Simply Yum!

Recipe: Pound Cake

I'm the First Person to Get a Cold!

No, seriously, I am!

At least it feels that way. For the past two days now (which is a long time when you have a cold) I've endured a horrible stuffy, runny nose and a propensity to sneezing every ten minutes. I also have atrocious neck pain from my arthritis, so sneezing brings an extra layer of "fun" as each one makes me feel like I've been socked over the back of the head with a pillowcase full of door knobs. I'm hoping to God I haven't got the "Swine flu".

I sat in Mc Donalds (of all places) today munching a chicken burger, nursing a cup of cappuccino and trying, outwardly at least, to look like I was having a good time of it. Though I did discover a curious taste sensation of dipping my chips into the cappuccino foam and eating this most bizarre of concoctions, to an audience of a trio of bemused looking children who looked on, apparently stunned.
Maybe I'm pregnant.
I suppose I would rather prefer pregnancy than Swine Flu or Bird Flu or any other type of animal flu that can only really be caught by engaging in activities of passion with the very animal the affliction is named after. I would rather the life-form my body was harbouring was in fact something I could name, cuddle, watch grow up and generally mould into my very own personal mini me.

But I must stand tall and proud, must stand against the oppression of viral illness and be strong! The kitchen is calling for me, calling me into its wilful arms and begging that I let loose a torrent of culinary masterpieces for you, the viewing public to enjoy. So I shall try and will myself to get up, to get in that kitchen where I belong, where my heart belongs, and carry on cooking.

Today is a new day

Chris Jennings
Simply Yum

New Email

Because of a problem with my hosting company, specifically me not receiving email, I've had to change the email address I use for this site from a .com to a .co.uk

I've updated the links on this site to reflect these changes, hopefully I'll be able to sort something out soon but in the mean time, the new email does work. It might be compatibility problems with domain mapping I've used, I have no idea :-\

So apologies to those of you who've tried emailing me and have had emails bounced back. Please resend any emails to the new address.

That's it for me today, I've had a hellish day sorting things out on my computer, but I'm on top of it now. I'm off to bed soon anyway, so night night!

Chris Jennings
Simply Yum

Parcel from Amazon!

I got a surprise today in the post!

Well, not really a surprise, I knew I'd ordered it, but I wasn't sure when I'd receive it, in light of the UK postal strikes and whatnot. I wasn't sure when it was going to arrive, but arrive it did! This very morn!

It's my new Prestige stainless steel flour dredger, ordered from Amazon.co.uk just a few days ago!

As I tore the wrapping off my parcel (no mean feat as it came in a double wrapped corrugated cardboard box) my eyes were drawn in by this shining specimen of stainless steel beauty before me. I held the dredger aloft and cried "I am the baking KING! Fear me, feel my wrath and kneel trembling before me!". Or something like that. Anyway.

I gave the dredger a quick try out and I have to say it performs brilliantly! The mesh doesn't clog at all and allows you to sift a fine patina of flour onto whatever surface you care to work on with minimal effort. Did I also mention the thing looks gorgeous? If this dredger where a girl, this is the girl you could bring home to your parents. Your mother would coo and croon "ooh she's ever so nice, Chris!", your father would be grinning from ear to ear and slapping you on the back as he congratulated you on a job well done and your brother would be scowling with bile, rancour and utmost jealousy that you managed to find such a fine, fine woman.

I love my little flour dredger, and she loves me. I hope.

Chris Jennings
Simply Yum

Layout updates and other news

Greetings foodies and culinary blog readers!

I've been having a nice big play around today with Typepad's custom CSS feature and Paintshop Pro's layering to bring you, the food loving audience, a nice updated banner (though I have even bigger plans for this) As well as a new navigation bar! The layout works flawlessly now in Internet Explorer as well as FireFox, and I'll be testing more browsers tomorrow. let me know how it looks on your Blackberries and you're iPhones etc!

In other news I have a recipe sent to me by my very excellent friend Heather! I shall be recreating this fruitilicious treat tomorrow and blogging about the adventure for your reading enjoyment.

Get your taste buds ready!

Chris Jennings
Simply Yum

Fan Art!

It seems before my site is even off the ground I have young budding artists eager to show me their drawing skills!

The Birth of an Idea

Greetings, dear readers, and welcome to the start of something special, something new and exciting. The start of a new food/blog revolution.

Are you tired of foodie sites that are host to all manner of complex and fiddly recipes and grandiose food projects? Do you feel inept in the kitchen, lacking confidence, any sort of cooking skill or food know-how? Are you sick of the stigma attached to cooking that says everything has to be perfect and pristine with no burnt bits and other kitchen mishaps? Do you want burnt bits and kitchen mishaps?!

Then, dear friends, you have come to the right place.