Another year, another Easter, an April update!

It's been a while and there certainly is a lot to report but the biggest change and what has been taking up most of our time is still in transition so I won't be posting about that till it's completely done, I'm not big on constant posts about the same project... just show me the finished product already!

However, I did think it was about time to put a bit of a post about what's we've been up to otherwise and to talk about our extremely low-key Easter weekend. 

After we got back from Italy Rob and I were still quite under the weather so the long 4-day weekend over Easter was a bit of a bummer. However, Good Friday was special as it was Rob's Birthday... 32 whole years-old!! We celebrated by watching movies in bed all day and eating takeaway (hurray). I gave Rob a digital recorder for his music and am looking forward to his next band practice to hear them playing in all their digital glory! 

Hot Cross Buns

Instead of a birthday cake, I decided to attempt a very daunting recipe. It wasn't daunting because it was hard, it was daunting because it is a family recipe from Rob's mother and grandmother for Hot Cross Buns Rob eats them every year at Easter (or his Birthday as they are normally so close). Most of the family was in Australia for Easter so we were left on our own and I had hoped to make buns that would live up to expectations. They look fantastic but to put in in Rob's words 'It is your first attempt and you can't expect them to be as good as I'm used to'. I was told to take this a compliment...hmmm.

What I did take as a compliment was that Rob managed to eat them all and seemed quite happy with them as a substitute for his mother's. They were certainly better than anything store bought! I wish I would have remembered some candles to make them birthday buns but oh well, instead I made exactly 33 buns - 32 years for Rob and 1 to grow on! 

We started to feel more up-for-it after Good Friday and on Saturday and Sunday enjoyed walks around London. Easter Sunday we met up of dinner with my friend's mother and step-father who were visiting London briefly. It was a lovely evening with great food and really lovely conversation. It's always good to a friendly face from the US and made a bit of a celebration out of what was becoming a dull Easter Sunday. 

By Monday we were both back to 100% and took advantage of our new health by giving the house a HUGE clean and doing a bit of DIY. Rob spent the day working on the 'project' mentioned in the first paragraph while I repainted the front door! It's amazing how much better the door looks and what a difference it makes to the whole look and feel of the house! I should have taken a before-and-after picture but I totally forgot so you're only left with an after... believe me it is an improvement!

With the house looking FABULOUS and our health back to normal we've resumed our normally busy lives. This month we had a dinner for four of our friends and I made the worlds biggest lasagne... it fed six of us and then me and Rob for 5 more meals!!!! That night we also played Apples to Apples; a great game, look it up, buy it, and play it! It's such a good conversation starter and great for groups of people who have just met or don't know each other well yet.

Yellow makes me smile on gloomy days and
yes, our door knocker is a bat... love it!

We've also had some family move to London this month. Rob's cousin and her boyfriend have just move back to North London and we had them for dinner last weekend. I have only met them once before and it has been years since anyone had seen each other. There was a mass move of Rob's family to Australia and Germany a few years ago and it's nice to have someone over here again! It was great to have them over and it will be lovely to have them in town permanently. 

And... even though it has been raining for the past two weeks we have also been getting quite excited about the summer and the start of Softball Season!!!! Rob and I play on team in a very small league in London called the Tornadoes!!! Unfortunately, we haven't been able to make a practice yet but we will start playing in games at the beginning of May... something we are both very much looking forward to! 

I guess you can see why it's been so long since I've posted... we keep busy! Anticipate another big post about 'the project' soon!

Hot Cross Buns

I made these for the first time as an Eater/Birthday treat for Rob you can read about it here.

Hot Cross Buns

Makes about 30 Buns

For the buns

1.5kg plain white flour

1/2 cup caster sugar
1Tbsp of mixed spice
1Tbsp salt
4 large eggs
1oz yeast frothed up with a tiny bit of warm water
125g of butter melted mixed with two cups of warmed milk
2 cups dried fruit (sultanas and raisins)

For the crosses
short crust pastry (here is a good recipe, you'll have plenty leftover so make a pie!)
water to bind

For the syrup 
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water

Mix all the dry ingredients and make a well. Then add eggs, yeast, and the milk and butter mixture. Mix together and add more milk until it's the consistency of normal bread dough, then stir in the dried fruit. Let the dough rise for at least and one hour.

Once risen, knock back the dough and let it rise again for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, roll out the pastry and cut into thin strips 2.5 inches long. After the second rise, knead the dough and form into buns just smaller than your fist. Using water to bind add a cross made out of two strips of pastry to each bun. Let the buns rise for one more hour.

Cook at 220 C for about 12-15 minutes until just cooked and golden brown on top. While they are cooking make the sugar syrup buy dissolving the sugar in the water using a saucepan over medium heat. Do not let the syrup caramelize, the syrup should be clear! Once you have taken the buns out of the over, immediately paint them with with syrup and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

They are best eaten straight out of the oven with butter!

Sorrento and the AHHHmalfi coast!

On Friday we got back from Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast of Italy where we spent a week with my parents. Unfortunately, the final day of our trip was ruined by sickness and Rob and I are both laying around the house today on a sick day. We had to say good-bye to my parents at the Naples airport all four of us coughing with flu! But the days leading up were completely worth the illness that followed. Hopefully this is not a trend... last year my parents and I were all very sick when we visited Barcelona around the same time. I think we might be allergic to Europe in the springtime, will have to try the summer or autumn.

Anyway, lets focus on the amazing trip before the illness. Rob and I arrived several hours before my parents and took a ferry from Naples to Sorrento. We had a beautifully clear day and could see amazing views of Mount Vesuvius and all down the coast on the Bay of Naples. It was the perfect way to greet a holiday! I'm afraid that this post is going to mention 'stunning views' and 'amazing scenery' quite a bit, it really was a breathtaking area of the world and we came home with more than 400 photos though we were only there for 6 days! 

Mount Vesuvius from the Ferry to Sorrento

My parents rented a villa in Massa Lubrense just south of Sorrento, a 20 minute bus ride away. When we reached the villa we once again had the most amazing views from our roof top terrace. It was an ideal location for us to base our tour of the area. 

The veiw over lemon groves and out to Capri from our
villa roof terrance. Jealous? Yes, you should be! 

After spending an evening in Sorrento and meeting my folks we woke up on Sunday and explored Massa. We walked down what seemed like a gentle slope to the marina but was actually quite a steep CLIFF. From the quaint, sleepy marina (actually everything was sleepy as we were about two weeks before the start of the high season, a perfect time to go and avoid crowds) we walked down the coast then hiked our way back up the cliff. Rob and I are in relatively good shape and spend a lot of time walking around London, my folk, however were not that use to walking as much, especially uphill, and we were lucky that both made it up alive!!! The walk up took us up several steep steps through residential areas that looked out on to the bay with fantastic blue water and a clear view of Capri to the southwest... stunning. The rest of day we spent eating and drinking. The food everywhere was delicious, fresh and completely unlike any Italian food you get outside of Italy. Rob and I also gorged ourselves on fresh buffalo mozzarella every day as the area we were in, Campania, is the mozzarella capital of the world... I was in HEAVEN!

The next morning we woke up early and were pick up by our driver for a private all-day tour of the Amalfi coast. We drove high up into the mountains then down the 'gold road' which winds around the coast line of the Amalfi cliffs through several amazing towns. I can't really describe this so I've just added a gallery here of the day, which included stops in Postino, Ravello, Scala and Almalfi. We also had the most amazing lunch overlooking Ravello and the coast! This was just about the most enjoyable day of our trip and one of the most memorable in my life. Enjoy the photos!

Postino, beautiful resort town south of Amalfi

Dipping our feet in the Med at Postino

Having a good time on the gold road... check out the view!

The view without our big heads in the picture!

Natural arch

Looking towards Amalfi

View of Ravello from Scala... so high up.

View from Ravello during the most scenic lunch ever

Mommy and I after wine and lunch in Ravello

Final town we visited, Atrani,
where all the natives hang out

Our last two days, before flu set it, were spent in Sorrento, Pompeii and Capri! Pompeii was massive and, if I had the interest or the stamina to spend two days there, I could have easily, but we didn't have enough time and we were not willing to give up more time in Sorrento or Capri to see more. I highly recommend visiting, but be warned... it's hot, crowded and confusing, but unbelievable at the same time! 

Creepy petrified Pompeii victim

We walked around Sorrento and took several pictures of the Bay of Sorrento and Naples from the terraces of fancy hotels along the cliffs of Sorrento and ate gelato and drank espresso on the busy Tasso Square in the centre of the city. It's a delightful city that is very easy to get around and has several nice walking streets with plenty of good shops and markets! The whole area is covered in lemons and is the capital of limoncello (which they serve you at the end of every meal). Everywhere you look you can buy something lemon-scented or flavoured and all the rural areas are covered in lemon groves covered by chestnut pergolas (see photos above). It's a very distinct look and defines the agricultural landscape around southern Italy.

View over the Bay from Sorrento

Limoncello and shot glass... Souvenirs!!

Our final 'healthy' day was spent on Capri and what a great way to finish a trip! Early in the morning we piled onto a very crowded ferry and took the quick ride to the Gran Marina on Capri where we took the funicular (incline) up to Capri Town (the main 'city' on the island). The weather was perfect the whole day and as it was the low season everything was relatively quite. Unfortunately, all of the designer shops were shut but, hey-ho, I can by any Prada or Chanel I need in London... HA! The gelato stands were open and that's what mattered the most. After we gwaked at Capri Town, we took a tiny bus, packed with people, to the sister town, Anacapri, and enjoyed the old town there, which included yet another delicious lunch!

Our plan was to take a tour of the famous Blue Grotto after we visted Anacapri but we spent too much time enjoying lunch and the grotto was closed by the time we got there. However, a local guide grabbed us and offered to take us on his boat to the White Grotto and around some of the other coast. We were a bit hesitant but the guy seemed nice and we really wanted to see the island from a boat so we took up the offer. It was probably the best decision we made! Again, I can't really describe it... the water was so blue and the colours reflecting in the white grotto were unlike anything I had ever thought possible. In the caves there is a line of bright orange coral that grows along the water line and it's so vibrant you can't believe it's not man-made! Here are some photos to make you want to go!

Marina and coast of Capri from Capri Town

Capri Town

Main square in Capri Town

Capri Town

Lunch on Anacapri

Main square in Anacapri

Rob enjoying the views during our boat tour

Cliffs of Capri

Bright orange coral in the White Grotto 

The white Grotto 

Blue reflecting off the top of the White Grotto,
you cannot get a feel for this from a picture.  

Natural Arch on the cliffs of Capri

Cave off Capri, the water was so blue!

View out of the cave above

Rock formations off Capri, so stunning!

Sailing through the arch above

After Capri it was pretty much downhill from there, though Rob managed to sunbath and sunburn for a day before we left! Six days later were back on our feet and finally feeling back to normal! As I said before, the trip was worth every second of illness, nothing prepares you for how unique and special this place is. If you get a chance to go, don't pass it up! 

Remembering Tinsel

Whilst in Sorrento we found out that the dog that I grew up with, Tinsel, died in her sleep at the farm where my parents put her while on vacation. She was 12 and led a pretty fantastic life. She was loved by everyone who met her, even those who did not really care for dogs. She was gentle, friendly and extremely intuitive, she always knew how to act around people: calm and caring with the sick and children, upbeat and energetic with everyone who could handle it. She was adorable, but that was really only the smallest bit of her charm, she truly was unique. 

I'll always remember how my mother and I took her to puppy kindergarten to learn obedience and she would never behave for us at home but when we took her to class she was always the best student, a trick she would often play; acting better for others and misbehaving for us... it was endearing. She had a special bond with everyone who met her and I think she made everyone feel special by paying each visitor special attention. It must have been exhausting for her to love everyone so much and in the end I think it may have caught up with her. 

I'm sure all dog owners say such amazing things about their pets and I'm sure the grief my family is feeling is no greater than that of those who have lost their pets, but I just felt it necessary to mention on this space what an important part of my life and family she was. She will truly be missed and going home without seeing her again will be hard. 

Here is my favourite picture of her... enjoying the sunshine! She used to follow the sunshine on the steps moving up with it as the day moved on... it was a hard life.