Lentil and Sausage Stew

This meal was cooked for new year after seeing all the Italian blogs with lentil and sausage recipes I got craving it and round foods are supposed to be good luck or so they say :-) It was easy to make and so good for you. Some of you may have made new years resolutions and since we are now going into February maybe even struggling. I must confess I never really make them and I feel its best to eat healthy all year surrounding yourself with a network of supportive like minded people. 

Boston, Lincolnshire food market

Before leaving the UK in a days time I thought I would share a wee post of the local food market in the town where my Grandparents and most of my family live. Boston Lincolnshire it's a mid size market town, surrounded by one of the largest agricultural areas in the UK so much of the produce is locally grown.




Fresh Brussels sprouts




Pheasants







This local butcher shop is famous for Boston sausage a delicious sausages full of herbs and flavor I have sadly never found anything like it in the states and folks come from all over for them.








We snacked on warm sausage rolls as we walked through the town it's been snowing in England and its quite chilly.




Boston stump a famous church built in 1300s







Love this door


The wee man playing with my other Grandmas teapots ;-)




We also took my grandma out for tea at an old hotel in woodhall spa with my Mum and Dad. She is pretty much home bound now and my Granddad is on dialysis we drove to visit him in hospital he's ok though.

All in all it's been amazing adventure and a joy to see all the family but we are exhausted and the kids are worn out I think. Time to head home :-)

Looking forward to being back on my laptop and visiting all your blogs

Much love and thanks for traveling with us :-)


Love Rebecca

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Sunrises and sunsets in Chennai

One of the things I will miss here is the terrace/ roof top I have really enjoyed watching pretty sunsets over the city in the evenings with a cuppa as the kids play there. Here are a few pictures ;-)


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One morning I woke early and figured why not stay up for the sunrise here's a lady in the opposite houses doing a rangoli design early morning


6.30am all was quiet no car horns just the sound of birds lovely






The view of a small temple there is also a church on the street







I watched neighbors carrying water from a shared tap up the stairs and felt so grateful to have taps in the house. Water is so very previous and sometimes we forget.






Here comes the sun.....



It's our last night here in Chennai tomorrow we then go to Mumbai for a night to say hi to friends and onto a chilly UK to see my family on the way back to America. Excited to have a cup of tea and cake at my Grandmas with all the family and let the kids have a break from the mosquito bites;-)

Hope your all well have a great start to the week

Hugs Rebecca

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Pongal in South India

We arrived safely in India to celebrate Pongal a Hindu festival very popular in South India celebrating harvest. I thought I would share a few pictures to show how folks celebrate it in Chennai. Like all Indian festivals folks buy new clothes for it I went with my sweet in laws and our daughter to get clothes for the kids. The shops were mobbed I think It was a little overwhelming for our little one. It is moments like this that make the long tiring journeys worth it to see the joy on my in laws faces as they shopped and got clothes and prepared for pongal priceless.







The busy streets of Chennai



Turmeric roots


This lady was selling flowers on the side of the road common in India lots of ladies wear them in their hair. I always do when I visit ;-) she was also selling colored powder for folks to make colored designs outside their homes for pongal.




My Aunt making a design




This one was done by my sis in law, folks did them in the evening before









In the morning a small fire was made on the roof to cook the pongal, pongal is a rice dish cooked in a special pot one is sweet and one savory.





After it was cooked and prayers made we all sat on the floor and ate on a banana leaf ;-)




I don't eat much ;-) but was tasty from left - vada a fried spicy doughnut, sambar, poriyal , rice and sweet pongal





Sugar cane is brought to decorate homes and you can see them on the streets for sale ;-)




Street cow roaming around



Small roadside shrine




Cousins playing :-)





Happy pongal everyone

Love from Rebecca in India



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iPhone

Foods to Eat in Heidelburg

We stopped in Germany for three days en route to India mostly for fun and to see friends there but also we were chicken to fly direct with the hyper wee guy. We decided to drive south from Frankfurt and stay in Heidelburg it is a delightful city with lovely historic buildings and excellent food. Here are a few things to try but I am sure there are lots more




Cake ;-) this part of Germany has wonderful cakes this one was a plum cake.




Flamkuchen it's basically German pizza a flat bread traditionally topped with sour cream, bacon and onion so good especially with beer.








It's just after Christmas so enjoy a winter spiced hot chocolate this was lovely and not too sweet.





This was a curry wurst a snack food all over Germany I have wanted to try for a while, basically sausage with curry powder our one year old loved this.





More cake - this one we had in Freiburg was a black Forrest cake









And these cookie snowballs ;-)














A winter market it was pretty nippy when we were there and I loved the fact that folks still cycled and rowed boats on the river they just bundled up.




So if your planning a trip to Germany be sure to add in Heidelburg it won't disappoint.

Hugs Rebecca

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