Castle Cornet and Coco Mini Brasserie

A cold, mizzly sort of day and we visited Castle Cornet. This is the lighthouse warning hapless ships of the looming shores.

Castle Cornet

St Peter Port through the mizzle

Followed by an epic lunch of omelettes (crab and tarragon and vegetables); ciabiatta sandwiches and nutella waffles at the wonderful Coco Mini Brasserie

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Cornet

https://www.visitguernsey.com/eat-drink/eating-out-guide/coco-mini-brasserie/

Guernsey assorted rambles – Gardens

Guernsey- Fort Grey

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Grey

We spent some time at Fort Grey which houses a Shipwreck Museum – B-G’s current favourite topic. It is really not surprising that there were so many shipwrecks off Guernsey’s coast- the rocks are rugged and treacherous- and evilly beautiful.

 

Guernsey

A week away in the Channel Islands. More to follow…..

Feeding Fussy Eaters – Jacket potatos.

Baby-Gusto has always been a little hit or miss with his eating. He has a reasonably narrow diet that I try to make as healthy as possible. I have read books about feeding children (Karen Le Billon’s* is a particular fave), read loads of online sources and am nearly at my wits end. I have consoled myself with the thought that he gets a good, nourishing, well-cooked meal at school, but lately he has even been eschewing that and eating the sandwich alternatives on offer. Dinner times has begun to veer towards a battleground – the worst thing that can be done with children who are fussy eaters.

After alot of thought I decided to break dinners right down to the very simple basics. Almost reverting to nursery food as Husband-G calls it. Last night was the first night of the ‘experiment’. I made a simple pasta consisting of macaroni, tomato passata mixed with some cream cheese to make it creamy. With cucumber salad on the side (thinly sliced cucumber marinated for a few hours in a little bit of cider vinegar and a sprinkle of sugar). H-G nd I had the same as the days of cooking three meals (albeit adapting to H-G’s vegetarianism) are over. B-G ate the lot. I cannot tell you what that means…but suffice it to say is is a Very Big Thing.

https://karenlebillon.com/

I highly recommend Karen Le Billon’s blog and book- fabulous.

I put three baking potatoes on a long metal skewer. The metal draws heat to the centre of the potato. I then baked on 200 degrees celsius for about 1 hour 15 minutes.

In the meantime I made a mix of cooked pancetta cubes, cream cheese and grated cheddar cheese.

Vegetarian H-G had the same mix without the pancetta.

Then when the potatos were cooked I halved them, sco0ped them out and mixed well with the mix, adding a bit of butter to moisten it.

These were then popped back into the oven for 5 minutes or so. Baby-G’s plate – Jacket potatoes, a little bit of asparagus and a small amount of baked salmon. The salmon was not touched, which I knew it would not be but I put it on the plate anyway.

My plate- jacket potatoes with asparagus and salmon baked with cherry tomatoes.

H-G’s version. In hindsight I would have sprinkled more cheese on the top and then put it under the grill part of the oven for a minute or so to make it bubbly and golden brown.

Baby-G ate the insides of the potato – albeit fairly reluctantly. He ate a teeny bit of his asparagus. On the whole, while the pasta from yesterday was a 10/10 success, this was a 6.5 out of 10.

 

London Visits

Protecting the Tower of London

I have been back and forth to London for the past few weeks in order to undertake professional development courses. Wile spare time was limited, I did manage to get out and about a bit.

One day I went to the Tower Of London. My main aim (of course) was to see the Crown Jewels. But the Tower is very interesting if a little haunting. Hardly surprising considering it’s long and often brutal history.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_London

 

View of the Tower

Traitor’s Gate is where the Tudors brought their prisoners to the Tower.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traitors%27_Gate

 

Traitor’s Gate

What I found fascinating about the Tower is that people still live there. About 100 people (Yeoman Wardens and their families) call the Tower their home today. They have their apartments or houses, they have their own doctor and their own little gardens. I found it amazing to think about what life might be like for them- and I wonder if they see the ghosts of executed prisoners walk across their grounds at night…..

Living Inside the Tower

Inside the walls.

Inside the Tower

Tower Bridge

 

48 Dinners- #4 -Frittata

This is always a good way to use up leftover vegetables without resorting to soup. (How I am so so tired of soup.)

I cooked up the veg that was in the fridge. Leeks, halved cherry tomatoes and quickly blanched asparagus.

Sprinkled with grated cheese

Then added 7 beaten eggs

Cooked and served with kale and potatoes.

Frittata is usually quick. 20 minutes in a hot but not too hot oven. Even better cold the next day for lunch.