(There won't be an episode on Wednesday this week, but I'll be back next Monday!!)

I'm soo excited about the Downton Abbey movie coming up on the 12th of September!! ..so I thought this would be a good time to make this episode.

We're going to talk about what we can learn from Downton Abbey again - from the show itself, and things that are significant when it comes to food, dining, and even cooking.

There are so many things that inspire me when I look at the way they ate and what they ate, although it required having a full-time cook or two. We can't really replicate that part, but there are a lot of principles that are inspiring, and that we can apply to our daily lives and our families. 

 Today we’re going to talk about some fun ideas for a food-themed evening with family or friends. Food-related fun that you can have with your kids. We'll chat about evenings involving food in a fun way for your younger kids, for your older teens; or for your family to do together.

So, let's dive right in. 

Today we're going to talk about more simple meals for if you're learning to cook, just starting to cook, or if you just need something quick for dinner.

Last time, we talked about using potatoes and pasta as the base of meals.  In this episode, we’re going to talk about rice and a few other ways to start your cooking with some easy meals!

Today I’m going to talk about two easy meal options that have variety for when you're just starting out cooking, or for when life is crazy and you want something very easy to do. I’ll talk about a way to plan things around potatoes and pasta so that you've got a good variety, and different ways to enhance the toppings, to add sauces, et cetera, to go with those.

Start off with easy meals when you're learning to cook. If your son or daughter is going to leave home soon, this is a good way for them to learn to cook. So, let's get started. 

Let's talk about pesto. Is your favorite green pesto or red pesto, and what do you like to have it on? Pizza, caprese salad - what are your favorite ways to use it? I'm going to talk about the origins of pesto, and then about some of the ways you can use it, and how to make it. I often buy pesto from the grocery store, and sometimes I make it. Both ways can be delicious, and there's so many different ways you can use it. 

Pesto is traditionally Italian, and its roots are in ancient Rome. It’s best known today in the form pesto alla Genovese, which is made from basil, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and olive oil.

The concept of pesto can be traced back to ancient Roman times. Back then, there was a sauce called moretum, which was made by crushing herbs with garlic, some kind of cheese, salt, olive oil, and vinegar. In a similar way to modern pesto, it was prepared with a pestle and mortar. The word pesto comes from the Italian verb pestare, meaning “to pound” or “to crush” with the pestle and mortar.

The classic form of pesto, Genovese, comes from Genoa in Northwestern Italy. It’s from around the 19th century. The key ingredient, of course, is the Genovese basil that grows abundantly in that region. It loves the Mediterranean climate. The traditional recipe includes fresh basil leaves with garlic, traditionally pine nuts, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and lots of olive oil.

Today we're going to talk about eggs, or rather about if you don't like eggs, and what's a good thing to have for breakfast in that case - what's a good way to use eggs, so that they don't taste too “eggy”? Here are creative ways of using them so that you still get the protein and the benefits like choline from eggs, but you don't have to just have scrambled or fried eggs. Maybe those are things that you don't enjoy.

I seem to go through phases. Sometimes I don't mind eggs for breakfast, and other times I really can't stomach them, though I still enjoy the sides like grilled tomato, mushrooms, zucchini, and avocado. All those things are great, but it's hard for me to have eggs with them.

So, let's talk about some ways to use eggs in your breakfast even if you don't like them. We want to try to incorporate them into dishes where their flavor is a little masked, or complimented by other ingredients.

Today we’re going to talk more about what we can learn from previous generations about cooking, nutritious eating, and how to make healthy meals for our families. In the past, we've talked about things like cooking from scratch, cooking at home with fresh ingredients, and using local foods and seasonal produce. 

We've talked about eating all the parts, nose to tail, and about some traditional cooking methods like slow cooking, et cetera. We've talked about eating as a family, and how that connection is so good and so healthy. We've talked about being balanced, and not going along with all the trends or diets. We've talked about recipes that have been passed down from our grandparents, and their simpler, healthier way of life in general.

Today, I want to talk about some of the less obvious things that we can learn from previous generations about cooking and nutrition. This is not just what they ate, but how they thought about food, and how they made it healthier. We’ll talk about their habits; things that were second nature to them, and how they would be really helpful to us.

It's been a while since I've done a ten point episode. Some of you like that. I don't easily stick to points - I tend to have a brain that goes in all directions, but I thought for this one we'll do ten points to hopefully make it easier to remember. 

 Today we're going to talk about a particular theme for a date night in our family. With our five children, we love to have times where we eat together and have special meals, and we also love to have a date night every week for my hubby and I.

The kids know about it; they have their own special meal beforehand, and then they're upstairs early. We like to go out for it when we can - usually we do that on one night out of four. We also like to have date nights at home when we can because somehow there's something different and special that you get out of those date nights, something that’s different to when you go out. 

Today I want to talk about having your own personal black and white ball for a date night - a black and white themed date night. Let me tell you some of the details of what this could entail. I'm bringing out a date night recipe book later this year, and this will be one of the date themes in it. 

Today I want to talk about having a celebration brunch. It's great for summertime, and you can even do brunch in the winter. We’ll be talking about a fun festive brunch with your family or your extended family, your friends, or just anybody that you want to do something a little special with. I'm going to mention some food ideas and then a couple of different themes with a few food-related activities that you can add to it to make it extra special. 

Having brunch is fun because it doesn't have to be as early as breakfast, and you get to eat foods that are a mix between breakfast and lunch, ones that you may not normally eat. You don't really need lunch either afterwards, and you can make it a little special with a few extra things.

That delectable flaky butter-filled pastry!

Today we’re going to be talking about puff pastry. Puff pastry is that flaky light, airy pastry which is made by folding and rolling dough with lots of layers. The butter is folded in, and then it’s folded in half again and rolled with a rolling pin. It's a real crowd pleaser because it's delicious and it's so easy to use for quick appetizers and elegant desserts.

It's very distinctive as far as pastry goes because of its light, flaky texture. You get croissant roll pastry, and you get philo pastry, but puff pastry is the best kind to buy because it's so delicious. It's good to buy all butter puff pastry, which is much healthier than the margarine kind.

So, today I'm going to tell you the history of puff pastry, and then give you some ideas of what you can cook with it. It’s very easy to use, and a great way to make something fast!