Starting to look forward to winter now (and even countenancing the C-word – I made my Christmas cake last weekend).

• This breadmaking 101 series from Serious Eats on understanding bread is excellent, and the piece on baking well worth a read.
• Harvard’s series of lectures on science and cooking are an amazing treasure trove (you can see them all on YouTube or iTunes university). This year’s lecture from Ferran Adria shed a little more light on what’s next for El Bulli.
• I loved this collection of thoughts on how your cooking changes when you have a baby – lots of these mirrored my thoughts. She’s only just trying finger food, so we have lots of food exploration ahead of us.
• On that theme, I’ve been rediscovering tea breads. Weighing and soaking the fruit on one day, and mixing and baking the next is perfect for fitting around baby. I’ve recently made Paul A Young’s chocolate, ginger and cardamom tea loaf, and Mary Berry’s classic Bara Brith.
• This chocolate ale cake from Sophie at The Cake Hunter looks perfect for an autumn party.

Finally, my little girl is six months old today. Happy half-birthday, my gorgeous girl. It’s been so much fun getting to know you – I can’t wait for all the adventures we’ll have in the next six months.