Eleventh day, twelfth night

The days following Christmas are great for meals made up entirely of leftovers. As the days past and the choicest items are gone meals either get duller or more inventive. The first week in January is the one where you try to make sense out of what is left.

In my case two pots of hummus (that the label claims should be off by isn't), not as crisp as they could be vegetables, and some of the nut mountain.

Clockwise from top right:

• Brazil nuts, pistachio nuts, dark chocolate – should have added some dates
• Hummus with a blob of fig chutney
• Cracker selection
• Raw cabbage and carrots

To read – A greedy man in a hungry world by Jay Rayner. This promises to challenge my assumptions about food. I'm interested to see how this will compare to Not on the label. So far I'm willing to concede that supermarkets did open our eyes to a broad range of ingredients, and reduced the time it takes to shop. However it doesn't make the terms they offer suppliers any better. Let's see how things develop in the next few chapters.

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What's in my lunchbox? Simply idyllic

The word 'idyllic' springs to mind as regards this lunch. It was a pleasure for so many reasons.

From a food point of view:

It used lots of produce from my allotment, or lovely seasonal things from the market. It was easy to throw together as it used leftovers from the weekend. I got to try out some of the ideas in An everlasting meal simply by throwing a load of vegetables in the oven.

From the top down:

· Cherries, purchased from the market and gently cooked to make them extra yummy

· Popcorn, home popped and mixed with coconut oil, salt and nutritional yeast

· Salad with spinach, rocket, roasted chickpeas, peppers and onions, with a drizzle of oil and balsamic vinegar

From a location point of view:

I explored the other side of the river and found a new delightful location to eat in.

Wishing you green ink and good food,

Annastasia

 

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Things I Love Thursday

Lunches in the sun - my new work location by the river makes me feel like I'm in the middle of the countryside. I can eat lunch under a different tree every day.

Foraging opportunities - so far this week I've identified Sweet cicely , Darwin's barberry, Fennel, and Hedge mustard. And on a similar note, I'm still drinking lots of nettle and plantain tea.

Dancing like there's no one watching - I'be really been enjoying burlesque classes and practice this week. It's been great to work off some energy and tension by pulling ridiculous faces, getting into character and stretching my muscles.

Warm nights - with sash windows open at the top there's a suitable breeze to make warm nights a delightful experience that says summer is here; enjoy it while it lasts.

Meetings in parks - I met with Carla and Naomi to plan our next stage of world domination, and the park was the obvious place to designate our board room.

Easy iced coffee - I froze, in a ice tray, the leftover coffee from the weekend. Today I blended it with vanilla syrup and soy milk. The perfect morning beverage. Alas I drank it all before I thought to take a photo.

Actually getting to wear my summer clothes - all my clothes that look wrong with tights and cardigans are getting worn, and will continue to be worn (until the heat wave ends and they go back in the wardrobe for a year or two).

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What's in my lunchbox? Just for the dressing

I made this lunch pretty much entirely for the delicious dressing. It’s from a recipe in The Garden of Vegan. It’s easily overlooked as the recipe title focuses on the spinach and tofu that form the salad, rather than on this delicious tangy dressing. It’s perfect for the hot weather we’ve been experiencing of late.

The hot weather has also made lunch outside a truly enjoyable experience. Having recently moved offices I’m getting to appreciate riverside walks and plenty of delightful spots for lunch right on my doorstep.

Clockwise from top:

• Sex and Stravinsky by Barbara Trapido - enjoying this so much I might have to do a rare book review post
  
• Home grown strawberries and dark chocolate
  
• Twiglets
  
• Wonderful dressing – a blend of miso, oil, vinegar, ginger, soy sauce and garlic
  
• Salad – radishes, various leaves (spinach, rocket, Oak leaf lettuce) and Italian style tofu (yes, plain fried tofu would have worked fine but I was feeling inspired).
  

This is where I enjoyed my lunch while listening to birds and watching butterflies.

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You can't rock'n'roll on toast

I knew that I would be pushed for time in this week. The band I am in is playing our first gig on Saturday night. As a result we feel the need to practice every evening. It's usually a bit of rush trying to eat before practice two nights a week. I usually try to prepare double amounts on other nights to ensure that I'm not playing on a dinner of toast.

Bearing this in mind I decided that it was time to try this batch cooking thing I'd read about. My only attempt at this kind of thing previously has been freezing cooked beans and pulses, or tucking large amounts of leftovers away for another day.

This time round still wasn't quite on the grand scale that some people manage (preparing a month of food in one go) but seemed to be a starting point.

So on Sunday afternoon I spent 90 minutes preparing the following:

· Mushroom and sun dried tomato risotto (from Vegan with a vengeance)

· Potato and asparagus soup (from Vegan with a vengeance)

· Chilli (made it up as I went along)

It was certainly less work, preparation and washing up to prepare everything at the same time. I chopped the onions, leeks and garlic for all recipes in one go. I could see how much of everything I had and assign it accordingly (rather than having to find time to go out and buy extra onions mid- week). The endless stirring that risotto requires took place in-between working on the other dishes.

I've found it rather nice this week not to have to think about dinner. I simply arrive home and heat up a bowl of whichever one I fancy. All three lend themselves well to 'pimping' so I've been adding toppings in the form of rocket, spinach, sun dried tomatoes, and fresh herbs.

There is risotto in there somewhere

However I think it has made me realise how much I enjoy cooking and appreciate the opportunity to get creative on a daily basis. I fell asleep last night wondering how the risotto would shape up as risotto balls. Very well I'm sure (although I'll have to wait until Thursday night to give this a go). But it does miss the point of saving me time. Yes, it's quicker than cooking risotto from scratch. However it's not as speedy as toast and Marmite.

So while I've can appreciate batch cooking as something in the freezer to draw on I think most nights will still see me slaving over a hot stove, or toaster.

 

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What's in my lunchbox this week? Bobby's Girl Vintage

I tend to take food with me when I’m out and about. Unless my outing involves a planned visit to a vegan event, restaurant or shop I can never be certain what I’ll be able to eat. I can get by on jacket potatoes and baked beans if necessary but it’s so much nicer to take my own food. A girl can only eat so many baked beans!

Saturday I was manning a stall for Ink Drops Boxes at Bobby’s Girl Vintage fayre in Chelmsford. We were offering stationery pick ‘n’ mix and hoping for a chance to chat with customers and share the joy of hand written letters. Naturally I packed lunch. You don’t get much more vintage than a eating a packed lunch while wearing a 1950s dress and enthusing about letters appearing on your doormat. It just needed a flask of tea to make it really vintage. And maybe a slightly more traditional contents to my lunch box….

Clockwise from top right:
Habas fritas – deep fried broad beans – these tasted rather sweeter than usual
Grapes
Rice paper wraps – filled with brown rice noodles, spring onions and alfalfa
Radishes

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A lunchtime stroll

I try to make an effort to get out at lunchtime at least three times a week. It's obviously more appealing in better weather or if I have a mission like purchasing leeks or tracking down emerald green tights or buying a magic wand.

One of my incentives for getting out on lazy days is to re-visit points of interest in the surrounding area. So I admire houses with quirky features. Check the progress of building work and refurbishments. Admire colourful plants.

 

One house has a garden walk I am always keen to linger by. However when I passed I saw a gap and a scattering of broken bricks!

Despite my initial fears I soon discovered that most of what I was looking for was still in place.

 

And a few had even been spruced up.

 

Aren't they amazing! I'll certainly be eager to walk this way again and check out the progress on refurbishment.

 

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9 things about Barcelona

Every Spring I celebrate the end of a busy time at work by taking a trip for a couple of days. This year I decided to visit Barcelona. Many years back, when I was in the sixth form there was the possibility of the college arranging a trip there. It never happened so I decided to fill this Barcelona sized gap in my experiences myself. Plus I probably enjoyed it more than teenaged self would have!

When I left the UK it was snowing. I arrived in Barcelona to warmth, sunshine and the super easy Aerobus from the airport to the city centre. That set the pattern for the next couple of days - the perfect easy going winter break.

So here are 9 things about Barcelona as observed by me.

1. Barcelona is a shy city. She wasn't as quick to give up her secrets as Rome, Paris or London. However the people are friendly and helpful and with a little wandering there are treasures to be uncovered, like the courtyard garden above.
2. Park Guell is amazing. True you do have to walk up a hill or two to get at it but the definitely with the exercise.

 

3. Juicy Jones is an amazing eating experience. I'd looked at photos before going, tried to figure out the menu from pictures but it couldn't complete with the colourful reality. Whether you are vegan or not this is a must visit. I definitely recommend the homemade lemonade. However the jury is still out on the sun dried tomatoes. They had a fizzy thing going on quite unlike anything I've come across - I'm assuming they were trying a sparking wine marinade!

4. Barcelona is very visually busy. The pavements are textured. The street furniture isn't dull.

The buildings have all kinds of flourishes.

Then there are the buildings intended to stand out.

And sculptures all over the place

5. You can get vegan ice cream! Fat Gay Vegan recommended Gelaaati and he wasn't wrong. I went back twice and was thrilled with the clean, spacious shop, helpful staff and range of flavours. Probably a blessing here isn't a branch in Essex....

6. I thought there was a real contrast between the city part of Barcelona and the beach part. When I got off the Metro at the Barceloneta It was like arriving in Bournemouth only with better beaches! And so close to the city.

7. Gopal does a great vegan burger. I probably should have taken my time but the food was so awesome I just gulped it down. Plus the staff member who served me was great despite our language issues.

8. Days start slowly in Barcelona (and possibly across Spain?). Don't expect anything to really get going before 10am. Instead relax with a cup of coffee in the sunshine.

9. Tapas is everywhere. Vegan dishes can be a tad limited but you'll still find plenty. My personal favourite had to be the big dishes of Almonds.

I'd certainly recommend visiting Barcelona, meanwhile I'm daydreaming about where to visit next year.

 

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How to get out of bed on a winter morning

Press snooze on radio alarm. Go back to sleep for a few minutes. When alarm goes off again throw back covers and prepare for cold air to meet skin. Fumble for glasses. Plunge feet into fluffy slippers and wrap heavy dressing gown around body. Stagger along landing and fumble for light switch. Reach foot of staircase. Greet cat. Feed cat. Put kettle to boil then brush teeth. Open front door to show cat outside world. Close door when cat refuses to venture out into cold.

Make pot of tea. Trip over cat. Retreat to bathroom. Pin up hair, put almond oil on face, and step under blissful heat of shower. Step out of shower and dive into towel before cold can reach you. Frantically dry skin and apply body lotion to keep cold out.

Huddled in robe and slippers pour out nicely brewed tea. Let cat out. Return to bedroom and layer on clothing. Apply squirt of perfume, and add necklace, watch, and bracelet. Once more in kitchen put porridge to cook in microwave while preparing lunchbox.

Feel warm glow as a result of hot tea and porridge. Tidy kitchen and put porridge bowl to soak. Let complaining cat back into house to claw at sofa. Wash hands and put contact lenses in. Apply make up. Make face at self in mirror. Look at time and panic.

Collect handbag, and other items required for day ahead. Put on extra socks and boots. Add long coat, hat, scarf and gloves. Check levels of cat food. Check keys are in bag. Gather up things, turn off lights and plunge onto cold of the outside world.

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My weekend - vegan cake, friends and the great outdoors

I'm seriously starting to enjoy going back to work on Mondays for a rest. Between preparations for cabaret night, work on an exciting, soon-to-be- announced project with Carla from Ducking Fabulous, and my usual weekend routines I'm worn out by Sunday night.

Last night I made the mistake of working on something right up until I went to bed. Consequently when I went to bed I couldn't get to sleep.

So ley's look at cheerier things like this awesome sandwich I consumed at the start of the weekend (Thursday is the new Friday, right?). It was a fabulous combination of aubergine (dipped in gram flour and fried), tomatoes, and baked tofu. Perfect served with a mug of tea and a few pages of Stephen King.

Saturday morning's regular walk was great. The weather was lovely, the trail was quiet and the countryside was at its best. It felt like the start of summer, not the end.

After all that exercise I felt the need to spend Saturday afternoon consuming cake. I had a fab time chating with friends and exchanging options on bubonic squirrels, Ponygirls and American cuisine. I wanted to share the vegan love (and ensure that I had plenty of sugar) so I took my latest version of Aero fridgecake and a pineapple cake.

Sunday was photo free because (a) my allotment is too barren for pictures, (b) you can't take pictures while dancing, and (c) food consumed on Sunday just wasn't photogenic.

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The art of a well planned life

I've always been a bit uncertain about long term planning. While I love the idea of having a five year I know it's simply not for me. For starters I have trouble actually thinking where I want to be at that distance point. I have a terrible feeling that I'd get to my goal 5 years down the line and realise that I know wanted something else. We live in a dynamic world.

That said making a lifetime to do list has proved to be an interesting experience. Since following the advice in Getting Things Done I've been pleasantly surprised that I done things that I consider to be life experiences (for want of a better phrase) without even trying. I don't know if I've become better at spotting opportunities or just was doing things like this all the time and didn't notice.

However that doesn't mean that I don't like making plans. While I'm a bit more fluid in my approach to the long term, in the shorter term I like to be very clear about what I'm doing.

Over the summer I seemed to lose some of my regular routines. Weekends at picnics, car boot sales and music festivals ate up my organisation time. While part of me is horrified that my life revolves around Monday-to-Friday-9-to-5, I appreciate that it's as good a structure as any other. So I see weekends as a real opportunity to prepare for the week ahead.

And this morning I really reaped the benefits. Routines allow us get the stuff we need done and leave the brain to get on with being creative. So waking up to lunch ready to pack, clean ironed clothes, and not worrying about what on earth to eat for dinner was great.

It takes a very small amount of effort on a regular basis to keep routines ticking over. Little and often (on a great many projects) had better be my phrase for Autumn.

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Things I Love Thursday - sales, sticks and sage tea

Absolutely top of my list this week of things that make me smile is selling things that I've made. Close behind is being called 'a clever old stick' by a customer who liked my re-use of cuffs and ties to make pouches.

 

 

 

Running close behind is the discovery of Tamarind. I'm very keen to try some more recipes soon Now I've realised how amazing this magic ingredient is.

I'm a huge fan of Lush. Their products smell great, are largely vegan and they have brilliant staff. They use minimal packaging, have a sense of humour and do seem to stand for something. I've been using their toothy tabs toothpaste with the tube for a while and really like the Dirty and Chou, Chou I Love you. However another flavour has now joined my 'like' list. I think it's the inclusion of Earl Grey in the ingredients that I couldn't resist.

Sage tea - a colleague bought some loose herbalteas back from Cyprus and has been sweet enough to share them. The sage one is fantastic for clearing your head and getting you ready to deal with life.

Other stuff raising a smile - *pictures of green typewriters sent via email *a gentle breeze through the window *my own space *flatbreads *support from friends * getting on top of joblists *ideas for getting creative

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