新鮮帶子炒西班牙香腸 Pan-fried fresh Scallops with Chorizo

春天向來都是最令人迷茫的季節。但今年英國的初春天氣卻是特殊的差。以為踏進三月以後會逐漸好轉。誰料交替著延綿不斷的雨水之後竟是場無情的風雪。剛過去的一個星期，首先幾天雪不斷的下了幾天。氣温只徘徊於零度上下；那白茫茫的世界像凝結冷却起來。呎高的積雪踏在腳上，是結實的。寒冬似乎還頑強的不願離去。

Spring weather has always been a little temperamental; rainy and cold one moment, and warm the next. This year, however, has been especially bad. Winter clung on through January and February, but I felt for sure that we would be treated to kinder weather when March arrived. Who would have thought that a huge blizzard was just around the corner! Last week, heavy snow fell steadily for few days, with temperatures falling to zero degrees. the world outside felt completely frozen; when we stepped onto the foot-high snow it was packed solid, and it felt as though the extreme cold was stubbornly refusing to leave.  

蘋果奶酥伴自家製奶蛋羹 Apple Crumble with Homemade Custard

每個國家或不同的城市都有它們傳統的飯後甜品。記憶中，當我在香港時，糖水如紅豆沙、杏仁糊、芝麻糊、湯圓、西米露等等都是大家喜愛的。在英國，最受歡迎的餐後甜點，始終還是人們自少吃大的蘋果奶酥、麵包牛油布丁、果醬蛋糕卷、葡萄乾布丁、巧克力海綿蛋糕伴巧克力奶蛋羹等等。

I enjoy learning about - and tasting - the different desserts of different regions. In Hong Kong where I grew up, these favourites come in the form of after dinner sweet soups like red bean soup, sesame paste, almond paste, sweet sago cream with coconut milk, glutinous rice balls etc. The English on the other hand have their puddings, and those who have grown up with these traditional sweets have fond memories of apple crumble, bread and butter pudding, jam roly poly, spotted dick, and chocolate sponge with chocolate custard.

樹莓巧克力撻 Raspberry and Chocolate Tart

上星期日是母親節，今年是來臨得特別早。在英國，母親星期日是在四旬齋期開始後的第四個星期天，跟著二星期後便是復活節了。四旬齋期是虔誠的基督徒在這四十天內奉行吃素、懺悔和禱告等等自約自律的生活，為迎接復活節作的準備。

Mother's Day arrived really early this year. In the UK, Mothering Sunday falls on the 4th Sunday in Lent, 3 weeks before Easter Sunday. Lent is a 40 days period in preparation for Easter.

蓮子百合腐竹雞蛋糖水 Sweet Soup of Lotus Seed, Lily Bulb and Bean Curd Sheet with Egg

剛送走了苦冷濕寒的二月。才踏入三月之始，天氣竟然乾爽和轉晴。雖然空氣仍然冰冷，起碼雨和雪都沒下了。

We've had quite a miserable February weather-wise; but now March has stepped in the days are getting brighter and drier. Even though the chilly air is still around, at least the snow and rain have stopped.

紅酒黃糖黑醋汁煎燴豬排 Pork Chops with Red Wine and Balsamic Reduction

兒女大了又離家在外生活之後，我們這些以前慣了為孩子整天忙碌的媽媽們，真的要找事情做把每天填滿; 才不會有失業或被遣散的感覺。

Our children have grown up and left, and now work away from home. For those mothers like myself whose lives have been devoted to and shaped by our kids, we now have to fill our days with a lot of " things to do", so as to avoid the feeling of unemployment or redundancy.