March’s Meet, Make & Munch

Apologies for the tardiness of this post – I’ve just logged on and found it hidden here waiting to be posted! It’s needed a little changing since I first wrote it at the start of March!

How are you all?   We’re muddling along ok – Cc has had a high temperature and cough, twice, so have been advised by the doctor to self-isolate, twice! Meaning we pretty much haven’t left the house in 4 weeks now. We are incredibly lucky to have a garden and that the weather has been so kind during this time too, meaning we could all keep busy and active in the sunshine. We’ve been doing home-school mornings and themed or just fun afternoons when Cc has been well enough. My eldest has dressed in her school uniform every day – her choice! – and is really missing the structure of school, alongside friends and fun, so we’ve kept a morning schedule for all our sanity.

Meet:

Well, that’s clearly wasn’t going to happen this month! So, meeting is out of the question! Keep following the advice guys – essential journey’s only (no ,that does not mean driving to a pretty place for a walk because it’s pretty…it means ESSENTIAL! If needing to be somewhere different IS essential for your mental health and well-being, then that’s your decision to make!)

Make: 

I always love a project, and when I get an idea in my head, I have the urge to get it done as soon as possible! My husband always tried to slow me down a little, but I get over-excited and just can’t wait. So, before lockdown started, I began to think ahead – what if it rained? What if we couldn’t get outside? What would we do without swimming on Saturdays to fill the time at the weekends? With all this racing through my mind, we decided F, the big girl, might need an updated bedroom. She’s had a pretty ‘girly’ one for a while now, mainly my choices and ideas though, and I thought she could do with more space, fewer ‘toys’ and a more grown-up theme. So she chose a teal blue for one wall, Scion fox wallpaper for the end walls, cushions, bedcovers and a desk. A quick Ikea and B and Q trip before the madness started and we now have everything sitting in the spare room to begin – as and when the bad weather kicks in, which I’m sure it will at some point!

Munch:

What could be better than doing a bit of baking to cheer yourselves up? I’m fairly sure flour, lemons, eggs and pre-made tart cases are still in good supply in most supermarkets, so here are a couple of easy ideas to try, my daughter even used them to fulfil her Brownies Baking Badge!

Lemon Drizzle:

This is a simple plain cake mixture, cooked in a load tin and topped with a lemon juice, zest and sugar mixture. Recipe here.

Jamie’s Baked Chocolate Tart:

This was another easy one, especially if you buy a pre-made tart case and don’t bother making your own! It rose well in the oven so I wouldn’t top the shell up too high before baking, and was a delicious ganachey type mixture once cooled. Recipe here.

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I’m going to focus on posts every so often from now on and there won’t be a regular Meet, Make & Munch column, but, don’t fear, make and munch ideas will still be posted – just under the guise of Home-Schooling! So don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled on the new section on the top menu, In It Together!

 

January’s Meet, Make & Munch

Meet…

at Center Parcs for a weekend away with the girls. You won’t believe how much less expensive it is when you don’t take all your family and attempt to complete ALL the activities in two days! A few hours at the spa, a gentle game of Badminton and a quick swish down the slides, interspersed with a short game of bowling, several meals and many drinks. We always do an online shop to take with us and the few that go ahead sort out the rooms and food etc. Then the girls who work on Fridays join us later, glass of fizz ready as soon as they step through the door and a Friday night in with a silly game or two! 

When you split the price between friends, rather than pay for your entire family, it seems a much more reasonable cost for a fun weekend away, and you get to be you again for a short while before heading back to reality – if you time it right, you can return just after the children have been put to bed on Sunday evening! 

Make…

A reminder of the year. I love a new project, but, unfortunately, rarely finish one! I’ve been like this ever since I can remember. As a girl I tried many new things: ballet, gymnastics, horse-riding, tap dance, modern dance, brownies, guides, piano lessons, flute lessons, saxophone lessons … you get the idea … but after the initial learning period  -where, on most occasions, I achieved a decent standard i.e. being able to canter and do small jumps on the horse, Grade 5 music – I quickly became bored and gave them up. I’ve played my flute since, occasionally in a small concert band, but again, didn’t last long.

So far, however, I’ve managed 25 days and 25 little stitches, one per day, to remind me of each day of the year. I bought a large embroidery hoop but have definitely started the pictures too large! I’m now trying to fit smaller motifs in between each one – although I think this may have to be a January sampler, rather than one for the year. Maybe this would be more manageable in the long run anyway!

 Munch…

We were lucky enough to enjoy a post-Christmas trip to London to watch Cirque du Soleil last weekend and combined this with with a quick breakfast at St. Katherine’s dock and a very late lunch afterwards at Covent Garden…both were excellent. White Mulberriesis a great little coffee breakfast shop along the water serving a range of delicious brunch-type dishes. We chose sunny side eggs on toast and smoked salmon on toast then swapped one of each! Beautifully cooked, a good price and we sat in the window to watch the world go by – hoping to see Angelina Jolie as they were finishing up filming The Eternals! 

Our late dinner was at a place with a few restaurants, recommended by a friend: Flesh & Buns. We went to the Covent Garden one as it was on our way home, and gave an opportunity to show F around Seven Dials and Covent Garden on the way. I’d already chosen our dinner before getting there (!) and we went straight in for mains: Teriyaki Salmon, Rare Wagyu Beef and Japanese Fried Chicken, all served with their own sauce and steamed buns. Somehow, the restaurant managed to lose two of our dishes, but made up for it with excellent service thereafter and an extra portion of complimentary buns and dessert – a perfect Smores with strawberry marshmallow, chocolate slice and Grahams crackers, served to make your own and toast your marshmallow on the hot coals that also arrived – theatre in action, and F loved them! 

And, talking of theatre, if you have the opportunity to go and see Luzia from Cirque du Soleil, take it. It’s just fabulous! 

 

November’s Meet, Make & Munch

Meet…

Some things never grow old…others do. But it certainly didn’t feel like it last weekend when I had a girly weekend away with friends I’ve known since playschool! That’s a lot of years. We may not speak often, and I’m the first to admit I’m absolutely rubbish at keeping in touch, but they’re the sort of friends with whom you simply pick up where you left off; the sort at whose house you could turn up crying in the middle of the night and be let in, given wine or hot chocolate and a bed to stay for as long as you want; the sort who you spent so much time with when you were young, know everything about you and you have a shared history.

Basically, the sort of friends who mean an awful lot.

Research has also shown that having friendship groups and spending time with those who you are not in a ‘relationship’ with, can have positive mental effects and make you happier! Friends “are a way to derive all the benefits of being in a relationship with someone without the enormity of it,” and that was definitely how it felt this weekend. It was certainly therapeutic, with no pressures…just good friends, mucking in together, and catching up. Just what the doctor ordered.

We (well, Claire) chose us the fabulous Pear Tree Cottage in the Cotswolds, booked through Character Cottages, and did most of the organising too. Thank goodness someone took the lead or we’d all still be checking our diaries! It was central to a beautiful village called Bourton on the Water. Now, you’d think, over 100 miles from home, we’d be out of reach of reality, but no, I managed to somehow bump into two other people I knew whilst there. I think it’s one of those places people come for a relaxed weekend away!

Our cottage was tucked just behind the main street and an easy walk to the pretty river, shops and pubs. With three bedrooms, two with two single beds and one double, a large dining room and separate living room and a long galley kitchen, it was perfect. We lit the fire every night and hunkered down, but in the summer it also has a beautiful courtyard garden. And when you’re sharing the cost between friends ended up at £110 per person based on 5 of us sharing.

Claire also organised for us to go clay pigeon shooting through Old Downs Pursuits on the wettest, coldest morning of the year so far! After dusting off our hangovers, and eventually finding the right gate and the right man, Sean, we had a good old chat about the Fosse Way whilst stamping our feet to keep warm and eventually had our first try at shooting at clays. Luckily, Sean has built a wooden shelter from which to fire so at least we were dry!

And it was brilliant fun…once we’d managed to put the earplugs in (Claire) and learnt how to stand with one foot just behind the other (Sita)! We had around 25 shots in bursts of 5 with each set coming from a different direction. The easiest came from afar straight towards us and I found the trickiest to be those that started near to us and disappeared straight away from us as it was so hard to judge the height and distance! I’d highly recommend giving it a go…once you get the hang of it, it’s a little bit addictive.

We had a good homemade lunch in The Mousetrap Inn, and cosied in there for a few hours, then meandered through the shops and, once again, retreated in front of the fire to play board games and chat. It was just great…and what we all needed I feel. We were even back home in time for a delicious afternoon Sunday Lunch at friends. A perfect way to round off a great weekend.

Make…

F had a friend round for the first time a couple of week ago. They get on really well and like similar things, so the play date was super easy. One thing requested, however, was ‘real’ cooking. Now, I’ll definitely be prepared for next time and they can help with the cooking, chopping etc. of their own dinner, but this time it was too late for that so I improvised.

They wanted to do some ‘science’ at the same time so out came ‘the big pan’ and a range of kitchen items: food colouring, sprinkles, oats, pasta, etc. They spent a good 20 minutes mixing, adding, stirring etc and the little girl even requested to take a pot home! Her mum was chuffed (!). In summer, this is a great outdoors activity. We use leaves, grass, seeds and berries and add a little eco-glitter and sparkle to make ‘fairy soup’.

Munch…

I was lucky enough to be given a pair of tickets to Taste of London winter edition this year and couldn’t wait to get booked and go. We’ve been previously and seen the event grow and grow, the first year being quite a niche event and gradually becoming busier and busier. However, we’ve yet to be disappointed. The food is stunning, but, almost above that, it marks the start of the festive season. Tobacco Dock is decked out gorgeously, there’s a piano bar area for sitting and chatting, cocktail and gin workshops, lots of independent retailers with some of the bigger ones too and Firepits dotted around the outside covered area serving charred meat and fish to perfection. Click on the Bon Appétit tab on the top menu to find out more about what we ate this year or look here!

So, there it is, November. It really does only seem like yesterday that I was wondering where January went and now we’re really nearly at Christmas! Eeeeek. Being a primary school teacher, it’s unlikely I’ll fit in an ‘early’ December post, so, if you dont see me til January, I’ll wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

See you the other side everyone!

October’s Meet, Make & Munch

Meet…

to celebrate food!

With Harvest, World Food Day and Apple Day all in October, there really is no better time. I’ve had many discussions with children this month about where our food comes from, the need for sustainability, fewer food miles, less plastic packaging. We’ve looked at how food is grown, which parts of the plants we eat, found roots, leaves, flowers, berries and fruit that are edible and that we eat everyday without thinking about. We’ve discussed hunger in our country and those father afield and decided that even if we don’t particularly like a taste or texture, it will give us something, do us good, help our bones grow stronger, muscles repair and build, body work better. We’ve said thanks for our food, considered others without, and tried to show appreciation for where food comes from and how it gets to us.

World Food Day reaffirmed these ideas and also gave us the opportunity to look at food from other countries. Apple day, however, is surely a very British idea with the Apple harvest coming around the start of October each year. Another chance to celebrate…a good harvest, crisp, crunchy textures, sweet flavours and a, hopefully, bumper crop. Lathcoats Farm always celebrates their huge harvest with many varieties grown at the farm itself. As well as apples to taste, it’s also an opportunity to buy other local produce, see the farm animals, play on the tractors, participate in games and activities and generally, have a great couple of hours out and about at the farm supporting local businesses. This year, the beginnings of their Pumpkin Fest have also been included with a chance to pick your own, although the festival games and other related activities began properly on Sunday 20th.

UPDATED: Exciting news for half term! For the first (and possibly the only!) time ever we are going to be offering PYO apples from Monday 28th October through to Sunday 3rd November -subject to availability of course. Park in the carpark and then cross the road as all the picking will take place in the orchards on the other side of Beehive Lane from the main farm. Varieties will include Pinova, Temptation, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Topaz and Crispin. All the apples will be £1.50 per kg so you can pick and mix. Once picked the apples are for eating and enjoying in the next week or so, they will not be suitable for storing. Do bring your own bags and containers though we will have carrier bags available. To avoid disappointment please do check our website and social media for the latest news on availability. (Quoted directly from Lathcoats Facebook page)

Make…

a difference with eco-home swaps.

After trying to Ecobrik our unrecyclable plastic and realising it takes such a lot of time, care and effort to do it properly, I decided that probably the best solution was to make a really concerted effort to reduce the plastic we buy. I’m stuck at the moment as most of our unrecyclable waste is cat food pouches and crisp packets. These can of course be ecobricked, or sent to Terracycle to recycle, but it would be better for everyone if we didn’t buy them in the first place. Unfortunately, the cat can only eat this type of food and whenever I’ve tried her on tinned food, she becomes ill. They just don’t do the food she needs in tins. As for crisps, bigger, sharing packets would definitely go some way to reducing the plastic disposed of, but who wants soft crisps? It’s one I may need to balance out in other ways.

Looking around the house, though, I find most of our single use plastics in the bathroom and kitchen. I’ve already made some quick and easy swaps…once the girls’ body wash was finished, I gave them a buttermilk soap bar in a washing pouch instead. They both love it and fight over who has it first. I’ve also done this for the showers in house as the usual gels are finished up. I love the soaps, and the pouches keep all the soggy last bits together so you can still use them too!

In the laundry cupboard, I already use washing powder in cardboard boxes rather than liquid in plastic but have also tried out a home-made ‘conker’ detergent, as the shop-bought detergent is still full of chemicals. Horse chestnuts contain saponin, a soap-like chemical compound, so when you soak them, they release this and you can use the resulting liquid in a detergent as you would any other!

First chop and dry your conkers on a tray in an oven on a low heat. This means you can then keep these, store them and use and make up into liquid when you need it.

Take a cup full and run 250ml warm water over then leave to soak for an hour then strain. This is your ‘full strength’ laundry liquid.

You can do the same again with the used conkers but leave for a little longer. This liquid is less strong, but if your just giving the towels a quick wash, will work fine on a light load.

The conkers can be composted after too so it’s a win win solution!

I’m not sure long term use of the liquid on whites is something I’d advocate, as I can see them going a yellowy grey after a few washes, but it certainly works for the rest of the wash.

We have also made the swap to re-fillable washing up liquid from Ecover as Lathcoats now has a small re-fillable section of, not just liquids, but dried foods such as pasta and muesli, too. For a wider selection of eco-home products and refillable things, head up to the Reco store store just outside Tiptree. The range of both food and soapy products is huge and they have recently extended into two units making it much easier to get around and find what you need. They even sell toothpaste and deodorant in non-plastic packaging! The FitPit glass jar of deodorant is brilliant and smells gorgeous, but most importantly, it does the job well. I actually use the men’s version as I prefer the smell: it has coconut and a woody cypress. I’ve also changed to their shampoo and conditioner from Faith in Nature. At £1.50 per 100ml it’s a bit pricier than a basic, off the shelf option, even as a refill, but you pay for the ‘organic-ness’ of the product which uses naturally derived, cruelty-free, vegan ingredients. It’s still cheaper, however, than more specialist brands AND you don’t get the single use plastic.

It’s the ‘cupboard under the sink’ though that really bothers me. Loads of plastic bottles with all sorts of cleaners, scourers, sprays, disinfectants, ant-bacterial wipes, etc overflowing from the plastic basket they sit in. So my first job was to wait until those current sprays, etc, were finished. And rather than throwing them away, I’ve repurposed the containers into house plant-sprays, or for use in the greenhouse or the mud-kitchen! Yes Bebe sell a brilliant product from a little company called Iron & Velvet who produce concentrated cleaning liquid in dissolvable pouches that you add to warm water, shake and spray. The fragrances are lovely and they make both a normal and an antibacterial kitchen and a separate bathroom one. The scents are just lovely, and they do the job well. You might need to spray then leave it soak in to tougher, dried on food and give an extra scrub, but I’ve been more than happy with these. They are well worth the change.

I’ve bought amber glass bottles to put them in but you could just as easily reuse your current plastic spray bottles. Iron & Velvet also provide beautiful labels for your bottles so they’ll even look nice if you leave them out on the surface! Unfortunately, as it’s a small but growing company, they aren’t able to offer any discount codes, but at £10 for a mix and match pack of 5, which includes postage, it’s really not expensive. If you bought through Yes Bebe, you would be able to use their 10% code for friends of their fb page but only have the ‘set’ pack.

Munch…

Comfort food is becoming the order of the day chez nous and so, when choosing my birthday dinner out, I hesitated. I usually opt for something a bit different. I love Sushi Samba and last year we found a brilliant Peruvian place called Coya, which was stunning. But this year, I didn’t really fancy those flavours so, after asking fb friends to give me some suggestions in and around Soho, eventually chose Blanchette. It’s a small French restaurant which have a more tapas style way of eating. You don’t order for yourself, you order for the table and share. Now, usually, this is something I struggle with. Sharing food? Nope. Just a little? No way. Not even if I swap you a bite? Nuh huh. Luckily, however, I fancied a range of starters and two, if not three, of the main dishes so all worked out well!

The menu is classic, there are no surprises or questions to be asked as to what something may be. It does what it says. The food is cooked beautifully and is full of flavour. It gives the impression of very simple, classic french cuisine, but I’m sure that under the surface, there’s a huge amount of effort, careful seasoning, thought-out combinations that just work, and make it appear so effortless!

We had Rosette de Lyon salami, cauliflower beignets served on baba ganoush (which were really delicious) and cheese beignets with onion confit to begin. For mains, we had fish – Sea Bream – with a baton of ‘frittered’ courgette and a lemon vièrge, a creamy lemon sauce. From the sides we chose an endive, hazelnut and fig salad, which I could have devoured in one go it was so delicious. These were served together in the middle to share, then ensuite, once we had finished, came the steak. Served rare and sliced and deliciously full of flavour, with a fried egg and pepper sauce…not the usual creamy peppercorn one though, this was more of a dressing with a variety of peppercorns. It would only be just to choose, of course, the frites and a béarnaise sauce to eat alongside.

It seemed a lovely way to share the food: No little dishes, no ‘taking the last one’ and no complicated ideas. Good quality, well cooked, tasty food. What more could you ask?

September’s Meet, Make & Munch

September, the start to new things: new school year, season change (meteorological Autumn) and warmer clothes! And this year, the month seems to have whizzed by. No sooner was I ironing uniform, (actually, who am I kidding? I never iron anything, but it was all washed, clean and ready!) buying new water bottles and remembering routines, than we were celebrating mum’s birthday on the 30th and looking ahead to mine in October. Fortunately, everyone seems to have settled well back into school, nursery and work life, although I still long for the lazy summer mornings where we don’t have to get dressed if we don’t want to!

Meet…

At Marsh Farm. Having lived so close for so long, but never having been, we ventured down on the last day of the summer holidays for their Bubble ‘n’ Pop Kids Festival, and had a great time. We booked online for around £10 per person and spent all day there, with everything for free, even taking a picnic: The weather held and we had a great day. Both my 8yo and my 3yo were catered for…they both enjoyed the radio Essex Bubble and Glow disco and the music workshop, despite being a 10-15 minute queue. As soon as organisers saw this, they put another show on straight after the first to ensure people who had waited would get a place. Clever thinking and common sense applied…tick!

The free roundabouts, digging for gems, and glitter face paints as we entered were particular highlights. Trying to get them off the adventure playground was a struggle (we didn’t even go inside the play barn) but they were soon wooed with the aviary and birds to see next door. We didn’t really visit many other animals, which was a shame as, as the name suggests, it started off as a small farm with animals to ‘pet’ and feed, but with so many other activities to keep us busy, they sort of got a bit forgotten. The bouncy castle zone was brilliant fun for both ages and small enough to keep an eye on them both. My eldest loved the foam, the little one not so much and neither were that keen on the ‘pool and beach’ area…the water being cold and dirty (as it would be at the end of a summer-long kids festival). But it didn’t matter as there were so many other options to pursue!

We had a fantastic day out and left filled with fun and exhaustion! I’d definitely recommend these themed weeks from Marsh Farm, but have yet to go to an ‘event’ such as the Halloween or Christmas Experiences. I’ve heard they’re amazing but would like to see for ourselves sometime soon!

Make…

A seasonal display. I’ve been looking at ideas for these for ages, but the wooden ‘celebration rings’ and stands are so expensive, and you have to buy the figures to add to them, that I decided we’d have more fun making our own version. After seeing a lovely idea to make a ‘stick frame’ and hang found nature objects from the top stick to create a nature picture, I though we could use a similar idea as the focus of our display. Except I wanted it to be seen in the round and to be able to stand independently, so decided upon a tripod shape. We bound three sticks tightly at the top and splayed their ‘legs’, then wrapped twine around the top part only to act as a weaving frame for our found objects. F used her hand drills and conker clamp to bore holes through the horse chestnuts, then we threaded these on. Feathers, other seeds and skeleton leaves were also wound through the structure.

We used the Autumn colours of our Grimms semi-circles to create a base, a couple of pieces of the large Fire for stands and height and the small inner part for a central bonfire, and a silk scarf with autumnal colours to add a different texture. F then filled the bases with colourful leaves, acorns and hazelnuts. We added a few home-painted ‘amies’ (friend people), the Conker clamp as it’s a mushroom shape, and one gorgeous Ambrosuis figure…a boy with a hazelnut. As the season develops, I hope to change items around and update it, for example, adding spookier figures nearer the end of October and different seed pods. I also found a gorgeous little book, Around the Year by Elsa Beskow, which has poems and ideas about each month so we can read and turn the pages as the year progresses. I’m really hoping this will be a feature that stays and grows as the seasons change and the year continues. It’s been such fun doing it with F.

Munch…

On Herman! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed growing our German Friendship Cake, Herman, that F brought home a pot of from school. I’ve done one before, many years ago, but F hasn’t so it was a great chance to talk about yeast, starters, living things, etc and see how it grows and changes. She already knew about how the yeast uses the sugar and how it’s similar to the brewing process in alcohol! We’ve transferred a little to a small bottle and put a balloon over the top to watch it inflate with the gasses given off over the next few days too. Science in action!

We’re still ‘feeding’ Herman at the moment though, then F hopes to make him into a chocolatey version of the cake in a few more days’ time. If you can’t wait that long, have a look here to read my previous efforts with Herman!

With the months whizzing by, I’m looking forward to an Autumnal October.

June’s Meet, Make & Munch

I think June was most definitely the calm before the storm! As we approach the end of term, when you imagine it’s all going to calm down a little, then, bam…July begins and it seems a never ending push of activities!

Anyway, back to June.

Meet…

Meet like minded people online. No, I’m not talking about dating sites, Tinder, etc, although, if you’re free and single, why not give it a go?! I was thinking more along the lounges of being involved in online communities with people who hold similar values and Interests to you. Facebook seems to have a very wide range of groups which you can usually join easily…for everything! Eco-bricking, food, family, mindfulness…and I’ve found it’s a great place to share thoughts, swap ideas, recipes and advice. Obviously you get those who can’t keep their mouth shut and just have to comment and point out what everyone else is doing wrong and how they should change their lifestyle and commit to this, that and the other, but if you can bite your tongue and ignore those then there really are some very friendly communities of like minded people out there!

Two of my favourites are Yes Bebe Babble, a discussion group for a lovely, family run ethically determined online shop, and 30 Days Wild, a Wildlife Trust group set up initially to encourage people to do something ‘wild’ (which can range from jumping in a puddle, to building a dry stone wall!) every day in June, but sorts of keeps itself going all year round as the members just love getting outside with nature! Not only is it a great place to interact with similarly minded people, I have also learnt a huge amount! My knowledge of plant names has developed and I can now recognise ladybird larva and pupa, cinnabar moths and rosemary beetles. I have also developed an overwhelming love of all things bee 🐝!

Capture your non-recyclable plastic in an Ecobrik!

Make…

My eldest and I spent a lovely hour in the garden creating this fabulous fairy garden earlier this month! I happened to pop into Poundland and was lucky to find they had a huge range of fairy doors, swings, seesaws…basically everything we needed! I bought a couple of plants for the local farm shop, Lathcoats, and used soil and pots from the greenhouse. We added a couple of cheap solar lights, just for effect and F was really thrilled with the result!

Munch…

I tried making this for the first time last year and was so pleased with how it turned out that I decided to do the same again this year. It’s a really simple elderflower cordial why I can be kept in the fridge for a few weeks after making to keep it fresh, but be sure to sterilise everything well first. I used this recipe, but it’s a case of washing the flower heads, soaking in water, sugar and lemons, brining to the boil then leaving to steep overnight. Drain through a clean muslin or preserving bag and, voila, homemade elderflower cordial…perfect for adding to gin (or fizzy water!)

Dont worry if it’s too late for this year and the flowers have gone…you can also use the berries later in the year to infuse gin or vodka and make elderberry syrup to help banish winter colds and flu!

May’s Meet, Make & Munch

Meet:

What better than a relaxed pub lunch on a Sunday? And the Galvin Green Man is the perfect place to meet with friends to eat. It’s in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by lovely countryside. Pheasants wander through the large garden, with enough room for children to run around and enjoy the outdoors too.

In the last few years, this pub was bought by the Galvin brothers of La Chapelle, Windows and Athenaeum London fame, beautifully ‘added’ to and turned into a wonderful restaurant come gastro-pub. With the emphasis on local, fresh, quality produce and ingredients and beautiful cooking, the food is just lovely. They have a knowledgeable staff who are very happy to recommend and the bar is also very well stocked with a range of cocktails and gins, again including local Adnams brands and bottles. We ate ‘a deux’ on a Thursday evening from the ‘Spring’ set menu which included a glass of house champagne. This was, of course, after the obligatory aperitif (rhubarb and ginger gin, served with fever tree ginger ale and slices of fresh ginger).

Sunday ‘roast’ always has a choice of chicken or beef and, according to seasonality, a third roast is also offered. If you have children and order before 12pm on a Sunday, children eat free and you are gifted with a glass of Prosecco too! What could be better to ease you into a long and lazy afternoon? After our delicious evening meal, I can’t wait to return with family for a relaxed Sunday.

Make:

Well, this is something I’ve been thinking about for while and finally got around to a week or so ago. We had lots of pallets left over from the building work and I’ve been finding creative ways to use them. Some of the large crates are now raised vegetable beds, other pallets have been used as wine racks (thanks dad!), scaffold boards as shelves, and this project was a vertical living wall using a pallet as as a basic structure.

I posted a couple of pictures on social media, a 30 Days Wild Facebook group and my ever faithful Yes Bebe Babble group, and couldn’t believe the response. There were comments all over the place, several hundred (668 + 113 so far) likes and reactions, and requests about how I had gone about it. Hence this month’s ‘Make’: Step by step instructions on the vertical pallet wall garden! Feel free to head over the the Yes Bebe blog for a nose around.

1)

Find a pallet. They’re all slightly different. Look at their bottoms or underneath. This is the side you will have facing you to plant into. I chose ones with just four slats as I wanted a bit more space between each slat for the plants. Also, if you’re having a few side by side, check the ‘colours’ and fading of the wood match if that sort of thing bothers you as much as it does me! I found one was very grey and one was a warm yellow, so searched though our pile until I had two similar in colour.

When searching, also check the pallet is safe to use here…check towards the bottom of the article for a handy picture guide.

2)

Turn or flip so the underneath is facing you and slats are horizontal. Now you have two choices! You can either back the whole lot, fill with compost whilst lying on the floor, plant whilst it’s flat, then stand and secure to wall (A) OR stand against wall, secure to wall, put in little compost holders and fill with plants (B). When choosing a wall, a garden wall is preferable, one that isn’t a wall of your house. If it is against the wall of your house you must leave a gap and put a watertight membrane against the back of the pallet you so don’t end up getting damp! Please do your own research on this aspect before commencing your project.

A)

If you chose the backing and planting whilst flat, here’s what to do next…

Back (as in, cover the top/front, since the underneath is now your front) of the pallet with a strong weed-stop membrane. I use a staple gun…not a craft one but a more substantial DIY one. You might also want to cover the sides to create an enclosed space. Again, to reiterate, if you’re going to have this against a wall of your house, please look online to find the best way to do this.

Lay on its back with the backing to the floor and fill all areas with compost.

Choose your plants…depending on the size of your pallet and your gaps, you’re looking for 2/3 per slat space/area. Choose a range to suit you. I have three types of fern towards the bottom, a few herbs in amongst, a few pretty little flowers, some sedums that grow tall, some that will trail, and some taller plants (Erysimum / wallflowers) for the top to make it pretty!

Plant as usual into the pallet spaces, remembering to place shady, water loving plants towards the base.

Water and wait til all soaked in.

Raise pallet, leave a gap of 2/3 inches between the base of the pallet and the wall and lean gently!

I would definitely suggest securing the top of the pallet to the wall. I was lucky, there were already several screws in the wall and at the perfect height too. I used garden wire, wrapped around a top slat, round the screw, onto the next screw and back around the top slat of the next pallet.

Stand back and admire your new garden!

B)

If you chose the lean up and plant when in place option, here’s what to do next…

Raise pallet to its wall position leaving a gap of 2/3 inches between the base of the pallet and the wall. You might also want to cover the sides to create an enclosed space. Again, to reiterate, if you’re going to have this against a wall of your house, please look online to find the best way to do this.

I would definitely suggest securing the top of the pallet to the wall. I was lucky, there were already several screws in the wall and the perfect height. I used garden wire, wrapped around a top slat, round the screw, onto the next screw and back around the top slat of the next pallet.

Now you need little pouches for the compost and plants to sit in. Luckily for me, each half (left or right side) was just the right length to use the bottom of a bag for life! Flatten the plastic bag, run a pair of scissors along about 3/4 inches up (leave it taller if you’re not sure, you can always cut down to size when you’ve tried it out) to cut the bottoms pouch section off. This will then sit inside each section and you use your staple gun (a DIY one not a craft one) to secure in place. I began with one staple in the middle at the back, then each end, then secured over the front lip of the slat at each end. It takes a little while. Stab holes with a pair of scissors through the bottoms of all the plastic pouches.

If you don’t want to use plastic, weed netting or similar will be fine but you need something the water will drip through.

Fill each little pouch with compost but leave them shallow enough to top up with plants.

Choose your plants…depending on the size of your pallet and your gaps, you’re looking for 2/3 per slat space/area. Choose a range to suit you. I have three types of fern forwards the bottom, a few herbs in amongst, a few pretty little flowers, some sedums that grow tall, some that will trail, and some taller plants (Erysimum, wallflowers) for the top to make it pretty!

Plant as usual where you fancy. Shady, water loving plants towards the base.

Water.

Stand back and admire your new garden!

Hope that helps everyone. I sort of made it up as I went along. If I did it again, I think I’d go for the complete fill with compost and then lean up approach rather than the shallow ‘beds’…thinking it through, it would mean each plant has lots of space and growing room. What I might do as mine grow is top up each section with compost so it goes to the ‘top’ of each slat. I may even, at some point, take them down and redo if I find the plants aren’t growing strongly. But bear in mind, they’ll be a lot heavier if completely filled. I’ve also seen people used them as shallow raised beds laying flat!

Munch:

After feeling I’ve got into something of a rut with cooking again, despite cooking everything from fresh ingredients every night, I decided to give Gousto another go for a couple of weeks, just to inspire me with new flavours and recipes. I have previously used them and found the ingredients to be good quality and the recipes and flavours to be delicious so was looking forward to a ‘no thinking’ couple of weeks where I simply grabbed a bag out of the fridge and followed the instructions!

As a family of four, with a hungry 7yo and a 3yo, we usually spend around £100 a week on food (extra budget for wine of course!) and a Gousto box of four meals for four people comes in just under £50. With an extra shop for breakfast things and snacks the cost remains about the same, so although it seems pricey, it’s actually no more than usual. And I don’t have to think about what we’re having.

There are around 40 recipes to choose from including family favourites, quick makes and some Joe Wicks options too. The tastiest from last week was definitely our veggie one…Spiced Shakshuka with Feta and Pitta. I often make a pepper, onion and tomato stew with paprika but this was taken to the next level with pumpkin seeds, feta and fresh parsley scattered over at the end…its the little extra touches that make things really good as opposed to just a family meal I think. If you want to give them a go, then click on the link below and you will not only get to choose from the yummy recipes on offer this week, but your first box will be half price and you’ll receive 30% off any other box ordered that month!

Click here…

https://cook.gousto.co.uk/raf?promo_code=HANNA188010&utm_source=iosapp

March’s Meet, Make & Munch

The last week of March was one of the busiest of my life, filled with lovely things to watch and see but not a moment to stop. Showcases at the end of term, both for my big girl and myself as a teacher; choir competitions, which saw them through to the finals this week; brownies’ end of term activities; final dance and gym sessions; piano exam practice … you name it, we fit it in!

Meet:

But the final week all began with a weekend away with friends in Belfast, a city (and in a country) I’ve never visited before. The absolutely perfect place to meet up with people you haven’t seen for a while, or good friends you spend every minute with. We fit so much in from arriving late on Friday night to leaving mid-afternoon on Sunday…we just didn’t stop. Saturday morning started with a drive out to The Giant’s Causeway, free to visit but maintained by the National Trust. We stopped en route for a hearty Irish Breakfast at Logan’s of Cloughmills and left with several ‘take away’ items for later in the day, including raspberry scones and pork, apple and caramelised onion sausage rolls! The interesting part of breakfast was the ‘vegetable roll’: When we enquired what this was, we were told “Well, it’s sausagemeat with leeks and herbs and spices!” We all opted to keep it on our plates and it was particularly delicious, along with the potato and soda breads.

Another half hour later and we were walking along the coastal path to The Giant’s Causeway. It’s one of those places that sort of calls you, as sirens call to mariners, and keeps you there, wandering silently, staring into the sea, pondering life. The hexagonal columns don’t cover as much area as I had imagined, but encourage climbing, scaling and contemplation.

A little way further up the coast is the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, created by salmon fishermen in 1755 to cross to the little island. Book timed tickets ahead of your visit from the National Trust. Most of the island was closed of when we visited, I’m guessing to prevent tourists disturbing the pairs of breeding birds nesting against the cliffs and in the grasses, but I can imagine views from the top must be wonderful.

It was then back down through Bushmills, the only sadness being that we couldn’t take any whiskey home on the aeroplane, and off to Harry’s Shack on Portstewart Strand for lunch. The menu choices were great, but after a busy morning, we opted for fish and chips, which were delicious, walked off with a 2/3 mile beach amble afterwards. And the sun shone!

The evening began with cocktails in the beautiful piano bar of the world’s most bombed hotel, the Europa. What a way to start your evening…cocktails, music, a comfy chair after all that walking, 14.5km by the way, and lots of laughs. A pub crawl through several other great bars and pubs afterwards and topped off with what was probably the best pizza in the whole of Belfast from Reggie’s Pizza, made for a great end to a great day. Reggie was kind enough to stay open for us when we stumbled in around 10.45pm, and the hand stretched, stone baked pizzas were just delicious…I’m a firm believer that the taste of food is not only about the food itself, but the place, people and atmosphere … those things have to combine for it to be perfect. And it was.

Sunday began with more walking to St. George’s Market but we were rewarded once we arrived. A plethora of craft, fresh artisan produce and delicious food greeted us and we spent over an hour just wandering and taking it all in. Those who know me know I love a good market! From there we went on to Titanic Belfast, only stopping to gasp at a seal, let’s call him Nyx, we spotted in the River Lagan! I was really impressed with the museum. Very interactive and I discovered so much, which I never normally do as I get bored quickly! Tickets include a visit inside the only surviving White Star ship, the SS Nomadic. Highly recommended.

We finished our visit with a short turn inside at Crumlin Road Gaol, another fascinating place, full of history, both recent and Victorian. And after another 8.5km covered, finally boarded a plane back to London.

If you’re looking to book a weekend away with friends, or with family, I really couldn’t recommend the city more. Just brilliant!

Make & Munch:

So, for the first time, the Make and the Munch fit together this month. Inspired by the recent release of the Ooni Koda has fired pizza oven, and its sisters, the Ooni 3, 2s and Pro, I made the decision that if we wanted gas fired pizza, we may as well cook it on the bbq or in the oven, something I tested last summer using a baking stone. It works well but you don’t get the leoparding (spotting) or browning on the edges, or that smoky taste. So I decided, as you do, to build us a wood fired pizza oven. Having seen Jimmy Doherty make it look easy on Jamie and Jimmy a few years ago, I gave it a go: purchased two pretty hefty frost proof terracotta pots, an insulation blanket and some fire cement. It’s not difficult, and actually quite a quick process to make once you have what you need.

1) Use a flagstone big enough for your biggest pot and lay out your red clay bricks.

2) Build a quick, nailed together, wooden frame around them and remove the bricks.

3) Use sand on top of the base to level the bricks, no need for mortar or cement. I left an area of lower bricks in the middle as I wanted to use a pizza stone as the main cooking area, not bricks.

4) Place your stone, if you’re using one, on the lowered bricks, ensuring the top is level…use a hammer and piece of wood to tap them into place to the correct level.

5) Use an angle grinder to cut a 10cm by 30cm opening in each pot at the rim. Up-end your smaller pot centrally and cover with the insulation. Use a mask and gloves while you cut it to shape and form it around the pot.

6) Cover the small pot with the larger pot and seal around the base with the fire cement.

7) Light a small kindling fire centrally within the pots, not near the edges, to prevent sudden heat cracking the pots, although this will happen at some point no matter how carefully you build the heat as you’re using pots, not making it from thick clay walls! Keep this small fire in for several hours to begin to ‘cure’ the cement.

And you’re ready to go! Light a small fire, build it gradually. Once it’s hot and nearly burnt out, add a larger piece of wood and push to the edges. To be certain, using an infrared thermometer on the cooking surface will ensure your stone is hot enough (between 420 and 450 degrees c) but I winged it on our first use. Simply make your pizza, launch, and watch the deliciousness cook in front of your eyes!

You can find a list of products and links I used at the bottom of the post for your convenience, although the bricks, slabs, wood etc, we already had in the garden! I opt for a basic Ooni dough, topped with a homemade tomato sauce with pepperoni and mozzarella. Don’t forgot to dash a few basil leaves around and drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over the top before cooking too.

For the tomato sauce, fry a little chopped garlic, season well with salt, pepper and a little sugar to combat the acidity of the tomatoes, add a can or two of tomatoes, rinse the cans with a small amount of water and let it all bubble down and reduce for a couple of hours. I then bag up into portions and freeze.

Dough recipe

Insulation

Pots from local Abercorn garden centre

Fire cement

Metal peel to turn and retrieve pizza

Pizza stone and wooden peel

Infra red thermometer

February’s Meet, Make & Munch

Rather a late addition, but we’ve had a hectic few weeks, so, despite my tardiness, I thought it was worth doing! As is our usual half term treat, we’ve had a few days in France skiing. F picked up where she left off last year using parallel skis and beginning to lift her ski when turning. Cc enjoyed the experience of a French Creche and, in between getting them to and from lessons and creche, we even fit in a bit of skiing, nicely combined with food and drink!

Meet:

Friends and family! We have two fabulous girls, and with the elder, I made sure I went to every baby class, met lots of other new parents through various classes, nurseries, schools etc, so by the time the second came along I sort of felt I already had an army of people to talk to, mull things over with, drink wine with (you know who you are!) But it’s started…the dreaded 3 year old birthday parties. Being a teacher, I’ve never been one to throw myself into these as I get enough of 30 children constantly talking at me, asking things, etc every day (I do love it really!) and learnt a while ago that it’s the same price to pay someone else to do it and tidy away the mess as it is to do it yourself.

So, with trepidation, and a sudden realisation that Cc’s birthday was fast approaching, I decided to bite the bullet and host the party at home, making the effort to invite children she plays with at nursery, mainly as a chance to get to know the mums better after it dawned on me I may be very lonely in the playground in a few years time! And I’m really pleased I did it. Not only did she have a brilliant time, thoroughly enjoying the attention and being able to answer the door and invite her friends into her own home, but I actually had the opportunity to chat to others, see how they were finding things at the moment, at this particular age, share stories, whinge about nursery parking and generally, get to know a few people, with whom I can now chat and talk to if I ever bump into them at the nursery gates! And I’m actually looking forward to going to more parties so I can get to know them better, something I never though I’d hear myself saying!

And don’t forget to have a go at making your own cake, even if it does look like you’ve had one too many vinos whilst decorating it and have given Peppa conjunctivitis! Your little one will love it!

Make:

February saw a family run business, Yes Bebe, run a themed month called #yesbebeatoz, whereby you had to set up little educational invitations for your children. Yes Bebe are a company I’ve come across fairly recently and, although being mercilessly ribbed on their babble Facebook group at Christmas due to an embarrassing oversight on my part (who knew the Nativity traditionally only has one representative shepherd rather than the ‘primary school’ 3?!), I love their ethical and open ended approach to play. Customer service is second to none and the range of products is fab too. Anyway, I digress. I was meant to be telling you about the invitations to learn!

Each day of February was give an alphabet letter, interrupted by Chinese New Year for a couple of days to eke the 26 letters out to the full month! Every day, ‘babblers’ set up an invitation to learn for their little ones and posted on fb or insta. I began the month well and Cc really enjoyed having little play scenes to interact with each morning. She developed speech, number recognition etc. and, as a busy mum, it also actually encouraged me to sit with her to talk and help and suggest ideas.

A is for … Abacus

I set up some beautiful Grapat mandala pieces alongside a number line. We used language such as longest, shortest, more and less and, of course, used it to count, recognise number shapes, and conserve number.

F is for … Friendship

This is a wonderful Grimms Mobile Home, which both girls continue to fight over when it’s out. I added some friends and we used them to role play little situations and talked about being kind, playing together, taking turns, etc.

I think my favourite, though, was the Grimms Rainbow Dragon I made for Chinese New Year! This was more an ’invitation to play’ rather than learn, but inspired just as much fun pretending to be dragons!

Search for #yesbebeatoz over on insta to find more ideas!

Munch:

Over the last few months, we’ve had literally tens of new restaurants open in Chelmsford: Some independents, some bigger chains, but there is now a vast range and choice. Therefore, when I met my friend for lunch, we were overwhelmed as to where to go, but opted for Wagamamas as I hadn’t yet tried it out. In fact, I hadn’t been to Wagamama since visiting a central London one many, many years ago! I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. The food was very, very tasty, especially the fried squid balls, if let down a little by rather slow bar service.

I’ve actually been back with the family since and, again, service was not great…food waited around before being brought meaning it wasn’t piping hot on arrival, and I had to ask several times for glasses of water. The food itself, again though, was very tasty.

Oh, and I couldn’t leave the ‘Munch’ sections without letting you know about an amazing French food market we found in Beaune … the photographs speak for themselves! Just yum!

Oysters, Lettuce, Breads, Artichokes, Cheese

March’s Meet, Make & Munch

Apologies for the tardiness of this post – time and Easter just ran away with me! We’ve had another busy month, beginning with St. David’s Day, then Cc’s 2nd birthday, and the 1st birthday of the build. I endeavoured to make an Iggle Piggle cake for the little one, which she seemed to enjoy, despite not having a clue about blowing out candles…other than that, it went down well. The snow disrupted the month a couple of times – I’ve really never known to look out the window over a course of several days and it be snowing – even the children stopped getting excited by seeing it! We went out in it a couple of times, and schools were shut on odd days, but generally, as usual, we just got on with it! The OH went into work in London every day, despite the inclement weather and train delays, and I too ventured into school to teach. So with lots of time indoors, there were many opportunities to make and cook.

Meet…

Friends for a relaxing night away at Lifehouse Spa.

The girls and I found a good deal for a night away here which included dinner, bed and breakfast, and decided to take a night off mummy and household duties to treat ourselves to a well-deserved rest. We arrived Friday afternoon and quickly took the free drink voucher to the bar to begin with a Prosecco! The rooms were clean and a decent size, and you can wander round in your swimmers and dressing gowns, so all was good! The pool / spa area was very busy when we arrived, and it felt a bit like a factory – feed them in, churn them out – in this area, but it did quieten down and the Saturday lunchtime was very restful. We each had a couple of treatments and it was nice just to go up into the ‘relaxation room’ and chill quietly for an hour without thinking about anything. You do have to dress for dinner, which is always nice anyway as we’re girls who like dressing up and rarely have a chance! The menu was somewhat limited, but good value for the inclusive price, even with additional supplements for steak.

All in all, it was a really good deal and we enjoyed some time together putting the world to rights and generally relaxing!

Make…

This is something I’ve hankered after for quite a while now: a wine and glass rack. Hopefully, it would fit in perfectly with my wood / metal theme for the new downstairs room.  Several versions have made my Pinterest boards and I’ve collected the pallets ready for a trial. However, after dad had seen one similar in a lovely shop, he decided he could make it. Who am I to say no? So, after much tinkering, battering, chiseling and nailing, he came up trumps, as I knew he would. It just needs a wax to darken it slightly and it’ll be ready to use.

Munch…

I admit it…food has been pretty basic this month, (although I seem to have done quite a lot of cooking!) sticking with the tried and tested family meals, such as chilli, chicken and paprika stews, etc. We’ve eaten out a couple of times and had friends over too, where the Black Pudding, Pear and Ricotta salad went down a treat, despite substituting Chorizo or Peppered Mackerel for the Black Pudding. Other than that, I made Welsh Cakes at the beginning of the month to celebrate St. David’s Day for my husband.

I’ve never made them before and was surprised to find out just how easy they are. Super quick, and you pan fry them in butter, preferably salted – just don’t forget to eat them warm, straight out of the pan. I used this traditional recipe.

That’s this last month…enjoy the remainder of your April and any Easter time off.