Hello from England!

[redkitty]

Hey everyone, seems like a nice place you've got here! I found the forum while googling recipes!

I'm from San Francisco but moved to Bristol last year to live with my husband. Brought my doggy with me too! Its been rough living here and we are already planning our move back to SF for next year. (CANT WAIT)

I love to cook and used to have many dinner parties back home. I even started having PIE parties and then soup parties! So much fun, since everyone seems to love PIE! No parties here since I have no friends.

I have also been a vegetarian since last September. Ive really enjoyed discovering veggie cooking, which can be a bit challenging.

Anyhow, enough about me! Glad to be here and hope to make some new friends!

 

[shpj4]

Hello redkitty and welcome to DC.

 

[Half Baked]

Welcome RedKitty! In addition to this being a wonderully informative site, everyone is so friendly. Weekends are usually rather quiet but there'll be more people on tomorrow.

Tell us more about your pies!

 

[JoAnn L.]

Hi and welcome, so glad that you found us. It really is a nice place. Great recipes and members who are here to help you.

 

[Franca]

Hi, redkitty! Welcome! I'm relatively new here as well.

When you move back to SF you'll just be a little ways north of me. I was born and raised in SF and now live in Aptos. I love visiting England but I expect I'd be homesick if I were to move there permanently.

Jan wants to hear about your pies and I want to hear about your soups! My husband and I belong to a monthly soup club and it's fabulous. Some day I'll have the time to start making soups again myself because I really enjoyed it, but right now I'm enjoying having someone else do it for me.

 

[redkitty]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone!

mmmm PIE! The last PIE party we had was in October during our last visit home. I won second place in the sweet catagory for my Chocolate Mousse with Cookie Crumb Crust! It was heavenly... I think Ill start 2 new threads for PIE and soup party info. They are soo much fun!!

Franca, I lived in Boulder Creek for 6 years! I miss Santa Cruz really bad! Aptos is lovely! Dont meet many people who were born and raised in SF! I grew up in Santa Clara, moved up to BC then sold my house in 2004 and moved to SF. All my friends are up there, family is still in San Jose area. I lived in Potrero Hill, very dog friendly area with fabulous views!

I love making soup! My favorite recently is roasted sweet potato, red bell pepper and red onion. Toss all of it in the food processor with some veggie stock and bingo! Easy delicious soup!!!

 

[lulu]

I am so sorry you have been lonely in Bristol! I am from Somerset, but joined my husband in Milano recently....had we only met at DC earlier we could have met But I know about homesickness, I think I am going to head back to UK sooner than planned too! Maybe if I pop home for a holiday before you leave Bristol we can meet and discuss pie!

 

[redkitty]

Thanks for the reply LuLu, Ill be here in Bristol until spring/summer 2008! Blah! Going back home for a visit in May and then Christmas. Hope you are enjoying all that fabulous Italian food and wonderful wine in Milan! Ive never been to Italy, its on the travel list!!

I love to discuss PIE anytime!!

 

[kyles]

I'm an Aussie and live in the North of England. I was homesick and lonely for my first couple of years, but now have plenty of friends...

I'm always around, and travelling about, so if you like, we can meet up and I'll made northern potatoe bie, or better cheese and onion pie!

Don't be a stranger, you'll fine plenty of company here.

 

[boufa06]

Hi redkitty, welcome to DC! Soon enough you will meet a few more nice members from U.K. I think it's about time you post that award winning Chocolate Mousse recipe in the cake section!! Have lots of fun here!

 

[Franca]

Franca, I lived in Boulder Creek for 6 years! I miss Santa Cruz really bad! Aptos is lovely! Dont meet many people who were born and raised in SF!

No, I understand we're a somewhat rare group.

I grew up in Santa Clara, moved up to BC then sold my house in 2004 and moved to SF. All my friends are up there, family is still in San Jose area. I lived in Potrero Hill, very dog friendly area with fabulous views!

Wow, Boulder Creek - small world! I grew up in Pacific Heights in SF but after college one of my oldest friends (who grew up a few blocks from me) had a house on Potrero Hill for a number of years - until her second child was on the way and they needed to find something a bit bigger for the growing family. (They had two German Shepherd Dogs, too, and a cat.) Yes, Potrero Hill is a lovely, sunny, dog-friendly place. There was a park near her house where she and a couple of other friends and I used to meet to run our doggies together. I spent a year living in the Castro and working at USF and then I moved back to Aptos - missed my little house in the country.

I love making soup! My favorite recently is roasted sweet potato, red bell pepper and red onion. Toss all of it in the food processor with some veggie stock and bingo! Easy delicious soup!!!

Mmmm, that sounds really good!

 

[Jikoni]

Hi redkitty and most welcome to DC. My in-laws live in Bristol so I often find myself there a couple of times in the year. Maybe someday we could meet up there at the Galleries in Temple meads or Cribbs causeway! I live just 15 mins out of Geneva and if you like skiing, let me let you in on a secret, Easy jet do fly directly to Geneva from Bristol! Moving away from home can be difficult in the beginning, but after a while it gets easier.I moved from Kenya to join my husband here.It was hard in the beginning, no friends, no family, different language etc etc, but now I am happy here, though I wouldn't mind the nice temperate climate all year round like I grew up in. Where in Bristol are you?

 

[redkitty]

Thank you Kyles! I hope to be starting work soon and think it will help me feel less isolated. Northern potato PIE sounds fabulous!


Boufa, thanks for the hello and I will post my yummy PIE for you!! I sure would love to have a big greek meal right about now!!

 

[redkitty]

Jikoni, I live in the Filton/Horfield area of Bristol, by the MOD. Ive never been thrilled about it but we have the most wonderful neighbors! What a small world that your in laws live here! When was the last time you were at the Galleries? Its crazy with construction down there right now!! And yes, Easy Jet is great for direct flights out of Bristol! We've been back home twice now so later this year we hope to take a trip somewhere else!

Its so great to hear from others about living in another country and how difficult it can be. I'm soo happy I found this forum!

 

[lulu]

Redkitty, I came to DC before we lived abroad, but with the language barriers and boredom I have found my "portable" friends here, who are with me whereever I have to go are a real blessing. It is also great that I can talk to people both here in Italy, and worldwide, about ingrediants that are new to me so that I can have success cooking them for the first time. But perhaps more wonderful than practical discussion about a subject we love (FOOD!) are the friendships that spill into other areas of life from here.

My DH did his law conversion at UWE, and as a fewe of us DCer know Bristol so well perhaos we can connect you up with some places/people?

I wish Easyjet went from my Milan airport to Bristol, we only have a very expensive BA flight

 

[corazon]

Hi redkitty. Welcome to dc! We're glad to have you. San Fran is a great city. I lived in Walnut Creek for a couple years and we drove into the city every weekend.

 

[Jikoni]

Jikoni, I live in the Filton/Horfield area of Bristol, by the MOD. Ive never been thrilled about it but we have the most wonderful neighbors! What a small world that your in laws live here! When was the last time you were at the Galleries? Its crazy with construction down there right now!! And yes, Easy Jet is great for direct flights out of Bristol! We've been back home twice now so later this year we hope to take a trip somewhere else!

Its so great to hear from others about living in another country and how difficult it can be. I'm soo happy I found this forum!

I love the Bristol suspension Bridge, interestingly I have a postcard or that with the concord flying over it. My ma-in-law loves both(suspension bridge and concord so that explains the postcard)Last time at the galleries was last year's end of year school half term. I took my kids to Puccinos for hot chocolate topped with marshmallows and blueberry muffins to go with it!. I like Waterstones for books (my little ones are into Enid blyton books)and have had some great stuff from TK Max. The boots there is also very self sufficient.WH Smith isn't bad either. Oh and when the certainly Adams for kids clothes.Good prices for quality clothes.I am not a big fun of Cribbs Causeway. Too much hard work. Try and venture out to Weston super mare when it gets warmer. It'd not much, but we have pix of my daughter ridding a donkey on the beach when she was two! She is nine now!!!!!!! If you need any info let me know, I may not have the answer, but will ask my in-laws. Enjoy Brizol(As the locals call it) They also have that annoying thing of calling everyone 'Me lover'

 

[jkath]

Hey redkitty! It's great to have you here!
I'm also a Californian, but I've got to say, that if given the chance, I'd move to the UK in a second!

I love your idea of the soup parties!!! Fantastic! I just may need to borrow that one!
As for no friends in Bristol yet, just like lulu said, you've always got us!

 

[lulu]

Have you been down to Street for Clarkes village? There is a le crueset discount shop and a couple of other kitchen suppliers, but le creuset is the best, imo. Definitely NOT a weekend/school holiday shopping place though ARGH

And have you been to Cheddar? My DH, LOVES going to Cheddar, I quite frankly am bored of it, and prefer to get my cheese from the many people we know who produce it, but DH gets a kick out of eating Cheddar in cheddar.....you know what they say about little things pleasing little minds, lol!

Oh, and have you eaten at any good restaurants. All within lunch distance from Bristol I can recommend several very good, from the locally succesful to UK award winners to Michelin star restaurants, food helps!

 

[redkitty]

Haven't been to Cheddar, especially since husband HATES cheese! No I'm not kidding, the boy is crazy. None of my friends can believe he does not eat cheese!! We've had dinner at a few places here but I prefer to cook
especially given the price to eat out over here!!!

Jikoni, the Clifton Suspension Bridge is absolutely amazing! Love walking around the village, we also took a walk over to Long Ashton to check out Ashton Court.

Thanks for the welcome JKath! I'm so excited to find such a friendly place!!