In My Kitchen: February

Welcome to the first Saturday of the month where I share everything I have made over the previous month. For the second month in a row it was a busy month in the kitchen. I don't think that will be the case in March but never say never!

We started the month by having a family dinner. We made roast pork, cauliflower cheese as well as tried a new way of doing potatoes which was Crispy Potato Gallette from Donna Hay's latest book, Sunshine, Sea Salt and Lemons. This book was the February cook book for Lambs Ears Cook Books Club and I really enjoyed cooking out it. (review here) The potatoes were a hit, as was the Chaja Cake which I made for the second time this month. This time I took a few shortcuts but everyone was happy with it. There were no leftovers!

Last month we tried the viral Japanese Cheesecake. We used Greek yoghurt and pretty plain biscuits. This month we made it again but this time we used a Lemon Curd yoghurt and Anzac biscuits. It was so good! Indeed, we ended up making it two weeks in a row it was that good. You do need to let it sit for at least 12 hours as Anzac biscuits are very hard so they need that additional time to soften up a bit.

Last year, it was announced that there was going to be an Arnott's cook book released and I knew I had to have it. It's a bit gimmicky really, which shouldn't really be a surprise, given that it is recipes made with Arnott's branded biscuits, but I will try a couple more things out of it in due course. This month I made Vanilla Slice which is made using SAO biscuits instead of pastry. It was good, but I think I would use a different container next time so that it gets a bit more height on the custard. 

We did have a cherry tomato crop to harvest this month. I say crop, but there were only three that were ripe. I am not complaining though, given that we didn't even plant the tomato vine, it just started growing in pot out the front. 

Do you ever look at what people have in their trolley/shopping cart and think ....I need to try those. Last time we went to Costco I saw a family that had two boxes of these Taiwanese Pineapple shortcakes, and I thought I really must try those. When we went to Costco recently it was top of my list. The box is super cute. The contents are.....you know...fine. 

Lastly, one of my work colleagues gave me some homemade jam this week and for breakfast last Saturday I had it on crumpets! It was so good!

In terms of our eating out adventures, this month we had two adventures. My husband isn't one for the big gestures but we have always done something for Valentine's Day. This year we went to lunch at a winery which is about 15 minutes away from home. We have been meaning to try this winery ever since we moved into the area. It won't take us another 3.5 years to go there for a meal again!

We also went to afternoon tea at Oxi Tea Rooms again. We have been three times now, and I know that we will go again. They change the menu every six months, the food is amazing both in looks and taste and it is a phenomenal experience! This time, the theme is Victoria - The Place to Be and it featured local produce. In addition to the set afternoon tea menu, they offer some a la carte options. We chose to have the Koala but there was a cherry dish that looked absolutely amazing! I will share more about the visit in an Afternoon Tea Diaries post soon. 

New recipes this month

Crispy Potato Gallette - delicious! (Donna Hay)

Tomato and Mascarpone Tart - easier than it looked, especially if you use shop bought pastry (Donna Hay)

Japanese  Cheesecake - Lemon and Anzac Biscuits - so good we made it twice

Thai Chicken Meatballs - Really good (Donna Hay) (recipe)

Japanese Pork Curry - We've bought enough curry sachets now to make this several times again

Korean Fried Chicken Burgers - Another winner from Donna Hay. Will be having this one again.

Weekend Cooking posts from the last month

The Oyster Catcher by Jo Thomas

Sunshine, Lemons and Sea Salt by Donna Hay

The Golden Spurtle (movie)

In My Kitchen: January

Weekly meals

Saturday - Butter chicken and roti
Sunday - Tuscan Chicken Pasta Bake
Monday - Beef Stir Fry
Tuesday - Chicken, tomato, bocconcini with past
Wednesday - Baked Pumpkin and chicken risotto
Thursday - Pork Schitzel, mash, broccolini and mushroom sauce
Friday -Take away

I am sharing this post with In My Kitchen hosted at Sherry's Pickings.

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page

Blog Tour: The Strawberry House by Rachel Burton

 

When journalist Henry Aldridge is sent to write a story about the renovations at Montagu Manor, he is initially reluctant. The year now is 1952 and he would rather write about the ascension to the throne of the young new Queen Elizabeth. His reluctance has rather a lot to do with the fact that he spent some time at the manor prior to the outbreak of WWII, and he was caught up in events with tragic consequences.

It is the summer of 1938 and the world is holding it's breath as it waits to see what is going to happen in Europe. The aristocratic Kerrigan family live at Montagu House. Each year, the extended family descend on the house. This year though, there are going to be some additional guests. 

Henry has just finished his degree at Oxford. When he is invited to Montagu House by his friend Anthony, he takes the opportunity. It means that he can buy some time before he has to return to his family's meat canning factory. He doesn't want to spend his life working in the family business but he might not have a choice.

Henry is immediately attracted to Camilla, the no fuss, somewhat overlooked eldest daughter. Camilla would love to have the opportunity to go to Oxford to study but her conservative, aristocratic father will not allow it. Instead, she is expected to be the sensible daughter, the one who everyone relies on and takes for granted.

Also visiting the manor is a group of artistic types that call themselves the Kensington Circle, lead by charismatic artist Leonard Lombard who wants to paint beautiful Mabel Kerrigan. As the summer wears on, tensions rise in both the outside world and within the walls of Montagu Manor, culminating in the destruction of the incomplete portrait.

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the almost mystery like feel of the latter timeline as Henry suddenly finds himself investigating exactly what did happen in that summer and is reacquainted with people he never thought to see again, including Camilla. Nothing is quite as it seemed at the time, and once again, lives will be changed by what is uncovered.

Whilst the artist and his group are made up, one of the interesting aspects of the story is the connection to famous Arts and Crafts movement leader William Morris, which is where the inspiration for the title of the book comes from. 

A compelling read about a world on the edge of war and great social change, with strong characters and an interesting series. This is the second book I have read from Rachel Burton. I enjoyed the previous book I read but this one was even better! I am already looking forward to seeing what comes next from this talented author!

I am sharing this review with New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host here.  Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. Be sure to check out other stops on the blog tour below.

Rating 4.5/5

About the Book

The Strawberry House

1938: For Camilla Kerrigan, life at her family's Oxford manor is a delicate balancing act – between duty to her family and a yearning for something more. When her brother Anthony returns for the summer, bringing with him a new friend, Camilla recognises a kindred spirit. Like her, Henry is thoughtful, restless and uncertain of his future.

But the arrival of four strangers – among them a gifted artist determined to paint Camilla’s sister Mabel – soon shatters the fragile peace of the manor. In the shimmering heat, desires are stirred and one impulsive act will set in motion a tragedy that echoes for decades.

1952: Haunted by war and the memory of that long-ago summer, the last thing Henry wants is to return to Montagu Manor. But when a photograph arrives, showing the painting he thought destroyed – the portrait that ruined so many lives – he is drawn back into the past.

Now, Henry and Camilla must face the secrets that shaped them, and the love that refuses to fade.

One unforgettable summer. One devastating secret. A love that time could not erase.

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/StrawberryHouse

About the Author

Rachel Burton is the bestselling author of historical timeslip novels and romantic comedies. Rachel was born in Cambridge and studied Classics and English Literature before starting a career in law. She lives in Yorkshire with her husband, a variety of cats and far too many books.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: @RachelBurton74

Twitter: @RachelBWriter

Instagram: @RachelBWriter

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/RachelBurtonNews

Bookbub profile: @RachelBurton

Top Ten Tuesday: Cooking the Books

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week the theme is Genre Freebie (Pick a genre and build a list around it. You could do historical fiction featuring strong female leads, contemporary romance set in foreign countries, mysteries starring unreliable narrators, lyrical fiction books in verse, historical romance featuring pirates, Gothic novels with birds on the cover, etc. There are so many options!)

Recently I was honoured to be asked to co-host one of the Cook the Books selections later in the year. Cook the Books is an online book club where you read the chosen selection, but you also cook something inspired by the book. When I was looking through the books that have been chosen over the last few years I was surprised to see that I have been doing this for a while now so today I am sharing the last ten books I read for Cook the Books, as well as what I was inspired to make!

Before that, you might be curious about what book I chose? I couldn't see many Japanese books on the list, so I have chosen The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai. My selection will be up in October/November. You can see all the upcoming selections in this post

Bite by Bite by Aimee Nezhukumatathil. - I made Hummingbird cakes with cream cheese frosting. 

Maame by Jessica George - I made Jollof Chicken and Rice

A Bakery in Paris by Aimie K Runyan - I made Raspberry Clafoutis

The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson - I made Chocolate Eclairs

Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang - I made Japanese Strawberry Shortcake (which I enjoyed much more than I enjoyed the book!)

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner - I made Midnight Kimchi Fried Rice

Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd - I made Honey Sponge Roll

Family Tree by Susan Wiggs - I made Maple Butter Date Loaf

Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge - I made Boeuf Bouguignon

Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley - I shared lots of biscuits/cookies I have made over the years. 

This week...

I'm reading

It is really annoying when work gets in the way of reading time. It has definitely been one of those weeks for me. By the time I finish work every day I am too brain dead to even think about reading too much. 

I did finish The Stolen Sister by Jan Baynham, because I had committed to a date for a blog tour.  I reviewed the book here. 

I then started The Strawberry House by Rachel Burton. My review for this one isn't due until later this week but I am trying to get a bit ahead of the game. I don't have any more blog tours in March, but I do have a lot in early April. 

What do you do when you have some reading space? Why, of course, you overcommit yourself to other books. I need to read my book club book, my Classics Spin book and now I have gone through and selected my Goodreads challenge books. I think I am expecting too much of myself but we will see how it goes.

The first book I started for the Goodreads Challenge is Lovelight Farms by B K Borison, which fits the Swoony prompt!

It's hard to believe that it is the end of February already. I only read 6 books in February which is the least I have read for a while. However, of those 6, there were 2 books that I rated 5 stars. The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters was an excellent own voices read and The Silent Resistance by Anna Normann was a WWII story set in Norway. Both were fantastic reads. I haven't reviewed The Berry Pickers yet, but here is my review of The Silent Resistance. 

Books let our imaginations travel where our feet cannot - Nora Nguyen

Bookish travel

Here's where I travelled too through the pages of books during February

Europe

France - The Resistance Knitting Club
Norway - The Silent Resistance
Germany - The Wartime Affair
UK - The Cottage at the Edge of the Woods
Greece - The Stolen Sister

North America

Canada/Maine - The Berry Pickers

I'm watching


I went and watched an amazing movie this week. I Swear is a British film which tells the story of John Davidson, who is a campaigner for Tourettes education. It is a powerful and inspiring story about facing head first into adversity and finding a way. If you get a chance to see it, it's worth the time.

Here's the trailer

Life

It is crazy busy at work, and I don't see it dying off over the next couple of weeks, especially seeing as I am going on an overseas work trip next week! I am very excited about it, although I suspect I am going to be exhausted at the end of it, but more about that in the next couple of weeks

We did take some time out this weekend and went for afternoon tea at what is one of our favourite tea locations. Once again the food was absolutely gorgeous and tasted amazing. The koala at the top of the post is a macadamia, maple, mango and strawberry gum flavours! And yes, it tasted as good as it looks.

Posts from the last week


Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Books!

Blog Tour: The Cottage at the Edge of the Woods by Jane Lovering

Blog Tour: The Stolen Sister by Jan Baynham

Weekend Cooking: The Oyster Catcher by Jo Thomas

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: March links

I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date, Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz and the Good Book and a Cup of Tea link up hosted at Boondock Ramblings

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge - March links

Thank you to everyone who contributed a review in February for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. It's been a good start to the 2026 challenge. Currently there are more than 40 links! I will be back in the next week or so with all the statistics for the month. 

I am looking forward to reading your reviews throughout the rest of the year! I am sure there is going to be a lot of great historical fiction discovered and shared with fellow HF lovers over the course of this year!

If you haven't already signed up, it's not too late! The sign up post is here.

Just to recap what participants need to know. At the beginning of each month I will put up a post which will have a Mr Linky embedded into it for you to add your link.

Please remember...

• add the link(s) of your review(s) including your name and book title to the Mister Linky we’ll be adding to our monthly post (please, do not add your blog link, but the correct address that will guide us directly to your review). 
• it doesn't matter where you review - Bookstagram, Goodreads etc as long as you share a direct link to your review.
• any kind of historical fiction is accepted (fantasy, young adult, graphic novels...)
• if you have time, have a look some of the other links that are present. You never know when you will discover new blogs or books!

You can also join the challenge group on Facebook which you can find here and don't forget to use the #histficreadingchallenge hashtag on the socials.

Let the reading begin!!

Weekend Cooking: The Oyster Catcher by Jo Thomas

 

I have read a number of Jo Thomas's books now and really enjoy them. They are always fun stories, with lots of food and quite often interesting settings! I have decided that while I wait for each new book,  I will work my way through her backlist, starting with her first book, The Oyster Catcher.

When Fiona Clutterbuck's husband dumps her at their wedding, she takes the campervan that they were supposed to be honeymooning in and just drives. She ends up in a small town named Dooleybridge that has seen better times on the shores of Galway Bay. After crashing into a brick wall, and being admonished by the local police because the van has now been reported stolen, Fi realises that she is broke and homeless.

In the local pub she overhears that there is a job going with one of the local farmers, Sean Thornton. Desperate, she very quickly agrees to take the job, which is especially handy given that it comes with accommodation. She soon realises that she should probably have asked more questions because it turns out that Sean is an oyster farmer. Fi doesn't like oysters and she has an extreme fear of water and boats.

Sean has his own reasons for employing a stranger. Years before, the oyster industry of Dooleybridge had collapsed, with lots of repercussions for the town. Sean is now trying to keep his uncle's farm going, but it is hard work and isn't that profitable, but he loves it. He does feel like he is on the brink of being able to turn things around but he doesn't want the locals to know what he is doing just yet.

While there might be a spark of attraction between them, Fi is staying far away from Sean, not least because of his very ambitious oyster broker/business partner/girlfriend, Nancy.

It was interesting to see the parallels between this, Jo Thomas's first book, and her latest book which I reviewed here. Both feature communities where the town has seen better days, and feature that same community coming together to organise an event which will help revitalise the town. In this book, the event is a revival of the Oyster festival which had been scrapped years before after the oyster industry was pretty much closed down. It's not all smooth sailing though. Some people want a slick, high class oyster festival and others want a rustic festival with a nostalgic feel. 

There are lots of really fun characters who make up the population of Dooleybridge, as well as a couple of "baddies" like Nancy, who probably could have done with some nuance in their characterisation. There are also some really fun animal characters including donkeys Freddie, Mercury and Juliet, who have a nasty habit of escaping their enclosure at very inconvenient times!

I love most seafood, but oysters is one of the things I don't love. Give me prawns any day over oysters. I did, however, really like learning more about oyster farming. It was interesting because whenever you travel in certain parts of Australia you will see oyster farms advertised as tourist destinations. We have never stopped at one before, although we did go to a pearl farm in Broome in Western Australia which is same same but different. We might next time we come across one of them

I already have my next Jo Thomas read out of the library. That book will take me to  Italy, and I am really looking forward to it!

I am sharing this review with Foodies Read hosted at Based on a True Story.

Rating 4/5

Weekly meals

Saturday - 
Sunday - Pork chop, mash, beans and gravy
Monday - Mac and Cheese
Tuesday - Steak Egg and Chips
Wednesday - Takeaway
Thursday - Pad See Ew
Friday - Takeaway

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page

Blog Tour: The Stolen Sister by Jan Baynham

When Zoë Carter's mother, Greta passes away at a relatively young age, she is left alone. Zoë was an only child, and her father had died in a car accident when she was three. As far as she knows, her mother had lived a very closed life in Wales, so it was a complete shock when she receives a sealed letter asking that she spread Greta's ashes in Crete. Zoë had no idea that her mother had even visited Crete.

Determined to try and put all the pieces together, Zoë decides to visit the island, and slowly she begins to put the story together. Not only had Greta visited but she had lived there for a period of time during the 1960s

In one time line of the book we follow Greta as she arrives in the picturesque town of Fáros Limáni and joins an art commune. There she meets Andreas and begins a passionate love affair. When she finds out that she is pregnant, Greta is torn because she is concerned that her parents will be ashamed of her but she loves Andreas. 

In the other time line which is set in 1984, Zoë tries to find out the truth. She is a silversmith and she is drawn to the jewellery shops in the town. She is surprised when she is called by another name, and even more surprised when it happens again. Why do people keep on mistaking her for someone else. 

Along the way, Zoë also gets to meet some of the people who were important to her mother, and they in turn help bring Zoë's truth to life. However, along the way, it is not only Zoë who needs to learn the truth about who they are. Family secrets are revealed, and the truth is quite shocking, to think that things like the key events in the historical story could truly have happened.

I hadn't read Jan Baynham before but i am glad that I took a chance with a new . I found myself getting lost in the world that Baynham has created. While I have travelled quite a bit in Europe, Greece is one of the places I have not yet visited and when I read books like this, it really makes me want to do so! Crete does seem of particular interest given ancient history and more recent history, as well as gorgeous beaches and food and so much more.

I am sharing this review with New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host here.  Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Zooloo's Book Tours for the review copy. Be sure to check out other stops on the blog tour below.

About the book:

Lost letters. A secret Greek love affair. A daughter's search for the truth. 

Crete, 1963. Young artist Greta Ellis arrives at the sun-soaked port of Fáros Limáni, ready to paint and explore the beautiful Greek island. 

 When she meets passionate local Andreas Papadakis, she is swept up in a world of colour, freedom and forbidden love. But when tragedy strikes, Greta is forced to make an impossible choice that will echo for decades. 

 Wales, 1984. After her mother Greta’s death, silversmith Zoë Carter receives a sealed letter that upends everything she thought she knew. Greta’s dying wish is for her ashes to be scattered in Crete, a place precious to her . . . but somewhere she had never spoken of.

 Searching through her mother’s belongings, Zoë uncovers a series of letters. Written in Greek and dated the year before she was born, they reveal a passionate love affair. And a tragedy that tore it apart. 

 Determined to know the truth, Zoë travels to Crete to follow the trail left behind in her mother’s letters. Through the olive groves and whitewashed villages of Crete, she begins to piece together a story of love, betrayal and loss — and discovers that her family was never what it seemed.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/246324063-the-stolen-sister 

Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/stolensister-zbt

About the author:

Fascinated by family secrets and ‘skeletons lurking in cupboards’, Jan’s dual narrative, dual timeline novels explore how decisions and actions made by family members from one generation impact on the lives of the next. Her first three novels look at the bond between mothers and daughters as well as forbidden love. Setting and a sense of place plays an important part in all Jan’s stories and as well as her native mid-Wales, there is always a contrasting location - Greece, Sicily and northern France. Her next books will involve secrets and sibling relationships; the first set in 1943 and 1968 takes the reader back to beautiful Sicily where two sisters work together to prove their father’s innocence of a wrongdoing. 

Social Media Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JanBayLit

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/janbaynham/ 

 X (formerly Twitter) https://x.com/JanBaynham 

 Website https://janbaynham.blogspot.com/