Easter bunnies

Too much chocolate?

Organic Tuscan spices at the market

underwhelmed by the Easter bunny

Bunny1

Bunny2

Lovely mosiac mirror reworked into a garden table

Banana Skin moment

Archie's shot of rainbow on the cafe wall

Before the Storm

I spoke too soon me thinks…  Last week’s sense of calm has been blown out the window, now I have a sense of frustration.  I have a heavy heart and bruised feelings, although many of my ideas, plans, beliefs etc are a little off the wall I do not expect to be ridiculed by those I love and trust, even if it is in jest.  So today I am trying to focus on my own sense of calm learning to enjoy my own inner space without expecting those around me to understand why I see things in my own way, I feel disconnected at the moment and just a little sad.  However, there are so many good things on my horizon even whilst I type this, a resting cat near my feet watching the trees moving in the breeze, the sound of the bee-eater birds calling to each other, the smell of the Jasmine and Roses outside my study door and the knowledge that all bad moods shift in time.

I have a very full on work schedule this week but amidst the madness I plan to make gluten free cakes, plant up winter leeks, onions and pumpkins and take time to read a little.  Also the children have really got into Scrabble again so I hope to have a couple of evenings around the kitchen table.  To remind myself even more about all that is wonderful I hope to go out with the camera later to capture late spring in Tuscany x

Light of heart

I am feeling brighter lately. We seem to be putting the sadness of loss, illness and stress behind us, at least I hope we are. Following a spring and winter full of hospital visits and money worries I do strongly feel that things are shifting. Things moved on very literally last Friday when we had a little tremor which scared the pants off me, earthquakes do nothing for my sense of calm but the do make me re-align and decide what things are most important.

Now we are rolling into the weekend after a work laden week and I have spent most of my waking hours working on my computer so I thought I would finish off with a little personal blogging.  Some pics of a little trip to Umbria and thanks to Villia Pia for a wonderful weekend, I am writing a feature on this gorgeous family friendly holiday for work, will post more about it later.

We seem to have an awful lot of fun things in the wings, Grandma is visiting soon, friends arrive in June and the children finish school on the 10th for 3 months - hooray! Today the roses are throwing their perfume into the spring breeze, the grass is cut and the bulbs growing, my veg patch is getting there and the alpine strawberries are going crazy. Life in Tuscany is good, crostini for lunch, dinner al fresco at Siena Rugby Club marking the end of the season, birthday parties for school friends and Rugby matches in Florence, making chocolate brownies and planting up geraniums to ward of the mosquitoes. Thunder rumbling through the mountains might make for an interesting picnic supper but all in all we seem to have a sense of wellbeing in the home, I hope to continue letting go of life's little frustrations and focus on the bigger story, happiness, health and togetherness.  Could we be entering a phase in our lives where we can just enjoy being here?  I am trying to be gentle on those around me and the response is amazing the kids are less confrontational and the man is less grouchy, even the dog is less needy.  When I am up tight it alters the whole mood in the house, so I am going to try to remain being kind to myself and others.

Times of change and healing

Well, I am loving this season, summer is here in Tuscany.  Roses in full bloom, Acacia blossoms just fading, cherries on the edge of redness, long wild poppies and orchids in the hedgerows.  Natural splashes of colour to lift the spirits in times of much change.

My children lost their Grandad a couple of weeks ago after a long, long time of  suffering and pain.  It feels odd to think he won't come here again, drink brandy in the garden and enjoy the soothing winds from accross the valley.  Now is the time to focus on the living, the lives we have now and for loving those around us and far away.  Strangley, some people think the children wouldn't feel strongly about their loss as he was their stepdad, but to us he was the grandad Mike, someone that played with them, cooked lovely meals for them and formed part of their childhood, maybe only occasionally but those times were good, worthwhile and special.

Now we are looking forward to summer, sun, swimming, gardening, cooking, the veg patch, cycling, seeing friends and family, scary birthdays and creating more special memories to store in our hearts.  I feel that I am growing up a little, getting less stressed, focusing on the things that matter, not the stuff that used to bother me (dust, smelly trainers, dog fur, lost car keys etc).  Now I can't see the dust as I am to lost looking into the sunset, I can't smell the trainers for the scent of the roses and the dog fur on the kitchen floor is a sign that our old hound is still here, for which I am so, so grateful. x

Food and Friends

This last week has been overflowing with food, friends and quite alot of Rugby.  We have enjoyed lunch with friends in a crazy restaurant in th middle of nowhere, beautiful crountryside, waiters running from table to table and really lovely homely food in what looks like a workingmen's social club!!   I've been experimenting with more seasonal Tuscan recipes and have decided to stick to the vegetarian variety mostly as I feel healthier by far on a meat and dairy free diet.  Today found a totally gluten free shop in Poggibonsi - nirvana for me, fresh pasta stuffed with ricotta and spinich, cenci, fritelle, panatone, biscotti and grissini all gluten free - Hurray!!!

Spent this weekend indulging the boys watching Rugby both on TV and in Prato near Firenze, my boy is loving meeting proper professsional Rugby players - thank you to all those lovely big chaps for being so encouraging and patient with an obsessed 10 yr old.

Today took sneaky trip to plant shop whilst waiting for school to finish, returned home with Raspberry plant, Climbing Rose and Chicory & Bietola seeds - I love spring and welcome this week's spring equinox - bring it on!

Crostini - Yum

This is great, the kids love and makes a simple lunch with a few salad leaves.  We had this today.  I made it yesterday for the very first time, it was a miracle, it worked, it tasted scrummy and was craziliy cheap.


200 g (7 oz) chicken livers and hearts (the hearts are optional)
2 small onions
30 g/1 oz. butter
2 tsp capers, soaked, drained and chopped
1 bay leaf
5 or 6 sage leaves
1 glass dry vin santo (or sherry)
Warm vegetable stock


Chop the onion finely and sauté in the butter with the bay leaf and sage until soft.


Clean the chicken livers and hearts of fat and gristle. Add add to the pan with a few grinds of pepper but no salt.
Cook for a further 5-8 minutes, until browned. Add the vin santo and evaporate off.
Cook for a further 6 minutes, gradually adding a little vegetable stock to keep it moist.
Whizz in blender for a 30 seconds until nearly smooth.

Cut small rounds of baguette or Long thin loaves and grill on each side to brown, then smother with the pate - to be posh place a caper in the middle of each peice of pate topped toast.  Cool xThis paté improves if you make it the day before.  This is very Tuscan a real local dish, enjoy,

Thanks to Shilpa at www.organictuscany.org for the inspiration and the image.

Carnivale 2011 - festivale a San Gimignano

Last week was all about Carnevale, costumes, cenci, prosecco and confetti,