LATELY...

• Right now we are all about the food (aren't we always?) and my skinny jeans are not thanking me for it. Up there is one of the nicest steaks I've ever had at Alston Bar & Beef where I started a little quest a couple of weeks ago to find the best gin in Glasgow. The other nicest steak I ever had was also at Alston Bar & Beef. Need I say more.
• Ava & I have discovered THE BEST little ice-cream shop just a ten minute walk from where we live and we might be in there every Saturday afternoon. Given that I work full time and Ava goes to nursery 5 day a weeks I try and make our little Saturday's together extra special. So they always include gymnastics classes, some of that amazing ice-cream and maybe a little Frozen watching in bed...
• I had this seafood starter at Portavadie Marina, somewhere I had been dying to try for ages. I have this thing where I order a starter as a main and think I'm being healthy. Even though I had another starter to start and ordered my 'main' to be accompanied by a massive bowl of chips. Healthy though right?
• Tried another new south side spot the other day - The Black Dove. The food was pretty tasty and it had an excellent beer selection to boot. These guys definitely know the way to my heart.

• I got my first ever taste of Panther Milk at Tabac in the city centre. Originally from Barcelona this very strong concoction is creamy, minty and full of alcohol. I believe it's pretty popular at the Sonar music festival but if you live in Glasgow then I definitely recommend you pop in and try some! 
• Ava and I finally got some new wheels - we were feeling all sassy and 'we don't need a man' when this photo was taken. Note I managed to wriggle out of getting a pink car.
• I love it when you make something thinking it will just be ok and it turns out to be awesome. Maybe not to everyone's taste - but this super healthy Cauliflower and Kale soup tasted super scrummy to me!
• I took a couple of days out of the city and headed up to Gourock where I got the boat over to Dunoon. Once there I chilled out for a couple of days and managed to squeeze in a wee road trip to Tighnabruich. I caught this amazing photo en route. My love of this country never dissipates.

• After complaining I had lost my cooking mojo, it is now back in full swing. I have been making this amazing vegetable side dish by Ottolenghi and serving it with everything. It's a bit of effort but totally worth it. I served it with lamb chops in the first photo and with salmon in the second.
• I finally jumped on the courgetti bandwagon and can't believe I left it so long. Honestly? I thought it would taste awful but it is so good that I have been able to cast away my carby pasta fears and eat my favourite pasta dishes every night. I've made a carbonara and tonight I'm having it with pesto. Puttanesca next!
• Ava's favourite thing to do is to help me in the kitchen and she just loves to roast a chicken. We did just that the other night and served it with some Spanish rice which was basically just rice cooked in stock and spices with some chickpeas and artichoke hearts thrown in. There's no better feeling than sitting at the table with that little one watching her chomping down on a dinner that she helped create. Cooking and Ava are my two favourite things. Combined they make my heart burst a little.