Ciao, ciao, ciao chaps

We’re back the UK after a month in Italy. Boy, did that month go fast, but then again, it always does on hols, doesn’t it. We’ve been out for lunch a lot, hung around the pool a lot and nearly burnt the house down with an Ikea wooden BBQ that didn’t appreciate the oil based chicken marinade. Luckily enough we were right next to the pool and it was put out easily enough, unfortunately the chicken was burnt to pieces and not even hubby would eat it.

I think I need to apologise for not blogging at all during June. It was not all down to enjoying ourselves. To enable hubby to work for two of the five weeks we were away, we upgraded the WiFi, but what we did not realise, was that all the apps and all our little gadgets just used more of the data and turned into data guzzling monsters. After the first two days we had nothing left of the June allowance at all and had to spend time at the far end of the garden trying to get a mobile signal to check the weather forecasts; like you do.

The only baking I did was a birthday cake for a cute little boy that turned 1 whilst on hols with us. It was just a simple Swedish strawberry cream cake that shouts out summer and sunshine. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any piping bits with me so a cheese slicer had to suffice for spreading the cream out and anyway, the strawberries were the stars. Inside the sponge is a layer of jam (shop bought I’m afraid) and a good thick layer of crème pâtissière and it was yummy (see pic above)

I also got a couple pics of Monte dei Sospiri without the windmills but it was a little hazy so you can’t see the total amazingness that is this place. Good though, eh?

Now that life is slowly turning back to normal, I have decided to treat my writing like a proper job so that all the stuff I’ve got on the go can actually get finished at some point. I’ll write more on my writing and research a little later in the week because I went to Como for a three night research trip mid June and I have lots to tell.

So for now chaps, arrivederci.

Marie