a week of celebrations

You'll be forgiven for wondering if the big baboon took us, it's been a week of warm birthday celebrations on cold winter nights- I'll start at the beginning with my mother's birthday dinner hosted by my clever sister.

Yep, that splendid looking cake tasted as good as it looked, creamy and rich, red velvet. I don't want to make you jealous, but my sister's boyfriend is a chef and these things are common place in their home.

We arrived just before dusk and had the pleasure of wandering into the garden to pick the evenings broccoli- I'm not even going to comment on the size of my sisters tomato plant- that technically shouldn't even be growing, never mind bending under the weight of its fruit...ours are still thumb high!

A beautiful table, champagne to toast, brunschetta with roasted peppers to start, creamy baby marrow soup with a surprise pasta pocket, then onto slow roasted lamb shanks - how did we still manage the cake?....lets just say the women of our family have a healthy capacity for food.

Someone waiting patiently and expectantly for those bones...

Thank you sister, we had a wonderful evening....

Now please come on over to our garden and touch it with your green fingers!