'I've baked a strawberry tart. Would you like to come over and try it?' came the message from dear friend, C, who, fortuitously, lives less than a kilometre from my home, and has also recently retired. Okay, I realise I shouldn't be using a cliché here, but my response to her was: 'Is the Pope a Catholic? That'd be lovely, I'll be right over!'

Creamy, dreamy and totally divine are among the descriptions that spring forth when friends and family sample this raspberry vanilla creation of mine. It's one of the most popular desserts on my repertoire.

The Tefal Cuisine Companion in the Good Things kitchen

A few months ago I was one of just a handful of cooks from across Australia invited to preview the Tefal Cuisine Companion. At an exclusive launch held at the Sydney Seafood School, I received a big box containing my very own, complementary Cuisine Companion and was signed up as a Founding Member of the 'Cuisine Companion Club' (an online community for those who own a Cuisine Companion). 

Canberra is renowned for having four distinct seasons and I'm always amazed at the cool nip in the air that greets us on the morning of the first of March every year. It's Autumn now – one of the best times in the nation's capital. The days are crisp and pleasantly balmy, while the nights are much cooler, meaning it's much easier to sleep. A welcome addition after our hot, dry summers.