Another great recipe - this time for quiche

I'm no stranger to quiche. I have made filo ones aux Hairy Bikers (very nice, bit more fiddly to make) and my mum always brings up a quiche from The Pasty Shop opposite Glynn's mum and dad's house in Saltash (why make them when they taste so nice and are basically home made?).

For Christmas, my in laws bought me the Higgidy Cookbook, you know they make the yummy little pies we buy from Waitrose? I chose to use my in laws as guinea pigs for my first recipe - a mixture between their Quiche Lorraine and Smoked Chicken and Parsley Pesto Quiche.

I had to bake blind, which I hadn't done for years, so I had to buy some baking beans. I didn't put enough beans in the, nor prick my pastry, so I had a few balloons. Also as the sheets of pastry (no I didn't make my own, who do you think I am? My mother?) were too small, instead of rolling out (which I will do next time) I tried to join two pieces together. Not successful but as my mother in law kindly said, it makes it look more authentic.

Here's my version of the recipe:
1 sheet of shortcrust pastry
Bake blind (prick it!) for 20 mins on 180 degrees (fan). (I did this the night before and kept the pastry in the cool oven.)

200g meat (I used leftover gammon)
a few asparagus stems that I'd fried earlier
snipped chives
250ml double cream
3 medium eggs (I was supposed to put 1 egg yolk in it but I forgot - but didn't notice!)
handful of grated cheese

I spooned in the warm asparagus stems (chopped) and cool meat and herbs. Then I whisked the cream and eggs together, seasoned, and poured in the pastry case, scattering the cheese on top.

I baked on a hot baking sheet for 25-30 mins (but I think it was catching after 20 mins). We had most of it hot that night, and small leftover cold slivers for lunch the next day. Delicious! Best one I've ever made.

A walk from Portchester Castle to Salt Cafe

Well we just had to choose the worst day of the year to walk. The date had been set weeks before - who knew there would be the worst winds of the decade almost on this very day? But we didn't want to be beaten. We will walk to the cafe. At least it wasn't raining! Parking is free next the castle and obviously, it wasn't busy this day! We set off around the outside of this medieval monument. The sea wall affords views across to Portsmouth and Gosport, and Portsdown Hill if you look behind. You can see the Spinnaker Tower in my photos, but you'd have to zoom in. The sea wall leads to a walk along a path, switching between grass (a much more sheltered area) beside a playpark, and the beach. It is an easy, flat walk, made slightly harder in the wind. After 1.75 miles, you reach the Salt Cafe (@saltcafe66). This took us one hour - that wind did slow us down! I've had a breakfast bap there before and remember it being delicious, but slightly expensive. But today, we

Would I Lie To You board family game review

Would I Lie To You? "The game of believable lies and unbelievable lies ", linked into the TV show of the same name. Purchased: December 2017 in Waterstones, for around £20 In a nutshell: These TV show-affiliated games usually show themselves up (Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Top Gear) but this game is fun and easy to play (if a little modified) as a family. You don't really need specialist knowledge to play, just the ability to lie! Every year for Christmas, I like to buy a board game to play, even though no games better either Ludo (in which my dad is the reigning cheater-champion, and argues to high heaven over the rules about doubling up or how to place your counters in "Home") or Rummikub (which we can now play with two packs of cards lest we forget the game). This year, Would I Lie To You caught my eye in Waterstones (other emporiums - emporia? - for book lovers are [locally] unavailable). It's a game, it says, for 2-8 players; however we dec

Ms Humdrum reviews: B Afternoon Tea Bus Tour around London

Family and friends, tasty tea, cute cakes, succulent sarnies, scrumptious scones… what more could you ask for? Some sightseeing around Central London please. Oh, and on a vintage red double decker bus, if you don’t mind. What I’ve described is exactly what you get from the B Afternoon Tea Bus Tour. Priced at around what I paid for the Ritz afternoon tea some five years ago, you rock up at Victoria bus station and check-in to board the bus. The waiting staff guide you on and you find your booth. I manged to get a photo before anyone arrived. The tea is set up for you and is sort of stuck down on the table with a little bit of material! Note the nice touches of the flowers adorning the sides of the bus and the tables with natty bus and shopper images. You settle in and order your first (of many) drinks. I had in my head that I’d be supping loose tea using a strainer out of a bone china cup and saucer. However that just isn’t going to work on a bus, I realise. So you are given

A Humdrum Mum

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