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My second foray into using watermelon rind as an ingredient went well. I really enjoyed trying Watermelon Rind Chutney, so decided to see how it would work as a jam. The rind does have a mild flavour, but a little bit of spicing and it worked out nicely. As with the chutney I did have to partially blitz the jam as the chunks of rind did not disintegrate at all with the cooking. The watermelon rind also appears not to have any pectin so I added some home-made apple pectin to help it firm up. All in all it worked out very nicely and I am very happy with it. Ingredients: Rind of 1 medium watermelon, diced 1 1/2 c sugar 2 c apple pectin 1/2 tsp cloves 1) Place the watermelon rind pieces in a pot and cover with water. Place over medium-low heat and simmer for about an hour until the pieces of watermelon rind are tender. 2) Add other ingredients and stir. Using a hand blender, partially blitz the jam mixture to desired consistency. Taste test and cook down until thick. 3) Boil clean jars and lids for at least 15 minutes. Fill with jam while the jam is still bubbling, wipe the neck of the jar clean and seal. Place upside down to cool, sealing in the process. I am very happy with this jam, tried out on fresh home made English Muffins. The cloves added a much needed depth of flavour to the jam, and the flavour of the watermelon rind itself came through nicely. So happy to have more jam for my cupboard!

to give up chocolate, but for many centuries it was, and for many it still is, a period when richer foods Shrove Tuesday was therefore a good time to use up eggs and fats which remained, and so pancakes became

This recipe comes with fond memories, both of times with them and since starting to make it for myself

Everyone I shared either with (and not just sycophantic family members who have to tell me they're good

It is an incredibly chameleon-like meal, able to shift to fit the mood, your fridge, tastes or dietary

morning of playing in the snow with Little Bit, we decided to have bacon and eggs for lunch, and for good

As for many people, Macaroni and Cheese is a comfort food.

As mentioned in Day 48 of The Challenge This was a bit of an experiment. We only discovered recently that we can get miso paste here, so suddenly my husband has decided to try using it in everything. The most recent victim (a very willing, tasty one I might add) was fried rice. We also decided that this was the week to introduce shellfish to Little Bit, so shrimp went in to. Feel free to skip the shrimp, or substitute for something else, but it was a worthy addition. Ingredients: 2 c rice (either day old for the best fried rice, or freshly cooked according to packet instructions if you are like me and failed to plan ahead) 2 carrots chopped half a head of broccoli, cut into florets 1 c peas 1 knob of ginger, grated Half a head of garlic, minced 3 eggs 10 shrimps 2 tbsp miso paste 1 tbsp oil 1 1/2 tbsp rice wine vinegar 1) Heat oil in a wok and scramble eggs in it. Set aside. 2) Sauté carrots, broccoli, ginger and peas for 5 minutes. Add rice and stir. 3) Mix miso paste with 1 c water and add to the veg and rice. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring. 4) Add rice wine vinegar and stir, then tuck shrimp into the rice, add eggs. Cook for a further 4-5 minutes, until shrimp are just cooked, then serve. It came out very tasty, and was greatly enjoyed by all involved (although Little Bit was a tad confused by shrimp to begin with).

Späztle is another traditional Swiss and German food that I grew up with. An excellent comfort food dish for a winter evening.

I picked up fresh Burrata (such a delight!) and then wasn't sure how best to use it. We had lots of plums on hand, so I ended up making a spicy plum sauce, served on toast with the burrata split open over the top. To complete the lunch, we had it with sautéed mushrooms and scrambled eggs. This was quick, easy and delightful after a morning at the zoo with Little Bit (he was most excited to see the goats and the excavator. It takes all sorts I suppose!) Ingredients: 4 slices of bread, toasted, (I used tresse) 1 pink onion, chopped 1 tbsp vegetable oil 5 plums, pitted and chopped 1 small red chilli, chopped 1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 1/2 tsp almond extract 1 tbsp ground almonds 1 tsp cinnamon 1 ball burrata 1) In a small saucepan, heat the oil over medium flame. Add the onions and chilli and sauté until tender. Add the remaining ingredients except for the burrata and the toast. Cook, stirring regularly until the plums are beginning to fall apart. 2) Serve the toast on two plates, dividing the sauce and the burrata between them and allowing the cheese to ooze. The creamy burrata balanced the spicy and sweet plum sauce and the eggs gave everything a relatively neutral counterbalance. The toast provided some bite to oppose the softness of the plums and the almost custard consistency of the burrata. Overall, I was quite happy with this. I would maybe just tone down the spice a little next time. I loved it but it was a little much for Little Bit, who was perfectly happy with eggs and mushrooms instead.