My dear children (34,31 and19)and the wonderful partners of the oldest 2, gave me this blog as part of an amazing selection of 60th birthday, plus retiring, presents. As it happens, and as perhaps they divined, I have been thinking about typing up my collection of recipes, from scraps of paper torn out of newspapers and magazines, a falling apart notebook and the white cards I started using years ago; that's not to include the notes written inside the many printed recipe books I have been given and have used as repositories for other collected ideas. Many of these I have never cooked, as I often did not have the money to get the ingredients, or the time to devote to something fancy. But I can't use that as an excuse now. I have certainly got the time, and still, as a new pensioner, have more money than once. So as well as enjoying having a blog - just like my younger friends who I can now boast to - I can start to sift my collection and even cook some of it.

I shall start though with those simple family recipes that the children have such nostalgic and fond memories of.

and just to prove that I didnt just feed them on cake and lentils:

Farmers' pancakes (especially for Paul):

1. make a pancake batter with less milk than usual, about 1/4 pint.
2. fry one small onion till soft, add 2 or even 3 rashers to the pan and fry, then mix this into the batter with the meat from 2 or 3 sausages, raw, and some dried herbs to taste.
3. fry as small, thick pancakes and sit back satisfied that all the eaters will be full and happy.