recent Lifestyle blogs
oprtalj : step into the past…

oprtalj : step into the past…

Our nearest town, Oprtalj, isn't really a town. At least not in the sense of what we'd regard as a town back in the UK. Oprtalj is not much bigger than Burton Road in West Didsbury, but with a couple of restaurants, a cafe bar, a school, a food shop, an interiors...

waste not want not panzanella…

waste not want not panzanella…

Waste not, want not. We're trying very, very hard to live a much more sustainable lifestyle and to really take note of what we buy. In the past, we might have popped into Manchester and come bag with bags of *stuff* that we just didn't need. We don't do this now....

cauli cheese – with a twist…

cauli cheese – with a twist…

I'm a big fan of easy-peasy dishes, which include as few pots and pans as possible. And, as little time spent in the kitchen, as possible. Summer here has been very hot and currently we don't have the luxury of air con, so our summer cooking has involved many BBQs and...

damson gin time…

damson gin time…

For the first year since we've been here, the damson trees around the garden, are absolutely laden with fruit. Maybe they have been in previous years, too, and possibly we've been too busy with summer visitors and renovation work, to notice, but we've definitely...

greek style tuna stew…

greek style tuna stew…

I have absolutely no idea if this dish has any Greek roots but it just reminds me of those oh-so-wholesome stewy-fish dishes that you often find in Greek tavernas. The ones located right next to the sea, with a bamboo awning, covering you from the hot sun as the water...

country life…

country life…

Although I grew in the semi-rural North East of England, it's been a long time since I've lived in a house and looked out of the windows and seen fields. The move to Manchester in 1985 lasted until we left in 2017. Thirty two years of city living - and suddenly in...

smoked salmon & leek pasta…

smoked salmon & leek pasta…

We've been getting very good at using nearly everything we buy food-wise, and reducing our waste massively, and raiding the back of the cupboards for forgotten tins and packets. Most of the meals we've been making recently have been proper lockdown larder efforts,...

looking back on lockdown…

looking back on lockdown…

Like the rest of the world, we've been living the Covid-19 lockdown, here in Istria, since March 17th. This was the day the country offically started staying at home, although we were feeling the effects before this date. Being so close to northern Italy, we were...

spaghetti with anchovies & onions…

spaghetti with anchovies & onions…

This is another perfect lockdown larder recipe. If you love anchovies, you'll definitely have a tin or a jar or two of these in your cupboard, and everything else is pretty standard stuff standard stuff which most people will have in. It's a Nigella Lawson recipe,...

stinky baked cheese…

stinky baked cheese…

There's nothing more mouth-watering than a strong baked cheese, served with warm crusty bread. It always seems a very decadent way to eat, but in reality, it's not - it's just hot cheese. What makes it decadent is what you do with it, and the kind of cheese you use. I...