Dinner Parties at Home and Top 10 Food Websites

One of the growing trends that has been seen, during the recent economic downturn is for a return to home cooking and hosting dinner parties at home. Visits increased by 32.8% between February 2008 and February 2009 as reported by "Hitwise United Kingdom - hitwise.co.uk".

We have always enjoyed entertaining at home and so this comes as no surprise to us. You will see that much of the content on the Dinner at Home website relates to planning a dinner party and other dinner party ideas.

According to Hitwise, the Top 10 Food and Beverage - Lifestyle and Reference websites, in 2008 are as follows:

1. www.bbc.co.uk/food
2. uktv.co.uk/food
3. www.deliaonline.com
4. www.waitrose.com
5. www.bbcgoodfood.com
6. www.channel4.com/food
7. www.qype.co.uk
8. www.jamieoliver.com
9. www.laithwaites.co.uk
10. www.sugarvine.com

I find it interesting to note that of all the supermarkets, only up-market Waitrose has found its way onto the list and with the exception of the London Review Guide Qype, all other websites are aimed at anyone looking to cook at home.

So join the rest of us in dusting off your recipes books and throw a dinner party! The Credit Crunch alternative to eating out.

Mother's Day - 22nd March 2009

Mothers Day is always a bit of a trauma for me as my mother died just before my 11th birthday (5 days to be exact). This has always resulted in mild embarrassment rather than sadness - how do you explain what you're doing on Mothers day when you don't have a mother?? I still miss my Mum very much which is what inspires me to try to be the best Mum ever to my girls.

Anyway - many years later I have my own family - two beautiful daughters and a gorgeous husband so Mothers Day always starts with a fabulous breakfast in bed and lots of nice presents!

The trouble with Mothering Sunday is - it's on a Sunday! What is wrong with that you may ask? Well - there is just something lacking to me in going out for a Sunday roast when you can do a much better job yourself at home with the best rare beef or the best garlic infused leg of lamb! I just find roast dinner out a bit of a waste of my "eating out" budget! (Trust me - I'd be upping my budget if it weren't for this damn credit crunch - all in the interests of my website obviously!!).

Anyway - we have discussed this - the lovely Jon has advised that NO ONE is doing anything but Sunday roast (all at ridiculously inflated prices!) so we have postponed Mothers Day to the following Wednesday where myself & the girls will meet Jon for lunch at the legendary Cafe Bleu in Newark - one of my favourite eating places ever and totally worth a visit if you are ever in the town!

In the meantime I can't miss up an opportunity to indulge in a food fantasy on Sunday so am going to my local Q butcher (Clarkes in Queniborough) to get a single rib of beef (or 2 if the kids are good!!) to cook like a fillet steak - just like I had at the Hoste Arms a few weeks ago (and there is a recipe in Good Food last month I think!)

So happy Mother's Day to all you Mums. And just remember Dads - breakfast in bed with the Sunday papers is the ultimate treat!

About Heidi

As a wife, mother and a dedicated cook, I was inspired to produce my own website, Dinner at Home to list some of my favourite recipes and share my ideas with regard to entertaining at home.

This blog will allow me to share more of my thoughts regarding food in general, including my favourite restaurants, my comments on recent food related TV programmes.

In addition to writing about food, I make no apologies for including references to Tenby, in South Wales, where I was lucky enough to grow up and where I continue to enjoy many family holidays.

Please keep checking back on these pages and feel free to add your comments.