Lots happening at the moment, the Festival was a great success.

I was lucky to be asked to the CWA Dinner by President Jean and Annie Apthorpe, great evening, nice meal at the RSL Club - and a really wonderful guest speaker from Korea, Miloo - lovely evening with a charming bunch of people - thanks girls.

Have been asked for some recipes for breakfast so I have here a recipe for French Toast and proper hollandaise sauce - both delicious favourites and very easy to do - don't be too scared to experiment - lots of great cooks do and come out with fabulous recipes.

FRENCH TOAST

2 eggs

1 cup milk or cream (I prefer cream, it's thicker)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla essences

Combined all these ingredients.

Use toast bread, dip into the egg mix coating both sides.

Heat on medium heat - 2 tablespoons of butter in a non stick pan, when the butter is melted add your dipped break and leave for about 1 minute.

Turn over and do the other side, the toast should have a lovely speckled pancake brown look - you can make them as dark as you like.

Serve up on a plate with fresh strawberries, chopped up bananas, cream and maple syrup.

I like to do really crispy bacon with it.

This is the Canadian style and if you add some maple syrup and press down with a pan or saucepan on top and you get crunchy maple bacon.

Enjoy!

HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

This is fabulous over poached eggs and salmon with some cooked baby spinach or some shaved ham on muffins with poached eggs and also this is a beautiful accompaniment to fresh asparagus as an entree as well.

You will need:

3 egg yolks

2-3 tablespoons lemon juice

180g melted butter

Boiling water as required

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Put egg yolks, lemon juice and a pinch of salt into a food processor - blend for a couple of minutes until pale and thickened, slowly add the melted butter at a steady stream (remember warm butter not hot butter).

When the mixture is thick, add boiling water to adjust the consistency and check seasoning till you have it to your taste.

Pour into a bowl and Gladwrap to keep warm.

Stand bowl of mixture in another bowl of warm water to keep it warm.

Not too hot or the heat will curdle the sauce.

Chop up some chives or parsley to sprinkle over it when serving and ooh lah lah!!!

You have turned into Madame Manu.

Enjoy darlings

Tommy xxx