This will warm the cockles of your heart - yum!

 A lovely winter warmer:

Pumpkin and Pancetta Soup

Serves 4

1kg pumpkin, peeled and chopped


1 garlic clove, crushed


1 onion, diced


2 potatoes, cubed


500 mls chicken stock


250ml cream


200g cured pancetta or bacon bits


Cracked black pepper


Olive oil

Method

• In a pan, cook the onion and garlic until the onion becomes translucent.

• Add the pumpkin and potatoes and cook for 5 minutes.

• Add stock and simmer for 15 minutes.

• Meanwhile, dice the pancetta or bacon bits, lightly fry in another pan until crispy and golden brown.

• Blend the soup in the pan using a hand blender.

• Add cream and cracked peppercorns and mix well.

• Serve up the soup and sprinkle very generously with the fried pancetta or bacon bits.

• Enjoy with fresh crusty bread. 

Serves 4

Joe and I love this recipe - highly recommended!

Victoria :)

MMMMMMMMMMMMM.....

Or how about agreat Christmas cake receipe:-

Ingredients: 

* 2 cups flour 
* 1 stick butter 
* 1 cup of water 
* 1 tsp baking  soda 
* 1 cup of  sugar 
* 1 tsp  salt 
* 1 cup of  brown sugar 
*  Lemon juice 
* 4  large eggs 

*  Nuts 
* 2  bottle wine 
* 2  cups of dried fruit 

Sample the wine to  check quality. Take a large bowl, check the wine again. To be sure  it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink. Repeat.  Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy  bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar. Beat again. At this point it's best  to make sure the wine is still OK. Try another cup... Just in case.  Turn off the mixerer thingy. Break 2 eggs and add to the bowl and  chuck in the cup of dried fruit. 

Pick the frigging  fruit up off floor. Mix on the turner.. If the fried druit gets  stuck in the beaterers just pry it loose with a drewscriver. Sample  the wine to check for tonsisticity. Next, sift two cups of salt. Or  something. Check the wine. Now shift the lemon juice and strain your  nuts. Add one table. Add a spoon of sugar, or some fink. Whatever  you can find. Greash the oven. Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try  not to fall over. Don't forget to beat off the turner. Finally,  throw the bowl through the window. Finish the wine and wipe counter  with the cat.
Go to  Tesco and buy cake. 

Bingle  Jells!

I´m going to be making this tomorrow!!!!

 Haha, Shteeve! Rove the lecipe. 

Victoria 

He he...will be trying that one soon too Steve

Justin

Can you make this soup with something other than pumkin, can't find any pumkin on sale here in Ireland.

Would think butternut squash will replace the pumpkin quite well - give it a try!

 @Freddie06  I agree with Pitby - I think butternut squash would be a good substitute. Let us know if you try it.

Victoria  

I have a huge butternut squash in the fridge, will try this tomorrow and let you know what it was like.

 Thanks Maureen - I'll be interested to hear how you got on.

Victoria

Just made it and it's fab, only changes I made was I dried fried the onion and garlic as I am on a diet, didn't put the pancetta in as would have had to go out and get some but will next time. Also no bread with it as I don't eat wheat when dieting.

Dennis loves it.

Just delicious,

 Oh good! Glad it turned out well! I'm knee-deep in recipes for my next book at the moment, so any requests? Chicken? Meat? Fish? Veg? Drinks? (Ooops, all seem to be alcoholic...) We'll ignore the barbecue recipes for the moment, bit too chilly.

Victoria  :)