The Happy Place Café and Tilly's dog wash is still open.

[sashh]

Morning and welcome.

To anyone new this is the Happy Place Café, all food and drink served here is calorie free. Everyone is welcome.

There are some people who have been here for literally years and others are newer.

The staff are me, obviously, Florence a French pastry chef who is married to Fernando the cocktail waiter (no one knows where Fernando is from so we suspect the marriage was about visas).

In a previous incarnation one of the regulars was Tilly (RIP) who brought a sparkling light in to the café along with a lemur named Leo.

Leo runs a dog wash (Tilly had a golden retriever and her family agreed to the dog wash as a tribute) but as there are rarely and dogs around he will wash anything, his other interests are goats and eggs. He spends every morning cooking eggs.

Outside the café is seating and a water feature, the water feature becomes a swimming pool in summer and an ice rink in winter. There is also a petting zoo.

Other residents are the kittenbees who are kittens the size of a bee with wings, they are very gentle but like to nibble anything sweet. Please do not give them alcohol.

Outside is where their larger cousins the bumblecats live, they are about the size of a fist and a lot more feisty than the kittenbees.

There is normally a daily special for breakfast and sometimes there is a pack up / bait / packed lunch.

Now to breakfast.

I thought a little trip to Germany would fit this morning so Florence is making bread rolls, soft and crusty, Leo is baking / frying / boiling eggs and Fernando is serving Apfelkorn.

I put out a selection of cooked meats, cheeses, jam, nutella, marmalade and if you want that abomination that people wither love or hate, it is in a locked box in the garden, far from the café, that is where it is to be consumed.

Actually I watched a vid from 'Atomic Shrimp' the other day that featured the brown paste added to warm milk.

Morning!

@sashhI don’t know whereabouts you are but our forecast says tomorrow is the last day and then we’ve got some cooler days with rain. I can’t wait!

I’m still not against ice cream for breakfast so I’ll have some mint choc chip and a ham and cheese roll for later please!

Morning!

Tuesday is due to be our last day of stickiness too thank goodness.

Could I have peach sorbet please?

Typically I’m awake early when I’m go up by to a talk by an author I like tonight.

Ice cream, sorbet and bread rolls on their way.

Is there any lemon sorbet left ?

Can I put in a order for a Greek salad please @sashh I really fancied one at weekend but didn't get a chance to make one.

Morning :)

Looks like I’m first up so I’ll pop the kettle on. I know it’s still hotter than the sun but all I fancy right now is a cuppa.

I do second @ScottBakulagreek salad request, sounds perfect for today. Maybe F & F & L could be enticed to make a Greek inspired breakfast roday?

Morning.

A Greek breakfast? Why not?

I'll get Florence to make bougatsa and koulouri along with some bread.

Yoghurt, olives, cheese and cold cuts.

Fernando, of course is serving Ouzo. Obviously Greek coffee is available.

I'll pack up some Greek salads for later with some rolled Japanese rolled omelette and I've put in some 1/2 frozen water bottles so no matter how hot it is you have a cold drink.

Morning

I know what you mean @MrsRandallFraser . I can never do without coffee, regardless of the heat.

I’m going to watch the bumble cats playing in the fountain.

Cheese, bread and yoghurt sounds good in a bit.

Morning.

I'm another that likes a coffee in all weather. Except this morning I'm having fasting blood tests so just iced water until then.

Bit of science for you re hot / cold drinks. Your body spends every day doing a number of things one of which is to regulate your temperature, particularly your core which is basically heart, lungs, digestive system and blood circulation.

If your body thinks your core is getting too cold it does things to warm it up, it constricts your blood vessels, slows your heart slightly etc. Cold drinks can trigger this.

Drinks that are very hot do the opposite, so your morning coffee actually helps cool you down.

Now breakfast. I was told it was going to cool down, it hasn't. So I'm doing a buffet or melon and mango, yoghurt, grapes, watermelon, cheese slices, ham and salami. Leo is making devilled eggs.

Florence is making crusty bread so you can take some buffet as pack up. I'll put out some pickles and chutneys again for pack up.

Fernando is back in the pool bar, may I suggest Becks blue for a non alcoholic beer.

Oh well that all sounds delicious, I love a buffet.

Interesring about the hot drinks, I knew they were supposed to cool you but I didn’t know the science behind it. I will enjoy my morning tea even more now.

I hope your blood tests are fairly early @sashhso you’re not hungry for too long.

I'm craving coffee rather than anything else.

I actually don't have much of an appetite at the moment, that's what they are investigating.

Morning all. Coffee needed here but probably unwise. I'll go get a night time tea and quietly make a piece of toast if ok

Morning @tattoonewbieno need to be quiet, we’re here too. I’ll join you and have a decaf tea

I'll make them - unless you want to hand over baby for a snuggle ? Mine are still open to hugs but I have to cuddle my dog if I want to properly smoosh!
Your name reminds me I need to find my hard copy Outlander book I started. Book 2. It's somewhere but tiny print so I was struggling with it last week !
Any toast ?

As in my now older boys. My pre teen doesn't mind me cuddling him so much just yet !

Morning.

Well they cancelled my blood test.

OK well it is still hot here, although a little cooler so I thought an Indian breakfast would satisfy us today.

Idi and sambar, chole and pakoras.

Florence is making paratha, dosa and Puri.

Fernando has an Indian whiskey and chai - not served together. Leo is scrambling eggs with chillies and spices, try them with the dosa.

For lunch I have tiffin boxes with a chickpea and potato curry, steamed rice and a mixed veg curry.

Morning

I might just stay all morning since it’s Indian food.

I hope my 11yo never stops wanting cuddles.

Hang out all day if you want @MinnieMountain

@tattoonewbieI should’ve had the normal tea, I was awake again two hours later. Baby Leo usually does one wake up at most so the 2 really threw me!

@MinnieMountainthis is what I try to remember when I’m frustrated, he won’t want the cuddles forever so I’m trying to make the most of them now!

I will @sashh . Bugger work 😁

Handy hint @MrsRandallFraser - encourage reading to Leo at bedtime for as long as he’ll agree. I still read to Edmund.

I'd love any leftovers please !!

Morning.

I thought for a change we would head to Nepal. Florence is making Kur, a flat bread and chapatis.

I'm goig to make 'breakfast set' which is a plate with butter, honey, jam, cheese and a choice of anda chuira, bara or bhuteko bhat.

Leo is not impressed with the egg options from Nepal so is making some sort of ramakin filled with egg, ham and cheese.

Fernando has some raksi and tongba.

Sounds lovely, I’ll try the bhuteko bhat please.

How are you feeling @sashh? I hope you get your appetite back soon.

@tattoonewbieis it your first time reading Outlander? And have you seen the tv series? I got to book 7 and had to take a break from reading them, they just got so long and I don’t have the time or the attention span. I’ve not seen the last twin seasons of the series either so I’m very behind, I really wanted James Alexander as the baby’s name but DP put his foot down and said we weren’t naming him after a character I fantasised about.. fair enough really!

@MinnieMountainI can’t wait to be able to read to Leo properly. I’m torn between wanting to read him my favourite books or let him discover them for himself. I really want him to love reading like i do.

Thank you @MrsRandallFraser I did mange to eat a small ready meal over the last 2 days. I'm not buying proper food because I don't want to end up throwing a lot away.

The good news is that I have lost 10kg since January, and I can afford to lose another 20.

So I'm torn, I want to get to the bottom of things but I am enjoying being a bit lighter.

Re reading with Leo, why not do a mixture of letting him discover some and you recommending others?

I need to get back in to reading, and I have a reading journal I should be writing in.

Just a thought, maybe that would be an interesting thing for Leo when you do start reading with him, keep a record and then when he is older you can both see what he liked.

Morning.

Well what odd weather we are having, it was warm and muggy yesterday. I think we will head to a fairly generic 'Mediterranean' destination.

Yoghurt, olives, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, sardines, hummus, stuffed vine leaves.

Florence is making pita bread and some crusty rolls.

Leo is making breakfast egg muffins.

Fernando has a whole selection of wines.

For pack up I'll put some sardines in a slightly spicy tomato sauce with some of the crusty rolls.

@sashh I think all those people thatcwere complaining about the heat have somehow turned the world thermostat down , its decidedly cool today.

I love Mediterranean type food so can I have a bit of everything please, esp the stuffed vine leaves.

It's rear I drink wine but a nice full bodied red would be nice right about now too. .