Kitchen Capers

When I lived in Africa, we only had two seasons. One was the rainy season and the other was….er…..the un-rainy season, I suppose. Nobody I knew there would ever start a conversation with “Hello, nice and sunny today, eh?” Here in England, however, the weather is the reigning monarch of a repertoire of small-talk, representing an opening gambit and a focus of almost any conversation. Here is mine!

There is a palpable feeling of fecundity in the air these fine spring days. The bees are buzzing busily, birds are trilling most melodiously and fluffy, long legged lambs are leaping with unbridled energy. You can almost hear the bud laden garden popping into glorious bloom.

I plunked a big white jug of daffodils on the kitchen table this morning and the sunlight streaming through the windows lit them like jewels. Looking around my gaily coloured ‘playroom’ - so named by my daughters because of the plethora of gaudy bric-a-brac which is there to entertain me while I cook – I felt like doing a grand jeté of pure delight! I’ve caught the weather-bug and I’m loving it!

Come with me, then, as I take you on a spring kitchen caper....

My spring jewels.

A butterfly I found at Longleat.

Goose and bantam eggs too pretty to use.
(They are about 3 years old now!)

In memory of bantam collection devoured by a hungry fox

Infused oils from France, another chook and a home-grown squash.

A bug.

Gekos from Haiti

A musical cockerel.

And a Bollywood accompaniment

A flying cow

And a crab swinging from the rafters

A little library

Weights and measures designed and stitched by Granny Claire

Ubank and his entourage

My safari kettle

A Ugandan bird

Toucan swing

Ridiculous, isn't it? But, hey, it's spring!