Bought myself three new chickens to celebrate.

Well we knew this all along didn't we? Went for a lovely meal here before Christmas, when I still had an appetite. We had slow-braised ox tongue, the sauté of snails, bacon and  bone marrow, partridge,  our favourite cotes de boeuf with fat chips and béarnaise and then delicious desserts. Still faultless, and now a bit more relaxed. www.peaporridge.co.uk

Ricochet tv company are looking for young people to take part in a new BBC2 tv series and train in the food and wine industry. Unfortunately I'm too old for this but there are some vague details here, so if you have always wanted to be a celebrity waitress - now's your chance.

...because we have all been ILL, that's why. I have only eaten one kiwi fruit since Christmas eve. I missed canapes twice, a full roast turkey dinner, desserts, loads of wine and all the extras like mince pies, cake and big slabs of home cooked ham.  Am only just getting my appetite back - this was a very un-merry christmas for me.

With really nice flavours - salted caramel, lavender (although I didn't like this one...) passion fruit (yum) all made with natural flavours and in small batches in Thurston.

And prime they are indeed! I bought a chicken but what I really wanted was that rib of beef in the window at £40 - and probably worth every penny.

Looks like they have chosen someone else to represent 'outspoken food blogger' on the Market Kitchen tv programme I was asked if I was interested in doing. They are focusing on Suffolk with the Chilli Farm  Palmers Bakeryand Stark Naked's pesto  so I am not going to get to taste any of those with hunky Celebrity Chef Michael Caines. If I had had a chance to look at his picture first I might have been more enthusiastic about the dawn trip to London to start filming at 8am. Shit.

Whoops - nearly forgot to mention it. Here is hunky James, the 'Face of British Food Fortnight' on the poster in case you want to print off your own copy.