recent Lifestyle blogs
smoked salmon & leek pasta…

smoked salmon & leek pasta…

We've been getting very good at using nearly everything we buy food-wise, and reducing our waste massively, and raiding the back of the cupboards for forgotten tins and packets. Most of the meals we've been making recently have been proper lockdown larder efforts,...

looking back on lockdown…

looking back on lockdown…

Like the rest of the world, we've been living the Covid-19 lockdown, here in Istria, since March 17th. This was the day the country offically started staying at home, although we were feeling the effects before this date. Being so close to northern Italy, we were...

spaghetti with anchovies & onions…

spaghetti with anchovies & onions…

This is another perfect lockdown larder recipe. If you love anchovies, you'll definitely have a tin or a jar or two of these in your cupboard, and everything else is pretty standard stuff standard stuff which most people will have in. It's a Nigella Lawson recipe,...

stinky baked cheese…

stinky baked cheese…

There's nothing more mouth-watering than a strong baked cheese, served with warm crusty bread. It always seems a very decadent way to eat, but in reality, it's not - it's just hot cheese. What makes it decadent is what you do with it, and the kind of cheese you use. I...

souks : medina : marrakech : morocco

souks : medina : marrakech : morocco

We made a bit of an unexpected purchase when we visited Morocco and to be honest, we were on pins when we returned home. The purchase was being sent to us, as it wasn't going to be easy to bring it back ourselves, and after the euphoria had worn off - it was something...

seriously the best lentil shepherd’s pie…

seriously the best lentil shepherd’s pie…

...so claimed the author of the recipe on the website. And as we were craving a Shepherd's Pie - we don't eat minced meat and had no Quorn mince left - we decided to test out this rather bold claim and give this vegan option a whirl. It was easy to make, if a bit more...

the honey house : ljubljana : slovenia

the honey house : ljubljana : slovenia

The lovely story of The Honey House in Ljubljana... A respectful attitude towards nature allows us to maintain the harmony of life. We are proud to offer you a piece of nature that has been prepared with the utmost care, immersed in tradition and knowledge, which has...

there’s always a way…

there’s always a way…

Renovating a property can be very expensive. Even though things out here are often less expensive than back in the UK, we don’t have a bottomless money pit and so sometimes, rather than splashing the cash, we look for alternatives. And, currently, spray paint is...

lockdown larder : coconut and lentil dahl…

lockdown larder : coconut and lentil dahl…

We're currently in proper lockdown here in Istria. As of last week, a permit has to be applied for if you want to travel to a different municipality. Borders are closed so we can't - and at the moment, definitely don't want to - hop across to Italy to stock up on our...

very little stir risotto : donna hay

very little stir risotto : donna hay

With our lovely new kitchen, we are trying to be more organised, have food in, take advantage of our new cooking facilities and eat more at home. We love risotto and have been meaning to try out the Three Cheese Baked Risotto spotted in a Donna Hay cookery book –...