Oxford English Dictionary- Volume 6

This is one my of least favorite discrepancies between UK & US verbage...

for some reason,

calling jell-o a "jelly" just doesn't sit well.

{Pun intended.}

Both of these treats are fantastic, in my opinion.

There's nothing better than some a warm scone 

covered in clotted cream & jam...

or a bowl of chilly jell-o on a hot day. 

Yum.

Do any of you remember 

the jell-o egg molds from the nineties

that would come available around Easter?

Or jell-o jigglers?

I spent a lot of my youth trying to consume my body weight in both.

jello/jelly & jam/jelly

Oxford English Dictionary- Volume 5

Desserts are pretty important to me.

So it as soon as bank accounts, phone contracts, rent, & employment 

were settled after our move to England,

I decided it was time 

to get on local terms with the sweet stuff here....

but it was all a bit of a doozey.

Things looked familiar...

....and they sounded familiar

....but they just weren't the same.

Learning to work my way through menus 

that included curious items like

non sweet pies full of steak & ale

and spotted dick puddings...

could be headache (& tummy ache) inducing!

These days when it's time to indulge in a sweet treat,

I've really got my legs under me.

....though they're a bit chubbier than they were before.

*images: sticky toffee pudding, custard cream, scone

Oxford English Dictionary- Volume 4

Going grocery shopping in England anytime soon?

Ordering a pizza in London a potential?

Well, even if not-

learn some simple ingredients

that can change your eating experience when you do visit.

{pretty please- come soon?}

I had sadly accepted the absence of cilantro in my life,

until I discovered it was all over the UK...

just was hiding under another name!

So there you have it.

Three simple things that can enhance

your cooking and dining in the happiest of ways...

as long as you know to look out for them!

Oxford English Dictionary- VOLUME 3

I had never heard an apron called a "pinny" 

until the other night at a dinner party.

As the hostess apologetically flung hers off upon our arrival,

I made a mental note to check into this further.

I googled "penny," "penney," "pinnie," "pinney..."

until finally I hit the wikipedia page for the pinafore.

Aha! 

It clicked.

A pinny is slang for a pinafore...

and pinafore is the cutest term in the world!

Sorry, US...

You might have won the Revolutionary War and all... 

but I'm siding with the redcoats on this one

and adopting "pinny" to my daily rhetoric.

*images via

Oxford English Dictionary- VOLUME 2

I'm having a Valetine's Day Party tomorrow,

and am about to make a necessary market run.

After jotting all my "needs"down,

I glanced back at the paper & giggled.

My list has definitely evolved since moving here.

One area of new vocabulary has come entirely from a single source:

the pig.

Who knew?

Not me, 

but now- you'll have a head start.

VOLUME TWO:

Now, this little piggy is off to the market 

before all the good produce is gone!

*images 1, 2, 3, 4

Oxford English Dictionary- Volume 1

Today kicks off a new series:

The Oxford English Dictionary

You'll learn some quaint cultural gems

that are specific to British life,

through my mishaps & daily stumblings

here in Oxford.

There are actually so many new things I've learned...

and if you are an Aspiring Brit,

like myself,

I think you'll find it this series to be

well... brilliant!

VOLUME ONE:

A rustic meal that features local daily staples...

Local meats, hunks of cheese, fresh crusty bread,

butter & chutney for spreading,

& a nice serving of fruits & veggies.

Delicious right?

Think of it as the love child of 
a deconstructed sandwich

&

a less pretentious anti-pasti platter.

via

It's become such a pub staple, 

that you'll now even see many offerings of the assortment

assembled as a sandwich

in restaurants & cafes...

via

I'm glad to have learned a fresh alternative

to heavy pies & mash 

or greasy fish & chips!