News
Which ice lolly is the nation's favourite?
Twister? Feast? Magnum? My favourite childhood lolly was an orange Calippo; after the vivid ice had disappeared, you were left with sweet orange juice to drink up from the carton.
Flying high kids in the UK are wild about energy drinks - but how harmful are they?
It makes me cringe a bit when I see kids walking around with these drinks. Supermarkets need to start taking a bit of responsibility in all this.
Local News
Blythe Farm Feast
I haven't been to this event before but have been to many others hosted by Seasonal Markets and they're always full of fantastic street food and good vibes. You'll find a mixture of food stalls, crafts, kids' entertainment, bars and quality food from the likes of Baked in Brick and Habaneros. If the weather is good, I'm there.
Recipes
Chopped Thai salad with sesame and garlic dressing
As the name suggests, there is a bit of chopping in this, but it's totally worth it. It's so fresh and delicious. Exactly what you need on warm nights. Definitely gives you a big chunk of your five-a-day as well.
One-pan salmon with roast asparagus
For those evenings when you just want to chuck something in the oven and forget about it. New potatoes are amazing at the moment, as are tomatoes so it's a great seasonal dish. However, unless you're ok with using asparagus that has flown 6,000 miles from Peru, I'd sub in some British purple sprouting broccoli to help save the planet.
15 great cocktails to keep you refreshed (and buzzed) all summer long
In case you want to spice up your summer drinks. I'm all over the Salty Bird and Close Shave.
Food for Thought
8 tips for perfectly barbecued meat from top chefs
As well as your usual 'heat up the coals for a while before adding food,' there are some helpful tips here on marinading, seasoning and adding a bit of flavoursome wood to the barbie.
So this is pretty much the best summer I can remember. What will we do when the sun takes a well-earned break behind the clouds again? Barbecues, sticky sun cream, crunchy salads, the smell of fresh strawberries, icy G&Ts, that white dress you can only wear when you skin is a shade darker than the usual whiter than white. It's the stuff of daydreams. We just needed the footy to come home to make it the best ever. We can wait though. Patience, virtue and all that.