The pace is red hot again as Stephanie is chasing criminals and looking after Bob while Morelli is away. Ranger is close at hand and maybe too close for comfort. Enter Grandma Mazur on overnight stake out duty, what can possibly go wrong?

You can pr-order Dirty Thirty here

3 years on and still going strong…

Being active before lockdown, I found it very difficult to be told to stay indoors and not go out, even for exercise.

I found the Joe Wicks exercise routines fun and easy to fit into the day without feeling out of breath or aching the next day. Then I joined the Joe Wicks programme called the 90 day plan and I’m still using it today. Some of the workouts are challenging but I get through them and always feel better for it. The recipes are yummy too!

I am lucky to live in a mountainous region of Spain and 15,000 steps is a great start to the day. A good workout helps my mental wellbeing as much as my physical fitness.

With two children and a demanding job, the great thing about the 90 day plan is I can fit the exercise routine in around school runs and appointments.

Anyway, it’s been three years of getting up and doing it and I feel fit, healthy, strong and small issues don’t bother me like they used too. It’s definitely helped my confidence and got me back to feeling like me again. Having 2 babies in Spain and learning another language was a struggle and following the Joe Wicks programme has helped me through.

This is a delicious petit four using not too much sugar. Easy to make and it keeps for up to a week in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

• 125g plain dark chocolate chopped
• 90g stoned dates, finely chopped
• 60g pecans finely chopped
• 90g caster sugar
• 90g butter
• 30g rice breakfast cereal
• 45g coconut

Step by step:

1. Line a 27cm x 18cm tin with greased, grease proof paper, or greased tinfoil.

2. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stir until smooth and spread over the greaseproof paper or tin foil and leave to partially set.

3. Heat the dates, nuts, sugar and butter in a small saucepan until the butter is hot, stirring occasionally. Then combine the rice cereal and coconut in a large bowl, stir in the date mixture and mix well.

4. Spread the mixture on the partially set chocolate base. Spread and flatten the mixture firmly so it holds together.

5. Chill until set. Invert and remove the greaseproof paper or tin foil, then invert again so the rice topping is uppermost. Cut what is needed into strips. Cover and store the remainder in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

This pair of early 20th century French hand beaten iron hanging lanterns are worth up to £2000 depending on condition. If you can find them with the original frosted glass, all well and good. However, new glass can be easily fitted and they will of course need rewiring. 

Likewise the original hanging chains are important but if not available they can be retro fitted but the value of the lanterns will be much less.

They measure: Height 90cm, Width 46cm, Depth 46cm. Height of drop including the hanging chain 175cm.

Dig around in the back of junk shops and brocantes. Always get to antique fairs early to get the best chance of finding bargains.

Spring brings longer sunny days and new life in the garden. Its time to be outside and enjoying new season vegetables.

Steamed asparagus simply served with free range eggs and jamón is hard to beat. Use freshly picked herbs (chives are ideal) finely chopped and sprinkled over with paprika or a few chilli flakes and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

Ingredients:

• 2 bunches new-season asparagus (about 500g)
• 75ml olive oil
• 4 eggs, free-range for preference
• 75g sliced jamón
• A good drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, to finish
• Flaked salt and black pepper
• Chilli flakes (optional)
• 1 handful fresh chives, snipped, to finish
• Leftover basmati rice and bacon (optional)

Step by step:

1. Trim the woody ends of the asparagus and steam the spears for three to four minutes, until tender to the tip of a knife.
2. Meanwhile, put the oil in a nonstick pan on a medium-high heat, until it starts to shimmer. Add the eggs and fry until the whites are bubbly and crisp at the edges but the yolks are still runny. Remove with a spatula and pat their bottoms dry on a sheet of kitchen roll.
3. Arrange the asparagus on four warmed plates, top each portion with an egg and the slices of jamón, then drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and scatter with flaky sea salt and black pepper and paprika or chilli flakes (if using). Sprinkle over the chives and serve. We had some leftover rice and chopped bacon to use up.

We shopped at Aldi 15th May 2023. Asparagus £2.80 (20 spears), Jamón £1.99 (100g), Eggs £1.30 (4)

Contrary to popular myths about 75cl being the amount of wine somebody needs with a meal, or the lung capacity of glass blowers, the reason is purely mathematical and based on history. 

In the 19th century, the main customers of French wine producers were the English and the unit of volume of the English was the “imperial gallon” which was equivalent 4.54609 litres.

Wine was transported in 50 gallons barrels. 50 gallons is equivalent to approximately 225 litres. The British wine merchants decided that the 225 litres made a convenient 300 bottles of 75cl each. 225/300=0.75.

This is also why many wines are sold in cases of 6 bottles because six bottles equals one gallon.

Did you know?

The indentation in the base of a wine bottle is known as a punt. It is there to help the bottle remain more stable when standing upright. 

Steaming is a very gentle way of cooking fish and vegetables, retaining many more nutrients than boiling.

There are a variety of different steamers available. The stainless steel 3 basket or 3 pan stackable are ideal options. Prices start from about £10 to £35 for the best quality brands.

The bamboo baskets are around £10. They fit over a Wok or saucepan and are a fun way to serve Asian food direct to the table.

Cedar baskets are high quality longer lasting baskets, available for about £30

There are a number of electric steamers on the market and they start at around £25. Aldi currently have the one shown above on offer for £25

Go to the Prestige website > https://www.prestige.co.uk/

This Italian brass armed atomic chandelier is worth around £2500.

Sputnik design ceiling lamps can be worth up to £5,000

This mid century orbital design is still around. Good clean examples can fetch up to £2,000.

20th century chrome and brass medical lamps are worth up to £2,000

Eileen Gray was an Irish architect and furniture designer born in 1878 at Enniscorthy, County Wexford.

Her designs have become classics and she is widely recognised as one of the most significant designers of the Art Deco period.

Famous for tubular metal functional furniture, table lamps and upholstered furniture, Gray died at age 98 in Paris in 1976.

Her life took many twists and turns. The video below gives a good and fascinating introduction to the life of this interesting woman.

People often talk about form and function in the context of interior design and Gray certainly designed with that idea very much in mind. As you will have seen from the video, many of her designs have become very collectable and valuable.

Whilst much of her furniture is extremely hard to find nowadays, its always worth checking out the French antique fairs and vide-greniers where you might just strike lucky.

Further reading: Art Deco Interiors by Patricia Bayer published by Thames And Hudson.