Figs

Just thought you'd like to know that I have been making good use of all the figs I got from the farm. I have done some amazing things! The figs we have are called Mission figs - they are dark red inside and purple outside and they are just divine. Here are few of the ways we have been eating them :

Cut in halves and marinated for 2 hours in desert wine, cinamon and sugar, then baked in the oven and served with mascarpone.

Cut in hakves and baked in the oven with goats cheese on top and a sprinkling of balsamic vinegar.

Cooked in a pan in balsamic vinegar and sugar then served on ciabatta toast and drizzled with yoghurt and honey.

I think Olivia has been liking them too! Went for a scan today and the doc said we are definitely dealing with a bigger than average baby. She already weighs 1 and a half kilos ( about 3 pounds 3) and I have just read on the internet that at this stage the normal is 1 kilo (2 pounds 2). So she's a big one. The doc measured the length of her foot and it was just over 6 cms - which is actually quite big when you consider she has another 12 weeks inside of me to do.

I am obviously very proud that she is growing so well - but this does not bode well for the birth!!

I start my pre birth swimming class next week (exercises under water at a physiotherapy centre) - lets hope these classes keep her trim rather than building up her muscles as well as mine!

S xx

Summer time

Hola Bloggers,

We have been back in Valencia for a week now, after our two week holiday in England. It felt like we had gone to a different continent, or travelled through time to winter! It was abismal in Yorkshire. Some days were passable but most seemed like November! I must admit that it was nice to be able to sleep all night without waking up sweating, and to be able to dry your hair with a hair dryer and not pass out due to the heat ......but other than those two luxuries, I won't be swapping Spain for Yorkshire in the near future.

I really miss my niece Isabella now as we spent so much time with her during the two weeks. She is so funny now that she is into everything and says so many words. Its actually quite impressive the vocabulary that she has. She taught Jose a few words! We obviously all talk like her now and copy her funny ways. Its the end of a very long era actually because in my family everyone always copied the things I said as a toddler - as I was the youngest. We've all been saying mazageen for magazine (and many many other silly things) for 30 years! But now my slip ups are been taken over by Isabella's. I guess seeing as I am now carrying my own baby, I am going to have to accept that I am no longer "the baby". Speaking of which - look at my bump on the photo with the veg (or should I say - look at my melons!). All coming along nicely. I've put on a stone and a half so far (about 8 kilos) and I'm 28 weeks on in a few days (7 months). All as it should be so far.

The other photo is Jose hiding amongst the sculptures and the highly recommendable Yorkshire Sculpture park. My Mum suggested that we go there as my Aunty Mary always raves about it (apparently). So we went the day I had to drive to Barnsley to collect my lost camera from a lovely coupld who had found it and contacted me. The Sculpture park was very close to where we were going so we made the most of the journey. Its a great place. You can walk outside amongst the sheep in the more rural part and spot various sculpture here and there, or you can walk through the more manicured gardens (again, sculptures here there and everywhere) or you can mooch through the indoor galleries and see the ever changing exhibitions. We were blown away by the current exhibits in the galleries. There was a series of massive undertakings that, whether you liked them or not, you had to admit had taken some real balls to put together and construct.

We managed a jaunt down to London whilst we were in the UK - mainly to catch up with all my old pals down there. We slotted in a bit of tourism as well though and went to see Billy Elliot the musical. Wow ! Its a "must see". Hysterically funny, true to the film and to the region (lots if humour and swearing) and with the most phenomenal dancing - much more than in the film.

This weekend (our first weekend back) we went to the farm (hence the melons!). So, I've been cooking all morning in order to get through the ridiculous amount of produce I have - I need to cok and freeze whilst its at its best. I just did Jose a three course lunch of which the starter and pudding were the star features. Gazpacho to start (best he's ever had !) and a desert of baked figs with mascarpone. The figs were marinated in desert wine, cinamon and sugar for two hours before they were baked. They were literally to die for!

All week I will be cooking so if any one has any extra special receipes for things involving the following, please let me know : figs, grapes, melons, aubergines, tomatoes, onions, pepers, cucumbers, courgettes, lemons, cabages. They are all the things that I have taken from the farm. I'm about to look on the net for a baked figs with goats cheese receipe as I'm sure I've had that in a restaurant once.

S xx