BLOG - SEPTEMBER 25

Well the weather has certainly changed here in the UK but still not cold enough for us to have turned the heating on yet - have you ?

Henry went back to school at the start of the month and begins his final 2 years in Sixth Form. He chose to study 4 A level subjects - Maths, Physics, History & PE. However, after a week he felt he made the wrong choice with Physics and luckily he was able to trial and change it to another subject without any fuss. He's chosen to study Politics instead of Physics, which really surprised us. He hasn't shown much interest in current-day politics, but he is interested in Law, so politics sits nicely with that, along with his History subject too. He has the same teacher for both those subjects, whom he likes and that makes a big difference for him. The main thing is he's happy with his choices now and he's caught up on the 3 weeks of Politics lessons that he missed. We went for a little tour and talk at his Sixth Form which was nice to see where he'll be for the next 2 years, although it is just a different building within the same school.

We changed our book printers earlier this year due to a few issues and so we asked the new printers for a sample of the Xmas Recipe Book before we re-print it for this year. We asked you when you'd prefer it and most wanted October so that's what we're aiming for. Today we received the sample which we approved and have placed the bulk order. We've had lots of "back in stock requests" so if you've done that, you'll be the first to receive an email when it's back in stock, so you can place your order then. If you haven't done this yet you can do it HERE. Also, if you haven't got one of my other 2 Ninja Foodi recipe books, you can automatically get a bulk discount when you buy 2 (£4 off) or buy all 3 (£8 off). AND don’t forget to use any SK Loyalty Points you’ve already earnt from your previous website purchases.

I've had some problems with my eyes recently - I felt they were very dry and scratchy. Turns out, I have extremely dry eyes which has caused a dry patch (like you might get on your skin) in 1 of them. So I need to use eye drops regularly through the day. Cooking and working on the PC add to that problem, so it's a bit of an issue ! Another sign of getting older I guess ?

It's been nice to watch Henry play Basketball again. He's now moved up to the Under 18's but also has some matches in an Under 17's team. It's quite a physical game and like most 16yr olds, he's getting into his own fitness & food, which is great for his basketball but also for his health.

I've been making lots more food than we can eat lately, so my mum's cousin who lives nearby has benefitted from that - he's another one giving me valuable feedback so it's all good. The recipes subscription service on my website now has over 365 recipes and the latest ones include a Prawn Paella, Honey & Garlic Chicken and a Penang Curry. Hopefully you're enjoying these recipes as much as we do ? I get lots of feedback on my Facebook Group but not much on these posts, so please don't be shy - Let me know what you think, what you like, what you want more of, etc.

Michael, along with 2 friends, organised a Golf Day to raise funds for Farleigh Hospice last Monday, which was a great success. With the golf entry fees, raffle & some auction items they raised over £3,500 which was way beyond their expectations. It shows how generous people are when it comes to organisations like this who most of us have sadly had to have the support from, for a friend or family member in need. HERE are some pics from the day if you're interested.

This month I've been experimenting behind the scenes with the Ninja Foodi Steam Meals function as I know a lot of you want more ideas to create meals with this. There will be some great recipes coming soon using this. I've also had a request for more Slow Cooker Dump Bags so please comment below to let me know if this is of interest to you too.

I'm away right now just for 4 days in Menorca - I decided to join my Mum & Dad whilst they're away for a week as I had to cancel my week's holiday with my mum recently due to her having her gallbladder removed. We came here last year and loved it so much my mum wanted to come back. A glass of Spanish wine is only 3 euros so we are making the most of it ! The hotel is beautiful but very affordable and with views like this, it’s relaxing after having a few health issues lately. A few days to recharge and then full steam ahead for Christmas content. I hate to speak about it too soon but I have to plan in advance so I’m starting to get my festive brain in gear already!

Susannah x