First Line Fridays

First Line Fridays, a weekly feature hosted by Wandering Words, on judging a book by its opening lines rather than its cover or author.

The below sentence I feel needs no introduction.

When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton.

fellowship of the ring

The Fellowship of the Ring

Of course the line comes from the beginning of J R R Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring part of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It seems such a gentle, unassuming beginning to a book that has a thread of threat and violence throughout its pages. If you have read this book, did you enjoy or dislike it?

What books are you reading at the moment?

Thanks for stopping by,

Christine x

24 Food Questions Tag.

Thanks to Sharon from Sunshine and Celandines who inspired me to try to answer these 24 questions. She in turn was inspired by Bev‘s blog, who ‘stole’ Kerri’s post, who borrowed the list from Llino, who cited using the tag from SarahNow I see how easy it is for ideas to travel via the internet!

There were supposed to be 25 questions, but after counting and recounting I found out that number 16 on four of the blogs was missing, so 24 questions it is! If anyone knows what happened to question 16 do let us know!

I even asked David these questions and below are both our replies

1. What’s your favourite breakfast?

Christine: Oaty granola and coffee.

David: Wheetabix.

2. How do you drink your coffee?

Christine: Strong and black or a nice Costa.

20160308_104138

David: Milky and weak.

3. What’s on your favourite sandwich?

Christine: Three cheese and mayonnaise.

David: Gregg’s Tuna Crunch.

4. Soup or salad?

Christine: Depends, probably a nice spicy soup.

David: Salad.

5. What’s your favourite cookbook?

Christine: BBC Good Food or Google.

David: YouTube.

6. No more sweets or no more hearty foods?

Christine: No more sweets, I’m more of a savoury girl.

David: No more hearty foods.

7. Your favourite cuisine?

Christine and David: Indian!

20160206_183630

8. What’s your favourite food movie?

Christine: Lord of the Rings, not really to do with food but I love the Hobbits’ mealtimes: breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, supper!

David: Ratatouille, can’t think of any other film!

9. Your most guilty pleasure?

Christine: I love a nice glass of wine, or clotted cream with jam and scones, though don’t have it that often, (too fattening!!)

20160709_194459

David: Strawberry gateau.

10. Your greatest inspirational source?

Christine: Music.

David: Life.

11. Cooking at home or going out for dinner?

Christine: Depends, sometimes it’s nice to cook a healthy meal at home, but then sometimes it’s good to be waited on.

David: Home.

12. High end or low profile?

Christine: High – I love dressing up and feeling special.

David: Low.

13. Your favourite restaurant?

Christine and David: Saffron.

Christine. I would like to go out more often!

14. I do my grocery shopping at…

Christine and David: Adsa!

Christine: Sometimes visit Aldi for salmon at Christmas and Easter.

15. The tastiest food I’ve ever eaten was…

Christine: I enjoyed a nice aubergine moussaka from a restaurant a few years ago.

10570399_10154453677715271_8046106940250147713_n

David: Chicken Shahi curry

16. Coffee with George Clooney or Heston Blumenthal?

Christine: Neither, but at a push Heston

David: Not much of an option… George

17. What should not be missing in your kitchen?

Christine: A hob

David: Spices

18. What’s your favourite snack?

Christine: Mixups, I love crisps!

David: Dried roasted nuts.

19. What’s on your pizza?

Christine: Lots of vegetables.

David: Chicken.

20. Food you really dislike?

Christine: Baby artichokes, horrible slimy things once cooked!

David: Sweetcorn and cooked spinach.

21. Your favourite food blog?

Christine: Chungah at Damn Delicious.

David: None.

22. What’s the weirdest thing you have eaten?

Christine: Quail or pheasant, no wonder I turned vegi!

David: Lobster.

23. What’s on your food bucket list?

Christine: Black rice.

David: Black Jerra seeds

24. I couldn’t live without…

Christine: Lentils or beans!!

20160319_180028 (2)

David: Chocolate.

And on that note I’ll finish! Reading back on the answers given, it seems David and I have quite opposite tastes.

Maybe you can add your own answers to the above questions and continue the tag?

Happy eating!

Christine x