OK, so it may not be a novel, but I've been putting together a children's cookbook for Matthew's Pre-School and it's been a long slog. I am very pleased with the outcome but have learnt along the way;

1. to ask if there's a photocopier we can use
2. to use a good stapler that is happy to go through 30 pages (I used my own 79p stapler and 300 staples for 40 books, which should have only needed 80 staples!)
3. and that it won't just take a couple of evenings work!

But at last I've finished and I can now proudly present my first book,

It has over 30 recipes that parents have provided and for some of them the children have drawn pictures, very cute - of course half look nothing like what they are supposed to. I've used a photo of Matthew's hands on the cover and the second photo is our recipe - yes I drew the cookies, but Matthew coloured in the smarties! The sad story is that this should be a great fundraising book for the Pre-School (which is a charity) but unfortunately the Pre-School, as we know it, is to close in the summer. So this great little book will be sold just to cover the costs.

At least my evenings are now my own again, have a layout nearly finished about my friends in Surrey, will share in the next post. But now I must make a card for my friend Jo's birthday, we're meeting for coffee tomorrow at Caffe Nero, can't delay it any longer!