Gluten free cooking at River Cottage

If you've been reading this blog for a while you'll know that a couple of years ago, 'im outdoors was diagnosed as a coeliac. Its been an interesting challenge, but as we make a lot of our meals from scratch anyway it's just meant learning some new ways of doing things.  I've managed to get most things to work, but the one thing I've been really struggling with is savoury pastry.  

As I was looking round on the internet to see if anyone could help I stumbled across the River Cottage cooking classes and the fact they run a gluten free course.  'Doesn't that sound cool' I said to 'im outdoors.  Next think I know I have two tickets for the gluten free class for my birthday.  Six months later and its finally time to use them.

We decided to make a long weekend of it and found a lovely B+B to stay in just 20 minutes away.  The day itself was beautiful, Devon at its best.  We got the tractor down from the car park with great views across the farm on the way down.

The class was run by Naomi who was very knowledgable and un-judgemental about how our baking turned out.  We made Sourdough loafs, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Shortcrust Pastry (which we then turned in to mini Bakewell Tarts) and Sourdough Sea Salt Crackers. 

We also had a chance to wander round the veg garden (where we glimpsed Hugh having lunch!) and had a beautiful two course cooked meal for lunch.

It was a brilliant day.  It probably helps that I'm used to baking so I found it really easy.  All I had to do was listen carefully to everything Naomi had to tell us, then copy her.  All the ingredients were all ready weighed out for us and all our dirty things were taken away and reappeared clean.  If only that happened in real life.

At the end of the day we went back to the B+B with boxes full of tasty treats.  And seeing as we weren't very hungry for dinner, we bought some nice ripe brie and had a picnic on the beach.  Bliss.

June Writers Group

As summer kicks in so the writers group gets smaller.  I won't see some of them until September now, lucky things.
But it was still a good meeting, with some nice pieces read out, including one I wrote.  Yes I know, I actually finished a piece.  And I got some good feedback for it too, so feel that I can add to it and make it even better.
We also had a really good discussion about how to show not tell - the first rule of creative writing.  Its interesting how the script writer had a different idea from me, a prose writer.

Homework: Use the following as the starting point or inspiration for a story or poem: I had a black dog…

(inspired by the title of Matthew Johnstone’s book of the same name, which I haven't read - I just really liked the title)

Copying your clothes

Yesterday I went up to West Norwood in London to Tilly and the Buttons HQ for the Copy Your Clothes Workshop.  I was pretty excited about the class - I really enjoyed making my Coco dress and want to make more of my own clothes.  But what really excited my about this class was the fact it would let me recreate my very favourite skirt which is slowly dying on me.

The workshop was run by Zoe who was hugely enthusiastic and happy to answer all our questions.  It was a small group too, just 6 of us so we all got the personal treatment.  Not the biggest room in the world, but perfect for our needs. As was the constant supply of tea, coffee and biscuits. 

By the end of the 4 hour session I had a pattern for my skirt drawn out, and a second pattern for a top pretty much ready to go too.  The idea that I just need to find some material and I can get making is really exciting.

So if you are interested it recreating your favourite items of clothing, this might be the course for you.  I really enjoyed it and keep thinking of items which I could make pattern's for now.  And best of all, once I'm happy with a pattern there is no reason why I can't tweak it a bit to make it even better.

Another 5k race

Today I was back to Basingstoke for their 5k race.  This is the third year they have run it and the 3rd year I've competed.  They changed the route a tiny bit this year and although it does mean a biggish hill I think it was a positive improvement.
Considering the last couple of months, where I've been injured and ill, I don't think I did too badly coming in at 26:14.  Quicker than my first attempt at any rate.  Of the 300 who ran I came 113; 26th lady!  I'm happy with that. 

It's all been running and knitting on here recently, hasn't it.  Don't worry I've got some other pretty cool stuff coming up soon.

A cuddly bunny

When my friend announced she was pregnant late last year, I knew I wanted to knit her something for the baby.  But being a crochet wiz she's already made many blankets and I wanted to make something a little different.  So when I found the lovely knitting patterns at HuggableBears on Etsy, I knew it would be one of these guys.  Once I found the snowflake wool I knew this bunny would be perfect.

It's funny how I am totally cool with the bunny being blue, but the idea of a blue teddy is just too wrong to even consider!

As you can see Bunny is a little bigger than Ted, but is more floppy - perfect to be taken anywhere by a little person.  I hope little Olivia Rose enjoys it.

Race For Life

On my medal hanger I have 8 medals.  I've worked hard to earn them; got up early to train and changed my diet to make me faster.  But if it hadn't been for the guys behind the scenes the races would never have happened so today I felt it was right I gave something back.

I spent the day in Guildford as a marshal at the Race for Life.  There were two 5k races, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.  My role was to make sure the participants knew where to go, make sure they didn't trip on the big pot hole I was guarding, but more importantly to encourage them to keep going.  

Race for Life is a different sort of race from the one's I normally take part in, but it was my first race in 2013.  The people running/walking this race aren't trying to do the best time ever, they are trying to raise as much money for Cancer Research UK as possible and at the same time they are remembering their loved ones touched by cancer or their own journey with cancer which makes this event is so special.

I hope that I helped everyone to have a great day, and I hope they all believed me when I shouted at them 'You are all amazing'.

Mays Writers Group

I'm not sure they appreciated last months homework.  There were many comments about how hard it was, maybe because it covered such a wide subject.  But the pieces people wrote were very insightful reminding us that freedom doesn't have to be a huge thing, but sometimes can be quite small, for instance having the freedom to choose the colour we paint our rooms.  
It might have been hard but it generated lots of discussion.

This months homework:

Change a historical fact, this could be big – Germany wins WW1, or small – your great grandfather never met your great grandmother.  

Now write your story based in 2015 but with this different past.

(inspired by Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series of books)

Spots

Before we went away on honeymoon I knitted a scarf. (I realise that was 4 months ago, but I've only just gotten round to writing about it.)  It's not that remarkable, I'm sure most people who are learning to knit have made a scarf at some point.  The idea of my scarf was to learn how to add a different coloured wool to a project.  This involved a little bit of 'design' work and some stitch markers.

Out came the handy sketch pad and I started by working out the stitches I would need to make a spot.  A little bit of research was needed here, and I finally came up with the design below.

At this point I also purchased myself some stitch markers from Crafty Cat Knitty Bits to help me keep my spots in the correct place throughout.  (I used them to mark the first and last stitch of each spot for the first row - so 3 stitches apart.)

If you want to have a go yourself, just follow the pattern below.  My scarf was quite thin so you might want to double the pattern or make it even bigger so you can make it into a snood - then you won't have to worry about tidying up the back.

Cast on 33 stitches, then stocking stitch 4 rows starting with a knit row.
On the fifth row knit 5 stitches then swap colour.  Knit 3 stitches in your new colour then swap back to the main colour.  Knit 17 stitches and swap again for 3 stitches.  Finish the row with 5 stitches in the main colour.
On the next row purl 4 stitches then swap colour.  Purl 5 stitches in your new colour then swap back to the main colour.  Purl 15 stitches and swap again for 5 stitches.  Finish the row with 4 stitches in the main colour.
Repeat the last row as a knit row and again as a purl row.
Then repeat the fifth row.
Stocking stitch 3 rows in the main colour.
Now knit 15 stitches in the main colour.  Swap colour and knit 3 stitches.  Swap back to the main colour and finish the row.
Next row purl 14 stitches and swap colour.  Purl 5 stitches then swap back to the main colour and finish the row.
Repeat the last row as a knit row and again as a purl row.
Then repeat the first row of this spot - knit 15 stitches ...
Stocking stitch 3 rows in the main colour and continue until it reaches the desired length.

Good luck and happy knitting.