News

I really love Easter. I love spring and the promise of longer days and lighter evenings. I remember my lovely Nanna always saying spring was her favourite season and how she loved to see all the little carpets of spring flowers beginning to grow, it signifying the end of winter and the beginning of summer. She would point out all the “beautiful trees with their blossom coming out.” Nanna loved blossom! So I think her enthusiasm and joy at this season has been passed down to my sister and me. We definitely feel the same, with spring flowers being our favourites. We both feel lighter and happier and a sense of hope as winter slowly disappears!

Every year our mum would make an Easter tree from pussy-willow which we would drive off down some country lane or other to find. It would be brought home and arranged in a huge beautiful old jug and then lots of Easter bauble-type things (bunnies, eggs and chicks!) would be hung from the little branches. Victoria and I loved it.

My grandad would cycle over on Good Friday with hot cross buns for us, and loads of sweets and chocolate. On Easter Sunday we would have an Easter egg hunt and stuff our faces with chocolate. My mum made a Simnel Cake every year, which is basically a fruit cake with marzipan, (recipe here) and we would always have roast lamb. The house would be filled with the smell of baking and roast lamb. Perfect.

I have included my Nanna’s recipe for Roasted Leg of Spring Lamb here, it was her favourite and she made it throughout the year whenever we went for Sunday lunch. We did not have it as often at home, but always at Easter!

I hope you have a lovely peaceful Easter, send me photos if you decide to make my Simnel Cake or roast lamb. I always love to see them!

You can tweet me @lisafaulkner1 or Instagram @lisafaulknercooks

Happy Easter!

Lots of love

Lisa xx

I had a lovely time on This Morning today , as always …incase you missed it I made the Self Saucing Chocolate Pudding from my book “Tea and Cake”. This recipe is really, really easy, and as I say in my book, it is one of the most delicious recipes in there! Mothers Day is in less than a week (next Sunday 6th March) and this is a lovely dessert to make, if you are making Sunday lunch for your mum. Remember, you do have to set it in the fridge the night before you cook it!

Here is a link to the recipe, I really hope you like it as much as I do, send me a photo if you decide to make it… (twitter: @lisafaulkner1 / Instagram @lisafaulknercooks).

Have a great week

Lots of love

Lisa xx

This week has seen the return of The Elf on the Shelf! It is a tradition that was started a few years ago in our house, I quite like the idea that the naughty elf gets up to mischief while everyone is asleep and reports back to Father Christmas whether B has been good or not. Other days it amazes me that the kids aren’t terrified?! I suppose it’s no different to telling them “Father Christmas is watching, you need to be good!” Anyway the first year we went all out with the different adventures of Jack (our elf!). Jack is not quite as adventurous or naughty in recent years but B loves him just the same and I’m not sure how many years (if any) of this unquestioning magical innocence we have left so I am determined to embrace every wonderful moment.

I had a brilliant time on Sunday at the Good Food Show Festive Fayre at Hampton Court Palace which, if you read my previous post, you will know holds extra special memories for me. It was wonderful to be cooking in the Tudor Kitchens, and I am sure my grandad would have loved it if he could have been there! As usual it was so good to see so many lovely people there and meet people and have photos! I just love it.

Have you been watching my Coastal Cottage series on ITV This Morning? This is the series I had so much fun filming, which made me fall in love with beautiful Pembrokeshire! There are lots of recipes and you can watch the episodes online here.

I have posted the recipe for my Sour Cherry Welsh Cakes here, they are really easy and delicious! Have a go and let me know what you think! (You can watch the video here too!)

As always please keep sending me photos of the recipes you make, I love them! (@lisafaulknercooks on Instagram and @lisafaulkner1 on Twitter)

Have a lovely week!

Lots of love

Lisa xx

I have been at the Good Food Show Winter in Birmingham all weekend, I was mostly on the Hotpoint Stage doing live demonstrations. It was such great fun as always! I know I always bang on about it but one of the best things about the shows is that I get to meet so many lovely people who support me and who follow me on Twitter and Instagram.

I stayed at Hampton Manor in Hampton-in-Arden, Solihull. I have been staying here for a few years now and it just gets better and better! The rooms are beautiful and the food is fantastic, but most of all the service there is what makes it. The staff are so enthusiastic and knowledgable. It is a real treat to stay there, really relaxing and lovely after and an added bonus after the crowds at the Good Food Show.

Today I am making my Christmas cake and mince meat for mince pies and the house is filled with the smell of Christmas. Anyone who is here when I make the cake gets to have a stir and make a wish, those who aren’t here get to make theirs over the phone! it’s tradition! I am also getting the advent calendar chocolates ready and the Elf On The Shelf will be back again tomorrow for another Christmas stint!

I have included the recipe for my mince pies here, the mincemeat is so easy! Trust me, when you’ve made it once you will never want shop bought mincemeat again. Let me know how you get on! As always I love to see your photos of my recipes you have made, you can follow me on Twitter - @lisafaulkner1 and on Instagram- @lisafaulknercooks .

 
On Sunday I will be at The Good Food Festive Fayre at Hampton Court Palace. I am particularly excited about this one as anyone who knows me will know I have history with this beautiful place…I was christened there, in The Haunted Chapel and my grandfather used to work there and was responsible for the maintenance of the beautiful stained glass windows so we were regular visitors there when we were younger, privileged to be allowed to run around and explore where the public aren’t usually allowed! You can find more information about the food show and tickets here. Come and say hello!

Have a lovely week,

Lots of love

Lisa xx

The past few weeks have been busy as usual! I went to the Cake and Bake Shows in Edinburgh and Manchester. On the Friday night in Edinburgh a few of us went to see my lovely friend Tom Kitchin and have dinner in his amazing Michelin starred restaurant “The Kitchin”. They gave us a tasting menu and every single dish was absolutely delicious. One of my favourite dishes was the Spider Crab, it was incredible!! All the food is locally sourced and is cooked with such care…his food makes me emotional it is so good! We had a little tour of the kitchen and it was great to catch up with Tom, he really is one of the chefs that has most inspired me. If you are in Edinburgh you must go!

At the Cake and Bake Show I transformed my Strawberry Milkcake (recipe) into a Banana Milkcake , but I used orange food colouring and gave it a Halloween makeover!

As always it was great to meet so many people in Edinburgh and Manchester who came to see me and say hello. I LOVE those shows!

I got properly into the Christmas spirit when I went to film an episode of Denise Does Christmas for Food Network. Denise is a friend and it was really lovely to get to cook with her, I made some exciting veggie alternatives for Christmas day (I will share the recipe in the coming weeks!) I know the team really well and it was fun to see everyone and spend a day pretending it was Christmas!

I have been filming for Food Tube and Hotpoint, so keep an eye out for me on those channels in the coming months. I made Juicer Muffins, Individual Cheesecakes and Crab Linguine, to name a few! I have included the recipe for the Juicer Muffins here, they are a really healthy recipe with hardly any sugar…great for breakfast or a snack…and guilt free!

The Friday before last B and I went to It Takes Two. We are both big Strictly fans so it was great fun to be there on the panel. My friend Kelly Bright, who I haven’t seen for ages, was there and she is doing so well! I feel very proud of her and she said that she had felt the same way about me on Celebrity MasterChef! Everyone there was so lovely and you can see that they have all really bonded and are like a little family! I had a brilliant time!

If you are interested in coming to meet me or watch me cooking I will be at:

The BBC Good Food Show Winter, Birmingham (Thursday 26th, Friday 27th & Saturday 28th November) info and tickets here.

The BBC Good Food Festive Fayre at Hampton Court Palace (Sunday 6th December) info and tickets here.

I’m off to cook as usual, this time for my sister who is now a veggie…I absolutely love coming up with recipes for her to try! I will be sure to share any winners!

Have a lovely week

Lots of love

Lisa xx

Hello! I’ve been working with The Groovy Food Company to come up with some recipes using their brilliant products! This is a blog I wrote for their website a few weeks ago…

I’ve recently been using more and more coconut oil in the kitchen, well actually not just in the kitchen – but I will come on to that in a moment! I am always playing around with ingredients and flavour combinations, while also trying to make my creations as balanced and as healthy as possible.
Cooking with coconut oil is one of the healthiest and lightest ways to cook - from roasts to stir fries to baking and dressing, it proves to be a very versatile ingredient that can instantly transform dishes that lack a little excitement, while also being genuinely healthy. I don’t look at it as a substitute for oils but as another option that happens to have some great health benefits.

Coconut oil is solid at room temperature so I store it in the cupboard and even if does melt a little, it’s just as good and actually makes using it for other things much easier.

The first time I cooked with this, I also used a little on my lips – I got a couple of funny looks from my daughter Billie, but once I showed her the magic of it she is now always sayings ‘Mummy I want my coco lips!”.
I also used it to moisturise my skin when on holiday in France recently, it is really effective and skin feels instantly more hydrated!

Another healthy ingredient I have discovered this Summer is Groovy Foods Agave Nectar. The Agave Nectar is a delicious (and organic) alternative to sugar that doesn’t pile on the pounds as soon as you look at it. They come in different intensity levels as well so you can choose whether you go for a rich, dark, mild or if you fancy just a hint of sweetness in your dish, you can opt for the light amber (which is still super sweet). I use this in porridge, in smoothies and baking now, actually anywhere you need squirt of sweetness… it’s become a staple in our house.

Now Autumn is here and the nights are drawing in, we all feel like snuggling up in pyjamas and eating comfort food, so it’s perfectly natural to want pudding… here is a recipe I created with The Groovy Food Company. It’s for Ginger and Coconut Puddings. Have a go and let me know how you get on.

I will be at The Cake and Bake Show in Edinburgh this weekend, come and say hello! I am so looking forward to it, I absolutely love The Cake and Bake Show! You can get tickets and info here.

Please continue to send me any pics of my recipes you have made, I love to see them. You can follow me on Twitter @lisafaulkner1 and on Instagram @lisafaulknercooks.

Have a lovely week…it’s half term…hurray!

Lots of love

Lisa xx

Last week I went to Henley Literary Festival. My lovely friend Kate Jenkins of Gower Cottage Brownie fame (the best brownies you can get!) interviewed me about all things Tea and Cake. I have to say the audience was the nicest bunch of people and Henley made me feel very welcome!

My weekend was spent at one of my favourite events, the Cake and Bake Show, London. I did a bake classroom, where I demo-ed my strawberry milk cake and the icing I used on Billie’s birthday cake, also my orange almond cake. My two favourite things about this show are hanging out with my friends, Jo Wheatley, John Whaite and Eric Lanlard, but also meeting the people that buy my books and tweet me. Getting from one side of the exhibition to the other takes me ages as people stop me to chat and say hello and I absolutely love it!

I feel very honoured to have been asked by Good Morning Britain to launch their Phones For Food Campaign as part of ITV’s Tackle Hunger Together season in conjunction with a great charity called Magic Breakfast. 3.8 Million children in the UK are growing up in severe income poverty and 1 in 3 Children in the UK miss out entirely on breakfast, with many being too hungry to learn. Magic Breakfast Clubs have been set up across the country, they provide a healthy, nutritious breakfast in schools. The average breakfast costs 22p per child and if you donate your old phones Good Morning Britain will recycle them and turn it into money! Teachers have reported a marked difference in pupils’ behaviour and concentration levels since they have been going to the breakfast clubs. For some of these children the last meal they have had was the lunch they were given at school. For some quick breakfast inspiration I have shared three of Billie’s favourite breakfasts here and on the GMB website.

Please keep sending me your photos of my recipes,I love them! You can follow me on Twitter @lisafaulkner1 and on Instagram @lisafaulknercooks

Hope you have a lovely week!

Love Lisa xx

I am really proud to be the ambassador for Hotpoint. Last week I did a creative master class on top tips for fun and tasty family cooking. I made Blueberry and Ricotta Hotcakes and Pizza Bianco which food bloggers and members of the food press cooked with me, which was lots of fun…I cooked Chorizo and Pea Quesadillas, Chicken Milanese and Pink Spaghetti which everyone got to taste. I gave a few hints and tips for how to be creative with the whole family in the kitchen. It was a really great evening!

The whole #LoveYourKitchen campaign is about being able to enjoy quality family time in the kitchen. I am a strong believer in eating together, as a family at the table. I think it is so important to sit down and for everyone to talk about their day or make decisions or plans as a family. I understand that a lot of people can’t do this every evening as parents are working late etc, but even one day or evening a week is better than never! I am all for getting children involved with the cooking too, it is a brilliant time to chat about all sorts of things and it also encourages fussy children to eat as they have had a hand in preparing it.

There are some recipes on the Hotpoint #HotHacks page along with some tips from me. I have included the recipe for Blueberry and Ricotta Hotcakes here. I hope you like it!

Remember I will be at the Cakes and Bakes Show in London on Saturday 3rd & Sunday 4th October, I can’t wait! You can buy tickets here.

Have a lovely week!

Love

Lisa xx

I had an amazing summer! I took the whole summer off for the first time to spend it with B and my family. I feel so lucky to have been able to do it! We rented a house in the south of France which was perfect. We had fruit and vegetables growing in the garden, which we ate from most days. It was really exciting to go and pick things and then prepare lunches and dinners from our little harvest!

We visited St Tropez, which I love. Also John and I stayed at La Colombe d’Or for a special treat, what a beautiful place where the food was incredible! We had a lovely time.

I love France and speaking French and it was lovely to have involved all the children with the buying and the cooking of food…and speaking a bit of French too! We had friends and family to stay in staggered visits…we did yoga every day and read our books. We played in the pool. We cooked and ate. A lot. The weather was beautiful and it was so good to sit back and really relax. It really was wonderful summer.

I came back and got straight back into work. I did two brilliant food festivals at Nottingham and Bolton, which were both great fun. I love doing the demos and meeting such lovely people, also meeting up with old friends from the “food world”.

I have just got back from a week in Pembrokeshire. I was filming “Coastal Cottage” for ITV’s This Morning and it really was one of the best shoots I’ve ever done. I enjoyed every minute. I will tell you more when I can as I don’t want to give too much away! I will say that Pembrokeshire is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited, I will definitely be returning in the near future, especially for the wonderful horse riding experience!

This week I am working with Hotpoint, I love working with these guys, they’re great fun. I have been in the booth doing lots of radio interviews and we are coming up with recipes to cook with the family and with children which will be available on the Hotpoint website soon.

It has been a very exciting week in our house as John’s book came out! Obviously you will say I’m biased but the book is beautiful and brilliant and I just couldn’t wait to cook from it. I made Indonesian Fish Curry first and then the Mango and Passion Fruit Steamed Puds at the weekend. Both were absolutely delicious and really easy too! I asked John a couple of times if I was doing it right but he told me to just pretend he wasn’t there and follow the recipe! They worked a treat, both recipes were very easy to follow and tasted wonderful!

Here’s a link to buy My Kind Of Food , I highly recommend it! It is packed with great recipes for friends and family, plus loads of little helpful tips too!

I have posted the recipe for John’s Indonesian Fish Curry here, a real treat and a sneak preview if you haven’t already got the book! There is currently a competition over on John’s website to vlog a recipe for the chance to win John cooking a meal in your home. This curry is one of the recipes you can choose to make…

In other news, I have reached 99,500 followers on Twitter and 11,200 on Instagram! I can’t believe it! I wanted to thank you so very much for all your support. Please continue to send me photos of the recipes you make from my books, I absolutely love to see them! Especially form Tea and Cake! If you don’t already follow me my Twitter handle is @lisafaulkner1 and it’s @lisafaulknercooks for Instagram.

There are some dates in the post below if you want to come and see me and say hello! I love the food shows and meeting people!

Hope you have a lovely week

Lots of love

Lisa xx

Hello! Hope you are enjoying the wonderful British Summertime! As I type it is pouring with rain and dark! It’s August…

Here is a list of upcoming events that I will be at, starting with the Bolton Food Festival this weekend! I have added links if you click on each for information and tickets. Hope to see you there!

Lots of love

Lisa xx

Bolton Food Festival 29th August
Henley Literary Festival 1st October
Cake and Bake Show London 3rd / 4th October
Cheltenham Literature Festival 11th October
Cake and Bake Show Manchester 14th/15th November
Cake and Bake Show Edinburgh 31st October / 1st November
Good Food Festive Fayre 6th December

Phew, I’ve had a very busy couple of weeks! In my last news post I explained that I had been lucky enough to meet Novak Djokovic at a special evening in partnership with Jacob’s Creek. He has made a film as part of Jacob’s Creek “Made By” series and I got to host an evening and interview and cook with him. Afterwards Billie and I were asked if we would like to go to his first tennis match at Wimbledon, which we did and it was great! We were even more thrilled to be asked to go to the final! It was the most amazing game, we were very proud to watch as Djokovic made history. We had absolutely fantastic seats and the whole experience was incredible and one which we will never forget.

I was really excited to be asked to present ITV’s This Morning the other week with my old friend Ben Shephard. It was really nerve wracking but after about five minutes I relaxed and just enjoyed it! I absolutely loved presenting the show, it was great to see Rylan and all the team at This Morning. I wore a beautiful dress with poppies on it from Little Mistress. I thought it was lovely and as it was 75th anniversary of the battle of Britain the poppies tied in quite nicely. I couldn’t believe all the silly comments about it, but there were lots of lovely kind ones too, so thank you so much for those!

I have been filming a new series for CBBC called “Crash My Kitchen”. It is part of the BBC Dish Up Campaign. I have been working with children who have asked for help in the kitchen, cooking food that they don’t normally cook. It’s been a lot of fun, I have met some really lovely people and I’m looking forward to filming the rest of the series.

I have also been filming some new web videos for Hotpoint and Good Food Magazine as the Hotpoint ambassador. Again, I really enjoyed it! Here is a photo of my lovely friend and make up artist Justine Wade and me behind the scenes!

The brilliant Petersham Nurseries put on a night at Duck and Waffle last week which I went to with my friend Dhruv Baker and my John! The chef from Petersham Nurseries cooked there and the food was out of this world! We all had a wonderful evening.

Apart from all of the above I have been horseriding, walking, juggling work and motherhood and getting ready to go away next week for a well deserved holiday! It feels as though I have been working non-stop recently, which I absolutely love, but it will be really nice to have a break and spend some much needed time with my B.

This week I have added a recipe from my book “The Way I Cook”. It is for Beer Can Chicken, it is a really good, summery recipe that always goes down well, it can be cooked on the barbecue or in the oven…I hope you like it!

I will be at The Nottingham Food Festival on Sunday 16th August which should be a brilliant day, so do come and say hello!

I hope you have a lovely, safe relaxing time, whether you are going away on holiday or staying at home! Let’s hope the sun shines!

Lots of love

Lisa xx

It has been an interesting couple of weeks! Last week I did a show called “Holiday of my Lifetime” with the very lovely Len Goodman who is absolutely charming and a real gentleman. I don’t want to give too much away as I think it will make a lovely show but he took me back to my family holidays as a child, spent at my grandparents’ house by the sea. I had a wonderful, emotional day, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I went to the Cake and Bake Show in Harrogate last weekend. Out of everything I do these are my favourite things! I get to meet people who have bought my books and talk to them about food, baking and everything in between! I also get to hang out with my friends, John Whaite, Jo Wheatley and Eric Lanlard to name but a few! It was also really good to catch up with my MasterChef mucker Gregg Wallace.

If you follow me on Twitter (@lisafaulkner1) and Instagram (@lisafaulknercooks) you will know that I hosted a very exciting evening at Wimbledon with Novak Djokovic! He has made a short film for a series with Jacobs Creek. We cooked together and it was really nice to see another side to the determined tennis player we “know” him as. He was really warm and very funny. It was amazing to be at Wimbledon before it opens, with the finishing touches being made before the big opening this week! Billie and I then went to watch Novak in his opening match on the first day of Wimbledon! It was so exciting, we absolutely loved it…what an experience!

This week I have added a “recipe” for a delicious salad one of B’s friend’s mum told me about. It is so easy (as usual!) and delicious, I honestly haven’t stopped eating it since I discovered it! It keeps well in the fridge for a few days so make a batch and enjoy! I hope the summer continues…as I type it is one of the hottest days on record apparently…although it is muggy and I am melting I am not complaining, I love England in the summertime!

Have a lovely week

Love

Lisa xx

I’m very, very excited about the return of Celebrity MasterChef tomorrow evening! I have always loved it and of course it brings back lots of lovely memories about a time that was stressful, amazing and completely changed my life! I think the line up is brilliant and I can’t wait to start routing for my favourite. In honour of its return I am posting my winning recipe for Monkfish with Butternut Squash Fondant and Sauce Vierge. This really isn’t a difficult dish, but quite an impressive one… very good for this time of year.

I went to see The Elephant Man with Bradley Cooper yesterday at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket with my sister. Wow. It is really fantastic and Bradley Cooper is brilliant. We really enjoyed it, I highly recommend it! What was also lovely was to come out of the theatre and it was still light! I had spent the day wandering around London for meetings and errands in glorious sunshine. London town is truly beautiful in the summer, I love it!

I will be at The Cake and Bake Show in Harrogate this Saturday and Sunday! I’m very excited! Please come and say hello if you have tickets… you can still buy tickets here. It’s always really good fun at these events, so much to see and buy and taste, really recommend it as a good day out.

Hope you have a lovely week

Love

Lisa xx

I was so sad to hear the news that Sir Christopher Lee had died on Sunday. I was lucky enough to play his daughter 22 years ago in A Feast at Midnight. I was extremely star struck and nervous to meet him, let alone work with him, though I had absolutely no reason to be. Christopher Lee was possibly one of the kindest (and tallest!) men I’ve ever met. We became quite close and I remember going to tea at his house. He made quite quite an impression on me and in my book “The Way I Cook” I dedicated a recipe to him. I thought it was fitting to share it with you all after hearing the sad news. Always in my memory, here’s my kedgeree recipe, for Christopher .

This past week have been busy working and just being a mum! I have been walking B to school which we both really enjoy…in fact I have been walking everywhere as I had a car crash and my poor car is being repaired. I am fine and no one was hurt but it really shook me up and took me a few days to feel ok again.

I actually l really enjoy walking and it has become a regular part of my exercise regime. Here’s a pic of me out and about this week…

I love this T-shirt, I ordered it from The Bee and The Fox on Etsy, B got this one too which she was thrilled with.

I am also absolutely loving the weather! How lovely has it been to wake up to sunshine? I love throwing the patio doors open and letting all the sunshine and spring air in! Also we have braved eating al fresco a couple of times too…I have some great cushions from Homebase which are waterproof so I don’t have to worry about forgetting to bring them inside every evening. Perfect! I have mentioned them in my Essentials column this month (which is out this week.)

I was on The Box this week on BBC1 - it’s a family cooking show with James Martin. This show was great fun to film, you can catch it here if you missed it !

This week I have included the recipe for Sticky Barbecue Chicken. This is a lovely, easy summery dish that everyone seems to enjoy! Perfect for this weather. You just put it all the ingredients in a freezer bag to marinate and pour all over the chicken thighs and cook in oven or on the barbie. It’s delish! Serve with jacket potatoes scooped out and a green salad or with cauliflower cheese…yum.

Also to let you know I will be at The Cakes and Bakes Show in Harrogate next Saturday and Sunday! (20th/21st June) I really enjoy the food shows they are such good fun! You can buy tickets here…

Have you had a chance to look at the BBC Dish Up website yet? It’s a great idea, lots of quick and easy recipes to get everyone cooking, you can take a look here.

I hope you have a lovely week!

Love

Lisa x

This week was National Tomato Week! I absolutely LOVE tomatoes! I eat the little cherry ones like grapes. I was brought up on my Nanna’s favourite, tomatoes on toast (fried in butter until soft then squashed on toast) for a delicious lunch. I love the big beef tomatoes with fresh basil and mozzarella …

I basically just really love tomatoes so it was great to go on This Morning to celebrate them! (Also to see my lovely friend Amanda Holden!)

I made a roast tomato sauce on the show, it is so easy to prepare, it takes about an hour to cook but you basically just throw all the ingredients in to a pan and then in the oven. When it comes out you can use it however you like, on This Morning I explained how to use it in a delicious cod recipe and also with pasta and pancetta and I have included those recipes here .

Let me know how you get on, it really is delicious and simple and doesn’t have any of those horrible extra ingredients found in shop bought jars of sauces. You can tweet me @lisafaulkner1 or Instagram @lisafaulknercooks , I really love seeing your photos!

Have you checked out my column in Essentials Magazine?

Also scroll down this page for a list of food events that I will be at in the next few months! Look forward to meeting you there!

Have a lovely week
Love
Lisa xx

Last week I said I was filming something and now I can tell you what it was… It is the BBC Dish Up Campaign which aims to provide an easier way to cook, for people who currently can’t or don’t cook. There are recipes and tips that have been carefully selected to work around the busy parent, the student with little money or little space etc. You can take a look at the website here…

The campaign involves Shelina Permalloo, Donal Skehan and me pairing with celebrities who want to learn how to cook. I did my recipes with the lovely Jake Quickenden. It was so nice to meet him as Billie loved him on XFactor!

Jake has never cooked before, like a lot of people and he was really worried about what I’d think, but we had a really fun day and I gave him lots of encouragement and I think he felt really confident afterwards, he tweeted me a photo of the pizzas he made at the weekend ! Here’s a little video of Jake and I making the pizza.

Lots of recipes will appear on the Dish Up website so keep a look out! There will be different recipes I did with Jake but the first one was a quick and easy pizza. These pizzas are really easy to make, you don’t need to rest the dough… it takes less time than ordering a takeaway ! I have added the recipe here. The Dish Up website is great and really easy to use… I think it’s a brilliant campaign and hopefully it will get a lot more people cooking.

Last weekend as the weather was nice we had a barbeque and the children made the pizzas. They all chose different toppings (Billie’s was covered in olives!) It was so nice that all the family were involved! Please send me photos if you do decide to make them, I love to see them!

In the photo above I am wearing the Georgie Flare Sleeve Top by Sugarhill Boutique .

Remember you can follow me on Twitter @lisafaulkner1 and Instagram @lisafaulknercooks !

…and have you seen my column in Essentials Magazine?

Have a lovely week

Love
Lisa xx

I have had a tiring couple of weeks, both Billie and I have been ill. We were in bed with a sickness bug which was really horrible. It didn’t last long, but it is always the recovery which seems to take a while, building yourself back up with lots of water and food that isn’t too rich to get the strength up again!

I made corn bread the other week which I posted a photo of on Instagram (you can follow me on @lisafaulknercooks). We ate it with fried chicken and an iceberg wedge salad. I love it! I promised to post the recipe but haven’t got round to it with all the sickness and convalescing! So here it is- I love it eaten the next day with crispy bacon (unhealthy but yummy!) or just on its own with butter…delicious and comforting!

I have been filming but can’t say any more until next week, I will say that it was a lot of fun !

…for the project above we went to Bristol at the weekend and had a lovely dinner at The Pony and Trap, (thanks for all the recommendations on Twitter!) I can highly recommend it there now also, great food and wine and brilliant service too!

On Sunday we went to The Ivy Chelsea Garden , sat on the beautiful terrace and had a delicious lunch and I felt very spoilt. We finished the bank holiday off with a lovely visit to friends. I took my strawberry milkcake, which was demolished in minutes! It always goes down very well, for afternoon tea or a birthday cake it’s perfect. The recipe is here.

I really love all the photos you send me of things you’ve made from my books, keep them coming!

There is a list of places/food events you can come and see me in the news post below and, if you would like to, you can follow me on Twitter at @lisafaulkner1 and Instagram @lisafaulknercooks ! Ooh and you can read my column in Essentials magazine too!

I hope you had a good bank holiday weekend and that you enjoyed a little bit of sunshine wherever you were.

Lots of love
Lisa xx

It’s Spring! Today the sun is shining and it’s warm! We went to the Cotswolds for Easter weekend which was lovely, we went horse riding and walking and had a very relaxing time …as much as you can with 3 children!

The Easter Bunny came and brought lots of eggs!

…the children made a bread and butter pudding all by themselves

…we really loved the cottage we stayed in, the area is so beautiful.

I returned home to a fruit bowl with some very over-ripe bananas in it that I had forgotten to take with us, so decided to try and banish the back from holiday blues by making banana cake from my first book, Recipes From My Mother For My Daughter. It is my niece, Eva-Rose’s recipe and one the whole family use again and again! I have included it here as it’s delicious and a perfect use of bananas that no one seems to want to eat! Mine lasted about an hour before it was eaten!

On Saturday I confused Twitter with a tweet saying I was on my way to Channel 4s Sunday Brunch, it was a special Grand National edition on both Saturday and Sunday and was a lot of fun. I made my cherry financiers. It’s always good to see the gang there!

I was sent lots of photos of hot cross buns and strawberry milkshake cakes adapted for Easter which I LOVED…keep them coming!

Here is a list of places where you can come and see me, I love the food shows and meeting people!

Cake & Bake Show HARROGATE : 20th & 21st June 2015 Tickets&Information

Nottingham Food & Drink Festival : 16th August Tickets&Information

Bolton Food & Drink Festival : 29th August Information

Cake & Bake Show LONDON : 3rd & 4th October Tickets&Information

Cake & Bake Show MANCHESTER : 17th & 18th October Tickets&Information

Cake & Bake Show EDINBURGH : 31st October & 1st November Tickets&Information

By the way, have you seen my column in Essentials magazine?

I hope you have a lovely week

Love

Lisa xx

Easter is nearly upon us. I remember my Easters growing up were much more religious than they are now. We decorated eggs and would make a little Easter tree out of pussy willow branches and hang little eggs and chickens on it. The shops shut at midday on Good Friday and I remember my lovely and really missed granddad Lely would cycle over with warm hot cross buns from the baker, I didn’t like the lemon peel and remember picking it out of those lovely warm , chewy buns that stuck to the roof of your mouth!

Because I’m not a lover of spiced fruit I have included my recipe for choc chip hot cross buns (from my new book Tea and Cake!) They are easy to make but they do take time. I woke early this Sunday, made my dough and started the buns. I got on with other jobs while the dough was proving and, by lunchtime, I had a stack of sticky hot cross buns, half of which I put in my car and whizzed over to my sister’s so that her family could have them…a sort of modern day Lely!

My mum always used to make Simnel cake too, I loved it so much that the cake ended up on the cover of my first book Recipes From My Mother For My Daughter, it’s a great cake so I thought I would include that as well! We would have it for tea on Easter Sunday, even though we were full up from lunch and of course chocolate from the Easter egg hunt that the Easter Bunny had left us!!

We are going away for a few days so today I am buying Easter eggs and pussy willow to take to our little cottage and recreate some of the memories of Easters past.
Please send me any pics of hot cross buns or Simnel cakes you decide to make, I love seeing them, and most importantly Happy Easter!

Have a lovely week!

love

Lisa xx

I had such a lovely weekend! I travelled to Hampton in Arden (near Birmingham) on Thursday afternoon with my sister to the gorgeous Hampton Manor Hotel.

I was hosting afternoon tea there on Friday. I have stayed there quite a bit when I’ve done the BBC Good Food Show and it is always so lovely. We arrived and were taken up to our beautiful bedrooms, one with a gorgeous ceiling in the bathroom and bath tub in the bedroom.

I went down to the kitchen to taste test the cakes they had made (tough job!!!) It was also quite amazing , I came armed with apron and knives all prepared to cook but it was all done for me! my sister and I then had a delicious dinner in their restaurant. The dining room is gorgeous, the food is great, all the staff are so passionate about it all too and really know their stuff !

The following morning we woke to a bright spring morning… it was the morning of the eclipse and we were really excited about it but, although it went a bit dark while we ate our delicious breakfast, we didn’t see any signs of it!

After breakfast we went for a stroll around the grounds. It really is stunning there, my sister and I wandered around the paths just feeling so happy to be out in the spring sunshine surrounded by beautiful plants and trees…it’s not often we get to just stop and appreciate the birds and the beauty around us and, if I’m sounding like an old hippie now, look - I did a bit of tree-hugging too!!!

Afternoon tea was so lovely! Guests arrived to a glass of fizz and everyone seemed so pleased to see me and excited about the tea!

Everything served was from my new book “Tea and Cake”, made by the chefs and headed up by Lorraine at Hampton Manor. I had a cup of tea and went around the tables chatting to people. I loved it, people were so lovely and it was so nice to meet them all and chat about tea and cake and everything really! I felt like I was in a room full of friends. There was a Q&A at the end and then I signed copies of Tea and Cake.

The room looked beautiful, the sandwiches and cakes were perfect - James and the team at Hampton Manor really did a wonderful job! I can’t wait to go and stay there again and maybe do another tea in the not so distant future!

The recipe I am posting this week is for Fried Goat’s Cheese Sandwiches because they were very popular at the afternoon tea and are in my new book. They are basically an upmarket cheese sandwich, but the fig is so delicious with the goat’s cheese! These are perfect for lunch or tea…delicious!

If you want to check out Hampton Manor you can do so here…

Tea and Cake is out now in all good book shops and most supermarkets too!

Hope you have a lovely week

love

Lisa xx

First of all I am so very excited, my book is number 4 in the hardback non-fiction chart! I am over the moon but couldn’t have done it without you, so thank you SO much for buying it and cooking from it!

This week I have been catching up with washing, paperwork, cooking at home etc. B has been asking for lamb mince curry (from my first book “Recipes from My Mother for my Daughter”) so I made it this week. It’s a great recipe from my friend Angela, it’s brilliant to make a big batch and freeze. I mention it to so many people who say things like “I’m not sure about lamb mince” or “I don’t know if the kids will eat a lamb curry” then they try it and always report back that it’s become a family favourite and one on their weekly meal rota! Try it, it’s wonderful!

I had an interview with the lovely Zoe Ball for her YouTube channel “Mums Off Air”. It was great to see her and funny as we have known each other for so long, but not that well, but we both feel that we are friends as our paths have crossed many times over the years. We turned up in matching outfits too which was quite amusing!

I am currently on the train on the way to Hampton Manor where tomorrow I will be hosting an afternoon tea and signing copies of my new book. I love meeting people who have bought my books and watched me on TV and the hotel is just lovely so think it will be a great day. I will tell you more next week!

In the meantime please keep tweeting and Instagramming your photos of my recipes, I absolutely
LOVE seeing them it makes me feel so happy and I am hoping to set up a gallery on here really soon…

…and if you haven’t bought it yet “Tea and Cake” is available from most supermarkets and book shops .

As always, thank you for your support …

Have a lovely week

Love
Lisa xx

It’s been another busy week for me, starting with my nephew’s 7th birthday on Sunday. He had requested a pavlova for his birthday cake so my sister made a traditional one, piled high with double cream and strawberries and raspberries; (recipe here) the other was a chocolate one with cream, chocolate sauce and Maltesers (recipe can be found in my book “The Way I Cook”) they were truly delicious and didn’t last long!

It has been wonderful to see lots of sunshine this week, really feels as though spring is well on its way and I can’t wait! I think it completely changes your mood and I suddenly feel much more positive and excited about brighter, lighter evenings and days where lunches and dinners are eaten outside don’t seem so far away!

I travelled up to Leeds on Monday to Morrisons to sign some books and do a cooking demonstration. I made the Cherry Financiers from my new book. It was lovely to meet lots of people and sign their copies of my new book!

I was on ITV’s This Morning this week too, it was lovely to see Phillip Schofield and my friend Amanda Holden.

On This Morning I made the Orange Almond Cake from my new book. This is an easy recipe, but makes a really impressive and beautiful cake. I think this recipe is perfect for a Mothers Day tea, or a lovely present for your mum! Remember you really don’t have to have the edible flowers although they are very pretty, just use extra passion fruit seeds instead?

If you are still looking for a gift for your mum, my book is a very reasonable price and available at all good bookshops and most supermarkets too! It is called Tea and Cake and you can buy it online here.

I hope you have a lovely day on Sunday if you are celebrating with your mum. If, like me, your mum is no longer here it can be a very sad day and it’s difficult when the shops are full of cards proclaiming “BEST MUM!” or “THANK YOU MUM” etc. I think we need to know that they are always around us and that we keep them alive in our memories always. I am lucky to still have my amazing dad and will be spending the day with him and also celebrating being a mum myself with my B, but I will also be remembering my wonderful Mummy and all the brilliant mothers wherever they are …

Have a lovely week

lots of love

Lisa xx

What an exciting week I’ve had! My book Tea and Cake came out on Thursday!!!!

The lead up to the book launch was busy, I had lots of press to do, including ITVs Lorraine, lots of radio shows and interviews.

On Wednesday I was kindly given free reign of the lovely Hotpoint kitchen where I prepared 400 cherry financiers for my launch party. In between popping in my mouth the odd delicious Luxardo Marachino cherries I always use for this recipe, I literally cooked and cooked all day!

The big day arrived: publication day! …I woke up to so many supportive tweets and messages wishing me luck and congratulations which set me up for the day of press I had ahead. During the day I saw the book on display already which was so exciting!

In the evening I headed to Quo Vadis for my book launch party, hosted by Simon and Schuster . There were already lots of people there by the time I arrived including my wonderful daddy and sis and my supportive friends including Nicola Stephenson, Denise Van Outen, Charlie Condue, Kate Thornton, Jo Wheatley, John Whaite and Eric Lanlard. Also my MasterChef friends Dhruv Baker, Tim Kinnaird and Alex Rushmer.

What a brilliant evening it was! Later we went and had a very late dinner and then I fell in to my bed exhausted but happy!

The lovely tweets and feedback about the book has been overwhelming! The positive comments about the recipes and photos of your creations of my recipes make me so happy! Thank you so much for your support, it means so much to me! Please keep tweeting and Instagramming your photos, I love to see them!

This week I am in OK magazine, Good Housekeeping magazine, House Beautiful and Grazia. I also have a column in the April issue of Essentials Magazine which is really very exciting….

I have added the recipe for my Strawberry Milkcake, it makes a lovely birthday cake or just a really delicious cake to have with a cup of tea! It is beautiful decorated with fresh strawberries too…

To everyone that has already bought Tea and Cake, thank you so much, I really hope you enjoy the recipes as much as I do! If you haven’t already bought it, Tea and Cake is available at all good book shops now!

You can order it here…

Have a lovely week

Love
Lisa xx

It’s half term this week and I was quite excited that Shrove Tuesday fell during the holidays: we were able to have pancakes for breakfast instead of rushing around after school.

…although I love American style pancakes for breakfast, you can’t beat the traditional thin “crepe”style with lemon and sugar or chocolate spread. I have posted another recipe from Tea and Cake here for my home made chocolate spread, there is something very satisfying about making it yourself, and knowing exactly what had gone into each delicious mouthful!

Even though it is half term I still had work to do including a LOT of books to sign (which will be going into Waitrose stores nationwide). I had to go to Eastbourne for this so decided to take Billie and make it an exciting little mini break…and what wonderful weather we had. We had fish and chips on the beach and Billie splashed around in the sea and got soaking wet!! We went to Beachy head and then for a cream tea in beautiful Alfriston. We stayed at the Eastbourne Grand Hotel in the seafront. A proper old fashioned seaside hotel, Billie and I loved it. We swam in the pool and then ate dinner in the restaurant. Billie had the lamb carved at our table and she said she felt very grown up and like a princess! At bedtime they brought up warm milk and cookies and the pair of us fell asleep cuddling and chatting and singing lullabies. I feel so very blessed. The following morning we woke to a breathtaking sunrise which we watched from our bedroom window.

After breakfast we were off to Gardners where I was greeted by piles of copies of my new book! It is so exciting to see it all new and pretty ! And I felt really really proud!

…It was my birthday yesterday and I feel old. But somebody said to me the other day “It’s better to be a year older than not here at all!” and, you know what, she has a point! My John spoiled me with a beautiful suitcase and cups of tea in bed! My dad, my sister, my nieces and I went for a lovely lunch at Plum and Spilt Milk at The Great Northern Hotel…

…we then went to my sisters for tea and birthday cake…

…and then for an amazing dinner at Primeur with my friends. I really had the most wonderful, perfect day!

Yesterday also marked one week to go until my book Tea and Cake is out! (26th February!) You can preorder it here and it will arrive on the day!

Happy half term…

Lots of love

Lisa xx

This week I have been really gearing up for the book launch, its really exciting but also a little scary!!
Yesterday I went into Simon and Schuster , my publishers and signed 300 books, it was so exciting seeing so many of them all in one go! Next week I will be signing over a thousand so I’m going to have a very sore hand!! I know this is my third book and I have done this all before , but I have worked so hard on it and it’s a bit like having a child and letting it go out into the big wide world on its own!!! I really hope you will all like it.
Today I enlisted the help of my brilliant sister and we baked a load of cakes to send to people and to bring on photo shoots for the next few days, it was lovely just pottering around her kitchen chatting and cooking, she doesn’t love cooking as much as I do , but we both really enjoyed today. It made me think maybe we should cook loads of things in batches together and share them amongst our freezers!

As I write this there are a few more sticky chocolate loaf cakes in the oven, my Billie is doing her homework next to me, I have her dinner on the go and the doorbell has just gone with another delivery of books to sign!!!

Its all a bit manic and yet another load of washing needs to come out of the machine, but I love it and I am so very grateful… for the opportunity to have written the book, for my wonderful daughter who I love so very much, for my brill sis and for the comfort of home ….and cake!

Here is a sneak preview recipe from Tea and Cake: The Perfect Dunker…self explanatory really, I love dunking biscuits in tea! I hope you like the recipe…

Tea and Cake is out on February 26th but you can pre-order it here!

Have a lovely week

Lots of love

Lisa xx

…I am still really enjoying my new year’s resolution of walking! There are some mornings where I really don’t feel like going out on a long walk…I’m too tired, it’s too cold etc etc, but as soon as I’m there and walking and chatting away I feel so glad that I’ve gone! It lifts the spirit and blows away the cobwebs, keeps you fit and if you have a friend to chat with it is the best form of therapy…(though otherwise download an audible book or some lovely music and off you go!) Best part ? It’s freeeeee! My other resolution was to do more yoga, I have been keeping up with this too, I absolutely love it and feel like a different person when I leave. I went and kitted myself out with beautiful soft new yoga clothes which I also think is a big motivator.

The weather men keep threatening snow and it’s still dark and miserable in the evenings I have put a recipe from my first book “Recipes from my Mother for my Daughter” on the website. It is my sister’s crispy chicken. I always think chicken is comforting and warming. This is a one-pan dish, quick to throw together and is a big favourite among friends and family and people who have bought the book! This is also quite a cheap dish as chicken thighs are really not expensive, but very tasty. I put all the ingredients for the marinade in a freezer bag in the morning with the chicken pieces to let it absorb all the lovely flavours, then make it in the evening…it makes lovely crispy chicken and sticky, lemony potatoes: perfect!

My sister and I took our auntie Nina to The Delaunay for afternoon tea this week to celebrate her birthday …it was actually her birthday in October but we decided to schedule the tea for January as it is always so miserable and thought it would be nice to have something to cheer us all up! It really was lovely, as you know one of my absolute favourite things to do is have afternoon tea, we had a delicious selection of sweet and savoury treats, but my favourite was the Battenburg… (which incidentally there is a recipe for in my new book “Tea & Cake” which is out on February 26th!) We all had a really lovely afternoon, highly recommend it!

I am in Essentials magazine next month (March issue) which is on sale next week!

Also…you can preorder my book here…how exciting!

Have a lovely week!

love

Lisa xx

This week has been a most exciting week in the Faulkner household! On Wednesday a very exciting parcel dropped through my door- my new book arrived! It was amazing to finally see it and smell it…I am very very proud of it and cant wait for everyone to buy it…I really hope you like it as much as I do!

That night I also went to the National Television Awards with my boyfriend as MasterChef was up for an award. I wore a beautiful gold vintage dress from One Vintage, and the lovely Justine Wade, my friend and make up artist popped in to do my make up. It was a really fun night, great to catch up with old friends like Anthony Cotton, Ben Shepherd, Ant and Dec and of course my best friend Angela.

It was a really busy school week for Billie, lots of after school clubs and she has just started to learn the guitar… so I made one of our favourite after school mid-week meals, quick broccoli pasta… very quick and easy and perfect for a meat free Monday dinner! (Although you can add some sausage to it if you feel you need a bit of meat!)

…my book “Tea & Cake” is out on 26th February but is available to pre-order here!!!!

Have a lovely week!

Love

Lisa xx

We are 2 weeks into the new year, and I have to say I am a little cross…a little ranty! ….Everwhere I look there’s a new diet or new exercise plan or “eat less, drink more smoothies”, but don’t, for goodness sake put sugar in them or you will die!! I know I’m over reacting (slightly!) but its JANUARY!!! And while I’m all for “new year, new start”, I also think it’s the time to cut ourselves some slack.

January, to me, is one of the coldest, greyest, most depressing months of the year and, as much as I respect all those who have dusted off their Nutribullet (I love mine) and got themselves down the gym everyday, I have to say, this is not me! I feel much more inclined to do this in the spring when the days are longer and there is hope in the air!
Now the days are dark. And short. And cold. I want to wrap myself in my pjs and a blanket, watch Big Brother and a good movie and eat what will make me feel better about this time of year.

Don’t get me wrong, I have a beautiful daughter with boundless energy and our walks on the heath have become a ritual- bundling ourselves up in wellies and coats and scarves and running around and squelching in mud, before a treat of hot chocolate and marshmallows and homemade sausage rolls.
I have also started back at yoga, so yes, those new years resolutions are rubbing off on me! I love it, but my biggest resolution was to myself…to not give myself such a hard time, to be grateful to my body for everything it does for me, to feed myself well and look after me so that I can look after my loved ones and those all around me. This, to me, means incorporating exercise into my week without it feeling like a chore – walking briskly (Billie and I are now walking to school whatever the weather), practising yoga and eating what my body wants and needs- broccoli pasta, roast dinners, fish stews, casseroles and every now and then a piece of homemade chocolate cake with a cup of tea!
My wonderful Nanna lived to the ripe old age of 99. She walked everywhere, made everything from scratch and ate a little of everything she fancied, she was healthy and happy and a true inspiration.

As I write this the sky has turned thundery grey and the rain has started pouring, actually turning itself into hale as we speak! I have lit my beautiful candles, pulled on a jumper and just made a beef bourguignon pie for my dad who is coming over for dinner. Also on the menu is my croissant-and-apricot-bread-and-butter-pudding, a recipe from my new book “Tea and Cake” which is out in February. Proper comfort food for this dark dismal day…

So tomorrow the sun may shine and the ground will be crisp and I will get myself out for a walk, but because I want to and not because I feel I should! As I said, it’s January! Go easy on yourself, look after YOU!!

…A little of what you fancy does you good!

Have a lovely week,

Love
Lisa xx

IT’S CHRISTMAS!!!!!

…It’s finally here- well I say that but actually it’s flown and I can’t believe it is here already! I am now prepared though and ready to start the festivities! I thought I would add a link to my recipe for Pan-fried Scallops with Chestnut Soup and Crispy Sage Leaves, it makes a very good starter for Christmas dinner and it’s delicious!

I want to thank you all for taking the time to visit my website, follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest and come to see me at food shows etc, your support means so much to me and I absolutely love reading your tweets and seeing your photos of food you’ve made following one of my recipes, but most of all I love to meet you at the shows, you are always all so lovely, so thank you …

I wish you all a very merry Christmas, stay safe and have a really happy time (…and remember if you’re stuck for a last minute gift, my books make a very good present!!!! 😉

Have a wonderful time!

Lots of love

Lisa xx

I finally feel Christmassy! The Christmas tree is up, the Elf on the Shelf is back and at risk of sounding smug I have nearly finished all my present buying and wrapping. I have never been so organised, and it feels good!

On Saturday lunch time John and I went for the most amazing lunch at Primeur in Islington. This is the best place we have been to for a long time, the squid and the spiced carrots were two of the highlights- but it was all delicious. Highly recommend it!

I wanted to let you know I had my friends over for dinner last night and made the recipe I posted last week for slow cooked lamb - honestly there was nothing left, we ate it all- it’s a real winner ! This will be one of those recipes I will definitely be making again and again. If you haven’t made it yet give it a go!

This week I will be making some Christmas presents- amaretti biscotti with little Kilner jars of mocha choca dipping sauce. These make really great presents, especially with a bottle of Amaretto…! I will also make my usual jars of piccalilli which I do every year and each year I seem have more people to make them for who have requested them throughout the year!

I am off on the annual trip to see Father Christmas in a little while as Billie has already broken up…not looking forward to the queues but I can’t wait for the look on her and my nephew’s little faces! Next year I will get my act together early and book somewhere fancy but this year the good old local garden centre will have to do. (Actually they love it there with the little train ride so why break the tradition??)

Hope you have a lovely week

love

Lisa xx

This week I have been very poorly. Honestly it was so boring and I felt so dreadful…it really is unbelievable how low you can feel in yourself when you are ill, and then as soon as you start to feel better you start to feel brighter…I am so grateful to be on the road to recovery now!

It was the cake sale at school and once again I found myself making two lemon drizzle cakes at a ridiculous hour…there’s even more pressure now to deliver something homemade and delicious. When you cook for a living shop bought cakes don’t really go down that well! Anyway I made them and my foolproof recipe (which will be in my new book!) is so quick and easy it wasn’t too much of a chore!

We went to get the Christmas tree over the weekend, I always have to have a real one and it’s always a big decision standing and staring at them to judge if they’re symmetrical, if there’s any bald patches, is it tall enough, is it too tall, too wide etc etc. Well we managed to find the perfect specimen, brought him home and spent ages dressing it with the Christmas songs on in the background. Now the house is filled with that amazing smell of pine and…Christmas!!!

I was lucky enough to be invited to a gala performance of Matthew Bourne’s Edward Scissorhands at Sadlers Wells on Sunday. I love the film so much and have watched it tonnes of times so I jumped at the chance to see it as a ballet! I took Billie and my sister and her two daughters and we all absolutely loved it. For those wondering it was the length of a “normal” show, as some ballets are extremely long…it is also very suitable for children (I would say 8 and upwards?) and well, it’s just brilliant and has a bit of a Christmassy feel to it. If you get a chance to go I can highly recommend it.

I am looking forward to the Food Network Christmas party this week, but I am also finally starting to wind down for Christmas and to think about presents! There is a really nice recipe here for my chocolate cherry layer cakes, a wonderful Christmas dessert for those who don’t like the traditional Christmas pud! They are also perfect to take to friends or relatives for Boxing Day tea! You can make it as one large cake or individuals, which are really pretty. The sponge freezes really well too.

Have a lovely week!

Love

Lisa xx

Wow, I have to say it has been one of the busiest weeks! I made my Christmas cake on Monday night! There really is nothing like the smell of it cooking…hope it will taste as good as it smells (the recipe hasn’t failed me so far!)

On Wednesday I shot the trailer for The Big Eat for the Food Network, I can’t give too much away but we shot it on green screen and it was a really fun day! I then drove to Birmingham for the BBC Good Food Show. I had such great fun there, I really love getting to meet all the people who come to say hello to me and have bought my books. I was on the Hotpoint Stage and the Saturday Kitchen Stage, it’s always so nice as I can catch up with my friends, especially John Whaite, Shelina Permalloo and Jo Wheatley! It is exhausting but brilliant fun at the shows, it’s been a long run but that was the last one until the spring time.

The recipe I’ve added today is for slow cooked lamb shoulder, it is about £24 to buy a shoulder from the butcher, which seems quite expensive but it will feed six people easily, so not too bad really! I made it when my sister and brother in law came for dinner the other day and we ate loads, they then took the leftovers home and had it for dinner the following day too… Once you’ve slow cooked the shoulder as per the recipe , there are three different ways of serving it. It is a great dish and tasted even better the following day!

I started my Christmas shopping today, though I think the “Cyber Monday” deals have made the Internet go funny! I know I sound a bit miserable but I wish the presents could all come ready-wrapped…I will try and get all festive with some mulled wine and Christmas tv or music while wrapping them! I have already worn my Christmas robin jumper for The Wright Stuff on Channel 5 on Tuesday (which was from Sugarhill Boutique if you fancy one…)

The “Elf on the Shelf” arrived back in our house on Monday much to Billie’s delight, along with her advent calendar. We are hoping to get the tree up at the weekend so then it will really feel like Christmas. Children really do make Christmas magic!

Hope you have a lovely week

Love

Lisa xxx

This week started with recipe creating and testing…I spent a lot of time in the kitchen working out times and ingredients etc for some great new recipes, some will be exclusively for this website, coming soon! I really hope you like them!

First there is a recipe for chicken, olive and lemon baked rice. This recipe came about when I was talking to my sister about food. She said she thought as well as all the usual Christmas recipes that people publish at this time of year she would like a recipe that would be useful in the coming weeks, when everyone is rushed off their feet with work, Christmas plays at school, Christmas shopping etc. This is something that requires very little preparation, a one-pot dish that can be thrown in the oven for 35 minutes before you go out in the evening or when you get home after a busy day. I prepared all the ingredients and took it over to her house with the instructions. It turned out the whole family loved it and even ate the leftovers after school the next day…I hope you like it too and it comes in handy on those busy days! I would serve with an easy salad or just lovely on its own! View my recipe here.

On Wednesday I went to the screening of the new Food Network show, “Kitchen Superheroes” which will feature Matt Tebbutt, Rosemary Schrager and me! We help self confessed “hopeless cooks” to make dinner for their friends and families. It is a really good show, it was lovely to see all the contributors again at the lovely Courthouse Hotel in Great Marlborough Street, and really nice to know they are all still cooking! After the screening Nick, the head of channel, took Rosemary, Matt and me out for dinner at Nopi in Warwick St - it was delicious, and great to catch up with them all!

Before I went out on Wednesday night Billie announced she needed a costume for assembly the following day! Thrown into panic we racked our brains and searched the dressing up box eventually managing to customise a fancy dress outfit she already had…phew! Is it just me that gets this information at the last minute? I dont know many people that have Greek/Roman/Victorian/1950s outfits hanging in their wardrobes in various different sizes! I have made a mental note not to throw anything out that may be useful for a costume in the future!

I spent the beginning of the weekend in Manchester at The Ideal Home Show at Christmas where I cooked with lovely Olly Smith. Gino D’Acampo, Lawrence Llewellyn-Bowen, Olly and I opened the show and had such great fun, everyone really looked after me and I’m really looking forward to London! I was also at The BBC Good Food Show on Sunday where I did a demo and hosted the Hotpoint Stage…great fun!

I was so happy to receive such lovely feedback about the new advert I did with Hotpoint which was shown during the week, I really do have some lovely followers on Twitter , thank you, you know who you are! xx

I am at The Ideal Home Show Christmas in London this coming Wednesday and Friday, come and say hello! There is a link to buy tickets below…

http://ihschristmas.seetickets.com/tour/ideal-home-show-at-christmas/

Have a lovely week

Lisa xx

It’s nearly 5th November! I have had another busy week, one of the highlights for me was a lovely day spent in the West End with my sister and my niece. We shopped, we ate, we drank tea…it was so busy in town as always and the shops are all getting ready for Christmas! I don’t know if I can get my head around that at the moment but it is nice to see twinkling lights and pretty decorations in the shops.

I spent the day on Saturday filming for This Morning as part of National Adoption Week. I attended an Adoption Activity Day and if you saw me on This Morning on Monday talking about it you will have heard how it completely changed my mind about these events. What a lovely day I had, meeting lots of lovely people and some amazing children. I came away more than a little emotional, it stirred up a lot of memories, but once again I was reminded how very lucky I am to have found my girl, my perfect match. I wish all the very best to the prospective parents just starting on the long journey of adoption and to the children beginning life with their forever families. Just know that all the stress is completely worth it…

Remember, remember…Growing up Bonfire Night always meant a party at our house! Our cousins, neighbours and family friends would come round to watch fireworks, stand around a big bonfire and wave sparklers. My dad would have a big tin of rockets and catherine wheels, he would set them all out and light them while we all stood around looking at the colours exploding in the sky . In my memories it was always cold! We would all be wrapped up in scarves and gloves and wellies, our noses were red and our fingers were cold and we would all look forward to my mum’s French onion soup, jacket potatoes, sausages and beans to warm us up!

I’m not sure the weather will be the same this year! As I type this they have announced on the news that it was the warmest Halloween on record. Whilst it is lovely that it’s sunny and warm, it feels a little bit odd to be wearing a tshirt at the end of October! I have added a recipe for a sausage and onion cobbler here which will be lovely and warming and hearty, whatever the weather…sausages, squash, cider and dumplings, what’s not to like?

Have a safe and cosy Bonfire Night x

I spent all last weekend at the BBC Good Food Bakes and Cakes Show in Islington. I had a great time hosting the main stage, which meant introducing and asking questions to Eric Lanlard, Mich Turner, John Whaite, Cat Dresser, Paul Hollywood and my heroine, Mary Berry! I also did my own demonstration on the Saturday which was fun! It was really exciting to meet lots of the latest Great British Bake Off people too, who I felt like I already knew after watching their amazing progress week after week. I always have to pinch myself around Mary Berry, I mean she was a big hit in our house , growing up my mother and both grandmothers would always be “Mary does hers like this…” and “Mary says you should do it like that…” when discussing recipes. We probably had nearly all of her books and I know my mum would have loved it if she could have seen me sitting backstage with the fabulous woman herself, chatting away whilst polishing off a chocolate roulade she had just made!!! I always leave these events thinking what a fantastic job I have and how very lucky I am.

Billie and I have been busy getting out and about. We’ve also been doing homework, we went for an autumnal walk collecting various things along the way and we made Halloween biscuits too.(recipe below) I do love Halloween! I think it is probably because our mum was obsessed with all things American, so she tried to bring it all to Esher! My sister and I were the first of our friends to do the whole “Trick or Treat” thing – she loved it, helping us get our costumes ready and then we would come back and eat lots of food (and sweets!!!) Nowadays we do a similar thing- dress the kids up, take them round a few houses (friends or neighbours we know don’t mind or houses that are decorated for Halloween) then we come home to a Halloween tea. I try and call everything by a “scary” name : witches fingers (sausages), brains and bogies (mash and peas) and so on. They really love it if someone comes to our house Trick or Treating too, but some of the costumes and masks nowadays are terrifying! Witches and cats and maybe a scary pirate only please!

Why don’t you try the biscuits? They are really fun to make and it gives the children something to do on a rainy half term afternoon…have a lovely weekend and Happy Halloween!

I’ve got that Christmas feeling!! Earlier this week, I opened the Ideal Home Show Christmas as an Ambassador. As I cut the ribbon with snow falling around me, I felt Christmassy for the first time; there was Christmas trees, there was Santa, there were reindeer, Christmas carols and the first Christmas songs this year!

Today and tomorrow I’ll be here at Earl’s Court answering questions on beauty and fashion and I’m also cooking! Today and tomorrow I’ll be at the Christmas Cookery Theatre, I’ll be demo-ing two dishes; one from my first book which is the perfect Christmas starter – Scallops with a Chestnut Soup, Crispy Sage leaves and Cranberry dotted on top – they’re gorgeous, really lovely.

And from my new book - The Way I Cook - I’m doing my Chocolate Pavlova, which is a great alternative to Christmas Pudding. Both recipes are below if you want to try them out or come down and get that Christmas feeling too!

Pan-fried Scallops with Chestnut Soup and Crispy Sage Leaves

Chocolate Pavlova

Three little words, pick your own, now is the perfect time for visiting your local small holding or fruit farm to pick juicy strawberries or raspberries or whatever takes your fancy. Yesterday we spent two hours at our local farm picking raspberries, for the raspberry cake I’m going to make Billie for her birthday.

But nothing beats a British strawberry, the smell of them brings back memories of my childhood, going strawberry picking with my mum and sister, eating them as we picked (my mum told us off for that) and getting strawberry stains on our clothes, which my mum would have to get out later. Such a versatile fruit for puddings, smoothies and of course making jam.

I’m really a summer person, love being outside and can think of nothing better than harvesting the best of what the season brings. Don’t forget the courgettes at this time of year too, I’ve a recipe for stuffed courgettes in my first book, so easy to prepare either for a main or a side dish. Every Friday I’m going to post a recipe for you, I’m calling it my #faulknerfridays and will be tweeting too, so follow me @lisafaulkner1 I’d LOVE to hear about what you are cooking and your favourite recipes and tips! Right, the sun is out and I’m going to make the most it and go back to the farm to get some strawberries, I promise not to eat more than I pick! Lisax

I am really enjoying celeb MasterChef. As always it was great fun judging a few of the rounds. I’m not saying who I like because every time I do, I seem to jinx them!

I have had a lovely summer and can’t believe it’s nearly over and my daughter will be back to school and work will crank up!

I have been busy writing book 3 (very proud to be able to write that!) It’s funny because I actually love writing but the first few weeks are actually me procrastinating and faffing about doing anything but writing and lots of bits of cooking! Finally I am immersed in it and loving the whole process.
We also have a busy schedule for the launch of my second book . I can’t wait for you to read it and share some of the recipes. I will be posting some sneak previews of new my recipes on the site and also doing a few competitions to win signed copies of my new book! So watch this space !! X

I love this series with all of the new things going on – the palate test and the knock out rounds are just brilliant! I’ve got some firm favourites but there is still a way to go yet, so it could all change in the next few weeks.

You’ll be able to see the new winner live on stage at the BBC Good Food Show Summer 12^th – 16 June at the NEC, where I’ll also be hosting the MasterChef Stage as well as cooking in the Supertheatre with the fantastic Shelina Permalloo. http://www.bbcgoodfoodshowsummer.com/

I felt truly honoured to be at the Who’s Cooking Dinner? event last night. In aid of a brilliant cause, Leuka, the most fantastic chefs raised over £370,000 for the charity.

Now in its 13th year, this event is the coolest pop - up I’ve ever been to. Twenty of London’s finest chefs each cooked for a table of 10 and you have no idea who’s cooking for you until you sit down! I was lucky enough to be cooked for by the wonderful Lawrence Keogh from The Wolseley.

What a night!

To find out more about this great charity, please visit their website www.leuka.org.uk and for all the news from the night itself, please look at the Who’s Cooking Dinner? website www.whoscookingdinner.com

Hello all,

I’ve put together a quick list of places you can get the book online - hope you enjoy it!

Amazon

Waterstones

WHSmith

Sainsburys

iBookstore

Lisa. x