Classics from Clarke - parmesan shortbreads

Mine were Nigella's easy peasy parmesan shortbreads...

150g plain flour
100g unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
75 - 100g grated parmesan

Put all ingredients in a food processor, whizz until it forms a golden clump, then split in two and make two cylinders (they should be same shape as rolls of coins). Wrap in cling film and leave in fridge for an hour (keeps for a few days). Take it out the fridge, slice cylinders into thick slices so about 40 golden 'coins' are formed.
Put in the oven at 180C for about 15 mins until they are turning golden at the edges!
Variations can be with cheddar and mustard powder or paprika...

Need a chimney sweep 21st Century style?

I've just used a Chimney Sweep who did an amazing job in  no time at all and left no mess whatsoever - cost only £65!   Apparently if you use your fire it should be swept annually.  I was rather taken aback when I answered the door to him as he looked more like a personal trainer than a chimney sweep!  The company are based in Teddington but operate throughout London.  They also carry out other chimney/fire related services such as stove cleaning etc.

www.acleansweepltd.co.uk

SG Birthdays

DECEMBER
Lucky Singh 12th
Moira 14th
Paul Fairfax 18th
Ian 21st
Ashleigh 23rd

January
Kate Crumpton 1st

Alicia 13th
Sarah Windsor 15th
Mary 28th

 

 

 

 

Take your dog away - from Paul

If you want a super place to stay for a week or a long weekend then Bromfield Priory Gatehouse, nr Ludlow, Shropshire is perfect. The Gatehouse is dog friendly, has lots of secret trapdoors, a grave yard and sleeps 6. It's a Landmark Trust property so the deal is no TV, no WIFI and usually no mobile reception. I can normally just stand that for a few days before I start to chew my foot. I've stayed in a few of these Landmark properties over the years but this was the best to date. Easy to find as opposed to "turn left at the decaying cow's head in the middle of the lane" and not quite as "in the middle of nowhere" as they sometimes can be. There's a incredible Food Hall spitting distance from the house which sold lots of lovely overpriced produce including, raspberry infused gin. That evening we created a cocktail, the Ludlow Raspberry 69, whilst doing a thrilling jigsaw of the Queen Mum (2 parts champagne, 1 part gin, sugar syrup and freshly squeezed lemon). The game of Scrabble that followed was just genius.

Ludlow is walkable (2 miles) over some pretty fields and we were rewarded with Morris Dancers and lots of three legged dogs when we arrived. Again, food is EVERYWHERE with loads of top notch places to eat. It's a gorgeous town complete with ruined castle and market square.

DO try all the local cheese and bread, I want everyone to experience how hard it is to lose the weight.
DON'T stand still for too long if you have a dog. People will throw money at you.

Check the house out here  http://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/search-and-book/properties/bromfield-priory-gatehouse-5111#tabs=0

No toadying here.. from CEL

 Toad in the Hole made with Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard flavoured batter, served with delicious French Onion Gravy.

Serves 2
100g/4oz plain flour
3 eggs
300ml/1/2pt milk
2 tsp Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp oil
4 Cumberland or other deli-style sausages

For the gravy:
2 tbsp oil
1 large onion, peeled and very thinly sliced
1 tbsp plain flour
1 heaped tsp tomato puree
50ml/2 fl oz beef stock
300ml/1/2 pt red wine
1 tsp Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard

Place flour in a bowl and add eggs. Using an electric beater, whisk to combine and gradually add milk to make a smooth batter. Stir in mustard and season. Whisk to incorporate. Leave to rest while you par-cook the sausages.

Heat oil in a pan and fry sausages all over just to colour. Reserve.

Put 2tbsp of oil in a square 20cm/8in baking tin. Place in the oven (Gas 6 200C 400F) until the oil is piping hot. Pour in batter which should immediately start sizzling and begin to rise up the sides of the tin. Place sausages into the batter and return to oven. Bake for around 30 minutes, or until batter is seriously risen, golden and crisp.

For the gravy, whilst the batter is cooking, heat oil in a pan and gently cook onions until softened. Stir in flour and cook a minute more. Add tomato puree. Pour in wine, stir in mustard and bring to bubbling. Simmer to reduced, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve separately.pa

Make mine Murder... from Sally

A friend of mine is about to have her first book published in February.  I have been given a few sneak previews and have read a couple of snippets from it....  and it looks fab!  
Here is the artwork for the dust jacket and the blurb for the back. I'm not exactly sure of the publication date, but do look out for it if you fancy a good read!

Great tips before you go - with CMO!

 A few tips from my trip.

www.trustedhousesitters.com
A great site that connects people who want to housesit with people needing house sitters.  We left the house, dog and cat with a lovely couple of girls we found on the site - and it didn't cost us a penny.  Did I trust them? Yes I did, we met one of them before we went away and my gut feeling was she was absolutely genuine - and she/they were. People housesit for all sorts of reasons and if you're going away and want someone to look after animals and keep the house occupied it's a perfect solution.  It cost me just under £10 for a months subscription, but if you go away a lot you can sign up for a year.

www.parkatmyhouse.com
Another great find - we wanted to park in London for the week because we could not take bikes up on the train as we were leaving too early (you can't arrive in London before 10am with a bike on SW Trains). So on this site I could search for people who had a spare garage/drive space where we could park the car - it cost about £10 a day.  You can find places all over London and can rent them by the day/week/month - a super service.

Septime restaurant
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g187147-d2185868-r129539114-Septime-Paris_Ile_de_France.html. This is the place we ate my birthday dinner - for all you foodies out there - just make sure you book it next time you are in Paris.  You can only book dinner over the phone and up to no more than either 3 or 4 weeks in advance - sorry can't remember which.  But if your French is not up to Scratch I'm sure CP could help out.

Stuck for a day out ? JVP recommends a Micro Brewery

I visited a micro-brewery in Wimbledon/Wandsworth at the weekend which was very good, By the Horns - http://www.bythehorns.co.uk/

Beers inc. Diamond Geezer, Stiff Upper Lip, Lambeth Walk and Bobby on the Wheat.
I can't actually vouch for any as I don't do beer, however, my partner rather liked the porter!

Great Electrician from CEL

Based in SW London - retired and friendly
Brian: 07977 754827 you can mention my name Christine Long - Delamere Road.

Bryant Brushes - The Best Painter & Decorator in West London from Paulo

A very good friend of mine (Anthony Bryant) and has recently set up his own painting & decorating business. I can honestly say that Anthony is one of the most caring and honest people that I know who prides himself in the quality of his work and with over 15 years experience you can't go wrong. So if you need or know anyone who needs a professional to paint and decorate their home with a big smile on their face and a good old-fashioned English sense of humour then Anthony is your man.

Check out his website: http://www.bryant-brushes.co.uk/

or call him on 0787 2494270

The food just keeps coming... CJO recommends

Place to eat in Richmond Tel: 020 8940 9060
Al Boccon di'vino in Richmond (Opposite Pizza Express near the sushi place).

Tony and I went a few weeks ago and were lucky to get a table - the only one not reserved by the door - it was packed! Suggest you make sure you book as this was only a Tuesday night...

Best way to describe it is like you are eating in an Italians front room. No menu, you eat what they give you. The only choice is if you want red or white wine and a couple of choices of each but then its a typical Italian meal at an Italian pace. Be prepared to be there the whole evening and just eat what they put in front of you, when they put it in front of you. Starters and antipasta are served as you arrive but then they bring out the pasta and meat courses to everyone in the restaurant at the same time. They accommodated me not eating fish quite well but on the whole you just eat and eat. Four or five courses, all kept coming, if there is any left he walks round with the pan saying anyone want extra and hands it out.

Loved it, set price £40 a head. Real experience. Think its rated highly on Trip Advisor Richmond too!

Caroline

Looking for a decorator - just mention Caroline's name

Looking for a decorator?

Then I can recommend a friend of mine for painting and decorating -
Liam Corrigan 07830156249.

Currently painting our place - doing a great job. Works on a day rate, completely trustworthy.

Mention my name when you call him.

He's not Hounding you...

Hi All,

Apologies for the shameless self-promotion (and if I've badgered you already) but I've just launched the website for my little dog coat business, Hounds Of Hampton.

If you could spare a few minutes to take a look at the website at some point, Hounds Of Hampton and spread the word if you know of anyone with a small cold dog!

If you could also spare some time to "Like" the Hounds Of Hampton Facebook page, that would be great too! Facebook Page

Thanks for your support in my new venture!

James (and Rusty) xx

Cooking with Jamie (Paddick)

CHICKEN BREAST STRIPS AND PANCETTA WITH ASPARAGUS
Serves 2
Preparation: 10 mins – Cooking: 15 mins

INGREDIENTS
• 2 chicken breasts, boned and skinned
• 10 asparagus spears, washed and trimmed
• 15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
• 70g (2½ oz) pancetta, cubed or sliced
• salt and black pepper
1. Place each breast between two sheets of clear film and flatten to a thickness of 5mm/¼ inch with a rolling pin. Cut into 2.5cm/1 inch strips diagonally. Season.
2. Boil the asparagus in salted water until just tender. Drain and set aside.
3. Put the pancetta in a large frying pan with the oil. Stir over a low heat until crispy.
4. Remove the pancetta from the pan, increase the heat and fry the chicken in the pancetta fat until lightly coloured.
5. Lower the heat. Add the asparagus to the pan, and stir thoroughly to make sure everything is coated in the oil. Carry on cooking until the chicken is done.
6. Serve immediately and sprinkle the pancetta on top.
SERVING SUGGESTION
• Steamed new potatoes make a good starchy side dish.

A new dog-friendly guide to set tails wagging... from Andy

Our new guide Dog-friendly Breaks in Britain is out now, and packed with b&bs, hotels, inns and pubs where your dog is a welcome guest too. Order now for a £5 discount. We'’ve rounded up some very special offers from our dog-friendly owners, so start plotting a weekend away with your four-legged friend. We have a bumper competition prize this month: a 2-night b&b stay in a log-fired dog-friendly inn, an organic dog food hamper and some stylish dog accessories. Alastair loves dogs and you can read why on Facebook. We are pretty dotty about them too, and have a new Twitter account dedicated to this exciting guide! One last thing: check out our special offers from Canopy & Stars... Dogs can glamp it up, too, you know.

For the life in your men

Sorry that should read the men in your life! Or anyone you want to buy a gift for!

Not sure what to buy them ? Why not treat them to one of Freya's products?

She is offering SG staff a 10% ONLINE only discount AND she will post it off for you!

The online code is SG2000 you just need to enter it at checkout!

Out with the Roe, in with the Luna

Good news and bad news, first the bad, the fish shop below us (next to Kall Kwik) has shut.
The good news is that a new eating place La Luna di Luca has opened in its place.
Better news, CP & VJD obtained a 20% discount off the menu for Stopgappers.

They are also doing a summer introductory offer throughout July & August which is Fairtrade coffee and freshly baked pastries for £2.50.
Choice of freshly daily changing pastas and risotto £3.50.
Afternoon Malteser cake or cupcake with tea or coffee for £2.50.
We will also have a daily Panini for £3.00.

Opens for breakfast at 7.30 a.m.

Follow the link for a sample of the other fare available.
http://www.stopgap.co.uk/images/luca_menu.pdf

A weekend treat from Kristin

I like would highly recommend the Bridge House Hotel in Beaminster -
www.bridge-house.co.uk/.

It isn't the cheapest - however the restaurant is fantastic! It has a Georgian Dining room, an outside dining room and of course, fabulous food! The staff are friendly and warm.
Its located 20 minutes from Bridport and Lyme Regis, ideal for a relaxing weekend - with easy access to beaches and wonderful scenery. It's been a hidden secret of mine and Marks for a number of years and over the years the hotel has just got better and better.
The Coach House rooms accommodates dog's too.

Come Dine with me... from CMO

STOPGAP SUMMER

GARDEN PARTY
Saturday 25th June 2011, 12pm onwards
I’d be delighted if you and partners / family could join us for a big
Stopgap garden party at home in Epsom.
Drinks will be served from midday followed by lunch – a totally casual but delicious affair!

You can swim, play petanque or tennis, enjoy the bouncy castle or
just relax in the sun with a cold beer – the choice is yours!
~~~
If you can make it and I do hope you can, please RSVP to me (claire.owen@stopgapgroup.co.uk) by Friday 13th May
letting me know how many are in your party (and ages of children please)
along with any dietary requirements.
~~~
Sunridge, 7 Ruden Way, Epsom Downs, Surrey KT17 3LL

Impress your guests at your Barbie with this Lemon Juice!

Do you like the refreshing flavour of freshly squeezed lemon juice?
Then make this and save yourself a fortune, makes over a pint of concentrate

Lemon Juice Recipe - takes 10 mins MAX
Ingredients:
3 Lemons (un-waxed are best)
10 oz sugar
1 pint boiling water
one & half teaspoons Citric Acid (available at chemist)

Method:
Squeeze Lemons saving the skins.
Add all ingredients to boiling water making sure sugar is dissolved
Put in skins and leave in fridge overnight
Remove skins and any pips and decant into an airtight bottle - dilute to taste