When dreams become reality

Barefoot in the kitchen is morphing into something else. It is becoming more like fully togged up in slippers in the kitchen as the next phase of this little life begins...but let's start from the beginning. This is a tale of love and shared dreams and, as I write this in the temporary generator has gone off darkness of deepest somerset, of building a dream home too.

To go right back to the beginning would involve a lot of the how Big G and I got together, silly nights talking and dancing until dawn and then mapping out a life together involving children (soon to be two) and a project that came to be known as 'Dream Farm'. The really super interesting bit, and the probable main subject of this blog for the conceivable future started last summer though when on a random search of local auctions Big G 'found a farm'.

On paper it was too big, too far away from the dream realm we had imagined and frankly entirely out of our reach but we set out to have a look at 12.31 acres of disused farm buildings and their attached disused stone quarry.  We could not have picked a worse day to view it...British summer at its best with dense fog and a distinctly autumnal chill in the air but look we did and within hours we were planning where to hang a disco ball in the yard and what amazing parties we could have.

Over the next few months we tried our hardest to rein in our expectations as we heard about developers and consortiums who were also raising money to taker to the auction at the end of September. We went back countless times but by the time of the auction we were being pretty realistic about our chances of being able to buy this little piece of paradise. In short we were not going to get it but we had raised all the cash we could. We had begged borrowed and borrowed some more so it was worth a shot.

On the night itself we were so convinced that we would be outbid that I did not even go to the auction. So imagine my surprise when I received a text that simply read "Ge got it. Spread the word"! I then duly called a succession of shocked and amazed friends and family who all shared the not un-founded opinion that we were entirely mad.

After much more begging and jumping through mortgage hooping this is what we bought:

Tincan? They sure can...

When a friend opens a new business it is easy to feel obliged to say nice things. "Well done you"'s and "Oh it's lovely"'s can roll off the polite British tongue faster than an overly polite "sorry" or "golly gosh". 

It is rarer however to feel not only pride in a friend's achievement but also genuine pleasure in their offering. This is the happy position I find myself in in the case of Tincan Coffee - the first permanent coffee shop from Tincan events, who have been supplying first class coffee at events throughout the South West since 2011.

I am super lucky to work with one half of Tincan and so I have been privy to the evolution of this amazing cafe on North Street in Bristol. Having previously been homed solely in a set of Citroen H-Vans, much of the decor is a nod to their past. From car headlight lighting and the corrugated iron on the counter to the made-to-measure replica Citroen seats, there are beautiful original nods to this side of the business. On top of this however are beautiful contemporary tiles, bare-filament bulbs and heavy wooden tables.

Not only does Tincan look great the coffee is great too...and so are the cakes! After a 'tough' morning ambling around the Spike Island Open Studios we needed a caffeine and sugar boost and Tincan was perfect...we had brownie, a cookie and the most amazing nutty, caramel flapjack known to man kind.

Despite a mini toddler tantrum and pouring rain outside this was the perfect pitstop. How lovely to be able to tell my friend that her dream of opening a cafe has paid off...big time.

The Foodie Bugle: A little hidden gem in Bath

This weekend after following their progress on Instagram I finally made it to The Foodie Bugle in Bath's Margartets Buildings. This teeny pedestrian street has always been an indie haven-off the beaten track yet within spitting distance of The Royal Crescent-but is now stronger than ever in the indie department.

Silvana and her husband have created a cafe and shop that is just the right mix of locally supplied foodie delights and deli treats interspersed with kitchenware, knitwear (I bought a lovely crocheted blanket for little M) and gifts. 

The cafe serves soups, quiches, sandwiches and more...definitely worth an afternoon stop off and a browse...we left post lunch with veggie treats for supper and a strong desire to return.

Staring 2015 the way I mean to carry on

It's been a while and to be honest, what with going back to work, getting the boy to nursery and recent festivities I've let my eye off the healthy eating ball a bit...ok a LOT! 

It all goes back to normal though next week with the start of a new Bootcamp being run by my dear friend Kate Burles (check her out www.exerciseeasy.co.uk). So, to at least start as I mean to go on I have spent this morning making some easy, healthy snacks and breakfasts to keep me on the straight and narrow.

One of my favourite Christmas presents was The Art of Eating Well by Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley (@HemsleyHemsley). I've been following them online for ages and one of the recipes which first hooked my interest was mini vegetable frittatas.

And here is my version made with leftover veg

These are absolutely delicious and will be a life saver on the mornings I have to take Little M to nursery.

I've also made a batch of a snack my Mum has made for years. 

This simple snack of sunflower and pumpkin seeds dry-fried with a splash of Tamari is not only delicious but there's nothing bad ! All you need to do is dry fry the seeds, agitating every now and then, until they start to pop. Then add as little or as much Tamari as suits your taste and hey presto! As long as you let them cool fuly before puting them in an airtight container they will keep for ages (if you can keep your hands out of the jar!).

Mini Breakfast Frittatas 

Makes 12 mini frittatas 

8 eggs

1 onion, finely chopped

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

Veg! Literally whatever you have (my first batch has one red pepper and half a courgette)

Herbs (I used dried sage and thyme from my garden because that is what I had)

A handful of hard cheese, grated (of course I used my favourite Westcombe Cheddar)

Salt and pepper to taste

The Hemsleys recommend that the mix be 50/50 egg and veg but next time I will add one more egg just to make them that little bit bigger.

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190 c

1. Whisk the eggs in a bowl

2. Add all the finely chopped veg and the cheese

3. Season to taste

4. Divide the mixture evenly in a 12-muffin muffin tin

5. Cook for 12-14 minutes, until fully cooked and firm.

I will also be making a baby friendly version of these for The little man, without salt...watch this space...

Berry autumn smoothie

For a quick fruit fix I am a big fan of smoothies and this week with my mother in law's blackberries in the freezer I wanted to use them without resorting to a crumble.

Having also learnt about the antioxidant power of raspberries I made this quick and delicious smoothie.

Ingredients

1 banana

Handful frozen blackberries

Handful raspberries

1 scoop of Sun Warrior chocolate protein powder (optional)

1/2 pot organic natural yoghurt (Yeo Valley is my favourite)

Such a great colour and really great if, like me, you're low on breakfast time.

Kale Crisps

Four weeks into healthy September and I am desperately in need of healthy snack alternatives. I have gorged on nuts and carrots with hummus, and nut butter on celery only cuts it at times of extreme need. And so, in a bid to also up my green intake I decided to try and replicate the delicious kale crisps that lurk on the vastly overpriced shelf of most local health food shops.

Wonderfully the result was that for the cost of just a bag (I didn't have time to get to a green grocers for a locally grown bunch on this occasion) of Kale, I now have these.

Ingredients

200g kale (I used a bag of curly kale)

Olive oil

Sea salt

Freshly cracked pepper

1. Wash the kale and leave to dry COMPLETELY otherwise you will end up with soggy kale 

2. Preheat the oven to 160c

3. In a large bowl toss the kale with salt, pepper and enough oil to coat all of the kale thinly

4. Spread the kale out over two or three baking trays and cook in the oven for 8-10 minutes, turning once. Keep a close eye on them to make sure they don't catch and burn

TIPS:
*The first time I did this I put far too much salt on them so use it sparingly as you can always add more after they have baked
*Make sure to eat them quickly as they don't store for very long before going soft

Super simple. Super yummy. Supper green.

Healthy september

My healthy September continues with these two amazing recipes from Veggie Runners and My Darling Lemon Thyme.

My Veggie Runners' Roasted Nut Protein Balls
Makes 12-14

These little snacks are SO moreish that I have had to stop making them! They are great as a post training protein boost or just as a sweet snack when you need it.

Ingredients

50g almonds
50g hazelnuts
100g dried dates – soaked in 200ml boiling water for 10 minutes
30g chia seeds
3 heaped tablespoons nut butter (I used Meridian Foods almond butter)
15g protein powder (I used Sun Warrior)
1 tablespoon organic coconut oil, melted

1 Roast the hazelnuts under a medium grill until they start to brown slightly. Gently rub off the skins with kitchen towel or a clean tea towel and place in a food processor with the almonds. Blitz the nuts until they are well broken. If you have the time you can pulse the blender until they are very fine but I tend to leave the chunks quite large. Set the nuts aside

2 Chop the soaked dates and add to the food processor

3 Add all of the other ingredients and blend well. Then add in the nuts and mix well

4 Squeeze tightly between your palms and form into small balls or patties 

6 Pop them in the fridge for an hour or so before serving.

My Darling Lemon Thyme's Kale pesto

This pesto is delicious and I gorged on it for a whole week; on Rivtea, with chicken, as a side to almost any dish!

1 bunch of kale (approx 250-300g), washed well, spun dry and hard stems removed
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup (125g) lightly toasted pumpkin seeds
1 cup of loosely packed coriander leaves and stalks, chopped
1-2 green chillies, seeded and roughly chopped

3/4 cup (185ml) extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon white miso (gluten-free)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Place kale, garlic, pumpkin seeds, coriander and green chillies, into a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped

2. With the motor still running, drizzle in the olive oil in a steady stream

3. Lastly add the lemon juice and miso, give it one final whiz, taste and season with sea salt and black pepper. If not using straight away pack into a clean glass jar, cover with a thin film of olive oil and store in the fridge for up to 1 week

WARNING: this nearly killed my blender so you may need more olive oil at the beginning to blend everything enough. It is worth it though just look at the colour and imagine all the goodness in that jar.