OOh La La Ladies!

At my Pilates class last week I spent the evening imagining that I was squeezing a fifty pound note between my cheeks, whilst holding a raspberry in my navel and balancing two glasses of champagne on my hips! What a fur coat world we inhabit!  The picnic season has come upon us and is definitely a time to distinguish the fur coated amongst us and those who are less well off. However all is not lost my 'No Knickers' friends.

A true FCaNK picnic should have a lovely glass of bubbly. A trip to Waitrose will save you a fair few pennies because they will give you great advice for the best bubbly in your budget. Honestly, I can safely say that every Waitrose wine advisor has directed me to a really good bottle of cheap and adorable plonk! Typically, you can get away with a cheaper Rosé at this time of year because the cute vintage pink colour distracts from the taste but it's always better to seek out a wine expert before you buy! One great rule I have learnt is to look at the size of the bubbles..shake up the bottle and see how fine or how coarse the bubbles are; the better bottle will have the finer bubbles.

One of the best FCaNK picnic inspirations I have seen in a while was very simple. A homemade soda bread wrapped in a vintage lace teacloth, cut into slices with a blob of Arabic salty yoghurt (Labneh) and a shred of smoked salmon with lemon and pepper. This is creative and communal and looks fabulous but can be bought and made cheaply. For those of us on a really tight budget we recommend the Lidl Greek yoghurt which isn't salted but is fabulously creamy. If you want the real thing, find a local Arabic green grocer, they are good value and fabulously creative for cookery.

Another favourite FCaNK family treat for a trip to the outdoor pool or park with children are some homemade Madelaines dusted with icing sugar. They are tasty, pretty and add a little touch of french chic to any snack box. These little French fancies are cute and delicious and once you have bought the baking tray, the ingredients are really cheap. To fire up your french fantasy look no further than amazon for a good value, non stick, metal, madelaines tray and for a really good recipe, 101 cookbooks.com have the simple answer.  

Ooh La La Ladies, Happy Days!