I was checking out some of my favorite blogs and found a great recipe for spaghetti squash on chocolate and zucchinis blog with links to other blogs and on one of these (http://verysmallanna.com/) I found a recipe for macaroons (or macarons depending on where you live). So instead of doing spaghetti squash (promise to do so later), I am going to do a piece on macaroons that involves amongst other things, lunch with friends and the French gendarmes / police…

I continue with my series on German Christmas biscuits and want to tell you about the most famous cookie in Schwaben or Schwabia, the area in which my in-laws, Karl and Leni, live. Any housewife who has any self-respect whatsoever puts a lot of effort into her Springerle and it is a highly talked about cookie. As always, the recipe is to be found at the end of this post.

Just before leaving France, we partook in the age old French tradition of bottling confit of duck and foie gras / fat liver. Foie gras is a much discussed product and I am not going to make a judgment about if one should eat it or not – I’ll let everyone decide for themselves. We enjoyed joining our French (and Scottish) neighbors / friends in preparing this traditional French delicacy so I thought I’d tell you about our fun evening and give you the recipes.

Today’s recipes: Hazelnut meringues and Coconut meringues

I saw it up ahead. It was something I had never seen before and I raced forward to get a better look. And sure enough, my worst fears were confirmed. Driving in the slow lane was a BMW sports car, its taillights tucked beneath its bumper. I kid you not. I mean, would one joke about something as serious as this?

Today’s recipe: German Christmas cookies / Vanilla crescents / Vanillenkipferl

Today I send you greetings from Germany where I will be spending the next 5 weeks and where I hope (WILL) to catch up on this blog. The last couple of months have been so hectic and I have neglected my beloved blog something terrible. But all that is bad history and the future holds all things good – including German Christmas cookies/biscuits. My mother-in-law makes 10 to 20 different types each year and each one is a little masterpiece.

Today’s recipe: Peach or apricot tart

Our little village in France made a decision for the environment rather than for a million dollars and this cake helped in making this decision. So now I suppose you want more details? Well, the cake is deliciously moist, looks gorgeous…oh, you meant about the environment!

Once again a week has passed and I have not posted, but this time it is really not my fault (thank goodness). We are having trouble with our broadband AGAIN and I battle to get on-line. Although I have cried wolf far too often in this regard, it’s now really true and the wolf is biting me in the royal behind. So a belated HAPPY HALLOWEEEN and I hope you have a witch free year till the next 31st of October.

I have to make a confession: it’s been 2 weeks since my last post. You’ve noticed? Today is my birthday and I was born in the year of the monkey (I think), but I should have been born in the year of the dog as I seem always to be chasing my tail! Sorry about that, but all that running about in circles chasing my tail put me way behind with everything, but I am back with a vengeance and so let me get back to our holiday (before I completely forget that such a thing exists as not working and having fun!). As always, your oyster recipes will be at the end of the post.

This is a really easy tomato salad recipe, but it is fantastic. As you (should) know, we have a lot of tomatoes each year and I have come up with loads of ways of using them, but this is our favorite and quickest tomato salad. Being a very creative cook, I sometimes go overboard on spices and “ooh, I’ll just roll this and tuck that, brown it, flip it and stack it” so this is a surprising none-of-all-of-that dish. As always, the recipe is at the end, but first it’s time for more holiday stories!

The time – how does she fly! It’s been 10 days since we got back from our vacation and I have only told you about 1 day! Tut, tut. In the meantime, my beloved husband Joergi-Bear has had a birthday (on the 2nd) and we have been working hard trying to make up for being away for 2 weeks. I am soo hard done by, she says, sipping a cold glass of rose and reminiscing about the Apple Cream Cheese Cake I made for Joerg’s birthday – and strangely enough the recipe for today’s post.