Being eco is not for the busy!

I am sure that being eco is for people with lots of time! I hate to say it but for me it is kinda true. Life got really manic at one point and work was busy busy busy. It was at this time that I found that I was just getting through. It was quicker and easier to go to the supermarket for the household shopping. Can you believe it! As sad as it is it really is true. I simply didn't have the time or the inclination after a hard days work to then spend the time going round lots of little independent shops. As for the garden, well I pretty much gave up and am sorry to say that all the salad has gone to seed.

That is just how it is. I can't say that I am happy about it or enjoyed it per se but equally I think it was kind of important to be this way to appreciate how hard it is for working families. The convenience and time saving just simply takes precedent.

I even found that cooking went out the window. We went out to eat or got take aways. We were actually spending the money we were making at work on feeding our selves because we didn't have time to make healthy cheap food. It is insane when you look at it like that. We were basically working to buy the things that we couldn't do because we were at work.

And you know what, the more money I made the more I spent. The more I wanted to spend too. When I don't have so much it is not a case of can't spend it is a case of not really being bothered as I get my feel good factor from the cooking, gardening and craft activities.

It really is all very nuts!

National Vegetarian Week

Did you know that this week marks the start of National Vegetarian Week? I did but that is only because I saw it in a magazine so decided to find out more about it. We are vegetarian's 99% of the time anyway so I suppose there is not much change for us other than to shout and be recognised this week.

Unfortunately all the events that seem to be happening, that I can see so far are all in London. One thing I have found out though is that there are lots of lovely recipes on the website so go check it out.

So how will you spend your week?

Forraging - Saltmarsh style

For the bank holiday we decided to have an impromptu break and go to the coast for a couple of days. Camping of course. You knew the weather by the seaside really was very pleasant and we were certainly warm and cosy in the tent. I love Norfolk. We stayed in Stiffkey and went along the stretch of coast from Wells to just after Blakeney. I do love the area and whilst it has become a lot snoottier over the years it has meant that a lot of small independent shops have opened up in the area. Far far more than we have here which is lovely. I do agree with Nicola though, when she wrote on her blog about local Farm Shops...

It’s the kind of place where all of the customers seem to drive immaculate 4×4’s, wear pristine hunter wellies and gilets and be incredibly well-groomed and manicured, as if they want to present the image of country living without actually coming into contact with real country life.  http://thegoodlifechallenge.wordpress.com/

Why is it that farm shops are more like posh chutney shops than actual grown produce? Anyway back to Norfolk...

So we were staying in Stiffkey which if you know the area you will know that the campsite is right next to the saltmarshes..

Our love of self sufficiency and our love for nice walks has lead us to forraging for our tea.

Armed with a bucket, pen knife, waterproofs and a sense of humour, we had a lovely walk along the salt marshes. It is a verritable buffet of lovliness it really is. On this trip we settled for Samphire and Mussels, a lovely combo! Some books and even some critics would probably say that it is too early in the year for such forraging. Well by the book yes it is, but remember before all the rain we have had of recent days it was unseasonably warm and everything was growing like crazy!

Below you will see the greyish area on the sand - these are all mussels and lots of them, oh and a windswept looking me!

My advice to budding forragers is to read good books. We reccommend the following:

River Cottage Handbook - Edible Seashore
Seaweed and Eat it: A family foraging and cooking adventure
The Camper Van Cookbook: Life on 4 Wheels, Cooking on 2 Rings

They tell you what to look out for, identifying your finds, safety, the law, and how to cook your finds.

And then of course have fun!

The books will tell you everything you need to do but make sure that the mussels are all still alive (OK that bit chokes me up!) and that they have been soaking in fresh water that has been changed several times. You need to make sure that they are nice and clean so give them a good scrub. Any floaters are dead so they need to go. Pop all your ingredients in a pan and they are ready to eat when they have opened up!

BUT PLEASE READ MORE ABOUT THIS.... I don't want you to get food poisoning!

We cooked our mussels in cream and garlic and served them over sauted samphire. It really was a scrumscious meal and almost FREE!

Independent shops - help me to find you!

 

We were out and about in town (St Neots), running various errands and we didn’t really have time to pop home for lunch in between so we decided to grab something whilst we were in town. When thinking of places to eat in St Neots, I find it really hard to think of somewhere independent. We have a well known chain bakery with a cafe, a well known chain take away selling subs and a couple of chain coffee shops. There are some nice independent restaurants but they are only really great if you want a main meal. I am sure there are other places in town but none of them really spring to mind. Why is that? What are these independent eateries doing or rather not doing to make themselves known or attractive to us? Have I become a victim to expensive advertising campaigns and constant bombardment of brand awareness so that the independents just don't stand out?

I love this "email" from one of my all time favourite movies; You've Got Mail. It somehow is just so true.

I did suddenly think of the little shop on the High Street called Cupcakes and I am so glad I did. We had a jacket pot with salad and it was lovely. Very good value for money and a nice portion size. It is a cute little cafe with pastel colours and vintage-esque decor. Quite darling really.

My plea really is to the independent shops. I want to find you, please help me to find you!

Simply Incredible

Easter bank holiday weekend. We have decided to have a real chill out weekend and spend some good quality time with each other and just simply slow down a little. We have nothing that we need to. Ah bliss!

We decided to pop in to Cambridge today. I had something that I needed to take back but we love just going into the city and walking down past the colleges, people watching and soaking up the atmosphere. I realised whilst walking round just how many chain stores there are. You have to look for the little independents amongst them but when you do, you find some real gems with some beautiful unique items.

The only thing I will say (and this could just be my opinion) is that some times I am put off going in. I am better now I am older and don't mind what people think of me so much but in the past I was always put off by snooty shop assistants looking down on you. Silly I know! What I do think of little boutiquey shops sometimes is that I am put off by going in because I don't think I will be able to afford it or that they won't sell clothes in my portly size. OK so sometimes the size thing has been an issue before but I just think that we have come to accept big chain stores with surly staff and their "if it aint on the shelf we aint got none" attitude and the "pile it high sell it cheap" culture that when we are faced with a small independent store we just think we can't afford it so walk on by. Is that you too or just be being silly?

Whilst we were out we decided to have a nice lunch and went to Rainbow Cafe which is on King's Parade. It was so busy but it adds to the charm of the place and hey, if no one is in there is it really that good anyway? I went there years ago with my Mum so didn't know what to expect. We normally eat at a chain you see! eek!  The menu was so inspiring, such yummy options. It was hard to choose, not because it was bland and nothing jumped out at you but because it was so good it was hard to narrow it down to one. Jon had a chilli and I had:

Jamaican Roti Cups - Fresh banana, rosecoco beans, black turtle beans, coconut milk, Jamaican spices, roasted sweet potato and more, served in a chapatti cup with traditional rice’n’peas.

It was fabulous. I took a little pic with my mobile phone but it really does not do the meal justice what so ever. Every mouthful was simply amazing. I was sad when it was over. It has been a while since I ate out where everything was just lovely. The staff were friendly and helpful, place clean, bustling with lovely atmosphere, inspiring menu, delicious freshly cooked food. I left feeling suitably full but also with a warm fuzzy glow of feeling healthy knowing that I had eaten a healthy meal from somewhere independent and also vegetarian. All boxes ticked! I felt much better than I did the day before. I have to confess I ate a bugger. I felt sluggish afterwards and for the rest of the day. I caved and ordered it because I just couldn't find anything else on the menu that I wanted to eat.