Tractors, inkdrops and padlocks

It's that time of the week again when I find myself looking through my photostream wondering what on earthbive been up to lately. I obviously don't have any photos relating to last week's bout of illness.

However I did enjoy a lovely meal out at The Saracen's Head in Dunmow where they actually seemed thrilled when I said I was vegan as opposed to really confused. However I was a little confused as they'd changed from summer to autumn menu between me booking a table and our actual meal. That said they did a very nice job providing me with a 'mushroom' burger and a rather refreshing fruit salad (because it wasn't drowning in juice). Yes I should have started taking photos before eating but I was hungry.

I also had a nice afternoon standing outside a pub watching a carnival parade, admiring tractors and making friends with dogs.

And then I embraced a week of telling the world about Inkdrops, sending odd emails (some things will never be super) and being ill.

Happily recovery allowed me to see the Munch exhibition at the Tate Modern (bought back my teenage obsession with his work), go to a burlesque show with friends (lots of whooping, laughing and general fun) and indulge in large bowls of food (being ill makes me really hungry). I enjoyed this combo of cos lettuce, sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, radishes, yellow peppers, celery, crispy tofu and tahini dressing while reading Ms Peregrine's home for peculiar children.

While crossing the Millenium Bridge to reach the Tate Modetn I couldn't help but notice all the padlocks attached to it

It turns out they are some kind of trend for declaring one's undying affection. One simply writes the initials, name or longer message on a padlock, affixes it to a bridge and throws away the key.

Anyway here's to a week of feeling alive once again. I'm off to source cardboard boxes, emerald green frilly knickers and follow up a new angle on feather free boas.

 

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What's in my lunchbox this week? Memory failure

I was in a slight panic on Sunday night about what would go in my lunchbox. I'd planned to do some kind of lentil dish but could work out what els to throw in. Then I opened the fridge and found that I'd got various things that I'd bought or made and completely forgotten about. Clearly I need to shop in a less random manner, not get seduced by fresh produce and eat memory enhancing stuff.

From top right (clockwise):

• Victoria plums - so sweet, so sour, so chilled, so delicious
• Celery - does anyone else find that celery seems to have a ridiculously low freezing point?
• Tamarind lentils (from Veganomicon) with addition of home grown potatoes and spinach
• Pineapple cake -adaptation of the right side up pineapple cupcakes from Vegan cupcakes take over the 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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What's in my lunchbox this week? Organised eating

The start of September sees a return to getting organised, preparing food on weekends an experimenting with new recipes.

I took advantage of the nice man on the fruit and vegetable stall and snapped up 3 pineapples for a quid plus some Victoria plums. I don't like over sweet things and this combination of sweet and sour is fantastic.

The other two spaces are taken up by not one but two new recipes.

I've often marinated tofu in some manner and then baked it so I just had to try Hasselback tofu when I saw a recipe on lunch box bunch I had to give it a go. It turned out great and was so easy to do. The spread of flavour is good and I found it an excellent opportunity to use up odds and ends of various sauces. I have no idea why it looks like a portobello mushroom in the photo above. Clearly my food styling needs to move beyond open lunchbox and point camera.

Regardless of their appearance (another food styling triumph!) the final item is not a chocolate chip muffin. I adore l corn bread, muffins and the Vegan Lunchbox cookbook but I'd never tried the corn pone muffins recipe before. The instructions warned against the mixture getting too wet but I found mine too dry! Despite the addition of some extra soy milk, salsa and chopped jalapeños things remained on the solid side. As a result my black beans just sat on top, masqueraded as choclate chips and went crispy. However these are delicious and a recipe I will make again. I am planning to stir the beans into the mix next time or make a hole for the spoonful of beans to go in.

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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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The long road back from Reading

I went to the Reading Festival in 1994. It was my first musical festival. I'd decided that I wanted to attend rather late in the day but somehow managed to get a ticket (the luck and harm of youth!). I must confess remembering little about the line up except that the opening bands were The Flaming Lips, The Verve and Pulp. Performances by Cyprus Hill, Primal Scream and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers seem to have left no last impression

Eighteen years later plenty has changed. Aside from no longer being a student with a tendency for last minute festival arrangements I've buckets more festival experience. I've been robbed at Glastonbury. I've had various fluids thrown at me. I've staggered into medical tents for help with contact lenses. I've bought a shewee.

So I felt prepared to face Reading armed with waterproofs, tent, campbed, shorts and long socks. I made what I considered to be a brilliant and mature decision to leave my iPhone at home and take an ancient Nokia with me. While it was great not to have to worry about having my phone nicked or what was happening on twitter it did mean I couldn't take any photos.

As a result this blog post doesn't include images of the 'no crowd surfing' sign. Or the female urinals. Or the multitude of vegan friendly food spots with helpful staff and ingredients lists. Or people wearing crazy costumes. Or an emergency walking boots repair involving chewing gum. Or even me and my partners in crime in army rain ponchos and sparkly cowboy hats.

I can say that it was even better than my faded memories of '94. It's a bigger festival but didn't feel over crowded. The organisation is excellent. The site is well maintained. Litter is cleared up. Bins for recyclables are available. Staff are helpful and available and the toilets get my personal award for best festival toilet. Yeah the ammonia does get a bit strong in the campsite ones after a few days but that's the joy of festival- going in the great outdoors.

My highlight has to be Band of skulls. I was so keen to see them (and ensured that no one forgot this) and the didn't let me down. I found myself whimpering at the end of the set for just one more. I also loved the way the arena looked at night strung with coloured lights. I loved sitting outside my tent with a cup of tea before bed.

In fact the only downside seems to be that it's taken me all week to recover. I've been to work and come home ready to sleep. And this has meant that blogging simply hasn't happened and my lunchbox has been less than inspiring.

With a lack of inspiration, exciting ingredients and a disinclination to actually cook I've been eating a mix of microwaved noodles, frozen peas and miso. I'm hopeful that the arrival of September will usher in a few months of sensible living - you know the stuff; not over committing, meal planning, regular sessions with the washing machine. However it's becoming clear to me that whatever I might believe I seem to choose to live my life like an overstuffed cushion - straining at the seams.

 

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My weekend - sunshine, music and low flying bottles

With the sun shining and a pretty awesome line up this weekend might just have been my best V festival ever!

My festival highlights were:

• Tom Jones - he really is just as amazing as everyone says. His version of Tower of song bought tears to my eyes. Plus his entire band looked like they were having a really good time.
  
• Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Essentially Oasis with the focus on the music rather than sibling wars
• The Charlatons - a delightful last minute substitution for Dappy
• Snow Patrol - just as good as they were last time the played V. Personally I would have liked to see them as headliners.
• The Stones Roses - nothing like a band that knows how to jam
• Keane - a nice tight set
• The Killers - they were terrible last time I saw them so pleased that they were 100% better.
• A nice cup of tea after the headline acts
• An unexpected parachute performance by the Red Devils - that pink smoke in the picture below? It came from their heels as they decended!

• I also really liked these flags although I've no idea why they there!
  

However there were a few low points:

• • Bottles being thrown around in the crowd. Leaving aside the health and safety aspect having something heavy knock into the back of your head just ruins the moment.
  • Litter - there are never enough bins but surely that no excuse for just dropping on the ground.

• Songs that include the name of the band performing them
• Food on offer seemed more limited than usual. I had planned to take some with me but was sure how appetising it would be after several hours in the heat.

So will I be back next year for another day of crowds, litter, noise and discarded pineapples? It's more than likely....

 

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