Donna - what she did next

09/06/2026

Just a thought! Yesterday I realised how much carpet gives me the ick! In our French home we only had rugs and bare stairs. You?

09/06/2026

Here are several ice cream dessert recipe ideas you can post on a recipe blog (with easy, blog-ready structure and serving notes):

1) Sizzling Skillet Ice Cream Sundae (No-Bake)
Ingredients: vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, chopped nuts, flaky salt, whipped cream
Steps:
1. Scoop ice cream into bowls.
2. Drizzle chocolate + caramel.
3. Top with nuts and a tiny pinch of flaky salt.
4. Finish with whipped cream.

Blog hook: “Sweet + salty = the fastest way to feel like you’re at a diner.”

2) 10-Minute Ice Cream Sandwiches (Cookie + Any Flavor)
Ingredients: store-bought cookies (or brownies), ice cream, optional chocolate drizzle
Steps:
1. Let ice cream soften 2–5 minutes.
2. Scoop a thick layer onto one cookie.
3. Top with another cookie.
4. Press lightly; freeze 10–20 minutes to firm.

Variation: add crushed candy or peanut butter between layers.

3) Brownie Sundae Bake (Warm/Frozen Contrast)
Ingredients: warm brownies, vanilla or chocolate ice cream, hot fudge, berries
Steps:
1. Warm brownie squares in oven/microwave (or use fresh).
2. Place on plates, top with scoops of ice cream.
3. Pour hot fudge and add berries.

Why it works: hot brownie + cold ice cream melts into a sauce.

4) Affogato-Style Coffee “Float”
Ingredients: espresso or strong coffee, vanilla ice cream, espresso beans (optional)
Steps:
1. Place ice cream in glass/cup.
2. Pour hot espresso over the top.
3. Optional: top with a few espresso beans or cocoa powder.

Tip: serve immediately for best texture.

5) Fruit & Honey Ice Cream Bowl (Fresh + Light)
Ingredients: strawberries/peaches/mango, honey, lemon zest (optional), ice cream or frozen yogurt
Steps:
1. Chop fruit and toss with honey + lemon zest.
2. Spoon ice cream into bowls.
3. Top with the fruit mixture.

Blog angle: “A dessert that still feels refreshing.”

6) Oreo/Crumb “Ice Cream Lasagna” in a Jar
Ingredients: ice cream (or whipped ice cream), crushed cookies, chocolate pudding (optional), chocolate chips
Steps:
1. Layer crushed cookies → softened ice cream → repeat.
2. Chill 30–60 minutes.
3. Finish with chocolate chips on top.

Best for: individual portions (great for photos).

7) Chocolate-Dipped Ice Cream Pops (Freezer Friendly)
Ingredients: ice cream bars/pints, chocolate, sprinkles (optional), coconut oil
Steps:
1. Melt chocolate with a little coconut oil.
2. Dip ice cream bars or homemade pops.
3. Place on parchment and chill until set.

Make-ahead: keep wrapped in freezer-safe bags.

09/06/2026

Good morning sweet peas!

Happy…..what day is it?

Tuesday?

Feels like a week has gone by since yesterday!

The house viewing yesterday was 50/50 phone a friend but there were sideswipes. Was a tad miffed that we travelled a two hour plus round trip for what essentially turned out to be a waste of time!

I loved the bones of the old house and it had the period features I love. The possibilities inside were endless and obviously expensive. I could imagine myself there.

Donna took those rose tinted glasses off though and didn’t fall hook line and sinker! It was a good job too because the house had no real back garden and the garden was at the front.

There was plenty of space but also road noise. Then the agent points out that the front part of garden is being carved up for three building plots! Also to add insult to injury the asking price is just a guide, they fully expect more and to finish it all off nicely, they have 8 offers all well above asking price!

Why on earth did they waste our time!

Ouch.

Anyway, whilst I shall miss the strange floral carpets NOT oh and the chocolate bath suite. Lol! That house viewing was a lesson! Agents do miss out pertinent information on purpose and prices these days are just the hook!

Since when did UK house prices become guide or offers over?

Anyway, It’s back to the drawing board and P has booked something to view for this morning and I’ve already forgotten what it is and where lol!

This could be our main job for months on end. Professional house viewers!

Lincolnshire is a big county as you can imagine but I’m sure we will have seen every inch of it by July!

Our price point is either too small or just enough for a wreck! Or there’s some issue to deal with that makes mortgaging difficult. So this search isn’t an easy one but we will prevail.

Even the garden work space yesterday was a ruin lol!

Anyway, we move forward and hopefully new stock will come online soon. Anything around 500k plus is struggling to sell but anything below is flying off the shelves this summer. Like I said yesterday we aren’t in a rush until we find the one.

Well, that was yesterday taken care of really. By the time we got back it was time him to work and me to do some odds and sod’s. Sick of the summer rains though and the kitchen floor is oft a quagmire of dog paw prints! Mucky beasts.

Wishing you all a super day and let me know what’s going on in your neck of the woods?

Love and gumption

Dx

08/06/2026

Morning sweethearts! Happy Monday and just like that it’s another brand new week in June! Watson is straight on squirrel watch, such a handsome dog but an actual loon! Lol

We had a gentle Sunday, a mooch and then pottering and a movie. Nothing to see here.

I do like that our lives at least for now have finally found a quieter rhythm. In many ways this farm has been good for us, after we finally unpacked. Although this week we need to start filling the container and let the house breathe again. Hu***ng and dumping is not my favourite pastime but I will do it anyway. I may moan a lot but as it’s moaning Monday, it’s okay?

This morning we have a house viewing. After the last one I did a little search, found what could be a needle in a haystack and got straight on the phone. Who knows? It could be viewing 2 of 100 or it could be love at first sight? I believe she’s a cosmetic wreck which would be a lot of fun for us. Let’s see shall we?

Have a great day and tell me what you are up to?

Love and gumption
D x

07/06/2026

My usual Sunday mooch for stuff I don’t need and can’t afford! Window shopping could have cost me 5k but actually cost me zero and I got my steps in lol 😜

07/06/2026

Morning petals! Happy sermon Sunday!

Eeeeeeee!

Shattered!

Had the rare two glasses last night and had a headache the size of mars! Yuck. Was early to bed and only just woke ten minutes ago. Yummy. Although it really is a game of hot and cold in bed. I have st vitus dance at night! One leg in one leg out……do the Hokey Cokey …….The weather is so crazy for June! One minute the fire is on and the next the fan! Mad!

So we visited a possible forever home yesterday to buy and what we realised is……our expectations are too high. We have a tuna sandwich budget and salmon caviar expectations!

Hum.

I have to say though, the agents pics were very clever!

The place was tiny in all ways. One bathroom on its own landing away from the bedrooms. That really wouldn’t suit me and my night time incontinence. Lol

There’s downsizing and there’s squeezing our big personalities and too much stuff into mothers pantry! Oh I do want a pantry!

Everything was super tatty, small rooms. The worst thing was, they made us take our shoes off but the place was dirty! I was stood by the kitchen island and looked at the fabric stools…..grotty! Like someone had thrown their dinner at them! Really filthy!

Why show a house like that and they were obviously dog smell nose blind! Gross.

Anyway! The only thing I liked was the in and out drive which needed redoing!

Also, talk about overlooked by houses and right into their windows!

I mentally knocked the house around, extended it and repainted the front a sage green. In total I virtually spent 200k making it fit our needs!

Dear god!

Obviously it was a resounding no from me but I think P was more willing to buy just anything!!! Lol

We had a little tiff about it on the way back to the car. He said you were too brutal with the agent and I said you are a little liar! Alright Pinocchio let’s go!

We got in the car and were miserable for ten minutes. The realisation that this was gonna take time and patience seeped in eventually. Bless.

The UK market is rather odd. We won’t get much for our money and wrecks are hard to find. I’m sure there’s something out there for us and we do have time. Still given the house we have in France it’s rather sad to be scrapping around here to find a gem we can afford. I just know if we find the right space I can work my magic!

We have a tick list. There are some compromises we can make but we want a decent office for him and a work space for me. I know that we can build on but then there’s the flow. We really don’t want to be structurally changing somewhere, we are only willing to cosmetically upgrade.

So the beat goes on.

Patience is a virtue and we aren’t getting any younger. Still, we will sort it at some stage. Stamp duty is a killer eh! Awful waste of our money and of course the market is only good for the smaller stuff. The rest of the market is stagnant. It’s a buyers market but no one can move because no one is buying.

Classic.

My sermon today is, we must have faith in the journey. To get where we are going will take time and patience. We don’t have it lol! Who does!

Someone told me we should look at 50 houses before even thinking we know what we want. I concur but I can’t see us even finding that many we’d want to look at.

He either shows me isolated houses in Scotland or ones up the road! There’s no in between. I’m sorely tempted to buy a little Croft overlooking a loch, but maybe later when we want to retire fully?

For now we crack on and dig deep.

Love and gumption

D x

06/06/2026

Its Di Phillips here today, sharing my last blog with you all. I have been very lucky to share some of this journey with Donna - what she did next, here’s to the next chapter which I hope you will join us on !

Little did I know when I clicked on a link many , many years ago that I would embark on a wild adventure and take a walk on the wild side! I wasn’t in a great place mentally when I joined The Unfrench Wives, my daughters marriage had broken up and suddenly the retirement Mr P and I had thought we ...

06/06/2026

Morning cherubs!

Sorry for the confusion, it’s the old blog I’m retiring. There will be a new website at some stage but what that looks like at this time, I’m not sure.

We will continue to post here for now but I suspect that down the line a new page will be needed. As long as META restricts this page it won’t grow or reach who it’s supposed to.

Anyway, onwards.

Keep calm and carry the fudge on eh!

It’s quite a big deal to retire something that’s been me for nearly a decade and also meant a lot to many other people. There’s an adjustment period needed for my brain to catch up.

Anyway, I need a huge cuppa to start my day. We had a lovely evening with family last night but we’ve got to whizz off to a house p wants to see this morning. I’m sat on the fence but then I always am when it comes to the thought of the forever home. I suspect this hunt will take a while.

It’s not that it has to be perfect but it has to offer me enough space for my home floral studio. I know we can always build on but I want to get going faster than life is letting me. Let’s see what we can find eh!

It’s lovely sat in bed hearing the big kids and dogs. The house feels full and it’s nice. Watson is quite a strange dog and is terrible overly effervescent with other dogs around. He’s often on time out for erm….overly loving them! Lol

Right you have the best day and let me know all about it! I’m very aware that many of you tune in of a morning and take comfort from my drivel. As long as I can, I will go on like the titanic lol!

Love and gumption

D x

05/06/2026

Welcome to the retirement party! Grab a drink and let’s go! D x

Ps just to be clear - this page is staying and I will continue posting here

Goodbye my friends.................I always knew I would recognise when the time was right to retire 'The Very UnFrench Wife' story and it feels about right, right now. I've been mulling it over for a few months now and with the decision made NOT to return to France, it makes total sense to bring th...

05/06/2026

Morning petals! Where did summer go already? I did try to get the washing out in the dry spells but it would rain suddenly and I couldn’t get it back in before it was soaked again!

We also gave in and lit the fire last night having already cleaned it to stop using it! Is June the new May?

Lots to do today as the storage container arrives and my son and his wife are visiting tonight, which will be lovely.

I’m still baffled by a rose plant I had delivered yesterday which is in fact a tall tree? Need to figure out what it is and why I ordered it! No clue!

Yawn…..This morning in true farm life style we were rudely awoken by a cow outside the bedroom window at 4:45 am having a good old moo! Probably thought she would try and get breakfast earlier than usual! Humans live there she thought, might get a bowl of porridge or something?

There’s a fence between us but she might have well have been in the bedroom with us! Talk about a moaning moo bag! Lol

All is well here at cranky farm. Life goes on at a terribly civilised pace don’t you know. We rest more here and I’m certain it helps repair and heal.

How’s you?

Anyway, where’s my tea?

D x