Great New Year with fab friends & family. Memories of a kitchen past. The best secret Santa present put to good use. A great meal with our local buddies! What better way to start 2012!

A great New Year with our visiting fab friends, spent in our favourite village in Formula 1 themed fancy dress with my brother; He-Man and She-Ra, aka one of my oldest friends and her partner as well as her mum. And at midnight my parents joined us for Champagne overlooking the estuary. It couldn’t have been more perfect and a great way to see in 2012. I have had a good feeling ever since.

Memories of a kitchen past reminded by our visiting friends with the comment “you have a kitchen, last time you had no oven”. Funny how quick you forget but at the same time remember, just over 2 years ago we survived for 3 months without an oven, just a combi-microwave and George Foreman grill. At the time it was exciting as well as amazing what you can create, admittedly takeaways were eaten and roast potatoes were craved… and it was definitely a relief to have my gas cooker back.

Best secret Santa was Ching-He Huang cookery book Ching’s Fast Food what an amazing choice – someone had me exactly right. And I used it last night to cook…

…a meal with our local buddies who are soon to be parents (eek!) for what could easily be the last meal we have just the 4 of us for a while. I did think about cooking curry but in the end decided on Chinese. Ching-He Huang‘s Hoisin Chicken and Sichuan Chilli Tomato Beef (although the recipe was supposed to be with Chicken).

Oh and while I’m talking cookery books – I always write the date and who I ate with in cookbooks when I try a recipe, makes them really personal and helps you remember and find meals you’ve previously had!

Wishing you all a Happy New Year, thanks for coming to our visiting friends, thank you whoever you are for my secret Santa gift, good luck to our local buddies. 2012 is gonna be just fabulous!

IndigoDaisies x