Growing on the grass outside my house - there seem to be lots of fungi around at the moment, is it a good year with this mild damp weather? PS I didn't eat them  - I'll be back.

Well it's December and I haven't been anywhere nice for the last week, in fact I haven't been anywhere - nice or not.  I was thinking about making mince pies and looked up Delia's recipe but decided not to buy all the ingredients just for a few, as I know it will be me that eats them all. I haven't bought any because first of all I won't like them as much as home made and secondly, if you want Christmas to start the week before and end the week after, there is something really exciting about waiting to eat that first mince pie and my mum makes the best. So, fed up with cooking and no children around this evening to make it too expensive I secretly bought Woolpit fish (plaice) and chips and they were really really nice.

Went to Savannah Jerk in London because Lenny Henry mentioned it on F Word but although it was nice can cook this as well at home. So yesterday invited a friend round for Caribbean Christmas dinner and we had ackee and salt fish, deer meat, rice and peas, banana fritters, johnny cakes and jerk chicken.

Come back from a sunny and freezing Sunday morning walk around the village (according to the village sign it was first settled by Goths although we didn't see any today) and although the pub looks dead from the outside, it's busy inside with a warm fire and serving food until 4pm...hooray! There's a warm welcome for us in our wellies and several families with children eating lunch.  They can't do me a mulled wine (red wine + spices + sugar + microwave?) so have cider instead. Their seasonally-limited menu of food tastes better than described on the board which is always a bonus - but don't fancy curry or chili so chose a burger from depressing childrens menu of burger and chips or sausage and beans (and chips). After filling it with salad from my sisters curry plate it was ok but hoping next time for oxtail stews, shepherds pies, casseroles... and in the summer a barbecue under that huge oak tree.

Tasted my sloe gin over Christmas - very nice.

Some people have asked why I don't put bad reviews on here? Because there are too many restaurants serving ordinary or worse food - that's why. I could write something about mediocre food every day - the tiny overcooked overpriced portion of sea bass I had at a Bury hotel, or disgusting local Chinese takeaway or cheese on toast made with sliced white bread topped with a plastic wrapped cheese slice and melted in the microwave - I've had all of these. But I want to celebrate good food and hope that sooner or later you will tell me where it is. If you're not on here it's because I haven't been there or I have, and it isn't any good.

Last minute after parents evening and as a reward to myself for my skill at getting my son to choose the right A levels, we go to Bury for a takeaway and end up eating at the Noodle Bar again. Always busy in here, but this is really fast food - within minutes we had prawn toasts and deep fried squid - piping hot, freshly cooked and delicious with plenty of chili and garlic.

All you vegetarians and vegans - fed up with the unimaginative offerings in most restaurants and pubs? I had a really nice lunch here at this completely vegetarian pub a few miles out of Needham Market. What a treat! No meat!

Seven starters, eight mains, seven puds - plus a specials board.  And you can get takeaways and freezer meals too.

Here it is - my brunch from yesterday at that little cafe in Elmswell -where Goodfellows butchers used to be next to Mace.  Is it called Bumbles? I met my sister for a coffee.  They do good cappucino and my flat white (I have to tell them what to do - no one in Suffolk knows what that is yet ...) was good too. I had this Welsh Rarebit which tasted much nicer than the picture looks, because the Worcester sauce has made it go a bit brown. My other sister once told me a fab recipe for Welsh Rarebit  -  grated cheddar and a large spoonful of mayo - under the grill. Browns and bubbles up really nicely. I think they do hot lunches here too because a very friendly couple were having casserole and mashed potatoes at another table.  Now I see the picture it reminds me - I wish they would get rid of that horrible plastic Christmas table cloth!

Granny wanted to go out to lunch so we persuaded her that The Angel would be a good place to go. Had the good value set menu £12.50 for two courses/£15.50 for three. Avoided 'Soup of the Moment' - best starter was crispy bacon & chicken livers on toast. Main courses - nice thyme crusted chicken and partridge pie, and roast pork belly. We tried all four puds because we couldn't decide which ones to have. Even better value because she paid!