Pillars of Hercules Organic Farm Shop & Cafe

I had an amazing day yesterday and thought I would share it with you... So Beardy and I decided to take a road trip to one of our local farm shops, one thing I have dreamt about when planning my big move to the country would be to have local farmers markets and local farm shops on my door step. 

Having been a little disappointed with the lack of farmers markets around I was not holding out much hope for a farm shop that would offer me anything other than potatoes.

Well a visit to Pillars of Hercules made me eat my words. It was not only an idilic place to be but it was a cornucopia of Vegan treats, not only in the very well stocked shop but also in the cafe.

Nothing could make this farm shop any better, really, it was stunning. It's not very often I walk into a shop that stocks Vegan products and find things I've not seen before at every health shop and Wholefoods store but Pillars of Hercules left me with not only a full basket of vegetables and goodies but a long list of things I wanted to buy for my next visit.

As a city boy I've only ever dreamed of vegetables this fresh and I can't wait to start writing recipes to share with you. 

Not only do the nice people from the Pillars of Hercules sell from there shop on the farm but the also have a box delivery service running in Fife. At £15 a box (£14 with direct debt) I can only see this as a bonus to my new healthy living.

The colours from this fresh fruit and vegetables was hypnotising.

Everything was fresh and smelt so good.

Vegan treats were on display for a quick bite.

You can watch them farm as you wonder around the farm.

There was something almost spiritual when you come to the Pillars of Hercules a feeling of calm comes over you. In addition to the shop and cafe you can camp on the farm, or even rent a cottage within its grounds. Take a look at there website www.pillars.co.uk and see for yourself, but be in no mistake that I will be telling you more about this place in future posts.

I'm just waiting for them to reply to my e-mail on information about having my first veg box delivered the week after our holiday.

Bear x

Sheezy Bacon Bites

Vegan Sheezy Bacon Bites

Serves: 24 Balls (bite size)

Ingredients:

2 tubs of Vegan Original Cream Sheese

2 tbsp Vegan Mayonnaise

¼ cup fresh herbs, chopped (Chives work well here)

1 cup of grated Strong Cheddar Style Sheese

2 cups of Vegan Bacon flavoured bits (available from all good supermarkets)

Directions:

1.   Mix the tubs of cream cheese with the 2 tbsp of Vegan Mayonnaise till they are blended and the mix is smooth.
2.   Add the fresh chopped herbs, pepper and combine.
3.   Mix in the grated Sheese.
4.   Cover and place in the fridge for an hour to firm up a little.
5.   Place the Bacon flavoured bits onto a plate
6.   Take the Sheese mix from the fridge and roll into bite size balls, roll them in the Bacon bits and set aside on a plate.
7.   Cover and fridge again till firm.
8.   Serve on crackers or with a salad and French toast. These are also nice served with a Cranberry or berry jam. 

Vegan SHopping On-Line

So your Vegan and like me you don't live in a big city, I never even thought about how I was going to get all my Vegan tucker when I moved 540 miles away from the big smoke. But it would seem that Vegan delights are only a click away.

Here are a few of my tips on Vegan on-line shopping...

1) Start by asking your Vegan friends if they've ever bought on line? They will tell you if they have had any problems and how the company responded to the service and complaints they had with them.

2) Shop around, it's like going shopping in the street, you don't have to buy it from the first place you come across.

3) Shipping and delivery charges, things may look cheap but sometimes the added costs at the end can add up. And don't be fooled by the 'free delivery' you sometimes have to spend over a set amount to get the offer. Think about how often you will use the product your buying and if you will use the extra ones your buying.

4) Buying in bulk and sharing the cost with friends. Amazon sell things in bulk now and it can work out cheap if you and a friend split the cost and you choose free delivery (it may take a week to come but think of the savings)

5) Take into account how much you would spend on travel to your closest whole food shop? For me it would mean a trip into Edinburgh and would cost me £13 travel. I've done it once or twice now and the shop has not had the item in stock, then I've spent loads more on things I wasn't planning on buying. Not forgetting having to carry it all up the hill when I get off the train.

6) Meal plan so you don't have food you have ordered going off, as with any food it has a use by date and will need to be eaten. This goes for all delivery produce from Asda to Goodness Direct.

7) Every day is like Christmas at our house with food and books getting delivered by chatty delivery men at random hours of the day. 

Here are a few of the companies I have used.

www.amazon.co.uk

www.redwoodfoods.co.uk

www.beanieshealthfoods.co.uk

www.goodnessdirect.co.uk

Japanese Shopping

Following on from my Bento Box post yesterday I thought I would show you some of the goodies that have arrived this morning. I love to make Sushi and being Vegan hasn't stopped me in any way. I find it a great way to relax and it gives me time to think and ponder the world and what is going on in it.

You don't have to be a chef to make an interesting Sushi platter as there are loads of books and websites that fit in with your skill level from starting out to being a whizz with a knife. Even though I haven't made any for some time now it all fell back into place with me trotting off to the kitchen for an hour to tinker with my rolling map (It doesn't take that long normally but I was having lots of fun so just took my time).

There is something fun about dishing up a platter of Sushi that is not only tasty but is also amazing to look at. Just the smile on someone's face as they relies that you have taken time to make something that looks like a picture just for them.

Some of my tips for making Vegan Sushi...

1) Have fun, if your stressing about it your Sushi will reflect your stress.

2) You don't have to but if you buy the right rice and seaweed wraps you'll get a better product. You don't have to have a Japanese supermarket on your doorstep as there are loads of companies that deliver within a few days. I have used www.japancentre.com they were not next day but it came within three working days and delivery costs were around £5 for whatever amount of food you had delivered. 

3) There are no such things as mistakes when making Sushi, everything is edible and taste.

4) Make a date of it with a friend or loved one, two people making a mess of something is much more fun and you can eat as you go along.

5) Lay everything out so you can see what your doing and that you've got it all before you start.

6) Fresher the better when it comes to your fillings.

The next step... If you feel like you have got the hang of it why not have a Sushi dinner party? You can have all the chopping done and all the dips ready for when your friends turn up. Then all people have to do is put it all together... 

Bear x

Just Bento

What an amazing website! I don't review many websites or blogs, not because I don't spend hours every day reading them, because I really do. But while looking at my diet and thinking about going on day trips with Beardy and thought we should take healthy pack lunches with us, and what better way of that but with a Bento Box.

Next I was looking for ideas and advice and I came across a website called Just Bento www.justbento.com  not only is it full of great food porn (pictures to drool over) but every click leads to more tips to make your Bento Box even better.

Now just when you thought that wasn't good enough your just a few clicks away from owning the book to go with the website... 'The Just Bento Cookbook' ISBN 9784770031242 and can be ordered from all good bookshops and on-line. I'm just starting to read it but let me tell you it's looking good, I'll have to let you know when I've tried a few of the recipes.

Now picking a Bento Box, there is a lot written on this subject but what I have gained from all that I've read is...

1) Size isn't as clear as it looks. Some small Bento Boxes may look small but intact they have a lot of space inside. I would say start off with what you have, if you have a sandwich box at home already.

2) Another good reason for using what you have is that Bento Boxes are not quick to produce (well not as quick as a sandwich anyways) and you may find it doesn't fit into you life style.

3) One website suggest putting your dinner into your Bento Box and see how full it looks, this will give you an idea of how full you want to fill it.

4) Remember its not going to be full of junk, this is the new you and your going to fill it with healthy things. Lots of green things look good in a Bento Box and I'm not talking green M&M's.

5) Make sure it looks nice, I want to look cool with my Bento Box as I'm sure you do too? Some are fun and light hearted but really think about who is going to see you with your box, if your to embarrassed to take your lunch out of your bag your never going to use it.

6) If you eat meat and eggs (I'm not sure you'll be reading my blog anyways) you need to make sure it will fit into your work fridge or can be packed with a blue ice block. I found that Ikea ice blocks (you get them in the food section at Ikea) work well and are the right size.

7) Other things to think about... Is it dishwasher proof? Is it microwaveable? When closed is it leak proof? Nothing worst than getting to work and your lunch is in the bottom of your bag!

8) Something else to think about is how your going to eat your lunch, I've ordered chopsticks and cutlery that fits into my box. I also have a little bag that everything fits into, I had a friend who had a large headscarf that she used as a little table cloth but tied up around her Bento Box to keep everything together. It looked cool and everyone use to want to know what was in it...

Now the Bento Box I have splashed the cash on is a Monbento one (pictured above) and I found that if you go to there website www.en.monbento.com it's a little cheaper and it's no cheaper than going to Amazon. They also sell lots of accessories that you may want to add. But please not it soon adds up and it's easy to spend £30+ on a Bento Box kit before you even start to map some food. A good Bento Box will last you a life time so it is always a good idea to buy quality though.

If this temps you to buy one then I'm sure like me you will get great joy out of your new Bento lifestyle.

Bear x

The weight issue...

As anyone who reads my blog will know I have spent a lifetime fighting my weight issues. Over the years I have tried and failed all diets some after some amazing weight losses. 

Weight Watchers - 6 stone, Slimming World 2 stone, You Are What You Eat 1 stone and The Food Doctor 3 stone. The problem I have with all of them was about how to fit them into my life and to keep to them once I had lost the weight I wanted too.

With Weight Watchers I had to know the points in things, they also changed the diet so on my last return thing got even more complexed and harder to follow. If you can eat there ready meals then maybe this one would work for you, but as a vegan none of there meals are suitable for me to eat.

Slimming world again relies on you knowing what was a green food and what was a red food. I have problems remembering my name most days so this is another one thats not for me...

You Are What You Eat & The Food Doctor are both vegan friendly diets and both easy to follow, But there is a 'BUT' if your out and about it's really hard to just grab something on the go. They do however teach you some good rules and having a look at them to get ideas and tips wouldn't do anyone any harm.

So where am I going with this posting? Well I've always steered away from kCal counting, I'm not sure why I think because the first diet I ever followed told me not to do it and I guess it just stuck.

So after watching The Biggest Loser on tv yet again and thinking I wish I could be somewhere like that and lose as much weight as they have and look as good as they do. Well I don't know anyone who would enter the program with me so I guess I'm just going to have to do it myself.

But hang on what's this they are advertising in the advert break? The Biggest Loser Club! www.biggestloserclub.co.uk 

I went over and had a look.... It's an easy to follow diet and if you want exercise on-line diet club and it's only £9.95 a month (I think that makes it the cheapest diet I've followed). 

So I signed up last week and followed the kCal counting plan that I was told I could follow, the diet plan does give you a Vegetarian plan you can follow but as yet not a vegan one. Having said that the food list does have vegan foods listed and you can add your own foods to the personal list too. I have also started a thread in the community and with any luck there is enough Vegan's on there to maybe get them to do more for us.

I cooked a Moroccan Tagine that was Vegan and it was amazing, Beardy also enjoyed it so I think we will be eating it again.

So I think by now your all wanting to know how I got on? Well I lost 5.5lbs and that was with me being out of action for most of the week with a twisted knee (a little better now). I've also been looking at joining the local gym and pool as well as getting a Wii with Zumba and The Biggest Loser games on it.

Why do I think it works? Well for the first time I'm counting kCal and not anything else, every item sold in shops from Chocolate bars to tins of beans has the kCal's on them so when your out you can see there and then what your eating. I have bought some things in portion controlled sizes but for the most I haven't had too. 

It also means that even Beardy can work out the kCal's in things so making life easier for everyone around me too. And better still I've not been grumpy or felt hungry what so ever. And I know it sounds strange but I can feel the weight coming off!?!

Well I hope the weight keeps coming off, and I will post one or two recipes as and when I come across them...

Bear x

More Snaps of Scotland

More Pictures of Scotland

On our way to Dundee we saw the end of the rainbow, it was in Scotland after all.

The Fourth Railway Bridge

Near the Fourth Railway Bridge

Below the Fourth Railway Bridge. It's so big...

Lochgelly

Lochgelly, Fife, Scotland

So after a wait of just over two weeks I'm now up and running with an internet connection...

The Cottage is coming together after a few teething issues, they had some big storms up here the week before I arrived and we had lost some of the slates off the roof. Also in clearing our patio we had discovered the outside drain was blocked and causing a few issues with internal drains too. But its warm and dry and it feels like home now.

Having said all that we have another storm hitting today and the wind is picking up today and they are saying on the news that the bridges will be closed.

So what is Lochgelly like then? Well we have a high street that has like in the south seen better days, up here everyone seems to have a car and out of town shopping parks have sprung up everywhere. Put that together with a supermarket superstore every half a mile and I'm surprised there are any shops around at all.

We have a co-op supermarket and chemist, butchers, bakers, card shop, builders suppliers, we even have one or two cafe's and corner-shops. How any of this is managing to stay open with the economic downturn of the country I don't know.

I would call Lochgelly a village and according to Wikipedia it is... It's a mix of both traditional Scottish stone built cottages as well as modern new build family houses. I live in what would have been a two room cottage that has be extended up into the loft and out back into the garden making it a three bedroom cottage.

Now most of you will want to know about food? Well I'm going to keep that till another day as there is lots to talk about around that.

I hope you all had a good Christmas however you spent it.

Bear x

Countdown to Scotland

So the countdown is now on... By this time tomorrow I will be sitting on a coach heading to Edinburgh, bags stored in the belly of the beast...

I've got a really crazy week coming up, firstly I have to sign my tenancy agreement on the new house on Wednesday and then the rest of the week will be shopping and getting the cottage to look like a home for Christmas.

Drew has been great and so to has his mum who has given us all of the white goods we will need for the kitchen. This may not sound like much but it will save a fair few pennies.

Drew has picked his room leaving me with the two upstairs rooms, one is to be my bedroom and the other is to be a guest/study/drying room for washing.

I said a bedroom is for sleeping but I'm really excited about buying a bed and making it my space. BT hasn't been so good in getting there act together so I'll not have internet till the 28th December so I'm not sure if I'll get to update this till then. None of the iPhone apps are much cop when it comes to writing blog posts.

I'm off now to say goodbye to some friends, I'm not going to get to see many of them before I go as I've had this cold and have spent most of the last week in bed sick, isn't it always the way when you have a little time off you get sick...

If I don't get to say it before Christmas, I hope you all get what you want and get to spend it with those you love. Keep them close and tell them what they mean to you.

Bear x