The Gallery - FOOD

This weeks Gallery theme is food, how could I not take part!!??!! Food has always played a huge role in my life. I come from a family that loves food and feeding!!! I grew up with a love of cooking and baking as my Dad formerly a chef in The Royal Navy, never lost his love of food and cooking and my Mum, a keen baker worked in a bakery for much of my childhood. I'm so pleased that they took the time to teach and encourage me to cook, and it's something I've had the chance to pass on to others, through work or friendships.

As many of you know we (Mr P & I) are in the process of setting up our own Coffee Shop, which once open will sell home made cakes and pastries. Contrary to belief it's not me that will be doing the bulk of the baking. Mr P has thrown himself into learning many processes that have produced fantastic results and it's him, not me that will be in charge of the kitchen. So I'll leave you with some images of just some of the amazing things he's made over the past few weeks. When you're done, pop on over to Sticky Fingers to see all the other great entries.

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Double Choc Berry Heaven

Chouxchouxbedoo buns! Lemon meringue, caramel, coffee & chocolate flavours

Raspberry & White choc macaroons

Lemon Macaroons

Sour Dough Bread

Individual Quiches

Apple, cinnamon & custard tarts

Mint Choc Chip Eclairs

Pistachio cake

A variety of Whoopie pies

The Gallery - Embarrassing Outfits

I usually end up needing a tissue to read other peoples Gallery posts as they can be very touching and sometimes a little heart wrenching, but a damn good read at the same time. This week however I'm hoping I won't need the tissues, unless it's to wipe away tears of laughter!

I'm later in posting than usual, but that's mainly because I had so many pictures I found it hard to choose! I decided that to be fair to the theme I would post a picture of myself in an outfit that I had actually chosen to wear, and didn't want to take the easy route out by posting a picture of me in an outfit that I could blame on my parents.

So here it is........

The dreaded shell suit! (thankfully only the bottoms but there was, yes indeed, a jacket to match!)

The top was a fetching hooded number, and yes I am sporting a curly perm!! I'm guessing I'm about 14/15 by the age of my great niece (Yes, GREAT!! see last weeks Gallery for explanation of my odd unusual family set up)

Not much more to say about that, other than, thankfully this 'phase' didn't last long!

Pop over to The Gallery and have a giggle at some of the other entries :o)

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The Gallery - A family Story

So this weeks theme was to show a picture that tells a family story. I quite often end up wiping away tears when I look at all the other Gallery posts. The entries are often so personal and touching that I have to choose my moment to read them or I'll just be a mess for the rest of the day!

It was hard to choose just one picture, so I have two but they are connected, honest!!

Here's the first. A typical 1970's (love the outfits & decor!!) family snap of a newborn and her proud parents.

Well no one could blame you for thinking that, after all it's what it looks like. But actually what you are looking at is a picture of me, the baby, and my sister and brother, aged 25 and 23! My parents had me 'later', they were both 46 when I was born. There were many times when one of my siblings would be mistaken for a parent and I can remember them being so proud to say "No, she's my little sister!"

The next picture is this one

Again, I'm the little girl in the middle and the boy whose lap I'm sitting on is my nephew, Antony, my sisters son. Yes, that's right! My eldest nephew is eight years older than I am, so here I think we are about 2 and 10 years old. In fact by the time I was born my sister and brother had five children altogether, all my nieces and nephews!

Our family seems a bit strange to other people, but to us it's perfectly normal!

Pop over to see some of the other entries on Tara's Blog and don't forget your tissues!

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The Gallery : Me Right Now

So the theme for The Gallery is Me Right Now and the deal was that you had to take a snap of whatever it was you were doing at the time you read the prompt post.
I had just come back from the morning school run/dog walk and had sat down to a cuppa and a toasted cinnamon bagel while I caught up on my mail/Twitter/Facebook and finished writing the shopping list.........multitasking at it's best!

I am in the picture. That's my thigh in the bottom right corner! On my lap I have Mr P's Pastry book (I was checking the ingredients for the Ganache filling for the pastry tarts he'd made the night before) My pen and notepad to compile a shopping list and my Jamie Oliver journal that I write all my own recipes in and those of my friends.

It actually sums up exactly 'Me right now' Cooking and planning and writing lists.....

Pop over to The Gallery and see what everyone else is up to