Friday ramble

Hi Everyone.
The weather here today has been absolutely beautiful and so we thought we would make the most of it and have a run out to the Peak District. For a while now I have wanted to go to a place called Gradbach Mill. It is about 8 miles from Buxton. I was told about it by a work colleague who had visited several times and said that it was in a beautiful setting and did amazing cake. That was it, I was sold!
We visit the Peak District quite regularly but I have never been to Gradbach and I have to admit that we have really been missing out. It is beautiful. There is an old mill that has been restored and is now luxury accommodation but very reasonably priced. It has a cafe (home of the amazing cake) but unfortunately it had been booked today for a private function and so we couldn't go in :(
Instead they had opened up a lovely little place just for coffees, ice creams and basic sandwiches and cake. As I had got my heart set on a piece of cake in the cafe so that I could report back to my friend, I decided I would come back another day and try again. We did, however, sit in the morning sunshine with a hot chocolate. Here is a link to Gradbach Mill but I have taken a few photos too.

Access is via a long drive down the valley

The farmhouse

The Mill

The cafe (outdoors) and the stream running alongside it.

After we had been to Gradbach, we drove through a village called Flash. It is reportedly the highest village in England.

The views are amazing from here but I have to say how sad I was to see the the devastation that has been caused by the fires that burned for over a week on the moorland near The Roaches. The fire services really struggled to put them out as the area is covered in peat which burns slowly deep down in the ground. Lots of wildlife has been lost. It will take years to recover and even then some of the plants and animals may never return.

You can see in the distance how black and charred the fields are. You can't get a true perpective from the photograph just how big an area has been affected. 

One last stop off on our way home was in Leek to have a look around town. It was super busy today but I suppose it was the last day of the summer holidays. The stationary shop had the biggest queue I've ever seen! All those shiny new pencil cases, bags and lunch boxes for the start of term. I remember it well.
Finally a trip to Leek just wouldn't be the same without a stop off at Georges fish and chip shop for our 99p lunch. I am amazed at how they can do it for the price as it really is good quality food. I find the portion size just big enough for lunchtime and if I ever buy chips from anywhere else I end up throwing most away.

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend and the sun keeps shining.
Jules x



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A local delicacy - Staffordshire Oatcakes

Evening Everyone.

I mentioned in a previous post about a local delicacy we enjoy here in Staffordshire called oatcakes.  you can see Staffordshire oatcakes in the photo above. They are the size of a wrap or pancake and are filled with  savoury fillings. Growing up we had these every Sunday morning (most of my friends did too, it was the norm) filled with bacon and cheese. You can fill them with any savoury breakfast type items like sausage, mushrooms and tomatoes. 

They wouldn't win any beauty competitions with their rough and ready appearance but don't let that put you off, they are delicious! 

The oatcake shops that are scattered through the potteries often open really early in the mornings to make the batter and get the oatcakes ready for peoples' breakfasts. Most are closed just after lunchtime. Years ago, oatcakes used to be sold from the kitchen windows of many a terraced cottage. I can remember visiting such a place with my dad as a child. There would be lots of these among the rows and rows of terraced cottages that the pot-bank workers lived in. There are records dating back as early as the 17th Century of the oatcake in Staffordshire.

There is always a big queue on weekend mornings as hungry lads on their way to the football match or nursing a hangover wait patiently for ready filled oatcakes. The original take away breakfast - also known as "the poppadoms of the Potteries". The smell of them baking is amazing.

Oatcake recipes would be handed down through generations of bakers and the recipes are fiercely guarded. Indeed, you have to buy a recipe if you intend to open up a shop. 

In a Hairy Bikers programme a few years ago they visited Staffordshire and made oatcakes. Here is the recipe that they used although I've never actually tried it. How bad is that when I buy oatcakes most weeks! I've actually inspired myself to have a go, I think I should. Will post photos and let you know how successful they are. Oatcakes vary from shop to shop due to the recipes being handed down so everyone has a different favourite shop that they like to buy from. We really like the Kidsgrove oatcakes so I'm not holding much hope that mine will be better 😞

Oatcakes

225g fine oatmeal,

100g wholemeal flour

100g plain flour,

1 tsp quick action yeast,

pinch salt,

1 pint of water,

1 tbsp baking powder,

12 tsp vegetable oil,

Method

Mix together the oatmeal, wholemeal and plain flour, yeast and salt in a bowl until combined.

make a well in the centre of the mixture then gradually add the water in a thin stream, stirring well with a wooden spoon, until the batter is well combined and the consistency of double cream.

Cover the batter with a damp, clean tea cloth and set aside for 3-4 hours to allow the gluten to develop in the batter.

Once ready to cook the batter, whisk in the baking powder until well combined.

heat one tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a frying pan or on a griddle over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, add a ladleful of the batter and swirl in the pan to coat the bottom in a thin layer. 

Fry the oatcake for 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown on one side.

Flip the oatcake and fry for a further minute, or until golden brown on both sides.

set aside of a warm plate and cover with a sheet of greaseproof paper.

Repeat the process until you have 12. Stack on top of each other separated by greaseproof paper and keep warm.

Enjoy!

We went to an oatcake shop this morning in the next town. Hubby had his oatcakes today (yes I know, its only Wednesday but he just fancied them) with sausage and cheese in. I had cheese and tomato in mine. Daughter has had some made up with bacon and cheese to take to work for her lunch tomorrow. She will just warm these through in the microwave. They really are so versatile and the original Staffordshire fast food. 

Until tomorrow

Jules x

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Curry in a hurry and healthy eating

Evening Everyone.
Today we have had a super busy and very active day. We have always eaten pretty healthily and exercised but at the moment we are really trying even harder as a family. This is in part age related, also to reduce stress levels and to lose a few lbs.
First thing we had breakfast, we always have fresh fruit and yogurt and a cup of tea unless its winter time when I have porridge with a banana and cinnamon on and Hubby has muesli or on odd occasions porridge too.
After breakfast we went walking. We try to walk every day unless we have to go out somewhere. I have a pedometer on my watch and I try to get in about 6000 steps in my morning walk. I am an active person naturally and keep busy throughout the day so I always do at least the recommended 10,000 steps a day.
After my walk I had a shower then pottered around doing housework before lunch, which today was a jacket potato with with beans and cheese.
I then took three of our grandchildren swimming for a couple of hours. By the time I got home I didn't feel like cooking really but I had some chicken breasts that I had taken from the freezer this morning so I made a curry as this is a speedy recipe.
Recipe for speedy chicken curry. ( serves 3-4)
2 large chicken breasts diced
2 medium onions chopped
1 pepper (any colour) deseeded and chopped
1 large carrot peeled and thinly sliced ( I always try to sneak in extra veg where I can)
2 garlic cloves
2 tsp curry powder
2 cans of chopped tomatoes ( I prefer passata)
2 tbsp mango chutney
2 tbsp tomato puree
200g basmati rice.
Method
First job is to get the rice cooking. Take a mug and fill it to the brim with rice, tip this into a pan, now fill the mug again with cold water and tip into the pan, next half fill the mug with more water and add to the pan. Now bring the rice to the boil, turn down the heat so that it is simmering and put on the lid. Do not remove the lid from this pan again. After ten minutes turn off the heat and don't be tempted to take off the lid to peep inside - the steam is still cooking the rice and if you let the steam escape it will be ruined. After another ten minutes just take off the lid and stir. Perfect fluffy rice every time!

Now for the curry ( after you have started the rice you can get on with this to cook alongside)
Brown the chicken in a large pan. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the peppers, carrots and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes stirring often to stop from sticking, add a little water if necessary.
Add the curry powder and stir to mix well. Add in the tomatoes, mango chutney, and the tomato puree. Cover and simmer for about ten minutes until everything is tender and the sauce has thickened.

Serve with the boiled rice. Delicious.

My lovely friend Julie has been recently diagnosed with wheat intolerance and has asked about recipes so hope this helps. Enjoy.
Jules x



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Walking through history

Evening Everyone.
Today the weather was finally a little better - the rain had stopped but it was still a bit chilly.
We decided to go for a walk at a local beauty spot called Westport Lake.
Due to the long spell of hot weather previously, the water levels in the small lake were very low. This revealed an area like a beach but instead of being covered in shells it was covered in fragments of broken pottery. This comes as no surprise as we are in "The Potteries". It is fascinating what you find when you just walk along it. Pieces of broken bowls, plates and cups, cup handles, old clay pipes. (These items were dumped around the Lake in 1900 to raise the banks.)

This "pottery beach" that the hot weather has exposed, covers a large area alongside the lake. It's really interesting to look at. 

We walked down to the canal which runs alongside the lakes and this is where the "potbanks" (pottery factories) were built alongside so that the ware could be transported on the canal barges before road transport was available. 

An old sign post alongside the canal towpath

If you look carefully you can just about make out the bricked up doorway from where the ware would be loaded onto the barges. To the right is a bottle kiln. The local landscape is dotted with these but unfortunately there are not so many working kilns left anymore. Whole generations of families would work on these pottery factories and they were the main employers in this area. My mum worked in one of these factories putting the patterns on the pottery. It was a highly skilled job and hard work. 

This made us smile. It is a mobile bar that goes up and down the canal.  It's usually sited outside the local football stadium on match days. There are a few of these that sell different things including a local delicacy called oatcakes (more about these another day).

Here are just a couple more photos that I took of the information board. 

We are lucky to have such a rich culture and heritage in this area and I am very proud of how hard my ancestors worked to give us the lifestyles that we have today. Work was hard, long hours, and poorly paid. The people who worked on the factories looked after each other and were like little families. My mum still has friends that she made at work over 60 years ago. 

Sometimes we forget to look at what is on our own doorsteps and be thankful for what we have.

Until tomorrow

Jules x

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Wedding dress shopping, artisan markets and the Jazz Festival

Evening Everyone.
A really quick post tonight as I am shattered! I have been with my eldest daughter to look at wedding dresses today for her forthcoming wedding next August.
Myself, eldest daughter, my other two daughters plus my daughter's best friend went to two bridal shops (by appointment only - can you believe that!) to try on some dresses.
I have to admit I'm not a fan of all that fussing and fawning and much prefer to have a rummage on the rails, pick a few out that I like and try them on. Oh no! That is definitely not allowed. Nor is taking photographs of any we liked so we could think about them at home. Such a palaver! My daughter's friend had the skills of a ninja and actually managed to take a few sneaky pics.
So we had one appointment in the morning and one mid afternoon. In between, we went for brunch in town.

Pancakes, scrambled egg and maple syrup

 It was really lovely as the Jazz and Blues Festival was on and also an artisan market selling foods and crafts. The only downside was that we really struggled to get a parking space. Once we had one, after driving round and round for what seemed like an eternity, we just put a day ticket on and decided to walk everywhere without moving the car. This didn't exactly go to plan as we had a longer break than we envisaged, so we popped home for an hour as we really didn't want to keep walking round or having more coffees. When we went back the parking situation had not improved so two eldest daughters went to the appointment whilst the youngest and myself hung around on the car park till we found a space. I must say that my daughter's driving skills at squeezing into the tiniest space were really impressive!
In the first shop my daughter tried on endless dresses until she found one she quite liked. She took all the details and made a further appointment for next week so she could think about it. At the second shop she tried on another set of dresses and once again found another that she quite liked, which, incidentally, was totally different from the first. Again, she wanted to think about it so we got the details and will go back if she decides that is "the one".
I can't blame her - it's important to get the dream dress on your wedding day and also it is an awful lot of money if you are unsure. You could buy a car for the price of some of those dresses, it's scary!

So guess what I will be doing for most of next week? Answers on a postcard. 😏
congletonjazzandbluesfestival for anyone that is interested.
Jules x

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Getting the best value and price for our weekly food shop

Hi Everyone.

Hope everyone is well and looking forward to the bank holiday weekend.

We have had a lovely day today visiting an ex work colleague and friend who has recently moved house.  We had a couple of coffees, good old natter and caught up on all the gossip. I do try very hard to keep in touch with my friends as I value their friendship and enjoy their company. 

On our way from here we called into Georges fish and chip shop. This is always on our agenda when in the area as they do a lunch time menu for just 99p! You can choose from chips with sausage and gravy, homemade fishcake and chips, chips with either beans, peas or curry sauce and if you really want to push the boat out you can get a small battered cod and chips complete with a tub of tartare sauce for £1.49. It comes in a box with a knife and fork, all very civilised. I really don't know how they do it for the price. There's always a queue which I'm not surprised by. I meant to take a photo to show you but eat them before I remembered! Oops 😋

As we were in a different area we decided to pop into Sainsburys to do some shopping. I was amazed at the inflated prices of some items and in the end just bought a newspaper, coffee and some decaf cappuccino's that we love but can't get locally. 

We headed home and called into Aldi which is in the next town. We had to sit in the car for 20 minutes as the rain and hail were absolutely lashing down.

When I finally was able to get out of the car ( I had stupidly gone out in  sandals and no coat as it was really sunny ) I grabbed a trolley and set off with my list. I always try to take a list otherwise I come home without half of what I need and plenty of things I don't. 

I usually look at what fruit and veg are on offer first and pop those into the trolley. If a fruit is on offer that I've not got on my list I just substitute that one. I do try to be as flexible as I can but obviously there are certain foods that I buy every week as we like them and some foods that even if on offer I wont buy as we don't like them.

I bought a large pack of chicken breasts because they are better value that way and once opened I will freeze the left overs in individual bags to use throughout the week.  

Once upon a time I would of done my shopping in Sainsburys while I was there just for convenience. Nowadays I can't justify paying a third more than necessary just for the sake of going to another shop. I don't think you can beat Aldi prices and I find that the quality is very good too. The trick is to either leave Hubby in the car or keep a very close eye on him as he looks at all the items they sell in the middle aisles. He is always picking things up that we don't need, today it was a £3.99 pair of sunglasses! He won and bought them though so it was wife 0 - Hubby 1 this week. 

The shop was really busy, it amuses me that every bank holiday it is the same. People with huge trolleys full of shopping because of the reduced opening hours.

I've never really understand this, If we run out of something its just tough.

I did a full weeks shopping for three of us and it came to £54. That is for three meals a day including a packed lunch for our daughter. I do cook everything from scratch which I think does save money but I do it as I like to know what is going into my food. We don't eat processed foods or ready meals unless we are caught short which is rare. The majority of my shopping is meat, fruit, veg and yogurts. I do pick up odd bits of fruit throughout the week if we need it or it is at the right price. 

 Until tomorrow

Jules x

Aldi Shopping, cheaper? freeze chicken, fruit on special buy, not buying extras

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Making the most of the free foods

Evening Everyone.

Hope everyone is well? 

Today I was speaking to a friend and she told me that she had been blackberry picking in the field behind her house. She sent me a lovely photo of four very fine looking apple and blackberry pies. They looked so delicious that I felt compelled to bake one myself.

We have plenty of blackberry bushes in the field opposite our cottage so off i went to pick some.

There were loads but I only took what I needed so that others have the chance to collect some too. You can see how laden the bushes are in the photo.

When I had enough I took them home, gave them a good wash and soaked them for an hour just to check for insects etc. 

Once I was sure that they were clean and pest free I made some pastry and made a lovely apple and blackberry pie with them. It was delicious even if I say so myself!

Sometimes even the simplest of foods can taste amazing and made all the better by using free, very fresh ingredients. I was inspired by someone else to make this pie so hope it inspires you to get foraging and baking too!
Do you ever forage for free food?
Jules x



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A lovely day out without breaking the bank.

Evening Everyone.

Today is our wedding anniversary. We don't buy gifts for this as we prefer to go out somewhere instead. We usually have a couple of nights away too.

We have not gone away today, but, have booked something for a few weeks time when it is much less busy. It will actually be a heck of a lot cheaper after the school holidays are over too.

Today we had a trip into the Peak District which isn't too far from where we live. We love it here and have spent many happy days before we were married, walking, having lovely pub lunches and staying at a favourite hotel of ours called Biggin Hall. This is an old country house that does amazing food. I can really recommend it if you are in the area. The afternoon teas are to die for. 

So today we had a walk around a lovely little village stopping for coffee and a look around the shops. I really like the small independent shops that you get in these small villages. You can pick up some unusual items but you do have to watch the cost. 

After this we went to Hetty's Tea Shop. This is in a beautiful setting by a wharf. There are lots of good walks from the tearoom car park. The food is really good and the prices are very reasonable saying that everything is home cooked. 

After our walk we moved to another little market town and had a walk around. When we got back to the car, I thought that we were heading home but,  Hubby said he had a surprise. He drove us to a place called Rudyard Lake. This is where we held our evening wedding reception. I didn't know he could be that romantic! ( only joking). 

After a short walk around and an ice cream whilst watching the world go by in the sunshine, we headed home. All in all it has been a really lovely day topped off with a little holiday booked too. 

Tonight has been back to reality as I stood cooking our evening meal but I wouldn't change a thing. Some people like grand gestures of expensive jewellery or flashy restaurants but not me, I'm happy with a lovely day out in the countryside, with my Hubby and a decent coffee. Perfect!
What do you do for anniversary's, birthday's or other special celebrations?

Jules x

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