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TV crew at Ivy Lane. Filming me. Journalists had a way of wheedling secrets out of people. It was their job. One sniff of a story and they were like dogs after bones, the more sensational the better.
And right now keeping my secret was possibly more precious than life itself.
So what lies ahead for the Tilly and the residents of Ivy Lane?
What secrets is she hiding?
And will her tentative friendships with this new community survive when the truth comes out?
Continue the story in Summer – Part 2.
Romance ripens as summer rolls in . . .
Tilly Parker is feeling happier than she has done since her life completely changed a year ago, though she’s still keeping some secrets to herself. As she flourishes under the summer sun, she attracts the attention of not one, but two suitors. Excitement reaches fever pitch at Ivy Lane as a TV crew descends to capture life inside a modern-day allotment, bringing out the best (new wellies and lipstick) and the worst (parsnip rivalry) in them all.
The Annual Show marks the end of summer and the end of filming, but is Tilly ready for romance – and if so, who will be the pick of the bunch?
You can enjoy the second part in the Ivy Lane story – an uplifting novel you can devour in bite-size pieces, wholesome and heart-warming to the core.
Cathy’s Most Comforting Recipes
Leek and Potato Soup
Peanut Flapjacks
Chocolate Easter Nests
Leek and Potato Soup
This is an allotment staple! Early in Spring before the growing season is under way, there are always leeks, potatoes and onions to be found. And what could be more warming after a morning on the allotment than returning home to a delicious bowl of homemade soup?
You will need . . .
4 large leeks, washed and chopped
2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and diced
1 onion chopped
A generous knob of butter for frying
1.1 litres of vegetable stock *
Single cream for swirling (optional)
Black pepper
Chives to decorate the top
* substitute 225ml of the stock for milk if you prefer a creamier soup
Fry leeks and onions in the butter in a large pan very gently for five minutes. Add the potato and cook for a further ten minutes until the potato is soft. Add the stock and simmer for twenty minutes. If you are using milk, add it in the last five minutes. Grind in some black pepper and taste. It shouldn’t need any extra salt. Skim the top of the soup if necessary. Allow to cool slightly and blitz in a liquidiser. Re-heat and then serve in warmed bowls with a swirl of cream and a sprinkling of chopped chives. A hunk of soda bread would be the perfect accompaniment.
Peanut Flapjacks
In this recipe I use smooth peanut butter AND peanuts. Logic would dictate that if you used crunchy peanut butter, you wouldn’t need the peanuts. I’ve never made it that way, so I can’t comment. However, I love finding a whole peanut in my flapjack!
You will need . . .
130g golden syrup
75g unsalted butter
75g smooth peanut butter
100g soft brown sugar
145g rolled oats
30g peanuts
Pre-heat the oven to 150°C, fan oven 130°C, gas mark 2. Grease a square baking tin (around 20–23cm). Put the golden syrup, butter, sugar and peanut butter in a small saucepan and heat gently until it has all melted. Take off the heat and add the oats and the peanuts. Tip the mixture into the baking tin. Don’t worry too much about trying to spread it evenly, it will sort itself out in the oven.
Bake for 25 minutes or until golden. Leave it for 3 minutes before marking it into squares and remove from the tin when completely cool. It’s quite floppy when it’s warm!
Chocolate Easter Nests
A perfect recipe to make with children, as long as you supervise all the hot bits of course. These nests are so simple to make yet they look very sweet and apart from the melting, don’t require any cooking.
You will need . . .
225g milk chocolate, broken into squares
50g butter
2 tablespoons of golden syrup
100g Cornflakes
1 packet of chocolate mini eggs
10 cake
Lauren Henderson
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Kristy Nicolle
Alex Barclay
P. G. Wodehouse
David B. Coe
Jake Mactire
Emme Rollins
C. C. Benison
Skye Turner, Kari Ayasha