 30 synonyms of rain in the dictionary. And just 2 antonyms.

According to the Met Office, it has been the wettest January since records began in 1910.

WOW. That´s a lot of time. One drizzle day. One stormy day. One rainy day. And that's the pattern. Are we living in a never-ending weather forecast loop?

Cured Ham, Spinach and Parmesan Croquettes

Last week I wrote about happiness. This week is the turn to love.

 Valentines is around the corner and everyone seems to be a little bit more happy. Or maybe it is because January is almost over, and let’s be honest, it is not the best of months. And yes, I agree. Valentines was invented by the big brands just to give us another excuse to spend our money. It is such a post-Christmas overspending withdrawal syndrome.  But leaving the consumerism aside, Valentines give us the chance to give and receive love.

Hazelnut Coated Eggs with Oven Roasted Bacon Rashers

How difficult is sometimes to guess what our heart is trying to tell us. Quite often our lives are too busy trying to meet all those obligations we have, in most cases, self-imposed.

Tasks that quite often we are not keen to do. That doesn't make us happier. That steal our time to do what we really would like.

Ladyfingers or Soletilla Cakes

This week I have something exciting to tell you. Is not a jam related thing. Is not even a food related thing. But it´s so exciting I really need to share it with you.

We have a donkey!!!

Yes, a donkey, a real brown, furry, gentle and adorable donkey. His name is Star and we were visiting him last weekend.