Pool Raiding - Exagon Hotel, Can Picafort...

I don't know about you but i love pool raiding, if your pool isn't quite perfect why not find another :) A bit naughty maybe but hey you only live once.

At our hotel you couldn't quite relax and one day on a walk we discovered a lovely German hotel with a fabulous pool. Its the kind of pool you just want to dive into straight away. It also had a lovely grass ground around it with a children's play area making it...well perfect.

So from that moment on, that was our pool.

Again like in pretty much all of Spain the staff was lovely and always helpful. The pool was gorgeous and Benji even found his summer love in the form of a little German beauty called Mia.

Being able to sunbath right next to the play area made it easy to look after the little ones and with a great child friendly entrance to the pool and a extra baby pool it made swimming so enjoyable. The gradual slope of the main pool was fantastic and gave Ben the confidence to walk out and float by himself.

Obviously its not the said thing to do but most hotels are ok with it as long as you don't take advantage. We did of course buy lunch and drinks while we were there.
Whether they knew we wern't staying there or not, I don't know, but it defiantly made our pool days allot more enjoyable.

Summer Lunches - Goats cheese and tomato puff pastry pie...

I love summer, not only because of the weather but the food and recipes it inspires. It's easy , quick and tasty food. Food shared with family and friends outside in the sunshine.

A few crackers and cheese, home made cheese straws and spicy coleslaw with a delicious puff pastry pie. Now doesn't that sound good on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

Ready made puff pastry is a cooks best friend and is so versatile. Sweet or savory its delicious and you should always have some in the freezer ready for when you need it.

Here is a little savory recipe for you...

Ingredients

ready made puff pastry defrosted and rolled out
goats cheese
cherry tomatoes
red onion
salt and pepper
fresh basil
egg wash

or what ever you have really, spinach and feta or ham and cheddar. Nearly everything works. Treat like a pizza.

Method

1. cut a boarder around your pastry making sure you don't cut all the way through. This is what will puff up during baking.
2. Fill the center with your filling, egg wash the sides and then pop in a hot oven for 20 min or until the pastry is cooked and golden.
3. Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve straight away.

So simple , so delicious.

Ah feels good to get a recipe up again :)

Hope everyone is having have a wonderful day and a lovely summer.

Alcudia, Majorca Spain...

Alcudia is a beautiful little town in the North of Majorca. It takes about 30 min to get to from Can Picafort , using the local bus service.

It is what I call real Spain, with its gorgeous streets, stone walls, wooden shutters and roads framed by lines of pot plants.

It is also home to a wonderful old fort, who's walls surround the beautiful terraced
homes and restaurants creating a little village and haven for all that lives and visits there.

You can actually walk along the top of the wall and take in the beautiful views.

Because of siesta, it can almost seem deserted at times, with the locals only opening their doors and shutters when the sun goes down. It makes for such a peaceful atmosphere.

Overhead hundreds of swallows dive and swoop , serenading you with their song. It's just beautiful.

Within the walls you are spoilt for choice when it comes for restaurants.
We started off with a tasting menu at a deli and enjoyed some locally made wine and cured ham.

Then after walking round for what felt like ages we finally made a decision and settled for a restaurant with live music and a free glass of Champagne. As you do.

I wish I could remember the name but alas I think the bubbles may have got to my head.
The food was delicious and beautifully presented and prepared. It was a real treat and a perfect way to say goodbye to our friends who were leaving the next day.

Alcudia is well worth a visit and although I wouldn't chose to stay there myself, as it can be very busy, I would definitely recommend it for a day or night trip, especially within the fort walls.

Hola Mallorca...

On Wednesday we arrived back from the most wonderful holiday in Spain, Can Picafort in Mallorca to be exact. I cant recommend it more for a family vacation. The weather is great, the sea is warm, its cheap and the locals are just so friendly and helpful.

We were in walking distance from the beach, hotel pools, a children's park and the main promenade making things so easy and enjoyable.

We spent our days either on the lovely beach enjoying the sea and sand or by the pool side splashing in the water.

At night after dinner we would walk along the promenade taking in the beautiful sunsets and enjoying a few cocktails. There was also a great little harbor filled with boats and yachts and with a backdrop of the Spanish mountains, it was picture perfect.

Being Spain of course the food was vibrant and delicious, every meal a treat for the senses. One of my favorite foodie destinations for sure.

We didn't just stay in Can Picafort but explored the areas near by too. Make sure to keep an eye out on the blog  throughout the week for few more of our Adventures in Spain.

I'm back - Summer Update...

giant poppies from my garden

IM BACK!! I feel like I have been away from blogging for ages but I have a good excuse...well a few good excuses actually.

The first and biggest, most exciting one is that we have finally got a new house YAY ! We have now moved to Redbourn and are blessed with the lovely house and amazing garden. We are so excited to start our new life and create a home as a family. FINALLY I am settled!! but I will tell you more about it in another post full of pics and exciting ideas/plans for the decor and garden.

The second excuse is I have had no internet or time to blog until now but I promise i will make up for lost weeks with plenty of recipes, holiday diaries and DYI posts to keep you reading.

The third and final excuse is I have been on the most wonderful holiday in Spain with the Family. 2 weeks of sun , sea and fun! If you follow me on Instagram you will know this as I am a terrible holiday spammer! I will tell you all about it in my next post hopefully going up this weekend.

And that's it... my exciting excuses/reasons for not blogging...but I am back now and will be blogging like made sharing all that is me, my loves and life right now. :)