It’s a glorious May morning here on the Hill.
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO ALL MOTHERS, including those who aren’t our biological mothers but who ‘mother, nature and care’ for us, especially those wonderful aunts.

Ciao tuttti! It’s Saturday, the Weekend. What’s lined up for the tribe at your place?
TLCR is calling today’s post ‘Waste not, Want not’ or ‘Good to the last drop’ Take your pick. It was standard practice in previous generations and has been in ours. Get the kids on board and see how much is left in tubes, plastic containers etc. when you think they are empty. It might be your tube of Vanilla Paste, Lemon Grass, Minced Ginger, toothpaste, handcream…. There are many options but a little spatula is essential: cut the end off the tube, use Mr S to scrape the contents together. If there’s enough for more than one use, employ a paper clip to seal it, especially if it needs o go back into the fridge. If it’s hand cream or the like, have that empty plastic vitamin / tablet container ready. You get the drift. For toothpaste use the head of a toothbrush to work every last bit to the cap end, then roll the tail up and sticky tape to secure in place. There are probably 4-5 more portions left. If you and your tribe have been doing this for years, congrats!!

ciao tutti! It’s Friday. You’ve made it to today. Lunch has to be something very unfussy, quick, easy and tasty.
Try saying avocado on toast + grated tasty cheese + slices of ripe tomato. Bless with S and P. delizioso!! It even ticks the ‘nutritious’ box.
That was lunch today for TLCR. The avocados? Gorgeous creamy, buttery ones from a friend’s garden. buon appetito… alla prossima!

Pumpkin scones using GF flour.
buon appetito!

This beautifully textured Kent pumpkin was delicious roasted, skin on for easy prep AND steamed made for some really tasty GF pumpkin scones.
Pumpkin Soup with a touch of chilli and nutmeg will be on the menu today.

buona cucina!

ciao tutti! With the re-calibrating that CV19 means for all of us on the planet, having a go at growing your own fruit and vegetables looks to be up there at the top of the list. The Little Cellar Rat has not dabbled in growing pumpkins before, but a vine came up in compost taken over to the winery herb patch. TLCR is learning a lot about the sex lives of pumpkins! May I introduce Pietro the Kent Pumpkin, weighing in at 6.7kg, circumference 89cm, diameter 36cm.
There are 5 or 6 more little Pietros coming along. TLCR will keep you posted. How did he taste? DELIZIOSO!!!

alla prossima!

ciao tutti…. It’s Saturday and doesn’t that word have a wondrous sound to it.
Beautiful thin-skinned Meyer lemons are festooning trees in local gardens and the little Cellar Rat’s thoughts turn to LEMON DELICIOUS, that unpretentious but utterly delicious pudding from days when the wood stove produced amazing roast dinners and no-one would think of wasting that precious heat so something as simple as this would go in. No worrying about hard to find ingredients – these were the staple of any country kitchen.
My recipe is STEPHANIE ALEXANDER’S but I’m sure you have one handed down from a grandmother or great-aunt.

LEMON DELICOUS PUDDING – Stephanie Alexander
You need: 180° 1 litre oven proof dish + larger dish for bath

• 60 g butter
• 2 lemons
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons SR flour
• 1 ½ cups milk

Cream butter, sugar, zest and egg yolks.
Add flour and milk, scraping down sides, then blend in juice.
In separate bowl whip egg whites until quite firm then gently fold through lemon mixture.
Pour into buttered dish (enamel is excellent). Stand dish in larger baking dish and pour hot water to come halfway up the sides to create a ‘bain marie’ or water bath.
Bake approx. 1 hour. Top will be nicely brown and set to the touch. Cool and enjoy with some pouring cream + scoop vanilla ice-cream.

buon appetito…. buona cucina!

ciao tutti! It’s Friday and the first day of a new month – May. The fifth month in our calendar, its origins are a complex little story involving both the Greeks and the Romans. Unlike almost all the days of the week which are Scandinavian in origin, the names of the months in English are all Roman based. In a nutshell, May is named after MAIA, goddess of spring and fertility, remembering that it is Spring in the Northern Hemisphere.
Now, You are going to have a mid-morning break soon. Do you have a tray (of course you do…. probably 3 or 4 ) Get out the one that sings to you, load it up with your beverage of choice and maybe a family photo album. Find a sunny spot and soak in the Universal Mother! alla prossima!

ciao tutti!! Adding to yesterday’s post about teaching kids/ partner/ grandkids how to feed themselves: The Little Cellar Rat learned early on that a carafe, jug or bottle of water at the hand + ready when cooking, is essential and invaluable.
It might sound like COOKING 101 but it simply works and de-stresses. whenever that dash or two of water is needed, it’s ‘no problemo’!
buona cucina!