My jeans are too tight! All this home baking and teenagers that constantly need to eat means that there’s way more food in my life than normal!! Beely made an incredible chocolate cake last week, which we ended up having for breakfast the following couple of days just to make space back in the fridge… needs must and all that! Thank goodness for KitchenAid – I’ve got my sights on the hand mixer next!! 
On top of that, I bought the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser and Hot Chocolate sachets just as lockdown started, as I thought a little hot chocolate here and there would be much appreciated. I hadn’t thought of the ensuing whipped cream and marshmallows… it’s soooo good! I was over doing Mum’s supper the other night and she was watching James Martin re-runs, in which he baked a no-flour chocolate roulade. It was AMAZING!! I don’t actually want to eat it, as I’m not a fan of roulade, I just want to try it out. I’ve always thought it looks such a challenge to perfect the roll so I’m currently scouring the internet for the recipe, not very successfully I might add!
It’s a good job we live on the side of a field, no-phone walks and just chatting together are some of the best bits of lockdown for me. On this walk, we reminisced our favourite holiday moments, it was fabulous. I don’t think I’ve walked this much in years, although the last couple of weeks I’ve done an equal amount of hanging around in the garden as the weather has been just glorious.
We got the garden Jenga out the other day and ended up creating “extreme dominoes”, we even managed one run down the patio steps! It was hilarious, there were so many times that while building one of us got in the way of the brick and the whole lot started off, the simple pleasures of life, hey? I used to love building domino runs, it’s been so fun to reconnect with games of old, I’ve even started a jigsaw – something I’ve NEVER had the patience to do!
In the meantime, I hope you are keeping well and managing to keep your head up during this lockdown. Thank you for all of your wonderful messages of love and thanks during this time as we continue to bring to you entertainment, company plus various treats and solutions for being at home right now – although like me, remember to step away from the chocolate!
Much love as always
Pipa x
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13 Responses
Hi Pipa. I’ve looked on the web for a no flour roulade. I found one on the BBC website. It’s a Mary Berry recipe. Enjoy
Oh you’re wonderful Pat, thank you, I wonder how I missed it!! xx
Hi Pippa, Thank you for your lovely blog. That cake looks amazing. What a beautiful cake that is yummy. I have done so much shopping at the Q. Can’t wait for my deliveries to arrive.Stay safe. Antoinette
Hi Antoinette – I have to say I’ve done loads of shopping too!! I hope you stay well xx
hi pippa love reading your blogs it is a very uncertain time but there will be light at the end of a long road we brits are at our best in times like these take for instance captain tom a very proud and humble man who has raised so much money for the nhs keep safe maria
There most certainly is light at the end of the tunnel Maria – I hope you and your loved ones stay well xx
i am so with you on the chocolate theme!! i have just made some chocolate cookies why?? there is only myself and husband in our house i he has willpower i have none and have already told him that he will have to hide them as i have no willpower at all if chocolate is involved and would happily scoff the lot !!
i also have the velvetiser , absolutely wonderful especially with a good slug of the chocolate liqueur in it that they make .sorry cannot look for a recipe for your cake as i would more than likely make that next.
Think i will have to do a Joe wicks exercise routine now to try and combat the waistline.
keep safe
Ooh that chocolate liqueur sounds a bit tempting, I might have to try it too!! xx
Pippa this is unrelated to your post but didn’t know how to get it touch with the top people.
It is very frustrating for me to watch QVC now because the idiot that insists on playing background music when the presenters and guests are talking. I’m hard of hearing if I wanted to listen to music I’d put on the radio.
Sorry to rant but can you please pass on to the powers that be. We do not need music playing at all.
Thank you
Hi Jill, I remember from my BBC radio days when we used to get heaps of complaints about this when music was played under conversation – I know it makes it very difficult to differentiate when you’re trying to listen to what’s being said. As far as I know, music is only played under us talking if a model is on the catwalk, generally the rest of the time there shouldn’t be any in the background. I will investigate and of course pass on your comments to the sound department. Please accept my apologies for the times that you have felt frustrated about this. Very best wishes, Pipa x
Hi Pipa. In case it is of any use to you, here is Mary Berry’s recipe for no flour chocolate roulade… https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/chocolate_roulade_79152
Can’t see one from James Martin. Beely’s chocolate cake looks divine!! Will she share the secret for the topping and filling?!?
Ooh you star Eileen, thank you! I think Beely’s recipe was just bog standard choc sponge and butter cream icing that she got from online – the never ending resource for recipes!!!! It was super delicious, I think it was the dose of Beelyness that made it so special 🙂
Hi Pippa Just watched your show with Anna Griffin. The outfit with ferns on you are wearing looks amazing on you, could you please tell me is it from QVC and do you know the item number? Thank you